CH 95

Chapter 95: Starting The Dash.

After cooling her eyes with a wet hand towel, Aoi returned to the art room. I don’t know what kind of rumors would come if the two of us left together, so I decided I’ll leave after a while.

Before speaking to her I already decided I didn’t want to make a fuss either.

I bowed to Aoi as I saw her off. Seeing that over, I stretched my arms as hard as I could, like my previous life, I felt like I had just finished my graduation thesis.

I wondered what would happen if I had followed through with my promise with Aoi, but luckily it didn’t happen. I’ll have to thank Koharu and Yoko this time.

I’m sure they’re worried about me, so I’ll shoot them both a message on LAIN.

The door just closed a bit ago, but then it rattled open, and Yoko bursted in. She then said “Glad you could make it~”

“Eh, you didn’t go back to the art room?”

Surprising me she cackled and then said “Well that went surprisingly well” then we sat down in our usual spots.

“That’s what I was planning on doing, but I thought that if only Koharu and I returned, it’d be suspicious. I was killing time at the bottom of the stairs. It was stuffy down there.”

“Ah, thank you. There would be problems if rumors started to spread, so I was waiting too.”

“As I thought. I had a hunch after Shimamoto-chan was the only one that came out.”

“Oh, you saw Shimamoto-san?”

That makes sense. If she had been waiting at the base of the stairs they would have met. She had come here because she must have known our talk was over.

“Shimamoto-chan is talking to Koharu-chi right now. It’s a little strange that it’s her comforting Shimamoto-chan, right after she was just rejected by Aoi-chan.”

Is that so? I wonder if I can leave Aoi to Koharu. There is nothing I could really do for her.

“Childhood friends are interesting, aren’t they?”

“Yeah. . .”

It’s a family-like closeness, but in the end they still aren’t family. They can also be a person you like. If you get rejected or reject somebody there’d usually be a little more distance than before, but I wonder if the unique bond of childhood friends overrides that?

I don’t have any childhood friends in this life nor the previous one, so I don’t really understand.

“Is everything okay?”

“Thankfully. Just like you guys said, it seems like running from her was a bad idea. After speaking to her face to face she unexpectedly and quickly understood me.”

“I see. Well I hope the wounds from her broken heart quickly heal.”

“. . . Yeah.”

While we leisurely talked, I heard footsteps approaching. The expected face appeared from the sliding door.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Ah, Koharu. Thank you for everything.”

“No, I’m the one that asked you to talk to Aoi-chan.”

She thanked me with a serious face. I wonder how Koharu feels about all of this?

I’m the one that rejected the person that just rejected her.

“Koharu are you. . . Okay?”

“Ah yeah, I’m fine. Well I have a bit of mixed feelings about everything, but I think I’m in a place where I can calm down.”

“That’s good. . .”

She’s already grown up!

Even though she is still in her teens she could say that? Is Koharu also in her second life?

It’s weird, but I feel like I’m way more flustered on my second round of life.

“Aoi-chan was rejected, but she also had a refreshing look on her face.”

“Is that so. . ? Ah come to think of it, how much did Shimamoto-san tell you?”

“How much? What do you mean?”

“Um, well. Like it was love at first sight or something on the lines of that.”

“Ah that. Yeah I knew already.”

She told her!?

“Or rather than love at first sight, she was unconsciously attracted to you. Do you remember that Aoi-chan and I were late on the club recruitment day? Well, we were late because we were looking for Sugimura-senpai. So thank you for that.”

“Ehh!?!?”

No way. In the game there is no reason given for why they are late to club recruitment, but I never imagined that’d be the reason.

“Senpai, you look really adult, so we thought you’d be a third year student. However we went to the 3rd year classrooms, but we couldn’t find you. So we gave up and decided to visit the art club, and there we found you. Aoi-chan was so excited, she was calling it fate.”

“I-I didn’t know. . .”

I would have liked it if you told me about it then.

Or rather, if you are going to say thank you for helping your niece, you should have said it right from the start. I wonder why Aoi was silent about it. It would have been the perfect ice breaker if she wanted to talk to me.

“But I guess it was only after she saw Senpai on the train that she actually fell for you.”

“Yeah, I heard.”

“I’m sure you’re completely oblivious to it, but when you are with Sara-san your face has an awfully sweet look to it.”

“Agreed! It’s sickly sweet!”

Yoko added to Koharu’s claim.

Stop! It’s just like she said, I was completely oblivious to it! Aoi also pointed out to me and I was already cringing from that, but now I’m being kicked when I am down!

“Tomoda also noticed instantly how sweet you two were.”

