Crossing Paths, Traumatized, and Yet… - Chapter 25

Wakaba was looking forward to today’s Christmas party.

It was the first time since the summer festival that everyone had gotten the chance to get together and play.

She and Daiki rarely went out together anymore, and they only hung out on the way to and from school.

So she was looking forward to going out with him.

Daiki picked her up and together they went to the Christmas party.

This year, it was karaoke.

Walking around, they talked about what they were going to sing.

They thought it would be a long walk, but it didn’t take them long at all.

At this point, Wakaba was a little disappointed.

“I wanted to talk with Daiki more,”

She thought.

After meeting up with the others, she couldn’t talk with Daiki again.

Usually they are together all the time, so it’s okay if they don’t talk when they are with everyone else, right?

Is air is like that.

So she ends up talking to other friends.

It’s not that she doesn’t like it, but she feels that it would be fine if Daiki was next to her.

Daiki, too, always goes to his other friends when he is with everyone else.

She was feeling lonely, but she thought it couldn’t be helped and decided to enjoy herself.

The karaoke room was a large room, so it was difficult to know where to sit.

But she noticed that Shiraishi was always next to her.

Even at school, when talking with other students, Shiraishi was always next to her.

Today, Shiraishi was seated next to her as well.

Daiki was sitting far away from Wakaba.

“Why don’t you come sit next to me!”

She thought in her mind, but she couldn’t say it in front of everyone.

“This is for my little brother’s growth!”

She forced herself to accept it.

After that, it was karaoke, so everyone had a good time singing, eating fries, and drinking.

The drinks ran out, so she went to get some at the drink bar, but Shiraishi came with her.

“We’re having fun today, right!

It’s nice to make noise with everyone!”

He said.

“It really is fun, isn’t it!

Let’s have some more fun!”

She said and put the drink in, then went back to the room.

After returning to the room, Shiraishi sat next to her again.

Shiraishi and Wakaba have become good friends since the summer festival.

Although they had not been bad friends before that, it became easier to talk to Shiraishi after he carried her on his back.

The conversation was interesting, so she did not mind him sitting next to her.

When she sat down and looked at Daiki, he was singing happily.

“Daiki seemed to be having a good time, too.”

She thought to herself.

She was surprised that Daiki was a good singer.

Everyone was surprised and the girls praised him for his singing ability.

After that, the girls asked him to sing this song or this one.

and this one too.

Wakaba was bothered by this, although she did not know what it was.

Then, at once, everyone was excited by Daiki’s song.

The tension rose and everyone was sitting closer to each other.

Wakaba and Shiraishi were sitting so close that their shoulders were almost touching.

Wakaba didn’t mind, but everyone around her began to notice.

If the opposite sex you are interested in is sitting next to you and you are close enough to touch each other’s shoulders, there are very few men who would not be conscious of it.

Shiraishi must have been aware of it, too.

“Hey. Can I ask you for a favor?”

Shiraishi suddenly asked in a voice that only Wakaba could hear.

“What? A favor?”

She asked.

“Can I call you Wakaba?”

He said.

“What the hell!”

Thinking to herself.

“No problem at all!”

She responded

Shiraishi-kun looked very happy and said

“I’m glad! Thank you!

I’ll call you Wakaba from now on!”

He sounded very happy.

I’m glad I could make him happy!

She thought.

“And while we’re at it, can you call me Ren?”

He said.

She calls Daiki by his first name too, so it’s okay! she thought.

“Okay! Ren-kun!”

She decided to call him by his first name.

Calling him by his first name was not comfortable for her, so she decided to add “kun” to the name.

But still

“Thank you!

Now we can get to know each other better!”

Ren said to her.

“Right!

Please take care of me from now on!”

She responded.