Even Though I Loved You First

“Now then, let me introduce you!” (Kei)

At an empty classroom where only three students remained, a handsome young boy stood in between a boy and a girl. The boy had brown hair and his eyes reminded Kei of the vast ocean at the beachside.

The girl, on the other hand, had long black hair with a red ribbon tied at the back of her hair. She gave off an atmosphere based on elegance, her mannerisms seemed flawless and all in all, she looked as if she could break by just the slightest touch.

“Sachi, this is my friend, Riku Ryouzaki! Riku, this is Sachi Sadataka, we happened to cross paths and we’re friends now!” The boy excitedly said.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” As Sachi bowed, Riku didn’t know how to reply as she seemed extremely formal. Something that was uncommon among middle schoolers.

“N-nice to meet you, I guess?” Was the only greeting he could muster, even though he ended up stuttering.

“Pfft… Hahaha… What’s with all of that stiffness? We three are now friends! So get loose a little.” If there was something Kei was good at, it was at dispelling all kinds of burdensome atmospheres.

This was Kei Ichinose’s secret of popularity!

But of course, we aren’t talking about him now.

“M-my apologies.” (Sachi)

“Ah! There it is again!” (Kei)

“Kei, I don’t think it’s that easy.” (Riku)

It was no wonder that for the two, who had no friends apart from Kei, meeting someone new was undoubtedly a nerve-wracking experience.

The two of them also had completely opposite personalities, they didn’t know how to interact with each other, it felt awkward… it felt… suffocating.

“Is something wrong, you two? Both of you dropped silent for a moment.” Bringing them back to reality, Kei’s concerned voice could be clearly heard.

“It’s nothing.” Riku shook his head.

“Please, don’t mind it. I’m fine.” Just like Riku, Sachi also ended up shaking her head.

↜※↝

A few other months passed by, and yet, there were no other noticeable changes between the two. Riku and Sachi, we’re still a friend-of-a -friend for each other.

However, that soon changed one afterschool day, as Riku was walking across the empty hallways, he heard someone calling his name.

“Ryouzaki, there you are. Can you do me a favor?”

“Hm? Sure. Is there anything I can do for you?” He politely answered.

“Actually, I urgently need to leave the school grounds now, so do you mind taking these papers to the staff room? They gave them to me right after I clocked off, and I really have to go!”

“I don’t know… I was about to go home for the day—” (Riku)

“Five extra points on your next test, how does that sound?” 

“—Everything to help a higher-up! Thanks for your services!” Switching gears as fast as he could, Riku grabbed the stack of papers off the teacher and started walking home.

“You’re a great help Ryouzaki!” The teacher said as he walked down the hallway.

↜※↝

“Sorry for intruding.” Were the words Riku said before leaving the staff room. It only took him about seven or so minutes to finish his assigned tasks.

As he walked down the hallway he passed through a classroom that had the door opened, due to habit Riku only took a peak as he passed through the door.

Suddenly, he stopped.

As he went to the door, he took a peek inside and indeed, he wasn’t mistaken, there was a familiar figure in the classroom, fixing some desks.

“Huh? Sachi? You haven’t gone home yet?” He said, as he leaned against the door frame.

“Heh?! A-ah… R-Riku. N-no, I’m on duty, so I have it rough.” Sachi said, a little bothered.

Normally, that would’ve been a good reason for Riku. He would’ve dropped the topic then and there. However, something didn’t sit right with him.

“Is it only you?” He asked.

“Eh? Ah… U-uhm… My classmate… had something urgent to attend to… So I told her to go ahead…” Sachi meekly said, as she looked down.

“I see… Well, leaving that aside…” Riku said as he entered the classroom and headed to one corner of it.

“Uhm… What are—” Just as Sachi was about to ask, Riku turned around and stared at her. He opened the door of the closet and took out a spare broom that was inside it.

