Chapter 36:

That Kind Of Friend

Unconsciously Interested


PART FIVE


“Haaah?? Jealous of whom?!” My brows wrinkled in confusion. “Kyashii-chan, this is the umpteenth time I’ve had to tell you I don’t like Ezaki-san in that light.” I can feel my eyes narrowing.

“I didn’t mean to imply you were jealous of me, though,” Kyashii’s cheeky grin is still on her face.

“Haah??” What does she mean by that? No… Wait... “A-Are you saying I’m jealous of Ezaki-san?!”

“Owh~? Are you not?”

I can clearly see her confidence grows in lockstep with her grin! “Is there anything in this big blue marble that would prompt me to feel jealous of him?!” Just how did she come up with that idea, exactly?!

“Who knows, Yuyo...” Kyashii’s face gleams with humor. “...Ah! Maybe you’re sulking as you don’t want someone else to take me away from you, righttt~?”

Huh?? Sulking? Is that how I look?

Wait…

Now that I think about it, I have no idea what my mind was thinking the moment I frowned at the idea of Kyashii flirting with Ezaki-san. Hmm...? Would it be because I’m worried about her getting into more trouble with that gyaru?

However, that should elicit a worried rather than a sulky response, right? Thus, that’s unlikely to be the case. And if I’m being candid, it’s almost as if I’m pouting over the thought of her comfortably chatting with Ezaki-san earlier.

Uhh??

Could it be that I’m actually jealous?!

I remember feeling a little weird when I first saw Kyashii and Ezaki-san staring at each other in the shopping district café. I reasoned back then that it was because I knew I’d feel lonely once the day would come Kyashii found a boyfriend.

But... Was that the true reflection of what was going on inside me?

Then again, if I look at it from a different standpoint, I find it more appropriate to say that I am j-jealous rather than sad whenever Kyashii is with some guys.

Ah-re??!

So… I’m a pretty p-possessive best friend, then?!

“. . . .”

Haaahh?!?

“Yuyo?” Kyashii’s smile faded when she noticed I was in deep thought. “Ah… I… I’m sorry. I was just kidding. Don’t get piss—”

“N-No… Kyashii, you could be r-right. It seems I don’t want anyone to take you away from me.” I gazed at her with a wan smile.

“Huh?!” Kyashii’s expression was one of shock. I think I heard gasps from the other girls, too. “Wh-what do you mean?” She looked at me incredulously.

“Well, I just had this sudden realization that what you said might actually be true.” I put on a casual air.

It isn’t uncommon for close friends to experience issues like this. Somewhere along the line of their friendship, one of them wishes the other would never get involved in a romantic relationship knowing how lonely they’d be without the other.

Catastrophically, I’m that kind of friend.

But no matter how I slice it, I know this is a purely selfish desire on my part. I used to think I wanted to support Kyashii when it’s her happiness that matters, but in the end, I’m no longer sure I can indeed be there for her if I keep reacting like this whenever I see her with some guys.

And that makes me the worst kind of friend, doesn’t it?

“Yuyo... Umm... D-Do I understand this correctly? You recognize you’re j-jealous of Ezaki-san b-because you’re fretting he might t-take me away from y-you?” Kyashii keeps fumbling over her words.

“Yeah. I think you’ve grasped the gist of what I said, Kyashii.”

“Aah… W-Wait…” Her eyes retreated from me.

“Uhh... You don’t have to worry about it, though. Considering how close we are, I can see why a friend like me would feel that way. There’s nothing more to it than the thought that my best friend will eventually get closer to someone other than me eats my heart out. But, yeah... Getting into a relationship is inevitable for most of us as we progress through life anyway.” I chuckled. “So... Hmm... Kyashii, I’m just expressing myself since I’m surprised to realize I’m a little possessive… Well, if you call that a little.” I forced a grin.

Still, with no punches pulled, I find it quite unsettling to realize that I am the type of friend who has jealousy issues!

Uhmm… That might explain why I felt clingy to Kyashii yesterday as well. An underlying sense of jealousy probably triggers my sudden desire to cling.

Yeah... Probably…

Jealousy is in my nature, yet it has taken me some time to realize it.

“. . . . ”

Brilliant! That’s really great, Yuyo!

Yeah... Just... Great...

Haaah….

Is my level of dumbness increasing with each passing day?

Kyashii’s gaze then shifted back to me. “Yuyo—”

“Ah… But I really should apologize to you, Kyashii.” I softly smiled.

“Huh?! W-Why?”

“I understand you might be bothered by this. I’m sorry to be so upfront with this crappy jealousy problem I have, but it’s probably for the best. I just thought you should know that your best friend is like this. Not being open and honest about it is a concern for me.” I exhaled a sigh. “In any case, I promise I won’t stand in your way if I can help it, alright?” I felt it was crucial to be candid about this, or else this could cause further problems in our friendship over time.

Nonetheless, the fact remains that I need to reform this attitude.

“Yuyo…” Kyashii had a troubled look on her face.

Yes, of course... I was expecting as much. She’s starting to feel bothered by it.

I definitely need to pull myself together. “Right! Another thing, Kyashii... If you can help it, please try to avoid guys who have ties to that gyaru, okay? I don’t think you need me to tell you that will only spell trouble for you.”

Kyashii simply stared at me sternly without uttering a word.

Hmm…

My mind wonders what her silence means.

I then turned to face the others in an effort to break the strange hush. “So, where are we heading next, guys?”

“Whoaaa! Yu-chin! I’m so glad you realized we’re still here!” Tomoka came up with a quip.

“Oooh… How surprising, you’re still here? My bad, Tomoka; I was thoroughly blind to your presence earlier.” My lips puckered before I flicked a glance toward Minori. “So, where to, Minori? Anything in mind?”

