Meeting Meika-chan.

Saturday of that week.

After finishing one subject in the morning, I headed to an Italian family restaurant in Kaihimmakuhari.

To be honest, my chest felt heavy.

Because…

…Today, I was going to turn her down properly…

That was my decision.

Meika-chan is the younger sister of my best friend, Ishida.

I couldn’t be insincere with her.

Leaving her with false hope would be cruel.

I also hated keeping secrets from Toko-senpai.

If she found out I was meeting Meika-chan behind her back, I couldn’t blame her for thinking I was cheating.

At the same time, I remembered Honoka.

Would Honoka really show that photo to Toko-senpai and claim I had sexually harassed her?

Knowing her, she just might.

And Toko-senpai fully believes Honoka is merely a “slightly eccentric but cute little sister.”

…But I can’t keep hiding this forever…

After thinking it over all night, I’d resolved to tell Meika-chan clearly, “I can’t date you,” and to be honest with Toko-senpai about what happened with Honoka.

I entered the shopping center in front of Kaihimmakuhari Station. When I reached the restaurant’s entrance, Meika-chan was already waiting for me.

“Sorry, were you waiting long?”

She shook her head.

“I just got here a bit early… and there was a book I wanted to look at in the bookstore…”

Today she wore a pink down jacket over a white frilled blouse and a checked mini-skirt that hit above the knee.

With a red pochette slung diagonally over her shoulder, she looked exactly like a typical middle- or high-school girl.

“Shall we go in?”

I asked, and we went inside together.

I ordered a doria, Meika-chan ordered carbonara, and we got a pizza to share.

“I have to study for exams today, so I won’t be able to stay very long.”

I felt bad, but I said it upfront.

“Yes, I understand.”

She sounded disappointed, but her voice was firmer than I’d expected.

During the meal we talked about my university and the camping blunder Ishida and I had made.

Meika-chan kept glancing at me while we talked.

Still, she wouldn’t meet my eyes directly.

When she brought up school, I asked about her relationship with Honoka.

“Meika-chan, how did you and Honoka-san become friends?”

“Since our second year of middle school. At our school the classes change then, and I couldn’t fit in at first. On top of that, for some reason I was targeted by the most influential girl group. En-chan was the one who spoke to me and stood up for me back then.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

That surprised me.

Knowing Honoka, I’d assumed she’d be the type to side with the bullies.

“Unlike me, En-chan is strong. She says exactly what’s on her mind to anyone. I think she’s amazing—she doesn’t care at all about the atmosphere around her.”

I kind of wished she cared a little.

“By the latter half of second year, that weird vibe toward me disappeared, and I think that was thanks to En-chan keeping an eye on things.”

“I see. It’s good you have such a friend, Meika-chan.”

A bit of sarcasm slipped out unintentionally. Meika-chan’s expression darkened.

“But En-chan… she started hanging out with a weird crowd in our third year. She’d go to game centers after school with scary-looking people. Everyone started avoiding her even more after that. And so did I…”

…A weird crowd?…

That phrase caught my attention.

“Later on, En-chan stopped involving herself with those people, but because everyone else avoided her, I stopped talking to her much too. En-chan didn’t say anything about it; once we got into high school, she just started talking to me normally again…”

Judging by her current behavior, Honoka definitely lacked common sense, but she seemed to have a side that cared about her friends.

“So that’s why you’re close with her now.”

“Yes. En-chan is smart, but she’s scatterbrained and forgets things a lot, so I thought I’d try to cover for her in that area at least.”

“I see.”

I felt like I understood their relationship a little—one of that co-dependency you often see among girls their age.

“By the way, um…”

Meika-chan stole a glance at me.

“Yuu-san, are you really… going to keep dating Toko-senpai?”

I hesitated for a split second, but I’d been turning this over in my head for a while. If she was going to open the subject, this was the perfect opportunity.

“Yeah. I intend to—in fact, we’re already dating.”

“But both my brother and En-chan said… they ‘don’t know if that can even be called dating’…”

Dammit. Both of them, always meddling.

“It might look that way to outsiders. But when it comes to whether you’re dating or not, isn’t the intention of the people involved the most important thing?”

“You think you’re dating? What about Toko-senpai?”

…Of course, both of us think we’re dating…

I tried to say that, but a hitch came into my voice.

“Well… of course she thinks so. Toko-senpai and I—we both believe it…”

The words came out much weaker than I’d planned.

“Then isn’t your relationship still… not quite definitive?”

Meika-chan looked me in the eye for the first time. She was serious today, and I couldn’t back down.

“Even if Toko-senpai’s feelings are weak right now, I’m going to keep loving her.”

“Do you really like Toko-senpai that much?”

“Yeah. To me, Toko-senpai isn’t just someone I admire. She supported me through the worst time—when her cheating happened.”

“…”

“Besides, if you spent time with her, you’d understand. She’s incredibly delicate and kind. I love everything about her, even those traits.”

Meika-chan looked down.

“That’s why I can’t date you, Meika-chan. I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong idea. Let’s make this the last time we meet, just the two of us.”

For a while she sat perfectly still, head down.

Eventually Meika-chan began wiping her eyes with both fists.

At first she suppressed the sounds, but soon low sobs escaped.

“But I… I like you too, Yuu-san. For a long time. I’m sure my feelings are just as strong as your feelings for Toko-senpai…”

I wished she wouldn’t cry here.

I worried about the people around us.

“I… I heard from my brother a while ago that ‘Yuu-san has a girlfriend,’ and I thought I should give up. But I just couldn’t…”

“Meika-chan…”

I called her name, but nothing else came to mind.

“Then I heard that your girlfriend cheated on you… and they said you were going to be free again… so I thought, ‘this time for sure’…”

I didn’t know what to do.

Half-hearted consolation would be meaningless.

I had no intention of breaking up with Toko-senpai, and no intention of dating Meika-chan.

This would only lead to a dragging, complicated relationship.

Just as I was about to say something, Meika-chan pulled a handkerchief from her pochette, wiped her eyes, and spoke.

“I’m sorry. For suddenly crying. I’m going home now.”

With that, she stood up without waiting for me to speak.

I couldn’t bring myself to say anything; I just watched her leave the shop.