The Best Friend of the Person I Like is Secretly Approaching Me - Chapter 52

Chapter 52

As Haru tightly hugs me, I gently pry her arms off by holding her shoulders and separating her from my body.

The difference in strength between men and women our age is clear, so I easily manage to distance myself from her.

She then shows a really sad expression.

“…Did you not like it?”

“No-no, it’s not that. We’re outside and in front of the Hinata house. Don’t you think it’d be embarrassing if the neighbors saw us?”

“I don’t mind it, though.”

“I’m embarrassed. Please, I’m asking you.”

After I plead with my hands together, Haru reluctantly agrees with a pout, saying, ‘Alright.’

“Then, let’s go inside the house, okay? That would be okay, right?”

“Wait-wait. Before that, tell me why you called me back. The tugging at my blazer earlier was to signal me to come back here later, right?”

“Ehehe, yes! That’s right! You’re amazing, Ren, for understanding my intentions. Um, earlier, it might have seemed like I was excited about the field trip, but I actually got more motivated when it was decided that Ren would teach me how to study. I didn’t want to be misunderstood.”

“…is that so? Thanks.”

Honestly, I wondered if that was all she called me back for.

She could have just sent a message later. But maybe she wanted to tell me directly.

Realizing how serious her feelings were made me reflect on my trivial thoughts.

Just as I was thinking our conversation was over and about to head home, Haru took my hand as if reading my mind.

“Also… I wanted to be alone with you, Ren.”

Saying this, she gripped my hand tightly. Her words and actions made my heart race.

I felt a strong urge to hug her, but my earlier words somehow helped me restrain myself.

“And… well, I couldn’t help it during Golden Week, but since then, we haven’t, you know, done it. Aren’t you about to explode?”

Haru, with a blushing face, asks me this. I quickly understood what she was implying.

It’s been a while since we’ve been alone together, since the day after the holidays.

We also haven’t been going out on weekends recently, so there hasn’t been an opportunity for such things.

“I don’t think I’m about to explode. I’ll be fine.”

“But, you know, Ren, you’re surprisingly energetic…”

Saying so, Haru’s gaze shifts below my waist.

Her eyes seemed to be filled with heat.

“Hey Ren, let’s do it now. Want to go to my room?”

“…No, I’m going home today.”

“Why? Have you gotten tired of doing it with me? You don’t want to do it with me anymore?”

“No-no, that’s not it. Look, it’s getting late. Akira-san will be home soon.”

After school, I first went to the Hinata house using the train, then to the Yosaki house, and then walked back to the Hinata house.

As a result, quite a bit of time had passed, and Haru’s mother, Akira-san, would be returning home soon.

Although I’m known to Akira-san as Haru’s boyfriend, I would be panicked if she came home while we were in the middle of doing such a thing.

Haru muttered, ‘I see’, and looked down. As I was thinking about what to say to her, she suddenly looked up and said,

“Then come over this Saturday.”

“Yes? But didn’t you say your mom and dad are usually home on weekends?”

“Yeah, my mom will be there. My dad has to work, though. You know, recently my mom has been asking, ‘Ren-kun hasn’t been coming over lately, did you guys break up?'”

Not that we’ve broken up; we’re not actually dating yet. But it seems difficult to continue avoiding visiting the Hinata house.

If Akira-san was there, it probably wouldn’t have led to that kind of situation.

Also, maybe I need to come for the sake of showing my face to Akira-san,

“Okay. I’ll come over on Saturday.”

“Yay! I’m looking forward to it.”

“I’ll bring my study materials too.”

“Uh. Please be gentle with me.”

“The only way to go into sciences is to gain enough knowledge to convince Yosaki. Let’s work hard together.”

“…Yes! Thank you, Ren!”

I want to have a healthy relationship with her, but I wonder if it’s already too late for that.

I can’t help but feel a slight pain in my chest as I look at her smiling face.

***

The next day.

After the third lesson of the day, I was organizing my desk when a shadow approached my seat.

Looking up, I saw Kaita standing there. He didn’t move away from in front of my seat, so I knew he had something to talk about with me.

“What do you want?”

When I asked, Kaita responded with an awkward expression.

“Well, S-Seko. You’ve stopped confessing to Yosaki recently, haven’t you?”

Since entering the school, I had been almost daily shouting my love for Misa, but I had stopped doing so after the Golden Week break.

It seems Kaita had noticed.

Technically, I hadn’t been confessing since around November of the previous year.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Have you been doing it outside of the classroom?”

“No, I haven’t. It’s not that I’ve changed the place or timing.”

“Is that so… I knew it, is it our fault that it turned out like this?”

For a moment, I was puzzled by what he meant, but then I realized he was referring to the timing of the mixer event, thinking that I had stopped because of it.

He’s half right. That incident made me aware of their feelings, and now I am careful not to do anything thoughtless, which includes my love confessions.

Also, I’ve started to feel a sense of aversion towards persistent confessions.

“It’s not entirely wrong, but don’t worry about it too much.”

“No, even if you say so, I still feel responsible. You’ve been leaving those two alone during lunch break and going somewhere, right?”

“I’m just going to the nurse’s office because I’m not feeling well.”

“Do you know? Recently, because Seko isn’t with them, there are more guys targeting those two.”

“What?”

“By that reaction, you didn’t know? Some have already confessed. It seems they’ve all been rejected, though.”

That was news to me.

Neither of them had mentioned it. I wondered why they hadn’t told me, probably not to worry me.

I was angry with myself for not noticing. But being with them all the time is indeed hard.

Recently, the time in the backyard with Koido has become my oasis.

“We’ll keep an eye out to make sure no weird guys approach them.”

“We?”

“Yeah. The entire soccer team in our class feels responsible for you.”

“That’s… sorry about that.”

“It’s okay. We were idiots.”

I know that Kaita and the others were coerced by Arahira Senpai, so I don’t think they should feel too responsible, but I am grateful for their offer to protect the two.

“By the way, how’s Arahira doing recently?”

“Huh? Oh, him? He’s into another girl lately. So I don’t think you need to worry about Hinata too much. Of course, it’s better not to worry at all.”

“I don’t sense much trust coming for you to your direct Senpai.”

“It’s because I’m close and understand him that I think this way. His obsession is abnormal. He even overcame underdog expectations to secure his position as the ace striker.”

From Kaita’s tone, it was clear that although he didn’t admire the guy’s personality, he respected him as a soccer player.

Watching Kaita return to his seat, I reflected on our conversation.

Anyway, for now, I need to focus on solving our own problems as soon as possible.