My confession sent a shockwave through the audience, and the initial buzz soon shifted into a mixture of curiosity and surprise directed at Marina-san herself.
Watching her look so out of place amidst the murmurs, a wave of guilt washed over me. Marina-san had never been one for the spotlight; it was only natural for her to be overwhelmed by this much attention, but still...
"H-Hayato-kun, um... are those... are those feelings really... for me?"
"Yeah. They’re my honest feelings. I’m not lying."
"B-But, I... someone like me..."
"...Marina-san?"
What was wrong? Her behavior was definitely strange.
I hadn't expected her to be overjoyed without reservation, and I had fully anticipated that she would be bewildered, but...
I never imagined a development where she would look so devastated. Why did Marina-san have such a sad expression...?
"You see, Hayato-kun... your feelings make me so... so happy. I enjoy being with you, too. I can be honest with my feelings, I’m always smiling... being my natural self with you feels so right..."
"Y-Yeah, I feel exactly the same way. That's why..."
"...Thank you. I'm really happy to hear you say that. But... but, you know? For someone like me to really be Hayato-kun’s..."
"......Marina-san."
The weight behind Marina-san’s words began to whirl through my head.
"Someone like me..."
The implications of that phrase... it was exactly what I feared.
"Um... there were rumors about Hayato-kun and Satsukawa-senpai, right? Since she has Takanashi-kun, I knew they were just rumors... but, you know... everyone who talked about them said the same thing. They said it made sense if it was Satsukawa-senpai, that you were a Beautiful Couple and a perfect match. They said an amazing person like her was a perfect fit for Hayato-kun... they said so many things. And it's only natural for someone as incredible as Satsukawa-senpai, right? She’s so beautiful, so graceful, her grades are always the best... she’s perfect at sports, Cooking, Sewing—everything. Compared to her, someone like me... when I thought about that..."
"M-Marina-san, that’s not right!! Satsukawa-senpai is..."
"A-Ah, don't misunderstand. It’s not that I’m jealous of Satsukawa-senpai or anything like that, okay? I truly respect her; I admire her so much I want to be like her someday. That’s not what I mean. What I’m trying to say is... Hayato-kun, you're just as incredible as she is... and that's why... um..."
"...Marina-san."
By this point, I understood exactly what she was trying to say and what was weighing on her heart.
The mention of Satsukawa-senpai was merely her citing the objective reality of what everyone else was saying.
The real issue was that people had spent so much time debating "whether we were a good match" or not...
"Hayato-kun, you're such an amazing person that so many people cheer for you. Watching the Match earlier, I felt it too. You were truly incredible and cool. You were so wonderful that I wanted to brag about having such a wonderful Boy as my precious Friend... you were really wonderful. But... I..."
"Marina-san, that doesn't matter!!!! What’s important is how we feel about each other..."
What should I do? How could I reach her?
I was certain that Marina-san's thoughts were exactly as I’d feared.
The reason for her sadness was clear.
But simply telling her "it doesn't matter" wouldn't truly reach her. From her perspective, no matter how much an "amazing person" like me pleaded, she could simply dismiss it by thinking, "Hayato-kun, you just don't understand."
I needed something else...
Something that could pierce through to Marina-san's heart...
"Todo-san. I understand exactly how you feel."
Breaking through the heavy atmosphere with remarkable naturalness, the person who spoke to Todo-san was...
"...Takanashi-kun?"
The person who had been watching over us this entire time—someone who was precious to me in a completely different way than Todo-san.
My Great Best Friend... Kazunari.
I had intended to watch until the end, but to be honest, the situation was looking far too unfavorable for Hayato.
What Todo-san was feeling—that lack of self-confidence and the creeping inferiority complex—meant that words from someone who possessed a special "something" wouldn't truly reach her.
No matter how Hayato tried to persuade her—and even if Sara-san tried—I didn't think Todo-san would ever be sincerely convinced.
Even if they could silence the crowd, if Todo-san wasn't convinced in her own heart, nothing would change.
In that case...
Even if it was meddling, I was the only one who could say it.
"...Takanashi-kun?"
"I know exactly what you're feeling right now, Todo-san. After all, my Lover... my Fiancé is Sara-san."
"...B-But you have so many amazing qualities too, Takanashi-kun..."
"Thanks. But, you know... I don't really like saying this, but I'm not exactly a looker, even if you’re being generous, right? But anyone can see that Sara-san is..."
"Kazunari-san!!!! No more!!!!"
"Sara-san, I'm sorry. But please, let me say this just for now."
"...Ugh... Kazunari-san."
"It's okay. I don't care about that stuff at all anymore. If you still want to give me a Lecture later, I'll take it gladly."
"...Understood. But I'm going to scold you later, okay?"
"...Yes."
I felt a pang of guilt for Sara-san, who looked so pained, but for the sake of Hayato and Todo-san, I had to say this.
Even if it meant disparaging myself, it was for them...
