My Stepsister is My Ex-Girlfriend - Volume 2 - Chapter 7

Isana Higashira Does Not Know What Love Is

I’m sure this is obvious, but before two people enter a relationship, there’s a certain event that has to happen first to kick the entire thing off—a confession. In our case, I was the one who confessed to him. Isn’t it unfair that the other person doesn’t have to confess?! My feelings about that aside, there was no way that he would ever confess to anyone, so it had to be me.

My method of confession? A love letter. Of course, I chose this not because I was too shy to tell him to his face—I just didn’t have a good time to do so. We’d met up every day during summer break, but once school started again, there was a good chance that we wouldn’t be able to keep hanging out as we had been. Taking that into account, I panicked and stayed up all night writing him a letter on the last day of summer break.

Anyone who read it would’ve realized that I’d scrambled to write it in the middle of the night. Plus, since I fell asleep while writing it, I didn’t have time to prepare the most important thing—my heart.

When you send a love letter, you don’t put it in the mail. You put it in the person’s shoe cubby; that’s just how it is. So, I’d planned to do just that as I wrote the letter, but my middle school self had a tendency to be cowardly and ditzy, so of course things didn’t go as planned. All I had to do was put it in his shoe cubby, but I freaked out, and started thinking that it’d be better to think it over a little more. Just as I was absorbed in my thoughts, he appeared.

“Morning, Ayai.”

“G-Good morning, Irido-kun.”

The person I was going to give the letter to appeared before me and put his shoes on. We walked together to the school library, and I was in full panic mode every step of the way. What should I do? Should I give it to him tomorrow? No. School starts tomorrow. I’m not going to get a second chance if I don’t do it today!

It would’ve been nice if I weren’t so indecisive, but a coward like me wouldn’t be able to make a decision no matter how desperate the situation. So in reality, I didn’t do anything until the very last second.

“I-Irido-kun! P-Please read this...”

To review, the reason I gave him something as outdated as a love letter was because I didn’t have the courage to confess to him directly. Despite that, I was directly giving him a love letter, and now he was reading that very same love letter that had been written in the heat of the moment right in front of me. What kind of fetish would I need to be okay with this?!

Regret filled my head as I watched him read the letter in silence. I was so filled with self-hatred that I felt like I was going to throw up, and to make things worse, my stomach hurt too. It felt like my entrails could’ve been blown out of my you-know-what.

After a while, he finished reading the letter, and called out to me as I just stood there shaking while staring at the floor. “I think I’ve grown closer to you than anyone else I’ve ever met.”

I hadn’t been expecting that. I lifted my head.

“And I think I talk and laugh with you more than anyone other than my dad.”

Then I began thinking this was where everything would conveniently fall together and the result I wanted would be right in my grasp. But I quickly snapped out of it. After all, there had never been a single time that what I wanted came to fruition. In fact, nothing had ever gone right for me. My life was just a series of failures. There wasn’t anything that I’d tried doing that had had any kind of tangible results. So I decided it was better to just resign myself to that fact. But my thoughts were interrupted by Irido-kun.

“Thank you for falling for someone like me. I look forward to our...relationship.”

Wait. What? What?! My brain couldn’t follow what was happening. Surely, I thought, my ears weren’t functioning correctly. I tried replaying his words in my head over and over again, because it must’ve been a mistake. I must’ve been dreaming.

But when I looked up at him, I saw the face of the person I liked, but he was making an expression I’d never seen before. It was so gentle, but also tinged with embarrassment. Maybe, just maybe...

Just as I tried replaying his words in my head again, Irido-kun opened his mouth again. “Will you be my girlfriend, Ayai?” he asked in a clear voice.

It was as if he had read my mind. I started crying, not because I was scared, sad, or because I’d read a book. This was the first time that I was crying out of joy.

Thus, in what could only be described as a folly of youth, I got a so-called boyfriend the day before the second semester of the eighth grade started.

The next morning, Higashira-san found a threatening letter in her shoe cubby that read: I know your secret. Come to the designated place alone after school if you don’t want it to get out.

My little stepbrother was very cautious and guarded, so he didn’t end up telling me or Akatsuki-san Higashira-san’s LINE ID... Which I thought was very wise of him. So now, here we were after school at said “designated place”—the same family restaurant we’d gone to during our sleepover.

“Are you sure about this?” I asked, glancing at the entrance while pouring myself a cup of black tea at the drink bar.

“Chill, there’s nothin’ to worry about! Higashira-san’s gonna show up with tears in her eyes.”

“That’s what I’m worried about!”

“Chill, chill.” Akatsuki-san shrugged off my doubts as she poured herself some melon soda.

How could she be so calm after blackmailing someone?! I couldn’t help but feel a little bit scared of her.

We stayed posted by the drink bar for a little longer before finally, she showed up. A girl with a short bob cut, huge chest, and poor posture cautiously walked in and nervously looked around.

As she did, a hostess walked towards her. “Table for one?”

“U-Uh, u-um...” Higashira-san sputtered.

At that moment, Akatsuki-san jumped up, approached Higashira-san, and tapped her on the shoulder. “Ah, there you are! C’mon, over here!”

“Huh?!” Higashira-san blinked in confusion as Akatsuki-san pulled her towards the table I’d secured in the meantime.

She looked like she had absolutely no clue what was going on as she was dragged along.

When she noticed me, she said, “Oh, the brother-loving younger stepsister...”

“I really don’t like how you’ve remembered me in your head!”

“Wait, did you forget me?!” Akatsuki-san huffed.

“Eek! I-I apologize!”

I couldn’t hide how shocked I was that she completely brushed past my once-in-a-lifetime self-introduction that teemed with malice and instead honed in on something completely different. Akatsuki-san was also very shocked since she herself wasn’t easily forgotten—especially not after just one day.

In my opinion, it made sense. I related, thanks to my own experience back in middle school. Since Higashira-san wasn’t the type of person who made eye contact, it wasn’t surprising at all that she was bad at remembering faces.

Akatsuki-san motioned for Higashira-san to sit on the other side of the table, and then sat down next to me. Two versus one.

“U-Um...” Higashira-san shot us a nervous glance, still unaware what was going on.

We weren’t going to be able to talk like this, so I decided to play good cop.

“Sorry, Higashira-san. The letter in your shoebox was just a silly prank by Akatsuki-san. There’s nothing to be scared of.”

“A-A prank? Are you certain this is not an extortion scheme?”

“It’s not! We’ll even pay for your drink bar! How about that?”

Technically, since we were the ones who’d coerced her into being here, paying for her was the least we could do. Akatsuki-san seemed to disagree with my explanation, though, because she was frowning and grumbling.

“This wasn’t just a silly prank, Yume-chan. We really do know your secret, Higashira-san,” she said with a smug smile.

It was so convincing. It was such a believable smile that Higashira-san started to tremble in fear. Oh, come on! For the time being, I decided that it would be best to have her drink something and calm down, so the three of us went to the drink bar.

“Do you know how to work the drink bar, Higashira-san?”

“Uh, yes. I dine at family restaurants whenever my mother cannot be bothered to prepare dinner.”

I couldn’t help but compare her mother to mine, who insisted on making meals all the time. What a flexible mom she has. When we returned to our seats, the apparently thirsty Higashira-san practically chugged her orange juice. Akatsuki-san waited until she finished her glass before firing her next shot.

“So, Higashira-san, what secret do you think we’re talking about?”

“Hm? My secret?” She was much calmer than before and simply tilted her head. “Oh, perhaps, is it that I purchased a dojin of pornographic nature from a certain vendor?”

“Um, no. That’s more of a guy kind of secret.”

“Oh no, did you possibly discover the VOD of the test stream I did on my VTuber channel in middle school? I’m almost certain I deleted that immediately...”

“No frickin’ way! What?! That’s even more of a secret than what we’re talking about!”

“S-So that was the wrong secret... Did I just reveal one of my darkest secrets unprompted?!” Higashira-san dropped her face to the table, but her ears were so red that she obviously felt humiliated. So cute, yet so pitiful...

Akatsuki-san must’ve felt bad, because instead of making Higashira-san guess, she told her straight out. “I’m talking about Mizuto-kun.”

“Pardon?” Higashira-san asked, raising her head. “What about Mizuto-kun?”

“Well, you like him, don’t you?”

“Hm? Well, yes, I do.”

“Wait, what?” She admitted it so easily that Akatsuki-san was completely caught off guard.

To me, it was clear that they weren’t talking about the same thing. A misunderstanding was brewing.

“Higashira-san, by ‘like,’ Akatsuki-san meant it romantically. Do you understand?”

“Romantically? As in, romantic comedy?”

Can she only register things in relation to light novel genres?! Either way, it didn’t seem to click for her just yet because she continued to tilt her head from side to side, mulling over what I’d said.

“You’re wondering if I like Mizuto-kun... Hm, I truly apologize, but I believe there’s been a mistake. You both seem to be operating under a misunderstanding.”

“No. No mistake. You’re the one operating under a misunderstanding! Yume-chan, bust it out.” Akatsuki-san snapped her fingers, and I pulled out my phone.

“Are we really doing this?” I grimaced.

“Why did you take the picture if you’re not gonna show her?”

“Yeah, but...”

I pulled up the picture I’d practically risked my life to take on Akatsuki-san’s orders. I went through so much trouble to get this that it felt like a waste to just show her. But I didn’t really have a choice. After all, if I didn’t show the picture to Higashira-san, then it’d be like I just took this picture for my own personal use.

“I’ll take that!”

“Ah—”

While I was being indecisive, Akatsuki-san swiped my phone from me in one swift motion.

“Now then, Higashira-san, can you really deny your feelings after seeing...this?!”

“I am not sure what you’re insinuating, but Mizuto-kun and I are only friend—”

“Ta-da! It’s Irido-kun’s sleeping face!”

