This semester is really tough. We need to study, prepare for the cultural festival, and of course…
"Lately, our boyfriend seems odd." — said the girl with glasses.
"He can't concentrate on his club training, and whenever we talk to him, it's like he's thinking about something else." — added the tomboyish girl.
"Here's your tea." — Ayame-san said, offering tea to them.
"Morikawa-san, did something happen between Tachibana-san and him?" — asked the girl with glasses.
"Before, she always talked with him during lunch and watched his baseball games. But now she's totally ignoring him!" — said the tomboy girl, raising her voice slightly.
Should I tell them the truth?
"Tachibana-san found someone she truly likes. That's all."
"Sorry, Morikawa-san, but do you think it's right to give someone hope and then just ignore them?" — argued the girl with glasses.
"Yeah, that's right! What she did was toy with his feelings." — added the tomboy girl.
This is delicate. I don't think what Tachibana-san did was wrong, but I can understand their point.
I need to proceed with caution.
"Both of you—could you tell us more about what's happening in your relationship? Maybe we can find a solution together." — Ayame-san suggested gently.
The two looked at each other and sighed.
"The idea of revisiting the places we used to go worked." — said the girl with glasses.
"Yeah. We even went back to the same spot where we became a couple and confessed again." — said the tomboy girl.
I'm glad it worked… but I guess it wasn't enough.
"At the summer festival, we noticed he wasn't enjoying it like before. But we thought we were just overthinking." — said the girl with glasses.
"But when the school year started, everything changed. He started losing focus in both club activities and class. And whenever we tried to approach him, he'd ask us to give him space and then… sob… sorry." — the tomboy girl said, wiping her eyes.
Just as I thought… senpai isn't someone I'd recommend dating. It's kind of a relief that Tachibana-san lost interest in him.
"Morikawa-san, can you talk to Tachibana-san?" — asked the girl with glasses.
"Sniff… otherwise, we'll have no choice but to talk to her ourselves." — added the tomboy girl.
Even if they—or I—talk to Tachibana-san, I doubt the problem will be solved. After all, the real issue lies with their boyfriend.
"Okay, I'll talk to her. Don't worry."
"Thank you, Morikawa-san."
"Thank you… sniff."
They both bowed and left the student council room.
"Good work, Tomoki-kun."
"Thanks, you too, Ayame-san."
"But is it okay to leave things like this? Will you really talk to Tachibana-san?"
"I will, since I gave them my word. But even if I do, I know it won't solve anything. Senpai's the one who needs to change."
"Tomoki-kun, not only him—but them, too."
"You think so? I mean, they've done a lot to please him, but he's still not grateful at all."
"I won't deny he's the main problem. But what I didn't like was how they kept blaming Tachibana-san for all the issues in their relationship."
"Now that you mention it… you're right."
"Tomoki-kun, do you think their relationship will last?"
"If they keep going like this, I'd recommend they go to a therapist."
"Fufu~ you're awful, Tomoki-kun~ But I guess sometimes relationships do need to end. It's kind of sad to think about that."
"That's up to them. All we can do is offer a little help."
"Yeah, you're right."
KNOCK, KNOCK.
Well, I guess our work's not done yet.
"Feel free to come in." — I said aloud.
"Morikawa-kun! Edomae-san! It's been a while." — said a familiar voice as he bowed, despite being our senior.
"It's been a while, Shouta-senpai." — Ayame-san and I greeted in unison.
"Is it okay if I talk to you for a moment?" — Shouta-senpai asked me.
"I guess I should leave you two alone. Excuse me—" — Ayame-san began.
"No, Edomae-san, you don't need to. I just wanted to thank Morikawa-kun."
"Me? But what did I do?"
"Your advice, remember? We started talking again, and before I knew it, we were enjoying each other's company. I'm glad I didn't cut ties with her. After getting to know her better, I realized how clumsy and cute she is. We're a couple now!"
"I'm glad both of you are doing well… HUH!?"
"Yeah, so thank you, Morikawa-kun. Next time, she wants to thank you in person when you're free. I need to go now—she caught a cold, and I want to take care of her. Good work, both of you!"
He bowed again and left the room.
"Ayame-san… did I hear that right? Are they really dating?"
"I'm shocked too. I guess two months can change a lot."
Forget about common sense—those two just threw it out the window and went beyond reality.
Joking aside, at least some students are enjoying their youth, which means less trouble for me.Not gonna lie, knowing I helped them become a couple… I'm kinda proud of myself.
♦♦♦
"I'm home!" — I called out.
"Welcome home, Tomoki." — Natsumi-chan replied.
"How is she?"
"See for yourself." — she said, pointing toward Erina nee-san's room.
I went upstairs and noticed—again—an untouched lunch tray outside her door.
I knocked, and this time it wasn't locked. And then I heard she singing.
♪ "All by myseeelf~ I gonnabe~ all by myseeelf~ like before~" ♪
I'm not great at English, but I'm pretty sure those lyrics aren't right.
"Erina nee-san, you need to eat at least."
"Tomoki-kun… do you know what it feels like to never see the person you love again? I don't want to leave this room anymore. I just lost the chance to meet the man of my life. Sorry, but that's a feeling you wouldn't understand."
"I know."
"What?"
"Yeah… I know that feeling all too well."
She took off her headphones and looked at me with a concerned expression.
"You do?"
"It's the worst feeling. Even worse than being rejected. You'll need time to get over it."
"What happened? Are you serious?"
I decided to tell her.
"Erina nee-san, there was this girl who always lifted my spirits, and somehow, I managed to be her friend. Since we were close, I thought it was a good chance to confess. But in the end… I was just her friend. At first, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on me. After that I became frustrated with all the expectation being shattered in pieces."
"Tomoki…"
"But when… when she moved far, far away, I just froze. After that, so many unexpected things happened that I managed to forget her for a while. But not completely. Even now, she still crosses my mind."
"Did she go to another country?"
"Yeah... she did..."
"Then… how are you okay? How did you move on?"
"A good old friend of mine helped me. Though he, too, moved away."
"Oh my! Tomoki-kun!"
"Don't worry. I don't think I'm the most unfortunate person in the world. Actually, it's the opposite. I found a reason to move on."
"You did? What's the reason?"
"Let's just say… you've already met them."
"Wait! Is it Edomae-san?" — she asked, eyes sparkling.
"..." — I just gave a polite smile.
"Wait... it could be Tachibana-san… or both of them… c'mon, tell me!"
"That's how it is, Erina nee-san. The feeling is terrible, but if you allow yourself to move on, you'll realize not everything's a lost cause. Who knows—you might find your own reason, too."
"I see… thanks. Well, let me listen to this song one more time, then I'll head to the kitchen. I'll eat Hiyori's meal there."
"You're strong. I'm proud to have you as my sister."
"And I'm grateful to have you as my little brother."
Phew— Somehow, everything turned out okay. I'm kind of hungry, so I'll head to the kitchen too. And… I need to practice my acting skills.
But seriously, why did the butler stop right when we were looking for him?
Geez, if he were our target, I'd definitely buy a lottery ticket after asking Ryuichi for the numbers.