“Hold on a moment, Yuyo... Let’s see what’s nearby.” Minori muttered, taking a glance at the guide notes she’d been clutching since the start of this school trip. “Oh~. There’s the Asuka temple a short distance away. Is that a spot you’d be interested in visiting, girls?”

“I’m down with it, class rep!” Minori received a hearty thumbs up from Tomoka.

“Sounds good to me... Aah... Wait... Would it be possible to find a souvenir shop within spitting distance from here?” It’s time to pick up something for Takashi-san as we’re already heading back to Osaka after our visit here in Asuka.

“Hmn... There doesn’t seem to be one close by,” Minori replied.

“Heeh… Bad luck for me. Where should I get one, then?” I thought to myself as I turned to my phone for online information.

“Souvenirs are available at Asukabito-no-Yakata hall, Shibasaki-san,” Nazumi-san noted. “It’s right next to the main entrance.”

“Aww~… That’s a stretch, though.” I blew air into my cheeks. “Well, whatever... I’ll just get something from there before we head back to the hostel. Thank you, Nazumi-san.”

“Are you going to get something for your brother, Yuyo?” Kyashii asked.

“Nah... He’s not into souvenirs. The number of times he asked me to buy foods far outnumbers those for non-food items.” I scoffed. “And besides, he could just come here in Nara whenever he pleases.”

“Ohh... I see. So you’re getting something for yourself, then? Umm... Perhaps I should buy one, too.” Kyashii mused.

“Well, not really. I’m buying something for Takashi-san; that underclassman wh—”

“Whaaatt?!” Tomoka and Kyashii exclaimed at the same time, cutting me off mid-sentence.

Ah-re?

“Uhh?? What’s up with your reaction?” I wasn’t sure what to make of their faces.

“Why are you even buying a souvenir for your kouhai?!” Kyashii looked at me in disbelief.

“Yeaahh! Why, Yu-chin?!” Tomoka groused.

“Why not? The way I see it, there’s no harm in doing so. And I promised her th—”

“You promised her?!” Kyashii interrupted me again, this time with a bit of a shrill tone.

Okay, hold on a second...

Why does she make it sound like I’ve done something terrible, like a criminal offense or something?? Does giving your underclassman a small gift nowadays seem inappropriate?

“Y-Yeah… She insisted on a souvenir from this school trip.” It’s kind of hard to understand why there is such a fuss over this.

“Haaah?! So you agreed just like that?!” Kyashii’s baffling reaction to this matter isn’t over yet.

“We’re just talking about a souvenir, right?” I arched my brow. “I don’t think it’s wrong to give an underclassman a gift since she had previously given me one.” My eyes turned to Minori. “Wouldn’t you agree, Minori? You were there when Takashi-san asked me to get her a souvenir, but you made no attempt to dissuade me from doing so.”

“Ohh! Y-Yeah. I agree with you... Don’t you agree with Yuyo, too, Nazumi-san?” Minori is making an awkward smile at no one in particular.

“Huh?!” Nazumi-san seemed taken aback. “I... I’m not so sure.” She said with a giddy smile towards me.

“Haaah??” What’s the deal with Nazumi-san’s answer? Is she implying that giving something to your kouhai may have some drawbacks?

“But I sure understand why Mikami-san is ticked off by this, Yu-chin!” Tomoka grinned as she hung her right arm on Kyashii’s shoulder.

“Eh??” My gaze went to Tomoka.

“What do you even know, Mizuno-san?” Minori stared blankly at Tomoka.

“He-hem! I may not look like it, but I’m perceptive to this kind of thing, class rep.” Tomoka smugly pushed her fingers to her chest. “Mikami-san is much frustrated that Yu-chin promised this first-year a souvenir, but she and the rest of us have received nothing from her! That’s absolutely unacceptable, Yu-chin! You can’t expect me, your wife, to agree to this too!” She stuck out her lower lip.

“Say what??” I scrunched my brows. In the name of whichever deity they hold dear, I can’t make heads or tails of what Tomoka said. If they haven’t even asked me for something, how can I give it to them?

“You need not worry, Mikami-san! I’m on your side, yeah?!” Tomoka clenched her fist. “We don’t want that first-year to get a leg up on us!”

“Mizuno-san, it’s not at all helpful to say that. Please don’t complicate things any further,” Minori glared at Tomoka.

“But class rep, I’m—”

“Mizuno-san is right,” Kyashii remarked, her gaze piercing through me.

“Wha—?!” Kyashii’s remarks have me puzzled. “What do you mean? That I should also get you guys some gifts from here?”

“Not really... Rather than a souvenir, why not give something that belongs to you personally? Like your h-handkerchief or k-keychain. That sort of thing.” Kyashii pouted.

“Huh?!”

“Yeaahh! You’ve got a good strategy, Mikami-san! I want something Yu-chin personally uses as well! Now let’s see... Her necktie works for me. Or better yet, Yu-chin herself!” Tomoka beamed.

Kyashii’s elbow gently prodded Tomoka.

Hmm…

But why would they even be interested in my personal belongings again? Isn’t it better if I get them some souvenirs instead?

“Girls, you are acting like underclassmen who asked their senpai for their ribbons, buttons, and other keepsakes. Instead of taking Yuyo’s personal effects, why don’t you just ask her for a souvenir.” Minori mirrored my line of thought.

“Minori, I’d like a little something from Yuyo as well, but I’d rather have her personal stuff.” Kyashii fixed her eyes for a moment on Minori. “Do you think I’m being unreasonable? If that first-year can receive some stuff from Yuyo, why can’t I?” With a bitter smile, she turned her gaze toward me.