Chapter 62: Reconciliation [side Yukari Tomonaga]
Culture festival, day two, 17:00
We had agreed from before—there was something I wanted to tell Kousuke-kun.
But...the plan changed?
I told him, sorry, but I'm going out with Kuzu-kun.
I said I hoped we could still be friends, but he shot me down and spat out his words.
Kousuke: "Yeah, so that's why, the other day, you said, 'Don't cheat on me, okay?' right? I wouldn't, so the thought never even crossed my mind."
(See Chapter 49: Next Time We Meet)
I was shocked.
I never thought Kousuke-kun would say something like that!
Sure, I know it was bad to give him false hope...but I kind of thought he'd end up cheering me on, you know? So I felt betrayed.
Starting the next day, I spent two days straight with Kuzu-kun on our days off.
It was my first time being wanted as a girl, so it was embarrassing...but it made me happy.
I get why Kousuke-kun was angry, but what could I do about it?
"It's in the past now," Kuzu-kun whispered in my ear, and I nodded, coaxing him to keep going in a sweet voice...
After the break, I started going to school with Kuzu-kun.
Maybe I'm a bit of a minor celebrity too?
I can hear people talking about us as we walk.
"Miss Hokusho" just sounds so ticklish and embarrassing...!
Everyone calls out to me.
All friendly voices.
As someone who was a chubby background girl until just recently, it's a little hard to get used to, but it feels nice.
Everyone is affirming me—because I've done my best!
The world has changed!
All that's left is to keep this up and make my own new place to belong!
I enter the classroom.
Good morning! Morning!
Lots of the girls in the top clique greet me.
I return their greetings, careful not to let my guard down.
Osada: "Morning, Yukaricchi."
"Good morning."
I'm weak to Osada-san.
She has this intimidating glare.
Her face is pretty, but she's also a bit of a gyaru.
She's quite beautiful, but I think her intimidating aura outweighs her looks—it's kind of a waste...
Osada: "Looks aren't everything, you know."
"Yes!"
How did she know?! Stuff like this is scary...
Osada-san shoots me a sharp glare and, a little irritated, asks me,
Osada: "Hey, Yukaricchi? You're not doing anything you couldn't tell people about, right?"
"No way! I'm just a plain, hopeless girl!"
Well, I guess I've become a bit of a standout hopeless girl now...
Osada-san doesn't even bother to hide her suspicious look,
Osada: "Then what's this about?"
She quietly hands me a photo...?
!!
Is that a photo of me and Kuzu-kun going into a love hotel?!
Wh-Wh-Why?! I quickly hide it!
"Maybe it just looks like we were going in...?"
I desperately tried to play it off.
Osada-san isn't even bothering to hide her irritation anymore,
Osada: "...There's a photo of you coming out, too, you know?"
The second photo is of me and Kuzu-kun, arms linked, coming out of the love hotel?!
I hurriedly hide that one too—this is really bad...!
Kuzu-kun saved me from a pinch, and then...
How did things end up like this?! I think back...
☆ ☆ ☆
Less than a week to the culture festival, and everything's done.
We finished shooting the beauty contest PV,
and the film club wrapped up filming, too!
Just like Osada-san said, I was drawing some secret attention...
Well, I just followed her advice and kept a low profile until the day itself.
Now all that's left is the final push for the beauty contest and helping with our class's maid café prep, I guess?
Osada: "Yukaricchi, dieting must be rough, huh? You can take a break. Everyone, that okay? Yukaricchi's all about drawing in the crowds!"
Osada-san is surprisingly kind.
Of course, it's because there's something in it for her, and if I get cocky, she'll definitely shut me down...
She really watches over the class, and even though she's a gyaru, she's smart and takes care of people.
Honestly, dieting is so tough I can barely stand it.
Taking her up on her offer, I rest at school.
Someone buy me a protein shake?
I'm sick of it, but it's the only thing I'm allowed...
Once this diet's over, I'm gonna chug one of those super-sweet, long-named drinks from Starba!
I already told Kousuke-kun that I wouldn't see him until our meeting at the end of the second day of the culture festival, so things are pretty dull.
When things get boring, I just start noticing how bad my condition is.
I'm hungry, I want something sweet, I don't feel like moving.
My cravings are stronger than ever!
I feel so sluggish and listless.
My weight is 52kg. I want to lose 2 more...
Even though I'll do a water cut right before, I still have to keep dieting and exercising for almost six more days.
Festival prep goes on—maid café preparations are going smoothly.
We're competing with the class next door, Class 5, but if you look at progress and quality, our Class 6 is objectively ahead...Osada-san's really capable.
Everything's on track, and since we're actually ahead, we've got leeway and morale is high.
That's it for today!
Osada-san announces.
Time to go home—while everyone starts moving,
Osada: "Hey, Yukaricchi? You're splitting up from your diet buddies today, right? We're heading to round2—wanna come to Supotche with us? Good for a change of pace, yeah?"
