The Best Friend of the Person I Like is Secretly Approaching Me - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It is the first November in my high school life.

With school events like the sports festival and cultural festival now behind us and no school trips in sight, life for us first-years has become rather mundane.

But who says the fun has to stop?

Something exciting is just around the corner.

Christmas!

Gone are the days of receiving gifts from Santa and eating delicious meals and cakes with family.

We are high school students in the prime of our youth!

Christmas is a time for romance!

And I will make Yosaki my girlfriend by Christmas!

“Recently, it’s gotten really cold. But Yosaki’s kindness warms both my body and soul. Please go out with me!”

“People say cold hands, warm heart. I wonder if that’s really true.”

Another failure today.

Well, considering that my confessions from spring to today have been pretty much daily and yet unsuccessful, I’ll probably never make it in time for Christmas.

Usually, while I was confessing, Hinata would barge in between us.

That’s the routine… but she’s not coming today. I scan the classroom but don’t see her anywhere.

“Hinata said she’s taking the day off. Didn’t you get the message?”

“Uh, I don’t think so.”

Upon hearing Yosaki, I check my smartphone and messaging app.

As expected, there’s no message from Hinata.

We rarely chat one-on-one, but we do have a group chat, so I thought she might have messaged there.

“Nope, nothing from her. Well, it’s Hinata, so she probably wouldn’t message me.”

“You two get along so well, though.”

“Do we? I feel like we’re always bickering.”

“No, that’s not the case.”

Yosaki puts on a somewhat lonely expression. Seeing her face, I get a bit impatient and quickly change the subject.

“So, why is Hinata taking the day off?”

“She caught a cold, it seems. I guess the change in seasons makes it hard to maintain good health.”

“They say idiots don’t catch colds.”

“Hey, you shouldn’t say things like that… Fufu, you made me mad.”

Seeing Yosaki chuckle, I let out a sigh of relief in my mind.

During class, I considered taking notes for Hinata but decided against it, assuming Yosaki would do it for her.

Besides, Hinata hadn’t informed me she’d be absent, so she might find it more annoying than helpful.

Just as I’m pondering this, my smartphone screen, tucked away in my desk, lights up. It must be a notification.

My phone is set to silent mode, no vibrations or sounds, but the screen still illuminates.

Seizing the opportunity while the teacher starts writing on the board, I sneak a peek at the notification on my phone.

Huh. Hinata?

I almost let out a surprised exclamation but managed to hold it in. That’s how surprising the notification was.

It’s rare for her to message me, especially after telling only Yosaki that she’d be absent.

Why would she message me now?

Curiosity is getting the better of me, and I open the messaging app even though I’m in class.

What I find is even more surprising.

『Come visit me. No need for gifts or anything. Here’s my address↓.』

Along with the message, Hinata’s home address was sent to me.

I can’t keep staring at my phone because the teacher would definitely notice.

I put it back on my desk and refocus on the lecture, but my mind is swarming with thoughts about the message I’d just read.

Is Hinata asking me to visit her?

Sure, it’s odd she didn’t notify me about her absence, but it’s even more strange that she’s asking me of all the people to visit.

After class, I immediately head over to Yosaki.

Of course, the topic is Hinata’s request for a visit.

“Hey Yosaki, about visiting Hinata——”

“Oh, I was planning to go too, but she told me not to come, so I guess I can’t. I don’t know where she lives.”

“Uh… I see. Well, if that’s the case, then it can’t be helped.”

Hinata declined Yosaki’s visit but specifically messaged me to come.

What does that mean?

…Ah, I get it. She thinks it’s fine if she passes her cold on to me.

How dare you. I’ll storm into your house with some easy-to-eat food and a sports drink.

“There’s always only one truth.” That’s what Grandma used to say.

After my question was resolved, I headed to the train station after parting ways with Yosaki as usual.

I hop on a train to the next town over, stock up on supplies at a convenience store near the station, and start walking to the address I’d been sent, carrying bags full of goods.

