Chapter 6 - Unexpected Little Quarrels

 

That day, the mall was even more crowded than usual.

The busiest and most bustling was the event space on the first floor.

Numerous parents and children were in attendance. Young children gazed at the podium with sparkling eyes. The microphone was held by a presenter accessorized with cat ears and gloves.

"Welcome to the show! From now on, we will be shaking hands with the popular character 'Nyanjiro'."

"Woah!!!!"

The children cheered when they saw a stuffed animal figure appear from the back of the stage.

The figure was a big fluffy cat. Its eyes narrowed somewhat sleepily, as if it was content after eating.

Koyuki's face lit up when she saw him from afar.

"Unbelievable...! It really is Nyanjiro!"

"It's good to see you happy, Koyuki."

His expression was the same as when he played in the pool a few days before. He seemed to like it a lot.

As Koyuki looked at the podium with sparkling eyes, Yuna also gave a small nod of her head.

"Do you like Nyanjiro too, Koyuki-chan?"

"Of course. Because it's very nice."

"Mn, I agree, it's very cute! By the way, has Koyuki-chan seen your latest movie?"

"Of course. I've even pre-ordered the Blu-ray disc."

"Woah! Nee, nee, let's watch it together sometime. I have another Blu-ray disc at home."

"Really? You promise?"

"Yapp!"

Koyuki and Yuna were innocently excited.

Naoya watched them sympathetically, as the two got along very well.

Yuna even calls Koyuki "Koyuki-chan" instead of "Koyuki Onee-chan".

It seems that after going through a moment of play together, they somehow seem like close friends.

At first I wondered what would happen, but they seemed to be getting closer.

Naoya was relieved, but Yuna clenched her fists and gave him a big smile.

"Nee, Naoya Onii-chan... Let's queue up together."

"Ah...! That's not fair! I'm going to stand in line with him too."

"Yes, yes, we'll queue the three of us together...."

In the end, Naoya had to let out a long sigh as the two burned with the flames of rivalry once again.

His true love is Koyuki. He dared to swear to heaven, earth and God for it.

But telling Yuna... even Naoya, someone who was outspoken in everything he did, was hesitant. He was also worried about his relationship as a neighbor.

I don't want to make a child cry. But, on the other hand... I don't want Koyuki to pout anymore either. God, what do I do with this?

Naoya lined up for the handshake session, feeling the angst of a romcom MC.

Photographs were allowed in this session and the time spent by each group was quite long.

Next to the corner where the handshake session was held, there was a stand selling stickers and dolls that was also crowded with visitors.

Thanks to this, the queue was slow, but for Koyuki and Yuna, who somehow got along well, it seemed like a good time to chat.

Koyuki was talking to Yuna while looking at a stuffed animal in the distance.

"Nee, Yuna, do you want to buy souvenirs too?"

"Of course! I want to buy one for me and one for my friend."

"Oh, isn't that nice, is Nyanjiro popular in your school too?"

"Yes, everyone loves it. We talk about Nyanjiro during the lunch break."

"So you went to see the movie Nyanjiro with your friends?"

"Umu, and Yui Onee-chan is also coming with us."

"Is that so?"

Yuna laughed and smiled slightly.

Koyuki nodded at this strange reaction.

Ah. I see, you have a lot to do with your colleagues?

With that alone, Naoya could read most of the situation.

However, Yuna seemed to try to hide it from him. So, Naoya made no comment.

I believe that primary school children also have many difficulties of their own.

"By the way, do you really like Naoya Onii-chan, Koyuki-chan?"

"Fueehh...?"

"Buhuukk!"

Yuna threw out a question, like a sudden blow, causing Koyuki and Naoya to startle simultaneously.

Yuna, for her part, did not relax her attack.

Yuna looked at Koyuki, who had a reddened face, and declared it without hesitation.

"If you like it. That means Koyuki-chan is my rival, you know?"

"Ugh, that's..."

Koyuki immediately turned her face away from Yuna.

If she can honestly say how she feels just by being pressured like that, then it shouldn't take long for her to date Naoya.

However, Koyuki did not seem willing to deny it either.

With a trembling body, he said.

"If you ask me if I like it or not, I don't hate it, but..."

"That means you like it, right?"

"Well, I can't say something that embarrassing..."