The moment she saw it, Higashira-san froze in place and held her breath. Her gaze was fixed on the picture I secretly took last night. It was a real struggle to get that shot because he goes to bed so late...

“S-S-So...”

“Yeah, Irido-kun’s real cute when he’s sleeping, isn’t he, Higashira-san?”

In response, Higashira-san rapidly nodded. Akatsuki-san gave me a smirk, and I narrowed my eyes at her. Eventually, it seemed that Higashira-san had caught on to how she was presenting herself in front of us, so she covered her mouth and finally tore her eyes away from my phone.

“I-I have absolutely no interest in that picture. M-Mizuto-kun is my friend! I-I would never look at him in an impure way!”

“By the way, this is only a screenshot. There’s a whole video of this.”

“Hm?!”

“In the video, you can actually hear him breathing, right, Yume-chan?”

“You were the one who told me to make sure I got that...”

I didn’t do it because I wanted to! I was ordered to!

“If you’d just come clean, this video could be all yours. I bet it’ll feel like he’s right there with you if you listen to it at bedtime.”

Higashira-san once again buried her head into the table and groaned like she’d taken internal damage. Then, I began thinking about what Akatsuki-san had just said. “Like he’s right there with you”... Wait, huh?! What the heck was I just thinking?! I told myself I’d delete that video! It’s served its purpose!

“You’re so stubborn. Why won’t you just admit it?” Akatsuki-san sighed while looking down at Higashira-san writhing around in pain.

“Isn’t it normal to fall for guys you vibe with? We’re not blaming you or anything. Yume-chan might be a slight brother lover, but I don’t think she’d ever come out and directly confront anyone who’s got a crush on her brother.”

“So you’re saying I would do it indirectly?! Also, I’m not a brother lover!”

“Mmhmm. Sure.”

That was such a half-assed response! I can’t believe this! Just as I was thinking that, Higashira-san let out a whisper.

“Really?”

“Huh?”

Higashira-san slowly raised her head and looked at both of us.

“Do I really like Mizuto-kun that way?” she asked nervously.

“Huh?!” Both of us reflexively exclaimed, which only made Higashira-san recoil and shrink in fear.

She couldn’t really be that dense, could she? Both of us were completely dumbfounded by her obliviousness.

“Wait, so, um... You aren’t kidding? You’re, like, for real right now?!” Akatsuki-san asked, bewildered.

“Wh-Why would I lie? I truly haven’t the faintest idea if I’m interested in him that way or not! I’ve absolutely no experience in that regard...”

“N-No way! He’s your first love?! How old are you, again?!”

Higashira-san hung her head and let out a pitiful wail while trying to hide behind her bangs. Seeing someone this pure made me feel really uncomfortable.

“Wh-What should we do, Akatsuki-san?”

“What a coincidence. I was just about to ask you the same thing, Yume-chan.”

“First love.” How nostalgic. Not to mention being unsure whether or not the feelings were actually love. Can I get a break? I’ve been trying to move past my embarrassing history, and yet here I am being confronted by it again. I wanted to scream. I wanted to get up and run away. Had I been this embarrassing back then?!

“Hm, okay, then think about this,” Akatsuki-san said hesitantly. “You and Irido-kun are just happily chatting with each other, when out of nowhere, he hugs you.”

Higashira-san jumped a little and let out a small yelp.

“And then he whispers in your ear in a very low voice, ‘Sorry, would it be okay if we’re not just friends for a little’?”

This time I let out a yelp of surprise and buried my face into the table.

“While you’re at a loss for words, Irido-kun leans in and forcefully presses his lips— Wait, why are you hiding, Yume-chan?!”

I-Ignore me! My brain’s just...malfunctioning. Akatsuki-san’s voice just happened to have the same kind of tone.

“Well, at any rate—” Suddenly, there was the sound of a shutter, and in the next moment, Akatsuki-san was shoving a picture of Higashira-san into her own face. “This definitely looks like love.”

Higashira-san stared at her moist-eyed, pursed-lipped, red-faced self.

“Th-This is me?!” she asked, her body shaking.

“Yep.”

“I-I greatly resemble a harlot!”

“Yes. Yes, you do.”

Higashira-san blushed for a different reason this time, and then her face once again met the tabletop.

“The entire time I thought I was growing closer to Mizuto-kun as a friend, I’ve been looking at him like a sexually excited sow... I-I have become a succubus. My actions are nothing short of those of a succubus!”

“Let’s back up a little. If it was that easy to be labeled as a succubus, most of the women in the world would be demon queens...” I retorted in a low voice that she apparently didn’t hear; she was too busy being distracted by her first-love revelation. Wow, this is so bittersweet. I feel like throwing up.

“Finally! We can get to the topic at hand.” Akatsuki-san gulped down the remainder of her practically flat melon soda and then let out a burp.

Gross.

“What would that be, exactly?” Higashira-san asked cautiously.

“Well, it’s your lucky day, Higashira-san! Me and Yume-chan are gonna help you go out with Irido-kun!” Akatsuki-san said with a big smile.

“Huh?!” Higashira-san blinked in confusion as Akatsuki-san struck her chest with confidence.

Wait, did she say “me and Yume-chan”?

“Um, Akatsuki-san... I know that we’ve come this far, but I never promised I’d help.”

“What? But if you help, it’ll be so easy to figure out what Irido-kun likes. You’d feel better with Yume-chan in your corner, wouldn’t you, Higashira-san?”

“U-Uh? W-Well, I...”

“I don’t wanna toot my own horn, but people come to me for relationship advice aaall the time. I bet I can help you a lot too!”

Now that she’d mentioned it, I remembered that she was the type of person that people would confide in. It was plain to see that she had relationship experience—look at the way she talked. Plus, whenever she turned down offers to hang out, people would naturally assume that she was secretly meeting with a guy.

“So, whaddya say, Higashira-san? Why don’tcha team up with me and Yume-chan? It’ll be a cinch to get Irido-kun with our help!”

Um, I still haven’t said anything about helping? However, I didn’t really have a reason to say no either. If I did, that’d only support Higashira-san’s theory that I was a brother lover. But still...

“N-No thank you,” Higashira-san said in a soft, gentle voice. “I truly do like Mizuto-kun as a friend, and I am plenty happy just being able to converse with him. Besides, I believe pursuing anything more than friendship would result in pain. It would be nothing but a waste of effort. I truly apologize after you went through all this effort for me, but I must decline.” As she spoke, I could feel her shrinking with each word that left her mouth.

A feeling of déjà vu washed over me. Once, I had been like her—without confidence and convinced that I was unable to do anything right. Because of that, I avoided doing anything altogether. I told myself that doing nothing was the best course of action and that I could be content with maintaining the status quo, even if I wasn’t.

“Don’t give up before you’ve even tried.” Before I knew it, these words had slipped out of my mouth.

Both Higashira-san and Akatsuki-san looked at me in surprise, but I couldn’t stop the words from pouring out.

“If you’re going to give up in the end anyway, then do everything you can before you do. You want this, don’t you? You want to become his girlfriend! You don’t want to just be friends anymore!” I stood up, bent over and lifted Higashira-san’s face up. “You can do it. You can become his girlfriend! You can walk to school together holding hands every day, you can kiss each other goodbye, and you can flirt with each other over the phone before bed! You can go on dates, you can give each other Christmas presents, and you can take care of each other when one of you gets sick! Look, all of that can be the norm if you become his girlfriend!”

I could tell that Higashira-san was envisioning everything that I’d said. She was thinking about how happy she’d be if she could do that, how blessed she’d be. She thought about it, fantasized about it, and then simulated it in her head over and over again.

“Can you really think about all of that and say that you’re okay not being his girlfriend?”

Her eyes watered. If she didn’t say anything, that would have been enough of an answer for me. But Higashira-san’s head drooped even further. She gripped her skirt and, in a soft voice, said, “I want to do all of that...” She finally said what she was feeling. “I want to flirt with him, and I want him to tell me he likes me! I no longer wish to just be friends with Mizuto-kun anymore!” Then, when she raised her head, I noticed a strong will to fight in her eyes. “How should I proceed? How do I become Mizuto-kun’s girlfriend?!” Higashira-san stood up and leaned over, grabbing my hands. “Please tell me, Sensei!”

Say what? I snapped back to my usual self. I had unintentionally snapped and flown off the leash. Wait, am I...okay with this?

“Hell yeah!” Akatsuki-san clenched her fist in victory next to me.

(8:14) Izanami: Mizuto only perceives me as a friend.

It was now nighttime, and Higashira-san was enthusiastically asking us for help with her budding romance. As I sat in my room, I stared at our LINE group called “Mizuto Irido Conquest Conference,” which the three of us had made in order to make planning our strategy as smooth as possible. And the message to start off the entire conversation was Higashira-san’s griping. But before that...why was her username that of a god?

(8:14) Izanami: I am confident that confessing to him now would lead to failure. It’s terrifying.

(8:15) Akatsuki☆: nah, im sure youd be fine. guys are always paying attention to girls, and I’m sure he’s noticed your rockin’ bod lol

(8:16) Izanami: If nothing else, I am very confident in my breasts!

(8:16) Akatsuki☆: im hella jelly. got any to spare? lol

Akatsuki-san sent a melon sticker.

(8:17) Izanami: I think my size is more that of watermelons.

(8:18) Yume: Why are you so braggy when it comes to your breasts? I thought you were shy!

(8:18) Izanami: In reality, I get very stiff shoulders, and there are fewer cute bras to select from.

(8:18) Akatsuki☆: you cant brag and complain at the same time, this is bullshit

I chuckled after Akatsuki-san sent several kitchen knife stickers in a row. Higashira-san’s breasts were probably impressive no matter who you asked. They were definitely big enough that guys especially would do a double take. Was it even possible to completely ignore them when they’re right next to you?

