Even Though I Loved You First

Back in middle school, when Kotone introduced you, I thought of you as a friend of a friend, nothing more.

However, as we started to talk and as we grew closer, I couldn’t consider you as anything less than my best friend, someone I could trust wholeheartedly.

Seichiiro and I would most likely still be frightened of getting harmed again if it weren’t for you, and we wouldn’t be together now.

Because of this, I will support you both, just like you did for me, and when the time comes, I’ll be there to give you both the push you require.

So for helping me move forward, thank you…

Although I have to say, the slap you gave that day really hurt…

~Kokoro Shiina

➹

Riku’s POV~

“What’s with the glasses?” (Sachi)

“…” (Kei)

“…I felt like it?” (Riku)

Sachi stared at me with a confused expression.

“You ‘felt like it’?” (Sachi)

“I mean, they are frameless.” (Riku)

“I… see?” (Sachi)

I gathered the courage and asked Sachi, who was diligently working on our group assignment.

“So, how do I look?” (Riku)

“On you, they look really good. You could seem much more handsome, though, if you lightly groomed your hair.” (Sachi)

She said, with a charming smile. However, her sudden compliment threw me off guard, and I felt my face heat up.

“I-I see…” (Riku)

“…” (Kei)

“By the way, Riku.” (Sachi)

“Y-yes?” (Riku)

“What’s up with him?” (Riku)

Getting out of my daze, I looked to where Sachi was pointing with her pen. At the end of my gaze, I met Kei, whose hand stopped moving some time ago and looked lost in thought.

“I don’t know… he’s been like that since morning, do you think maybe something happened?” (Riku)

“Why don’t we ask him?” (Sachi)

“…works out…” (Riku)

I said and started waking up Kei from his trance.

➹

Kei’s POV~

…ei…

I don’t get it…

…ei…

I refuse to accept it…

…ei…

I don’t want to go over this again…

…Kei!

Do I…? Towards Arisa…?

“—ouch!?” (Kei)

Suddenly, I felt my head being hit with something. I looked to my right while holding my head with both arms and found Riku, holding his English textbook.

“…what was that for…? So suddenly…” (Kei)

“No, it wasn’t sudden. I’ve been trying to call you out for three minutes now.” (Riku)

“Huh? Oh… Is that so?” (Kei)

“You’ve been spacing out a lot lately, is something wrong?” (Sachi)

“…well…” (Kei)

“We’re all ears.” (Riku)

“What are your opinions on changes in relationships as a whole?” (Kei)

➹

Sachi’s POV~

“What are your opinions on changes in relationships as a whole?” (Kei)

Suddenly, a bizarre question left Kei’s lips.

I wasn’t sure what he meant by ‘change of relationships’, that’s why I decided to ask him.

“What do you mean by ‘changes in relationships’?” (Sachi)

“I mean, the change of the status quo between two people… like best friends to a couple…” (Kei)

Wait… is it that type of advice?

“In a sense, I believe that the change between two people is up to them. Some change and some don’t, in those cases, I don’t think I can give you any solid advice…” (Riku)

Riku, who suddenly seemed so cool, answered Kei’s question.

And to that, I also—

“I also can’t give you any concrete advice, my apologies…” (Sachi)

—had to agree with him.

➹

Kei’s POV~

“Well f*ck…” (Kei)

“Language.” (Riku)

“Shuddup.” (Kei)

Neither Sachi nor Riku couldn’t give me any solid advice, of course, it wasn’t their fault. Rather, it was my fault for imposing such a complex question on them.

I’m running out of ideas… At this rate, I will end up asking her about it…

Faced with this need for answers I…

➹

~Student Guidance Room

…had no choice but to yield.

I was currently in front of the student guidance room, where a certain someone, usually was last school hours.

knock

knock

“…on in…”

I heard a voice on the other side and after receiving the go-ahead, I entered.

With a layout that made it seem like a storage room due to how empty it was, the student guidance office was, as its name suggests, a place where students could come and talk about their problems.

Of course, no one used this room for that purpose.

Except for one particular person. Long black hair, a pair with jade-green eyes, and a body that even models will envy, my homeroom teacher Haru Shirayuki, was at the other end of the table revising some papers like she always did.

“Oh? It’s just you, Kei.” (Haru)

“What does ‘it’s just you’ mean?” (Kei)

“Anyway, what can I help you with?” (Haru)

“Don’t try to change the topic!” (Kei)

Dumbfounded at Ms. Haru’s behavior, I sat down on the only available chair.

“So Ms. Haru… I—” (Kei)

“Just call me Haru, there’s no one else here.” (Haru)

“—I see…” (Kei)

Haru suddenly interrupted me in the middle of my speech and said,

“Anyways, as I was saying, Haru, I need advice on something.” (Kei)

I knew Haru from way before me or my sisters enrolled in this school. In essence, she has been my mother’s best friend since high school (at least that’s what I heard) so we’re closer to her than the average students.

Thanks to this, we can usually come for advice whenever we can’t rely on the other teachers.

“Ask away.” (Haru)

She sat aside her work and focused her attention solely on me. So, I asked her what was on my mind.

➹

“Pfffttt… hahaha.” (Haru)

“…” (Kei)

Why…? Just, why?

Contrary to my expectations, Haru unexpectedly started giggling after I asked her a question.

“Oi.” (Kei)

“Sorry… it’s just… I thought it would be something more serious due to your facial expressions… haha… Turns out it was just something insignificant.” (Haru)

“Oi.” (Kei)

Don’t just call someone else’s problem insignificant on their faces…

“Anyway, about my question…” (Kei)

“First, can you tell me what initiated this thought?” (Haru)

“T-that ‘s…” (Kei)

“Come on, now.” (Haru)

Haru forced me to answer.

“Promise you won’t tell my mother…” (Kei)

“…Sure.” (Haru)

“What’s with that pause?!” (Kei)

Needless to say, I ended up telling Haru about everything I was feeling at the moment.

Recently, Arisa has been on my mind constantly. Every time I see her smile, my heart rushes, and before I know it, some of the conversations we had before the humiliation set in are now impossible to recreate.

➹

“…” (Haru)

“…Haru?” (Kei)

“Are you trying to show off?” (Haru)

“Huh?” (Kei)

“I mean, even though you explained it quite poorly, I can see what you’re getting at.” (Haru)

“Then…” (Kei)

I think I knew the answer already, I knew what she was about to say. However, I’m just running away.

The answer to the question about the status quo between me and Arisa was—

“No matter how you look at it. Aren’t you in love with her?” (Haru)

“…” (Kei)

—the same answer I expected all along.