Chapter 8 - Facing the Past

The next day.

Naoya accompanied Koyuki to school a little earlier.

The students gathered in the schoolyard for morning exercises. Thus, the entrances, corridors and classrooms were empty. The summer sun had not yet risen and the temperature was not too high.

It was a quiet and peaceful morning.

However, Koyuki seemed quite the opposite of this morning's calm atmosphere. She looked around restlessly and tightly gripped the strap of the bag over her shoulder with both hands.

Koyuki looked around uneasily.

"I found you!"

"Heee..."

In front of classroom 2-3, he found the girl he was looking for.

This is Emika Suzuhara, the class president.

Yesterday, she wore a nice outfit. But today, she wears her uniform neatly and in typical class president style, with braided black hair and glasses, like the ones we used to see at school.

She froze in front of Koyuki.

It reacted like a small animal facing its natural enemy.

Koyuki then called out to her with a serious expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, class president, I'd like to talk to you for a moment..."

"Forgive me!"

"Aahhhh! Wait!"

Before Koyuki could say anything, Mika fled from Koyuki's presence.

He ran down the nearest staircase in three steps and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Of course, there was no time to catch up.

Koyuki's shoulders slumped in disappointment as he was about to grab Mika's hand.

"Ugh... he got away again..."

"By the way, I think that girl is 'Chie-chan'. She has the same facial contours and everything."

"Well, isn't it...?"

While patting Koyuki's shoulder, Naoya said that.

One of her hands held a photo she had borrowed from Koyuki. The photo, taken in elementary school, showed two girls playing in the park.

One of them is, of course, Koyuki.

She watered the flowerbeds in a sleeveless one-piece dress.

Another short-haired tomboy smiled at Koyuki, who, in Naoya's eyes, looked like Emika Suzuhara in her childhood.

* * *

It was lunchtime that day.

In a corner of the school canteen, Naoya, Koyuki and Sakuya were sitting around a table.

In the noisy, bustling room, the clattering of dishes was clearly audible.

After listening to the conversation, Sakuya tilted her head slightly.

"Fuehhah?"

"Well, swallow your food first before you speak."

Saying this, he immediately swallowed the food in his mouth.

The menu Sakuya ate was a large set of ramen.

She also secretly brought her own bento. The menu she eats may make her look like a normal high school girl, but she's actually a big eater.

After swallowing more than half of the ramen ration, Sakuya finally opened her mouth to speak.

"I know Chie-chan too. She's Onee-chan's friend from elementary school, right?"

"Yes. I think you know her too, don't you, Sakuya?"

"Yes, I've played with her a few times. What's wrong with Chie-chan? I thought she moved out a long time ago."

"He's in the same class as Koyuki."

"Oh, what an unexpected plot twist," Sakuya said, her tone so flat that even her facial muscles didn't move at all.

It was a weak reaction that made you think he was joking if you didn't know better. But, Naoya had seen exactly what had surprised him.

Sakuya's gaze shifted from ramen to bento and finally looked at her sister.

"It's almost the end of term, though. And you didn't notice it all this time? Isn't that cruel, Onee-chan?"

"What can I do! I really hadn't noticed."

Koyuki looked frustrated and pounded the table.

He only touched the cold noodles he had ordered.

He covered his face with his hands on the table and bowed his head.

"I always call her 'Chie-chan'. So, her first name is ambiguous, while the class president... has a different atmosphere and most importantly, even her last name is different..."

He moved away during elementary school because his mother remarried.

According to Yui's information, her father abandoned her when she was a child and lived with her mother. However, her mother remarried when she was in elementary school and moved to another city.

It is only natural that he has now changed his last name. Besides, when they showed me his childhood photos, it was clear that he had changed his last name.

By the way, her former name was Emika Akechi.

She is called "Chie-chan" taking the first letter of her last name and the first letter of her first name.

When he explained, Sakuya nodded her head, as if she was at least satisfied with the explanation.

"I understand. But I still don't get it."

"What don't you understand...?"

"I'm sure that girl realized that Onee-chan is her old friend. Besides, you really stand out among the other girls."

Koyuki has silver hair and blue eyes, an unusual appearance.

Moreover, the name "Koyuki" made her realize immediately that this was her old friend.