“This is the place, right?”

Upon reaching the location marked on my map app, I check the nameplate of the house in front of me.

Yep, it definitely says “Hinata.”

Even if it’s Hinata’s, being at a female classmate’s house makes me a bit nervous. I take a deep breath and press the doorbell.

After a moment, I heard a familiar voice say, “Hello.”

“Ah, Hinata…Haru, it’s Seko, your classmate. I’ve come to visit you.”

『…The door’s unlocked, just come in.』

I thought it might be a family member, so I called her by her first name, ‘Haru’, but it turned out it was her after all.

I felt a bit embarrassed for nothing.

Hesitant but following her instructions, I cautiously opened the door. As she said, it wasn’t locked and opened easily.

“Sorry for bothering you.”

I greeted cautiously, but there was no response from inside the house.

Just as I was wondering what to do, standing at the entrance, my smartphone in my pocket vibrated.

It’s a message from Hinata, and she wants me to come up to her room on the second floor.

Confused but unable to simply turn back, I followed the message’s instructions.

I took off my shoes, entered the house, and headed up to the second floor.

I wasn’t sure which room was Hinata’s, but a plate with the name ‘Haru’ was hanging on one of the doors, making it clear.

Still, to confirm, I knocked on the door.

“Hinata, it’s me.”

“Come in.”

Hinata’s voice came from inside. Relieved, I opened the door.

“Welcome.”

Sitting on the bed next to the window and wrapped in a blanket was Hinata.

“Here, some get-well gifts. I just grabbed some stuff, so sorry if there’s anything you don’t like.”

“I told you you didn’t have to bring anything.”

“Come on, I couldn’t come empty-handed, could I?”

“…Well, I’m not really sick, so it’s not really a get-well visit.”

“…What?”

So why did she call me here?

Just as I was about to ask that, Hinata stood up and let the blanket drop to the floor, revealing her beautiful skin.

“Wait, you, w-what are you—”

“Seko, you were staring at my chest a lot when we went to the pool last summer, weren’t you? I thought maybe you liked it.”

She was dressed like she was at the pool.

I thought to myself that dressing like that was why she got sick, but then I remembered she said she was faking it.

My mind was in turmoil, my thoughts couldn’t keep up, and my body froze.

Amidst this, Hinata walked closer to me, took my hand, and placed it on her chest.

She then laid her hand over the back of mine and started moving it, as if guiding me.

A warm, soft sensation enveloped my palm.

“Hi-Hinata!? What’s the meaning of this——”

“Seko, you’re kind of perverted, aren’t you?”

“…what?”

“I heard from your friend. The manga you like reading is kind of naughty, right?”

“My friend… Oda?! Damn him for talking unnecessary things.”

“Plus, you’re always so interested in my chest. Oh, sometimes you look at my legs too. Do you like legs as well?”

“I-I don’t——”

“It’s okay.”

“Huh?”

“You can do as you please with my body. If you want to touch my chest, you can. If you want to touch my legs, you can…And even more than that.”

Saying that, Hinata moved her hand downward. I immediately understood what she was hinting at.

“W-why are you doing this, Hinata? I don’t get it.”

“The reason? It’s simple. So that your s*xual desire doesn’t explode and hurt Misa. That’s why I’ll be the one to handle you, to help you release all of it.”

“…What are you talking about? Are you saying that I might lose control and attack Yosaki?”

“You’re denying it? But look.”

With a seductive look, Hinata gazed at me and moved her small right hand to touch my lower abdomen.

It had been growing since earlier.

“Do you really expect me to believe that when you’re like this, even though you don’t like me?”

“That’s because you’re doing things like this—”

“So, let’s do it. No, I’ll let you. You can use me to get rid of everything that’s building up inside of you, Seko.”

In the end, maybe what Hinata said was right.

I was just a beast that would succumb to its desires and attack a girl in front of me.

This is how the twisted relationship between Hinata and me began.