Donations from Ko-Fi were used to purchase “Novel Wishes”, you can check it at the links below including Ko-Fi and Discord links.
▣ KO-FI ▣ DISCORD ▣
▣ NOVEL WISHES ▣
Interlude: Report Meeting
After watching Yuya Yoshizumi and Kaede Hitotsuba board the train, I, Ai Nikaido, found myself at a family restaurant with a junior who loves to meddle in others’ affairs. It was more like I was dragged here against my will.
“Don’t worry, Senior Nikaido. I’ve already contacted my dad, so he’ll drive us home. Take your time, and tell me everything that happened,” Yui said with a determined face. I wanted to sigh at this situation, but this summer, I had received a lot of support from Yui, often a kick in the back when needed. So, I decided to report back to her as a way of saying thanks.
“So, can you start by telling me why you and Senior Yoshizumi arrived late for the fireworks?” Yui asked.
“It feels like that’s the whole story… but okay. I guess you’ve figured it out, but the reason we were late is that I was confessing my feelings to Yoshizumi.”
“…Eh? Seriously?”
Yui’s mouth dropped open in shock, like she had just encountered an alien. Despite pushing me to do it, her reaction was like she never expected I’d actually confess.
“I did give you various advice, and I even made sure you two could be alone today. But I never expected you to actually confess. I’m sorry,” she apologized, bowing her head.
“No need to apologize. I didn’t plan to confess either. But just before the fireworks, Yoshizumi made the same face he did when he stole my heart, and I couldn’t hold back anymore. Teehee.”
“No, no. That’s cute, but it’s not a ‘teehee’ moment, Senior Nikaido. What did Senior Yoshizumi say?”
“He rejected me, clearly and decisively,” I said with a wry smile. On one hand, I wished he had struggled with the decision, but I knew he was unwavering. Anyone who watched Yoshizumi could see that.
“Yoshizumi said that only Kaede-san is special to him, and that won’t change in the future. It’s incredible that he’s so sure of himself at our age.”
“It’s amazing how Yoshizumi can not only feel that way but also put it into words. He loves Kaede-san that much, huh…”
“Do you, as Kaede-san’s sister, have any thoughts on Yoshizumi? I’m really curious about that.”
I leaned on my hand and relaxed my mouth as I asked Yui. The person she admired had found a lover and was showing off their affection daily. I wondered how she felt about that.
“Of course, I had mixed feelings at first. I thought I had finally reunited with Kaede-san, and then she suddenly introduces Yoshizumi as her boyfriend and future husband. I was in a mini-panic,” Yui said with a puff of annoyance, pressing the bell to call the waiter. I wasn’t very hungry, so I just ordered a drink, but Yui added pancakes to her order. Eating something so sweet past 9 PM is quite brave.
“I’m still growing, unlike you and Kaede-san! I need to eat to get rid of this short, stout figure as soon as possible!”
I didn’t mention that Kaede-san was also still growing. I didn’t want to upset Yui and deal with her tears.
“Back to the topic, I can understand why you and Kaede-san are attracted to Yoshizumi,” I said.
“And why is that?”
“Despite facing unrequited love, he doesn’t give up and has a strong heart. Yet, he also has a tender side where he cries in secret. Seeing that, wouldn’t anyone want to support him?”
Yui puffed up her cheeks, somewhat displeased, and continued with a sulky tone.
“And he doesn’t just keep his feelings for Kaede-san in his heart; he actually says it out loud. I may be biased, but teenage boys are usually too shy to say ‘I like you,’ right? To top it off, he says things like ‘Only Kaede-san is special, and that won’t change.’ It’s so cheesy, but he says it with such a serious face. I wish someone would feel that way about me.”
Yui let out a complicated sigh mixed with admiration and disbelief. Calling it cheesy was spot on. But it was proof of how much Yoshizumi loved Kaede-san. I thought I should avoid thinking about wanting to be loved like that by him.
“All the boys around me, except for Yoshizumi, don’t say such things… wait, that’s not right. There are actually plenty who do.”
“Haha. Shinji Higure and Akiho Otsuki are totally into you, Senior Nikaido. And the boys around you would be… oh, Yasuhito Sakai, right?”
“Right. His confession started everything. I still haven’t given him an answer.”
Just before our trip to Okinawa, I was confessed to by Yasuhito Sakai, a first-year in the boys’ basketball team and Yui’s classmate. I hadn’t yet responded to him, and summer was about to end.
“I think Sakai knows. He knows who you like and that even if you’re rejected, your feelings won’t immediately shift to him. I believe he understands that.”
“That’s impressive insight, Yui.”
“Well, I did receive a love consultation from Sakai! He came to me one morning with a serious face, asking, ‘Hey, Miyamoto-san. Does Senior Nikaido like anyone?'”
Yui puffed out her chest with pride. I mentally noted to advise Sakai to choose a different confidant next time.
“Let’s leave Sakai aside. About Yoshizumi, from my point of view, he’s like a handsome main character from a shoujo manga. No wonder Kaede-san is smitten.”
“Hahaha. Now that you mention it, he’s handsome, good at soccer, diligent, and even improving his grades lately. Such boys are rare. Sigh… I still like him.”
I muttered softly, face down on the table.
