Chapter 2 – Passing the Baton to Myself

Finally, it was Saturday!

I’ve been waiting for this day!

I made that appointment with Prez on Wednesday, so for the whole three days I had been waiting with excitement for this day to come!

They said that when you were waiting for something, the time passed slower than usual and that was the case for me.

It was only three days, but it felt like I had been waiting for thirty years!

Thirty years! I had to endure for almost double my lifetime.

Well, I was exaggerating.

My excitement wasn’t a lie though. In fact, I was so excited that I ended up arriving at the meeting place an hour before the appointed time.

We planned to meet up in front of the police box near the station.

I proposed this as a measure so that if someone were to flirt with the Prez while she was waiting for me, she could ask the police to help her drive them out.

But, since I ended up coming first, this didn’t end up mattering.

To be honest, I wanted her to come first, so I could admire her from afar, but I’d rather not inconvenience her just to satisfy my selfish desire.

That was why I abandoned that idea.

Alright, before she arrives, let’s do a fashion check.

I look perfect.

Well, to my standard at least. It wasn’t like I was wearing anything amazing.

But, the thing that mattered was the fact that I did my best to dress up!

Last night, I googled a lot of things such as ‘How to leave a good impression on a date,’ ‘How to prevent your hands from getting sweaty,’ ‘When is the perfect timing to hold your partner’s hand,’ and so on. I also bought a fashion magazine and read through it.

In any case, I’ll show you what I’m wearing for today! What? You don’t care? C’mon, don’t be like that!

Since it was spring, I wore a shirt and brown chino pants. Considering Prez’ serious personality, I figured that dressing up in simple clothes would do it. I also wore a black jacket. As for my footwear, I bought new white sneakers just for today!

Anyone would look good after dressing up this much!

Or, well, in my case, look presentable.

…Haa… I wish I was born a little cooler.

No, don’t be depressed, me! I will be going out with Prez today! If I were to look depressed, she might misunderstand the situation! That was why I needed to act like usual!

Of course, I needed to pay attention to what I was doing while waiting. I must not play with my phone.

Prez was quite perceptive. If she were to catch me playing with my phone, she’d figure out that I had been waiting for a while.

Ah, right, my phone broke. Ignore my words just now, please.

Alright, my next move should be, look around restlessly so I’d give her the impression that I had just arrived!

* * *

I acted like that for thirty minutes. It was to the point that everyone around me looked at me suspiciously.

“Hello. You came early.”

Here she comes!

I didn’t even need to turn around to find out if it was really her. That voice could only be her!

She came thirty minutes before the appointed time! What an angel!

“N-No, I had jhust arrived thoo.”

No! I bit my tongue!

“Hahaha, that’s a funny way of talking.”

Thankfully, that just made her giggle while covering her mouth with her hand. What an angel!

This person always had the right follow up for my mess. How did she do it?

In any case, I need to calm down. Let’s take a look at her attire.

Ah… What a lovely outfit.

A light pink one piece, the same color as Cosmos, covered by a white cardigan.

I could see her thighs… Ahem!

This kind of girlish attire matched her perfectly!

She was so pretty! How could this kind of beautiful lifeform exist in this world?!

The basket she was holding with both hands only enhanced her beauty.

“Um… Do I look weird?”

Oh my god! That embarrassed look of hers!

I can’t! I can’t~! Wait, no! I shouldn’t act like this! Focus on the objective!

To get to know Prez better— No! To buy a new phone with her!

“You look fine! A-Anyway, let’s go!”

“Alright, let’s go.”

Wow, the attention she gathered was amazing. Everyone on the street was staring at her.

I could hear a few people complimenting her beauty. I get their feelings.

Honestly, if I were to stand among the mob characters like them, I would act the same way as them.

Too bad that I was the main character this time and Prez was my lead heroine for the day.

Hooray!

I headed toward the phone store with Prez, looking completely elated.

* * *

“This one is better, Joro-kun. Look at the spec and the price. It’s a good bargain!”

“Really?”

Holding Cosmos Note in her hand, Prez said those words to me.

“Yes. I did some research last night, you see.”