“Hm? I’m helping you, is that not okay?” (Riku)

“I-it’s not! I couldn’t possibly take your ti—” (Sachi)

“Sachi.” Riku interjected.

“Y-yes…?” (Sachi)

“I know it’s rare coming from me… Even though we both hang out with Kei and Shizuka, we aren’t really that close, I bet you think of me as a friend of a friend.” (Riku)

“That’s…” Sachi couldn’t deny it. Even with Kei, though she hung out with him multiple times, Sachi didn’t consider him someone exceptionally close.

She looked down, she felt ashamed, she wasn’t good at making friends, she talked in a way that made people think that there was a distance between them.

In the eyes of others, Sachi Sadataka was a ‘weirdo’.

Of course, the same could be applied to Riku.

“Hey now, it’s the same for me, you know? We’re polar opposites, so it’s natural that we wouldn’t know how to interact with each other.” (Riku)

Riku had an active personality and his speech could also be seen as informal yet polite. Sachi on the other hand, had a more passive personality with a formal and polite speech giving her the young lady-like persona she has today..

“Anyhow, I bet you want to head home too, right? Don’t mind me, I’m too nosy when it comes to ‘this’ type of stuff. So, what do I do first?” Riku asked as he set his bag aside.

“U-uhm, then… Could you—” Just like that, Sachi was left defeated and had no choice but to give Riku instruction. Although Riku didn’t mind it, Sachi still felt guilty.

However, Riku decided to ignore it and do as he was told.

↜※↝

“I’m sorry for making you stay so late…” (Sachi)

“I said, it’s okay~ If anything, I’m glad I could get to know you as we worked.” (Riku)

“Huh?” (Sachi)

“I mean, we haven’t really talked one on one that much have we?” Riku said as he turned to Sachi.

“N-no we haven’t…” Sachi shook her head.

“I was honestly pretty nervous to talk to you… I didn’t really know how I could approach you… Well, I’m glad that you’re easy to talk to…” (Riku)

Sachi froze, for a moment… she felt as if she just misheard what Riku said. All these time she has been told that she was hard to approach, that she was someone mysterious that no one could talk to normally.

“I’m… easy to talk to…?” Sachi quietly repeated. Seemingly hearing her soft whisper, Riku nodded and repeated what he said earlier.

“Unn. To be fair… It was probably my fault… My energy may’ve overwhelmed you… sorry ‘bout that…” Riku dryly laughed as he scratched the back of his neck.

“Eh? N-no! I-it’s not like that!” Sachi desperately shook both her hands and her head.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. I was used to it… People said I was overwhelmed and everything, before I knew it, they couldn’t handle the passion in which I talked about stuff…” Riku looked into the distance.

“I-is it okay if I ask something?” Sachi reluctantly asked.

“Ah… g-go ahead.” (Riku)

“Why did you even help me back there? You could’ve gone home and called it a day, right?” (Sachi)

“I see…” Riku sighed.

“Sachi, Kei taught me this but… You shouldn’t act as a people pleaser, somethings… saying no is the healthiest choice for both you and the other person.” (Riku)

As far as Riku saw, Sachi was kind of a pushover. Of course, Riku was also like that to a degree, however, he has started to deny whenever it didn’t benefit him… sometimes at least.

“I’m sorry…” Sachi apologized.

“D-don’t apologize! H-hey now, cheer up!” Riku flusteredly answered and tried to cheer the almost-crying Sachi up.

Sachi couldn’t explain it… she felt comfortable with Riku, just like the other two, Riku didn’t particularly judge. If anything, he was someone that Sachi always wanted to meet,

Someone who seemed genuine and easy to talk to. Eventually, the two of them grew closer, which brought a smile to Kei & Shizuka’s faces.

The story about how these two (who were once outcasts) met the person who gave them a chance to be in the spotlight and how they found someone to walk the same path as them with,

Will be a story that will be retold by a best man, as the two would have no choice but to accept that it was thanks to him that they no longer felt alone in this vast world.