Chapter 1: 1

“I think I’ve found someone I like…”

We stopped by a fast-food restaurant on our way home from school and took a seat in the corner.

Hearing this with a slight smile, Kano almost dropped the 100-yen coffee she was holding in her hand.

In her haste to regain her grip, a little spilled coffee burned her fingers, but she didn’t have time to worry about the pain.

Nene glanced at me, as if to ask, “What should I do?”――With her feminine eyes.

It’s not about gender.

I’ve known since I was in kindergarten that Nene is a woman. Instead, there was a…feminine flavor, or sexiness, or something like that.

I’ve never seen it before.

If we were talking about idols, young actors, or other celebrities, I’d usually say something like this, but I’ve never seen this look on Nene’s face.

This is real love.

In elementary school and junior high school, I’ve seen my classmates talking about men with this look on their faces.

Their eyes were different when they talked about their favorite celebrities and when they talked about their favorite partners. Their cheeks were also slightly red.

Above all, it was dazzling.

It can’t be, but I feel a light shining from behind Nene.

It’s sparkling.

But for Kano, that glow was a thorn in her side. It stung and burned in my eyes. I don’t know why, but I feel like I’m about to cry.

“Heh, heeh…?”

Kano smiled, trying to appear unconcerned. ‘I can’t. The edge of the mouth is tingling and twitching.’ she thought,

“Well, that’s right… So… Where and when… Um… Who is that…?”

I managed to hold back my raspy tone. Nene didn’t seem to notice. She was still glittering with happiness.

“Um … Kawakubo-senpai”

With her loose, semi-long hair swinging, Nene tilted her head and stared at me with eyes that seemed to say, “You know what I mean.”

As she fiddled with the ends of her short, contrasting hair, Kano turned her brain to full speed to search for any known friendships, but the name didn’t come up in her search.

Since she called him a senior, he must be in his third year. If Nene had a part-time job, he could be a senior at work, but part-time work is prohibited at our school.

“What, you don’t know?”

“…Yeah, sorry.”

Then, for some reason, Nene’s expression relaxed, as if she was somewhat relieved.

“I see. Kano’s not that interested in boys yet, right?”

That’s true.

The girls around me, including Nene, had their first love by kindergarten, and some of them had relationships in elementary school, however, I had no interest at all.

Sometimes Nene would tell me that someone in her class was good-looking, but every time I would think, “Really?”

Boys are violent and crass anyway.

As early as the sixth grade, and usually by the end of the first year of junior high school, they become different kinds of creatures.

Boys are physiologically uncomfortable for me.

They don’t take care of their skin, so it’s always gritty and smells funny. If you are thin, your body will be stiff, and if you are fat, your body will be stubby.

When it comes to talking, it’s about games, grades, distributed videos, or girls. There is usually some bragging mixed in there, which makes it frustrating to listen to.

Kano had been doing karate until the third grade, so she had never been afraid of boys. So it probably is physiological that she feels uncomfortable with them.

Of course, when it comes to celebrities, some guys think they’re good-looking, but unfortunately, there shouldn’t be any gems like that around, so guys like Kawagawa Kukubo are surely not jumping out at you.

“It’s amazing that Kano’s not even looking at Kubo-senpai.”

I wonder what’s so great about him.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to at least know the name of the student council president?”

“Student Council President?”

I can’t remember.

She wasn’t interested in the student council because she thought it would be the same no matter who was in charge. If you are in a club, you probably have a budget, but Kano is in the Go-Home Club.

I tried to remember the poster from the election, but it was a blank slate because I wasn’t interested.

“But why? Why, the student council president?”

I’m not sure what the reason is, but I’m trying to hide the annoyance that is rising in my chest.

Then Nene twisted around, laughing and giggling. As she did so, her huge breasts, which were visible even in her blazer summer uniform, swayed.

She can’t help but watch its movements.

Kano has equally magnificent breasts, but they are different from Nene’s. She can’t help but look at her boobs.

Since they are the same sex, it’s way less creepy to stare at them. They are childhood friends and best friends, so they can not only look at each other but also touch each other sometimes.

