CH 67

67 – Meeting Meika-chan (for the second time)

Saturday of that week.

I finished studying the one subject in the morning and headed for an Italian family restaurant in Kaihin Makuhari.

But to be honest, my heart was heavy.

Because …

…… Let’s clearly say no today: ……

Because that’s what I was thinking.

Meika is the younger sister of my best friend Ishida.

I absolutely cannot take an insincere attitude.

I feel sorry for her if I leave her with strange expectations.

Furthermore, I didn’t want to keep secrets from Touko-senpai.

If she finds out that I’m seeing Meika without telling her like this, she may suspect me of cheating.

At the same time, I was also reminded of Enka.

Will she really expose those photos to Toko-senpai and claim that she was sexually harassed by me?

I think she would.

And Touko-senpai is convinced that she is ‘a little strange, but a cute little sister’.

…… But I can’t keep this sort of thing hidden forever…….

After doing an all-nighter, I made up my mind to clearly tell Meika-chan that I couldn’t go out with her, and to be honest with Touko-senpai as well about Enka.

When I entered the shopping center in front of Kaihinmakuhari Station and reached the front of the family restaurant, Meika was already waiting for me.

“Sorry, did you wait long?”

She then shook her head from side to side.

“I was just here first …… and there were some books I wanted to look at in the bookshop ……”

Today she is wearing a pink down jacket, white ruffled blouse, and sweeping checked mini-skirt that shows her knees.

With a red pochette slung over her shoulder, she looks very much like a ‘middle and high school-aged girl’.

“Shall we then?”

I said so and entered the shop with her.

I ordered a doria. Meika orders a carbonara and a pizza for us to eat together.

“I’ve got exams to study for today, so I won’t have a lot of time for me, so….”

I’m sorry for her, but I declare that first.

“Yes, It’s okay.”

She sounded disappointed, but today she sounded firm.

During the meal, we talked about my university, and then about the mistakes she made when she and Ishida went camping together.

Meika-chan also looked at me rather firmly today and talked to me.

She doesn’t make eye contact, though.

When the topic of school came up from Meika-chan, I asked her about her relationship with Enka.

“How did you two become friends, Meika-chan?”

“It was from the time I was in the eighth grade. At our school, there was a class change in the second year of secondary school, and at first I didn’t fit in with the class. Furthermore, the first group of powerful girls targeted me for some reason. En-chan was the one who spoke to me and protected me at that time.”

“Hmmm, really?”

Unexpected.

I thought she was going to be a bully.

“Unlike me, En-chan is strong and says what she wants to say clearly, no matter who she’s talking to. I think it’s great that she doesn’t care about the atmosphere around her.”

I wish she’d paid a bit of attention, though.

“In the second half of the eighth grade, the strange feeling towards me disappeared, but I think that was thanks to En-chan’s support.”

“Well, I’m glad she’s a good friend to you, Meika.”

I was unintentionally lightly sarcastic.

But Meika-chan looks gloomy.

“But En-chan. When we were in the third year of junior high school, she started going out with a strange group of people. After school, she went to the arcade with some scary-looking wierd people. Everyone started avoiding En-chan even more. And that’s when why i……”

……scary-looking? Weird guys ……

I was stuck on that word.

“After that, En stopped associating with people like that, but everyone avoided En, so I stopped talking to her so much. But En-chan doesn’t say anything, and when we get to high school, she talks to me normally again.”

Well, looking at her current behavior, I’d say that although there are some unorthodox aspects to Enka, she has a friendlier side to her.

“So you’re good friends with her now.”

“Yes. En-chan is smart, but she’s also a bit out of it and forgetful, so I’m trying to cover that aspect of her.”

“I see.”

Somehow I think I understand their relationship.

Is it that ‘co-dependence’ thing that’s so common with girls at their age?

“By the way, um, …..”

Meika-chan looked at me, asking how I was doing.

“Yuu-san, are you still going out with Touko-senpai?”

I was stuck for a moment, but I had been thinking about how to ‘broach’ on this subject earlier.

It’s convenient if she begins the conversation.

“Yeah, we’re going to go out. Or rather, we’re already in a relationship.”

“But my brother and En-chan both said, ‘I don’t know if I can call that being in relationship.’ though ……”

Damn. You’re both going the extra mile.

“Maybe from someone else’s point of view, but you know. But as to whether they are in a relationship or not, isn’t their own will the most important thing?”

“Do you think you are in a relationship, Yu? What about you, senior Touko?”

…… Of course, we both think we’re in a relationship. ……

I tried to answer that, but I felt something stuck.

“No, of course I think that, both me and Touko-senpai, I’m sure ……”

The words that came out of his mouth were much weaker than he had originally assumed.

“So you don’t think your relationship is definitive yet?”

Meika looked me in the eye for the first time.

She’s serious today.

But I can’t get back down here either.

‘Even if her feelings are weak right now, I’ll continue to have feelings for her.

“Do you really like Touko-senpai that much?”

“Yes. For me, Touko-senpai is more than just a woman of my dreams. She’s the one who supported me through the worst time of my ‘girlfriend cheating on me’.”

“……”

“And if some spend time with her, you’ll see that she’s a very sensitive and kind person. I like her for that and everything else.”

Meika looked down.

“That’s why I can’t go out with Meika. I’m sorry if I made you feel weird. Let’s not see each other alone anymore.”

She remained still in a prone position for a while.

Eventually, Meika began wiping her eyes with both fists.

At first her voice was muffled, but soon a low ‘eh, eh’ could be heard.

“But I also like Yuu-san. From a long time ago. I’m sure that Yuu-san’s feelings for Touko-senpai are as great as her feelings for ……”

I don’t want you to cry here.

I was worried about the eyes around me.

“I heard from my brother before that ‘Yuu-san has a girlfriend’ and I thought about giving up. But I still couldn’t give up. ……”

“Meika-chan ……”

I called out to her about that, but I couldn’t think of the next word.

“That’s when I heard that Yuu-san’s girlfriend had cheated on him……. And then Yuu-san was going to be free……. so I thought……..this time……..”

I didn’t know what to do.

Bad consolation is meaningless.

I have no intention of breaking up with Touko or going out with Meika.

This kind of relationship will just continue on and on.

It was when I tried to say something.

Meika takes out the handkerchief and wipes the area around her eyes.

“I’m sorry. I cried all of a sudden. I’m leaving for now.”

And stood up without waiting for me to say anything.

Nor could say anything and just watched her walk out of the shop.