"What's so embarrassing!!! Yuna can say it! Naoya Onii-chan, I love you so much! I've even kissed you many times!"

"Ughh...!"

Yuna easily shouted out her feelings of love and hugged Naoya.

As a result, Koyuki's face, which had been bright red, suddenly turned completely blue.

His eyes were a little watery and if we were to add a sound effect, "Gaaaa..." would be very appropriate for the mood. That's the best way to describe it.

By the way, if I had to translate what I probably had in mind, it would be "How envious...! I also wish I could tell Naoya-kun that I love him too and hug him tight...." Something like that.

However, she still finds it difficult to be honest.

Koyuki was still very hesitant.

Naoya tried to help her.

"Listen, Yuna... You can't tease Koyuki like that."

But then, a cheerful voice that sounded like a rolling bell fell upon the three of us.

"Ara, isn't it Yuna-san?"

"Yes...?"

When they turned around, they saw a girl standing.

She was the same age as Yuna.

She has long, slightly wavy blonde hair and a red headband. She also has bright burgundy eyes and wears an elegant one-piece outfit that makes her look like a princess from a fairy tale.

The petite beauty put her hands on her hips and smiled wryly.

And of course, the girl was staring at Yuna.

"Umm... Eris-chan."

Seeing the girl, Yuna looked away awkwardly.

"...Are you shopping too, Eris-chan?"

"Yes. My mother invited me to come shopping with her. But still..."

The girl named "Eris" narrowed her eyes.

The first thing he saw was a stuffed animal greeting visitors.

"Yuna-san, you're still crazy about that ugly cat, aren't you? You're just as childish as the other kids at school."

"Ha...!"

Suddenly, Yuna looked up in the direction of the mockery.

He was about to open his mouth to say something, but no words came to mind.

She opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish without oxygen. Finally, Yuna turned her head to the side and said coldly:

"I don't care about you, Eris-chan! Get out of here!"

"What?! It wasn't me who called you. But why do you say that?"

The girl immediately responded to Yuna's words.

Yuna looked away from her and the girl immediately turned away. When her figure finally disappeared, she let out a long sigh.

"Um, did you guys have a fight?"

"It would seem so."

Both Naoya and Koyuki could only look at each other.

Soon, it was the turn of the three to shake Nyanjiro's hand.

They shook hands with the stuffed animal, hugged and finally took a picture together, but Yuna looked sad even after all that.

* * *

After arriving at our first destination. We approached the stall we had been waiting for so long. But even so, Yuna's expression did not change. Afterwards, the three of us went to a coffee shop nearby.

"........."

Yuna, pouting, was cutting her mini parfait.

He didn't even glance at the beautifully arranged strawberries, but just ate them quietly as if he were doing the task he had been assigned, obviously his mind was elsewhere.

"Nee, Naoya-kun."

"Mh, what?"

Instead Naoya and Koyuki were sitting in front of Yuna and were eating some cookies.

Koyuki continued to whisper to Naoya.

"About that girl...is she a friend of Yuna's?"

"Ah, about that. Well, it looks like it."

"But, he's acting really weird..."

Koyuki lowered her eyebrows slightly and looked at Yuna.

Even after eating half of the parfait, his expression remained the same.

It seemed that the fight with the girl had really ruined his mood.

It was obvious to Koyuki that she was worried. However, she immediately looked at Naoya's face.

"Ah, yes, by any chance... can you figure out the reason why Yuna and that girl are fighting just by looking at her?"

"Well, I seem to understand part of the problem."

"It's scary...!"

Koyuki looked at me with a surprised face, as if she was really surprised.

"Really, why don't you become a detective in the future? I'm sure you'll rise through the ranks in no time."

"I'm still not sure what my career will be like in the future. But for now, I will apply for the position of Koyuki's husband."

"Muu, this is not the time for that, you know that!" exclaimed Koyuki looking straight at Naoya.

And after that, Koyuki cleared her throat to cover her blushing face and tried to put on a serious face.

"If you know the problem. That means you also know how you can help, right?"

"Well, to be honest, I thought it was pretty easy."

Naoya couldn't help but laugh as Koyuki begged for help.

The reason for their dispute and how it would be resolved are clear.

However, Naoya could not just say that.

"That's a matter for them to resolve themselves. I don't think it's right for a third party like me to interfere."

