22
That’s not right.
“C’mon, it’ll be fine?”
That’s not right.
“Oh, is it not okay?”
That’s not right.
“…Kou-kun? Listen, I…”
“…That’s not right!!!”
Before I knew it, I was shouting.
For that moment, I couldn’t see anything around me.
“…Huh?”
“That’s not right… That’s not right! Mio is, Mio is…”
She looked at me even more directly.
She wasn’t the kind of girl who would look at me like that.
When we went on dates, she would always be a little shy, and even if there was something she wanted to say, she would hesitate. That was the kind of girl I liked.
But now, she’s like this…
“You’re not the kind of girl who would make that face…”
The one sitting in front of me now is Mio Misaka, the school idol, not the girl I like.
Even though she’s the same Mio, her appearance and personality are completely different now.
The one who’s there is not the childhood friend I know.
I couldn’t possibly take the positive view that this is also Mio or that Mio has this side to her.
I didn’t have the capacity to accept it.
“Ah…”
Mio’s face was one of shock.
I think I probably had a similar expression.
We must have both been off.
We’re starting to drift apart.
Realizing that, I wondered what I should do, but it was as if I didn’t know the answer.
“Excuse me, customer. Are you okay…?”
While we were both looking down, a voice spoke to us.
When I looked up, it was the clerk who had brought us coffee earlier, peering at us with concern.
“No, it’s nothing. I’m sorry for raising my voice.”
I could feel the gazes of the people in the store on us.
Perhaps because of Misaki’s appearance, we were the center of attention right now.
“I see. Well, that’s good…”
She didn’t seem convinced, but she seemed to back down for now.
Maybe she thought we were having a lovers’ quarrel.
That wasn’t wrong, in a way, which was the sad part.
“No… I’m sorry, we’re leaving now. Let’s go, Misaki.”
“…Okay.”
Feeling restless, I called out to Misaki and stood up.
I couldn’t stay here any longer. I even thought that I might not be able to come to this store again in the future.
…No, to begin with, coming here with Misaki…
I found myself thinking about such things in the back of my mind.
Surely, the scales in my heart had already tipped at that point.
Our relationship. Its collapse was just around the corner.