CH 85

Chapter 85: (Extra) Sara’s POV Part 13

“Shimamoto-chan finally confessed to Shiori.”

On Friday night, Yoko-san called me on the phone and bluntly gave me shocking news. I could only respond in a surprisingly low tone “Huh?”,

I didn’t know I could make that voice.

“Ahahaha, Sara-chan is scary. Aren’t you sounding a little like Shiori-san? Sometimes she says that with a really absurd look on her face.”

“T-That’s because you said something weird. . .Anyways! She confessed? Shimamoto-san confessed?”

“Yeah, that’s right. It’s not a curveball like before, a straight shot now. A clear I like you! I want to go out with you! Like that.”

“Huh, a straight shot. So, um, Shiori-san said. . .?”

As I anxiously listened to the results, Yoko-san said “With teary eyes and holding her head she ran away.” Eh? Is that her reaction after being confessed to?

It seems that they aren’t going to go out, but what happened?

I was skeptical, Yoko-san told me the circumstances around the confession, and what happened during lunch break, but the more I asked, the more I realized that Shimamoto-san was a strong foe. While you could say she is an admirable rival, I felt really bad for Shiori-san.

“I caused this to happen. . .”

“No no no, I don’t think you had much to do with it. Even Shimamoto-chan’s childhood friend said it was already too late.”

“What do you mean? If it seems like it’s in Shimamoto-san’s manual, let’s discuss some countermeasures.”

“Ahaha, Shiori said the same thing and was devastated after she realized there wasn’t much to do. Even so, you two are really alike.”

I’m happy, but also not happy. . .!

Is Shimamoto-san’s childhood friend the one we met before? The one behind her while staring daggers at Shiori-san. However, when did she and Shiori-san get close enough to talk?

I have no idea!

Ahh, this is the handicap from going to a different school. It usually doesn’t bother me as much, but it’s really frustrating at times like this. Shiori-san, I wish you could transfer to my school.

“Nevertheless, I thought a confession was something you’d commit to?”

It was only recently that I realized something. I knew that there were some people that confessed to me that were serious, but it wasn’t until I was put in their shoes that I finally understood it.

Confessing is scary. You are offering your deepest feelings to someone, somebody that may not even accept them, and on top of that, you are risking losing that comfortable relationship you had before.

It’s high-risk, high reward.

“Well, I guess for most people it’s like that.”

“Isn’t it? Oh yeah, who confessed first, Yoko-san or President-san?”

“Ehhh, you’re asking that!?”

She said in a hysterical voice, but if you follow the flow of our talk, it’d obviously come to this. Plus if Yoko-san was the one who confessed, I’d like to hear the story in detail. Please, so I can use that as reference for the future!

“Hmm, Well, Mine is a bit complicated and won’t really be helpful. . . Well, maybe? However, if I tell you, I’m sure Shiori will be angry with me.”

“Well I’m going to be more concerned if I only hear that.”

“Aha, is that so? Okay okay, I’ll tell you! But don’t let your overprotective sister know I told you.”

I didn’t bother to reply, but what kind of confession would I be offended by? I heard her say “Where should I get started?”, is it just in my imagination, but does she somehow sound excited?

“Straight to the point, I don’t know which one of us confessed.”

“Eh, but you are dating right!?”

Maybe it wasn’t a “I like you.” or “I like you too” kind of exchange. Perhaps more light like, “Do you want to go out~?” and a “Okay-”? That’d suit her. Actually I don’t know about President-san, but I think if she is with Yoko-san, she would say that.

Just as I was about to finish the story in my head, a bomb was dropped without a second thought.

“We used to be friends with benefits-.”

A completely unexpected turn! !

“I’ve liked the president since junior high school, but I thought she had another person she liked. At that time it was hard to give up so I um. . . well there was a small opportunity, so I asked if she wanted to have a physical relationship.”

“Do I despise it?” She asked me, but I said no.

I mean I don’t think it’s admirable, but I don’t despise it. I know what it’s like to want to touch the person you love.

“Thank you. Well, I don’t think you would, but I definitely don’t recommend it. It’s really hard to have an unrequited love in a friends with benefits situation.”

“Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Uh huh, it’s better to choose someone you are only physically into~ like me.”

“I’m going to tell Shiori-san and President-san about your offer.”

“I’m sorry, I was just kidding!”

The serious conversation instantly returned to Yoko-san’s usual tempo. Well. . . What could you expect?

“Getting back on topic though, Shiori found out about that relationship.”

“Eh!”

“Well, I was seriously scared at the time! I was preparing for a suspension or expulsion from school!”

It could look like that. Or rather, why were you doing it in a place where you could get caught! If it had not been Shiori-san, I wonder if she would even be here now!

“She must have been surprised.”

“Yeah, she did say she was. Normally you’d be surprised to find out it was between two women, but she didn’t care about that. Simply lectured us on choosing the right time and place. I’m not sure if it is or isn’t very Shiori like.”

“You aren’t sure? I think it’s very Shiori-san like.”

This may be wishful thinking, but Shiori-san is someone who would have a neutral view on homosexuality. Above all she is very kind, so I don’t think she’d say anything to hurt her in that situation.

“Shiori is. . .well. .no. I’m on a tangent again, but I was touched by her kindness and told her about my long unrequited love and the giant hole I dug myself. All of it.”

The speed is scary! Yoko-san was laughing as if it didn’t matter, I guess it must have felt better after talking it out. I do wonder what “All of it” means. However, she wouldn’t tell me. Saying if she did, Shiori-san would go beyond just being angry. However, that just worries me.