"T-Takanashi-kun, you don't have to say that! Even I think you're..."
"It’s okay, just listen. To get back to the point... ever since before Sara-san and I became a couple, and honestly even now, I hear people ask, 'Why that guy?' They say we're a mismatch, ask if I've ever looked in a mirror, call me arrogant... all of that. But you can't change your appearance, can you? This is the face I was born with. But it’s not just about looks. Like you said, Todo-san, Sara-san is a truly amazing person. Studies, sports... everything..."
Sara-san squeezed my hand with more strength than I had ever felt.
She looked so hurt, and my own heart ached terribly... but this was the core of the issue.
"P-Please stop, Takanashi-kun!! I've never once thought that!! I'm sure no one else..."
"Yeah. I know that. I know that at least everyone around me doesn't think that. But it's also a fact that people who don't know us feel that way. But... do you think just because people say those things... I could ever consider giving up on Sara-san?"
"...Eh?"
"For me, that's absolutely impossible. Because I love Sara-san... more than anyone else. I could never choose to walk away from her just because I'm worried about what others think. My feelings aren't that flimsy. They aren't light. If it’s for Sara-san, I’d be willing to throw everything away; I mean that from the bottom of my heart. With that feeling, the contempt from others doesn't bother me at all. But... aside from that, because I'm not fully satisfied with myself yet, I make an effort. It’s not out of an inferiority complex or because I care about what strangers say. It's so I can become the man I want to be... so I can hold my head high as someone worthy of Sara-san, someone I can be proud of..."
I didn't know how much of that actually reached Todo-san. But the feeling of being "unbalanced" with Hayato’s greatness and the weakness of caring about public opinion—those were paths I had walked as well.
I believed Todo-san would be able to empathize.
"Kazunari-san..."
Sara-san had tears in the corners of her eyes and looked ready to throw herself at me, though she seemed to be barely restraining herself for the sake of the situation. Thanks to that, I could keep talking.
"Hey, Todo-san. What do you think about Hayato being so popular?"
"...Eh?"
"You saw it too, right? Hayato has a Fan Club, and they're always acting so friendly with him... did you feel anything when you saw that?"
"...That's..."
"The fact that you can't answer immediately means you did. How did it make you feel?"
"........."
"What you felt is probably the same thing I've carried for a long time. Our situations are very similar."
"Ah..."
Seeing that we were in the same boat seemed to make my words resonate.
"If you're not satisfied with yourself, Todo-san, then just make whatever effort you can. Even if it's hard now, it’s not impossible to find 'something' you can be proud of in the future. But the most vital thing is to have confidence in your own feelings... to be honest about your Love. If you have that, you won't lose sight of what's most important."
"...To be honest... with my feelings..."
"Yeah. So... let's both do our best."
I caught Hayato’s eye, signaling that I was finished.
From here on, it was up to them. Whether Todo-san could overcome her own walls depended on their feelings for each other.
But if you face your feelings honestly, it’s not as hard as it seems.
Right?
Todo-san...
Side Marina
Takanashi-kun's words rang through my heart. It was the empathy of someone sharing the same struggle... I could tell he truly understood what I was feeling.
Even though he made Satsukawa-senpai look so sad... even though Takanashi-kun saw her pain and couldn't hide his own... he still shared his own vulnerability for our sake. And his story hit the nail right on the head.
Deep down, I already knew.
I knew these feelings were Love, and I knew I wanted to be by Hayato-kun's side.
But I lacked confidence. I thought if the people around us—especially the Fan Club—didn't give us their blessing, I would be a burden to Hayato-kun...
Because... I really had nothing.
Satsukawa-senpai, Yuzuki-senpai, Nishikawa-san, even Hanako-san... everyone around me was incredible. They were beautiful, smart, and had talents that were second to none. Even Yoko had such a strong heart. She had the courage to face her pain and overcome it. She was nothing like me, moping around because of my insecurities...
But... like Takanashi-kun said, was it really okay to let go of Hayato-kun over that?
Were my feelings really that shallow?
The profound sadness Sara-senpai just showed... if that was the same pain I was inflicting on Hayato-kun by despising myself...
Then I...
Side Hayato
Damn it... I'm pathetic.
To make Kazunari go that far for me... I felt an uncontrollable anger at my own helplessness.
I knew Kazunari used to struggle in secret with the heartless comments from those around him. And I knew he had overcome them through the sheer strength of his heart. It sounds like a cliché, but it was the Power of Love; his unwavering feelings for Sara-senpai gave him infinite strength.
And yet, Kazunari bared those old scars for our sake. The suffering and doubt he felt while being with Sara-senpai... it was exactly what Marina-san was feeling now. His words had to have reached her.
I couldn't let my Best Friend's sacrifice go to waste. I had to tell Marina-san one more time.
That the feelings were all that mattered... that the voices of others didn't mean a thing. I would make her understand!!