What should I do?
Still, if I'm alone I'll probably end up eating something...but at Supotche I'll be moving my body, it might be a good change of pace?
I nodded at Osada-san's suggestion,
Two train stops later, round2 is in the building by the station.
It's a famous multi-purpose amusement park, where you can play everything from video games to darts, billiards, and even active games, all for a set amount of time.
We all go in together for the three-hour course.
It's not everyone from class, but it's the group who knows about me, so it's okay to take off my wig, right?
Ahh, that feels so refreshing!
We put our bags and uniforms together in one spot, and everyone heads off to play whatever they want.
...But since I'm a background girl, I tend to end up alone at times like these.
Tap—someone pats my shoulder from behind and I jump!
?: "Tomonaga-san...? Umm...it's been a while?"
It's Kuzu-kun!
He dumped me so hard that summer, right by the bike racks?!
He went around spreading those rumors everywhere in a really obnoxious way! Because of that! I—
I was so mad at Kuzu-kun! There's so much I want to say!
However,
Kuzu: "I'm sorry! I know just apologizing isn't enough... but I really wanted to say it... Today, I heard from Osada-san that you'd be coming here, so I secretly followed! It's only natural for you to be angry, and if you are, you can hit me or even slap me! But please, let me apologize. I can't just leave things misunderstood like this... I..."
Kuzu-kun looks down with sad eyes...
His voice and attitude are completely different from the Kuzu-kun I remember who got rejected when he confessed...
Raising his head once, then bowing again and speaking in a gentlemanly way, Kuzu-kun's demeanor had a refreshing sincerity that made him likable.
For now, I decided to hear him out.
...I had held a grudge, but he was still the boy I'd liked since back in middle school.
If only what happened that day had just been a lie, I'd be so much happier.
Of course, my feelings are for Kousuke-kun now!
But he was the boy I'd liked so much, so if there was some mistake and that old crush could end cleanly, I'd be glad.
Kuzu-kun lifts his head, his face lighting up, and talks to me with the same dazzling smile that once captivated me.
Back then, I really loved that smile.
But that smile was never directed at me...
Kuzu-kun was cool and popular, so there were always flashy beauties and cute girls around him.
All I had was that one time back in middle school when he stuck up for me after someone teased me for being chubby and gloomy.
I remember watching the girl standing beside Kuzu-kun look at him with eyes full of admiration, my heart pounding, but he never once looked my way, did he?
Kuzu: "...Sorry, no matter how many times I say it, it's not enough..."
Kuzu-kun was seen at the scene by Mishima-san, and even though he explained, Mishima-san spread these terrible rumors like Kuzu-kun had insulted me horribly and made me a laughingstock!
But since we were classmates from the same middle school, and I was important to him... he wasn't good with words, so maybe his feelings didn't come across well and I heard them as harsh, but he apologized again, looking downcast.
"Yeah, I get it, it's fine now."
As I thought about all that, I accepted Kuzu-kun's apology.
I'm glad—my first crush wasn't some nasty, spiteful boy after all.
I was just so happy my memories weren't ruined.
Kuzu-kun kept apologizing over and over with such sincerity and kindness that I couldn't help but laugh.
Since we're here anyway, why don't we play together at Supotche?
Kuzu-kun touched my hand—did he bump into me?
No! I have Kousuke-kun!
As I quickly pulled away, Kuzu-kun apologized again.
Huh? Maybe he's more innocent than I thought?
I couldn't help but smile at his honesty and cuteness.
As the two of us laughed together, Osada-san happened to walk by,
Osada: "Kuzu-kun, Yukaricchi's pretty honest and just goes with the flow, you know? Don't do anything weird, okay?"
Osada-san glared and warned him?
After Osada-san left, Kuzu-kun scratched his head and said,
Kuzu: "Osada-san is scary!"
"I know! But she's really smart and reliable, like a big sister."
I played with Kuzu-kun at Supotche, and I ended up getting more exercise than I expected.
Since we went to the same middle school, we took the train together.
He was a gentleman, treating me respectfully as a girl and even walked me all the way to near my house.
The next day, he asked if we could go to school together, and we promised to be friends from the same middle school.
So we started going to and from school together. I never thought a day like this would come!
But those happy feelings vanished in an instant.
When I went to school with Kuzu-kun, my indoor shoes were missing.
When I went to the classroom in slippers, this time my desk had been messed with.
That's when I realized what Osada-san meant yesterday about standing out being "not good"...
My happy mood from yesterday turned into the worst feeling—scared and terrified. Who would do something like this...?
Osada-san saw my desk and, clicking her tongue, told me to go get a spare desk from the empty classroom.
I spent the time feeling uneasy and restless, and then, right before first period started—
Kuzu: "Ah, Tomonaga-san! I found your indoor shoes at the incinerator!"
My first crush rushed in to help me out of trouble with a bright, cheerful smile!