CH 1

You know? Have you ever lost everything because of something you didn’t even know you had? I’m right in the middle of it right now.

Looking back, maybe I was too happy for my own good. No, I’m sure I was.

A mother who is always kind to me, an older sister who takes good care of me, a younger sister who adores me with innocence, and a childhood friend who recently fell in love with me. And my best friend.

I thought that these precious days with my beloved people would continue for a long time to come, if not forever.

Until that moment. I will never forget the way they looked at me.

[You …. I’m sorry ….. How did I let this happen? ….. I wonder if I didn’t raise him right. ….]

Mom apologizing to my dead father with her hands on her face.

[You…! You are the worst! How could you do this…!]

She looks like this when she’s really angry.

[Onii-chan……! It’s a lie. Right?]

Yeah, it’s a lie! I didn’t do anything! So don’t make such a sad face.

[I’m sorry… I’m sorry Taiga… but I am already…]

Please stop… don’t just give up on me… Finally… I was finally able to convey my feelings… I love you so much. Mio… Mio… don’t let go of my hand…

It’s been almost 2 weeks since the incident. I thought I had run out of tears, but because of the memories that suddenly came to my mind, a few drops of tears started to overflow from both eyelids again.

Aah…how long will this go on? How did it come to this?

“I’m off!”

It was a sunny day after the rain, and I was leaving the house with more tension than usual.

“Ah…. Oh, Taiga…! G-good morning!”

The moment I stepped out of the house, I heard a familiar voice. I smiled shyly and raised my hand in the direction of the voice, which was somewhat more awkward than usual. Then she smiled shyly at me as well.

Her name is Mio Sakuragi. We have been friends since we entered elementary school. She has beautiful cherry-red hair that lives up to her name and big, round, vermilion eyes. For some reason, we were in the same class throughout elementary, junior high, and high school, and because of that, she is my closest friend.

To be honest, Mio is the kind of manga-like beautiful girl that an ordinary guy like me with no special characteristics would hesitate to even have a normal conversation with. And because of her cheerful personality, she is very popular among both boys and girls at school.

If it weren’t for the fact that we were childhood friends, I would have hesitated to even talk to her as a Mob.

She looks up at me and slowly extends her right hand to me. I respond by extending my left hand.

“Hmm…Well…As promised yesterday… yes.”

“O-ou”

“Oh, oh…”

“I-I’m still embarrassed…but I’m happy.”

We slowly intertwine our hands together as if we were handling a broken object. This is what is known as a “lovers’ knot.

Yes, this is literally a connection that can only be made between two lovers. My childhood friend, Mio, whom I mentioned earlier that I had been friends with for a long time, has become my lover.

It would be hard to believe that an ordinary person like me and a girl like her could be lovers, if others who don’t know much about our relationship could see it. Even I feel like yesterday was a dream.

However, the sweet and sour memories of yesterday that I had inside of me certainly made me feel elated from the morning. That’s why I left the house more excited than usual.

(Really… it’s not a dream… ah… finally I am… with Mio…)

I’ve been thinking about Mio for about 10 years, and it finally came true. After my body relaxes, a feeling of euphoria envelops me.

Yesterday, after school, after our club activities, I told her how I had long felt about her in the classroom. It’s not that I had planned to confess my feelings that day from the beginning.

Mio and I are both in the tennis club. We often finish our club activities at the same time. We usually go home together afterwards, but Mio had left something in the classroom, so I went with her. I saw Mio’s face lit up by the sunset and it was so beautiful……and since there was no one else in the classroom……I must have been out of my mind.

I unintentionally said to her, “…I love you.” I tried to cover up the fact that I had done something wrong, but I gave up halfway through.

I was so determined that I could no longer run away, I told Mio. I didn’t even have time to think about my broken heart, I just told her how much I loved her.

“I’ve always liked you too…” Mio responded to me while crying. At that time, I will never forget Mio’s expression like crying and laughing.

I was finally convinced by the gentle expression on Mio’s face as she beamed next to me and the solid hand warmth coming from her small hand.

What happened yesterday was not a dream.

Mio and I are now lovers. It is an undeniable reality. That fact alone is enough to make me feel like I’m about to ascend to heaven.

Mio is talking about something next to me, but I’m not thinking about it right now. In my head, I am dreaming of the sweet life we will have as lovers.

We’re going to go on a lot of dates alone, and then… we’re going to get to know each other better, and maybe even kiss!

No, no, no, wait, it’s too early to think about that. But… but… Hehehe…

“Hey Taiga, are you listening to me?”

Ouch. What happened was that I was chopped by Mio beside me. I was walking along thinking, so I didn’t notice it at all, but we were already in front of the school gate.

Mio looked like she was wearing a crown with her cheeks puffed out.

