Deep breaths... Just calm down. Calm down.
It was okay. She wasn't following me.
Once I was back in my own neighborhood, I’d be safe. Our hometowns were different, and so were our schools.
“Kazunari, is that annoying white gyaru really your childhood friend?”
Hayato asked the question while easily keeping pace with my hurried stride. I guess that was the difference between an athlete in a sports club and someone like me in the going-home club.
“I’ll tell you everything once we’re on the train.”
“Got it.”
Still... annoying, huh?
You’re out of luck, Yuzuha. Hayato’s instincts are nothing like those flashy guys you usually hang around.
But what should I do? How much did I need to say? Now that things had come to this, there was a high probability Hayato would run into her again. If I didn't explain the situation now, it might lead to trouble down the road.
Yuzuha seemed to think I’d been satisfied by her "apology," but I wondered if she really thought that little of me, or if she just didn't grasp the weight of what she’d done. Both were equally likely. In any case, I was lucky she was still an idiot.
There was one problem, though.
Would Hayato believe me completely? That was the real question. Back in middle school, even people I’d been friends with for years refused to listen to a word I said. I had only known Hayato for about two months.
Even if I already considered him a best friend...
As soon as we reached the station, we hurried through the ticket gate and headed for the platform. A glance at the information board showed that the next train was arriving shortly. The train was pulling into the station just as we made it down the stairs. We stepped inside immediately, and the doors closed behind us.
Finally, I could catch my breath.
“Haa... Sorry, Hayato.”
“Don't worry about it. I could tell right away there was some history there.”
Well, it would have been harder not to notice in that suffocating atmosphere.
“It’s true that she’s my childhood friend. But a lot happened back in middle school. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve cut ties with her for good.”
“If you’re using words like ‘cut ties,’ then it must have been something serious. She definitely seemed like the typical self-centered type.”
It looked like Hayato had seen through Yuzuha’s act just from that brief interaction. If he was that perceptive, I wished he’d noticed the way I was looking at him earlier. Despite my signals, Hayato had gone ahead and exchanged contact information with her anyway.
Well, it had happened in the heat of the moment. There was no point dwelling on it now.
“...You ended up giving her your contact information, though. I was trying to signal you to turn her down.”
I realized I sounded like I was complaining, but Hayato actually gave me a sly grin.
“I had my own reasons for that. Don't worry. I have no intention of actually hanging out with an annoying girl like her.”
It seemed that regardless of what I told him, Yuzuha was already dead in the water as far as he was concerned. Maybe I didn't need to worry after all.
That was a relief. I had prepared for the absolute worst when I ran into her, but it looked like things would settle down without much more drama.
“Kazunari, tell me the whole story another time, okay? Since we might run into her again, I’d like to know what I’m dealing with.”
“...Yeah, alright.”
He was right. It was probably better to give him the gist of it, just to be safe.
By the time I reached my stop, the train I needed to transfer to was already pulling in. I made the switch and eventually arrived at my local station.
During the ride, Hayato and I had barely spoken. I should have felt relieved, but Yuzuha’s voice and face kept flickering in my mind.
Anger? Anxiety? It was a toxic cocktail of emotions that I couldn't seem to shake.
By the time I came to my senses, I was standing in front of my own apartment. I didn't clearly remember the walk home, or even when I had parted ways with Hayato.
I opened the door and stepped into the empty entrance. Today, more than ever, my room felt cold and sterile. Had my home always been this lifeless? I didn't have the energy to do anything. Without even changing out of my clothes, I collapsed onto the bed.
...It’ll be fine.
Hayato already disliked Yuzuha without me even having to say a word. I couldn't trust a thing she said about apologizing, so I just had to make sure Hayato stayed on his guard. If I just kept a distance and stopped going to Hayato’s matches in person for a while, I’d never have to see her.
If I did that, I could go back to my normal life.
I could have fun with my best friends, Yuji and Hayato; I could spend blissful time with Sara-san; I could get teased by Natsumi-senpai...
I opened the image folder on my smartphone. There was the photo of us dancing by the flowerbed. It was from the sports festival—Natsumi-senpai had sent it to me. She’d caught us when we weren't looking and teased me relentlessly about it before finally sharing the file.
The next photo was a close-up of Sara-san. She was dancing, looking at me with the most radiant, happy smile.
It was my absolute favorite.
As I stared at Sara-san’s smile, the dark feelings began to drain away. Before I knew it, I had drifted off to sleep.
Sara-san...