“Eh?! You went out of your way just to help me?!”

“Of course. I was the one who caused this, so I should at least do this much. Am I being a bother?”

Was she an angel? No. Was she a goddess?

“If you have any preferences, tell me, Joro-kun. I’ll take them into consideration.”

She suddenly came closer to me.

What kind of shampoo did she use? It smelled so good!

“N-No, I don’t have any… A-Anyway, Prez, you’re a little…”

“Ah, sorry. When I get too absorbed into something, I tend to ignore everything around me. I’ll be more careful from now on.”

With a slightly bashful smile, Prez moved away from me.

Her words… Her gestures… Everything was too good to be true!

In the end, I did as she told me and bought the phone that she recommended.

Then, Prez came over to me while saying, “I’ll give you my contact address again.” So, I got both her email and phone number as an added bonus.

This marked a new page in Joro’s history. ‘The first person I registered on my new phone!’

Welcome, my new phone! Once I got back home, I’d transfer all the data from my old phone to you!

“Also, this is from me, Joro-kun.”

“Huh?”

“You can use it for your new phone.”

Prez then gave me a case for my phone.

Apparently, she bought it secretly when I was still talking with the cashier.

“Are you sure?!”

“Yes.”

She said that with a gentle smile and a calm tone. Man, that expression was simply unfair!

Now, should I use this case or not?

I considered making a shrine for it and placing it in my room, but if I didn’t end up using it I’d end up feeling guilty for the rest of my life. In the end I decided to use it.

Anyway, this was where the true date began! The date at a fancy cafe! I did a lot of research to find a good place for today!

That would be our destination after this!

“Joro-kun, for lunch…”

“Yes! I’ve looked up for a good place! There’s a nice cafe nearby!”

“Really? I-I see…”

Huh? She looked troubled for some reason.

Did I say something bad?

“No, I mean…”

With a modest gesture, she raised the basket she was holding.

“It’s impertinent of me, but… I already made lunch for us…”

“Eh?! Really?!”

Homemade lunch?! Was it really okay for me to eat it?! The Prez made it, you know?!

I can’t believe this! I got to eat such a wonderful meal!

Sorry, I lied. Actually, I had already expected this kind of development after seeing that basket.

And my expectation came true. It seemed like the gods in heaven had answered my prayers.

“If you don’t mind, shall we have lunch in a nearby park? It’s okay if you don’t want to though…”

“I don’t mind at all! Rather, I’d welcome that idea!”

“I’m relieved to hear that. Thank you, Joro-kun.”

“N-No need to! It should be me who’s thanking you!”

“Really? I guess we should be calling it even then.”

“Yes!”

The Goddess smiled at me while I nodded at her vigorously.

Since we decided to go to the park, we went there! Here we go!

* * *

“Here should be fine.”

Once we arrived at a park and secured a good place, Prez spread out a pretty-looking pink-colored sheet that she brought with her.

Then, she sat down with her legs folded at an angle. I hurriedly sat down in front of her.

Woah… We somewhat looked like a couple, didn’t we?

Normally I’d complain about the loud children around us, but I didn’t mind their presence this time.

Could this be the result of Prez’ power?

“Here you go.”

Prez handed me a wet towel with an elegant gesture.

If it was a man, he’d hand it with one hand, but she went out of her way to hand it over with both hands.

She kept scoring those points! Gawd, this was just unfair, my queen!

“Alright, shall we start eating?”

What she prepared for our lunch were sandwiches.

Inside the basket was a neat array of various flavors of sandwiches. Every one of them looked delicious… And tasted delicious! I was too busy savoring the favor to be able to remember what exactly they tasted like, that was how good they tasted.

Ah, happiness…

Was it okay to be this happy? This much happiness made me suspect that there would be some kind of cruel twist coming up soon.

“Thank you for the food! That was tasty!”

“I’m so glad you think so. Thank you.”

She smiled at me. No, Prez, you couldn’t just smile like that!

My affection meter was already at max! Any more, it would overflow!

“I-I’ll clean everything up!”

In order to prevent my feelings from going out of control, I rolled the sheet after both of us got off it.

