A really kind girl

“It’s been a while, Meg, Yamamoto-kun.”

As the three of us sipped the barley tea I’d served and settled down in the living room, Kasahara spoke up. It really had been a long time since we’d last seen each other.

 Sitting face-to-face like this, memories from our high school days started to faintly resurface.

“Yeah, it’s been a while. Sorry for worrying you.”

“Seriously. You just went completely off the grid. I was texting you every single day, you know?”

“Yeah, sorry about that. My phone got smashed.”

I’d already told Kasahara everything that had happened to Hayashi since graduating high school up until today. The domestic violence, her ex getting arrested—all of it.

 So, she already knew that Hayashi’s phone had been destroyed by her ex, but the moment she heard it again, Kasahara’s face twisted slightly. 

She was probably empathizing with the painful experience her best friend had gone through.

 And that’s only natural. Even I, who was practically a stranger to Hayashi back in high school, felt an overwhelming rage when I first heard what she’d been through.

“Man, if I hadn’t run into Yamamoto back then, I’d have been in deep trouble.”

Hayashi laughed lightly, as if she’d completely moved past it now. “Yeah, yeah… That’s good to hear. Thanks, Yamamoto-kun.”

“Nah, I just… did what anyone would’ve done.”

“Still, I was shocked. The domestic violence was one thing, but to think you’d end up hiding out at Yamamoto-kun’s place? Never would’ve guessed.”

“Same here. She had nowhere else to go. I mean, this place is cramped as hell, and she probably hates it, but given the situation, you know…”

I looked down, my expression heavy. Then, I noticed the suspicious glance from the girl sitting next to me.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

I asked Hayashi what her look meant, but I didn’t get a real answer. Well, if she says it’s nothing, it’s probably not worth worrying about.

“So, what I’m most curious about… Meg, are you really safe from domestic violence now?”

“The guy’s been arrested, so I should be fine for a while.”

“For a while…?”

“I mean, there’s no telling if he’ll come after me for revenge once he’s out of jail.”

I shrugged, trying to sound calm. At first, I thought Hayashi would be fine once her ex was arrested, but as time passed, I realized there was no guarantee he wouldn’t come after her once he was free—especially if he’d been stewing in resentment. I’d brought it up with Hayashi when I realized this, and she’d looked a little scared at the time.

Why did I bring this up with Kasahara now? Partly because she asked, but mostly because I wanted to ask her to help protect Hayashi too.

“Poor Meg.”

“Hey, I’m not that weak, you know?”

“But you just took it quietly when your ex hit you, didn’t you?”

Ouch, Kasahara really hit a sore spot.

 Domestic violence escalates, in part, because victims sometimes enable their abusers. Of course, that doesn’t mean the victim is to blame. 

But there are always people who’ll say she should’ve done more to protect herself. 

Kasahara’s words were exactly that kind of sentiment.

Hayashi was visibly upset. Despite being a victim of domestic violence, she felt some guilt over her ex’s arrest. Having those feelings dredged up probably wasn’t sitting well with her.

“That’s enough, Kasahara.”

“Yeah, sorry, Meg. I didn’t mean to pick on you.”

“…Then don’t say such awful things.”

“But if I don’t say stuff like this, you might end up in the same situation again, Meg. You’re so kind. Sometimes, you’ve got to harden your heart and protect yourself.”

Neither Kasahara nor I can always be there to protect Hayashi. Kasahara already failed to protect her once before, and as for me, from Hayashi’s perspective—with her wide circle of friends—I’m just some guy she could easily brush off. That’s why Kasahara was saying Hayashi needs to learn to protect herself, since she can’t always rely on us.

The one surprising thing, though… was Kasahara calling Hayashi kind.

 It’s not that I want to deny Hayashi’s kindness. 

It’s just that, knowing her from high school, I never once thought of her as kind back then. 

Maybe because Kasahara was closest to her, she could see Hayashi’s kindness clearly.

 I wonder how many of Hayashi’s friends back in high school actually saw her kindness. It’s impossible to know now, but I’d bet it was only a few.

“I’m getting hungry. Wanna go grab some food?”

“Sounds good. I’ll cook.”

“Wait, Meg, you can cook?”

“Oh, yeah, I’m a pro. Yamamoto’s cooking is kinda sloppy.”

“…Yeah, well, it just kinda happened.”

“Ooh, I wanna eat your cooking!”

“…Ugh, but the fridge is basically empty.”

“Then let’s go shopping!”

“Yeah, let’s do it.”

“You’ll need a guy to carry stuff, right? I’m coming too.”

Following the two girls as they stood up, I got to my feet as well. That’s when I caught Hayashi giving me another suspicious look.

“What’s that look for?”

“…Nothing.”

Hayashi quickly turned her gaze away with a huff. I had no idea what was up with her. But soon enough, the three of us left the room to go shopping.