My Friend Doesn't Hesitate 38

ACT38     How to Face That Liking?


「Good morning, Shiro-chan!」


Mashiro was walking alone on her school route in the morning when she heard a cheerful voice coming from behind her.

As might be expected from not hearing that voice yesterday, Mashiro's heart spontaneously uplifted... before long, a weight that was just right arrived on her right arm.

Even though it had only been absent for one day, it was a nostalgic moment she had been continuously waiting for.


「Ah, good morning, Akami. You're completely back to good health.」

「Yeah. I'm bursting with energy today!」


The owner of the weight――Nishina Akami, the girl who could be called Mashiro's best friend, gave her a wide smile.

She was absent yesterday due to a fever, but this morning, Mashiro received a message that she was in perfect condition, so Mashiro was exceedingly looking forward to her morning commute to school. She was glad that this moment had come.


「Truly, I was worried.」

「Sorry, sorry. I'm already completely healthy, and now I'm getting energy from Shiro-chan like this!」

「That's true. Receive as much『replenishment』as you like.」

「Heheー」


Akami embraced her arm even more tightly, and her eyes narrowed as she smiled.

Just by looking at her like that, inside Mashiro's heart, the stirring pleasantness, the tightening sadness, and the desire to find the answer to those sensations rushed around,


「Fufu. After all, being with Akami in the morning is nice.」


But in the end, her good mood was retained as before.


「I also think that mornings with Shiro-chan are the best.」

「Yeah. I said it before, but I want to walk with Akami like this for forever.」

「Uu... Sh-Shiro-chan is unconsciously making moves on me again...!」

「But to really do that, a little something more is needed, right?...」

「? Shiro-chan?」

「... Aah, sorry. Just a small private matter.」


Akami tilted her head, but Mashiro smiled to let it pass.

Mashiro hadn't found an answer inside herself sufficient to explain right now, so she would have Akami wait just a little longer.

They continued on to walk through the schoolyard, and when they arrived at the entrance of the school building,



「Mm, what is this?」



She opened her shoe cupboard and found something on top of her indoor shoes.

When she took it out and looked closely, it looked like a letter, but...


「This is... eh, if I'm not mistaken...!」


Akami, who was right next to her, saw the letter and was extremely surprised.

Mashiro tilted her head a little and wave around the letter,


「As you can see, it seems to be a letter. Moreover, for some reason, the seal holding it closed is a cute heart mark.」

「Sh-Shiro-chan, you don't know!? This is a love letter!」

「Rob later? What's that?」

「Lo・ve・let・ter! Now isn't the time for a classic joke like that from old light novels!」

「Eh, even though it’s a genuine question, you're treating it as a joke...?」


Mashiro was a little shocked.

In any case.

According to Akami's explanation, a love letter was a letter written to express yearning.

In other words, the fact that one was sent to Mashiro meant,


「... There's someone who likes me?」

「Th-that's what it means.」


In front of the homeroom classroom.

The aforementioned letter (unopened) was placed on Mashiro's desk, and she and Akami, who was sitting across from her, were facing each other with solemn expressions.

Mashiro couldn't imagine that there was someone who liked her.

Her grades were a little below average, and she was aiming for average for this end of term. Her athletic ability was a little above average, and her appearance... well, since she started dressing more fashionably in various ways thanks to Akami's influence, she thought she had gotten moderately better in the last two months, but even so, her cuteness fell far short of Akami in front of her.


「I can't believe there's someone harboring feelings of yearning for me, the very definition of average.」

「... Shiro-chan, are you seriously saying that? Or are you saying that even though you've powered up to that extent, it's still not enough? How?」

「Eh...why did you shudder, Akami?」

「Ah, no... umm...」

「?」


Akami was muttering.

While frowning at her, in order to move forward for now, Mashiro opened the envelope, took out the letter, and spread it out on her desk.

Although Akami was surprised by her prompt action, as expected, it seemed she couldn't help but be curious. Together with Mashiro, she focused on the text.

Ahead of the two's gaze was beautiful handwriting written on a stylish purple piece of paper.



『Please forgive suddenly sending you a letter like this.

Every day I've seen you since the first day I caught sight of you, you've always made my heart pound.

It may have been best to continue just gazing at you from afar, but I can't control myself, so I'm writing this now.

Could you please give me an opportunity to express my feelings directly?

I'll be waiting for you in front of the rooftop entrance after school today.』



「W-wow... this is also old fashioned...!」

「Their elegance is reflected in the writing. Just like a girl.」


There was no sender's name. 　

Was it intentional, or did he forget?... Either way, it seemed unlikely she would be able to identify the person by the end of the school day.


「S-so, what are you going to do, Shiro-chan?」

「Mm......」


Akami timidly asked, and she thought.

Mashiro didn't understand love.

Although she had observed such scenes many times in comics, novels, TV dramas, and the like, in the fifteen years and nine months she had been alive, feelings like that toward the opposite sex――in other words, men, had never clicked with her even once. 　

Among the men she had met so far, having one that came to her mind, made her heart throb, sometimes made her feel pain, and beyond that, made her reach love's final form and desire kissing had never happened even once.


「............」



Rather, such feelings...



「? What's wrong, Shiro-chan?」

「No......」


Filled with an indescribable feeling, Mashiro shook her head.

Rather than thinking about a possibility that didn't exist, she should focus on the issue in front of her now.


「Anyway, I'll go there after school and reply properly. No matter the form, I think it's not good to ignore something so important to that person.」

「!...」


Hearing Mashiro's clear answer, Akami's breath caught, and a nervous expression appeared on her face.

Subsequently,



「And—―firmly reject them!」



「........................ Ah, yes.」


Once again, she made a clear declaration.

This time, Akami slumped from an apparent loss of tension, and a slightly mixed wry smile showed on her face.


「What's wrong, Akami?」

「No, um... Shiro-chan seems manly today.」

「It would be nice if that were truly so...」

「Eh. Even though it was a joke, Shiro-chan, why are you earnestly agreeing?」

「... Now then, the warning bell will ring soon.」

「?」


Once again, she took a deep breath and forcibly ended the conversation.

In any case, before deciding on the answer in her mind, with the final exams approaching, she needed to concentrate on her lessons, and she needed to think about after school――how to apologize to the sender of the letter.

It looked like Mashiro would be busy with various things today.


　　☆　　★　　☆　　★　　☆　　★


If Shiro-chan says that she has no intention of saying yes, that's surely so, but.

What if that suddenly changes... I can't completely get rid of that anxiety.

But while that may be true, Shiro-chan decided to reply properly, so she wouldn't think well of forcibly stopping her...


Ah, geez, truly, I'm frustrated at myself for being unable to do anything even though I'm healthy again...!