"So, what happened?"
"No, it's nothing......."
"That's a lie. Then why were you just standing there in daze?"
"Ugh......."
After I brought the pasta to my seat and started eating, Izumo san asked me why I was in a daze there.
As expected, I can't say that I've been dragging on the fact that I was dumped, and I don't know how to answer Izumo san, so I deceived her.
I couldn't bear the pressure so I looked away, and Izumo-san let out a sigh.
"I can guess what happened. You started acting strange when you got your haircut. Maybe something happened to him?"
Izumo san's spot-on......no, I was shocked at her answer.
Of course, she wouldn't have known about Kawabe kun. But when I was confronted with the truth, I held my tongue.
"Silence is the answer....huh."
Izumo san sighed again and scratched her hair awkwardly.
".....Well, what happened?"
"..........."
There is a moment of silence between us. The food court has become more lively in proportion to the silence.
Would it be easier to tell her? These thoughts are going around in my head. The embarrassment of telling someone about me being rejected and the feeling of wanting someone to listen to my complaints sway within me.
Perhaps she knows this, Izumo san remains silent and waits for me to start talking. At the sight of her, my thoughts begin to overflow from my mouth.
"You know, actually, ......"
"Eh?"
Izumo san rests her elbows on the table and leans forward with interest as I speak.
"I confessed ...... to the guy that i told you about the other day."
"Huh !?"
Izumo san looked surprised at my sudden confession. That's no wonder, but since I skipped over the context of what we talked about the other day, it can't be helped that she was surprised.
"What is it? By the looks of it, it doesn't look like it went well, does it?"
"......Was it that obvious?"
I gave a wry smile to her as she said straightforward words as if she could see right through what was going on.
"I'm not sure if it's easy to understand or not, but sometimes at school you looked like you were in a daze or having a hard time smiling......."
"Is....that so?"
I don't even know myself at school, the stares from others... and the shock of being heartbroken.
When I realized this, I was on the verge of tears. Izumo san, who saw that, looked at me with a serious expression and cut my words.
"......Why did you hold it in until you were about to cry?"
".....Eh?"
"Why didn't you tell me until today?"
"That's ......."
I was speechless at Izumo san's question.
If you asked why,...... I've been trying to be a perfect person as a member of the Reizei family until now, and I didn't have any friends to whom I could expose what's inside my heart.
I had a feeling that if I showed my weakness, my world would change....That's what I thought.
Of course, I didn't run the rails that my parents laid out for me because I was tired of such a world, and I should've come to this school......
including the reason that I'm......chasing him.
But that result led me to being dumped. It's not anyone's fault or....his fault.
......It was my choice.
There shouldn't be regrets, no whining,...... but now I'm on the verge of tears.
It's because I can't face the fact that I haven't changed at all from who I used to be.
Showing no weakness and playing my perfect self by mending things to those around me.......
I feel I have fallen far away from the person I wanted to be when I wished for my live to live as it is, without flattering by others like the man i longed for.....
".....Sorry."
"No.....I don't want you to apologize."
My honest feelings were overflowing and it's different from when I disobeyed my parents or when I kept up my appearance to him, and when I told her this, Izumo san scratched her cheeks, looking a little embarrassed.
Her words unmask me.
From there, we talked about what had happened so far, in order. Of course I didn't mention Kawabe kun's name.......
"I wonder why〜"
"Eh?"
When I finished speaking, Izumo san suddenly raised her voice. I rolled my eyes in surprise at her voice.
"That guy is wasting you. Ayanon is such a beautiful, talented, refined lady ! ! The kind of person that normally you wouldn't be able to achieve even if you had high hopes, right?"
"Eh, that's not true....."
"That's true ! !"
Izumo san was able to lift me up, and It's not that I have accomplished anything.
I was just born into a wealthy family and my parents' rails and genes made me what I am today.
"Ayanon, do you think your family made you? That's not true ! ! Ayanon doesn't realize that she is a person who's working hard ! !"
......A person who's working hard
I feel like this is the first time I've been recognized for playing the perfect version of myself that my parents told me to.
I was just happy that there was someone who recognized my.... weaknesses and my true self.
"It's just......"
"Just?"
Izumo san glared at me as if to interrupt my attempts to shed tears that were different from before. As I flinched at her gaze, she picked on the part of me that I regret the most.
"...... Ayanon, you're too hasty. Love is a game, so don't be impatient ! !"
"Ugh....."
......My ears hurt. That's what I really regretted. It hadn't been that long since I had known him. And yet, I was impatient and blew myself up when my numerous rivals had learned his true nature.
He told me he liked someone, but he never said he had a girlfriend...... It should have been a long-term relationship.
Thinking about it gave me just a little.....courage.
I don't know if I still like him or if my regret was making me feel that way.
But I'm glad I'm aware of it now.
"........Thank you, Izumo san."
"No problem ! ! Let's get going, shall we? I'm going to relieve some stress today ! !"
We return the dishes that we've finished eating to the tableware at the restaurant and leave the food court together.
"Ah ! Ayanon, Risa ! !"
As we're walking around the stores for a while, we heard a voice calling our names from behind.
We turned around to see a girl picking out clothes with what appeared to be her mother.
It was Miuchi san.
"What a coincidence ! ! I didn't know you two also came here."
"Seriously〜! ! You were here too, Asunyan."
Izumo san and Miuchi san approached each other and happily took each other's hands.
"Yeah. I was shopping with my mom. I'm sorry about yesterday. Even though you invited me....."
"It's not like you can help it. you had to run an errand."
As they were discussing yesterday's conversation, Miuchi san's mother approached and said, [Asuka, are they your friend?].
Izumo san and I said hello to Miuchi san's mother, and she said that she had a special occasion and left first.
After Miuchi san joined us, the three of us enjoyed shopping together. Then, Miuchi san asked me about something.
"By the way, where's Sora chan?"
"Soracchi said she couldn't come because she had something to do."
"I see... ...... that's too bad..."
Saying that, we headed for the doorway to go to the shop that Miuchi san was looking for, and we followed her.
Then, with a voice saying, [Ah.....] Miuchi san dropped the luggage that she was holding.
"What's wrong, Asunyan?"
Izumo san noticed Miuchi san's behavior, and approached her, after that she also stopped her step.
I was curious about this odd sight and followed their gaze to the doorway of the store.
There, I saw.....Kaizei san happily wrapping her hands and Kawabe kun who's looking somewhat confused, were about to enter the store with their arms crossed.
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