“Alright, is this good?”

“Yes, it is.”

But, the same crisis came upon me again after I saw that gentle smile of hers.

No good. Calm down… Calm down… I should start thinking of what we should do after this.

For the time being, we’ve already completed our goal for this outing as I’ve bought a new phone.

Since Prez had shown enough sincerity as an apology, we could just go home now.

Honestly, ending it here would be enough for me.

I had enough fun already. Anything more would be greedy of me.

“U-Um, Joro-kun!”

“Yes?”

While I was being immersed in my happiness, Prez approached me.

Her voice carried a little more tension than usual.

I thought that I was just imagining things again, but after seeing her red cheeks, I realized that it was real.

“U-Um… I-I don’t know how to put this…”

“What is it?”

She then held the hem of her skirts down and sat on a nearby bench.

“A-Actually, I asked you to come here because I have something to tell you, Joro-kun!”

“You have something to tell me?”

“Y-Yes! I-It might be an unpleasant topic for you though… I-I might become a nuisance to you…”

Uh, what? Unpleasant? Nuisance? What was this all about?

She seemed really fidgety for some reason. What was wrong with her?

“U-Um… D-Do you mind sitting next to me first?”

“Y-Yes, sure.”

I followed her instructions and sat down next to her.

However, she didn’t continue her words.

But, my hunch was telling me that something big was about to start.

The calm and collected Prez, fiddling with her hair with her gaze downcast.

So cute… Wait, no! I need to hear what she wants to say to me first!

After that, I could admire her beauty as much as I liked!

“Um… Uu…”

She tried to open her mouth a few times, but she always ended up closing it back.

I hoped that she could just say it quickly, but I didn’t say that thought out loud.

After all, someone of her caliber was this flustered. The thing she wanted to tell me must be something big.

Since I was a man, I decided to quietly wait for her to speak.

“I-In truth… Um… T-There is someone that I like…”

The moment I heard those words, my heart started racing.

“Y-Yes!”

“When I think about him, my chest feels tight. Just being able to see him every day makes me happy. I know this is selfish of me, but I always force myself to make an excuse to see him…”

Why was she talking to me about this?

I could hear my heartbeat echoing in my ears. It was as if my whole body itself was beating loudly, not only my heart.

“I-I…”

Slowly, but surely, she brought her face closer to mine.

She had the face of a maiden-in-love. Like a painting, her beauty captivated me.

When our faces were close enough to the point that we could feel each other’s breaths, she closed her eyes.

Could it be?…

“I’m in love with your best friend, Oga Taiyou!”

…

WHAT?

“It started last year, when the baseball club went to the finals at the regionals!”

Eh? What? Last year’s regionals?

“That time, Oga-kun kept cheering on the other members who were crestfallen after losing the match with a big smile on his face. Even though he was supposed to be the one who was the most frustrated about it. But, he kept telling everyone, ‘Don’t worry about it! I was off my game!’ He turned himself into a scapegoat while smiling and encouraging his teammates. His figure was firmly etched in my memory!”

Prez reminisced that scene while looking up at the sky.

“But, there was something about him that only I knew about! I was a little curious after that, so I went to the player’s waiting room through the east’s exit. Just then, I saw him coming out of the waiting room. To my surprise, he slammed his head into the wall and cried.”

I could see that. He was that kind of person, someone who hated to lose.

“My heart started beating faster at that moment. I wanted to go up to his side, hug him and tell him that everything isn’t his fault, he has done his best after all. And that was when I realized that I’ve fallen for him…”

I see.

“But, we are in different grades and we don’t interact much with each other to begin with! I could use the student council’s name to interact with him, but that will never be enough to get us… Into a relationship…”

With a completely red face, she opened her notebook and began to speak passionately.

About everything she liked about Sun-chan, his cool side and so on.

“A-Anyway! I-I know this is pathetic, but I need your help to get to know him better!”

She begged me with a desperate look.

Just looking at her expression made me understand that she was serious about this.

Ah… Uh, could it be this was the real reason why she wanted to go out with me today? I guess so, huh?

My previously racing heart had died down.

