Chapter 567

"What's with that design?"

The next day, while shopping for underwear with Kanna, Miyuki met her older sister's critical stare with an unbothered expression.

"What about it?"

"Isn't it a bit provocative?"

"I'm thinking of trying something like this."

"For someone who usually only wears comfortable things, why go out of your way?"

"I'm all grown up. I can buy things like this now."

"Saying you're all grown up with your own mouth... that's hilarious."

"Whatever."

When she brushed it off as brazenly as Matsuda would, Kanna let out a baffled scoff and went back to browsing for herself.

It really did pay to be a little thick-skinned.

She could just brush off all the annoying stuff.

She was learning a lot of good things from Matsuda.

That settled the underwear, but next she had to pick out a swimsuit...

She'd better not buy anything too revealing for this.

Matsuda was the only person she wanted to show her body to, after all.

Since she was trying this hard to stay pure, Matsuda had better not turn his eyes to anyone else.

Grumbling inwardly about Matsuda, Miyuki figured she might as well just use the swimsuits she had at home, so she only bought the underwear.

She spent the rest of the day wandering the streets and department stores with her parents and sister before finally heading home.

After snipping the tags off her underwear and lying down on her bed, her heart fluttered.

She was already looking forward to the weekend so much that she was going crazy with impatience.

Miyuki passed the time fiddling with her Cell Phone until a slight commotion outside her closed door prompted her to get up and step out of her room.

Her mother's welcoming voice drifted up from the bottom of the stairs.

And...

"I came to take a walk with Miyuki. It's been a while."

The person her mother was talking to was Tetsuya.

Why was he visiting so suddenly?

Or rather, considering how often the two of them used to go out, it wasn't actually that strange.

Still, she was a bit dumbfounded by how Tetsuya acted as if taking her out was a given.

She usually just naturally accepted it too, but ever since she started seeing Matsuda... she felt an urge to, well, stay pure?

With that mindset, she had been avoiding meeting other guys or going to places where guys would be around.

Honestly, it was mostly just because no guy other than Matsuda caught her eye anymore.

"Is that so? Have you eaten?"

"I had a quick bite, but I'd happily eat if you're offering."

"Why don't you stay for dinner then?"

"Yes, please."

Something felt awkward.

She certainly used to eat with Tetsuya all the time, but the very thought of sitting at the same table as him now felt completely foreign.

"Miyuki! Tetsuya is here!"

Miyuki squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again at her mother's shout.

It was funny how she just yelled from downstairs because she couldn't be bothered to come up.

She usually spoke so quietly, too... Miyuki needed to call Matsuda, but she couldn't exactly ignore this now.

Grumbling inwardly, Miyuki reluctantly headed downstairs, where Tetsuya raised a hand over his shoulder.

"Hi, Miyuki."

"Hey, Tetsuya. Did you come to eat?"

"Yeah."

"Enjoy your meal. Mom, I'm heading out for a bit."

With that, Miyuki headed for the front door, leaving Tetsuya's eyes colored with bewilderment.

"You're leaving?"

"I'm going to make a phone call."

"A call...? Couldn't you just do that in your room?"

"It's a private call. See you."

Waving energetically and flashing a fake smile, Miyuki walked straight out the front door.

As she headed toward the playground and was about to call Matsuda, Tetsuya called out to her from behind.

"Miyuki! Hold on..."

"What? Did you have something to say?"

Perhaps he found it a little strange that she was skipping the pleasantries and asking for his business right away?

Tetsuya scratched the long hair at the back of his head before speaking up.

"Ah, well... your mom mentioned earlier that you're going to the beach this weekend?"

"Yeah. I'm going for the first time in a while."

"Am I going too?"

"Huh...?"

"Let's go together. It's hot, and I want to go swimming."

Saying he was going to the beach with her out of nowhere... absolutely not.

She could not let her sweet time with Matsuda be interrupted.

Even putting that reason aside, she didn't want to get involved with Tetsuya if she could help it.

Tetsuya tried to boost his own reputation by dragging other people down...

He was the type to act like he was kind and innocent, bullied by others, yet bravely rising above it...

He was someone who played that sort of character.

She already knew his true nature, but since she had returned to the past, she had promised herself to treat him well since he hadn't done anything yet.

But right now, she found him a bit uncomfortable to be around.

Plus, the way he spoke as if his coming along was a natural thing was just...

It felt a bit much to say it was awful, but it certainly wasn't pleasant to see.

It was so strange that she used to just accept it as a given. The human heart really was a peculiar thing.

"No, Tetsuya. You should go with your own family."