"Put that aside. I'm curious as to why Onee-chan is so depressed. Weren't they close? Isn't Onee-chan happy to see her at this school?"

"It's not that... It's just that I'm the only one who thinks we're friends."

"Huh?"

Koyuki said to Sakuya, who was confused when she heard his words.

He told Sakuya that he had overheard Mika's conversation at the time with another girl.

He told them that he "hated" Koyuki.

That made the relationship between Koyuki and her former friend strained.

Koyuki's shoulders slumped and he lowered his head again.

"Today, she blurred when her eyes met mine... Today I tried to talk to her before lunch. But, she ran away. As expected, she hates me..."

"Hmm, I don't think that's true. If he hates Onee-chan, why would he want to spend time with you?"

Sakuya looked even more confused.

As I ate each grain of fried rice, I asked more questions.

"By the way, what was the situation like between you guys in class, does he ignore you?"

"No, she's even very friendly with me..."

"And he didn't even tell you his name?"

"No, he didn't. He never told me."

"What the hell is that? The more I ask, the more I don't understand any of this."

"...me too."

Koyuki let out a long sigh and lowered her shoulders.

The girl she thought she hated came closer to her, hiding her true identity. The distance between them gradually decreased until they became close enough to become friends.

Then, suddenly, when his true identity was revealed, he left.

Even if it wasn't Koyuki, anyone would be confused by this situation.

"From the beginning, I didn't know why he didn't tell me... why he was so nice to me... I really don't know. Does he really hate me or is he doing all this just to see my reaction? Thoughts like that keep running through my head. "

Saying this, Koyuki lowered his head.

But then he slowly raised his head and looked at Naoya, who was biting into a piece of bread next to him.

"By the way... Naoya-kun, do you know what Chie-chan is thinking?"

"Yes, I know. About... well..."

Naoya could only give a vague answer.

Naoya probably knew everything Mika was thinking and how to solve Koyuki's problem.

When Naoya told him that, Koyuki looked at Naoya with his mouth open.

"But, you're not going to tell me that easily, are you?"

"Oh, have you got it? Maybe Koyuki has started to pick up on my perception."

"Don't make fun of me. It's just like last time, isn't it?"

Koyuki's eyes lifted slightly.

This is the same pattern as in the previous incident with Yuna and Eris.

Naoya understood the full truth of the situation.

However, he could not just tell Koyuki.

"If I intervene, 90% of the messes in a relationship can be easily resolved. I know what the other party is thinking and what kind of misunderstandings there are. "

"Ohh! You really have abilities that no human of this modern era has. Isn't it great, Nii-sama? I thought you'd have a chance in another world..."

"Hahaha. If I was reborn in another world, I'd probably try to take it over."

In response to Sakuya's lighthearted comment, Naoya smiled sarcastically.

It is easy to read if it is possible to reestablish the relationship, if you observe it a little.

As a result, Naoya rarely has interpersonal problems.

Naoya is able to keep others' level of sympathy for him at a medium level just by following them and if they don't fit in, he can sense it and leave.

Naoya didn't mind being called a cheater.

"But, this is not my problem. It's your personal problem, Koyuki. So I think you should solve that problem on your own."

"With my own skills..."

"Yes. What do you want to do? Because in this kind of thing, that person's feelings are more important than anything else."

Looking Koyuki in the face, Naoya calmly asked.

Surprisingly, it was also a similar situation when Koyuki advised Yuna back then.

Like Yuna then, Koyuki was in an election.

"Depending on the choice, Koyuki could get hurt. So it's okay to run away. You can pretend that everything never happened. Starting tomorrow, you can treat the class president as just a classmate."

Forget the past and face the present.

Then Koyuki wouldn't have to worry about this and that, and she wouldn't get hurt.

It is a passive action, but it hurts a little.

"...I don't want to do that."

Koyuki shook his head slowly and vigorously.

"Chie-chan... no. It's true that I had fun with her. I don't want to pretend it never happened."

"So what are you going to do?"

"It's obvious."

Koyuki nodded, firmly determined.

When he looked up, the dark shadows of his past were gone. Instead, a fire of determination burned in his eyes.

"I want to talk to her and reconcile with her."

"I see, well then..."