I remembered Yoshizumi’s face, lit up by the vibrant fireworks, as he struggled to find the right words. His earnest and handsome expression made my heart race just thinking about it.
“Senior Nikaido, did you really get rejected? Are you sure you didn’t just make up the confession?”
Yui asked incredulously, cutting into her honey-slathered pancakes.
“Wait, Yui. What do you mean? I did confess to Yoshizumi, and he clearly rejected me.”
“Then why don’t you look rejected? What was that murmur just now? If Sakai were here, he’d probably need an ambulance by now.”
“I’m even more confused now…”
“Because! You’re so cute right now, Senior Nikaido! Even I, as a girl, thought, ‘Damn, Senior Nikaido is super cute, I want to hug her!’ Imagine how Sakai, who’s more sensitive, would react!”
Yui continued talking while devouring her pancakes. Watching her, I felt like getting a stomachache on her behalf.
“Yui… that kind of talk is more suited to a drunken middle-aged man, you know? The gap between your words and appearance is confusing…”
Yui, with her beautiful golden hair like the moonlit night and jewel-like blue eyes, shouldn’t be saying such things. She’s part British, with an angelic appearance that doesn’t match her words.
“Uh-huh, uh-huh… My inner little Yui thinks Senior Nikaido was super cute. Who the hell started calling you a prince? I want to find them and give them a piece of my mind!”
Yui grumbled angrily but kept eating, quickly finishing her pancakes. She looked unsatisfied and about to order more, but I stopped her. Any more and she’d surely regret it in the morning.
“Fine. In deference to your lovestruck face, I’ll stop at this for today’s dessert. But, what will you do now, Senior Nikaido?”
“Do what about what?”
“About Yoshizumi. You’re not going to stop being friends, are you?”
Yui asked with concern in her voice, her eyes teary and on the verge of spilling over.
“Kaede-san and Yoshizumi being lovey-dovey, me making snide comments, envying Akiho’s voluptuous figure, cursing the unfairness of the world… I’m selfish, but I want to keep doing all that with you, Senior Nikaido!”
Her eyes were full of tears as she pleaded, but she bit her tongue on the last word, embarrassed, and covered her face with her hands.
“I thought you’d realize, Yui… Don’t worry. Yoshizumi and I will remain friends as always.”
I gently stroked her head to calm her worries.
“Yoshizumi scolded me, saying if our relationship could be strained by a confession, it wasn’t strong to begin with. So, we’re fine. Don’t worry.”
“Yoshizumi is such an incredible person. An average high school boy would feel awkward and stop talking.”
“I confessed because I didn’t want to have regrets, but I never wanted to stop being friends with Yoshizumi. That’s my selfishness.”
I believe it’s because of Yoshizumi that things turned out this way. I didn’t want to think about ‘what ifs,’ but if I had fallen for someone else in his place, our relationship would probably have ended here.
“I wonder if Yoshizumi values relationships so much because of his parents?”
“Are you talking about his parents leaving him with debts and fleeing overseas?”
“Yes. Regardless of the circumstances, even if it was best to seek help from Kaede’s mom, the fact remains that Yuya Yoshizumi was suddenly abandoned by parents he thought would always be there. That’s why I think Yoshizumi is especially sensitive about connections between people.”
I was surprised to hear such insight from Yui. It made me wonder if her future dream was to become a psychological counselor, so convincing were her words.
“Unlike Kaede and Senior Nikaido, I’ve only known Senior Yoshizumi for a few months, and we haven’t talked much, so I can’t say for sure if this is correct. It’s just a ‘maybe’.”
“Yoshizumi is who he is today because of those painful experiences. That’s an undeniable fact. Yui, you’re really something. It’s hard to believe you’re younger.”
“Oh, not at all. I’m just an innocent first-year high schooler who can’t seem to get over my obsession with Kaede. My dream is to have a glamorous body like my mom and fly around the world for work!”
“Ugh… I was just moved by your earlier words, thinking ‘Yui is amazing,’ and now it’s all undone. Can you take it back?”
Yui’s mother, Mary Miyamoto, a true British lady, bore a much more bountiful chest than the modest Yui, surpassing even Akiho in size, with a perfect figure that belied her status as a mother. With such heritage, it was understandable that Yui held onto her hopes.
“Hey, Yui, do you know that ‘dreams’ written in kanji is read as ‘fleeting’? If you keep clinging to ideals like this, you might drown in them.”
“Waaaaah! Senior Nikaido, you’re so mean! Let me have my dreams! I’m still only a first-year, fifteen years old! There’s still room for growth, right?”
“…………”
“Why are you silent? Don’t you have the word ‘compassion’ in your dictionary, Senior Nikaido?”
Truth can sometimes be a blade that wounds. And as they say, silence is golden. But if Yui needed some comforting words, I would give them to her.
“It’s okay, Yui. Both Kaede and Akiho are still growing, so surely, in a year, you too will… Just keep trying!”
“Ugh… Senior Nikaido, you’re a demon… Damn it, I’ll show you one day! Excuse me! Can I order something!?”
This year’s summer festival, where I finally shared my long-held feelings, ended somewhat anticlimactically with Yui’s binge-eating. I hoped that next year, and the year after that, I could still attend festivals like this with Yoshizumi and everyone else. That was my heartfelt wish.
