CH 257

I have known the girl Yuzuki Hojo since we were babies.

We have been together for so long that even in my earliest memories, I always see Yuzuki.

Even though we were just neighbors, Yuzuki and I had a close relationship.

We were like brother and sister.

The reason why we had such a relationship was because of Yuzuki’s mother, Yoko Hojo.

She was, in any case, a very caring person.

She knew that my mother was not interested in childcare, and whenever something happened, she would actively babysit me.

Thanks to her, my mother left me in Yoko-san’s care and worked all the time.

Well, I don’t really care about my mother’s neglect.

Anyway, Yoko-san was very caring and loved me as if I was her own child.

Perhaps it was because she grew up watching Yoko-san’s back.

From an early age, Yuzuki was kind to others.

Perhaps “kind” is too lukewarm an epithet.

Anyway, Yuzuki was a “sweet” person toward others.

No matter what she did, she never got angry. No matter what was said, she accepted it. No matter what happened, she would not be upset. When asked to do something, she never refuses, and rarely asks for a favor herself.

She is always smiling and laughing, and is very calm.

She is a gentle girl.

The best word to describe her would be “devoted”.

Yuzuki is devoted to his partner anyway. Without any hesitation at all, she chooses the option that will cause her to lose out. Without regard for himself, as long as the other person is happy, that’s all that matters–Yuzuki had always had this mindset.

And it was only after Yoko-san’s death that this act of devotion became more pronounced.

Until then, her devotion was to the extent that she considered herself to be a kind person.

Suddenly I realized that she had become overprotective of those closest to her.

At that time, the person closest to Yuzuki was also me,… which means that she became blatantly lenient towards me.

Three years ago, when we were in middle school, my mother had already given up on me, so I spent a lot of time at home with just me and Azusa.

On those occasions, it was Yuzuki who did the housework such as cleaning, laundry, and cooking.

I am a little hesitant to describe it in such words, but to put it simply, Yuzuki was like a “lover”.

Because of this, I thought that I was ‘someone special’ to her.

But I was mistaken, of course.

It was the entrance ceremony of the high school. Yuzuki, who fell in love with Ryuzaki, suddenly became distant from me.

I felt lonely at the time, but now I can understand why she left me.

She is the kind of person who confirms the meaning of her existence by being needed by others.

I think she is similar to … me in this way.

I wonder if it is because we have known each other since childhood. She and I are a bit similar.

We lack self-confidence and take pleasure in having others recognize us.

In other words, we are the same type of person, which is why we can’t be together. Yuzuki was more comfortable with Ryuzaki than with me.

Compared to me, Ryuzaki does not care about others.

He is unreserved in his pampering of Yuzuki, relying on her and clinging to her. This is the part of him that satisfies Yuzuki’s need for approval.

But that’s just like “dependence” in other words.

She is like me, after all. Just like me, who is almost dependent on Shiho,… or even more than me, Yuzuki was giving her all to Ryuzaki.

If such a relationship could work, there would have been no problem.

However, when the relationship fell apart at some point…, Yuzuki broke down, in one fell swoop.

Even if it means sacrificing yourself, the desire to serve the other person seems wonderful.

However, when that other person betrays you,… you will not be able to stand on your own.

Yuzuki is in the middle of such a situation right now.

If she had only been devoted, she could have protected herself better.

The result of self-sacrificing devotion to the other person, and the result of becoming defenseless, must be the current Yuzuki.

I saw the future “Kotaro Nakayama” in this image.

(If I were abandoned by Shiho …)

I might end up like this.

Thinking about it, it didn’t seem like someone else’s problem…