(8:20) Izanami: Though I may be well-endowed, I don’t believe it will aid me in my conquest of Mizuto-kun. I have never felt his gaze upon them. I suppose that’s good, in a sense.

(8:21) Akatsuki☆: yeah i guess irido-kun isnt the type to thirst over girls... yume-sensei, what do u think?

(8:21) Yume: I think you should stop calling me Sensei.

(8:22) Yume: He acts like he’s not interested, but I can assure you that he is.

(8:23) Izanami: Has Mizuto-kun ever looked at you with indecent eyes, Sensei?

“Huh?!” I bolted up in bed.

What is she asking?! Who in their right mind would ask that question?! Will she get angry if I say yes? I need to pick my words very carefully.

(8:25) Yume: Higashira-san, do you really want to know? Won’t you get jealous?

(8:25) Izanami: I am not the type of person who feels envy.

Oh, I’m so jealous. If I were like that, then maybe we would have dated for longer.

(8:26) Izanami: Has Mizuto-kun ever looked at you with indecent eyes, Sensei?

This girl really just copied and pasted her question. How badly does she want to know?! I hesitated at first, but after being egged on like that, I decided I needed to be honest.

(8:27) Yume: Well, he’s seen me coming out of the bath before... I guess.

(8:27) Izanami: What are Mizuto-kun’s fetishes?

(8:28) Yume: Drop it! How would I know?!

I think he has a thing for ears. He gently bites them when he wants to kiss.

(8:29) Akatsuki☆: we gotta watch him and find out

(8:29) Izanami: What do you mean by “watch”?

(8:30) Akatsuki☆: we’ll watch u guys when ur together and see if hes checkin u out

(8:30) Yume: It’s a safe opening move.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in how they spent their time together. Ahem, no, this is all for her sake. Nothing else.

(8:31) Izanami: What should I do if he is stealing glances at my breasts after all?

(8:32) Yume: I will punish him by giving him the nickname: “the booblien”

(8:32) Akatsuki☆: ooh sick! ill call him that too

(8:33) Izanami: Then I will join you two in doing so.

(8:33) Akatsuki☆: wait no not you lol. thats a bad idea

Just like that, we set our plan into motion the next day after school, mixing in with the students studying in the library. Akatsuki-san let her hair down, and I tied my hair into pigtails, finishing off my look with the glasses I’d used in middle school.

“O-Oh my god, Yume-chan. Y-You look so hot in those glasses.”

Akatsuki-san seemed strangely excited and took some pictures, but eventually calmed down. She seriously got way too worked up over something as stupid as glasses. They’re just a tool to correct bad vision. What about them was so appealing? They didn’t make people look cooler or anything...or make you want to save pictures of people wearing them onto your phone. I’m so sorry, Akatsuki-san, but I don’t understand your feelings at all. Not. One. Bit.

As Mizuto and Higashira-san sat in their usual corner, we sat in the general reading space of the library. I propped up my phone and turned on the selfie camera. My shoulder was clearly in the frame, but behind it, we could see Higashira-san and Mizuto. Like this, we could easily observe them without directly looking at them. Plus, Akatsuki-san had pointed out that we could zoom in.

“Akatsuki-san, can I ask why you know such a high-level stalking technique?”

“Nope!”

I decided to not press any further, sensing a darkness behind her cheerful smile. She was at her most frightening whenever she acted excessively chipper, so I returned my eyes to the phone screen.

Mizuto was slightly leaning on the edge of the air conditioner while Higashira-san was sitting on top of it, hugging her bare legs. Is she not going to get in trouble for this? You’re not supposed to sit there.

“Is Higashira-san doing that unconsciously? If so, then...wow.”

“Doing what?”

“Bare legs are apparently kinda a turn-on for guys,” Akatsuki-san explained.

“True. Showing your bare legs is a high-level technique.”

“Then there’s the way she’s sitting. She’s sitting high up like that in that position? She’s just asking for her panties to be seen. Then to finish it all off, she’s squishing her big boobs into her knees.”

“Oh, I think I know why she’s doing that. Breasts can get fairly heavy when sitting up and reading, so she’s probably trying to take some of the weight off.”

“Oh, wow. Thanks for sharing. I had no idea.”

She may have been smiling, but it certainly didn’t feel like it. I didn’t know she was so bothered by her figure. But at any rate, I continued to check on Higashira-san and Mizuto through the camera as they quietly read.

Occasionally, they’d point out a certain part of their respective book to the other person and share a laugh. Seeing them like that overlapped with my memories of him. I wasn’t sure if I felt embarrassed or nostalgic. If the way they were acting with each other reminded me of how we had been when we were dating, though, that meant that this was not an appropriate distance for two friends.

They were close enough that their shoulders touched. If they turned their bodies just barely, they could probably kiss too. They were definitely too close to each other for normal friends. Usually, being that close would force some kind of reaction, but even so...

“Irido-kun really hasn’t taken one peek at those boobs despite being so close to them.”

“I’m starting to feel bad for Higashira-san.”

“Even I can’t help but look at them. The entire time we’re talking, my eyes are glued to those tits!”

“I think you may be looking a little too much at them.”

Although, if I was being honest, I thought this was a good thing. As a girl, it’s nice to know that someone isn’t ogling you. It’s probably part of the reason that someone as closed off as Higashira-san felt so close to him. This was a wonderful display of friendship.

But friendship was not what Higashira-san wanted from him. She wanted him to see her as girlfriend material. The fact that he hadn’t so much as peeked at her meant that he might not have any feelings for her. Now that I thought about it, would I have confessed to him if he’d acted like this back then? The only reason a coward like me even ended up going for it was because I could ever so slightly feel that he was checking me out.

“Is he really not into her like that at all?” Akatsuki-san asked, still not believing her eyes. “How? They like the same things, and she’s super hot! If I were him, I’d be all over her!”

“I wouldn’t say she’s hot per se, but I know what you mean...”

The situation was pretty much exactly the same as mine. The same kind of meeting, the same kind of interests, and the same kind of environment. So if everything was the same, then why would he date me but only stay friends with Higashira-san? He must be hiding his feelings.

He must have gotten better at not showing everything on his face over the course of our relationship. He had to break eventually, and sure enough, after about ten minutes, something happened.

Mizuto closed his book and stood up, presumably after finishing it. He then moved to the bookshelf right in front of him, most likely to find a new book.

“Ah.” Akatsuki-san made a small gasp.

“What happened?”

“Look at Higashira-san’s skirt!”

After Akatsuki-san pointed this out, I realized for the first time that Higashira-san, who’d been sitting on top of the air conditioner, had her bare legs ever so slightly parted, and even we could see her light blue panties.

I frantically tried to send her an urgent LINE message, but I was too late. By the time I started writing the message, Mizuto had already turned around, and of course, he had a full view of the front of Higashira-san, meaning he had a full view of the cloth that was carelessly exposed.

There was no mistake. I saw Mizuto’s eyes land right on them. I-I knew it! No matter how much of a poker face he had, there was no way that he could ignore Higashira-san, who was a perfect embodiment of his fetish for plain girls. Ha, I was ri—

“Higashira, I can see your panties,” Mizuto said, his expression not changing one bit as he pointed at her exposed underwear.

Both Akatsuki-san and I let out a whispered scream. Neither of us could make heads or tails out of what he had just done. Higashira-san seemed to be in the same boat, as she made a similar sound of surprise and looked to where Mizuto was pointing.

Her face flushed, and she quickly shifted sitting positions, practically kneeling with both legs flat on the air conditioner. Then, she hurriedly pushed down her skirt and gripped it tightly while dropping her gaze.

“D-Did you see?” Higashira-san asked in a shaky voice.

“Yeah, that’s what I said.” He tilted his head in confusion.

Does this guy not have a shred of humanity?

“Th-Thank you...” Higashira-san said, her ears now flushed red. “P-Please excuse me. I need to use the facilities,” she said, putting on her shoes.

Akatsuki-san and I exchanged looks and nodded before heading to the nearby bathroom.

The first question that came out of Higashira-san’s mouth when she arrived was, “Do you believe he views me as a romantic interest?”

“Nope,” both Akatsuki-san and I said at the same time.

I was positive—Mizuto Irido only saw Isana Higashira as a good friend. There was no room for misinterpretation. But why? The situation was almost an exact replica of back then.

“Ha ha ha, I thought as much. Of course he would not take notice of a socially awkward otaku like myself. Ha ha ha...”

“Get a hold of yourself! He might not be into you now, so this romance is pretty much dead in the water, but it’s too early to give up!”

“Dead in the water...”

“Akatsuki-san, what are you saying? You’re only adding oil to the fire!”

“Ah.”

At that moment, Higashira-san seemed unsteady on her feet, so the two of us rushed to support her. As we did, we could hear her quietly laughing to herself in a very cursed manner. If she was this much in shock, then she must have really liked Mizuto.

“Higashira-san,” I cautiously started as I noticed strength returning to her legs, “as you saw earlier, that guy does not have a single shred of tact. What exactly do you like about him?”

“Oh, right, I wanted to ask that too!”

“Y-You’d like to know what about him catches my fancy?” Higashira-san seemed very confused and unsure, but finally she quietly answered. “H-His voice, perhaps?”

“His voice?” Both Akatsuki-san and I tilted our heads in confusion.

“He is typically a very blunt person, but he can be very kind and considerate. When he is, there is a certain softness to his voice, and when I hear it my mind just goes blank, and I feel like squealing. Heh heh...”

Akatsuki-san and I both recoiled from Higashira-san, whose expression was radiant yet tinged with embarrassment.

“S-So bright!”

