Chapter 5: Love


TL: Akabane


***


-- Lunch break...



Finally, the morning classes are over.


I take out my lunch from my bag and move to the rooftop.


"Hmm? That's ......."


Yui was sitting on a bench on the rooftop.


She is eating yakisoba bread while playing with her phone.


What's she doing, that girl .......


"Yui."


Yui looks up when I call out to her.


She looks at my face and makes a strange expression.


"Hey, Yuji-kun ......? Why are you here?"


"That's our line. What are you doing here in a place like this?"


"You'll know if you look. I'm having lunch."


"You ...... always eat here ......?"


"Yes, I do."


"Where are your friends?"


"Friends? I don't have any friends."


"......"


This girl doesn't have any friends.


I'm about to cry.


"Yuji-kun, were you planning to eat here too?"


"Yeah."


"Then, why don't you eat with me?"


"Are you sure ......?"


"Of course. Come on, sit here."


"Hm ......"


I sit down next to Yui.


I open the lid of my bento and begin to eat it with a crunch.


When I'm eating my bento--


"Yuuji, have you made any friends yet?"


--Yui speaks to me.


"Yeah, I made one friend."


"Heh?"


Yui rolls her eyes.


"You already have a friend?"


"Well, yeah."


"Hmm, that's great. ....... Who did you make friends with?"


"A girl named Akari Shinomiya."


Yui makes a dumb voice, "Eh ......?"


"You became friends with Shinomiya-san ......?"


"Yeah."


"Hmm."


Yui stares at me with a glare.


Why are you being so grumpy ......?


"Perhaps, you like Shinomiya-san?"


"No, I don't really like her."


"Well, that's fine then."


I don't really like Shinomiya.


I'm just a little bit interested in her. ......


"What about you ......?"


"Hmm? What do you mean ......?"


"Is there someone you like?"


Yui rolls her eyes at my question.


"What, are you interested in him?"


"Yeah, I'm curious. Tell me."


"I don't like anyone."


There is no one you like?


She doesn't seem to be interested in relationships.


"But there is someone I'm interested in."


"Oh .....?"


She doesn't like anyone, but there is someone she's interested in?


Who on earth is she interested in?


I found myself uttering the question.


"Who's on your mind?"


"You."


"...... Ha ......."


I get the feeling that time has stopped.


You're interested in me ......?


Oh, come on, are you kidding me .....?


"You're interest in me ......?"


"Yes, I do."


"Hahaha ...... are you kidding me?"


"Yeah, I'm kidding."


"......."


What, you're kidding?


I expected a little bit more.



 












 


[Yui's POV]


My father and mother are good friends.


I've never seen them fight.


But suddenly their relationship deteriorated. ......


The cause was my father's infidelity.


"Why ...... did you cheat on me?"


"I'm sorry ......."


"......."


My mother cries as my father apologizes.


My father looked down with an apologetic expression.


When I was in the fifth grade, I found out that my father was having an affair.


The name of the affair partner was Yuna Naruse.


She was my Yuji's mother.


When my father's affair was discovered, my mother broke down.


She is always smoking cigarettes in the living room.


When I talk to her, she takes it out on me.


She even tried to beat me to death. ......


She is a lousy mother.


I don't want to be this kind of person. ......


Perhaps my mother was also responsible for my father's infidelity.


Eventually, my father and mother divorced.


I didn't want to live with my mother, so I followed my father.


My father would look surprised when I said, "I want to stay with my father ......."


He also looked happy.


Apparently, my father doesn't like my mother, but he likes me.


He is a strange father.




-- Two years later--




I graduated from elementary school and entered junior high school.


Because I had changed schools so many times, I had become a "loner" in junior high school.


Nobody talked to me.


Oh, but there is one boy who does talk to me.


That boy's name is Masato Hashima.


He always talks to me.


Why does he talk to a dark-rooted person like me?


It's a mystery.



 



-- One day...



 


My father spoke to me.


"Yui ......"


"Hmm? What ......?"


"You know ......."


My father had a serious expression on his face.


What's wrong?


"I'm getting remarried."


Apparently, my father is getting remarried.


The name of his remarriage partner is Yuna Naruse.


She was the one with whom my father had an affair.


Apparently, he also has a child.


The child's name is Yuji Naruse.


He seems to be the same age as me.


To be honest, I don't really care. ......




-- The next day...


 


My father's remarriage partner and his stepson came to my house.


My father's remarried partner spoke to me.


"Nice to meet you, Yui."


"Yes, nice to meet you. ......"


I shake hands with my father's partner.


My father's second marriage partner was a kind person.


She was also beautiful and had large breasts.


But just a little creepy.


I look to the side and my eyes meet those of a boy.


He has a medieval look.


He looks like a boy or a girl.


His face is a little scary .......


Is this boy the child of his partner?


"You, what's your name ......?"


The boy spoke to me.


"I'm Yui Sakata. You are ......?"


"I'm Yuji."


"Yes, nice to meet you, Yuji."


"Nn ......."


We extend our hands to shake.


My first impression of Yuji was "scary."


He has a really scary face.


Looking at Yuji, I thought, "He must have a bad personality too."


But I was wrong.


He was surprisingly kind.


He listens to my complaints.


He shows me his homework.


He gives me advice.


He had a scary face, but he was kinder than I had imagined.


I was attracted to this gap.


I turned my head to the side.


My eyes met Yuji's.


As soon as I see his face, my heart starts to pound.


I couldn't think straight.


I hurriedly look away.


I've been strange lately.


When I'm with Yuji, I get nervous.


I always think about him.


Perhaps I am in love with Yuji.


This is my first love.


But Yuji doesn't like me.


He doesn't seem to be interested in love to begin with.


I wonder how I can go out with him.



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