"Ugh... maybe you're right. But, you're also interfering in Natsume-san and Kouno's love affairs, aren't you, isn't it the same thing?"

"Well, it's been going on for a while."

I once got into my childhood friend Yui's business to help her pick up a boy she liked.

But, it was a decision Naoya made after years of observing them.

"I won't interfere unless the situation is really serious. It's for your own good."

"You're very serious in a strange way. I know you're that kind of person, but..."

Koyuki kept insisting that Naoya could help, but began to stop arguing further.

He seemed to understand Naoya's attitude.

However, she still seemed worried about Yuna.

He looked at Yuna, who was rummaging through her parfait with a frown, and lowered his eyebrows even further.

"But, that doesn't mean we can leave her alone - can't you do something?"

"If you're so worried about her, why don't you talk to Yuna instead?"

"Me?"

"Yes, that's the way it should be. They're getting closer. Anyway, it will be much easier if you talk to Koyuki, who is female."

"I'm not good at that sort of thing..."

Koyuki's gaze looked as if there was a conflict in his mind.

She is shy and has problems with interpersonal relationships. So this may be the first time she has this kind of talk.

I could clearly see that at first he hesitated to start talking to Yuna... but in the end he took my hand firmly and looked at me seriously and decisively.

"Okay. I'll try."

"Yes, good luck," Naoya said nodding with a smile.

I could ask Yuna directly, but since I already knew everything beforehand, it would seem like an interrogation and would probably aggravate the situation even more.

Thus, Koyuki would be better suited for this job.

After clearing his throat, he turned to Yuna.

"Um, Yuna-chan."

"Mn, what?"

"About that girl just now... Eris-chan, right? Is she your friend from school?"

"...Yes. We met a few days ago."

Yuna pondered for a while and nodded her head.

From there, he started telling stories.

That girl, Eris, seemed to be Yuna's classmate.

She is a girl who moved from the United States this spring due to her parents' work. Therefore, she has only been in Japan for a short time.

"So Yuna was the first person to befriend him."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yes, that's right. When Eris-chan entered school, she didn't speak Japanese well."

Maybe that's why she was always alone. During breaks, she spent her time at her table reading foreign picture books and Yuna never saw her smile.

Then Yuna spoke to him.

"Eris-chan, you're as pretty as a princess! "

"What?"

Since then, Yuna taught her Japanese and played with her every day.

At first, Eris was confused, but eventually she began to smile and her Japanese improved rapidly with her. Perhaps because of her fondness for reading books, she now knows more difficult words than anyone else in the class.

Yuna spoke with a worried expression about the friendship that should have gone well, which made Koyuki feel very confused.

"You seem to be very good friends... But why did you fight before?"

"...It's not Yuna's fault."

Yuna's cheeks puffed out.

"Eris-chan suddenly said she didn't want to play with Yuna anymore."

"All of a sudden, it's not because they had a fight or something?"

"No, we didn't fight. I took her to the movies."

That was only 2 weeks ago.

On the way home with Eris, he asked her if she wanted to go to the movies again next holiday.

It was a movie about Nyanjiro, a popular school mascot character.

Yuna was looking forward to the movie and wanted to watch it with Eris.

But Eris was so disappointed that she said she never wanted to see her again.

"I won't go. "

"Huh? Why, Nyanjiro, how cute!"

"No, I don't want to! I'll just play with Yuna-san today! "

"What?"

It seems that she unilaterally decided to stop being friends.

From that day on, Eris started to ignore Yuna and didn't care what Yuna said to her, she also started to come home from school alone.

And when Yuna played with other children, she laughed at her sarcastically just like before.

"Oh. That's why you were in a bad mood before."

"I don't want to see Eris-chan anymore! I don't care anymore!"

Yuna turned her body in annoyance.

It seemed that talking about Eris brought out the resentment he was hiding.

Well, it can't be helped, can it? Yuna just didn't understand what was going on with Eris.

He probably never thought that the mere fact of inviting her to the movies would ruin their friendship.

I don't know the reason for Eris's sudden change of attitude, which made her even more frustrated.

"Oh, I see..."

Koyuki clasped her hands and seemed to contemplate Yuna's story.

There was silence among the three of them for a while.

Although there was some merry laughter in the cafeteria, only the sound of Naoya sipping his tea could be heard echoing quietly from his table.

