My Friend Doesn't Hesitate 37.5

ACT37.5     Is She That Charming?


「Hey, Onatsu! You're going home now?」


After school, just past 5:00 pm, when the sun would still be bright for a while yet.

From behind, Kiriko saw Natsu walking alone in the schoolyard, so she immediately called out to her.


「Oh, Kiri-yan-san, you're early today. Didn't you have club activities?」

「Final exams are soon, right? There will be a break from club activities starting tomorrow, and today was just a meeting about our summer schedule, so it ended at this time!」

「Ooh～. You were rounded up for a meeting at lunch as well, weren't you? Haven't you been terribly busy recently,  Kiri-yan-san?」

「Mm, but it's mostly been settled. Starting tomorrow, I can concentrate on studying for tests!」

「... Either way, that doesn't change how busy you are, hahaha.」


Natsu laughed wryly.

Certainly, it may be just as Natsu said.

However, Kiriko considered having a lot to do a good thing. Even more so since it was an environment where she could fully demonstrate her power and get commensurate results.


「Speaking of which, Natsu, are you already done with your manga manuscript for today?」

「Yes. I reached a good stopping place today, and my evaluation from Haijima-senpai was also superb. For the moment, I'll concentrate on the end of term.」

「Hmm. Then, starting today, we can go home together for a while!」

「Eh... ah, y-yes, that's right.」


When she immediately said what she thought, perhaps Natsu just realized that fact, as she blushed a little and nodded.

Kiriko was happy about it, and she became a little fraught with emotion.

　

「Hehe.」

「You're in an awfully good mood, Kiri-yan-san.」

「Yeah! I thought I might be dissatisfied about not being able to play basketball for a while, but if I can spend a little more time with Onatsu in exchange, that's fine.」

「Wha... what!?」

「Don't you think so as well, Onatsu?」

「Uu... y-yes, I'm also... happy to be able to go home together with Kiri-yan-san.」

「I see! We have mutual feelings!」

「!!!!! Ki-Ki-Kiri-yan-san, that usage is mistaken!...... N-no, in a sense, I don't want it to be wrong, but for now it's wrong!」

「?」


Natsu turned bright red, waved her hands, and said something Kiriko didn't really understand. Her braided hair furiously bounced up and down, and the green eyes behind her thick glasses also looked like they were spinning.

She's excessively agitated; did I say something wrong? she thought, but all those actions were kind of interesting, so she decided not to worry about it.

　

「Then, let's go home together, Onatsu. Like before, I'll accompany you to the station!」

「Geez... You really go at your own pace, don't you, Kiri-yan-san...」


In any case, leaving through the school gate, she walked side by side with Natsu.

It was raining the other day, but likely due to the rainy season being over, it was sunny today. It was around a ten minute walk to the station.

Kiriko felt that ten minutes was quite important, so she immediately searched for a topic they could discuss during that entire time, but.

――Today, there was an easy topic to talk about.


「At any rate, Shiro-chi has been kind of amazing lately. Especially today.」

「Mashiro-san?... That's certainly true.」


Nogi Mashiro.

A classmate girl Kiriko and Natsu had become friends with in the past two months.

Today, Mashiro's closest friend Nishina Akami was absent, and she was a little unstable this morning, but. 　

With the exception of that, Kiriko was very... moved by her in many ways.


「Shiro-chi is getting prettier with each passing day...」

「Yes. The person herself doesn't seem to be aware of it, but she's extremely charming, isn't she? She sometimes exhibits extremely bold, handsome power, but despite that, immediately after, she'll give off a younger sister-like aura that makes you want to take care of her.」

「Possessing both cuteness and beauty; Shiro-chi is amazing.」

「How should I say it... it's unfair in a good way? In the future, in our class, no, maybe regardless of class, she might get a fanclub irrespective of gender.」


It seemed that both Natsu and Kiriko shared the same opinion about Mashiro.

Even though she was a truly average girl at first, now, she couldn't help but be conscious of her. And before she knew it, she was charmed.

It felt like today in particular, she had experienced that.



「――It was the first time. That I felt like that.」



Before she knew it, that was coming out of Kiriko's mouth.


「... Kiri-yan-san?」

「Actually, during break time, when Shiro-chi told me that I was an attractive girl, for a moment, I fell in love with Shiro-chi.」

「Eh... p-perhaps...」

「Yeah. If asked if I mean that romantically, it might be exactly that kind of thing.」

「――――」


Hearing those words, Natsu looked very surprised――and at the same time, she looked very agitated.

