30
“Excuse me, is there something on my face?”
As I stared blankly, I snapped back to reality at the girl’s voice, which sounded puzzled.
“Ah, s, sorry! I was just checking to see if you had any cuts or anything.”
That was a terrible excuse, even to me.
But there was no way I could honestly say that she looked kind of like someone I knew.
“Is that so? Thank you. I’m so sorry for making you worry…”
“No, it’s nothing…”
I said that to avoid being put off, but it seemed to be taken in a positive way.
Rather, this girl has been very humble since earlier. She keeps apologizing.
“Thank you so much for your kindness. I’m not in pain anymore, and it’s almost time for my Shinkansen, so I’m sorry, but it’s time for me to go…”
The girl bowed her head and started to walk, but she suddenly stopped.
“What’s wrong?”
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“Well, I had my bag…”
I followed her gaze to the ground and saw a gray bag and several paperback books with book covers scattered around.
“…I’ll help you pick it up.”
“…I’m sorry.”
We both crouched down and started picking up the scattered luggage.
The cold from the concrete was a bit painful on my fingertips.
(I wonder if she likes books?)
At a glance, I could see about five books, which is an amount that people don’t usually carry around.
There was also a thick hardcover book, which must have been quite heavy.
Nowadays, it’s easier and takes up less space to buy e-books on your smartphone, so the fact that she actually has books on hand means that she must be a real book lover.
Feeling a sense of closeness, I carried the books under my arm, leaving only one book left.
“I’ll get that one.”
I said as I stood up.
It was a little too far to reach while crouching.
My legs were numb, but I ignored it and took a step forward.
(Seriously, what have I done…)
It must have skidded sideways, judging from how far it had been thrown.
The cover must have gotten scratched too.
It wouldn’t make up for my mistake, but I wanted to at least brush off the dirt.
“Sorry, my bad…”
I finally reached the book and was about to bend down again when it happened.
I wasn’t particularly conscious of it.
It was just that my body suddenly stopped moving when something in the corner of my eye caught my attention.
It was a man and a woman.
There was a difference in their heights, so there was no mistaking it.
The man was taller, and the girl was of average height.
They were walking side by side, and to an outsider, they would have looked like a couple.
In fact, I thought so for a moment.
If that were all, it wouldn’t be anything unusual.
It’s a common sight that you might see from time to time when walking around.
“Huh…”
But the reason I stopped in my tracks was because what I saw was anything but ordinary to me.
“Why…”
I could tell right away, even from a distance.
Because I had seen that figure countless times.
The girl had pigtails.
She wore glasses.
Her clothes were plain and not at all flashy.
In fact, if someone told me that she was the school idol, I doubt many people would believe it.
Most people would probably prefer to see her differently.
But I liked her just the way she was.
I wanted to be with her, just as she was.
Even if she never became beautiful, I would have been fine with just having her.
But now, that girl, who looked just as she used to, was smiling happily at a guy who wasn’t me.
“Mio, ri…?”
That girl was my childhood friend.