Entering high school Takagi-San and Nishikata meet again. After all the teasing in middle school, how will Nishikata continue to face the jokes Takagi-San makes? Will high school finally be the time when Nishikata discovers the true reason why Takag...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Mira..." Ishikami mumbles.
Mira just stood there, silent. Biting her lips, not believing what she just witnessed. Again. She takes a deep breath, and continues to stare blankly, all the happiness and energy vanished from her eyes. That blank expression, Takagi had barely seen this side of her friend before.
"So, " she murmurs, "Is this a joke?" Her voice is cold and empty. It was as if she was too worn to cry and get furious. Nothing would change anyway.
Takagi shoots Ishikami a look. And Ishikami meets her gaze.
"Mira-" he starts.
"Yes? I'm listening. Waiting for you to explain. Waiting, waiting, been waiting for 7 years." And with that, she smiles. Yet this time, it wasn't her usual happy smile, it was the smile of a broken-hearted girl, that's been cut twice, by the same exact people, the people she trusted the most.
Ishikami opened his mouth, but no words came out. His hands and gesture admitted defeat. And with that, Mira's eyes widened.
She whispers, "So, you accepting my prom invite, wasn't real...?" Those words came out so shattered, almost broken.
With huge shame, Ishikami confesses, "I didn't want to make you feel rejected. You're one of my closest friends-"
"WOW."
And with that, two drops of tears blinked out of her eyes. She covers her mouth, hiding the disbelief, how the truth shot her. Mira chuckles, and glances at Takagi.
"Takagi-chan...what are you doing?"
Takagi quickly walks over to Mira, clasping her shoulder, "It's not what you think it is. I already told you before, I don't like hi-"
Mira backs away, avoiding Takagi's touch. Takagi blinks back in surpurse.
"I don't wish to speak with you right now, Takagi. I don't want you to explain anything." Her face stern, starting at the floor.
"Mira, it's not like that, Takagi has nothing to do with any of this! It's all me! I told her-" Ishikami steps up.
"Why do you always defend her? I just said that I didn't want to talk to her, and you come blaming me?" Mira saunters closer to Ishikami and frowned.
"I thought we were all best friends. We all liked each other, but, apparently, you like her more. Don't you? I was always the side friend, third-wheeling, and even though you cared for me too, not to be jealous, Ishikami-kun, but you would always attend to Takagi first." She finishes and grimaced at Takagi.
"I saw this scene once Takagi, and once is enough. Did you know how devastated I was when I heard that in third grade? Did you know how relieved I was when I found out that you didn't like him back?"
"Mira, look, I'm very sorry. I couldn't control this either, you know that. And to help calm you down, I'll take a break from prom for a few minutes."
Ishikami calls for Takagi, but she didn't turn back. *** Nishikata looks at himself in the mirror one last time and inhales. Okay, it's going to be alright. I've come up with many pranks to tease Takagi-san with, so it's okay. Just enjoy the prom.
He steps out of the bathroom and could hear the booming music coming from the gym. As he walked closer, he noticed a familiar figure stepping out of the prom. Is that Takagi-san? Why does she look unhappy? I should go to see what happened.
*** Takagi sighed and decided to go outside to take a breather from what happened just earlier. The thought of Nishikata popped up in her head, and she thought it'd be better since he looked uncomfortable around her today anyway.
She walked outside and sat on a nearby school bench. She hasn't felt this upset since the last time she witnessed Mira confessing to Ishikami when they were younger. Suddenly, the impression of that boy that day comes back to her. I wonder what happened to him, was what she thought.
And it was then when Takagi hears footsteps coming her way. She stands up, expecting Mira, or Ishikami. But it wasn't them.
The reminiscent of that boy from that day, the shadow of that kind-hearted boy, that talked to her that day, that helped her confess her feelings that day. It was him. Takagi stood frozen and stared.
And there he was, that same boy, that comforted her, and made her laugh, on a day where she thought nothing was going well.
