Chapter 61: The Promised Time
Dragged along by Tanaka-kun, I arrive at the stall area.
I still have absolutely no idea what's going on.
Tanaka-kun buys some random food, shoves me onto a nearby bench, and tries to get me to eat something.
Nagase-san: "Hey, Tanaka-kun? Mind if I interrupt for a bit?"
Tanaka-kun: "Kousuke-kun is my best friend, so I'll look after him, Nagase-san, you go ahead?"
Nagase-san: "...Tanaka-kun... Aren't you busy with the film club?"
Tanaka-kun: "Fuhihi, I'd appreciate it if girls could give us some space for now...?"
I can tell those two are tense with each other.
It's okay, I'm okay.
"I'll just eat a little and wander around, then head back to class, okay? I'll stop by the film club after it's over too. I'm fine, really, you two go ahead."
I push the two of them away and get them to leave me alone.
At the stall area, students from the sports department—people I normally have no contact with—are running the booths.
Since they're elite members of teams like baseball and tennis, they're all pretty big guys.
For some reason, I'm reminded of Kan-kun (my middle school classmate, the macho one).
I head back to my class and work behind the scenes at the hamburger shop. Honestly, being busy is way easier for me.
Keeping my hands occupied helps me organize my thoughts.
Stunned → Disappointed → Angry.
For the first time this time, I'm starting to get pissed off.
Why do I have to be this sad?
We made a promise, and this is what I get?
My tears dry up, and my heart starts filling with resentment.
I can save the sadness for later—when we meet today, I'm not going to let myself lose!
Thinking that, I silently kept making hamburgers.
16:00, and finally, the culture festival comes to a close.
We haul out the class equipment and tools and return the desks and such.
After the teacher's talk, everything wraps up at 16:50, and we're told we're dismissed.
But for me, the main event starts now.
Because there's a promise to keep.
Maybe it doesn't even matter anymore, but I need to know.
The promised second day of the culture festival, 17:00. Next to the gym behind the school building.
I'm supposed to meet Yukari-san here.
She said there was something she wanted to tell me.
This is the place where Yukari-san and I ran laps and did muscle training so many times this summer.
The sweat and tears of Yukari-san and me have soaked into the ground around here.
Here they are. ...Kuzu-kun came with her too.
Yukari-san stands with her head down, and Kuzu-kun is two steps behind her.
Well, I guess... we do need to talk, after all.
Since it's the second time, I managed to pull myself together—earlier, I couldn't stop crying.
If anything, I'm feeling angry now.
Silence rules the atmosphere.
We can't just stay like this forever.
"...Congratulations on winning Miss Hokusho... Good job, really."
Yukari-san lifts her head a little,
Yukari: "Yeah, thanks to you, I got it! ...Thank you..."
She brightens up for a second, then remembers and lowers her gaze again.
Whew. I let out a sigh.
What is this?
I'm mad, I'm sad, I'm totally down, but there's no reason for me to feel inferior.
Honestly, I do feel betrayed. But maybe it's better this happened before we started dating and I opened up even more? That's what I'm starting to think.
Maybe I'm just putting on a brave face, but that's how I feel right now.
"So? The talk? The thing you wanted me to hear? What is it you wanted to say?"
My tone came out a bit cold, but whatever—she's probably going to say she's dating Kuzu-kun or that she likes him anyway. I can't deal with this.
Yukari: "...I'm... going out with Kuzu-kun now. ...Thank you for everything until now..."
Yukari-san looks down, struggling to say it.
After seeing the awards ceremony for the beauty contest, it's obvious what's going on—
so I just want to get this over with quickly.
"...That's it? If there's nothing else, then I'm done. ...Be happy."
That's all I can say.
I don't want to say anything bitter—I want to end things cleanly.
As I turn to leave, thinking I'll say goodbye and let this be my parting gift,
Kuzu-kun, apparently misunderstanding something, butts in with a smug grin.
Kuzu: "Maybe if you weren't acting like this, Yukari-san wouldn't have dumped you, huh?"
"Huh? Kuzu-kun, right? Why are you even here?"
Kuzu-kun replies with exasperation,
Kuzu: "Because if you lost your temper, you might say something awful, or even get violent or try to rape her, right?"
Kuzu-kun... I don't need the 'kun' anymore?
Kuzu keeps grinning as he talks.
Laughing, I say to Kuzu,
"Heh! You know, there's a saying: A crab digs a hole to fit its own shell."
*It means people act and think according to their own station,
but it's also a jab at how small-minded people can only judge others by their own standards.*
Kuzu-kun looks confused, a question mark practically floating above his head.
Do I really have to explain the sarcasm now...?
Kousuke: "So, basically? You assume I'd yell, get violent, or rape someone because that's what you'd do, right? That's what I meant."
Kuzu: "...You actually said that?!"
Kuzu finally gets it and gets mad.
Standing between our hostile standoff, Yukari-san desperately tries to intervene.
Yukari: "Kuzu-kun! Kousuke-kun! Please don't fight!"
"There's no point in fighting. I'm leaving."
Yukari-san looks sad,
Yukari: "I'm sorry, I know just apologizing isn't enough... but can't we be friends again?"
Huh?
The sound of wind rustling the grass and trees echoes.
"Can we? Be friends? I don't think so. I've kept my promise. I'm leaving."
Yukari-san keeps looking sadly between me and the still-angry Kuzu.
What's that about? Just look at Kuzu, you don't need to worry about me.
For once, I'm actually in a rare, aggressive mood and even snap at Yukari-san,
"That crab proverb from earlier. It applies to you too, Yukari-san."
Yukari-san looks flustered,
Yukari: "Huh? The crab one? It means you assume others are like you, right?"
Doing my best to keep my face blank, I spit out my words.
"Yeah, so that's why, back then, you said 'Don't cheat on me, okay?' right? I never would, so the thought never even crossed my mind."
(See Chapter 49: Next Time We Meet)
Leaving the stunned Yukari-san behind, I head home.
Sho would never say something this snarky, would he?
But I just couldn't keep it in.
I've grown even more wary of girls.
With a weird mix of satisfaction and a bitter aftertaste, I head home.
For some reason, I really want to see Sho's face.