“Well, the president called Shiori to meet her at the lunch room the next day. Naturally the topic was about the naughty stuff she walked in the day before.”

“Ah, yeah.”

After all, they were doing naughty stuff at school.

“Also for me, I didn’t intend to eavesdrop, but I knew the context so I knew it wouldn’t be good if other people overheard it. So I guarded the student council room from the hallway, but their voices began to leak through. From within, I could hear Shiori scolding the president. Normally she has such an elegant and composed face, it didn’t suit her to be raising her voice angrily cutting into the President. But, I was brought to tears! I was deeply moved!”

“Eh!”

That is rare. I’ve never seen Shiori-san mad.

“So the president snapped back.”

“. . .My opinion of President-san just plummeted.”

“Ahaha! When you get caught off guard, it’s easy to get defensive. But thanks to that, I was able to hear her true feelings, and I found out that our love was mutual. So you’d think it’d all be a happy ending. I got closer to the door, now I was completely eavesdropping, however.”

A livid Shiori-san, an irritated President-san lashing back, and a crying Yoko-san eavesdropping. That’s a chaotic picture.

Shiori-san always talked poorly of Yoko-san, but sure enough, she is an important friend. I’m getting a little jealous.

“The President also liked me, but in the future for the sake of her family, she would have to take a husband. Because of that, she couldn’t say her true feelings for a long time.”

“Then. . . is it hopeless?”

What should you say in response to that? Earlier, I said my opinion of her plummeted, but after hearing that I suddenly feel sorry for her.

I don’t know if it’s rude to feel sorry for her, but I definitely would say no in that situation. I say that, but I also know that it’s extremely difficult for a highschool to resist their family.

“It can’t be helped, at least right now. Ah, what do you think Shiori said to her? To the president as she was snapping back in despair?”

“. . .Something like, “Don’t give up”?”

At Least that’s what I would say.

Don’t give up. Fight back.

“That’s what you’d say, it’s the normal response. However, that isn’t what she said. She said “”If you’re going to break up anyways, you should atleast make happy memories”.”

“Eh, that’s shocking.”

“Right, after doing all that, that’s all you have to say? That’s what I was thinking at the time. However, as I look at her these past days, I’ve come to realize that it’s not that hard to understand.”

“What do you mean?”

The thing I know most about Shiori-san, is that she will not easily give up, and will look hard to find a way to make things right along with whoever is struggling. She will fight to the end with them.

The fact she gave up so much earlier is a side of her that I don’t know.

“You’d think Shiori is very pragmatic? But I think it’s different. Perhaps at her core, she is just a dreamy romantic, but has a tendency to see reality more than necessary. So she sees her ideal world and reality at the same time, and has a habit of trying to find a compromise between them. . . I can’t really explain it easily, but do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Yeah, I think I get the idea.”

Now that you mention it, something has been on my mind.

Even when talking about making friends in high school, she’d say things like “Highschool friends are something that will last forever.” and “Friends are a gift.”.

However at the same time, she bluntly says female friendship tends to be entwined with calculations and self-interest. And that if you could manage to get along, it’s better to enjoy yourself without worrying about the details. She was very cynical. It was as if she was taking a precaution. After lending me and Yoko-san so much help, she completely contradicts herself. She has no persuasion skills.

“As for the problem the president and I have, ideally the two of us would do our best to persuade her parents. I’m sure we could get over it with the power of love. . .Ah, saying the power of love outloud is embarrassing.”

“Eh, ahaha. Just a little bit.”

“Yeah I know. Well, I’m not sure what to do. That’s ideal, but in reality, the two of us are just highschool girls. We can’t compete with an established family that has conservative traditions. She is still being supported by them.”

“. . .Yeah, that’s true.”

“It’s overwhelming how little power we have. But more to the point, having spirit and resolution is not enough. That’s why, I think Shiori saying “If we are going to break up anyways.” is a good compromise.”

Not enough resolution.

But, sure. We are still in highschool. I’m sure there are few people seriously thinking about the future while dating. I wonder what percentage of high school couples even stay together.

“But I don’t want you to break up.”

“You’re a good kid. Yeah, I would like that too”

“That’s right. I’m rooting for you!”

It will be difficult, but it would be nice if it happened.

I want this to be a love that would last a lifetime, not have a deadline.

“I think Shiori-san also doesn’t really want you to break up either.”

Because she is kind. Even though she says those harsh words, she would still hope for those two’s happiness to continue.

“I hope so. I’d seriously be depressed if she actually thinks we should break up.”

“Certainly. I’m afraid our friendship would collapse.”

“Ahahaha, true true! Well Shiori is a romantic dreamy maiden, so I‘m sure she wants a happy ending.”

Not just a dreamy romantic, but now a maiden has been added. She’s so mature and sexy. Ah, but when she’s shy she is like a maiden. She is so cute.

“Does she tend to dream that much? My impression was that she is quite a solid and reliable type.”

“She is usually like that, but when it comes to relationships and romance she is just the opposite. That’s just what I’ve noticed.”

“A dreamy romantic maiden?”

“Yeah. When you say it like that, I think it’s pretty cute.”

Yeah I think so too. Leaving aside whether or not she is a dreamy romantic, she is cute. In addition to her usual maturness and cuteness, and hearing she is also a dreamy romantic, it makes my heart race.

Nevertheless, Yoko-san really likes Shiori-san. She has paid attention to her so closely. It’s frustrating that she understands her much better than I do. Plus I’m sure she can help her out if she is in trouble. Much more than I could do.

“But, I hate it when she is like that.”

I couldn’t believe my ears when she added those words with a cheerful tone.