Naoya gently stroked Koyuki's head.

He wasn't sure if it was a good idea to ask him, but he wanted to hear it in his own words. The fact that Koyuki also said it out loud finally made him think.

He clenched his fists tightly and his spirits flared.

"Yes. Don't think you can walk away from me just because of this, Chie-chan! I have so much patience that I can patiently put up with a weirdo like Naoya-kun."

"What do you think I am!"

Naoya suddenly lost his composure at being insulted like that.

But Naoya was relieved to see Koyuki motivated.

"But what are you going to do? If you try to talk to her, she'll run away again, won't she?"

"Ughh... that's right."

The first time I saw him, I thought he was a good friend.

She seemed simply surprised by this state of affairs, as was to be expected, for she had escaped many times before.

"I asked him once and he said he's in a running club now...and he's good at running short distances...even I can't keep up with that kind of guy if he really gets away from me."

"Come to think of it, Chie-chan. She's as athletic as you, Onee-chan."

"Well, like Sakuya said. I've rarely won a race since she became a runner. I don't know how I'm going to catch her."

"Don't worry. If it's just catching her, I'll help you."

"Huh? Are you so sure about the speed of your feet, Naoya-kun?"

"No, I won't do anything strenuous."

After shaking his head, Naoya let out a chuckle.

"If all I have to do is catch her, that's easy. Leave it to me."

* * *

"Hah......"

At that moment, Mika was trotting through the school hallway.

As soon as class was over, she grabbed her bag and ran out of the classroom ten seconds later.

Fortunately, she and Koyuki were sitting far apart. So it was easy for her to escape on the way home.

However, she was not sure if she could continue to avoid her tomorrow and so on. Koyuki and she were still at the same school and in the same class. They were also going home in the same direction.

Yui, her friend, also wanted to know about yesterday's incident at the family restaurant and it was impossible to keep putting off telling her.

In the worst-case scenario, you would have to consider skipping school.

They finally found out...

Reaching the still deserted shoebox, he sighed deeply.

Although it was late in the afternoon, the area was dimly lit. The sky, which should be clear, is now covered with thick clouds and a warm breeze is blowing underfoot.

A warm breeze was blowing under their feet and it looked like rain.

Looking at her own reflection, Mika thought to herself.

"I don't think it's possible to remain friends with Koyuki-chan after all this time..."

He regrets having said something that should have been obvious.

But, it was bad enough without stopping to think about it.

"Class president!"

"Huh?"

Suddenly, a loud noise echoed from the shoe closet.

She turned around with a shudder of surprise in her shoulders and found Koyuki standing panting behind her. She looked straight at Mika with determined eyes, she looked like a woman who had fought on many battlefields.

Meanwhile, Mika was so surprised that she let out a little scream.

"Hiiiii! Sorry."

"Hey! Damn it, I won't let you get away this time!"

Koyuki's furious shout pierced his back as he began to run as fast as he could.

At the same time, a loud stomp against the ground was heard. That was the beginning of their pursuit.

"Wait a minute! Seriously, don't run away...!"

But not for long, Koyuki felt exhausted.

Koyuki's feet were almost entangled and the distance between them widened.

Seeing this, Mika did not miss the opportunity and kept running.

Without seeing Koyuki behind her, Mika jumped into narrow alleys and turned randomly to escape. Sometimes she even ran through the courtyards of private houses and did not even know where and how she was running.

Finally, Mika arrived at a small park.

It was a place with swings and benches in the middle of a residential area and, of course, it was my first time there.

As Mika ran to the park, the children who were probably playing there left in a hurry. It started to rain over there.

Water droplets began to shake the bushes and the wind became stronger. It began to rain.

Mika sighed heavily without wiping his sweat and rain covered forehead.

"Hah... hah... chasing me here, Koyuki-chan is still as good as ever."

"Caught too."

"Hyaaaaaaa!"

While Mika was thinking about Koyuki, suddenly someone tapped her shoulder, which made her startle.

* * *

Naoya knew that Mika would be sitting on that bench.

That's why he approached her on the bench. Naoya smiled at Mika, who was sitting on the bench looking confused.

The raindrops hitting the plastic umbrella were gradually getting heavier.

"Thank you for everything you did for me yesterday, class president."

