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“Kentaro-kun is way below my imagination, and Masataka-kun is kind of….
cunning …… in all sorts of ways!”
Matsuyuki shouted loudly as if she had exploded.
“B-bad huh”
The explosion was received up close, and Osako seemed to be damaged.
“W-what do you mean by cunning in many ways,……”
Small damage to me, too, as I was hiding.
Did Matsuyuki think I was a cunning guy ….
“But before I knew it, everyone was getting along well I was worried, hurt I feel like an idiot”
“Yeah”
Chinatsu-chan easily affirmed it.
Osako was a bit surprised, but I was surprised, too.
But it did not end there for Chinatsu-chan.
“I think I know a little bit about how Matsuyuki-san feels.”
“Chinatsu-san, you know …… how I feel”
“It’s not that I understand it completely, it’s more that we’re a little alike.
Matsuyuki-san, aren’t you afraid of people around you”
“……”
Matsuyuki’s expression clouded over a little.
Maybe for the first time, I saw her weakness.
“I think I was also afraid of people around me.
So I kept my guard up all the time, and when I did that, people started to look at me harshly.
Before I knew it, people around me were afraid of me.”
Chinatsu-chan’s expression relaxed, nostalgic for the past.
In fact, it was probably already in the past for her.
“I had to be very wary of my surroundings, and I didn’t want to let other people near me.
… That’s why there were really few people to talk to me.
… If I had stayed the same, I would have been lonely.”
It sounded like she was not “lonely” now.
Of course there’s no way I’d let Chinatsu-chan be lonely.
“It’s different from me, but isn’t Matsuyuki-san the same I can’t deny that you act to protect yourself.
I can’t deny it, but it’s still stupid to overdo it.
I think so because it’s what I’ve done myself.”
“……”
“I don’t know why, I can’t seem to leave you alone, Matsuyuki-san.
Maybe I’ve become like Masa-kun.
I want you to tell me about yourself, just like he did with me.”
“Mine……”
“Yeah.
That’s why”
Chinatsu-chan continued with a smile.
“–Be my friend.”
These were the words that took all her courage.
As she said, Chinatsu-chan was concerned about Matsuyuki and could not leave her alone.
The reason I set up that meeting was for Osako’s apology and also for Chinatsu-chan to try to approach Matsuyuki.
If Chinatsu-chan decides she wants to do something, I want to help her do it.
“Friend ….”
Matsuyuki lowered her gaze.
The hand held by Chinatsu-chan was there.
She had not let go of it for a long time.
Even I, who was not a participant, could feel the strong will from the hand that had been holding her for a long time.
“Of course.
I used to be a terrible person to a lot of people, too.
Kentaro was not wrong when he cursed me.”
I didn’t understand Matsuyuki’s feelings.
But Chinatsu-chan must have sensed something similar to herself from Matsuyuki.
That’s why she was taking her hand like that.
The affection Chinatsu-chan showed was what I loved so much about her.
“Chi, Chinatsu-san, …”
“Yes.”
“Ple…Please be friends with me”
“Fufu.
I’m asking for it.”
And looking at Matsuyuki, Chinatsu-chan’s idea must have been correct.
It was not her usual fake smile.
It was a smile from the bottom of her heart.
“The heck You can smile cutely.”
I muttered unintentionally.
I had been in contact with Matsuyuki in the same class last year, but I had never seen her smile like that before.
I had the impression that Matsuyuki smiled a lot, but I had the feeling that she kept her distance from me.
I had talked to her a fair amount, but I felt like she didn’t treat me like a friend.
“As expected of Chinatsu-chan.”
Chinatsu-chan and Matsuyuki laughed at each other.
Osako seemed to be taken aback by the cute girl’s smile.
No one would believe now that these three had been in a shuraba not so long ago.
That’s how friendly the atmosphere was.
I quietly left the place.
As I was not a concerned party, there was no need for me to watch over them any longer.
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