The cruel twist I expected ended up coming true.

“I-Is that a no?”

With moist eyes, she looked up at me.

Looking at her expression made my heart weak.

“I’ll be glad to help you. Just leave it to me!”

I said forcefully while hitting my own chest.

“Thank you! Thank you very much!”

She bowed to me, someone who was younger than her. I guess that meant she was happy after hearing my words, huh?

“T-Then, see you on Monday!”

But, that seemed to be her limit.

Flustered, she left the park in a dash, leaving me by myself.

At that moment, a cold breeze blew through the park.

…Oh, no.

That was the only reaction I could make in my mind at the time.

* * *

“Thanks for waiting, Joro!”

Before I realized it, Sunday had already come.

I haven’t made any plans with Himawari-san, so I just told her “Come to my house whenever,” and she did.

Our house’s bell rang at exactly 10 am. After hearing my mom saying, “Aoi-chan is here!” I staggered out of my room to the front door.

After I put on my shoes and opened the door, I found my childhood friend, Himawari, standing there, smiling innocently as usual.

She was wearing a cute-looking blue sleeveless shirt and a yellow skirt befits of her name, Himawari.

I expected her to be wearing jeans or something, so I went, ‘You could wear a skirt too, huh?’ When I saw her wearing a skirt.

Though, I wasn’t that surprised. Rather, I had no energy to be surprised.

What about my outfit? I was wearing an ordinary black shirt and worn-out jeans.

Honestly, I just came to myself not too long ago. I didn’t remember what I was doing from yesterday up until this point.

Well, I remembered going home, eating dinner and going to bed, but that was all I could remember.

Oh yeah, I could remember checking my phone to see Prez texting me, ‘Thank you so much. You saved me,’ in which I replied, ‘No, no, I’m the one who should be honored to help you.’

That was it, nothing else. I only remembered that part because I was so proud of myself for being able to answer her properly after that whole mess.

Why was I so proud of myself over that? Try putting yourself in my shoes, then we talk.

“What’s with that look, Joro? You look so funny! Hahaha!”

In front of me, Himawari laughed without a care for my well being.

Must be nice to be an idiot in a time like this.

“Stop calling me an idiot! C’mon, let’s go already! I’ll leave you behind!”

Leave me behind? I didn’t even know where we’d be going.

“There’s a movie I want to watch today! The premiere is today, so I’ve booked spots for both of us!”

She puffed her practically nonexistent chest.

“Jeez! Stop commenting about my chest!”

Anyway, why did you keep replying to my inner monologue?!

Were you a psychic or something?

“Hahaha, of course not! You’re being silly, Joro!”

I guess so, huh? Whatever, let’s just go.

And so, we left for the movie theater with Himawari-san pulling the shell of my former self by the hand.

* * *

“That was fun!”

Himawari-san exhaled in satisfaction. She must have enjoyed that movie.

I had no idea what the movie was about. My consciousness faded out the moment I saw a thief appear in the movie.

“That particular scene was so good! As long as there’s love, everything will turn out fine!”

Himawari-san used both of our bodies to create a heart shape.

It seemed like the movie was a romance.

“Also that scene! The culprit is you! This darkness of deceit will be illuminated by the light of courage!”

Or not. Maybe it wasn’t a romance, after all.

Then she pulled my body closer and made some kind of dance pose.

“And finally! In front of love and courage! All the vikings in this world will vanish!”

I couldn’t even guess what kind of genre the movie was anymore. From her face, I could tell that she was talking about a different scene, though.

By the way, because I didn’t end up using my money for lunch yesterday, I was able to pay for the movie tickets.

I even had leftover money from it. (Despair)

“Joro, Joro, where should we eat for lunch?”

Good question. Let’s go to the river and get some horsetail.

Fry them with sesame oil and we’ll get ourselves some good lunch.

“Hahaha! That’s a rare good joke from you, Joro!”

Himawari-san was in good spirits as she answered my random responses with a smile.

Who cares about her replying to my inner monologue anymore.

I’ll just accept this as it is.

“Let’s find a fancy restaurant somewhere!”