Then, it was Koyuki who broke the silence. He opened his mouth earnestly and said briefly.

"Yuna-chan, you should talk to that girl again."

"...I've been trying to talk to her."

Yuna frowned and turned her face away.

"But, Eris-chan doesn't care what Yuna says. She always responds to what I say with teasing or other bad words. In fact, she's always teasing Nyanjiro..."

A small tear appeared in the corner of her eye.

Yuna immediately wiped away her tears and uttered a few words under her breath.

"I don't want to hate her. But, I'm afraid if I continue then I will hate her. So I try not to talk to her anymore."

"Still, it's not good."

Koyuki did not give up at all as Yuna's heart slowly sank in worry.

He looked down at his tea, which was already getting cold, and began to speak in a light tone.

"You know, Yuna-chan? I had a friend in elementary school too. Her name was Chie-chan and she was like Eris to Yuna-chan."

"Friend... are you still friends with her?"

"...Mn, we are no longer friends."

Koyuki slowly shook his head.

Naoya had also heard this story before.

There was a girl he thought was his best friend, a girl he cared about.

However, she eventually learned that the girl hated her behind her back.

After that, Koyuki did not know how to treat her and continued to avoid her.

"Our relationship became awkward and, soon after, Chie-chan transferred to another school. I was too stubborn to ask for her contact information. So I don't even know where she is or what she's doing now."

Saying this, Koyuki smiled despite the obvious sadness on her face.

"I was alone for a long time. I couldn't trust anyone and avoided relating to others."

"What? But, Koyuki-chan... you're very close to Yuna."

"No, that's not true. I've recently changed my attitude. All thanks to Naoya-kun."

"Naoya Onii-chan?"

Yuna cocked her head to one side and Koyuki nodded her head.

"Naoya-kun taught me that the most important thing in dealing with others is to have the courage to speak up. Thanks to that, I've become friends with Naoya-kun, Yui and many other people."

"Well, it's also thanks to your hard work, Koyuki."

"Mnm... So, I started thinking about this."

Koyuki interrupted his words and looked at his cup of tea.

"If only I'd had the courage to talk to Chie-chan again then... maybe we could still be friends."

"But, you don't like Koyuki-chan, do you?"

Yuna interjected with a hint of sarcasm.

He seemed to start comparing Koyuki's story to his own.

"I wonder if I can really be friends with a girl who hates me."

"That might be impossible."

"Eee?"

"But it's better than doing nothing and regretting it for a long time, isn't it?"

Koyuki said calmly to Yuna, who was starting to look pale.

Resting his hand on her breast, he continued to express his sincere feelings.

"The most important thing to remember is that I can't just be nice to a new person and expect her to do the same to me. I should do what I can to reconcile with her. Because she is...a very important friend."

That was Koyuki's true feeling.

Naoya shuddered slightly and felt a small pain in his heart when he heard Koyuki's statement.

But, Koyuki quickly lowered her shoulders and sighed.

"But, I can't even apologize to... that girl anymore."

"Koyuki-chan..."

Yuna looked at Koyuki with teary eyes.

While gently holding his hand on the table, Koyuki continued with his words.

"I don't want you to feel like me. You should talk it over with Eris-chan. You have to reconcile somehow."

"...But what if it doesn't work?"

"Then you have to do it until it works! Don't give up after the first try! Whatever happens, you must try, try and try and try!"."

"...Mn, I understand."

Yuna gave a small nod of her head and lowered her face.

When he raised his head, there were no more tears in his eyes.

Instead, his face was filled with the fire of a strong spirit.

"Yuna will talk to Eris one more time! We'll fix it."

"Yes, you have to be nice to her, Yuna-chan."

Koyuki's face was also glowing.

The dark and gloomy atmosphere changed drastically and the two looked very cheerful.

Seeing this, Naoya was relieved.

Amazing, Koyuki... he was able to express his feelings so quickly and accurately....

It would have been difficult for her to be so open and honest about her feelings a while ago.

Perhaps because Yuna was in a situation similar to hers she was able to express her feelings.

Whatever it was, Koyuki is making progress. Naoya could feel it.

He was relieved, but at the same time a little worried.

Koyuki's friend... I hope I can make them reconcile again....

I know Koyuki is always bothered by the past.