“Th-This is the glow of someone in love for the first time, Yume-chan!”

This purity was like poison to me, someone who had experienced the darkness of romance! The fact that she had the same feelings as I did didn’t make it any better either! I totally get where she’s coming from! He really does sometimes talk in a really soft and gentle voice!

“We need to get you and Irido-kun together so that you can learn all about how having a boyfriend isn’t all sunshine and rainbows! We need to show you the light so you can gripe about relationships with us!”

“Y-Yes. Thank...you?”

“No, don’t thank her! Just keep staying hopelessly in love!”

You cannot cross over to this side!

“Anyway, the first thing we have to do is make him see you as a girl. I’m still surprised. I didn’t think there was a guy who’d blatantly point at a girl’s panties.”

“I am so sorry for my little brother...”

“Irido-kun feels kinda experienced with girls. Did you help him with that, Yume-chan?”

I jumped a little at Akatsuki-san’s question. No, she’s not asking about your relationship. She’s asking about living together with him as siblings.

“U-Uh, maybe...” I tried answering as vaguely as possible.

“Our only option now is to go on the offensive and get touchy-feely with him!” Akatsuki-san’s lips curled into an evil grin.

“‘T-Touchy-feely’?” Higashira-san asked nervously, taking a step backwards.

“Aw, you know what I mean—don’t act all innocent! I’m talking about using these big balloons of pride!” Akatsuki-san swiftly reached out and grabbed Higashira-san’s breasts, rubbing them.

Higashira-san let out a yelp, but I couldn’t help but notice how Akatsuki-san’s fingers were completely disappearing into them.

“You’re gonna casually press these masses of fat into him! There’s no way he won’t become more conscious of you!”

“W-Wai—”

“Whoa! Oh my god!”

“Y-Your finger movements are indecent!”

“Akatsuki-san, stop! We’re entering X-rated territory!”

I pulled Akatsuki-san off of Higashira-san, but she continued to grope the air as if in a trance.

“Y-Yume chan, are all breasts so soft and springy? Can you really mold them like clay? Wait, then what are the things I have on my chest?”

“Stop! Don’t think about it anymore. You won’t last long otherwise.”

“I-I am not sure about your suggestion of me pressing my breasts against him. I-Is that not the type of action taken by indecent women?” Higashira-san asked through labored breaths as she covered her breasts with her arms. She grabbed the sink for support.

“All girls are sluts when they’re trying to get their man!”

“Enemies!” Isana cried. “Mass production of enemies!”

I looked around the bathroom in a panic to make sure no one was around to hear this.

“Well either way, what I meant was more like, you’ll just brush them against him.”

As I feared, Akatsuki-san again reached out to Higashira-san’s breasts, but stopped right before touching them and instead teasingly twirled her fingers in the air.

“He’ll be all like ‘Huh, did they just touch me? Was I imagining it?’ That’s the best possible result. But if you’re too obvious, he might get turned off.”

“Akatsuki-san, where did you learn that from?”

“From myself! I get really excited whenever that happens to me! I might be a girl, but you can’t beat the softness of titties!”

I’m not going to say anything, lest I set her off.

“So yeah, quantity over quality! The more you do this, the more it’ll be fresh in his mind! There are no guys who can forget about the feeling of boobs! Although, there are guys who don’t even realize when they touch them!”

“Can you at least try not to trigger yourself?!”

I was trying to be considerate by not saying anything, and then you just go and set yourself off anyway! Are you okay?!

“Oops.” Akatsuki-san suddenly brought out her phone and scowled as soon as she saw the screen. “Oh, the jig’s up already?”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s a certain extreme Peeping Tom I need to distract.”

Both Higashira-san and I tilted our heads in confusion.

“Well, sorry, but I need to go now! Let’s talk about a more concrete strategy over LINE!” she said, putting her hands together apologetically before running out of the room, leaving the two of us in silence.

Extreme Peeping Tom?

“Chirp... Chirp...”

“Is there a bug in here...?”

New day, same hangout spot. Akatsuki-san and I were observing Higashira-san, who was making cricket noises and sitting next to Mizuto Irido.

Higashira-san’s objective today was none other than to execute “Operation: Titty Touchy-Feely,” the plan that Akatsuki-san had suggested the day before (I had nothing to do with that name). The two of us were here to watch over her. So far, all we’d seen was her nervously fidgeting while her eyes darted around. Finally, it looked like she’d made up her mind; she slyly pressed her body against Mizuto’s.

“M-Mizuto-kun, please take a look at this,” she said, showing the book she was reading to Mizuto.

“Hm? What’s up?” He turned to her, clearly unaware of her secret intentions, to look at the part of the book she was pointing at, but this was all part of the trap that Akatsuki-san had concocted.

Mizuto turned around, and what enveloped his arm was surely a soft, pleasant sensation—Higashira-san’s breasts.

Wow, she really did it. I couldn’t tear my eyes away; I was too impressed. She’d totally pulled off something I couldn’t have ever done. Just parading around in a towel was already pushing it for me. Sure, that may have already been treading dangerously close to “slutty” territory, but still.

“Keep it up, Higashira-san!” Akatsuki-san quietly cheered. “I honestly thought she was gonna say some kinda noncommittal crap like ‘I just want things to stay the same between us’ back then, but look at her now!”

“Weren’t you spurring her on?”

“Yep, and I’d do it again! Looks like I don’t need to, though.”

She had a point. If they were already that close, then it was normal to be afraid of losing that close bond by trying to change the relationship. She might have still been unconfident, but ever since I’d encouraged her, Higashira-san had been trying to overcome that fear.

“Higashira,” Mizuto said in a calm voice, making her jump. “Your boobs are touching me.”

I shouldn’t have been surprised after seeing his reactions the other day, but I still couldn’t help but wonder... Was he really this heartless?! How can he be so blunt? Is he just a jaded, stone-cold old man?!

“Keep going. Just like we practiced!” Akatsuki-san prayed.

Luckily, we’d anticipated this reaction from him, so we’d already brainstormed an appropriate response for her yesterday.

The conversation had gone something like this:

“O-Oh, a-apologies,” Higashira-san had said, her face turning red.

“Wait, that’s it!” I had said. “Blushing!”

“Mmm, personally, I make it a point to not be friends with fake girls like that,” Akatsuki-san had said, adding on to my idea, “but this actually might work for Higashira-san.”

Aren’t they already friends, though...?

Moving on.

So here we were, in the present, waiting with bated breath for her to bust out the blushing that we’d discussed. Higashira-san quickly pulled away from Mizuto, sheepishly hanging her head before shyly looking up at him.

Perfect! Now, all you have to do is say you’re sorry with a blush, and you’re golden!

“O-Oh,” Higashira-san started. “Yes, they certainly were in contact with you.”

“Huh?”

Mizuto was shocked, and Akatsuki-san and I were right there with him. What the heck was that?!

“Yes, well, I thought it strange that you seem to have more interest in those less-endowed, so I’ve taken it upon myself to educate you on the greatness of the well-endowed! Go on, then! Indulge in your desire for a motherly figure as you will!”

“Wha— Stop!” Mizuto protested as Higashira-san squished her chest into his back.

Despite these bold actions, this still looked like nothing more than two friends horsing around. But that being said...

“Jeez, Higashira-san...” Akatsuki-san said, exasperated.

No wonder she was so frustrated. After all, with Higashira-san directly behind him, Mizuto had no chance of seeing her bright red face, practically in tears.

“That’s what you should be showing him!” Akatsuki-san and I cried in unison.

◇

“Good job running away. You’ve successfully managed to keep the friend vibe going.” Akatsuki-san’s words were riddled with sarcasm.

Here we were yet again in the girls’ bathroom near the library. Higashira-san stood dejectedly with her shoulders slumped.

“I-I am not at fault... Was I truly expected to perfectly execute a cute-girl move all of a sudden?”

“How are you supposed to get a boyfriend if you can’t be a cute girl?!” Akatsuki-san snapped back.

“W-Well,” I added, “I understand where Higashira-san is coming from. It’s much easier to not be treated as a girl.”

“Yes! Precisely! It’s much easier that way!” Higashira-san furiously nodded in agreement.

I had been like her once. Being treated like a girl was too annoying, so I’d avoided dressing up or following fashion trends. I could tell that over the years, Higashira-san had used the size of her chest as a sort of joke to get by in the world.

“Look, I get it. I really do,” Akatsuki-san said. “But, like, how long are you gonna keep running away? At this rate, you’re never gonna make Irido-kun look your way. At the very least, you need to stop interacting with him like you’re friends.”

“But I am friends with Mizuto-kun,” Higashira-san said in a low, declarative voice. “I may be fond of him, but we are friends. Is it so wrong for someone to grow fond of their friend? Is it wrong for you to still be friends even after you possess romantic feelings?” Higashira-san didn’t fully raise her head, but she still looked straight into Akatsuki-san’s eyes as she asserted herself.

Higashira-san wanted to enter a romantic relationship with him, but she had no intention of discarding their friendship. What she said might have sounded selfish, but the sincerity in her words was as clear as day. I realized that there was a misunderstanding of sorts between the three of us. Sure, she was pursuing a relationship with him, but she wasn’t looking to change up the way they currently acted with each other. In her mind, dating someone was just an extension of friendship—not the death of it.

But that was not the same thought that Akatsuki-san and I had. Dating someone meant entering a different, more special relationship with them. Friends were something you could have multiple of; a significant other wasn’t.

“Oh, I see... Okay, got it.” Akatsuki-san nodded over and over again, an understanding smile plastered on her face. “Sorry, Higashira-san, I won’t ask you to change how you act anymore. It’s probably better for you to just be yourself.”

“Y-You think so? I’m relieved to hear that.” She heaved a long sigh, as if a load had been taken off her mind. She must not have been used to asserting her opinion.