I didn’t mind going anywhere, just keep the price low, please.

Gyudon restaurant would be ideal. We’d only need 300 yen for a meal.

“No! It’s rare that we’re going out together like this! I want to go to a more fancy place!”

I never expected those words to come out of your mouth.

“Hmph! I’m a high school girl too, you know?!”

With that attitude, you were more like a grade schooler.

Act more like your age, please.

Right, try to act more like Prez for example…

Oh, crap. I got dizzy when I started to think about her.

“Are you okay, Joro? You’ve been muttering strange things to yourself for a while now. Is something wrong?”

Worried, Himawari-san peered into my face.

Apparently, I’ve been muttering my inner monologue for a while now. I didn’t even realize it.

Right, something happened yesterday. I didn’t want to talk about it though.

“Ei!”

Himawari-san suddenly pinched my cheeks and pulled them as hard as she could.

It hurts, Himawari-san.

“This doesn’t work? Oh no… I want to cheer Joro up, but how?…”

The depressed gesture she made healed my heart a little.

Compared to the pretty Prez, she was more of a cute girl.

To prefer which one among the two, it depended on the person’s taste.

“How can I cheer you up, Joro?”

I don’t know. Don’t ask me.

“You don’t know either, huh? Muu…”

Himawari-san placed a hand on her chin and tilted her head to the side.

She seemed to be warming up.

“Alright! Himawari-chan power! Here we go!”

Saying that, she hugged me as hard as she could.

What was her deal? Himawari-chan power?

A simple hug wouldn’t make me feel better.

“There! Finally, you dropped the honorific, Joro!”

…Why was she focused on that? Well, if she hated it that much when I refer to her with honorifics, I could drop it, I guess.

“Hehehe, yay! That means you feel a little better!”

Her bashful smile filled my heart with warmth.

I gathered my scattered consciousness and took a good look at her.

“W-What?”

That scared gesture of hers looked cute. She looked like a small animal.

Right… My childhood friend was a cutie.

Yes, the thing that happened with Prez was quite…shocking to me, to say the least. But, I have to focus on the cute girl in front of me. After all, she went out of her way to invite me out.

It was rude of me to act like this.

“Mm. Thank you, you cheered me up, Himawari.”

“Yay! So, do you want me to give you another dose of Himawari-chan’s power, Joro?”

“N-No!”

“Hahaha! Your face is so red, Joro!”

She let out an innocent smile.

That smile alone managed to cure me of my depression.

Right. It was already Sunday. Yesterday was already in the past. Forget about the past and move on!

“So, Joro, where should we go for lunch?”

“Right. What about…”

Since she worked so hard to cheer me up, I decided to take her to that place.

The place where I originally planned to go to with Prez yesterday.

“There’s a cafe not too far from here.”

“Is it a fancy cafe?”

“Of course. It’s a nice, fancy cafe.”

“Woah! Yes, I wanna go there!”

“Alright, let’s go then.”

“Yes!”

She raised her hands cheerfully.

…Seeing her reaction made me happy from the bottom of my heart.

* * *

“Woah, amazing! Amazing!”

Himawari said excitedly as we entered the cafe and took our seats.

The cafe was by the river.

Honestly, the location wasn’t really good, but due to its reputation of having some good food, it was filled to the brim with customers every day.

Not to mention that it had a nice atmosphere. The wooden storefront, pretty-looking sofas and the paintings that they showcased made it a nice place for couples to stop by. You could also go with your family as the nice atmosphere could be enjoyed by everyone, not only couples.

So, how could I get into this cafe even though it is always filled to the brim with customers?

The answer was because the cafe had just opened.

“But, isn’t this place quite expensive?”

Himawari’s timid attitude reminded me of a cat.

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll be paying.”

“Eh?! Are you sure?!”

“Yes. You’ve cheered me up, so just take this as a sign of gratitude from me.”

“Thank you, Joro! I love you!”

Her sudden words made my heart skip a beat.

Those words really shouldn’t be said so casually like that.

“Ah, sorry! Teehee~”

She realized her blunder it seemed.

Her cheeks reddened as she tried to turn her face away.

