CH 20

After frozen for a few moments, as I saw the sight of Sakamoto senpai on his knees, I hurriedly helped him to get up and sat him down on a chair around the corner.

I sat down on a chair as well.

“Um, for now, please tell me your reason. I will help you if I can.”

“Really ! Thank you !”

“Anyway, the reason.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“Well, I like Natsuki…., I mean, Nakano san.”

He kept his promise not to call her Natsuki. He’s not a bad person, after all.

“But I always have trouble speaking in front of other people.”

“But you can speak normally to me, right?”

“Well, you’re right.”

“So that’s why you made such a shitty confession the other day.”

“Eh? ……So you heard me.”

Even if you told me that you’re not pretty good a t talking, you’re still acting like that? that’s pretty horrible.

“I’m sorry if you were listening. I was just saying what I was going to do to you…..and it came out on the spur of the moment, like a threat, or something, and I don’t mean it..

“That’s tough…”

It’s pretty tough to get involved with people like that. Moreover, it’s even worse when the person himself says what he didn’t mean to say.

If so…

“Is it possible that the bad rumors are not true?”

“Well, how should I put it, it’s my fault for threatening you. I think it’s mostly different for the other guys, I think the timing was bad.”

“I see. So, what do you want me to do?”

“Oh, right. I want you to help me speak normally. And if possible, the rumors as well.”

Well, I had a vague idea of how the conversation was going to go. I really wonder how he can talk to me normally.

“I understand. For now, that’s right…… Let’s apologize to the person who you caused trouble for.”

“Ugh……. Do you think I can do it?”

“It’s not whether you can or can’t do it, but whether you will or won’t do it. I’ll go with you for now.”

If I let him go alone, it will cause trouble again, so I have no choice but to go with him.

I hope he can do it like when he talks to me.

“Well, I’m not saying it should be right now. But for now, let’s practice.”

“Practice, huh? I feel like I’m already bothering you too much. I’m sorry.”

Isn’t he already a good person? If you can talk to people properly, you’re a really good person.

Handsome and considerate of others. He’s good. He’s totally different from Ootori kun.

If anything, I’d say he’s more like Ishizaki.

“It’s fine. If you want, I can make a chance for you to apologize to Natsuki.”

“Really… you’re a good guy.”

“If you do it properly, you’ll be popular too, senpai. If you do it properly.”

“…..I take back what I said before.”

Why? I just said the right thing.

“Well, that’s okay. I’ll get someone to come over and we’ll practice.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry to put you through all this.”

“……Well, maybe I’d like to get paid or something.”

“Huh? ……I was just getting a good vibe from you. But you’re right… I’ll do it if I can.”

I decided to get three copies of last year’s test questions for each subject.

Why? To force Ishizaki and Segawa to come along. They don’t want to do make-up work, either. I’m also getting one for them because I’m worried about them too.

“Well, then, we have a deal. Let’s do our best.”

“Yeah, good luck.”

☆☆☆

The next day, Senpai’s special training started.

As expected, I was able to catch Ishizaki and Segawa. As for Segawa, she was also able to make an opportunity to be with Ishizaki. Segawa likes Ishizaki very much.

At first, they were scared, but as I talked with them in between, they were able to talk normally to some extent. Senpai seemed to have gotten used to it. At this rate, it seemed to be alright.

A week passed along with a midterm test. Every once in a while, my sister came to visit, but as expected, I couldn’t hear a thing from the [Ice princess].

She was stiff and straight.

It’s my sister after all, and since she heard about Natsuki when she got confessed to and what happened to me, she wore a moderately cold atmosphere.

She must really care about Natsuki ! (Actually, she was more angry at the way they treated me, but I didn’t notice that.)

As for Sakamoto senpai, I couldn’t say it went well, but he get to the point where he could talk normally.

“Sakamoto senpai, do you think it’s time to apologize to Natsuki?”

“….Got it. I’ll give it a try. I’m going to apologize to the people I’ve been causing trouble for. Alone if possible. I don’t want to cause you any more trouble. I’ll be counting on you for the rest of it.”

“Yeah, right.”

I’m glad to see that Senpai has become more proactive.

The next day after school, Sakamoto senpai and I were waiting in the usual classroom.

I called Natsuki.

Sakamoto senpai looked very frightened. He was probably afraid of what he had done and of what the person he likes would say to him.

“Senpai, it’s going to be all right. I’m sure she’ll listen to you.”

“Yeah, Thank you…”

Still, he was trembling.

About five minutes later, Natsuki arrived.

A voice came from the outside.

“Yuuki, are you there?”

“I’m here.”

“Okay, got it.”

Natsuki opened the door and when she saw me and Sakamoto senpai, she froze and became angry.

