Ch 2 part 2

 Volume 1: Chapter 2: From Blonde Bombshell to Black-Haired Innocent Beauty (2)

Aoi's transformation was so significant that I couldn't help but make a strange sound.

"Will, will this look weird...?"

She peeked at my reaction through the mirror, blushing and shrinking her neck.

It was the ideal image of a black-haired pure and innocent beauty that I had in my mind.

Her once blonde hair was dyed back to a natural black, and the uneven ends were now neatly trimmed.

It seemed like the hairstylist must have put all his effort into carefully taking care of her hair. Now, her beautiful hair shone brightly, hiding any traces of the previously damaged blonde hair. Truly, a professional's work.

If I didn't know the backstory, I would have probably shouted, "Who are you!?"

In any case, the change was so dramatic.

"Not at all weird; I think it looks super cute."

"Really? You're not lying, right?"

"I'm not lying."

"That's good then..."

Aoi let out a sigh of relief, and with the composed hair color and outfit, she perfectly fit the description of a black-haired pure and innocent beauty.

I can genuinely say that I felt like I saw Aoi's true self.

"Let's go then."

"Yeah."

We paid and thanked the hairstylist, then left the salon.

Next time, I should come here for a haircut too.

After leaving the salon, I checked my watch. It was just past 12:30 PM.

Usually, after noon, the mall would be crowded with people, and now there were even more people than when we went into the salon.

"We should probably head back."

"Yeah. I can buy the things I didn't get another time."

"Or you could order them online."

"Right, that's true."

I thought of having lunch here since we had the opportunity, but at the same time, I was worried about bumping into acquaintances with so many people around. Maybe I should hurry back home before that happens.

Just as we started walking towards the exit...

"Ahh! Hajime is on a date with a girl!"

Familiar and lively voices echoed in my ears, and it froze me in place.

This sound was too loud; it couldn't be that I misheard. I prayed in my heart that this was just my imagination.

In a cold sweat, I turned around and saw the familiar face that shattered my prayer.

Standing there was the ringleader of this mischief, Izumi, and Eishi stood next to her.

"Why are you guys here..."

Anxiety, confusion, regret, and despair...

All these negative emotions rushed to my mind.

"This is a popular date spot for couples; it's not strange for us to be here."

"Now that Hajime has a cute girlfriend, you should have told us earlier! You're really reserved~♪"

Eishi wore his usual calm smile, and Izumi had a teasing grin. She lightly nudged my side with her elbow, and though it hurt a bit, I didn't feel the pain in my heart.

After nudging me several times, Izumi seemed satisfied and then stood in front of Aoi, extending her hand.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Hajime's classmate, Asamiya Izumi. This is Hajime's good friend and my boyfriend, Eishi Kukitsu. If it's not too much trouble, could you tell me your name?"

Huh? Has Izumi not recognized her as Aoi?

As I thought that, Izumi suddenly furrowed her eyebrows.

"Hmm? Strange? I feel like I've seen this face somewhere..."

Please! Please don't notice!

 As long as they haven't recognized Aoi, there might still be a chance to come up with an excuse...

"You changed your hair color; black hair suits you better."

"Huh? Could it be... Aoi? You're Aoi, right!?"

"...Yeah."

Uh-oh...

I felt like it was the end of the world...

"I was so surprised! You look so beautiful that I didn't even notice~♪ But I think this look suits you even better now! It gives off a genuine beautiful girl vibe! The protagonist's charm has increased significantly!"

Izumi gave a thumbs-up and winked at her, while my mood hit rock bottom.

"So, why are you two walking together?"

Please, please don't ask any further.

Please spare me.

But no matter how much I prayed in my heart, they couldn't just let me off the hook.

"Tell us the details slowly. Anyway, let's find a coffee shop to sit down and talk."

"...Sure, that's a good idea."

Following Eishi's suggestion, we headed to a coffee shop inside the mall.

I felt like a suspect who was being asked to walk together with them.

We arrived at the coffee shop, found a seat, and each of us ordered what we wanted to eat.

My mood was so terrible that I didn't have much of an appetite. I wasn't planning to order anything, but Izumi insisted I try a new product and give her my thoughts, so I reluctantly ordered some mysterious drink.

