The Best Friend of the Person I Like is Secretly Approaching Me - Chapter 46

Chapter 46

As Oda mentioned before, our school’s backyard is one of the prime confession spots on campus.

I happened to witness a confession here the last time I came. In fact, the junior couple I’m with now are the two from that time.

And now, another junior boy-girl pair has come to the backyard, giving the impression of a confession about to happen.

“Wow, this is making me nervous.”

“It’s my first time seeing someone else’s confession.”

“It was the first time for me too, with you guys.”

We were watching them while hiding.

I knew it was in bad taste, but I was taught by this junior couple that it’s okay to watch the scene of a confession.

Or rather, even if I wanted to leave now, I couldn’t. It would just create an awkward atmosphere otherwise.

“Koido, thank you for coming here with me today.”

“Yeah. Then, what did you want to talk about?”

As they began talking, Ka-kun whispered, ‘It’s starting!’ Though we couldn’t see them, their voices were audible. I gestured for Ka-kun to be quiet by placing a finger over my lips.

“Koido, you’re always so close to me… like that time we all went out, you were right by my side.”

“Um, is that so? …sorry, I don’t remember. I think I did it unconsciously.”

“T-that means you feel comfortable around me, right!? T-then, I’ll just say it… I like you, Koido! Please go out with me!”

Finally, the boy confessed.

From their conversation, it seems they hang out together sometimes and are quite close.

Now, what will be the outcome——

“I’m sorry. I can’t.”

The girl flatly rejected him, and the atmosphere instantly froze.

“Oh no, that was quite direct.”

“Ouch… That hurts. But I admire his courage.”

The junior couple with me commented on the scene.

On second thought, I think they’re enjoying this a bit too much…

“W-why…? Don’t you like me, Koido?”

“Not really… You’re just one of my classmates, I guess.”

“N-no way! Then why did you act so misleadingly!”

“Like I said, I didn’t mean to…”

“Don’t mess with me! I was serious!”

The junior boy, having been rejected, was unleashing his frustration on the girl he just confessed to.

His attitude reminded me of someone I dislike, and it was annoying.

“Oh, that’s not good.”

“If you’re rejected, you have to back off gracefully, and if you can’t give up, then you can try again another time. That’s the way to respect Seko Senpai… Seko Senpai?”

Before I knew it, I had stood up from the bench.

Responding to Ka-kun’s “Where are you going!?” with “You two can leave first,” I walked over to the pair.

Seeing me suddenly appear, both of them looked startled.

Then the boy, realizing what he had been doing, looked particularly guilty.

“I’m sorry for eavesdropping. But junior, that’s enough. It’s important to step aside gracefully.”

“What the… Who are you…? Huh, are you that Seko Senpai?”

“Right, I am that Seko.”

“Damn…was I acting like him just now? Ugh… Koido, I’m really sorry. I’ll give up now. I’m sorry for saying such awful things.”

“Eh. Oh, it’s okay. I’m not bothered by it.”

“I appreciate you for saying that. Well then.”

With that, the junior boy left.

I mulled over his parting words, uttering a quiet ‘Huh…’

I managed to defuse the situation, but it left me feeling unresolved.

In the end, he was disgusted to see his own image overlapping with mine… it’s frustrating.

“You’re amazing, Seko Senpai! To smoothly handle this situation like that!”

“I feel like something sharp is piercing my heart, though.”

“Don’t worry. We know that Seko Senpai knows when to step back, unlike that guy.”

“Na-chan…”

“It’s just that your persistence is strong, and you’ve been continuing it for a year in a hit-and-run style, right?”

“Why did you have to stab the pulled-out sword back in?”

“I really respect a Senpai who doesn’t break his spirit even when the outcome is terrible!”

“Can you two please stop cutting into my heart like this? My strong heart is already full of holes.”

I’m so done with this junior couple.

They claim to respect me, but they always end up gouging my heart.

“I told you to leave, yet you’re still here.”

“No way, we can’t leave Seko Senpai behind!”

“That’s right!”

“Ka-kun… Na-chan…!”

I take it back, they really are great juniors.

“Uh, excuse me…”

At that moment, the junior girl who had confessed to called out to us. Looking at her again, I notice her somewhat flashy appearance.

She has pink hair, a bit longer than shoulder-length, lightly tied into two at the bottom.

While our school is lenient about hair color, most students only go as far as to dye their hair brown.

Pink is very rare.

Her height is… definitely shorter than Misa, but maybe a bit taller than Haru.

She has a well-proportioned face, making it understandable why she would receive a confession.

“Sorry for intervening like that. And for eavesdropping on your conversation.”

“No, no! I’m actually grateful!”

A junior with a ‘ssu’ speech pattern, huh. Oda would like that.

(TN: Oda usually uses the (氏, shi) suffix after a person’s name, kind of like how ‘Mr.’ is used in English. So, to call Seko, he would say 瀬古氏 (Seko-shi), or ‘Mr. Seko’, but I usually just remove it.)

“Are you Mai Koido?”

“Eh, yeah. That’s me.”

“Wow, I knew it! I heard there was an exceptionally cute girl among the first-years! Wow~ You really are cute!”

“D-don’t say that. It’s embarrassing.”

“Wow, wow! Ka-kun, did you see? Koido-san is super cute!”

“Yeah, she is. But for me, Na-chan is the cutest.”

“Ka-kun…!”

“Na-chan…!”

“Just leave already. Even Koido seems taken aback.”

“Um, Senpai?”

“Me? …Ah, I guess I’m the only Senpai here. What’s wrong?”

“Can we talk for a little after this?”

“I don’t mind, but…”

“Please justt give me a little bit of your time, and, sorry to say this, but I’d like to be alone with Senpai.”

“Oh… You mean…”

“Ka-kun! This is where we should leave without asking anything! I’d love to dig deeper, but if we intrude now, we’ll be seen as insensitive people!”

You two are already a perfectly insensitive couple.

Why pretend otherwise?

After they left, I was alone with Koido, I was waiting for how she would start the conversation she mentioned.

Then, Koido turned to me with a smile and said,

“Then, Senpai, should we sit on that bench over there?”

“You knew there was a bench there? You can’t see it from here. Have you been to this place before?”

“…Yeah, I have.”

Her response seemed to have an implication, but I didn’t press further.

Maybe this wasn’t her first confession here.

Sitting on the bench, Koido thanked me again.

“Senpai, thank you so much. If you hadn’t come, I don’t know what would have happened after that.”

A girl who refers to herself as ‘boku,’ huh? That’s adding another layer to her character.

Oda would be thrilled.

“It’s good that I could help you without being too intrusive. But it really made me realize that confessions should consider the other person’s feelings too.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Senpai, do you really confess to Yosaki Senpai almost every day?”

“…Ah. So that’s pretty well-known, huh?”

“It’s quite famous. Senpai is like a living legend.”

“…I see.”

Even though I didn’t mind, I started to reflect that I should have been more cautious in my actions, considering they could affect others.

I shouldn’t take her kindness for granted and should act more thoughtfully.

“Anyway, what did you want to talk about?”

“Oh, sorry. Um, getting to the point…”

I wonder what she could possibly want to talk about with someone she’s just met today. Maybe it’s about the ‘legend’.

As I was thinking like that, she lit up her big, beautiful eyes and asked,

“What is the relationship between Senpai and Hinata Senpai?”

From her eyes, I sensed not just curiosity but something akin to certainty.

——And for the first time since yesterday, I felt a cold sweat on my back.