I Was Betrayed by My Childhood Friend, so I Won’t Lie to Myself Anymore

Koharu  side

“Hm…”

Another new girl has fallen in love with Ryouma kun…. I didn’t know that even the student council president is captivated. 

I moved to the courtyard to eat my lunch with uneasy feelings after hearing the student council president declaration that can be heard far away to get Ryouma kun. 

“Sigh…”

“You’re sighing again～Haru chan ～. Happiness will run away, you know～?” 

“Uh～ Akari chan～. That’s because even the student council president, towards Ryouma kun…” 

“Hmm〜 I don’t think that’s a romantic feeling or something like that… Well, it’s hard to imagine Saeki kun going out with someone else, though〜.” 

“Is that so…? But I’m just a temporary lover. If one of us likes someone else, it’s natural for us to break up…” 

I unintentionally became more and more negative. 

That day when I had a heated argument with Kanzaki san, I told Akari chan that I had met Ryouma kun a long time ago. I was talking about how I really liked him now. 

“Mou～you’re saying that again, what would you do if Saeki kun likes someone else? Are you okay with that, Haru chan?” 

“N-no way ! !” 

I imagined that there was another girl next to Ryouma, and I strongly felt that I absolutely disliked it. 

“Then, you have to appeal more, Haru chan ! The test is already over, so let’s invite him to a date just the two of you !” 

“Ee !? T-that’s basically saying I like him !”

“It is ! so no problem ! If you are embarrassed by this, nothing will change you know~! When Saeki kun comes, Haru chan should ask him out ! A- look here come the two of them !”

“E-eh !? Wait, Akari chan !?” 

Ryouma side

“Sorry to keep you both waiting…Koharu? What;s with the rush? 

“I-i-it’s nothing !” 

They seemed very upset as soon as we arrived. Did something happen?

“That so? If you have something to tell me, feel free to say it.” 

“T-thank you….I’ll ask you later…”

“Understand. Okay, time is running out so let’s start eating.”

It’s because I’ve been caught by the student council president that I had to spend a lot of time there, so I started eating in a hurry, but in the end I had to listen to Koharu’s story after school because the lunch break is almost over. 

The fact that Asahi and Akari chan were grinning at each other makes me think that something bad happened to Koharu, but I guess she’ll be fine because it’s Koharu.

After the homeroom in afternoon class was over, I wanted to call out Asahi and go to the school gate, but was unusually refused. 

“Sorry, I decided to walk home together with Akari today.” 

“I see,  you’ve been keeping an eye on us lately. Sorry if I haven’t been paying attention.” 

It’s been a month since I got this look.

As I was feeling sorry for not giving them proper time together, Asahi tapped me on the shoulder and smiled at me.

“It’s fine. I’m having fun too because I had more time to spend with you, Ryouma ! Well, you can go home together with Koharu chan today. See you～.” 

“Aaah. See you tomorrow.”

[….good grief. He’s too good of a person, that guy.] 

I am grateful for Asahi’s thoughtfulness, and as I exit the classroom and wait at the school gate, I see Koharu walking toward me, fiddling with her bangs, and I wave lightly.

Thus, she came up to me at a fast pace, shyly and bashfully.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting. The working shift has been prolonged…” 

“It’s okay, I was just talking with Asahi a while ago. I don’t know if you heard it but it seems like the two of them were having a date, so I’m sorry that it’s just me today.” 

“D-d-date…!? Well, yes…I see, I heard it from Akari Chan. H-hey! I’m glad that I can go home together with Ryouma kun ! !” 

“P-puha! Hahahha ! Thank you, I’m glad I can go home together with Koharu.”

I’m blown away by Koharu, who was so flustered that she turned into a hundred faces in an instant but there is no way I could feel bad when she said she was happy to go home with me.

“Mu~…..It’s kind of complicated to be told that after being laughed at.”

“Sorry sorry, I won’t tease you anymore. Well, let’s get back  now.” 

Then I left the school with Koharu and decided to stop by a café to listen to what she had to say, which I could not listen to during lunch break.

When we sat down and our drinks arrived, Koharu took a deep breath and began to speak.

“Et-to…hmmm….this sunday, s-should the two of us have a date together? We just finished the test……I-I also thought maybe we should go out together to create a lover-like atmosphere…..”

I thought it was an invitation for a date, but that’s what it is… what am I expecting? Well, it’s true that if we’re together at school but don’t see each other on holidays, it might be reasonable to think that we might not be seen as lovers. 

“Of course we can go. Then, where should we go ? I don’t know what’s good either, so why don’t we think about it together?”

“Y-yes! Let’s go to a place where we can have fun together !” 

She looked like she had done something wrong, but her expression brightened up when she heard my suggestion, and then we decided to relax for a bit while looking for a place to go together on our phones. 

The location for Sunday has been decided. Just as I was about to leave the café and start walking in the direction of Koharu’s house, something suddenly rammed into my stomach area.

“Ugh…”

“A~S-sorry !!! W-wait Aaaaa ! You are Saeki !!!”

“S-student council president…” 

Because of the terms of size, it seems that I just got a critical hit on my solar plexus, and I crouched down as it was. 

“R-ryouma kun, are you okay !?”

“Aa…….Sorry ! I’m so little so I hit your belly…”

As the student council president was fidgeting, a woman with a bag came running up behind him.

“Wait Kyou chan~, you can’t just run out of nowhere~  Wait, arere ? Saeki san ?”

“Eh? Ah, isn’t it Tachibana san…” 

Why is Tachibana san, the one who gave me the opportunity to change, here? Hm? I mean, could it be that Tachibana is? 

“Are you, by any chance, the older sister of the student council president?”

“Bingo~ ! By the way, Kyou chan? You didn’t do anything to Saeki san, did you? ?”

“Ugh… I bumped into him.” 

“Aa mou. If Saeki san doesn’t come to the salon again because of this, it will be Kyou chan’s fault~. I don’t want to intrude, so I’m going home~.”

“Aa~!! Let go of me, Nee san !! I still haven’t heard Saeki say he’s joining the student council !”

“No, I won’t cause any more trouble for Saeki san. Well then, sorry to bother you. I’ll take this girl home with me, so please go to the salon again~!

“Aaaaaa ! ! ! Saeki ! I’m not giving up yet aaaa… ! !” 

The student council president appeared like a storm, but she was dragged away somewhere by her sister. 

But, to think that the beautician is the president’s older sister’s, what a small world. 

As I was thinking about whether I should visit the salon again in a month or so, Koharu was staring in the direction where Tachibana san and the others had left. 

“Aa, sorry. I left you alone. That girl is the one from the salon that I went to. ……… Koharu?”

“N-nothing ! i-is that so ! !…thank god…” 

“Thank God?”

“It’s nothing–!!”

Then she walked ahead of me so I hurried to catch up with her.

Recently Koharu has been saying something misleading a lot, it reminded me of something Asahi told me. 

[[You’re aware of that, aren’t you? You’ve got to face it okay]]

[…I wonder if that’s the case.] 

After that, when I got home, I had to rack my brains to figure out what to wear for Sunday, and finally decided to ask Asahi to help me find some clothes for Saturday, and went to sleep.