While I Was Giving Love Advice to My Best Friend, the School's Most Beautiful Girl Somehow Became the Closest Person to Me - Volume 2 Chapter 4.4

The Crisis of a Childhood Friend

“Get out of the room already.”

“Alisa, be careful standing up so suddenly!”

“Kyaa!”

Alisa loses her balance and falls toward me. I can’t move, so I have to stay in this position to protect her.

“Mmmph!”

“Hyann! Ryouma, stop squirming!”

Whether by fortune or misfortune, I end up with my face buried in Alisa’s chest. There’s so much volume that it’s hard to breathe.

I look to Shizuru-san for help.

“I see. So you’re going to be my brother-in-law. Hurry up and finish so you can make us dinner.”

With that, Shizuru-san leaves.

Ah, how did it come to this?

I end up losing consciousness, buried in Alisa’s chest.

“Ryouma? Hey, Ryouma, come on!”

But maybe it’s okay to have such a lucky event once in a while.

It was that kind of day.

***

The height of summer has arrived, and just walking under the sun makes you break out in sweat. School and club activities are stable, and I feel at peace.

My relationship with Alisa is going well, and we don’t awkwardly overthink things when we’re alone, maintaining a good friendship.

Reo and Otsuki-san’s silly couple antics are as strong as ever.

Only one thing has gotten a bit busier, and that’s my childhood friend, Tsumugi.

“Hiiragi-san, please! Join the cheerleading team!”

“Um…”

Tsumugi’s cheering at the basketball game became a hot topic at school, and before long, the rumors spread. Hearing this, the senior members of the cheerleading team have been recruiting her every day.

Alisa and Reo were amazed by Tsumugi’s cheering. Our school’s cheerleading team isn’t famous, so they were desperate to recruit her.

“I’ve never done cheerleading before, it’s impossible for me!”

Tsumugi looks troubled. Maybe I should step in.

“But you…”

That statement stopped me in my tracks.

“You were the top of the high school’s number one cheerleading squad, 『FRY』, weren’t you?”

Despite the passionate gaze of the cheer squad members, Tsumugi’s expression was pale.

“I saw it on YouTube and it was amazing. You’re so light on your feet, the way you dance through the air… But above all, your appearance! The comments were all about you! I was completely captivated by your performance too.”

“…”

“So please! I just need a little bit of your help. We’re short on top performers right now, and if it doesn’t work out, you can quit right away!”

“That’s what I hate.”

“Huh?”

“Despite saying that, everyone ends up trying to push me out in the end. That’s why!”

Tsumugi raised her voice, shook off the cheer squad members, and ran away. It was very rare to see Tsumugi speak so harshly.

She’s always smiling, always gentle with me and Alisa. She’s cold towards Reo, so I never imagined she would get so emotional just from being invited to join a club activity.

“Hey, did I do something wrong to her? But it’s true, I was mesmerized by Hiiragi-san. I understand the greatness of that performance because I’m a top performer too.”

The cheer captain slumped her shoulders. The other members rushed over. It seemed that the captain was well-loved by her team.

“She should at least come to watch… To take such an attitude towards the captain…”

“Are you really going to let that girl join? There were weird comments on YouTube too.”

“And…”

“That girl, she has a bad reputation, right? To be honest…”

One of the members muttered something under their breath that stuck in my head.

***

“…”

I was walking back to the school building, heading towards the classroom.

Bad rumors about Tsumugi.

I’ve been with her ever since she moved to my house, but I’ve never heard any bad rumors about her. She gets along well with both parents and Hiyori, and with Reo… well, that’s another story.

She’s more popular with the boys than Alisa, I think.

“Tsumugi-chan is seriously cute, right?”

Some of the boys would casually call her by her first name. That wouldn’t happen with Alisa.

“She’s always smiling, she’s cheerful, and she’s friendly.”

“I get it, I get it. She’s like, into physical contact. Her gestures are cute too. She expresses her joy with her body.”

“That upward glance is irresistible. She’s like, ‘Wow, amazing!’ I think she likes me.”

“Idiot. All the guys who said that and confessed got rejected, right? She’s an impregnable fortress in a different way from Asahina Alisa.”

I overhear the boys’ voices. Far from bad rumors, aren’t there only good ones?

It’s naturally pleasing to hear my childhood friend praised.

But the idea of her getting a boyfriend is a bit complicated. I was happy but also felt lonely when Reo got a girlfriend.

I wonder if Tsumugi will start dating someone now that she’s used to school. For now, it seems she’s just saying no.

“Ryouma, what are you doing here?”

“Tsumugi!”

The person in question appeared!

She had been pale before, but now her usual smile was back. Maybe now isn’t the time to ask about earlier.

Of course, I’ll listen if she wants to talk, but I won’t pry.

Because we’re family, there are things even I don’t want to be asked about.

“We have classes in the afternoon, you know.”

Tsumugi leaned in close. A bit shorter than Alisa, Tsumugi, who is in the late 150 centimeters, often looks up at me.

From my perspective, over 170 centimeters, I can see her beautiful black hair well, and it makes me feel a little nervous.

“Tsumugi, too close.”

“Eh~, it’s easier to talk when we’re close.”

“I’m conscious of the people around us.”

“It’s not a big deal since we’re childhood friends, right?”

Even so… At Alisa’s house, she kisses me on the cheek. That being said, Tsumugi’s laid-back attitude isn’t something new.

My lack of experience with women might be the problem though.

Tsumugi smells good like Alisa, and she has a nice figure, so honestly, my heart races.