CH 2

"A...A-Asami-kun! W-would you like to have a talk to me?!"

"Harube-chan! Please come and watch the soccer club!"

As I was lost in my memories, the familiar names of my best friends and the invitations I had heard so many times in the past flew in with the spring breeze through the window.

Those voices that sounded out all of a sudden garnered mine and Takagaki's attentions, and the two of us peered our faces outside to see the situation.

"Okay. Let's find someplace comfortable to talk."

"Yesh! Thank you so much! This way, please!"

"Sure thing~, Mishima-kun! Lead me!"

"Ah! If Harube-chan would come, then club activities will be more exciting!"

Asami Tasuku, a handsome guy who didn't show any kind of displeasure to that girl who invited him out, and was blushing so much that we could even see from the classroom upstairs as she made a prayer-like gesture, and Harube Ayane, a pretty girl who let out a friendly smile as a response to the fervent wish that she watch them from a guy who might be a member of the soccer club.

Those two were my best friends, as well as my childhood friends.

"He's being asked out by a stranger again. The two were really popular, after all."

"That's true. I mean, who wouldn't ask a guy out with those kind of looks?"

One of them had a neat face and moderately curly brown hair. He didn't show much emotion and was so handsome that it was hard to believe he was a high school student right now. However, he wasn't to be underestimated, because his occasional smile would make any human being blush. By the way, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that he was a looker when he was all drenched, to which when we were once headed home without an umbrella while it rained, even I, as a guy, exclaimed, 'Oh, wow.'

Meanwhile, the other had a slightly childish face with round eyes, and a smooth, shiny, cherry-red hair pulled back into a side ponytail. Once they saw the smile on her face, they wouldn't be able to take their eyes off, and they would be attracted to her, as well as be aroused with a desire to protect her. By the way, the face she showed when concentrating was different from her usual expression, and it wasn't too much to say that gap moe was definitely a thing for her.

As expected, these two were dazzling not only back in middle school, but also in high school.

"A calm Asami and a friendly Ayane. I see, if you take a look at them, they might make a good match, just like you said."

"Right! And yet, they won't even go out together~. Hey, why?"

"Who knows. I guess only the people in question would know about that."

Takagaki, who had been sitting next to Ayane since classes started, had become her first friend after entering high school, taken in by her fast-paced attitude.

In response, I sympathized with Takagaki, and then asked her that question, but I didn't get the answer I wanted. I had wanted to ask for a unique perspective from a girl, but since we'd only know each other for a week, I put that on hold for now.

At the same time the two rejoined again, I looked up at the sky, dyed red.

―― There was still a chance. I had to support them even more in our high school life.

Recently, perhaps because I was busy studying for exams and searching for the reason why the two weren't getting together, I hadn't simulated how I should act in the future.

A new environment for high school students. And when talking about the best scenes in these three years, the school trip came to mind, and I would make up for it at the cultural festival at the earliest.

I found myself unconsciously  gloating as I imagined the future and fantasized about what kind of situations would be exciting for them.

"Woah, gross..."

"..."

Takagaki backed away from me along with her chair, making a particular high-pitched noise in the process. Did I look that disgusting? Oh my, it seemed that my eyes were getting a bit damp...

"Speaking of which, did you ask them if they liked each other?"

"No, I haven't, but you know? Takagaki should have guessed from watching the two of them this past week, right?"

I had heard about their preferences, but...I hadn't heard of the person they liked. Well, even if I didn't ask, I could make a guess on who that person was based on their personality, face, and behavior. I still remembered grinning when I heard about this.

The image of those two people as they walked hand in hand while giving the other affectionate looks. It was the spitting reflection of compatibility, but why didn't they go all way to lovers, huh. I dun' geddit.

"Indeed, your eyes look bad."

"Huh? What are you talking about? These eyes can see as clear as day."

"No, not in that sense... They seem muddied."

"Eh, you're lying. You serious?"

"Serious."

A new revelation. My eyes looked muddied. That was strange. How could they be when I shed tears every time I saw a moving scene in a drama, a movie, or a manga? I was thinking my eyes were rather pure. Or was it that I didn't know myself as well as I thought I did?

No, that was beside the point. What did she even mean by bad, huh.

"Hm, I can't see those two anymore. Should we head home?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

I wanted to ask her why she thought so earlier, but after taking a look outside, Takagaki got up, closed the window, took her bag and slung it over her shoulder. I was thinking she might find it annoying for me ask this while I still hadn't got an answer for my question, so I went to my seat to pick up my bag and left the classroom as well.

By the way, I checked my eyes at home, and they were your normal black, not muddy. This was going to sound like a retort, but it looked like Takagaki had the one with bad eyes.