While I Was Giving Love Advice to My Best Friend, the School's Most Beautiful Girl Somehow Became the Closest Person to Me-Chapter 5Volume 1 .2 - A Night for Just the Two of Us

A Night for Just the Two of Us

“You’re afraid of heights, darkness, ghosts, and now thunder too… Don’t you think you have too many phobias?”

“Ugh… I had various experiences as a child, and since then, I’ve been completely hopeless.”

“Thunder is a common occurrence, isn’t it? What did you usually do?”

“Shizuku was there for me… She would hold my hand gently and sleep with me in the same bed.”

I imagined that scene must have been quite comforting, but of course, I couldn’t say that out loud.

“But I… I hurt Shizuku.”

Tears spilled from Asahina-san’s eyes. I had suspected that something had happened with Otsuki-san when she called me for help.

Just as the curry was ready, I served the rice from the rice cooker, topped it with curry, and placed the bowl on Asahina-san’s table.

“Please eat it before it gets cold.”

“Okay. Ah, it’s delicious… it’s not spicy.”

“I made sure to prepare a mild curry for you. Please eat to your heart’s content.”

She was hungry and ate eagerly.

With such an appetite, she would recover quickly. But since she had been left wet in the rain for quite some time… I was a bit worried about what might follow.

“If it’s okay with you… could you tell me what happened? You don’t need to tell me if you really don’t want to though.”

“It’s fine. It involves you too, Kogure-kun, and I owe you an apology too.”

“Me?”

Asahina-san put down her curry spoon.

“As I said before, Shizuku, Kokoro, and I have been childhood friends. We lived in the same neighborhood and have been close since kindergarten. Honestly, we didn’t need any other friends. We were happy just being the three of us.”

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

I knew that much. It’s natural to feel that way when you have such close childhood friends.

“But, you see. I had a brother… and he complicated our relationship.”

“Your brother, huh? Does he look a lot like you, Asahina-san?”

“Our personalities are quite different, but we look very similar. We’re only a year apart, and people often mistook us for twins.”

A male version of her looks? He must be incredibly handsome.

“It was Shizuku who fell for my brother first. Even Kokoro could tell that Shizuku had feelings for him since we were little.”

“I see, so Otsuki-san had someone she liked.”

“Despite Shizuku liking someone, you don’t seem too flustered.”

“W-well, I think everyone has someone they like, and since she’s not dating anyone, it can’t be helped, right?”

That was close. I almost let it slip that I don’t have feelings for Otsuki-san.

“Shizuku didn’t make a move on my brother because she thought he was out of her reach. I encouraged her though, because I didn’t think it was impossible. But my brother never noticed Shizuku’s feelings.”

“Maybe to your brother, everyone seemed like little sisters… at least that might have been the case.”

“Right. I actually think that’s true. But everything changed when we became high school students. It all started when Kokoro went to the same competitive sports high school as my brother.”

“I see… So basically…”

“Yes, both my brother and Kokoro were into swimming, which brought them closer. Kokoro grew up a lot after becoming a high school student… She didn’t look like a little sister anymore.”

Hearing this kind of story makes me realize how complicated a relationship can be.

Mizuhara Kokoro-san probably knew about Otsuki-san’s feelings, but whether it was Mizuhara-san or Onii-san who made the first move isn’t the problem here.

“You found out that the two became a couple and chose not to tell Otsuki-san.”

“I thought Shizuku would be sad… and more than that, I didn’t want her to find out that Kokoro had taken her love even though she knew about Shizuku’s feelings.”

“I think Otsuki-sa would have understood if you had told her honestly.”

“Maybe so. But I couldn’t say it, thinking that it might ruin the relationship between the three of us if I did…”

“For you, the most important thing is for the three childhood friends to laugh and spend time together huh…”

The longer you wait to say something that should have been said, the harder it becomes to say it.

It’s like a small wound that keeps getting bigger. I have many things I can’t say myself, so I’m not one to talk.

“That’s why I thought if Shizuku could fall for someone else, if her feelings for my brother faded, even if it came out, it wouldn’t hurt the bond between the three of us.”

“I see, so that’s where I come in.”

“I’m sorry!”

Asahina-san bowed deeply.

“I was using your feelings. I’m truly sorry!”

“There’s no need to apologize.”

“Ah…?”

“It was for the sake of your best friend, right? Even if you were using me, I don’t actually feel really bothered by it now, so you don’t need to apologize so much.”

“Kogure-kun… you’re too kind.”

I wish she wouldn’t apologize. I’m also lying and haven’t said anything.

It’s mutual, so I want to tell the truth, but it’s hard to say it now when Asahina-san is feeling down. I feel like I somewhat cornered myself.

“I understand the situation. You just need to make up properly.”

“Make up? That’s impossible. I’m scared to meet Shizuku. I can’t bear it if she looks at me with those cold eyes again.”

Asahina-san continued.

“She said she was shocked that I lied to her. Even if I apologize with all my heart, she might not forgive me…”

Even if I say it won’t be like that, it probably won’t be much of a consolation for her.

This matter won’t be resolved unless Otsuki-san and Asahina-san talk it out themselves. There’s only one thing I should do.

“Uh…?”

Asahina-san held her head, her face turning red and her expression vacant.

“Do you have a thermometer?”

“Over there…”

I opened the drawer and handed the thermometer to Asahina-san. She took her temperature, and I checked the reading.

It was in the low thirty-sevens.

“Maybe I felt relieved after eating something and suddenly all the fatigue hit me…”

“You should probably go to sleep for today. Can you make it back to your room?”

“…Yeah. But… I want you to stay with me if possible.”

I guess this girl feels a little lonely.

At this hour on a Saturday, there’s no one else in her family around. Her parents are out working, and her brother lives in a dormitory. Without Otsuki-san, she’s all alone.

While I was helping Asahina-san get ready for bed, I also prepared something to help with her cold fever.