"Ehhh... Sasahara-kun?"

Hearing those words, Mika spontaneously let out a scream.

"What are you doing here, by any chance did you chase me...!"

"No, I'm not saying I chased you. I was waiting for you here."

"Waiting for me?... I came running like an idiot! I don't even know where he is... How did you ambush me?"

"I think that's your most obvious thought pattern when you're cornered."

I know most of his personality from our conversation yesterday at the family restaurant.

And after a quick glance at the map of the area around the school...

"I knew you would come here. So I waited for you here. And, well... as I expected, you came here."

"I know you were great yesterday when we played the game, I even suspected you of cheating... But, you can't get more perceptive than that! It's more like a psychic power!"

He said it out loud.

She looked incredulous, but in reality, she was panicking because Naoya was right in front of her.

Anyway, it was easy for me.

At that moment we arrived at the entrance of the park, where it started to rain heavily and the fog appeared.

"Oh, it's finally here...!"

It was Koyuki. She looked exhausted and out of breath, without an umbrella.

Still, he looked at her and walked with confident steps toward the park bench.

"Ugh..."

"Okay, no more racing."

Naoya immediately grabbed Mika's shoulder, who was trying to get up.

He must have realized that it was time to face her. He also no longer resisted and remained standing as he greeted Koyuki.

The rain was getting heavier and splashing water was bouncing under their feet.

I could feel the air around me tighten.

In the midst of all this, Naoya tried to offer Koyuki a spare umbrella.

"I'm glad you were able to catch up here, Koyuki. But here, umbrella. You'll catch a cold."

"That doesn't matter to me now."

Koyuki just shook her head and looked straight at her old friend.

He did not want to carry an umbrella, nor did he want to wipe the drops of water from his face.

Raindrops dripped on her long eyelashes and slid down her cheeks, one after another.

"You are.... Chie-chan, right?"

"Yes, it's me!"

As soon as Koyuki called her by that name, Mika shuddered slightly.

But after biting her lip as if prepared, she smiled wryly.

"Oh... yes... Long time no see, Koyuki-chan."

"I... really... Chie-chan..."

Koyuki cleared his throat and said quietly.

"So... I have something to tell you."

"...Mm."

Mika nodded his head.

Koyuki was right in front of her, looking her straight in the face.

"Even if Chie-chan hates me... I will always like you, Chie-chan...!"

"............ Huh?"

Koyuki bowed her head deeply and said to him.

Mika looked at Koyuki with blank eyes and froze.

However, Koyuki kept looking down and made shaky sounds with tightly clenched hands.

"Back then... I was afraid you would hate me. That's why I ran away. But, I won't run away anymore. I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you even though we were in the same class... But if I can, I want to be your friend again."

A scream began to mix in his voice.

Still, Koyuki tried desperately to convey words from the bottom of his heart.

"I know you hate me, Chie-chan. But, I've always thought of Chie-chan as my friend...!"

"Ah, um, Koyuki-chan...?"

Then Mika cut off his words.

When Koyuki looked up, her face wet from tears and rain, Emika cleared her throat and continued to ask.

"What do you mean by that...?"

"Ehhhhh.....?"

"Koyuki-chan... it's not like you hated me first, right?"

"...Huh?!"

Koyuki immediately shouted.

Mika's words were like a flash of lightning.

Her tears seemed to have subsided in an instant and she grabbed Mika's shoulder in a hurry.

"Why do you say that? It's impossible for me to hate you."

"Because in elementary school, you suddenly stopped talking to me..."

This time it was Mika's turn to look depressed.

The rain was getting heavier and heavier and the drops were hitting the two girls.

The atmosphere was starting to become gloomy because of this... but Naoya was still paying attention to everything.

Mika let his thoughts out.

"I thought you hated me. That's why, I couldn't say goodbye to you when I moved out. And, I thought I could forget Koyuki-chan. But, when I entered this high school. I was really surprised to see you here."

She was so nostalgic that she tried to call her, but hesitated to do so.

Koyuki was her childhood friend. But, from Mika's perspective, Koyuki hates her.

"That's why I dress so simply and try to go unnoticed so I won't be recognized."

"So that's why you stopped being a gal...to hide from me?"