“But we’ve gotta do something about your lack of confidence,” Akatsuki-san said, still smiling.

“Huh?”

“You said that it’s easier if he doesn’t treat you like a girl, right? I feel like that’s ’cause you don’t have any confidence acting like one. That’s probably not the only reason, but it’s the biggest, I think.”

“Th-That is almost certainly false...”

“All right then, how about this? Imagine you’re a super pretty girl, like a manga heroine. Would you really not try to use your charms on Irido-kun? Wouldn’t you wanna see him get all red and flustered because he’s conscious of you?”

“Oh... You may have a point.”

She really does.

“If you’re even a little bit more confident in your girliness, I’m positive that Irido-kun’s attitude’ll change too. That being said,” Akatsuki-san continued, a pure smile of enjoyment spreading across her face, “I’m gonna have you transform a bit.”

Akatsuki-san basically dragged Higashira-san all the way to her apartment, and I followed. Before entering, she paused and told us to wait a little. Then, she pressed her ear to Kawanami-kun’s door and listened intently for sounds of any kind.

“Good, he’s out. Come in, you two!”

“You really don’t want to run into Kawanami-kun, huh?”

“Duh.”

I was incredibly curious to know what had happened between those two, but Higashira-san came first. Akatsuki-san’s parents weren’t home, just like they hadn’t been when I’d stayed the night. As soon as we entered, Akatsuki-san pulled Higashira-san by the arm to her room and sat her in front of the dresser.

“U-Um, what are you planning to do?”

“This is your transformation scene, Higashira-san!”

“Like a superhero?! A-Am I going to cosplay?”

“All girls cosplay every day of their lives, in a sense. You’re about the only girl I’ve seen that doesn’t do anything to their face. You poor, ignorant girl.”

“I-Ignorant?” The word dealt some damage to her. Perhaps it was something that cut especially deep for otakus? Either way, while Higashira-san spaced out, Akatsuki-san smoothly stuck a comb into her hair.

“O-Oh, a-are you perhaps referring to makeup?! Y-You’re planning to apply some on me?!”

“Finally caught on, huh? It’s important for girls to look cute if they wanna have confidence. The amount of effort you put into your makeup directly correlates to how much confidence you get.”

“N-No, I will pass on the makeup! Th-There is no chance that I will look good with it! It does not suit me!”

“Nonsense! Just chill, Higashira-san. You have a good base to work off of. With just a little work, you could look like a Taiwanese idol!”

“I’d be a completely different person at that point!”

“Yeah, that’s why I specifically said ‘transform.’”

“Superheroes don’t change their faces, though! Aaagh!” Higashira-san cried out as Akatsuki-san happily began applying makeup to her face.

Akatsuki-san moved with purpose. Every stroke and brush of her hand was quick, efficient, and intentional. Wow.

“What about you, Yume-chan? You don’t wear all that much makeup, do you?” Akatsuki-san asked me. She was the one doing all the work; I was pretty much just an observer.

“I can’t do anything too difficult, so I keep it simple. I just take care of my eyebrows and skin. If anything, I put the most time into my hair.”

“Ah, makes sense. Your hair’s long, and real pretty too! It looks like such a pain, though! Why do you keep it that long?”

“Well...” I trailed off, knowing I had to tread carefully. If I told the truth, I’d end up spilling everything about my time in middle school. “Maybe part of me wanted to change my image. I wanted to become someone different from who I was before.”

“Oh, I see. So, did you do it? Did you become someone different?”

“I’m not sure.” Though I felt like I might have, I still wasn’t convinced that I’d completely changed.

In the first place, talking to someone like Akatsuki-san was already something I couldn’t have ever done in middle school. But then again, when it came to that guy...

“If you’re hesitating, I bet it worked at least a little! Isn’t that nice, Higashira-san? There’s hope for you!”

“I do not believe that adding some powder and liquid to my face will result in any major differences...”

“You’ve got guts to call my makeup kit ‘powder and liquid.’ Let’s see what you think when you look at yourself...now!” Akatsuki-san pulled up Higashira-san’s head from its slumped position so she could get a good look at herself in the mirror.

“Huh?”

Her long bangs were held up with a hair clip, putting her entire face on full display whether she liked it or not. She continuously blinked in disbelief. Her eyes were doe-like, her nose small and cute, her lips full and moist, and her cheeks round and flushed. She gave off the vibe of an innocent, coquettish lady.

“Wh-Who is this beautiful girl?” Higashira-san asked as she shakily pointed to her reflection.

She could only see her reflection, but we could see her in her entirety. Higashira-san was unmistakably the same beauty as the girl in the mirror.

“Now introducing Isana Higashira-chan! Be nice to her, ’kay?” Akatsuki-san said with a bright grin.

“N-No. Th-This cannot be! This is not me! My appearance has been altered by special effects makeup! Makeup is so scary...” Higashira-san trembled in fear.

“I was watching Akatsuki-san, and the only parts she really touched were your eyebrows and eyelashes. It would have taken much longer if she actually wanted to change what you looked like,” I said, feeling a sense of nostalgia.

“Yep! Oh, I did add a little foundation. But yeah, overall I didn’t do all that much to your face, Higashira-san.”

In response, she just looked right back at the mirror in disbelief. Who could blame her? She’d probably never given herself a proper look until now.

“I said you had a good base to work off of, remember? That’s why all I needed to do was fix up your eyebrows and eyelashes, and then pin your bangs up so that your face was more visible. If anything, Higashira-san...” Akatsuki-san put her hand on Higashira-san’s shoulder before continuing. “All I did was draw out your natural cuteness. You’ve always been a cute girl.”

“I-I’m...cute?” Higashira-san gulped.

That thought had clearly never once crossed her mind. At no point did she ever think that she could be cute... Just like me in middle school.

“Well, if you learn how to do this yourself, I’m sure it’ll start to sink in. This amount of makeup is easy to teach you too! I’ll even give you some of my spare stuff! So anyway, this is what you’re gonna look like when you meet up with him tomorrow.”

“What?! I-I’m going to appear before him like this? Before Mizuto-kun?! No. Absolutely not!” Higashira-san crouched and hid her face.

“You want him to see, don’t you?” Akatsuki-san whispered into her ear with a grin.

She was like the devil on Higashira-san’s shoulder, and, to her credit, she was very effective. Higashira-san lifted her head once more and peered at her reflection through her fingers. As she cautiously checked herself out—checked out how cute she’d become—she groaned a little and pursed her lips. Then, she slowly lowered her hands, looked at Akatsuki-san’s beaming face, and hugged her.

“Heya, cutie! You’re even cuter than light novel heroines!”

“No, I believe light novel heroines are much cuter than me.”

“So that gets an immediate response, huh...”

Just as Akatsuki-san had anticipated, Higashira-san’s thinking had completely changed. Whenever she got herself ready to see Mizuto, her girliness score rose. She started as a one-out-of-ten, for sure, but now she was at least a four...though most girls were typically around a seven.

With that being said, just changing her eyes probably wouldn’t be enough to get through a skull as thick as Mizuto’s.

“What happened? You pull an all-nighter?”

The first time Mizuto saw her like this, he’d responded just as obliviously as I’d expected. Seriously, screw this guy! Does he know how much effort it takes to apply mascara?!

“You really wanna date that guy? Honestly, you should give up on him,” Akatsuki-san had said.

“Hard agree.”

“Y-Your harshness is unfounded... He was simply worried about my health.”

That had all happened the other day. Now, I was standing in the kitchen, reminiscing about how purehearted Higashira-san was. Can he realize her feelings for him? Or maybe blush a little? Or even just react in some way?! Don’t just ignore her!

“Why do you look like you wanna kill me?” my dense little stepbrother asked as I shot him a harsh look on behalf of Higashira-san.

“No reason. I was just thinking about how you’ll be in a world of pain someday. Perhaps you’ll be stabbed by some girl.”

Mizuto took a step away from me, his face turning pale. Wow, way to overreact. I then cut up carrots with a kitchen knife for dinner.

◇

Thus, a week had passed, and we were now in the middle of June. By this time, we’d gotten deeper into the rainy season, and the fruits of our labor had finally begun to show.

“Good afternoon, Mizuto-kun.”

“Hey, Higashira...”

Higashira-san had continued regularly taking the time to put on makeup before meeting up with Mizuto, and thanks to that, she’d arrive at the library after him, making him wait for her. Akatsuki-san had insisted she should put the makeup on before school entirely, but Higashira-san refused, saying that she was too sleepy in the morning. Honestly, though, she probably just didn’t see any point in putting makeup on for anyone but Mizuto.

Just as usual, Higashira-san took off her socks and shoes and sat down. Operation: Titty Touchy-Feely was still in motion, so she scooted close to Mizuto, their shoulders barely not touching...but just as she did, Mizuto moved away.

Higashira-san looked up at him, puzzled, and then inched closer to him. Again, Mizuto moved away, leading to Higashira-san moving closer, and so on and so forth. They continued this game of tag until finally Mizuto had run out of space and was stuck in the corner by the window.

“Why do you keep running away, Mizuto-kun?”

“I like my personal space. I’ll teach you the true meaning of hell if you encroach on my territory any more than this.”

“Interesting. Then...how about you show me what hell looks like?!”

I watched as Mizuto suddenly vigorously mussed up Higashira-san’s hair, like he was washing a dog. At the end of it all, her hair, which she’d taken the time to style, was now bedhead chic.

“Wh-What did you do that for?”

“I told you I’d teach you the true meaning of hell. Good for you; now you can practice fixing your messy hair.”

“Huh?”

Higashira-san was not alone in her surprise. Both Akatsuki-san and I were right there with her. He noticed? He noticed her change in appearance?! Plus, his unnatural movements right now meant that he was more than likely trying to hide his embarrassment!