Miyuki cleanly expressed her refusal.

At that, Tetsuya blinked his two eyes hidden beneath his shaggy hair.

"Uh...?"

"Going together is a bit difficult because of personal circumstances."

"Personal circumstances? What is that?"

It seemed his determination to get an answer no matter what was showing.

In all fairness, Miyuki's own indecisiveness had played a part in Tetsuya acting this way.

She needed to draw a firm line, but perhaps because they were childhood friends who had hung out since they were young, it wasn't easy to do.

But if things just fizzled out like this, Tetsuya would keep acting this way.

He would end up clashing with Matsuda too...

Furthermore, if others saw her relationship with Tetsuya, they would think she was unmistakably stringing him along.

It was only right for her to act a bit more firmly to make Tetsuya lose interest in her.

Tetsuya might be a bit dark on the inside, but he was good at heart; a good person would come along for him too.

Having made up her mind, Miyuki looked up at Tetsuya.

"I think I'm going to get a boyfriend."

"Uh... huh...?"

An expression like a bolt from the blue, but with a strange gleam of anticipation in his eyes.

Seeing this, Miyuki realized he was holding onto a sliver of hope that she was interested in him.

It seemed he had judged there was a possibility from her saying she was 'going to get' one.

She should have just said she 'had' one.

She had only said it like that because she wasn't actually dating Matsuda yet... she had made a mistake.

Even so, it felt awkward to tell Tetsuya not to like her, as he was the type to just reply that he never had.

That could lead to a situation where only she ended up embarrassed for no reason.

Was there no way to indirectly but firmly say that the person she liked wasn't Tetsuya?

The answer came to her immediately.

"We haven't been in touch much lately, right?"

"R-right."

"That's because he doesn't really like it when I contact other guys."

"....."

Tetsuya's mouth fell open slightly.

Judging by his trembling eyelids, he seemed to have realized that the person she was referring to wasn't him.

Hearing Tetsuya's breathing naturally turn ragged, Miyuki felt a pang in her heart for speaking so sharply to her childhood friend, even if she hadn't explicitly said she was cutting ties.

They normally didn't say things like this and just had fun together, and it felt even worse because Tetsuya hadn't done anything to screw up yet—or kick a 'crap ball,' as Matsuda would call it.

She needed to be decisive about making and breaking ties, but she felt foolish for being unable to go that far out of pure affection.

From Tetsuya's perspective, it might have looked like her personality had suddenly changed completely.

"I'm sorry. So I don't think I can go hang out with you."

"Ah... that... uh, when did that happen?"

"What?"

"When did you get close to that person...? Is it rude to ask?"

"It's not rude. We haven't been close for that long."

"I-is that so...? But even though you haven't been seeing each other for long, you know you... have feelings for each other?"

"I know."

"I see... congratulations."

Tetsuya was the kind of person whose inner feelings showed on his face.

Right now was no different. He was saying congratulations, but his eyes and mouth betrayed his jealousy and anger toward 'that person.'

It gave off an 'I liked you first' kind of vibe, and seeing that expression honestly left her a bit dumbfounded.

She had never viewed Tetsuya romantically in the first place.

A close childhood friend she could open her heart to. She only had exactly that level of affection for him.

But Tetsuya didn't seem to think the same way.

At least, judging solely by his face right now, he didn't.

The relationship between a man and a woman was a truly ambiguous thing.

Could they never just be close friends? It was difficult.

"Thanks."

"Uh... is it someone I know?"

"Yeah."

"Who is it?"

"It's Matsuda-kun."

"Matsuda? Which Matsuda? Do you mean Hisai Matsuda from our middle school?"

"I mean Ken Matsuda."

"Was there a kid named Ken among our classmates?"

He couldn't picture the face of Ken Matsuda at all.

It made sense. Barely a month or two ago, the two of them had been constantly at each other's throats.

She herself hadn't been able to believe it in the past, so how much more would that apply to Tetsuya?

"No... not a classmate from back then, a student in our Academy class."

"....What...? Y-you mean that Ken Matsuda...?"

Tetsuya's voice shook violently.

In contrast, Miyuki took his words without wavering.

"That's right."

"Wh-what... You're joking, right...?"

Seeing him outright appalled, she felt a pang of guilt for some reason.

Was it because Tetsuya had been slightly bullied by Matsuda?

No, more than that, it seemed to be the guilt that arose from telling someone who liked her that she liked someone else.

It seemed a cold-hearted disposition just didn't suit her.

She just hoped that everything would be resolved well with just this one time today.

With that hope, Miyuki shook her head.

"I'm not joking."