The Best Friend of the Person I Like is Secretly Approaching Me - Chapter 65

Chapter 65

It was a Saturday weekend.

I found myself at a certain station, not the one nearest to my home, but one that’s popular for shopping——Simply put, it’s the station I always use when going out for fun.

I had arrived here by train.

After passing through the ticket gates, I headed towards a certain monument often used as a meeting point and she was there.

“Rento-san!”

She noticed me and hurried over while being careful of her surroundings.

“It’s been a while, Saki-chan.”

“It’s not just ‘a while.’ The last time we met was mid-April, you know? Tell me what the date is today?”

“Should I go buy a newspaper from that convenience store for you?”

“I haven’t time-traveled!”

“Oh, you’re biting into this joke. As expected of Saki-chan, it’s a perfect comeback.”

“Ehehe… No, that’s not the point. It’s already the end of May!”

“Regarding that matter, I truly acknowledge my fault.”

“Ah, um, it makes me feel troubled if you apologize so formally…”

When I bowed deeply to apologize, Saki-chan became flustered.

Somehow, am I not winning against Saki-chan right now?

It doesn’t seem like I’m being dominated by a little devil-type girl.

Could it be, thanks to my daily training with Koido…?

Master!

“Rento-kun. Stop teasing Saki.”

Misa, who had caught up to us on foot, reprimanded me for my joke.

“Ah, yes.”

“Eh… pout. Rento-san, were you teasing me?”

“Yes. Sorry.”

“No, I won’t forgive you. Along with the fact that you left me alone for over a month… It’s a hand-holding punishment for you! We’re staying like this all day today!”

——Huh? That’s awesome.

“Huh? That’s awesome.”

“Rento-kun, it seems like you’re mixing up what you really think with what you say.”

“Well, it’s because I’m the same inside and out. There’s no difference.”

“Sigh.”

Misa looked at me with an exasperated expression, but it couldn’t be helped.

Saki-chan is both a little devil and an angel.

“Rento-san, are you happy to hold hands with me? …I’m glad. I thought of it as a punishment game, so I didn’t expect you to be happy.”

“No way! Is holding hands with Saki-chan a punishment game? That’s impossible! Rather, I’d pay to do that!”

“Rento-san. I want to drink banana juice from that shop over there.”

“Leave it to me!”

“Rento-san. I never thought that this was a punishment game.”

“Of course! …Hmm? What did you say?”

“I know my own worth. There’s no way that holding hands with me is a punishment.”

Confronted with Saki-chan’s mischievous smile, I was left stunned and dumbfounded.

I thought I had the upper hand against this little devil just now.

Now what? I was completely at her mercy.

“But why did you ask to hold hands?”

” …That’s because, um, I just wanted to hold hands with Rento-san.”

“Nngh!!”

——Total defeat.

That word surfaced in my mind. It was very fit for my current situation.

I knew it, I was no match for the little devil, Saki-san.

In hindsight, Koido was just a lesser version of her, and the training with Koido was never going to be enough to surpass her.

Farewell, master. I am leaving your tutelage.

“…What have you two been doing all this time?”

Misa said in an even more dismayed tone, followed by a deep sigh.

***

The reason why I’m out today with Misa and Saki-chan is because Misa told me the day before yesterday, ‘Saki wants to see you.’

I mentioned the other day at that café that I would go out with Misa if there was a reason like Saki-chan wanting to meet me.

Essentially, she used my words to invite me out.

Well, it doesn’t feel much like a date if I pay attention to Saki-chan like this, and I was not so nervous since we used to hang out together like this before.

Currently, my left hand is connected to Saki-chan’s right. This is my punishment for neglecting her for so long and I accept it willingly.

Meanwhile, my right hand is free, and Misa has been glancing at it from time to time.

“Onee-chan, would you like to hold hands as well?”

“Of course.”

It seems Misa can’t resist Saki-chan’s requests either, and they end up holding hands.

This means Misa and I won’t be holding hands.

Uh, it would be ridiculous for the three of us to walk in a circle holding hands.

Anyway, we headed to a nearby fruit juice shop to buy the banana juice Saki-chan wanted.

Looking at the menu for a while, Saki-chan gets her banana juice, Misa chooses blueberry milk, and I order a fruit mix.

“Here you go… Oh my, are all three of you holding hands? You look like a happy family. Like a father, mother, and daughter.”

The shop clerk makes such a joke, and I can’t help but give a wry smile.

It was clearly a remark made to tease us.

“Th-There’s no way we have a big daughter like Saki. …But it’s a nice thought. Fufu, Me and Rento-kun as a married couple…”

One person reacts not so displeased.

“Pout. At least tell us we were like close siblings.”

