“Yes, you were his girlfriend, but now he has me,” my friend interjected, stepping into our conversation.
Though she apologized for “taking your place,” her face showed no hint of regret—if anything, it was filled with smug triumph.
“But no obstacle can stand in the way of our love.”
Obstacle… Is that what I am to them?
I met his gaze once more, this time with seriousness. His shoulders flinched, a reaction identical to when he’d been caught in mischief as a child.
“Do you truly, honestly care about her?”
“I know it’s hard to believe, but don’t be so persistent. I’ve already told you: I do.”
Her irritated voice cut through, but I ignored her. I needed to hear it from him directly.
When I prompted him with a steady look, he hesitated before nodding slightly.
“I see!”
At that moment, a refreshing clarity washed over me, as if a lingering burden had been lifted.
It felt like I’d finally solved something that had been troubling me for years.
It was never love.
What I felt for my childhood friend wasn’t romantic. It was concern.
Maybe it was because of his mother leaving, but deep down, my childhood friend had always struggled with girls.
He especially couldn’t handle flashy ones, freezing up whenever they got too close.
And yet, for reasons I couldn’t understand, he’d surrounded himself with girls as he got older, almost as if he were punishing himself.
How could I not worry?
So, without question, I’d accepted the role of his “girlfriend,” someone who could stay close without making him uncomfortable.
I’d cared for him deeply, but it wasn’t romantic. I’d simply misunderstood my feelings.
What I’d been waiting for all along was someone who could heal his wounds and stand by his side.
“Kana-kun, you’re better now… I’m so happy for you.”
Overwhelmed with joy, I took his hand in mine and gave it a big shake. Then I did the same to her.
“Thank you for saving Kana-kun. You probably don’t want to hear this from me, but… please take care of him.”
I didn’t fully understand her appeal, but clearly, he did.
Though I was filled with emotion, it seemed they were dumbfounded, staring at me with blank expressions.
I gave them my brightest smile.
“Now that you have her, Kana-kun, you don’t need me anymore, right?”
“What? Ma-chan?”
“There’s somewhere I want to go.”
As I thought about it, yesterday’s events came flooding back.
“It might already be too late… but this time, I’ll be the one to awkwardly beg. Just like he did for me.”
I whispered my resolution before turning away and bolting from the classroom.
“Ma-chan… where are you going?”
His childlike, pleading voice didn’t reach me as I ran.
As if realizing too late that I was truly leaving, my childhood friend roughly shoved her aside when she tried to cling to him.
Ignoring her indignant protests, he stared after me, his expression stricken.
“Don’t go. Please, don’t leave me. Don’t abandon me.”
His trembling words hung in the empty space beside him, where no one remained to catch them.
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