A Promise With My Childhood Friend

"A Promise With My Childhood Friend"

Author: Mizumiya Neko

It's a story from a long time ago. 

I made a promise with a certain girl.

I still remember how that young and fashionable girl, who always cared about her appearance, cried so much that I couldn't bear it, wiping her runny nose and looking at me with a red face.

She tied her bright brown hair, inherited from her mother, into a single ponytail, and I loved her for that.

Cool, cute, strong, and weak.

Clumsy, stubborn, a bit of a show-off, and incredibly kind to the fullest.

I made a promise with such a girl.

✳︎

"...You're really hated by Miyagi, huh? What did you do?"

"I haven't done anything. Also, stop saying that I'm so clearly hated."

In the noisy, or rather, boisterous classroom during lunch break, I was chatting with my classmate, Satake Kazuma, whom I had taken the liberty of calling my best friend.

Where Satake glanced over, he could see Miyagi-san chatting among the top group of the class hierarchy.

"No, how should I express it if not saying she hates you... She usually has such a gentle and caring personality, like a goddess, attracting everyone regardless of gender. But for some reason, she's frosty towards you, her childhood friend."

"Goddess, huh? That's quite the nickname. Surprising for a high school student."

"You're showing off your rebellious attitude, and that's probably why she hates you."

"Don't call it rebellious. And I'm not hated."

...Probably.

Feeling rather pathetic for coming up with such an afterthought, I observed Miyagi's behavior once again.

Her beautifully unchanged brown hair was loosely tied in a pigtails, matching her gentle atmosphere perfectly.

According to Satake, the main charm that attracts many people, regardless of gender, lies in her loving personality and the impression of tenderness she gives off.

As I recalled the story that she also had a somewhat small-animal-like charm that many people found endearing, I coincidentally, and unfortunately, made direct eye contact with her.

"Oh, crap."

"Hmm? What's wrong... Wait, whoa!"

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room froze.

The previously noisy classroom fell into complete silence.

The warm and gentle atmosphere she had just exuded moments ago turned into a complete expressionless face.

Satake's shoulders shook in surprise, but I could somewhat understand how he felt after facing such vanished emotions in her eyes.

The students around her also adopted a posture as if they were waiting for the storm to pass, not daring to disturb her.

Treating someone like a disaster, isn't that impolite in its own way? While thinking such a thing, I obediently averted my gaze from her and looked forward.

After a few seconds, the heat returned to the classroom.

Incidentally, I felt like I was getting looks from the entire classroom, as if saying, "What are you doing?" But I ignored them and began preparing for the next class.

"So, who said they're not hated?"

"You're so noisy."

I responded with a wry smile to Satake's teasing mixed with sighs.

I couldn't come up with any counter arguments, which is why I left it at that.

Well, anyway, my childhood friend, Aika Miyagi, seems to be in excellent condition today, just like any other day.

I've always been well aware of her stubborn nature, but in recent years, it has been getting worse.

...No, well, when we were kids, it was a different kind of trouble, so I suppose it's a bit of both.

Putting that aside, now that we're in high school, whenever our eyes meet, emotions disappear from her eyes. When I talk to her, her tone becomes blatantly cold, and just being near her causes her to become unusually quiet.

Our relationship has been consistently like this since the beginning.

To put it into words, it's not just a distant relationship.

Certainly, it was reasonable to assume that she disliked me, as it seemed to be the common understanding among our classmates.

However, I never intended to lie to Satake. Because I don't believe she genuinely dislikes me, and I don't feel like she treats me particularly coldly.

"...In the first place, I don't think anyone would voluntarily go to school with someone they dislike every morning."

"Well, that's true. It's more like the rumors about Miyagi-san's mercy or you stalking her is a more plausible explanation."

"I was a fool to expect common sense in this school."

It would have been easier if they had been convinced by the evidence of us going to and from school together, but instead, I was informed of rumors I didn't want to know about.

Stalker and all, it couldn't be worse.

"Seriously, I think there are very few people as harmless as me."

"That's not something you should say about yourself... Well, I don't think you'd do anything criminal, but still."

Regarding the rumors, there's nothing to do but accept it.

If you're with her, who stands out in various ways, you'll inevitably receive unfounded criticism.

From the start, I was prepared for such things, and I don't have the luxury of worrying about them.

If there's room to worry about such things, it's much more worthwhile to do some light pre-study before class.

To maintain decent grades, I don't have the time to spare, as there would be a clear consequence if I were to incur the wrath of my mother, who is the head of our family.

As I was absentmindedly gazing at my notebook, the chime signaling the end of the lunch break echoed through the school while I was trying to recall the content from the previous class.

"You're strangely serious in odd moments, aren't you?"

"I often get told that. Well, I guess it's better than being unserious."

"True."

Satake waited for the teacher to arrive while murmuring, "I'll read the textbook, too."

