Crossing Paths, Traumatized, and Yet… - Chapter 54

Chika Sasaki was worried after Daiki’s cultural festival.

“Wakaba, I wonder if she was okay…”

Somehow, she realized Wakaba’s true feelings.

As Wakaba’s best friend, she regretted that she should have noticed it earlier.

It was not only Chika’s fault, but she had taken the initiative to always make her stay next to Ren and to leave them alone together.

They decided that they were a perfect match for each other, and they always enjoyed having Ren and Wakaba as a set.

Ren always looked happy, but now that she thinks about it, Wakaba has never changed.

She never looked happy, but she was always closer than other friends, and that was it.

Whenever she was with Daiki, she always looked happy.

After she and Daiki moved away from each other, Wakaba always looked lonely.

Even when she was playing with others, she always seemed to be concerned about Daiki.

Maybe she really wanted to be close to Daiki.

Since she was always with Daiki, everyone naturally kept them apart because they felt it was okay not to be with Daiki at least when they were with others.

Even if they had said they wanted to be together, everyone would have done the same thing because she and Ren were a good match for each other.

It is her selfishness that makes her want to meddle.

Even though the result was the same, Chika was the only one who thought she should have taken her feelings into consideration.

Just remembering Wakaba’s face makes her sigh.

Never did she look so sad.

Until she met Daiki, Chika didn’t think anything of it either.

She thought she was helping Ren and that Daiki would support Wakaba and Ren.

She didn’t even know that Wakaba was suffering from that.

She thought they were just childhood friends.

It was not the place of a stranger to meddle in someone’s love life.

Chika sighed as she recalled everything that had happened.

There had been many opportunities to notice at the theme park and at the summer festival.

However, she let herself be carried away by the atmosphere of everyone and became obsessed with letting Ren and Wakaba be together.

They are both popular.

If they got together, everyone would accept it.

That is why they did not consider his intentions.

It was good that Ren knew that he liked Wakaba, but Wakaba didn’t know.

She and Daiki had been together since they were little, so it must have become so commonplace that she didn’t notice.

She may have finally realized it when he started to move away from her.

Even if she had noticed, the fact remains that the distance between Wakaba and Daiki has grown apart.

Chika was troubled there as well.

“If only we hadn’t done something unnecessary…”

She even put a nail in Daiki’s hand to prevent him from contacting her.

The reason for the distance between the two is also due to her own fault, Chika thought.

She also wondered if Wakaba was aware of her feelings.

She had heard that Daiki’s family was a little complicated.

She felt that Wakaba was supporting Daiki all the time, which is why she mistakenly thought that she was taking care of her brother.

She was under the impression that she had to think that way.

Today’s events have helped her understand Wakaba’s feelings to some extent, but she doesn’t know what Wakaba wants to do.

Does Ren know how Wakaba feels about him?

Chika is not sure about that either.

Chika has become full of things she doesn’t understand.

Until now, she thought she knew everything.

But after today, there are so many things she doesn’t understand.

Starting tomorrow, Chika is not sure how to treat Wakaba and Ren, nor is she sure how they treat each other.

But she had stuck her neck out this far.

That is why she felt responsible.

Chika acted immediately.

She decided to call Wakaba to check.

At first Wakaba did not pick up the phone, but after ringing for a while, she finally got an answer.

“Wakaba, are you feeling okay?”

Wakaba’s voice was so low that she could hardly be heard.

She sounded like she was crying.

“Wakaba?”

Chika called again.

“I’m fine. I’m better.

Thank you for worrying about me.”

Wakaba answered.

“I’m glad to hear that.

I’m sorry for today. I couldn’t do anything for you.”

Chika apologized.

There is nothing for you to apologize for.

I just got sick on my own.”

However, Chihana felt responsible.

“Wakaba…it wasn’t really because of your health condition, was it?

It was after you met Daiki…you may not know now, but there is something I want you to answer.

Wakaba, how do you feel about Daiki?”

Chika wanted to know how Wakaba was feeling right now.

“…

…

I don’t know…

But when I heard Daiki’s happy voice, I felt pain in my heart… and I couldn’t see him like that… and I didn’t want him to see me with Ren-kun pulling my arm…”

She said what she was thinking now.

Wakaba was still unaware of what was going on.

“Isn’t that because you like Daiki?”

Chika was sure of it.

“Eh?”

“Maybe you didn’t want to see Daiki happily talking to a girl because you like him.

Or maybe you didn’t want to be seen with Shiraishi-kun pulling on your arm.”

The words she told Wakaba, which might be hard for her to hear now.

“Maybe you just thought of Daiki too much like a little brother and couldn’t admit it.”

She followed up.

Wakaba fell silent.

Wakaba, too, knew what was really going on.

She had intended to watch over Daiki, but before she knew it, he was watching over her.

She was trying to think of him as her brother.

In truth, she was aware of Daiki as a member of the opposite sex.

She was aware of it.

However, she felt that Daiki was getting further and further away from her.

That is why she wanted to be with him, even if only for a little while.

If she thought of him as her brother, they would always be together like a family.

She tried to believe that.

But it didn’t work.

Contrary to her thoughts, the two grew further and further apart.

Once the paths began to cross, the wheels took an unpredictable direction.

Maybe she was just running away so that she wouldn’t get hurt.

When Chika told her clearly, she had to admit it.

It was impossible for her to say that she was not in love with him.

“I think I like Daiki…”

Wakaba spoke out her feelings for the first time.

As soon as she says it, she can’t stop.

“I love Daiki…I love Daiki. ……”

The tears were unstoppable.

Chika listened silently.

Wakaba finally calmed down until she said nothing and stopped crying.

“I’m sorry Senka…I didn’t make myself clear…”

“It’s okay, Wakaba.

I am happy to hear your true feelings.”

She said.

But I’m sorry it was my fault.

I tried to force you to go out with Shiraishi, and I told Daiki to support Wakaba.

I’m really sorry.”

Chika felt responsible.

“It’s my fault for not being clear.

It’s not Chika’s fault at all.

I should have been clear from the beginning… if I had known that I liked Daiki and acted accordingly… so don’t feel responsible for me, Chika.”

Wakaba told her.

“In the past, I was only thinking about getting Wakaba and Shiraishi-kun together and didn’t properly consider Wakaba’s feelings…I’m really sorry.”

She said.

“That’s not true.”

Wakaba told her, but Chika was down.

But thanks to Chika, she was able to face her feelings properly.

She was able to look forward to the future.

“Thank you, Chika.”

And then she began to think about the future.

“What am I going to do about Shiraishi?”

Wakaba thought about it.

“Shiraishi-kun likes Wakaba, so I think he will understand if you tell him how you feel about him…”

Chika said with a confident look on her face.

“I’m sorry I didn’t make myself clear, so I’ll try to be clear about how I feel right now!”

and decided to tell Ren.

Wakaba and Chika stayed up late talking about what they were going to do.

After the phone call, Chika was glad to hear Wakaba’s feelings clearly, but she also had some concerns.

“Now that I think about it, Shiraishi-kun is very obsessed with Wakaba…”

And when she became calm, she began to worry about things that had never bothered her before.

Ren is very popular with the girls.

But he has refused all of them and continues to be in love with Wakaba.

Everyone was very rooted for him.

To be alone with her, it felt like he was trying to lead everyone as well as possible.

He also tried to keep her from talking to Daiki.

“Is Shiraishi aware of it?”

Chika was worried about Wakaba with such vague anxiety.

TL: We caught up with the raw. No more daily updates.