Am I That Unreliable
Yuuki had gone to a department store to buy some stationery paper, but as he looked over the selections, he kept thinking that this one was wrong and that one was wrong, and soon he was completely stuck.
Yuuki had been through many difficult things recently, but this might actually have been the one he was struggling with the most.
He stood there staring at the endless rows of stationery as he tried to choose.
Just when he picked one up thinking that maybe this would work, he realized that someone was suddenly standing beside him.
“M-Mikage-kun.”
When he glanced to the side to see who it was, he found it was someone he really did not want to see.
Shinjou Saya.
She was one of the people who played a role in breaking Yuuki’s heart back in middle school.
For the past month, nothing but misfortune had come his way, and he even found himself thinking about going to a shrine to be purified. But he also thought it would be a waste of money and dismissed the idea, then returned his attention to the stationery.
“It must have been hard. I am sorry I could not help you.”
Hearing a voice he did not want to hear and being told something like that by someone he had never relied on made Yuuki sink even deeper into negativity. Since he had no intention of speaking in the first place, he completely shut his mouth and did not open it.
Seeing Yuuki like that, the girl looked sad for a moment, but then she seemed to accept it and walked away.
Since Yuuki had completely pushed Saya out of his thoughts, he ended up briefly wondering if the Saya who had appeared and disappeared so quietly was some kind of vengeful spirit. While thinking maybe purification was not such a bad idea after all, he finished choosing his stationery and paid.
Despite all his worrying, he ended up choosing the simplest one.
He knew what he wanted to write, but had not decided how to write it, so he continued worrying while walking and even while waiting for the train.
“Yuuki-kun, are you worrying about something again?”
The one who called out to him was Yume.
Just like Saya, she had appeared without him noticing, but unlike Saya, Yuuki did not dislike Yume.
So Yuuki responded.
“No, I am not worrying about bullying or anything like that.”
“Then why do you look like that?”
Even someone who was not as sensitive as Kyousuke or Yume could tell that Yuuki looked troubled right now.
Yume was worried that Yuuki might have gotten wrapped up in something difficult again.
However, Yuuki did not know how to explain.
He could not exactly say he was planning to write letters to Yume and Kyousuke and was struggling with the contents, so he fell silent.
“I am just thinking about various things.”
“Thinking, huh. Is it alright if I ask what kind of things?”
Yume only asked because she was worried, but she did not realize that the question itself was putting pressure on him.
There was no way she could have known that.
“It is really nothing important.”
“I see. Then I will not ask anymore. But if something really happens, please tell me, okay?”
“Thank you.”
He managed to avoid the situation, at least for the moment.
“So, what is that brown paper bag? Did you buy something?”
“This?”
One problem solved and another appeared immediately.
He wondered how he should explain it.
“I bought some stationery. I was running out of a few things.”
“I see.”
Yume completely misunderstood.
She assumed Yuuki had to buy new supplies because some of his things had been damaged or lost due to the bullying.
It was true that a few items had been ruined, but not so many that he could not study.
A few minutes later, the train arrived.
Without saying anything more, they boarded and let the train carry them toward their destination.
“Am I really that unreliable?”
Yume whispered that softly to herself.
When Yuuki heard it, he tried to respond, but the words would not come out.