….
[-Continuation-]
.
[-Yui Yuigahama's POV-]
"I mean, I knew you two liked each other, but I didn't think it went this deep."
Isshiki's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and there she was, our quirky junior, with her head tilted, wearing that little smirk of hers.
Her gaze shifted to Yukinon.
"You sound... kind of lost without him."
Ugh, Yui... get a grip!
Why are you shocked at it?!
But as I looked at Yukinon, I couldn't help but feel something warm and genuine rise in me.
It was a strange feeling. Seeing her, usually so composed, being honest, even if just a little bit, about needing him.
It made me …happy in a way I couldn't explain.
Without even realizing it, I nodded. "Yep… I think I get it, Yukinon. You both really… mean something to each other."
Just now, Yukinon's quiet admission, saying she would be 'lost' without him, stuck with me, lingering in a way I hadn't expected.
It reminded me of those early days, back when I was holding onto the smallest bits of hope
But now… now it didn't feel like something I needed to hold onto anymore.
Maybe it hadn't for a while.
Instead, it felt like …I was okay with how things were.
Right here, right now.
Because what I have now with Yukinon and what I share with him are real.
It was precious.
It mattered in a way that only I can know.
And that was enough.
I glanced over at Yukinon, catching the brief flicker of surprise in her expression.
And as I smiled at her, I felt a peaceful warmth settle within me, filling the spaces where those old hopes had once been.
I look at them, at Yukino, at the idea of him, and I feel this warmth, this little, glowing thing inside that I almost don't know what to do with.
It's funny, isn't it?
Because, if I could talk to my younger self, the girl who fought so hard to fit in and make everyone like her, I don't think she would get it.
She wouldn't understand why I am okay with standing on the sidelines, happy with my best friend by my side, and knowing he is a little further away but still a part of my world.
…I am not sure she would understand… why I would be so content watching them from here
The girl I used to be would have called me crazy for not chasing after that perfect dream she used to hold so tight.
Back then, when I was a kid, everything felt so simple.
Friendships meant sharing snacks and passing silly notes. It was about laughing together, linking arms, and feeling like you were a part of something bigger.
…and for me, it always meant being the one everyone liked. The one who tried so hard to make everyone happy, to make them smile.
I thought that's what it took - make people laugh, crack the jokes, organize the fun, and suddenly you are at the center of everything.
You are part of the group, part of something, part of everything.
That's how it worked, right?
You were popular, you were loved, and that meant you mattered.
So, that's what I did.
I threw myself into it.
I spent so much of my life trying to be the one who pulled everyone together, the one who made sure no one felt left out, the one who was always eager to please, to be included.
I thought that was all it took to make things work.
But it wasn't.
It wasn't that simple.
I guess I was too eager, too loud sometimes, trying so hard to be part of the circle, to be friends with everyone.
But no matter how hard I tried, I could never quite shake the feeling that I was just …fitting into their lives.
It wasn't about us fitting together. I was just trying to find my place in theirs.
And when I imagined love, I thought it would be this bright, sweeping thing, like in movies, where everything just falls perfectly into place.
You find someone, they look at you, and bam, suddenly everything gets brighter.
It's like a fairytale.
But as I grew up, things didn't turn out that way.
Maybe I was lucky, though. Lucky that I met people who didn't fit that fairytale mold.
People who showed me that love, like life, is messy.
It's complicated.
When I first met Yukinon and Hikki, I was in this place where I just wanted to connect, to belong.
They were both so different from anyone I had ever known - Yukinon, with her strength and sharp words, and Hikki, with his blunt honesty and a way of seeing the world that felt dull but real.
They didn't fit into the neat, idealistic picture I had in my head.
But somehow, through all that, they brought something out of me.
Something that had nothing to do with fitting in or being perfect.
I think that's when I first started to grow up, even if I didn't realize it back then.
I used to think I could have everything if I just tried hard enough, if I stayed cheerful and positive, if I just kept pushing.
But with them, with both of them, I started to learn that life doesn't work that way.
That sometimes you have to give up something to keep something else just as precious.
And I think, no, I know, that's what happened here.
Because if I had held on to that tiny spark of hope, the one that whispered maybe, just maybe, Hikki would look at me the way I hoped... I wouldn't have what I have now.
Letting go of that hope wasn't easy.
At first, it felt like part of me was being torn away, like I was losing something important.
It hurt. It really did.
But then, somewhere along the way, I realized I wasn't losing something. I was gaining something that mattered even more.
What I have now, with Yukinon by my side as my closest friend and with Hikki as, well, a 'friend of a friend', it's something that goes deeper than the crushes or fleeting feelings I had before.
Growing up, I learned to appreciate the quiet moments, the shared glances, and the feeling of understanding someone without saying a word. The small things.
And I realized that I didn't need some awesome declaration or fairytale romance to feel complete.
I just needed to hold on to the bonds we had built.
The laughter, the small arguments, the way Yukinon and I can communicate just by looking at each other, and even Hikki - his eye rolls, his muttered comments that always made me laugh.
Those things… they became my fairytale.
I think I am really happy with the way things are now.
Yukinon is my best friend, the kind of friend who feels like family, like she's just meant to be a part of my life, no matter what.
And with Hikki, even though we will never be what I once hoped, I like that he is still there and is still part of my world, even if it's in a different way.
He has become this constant presence in my life, and it feels right, like he is always meant to be around in his own way.
There is peace in knowing that we have all found our places. We each have something special with one another - something no one else could ever replace.
Maybe, in a way, I did get my fairytale.
Just not the one I thought I wanted when I was younger.
It's not perfect. It's not shiny. It's real.
And I wouldn't trade it for anything.
…because it's my fairytale.
.
….
[To be continued…]
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[Author : Let's end the second volume with this chapter. Yeah, nothing too fancy, but I felt it was good enough.]
[Author Reminder : 2+chapters advance in Patreon]