Chapter 44

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All day long, Kaede had successfully avoided the gray-haired Hatori. During the breaks, she had always stayed where Chika and Megumi would never appear. That meant close to the people who still bullied the two of them from time to time. Kaede was simply safe here and could think better about everything.

If only there was a garden like the one in Megumi's drawing. How Kaede would love to just go there now. But it also showed her how well Megumi had hit this theme without knowing what Kaede wanted to achieve.

By now, Kaede even had a name for Chika and Megumi for her book. She had even found one for Dai, which she had already mentioned. Chika would be called Cho in the novel, while Megumi would be called Mei. Dai had a rather additional name, but one that was easy to remember. Daisuke.

Dai was perhaps the most striking name. But he wasn't someone who liked reading books anyway. Her boyfriend had always been interested in sports, but had always left her hobby to her. It was actually the perfect relationship one would wish for. Only the time and the little character traits were a slight problem.

Dai Kunigami had been behaving rather strangely in her chat over the last few days. He kept asking where she was and, above all, with whom. His jealousy had come to light more often recently. Sometimes quite nerve-wracking but still bearable.


"How long do you want to avoid Chika?" asked Osamu, who wanted to get a clear picture of the situation first. He wanted to make sure that he was right about what he had seen and noticed.

"I...am not avoiding her." Kaede said, causing Osamu to snort softly. "Yes, you are." he replied and sat down next to her on the bench.

"I saw it this morning when you turned your back on her. Chika and Megumi were very surprised." Miya reported. Nah, great. That wasn't actually her plan.

"You don't look very fit either, by the way. You also looked like you were seeing a ghost." said the gray-haired man, which made Kaede swallow. He had seen it in her eyes? Who else?

"Chika reminds you of someone, doesn't she?" "What makes you think that?" Kaede asked right back, tensing up a little. How could it be that Osamu had noticed? She was always careful. Or was his IQ so high that he actually belonged in the 2-4 or the 2-5?

"I don't know. First you stand up for Chika and get a punishment consisting of ten pages. Then you stand up for Megumi, who is also bullied. Your thoughts are often somewhere else, but that's not always because you're in your writer stuff. Then your explanation about the haiku in first year and now your reaction." Osamu enumerated.

"You...have been watching me...?" Kaede asked, swallowing and looking towards him for the first time today. "Hm, I always have." the boy shrugged his shoulders. From here on, Kaede got a strange feeling. Not a bad one, but rather a good one. Almost like the feeling she had when she had gotten closer to Dai.

"But I'm holding back, since you have a certain friend from the Itachiyama." Osamu said slightly provocatively. He had been aware of it for some time, as the three friends had often talked about it in the canteen. Atsumu had also met some of the students from this high school at the junior camp. This private school must really have a lot of good athletes.

Kaede swallowed quietly again. Was Osamu indirectly saying that he liked her? Should she have realized it sooner? She had had a few thoughts like that herself, that she would like Osamu. But more as a friend and nothing more. Had her thoughts been playing tricks on her?

"So?" asked Osamu, which made Kaede bite her lips and maybe confide in him. But how much could she tell him?

"Chika reminds me of Kazumi." Kaede said in the end. "The Kazumi you no longer have contact with?" the Miya asked back, just in case. "Yes...exactly..." Could a death actually be described as breaking off contact? Probably yes.

"I see. That also explains your actions towards her." Osamu, who had exhaled quietly, nodded. "If you explain it to her, Chika won't hold it against you. A best friend is there to talk about everything."

"I know. But it's hard for me." Kaede admitted and found it really relieving and pleasant. Osamu was really the best choice of the twins to talk about something more serious. "Sometimes there's probably no other way. But the way you behave with my brother, I'm sure it will be very easy for you to tell Chika the truth." Miya grinned a little.

"And preferably without throwing anything." Kaede laughed softly. "I get it." It really was a bit silly of her to just walk away without giving an explanation.

"Thanks." Kaede breathed, lowering her head a little. "It's okay." Osamu said, looking at the brown-haired girl and smiling slightly. Kaede was probably not always the way he had always seen and perceived her. There were more secrets in her than he thought.




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