Chapter 24

“Originally, I confessed to Takuto because I wanted to win against Onee chan.”

Yuika confessed as if she was repenting.

Before I started going out with Yuika, we hardly talked to each other, and we were only classmates.

Then one day.

[Go out with me,] she suddenly confessed to me, and we started dating.

I had never had a love confession before, and I was interested in love at that age.

We agreed to get to know each other while dating, and started going out.

That’s why Yuika’s words caught my attention at once.

“W-what do you mean?”

“I knew that Onee chan liked you, Takuto. Seems like you have forgotten about it, but we met a long time ago. We.”

“……No, I remember. I just remembered it recently.”

“Hmm, I see. You remembered it…..”

Yuika seemed a little uninterested.

She gently lowered her gaze.

“I came back here in the second semester of eighth grade, and I thought it was a huge coincidence that Takuto was in the same class as me……. I thought God had given me a chance. So…”

“You mean you confessed your feelings to me after knowing Rina san’s feelings?”

“Right. You must be disillusioned, right?”

“…… Well, I didn’t know that was the reason.”

Her motive to date me is far from pure.

It’s too much even for someone who has a complex about their sister.

“I wanted to show off to Onee chan. I want to tell Onee chan that her first love chose me. But Oneechan, she really didn’t know what I meant……even though she should’ve remembered Takuto,  but she congratulated me normally. She didn’t complain at all.”

No wonder.

When we broke up for the first time Rina san was trying to get me and Yuika to get along.

Rina san is a pure, kind, and self-sacrificing person. I’m not sure if it’s more accurate to say that she sacrifices herself.

“By showing the differences in our level, it makes me more miserable…”

“Yuika….”

“But somehow, it was fun when I was dating Takuto. I wonder if it was also in my genes that I liked Takuto. That’s why I completely forgot why I started dating you….But look, I’m selfish, aren’t I?”

“Yeah, you’re a lot of trouble.”

Yuika has a lot of demands and she’s selfish.

But I didn’t mind listening to her selfishness.

If I did, we wouldn’t have been able to continue our relationship for more than a year.

Being Yuika’s boyfriend is a very high challenge.

“Yeah. That’s why I wanted more and more, and I couldn’t be satisfied with the current situation. I feel like I want something new… But ever since I broke up with Takuto…it’s been boring. It’s the kind of thing where you realize happiness after you’ve lost it.”

It was a statement filled with earnestness.

I scratched my head bluntly.

“Yuika, do you like me? Or do you like who likes Rina san?”

I was just listening to the conversation and was simply curious.

When I heard her story, I was simply intrigued.

“At first, no doubt it’s the second one. But I do like you, Takuto.”

“But you stopped liking me, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. But I didn’t like it when you looked so happy while going out with Onee chan.”

“Then….”

“I didn’t like the fact that you were taken by Onee chan, but more than anything, I hated the fact that Takuto was out of my reach. I don’t understand…”

I guess I’m not in a position to verbalize it so easily.

Anyway, I understand one thing.

“Even so, you didn’t have a good self-esteem, did you, Yuika?”

“huh? Self-esteem?”

“You’re always lifting Rina san up and belittling yourself. There are a lot of good things about Yuika, too.”

“That’s not true…”

She bit her lower lip while shaking her head.

I spoke softly to Yuika.

“Yuika, you’re good at dealing with things.”

“Eh?”

“You’re good at summarizing the main points, and your notebooks are very easy to read.”

“N-not really….it’s normal…such a thing.”

“You’re able to assert your opinion, and you’re a hard worker, you know. Well, you are easily misunderstood because you are secretly making efforts in places where people can’t see you.”

“D-don’t talk like you know about it.”

“Let me tell you something, because I’m your ex-boyfriend.”

“…..Ugh.”

“In the first place, what makes a person with a face and talent good. everyone has different standards, and Rina san and Yuika’s age were different, so the your field is also different.”

“B-but, I can’t beat Onee chan…..”

I rubbed my neck with a complicated expression on my face.

“Do you have to win?”

“Because everyone only sees Onee chan. Everyone will fall in love with Onee chan…”

“I’m sure there are people who like Yuika more than Rina san.”

“There’s no way.”

“No, at least when I was dating Yuika, I was one of them.”

All human beings have one or two complexes.

However, Yuika has a serious illness…..

Yuika’s cheeks blushed and she looked up.

“……Y-you’re dating Onee chan, but you sweet talking me?

“No, why is it like that….”

I had been misunderstood so badly.

I had no intention of doing so, so I was caught by surprise.

“Ah, I don’t know anymore ! I’m going home !”

“Eh, ah, yeah….”

Yuika stood up and walked past me with a red face.

But when she opened the door, she stopped her tracks.

“…..Thanks. ……I’m feeling a little more confident now.”

“Y-yeah. I’m glad to hear that.”

Yuika rushed towards the entrance.

I thought about seeing her off, but the atmosphere is not like that.

For now, let’s report this to Rina san.

I don’t want to create unnecessary misunderstandings by hiding it.