He still seemed irritated. It was unusual for Yuuya to display such anger toward me, leaving me slightly unsettled.
“I didn’t notice yesterday. What’s wrong?” I inquired, hoping for an explanation.
Yuuya responded nonchalantly, “Yesterday… that was a follow-up call. I was about to ask you what the hell were you thinking!”
“Huh?” I couldn’t help but let out a sound of surprise from my throat.
“Yesterday, because of that call, I ended up having a fight with Sakura.”
“Because of me?” I questioned, puzzled.
Why? Did I do something? I have no recollection of it at all. “Did I do something?” I asked sincerely, hoping for clarity.
Yuuya’s response came in a low voice. “Yesterday, you rejected the girl Sakura introduced to you just like that, didn’t you?”
Th-that’s…
During the phone call yesterday, Sakura mentioned that her friend liked me. But I dismissed her without even meeting her.
It was a significant moment for Sakura and her friend, yet I had prioritized my own emotions and ended the conversation abruptly. I should have handled it more thoughtfully. I should have stayed on the phone longer. If I had, perhaps Yuuya and Sakura wouldn’t have ended up in a fight…
Somehow, I had messed up… I scratched my temple, feeling remorseful, and said, “Yeah. Sorry about that.”
“Well, you’re always like that. Even if someone confesses to you, you reject them right away. You don’t seem to like any women at all,” Yuuya grumbled.
I responded to him, “It can’t be helped. …I just can’t fall in love.”
“Then who would be good enough for you?”
“…”
“What? I can’t hear you.”
“I haven’t said anything yet.”
“Just say it.”
“Actually… I didn’t feel like meeting her because I found someone I like.”
“What?”
Yesterday, I informed Sakura that I was interested in someone, but she hadn’t shared that information with Yuuya. I recalled Sakura’s words during the phone call: “I didn’t say you could spill everything.” It was probably she showing that same consideration for me, judging that it would be better for Yuuya not to know, as he tended to speak his mind without hesitation. She was a thoughtful girl.
“Hey, Keiichi,” Yuuya prodded me while I was lost in thought.
“Uh, yeah. Sorry,” I stammered, flustered.
“What’s wrong all of a sudden? Who is it, by the way?”
“It’s someone you don’t know.”
“Is it a girl from Kyoto?”
“…Yeah.”
Exactly a year ago, a flustered Yuuya with a bright red face had declared, “I’ve found someone I like.” The reason behind his declaration was that he had fallen head over heels for Sakura, who had just started working as a part-timer at our usual family restaurant. Unable to engage with a girl he didn’t know, Yuuya had frozen at our table. So, I took the initiative and spoke to Sakura on his behalf, saying, “Can we have three glasses of water for this guy?”
“Three glasses?”
“He seems really thirsty.”
We both chuckled, reminiscing about that amusing incident.
And that was the beginning. We started frequenting the family restaurant, making sure Sakura remembered our faces. However, Yuuya still struggled to utter a word whenever Sakura spoke to him. So, I continued to act as his intermediary, conveying his feelings to Sakura. Over time, Yuuya began to respond, and they found laughter and closeness in each other’s company. When we eventually invited everyone to the beach, Yuuya and Sakura became closer and started dating.
When I congratulated them, Yuuya turned away and replied with a simple “Yeah.” Then, he muttered a quiet “Thanks”before saying, “It’s your turn next, Keiichi.”
“Me?” I responded, taken aback.
“Yeah. If you find someone you like, I’ll support you with all my heart. Leave everything to me.”
Initially, I felt hesitant about relying on him in such a way, but I was genuinely touched by my best friend’s sentiment. So, I replied, “Okay, I’ll count on you.”
In return for Yuuya and Sakura’s support, they often brought up the topic of my love life, but I always brushed it off. This phone call arrived just as I had declared, “You don’t have to support me anymore. I’ll find someone I like on my own.”
I had made up my mind from the start. When I found someone I liked, I planned on sharing it with Yuuya. I hadn’t anticipated feeling so embarrassed, but when I confessed that I liked her, Yuuya’s response caught me off guard.
“Have you gone on a date?”
“A date?” I laughed, unable to imagine what kind of date he was referring to.
“What are you laughing at? Hurry up and make a date. If you just sit there daydreaming, someone else will take her away,” Yuuya urged, his words lighthearted but carrying a deeper meaning.
“Is that okay?” he probed further, digging into the depths of my emotions.
“Of course not,” I replied firmly.
The mere thought of Saki smiling at someone else or walking alongside another man ignited anger within me. I despised the idea. I believed that I should be the one by her side. However, she had someone she liked. That reality halted my feelings. I had resolved to honor my own emotions, but what about Saki’s feelings? I was at a loss for what to do.
“Hey, Yuuya… If there was someone that Sakura liked before you guys started dating, what would you do?” I asked, seeking his guidance. Yuuya was my senior in matters of love.
“I would take her,” Yuuya responded straightforwardly. “Because I know I can make Sakura happy,” he added, exuding confidence. I found his response admirable.
He turned the question back on me. “Keiichi, you would do the same, right?”
“Yeah,” I replied. If my dream became reality and Saki reciprocated my feelings, I would do everything within my power to make her happy. I wanted to protect her smile forever.
“What’s wrong? Are you confused? Oh, does she have a boyfriend or something?” Yuuya inquired.
“Boyfriend… Not to my knowledge. She mentioned waiting for her ‘first love,’” I explained, uncertain about who that might be.
“First love…” Yuuya sighed, his voice tinged with longing.
“When was your first love?” he asked.
“Me? It was probably back in kindergarten,” I replied, reminiscing about my crush on the Sunflower Group’s homeroom teacher.
“Right? First love is a story from years ago. You should show her that real men are much better than living in a fairy tale dream,” Yuuya advised.
Fairy tale… dream?
Yuuya’s words swirled in my head, and then connected.
Her world seemed like a cut-out, a serene blue world. It was a comforting place where time appeared to stand still. Could it be that Saki was freezing time in that realm? Was she forever waiting for her first love while time ceased to tick away? Would Saki continue to stand by the spring where no one came? That wasn’t what I wanted. I yearned to be with Saki, to share a life with her.
“Yeah… I’ll ask her out on a date,” I declared, a newfound determination welling up within me.
“You’re good at observing the world around you, but you’re clueless about yourself,” Yuuya remarked, hinting at my obliviousness to my own feelings. Yuuya laughed out loud and then said seriously, “Well, don’t hesitate. You don’t have much time.”
“Yeah.”
“Good luck.” Yuuya’s encouraging words resonated in my ears, filling me with determination.
“Thanks.” I hung up and rushed out of the room.
Bursting into the next room, I called out to Granny with excitement.
“Granny, tell me about the town of Kyoto.”
Surprised by my urgency, Granny asked, “What’s the matter? Why are you in such a rush?”
“I want to know about the town of Kyoto. Any recommended places?”
“Okay, okay. Sit down for now.” Granny settled me down, ready to share her knowledge.
As Granny began to tell me stories about Kyoto, Yuuya’s voice echoed in my head, reminding me not to hesitate and to give it my all.