“That’s what I said, but—”
I muttered to myself.
The next day at lunch break, Kuki, who had been eating with me just a moment ago, left the classroom with another soccer club member who came to call him. Apparently, they had some business in the clubroom. Left alone, I found myself thinking about what happened yesterday.
This coming Saturday, Mishio and I were supposed to stay up all night watching the full drama series marathon together. The location—her house.
Wait, isn’t that… kinda bad?
Basically, it means we’ll be alone together all night. I tried convincing myself not to overthink it, that Mishio wasn’t even considering anything like that—but honestly, the thought still made me nervous. Not that I’d *do* anything, but being together from midnight till morning somehow felt... wrong. Like a sin in itself.
To deal with that, I came up with an idea: invite someone else along. The first face that popped into my mind, I deliberately set aside and thought maybe I could ask Kuki. But… yeah, the gender balance would make things even weirder.
So, back to the first candidate after all.
I stood up and walked toward a certain group. A few girls were sitting together, chatting happily after finishing their lunch. The center of that group—was Koreda Murasakiko.
As I approached, the girls looked up at me like I was some kind of intruder. Well, I couldn’t blame them; I’d never really spoken to any of them before unless it was necessary.
“Uh, Koreda-san—”
She was my target. Ever since we became classmates this April, I’d avoided her. So, this was our very first conversation.
“There’s something I’d like to ask you.”
As soon as I said that, all eyes turned to her.
“Koreda? Who might that be?”
And yet, she had the nerve to say that, despite being the Koreda Murasakiko in question.
“Ugh, so that’s how you’re gonna play it,” I thought bitterly. She looked every bit the refined young lady pretending she didn’t even acknowledge some guy beneath her notice. Strangely enough, it actually suited her.
“A-ah, Yukari... san—”
I braced myself and called her by her nickname.
The girls froze. One of them even muttered, “Whoa, going straight to first-name basis? That’s kinda creepy…”—and honestly, I couldn’t even blame her. If I didn’t know the situation, I’d think the same thing.
Then suddenly, Yukari stood up.
“You used to call me ‘Yuka-chan,’ though. But fine, this’ll do. I can’t exactly call you ‘Saku-chan’ anymore either—it’s embarrassing.”
She smiled awkwardly.
Then, instead of coming toward me, she leaned in close to the girl who had muttered earlier and, with a dazzling smile, said,
“Don’t mind him, okay? He’s my childhood friend.”
“Eh? Oh—um, s-sorry…”
The poor girl apologized, probably without even understanding why.
Finally, my childhood friend—Koreda Murasakiko, or Yukari—stepped out from her circle of friends.
“Sakura, buy me a coffee, will you? I was just craving one.”
“...It would be my honor.”
Honestly, I couldn’t refuse. There were too many things I felt guilty about when it came to her.
We walked down the hallway toward the cafeteria.
“Um… Yukari-san?”
“Just call me Yukari, Sakura.”
She smiled faintly as she said it.
Being told that made me nervous, though. When I tried saying her name, my mind went blank, and I forgot what I was even going to say.
Noticing that, she spoke up first.
“It’s been a while since we talked like this.”
“...Yeah, it has.”
Koreda Murasakiko—Yukari—is my childhood friend. Though honestly, I hadn’t realized that’s what we were until she said it earlier.
When I was a kid, I used to live here. I stayed until the fourth grade before moving away in fifth. Since I was already familiar with this town, my parents probably felt comfortable letting me attend Kazamigaoka High for soccer. And back then, I used to play a lot with her.
“You’ve changed a lot.”
“Right? I’ve become more ladylike, haven’t I? Don’t talk about how I used to be, okay? I’m going for this kind of image now.”
Yukari grinned mischievously.
Now she’s a proper beauty—anyone would turn their head to look. But back then, she was the type of girl who’d ride her BMX like a pro—jumping, spinning, showing off stunts that could put any boy to shame. Who could’ve guessed she’d grow into this elegant young woman?
“Six years is enough time for anyone to change.”
“If I’d managed it last year, it would’ve only been five.”
I had no words to respond with that.
“Why didn’t you say anything to me sooner? You realized who I was last year, didn’t you?”
“I just... couldn’t find the right time.”
She looked a bit angry, and I could only give a lame excuse.
Truthfully, that was the case. When I moved back for high school, I intended to meet her once I’d settled in. But I hadn’t expected us to end up in the same school—and when I did realize it, I thought, “Well, we can meet anytime,” and kept putting it off.
Then, the grueling soccer practices at the prestigious Kazamigaoka High swallowed me whole. Before I knew it, summer came—and by the end of it, I’d quit soccer. Yukari knew I’d always been serious about it, so I felt awkward facing her afterward.
That, and the fact that she’d become such a stunning girl—it made it even harder to approach her.
“Well, I didn’t talk to you either, so I guess I can’t really complain.”
Yukari smiled wryly.
“You’re mad though, right? Especially since I’ve been hanging around Minase lately.”
“H-Huh!?”
Her sudden outburst startled even herself. She quickly looked around—some students in the hallway were staring. Yukari gave them an apologetic smile. “It’s nothing, sorry,” she said, before turning back to me.
Then she grabbed the front of my shirt and yanked me closer. It was a rough move, completely uncharacteristic of her current image—but very much like the Yukari I used to know.