"That's right, I asked everyone to call me 'class president' instead of my first name and did everything I could to disguise it."

Mika's parents remarried and changed his last name, but his name remains the same as before.

If Koyuki called her by that name, her true identity could be revealed.

Thinking about this, Mika desperately tried his best to hide.

After telling all that, he lowered his shoulders and sighed.

"But as I got to know Koyuki-chan a little better, I became greedy. I thought we could be like before, but... if she finds out it's me, it'll never work out."

"That's not true! I've always liked you, Chie-chan!"

"You're lying! Then why did you suddenly start ignoring me?"

"Ah, that..."

They both raised their voices and did not move an inch.

They stared at each other and made a scene.

The mood seemed somber at first, but Naoya moved on feeling relieved.

Yes. He's starting to be able to look people in the eye and I think it's time....

It is still better to be aggressive and express your true feelings than to be depressed and melancholy.

And there was little sign of reconciliation between the two girls.

"Okay, enough there."

"What's wrong with you all of a sudden!"

"Just a time-out warning from the referee. That's all."

"So you're a referee?"

"Yeah, pretty much like that."

Koyuki got angry and Mika looked at him with a confused face.

Naoya laughed as he gently soothed both of them.

Most relationship messes are just misunderstandings. It takes a lot of courage to try to resolve them. Most people take a few steps to repair a broken relationship.

Koyuki, for his part, chose to deal with the situation.

So all Naoya could do was gently reach out to her at the last moment.

While watching their faces, Naoya asked in a calm voice.

"Why do you think each of you hates the other?"

"Ehhh... Why..."

Mika interrupted her words and looked softly at Koyuki's face.

"Like I said before... in elementary school, Koyuki-chan suddenly stopped talking to me. Although we used to play together every day... So, that obviously means she hates me, right?"

"But it can't be helped, can it?"

Koyuki looked at Mika.

She lowered her shoulders as if disappointed and said a few words.

"Chie-chan said she hates me behind my back...."

"Huh?!"

It was then that Mika stared at her.

She was confused, but shook her head with all her might.

"I don't know anything about that!!!! There must be some kind of mistake!!!"

"...You must have been forgotten. I remember everything."

Koyuki pouted and turned her face away.

Mika, meanwhile, was confused and blue in the face.

The situation would be complicated, but Naoya was looking forward to it.

"Wait a moment. Koyuki, you remember the details of that time, don't you?"

"Huh? I couldn't forget it even if I wanted to."

"So, tell the class president here when, where, and under what circumstances you heard that phrase."

"...Oh, that's right. Maybe I'll remember that."

Koyuki said with a sigh.

When Koyuki was in elementary school. One day after school.

Koyuki went to pick up Mika, who was still in class and heard how the girls in her class were badmouthing her outside in the hallway. And Mika was among them.

Then he looked at them and said.

I hate too... Koyuki-chan.

"That's why I keep my distance from you," Koyuki muttered.

"How are you, do you remember enough?"

"I didn't say that... ah..."

Mika's eyes widened.

He reflected for a moment and then, scrunching his forehead, exclaimed.

"Yes...I could say that......"

"There, I'm right!"

"But, that's not what I actually said!"

Mika shook his head and raised his voice as loud as rain.

"What I actually said was 'I hate people who say bad things about Koyuki-chan!', you know?"

"........ Huh?"

"Did you hear that, Koyuki?"

Koyuki's expression froze and Naoya nodded his head.

Mika kept talking as if he had broken the ice.

"Yes, that's right. The girls who demonized you wanted me to prove them right. So I told them something like that. Koyuki-chan, I thought you might hear it."

"Huh? Did you really...?"

"Mn! And I was talking to them in a corner of the classroom, as I recall..."

Mika cut off his words there and looked up at the sky.

The peak of the rain seemed to have passed, but large drops were still falling and hitting the ground hard. Thunder rumbled in the distance and made it a noisy summer twilight.

"It was pouring rain that day too. Koyuki-chan, maybe you didn't hear what I said right or something..."

"Well, then, it's possible..."

Koyuki shook her shoulders and cleared her throat.

Still turning blue in the face, she fearfully confirmed the truth.

"...You mean I got it all wrong?"

"That kind of..."

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?"

