Ch.424IF Side Story: Seems I’ve Arrived a Bit Early (121)

“Why don’t you go talk to him?”

I was startled by the whispered voice and quickly turned to look beside me.

Yuka was leaning slightly toward me.

It’s loud inside the karaoke room. If you’re even a little distance apart, you can’t hear what others are saying.

But if you shout too loudly, other people in the group will hear, so she had to get close to me to make sure only I could hear her.

I was just lost in thought, so her sudden approach startled me.

“Go talk to him?”

I played dumb, but Yuka frowned at me as if to say “you know what I mean.”

I couldn’t deny it any further with that expression.

“It’s bothering you, right? I don’t know what’s going on between you two, and I don’t particularly want to ask, but isn’t it a bit awkward to sit here with such a serious expression while everyone else is having fun?”

I couldn’t argue with that.

A little while ago, Yuu had stepped out of the room.

Even when he was here, he hadn’t sung anything and just sat there indifferently. I must have been unconsciously focusing on him the whole time—enough for Yuka sitting next to me to notice.

“If you have something to talk about, go out for a bit and talk to him.”

“…Would that be okay?”

“Of course it would. Do you need to ask?”

Yuka tilted her head at my question and said, “If there’s some misunderstanding between you two, wouldn’t it be better to clear it up as soon as possible?”

It seems Yuka had also sensed the tension between us.

“Go ahead. I’ll look after Koko.”

“Huh?”

“Come on, Koko. The next song is ours. Let’s sing together.”

When Koko tilted her head in confusion, Yuka quickly said that.

“…Alright. I’ll be back in a bit then.”

“Kotone?”

“Koko, can you wait with Yuka for a little while?”

When I looked directly at Koko and asked, she stared into my eyes for a moment.

She didn’t verbally respond, but she seemed to understand that I needed to go. Eventually, Koko nodded.

“Come back quickly.”

“Yes, I’ll be quick. Stay with Yuka and Shii.”

…Koko is smart enough that I probably didn’t need to say that.

But I was still a bit anxious about leaving her.

Fortunately, Koko didn’t insist on coming with me. Perhaps we’ve come to understand each other well enough after spending so much time together.

Though if I take too long, Koko will probably come looking for me anyway.

So I should talk quickly and come back.

I steeled myself and stood up.

*

Yuu wasn’t visible in the hallway. Had he gone outside the building?

I was startled by that thought.

I… don’t know how the current Yuu would act. The Yuu I met today was very different from the Yuu I remembered from childhood.

While he didn’t seem like a completely different person… I still don’t know what the current Yuu is thinking. Or what he’s been through in the meantime.

Had Yuu become the type of person who would leave his friends and go home alone?

I decided not to think that far. No matter what, Yuu wouldn’t have changed that much.

So I assumed Yuu had just gone to the bathroom, and I waited near the door.

For a moment, I smiled at the singing coming through the door. Koko and Yuka were singing together.

Yuka’s personality has softened a lot. That’s the result of consistently hanging out with Shii, Souta, and Nanami. When it comes to karaoke specifically, Nanami might have played a significant role.

“…”

Time passed incredibly slowly. It hadn’t even been a full song, so it was literally just a moment.

But to me, that time felt extremely long.

I tried to organize in my head what I should say when Yuu came out of the bathroom and we were alone, but when I actually tried to think about it, I didn’t know where to start.

Okay.

First, I’ll apologize. I’ll say I’m sorry for not keeping in touch properly. Sorry for not coming to see him.

As I waited there somewhat anxiously—

“Oh.”

The person who spoke to me wasn’t Yuu.

Some guys came out of a room, probably heading to the bathroom.

They were around my age. Probably not more than two years older? They were wearing school uniforms, so they must be high school students at most.

Seeing me standing alone in the hallway, the three of them sauntered over to me.

They didn’t look particularly like delinquents. One of the three had a disgusted expression, suggesting he was tired of his two friends who apparently hit on girls as soon as they saw them.

“Hey, are you here alone?”

One of the guys, who looked more like the partying type, spoke to me.

Before I could answer,

“No, who comes to karaoke alone?”

“Ah, that’s true.”

