…I didn’t expect to feel this happy just from exchanging jokes after so long.
I waited a few seconds, but Hanazono didn’t seem about to speak.
Unable to wait for the silence to break, I spoke up.
“Hey, Hanazono.”
“Yes?”
“You used to make jokes like that occasionally before, but no one in class knows about it, right?”
“Ah… yeah. They don’t know. Some people might find it unpleasant, so I’m careful about it.”
“Why do you make those jokes with me then?”
“Haha, it’s funny you say ‘make.’ Do you want me to make them?”
“Ah, no… that’s not…”
Hanazono laughed again, saying “I’m just kidding.”
“At cram school, we didn’t have many mutual friends. So it was easier to say things like that.”
“Ah… I see. Rumors from cram school don’t really spread to school, after all.”
“Yeah. It was a good environment, that cram school.”
Hanazono combed her hair with her fingers, then opened her mouth slightly.
“You know, I consider Yosshi a friend.”
“Oh. Thank you.”
“Yeah. So I thought I could make these jokes and we could be close again.”
Hanazono put both hands behind her back and stepped out in front of me.
“Will Yoshiki-kun forgive me?”
…What’s with that question?
The answer is obvious.
“Of course I will.”
“Yay!”
Hanazono clapped her hands.
Her small body shook slightly, and her hair swayed.
— Just a little.
Just a little, her words and actions diverged from my memories.
…Well, we only interacted at cram school, so of course there are sides of her I don’t know.
Hanazono walked over to the bench a few meters away.
This bench, hidden in the shadow of the school building, shouldn’t be visible from the classroom windows.
Just the two of us in such a place. Yet, Hanazono sat down on the bench without any wariness.
— <
“Um, may I sit next to you…?”
“Please, go ahead!”
Hanazono patted the seat next to her with a friendly expression.
I sit down lightly about fifty centimeters away.
…It’s probably obvious that I’m being overly conscious of it.
Realizing this, I sit down more deeply this time.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had Yosshi time.”
“And it’s been a while since I’ve had Hanazono time.”
When I respond, Hanazono lets out a small laugh.
If someone saw this scene, would they misunderstand?
I started to think that wouldn’t be so bad, but remembering how troublesome things got when rumors about Yuzuha spread, I decide it’s better to be cautious of our surroundings.
…Still, I was honestly surprised that Hanazono was concerned about the rumors with Yuzuha.
“I thought you weren’t interested in love gossip, Hanazono. Even on our way back from cram school, I would talk about love, but you never did.”
“That’s sudden. I’m totally interested, you know? I just don’t ask others about it.”
“Oh, I see. So you’re human after all, Hanazono.”
“Hehe, what’s that supposed to mean? I am human, and a cute girl at that.”
“Don’t say that about yourself too much, okay?”
“Ehehe.”
Back in middle school, after we quickly grew closer due to a club match, we started to include jokes like this in our conversations.
I remember being secretly happy the first time she made this kind of joke.
She’s actually cute, so depending on how you take it, what she just said might not even be a joke.
But it makes me happy that she jokes with me.
…No good, I’m still curious if she jokes like this with other guys.
“Hanazono — do you have a boyfriend?”
“Eh, me?”
I want to applaud myself for asking this question so naturally.
Hanazono lowered the corners of her eyes at my question.
“How do I look?”
“Like you don’t have one.”
“How mean!”
Hanazono’s eyes widened a bit, and the corners of her mouth turned up.
“But as expected of Yosshi. You understand me. You’re right, it’s not so easy to get a boyfriend.”
“Haha. Well, that’s true for guys and girlfriends too, right?”
As I answered, I did a mental fist pump.
It’s been a month since starting high school, and rumors about “who’s dating who” have already started circulating.
For now, Hanazono doesn’t have a boyfriend.
Just knowing that makes coming to school today worthwhile.
“Yosshi, you could easily get a girlfriend if you wanted.”
“If only it were that easy…”
“You definitely could!”
…It feels like I’m being indirectly told, “But I’m not an option.”
Suddenly aware, I calmed down again.
What kind of answer was I expecting anyway?
It’s not like I’ve ever confessed to Hanazono before. I just thought we had a good vibe, that’s all.
Sure, conversations with Hanazono are still comfortable.
