Girls I Was Close to Loving Volume 1 Chapter 6 part 2

 
Taking my silence as agreement, Yuzuha poked my chest lightly.
 
“You want to experience youth too, right, Yoshiki?”
 
That statement was the clincher.
 
“…Just don’t do anything that would bother Hanazono, okay?”
 
“Of course not, what do you take me for? Well, let me know when you’re done with the preparations to break through the ‘good vibe’ stage—”
 
“Huh?”
 
“First, you want to make sure your perception of ‘good vibe’ matches with Nikaido-san’s, right? Let me know when you’ve got that figured out!”
 
So, if I gain confidence after talking with Remi, by that time she’ll have paved the way for me to get close to Hanazono.
 
It gives me time to reflect on my feelings too. Honestly, it’s an incredibly helpful offer.
 
“Yuzuha, why are you going to such lengths to help me? Even if it seems interesting, that alone can’t be enough for such careful assistance.”
 
Sure, we’ve been friends since middle school. But we’ve only been spending a lot of time alone together for a few months now.
 
It was in April, soon after starting school, that people around us mistook us for a couple.
 
Originally, this level of closeness wasn’t supposed to be special for Yuzuha.
 
Yuzuha thought for a moment before answering my question.
 
“Hmm. I think I’d be happy if you got a girlfriend, Yoshiki.”
 
“…Because people would stop misunderstanding our relationship?”
 
“…Well, that might be part of it.”
 
Yuzuha replied nonchalantly.
 
Her large violet eyes fixed on me.
 
For a moment, silence fell between us.
 
…I wonder what would happen to my relationship with Yuzuha if I actually got a girlfriend.
 
There’s even a possibility of misunderstandings about infidelity arising, but I wonder if Yuzuha has thought that far ahead.
 
…No, knowing Yuzuha, she probably doesn’t overthink things like that.
 
Besides, it’s pointless for me to be considering this when I don’t even have a girlfriend yet.
 
“Alright, I’ll just say thanks then.”
 
“Haha, you do that!”
 
“Yeah. So, I wanted to have a strategy session, but do you have plans with anyone for lunch break, Yuzuha?”
 
“Ah, today might be tough. I’m having lunch with Maki and the others.”
 
Yuzuha shifted her gaze to the classroom door.
 
When I looked in the same direction, I saw her usual two friends and a few others already chatting while waiting for Yuzuha.
 
“I see. I’ll ask you another time then.”
 
Yuzuha gave a small nod and then flashed a smile.
 
“No more putting it off, okay? You could even ask Hanazono directly if you want.”
 
Saying that, Yuzuha turned to leave.
 
“Well, invite me again sometime!”
 
“You’ve never come when I invited you before, though.”
 
“We went to the AV room the other day, didn’t we?”
 
“That wasn’t because I invited you!”
 
“Details, details!”
 
Sticking out her tongue, the gyaru went to join her two friends.
 

As I returned to my seat, I pondered.
 
“You could even ask Hanazono directly,” huh?
 
…Yuzuha sure made it sound easy.
 
If I had the personality to think of that as just a “could,” I wouldn’t be in trouble in the first place.
 
I know my limitations.
 
I’m not equipped with the ability to suddenly bring up love talk with Hanazono as she is now.
 
Having been rejected before, I’d be lucky to manage small talk.
 
“…Well, if I were like Yuzuha…”
 
If I had stunning looks like Yuzuha, maybe I’d have a bit more confidence.
 
I know my trauma is making me timid.
 
But it’s not just that.
 
My failed confession to Remi, my carelessness that led to growing distant from Hanazono, and just now realizing how much my relationship with Hanazono has regressed.
 
All these failures have piled up, making my feet even heavier.
 
Plus, I barely know anything about Hanazono.
 
I’m so out of touch that it wouldn’t be surprising if she got a boyfriend without me even noticing.
 
After all, the only one I can ask is my childhood friend.
 
“Gahaha!”
 
Startled by sudden laughter, I looked up to see a group of boys leaving the classroom.
 
…Now’s not the time to be thinking about romance.
 
When I looked ahead, Takeru’s seat was already empty.
 
While Yuzuha and I were talking, Takeru had apparently moved to have lunch with another group of boys.
 
Looking around the classroom, I saw that not only Takeru’s group, but also the other boys I occasionally chat with had just left for the hallway.
 
In other words, I have no one to eat lunch with today.
 
“…Ugh, this is bad…!”
 
It’s not impossible to join a group of boys from another class. But whether they’d welcome me like Takeru does is questionable.
 
Before I could consider the option of chasing after the boys’ group, memories of eating lunch in the bathroom during middle school came to mind.
 
I couldn’t help but give a wry smile at my own thought process. That’s when it happened.
 
“Yoshiki-kun.”
 
“Hm?”
 
Before I knew it, Remi was looking down at me.
 
Most of our classmates had already moved elsewhere, leaving only about half the class in the room.
 
I could feel the eyes of that half suddenly focus on us.
 
“If you don’t mind, could you show me to the cafeteria?”
 
