When I reunited with my arrogant childhood friend, she had become a talented and beautiful girl – Even though she has probably forgotten about me and I don’t want to be toyed with, for some reason she keeps getting involved with me!?

[Futaba Nakano POV]

***

I, Futaba Nakano, am not the type to be liked by others.

Rather, the opposite.

I messed up in junior high school, and now I’m treated like an outcast at the academy. I’m a problem child with a tendency to be absent from school.

That’s me.

“Ugh…”

I woke up.

I’m not a morning person, and I feel lethargic. When I checked the time, it was past 11 am.

Even if I leave now, I’ll only get to school by lunch break… Yeah, I guess I’m skipping school today.

I lay down in bed again.

Suddenly, I remembered something.

That’s right… Yesterday, we promised to binge-watch a drama at my house after watching a movie.

I wonder what Sato would think if I skipped school today. Would he be disappointed? I don’t think so, but who knows.

“I… I have to go…”

Where’s my concealer…?

I got out of bed and started preparing to go to school. It’s unlike me to go to school for a friend.

If it were the old me, I would’ve definitely skipped school at this hour.

With these thoughts, I got ready, locked the door, and headed to school.

Lately, going to school has become more fun than before.

Akane is there, Sato is there… I feel like I’ve found a place where I thought there was none.

…Why am I thinking about this? Yikes, I’m starting to feel embarrassed.

Ah, stop it!! Stop it!! I’ll walk without thinking about anything.

Thinking about all this, I arrived at school, changed into my indoor shoes, and was about to enter the classroom when…

“Hey, Sato. I heard you were walking around the mall with Nakano yesterday, is that true?”

I heard a male student’s voice from beyond the door.

My hand stopped.

Peeking into the classroom from the window so as not to be noticed, I saw several classmates surrounding Sato and talking to him.

“You’re a transfer student, so it’s only natural you don’t know, but it’s better not to get involved with Nakano, you know?”

“That’s right. We’re worried, you know? Because of her, you might also—”

Somehow, just from their voices, I could tell my classmates were worried about Sato.

Ah, well, that was to be expected… I knew that, but still.

Sato might not realize it, but he’s quite popular in our class.

I kind of understand why. He attracts everyone and makes them feel comfortable when they’re with him. Sato has that kind of power.

“I don’t care what anyone else thinks, or what they say about me.”

Sato once told me that.

But am I one of those people Sato considers “important”?

Am I? Am I not?

We share the same hobbies? But that doesn’t have to be me.

We hung out once? But that was just by chance.

I don’t have confidence.

For me, there’s only Sato and Akane.

…But what about Sato?

I didn’t want to hear Sato’s answer, so I headed to the cafeteria.

I ate bread in a deserted corner, and just when the class started, I entered the classroom.

“Wow, she came today…”

“I thought she wouldn’t come.”

“Coming at this time…”

Such whispered conversations came from the last row.

Sigh, they never really get tired of this, do they?

As I walked with these thoughts, my eyes met with Sato’s midway, but he quickly looked away.

I slumped over my desk, preparing to sleep.

Eventually, it was supposed to end up like this.

It was understood. So, I’m not really sad or depressed.

Right… I knew it…

Feeling a heaviness in my heart, I closed my eyes.

Class ended and everyone was heading to their clubs or going home.

I was also about to leave the classroom with my bag.

We probably won’t watch the drama together anyway, so I wanted to go home quickly today. That was my mood.

“Hey!”

“Hya!?”

Suddenly, someone poked me in the right side from behind.

Well, there’s only one person who would do such a thing.

“Hey, hey, why are you trying to leave early?”

I turned around to see a slightly annoyed Sato.

“…Huh?”

What… why?

“No, huh? Didn’t we promise to binge-watch a drama at your place? Don’t tell me you forgot?”

No… No, no, you forgot what everyone in class said during lunch break?

They told you it’s better not to get involved with me.

So why… why? I don’t understand.

Huh? Is he stupid?

The whole class was watching.

“…! I… I don’t know anything about that!!”

I rejected Sato and ran out of the place as if escaping.

I just kept running blindly without looking back.

I didn’t want to stop. So I ran out of the school building and the school gate in my indoor shoes.

“Hey! Your shoes—!”

A student and a teacher were saying something, but I didn’t care.

I ran out of the school gate and down Sakurazaka.

It’s been a long time since I ran like this. My mouth tastes like blood.

“Hah, hah, hah…”

Ah, my legs… they’re heavy.

I can’t breathe… I have to… I’ve been a shut-in… I have no stamina…

My pace has slowed to a walk, and I stop, putting my hands on my knees to catch my breath.

Ah, my tights… are soaked in sweat… I want to take them off… but now that I’ve come this far…

“Hey… what are you doing running in your indoor shoes?”

I heard a voice.

Without looking up at the voice I least wanted to hear, I answered.

“Why are you… out of breath?”

“I rushed to catch up with you.”

“…Why?”

“Because you looked like you were about to cry.”

…What’s with that?

“…Are you an idiot?”

I looked up and turned around, and there was Sato Ichiki, just like me, still wearing his indoor shoes.