Final Chapter: Onward to the Next Plan with My Childhood Friend
“Well, isn’t that great for you?” Miori said after a sip of coffee. I’d just finished recounting recent events to her.
We were at my workplace, Café Mares. The coffee here was simply divine, so I’d been coming in as a patron. The employee discount was also a nice bonus.
I was treating Miori to some coffee today as thanks for coming up with a solution to my Tatsuya problem. It would’ve been a pain to explain why we were together if Nanase had seen us, but she wasn’t on the clock today.
“Thanks. You really saved my ass,” I said.
“Wow, you’re being unusually honest,” Miori replied.
“C’mon,” I sulked, “weren’t you the one who told me to be honest?”
Miori grinned and rested her chin in her hands. “Well, truth be told, I think the whole thing would’ve resolved itself even if I hadn’t come up with anything.”
“What?”
“Think about it. I bet Tatsuya already knew he was going down a bad road, and if it had dragged on any longer, I’m sure Reita-kun would’ve done something to force him back. Probably.”
Now that you mention it... Yeah, that does sound likely. Reita’s the one who said time would solve it all. An alternate interpretation of that is that if time didn’t solve it, he’d take matters into his own hands.
“Hm? Wait a minute. Doesn’t that mean it was pointless for me to humiliate myself?” I said slowly.
Miori chuckled. “I don’t think it was pointless. Plus, it was funny!” she teased.
Looks like everyone’s going to make fun of me about this forever, I thought in dismay.
“Besides, didn’t you get closer to them in the end? Sure, they know about your past, for better or worse, but now you can be more relaxed around them. You don’t have to push yourself to put on a show all the time,” Miori continued, making a reasonable point.
“Well, I guess that’s true,” I grudgingly agreed. I really didn’t want Hoshimiya to find out about my past self, though! Guys always want to look cool in front of the girl they like.
“And best of all, if you’re closer to them, that means I’ll be able to get closer to Reita-kun.” Miori’s cheeks were downright rosy. She clasped her hands together as if she were praying and wiggled in her seat. “I’ve given you so much advice, so you’d better help me out too! We’re fellow conspirators, after all, right?”
Honestly, that sounds like a pain, but a deal’s a deal, I thought. In return for her assistance with my Rainbow-Colored Youth Plan, I’ll help her cozy up to Reita. Miori knows me like the back of her hand, so she’s the only person I can really rely on. Meanwhile, I can offer certain ins since I’m friends with Reita and the gang. Our interests align.
“Yeah, I gotta do what I gotta do. So, do you have some kind of plan?” I asked reluctantly.
“I do! I call it ‘Plan Double Date’! It’ll be you and me and then Reita-kun and Hoshimiya-chan for a fun party of four. It’ll be a good chance for you to get to know Hikari-chan better, killing two birds with one stone!” Miori explained with much enthusiasm.
“What? Hell no. That’s basically advertising that I have a crush on her. I’d die of embarrassment!”
“Are you a romance noob?!” Miori made a great show of slumping over dejectedly.
“I want to proceed cautiously. I don’t want Hoshimiya to know I like her. In fact, I don’t even think Hoshimiya is aware of me as a guy. Once the mood between us gets better, then...” I didn’t finish my thought.
“Ugh, you’re just being spineless. Sooo unmanly!” she mocked.
“How dare you?! I’m deliberating about this really hard! I’m just trying to improve my chances of success—” I started indignantly, but our rowdy debate was interrupted by someone tapping me on the shoulder.
Kirishima-san was standing behind me. “I’m glad you’re having fun, but can you be quieter?” she said.
“Oops...” Miori and I looked around to see that an older man, one of the café’s regulars, was watching us with an amused smile. Flustered, we both bowed and apologized, but he just waved it off and went back to reading.
“This is all your fault,” I said.
“What? You were the one yelling,” Miori countered.
We glared at each other and huffed. Kirishima looked at us and smiled teasingly. “Ah, youth! Is she your girlfriend?”
It took me a moment to comprehend the question, but I soon started shaking my head vigorously.
“No! I’d never—!” we noisily denied in unison. Outraged to have spoken up simultaneously, we returned to our glaring contest.
Kirishima snickered loudly at the whole thing as she went back to work.
“I need to date Reita-kun ASAP so no one makes such insinuations again,” Miori muttered.
“I feel you... I want Hoshimiya to be my girlfriend,” I said with a wistful sigh. I was used to thinking as much quietly to myself, but admitting it out loud made me feel more embarrassed than usual. My cheeks turned scarlet.
“Ew, gross,” Miori said regarding my lovestruck state.
Shut up, I thought.
“All right. I’m on board with your plan!” I declared. I think I’m successfully past the first step of my Rainbow-Colored Youth Plan. Not only have I made friends, but all six of us enjoy hanging out together!
“Oho, no take backs, okay?” Miori told me. “Nice, then let’s smooth out the details.” She began brainstorming.
Since I’ve cleared stage one, it’s time for stage two—get a girlfriend. I like Hoshimiya, so I’ll make her fall for me, confess to her, and then bam! Girlfriend!
Feeling revitalized, I began running towards my next goal.
***
My original three years of high school were gray and gloomy. I’d been haunted by those regrets even after graduating. You only realize what’s important after you lose it, and you can never return to the past—at least, that’s how it should’ve been.
Who knows why or how, but I was given a chance to redo my youth. Things don’t go swimmingly just because you know what happened in the past. Well, they didn’t for me at any rate. But right now, I’m putting everything I’ve got into living my best life, so that I can seize hold of my wish.
I believe that someday, when I look back on the past, my memories of right now will be filled with rainbows.
<End>
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