Another person voices her objection.

With these varied reactions, we take our drinks and sit down on a bench in the square in front of the station.

“Thank you for buying it, Rento-san.”

“It’s fine. It’s true I neglected you, Saki-chan. Consider this an apology.”

“I wonder if it was okay for you to buy mine as well.”

“It was just convenient. Look, I could only use one hand, so paying with an IC card for everything was easier.”

“Fufu, I see. In that case, I’ll gratefully accept it. Thank you Rento-kun.”

It’s the end of May, and the weather is getting warmer. It’s nice to sit outside without feeling cold.

However, drinking cold beverages makes me feel cold, so I sip slowly.

“The banana juice is delicious. It tastes very banana.”

“That’s because it’s banana juice.”

“Fufu. This blueberry milk is also delicious with the sourness of the blueberries mixing nicely with the sweetness of the milk.”

“That’s because it’s blueberry milk. Just describing the flavors doesn’t really change the fact that it’s still blueberry milk.”

“Pout. Rento-san, why don’t you give us an example if you’re going to say that?”

“That’s right. You should set an example before criticizing other people’s impressions.”

“Heh. Leave it to me.”

I sipped my fruit mix through the straw while trying to analyze its taste with my admittedly unrefined palate.

“This is… it’s some mix of various berries, citrus, and other assorted fruits that come together and create a nice flavor…”

“Sigh. Rento-kun, your drink review lacks anything concrete.”

“Honestly, I’m disappointed.”

“…this is truly a miraculous taste.”

“You’re still trying to continue!? Rento-san, just give up already…”

“But seriously, it’s a fruit mix. You can’t really tell them apart once the flavors are mixed. If I had to describe it, it’s just a mixed flavor, that’s all.”

If only my drink had one fruit as the main character like theirs.

Really. Seriously. ‘Seriously (本気) as in ‘seriously (マジ).

“Fufu, that’s true. After all, you can’t know the taste until you try it… so Rento-kun, can I have a sip of yours?”

I was momentarily surprised to hear Misa’s request, but I thought it would be strange to worry about it since we had already kissed, so I handed the fruit mix to Misa.

Without hesitation, Misa put her mouth on the straw I had just used, took a sip, smiled and said, ‘It’s delicious.’

Saki-chan watched the whole scene and widened her eyes.

“Eh, ehh, ehhh!? Onee-chan! Isn’t that like an indirect kiss with Rento-san?”

“Yes, it is. Is there a problem with that?”

“O-Onee-chan has become an adult without me knowing!”

“Oh. I’ve been an adult for a long time. Right, Rento-kun?”

“I guess so.”

It was somewhat difficult to agree with that.

It’s true that we had crossed the step of kissing, but I still believe she’s still a pure and innocent person inside.

“What’s with that reaction? Rento-kun, do you want to try mine too?”

“Hmm, sure, I’ll have some… Oh, it’s so blueberry and milk.”

“Fufu. You’re saying the same thing as me.”

“In the end, we’re amateurs. Not cut out for drink review.”

“Oh. I think I have more confidence in it than you.”

“No way, I think both of you are on the same level… but that’s not important. Just now, Rento-san, you also had an indirect kiss with Onee-chan!”

“Heh. Saki-chan is still such a child.”

Me, taking a rather childishly adult stance against Saki-chan who is four years younger than me.

You see Saki-chan, being contradictory is part of being an adult.

Meanwhile, Saki-chan puffed up her cheeks.

“Pout, I’m already in junior high school. I’m a proper lady now! Then, here! Rento-san, let’s exchange drinks too!”

“…How much?”

“Th, the thing I said earlier was a joke. I wouldn’t put a price on such a thing!”

“Right. An indirect kiss with Saki-chan is priceless. You can’t put a price on it.”

“Pout!… Please don’t tease me.”

Saki-chan’s slightly sullen response made my heart flutter.

This little devil girl does this unconsciously, which is terrifying.

But still… With Misa, it’s okay because we’ve kissed, but with Saki-chan, I feel a bit resistant because we haven’t.

“Saki. Don’t be selfish.”

“Eh. Why is it okay for Onee-chan but not me?”

“Because Saki and I are different people. Right, Rento-kun?”

“Misa… I appreciate the follow up, but I don’t know if Saki will be convinced by that.”

“Eh, ehh, wait. Rento-san, did you just call Onee-chan by her name!?”

“Ah, yes. Now that you mention it, I haven’t met Saki-chan since I started calling her by her name. Anyway Saki-chan, about the juice…”

“I don’t care about the juice anymore! Tell me about this matter now!”

I stepped back as Saki-chan approached me while breathing heavily, wondering how to explain it to her.