Title: Daily Life of a Childhood Friend
“Yuuto, let’s go home together!”
It’s Friday after school. A languid-looking Yamashita Yuuto is packing his student bag with textbooks as he prepares to leave.
The one who called out to him was Watanabe Asahi, a petite schoolgirl with beautiful orange hair hanging over her shoulders and a pretty, slightly juvenile, face.
Yuuto was looking through the door at the back of the classroom with a smile.
“See, Yuuto, you’re wife came all the way to here to pick you up because you’re so relaxed.”
His friend, Morikawa Hiroki sat in the seat in front of Yuuto. He had a fresh smile on his face that any girl would fall in love with.
He said this in a voice that could not be heard by Asahi and in a teasing tone.
“Who’s my wife? She’s just my childhood friend.”
Yuuto said that with a voice that only Hiroki could hear.
“You’re still trying to fool me by saying that, but be honest with yourself. You’ll always be in love with Watanabe-san.”
“I don’t want to talk about it. See you next week, Hiroki.”
With that, Yuuto grabbed his bag after he finished putting his textbooks away and walked towards the door where Asahi was waiting.
“What were you talking to Morikawa-kun about?”
“Nothing much. Rather, are you sure you don’t want to go to your club today?”
“Yeah. Everyone wanted to go home early today, so we cancelled our club activities.”
“As usual… it’s a loose club.”
“Yes. But it’s such a loose club that it’s comfortable for me.”
While talking about this, the two childhood friends left the classroom. Then,
“You guys are as close as ever, aren’t you? You’re the sweetest couple in the school.”
Two girls had remained in the classroom talking to eachother and one of them called out to them. A lively-looking female student with a ponytail said this.
“Yeah, that’s true. But they keep saying that they’re not dating. Just childhood friends.”
A girl sitting across the desk from her was talking to her. A slightly more mature-looking female student with black-rimmed glasses replied.
“That’s just so embarrassing. You can’t be that close and not be in a relationship, it’s just not possible.”
“No, they’re actually not dating.”
Hiroki, who had been listening quietly to the conversation between the two girls, pouted.
“Oh, that’s right. If Morikawa-kun says so, it must be right.”
Hearing Hiroki’s words, the girl with the black-rimmed glasses seemed to agree. However,
“What is that? What a hazy way to go about that. If you’re that close, you should be able to confess your feelings and go out with them as soon as possible.”
The girl with the ponytail was seemingly unconvinced.
(…I’ve been thinking the same thing for about three years, now.)
Hiroki silently agreed with her without saying it aloud.
—
The two childhood friends who had come up in the conversation were walking leisurely down the sidewalk, pushing their bikes side by side. It was quite a distance from their homes to school and it would talk about thirty minutes to get there on a bike.
They cycled for about twenty minutes. As they approached their homes, they got off their bikes and were chatting on the way home.
“By the way, we had a cooking class for home economics today to learn how to make pork miso soup. I was in the same group with Suzuka.”
“Oh.”
Hearing Asahi’s words, Yuuto paid attention. (T/N: Not sure how to interpret this, 朝日の言葉を聞いて、優人が相槌を打つ。)
“Somehow, I had a feeling that’s what is was. Suzuka-chan is good at cooking usually. Since she can cook so well, maybe she’s a better cook than I am.”
Asahi had been making dinner a lot ever since she was in elementary school, so she was as good as any housewife in that area. She rated her friend that way.
“It’s quite a feat that she might be a better cook than you. I mean, you’re a good cook as well. Fujimiya-san really doesn’t have any flaws.”
Yuuto said this while thinking of the face of Fujimiya Suzuka, who was in the same class as him last year.
“I know right, and I really admire that. But when you have friends who can do everything, they keep reminding you that you’re just an ordinary person. Sometimes I get a little depressed.”
Asahi said with a slightly sad expression on her face.
“…Well, I know how you feel. Sometimes I think Hiroki is too good to be true. I think he’s actually an otherworldly person who got a cheat ability and then got reincarnated into this world.”
Yuuto said, bringing up his own friend who had just teased him about it. However.
“No, Suzuka-chan is really great, but, I’ve never felt that way before.”
In response to Yuuto’s answer, where it’s hard to tell whether he’s joking or serious, Asahi repllied with a slightly bitter smile.
“But surely, Hiroki-kun’s great too. He’s a good student, athletic, and he’s a handsome guy. There are a lot of girls I know who want to go out with Hiroki-kun.”
“Well, it’s not strange that he’s popular.”
As they were discussing their two mutual friends, they entered a residential area.
They walked for a few more minutes and reached the front of Asahi’s house.
“Well, I’ll tell you the rest of the story later. See you later, Yuuto.”
“Yeah. See you later.”
Returning the greeting, Yuuto watched Asahi put her bike away in her garage before walking home.
And after a few dozen steps, Yuuto arrived at his own house.
As if to say that it was natural since they were childhood friends, their houses were right next to eachother. However, it wasn’t a coincidence; their parents were close to begin with.
It was said that Asahi’s parents built a new house next to Yuuto’s house, which used to be a vacant lot, as a wedding anniversary. The two of them didn’t know the details.
When he reached his own house, Yuuto put his bike away in his garage, just like Asahi had.
“Ah, Yuuto!”
When he turned around to look in the direction of the voice, he saw Asahi, with her hand at the front door, looking at Yuuto. She spoke to him in a louder voice than usual.
“I don’t have anything to do tomorrow, so I’m free. Can I stop by your room around noon?”
Asahi suddenly said something like that. Upon hearing that, Yuuto replied,
“Yeah, no problem. I don’t think coming to my room is going to change the fact that you’re not busy, though?”
Yuuto, who usually speaks in a raggedy voice, replied to Asahi, but this time, his voice was very firm.
“Ehh, that’s not true. There’s manga, light novels, and games in your room. Just talking to you right now, I’m having fun!”
“…Oh, I see.”
“Yeah!”
Being told that with a big smile on her face, Yuuto is silent for a moment.
“I wish you wouldn’t say that…”
“Eh? Sorry, did you say something?”
Yuuto’s voice didn’t reach Asahi because of the distance.
“Nothing. See you tomorrow!”
“Un! See you tomorrow!”
Asahi said with a smile and walked into her own house.
“…I’ll buy her favorite ice cream later.”
After confirming that Asahi couldn’t be seen anymore, Yuuto muttered quietly.
—
“Hehe, tomorrow is my day off alone with Yuuto.”
Immediately after entering her house, Asahi’s face loosened and she said this in a happy voice.
—
This is the daily life of two childhood friends.
They both love each other. Despite the fact that they’re so close to eachother that people think they’re lovers, they’re only good friends.
This is a story of two people who can’t say the word “I love you” the each other.
Author’s Note: Thank you for reading this far. I have a little bit of stock, so I’ll be posting daily for a while.
Airus 
Wow
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