“Mou! This is our first day at school after becoming lovers…. You said you would text me last night, but you didn’t call me back…. I was going to meet you this morning, so I held off on calling you, but I was a little worried about you!

What a cute reason to be angry….

My head was spinning and I felt like I was going to fall over, but I managed to hold myself together with my strength. There’s a reason why I couldn’t text her.

“I’m sorry. I was so happy yesterday that I forgot my bag and racket in the classroom. It’s funny that I was escorting Mio to pick up her things and I forgot everything myself.”

“Oh, really? I was so happy that I didn’t notice that Taiga had left his stuff behind……. Fufufu, it’s funny that we went home together and neither of us noticed until the very end.

“Hahaha! We’re too new at this!”

“Fufufu! Right!!”

Walking along the street while having a good conversation, it seemed to go by very quickly, and we were already at the school.

“It’s embarrassing to hold hands in the school. We haven’t told anyone about us yet.”

Mio said, and then she spoke about our joined hands as if she was sorry to leave. I’m also deeply sorry, but this is just the way it is.

It was only yesterday that we started dating, and I haven’t told anyone about us yet.

Not even my other childhood friend Rinto, who is also my best friend.

Neither of us had the courage to suddenly go to class holding hands. However, many people saw us holding hands before we came to school. If I were to go out with the popular Mio, rumors would spread in the blink of an eye.

To begin with, even without all that, “entering a classroom hand in hand” is simply too silly.

As we walked along, talking about nothing else, we soon arrived at our classroom.

second year class 3 – that’s where Mio and I are. At the same time, it is also the classroom of my other childhood friend and best friend, Rinto.

Now, when should I tell Rinto about my Mio?

I open the door to the classroom, which is noisier than ever.

As soon as Mio and I enter, all eyes in the class turn to us at once.

“Ou, good morning…”

“Oh, Taiga! Mio! Seriously, you guys are going out with each other? Everyone in school is talking about it!”

“Uwaaa..! Rinto…! Wait, wait, wait, calm down!”

As soon as we entered, my best friend and childhood friend, Rinto, started talking to me. He’s a very good looking, tall guy with a pleasant personality, and I’ve never heard anyone say that they don’t like him.

Naturally, he is extremely popular…….how could I be childhood friends with such a super handsome guy and a super beautiful girl? Isn’t it too unbalanced? I’m starting to feel sad even though I’m saying it myself.

Anyway, seriously, has it spread like that already? I guess Mio’s popularity is tremendous. I guess you could say that in a way, I saved myself the trouble of telling him.

I wanted to tell Rinto directly from my own mouth, but it couldn’t be helped.

By the way, Mio is hiding behind me in embarrassment.

“Hey, Taiga, what’s going on? You finally got together with Mio-chan, the idol…well, I knew it would happen someday…”

“Hey, hey! D-i-d Taiga-kun t-e-l-l y-o-u? What the hell!!”

The well-behaved boys and girls in the class were also opening their mouths. I may be a mob, but being childhood friends with two of the most popular girls in the class, I’m able to talk to everyone in the class.

I have no choice but to say this here in front of everyone. I dare to say it out loud to hide my embarrassment. I’m going to have to say it here, in front of everyone, to hide my embarrassment.

“Yeah, that’s right! Yesterday everyone’s idol, Mio Sakuragi, became my girlfriend! Hahaha-ha! You’re all frustrated, you bastards! Mio is mine! I’m going to make her sooooooooooooo happy for sure”

As I declared this in high spirits, the class fell silent for a moment.

Huh huh…? Did I go too far? The next moment I thought so….

The boys cried tears of blood and roared like the earth, and the girls cheered one after the other.

People were coming from other classes because my class was so loud.

Mio’s face was bright red because I had been too much fun. I was punched in the back and then grabbed by the hem of my uniform.

“You … finally… that’s great!! I’ve been cheering for you for a long time, so I’m relieved!”

Rinto said to me with the biggest smile while the other guys were staring at me with grudges in their eyes.

“Yeah…thanks. I’m sorry I’ve been making you so nervous all this time.”

“Don’t worry about it!”

Rinto then slapped me on the back.

I had often asked Rinto for advice about Mio. Every time I did, I would be told to tell him, “It’s obvious to everyone that you two love each other, so just tell her.”

（I’m really glad you’re my best friend, Rinto.)

After saying what I wanted to say, it was time for me and Mio and I started to walk to our seats.

“ARE YOU F*CKING KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!!!”

One of the girls from the seat behind me yells out in a terrible manner. The class was instantly quieted down, as if the earlier class buzzing had been a lie.

“YESTERDAY, YOU TRIED TO ATTACK ME! I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS… YOU S*XUAL PREDATOR!!!”

Ha?