Mizuto then returned to reading, leaving Higashira-san lost and confused. For some reason, she began looking around, but then finally, she gripped her bangs.

“Th-This is bullying. I am being bullied.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“Th-Then...” Higashira-san rummaged through her bag, eventually pulling out a comb. “You’re okay being bullied with me, right, Mizuto-kun?” She nervously held the comb out to Mizuto.

Neither Akatsuki-san nor I knew what she was trying to do, but Mizuto looked at the comb and said, “Guess I don’t have a choice.” A light smile spread across his face as he accepted the comb and circled behind her.

He ran the comb through her ruffled hair, straightening it out. She leaned back into him like a dog enjoying being groomed.

“Hey, Yume-chan?” Akatsuki-san said while watching the two of them. “She can probably confess now, don’tcha think?”

I had no rebuttal.

The next day, we met up at the usual family restaurant.

“I-Impossible.” Higashira-san furiously shook her head in disagreement. “Th-The time is not right. There is no chance. A confession this early is imposs—”

“Naw, you’re good!”

“I am not ‘good’! This will not work out! There is absolutely no chance! No!” She pressed her face to the table and resumed shaking her head, like a child throwing a tantrum. I totally got where she was coming from though.

“Akatsuki-san? Maybe she should wait a little longer. I’m sure she needs time to prepare herself mentally.”

“P-Precisely! I need time to mentally prepare myself!”

“Mental preparation is whatever.”

“Huh?!”

“Listen here, you might think you have all the time in the world, but if you can’t do it now, you’ll never be able to! You really think you can pin your hopes and dreams on your future self?! Procrastinators are procrastilosers!” Akatsuki-san gulped down her melon soda. “Confessions only get harder the longer you put ’em off ’cause your relationship with your crush gets more set in stone. The longer you’re friends, the longer he’ll only see you as a friend, and if you confess outta nowhere, it’ll just put him on the spot. So really, the sooner you confess, the better. You’ll have a higher chance of him saying yes.” She paused. “That being said, confessing to someone right when you meet them is out of the question.”

Out of everything Akatsuki-san had ever said, I felt like that was the most serious I’d ever seen her. Maybe she had a similar experience when she liked someone for a while and kept putting off confessing.

“You’re still in the clear, Higashira-san. You’ve only known each other for two or three weeks, right? There’s still time for you to change his view of your relationship. Plus, who needs time to mentally prepare? There’s no guarantee that you’ll ever feel ‘ready.’ Just think of it like this: if you can’t confess now, you’ll never be able to.”

If I hadn’t confessed before summer break ended back then, I probably would have ended up just like Akatsuki-san had described—I wouldn’t have ever confessed at all. If I hadn’t been so elated and messed up in the head during that first month, I wouldn’t have even thought to confess. Romantic feelings burst like a bubble after you calm down and regain your senses.

“Hm... Truthfully, you may have a point. I am doubtful that I possess the courage to agonize over these feelings for an extended period of time and then confess like characters do in romantic comedies.”

“Right? Romance in real life doesn’t last years like it does in manga.”

“Um, it feels as if you’re saying that even if we do go out, we will immediately break up.”

“Just your imagination.”

“That is precisely what you are implying! S-Sensei, please, say it isn’t so! Romance is not so fleeting a thing, is it?! It can last for a long time, right?!”

“Yes. Uh-huh. Totally.”

“Please look me in the eyes!”

Please don’t ask someone who couldn’t even last an entire year!

“Well, putting aside how many months the two of you will be together—”

“Months?! Not years?!” Higashira-san interjected.

“I think you’re sitting pretty,” Akatsuki-san added. “I can’t see Irido-kun saying no. You’re not only cute, but also you two get along, and he’s single. I really think you got this!”

“You don’t know that...” Higashira-san ran her fingers through her hair as her shoulders shrunk. “My personality isn’t sunny or bright, and I can be frustrating to deal with. All I have...are my breasts.”

“Your confidence in your boobs really can’t be cracked, huh? Ah ha ha. How silly.” A bright smile spread across Akatsuki-san’s face, but behind it was a tangible anger. “Whaddya think, Yume-chan? She got a chance?”

I looked down at the table. I thought about that guy, how he spent his time, how he looked when he was with me, his words, and his nuances.

“He doesn’t care about the specs of girls whatsoever.” Then I thought about Mizuto when he was with Higashira-san. “When he’s with you, he looks like he’s having a good time. So if you tell him you want to spend more time with him, I doubt he’d say no.”

If she was the same kind of person that I had been back then, I’d have no clue how things would turn out, but she wasn’t. She was different. She and Mizuto truly got along with one another to the point that they were on the exact same wavelength. That’s why there was no need to put on airs; there was no need to hold back or pretend that they actually got along. She really was different from me and how I’d had to constantly watch my step.

I was sure that dating him, even without confidence, wouldn’t be a problem. After all, I knew best from experience. No matter how I thought about it, the person most suited for Mizuto Irido was none other than Isana Higashira. She was so perfect for him that it was like I was just a speed bump on the way to her.

“Do you mean it?” Higashira-san asked in a cautiously hopeful whisper. “Can I really become his girlfriend?”

I could see myself in her as she desperately tried to move forward despite being so close to falling apart. But still, she wasn’t exactly like my middle school self. She wouldn’t ruin everything by saying anything extra—she wasn’t the foolish girl named Yume Ayai. The person I saw in her right now was the version of me who didn’t mess up and could have had a happy ending.

“Yes, you can.”

That’s why I needed to give her a push forward. Maybe she’d be able to see the things I couldn’t when she became his girlfriend. The pain I felt in my chest right now was dull compared to my sincere hope for her success.

“I guarantee it.” As his ex.

After that, we formulated a confession plan.

“Should I deliver a love letter to him?”

“Nah, that’s outdated. Can you imagine writing a poetic letter in the heat of the moment, late at night, without even a hint of calmness? Ew, I don’t think I’d be able to live with myself if I did that.”

“Gah!” It was just an impulse—a folly of youth! I didn’t mean to write such an embarrassing letter!

After some discussion, we ended up deciding that it’d be best to keep it simple and confess to him behind the school. This was where Commander Akatsuki Minami’s boot camp began.

“Repeat after me: ‘I like you. Please go out with me!’”

“I... I luh...ike yew! P-Pwease go out...”

“Don’t get tongue-tied! Stop getting embarrassed! Say it clear and say it proud! Do not falter!”

“You are asking too much of me!”

This went on for about a day.

(10:48) Izanami: He replied. 5:00 behind the school.

(10:48) Izanami: I feel nauseous.

(10:49) Akatsuki☆: nice! 5 is good! u two’ll be all by urselves. im sure irido-kun knows whats about to go down lol.

(10:49) Yume: If you’re going to throw up, let it all out today. You don’t want to confess with a foul-smelling mouth.

(10:50) Akatsuki☆: lmao u speakin from experience?

(10:50) Yume: No comment.

I had confessed with a love letter, myself, so I had to deal with the one-two punch of nausea and a stomachache as I watched him read my letter right in front of me. Of course, I couldn’t just run off to the bathroom in that situation, so I had to hold it in.

(10:51) Akatsuki☆: 5 gives us plenty of time to prepare. I’ll help you fix your hair and brows. Let’s meet up after class tomorrow!

(10:51) Izanami: thank u v much

Higashira-san must have been very nervous if she couldn’t even type like normal. Seeing that made me start to feel a little nervous too.

(10:52) Akatsuki☆: u want yume-chan to check out the scene? irido-kun’s prob freakin the hell out

(10:53) Izanami: i will be nervs either way

(10:53) Yume: Maybe you should sleep now.

(10:54) Izanami: cant sleep

(10:54) Akatsuki☆: c’mon, girl. no thoughts, head empty. here, watch some funny vids

She followed that up by sending a few videos.

(10:54) Izanami: Thank you very much.

After that, she stopped sending messages. I just hoped that she wouldn’t come to school the next day with bags under her eyes. Just as I was worrying about her, my phone rang. Akatsuki-san was calling me.

“Hello?”

“Oh boy, I’m nervous.” She chuckled.

“Heh, me too. In the end, I didn’t really help all that much. It was mostly you giving advice.”

“That’s not true! She would’ve given up a long time ago if it was just me.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah, I do!” She sounded extremely confident.

“How’s it feel, Yume-chan? Your little stepbrother’s about to get a girlfriend.”

“You’re that certain it’ll work out?”

“Yeah, I think so. Pretty natural to assume that it will.”

“Natural?”

“Yeah. As long as neither of ’em dislike each other, there’s a higher chance of a successful confession. After all, if someone says they like you, isn’t that enough of a reason to try and like them back?”

Well...I guess she has a point. It makes sense to try and like the person who likes you. I guess you could call it natural.

“But then again, some people get grossed out when someone they’re not into has the hots for them. I’m one of those people, bee-tee-dubs.”

“Hey!”

“But on the flip side, they already like each other as friends, so Higashira-san should be fine, don’tcha think? They definitely think alike, and I’m sure he doesn’t want things to get awkward between the two of them. But more than anything, all he has to do is nod, and he gets himself a girlfriend. Even if he’s not into her like that right now, he might catch feelings as they go along. So, I think it’s pretty natural for him to just say ‘okay’ and see where things take him.”

“Maybe...”

“But then again, Irido-kun’s a pretty unnatural person,” Akatsuki-san continued, her voice tinged with bitterness. “If there’s anything I’m worried about, it’s that. Everything I said is assuming that the person sees value in having a girlfriend, but there’s a good chance that Irido-kun doesn’t.”

“He doesn’t?”

