Chapter 41 - Leave it to me

– Ha, haaaaaaa!?

Rejected? Karen?

As my voice resounded within the calm atmosphere of the shop, blaming gazes gathered on me.
I immediately let out an "Ugh…" and forcibly stifled my astonishment. It"s been a while since I last let out such a loud voice.

Still… Why! Just why…!
Cause, it"s Tachibana Karen, you know? She gets confessed to twice a week, she"s the number one beauty of the school?
Say it"s a lie. Let me hear a Karen-like pure hearted love story.

– K…. Karen…

Just who is the idiot who rejected Karen? What happened between them?
What have the two of you been doing during the school term? Why haven"t you told me anything before today?

There was so much I wanted to know.
But when I looked at Karen"s sad face… By the way, this might be the first time that this girl is not looking in the eye. Even though usually, she would have a c.o.c.ky grinning face.

I couldn"t say anything. That"s why I was in despair.
Rushing towards Karen who was sitting down on the opposite chair, I stroked her back.
But feeling that it won"t be enough, I put my arm around her from behind. Just like that, I buried my face into my best friend"s blonde hair.

This isn"t like me… but.
Smells so nice. Like an angel. I"m about to become kind from the bottom of my heart just from touching her hair.

– … Are you okay? … Can you talk?

– Sob… Yayoi, thanks… Will you hear me out?

As I somehow returned to my seat and waited, Karen has slowly started to speak.

– Perhaps, it"s my first love. I like him so much… Like him…

And the name, which came out of Karen"s mouth, was that Ichijou Jun.
Basically, he doesn"t do anything apart from studies, that"s why he"s not part of any gossips, irrelevant guy. You can tell at a glance that he is nerdy. Honestly, I can"t really see him with Karen.

Plenty of good looking guys have confessed to this girl.
Captain of the sports club, vocalist of the light music club, active model from another school… I receive all of the rumors. One month prior to me really getting along with Karen, there was no other fun apart from that. Even though guys better than Ichijou are a dime a dozen. Why?

I recalled how with the start of second year, Karen has forcibly drew him into the group for school trip.
And it was right after Golden Week, so speaking of timing, it is perfect.

– I pretended that I wanted him to teach me and was acting spoiled. Day after day, he was so very kind… Oh my gosh, I like him after all…

As her story went on, Karen"s face became happier and more relaxed.

… ha, I see.
Ichijou started standing out a little after the seat change. Karen started getting excessively involved with him, and as an extension he also started talking with us. Still, that guy. Wasn"t he unlucky and ever since he entered a new cla.s.s, wasn"t he alone for a while?

And yet, around the time when summer holidays were about to start, it came to be that everyone was relying on him.
Thinking carefully, it was an amazing change… maybe.
Considering that Karen was involved in this, it may not be so strange.

– But then, why? If you were clinging to each other like that, it sounds like you could"ve easily started going out. What… has happened?

– Mm… That is…

Karen brought her hand to her lips and briefly touched it.
As if remembering something, she made a happy face, but then as if she remembered something else, she made a gloomy face once again.

– … I. His first kiss, I"ve s.n.a.t.c.hed it away…

– Karen…

– Even though I wanted to do it with a better mood. Even though every day I had various delusions in the bed! He was excessively kind that day and I got carried away…

Regret has spread on my best friend"s fair face.
According to her story, it seems she thought she would confess that day.
She practiced with Ichijou"s picture on smartphone many times, did visualization even in bed, and it seems she was planning to introduce him to me if they started going out.

Just how cute are you…
But since she has no decent love experience, she makes fruitless effort in crucial matters.

– Just dating is not enough at all. That is why, that is why! Let"s marry at once, I really thought I would say that… First kiss was painful, bitter, but… very good. He is, after all, the one for me…

And finally she added one more tiny "…like him"
Just which part of that guy is good? I just don"t get it.
Either way, Ichijou who doesn"t seem to be experienced with women of all things, huh…

– Yayoi, what should I do… Now I"m hated by Jun. I was rejected…!

– But. Have Ichijou said so?

– I kissed him and ran away, so I don"t know. He was turned off for sure…

– You have to meet and check that. Otherwise, isn"t it just an a.s.sumption?

– … No,no,no, no way! I"m, too embarra.s.sed…

Fufu, dummy Karen.
There"s no way there is a guy who will not fall in love if an angel like you kisses him.

… I have to do something. For Karen"s sake.
… After all, if she makes such a face, it"s impossible to just watch in silence.
… This misunderstanding, can it be somehow solved?
… Or rather, what am I getting heated up for? I haven"t noticed…

It was the first time I had such feelings for my friend.
She is after all a mysterious girl. I mean, even a lazy person like me can"t ignore her. There is something that makes me worried about it.

– Would you do anything if it means you can kiss Ichijou again? Are you okay with whatever happens?

– Can you, do something?

– Haven"t you specially called me? And I don"t want to hear idle complaints, it"s just a waste of time. So, are you okay with whatever happens?

– ………Yeah

– Alright. Well then, leave it to me

However, what can I do?
Should I get in touch with Ichijou and question him? Although I haven"t had a decent talk with him previously.
Is there something that can be done through the boys in our cla.s.s? To begin with, does that bookworm have close friends? Is there something in the rumors related to him that can be used?

Well… Minor details can be dealt with later.

Anyhow, he has hurt my best friend"s feelings, so I"ll make him return his debt.
No matter how embarra.s.sed bookworm may be, no matter how much he says he dislikes it… I will certainly make him and Karen kiss in front of the whole cla.s.s. That would be getting even. He is probably in love with Karen anyway. It"s fine if both of them are happy. I will take a picture of that moment and send it to Karen.

Well, things are getting interesting.
After all, plenty of happy summer holidays are still remaining.