Naoya patted him on the shoulder and, at the same time, Koyuki let out a loud cry.

As if that wasn't enough to stop his shock, he turned to Naoya and grabbed him by the neck, then shook him hard.

"So, what, did I get it wrong? Feeling upset, depressed and becoming a loner? All of this haunted me constantly for years!"

"Yes, it's very hard to say, but...... I think you're right."

"Aaahhhh!"

Koyuki who finally screamed and cowered.

As expected, Naoya could find no more words to say and could only hold out an umbrella.

At that point, Mika nodded in confusion.

"How did you know that Koyuki-chan had misunderstood, Sasahara-kun?"

"Well, that's because you two love each other as friends, right?"

Koyuki wants Mika, and he wants Mika too.

This had not changed at all since yesterday's incident at the family restaurant. Then, Naoya had a feeling.

"I was sure there was some kind of misunderstanding. So I checked the information and sure enough. Simple conclusion, right?"

"You really are a trustworthy man, aren't you?"

Mika just gave a half-smile and kept a slight silence.

On the other hand, Koyuki was curled up with her head in her hands.

"Ugh, ugh...... Chie-chan!"

"Uwaaaa..."

As if it was nothing, he got up and approached Mika.

By then, the rain had almost stopped. Needle-thin drops were dripping. Still, Koyuki's face was wet from the heavy rain earlier.

With her voice trembling and tears streaming down her face, Koyuki tried her best to organize her words.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Chie-chan... I made you feel bad for my strange misunderstanding... I'm so sorry...!"

"It's okay."

On the other hand, Mika shook his head and smiled faintly.

He looked down and continued, in a hesitant voice.

"If I had talked properly with Koyuki-chan at that time, the misunderstanding would have been resolved immediately. I was too scared to ask you and it was also my fault."

"Chie-chan..."

"But, I'm glad to know that Koyuki-chan doesn't hate me."

Mika sighed as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

In front of her, Koyuki clenched her fists.

It finally stopped raining. The thick clouds that covered the sky slowly disappeared and streaks of light began to shine. The reflections of the puddles that formed here and there made the garden sparkle in the light.

In a scene full of light.

Koyuki stretched her body and looked at her old friend with a serious expression on her face.

"Chie-chan, you know..."

"Umm. What?"

"Can you... Please be my friend again."

Koyuki vigorously extended his right hand and bowed his head.

Without making the slightest movement, he continued as if making a once-in-a-lifetime confession.

"I know it was probably a bad idea. I'm sure I've made mistakes and done bad things to you. So I want to make it all up to you. So, let me...start over."

"...Mnm."

Mika grabbed Koyuki's hand and shook it tightly.

She smiled at Koyuki, who looked at her in surprise.

"I also feel the same as you, Koyuki-chan."

"Really?"

"Yes, I want to be your friend like before."

"Me too! I want to go to the pool and the festival with Chie-chan... and more!"

"The pool sounds interesting. Well, we also made an appointment the other day."

Mika's face lit up with a sly smile.

"By the way, about the pool. Koyuki-chan, can you swim already, hm~?"

"Phew... well, that... of course!"

"Fufu, you haven't changed a bit..."

Koyuki turned around with a "Hnmp" face and Mika looked into her eyes with a smile.

The power in their hands was so strong that it was obvious at first glance that they would be inseparable.

Seeing this, Naoya was greatly relieved.

"It's good to see that you two can be taken again."

"Mn, Naoya-kun!"

"Uwaaaa?"

As soon as Naoya called out to her, Koyuki immediately jumped into her arms.

She was soaked from the rain, but her body temperature was high from excitement. She wrapped her arms around Naoya's neck and hugged him tightly. As expected, Naoya could do nothing but blink.

"Thank you, Naoya-kun, it's thanks to you...! Chie-chan and I can be friends again! I gave up on her a long time ago...! Thank you, really...!"

"Yeah, yeah... For now, let's get out of here first, okay?"

Naoya was trying hard to calm down, but Koyuki didn't seem to mind.

She hugged him and jumped up and down with a happy face.

Seeing Koyuki like this, Mika rubbed the corners of her eyes and smiled in satisfaction.

"The two of you really love each other, don't you? Then, I don't need to interfere anymore."