Hasumi Kana’s Side (2)
I—Hasumi Kana—sat on my bed, hugging a pillow close as I curled up with my knees tucked in.
I had already taken a bath, dried my hair, and changed into my pajamas.
And now, burying my face into the pillow resting on my lap, I let my mind drift back to today—the day of the school festival.
This year’s festival had been filled with so much—our class event, visiting other classrooms, and countless other moments.
But above all else, the one thing that stood out most vividly in my mind was, without a doubt, what happened during the live show.
“I could play guitar in Nitta-san’s place.”
Just remembering Shuhei-kun’s voice from that moment made my chest tighten with warmth.
“Shuhei-kun was so cool back then…”
When Mei hurt her finger and couldn’t perform, Shuhei-kun stepped in as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I kept replaying that scene in my head over and over.
“He never once mentioned being able to play the guitar, but when he did, he was so insanely good that all our worries seemed ridiculous…”
The way he appeared like a gallant prince on a white horse, saving the day with effortless grace, sent my heart racing beyond control.
Yeah, there was no doubt about it anymore.
I had fallen for Shuhei-kun.
Completely, hopelessly in love with him.
That’s why, when I invited him to karaoke while we were watching the campfire at the after-festival, I couldn’t ask him as casually as I usually would.
It had taken an incredible amount of courage.
And after finally mustering up that courage… Shuhei-kun misunderstood, thinking we were all going to a group after-party. I was so disappointed I could hardly hide it.
I tried my best to cover it up in a panic, but… he didn’t notice, right?
“Haah… I really am selfish, aren’t I…”
I get my hopes up all on my own, only to let myself crash down just as easily. It’s pathetic.
Given the timing and flow of the conversation, it was only natural that Shuhei-kun assumed I meant a group outing.
“Not like Shuhei-kun sees me that way in the first place…”
He can do everything at such a high level.
Standing next to someone like him only makes me painfully aware of how out of my league I am.
“I mean, we really don’t match at all…”
Lately, I’d been hearing other girls talk about how cool Shuhei-kun was.
There were even rumors that Nijo-san from Class 3—who worked as a reader model for magazines—had a thing for him.
“He’s good at studying, sports, and now even music… Ugh, he’s so amazing it makes me feel inferior… But I still like him… I like him so much…”
I buried my face into the pillow, whispering “I like him, I like him” over and over, making sure not even a trace of my voice could escape.
“Ah, but… but the last part didn’t happen, right?”
At the after-festival, when I lost my balance after being pushed from behind, Shuhei-kun instinctively pulled me close to keep me from falling.
“But somehow… I ended up wrapping my arms around his waist and clinging to him… What was I thinking…?”
Looking back now, I had no idea what had come over me to do something so bold.
The sheer embarrassment made my face feel like it was about to burst into flames.
“Ugh… What if he thought I was some delusional girl? Or worse, a total creep… At the very least, he must think I’m way too easy… What do I do…?”
I had been completely swept up in the dreamlike atmosphere of the after-festival.
Standing together in the dark, watching the fire blaze—it was the kind of scene that felt like something out of a romantic movie, and my heart had completely lost its footing.
I must’ve let myself believe, just for a moment, that I was his girlfriend.
“I need to be more composed. Clinging to him like that when we’re not even dating… Shuhei-kun is serious and respectable. There’s no way he’d like a girl who acts so carelessly.”
Yeah, that’s right.
The school festival ended today, and starting tomorrow, everyday life would resume as usual.
I had to reset my heart and return to acting with proper restraint.
Because…
Because if he ever found out about my feelings…
Our relationship would inevitably change.
If it changed for the better, that would be wonderful. But if it didn’t… I could end up losing my place by his side.
And right now, without a doubt, I was the girl closest to Shuhei-kun.
We sat next to each other in class, worked together as class representatives, and it was only natural for me to be by his side.
But all of that had started from sheer coincidence.
On the first day of school, I was being pestered by two obnoxious guys when Shuhei-kun stepped in and saved me. That’s how we became friends.
I hadn’t done anything special to earn this position—it had just happened by chance.
And to top it all off, I had been so rude that I didn’t even remember Shuhei-kun’s name when summer break ended.
This special place I had in his life… it wasn’t something I could afford to lose.
Because I wasn’t confident I could ever create something like it again—