Her complexion was bad, as if the blood had drained from her face.

...... Not good, did that put her off?

Kiriko hurriedly waved her hand,


「Aah, I said something strange, sorry, sorry. Even if I say love, it was truly only for a moment!」

「A-a moment?」

「That's right, a moment! I fell in love with her for a moment, but... I gave up on having that kind of relationship right away, or rather, I'm fine with just staying friends!」

「Wh... why is that?」

「Look. Shiro-chi doesn't say it herself, but she loves Aka-chi, right?」


Yes.

Nogi Mashiro's gaze was always turned toward Nishina Akami. In her heart, Akami's presence was extremely large.

It was the case with their normal intimacy, and it was the same after school today.

As soon as all classes were over and it was after school, Mashiro immediately rushed out of the classroom and hurried to Akami's side.

It was, so to speak, a decisive difference that couldn't be overturned.


「I thought it wouldn't come true, and to me, Aka-chi is also a very close friend, so I want those two to get along well forever; I think my feelings of not wanting to disturb their relationship are much stronger... I gave up quickly.」

「Is... that so. Now that you mention it... I might have been on the verge of being the same as Kiri-yan-san.」

「Ooh, Onatsu has thought that before as well?」

「Yes. During lunch break, Mashiro-san told me she wanted to get even closer with me, and, um... that... as expected, my heart was throbbing.」

「Is that so? As I thought. To the very end, we have mutual feelings!」

「L-like I said, that usage is mistaken...!」


Natsu was waving her hands in a panic.

Her face, which had been drained of blood earlier, had gone back to normal... and gone past that to turn red again, so it looked like her good condition had somehow returned.

Kiriko had almost made things awkward by saying something weird; she was glad things had gone back to normal.

While enjoying the conversation side by side, Kiriko sighed with relief in her mind.


However.


She had planned to put that feeling away in the depths of her heart, so why did she tell Natsu about it?

Why did she want Natsu to hear this story?


「――――」


Just from thinking about that.

It felt like Kiriko's whole body was burning, just like at the time of the compatibility horoscope.

This was, perhaps...

It resembled the feeling she'd harbored for Mashiro, but also felt different.

She herself, unconsciously, had said it was possible.



――That might be the reason why.



「Onatsu――」　

「Thank you very much for accompanying me, Kiri-yan-san.」


When Natsu said that to her, Kiriko was taken by surprise.

Before she noticed, Kiriko and her had arrived in front of the station.

Has it already been ten minutes...!?

Kiriko was a little surprised by how short the time was, but without letting it show,


「Yeah! D-don't mention it!」

「? Come to think of it, Kiri-yan-san, it seemed like you called my name just now... weren't you about to say something?」

「Mm? I was just going to say we should go home together tomorrow!」

「Eeh? Didn't you say that when we started returning home as well?」

「That's right! I completely forgot!」

「Hahaha. Geez, you're hopeless, Kiri-yan-san. Then, see you tomorrow.」

「Yeah, see you tomorrow!」


Waving her hand at Natsu's back as she went through the ticket gate, Kiriko saw her off.



「............ How uncool, me.」



When her figure disappeared from sight, Kiriko muttered that and looked up at the sky.

――Even though she could have said it if she tried, she hesitated.

There were plenty of excuses, such as how it would have been just after she revealed the faint feeling toward Mashiro she had given up on, or how she didn't want Natsu to think she was weird.

But she felt frustrated and pathetic about hesitating due to being unable to shake off those excuses.

――If Mashiro were in a situation like this, she would surely say it without hesitation.

That seemed to be another decisive difference.


「On hold, huh?...」


Right now...or rather, for the time being, Kiriko could only do that.

How long would that last?

She was able to find the answer to her feelings the other day, but she came up with another question she wanted to answer.

It was an endless difficult problem, but.

Kiriko thought that she wanted to face it without running away.


☆　　★　　☆　　★　　☆　　★


Wow, I feel like I've heard a shocking truth...

But I can understand.

Mashiro-san is such an amazing person she can even make Kiri-yan-san say something like that... I think that from the bottom of my heart.

That's precisely why.


As expected, I have to strengthen my resolve, right?

　

I wish I could be as bold as Mashiro-san...

It looks like I have to do something about this.

 ...... No.


I will do something about this.