She knows almost everything about my troubled times in middle school and even my regrets from elementary school.
But that’s a different story.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
Just because we used to be able to talk about anything doesn’t mean there was a possibility of a romantic connection.
The reason we could talk about everything might have been simply because we went to different schools, and I’m not even sure how significant I was to Hanazono.
“Damn. Getting a romantic partner is way too difficult…”
“I know, right?”
“…If only we could read people’s minds, it’d be easier.”
“Yeah. Everyone who’s dating without being able to read minds is amazing. We’re just normal!”
“I guess we’ll think of it that way…”
“Yeah. But I thought you were different from me, Yosshi, so I understood the rumors about you and Yuzuha-san.”
Hanazono, unaware of my inner thoughts, casually strung her words together.
Now, I’m not even sure if we still have a relationship where we can say anything to each other.
We’re just classmates now, and Hanazono hasn’t spoken to me until today.
For me, Hanazono was the first person outside of childhood friends with whom I could talk about anything.
If we could go back to that relationship, my high school life would instantly become rosy.
This moment might be crucial in determining whether we can continue our past relationship.
“I might have told you before, Hanazono, but I’ve never had a girlfriend.”
“Yeah, you mentioned that at cram school too.”
Hanazono’s lips curved into a smile.
“But it’s amazing that you can talk to a girl like Yuzuha-san. Even I get nervous around her.”
“No, it’s just because we went to the same middle school… Our relationship from back then just continued.”
“So you don’t get nervous? That’s nice.”
“Not at all. It’s nothing like what everyone thinks. We’re just friends, maybe even closer than regular friends.”
…I might be denying it too strongly for someone who just wants to go back to being able to talk about anything.
It’s almost like I don’t want Hanazono to misunderstand.
Hanazono responded with a “Hmm” and then added as if in afterthought:
“Yosshi, you’re honest, aren’t you?”
“This is how we used to be with each other, Hanazono. We’ve already talked about so many things anyway.”
“Right, I remember hearing about your school troubles too. Like when you failed to confess.”
“Please don’t dig up old wounds…”
As I mildly protested, Hanazono put her index finger to her lips.
“…Then, from now on, our conversations will be our little secret.”
Her words made my eyes widen.
…Maybe we can go back.
Back to those times when Hanazono would openly share her opinions because we had no mutual friends, and I would bare my heart to her.
“I appreciate that. I’d be happy if you keep talking to me a lot.”
“Of course. I have a lot to talk about with you too, Yosshi.”
Hanazono swung her legs back and forth. Then, she muttered something.
“…I’m glad Yosshi is single.”
Before I knew it, we had gotten closer.
Before I knew it, my heart was pounding harder.
A warm breeze blows.
— Maybe.
Maybe I could hope for even more today.
“…We used to talk about love stuff too, right? Like, what if I were your boyfriend, that kind of thing.”
At my words, Hanazono suddenly stopped swinging her legs.
“…Haha, that brings back memories. But it’s not like that at all.”
“That’s harsh!?”
“Well, Yosshi is just a friend.”
Hanazono said casually, then continued.
“Besides, aren’t you waiting for your childhood friend to come back?”
“That’s–“
Childhood friend.
Memories from four years ago resurface.
That was probably the first time I felt a connection with a girl.
“–I can’t keep waiting forever for someone who might never come back. What am I supposed to do, become an old man?”
“You’ll be a perfect old couple!”
“I don’t want to plan that far ahead right now!?”
Hanazono clenched her fists, striking an encouraging pose.
“Yosshi. There are plenty of cute girls in this world.”
“Huh?”
“Good luck with your love life. I’m rooting for you, Yosshi.”
Saying that, Hanazono hopped off the bench.
She took a step forward, said “Bye-bye,” and left.
It felt like basking in sunlight, or being in the shade, or as if the time we just spent together was an illusion.
I was enveloped by such strange feelings.
As I reflected on our recent conversation, I realized something.
…Wait.
Did I just get rejected?
At the very least, it felt like I was being warned not to develop any strange feelings now.
A gentle breeze caresses my cheek.
— Hanazono knows everything about my troubled times in middle school.
But maybe I don’t know much about Hanazono.
Because Hanazono didn’t talk much about herself.
Today might have been the day when one potential romance came to an end.
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