She said it made her uncomfortable socializing and must have been quite traumatic for her.

It was unknown if her former friend still remembered Koyuki, but... Naoya wanted to do something about it.

Yui has a lot of contacts and I wonder if she knows a girl who is in the same elementary school as Koyuki... No, but I don't think it's a good idea for her to interfere too much....

Maybe Koyuki would get hurt again if she was reunited with her friend.

Thinking about this possibility, Naoya cancelled his intention. Although he was willing to encourage and support in many ways, he was cautious in such delicate matters.

Koyuki, for his part, was unaware of the inner conflict Naoya was facing.

"Then let's have a meeting to discuss strategy. Let's figure out how to talk to her at school this weekend with you."

"Mn! Thank you, Koyuki-chan!"

Together with Yuna, he burns with a melancholy fighting spirit.

... I think we should settle things here first... Naoya thought, smiling.

If the two are able to come to their own conclusions, then I can gently encourage them.

"I don't think they need to wait until the weekend."

"Ehh... What?"

"It's easy for me to guess where he went."

Naoya laughed at the two, who looked astonished.

* * *

A shopping mall is a spacious three-story building.

There are many stores, cinemas and game centers. So if they wanted to find the only girl, they had no choice but to resort to the missing child announcement system.

But according to Naoya, there was only one place Eris could go.

Hiding in the shadows, she looked in that direction.

Koyuki and Yuna followed him. However, they both looked confused.

"Eris-chan, did you really come to this place...?"

"I can't believe we're at Nyanjiro's trading post...."

The three of them supervised the sales booth, which was set up right next to the place of the handshake session.

Dolls, stationery, picture books and other objects crowd into a small space. Although it used to be crowded, it is now quite quiet.

Yuna kept tilting her head.

"Ever since Yuna invited her to watch the movie Nyanjiro, she's angry with me. When I talk about Nyanjiro with the other girls, she seems so bored... I don't think she's interested."

"If that's the case, maybe she's more like a hater..."

"Well, let's put that aside. Maybe it's time to... Oh, there it is!"

"Eeee what? Really?"

Looking in the direction Naoya pointed, they both let out a small cry.

That was because a blonde girl - Eris - had emerged from the crowd.

With a strong expression on his face, like a warrior going into battle, he headed straight for the stall.

He picked up a sticker that was nearby. He eagerly checked the front and back, then carefully handed it back.

The same goes for the other items. Other customers were so serious that they were forced to make way for Eris.

Witnessing this incident, the two could not help but be amazed.

"You did? I thought you weren't interested."

"Fufu... right, although he said he didn't like it."

"Oh, come on, you two. We've got better things to do than this."

"Oh, that's right...!"

Koyuki was surprised by Naoya's comment.

She tapped Yuna on the shoulder and pointed directly at Eris, who was shopping in the sales corner.

"You can do it Yuna-chan! You and Eris will reconcile."

"Yes! Yuna will do her best!"

* * *

Yuna also struck an energetic pose and headed toward the concession stand.

Eris was probably so focused on looking at the product that she didn't notice Yuna approaching her.

"Eris-chan!"

"Hyah!"

When Yuna called out to her, Eris jumped a few inches.

She turned around with her hair beautifully curled like a whip.

"Waaa, Yuna-san! Why are you here...?"

At that moment, Eris' face paled completely.

But Yuna didn't care. As she continued to close the distance with Eris, step by step, she uttered the few words she had to prepare.

"You know, Eris-chan. I want to talk to you."

"N-No! I don't want to talk to you anymore."

"Aah! Wait!"

Without listening to Yuna's words, Eris ran out of the place like a rabbit.

He headed straight for the exit. However, someone was already there and ambushed him.

"I won't let you go!"

"Aaaah!"

Koyuki jumped out of the shadows, grabbed Eris and pinned her down.

This caused the other guests to become confused and stop in their place. Apologizing to them, Naoya also decided to step out of the shadows.

Surrounded by the three in the blink of an eye, Eris could only grimace with tears in her eyes.

"Who is this person?"

"She's a friend of my Onee! Koyuki-chan!"

"By the way, I didn't mean to ask you to stay here Yuna-san! And please let me go!"

"I'll let you go if you talk to Yuna-chan again."

"Ughh...!"

Eris' face distorted with Koyuki's proposed condition.

