Chapter 423: Miyuki's Decision #2
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 423: Miyuki's Decision #2
Tetsuya's voice was incredibly grave.
It was obvious even from a distance, so it was only natural that Miyuki, hearing his foul voice up close, would find it strange.
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
The creaking sound stopped.
Miyuki, sensing the shift in Tetsuya’s somber mood, had stopped the swing.
“It’s exactly what it sounds like. Do you like Matsuda?”
“Of course, I do.”
“How much?”
Asking such a question to a childhood friend who has feelings for another man would only end up hurting him…
He was doing something stupid. Not that he ever did anything else.
“Hmm… Do I have to express it as a number? That’s hard to do…”
“Sounds like you like him a lot.”
“I do. I really, really like him.”
Miyuki today was far more resolute than when she had been consoling Tetsuya after he screwed up during the school trip.
It was almost as if she had sensed his insidious aura.
“I see…”
He trailed off, falling silent for a moment. I was getting worried about Miyuki.
Peeking my head over the wall, I saw that my fears hadn't materialized.
Am I being overly worried? No matter how much Tetsuya’s inferiority complex had exploded, he wouldn't harm his childhood friend…
Still, I should stay on guard.
Just as I was thinking that, Tetsuya opened his mouth.
“Miyuki, I don’t want you to get too close to Matsuda.”
Unlike the time he took an indirect jab at me, he was being blunt this time.
For Tetsuya, this was remarkably direct.
“Hmm… Why?”
“You know what kind of person he is. You used to see him as a thorn in your side.”
“Things are different now.”
“Back in middle school… to be exact, in our third year, do you remember telling the teacher everything that delinquent did?”
“Oh, that? Of course, I remember.”
“You were fuming when you told me back then. That a person’s true nature rarely changes.”
“Yeah. I remember that, too.”
“And yet, you still like Matsuda…”
“Tetsuya-kun.”
Miyuki cut Tetsuya off.
After a brief hesitation, Tetsuya answered in a bewildered tone.
“Yeah…? What is it?”
“Do you… like me?”
“Well… of course. When have I ever not liked you?”
“I don’t mean as a friend. I mean as a woman.”
“Uh, uh…?”
A question that came out of left field.
It was something Miyuki didn't usually say, so even without seeing Tetsuya, I could imagine how flustered he was.
After a moment of silence, as if lost in deep thought, the answer he gave was…
“I’m just… worried about you as a childhood friend…”
…the kind of answer you could call a complete strikeout.
Ugh… This is why I despise Tetsuya.
He has absolutely no decisiveness.
That bastard always tries to leave himself an out.
It’s the same now. He knows what kind of answer Miyuki might give if he says he likes her as a woman, so he’s beating around the bush.
If Miyuki were to say she doesn't see him as a man, it would become difficult to contact her, so he's trying to avoid that.
Just a moment ago, I thought Tetsuya was being quite bold, but I take it back.
Just as he said to Miyuki, a person’s true nature doesn’t change.
Tetsuya is just Tetsuya. The same Tetsuya from when I saw the ending of DokiAka.
That idiot doesn't know. He doesn't realize that his indecisiveness is what drives him into an even more miserable corner.
Not that I want to enlighten him.
This is something he has to realize on his own.
“I see. Was I mistaken?”
“Mistaken…? Hmm… You could say that.”
Miyuki knew. She knew Tetsuya saw her as a woman.
But since he answered like that, it must have become difficult for her to draw a clear line.
Let’s see how Miyuki handles this.
“Is that really it?”
“I’m telling you it is…?”
“Really? What a relief.”
“A re-relief…?”
It seemed Miyuki had drawn her sword today.
She had countered Tetsuya’s ambiguous answer brilliantly.
It’s a little disappointing that she didn't say, "I've never seen you as a man," but I suppose it couldn't be helped, given how pathetically he answered.
If Tetsuya had admitted he liked her as a woman, she surely would have said it.
“Tetsuya-kun, you’ve always worried about me since we were little. I remember when I was building a sandcastle in this playground and cut my hand, you were so frantic you ran off to get medicine, right?”
“Th-that happened a lot. I remember, too.”
Tetsuya’s voice was thick with desperation.
It was obvious he still harbored feelings for Miyuki, who had just gently rejected him with the words, "What a relief."
“Right. But the Tetsuya-kun from back then and the Tetsuya-kun of now are different.”
At Miyuki’s lowered tone, he revealed his bewilderment.
“Huh…?”
“If the Tetsuya-kun from back then was purely looking out for me, now… it feels like you have a very bad motive.”
“A bad motive…?”
“Yeah. I’m being cautious since it’s just a hunch, but it feels like you’re trying to keep me away from Matsuda-kun.”
Her words hit the nail right on the head.
It was also the most decisive thing she had ever said to Tetsuya.
“Did you fight with Matsuda-kun today?”
At Miyuki’s follow-up question, Tetsuya stammered.