“Yeah, he’s totally a person who can live his entire life without a girlfriend. He doesn’t see any value in the status that comes with being in a relationship. So, that’s why if he did ever end up going out of his way to have a girlfriend...” she continued. The words she said next rang in my head so loudly that I almost forgot to breathe. “Well, anyway, this is all just in my head.” Akatsuki-san tried to play it off, but her words kept spinning around in my head like a merry-go-round.

If he did ever go out of his way to have a girlfriend... If he did, then I—

“G’night, Yume-chan. Let’s do our best from the sidelines tomorrow!”

“Hm? Ah, right. Wait, why are you already assuming that we’ll be watching?”

“’Tis the duty of we, the ones who set her on this journey.”

At this point, I felt a little bit melancholic. But why? Before I could come up with an answer, I hung up and hid under my covers.

I couldn’t sleep. I kept tossing and turning and eventually decided to give up and get out of bed altogether. Am I getting secondhand nervousness from Higashira-san? I should drink some water. Maybe that’ll calm me down.

I left my room, walked down the stairs and through the dark living room, and rooted around for the light switch. After living here for two months, I pretty much knew where it was from memory. As I flipped the switch, the living room filled with light, and that’s when I realized that someone was on the couch.

“Eep!” I cried, prompting them to turn towards me. It was Mizuto, and he was really out of it—he didn’t even blink when he saw me.

“Wh-What are you doing here in the dark?”

“Just...thinking.” He looked up at the ceiling.

I bet he’s thinking about Higashira-san. Even a dense idiot like him must’ve known that Higashira-san was going to confess to him tomorrow. As proof, he’d asked that they meet at a time when no one would be around. He knew what was going on and tried to casually be considerate.

I wondered if he was mulling over his options—would he accept the confession or not? To Higashira-san, entering a romantic relationship meant entering the next level of friendship. It wasn’t getting rid of the relationship you already had; it was building on top of it. Even though she was going to confess to him, she wasn’t going to change the way she acted around him.

The time it took her to realize her feelings could be considered an experimental period—a test of whether or not they could keep their current relationship if they ended up dating. It was a good idea. This way, she’d managed to prove her thesis: even if they dated, they wouldn’t have to force themselves to act differently. Thus, Mizuto wouldn’t be able to reject her on the basis of losing her as a friend. If that was the case, then the answer should’ve been easy.

Consequently, however, there was nowhere for her to run. All that was left was for Mizuto to figure out his feelings.

“Hey,” Mizuto suddenly said while still staring at the ceiling. “Hypothetically... Just hypothetically...” His voice was unsteady. “What would you think if I...got a girlfriend?”

I felt a sudden pain in my chest, like a scar was throbbing. At the same time, I felt a rage seething inside me.

“Does it matter?” There’s no way—absolutely no way—that I’ll do something so self-serving as taking Higashira-san’s fate into my own hands. “You should just do what you think is best.”

I had no right to weigh in on this. He needed to make his own decision. He was the only one who could come up with an answer for her...no matter what it was.

“First Higashira, now you.”

“Huh?”

“You’re right—I should do what’s best.” He wryly smiled before standing up and walking past me. As he did, I felt a light tap on my shoulder, and a soft “sorry” caressed my ears.

This one word he whispered in my ear dissipated like smoke as my ex disappeared up the stairs. I kept standing there for who knows how long before I poured water into my cup. The cold from it seeped through my body, but it wasn’t at all satisfying. I still felt every bit as empty as I had before, as if there was a hole inside me.

“Let’s break up.”

That’s what he’d said when we ended our relationship. I remembered the feeling of freedom and refreshment I had. Oh, I see. I’ve never actually experienced being brokenhearted.

“Okey dokey!” Akatsuki-san put down her brush and turned Higashira-san towards the mirror in the girls’ bathroom. “Whaddya think, girlie? I’ve done some fine work here, in my opinion.”

“I feel like a swindler.”

“I swear, it’s fine. I didn’t even do too much to you! For the millionth time, you’re cute, Higashira-san!”

“Still got that low self-appraisal, huh?” I remarked.

Though Higashira-san had learned how to put on lipstick and do her hair, there was a stark contrast between her version and Akatsuki-san’s. Higashira-san was the type who positively glowed with some makeup on her. Her height was just right, she was well proportioned, and while she might’ve been listless in the expressions department, I could still see her becoming some kind of gravure idol.

“She’s just like him. With a little effort on her attire, she turns into someone completely different.”

“Oh, so Irido-kun looks good in the right ’fit? Got any pics, Yume-chan?”

“I-I would very much like to see Mizuto-kun dressed up. Please share them!”

“O-Oh, sorry. I don’t have any... Unfortunate, I know...”

There was no way I could show them the album I had buried on my phone, especially not right when she was about to confess! I had no reason whatsoever to cause any kind of misunderstandings at this stage.

We headed to the back of the school, which was, as expected, deserted. At most, you could hear the wind ensemble and sports clubs in the distance. Most students, like us, just went home after school—there weren’t many people who participated in club activities, probably because this was a prep school. So it made sense that hardly anyone was around an hour after the end of the school day. It was the perfect time and place to confess.

“Okay, Higashira-san, just like we practiced! We’ll be watching.”

“I-I’ll do my utmotht betht.” Expressionless as usual, but stiff as a board.

I gently patted her on the shoulder to try and give her some courage. “You can do this,” I declared as emphatically as possible. After all, if I could do it, she could do it.

Finally, she took a deep breath before slowly exhaling. “Farewell...”

Higashira-san hadn’t managed to totally shake off her stiffness, but she still confidently strode towards the meeting place. We watched in silence as she walked away.

“Looks like it’s true what they say about love changing a person,” Akatsuki-san whispered after she was gone.

“You’re saying that like you don’t already know from experience.”

“Well, in my case, I’m the type who changes, but in a bad way,” Akatsuki mumbled. She started moving forward, trying to play down what she said. “Come on, let’s go, Yume-chan. We need to see this through to the end.”

“Yes, let’s.”

I needed to see the other end of what could have been.

We walked over to a classroom right next to the spot where she’d confess and hid ourselves. We peeked out of the window and saw Higashira-san nervously kicking around a pebble for no particular reason while playing with her hair. Mizuto was still nowhere to be seen. From the corner of my eye, I noticed that Akatsuki-san was crouched down and rapidly tapping away at her phone.

“What are you doing?”

“Crowd control.”

The classroom was empty and so were the halls. Also, I didn’t think I’d noticed anyone in the neighboring classrooms either. Actually, it was kinda weird how empty it was, even if most of the students here were in the going-home club. So what exactly did Akatsuki-san mean by “crowd control”? What, I wondered, was she planning on doing?

Just as I was starting to feel something unfathomable from my very first high-school friend, a sound from outside interrupted me.

“There he is,” I whispered, prompting Akatsuki-san to tear her eyes away from her phone and stop moving her fingers altogether.

“I’m here, Higashira,” Mizuto said in a firm voice, standing right in front of Higashira-san.

His voice was filled with sincerity, seriousness, and preparedness. I was sure that Higashira-san could tell too. She could rest assured that all her hard work was not for nothing.

“U-Um, th-thank you for being so kind as to meet me here.”

“Sure.” Mizuto politely nodded.

In the meantime, I wondered what had happened to all that training we’d done. She was obviously still extremely nervous.

“S-So, u-uh, I-I have something that I w-would like to tell you, Mizuto-kun.”

“Yeah.”

“Y-You could call it an expression of gratitude... Although I suppose it’s just for a two-week period... Uh... N-No, please forget that. Wh-What I mean to say is, uh... Um...”

Higashira-san had completely lost all sense of calm. She anxiously gripped the hair we’d fixed for her and groaned in anguish.

Akatsuki-san sighed and looked away, presumably because it was too painful to watch. But I didn’t take my eyes off of them. I knew that this wasn’t enough to make her implode.

“Calm down and slowly say what you want to, in the order that you want to say it,” Mizuto said at a relaxed tempo that matched Higashira-san’s. “I’ll do my best to interpret whatever it may be. I spend all my time with my nose in books. Who would I be if I couldn’t read between the lines?”

There it is. That’s the kind voice that made her fall for him. Higashira-san peered up at him and heaved a sigh. Then, the words she’d been holding inside of her started to come out.

“Do you recall when we bumped into each other in the library, and you talked to me?”

“Yeah.”

“I was so happy... It made me so pleased to find someone who shared my interests, but I was even more surprised by the fact that you were never bothered by any topic I brought up. I’ve always been the odd one out. People constantly label me as eccentric and annoying to deal with.”

“Yeah.”

“Whenever I ramble on, I find that there is no one who truly listens. You were the first one to do so and actually reply to me... You are the first. It has made me so happy, and I truly, truly find great enjoyment being around you.” Higashira-san finally looked him in the eye. “I want to spend more time with you.”

There was a slight tremble in her voice, but she did not waver.

“I want to spend all my time with you.”

Like she was looking for somewhere she could belong.

“That is why I would like you to take me as your girlfriend.” Her final words rolled off her tongue as if they flowed right out of her heart. “I like you.”

Those three words were simple, but powerful enough to make everything go quiet. There was no way that he didn’t understand how she felt about him now. No matter how thick his skull was, her words had enough power to pierce right through it. I forgot to even breathe as I stared at Mizuto’s face. He looked back into Higashira-san’s eyes and then his lips loosened into a smile.

“Weren’t you the one who kept insisting that we’re just friends?”

“Th-That was not a lie! I-I really do consider us friends!”

“I have fun with you too, Higashira.”

A soft breeze blew past them, but it wasn’t strong enough to rustle the leaves or make even a strand of hair move. What felt like a frigid wind brushed past my heart.

“I don’t think I’ve ever met someone that I’ve gotten along with this well. I bet we’d both have the time of our lives if we dated. Sure, we might get into the occasional fight, but we’d probably forget all about it when we inevitably started talking about a new book.”

