NOVEL NEXT Chapter 424
“Are you back yet?”
I was startled by the faint whisper and turned to see Yuka slightly bent toward me.
The karaoke room was noisy. Even just a little away, I couldn’t hear the voices.
But if I screamed, another group would hear it, so I had no choice but to keep close to her so only I could hear.
I was just spacing out with other thoughts, so the sudden intrusion surprised me.
“Back?”
She made a fuss, yet she looked at me with a frown, as if asking what I was talking about.
I couldn’t deny that expression.
“It worries me, you know? I don’t really know what’s going on, and I’m not going to ask, but sitting alone with such a serious expression while everyone else is having fun is kind of odd, don’t you think?”
I couldn’t come up with any words to refute that.
Just a while ago, Yuuki stepped out of the room briefly.
Even after coming back, he didn’t sing and just sat there dull, so I must have subconsciously been paying attention to him. Even Yuka sitting next to me could feel it.
“If you have something you want to talk about, you can step out for a moment.”
“…Is that really okay?”
“Is it not okay?”
Yuka tilted her head in response to my question.
“If there’s some misunderstanding between the two of you, isn’t it better to resolve it as quickly as possible?”
It seemed that Yuka sensed some kind of tension flowing between us.
“Go ahead. I’ll keep Koko entertained.”
“Wow?”
“Alright, Koko. The next song is ours. Let’s sing together.”
Seeing Koko tilt her head, Yuka hastily said that.
“…Got it. Then, I’ll be back shortly.”
“Koto Ne?”
“Koko. Can you wait next to Yuka for a moment?”
As I looked directly at Koko and asked, she stared into my eyes.
Without saying anything in response, I could tell she felt that I needed to go. Eventually, Koko nodded.
“Come back quickly.”
“Yeah. I’ll be quick. Now, stay with Yuka and Shii.”
…I thought it might be unnecessary to say that since Koko is smart.
Still, I did have some anxiety mentally.
Fortunately, Koko didn’t try to forcefully follow me. Perhaps it’s because we’ve gotten to know each other well enough.
If I took too long, Koko would eventually pop out too, but…
So, I decided to converse briefly before returning.
I steeled myself and stood up.
*
Yuuki was nowhere to be seen in the hallway. Did he go outside?
As I thought that, I was startled.
I… don’t really know how Yuuki would act right now. The Yuuki I met today was very different from the one I remembered from my childhood.
I didn’t think he was an entirely different person… but still, I had no idea what he was thinking now. Or what he had been through in the meantime.
Could Yuuki have become the kind of person who would go home alone, leaving his friends behind?
I decided not to think that far. No way would Yuuki change that much.
So I just thought he went to the bathroom for a bit and waited by the door.
For a moment, I chuckled at the singing coming from beyond the door. Koko and Yuka were singing.
Yuka had really softened up. It was probably a result of hanging out closely with Shii, Sota, and Nanami. In terms of karaoke, Nanami might have played quite a large role.
“……”
Time seemed to pass excruciatingly slowly. It hadn’t even been long enough for a song to finish, so you could say it was just a brief moment.
But it felt like that moment lasted forever.
I tried to organize in my mind what to say to Yuuki if we ran into each other after he came out of the bathroom, but when I actually tried to think of what to start with, I drew a blank.
Alright.
First, I’ll just say I’m sorry. For not keeping in touch properly. For not reaching out.
As I waited a bit anxiously—
“Oh.”
The person who spoke to me wasn’t Yuuki.
Two guys came out of the bathroom, probably planning to step out for a second.
Boys around my age. They looked to be no more than two years older than me, at most. Since they were wearing school uniforms, they were likely high school students.
They noticed me standing alone in the hallway and strolled over.
They didn’t look particularly rough. One of them had a disgusted look, suggesting he was a bit put off by the two trying to hit on girls.
“Hey, did you come alone?”
One of the boys, looking slightly more cheerful, asked me.
Before I could answer anything,
“No way would anyone come to karaoke alone.”
“Ah, that’s true.”
The guy who looked a little less surprised was hit with a comment from the first one, making him scratch his head, looking sheepish.
