“This one is also cute...”
Senpai murmured as she peered at the display.
She was currently focused on a bento box adorned with an illustration of a cat. To be honest, I’d been picturing some simple, masculine design, but if Senpai liked it, I wasn't about to complain.
“Sara doesn't care about whether it’s ‘for men’ or not. She’s definitely going to pick something cute.”
“...I can't even imagine Kazunari eating out of a cute bento box like that.”
It looked like they were going to be a while, so I figured now was as good a time as any to get our stories straight.
“Let’s introduce ourselves properly while we wait. As you already know, I’m Natsumi Yuzuki. I’m a second-year, and I’m Sara Satsukawa’s friend and classmate.”
“I’m Yuji Tachibana. I’ve been friends with Kazunari since elementary school.”
“Nice to meet you, Tachibana-kun. To get straight to the point, the fact that you’re here today means you’re worried about something, right?”
“Nice to meet you, Yuzuki-san. Yes, well, Kazunari is carrying a bit of baggage... and besides, this is the first time in a long while that he’s gone out with someone other than me, so I couldn't help but be curious.”
Carrying baggage, huh?
I wanted to know more, but it would have been rude to pry so bluntly right out of the gate.
“I tagged along because I thought Sara’s first date would be hilar—I mean, because I was worried about her.”
“......I see. By the way, I have a fundamental question: Satsukawa-san has publicly stated to Kazunari that they’re just friends, right? Is that correct?”
So he was wondering about that, too.
In that case, it seemed Takanashi-kun was taking Sara’s words at face value as well.
“That’s right. Sara certainly claims Takanashi-kun is a ‘precious friend.’ Listen, Tachibana-kun? Can I consider you an ally? There are a few things I’d like you to keep a secret from Takanashi-kun himself...”
“Honestly, I just want Kazunari to be saved at this point. He’s a kind guy, but he’s been through some terrible things because of the people around him. So, if it means he can be happy, I’ll cooperate.”
Yeah... it looked like he was trustworthy.
I was curious about those “terrible things,” but I wondered if they were related to what he’d said about Kazunari “carrying baggage.”
I suppose birds of a feather really did flock together; Tachibana-kun seemed like a kind person himself.
“Alright. This stays between us, but first of all, Sara hasn’t quite realized her own feelings yet. Part of it is probably because she’s never been in love before, but even when she feels possessive or jealous, she seems to misunderstand it. She’s convinced herself those feelings are just because they’re ‘best friends’ of the opposite sex. I haven't exactly gone out of my way to correct her, though.”
“I figured as much. Just from what I’ve heard, I thought her behavior was a bit excessive for someone she considers just a friend.”
“Her priority for Takanashi-kun far exceeds that of a typical friend, but she hasn’t noticed—or rather, she’s choosing not to care. Even when she does things that anyone else would recognize as affection, she seems to think that level of devotion is perfectly normal.”
“Is she always that stubborn once she’s made up her mind?”
“Sara has avoided men until now for her own reasons. He’s the first guy she’s ever become close with, and love is almost certainly a brand-new emotion for her. Her feelings are basically overflowing; she can't control herself, so she ends up overreacting.”
“I see. So that’s why it feels like her actions go too far despite the ‘friend’ label.”
“And what about Takanashi-kun?”
That was the real problem. At the very least, I was certain he felt more than just friendship for her.
“He... intends to follow Satsukawa-san’s lead.”
“Follow her lead?”
“He’s content to be in whatever position Satsukawa-san wants him to be. So, if she wants to be friends, he’s fine with being friends. He said himself that his desire to treasure her won’t change regardless of the label.”
Ah... that sounded just like Takanashi-kun. In other words, because Sara was so precious to him, his own position didn’t matter.
...I couldn't help it; I was more determined than ever to see these two end up together.
“...This is something he should be the one to tell you, so I won’t say too much, but because of what happened in middle school, he was looking for someone who would get to know him and still accept him—someone other than an old friend like me. That’s why he’s become so blindly devoted to the person who finally appeared. Even when I ask, he’s never once said he wants to be her boyfriend or that he likes her as a woman.”
“...I see. But in that case, is he just prioritizing Sara over himself while his true feelings lie elsewhere?”
“...I think the feeling of ‘liking’ her is definitely there. However, since she told him directly that they’re friends, he probably intends to keep it that way for the foreseeable future.”
“...I understand. In that case, first we need Sara to realize what her feelings actually are. However—and this is just my personal take—I want her to realize it on her own.”
That was my honest opinion. Since the great Sara Satsukawa had finally developed feelings for a guy, I wanted to watch over her and let things progress at her own pace.
“I agree. Regardless of the psychology behind it, if Kazunari is happy with the current situation, I don’t think there’s any need to rush in and stir things up. We should just watch over them and make sure things don't take a turn for the worse.”
I couldn't agree more. Tachibana-kun was actually quite the stand-up guy who really cared about his friend. I could definitely see us working together from here on out.
“Well then, now that we ‘support characters’ have finished our briefing and decided on a course of action, shall we get back to watching over today’s date?”
“Let's.”