What a cutie.

“Can I get your order, please?”

“Um… I’ll be getting the lunch set. What about you, Himawari?”

“Same! I’ll be getting a lunch set too, please!”

“Understood. Two lunch sets. Please wait for a moment.”

After we placed our order, the waiter went to the kitchen.

Five minutes passed before we got to eat our food. And the taste surprised us.

“Joro, this fried shrimp tastes so good! It’s nice and tender!”

“I know right? That doesn’t mean you can take my fried shrimp, though.”

While we were talking, Himawari grabbed my fried shrimp with a fork.

Right before she put it in her mouth, she stopped and smiled mischievously at me.

“C’mon, let me have it~”

“No. I didn’t eat it because I saved the best for last.”

“I’ll give you the broccoli that I saved then. It’ll even it out!”

“You saved it because you hate it!”

“No~ I saved it for you~”

In the end, I gave up and ate the broccoli instead of the fried shrimp. I should feel defeated, but for some reason, I felt…calm? But why?

Because I was with Himawari?

…I see. When I was with Prez, I felt nervous, not only because she was a beautiful girl, but because she was older than me.

But with Himawari, I didn’t have to be nervous.

Her innocence and cheerful attitude made it easier for me to say whatever I wanted to her.

“Hm? What’s wrong, Joro?”

While chewing on the fried shrimps, she tilted her head in confusion.

That gesture warmed my heart.

“Nothing. Thank you, Himawari.”

To my childhood friend who managed to cheer me up from my depressed state, I expressed my heartfelt gratitude.

“Huh? I didn’t know you love broccoli that much, Joro!”

“Hahaha, I wasn’t thanking you for the broccoli.”

Of course she wouldn’t get it. But that was the thing that I liked about her.

* * *

“Swings!”

We were on our way home. Himawari was walking right in front of me when she suddenly reached for a swing in a nearby park.

Seriously, she was so childish.

By the way, this was a different park than the one that I went to yesterday.

The park I went to yesterday was a big one. People usually went there to see the cherry blossoms.

Meanwhile this park was a small one with a set of swings and a slide.

This particular set of swings was Himawari’s favorite place ever since she was a kid.

You could tell from her happy expression as she swung around while standing on it.

“Yaay~ Hahaha!”

“Oi, don’t swing around too much! I can see what’s beneath your skirt!”

“I can’t hear you!”

Seriously, know some shame.

I wanted to say that, but I am a man.

As she swung around, my eyes were drawn to her skirt.

I feel a little guilty, but I can’t help it.

“Ei!”

Using the swing’s momentum, she jumped off it and landed right in front of me.

…Man, I was about to see it. What a bummer.

“Hehehe, how’s that?”

She put a fist in front of me before making a V sign with it.

I really liked this innocent side of hers.

Seeing her made it feel like she was purifying me of all my sins.

“When you think about it, we’re already in our second year of high school, huh?”

“Yeah.”

She said that in an unusually calm tone.

At the same time, a strong breeze blew through the park, causing her skirt to flutter.

Combined with the sparkling sunlight, the scene seemed picturesque…

“Do you think I’m cute?”

Suddenly, she turned around and asked me that question. The gesture roused a faint emotion in me.

“Yeah.”

“Hehehe, right? I worked so hard to be this cute!”

“Worked hard?”

“Yes! I properly calculated the calories in my food and exercised regularly! Well, my chest is still growing, but…”

“Hahaha, well, don’t worry about it, everyone has their weaknesses.”

“I’m not worried about it! Don’t laugh at me!”

Saying this, she puffed her cheeks and sat down on a nearby bench.

“Well, you don’t need to worry about it. You’re cute enough this way.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

I was surprised that I could casually call her cute.

My words were true, though. Himawari was indeed cute…

“Joro, do you know the reason why a girl tries to look cute?”

“I don’t know. Because she doesn’t want people to look at her weirdly?”

“Jeez, you’re so dense! It’s because she’s in love!”

My heart skipped a beat. The sight of her shyly smiling while saying those words made me wish that I could hug her right there and then. She looked as cute as a fairy.

