Chapter 2

Oh! There you are, Mafuyu!

Where’s Kanade? Did you guys not come together?

She’s picking up a CD that she ordered from that shop.

Ooh, I see.

Anyway, I’m glad I’m on time!

I woke up, like, an hour before I had to leave, so I was in a hurry.

So I only got to eat one slice of bread before I left…

…Were you really that hungry?

We’ll be celebrating at a diner anyway, so couldn’t you have endured it and arrived with some extra room?

Well, I was kinda hungry. Though, I really wanted to eat pancakes today, you know! And like, eating dessert on an empty stomach is just not how things are done, right?

But on the other hand, eating pancakes at a diner is kind of a lame pick, isn’t it?

I’ve never thought about that, so I don’t know.

Ahaha, I’ll just ask Kanade and Ena when they get here!

I get the feeling that Kanade will have the same opinion as you, but Ena will definitely have something to say!

True.

…Speaking of which, I was wondering if you remember something…

When we were talking about how scary it is to think of being rejected by someone… I was talking to you, I think.

…Yes, I remember that.

…I was thinking about how scary it is to be rejected by others.

Especially if the other person is someone…really important to you…

How, even if you really take the time to talk to them, what happens if they don’t accept you? Thinking about that is really, really scary…

So because of that, I thought that it’s better to just not say anything at all…

So that’s why I wasn’t able to move forward at all, either.

…But, I realized something.

In this world, there are more people on your side than you realize.

Well, now that I’m looking back on it, it really was heartless of me… How I failed to even realize it back then.

…How the advice I gave you then was something I needed to apply to myself.

Because I value myself, the thought of rejection is scary… Especially because I don’t want to be hurt.

…So, why did you tell me that?

If you don’t want to be hurt, then telling me that must have been painful too, right?

So why… Why did you tell me?

… … …Luka told me something before.

I’m a coward who only knows how to run away, so there was something only I could tell you.

At that time, I believed that too…

And besides…

…I couldn’t turn a blind eye to you, Mafuyu…

…I see.

Mizuki.

Are you going to stop running away now?

Maybe… I think that it’d be nice if I could stop…

…I mean, I’ve learned that even if I do run, there are some people who’ll just chase you anyway.

I feel like those people just don’t know when to give up, though.

Ahaha… Well, it’s the first time that’s ever happened to me.

In the first place, I was the one who told Ena, “Please wait until I’m ready to tell you.”

But she found out before I could even tell her, so I ended up running away after all that…

So of course she’d chase me and go “What the hell is going on?!” y'know?

…She hasn’t stopped complaining since then. She says it’s your fault that her legs still hurt and her eyes and throat are so sore from crying.

She told you that, huh…?

Honestly, I really hated how she was running after me.

I kept thinking, “I hope she gives up soon.”

But now… I think I’m really lucky to have a friend who would chase after me so desperately.

So that’s why…

As long as Ena and you and Kanade are here, I don’t want to run anymore… That’s what I’d like to think.

Though, uh… Just be gentle with me, I guess?

I understand…

Oh, Kanade’s there! Hey, over here!

Ena’s with her too. …She looks sleepy.

Eh? …Ahahaha! She does!

Once they get here, I’m gonna ask them what they think about eating dessert on an empty stomach!

You’re still on that, huh?

Well, duh~

Hey, Kanade! Ena! We’re over here!