Hayashi Megumi is such a hassle.

Yamamoto, standing in front of me, is staring at me with serious eyes.

Looking into Yamamoto’s earnest gaze, I feel like I’m being drawn into the deep black of his pupils.

I shook my head, realizing my focus was slipping.

Come to think of it, I feel like something similar happened back in high school. It was, if I recall, when I was a first-year, smitten with Sekine-senpai, agonizing over how to make those feelings come true.

Girls are the kind of creatures who love meddling in other people’s romances.

No exception, there were plenty of people around me back then who loved those kinds of conversations. But I never told them about my feelings. Given my position at the time, I couldn’t afford to share such things—my weaknesses—with others.

Except for one person.

One day, I poured out my innermost feelings to a single girl.

“Well, things will work out somehow.”

Ichi, her hair tied up in a ponytail, smiled with her eyes behind her glasses as she said that to me.

Ichi was a peculiar person.

Hard to pin down, infuriatingly laid-back, yet somehow I’d get swept up in her pace. She seemed scatterbrained, but her grades were consistently near the top.

Truly, she was a strange one.

Looking back now, I think she didn’t want to come off as unapproachable. But even though people like that are easily taken advantage of, she had this strength—she never bent on the things that mattered to her.

She and I got along well.

We met in high school. Our seats weren’t even close.

But I felt so comfortable during the time we spent together.

We were always laughing together.

By our third year, Kasahara Akari joined us, and the three of us were always laughing together.

After high school graduation, during that hellish time.

I was daydreaming vaguely.

I want to hang out with Akari again.

I want to hang out with Ichi again.

If I said something like that, what would Akari say?

“Of course!” she’d probably laugh.

If I said something like that, what would Ichi say?

…Probably.

“What a hassle.”

She’d say that with a laugh.

But I’d drag her along anyway, and the three of us would keep on…

Oh, I see.

“I didn’t want Ichi to get married.”

Yamamoto mentioned what I wanted to tell Ichi at her wedding.

…That was it.

I still wanted to hang out together.

I still wanted to goof around together.

Still.

I still… wanted to stay kids with Ichi.

“That feeling deep down is probably why I couldn’t get the friend’s speech together properly.”

He was exactly right.

“I’m the worst, huh?”

“Hm?”

“Wishing my friend who’s about to get married wouldn’t go through with it.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Well, I don’t think so, at least.”

“Why not?”

“Because that’s just like you.”

Yamamoto was smiling.

Like me.

What does he mean by “like me”?

…Probably the way I acted so recklessly back in high school.

That’s what he means by “like me.”

“I don’t want to be some queen bee who makes others sad just to get her way.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what?”

“It’s that dishonest streak of yours that’s so like you.”

…Dishonest.

To think I’d hear that from this guy of all people.

“You—especially since you moved into this place—you’ve been anything but honest. You’re struggling, wanting to run away, but you talk about leaving. You’re actually worried about your parents, but you say you don’t want to go back home.”

“…Shut up.”

“Seriously, how much have you been jerking me around? But, weirdly enough, I don’t mind those times all that much.”

I looked down, embarrassed.

I couldn’t meet Yamamoto’s eyes. My face was burning red.

“…What part of me right now is dishonest?”

I faced my feelings about not wanting Ichi to get married, so how could I still be dishonest?

Go on, say it. That’s what I was thinking.

“First off, you already knew, didn’t you? How you felt about not wanting Ishida to get married. You brushed it off and ended up wasting a whole day.”

“…Tch.”

He’s right.

Even yesterday, I… I did feel a little lonely thinking about Ichi getting married.

“And another thing… While you don’t want Ishida to get married, at the same time… you’re happy for her.”

“…No way.”

“I get it.”

“How could you?”

“Because you took on the friend’s speech, didn’t you?”

My eyes widened.

Everything Yamamoto just said… every single word was true.

That’s right.

Deep down, I didn’t want Ichi to get married.

But even deeper, in the bottom of my heart… I was happy for Ichi’s marriage. I wanted her to be happy.

I wanted her to forget about me and find happiness.

With her husband, for the rest of her life…

Maybe even have kids.

Smiling with her family, forever…

That’s how I wanted her to live.

“We’ve got a plan now.”

“Huh?”

“Write down all those complicated feelings.”

“Wha…?”

“It’s fine. If it bombs, I’ll laugh it off for you.”

“I’ll get mad, you know?”

“…Sorry.”

Yamamoto, apologizing sheepishly.

Back in high school, and even now.

No matter how much I looked back, I’d never seen that expression on his face before.

I couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst out laughing.

He saw right through me.

He encouraged me.

And he showed me the way.

It’s strange.

Right now, I can’t help but feel that if I follow Yamamoto’s advice, all my worries about the friend’s speech… everything will turn out just fine.

“…Hey, Yamamoto?”

“Yeah?”

“How did you understand all these complicated feelings of mine?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Yamamoto smiled.

“Lately, I’ve been watching you all the time.”

Yamamoto’s words… they probably don’t carry any deeper meaning.

He’s just saying he’s been watching me as a roommate.

That’s all, I think.

…But.

Even so…

I can’t look at Yamamoto’s face.

This novel’s hitting its one-month anniversary soon.

The only ones celebrating a month of this are probably the idiot author or some sappy couple.

Reviews, bookmarks, and comments are much appreciated!!!