“U-Um, Joro!”

When I was lost in my thoughts, she called out to me.

Her voice carried a little more tension than usual.

I thought that I was just imagining things again, but after seeing her red cheeks, I realized that it was real.

“U-Um… I-I don’t know how to put this…”

“What is it?”

Himawari looked flustered. It was a rare sight to see her like this.

“A-Actually, I asked you to come here because I have something to tell you, Joro-kun!”

“You have something to tell me?”

“Y-Yes! I-It might be an unpleasant topic for you though… I-I might become a nuisance to you…”

Uh, what? Unpleasant? Nuisance? What was this all about?

She seemed really fidgety for some reason. What was wrong with her?

“U-Um… D-Do you mind sitting next to me first?”

“Y-Yes, sure.”

I followed her instructions and sat down next to her.

However, she didn’t continue her words.

But, my hunch was telling me that… Wait, this seemed awfully familiar…

This was the exact same thing that happened yesterday, no?!

I glanced toward Himawari, who was fiddling with her hair with her gaze downcast.

You couldn’t make this up. The exact same scene!

“Um… Uu…”

She tried to open her mouth a few times, but she always ended up closing it back.

Hahaha, I knew it. I could even predict what she was going to say next.

“I-In truth… Um… T-There is someone that I like…”

I knew it! I knew you would say that!

“I see.”

I reacted to her words calmly. This was because I knew that she was talking about Sun-chan and not me!

“When I think about him, my chest feels tight. Just being able to see him every day makes me happy. I know this is selfish of me, but I always force myself to make an excuse to see him…”

Why was she telling me this? Of course it was to ask for my help!

I couldn’t hear my heartbeat this time. This was about Sun-chan again, I knew it!

“I-I…”

Slowly, but surely, she brought her face closer to mine.

She had the face of a maiden-in-love.Except that her love was directed toward Sun-chan, not me.

When our faces were close enough to the point that we could feel each other’s breaths, she closed her eyes.

Alright, here we go, say the word!

“I’m in love with your best friend, Sun-chan!”

…Wait, this is where you should put a twist and say that you love me instead!

What the hell?!

I had a feeling that she was talking about Sun-chan, that was why I had been expecting his name to come up, but I really hoped that it was my name that came up this time!

Why?!

Redo this whole scene, please, Author! Back from the scene with the swings!

“It started last year, when the baseball club went to the finals at the regionals!”

Yes, of course! I knew you would say that!

“That time, Sun-chan kept cheering on the other members who were crestfallen after losing the match with a big smile on his face. Even though he was supposed to be the one who was the most frustrated about it. But, he kept telling everyone, ‘Don’t worry about it! I was off my game!’ He turned himself into a scapegoat while smiling and encouraging his teammates. His figure was firmly etched in my memory!”

Perhaps, out of embarrassment, she gazed toward the ground while saying those words.

Complete opposite of Prez, who was facing the sky.

Using this as the basis, could I treat their shuraba later as the sky and the ground colliding?

“But, there was something about him that only I knew about! I was a little curious after that, so I went to the player’s waiting room through the west exit. Just then, I saw him coming out of the waiting room. To my surprise, he slammed his head into the wall and cried.”

It was the west exit this time! There was more than one exit! Surprise!

“My heart started beating faster at that moment. I wanted to go up to his side, hug him and tell him that everything isn’t his fault, he has done his best after all. And that was when I realized that I’ve fallen for him…”

I got it. I wouldn’t feel hurt over this anymore.

“Sun-chan and I are already good friends, so I tried to talk with him as much as I can, that’s why I’ve been trying to go to school as early as possible. But, every morning he kept asking me if you and I have started dating yet or not!”

With a completely red face, she began to speak passionately.

About everything she liked about Sun-chan, his cool side and so on.

Should I even continue narrating this?

“A-Anyway! I-I know this is pathetic, but I need your help to do something about this!”

She begged me with a desperate look.

Just looking at her expression made me understand that she was serious about this.

Ah… Uh, could it be this was the real reason why she wanted to go out with me today? I guess so, huh?