“Who is Tomodao-san?”

“My friend from Tsubakigaoka. She is also Sara-chan’s Senpai.”

Also the friend that confessed to Sara.

Come to think of it, I was told to form a heartbreak alliance with her if I got rejected. This summer vacation is so intense. It seems like it’s surreal that a month hasn’t even passed since then.

“Such an overflow of love.”

“Please stop. . .”

“But Aoi-chan isn’t the only person that was lovestruck by this good for nothing Senpai.”

“. . .Eh?”

Who is she talking about? This is the first time I’ve heard about it.

As if she read my mind, Yoko chirped out “Who?”

“There was a person who confessed to Senpai on the train before, right? Well that was my Onee-chan’s ex-boyfriend.”

“Ehh?!?!”

Koharu’s older sister’s ex boyfriend, isn’t he one of the reasons that triggered Koharu to stab Sara.

Eh, so he was that guy? I didn’t know his face because it didn’t appear in my dreams.

It should have been a little while before he broke up with Koharu’s older sister, and then confessed it to Sara. So why would somebody like that confess to me? Although it would have been a problem if he confessed to Sara!

“At first it seemed like he was looking towards Sara-chan, but then turned his gaze towards Senpai, because of the look you had around Sara-chan.”

“I didn’t know. . . I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize. But I think it’s probably one more person on the list that found Senpai attractive when you were with Sara-chan.”

“Y-Yeeah~?”

Is that so? In addition to not knowing myself, I’ve been openly leaking my affection for Sara on public transport.

With a forced smile I was having a hard time finding words, when Yoko then opened her mouth.

“Oh, from what you said before, I thought you were the one that fell in love with the lovestruck Shiori.”

Yoko put her hand on her heart, as if a heart pounding confession was about to begin.

No no no, the way she said it earlier did certainly sound like that, but I don’t think that’d be the case with Koharu at all.

Rather than that, besides Aoi she had gritted teeth, and let out bloodlust the first time.

“That’s true, I admire her.”

–   –  Oi! Is that true!?

Koharu laughed after seeing my wide eyed amazement.

“I told you before that I was jealous.”

“Umm, because of my looks, or that you’re jealous of Sara’s friendship. . .?”

“It’s a little different. Perhaps it was because you guys “Seriously love each other” I should say.”

“Ahh-, then?”

“It made me feel miserable when I compared it to my own situation. I was angry and resentful of Senpai, you had everything, I got angry.”

“Is that so-.”

“But that was because I was envious. However what I adored was when you two happily talked together, that’s what. . . I longed for.”

In a small voice she ended that, but we could hear it.

I never thought I’d hear that from Koharu. Perhaps she was embarrassed because she looked away with an angry face, but it’s just adorable when she blushes like that.

“Koharu is a Dere. . .!”

“Please don’t say I’m a Dere!”

Even if you stare at me like that, I’m not scared. It’s like a puppy barking, it’s just cute! When I just gave a happy look, she barked back seriously “Don’t look so happy when I’m mad, you M-Senpai.”

Sorry I got carried away.

“Please listen to the end before making any jokes. Um, what I wanted to say is. . . I want my Senpai’s love to come true.”

“- – -!”

“It wasn’t just me, Aoi-chan and my older sister’s ex-boyfriend too. Your feelings for Sara-chan, that happy atmosphere, the shiny smile shared between you two was mesmerizing. It’s amazing to make the person you love smile like that. So Um. . . Senpai, you should be more proud of your love, have more confidence!”

I felt like I was hit on the back of my head.

Subconsciously, I’ve always felt guilty for falling in love with Sara. I felt like I was betraying her. The guilt I felt gave me so much doubt.

Despite that, even with such a timid and retrogressive love, this girl says that she admires it?

Koharu’s words permeate gradually into my heart. Slowly dissolving those negative feelings.

Okay. I can be proud.

“So you can’t be a good-for-nothing senpai.”

“Yeah, you can’t betray your cute junior.”

“I’m the admired Senpai. . . Huh, okay.”

Koharu, only half reading the mood, thought it was funny, and then Yoko joined it.

As they laughed, that warmth that slowly spread across my heart made me think. (Okay, now is the time) I’m sure I will be fine.

“Al-right, Well, I’ll be going now.”

I slowly stood up, and the two of them looked up at me with surprised faces. Immediately realizing my feelings, with a broad smile Yoko said “Is it time?”

“I can’t wait until the firework show!”

I’m off! As I started running off, I heard those two loudly say. “Take Care”

Sara, Sara.

I haven’t been brave enough to say it, but please listen.