However, he broke firmly and turned away.

"I refuse - there's nothing to talk to Yuna-san about!"

"Ah..."

Yuna raised her eyebrows and shrugged at the terse response.

It seemed that the determination he had just promised Koyuki had been completely erased by that.

Koyuki looked at Eris, whom she was holding with her hands tied behind her back.

"Hmmm... Eris. Can we talk?"

"What?"

Koyuki undid her knot and this time looked directly at Eris.

Although she was now free, Eris could not escape Koyuki's intimidation and shuddered.

Then, Koyuki jabbed her index finger at him.

"You really like Yuna-chan, don't you?"

"Huh?"

"Huh...?"

In contrast to Yuna's blank stare, Eris' face was flushed.

Naoya sighed secretly as he contemplated such a scene.

Oh, Koyuki did something unusual like me....

It seems that spending time with Naoya, made her develop some of her sensibilities. However, for most people, it would not be difficult to read Eris' true intentions.

However, as Koyuki seemed to have realized the truth, Naoya decided to continue to observe the situation calmly.

He was ready to intervene if the conversation got complicated, but he thought everything would be fine.

Koyuki looked sharply at Eris, who was confused.

"You really like Yuna-chan. But, you can't say that."

"Huh? That's not true!"

Eris looked sharply at Koyuki as she gaped.

"What do you know about me?"

"Yes, I know. Because I'm just like you."

Koyuki put her hands on her hips and said bluntly.

"There's no point in being stubborn. If you want to be friends with her again, you have to confront her immediately with no excuses."

"What?"

"Hey, Eris-chan...?"

Eris swallowed saliva and Yuna's face also stiffened as she looked at her.

However, Yuna seemed to have made up her mind. Clenching her fists tightly, she said directly.

"Yuna wants to be friends with Eris again like before! If Yuna made a mistake, I apologize... It's just, you have to say what's wrong with Yuna!".

"Yuna-san..."

Koyuki's words seemed to have touched her heart.

Eris paused and looked at her toes.

Then, he blurted out his next words.

"It's not my fault. It's all your fault."

"Ugh... I'm sorry. But, I don't know why you're mad at me."

"Grr, you're the worst Yuna-san!"

Eris pointed her finger at her.

What was in front of me was a stack of Nyanjiro items lined up in the sales corner.

He raised his eyes as if he wanted to avenge something.

"They call this ugly cat 'cute', not me...!"

"Huh?"

Koyuki and Yuna raised their voices.

Naoya laughed at her reaction.

"Aah, you don't pay much attention to him either, do you, Koyuki?"

"No, no, no, no, I don't understand...what's going on here?"

"Because Yuna-san always says I'm pretty and like a princess..."

Eris choked a little and mumbled a few words.

When she arrived in Japan she was very nervous because she did not understand the language.

She was very happy when Yuna spoke to her.

She was very happy when Yuna called her "cute" every day.

Finally, Eris burst into tears and made a confession.

"But! Yuna-san praised that ugly cat even more! And besides, Yuna-san was very enthusiastic to talk about it with the other guys, I don't accept it...!"

"A-ah. Don't cry, Eris!"

Yuna hurried over to Eris and held out a handkerchief.

Koyuki, from afar, looked at her and said.

"Err, Naoya-kun. does this mean the 'like' thing?"

"Well, this kind of thing happens often among elementary school children..."

"Hmm, come to think of it...today's elementary school kids are pretty advanced when it comes to these kinds of issues..."

When Naoya nodded his head easily, Koyuki let out a long sigh.

In other words, Eris was just jealous.

And since the target was Nyanjiro, it was not surprising that Yuna did not understand what was happening to him.

"Eris-chan..."

As she soothed her best friend who was crying bitterly, Yuna reflected with a grimace on her mouth.

When Eris calmed down, Yuna took her hand and spoke directly to her.

"I'm sorry, Eris-chan. I didn't realize."

"Yuna..."

"So, I'll tell you correctly from now on."

"Huh?"

Yuna smiled and threw a few words directly at him.

"Nyanjiro is cute, but... Eris-chan is much, much cuter!"

"Ehh...?"

Eris' face turned red.

However, Yuna didn't care and continued.

"Your lustrous hair is like the shining sun. Your cheeks are smooth and soft, you're so pretty, even you look good in any outfit! You also know how to cook, you're good with flowers and animals... and, besides..."