“Ah...” I shut my eyes. What was wrong with me? I had been able to watch them until now, but for some reason I couldn’t do it anymore. I know what he’s going to say next.

A gentle smile—softer than any I’d ever seen him make—filled his face. It was tinged with embarrassment, but he still firmly looked right at her. Here it comes.

“But...I’m sorry.”

Huh? My eyes widened. What did he say? Those were the words opposite the ones I had expected.

“I’m really sorry, but I can’t date you.”

Akatsuki-san, Higashira-san, and I were all confused beyond disbelief.

“Wh-Why not?” she asked, her voice trembling. His response was illogical—we all knew that—and it was written all over her face. “I-Is it because you do not perceive me as a girl?”

“No, not at all. I’m a guy, Higashira. I’m not left mentally unscathed when a pair of boobs is pressed against me. Not even if they’re the boobs of my friend. Regrettably, I don’t think I can separate romance from friendship in my head.”

“Th-Then—”

“I thought about it; I really did. Calmly.” A grimace filled his face. “I tried reassessing myself and my emotions, and I found that my small heart only has room for one more in it.” It was like he was mocking himself. “I’m a petty guy. I only have the capacity to truly face one person right now, and that seat is already filled, though she has no right to it.”

Oh...

“And so, even if I have no obligation to her whatsoever, I still don’t want to make her cry.”

As his words seeped into my heart, I could feel tears welling up in my eyes.

“So, I’m sorry. Seriously, I’m so, so sorry. I’m so sorry that I’m saying no because of someone else. It has nothing to do with who you are—you’re perfect. It’s not your fault or anyone else’s. This is my problem—my feelings are the problem.”

His “sorry” echoed in my head.

“I’m really sorry, Higashira, but I can’t take you as my girlfriend.”

Then suddenly, Akatsuki-san’s words replayed in my head.

“So, that’s why if he did ever end up going out of his way to have a girlfriend...I think it’d be someone that he doesn’t necessarily see as needing to have value, or having to be proud of. It’d just be someone he wanted to be with.”

I leaned against the wall and slid to the ground, landing on my knees.

Why are you so stupid?! You could’ve been happy! Your happy ending was waiting for you. The two of us are just stepsiblings. Why... Why are you still bothering with someone who isn’t even your girlfriend? Why are you letting me stay by your side?

“Aw, man.” Akatsuki-san frowned. “Now both of you are crying.”

“I-I’m not c-cryinggg!”

“You must really like him, huh?”

“I d-dooon’t!” I don’t like him. Not anymore, but...I’m still by his side. What am I supposed to do? I’m so, so...happy.

“You two are so weird,” Akatsuki-san muttered. Maybe I was imagining it, but I could’ve sworn she was pouting. “So weird.”

◇

I have absolutely no clue what happened after that. I wasn’t able to see how Higashira-san reacted to Mizuto’s answer, or how things were settled between the two of them. They both disappeared somewhere while Akatsuki-san comforted me.

I felt really guilty about Higashira-san. I was one of the people who’d pushed her into confessing, but then I was happy when she was rejected. I’d even cried tears of joy when Mizuto cited me as the reason he couldn’t date her.

I was rotten to the core. I wouldn’t complain no matter how hard Higashira-san wanted to hit me. However, the guilt I felt was so immense that I couldn’t bring myself to face her. Even the day after, I couldn’t send her a single message. But she didn’t message me either.

I thought back to the night before she confessed and how empty I had felt. Surely, she felt the same way now. Even if I wanted to try and console her, I didn’t have any right to do so.

Ultimately, I spent the entire day of classes agonizing over this.

“Let’s have a consolation party,” Akatsuki-san suggested as we exited the school building. “We are partially responsible for how things turned out. Plus...Irido-kun was her one friend, and now everything’s all screwed up.”

Hearing her say that made me feel even worse. “Right... Things can’t go back to normal with them.”

If we hadn’t lit the fuse, Higashira-san would have still been friends with Mizuto. I couldn’t keep avoiding her.

“It won’t make it all better, but the least we can do is be there for her, right? I mean, it’s kinda our fault she was even on this path. Let’s cheer her up and make her feel better. Then, at the end of it all, we can all be friends.”

“I don’t know... I have no clue how to interact with her.”

I never expected to be the reason for her rejection, so how was I supposed to console her?

“Aw, don’t worry! All you gotta do is focus on dissing Irido-kun and his shitty rejection.” She gave me a bright smile.

“Oh! If that’s the case, then definitely count me in!”

“And then Higashira-san can go all-out dissing us. It’s only fair.”

“Yes... Count me in for that too.”

I had no choice but to follow her lead and accept. Higashira-san was the victim here. We had irresponsibly egged her on, and then she ended up getting rejected by that tactless bastard. I mean, there had to have been a better way for him to say no, right?

“All right, I’m gonna call. You ready?”

“Yes, I am.”

Immediately after I replied, Akatsuki-san began dialing. I took deep breath after deep breath, and tried not to look down. If I did, I was certain that I’d fall into an even deeper melancholy. I needed to force myself to keep my head up and—

Huh? What’s going on? What is this impossible scene?! I shakily pointed with disbelief at the school library’s window. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

“A-Akatsuki-san... Look...”

“Hm? Hm?!” Akatsuki-san froze when she saw what I was pointing at.

Sitting there—right next to each other and happily chatting away—were Mizuto Irido and Isana Higashira.

While we stared in silence, Higashira-san picked up her phone.

“Yes? Hello?”

“Get your butt down here!” Akatsuki-san and I yelled.

“Huh?!”

“What the heck was that?!” Both Akatsuki-san and I practically screamed in sync.

Our consolation party had turned into an interrogation, the location of which was the usual family restaurant.

“What exactly are you referring to?” Higashira-san asked, tilting her head. She nonchalantly slurped up her drink through its straw.

“Why are you just hanging out with him like nothing happened?!” I asked.

“You were rejected yesterday, right?! He broke your heart into a million pieces, right?! So what gives? Did you flip the script or something when we weren’t looking?!”

“I am not certain about a million pieces, but yes, I am heartbroken.”

“So...” I started.

“Why?!” Akatsuki-san shouted.

“Um... I apologize, but I haven’t a clue as to what you are so upset about,” she said, furrowing her brow in confusion.

You want us to explain?! You should be explaining yourself to us!

“We felt responsible! We’re the ones who pushed you to confess, and we thought that you two might not even be friends anymore now!”

“I do not understand. I believe you may have your logic backwards.”

“Huh?!” Akatsuki-san and I screeched in confusion.

“It was actually quite a relief to be rejected in such a direct manner. If anything, since I know where I stand, it’s simple to fully focus on being just friends.” This freshly rejected, big-boobed girl made such a statement like it was common sense, leaving us speechless.

So she got on board with our plan because she was already confident she had nothing to lose?! I shivered in fear in the face of this puzzled-looking girl. She was almost...alien.

“I... I don’t get it. I don’t get young’uns these days at all, Yume-chan!”

“It’s okay! Calm down; I have no clue either!”

“I sincerely apologize for any distress I may have caused the two of you. Certainly, it pained me to be rejected for the first time in my life, but as you can see, I am perfectly fine. After all, Mizuto-kun consoled me yesterday.”

“Excuse me?!” Akatsuki-san and I nearly screamed in unison once again.

“He told me to think about this calmly. ‘People you date in high school are a dime a dozen, but the friends you make can be for life,’ he said. And I completely agree with that sentiment.”

“I can’t keep up with this anymore!”

“Stop dismantling our common sense!”

I felt like such a fool for worrying about whether or not I had the right to console her now that I knew she’d been consoled by the person with the least right to do so! I had a strong feeling that this conversation wasn’t going to go anywhere. Our values were just way too different.

We decided to call the other person who was involved in this.

“Hello?”

“Hello. I’d like to ask you about the girl you rejected yesterday,” I said accusingly.

“Uh, why do you know that Higashira confessed to me yesterday?”

“Never mind that!”

“I do mind!”

“Did you really console Higashira-san after rejecting her?!”

“Oh, that? I don’t know who you heard it from, but don’t worry.”

“About what?!”

“I don’t know how things turned out like that either.” His voice was filled with confusion.

Akatsuki-san and I looked at Higashira-san, who was currently staring intently at the maze for kids that came with the menu. We grimaced. At least we weren’t the weird ones here.

“Alien.”

“Yep, she’s an alien, all right.”

“Huh? Why are you two suddenly treating me as an extraterrestrial?”

There was someone here who clearly had different values than us, and we’d learned that firsthand. My thoughts were interrupted by a low voice that came out from Mizuto’s end.

“Hey, Irido...”

“Crap.” Akatsuki-san’s face soured.

Was that Kawanami-kun? He was the only person I could think of that Mizuto’d hang out with.

“I thought I heard something about confessing, but who are you talkin’ about?”

“Oh, right, I guess I haven’t told you. Higashira—”

“Wait, no! Stop! Don’t talk about her!” Akatsuki exclaimed.

“Hey, who’s that? A girl? There’s another girl in your life besides Irido-san?!”

“God dammit. I worked so hard to make sure he didn’t find out!” Akatsuki-san frantically gathered her things and stood up. “Sorry, I gotta run and pacify a certain annoying pervert.”

She dropped the money for the drink bar on the table and dashed out of the family restaurant, leaving only Higashira-san and me.

As I watched her disappear out of sight, I whispered, “Surprisingly, everyone has someone in their life who feels like they’re from a different world.”

“Oh, that is very introspective! Are you referring to the fact that even when people are transported to a different world, like in the isekai genre, they do not change who they are at their core?”

No two people are alike. No two romances are alike.

My first love had ended, but there was something still continuing, and I was struggling to put a name to it.