Today as well, I biked 20 minutes to the nearest station.
It was now July, and the weather was now seriously becoming hot. Adding on to that, the summer this year seems especially hot. Just taking the bike to the station would result in me sweating so much that it seemed like I had just taken a shower.
I wipe my sweat off more carefully than normal, and head into the station.
Everyone else also seemed to feel hot as they looked up and wiped off their sweat with a handkerchief.
Well, I'm sweating a little more than any other person. That's how I felt while I waited for the train in the station that was way too hot.
"Ah, isn't that Setsu? Long time no see~"
I heard a high school girl call out to me. It wasn't as if I didn't know her; she was one of my best friends from middle school.
Ueno Tomoko.
She had medium length brown hair and neat facial features. I went to the same nursery school, elementary school, and middle school as Ueno. We were even in the same class. There were also several times where we
went home together from cram school.
By the way, during middle school, there were actually rumors going around that Ueno and I were dating. I remember both of us being strangely conscious of each other because of that. After all, we weren't actually dating in reality.
When we moved on to high school, we slowly stopped contacting each other and I never really heard from her again. Ueno's high school is also one where you would commute by bus rather than by train, so I wonder why I would see her here, at the station on a normal weekday like this.
"Oh, long time no see. What about school?"
"Today is the school's anniversary so we have the day off."
"Lucky. Our school has nothing like that."
"I see I see, work hard at school!"
Ueno said that with a smile as hit me in the back. It seems like this part of her hasn't changed since middle school.
"Yes yes, I will. And, what are you doing so early in the morning?"
After I asked that, Ueno's eyes shined, like she was waiting for this exact moment."
"Today, I have a date with my boyfriend!"
"Ah, I see. Work hard with that too."
"It's not work hard, but have fun!
fun! You idiot!"
Saying that, Ueno hits my shoulder as if she was trying to hide her embarrassment. With her mouth smiling like that, she really isn't hiding her happiness very well. How much is she looking forward to this exactly? I never saw this kind of Ueno during middle school.
"How about you, Setsu? Do you have a girlfriend?"
"Yeah, I also have one."
"Oh! Congratulations, good for you! You didn't have a girlfriend in middle school after all."
"Be quiet, you didn't have one either, Ueno."
"I guess so. However, that was also partially your fault."
"Don't say that, it was like that for me too. Everyone always asked me, How long have you been dating Ueno?"
"Ah, you too? It was also like that for me. But… it also made me kinda happy."
"Why is that? Even though you were just being teased?"
"You don't understand at all, do you?"
Ueno muttered while laughing. Then, with that timing, the
timing, the train entered the station.
"I liked you Setsu, that's why."
It was a lot softer than the sound of the train, but my ears were still able to hear it clearly. Although the train had come, I was so surprised that I couldn't move. Wildly looking at Ueno, I could see that her face was slightly red. As if she was trying to shake me off, she said.
"L-look! The trains here!"
"Y-yeah…"
I wonder how I'm going to respond to this? No, I shouldn't need to think too much on this. Ueno already has a boyfriend, and I already have a girlfriend after all. It's not like she was trying to confess to me or anything.
It might not be appropriate, but since I'm in a joking mood, I'll respond to her frankly. Just before she got on the train, I dashed out as if I was chasing after Ueno and let out a voice.
"Most likely, I also liked you back then as well, Ueno."
With that said, her face once again turned red.
"I-I see! If that's true, then you should've confessed back then."
"No, I mean, if I confessed to you back then, then you might not have the boyfriend that you have now."
"Well, that's true
"Well, that's true as well."
Just like that, we entered the train and I realized. Speaking to Ueno like that… was a mistake.
"Yoshiki-kun, good morning."
My girlfriend, Kii-san, who would normally sit in a seat and wait for me, was standing right behind me.
Well, this is bad.
"G-good morning…"
As I was trying to reply, seeing Kii-san's face silenced me. Her face wasn't smiling at all. It was filled with anger, hatred and other negative emotions.
It's more than just bad, everything is over now.
"Yoshiki-kun, let's sit down in a seat quickly?"
"U-understood. Ueno, bye."
Losing to Kii-san's pressure, I walk while looking down. Ueno probably guessed what was going on, as she held her hands together as if she were praying at my funeral. This girl, she probably thought it was just someone else's problem.
After giving Ueno a hateful glare, I sat down next to Kii-san. It was just like normal, me in the window seat, and Kii-san in the aisle seat. Then, Kii-san leaned against me like usual. However, I couldn't feel the normal happy aura next to me. Instead, it was replaced with an aura of hatred.
Well, what am I supposed to do now?