Episode 25 – Good thing I kept believing in myself

My childhood friend Kazuki was really important to me.
Ever since I can remember, he has been by my side, and I have been by his side as if he were protecting me. Looking back now, I wonder how he could have continued to take care of such a crybaby, and it was inevitable that I was attracted to him.

[I want to marry Kazuki!!]
[Oh, will you? Yes, let’s get married!]

We even had this kind of exchange because we were so young.
I have never forgotten the young Kazuki, who smiled and nodded at me when I said I wanted to get married. No matter how much people ridiculed me, no matter how much they made fun of me, as long as Kazuki was by my side, I didn’t need anything else.

But I wanted to be a little stronger too, so I started karate.
I didn’t think anything of it myself, but the teacher praised me very much for having a bit of sense. I had become stronger, and I could protect Kazuki and I together with each other, I think it was just when I was thinking like that. ……

[Kazuki! Let’s…]
[Sorry, I’m going alone today.]

…… gradually started to get farther and farther away from him.
We no longer went to school together, we no longer left school together,…… and by the time we graduated from junior high school, we were no longer childhood friends completely.

Why, what happened? Did I do something?　There were many things I wanted to ask Kazuki, but I was afraid that if he said he disliked me …… and that he never wanted to talk to me again, I could not ask him anything.

This remained even after I entered high school, and all I could do was follow Kazuki’s figure with my eyes. I was checking every step of the way to see if Kazuki had a girlfriend or not, or if he had any close girl friends, and I might have seriously been a stalker.
I continued to express my feelings to Mai, Mikoto, and Rei at a rate that they would be drawn to me, hoping that they would not fall in love with Kazuki in the unlikely event that they did.

There was really a lot going on.
But after such a difficult period, Kazuki and I got back together.

[Kazuki, let’s get married.]
[….. Ah, when I’m a little more mature okay]

Kazuki was embarrassed to say so, though we were both completely different from what we had been in the past.
I was happy every day to be able to return to our relationship as childhood friends and become lovers. However, an event occurred that brought the bad memories of the past closer to me with footsteps.

[You’re not good enough for Shirasagi san, so you should break up with her.]

That is what was written on the paper that went into Kazuki’s shoe box.
Kazuki didn’t seem to mind at all, but anger rose up inside me in a big way. I don’t know who wrote this, but I really didn’t understand …… why a complete stranger should say such a thing about the two of us.

I was really afraid that if these small harassments were to pile up and Kazuki suffered, he would leave me again …… and that would be the end of me.

[It’s fine. I won’t leave Kasumi again]

I may be persistent, but I have a record, so I can’t help it.
That day I was hugging Kazuki all the time, and he kept hugging me with a troubled look on his face.

Being thought of by Kazuki makes me happy, and there is no room for others to come in. I don’t care if boys other than Kazuki likes me, and it’s only natural that I despise them for doing it this way.

….but, those fears were soon blown away.
Kazuki left home a little early the next day to reassure me a little. I wondered if there might be someone who had sent that letter. …… And that thought came true and I found a senior hanging around in front of Kazuki’s shoe box.

“…..Was it senpai?”
“Tss…….Well, Shirasagi san. Good morning.”

I felt more disgust than anger toward this person who did not tell me what he was doing and turned that sickening smile on me.

“Senpai, could you please not talk to Kasumi?”
“….Kazuki?”

Kazuki said this in a voice so cold that I have not heard it very often.
Just like the old days, Kazuki stood on that big back to protect me, to shield me from the older man’s gaze. That back was so big…… my favorite back.

“Is it another letter after all? You must have a lot of time on your hands, spending your time on such a filthy thing.”
“….Then you understand. There’s no way someone like you could ever match her”

At those words, my inner patience was cut off.
I wanted to shout abuse at senpai as much as I could, my head was about to boil over. But Kazuki stopped me.

“I don’t care if we’re compatible or not. It’s useless to care about such things, and I’m not interested in what senpai thinks.”
“….What did you say?”

At Kazuki’s words, Senpai raised his eyebrows.
Kazuki crumpled the letter in his hand, turned around, muttered a single word of apology, and brought his face close to mine.

“……Ah”
“…..”

He kissed me on the lips.
There was no one else around to see us now, partly because senpai was the only one around. Suddenly I stopped thinking, but senpai was rolling his eyes at us. Unable to say anything, he just stared at us.

Kazuki’s face was very red and it was easy to see that he was embarrassed as he parted his lips. In such a state, Kazuki continued with these words.

“Kasumi is very important to me. I’m not going to give her to someone like you, and I’m not going to give her to …… anyone else. She will stay with me for the rest of her life–that’s how important she is to me.”

Kazuki then pulled me out of my daze and walked away. We walked down the hallway without saying anything to the stunned senpai.

“……Kazuki?”
“….Tssss~!!!! Damn, that’s embarrassing!”

….Fufu, My face would have been red too, but Kazuki was even cuter than that.
I was also thrilled that he kissed me like that, and most importantly, he asked me to stay by his side for the rest of my life, which is totally a proposal. ……Marriage, that’s what this is.

“I know it’s the opposite of what happened with Maejima, but after seeing him like that, I wanted to show Kasumi how cool I could be. Maybe that’s a little too much.”
“I don’t think so. I’m realizing it again.”
“Realizing?”
“Yeah”

If there is no one else around, let’s just cross arms instead of holding hands.
I hugged his arms tightly and told Kazuki

“There is no one cooler than Kazuki, no matter where I look.”
“…is that so??”
“Yes yes. I love you, Kazuki. Let’s get married.”
“….yeah. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Yeah!!!”

I could go on and on.
I don’t know anyone cooler than Kazuki, in fact I am the only one who should know.

“….Ehehe”

Oh really, I’m glad I fell in love with Kazuki.
I am glad to have met such a wonderful person.

…… what’s more.
I am so glad I kept believing in myself for liking Kazuki.

(TL/N : If I’ve stopped uploading this series, that means I’m already died from glucose overload)