My Friend Doesn't Hesitate 24

 ACT 24     Let's Be Friends?


「Nishina-san, shall we go home together?」


When all of that day's classes were over, after school.

It was a little different than usual, but Mashiro called out to Akami as she always did.


「Nn, alright. Let's go home together, Nogi-san.」


In contrast to the light and airy Mashiro, Akami's state was slightly different from usual.

Even when they left the classroom and were walking down the hallway, she kept a subtle distance, but,


「Today was a little... difficult in various ways.」


Akami grumbled as they walked side by side.


「Really? For me, it was quite fresh, and I thought it might be nice to do something like this once in a while.」

「I think I don't want to do it for a while? Well, it made me remember something, so there was a good point, though.」

「? Remember something?」

「Yeah. The day Nogi-san and I first met.」

「――――」


Hearing that, Mashiro felt like she had been hit by a surprise attack.

When she thought about it carefully, she felt like that certainly could be the case.

Mashiro recalled that day.



――The day of the high school entrance ceremony.

Due to some minor trouble in the morning, Mashiro was on the verge of being late when she entered her designated 1st year Class 2 classroom.

Almost all of the seats inside the classroom had already been taken, so resigning herself to taking any open seat, she moved to one.


In front of that seat, she was sitting.


Her first impression was that she was tiny and cute.

Something about her expression seemed nervous, and she was fidgeting with uneasiness, causing Mashiro to feel a fleeting desire to protect her.

However, she could somehow sense from her atmosphere that she was actually a strong, reliable, and very good girl.

Altogether, it caused something inside Mashiro to be roused to action.


『Hey.』


When she noticed, withouting hesitation, she called out to her.


『?』

『I'm Nogi Mashiro. You are?』

『U...mm, Nishina, Akami.』


She introduced herself.



『――Let's be friends?』



As if it was natural, she held out her hand.



「It may have been a commonplace encounter, but Nogi-san talked to me without hesitation, and at that time, I felt quite saved, you know?」


Even though it happened only two months ago, Akami let out a somehow nostalgic yet adorable sigh.


「If I remember correctly, at that time you had just moved to this town from far away, and school was an environment where you truly didn't know anyone, right?」

「Yeah. It wasn't like I thought I wouldn't be able to make any friends, but I was still a little anxious. Conversely, I didn't think I'd be able to make one so quickly.」

「Mmm... I myself didn't think I was the type to be that proactive, but at that time, I truly suddenly spoke to you.」

「Maybe because of that, I was able to get used to the class, school, and this town very quickly. I'm grateful to Nogi-san.」

「...... Although you say that, I was a bit bad at some essentials. In the beginning, there were many times when I couldn’t grasp the correct sense of distance, and I really regret it.」


Mashiro smiled wryly.

Almost normal... one part of her could be called awkward, and maybe because of her own way of doing things, she'd had troubles like with the conversation today during lunch break more than once or twice.

Akami accompanying her without making an unpleasant face despite that awkwardness was truly good fortune.

Now that they had distanced themselves just a little, she felt like she understood that.


「It's all because you always acted to match the situation, Nishina-san.」

「No, it's because you worked as hard as you could, Nogi-san.」

「Eh?」

「Because Nogi-san is a person who doesn't hesitate. You were kind to me without hesitation, and I knew it was because that was what you truly wanted to do. I thought that if it was this person, I could accompany her.」

「... Nishina-san.」

「For that reason, patching up Nogi-san's occasional failures became kind of fun.」

「Unuu.」


Praising and reprimanding, smiling happily or wryly.

But thinking back on everything.

These two months had been very, very dear days for Mashiro, and as she had thought before, she wanted them to continue forever.

And as she had thought many times lately.


She wanted to become even closer with Nishina Akami.

For that reason.


「I'll say it again, Nishina-san.」

「Eh?」



「――Let's be friends?」



Just like at that time, Mashiro held out her hand as if it were only natural.

In response, Akami's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

She seemed to find it amusing, as a chuckle slipped out, and yet... with a slightly bittersweet expression on her face, she took that hand.


「Yeah. Please continue to take care of me, Shiro-chan.」

「It is I who should say that, Akami.」


The sense of distance they had put between themselves naturally returned to normal.

Mashiro thought today was a very pleasant, important day to separate the days up until now from the days to come.


「By the way, Akami, even if we're doing it now, do you want to do replenishment?」

「Mm, let's refrain. Today, even just holding hands while walking with Shiro-chan makes me feel a little grateful.」

「... Now that you mention it, that may be so.」


As Akami said.

Right now, even just holding hands was enough for Mashiro.


「............」


――Right now, there was just a little bit of a stir inside her chest.


Not just the usual warmth, but like something was added to it, something a little boisterous.

What in the world was this?


「? What's wrong, Shiro-chan?」

「Mm... for some reason, I feel different?」

「You feel different?」

「Mmm, I don't really know how to express it, so when I understand, I'll tell you.」

「?」


If she could say one thing, it definitely wasn't an unpleasant feeling.

Rather, it was pleasant.

Really, what is this... although she thought that, she also thought there was no need to rush to find the answer.

She would understand before long.

The days were getting longer, and they were still under blue skies on their way home.

Mashiro decided to fully enjoy the warm feeling of Akami's hand and the unfamiliar feeling in her chest.


　　☆　　★　　☆　　★　　☆　　★


――Let's be friends?


When she said that to me, I felt a little conflicted.

For now... that's fine, I thought.

For me, that was the important beginning.

However.



「――I love you.」



These words.


「Eh? What?」

「Mm, it's nothing!」

「Eh, what is it? Tell me clearly.」

「It's a secret, hahaha.」


Someday, surely.

I want to tell Shiro-chan in a clearly understandable way.