“What are you doing with Yuuki? Did you do something to Yuuki?”

“No, no, I didn’t do–“

“Then why are you at the place where Yuuki called me !? Yuuki knows that I’m being picked on !”

“I really…”

“Don’t lie ! Tell me the truth.”

“…..”

Oh, no. Well, here we are. He must’ve done something to Natsuki other than what I saw.

Otherwise he wouldn’t have been rejected so far.

Even Sakamoto senpai can’t say anything. Well, that’s no wonder. …..As expected, I have to support him.

“Natsuki, Sakamoto senpai didn’t do anything to me.”

“Eh? ….Wait, is that what you’re told to say? I’m fine, okay? If it’s about me…”

“Natsuki, it’s true. If Sakamoto senpai does anything today, I’ll stop him. Besides, Sakamoto senpai just wants to apologize to you.”

“Eh? Really…”

Finally, she seemed to believe me a little and mumbled something after that.

After a while,

“Well, I believe you. But please stay away from me.

“I see. Here, Sakamoto senpai, tell her what you want to talk about.”

Natsuki hides behind me and only her face peeking out.

I’m not sure if she had heard what I just said, since she had dead eyes until then.

“Well, yeah, thanks… . First of all, Nakano san, I’m really sorry for everything I’ve said.”

“….”

“I’m not very good at talking to people, and when I talked to other people, I always felt like a different person, even to myself.”

“Something that I didn’t expect to come out of my mouth, things that I didn’t mean to say.”

“This time, with Yuuki’s and his friends’ help, I was finally able to speak. So he asked me to call you here today.”

“…..I’m not asking for your forgiveness. It’s just, I’ve done something terrible. …..Besides, no, it’s nothing.”

Sakamoto senpai spoke slowly, but still firmly about what he wanted to convey.

Natsuki, as for her, she listened until the end.

“If you tell me not to get involved anymore, I will stay away from you. I’ll do whatever I can do. I’m sorry for everything I’ve done.”

“…..”

Natsuki seemed to be thinking about something and kept looking down.

Sakamoto senpai is standing still with his head down. If I look closely, he seems to be in tears.

Of course he is. It must be hard to stay away from someone you love and not get involved with them. But he still said that, probably because he was aware that he had done the worst thing he could’ve done.

Natsuki finally looked up, looked at Sakamoto senpai, and said,.

“I understand. As long as you don’t get involved with me directly, it’s fine. In return, I would like you to help me out a little.”

Sakamoto senpai froze for a moment, perhaps not understanding what she said, but after about 10 seconds,

“T-thank you very much.”

He said.

I don’t know what she was going to ask him for, but Natsuki seemed to be satisfied by what he did.

I had called Natsuki after school, so Natsuki and I decided to return home, and I said a few words to Sakamoto senpai and left the classroom without him.

☆☆☆

Sakamoto senpai side.

I don’t think I’ve been forgiven. But I think it was for the best.

But Nakano san seems pretty harsh too.

She wants to consult me about the person she likes……Yuuki.

I still like Nakano san. And I’m not in a position to complain, but it’s pretty tough.

And the other one will have to work harder from now on.

Apologize to the other people who you caused trouble for.

I can’t ask Yuuki and the others to help me anymore. Or rather, I thought there was no point in relying on them. I have to do my best by myself.

That’s what I felt today when Yuuki supported me.

This is the first step. I have to make up for what I’ve done so far.

Besides, Yuuki was a good guy. At the end,

“If anything ever happens to you, I’ll listen. I consider you as my friend.”

I can’t believe he said that.

If so, I would be happy to have such a good friend.

Thinking of this, I left the classroom where Yuuki and the others had disappeared.

I won’t let this happen again in the future. I vowed to do so.

☆☆☆

Yuuki side

When I was going home with Natsuki, she suddenly asked me something like this.

“Um, did you hate  me after hearing what I said to Sakamoto kun?”

I don’t know why she would ask me that, it’s not that particular.

The reason I helped Sakamoto senpai was because he was sorry for what he had done and was trying to make amends.

The reason I interrupted earlier was because it’s very painful to be denied one-sidedly.

Because I knew how it felt. That’s all.

Besides, it was Sakamoto senpai’s fault to begin with.

“No, that’s not true.”

“Really? ……But are you still a little disappointed?”

“No, not at all. I thought that Sakamoto senpai did something else too. If someone I really hate talks to me, I would do the same too…..It was Sakamoto senpai who caused it in the first place.”

“I see ! …..With this, I won’t get involved with him in any strange way.”

After saying that, she looked at me.

“Summer vacation is just around the corner ! Let’s have fun together !”

She said.