“No… we didn’t fight, but… Matsuda is…”
Was it because he showed signs of trying to badmouth me again?
Miyuki cut him off sharply.
“That’s enough. I don’t want to hear it. You’re being really weird today. You were like this during the school trip, too… You’re not the Tetsuya-kun I used to know.”
“……”
“I can see that you’re agitated, Tetsuya-kun. Why don’t you go home and cool your head?”
“…I… yeah, I think that would be best.”
The sound of a deep sigh, followed by the scuffing of feet on the ground, reached my ears.
Tetsuya had gotten off the swing.
Deciding it was time to pretend I was just arriving, I started to back away when…
“Tetsuya-kun.”
Miyuki suddenly called out to him.
“Yeah…?”
“Do you honestly think that what you said to me today wasn’t wrong?”
“I… I think so.”
“You do? Then it would be best if we didn’t contact each other for a while.”
The moment I heard those words, I poked my head over the wall to watch the two of them in the playground.
I had a feeling this would be a monumental day, the day Miyuki finally cut ties with Tetsuya, and I couldn't help but want to see her face.
“Wh-what…?”
“I’m very disappointed in you today.”
“……”
I thought she might feel guilty for being so cold to a childhood friend she’d known for over fifteen years… but her expression suggested otherwise.
It wasn't a forced expression. Miyuki genuinely seemed okay.
There was no waver in her voice. It was proof that Miyuki had made her decision.
Still, a part of her must feel uneasy.
Should I have confronted Tetsuya myself at the team dinner?
No, even if I had, Tetsuya would have just kept pestering Miyuki like he was now.
This is better.
One can only grow mentally and learn to let go after hearing harsh truths from the person they like.
But even though he’s reaping what he sowed, have I developed a soft spot for him out of some twisted affection?
Seeing Tetsuya getting torn down by Miyuki, I felt my resolve weakening for some reason.
No, that’s just because he’s acting pitiful.
He doesn't deserve a shred of sympathy. I won't fall for his act.
Tetsuya finally hung his head and trudged toward the playground exit.
I quickly and quietly moved away from the wall, putting on an oblivious expression as if I had just arrived.
And just like that, I came face-to-face with Tetsuya as he walked out of the entrance.
“……”
Even seeing me in his neighborhood, Tetsuya wasn't surprised.
It seemed he’d heard from Miyuki that I was coming while they were talking.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, frowning.
Tetsuya glanced back into the playground before answering.
“I ran into Miyuki.”
“Is she in the playground?”
“Yeah. Go on in. And congratulations.”
Ah, fuck.
If he hadn't added that last part, I would have just let it go, but I couldn't stop the curse from escaping.
Congratulations? He was clearly mocking me for completely winning Miyuki’s heart.
As I thought, sympathy is a luxury he doesn't deserve. I feel so pathetic for letting my heart soften even for a moment.
“What are you talking about?”
“Nothing.”
Instead of confronting me head-on, Tetsuya resorted to his usual gloomy scheming.
In that case, as the saying goes, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Shouldn't I give him a taste of his own medicine?
There’s another saying about not stooping to their level and being the bigger person, but that’s all bullshit.
People only learn when they experience the same thing themselves. Starting today, I’m going to sever the connection between him and Miyuki for good.
I’m a master at this kind of acting. So let’s create a truly magnificent scene.
I provoked Tetsuya with a strange look, and his expression soured, clearly annoyed.
After that little bit of prodding, I was about to walk past him when—
Thump.
As he walked toward me, he bumped his shoulder against mine. I smirked inwardly.
How can he be so predictable? This guy really is beyond saving.
Next to me was a thick lamppost illuminating the sidewalk.
Deciding to use it, I timed the moment my body was pushed and slammed my forehead against the lamppost.
Thwack—!
My head hit the post with a dull thud and bounced off.
Feeling a throbbing pain in the upper part of my forehead, I rubbed the spot and stared at Tetsuya with a look of utter disbelief.
“What are you doing?”
“Ah, that’s…”
The fierce look in his eyes was completely gone.
Now that he had vented all his inferiority, his senses had returned.
He realized it himself—just how pathetic his actions had been.
But what could he do? The karma had already piled up.
I had no intention of letting him off the hook here.
If I had my way, I’d punch him, but Miyuki hates violence.
She finds it extremely distasteful, even if there's a just cause. And with her right there in the playground, I couldn't cause a scene.
Besides, things were going to unfold just as I wanted. All I had to do was act magnanimous on the outside.
“Forget it. Just go.”
Waving my hand dismissively as if I couldn't be bothered with him, I stepped toward the playground entrance.
“Matsuda-kun!”
Miyuki spotted me and ran over, her face full of delight.
It didn't take long for her to notice that something was wrong with me.
“What’s that on your forehead…? Is that blood?” she asked, having seen my forehead illuminated by the moonlight and the lamppost.
In response, I touched my forehead with a "what are you talking about?" expression. Feeling the sting from a small cut, I winced with a bit of exaggeration.
“What is this?”