◆
As I thought about my feelings for Riran, a bit of guilt, and the changing distance between Ryūya and Neika, lunch break arrived in the blink of an eye.
In the end, those two maintained an awkward distance throughout the morning.
As soon as lunch break started, Neika left the classroom immediately.
Because of that, Ryūya and I were eating lunch together for the first time in a while.
"Hmm... I don't know about this."
"Akito, don't worry about it so much."
"No, no, you're the one who should be worrying the most."
"Well, that's true."
Ryūya ate his yakisoba bread with a nonchalant face.
I don't know... even if he tells me not to worry, when it's a major crisis for my best friend, I'm going to be concerned regardless.
Just as Ryūya finished one of his buns, his mouth twisted into a smirk.
"More importantly, I heard about it, Akito."
"Heard what?"
"That Anrakuji confessed to you and you turned her down?"
"Pfft!?"
I was hit by an unexpected verbal attack and ended up coughing.
How the heck does this guy know about that?
"Man, you're quite the sinner. Being liked and confessed to by such a cute girl doesn't happen often, you know? Well, we already sensed Anrakuji's feelings, so we weren't surprised. Did you turn her down because of your Fated Person?"
"T-That has nothing to do with it."
I gulped down my bottled tea all at once.
If I didn't, I felt like I would accidentally look toward Riran.
If that happened, it would be like telling him that my Fated Person is Riran. At the very least, I can't let him find that out.
"Hmm. From my perspective, I think a little fling or playing with fire is fine as long as you don't overdo it. You just have to make sure your Fated Person doesn't find out, right?"
"You..."
Isn't that a bit much to say? No matter how good-natured I am, that makes me—.
"...Hm?"
What is this weird feeling I'm getting from Ryūya? He seems somewhat desperate... Ryūya isn't the type of guy to say things like that.
Could this be...?
"...Ryūya, come with me for a second."
"Eh. Ah, wait, are you mad? Sorry, I didn't mean it like—"
"Just come outside."
"...Fine."
With our classmates' eyes focused on us, I took Ryūya outside.
There's a small break area between the school building and the club building, and it's rarely used on rainy days. That's why it's the perfect deserted spot to talk about something.
"Akito, I said I was sorry. That was just a joke—"
"Ryūya. Something happened regarding the 'Red Thread of Fate', didn't it?"
"...!"
When I asked him straight without any fluff, Ryūya's eyes widened slightly.
"You were acting strange earlier. The usual you wouldn't say something like that, even as a joke. I believe I understand that better than anyone as your best friend."
"............"
Ryūya looked like he was about to cry and looked away to avoid my gaze.
I already know his habits. This is what he does when he's hiding something.
He seemed to be hiding it well earlier, but he can't make excuses anymore.
"Ryūya."
"...Sigh... Akito, you're too meddlesome. Normally, people don't like to step into troublesome situations."
This is... basically an indirect admission.
"Normally, yeah. But I'm going to step in. It would be the worst to do nothing when my best friends are facing a crisis."
"That's so like you. ...Come to my place after school. I'll call Nei too. We'll talk there."
"...Understood."
With a sorrowful expression, Ryūya turned his back and headed back to the classroom.
I suddenly looked up at the sky.
Unlike the drizzling rain from before, an intense downpour that seemed ready to swallow everything was now pounding against the prefabricated roof.
◆
I couldn't concentrate during the afternoon classes and spent the time dazed.
I received a few scoldings from Riran and a worried message from Tsuchimikado, but my mind was elsewhere.
I couldn't get my hands on anything.
And so, after school.
We had arrived at the luxury apartment where Ryūya lives.
Ryūya's father is currently working overseas, and his mother went with him. So, Ryūya is effectively living alone.
Living alone in an apartment like this... no matter how many times I come here, I'm jealous.
"Well, come on up."
"Yeah."
"...Excuse me."
Ryūya, then I, then Neika entered the house in that order.
Neika has been acting restless or rather, very quiet for a while now. Usually, she'd be the first to go in and occupy the sofa.
Entering the living room, Ryūya brought out tea for everyone.
When I tried to sit on the two-seater sofa like usual, Ryūya stopped me.
"Ah, sorry Akito. Sit in that single-seater over there today."
"Hm? Oh, okay."
As I sat where I was told, Ryūya and Neika sat side-by-side on the two-seater sofa.
A restless Neika and a Ryūya who was unusually calm.
They felt somewhat fresh like this.
"Ryūya, are you going to say it...?"
"Yeah. Leave it to me."
"...Okay."
With that, the two of them straightened their posture and faced me.
I also instinctively straightened my posture.
"Akito, listen. It's about me and Nei."
"...Yeah."
"Nei and I are connected by the 'Red Thread of Fate'."
...Eh. Seriously?
"That's, uh... what?"
"We said before that we both had different fated people, but that was a lie. ...I'm sorry for lying."
"I'm sorry, Akky."
"N-No, that's fine, but..."
To think these two were connected by the red thread. ...Actually, Riran and I are connected. It's more natural for these two to be connected too.
But... what's with this heavy atmosphere?
I-I have to liven things up.
"C-Congratulations, you two! What, were you just too embarrassed to say it? We're friends, aren't we? Don't be so distant. Oh, make sure to invite me to the wedding, okay?"
""............""
...Wait, did I mess up? The air feels even heavier now.
Ryūya gently took the hand of Neika, who looked like she was about to cry.
Looking at them like this, they certainly seem to have a firm connection between them.
And yet... why is the atmosphere like this?
We waited in silence for a while.
Then Ryūya slowly opened his mouth.
"The truth is... we can't get married. ...Nei's parents have decided to marry her off to the son of a partner company's president."