Chapter 61: The Promised Ti
Dragged along by Tanaka-kun, I arrive at the stall area.
I still have absolutely no idea what's going on.
Tanaka-kun buys so random food, shoves onto a nearby bench, and tries to get to eat sothing.
Nagase-san: "Hey, Tanaka-kun? Mind if I interrupt for a bit?"
Tanaka-kun: "Kousuke-kun is my best friend, so I'll look after him, Nagase-san, you go ahead?"
Nagase-san: "...Tanaka-kun... Aren't you busy with the film club?"
Tanaka-kun: "Fuhihi, I'd appreciate it if girls could give us so space for now...?"
I can tell those two are tense with each other.
It's okay, I'm okay.
"I'll just eat a little and wander around, then head back to class, okay? I'll stop by the film club after it's over too. I'm fine, really, you two go ahead."
I push the two of them away and get them to leave alone.
At the stall area, students from the sports departnt—people I normally have no contact with—are running the booths.
Since they're elite mbers of teams like baseball and tennis, they're all pretty big guys.
For so reason, I'm reminded of Kan-kun (my middle school classmate, the macho one).
I head back to my class and work behind the scenes at the hamburger shop. Honestly, being busy is way easier for .
Keeping my hands occupied helps organize my thoughts.
Stunned → Disappointed → Angry.
For the first ti this ti, I'm starting to get pissed off.
Why do I have to be this sad?
We made a promise, and this is what I get?
My tears dry up, and my heart starts filling with resentnt.
I can save the sadness for later—when we et today, I'm not going to let myself lose!
Thinking that, I silently kept making hamburgers.
16:00, and finally, the culture festival cos to a close.
We haul out the class equipnt and tools and return the desks and such.
After the teacher's talk, everything wraps up at 16:50, and we're told we're dismissed.
But for , the main event starts now.
Because there's a promise to keep.
Maybe it doesn't even matter anymore, but I need to know.
The promised second day of the culture festival, 17:00. Next to the gym behind the school building.
I'm supposed to et Yukari-san here.
She said there was sothing she wanted to tell .
This is the place where Yukari-san and I ran laps and did muscle training so many tis this sumr.
The sweat and tears of Yukari-san and have soaked into the ground around here.
Here they are. ...Kuzu-kun ca with her too.
Yukari-san stands with her head down, and Kuzu-kun is two steps behind her.
Well, I guess... we do need to talk, after all.
Since it's the second ti, I managed to pull myself together—earlier, I couldn't stop crying.
If anything, I'm feeling angry now.
Silence rules the atmosphere.
We can't just stay like this forever.
"...Congratulations on winning Miss Hokusho... Good job, really."
Yukari-san lifts her head a little,
Yukari: "Yeah, thanks to you, I got it! ...Thank you..."
She brightens up for a second, then rembers and lowers her gaze again.
Whew. I let out a sigh.
What is this?
I'm mad, I'm sad, I'm totally down, but there's no reason for to feel inferior.
Honestly, I do feel betrayed. But maybe it's better this happened before we started dating and I opened up even more? That's what I'm starting to think.
Maybe I'm just putting on a brave face, but that's how I feel right now.
"So? The talk? The thing you wanted to hear? What is it you wanted to say?"
My tone ca out a bit cold, but whatever—she's probably going to say she's dating Kuzu-kun or that she likes him anyway. I can't deal with this.
Yukari: "...I'm... going out with Kuzu-kun now. ...Thank you for everything until now..."
Yukari-san looks down, struggling to say it.
After seeing the awards ceremony for the beauty contest, it's obvious what's going on—
so I just want to get this over with quickly.
"...That's it? If there's nothing else, then I'm done. ...Be happy."
That's all I can say.
I don't want to say anything bitter—I want to end things cleanly.
As I turn to leave, thinking I'll say goodbye and let this be my parting gift,
Kuzu-kun, apparently misunderstanding sothing, butts in with a smug grin.
Kuzu: "Maybe if you weren't acting like this, Yukari-san wouldn't have dumped you, huh?"
"Huh? Kuzu-kun, right? Why are you even here?"
Kuzu-kun replies with exasperation,
Kuzu: "Because if you lost your temper, you might say sothing awful, or even get violent or try to rape her, right?"
Kuzu-kun... I don't need the 'kun' anymore?
Kuzu keeps grinning as he talks.
Laughing, I say to Kuzu,
"Heh! You know, there's a saying: A crab digs a hole to fit its own shell."
*It ans people act and think according to their own station,
but it's also a jab at how small-minded people can only judge others by their own standards.*
Kuzu-kun looks confused, a question mark practically floating above his head.
Do I really have to explain the sarcasm now...?
Kousuke: "So, basically? You assu I'd yell, get violent, or rape soone because that's what you'd do, right? That's what I ant."
Kuzu: "...You actually said that?!"
Kuzu finally gets it and gets mad.
Standing between our hostile standoff, Yukari-san desperately tries to intervene.
Yukari: "Kuzu-kun! Kousuke-kun! Please don't fight!"
"There's no point in fighting. I'm leaving."
Yukari-san looks sad,
Yukari: "I'm sorry, I know just apologizing isn't enough... but can't we be friends again?"
Huh?
The sound of wind rustling the grass and trees echoes.
"Can we? Be friends? I don't think so. I've kept my promise. I'm leaving."
Yukari-san keeps looking sadly between and the still-angry Kuzu.
What's that about? Just look at Kuzu, you don't need to worry about .
For once, I'm actually in a rare, aggressive mood and even snap at Yukari-san,
"That crab proverb from earlier. It applies to you too, Yukari-san."
Yukari-san looks flustered,
Yukari: "Huh? The crab one? It ans you assu others are like you, right?"
Doing my best to keep my face blank, I spit out my words.
"Yeah, so that's why, back then, you said 'Don't cheat on , okay?' right? I never would, so the thought never even crossed my mind."
(See Chapter 49: Next Ti We et)
Leaving the stunned Yukari-san behind, I head ho.
Sho would never say sothing this snarky, would he?
But I just couldn't keep it in.
I've grown even more wary of girls.
With a weird mix of satisfaction and a bitter aftertaste, I head ho.
For so reason, I really want to see Sho's face.
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