✳︎

From the side, I could hear the rhythmic sound of loafers approaching step by step.

Naturally, I noticed that passersby were observing us from a distance.

「……」

「…………」

「………………」

Silence.

Complete silence filled the atmosphere.

In the evening on the way back.

A little earlier, through a chat app on my smartphone.

"Today, no club activities."

That was the sentence my childhood friend sent, and now she walks right beside me, maintaining her usual expressionless face.

The contrast between her usual demeanor and this current state makes it difficult for anyone to approach her.

Personally, I think it's better when she's completely unpredictable, that's more like her.

"...By the way, it's hot. I'm sweating a lot."

The season is late spring, the beautiful early summer with cherry blossoms falling.

The sun is already tilting, but it's not scorching heat, yet the weather has been quite abnormal in recent years.

I wipe the sweat off my cheeks with the back of my hand.

When I glance at my reserved neighbor, she has already put some distance between us.

Huh? What's with this distance? I hope it's not a metaphor for being too familiar.

When I inadvertently expressed my confusion, she finally opened her mouth to respond.

"A guy who lacks sensitivity."

"Wow, pretty sharp from the first word."

With a cold glare, she makes her statement, and I reflect on my actions.

Ah, I see now.

"I think you shouldn't worry about sweating. We're all human beings."

"Is your face okay?"

"Can you refrain from throwing a punch before I answer?"

Effortlessly dodging the right straight punch that was coming at my face, I continued the conversation.

Seeing that there's no one around, she must have made sure nobody was watching before attempting the assault.

My childhood friend has a certain degree of violent tendencies, though I'd like to add that it's limited to me.

What a special treatment, not something I'm thrilled about.

"...Convenience store?"

"Sure thing."

With somewhat awkward movements, she restored the distance between us and muttered quietly.

Although we're already very close to our homes, it seems like she wants to make a detour.

Since I have no particular plans, I head to the nearest convenience store while my childhood friend finishes her errands.

As I can't think of anything I want to buy, I spend time browsing through the corner where comic books are placed until she's done.

I don't follow any weekly magazines, but occasionally picking one up stirs a strange sense of excitement in me. The unique thickness and texture of the paper always evoke a sense of nostalgia in my heart.

While casually flipping through the pages, I get a light nudge on my back.

Without saying anything, she heads outside, and I can't help but feel relieved and chuckle a bit.

"Mm..."

"What's up? ... Oh, an ice cream."

In her hand was a bag containing two pieces of ice cream.

I'm not sure if it's chocolate or coffee flavor, but it's something delicious.

After calmly handing me one of the piece, my childhood friend continues to walk in silence.

Her lack of shame about sharing an ice cream while walking home with a boy is something I can't quite understand.

Though there is still silence, it feels much more comfortable than before.

With a slight squint, she seems to relax while savoring the ice cream. Having a beautiful girl like her next to me makes me feel more at ease too.

From there, we walk without much conversation, and before long, we each arrive at our respective homes.

As usual, it might sound strange to say this, but our houses are right next to each other.

"Then, see ya."

"Mm..."

After a brief silence, as we were about to part ways, I hear her voice sounding reluctant, causing me to instinctively stop and look back.

"Aren't you going home?"

"You really can't be honest, can you?"

Her cold voice returns as if it were a reflex.

And as usual, she shows her customary expression of wanting to cry after saying something harsh.

"...The pigtails look good on you."

"Mm... I know."

Seeing her flustered smile, I said, "See you later." 

✳️

I made a promise.

I just can't bring myself to be honest.

I don't want to hurt you, yet I end up saying cruel things.

I really love you, but I can't tell you.

While making such a grand confession, the young girl was sobbing uncontrollably.

I couldn't bear that.

Hating myself for making her cry over something like that.

No matter what anyone said, I knew even at a young age that she was a kind person.

I was certain that she was special to me, and I believed with confidence that she felt the same way.

That's why I made a promise.

I wanted that girl to stop crying and apologizing over and over again, saying, "I'm sorry for being cold to you, even though I don't hate you."

I wanted to reassure her and make her believe that I don't hate her, so I shouted it out painfully.

So, I worked my young mind and made a clear sign for her.

If Aika doesn't tie her hair, it means she has come to hate me.

As long as Aika ties her hair, no matter what happens or what people say, I will believe that she doesn't hate me.

That's why I asked her to show her true expression without worries.

I made such a promise without any shame.

If someone wants to laugh at a childhood promise, they can go ahead and laugh.

It's been over a decade since then.

I still continue to believe that my childhood friend, who has never untied her hair in front of me, doesn't hate me.

I think that's proof of my sincerity towards her.

So, I continue to correct my best friend's perception.

"Are you still... hated by Miyagi-san?"

"I'm sure I'm not hated..."

Today, too, I won't stop correcting my best friend's perception."

—---------

END