The guy who had approached me to talk scratched his head in embarrassment after being called out by his slightly less party-looking friend.

“So who did you come with? Boyfriend? Or friends? If it’s friends, how many—”

“…What are you doing?”

But before the guy could continue, another voice cut in.

A sharp voice that clearly conveyed irritation even from a casual listen.

“Ah.”

The expression of the guy who had been standing apart from the other two with a disgusted look turned bright red, and he quickly grabbed the backs of the two and pulled them toward him.

“Oh, I didn’t realize you were with friends.”

“No, like I said, who comes to karaoke alone—”

“…Read the room, will you?”

The guy who had grabbed them by their shirts said through gritted teeth, gave a slight bow toward me and Yuu, and dragged the two away.

“…”

Yuu watched the two being dragged away with an incredulous look. It was both anticlimactic and somehow tension-relieving.

“Thank you.”

I quickly said to Yuu.

This was an opportunity in a way. Regardless of Yuu’s intentions, he had helped me.

If someone helps you avoid an annoying situation or potential trouble—even if you were planning to reject them anyway—it’s not strange to thank them.

Yuu just looked at me with a cold expression after hearing my words.

But he didn’t completely ignore what I said. At least he looked at me.

“Um, well.”

I stammered a bit as I spoke.

“As a thank you, let me buy you a drink. There’s a vending machine over there…”

“…”

Well.

This is awkward.

The singing from various rooms echoed through the hallway. All of it was muffled through walls and doors, making it sound more gloomy than exciting.

As I fidgeted nervously, Yuu finally let out a deep sigh.

He didn’t say anything to me, but he moved first, walking toward the exit of the hallway. I quickly followed behind him.

*

I did end up buying the drinks.

It wasn’t a big deal. I just had to quickly insert a 500-yen coin.

Yuu, who had been rummaging through his wallet, looked at me with another incredulous expression, but eventually chose a drink. Orange juice.

I also got a drink for myself and stood next to Yuu, keeping a bit of distance between us.

The sky was gradually turning dark, as the days weren’t that long yet.

People who looked like office workers began to appear on the street one by one. There were also some younger people passing by, talking loudly.

After taking a sip of my drink while looking in that direction, I carefully opened my mouth.

“…Yuu, I’m sorry.”

“…”

When I suddenly apologized, Yuu blinked.

His expression was still a bit cold, but at least he looked at me.

“For disappearing without saying anything.”

Yuu took a few sips of his drink as if thinking about what to say, then,

“Do you… think I’m angry because you disappeared without saying anything?”

I wonder.

To be honest, it would be much more hurtful if there was no reaction at all. If I was nothing to him, if I was someone who had no impact on his life, that would be sadder.

Whether it’s a need for recognition or just me being attached to this relationship, I’m not sure myself.

Seeing that I couldn’t say anything, Yuu pressed his lips together.

For a moment, I thought his expression crumbled a little.

“Do you know me?” he asked.

“I—”

“No, I’m not just asking if you know my name. Do you know what I’ve been through, how I’ve been getting along with my friends?”

I don’t. Not at all.

“I don’t know you. I know Kotone Kurosawa from when we were very young. But with a different name now, how am I supposed to know how much an elementary school acquaintance has changed?”

“…Then.”

I gathered a bit of courage and said,

“Then, could you… let me get to know you?”

Yuu looked at me again.

This time, his face showed surprise.

“Why?”

Yuu said.

“Why would you say something like that?”

I’m not sure.

Yuu is a relative and a friend, but… didn’t I learn from my previous life? Both family and friendship can be severed or fade at any time. People you thought were close friends might never contact you after graduation, or you might completely forget they existed or even their names.

So why did I say that to Yuu?

“…Because we’re friends.”

I may not know exactly, but at least I can say that much.

Is it because this life hasn’t been that long yet? Because the memories of childhood friends take up so much of my life?

“…”

But even if I couldn’t convey any logic, at least the sincerity in those words seemed to get through.

Yuu couldn’t continue speaking for a while, then finally opened his mouth.

“…I guess we were, weren’t we.”

That voice still had some bewilderment in it.

But at least the coldness seemed to have melted away, I thought.