Sekiguchi Miyu
MIYU COULD SENSE that her friend Itobayashi Akane was trying to reinvent herself. They’d gone shopping for winter hats together just the other day, so at first, she wished Akane would have asked her for advice…but that quickly changed when she realized the impetus behind this reinvention was nothing positive.
Miyu had actually met Akane’s ex-boyfriend Kikuchi Shin once before, when he came to their school’s culture festival. Her first impression was that his ghostly pale skin highlighted the handsome features of his face, and also that—no offense to Akane—he didn’t seem like the “loyal boyfriend” type. Admittedly, the foreknowledge that he was in a band had most likely contributed to this.
But over time, it seemed her playboy radar was proven defective. Akane had gushed about what a great boyfriend he was, and when she told everyone about her breakup, she had revealed that it was over a minor argument. To Miyu, it sounded like she regretted her actions and was now taking steps to change herself for the better, starting with her appearance. Classic Akane.
Miyu felt like she and Akane got along extremely well. They were on the same wavelength—not just their conversations, but their sugar cravings, their impulses to go into town for fun, and even the way they used their free time between work and school. They just seemed like really similar people.
But whether it be friendships or other kinds of relationships, no matter how good or kind the other person or how much time you spent together, if you weren’t compatible on a fundamental level, the connection would eventually fade. This was clear from the way Akane and Shin had broken up. Thus, as someone who was compatible with Akane, Miyu was waiting for the chance to cheer her friend up—but she was starting to get impatient with herself for not being creative enough to think of a way to make it happen.
That being said, a few days later, she naturally came to see that there was no reason to rush.
One day at lunchtime, Miyu went to the staff room to retrieve a worksheet needed for fifth period math class. While she was there, Akane walked in by herself. Their eyes met from across the room, and through hand gestures and lip-reading, Akane explained that she had forgotten the worksheet for sixth period.
Once Miyu got the paper she needed, she decided to wait for Akane outside in the hall. There, her eyes wandered at random over a list of older students accepted into major universities, then a poster advertising the student exchange program. The next thing she knew, suddenly Akane was standing beside her.
“You gonna do the exchange program?”
At this, Miyu shook her head. “Are you kidding? I suck at other languages. What about you, Bayashi?”
“Well, I like the thought of having a whole different life.”
Now was the perfect moment to ask what was going on. But before she could—
“If I left, would you wait for me?” Akane asked.
In response, Miyu nodded without hesitation. “Yeah.”
She hadn’t read into the question any deeper than it took to give an honest answer, but Akane reacted as though it was a heartfelt sentiment. Looking back, it must have been exactly what she needed to hear at that moment.
“It’d be really boring without you around, though.”
“Yeah, I’d miss you for sure! Guess I won’t be studying abroad, then.”
It meant so much to Miyu to see her most trusted friend smile. “Hey, we should go get crepes again next time you’re off work. My treat.”
“Oh? Feeling bad for me, huh?”
“Is it obvious?”
“Super obvious. Thanks, though. I really appreciate your reassurance. Plus, I was actually just thinking about those crepes the other day. They were so good.”
This, too, was proof of how perfectly in sync their friendship was. One day, they’d surely know each other inside and out. But for now, Miyu was just happy she could offer her beloved Akane the slightest bit of encouragement.