Something called "Fruits-something-Ice-Parfait" or whatever? I couldn't even tell which language it was named after.

Could you not treat me like a guinea pig, please?

Right now, I couldn't taste anything, so it didn't matter what I ordered. Damn it.

We sat at a four-seater table, Aoi and I on one side, and Eishi and Izumi on the other.

Eishi had a smile on his face, while Izumi seemed impatient and kept leaning out of her seat. Seeing her eagerly anticipating expression made me want to tease her, "Are you an uncontrollable puppy when you see food?"

I took a deep breath, the biggest sigh of my life. Eishi comforted me on the side, saying, "We won't eat you, don't worry."

"Oh..."

The thought of being interrogated next made me feel heavy.

Nevertheless... How much should I explain to them?

Since they caught me red-handed, if I casually brushed it off, sooner or later, they would see through it.

Looking at it from another angle, these two are the first ones who found out, which is, in an unfortunate sense, quite fortunate.

Instead of being seen by others and having rumors spread behind my back, it's better that these two, with whom I have a decent relationship, are here to listen to my explanation.

However, if I were to reveal the whole truth, I would have to mention Aoi's personal situation.

"..."

I observed Aoi's expression.

Understandably, she looked uneasy.

Even if we could get through this time with an excuse, every time our secret is discovered, Aoi would likely suffer from anxiety and torment. She is already feeling anxious about her uncertain future, and this would only add unnecessary worries.

If that's the case, I think it would be better to have more people help.

If it's these two, even if they know the whole truth, it shouldn't be a bad thing.

"Aoi, can I tell these two everything?"

"Huh...?"

It's no wonder she's surprised.

Despite that, I patiently continued to explain to her, hoping to gain her understanding.

 "These two are my good friends, and I know them well. I can guarantee that they won't spread our situation to others. Besides, if they're willing to help, I believe it will be of great assistance in the future."

Aoi seemed to ponder for a moment, then looked into my eyes and nodded slightly.

"If you think it's okay, I don't mind."

"Thank you."

After confirming Aoi's willingness, I turned to the two of them.

"Everything I'm about to say, please don't tell anyone else."

"Sure."

"Got it!"

"And, if possible, I hope both of you can also help."

"I'll consider what it is we're helping with, but I promise not to reveal anything."

"Me too. You can trust me on this!"

I believed their words and started to tell them everything.

A few days ago, on a rainy night, I encountered Aoi in a nearby park.

Aoi's mother and her boyfriend disappeared, and because they couldn't pay the rent, she had to move out of their apartment, leaving her homeless. Since she had nowhere else to go, she ended up staying at my house.

Her reason for not going to school was to help financially at home, and her blonde hair wasn't her preference either.

Aoi wasn't a delinquent or a bad girl; she was just a slightly introverted ordinary girl.

By the time I finished my story, the ice in my drink had almost melted away.

"I see."

Eishi's expression seemed more complex than surprised.

"The reason I thought of was completely different, so I'm surprised."

"The reason you thought of? What do you mean?"

"Well, it's nothing. So, what do you plan to do next, Akira?"

Since I've laid everything out, I know I'll be asked this question.

And I've already decided on my plan.

"I want to improve Aoi's life before we enter the second year of high school."

I voiced my thoughts, reaffirming my determination.

"I want to help Aoi find a place to live and dispel the negative rumors at school, among other things. I haven't figured out how to do it yet, but I really want to do something for her."

"Akira..."

Aoi softly called my name from the side.

"From your perspective, you might wonder why I would do this for someone we started living together with suddenly, someone we only recently started talking to. You might think, even if there's a misunderstanding, I'm not obligated to go this far. But I've made up my mind."

I know I'm doing something unlike myself.

I don't want to get involved in troublesome situations, and I don't assume I can help anyone.

But after learning about Aoi's situation, I felt more compelled to lend her a hand than feeling troubled. Of course, partly because her image overlapped with my first love girl, but my heart wasn't lying.

Wanting to help someone is enough of a reason, right?

"Please, could you lend me a hand?"

"Of course, I'm willing to help in this situation."