"Ahhhh..."

The incessant praise only made Eris wince.

Finally, Yuna looked her in the face and said.

"I like you, Eris-chan. So, can we... be friends again?"

"..... B-But, I've said a lot of bad things to Yuna-san."

Eris' voice trembled.

"And... do you still want to be my friend?"

"Of course! You are Yuna's dearest friend."

"Yuna-san..."

Yuna responded immediately and Eris squeezed Yuna's hand again.

Then she wiped her tears with her other hand and smiled broadly.

"I know I'm selfish and stupid. But please do me a favor."

"Hey, what do you mean?

"I mean, please be nice to me."

"That's right! Then please be nice to Yuna too!"

"Of course!"

The two girls smiled again.

The previous awkward atmosphere between the two was completely drowned out by their happiness. Proof that they can understand each other wholeheartedly.

Meanwhile, Naoya was watching them warmly, then Koyuki started talking to him.

"Nee, Naoya-kun. Couldn't it be that the purpose of the girls coming to the stall..."

"Ah, right. He came to buy Yuna a gift to reconcile with her."

"I see, yes. That's why she was so serious about choosing the doll. God, she turned out to be a good girl."

Saying this, Koyuki let out a long sigh.

She was relieved that they were both on good terms, perhaps because she felt a similarity to the headstrong Eris.

Then Yuna approached Koyuki with a smile on her face.

"Thank you, Koyuki-chan! Thanks to you, I can reconcile with Eris-chan!"

"I'm glad everything is going well. But it's all thanks to your bravery, Yuna-chan. I only pushed you a little from behind."

"Koyuki-chan..."

Yuna stopped smiling and looked Koyuki in the face.

Koyuki was a little confused by the serious expression on his face.

"What's wrong, do I have something on my face?"

"No, it's nothing."

Yuna shook her head.

Then he put on a brighter smile and said with a grin.

"Koyuki chan, I will support your relationship with Naoya Onii-chan! Be happy with Naoya Onii-chan!"

"Huh...?"

"And, to Naoya Onii-chan - don't make Koyuki cry! If you do, Yuna won't keep quiet!"

"Don't worry. I won't make her cry."

After hearing Naoya's words, Yuna returned again to Eris' side.

Koyuki scratched his head as he watched Yuna leave him for Eris.

"What the hell was that? She was so jealous of me before."

"I guess that means he recognizes you now."

"Is that so? I didn't really do anything, you know."

Koyuki was still confused.

He really didn't realize that he had played an important role in maintaining the relationship between the two girls.

His eyebrows furrowed in disbelief, but his expression relaxed slightly when he saw Yuna and Eris laughing together. However, a shadow loomed over his face.

"But, thank God. I'm glad you can reconcile."

"...Right."

Naoya could only nod nonchalantly at that sentence, tinged with regret and concern.

Both were silent for a while.

"Nee! Naoya Onii-chan!"

"Hm? What is it, Yuna?"

Yuna pulled her hand away from Eris and turned to Naoya.

What comes next is a nice wish.

"We're going to Naoya Onii-chan's house for dinner, right? Can I bring Eris-chan too?"

"Yes, that's fine. You live around here too, don't you, Eris? I'll take you home later."

"All right, then, I'll do as you say...and I'll gladly accompany you."

"Well. Before that, we should tell your parents, do you have their phone number?"

"Ah, yes... please..."

Koyuki received the smartphone from Eris and quickly organized everything.

As expected, it's reliable... Well, anyway... Koyuki wants to reconcile with her old friend, right?

Naoya was so worried that the feeling of confusion in his chest kept spreading.

"Nee, Naoya-kun, that..."

"Hm?"

I pushed my thoughts aside as Koyuki looked at me with a sullen gesture in his eyes while holding Eris' smartphone in his hand.

He knew at least what I meant, even if he didn't ask....

"Oh, yeah...you're not used to talking to strangers, are you? Well, I'll make the call."

"I'm sorry..."

"Muu, Naoya Onii-chan. Yuna told you not to make her cry!"

"That's right! Apologize to Koyuki-sama!"

"Why am I being blamed..."

With three girls in the group, it is very difficult for a boy to win an argument.

With that, we decided to go food shopping before heading back to my place.