“Did you come with someone? A boyfriend? Or maybe friends? If it’s friends, how many—”
“……What are you doing?”
But before the guy could continue, a voice interrupted.
It was a sharp voice that contrasted with the lighthearted atmosphere, indicating clearly that it was displeased.
“Ah.”
The boy who had been keeping his distance with a disgusted expression turned red and quickly grabbed the other two by their backs, pulling them away.
“Oh, I didn’t know you were with friends.”
“No, wait, who goes to karaoke alone—”
“……Pay attention.”
The guy who pulled the other two called them out, gnashing his teeth and then slightly bowing towards Yuuki and me before dragging the other two away.
“……”
Yuuki looked at those two walking away with an astonished expression. It was kind of funny, yet it loosened the tension a bit.
“Thank you.”
I quickly said to Yuuki.
In a way, this was an opportunity. Whatever Yuuki’s intentions were, it helped me out.
Even though I was going to refuse, it wouldn’t be weird to thank someone who stepped in to help with that annoying or potentially troublesome situation.
Yuuki, upon hearing my words, just glanced at me with a cold expression.
But he couldn’t completely ignore what I said. At least, he looked my way.
“Uh, um.”
I fumbled with my words a bit.
“As a token of thanks, I’ll buy you a drink. There’s a vending machine up ahead…”
“……”
Awkward.
Singing from all the rooms echoed in the hallway. All the voices mixed through the walls and doors created a buzz that felt less exciting and more bleak.
Watching me fidget with my fingers, Yuuki let out a big sigh.
Though he didn’t say anything to me, he began walking towards the exit of the hallway. I quickly followed him.
*
I managed to buy the drinks.
It wasn’t a big deal. Placing a 500 yen coin into the machine was all it took.
Yuuki looked at me with an amazed expression while rummaging through his wallet, but eventually chose an orange juice.
I took out a drink as well and stood alongside Yuuki, giving him a bit of space.
The sky was slowly turning darker, not yet long enough for the sun to have set.
People who seemed like office workers started appearing one by one on the streets. There were also noisy, young people passing by.
Taking a moment to drink my beverage while watching over there, I carefully opened my mouth.
“…Yuuki, I’m sorry.”
“……”
As I suddenly apologized, Yuuki blinked.
His expression was still somewhat cold, but at least he was looking at me.
“For disappearing without saying anything.”
Yuuki seemed momentarily at a loss for words, sipping his drink a few times.
“Do you think I’d get mad just because you vanished without a word?”
How should I answer that?
To be honest, it would hurt more if he showed no reaction at all. After all, if I am nothing but a fleeting moment in his life, that would be sadder.
Whether it’s a desire for recognition or merely my obsession with this relationship, I’m not quite sure myself.
Seeing I was at a complete loss for words, Yuuki shut his mouth.
For a brief moment, I thought that expression of his had softened a little.
“Do you even know me?”
“I—”
“No, it’s not just my name you’re asking if you know. You want to know what I’ve been through, how I’ve been with my friends, right?”
I don’t know. Not a single thing.
“I don’t know you. I remember a very young Kuroasawa Koto Ne, but… with a name changed and the fact that the kid I knew in elementary has transformed so much, how would I know?”
“…Then.”
I gathered some courage and spoke.
“Then… could you let me know?”
Yuuki looked at me again.
This time he wore an astonished expression.
“Why?”
Yuuki asked.
“What’s the reason you’re going this far?”
I didn’t know.
Yuuki is a relative and a friend, but… perhaps after living through my previous life, I understood. Relatives and friends can always drift apart or become distant. I might think of someone as truly close, but after graduating from school, we could never speak again, forget about each other, or even fail to remember names.
But why did I say that to Yuuki?
“…Because you’re a friend.”
It wasn’t entirely accurate, but at least I could say that.
Maybe it’s because this life isn’t long enough yet? Or is it because the memories of childhood friends hold such a significant place in my life?
“……”
But even if I lacked a coherent argument, the sincerity behind my words seemed to have gotten through.
Yuuki was silent for a while, then finally spoke.
“…I see, then.”
His voice still held a hint of confusion, but…
At least, I thought the coldness within it had melted.