“You know, recently.”

At the sound of Nene’s voice, Kano stopped staring at them and looked at her. Her eyes were moist and her lips seemed to have more of a sheen to them than usual. Kano didn’t even change her expression.

“He picked up the money when I bought something.”

“What?”

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I couldn’t help but shout in exasperation.

“Eh? That’s it? Did he just pick it up?”

“Yeah, but that’s not it.”

I swallowed the thought of saying, “Then what?”

It’s not a good idea to get into a fight or a quarrel.

Nene is stubborn in this manner, and when denied, she becomes more stubborn. I once had to be cut off for about a month because of it.

(It was hard for me at that time. The world became gray, and no matter what I did, it was boring. Eventually, I apologized and was forgiven by Nene.)

In order not to repeat that hell, Kano had to be careful about delicate reactions in that area.

“I scattered some coins all over the place. Then one of the seniors came up and said, ‘Could you all please stand back? A student dropped some money,’ and quickly took charge of the situation and helped me out.”

She could see a heart in her eyes.

That’s it?

Is that all it takes for people to fall in love?

Kano gritted her back teeth tightly.

I was so shocked, frustrated, angry, vexed, and in any case, I felt negative emotions rising, and I almost swore out of my mouth.

“He helped me pick it up, you know? He didn’t care if his pants were to get dirty, and he got on his knees. He’s the student council president, but he did that for just one student.”

No, our student council is not like one from a comic book or something, it’s not like they have any special power or anything. They’re just a coordinator with the school.

That was Kano’s perception, but I wonder if it is different for other students.

“He’s that kind of a guy, and of course, he has a fan club.”

“There is one!?”

He’s just a student, Mr. President. He’s a student, not a celebrity or anything. And yet, a fan club?

Nene nodded heavily.

“I have…”

She said it slyly, leaning forward as if she was confessing a terrible secret.

“Of course, it’s not official, but if you join, you can get information and see pictures in social networking groups.”

“Don’t tell me you joined…?”

But Nene shook her head.

“There’s a rule in the club that you can’t just drop out,” she said. “So if I join, I won’t be able to confess my feelings. I don’t want that.”

At the word “confession,” I felt a sting in my chest.

“…Confession, are you going to do it?”

“I intend to. If I don’t take the plunge, I’ll always be just ‘someone’ else, right? I want to be special to the person I love.”

I have to swallow the urge to say, ‘I can’t do it. I don’t believe that.’ Rather, it’s the opposite. Anyone who refuses to go for it after being told off by Nene is just an idiot.

She’s lovely and has a good personality. She’s quick-witted and good at pampering. She is a good cook. She is even good at making sweets, which is a big difference from Kano, who burns everything.

No, I don’t want that.

Don’t do it.

I wanted to say that, but I couldn’t explain why. To cover up my inability to speak, I drank my coffee, which was completely cold, and it didn’t taste like anything.

“So, you know.”

Nene stared at Kano with a slightly upturned look in her eyes.

“Will you back me up?”

I swooned as hard as I could.

I almost splashed coffee on Nene’s face. I managed to hold back and wiped the sloppy-colored liquid that leaked from the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand.

“Oh, support…?”

“I’m not sure I’m going to be able to do it,” she said. “You see, I haven’t had a boyfriend in 17 years, right? So, I’d like your support, or rather, your cooperation.”

I’ve never had a man either, so I don’t know what you mean when you talk about cooperation.

“If that’s the case, just give me a push and say, ‘Go for it’. If the time comes, I may be too scared to take the first step.”

The seriousness with which she looked at Kano did not allow for any further refusal. It made Kano feel that if she refused, she might lose even her friendship with her.

I gathered up all the courage I could muster.

“…if I can help.”

I said so.

“Good.”

Nene lowered her shoulders and smiled as if relieved.

Her soft smile now hurts.

Why do I feel so upset and disgusted?

Kano’s head was spinning, not knowing who she was. She took another sip of coffee to cover up nausea that made her feel like she was going to throw up, which was different from motion sickness.

However, it only made the bitterness spread further in her chest.

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