I bowed my head and asked, and Eishi immediately responded without hesitation.

"Really? Can you do that?"

"Yeah, I can't ignore a situation like this; it's very you, Akira."

"My style? What do you mean?"

Even though he said that, I was completely clueless.

Eishi showed a meaningful smile.

"I'm not like Izumi, always eager to help anyone in need..."

"Can't believe you don't understand yourself that well. While you may not always extend a helping hand, you will definitely do so without hesitation when it really matters."

Did I ever do such a thing?

Though I was perplexed, if Eishi said so, I must have.

 The reason I say this is because I often changed schools due to my father's job transfers before I reached an understanding age, so my childhood memories are especially vague.

To be more precise, I often mix memories together. For example, when I recall something, I mistakenly think it happened before I changed schools or confuse one person's name and address with another.

I guess Eishi saw my helpful side when we were in kindergarten together.

But those things don't matter as long as he's willing to help.

"Izumi, you... uh, uh?"

Just as I was about to ask Izumi for her opinion, I turned my head to find her already crying loudly.

Her crying was so intense that it even scared me a little.

"I'll also help... sniffle, sniffle..."

I was glad she agreed so readily, but I've never seen her cry like this before.

I knew she must be crying for Aoi's situation, but this was too much... Although I thought that, I was genuinely happy that she could empathize.

"However, can I ask you a question?"

Eishi handed a handkerchief to Izumi and asked me at the same time.

"What is it?"

"Why did you set the deadline before entering the second year of high school?"

"That's because..."

Actually, I hadn't told them about the transfer yet.

Because just thinking about having to say goodbye to them again made it hard for me to speak.

I knew I would have to tell them one day, but if possible, I didn't want to transfer schools.

I thought that once I said it out loud, I'd have to accept the fact of parting with Eishi and Izumi, and I couldn't shake off that compulsion.

I had convinced myself that transferring schools was common... but if I could, I didn't want to say goodbye to these two.

But I'd been silent for so long; it was probably time to say it.

Now would be the best time to tell them.

"I'll be transferring schools when I enter the second year of high school."

"Transferring schools?"

Both of them exclaimed in surprise.

"My dad got transferred again, so he and my mom and my younger sister moved there in the spring of this year. Since I already passed the entrance exam for this high school, I had to enroll here first and transfer there when I enter the second year. I'll only be staying here until March next year."

"Hiyori doesn't live around here anymore!?"

"Yeah, Hiyori thought it would be better to transfer sooner rather than find a time to transfer like me, so she transferred when she was in the third year of middle school."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner about this?"

From this, it's clear that Izumi and his younger sister Hiyori have a good relationship.

Hiyori is a year younger than us, and she and Izumi are not only senior and junior high school students, but they also have a close personal relationship, even deeper than mine with Izumi.

Moreover, Hiyori knew Izumi before she knew me, and Izumi used to come to our house to play.

When I later found out that she was Eishi's girlfriend, it was truly a surprise.

"I haven't told Izumi about this, and it's my fault. I told her that I hadn't informed you both yet, so I think she was considering my feelings."

"I see..."

"Sorry for telling you in this situation. I hope you can still get along with Hiyori as you used to."

"Yeah, no need to say that."

Izumi dropped her head, looking disappointed.

"I see... It's really unfortunate."

Eishi comforted Izumi and then closed his eyes, seeming to feel regret about the impending farewell.

"That's about it. Let's discuss in more detail how to proceed when we have time soon."

"Yeah, you can find us anytime, and we can discuss it after you reach a consensus."

"Okay, then Aoi, let's go."

"Yeah, uh, but..."

Aoi seemed to recall something.

"I want to go somewhere, so Akira, you can go back first."

"Somewhere? Oh, right. It seemed like she had a reaction like forgetting to buy something earlier."

She probably changed her mind and decided to buy something and bring it home.

"I'll accompany you."

"It's... it's okay..."

"But if you buy something, someone has to help you carry it, right?"

"Um... well..."

Aoi hesitated with an embarrassed look.

What's wrong? Is she trying to buy something that will make her embarrassed to have me come along?

"I got it! Aoi, I'll go with you to buy it!"

________

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