“And why exactly would I be mad about *that*, Sakura!?” she hissed, her voice just loud enough for me to hear.
“I-I just thought… you don’t really like people who act shallow, and lately I’ve been kinda... flashy, you know?”
I figured she’d think I’d become some flirty slacker and not want anything to do with me.
She blinked a few times, then went “Ahh, that’s what you meant…” as if realizing something. But when she noticed more people staring, she quickly tried to play it off with, “Your tie’s crooked, Sakura,” before straightening my rumpled shirt and finally letting go.
“I was surprised too, you know. When I saw you right after we enrolled.”
We started walking again.
“You were still playing soccer, training hard every day. I kept thinking, ‘Wow, he’s working so hard.’ Then summer came, and when it was over… it was like your spirit had left your body.”
“You heard about that, huh?”
“More or less. I’m good at gathering information.”
She wasn’t lying. Even as a kid, Yukari had been popular with both boys and girls. Now, as a graceful beauty, she probably had even more admirers. It wouldn’t have been hard for her to get the story from some classmate or soccer club member.
“Sorry. I quit soccer.”
“Things happen. You don’t need to apologize for that.”
Her words really did ease my heart. I’d told Mishio something similar before, but between the two of us, I was the one still clinging to the past.
When we reached the cafeteria, we headed to the vending machines. Yukari pointed to a can of lightly sweetened coffee and said, “I’ll take that one.” Somehow, that casual confidence felt nostalgic—she hadn’t changed at all in that sense.
I inserted the coins, and she pressed the button herself. Then she bought the same one for me, and we moved to an empty table.
As soon as we sat across from each other, the room started buzzing.
Well, of course. Koreda Murasakiko—one of the school’s top beauties—was having coffee alone with a guy. Even if we were classmates, it was bound to attract attention.
I tried to ignore the stares and explained everything about my recent situation with Minase.
“So that’s how you and Minase-san suddenly got close.”
Yukari nodded, seeming to understand.
“Yeah, that’s pretty much it.”
“And—”
Her next words cut sharply into mine.
“Why exactly do I have to get involved in this weird ‘We Quit Our Clubs Alliance’ thing of yours?”
She sounded genuinely annoyed.
“Or what, Sakura? You planning to do something to Minase-san?”
“No, no! It’s not that!”
I’d been alone with Mishio plenty of times—been in her room, even—but I’d never once felt the urge to do anything inappropriate.
“It’s just… I’ll probably feel a bit uneasy, you know? Like walking alone on a freshly paved road—so clean and new that you keep looking around, wondering if you’re even supposed to be there. You’re not doing anything wrong, but it still feels off.”
“That’s… a very strange metaphor.”
Yukari sighed, exasperated.
“So basically, you want me to join your all-night drama marathon.”
“If you don’t want to, that’s fine. I know myself better than anyone—I’m not gonna do anything. And honestly, I’ll probably get used to it fast. It’s not even my first time being in her room.”
Yeah, maybe I just wanted an excuse to talk to Yukari again. If nothing else, that alone made it worth it.
“Wait—you’ve already been in her room?”
“Yeah. Just had coffee and talked a bit. So, it’s really no different—just longer this time.”
Yukari looked thoughtful for a moment.
“If you’re not up for it—”
“I never said I wasn’t going.”
“Really?”
“Well, yeah.”
She nodded, a little embarrassed. It took her a while to get there, though. She used to be the type to decide things instantly.
Well, six years can change a person.
Once that was settled, we headed back to class. There was still plenty of time before the next lesson.
When we entered together, everyone in the classroom looked at us. …Yeah, I saw that coming. We’d basically announced we were childhood friends and walked out together, after all.
“Looks like trouble,” Yukari said with a smirk.
“Easy for you to say,” I grumbled inwardly. She really had nerves of steel.
We went to our seats.
The stares from the guys were painful. I spotted Kuki among them and motioned him over. He came with the biggest grin on his face.
“So, you and Koreda are childhood friends, huh?”
“Yeah. I actually lived here until fourth grade.”
Same as with Mishio—I just needed to tell Kuki the truth, and he’d spread it around. This time, I didn’t mind.
“You don’t really act like it, though.”
“You mean, like I don’t seem familiar with the area? Well, I was only ten back then—didn’t have much freedom to explore. Honestly, I barely remember most of the town.”
Back then, my weekdays were all about soccer with classmates, including Yukari, and weekends were spent at the skate park with her. So even though I’d technically returned home, it still felt like a new place to me.
“So you’ve known Koreda since then?”
“Yeah.”
She used to join us boys playing soccer, but I hardly ever touched her BMX. Not that I wasn’t interested—but I liked watching her more. She was fast, bold, and skilled—way more than any of us.
“She must’ve been cute even back then.”
Kuki looked like he was imagining something, but the truth would’ve shattered whatever fantasy he had. She’d been more like a lively boy than a dainty girl—but still, her features had always been sharp and well-formed.
Remembering her earlier warning not to bring up the past, I just nodded vaguely. “Yeah, she was.”
Then a thought hit me.
I wonder if Yukari still rides her BMX?
She’d been so good at it—better than anyone her age—and she always looked so happy doing it. I didn’t know how far she could’ve gone with it, but I hoped she hadn’t quit.
A graceful honor student by day, a BMX rider on weekends—that contrast was so very her. Maybe I’d ask her about it sometime.
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