Now I’m just repeating my narration from yesterday. Why? Because the Earth goes round and round maybe? I don’t know!

“I-Is that a no?”

With moist eyes, she looked up at me.

Looking at her expression made my heart weak.

“I’ll be glad to help you. Just leave it to me!”

I said forcefully while hitting my own chest.

“Thank you! Thank you very much!”

She bowed her head to me. I guess that meant she was happy after hearing my words, huh?

“T-Then, see you tomorrow!”

But, that seemed to be her limit.

Flustered, she left the park in a dash, leaving me by myself.

At that moment, a cold breeze blew through the park.

…Oh my god.

That was the only reaction I could make in my mind at the time.

* * *

After parting with Himawari, I went home.

Like a machine performing a programmed action, I walked up the stairs and headed toward my room.

When I entered my room, I slammed the door shut.

The room was enveloped in silence. By myself inside this room, it became a space where I could act like my true self.

My eyes suddenly caught sight of a book on the bookshelf. A graduation essay I wrote when I was in grade school.

I flipped through the pages and stopped at a certain page.

[I will do my best to befriend everyone and become a popular person!]

Ah, I missed those days. It was around this time when I started thinking to become more likable.

Immersed in nostalgia, I held on to the graduation essay tightly…

Before shredding it to pieces.

Fuck this, I should stop with this farce.

“Don’t fuck with me!”

I should let everything loose here¹He changed the way he refer to himself from 僕/boku to 俺/ore here. The former is a more humble way to refer to yourself as a boy, but the latter is a more casual way.!

Like, seriously, what the fuck?! How could this even happen?!

And I thought I was doing great! I even went out of my way to change the way I talked!

I thought everyone liked that kind of character! All those harem mangas lied to me!

I even went as far as imitating those harem protagonist’s monologues!

What? Yes, I’m not imitating them right now, so what?!

Whatever, forget about it, let’s reflect on the situation first.

Okay, first of all, Cosmos.

Cosmos… Cosmos… Man, her huge racks… I want to fondle them so badly…

No, wait, not that!

Uh, what did she say to me again?

She liked Sun-chan and she wanted me to help her out.

Goddamn! It should’ve been me, not him!

Why?! How?!

It was me who she invited on a date with, not him!

She even made me homemade lunch! Of course I’d expect that she’d like me if she went that far!

It was a matter of course!

Like, would you even normally make a homemade lunch for a guy you weren’t even interested in?!

Of course not! Why would you even do that?!

…I need to stop. Remembering about her made my blood boil.

Next next!

Right, Himawari! What did she say to me?

She liked Sun-chan and she wanted me to help her out.

…Jesus! She did it in the exact same way as Cosmos!

Mind about our relationship a little!

We’ve known each other since we were kids! We were child. hood. friends!

She was supposed to like me, not him!

Didn’t they always say that childhood friends were meant for each other?!

Her simple personality should lead her to think so too!

And yet she fell in love with my best friend instead! Why?!

Damn it! I thought if I played the dense character, I would be popular with girls!

I thought I could have a nice life where everyone would like me!

Fuck it, I’m done playing this character!

Trying to be friendly and doing my best to get along with everyone just backfired on me!

Starting tomorrow, I should just drop that persona— Wait a second…

Think about it for a second.

So, there were two girls gunning for the affection of one boy.

In other words, if one of them hit the jackpot, the other one would be left alone.

And the first person who’d try to heal the rejected one’s broken heart… Would be me!

HAHAHA! Right! I still had the chance!

I should not give up yet! Like a certain scary old man said, “When you give up, that’s when the game is over.”²Anzai-sensei’s quote from Slam Dunk.

That settled it, my next goal.

Help both of them to the best of my ability until one of them could date Sun-chan!

Don’t give up! Shift gear!

Starting today, I’ll become a supporting mob.

You know, normally in a romance manga, there was always that one lucky mob who managed to snatch the losing heroine?

Yeah, I’ll be trying to be that mob. Vive la mob life!

I won’t give up! This is just the beginning. I’ll endure this much for the sake of my goal!

…But, is it okay for me to live that kind of life for the rest of my life?