“Huh… Why? I mean, sure, I’d be really grateful, but…”
 
“Yuzuha-san said you know every item on the cafeteria menu… Is that true?”
 
“What?”
 
As Remi narrowed her eyes at me, I instinctively glanced towards the classroom entrance.
 
Yuzuha, who should have left earlier, was there.
 
She seemed to have anticipated my reaction and started mouthing words as soon as our eyes met.
 
[Make the most of it!]
 
After conveying that, Yuzuha disappeared into the hallway.
 
…Is this the blessing of “Class 2’s Sun”?
 
Thanks to her, it looks like I can avoid eating alone.
 
“What’s wrong?”
 
“Ah, it’s nothing. Remi, you were saying about the cafeteria?”
 
Remi blinked, then leaned in close and whispered quickly.
 
“Don’t suddenly call me by my first name! People will misunderstand!”
 
“Ah, sorry, it just slipped out. …But using your last name might make me too nervous. I’d hate to change how I address you and end up not being able to say what I want to say.”
 
“I see… Then… I guess it’s okay to keep it as is…”
 
Remi nodded very reluctantly and moved her face away.
 
Her reaction was far from ideal, but given how much time has passed, it can’t be helped.
 
In fact, this might be the best relationship for asking questions about good impressions.
 
“So, are you okay with going to the cafeteria?”
 
“Ah, I’m okay with it. But aren’t you eating with the other girls?”
 
I glanced towards the front of the classroom, where the girls were waving.
 
Mostly at Remi, though.
 
Remi returned their waves with a friendly smile, then turned back to me with a serious face.
 
“They invited me, but Yuzuha-san recommended you in front of everyone. I thought if it involved a guide, you might be the better choice. I’m trying to be considerate of appearances.”
 
“What outdated thinking, appearances don’t matter for a guide. Besides, I was relieved of that duty last week.”
 
“Really?”
 
“Yeah. Also, Remi, you should stop calling me ‘Yoshiki-kun’ soon.”
 
When I complained, Remi furrowed her brow.
 
“What’s with that? ‘Calling me’ is such a harsh way to put it. Did you dislike being called ‘-kun’ that much?”
 
“For now, I’d appreciate it if you could avoid doing things that might create unnecessary distance between us.”
 
If only I could say this to other girls too. I changed my mindset and stood up.
 
“Appropriate distance between boys and girls… But if people find out we’re childhood friends someday, maybe ‘-kun’ is actually bad…? Will I seem cold…? I thought it would be fine if people knew we were childhood friends…”
 
I could hear Remi’s serious mumbling from behind.

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The bustling noise of the cafeteria.
 
There was a time when I thought the cafeteria was a high school student’s ally.
 
But a meal for 500 yen is a bit too luxurious for a high schooler’s wallet.
 
I don’t know the details, like the effects of inflation, but I wish it could be around 300 yen. At least 400 yen.
 
“What? Almost all the menu items are just one coin!? The cafeteria is such a bargain!”
 
“This is the financial gap…!”
 
I gritted my teeth and hung my head.
 
With my allowance, I can only eat at the cafeteria once or twice a month.
 
Even though today is one of those precious occasions, Remi talks as if she could eat here every day.
 
…From now on, when Remi invites me to the cafeteria, I’ll bring a sweet bun and tag along.
 
With a do-or-die determination, I buy a 450 yen salt ramen and move to a corner seat.
 
Remi, who sits down across from me a little later, once again brings the boys’ gazes with her.
 
Trying not to let on that I’ve noticed, I glance at her lunch.
 
“Whoa, I’ve never seen anyone order that at this school before.”
 
It’s the coveted special set meal.
 
The side dishes include miso-simmered mackerel, and there are even three pieces of fried chicken.
 
Squinting at the menu posted at the counter, I can see it’s priced at 900 yen.
 
“Is this rare?”
 
“I’m so damn jealous…!”
 
Even though it’s my favorite salt ramen, somehow today it looks only half, no, a third as delicious.
 
Remi gives a wry smile at my reaction.
 
“What, you want this?”
 
“Is that okay!?”
 
“If you’re going to look at it like that. I’ll give you some.”
 
“Awesome, I’m so grateful!”
 
I reach out with my chopsticks towards Remi’s plate, then stop abruptly.
 
I was about to take some like in the old days, but maybe I should wait for Remi to offer it in this situation.
 
“Don’t worry about it. Help yourself.”
 
“Oh, okay. Thanks.”
 
…She read my mind.
 
Impressed by how well my childhood friend knows me, I take one piece of fried chicken.
 
“By the way, I wonder who the leader is in Class 2. Even though it’s only late May, everyone seems to be getting along quite well.”
 
“Maybe it’s me?”
 
“Rejected.”
 
“What do you mean, rejected!?”
 
“Just to be clear, I’m asking seriously, you know?”
 
Remi takes a sip of water and continues.
 
“If I can grasp the class relationships early on, it’ll be easier later. Like I said before, I want to live an unobtrusive life.”
 
“Huh. Then if this kind of talk got out to anyone but me, it’d probably do a lot of damage.”
 
“That’s right.”
 
Remi answers nonchalantly.


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