Self-Sacrifice (Souta’s Perspective)
Morning, on the way to school.
That day, unusually, I was heading to school alone.
Normally, I’d be quietly delighted by this rare, peaceful bout of solitude, free from the constant attention of three beautiful girls, elegantly strolling to school with a light novel in hand. But today, I just couldn’t find it in me to enjoy it.
“How did it come to this…?!”
What played on repeat in my mind was what had happened after school yesterday.
I’d been summoned to the school rooftop by two of my friends, a senior and a junior.
There wasn’t a single other student in sight. From the schoolyard far below, faint echoes of the sports clubs’ practice drifted up, but the rooftop itself was wrapped in an uncanny stillness.
Standing before me were Azaka-senpai and my junior, Rinka. Watching quietly from a short distance away, like a chaperone of sorts, was my stepsister Chris.
Ordinarily, this would be a scene where my childhood friend Kanae should be present without question, but she wasn’t.
Just before coming here, I had spoken to her in the classroom.
“Like I said at lunch, I’m meeting Rinka and Azaka-senpai after school. Wanna come too?”
“Nah, I wasn’t invited, so I’ll just head home.”
“Huh? Wait, but—”
Wearing an unusually complicated expression, Kanae had simply turned and left.
Even I, slow as I am, couldn’t help feeling a bit irritated by her attitude, but at the same time, I understood why she was acting that way.
Maybe Kanae was sulking because, even if it was within our friend group, I still agreed to meet privately with other girls when they called me out.
No, I don’t think I’m being full of myself. It’s true I’m a certified loner, but Kanae has been by my side ever since elementary school, through middle school, and now into high school. I can at least grasp what that kind of constancy might mean.
I might be a gloomy introvert, but I’m not a clueless protagonist.
Kanae’s feelings toward me. Well, unless she comes out and says them outright, I have no intention of assuming anything… but still.
“Phew… I guess it’s finally time for me to pay the price. Just my luck, huh.”
Even I couldn’t stop a wry smile from slipping out, thinking of my painfully sweet childhood friend.
Honestly, she’s an awfully troublesome childhood friend.
I let out a quiet sigh, pushed the thought aside, and turned my focus to the two girls standing before me.
Azaka-senpai and Rinka stood solemnly side by side, while Chris watched silently from a little ways off, her presence calm and steady.
Ah… I know this setup all too well. Back in elementary school, in middle school—whenever a girl called me out like this, they always had that exact same look on their face.
And sure enough, just as I’d predicted, the story unfolded as expected. With the exact kind of line delivery I’d imagined, Rinka opened her mouth first.
“I-I…! Right after I transferred in, I got caught up with some scary people… I passed out, but afterward, I heard that it was senpai who saved me… a-and ever since then! I’ve been totally in love with you!”
Once Rinka finished, it was Azaka-senpai’s turn.
“At first, I heard about you through my junior. But when I met you here and scouted you myself, I think that was the moment I fell for you, Souta-kun. And from that day on, I’ve wanted to keep loving you… if I can, from right beside you. I love you, Souta-kun.”
And me? Of course I fell silent. Because I couldn’t give an answer—not if I wanted to keep anyone from getting hurt. If I chose one of them, what would happen to the other? What about the bond we’ve shared so far? And how would Kanae, who wasn’t even there, feel?
Precisely because I’m a lonely introvert, I understand the delicate intricacies of human relationships, and how precious friends truly are.
Which is exactly why I felt it, so clearly.
Any answer, any ending, that risks hurting someone—that’s got to be wrong.
As I screamed this within my heart, a shiver ran over my skin and I trembled with a surge of emotion. My heartbeat quickened, my chest burned hot.
Haha, this kind of fiery passion really isn’t my style, is it?
“I understand how both of you feel. I want to give this serious thought. So please, give me some time!”
I declared it proudly, my voice ringing out.
And that, that was everything that happened after school yesterday.
“How did it end up like this…”
No matter how much I racked my brain, no solution would come.
Yesterday, after hearing Azaka-senpai and Rinka’s confessions, and rejecting, deep within me, any ending that would bring unhappiness to someone… in that burning moment, I’d felt like I could take on anything. And maybe, in that instant, I really could have.
But now, in hindsight, my usual calm and analytical nature had turned against me, making me overthink everything.
If I truly want to avoid hurting anyone, then keeping things as they are—our careful balance of staying close without getting too close—is what’s best for our friendship.
I mean, yeah, as an introverted loner, the idea of three girls sticking to me and drawing constant attention is already too much. And now Kanae’s likely to get involved too, meaning four girls surrounding me. My stress load has doubled.
But still, I can’t bring myself to reject them outright. I wish I could just tell them clearly. Yet, precisely because I care, I know I have no choice but to endure this.
“Haah… self-sacrifice really isn’t my strong suit, huh…”
At this point, the one most suited to step in and smooth things over isn’t Yukiya—it’s Kanae. Another girl.
Even in this mess, I kept my cool and came to that conclusion.
“And yet, Kanae apparently decided to head to school on her own again today.”
At the very least, she followed through and sent me a text like I asked.
[Heading to school early again today~]
Kanae, in typical fashion, had even added a little bunny emoji at the end.
Given the chaos currently shaking our friendship, even I couldn’t help but feel a little irritated.
No. Kanae doesn’t know what’s going on. It’s not fair to be mad. I just need to explain the situation clearly and tell her what needs to be done.
I took a breath, calmed myself, and reached that conclusion.
But my plan to have Kanae mediate between us was derailed by an obstacle I never saw coming.