A Supporting Character's Love Story

Ch 51

POV Nishikawa

Haah… I forgot my umbrella.

I involuntarily sighed as I looked at the grey skies.

It had been a few days since Makoto san and Nakano sand started going out. I had no idea they liked each other, so it really came as a surprise. But ever since then his previous depressed mood has been completely swept away, so at least that is good.

Meanwhile, I haven't progressed one bit with Hiwari sand. In fact, I didn't even manage to give her the teddy bear plushie that I had bought for her. After what happened that day she was didn't want to face me and I also didn't find a good opportunity to give it to her. Now that bear was sitting on the head of my bed at my house.

Come to think of it, ever since her birthday she has been a little bit more distant to me than before.

"Nishikawa kun?"

Am I even hearing her voice now?

"Nishikawa kun!"

"Huh? Oh. Hiwari san? You are really here? I mean, what happened?" 

Crap. That was bad. I didn't think she would appear in front of me right as I was thinking about her.

"Did you forget your umbrella?"

"Yeah. I saw the forecast in the morning but still forgot to bring it. What about you Hiwari san? Why did you not go home until now?"

Upon hearing my question she pouted which in my opinion looked really cute.

"Can you believe this Nishikawa kun? Both Akari and Hinata ditched me for their boyfriends. Now I am going home all alone."

"Ah. That's unfortunate isn't it?"

"Yeah."

We fell into silence as we stared at the rain making ripples in the puddles.

"Say. Nishikawa kun do you want to walk home together then?" Hiwari san asked in a low voice.

"Eh?"

"I mean, the rain doesn't seem to be letting down any soon, and you don't have an umbrella so…"

"Ah. Then if it is not too much trouble."

And with that we agreed to go home under the same umbrella.

"Umm… It's fine if you leave me till the station. I'll take the metro from there."

"Oh. Alright."

We fell into another uncomfortable silence.

"Drip… Drip…Drip…"

I could feel the water dripping on my right shoulder drop by drop from the sides of the umbrella, however my mind was too preoccupied with the situation I was in and didn't care about such a minor detail.

We continued walking in silence for quite some time while I was trying my best to think of a good topic for a conversation.

"Hiwari san should I hold the umbrella?" I said that just for the sake of saying something and not having to bear this awkward silence.

"Ah. It must be uncomfortable for you to have the umbrella at this height, isn't it? I'm sorry." She suddenly started to apologize after handing me over the umbrella.

"It's nothing to that extent. Please don't worry about it." I hurriedly tried to calm her emotions.

"But look, your shoulder is completely wet. If you catch a cold won't that be my fault?"

"But I haven't caught a cold yet have I?" I don't know why but I felt a little pissed off at myself for the whole situation.

"…"

"Umm. Sorry."

"Hiwari san, I feel like you pay attention to a lot of unnecessary problems when you are around me. I don't see you talking to Nakano san and Tsukumo san like this."

"But that's because…" Unfortunately, she didn't finish and stopped speaking mid-sentence as she looked at the ground.

"Because what? Am I not your friend just like those people?"

"No. That's not it." She said as she quickly turned her face towards me.

Ah. That's good. I am at least at the level of friend I her heart.

"Then will you stop speaking this politely with me from now onwards?"

"Th-then what do I call you? Your first name?"

"Huh?" Wait a minute. Isn't that too much of a jump? I mean, it was me who told her to treat me the same as Nakano and Tsukumo san but my heart still wasn't ready for a sudden attack like this.

"Ok. Here I go… Ha-… Haruto kun."

"…" My face had gone completely red and even my feet had stopped moving.

"That was way too embarrassing. I'm sorry Nishikawa kun but I don't think I can call you by your first name yet."

"Ah. Umm… That's complet-ly fine by me." I was so shocked and flustered that even my voice cracked while speaking.

"How about you give it a try?" Hiwari san suddenly asked in a soft voice.

I was going to refuse, but then I remembered that this was the chance. I always kept chickening out and it never led me anywhere, but that was enough. I gathered all the courage I could and suppressed my rapid heartbeat.

"Sh-shizuo chan?"

"…" Although I said her name, I didn't receive any sort of response.

"Huh? What happened Shizuo chan?"

"Please stop."

"Huh? Did I do something wrong?" Her sudden words made me regret my previous actions.

Does she actually hate me, but was only talking with me out of pity until now?

"It's too much for my heart."

Only then did I notice her completely reddened face and it struck me.

Oh. She is also feeling embarrassed like me. I honestly felt a little happy that she was embarrassed. Didn't that mean that she at least treated me as a guy?

But I guess it really is too difficult to suddenly call someone by their first names?

In the end we settled for calling us by our last names but without any honorifics. That was a much smaller change, but a change in the right direction nonetheless. With a greater hope than before in my heart I boarded the metro and watched the doors shut while waving her bye out of the window.

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POV Akari Nakano

The cold rain poured down outside while me and Makoto were sitting around a table with our coffees and cheesecakes in front of us. We didn't get to spend a lot of time together at school, so after school we usually went around visiting small coffee shops and restaurants we had never been to before together.

"Hey, did you see that?"

"Yeah."

I couldn't believe my eyes, but after Makoto's confirmation I had to.

"Damn. I don't think it will be too long until they start dating if they keep going like this."

Never thought they would grow close enough to walk under the same umbrella after school together. Now that I think about it she was kind of hinting at me to go home with Makoto today. Could it be that they already are… My thoughts were broken with Makoto's dismissive reply.

"Maybe."

His voice was not as cheerful as I had thought it to be.

"Hmm? What happened? Weren't you the one who was pushing them to be together?"

"I did. But I was just thinking of other people's feelings as well." He said as he took a sip of coffee out of his cup.

"What do you mean?"

"The thing is Shimabukuro also likes him. So, I kind of feel guilty for pushing those two together now."

"You seem to care about Shimabukuro quite a bit."

"Ah. I didn't mean anything of that sort by it."

Of course, I knew that. The only time Makoto acted 'non-fake' was when he was alone with me. I still remembered the fake smile he had on all the time when the rumors of him and Shimabukuro being together were going around.  But it was still cute to see him suddenly start defending his intentions.

"I am a little curious. Why were you trying so hard to get those two together in the first place?"

I could feel him panicking a little.

"Ah. That. Nishikawa was the one who told me he liked her. As his friend, is it not natural to help him out?"

Although, his words made sense it still felt odd. I didn't push for anymore however and just let him go with that.

"Then do think you should feel guilty when your intentions were only to help your friend out?"

"That…"

"Ok. How about this? Think about what would have happened if you went back in time and changed your actions."

"If I didn't help…"

I could tell from his eyes falling into mine that he understood what I was trying to say.

"That's right. If you didn't befriend Nishikawa he would still be all alone in the class. And if you didn't try to help him get together with Shizuo you would never meet me."

Looking at his expression it finally seemed like he stopped worrying about it.

"Haah… Thank you."

His sudden politeness took me by surprise.

"This much only natural when you are a couple." I said unnaturally.

"Nakano, I have noticed this before as well, but you are quite weak to compliments aren't you?"

"Whatever might you mean, Makoto kun?"

"Don't go all polite speech on me. You know I hit the nail on the head."

"Well, so what if you know I am weak to compliments?"

He was bound to get to know it eventually anyway. It was only a matter of when? I was trying to trivialize this fact as much as I could but Makoto seemed to see through my actions.

"Nakano."

"Hmm, yeah?"

"You're cute."

Hnng. This person…

"Makoto."

"Yes."

"If I ever went back in time I would never start today's conversation."

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