The soft buzz of the campus cafeteria surrounded me as I sat with Takeshi, steam rising from my coffee cup. We met here often to talk, laugh, and unwind, but Takeshi had a particular glint in his eye today. I braced myself as he leaned forward, his tone gentle yet direct.
"Hey, Ryu," Takeshi began, glancing around as if choosing his words carefully. "I wanted to talk to you about Ai. She hasn't been the same since you two broke up…especially after she saw you with Aoi at the beach."
I nodded slowly, wondering where this was headed. "I know it was hard for her, and maybe I could've handled things better. But… I need to focus on Aoi right now. She needs me."
Takeshi sighed, nodding in understanding. "I get that. You're like a lifeline for her. But Ai still cares about you. She's trying to move on, but you know her—she doesn't let things go easily. Seeing you again brought a lot back for her."
"I'm not sure what I can do to help her now, Takeshi," I said, feeling a twinge of guilt. "Ai and I… we're over. I'm not the one she needs in her life anymore."
Takeshi gave a sympathetic smile. "I get it, Ryu. I'm not saying you owe her anything. Just… maybe don't avoid her if she tries to talk to you. Sometimes people need closure to really move forward."
I mulled over his words as we finished our coffee in thoughtful silence. I had a lot on my plate, with Aoi's school and my own responsibilities, but I knew Takeshi had a point. Maybe talking with Ai would finally bring the closure we both needed.
Meanwhile, Aoi was in her class, chatting with Yuki. She loved sharing little stories of our morning rides to school, her eyes lighting up as she talked about her "amazing Onii-chan."
"Oh, Aoi, I'm so jealous!" Yuki sighed, clasping her hands dreamily. "Your brother sounds like a prince or something. I wish I had an Onii-chan like that."
Aoi's heart warmed with pride. "Onii-chan is the best! And... he's just mine!" she declared, her eyes sparkling with happiness and protectiveness.
Just then, the classroom door opened, and a boy with messy dark hair and an easygoing smile walked in. Yuki's face lit up as she waved him over. "Aki! Over here!" she called, her voice full of excitement.
Aoi watched curiously as Aki made his way toward their bench, his hands in his pockets as he approached Yuki with a smile.
"Hey, Yuki," he greeted, his gaze catching on Aoi and immediately noticing her snow-white hair under her woolen hat. "Wow, your hair really does look like snow," he said, clearly fascinated.
Aoi blushed, looking down shyly. "Aoi… Aoi thinks it's pretty, too," she replied softly.
Aki's eyes softened as he looked at Aoi, and he leaned in, whispering to Yuki with a grin, "Aoi-chan is so cute."
Yuki's cheeks flamed red as she turned to him, flustered. "I-idiot! You don't just say that," she huffed, clearly caught off guard by his remark.
Aki chuckled, unfazed. "What? I was just being honest." He glanced over at Aoi again, giving her a friendly smile.
Aoi giggled, watching Yuki's reaction with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. It was obvious to her that Yuki and Aki were close, even though Yuki seemed embarrassed by the attention.
"Come on, sit with us!" Yuki said, quickly changing the subject and gesturing for Aki to sit down. But as Aki moved to sit beside Aoi, Yuki immediately scooted over to sit between them, determined to keep her two friends apart.
"Uh, Yuki, what's up?" Aki asked, raising an eyebrow at her sudden move.
"Nothing! I just think it's nice for us all to sit together like this," Yuki replied, avoiding his gaze and staring down at her notebook with an intense focus.
Aki shrugged, settling into his seat on Yuki's other side. "Sure, whatever you say."
Aoi looked back and forth between them, sensing the unspoken tension but not fully understanding it. She tilted her head and whispered to Yuki, "Are you and Aki-kun… really good friends?"
Yuki's cheeks turned even redder. "Y-yeah, we've been friends since kindergarten," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady.
Aki grinned, nudging her playfully. "Yep, Yuki's been stuck with me for ages. Not sure how she puts up with me, though."
Yuki rolled her eyes, feigning annoyance, though the hint of a smile tugged at her lips. "Maybe I just have a lot of patience."
"Or maybe you secretly like me," Aki teased, winking at her.
Yuki's eyes widened, and she turned away, her face now a deep shade of red. "You're such an idiot, Aki!" she muttered, flustered.
Aoi gave a small nod, glancing shyly at Yuki for reassurance. Yuki quickly pulled Aki's arm, positioning herself in between Aki and Aoi. "We're all friends here, so let's sit like this," she said firmly, making sure Aki sat beside her instead of beside Aoi.
Aoi tilted her head, looking up at Yuki with a curious expression. "Yuki-chan, you look at Aki-kun the way Aoi looks at Onii-chan," she whispered, her tone innocent and genuinely curious.
Yuki's face turned even redder as she stammered, "A-Aoi, it's not the same!"
Aki raised an eyebrow, looking between them with a clueless smile. "What are you two whispering about?"
"Nothing!" Yuki quickly replied, giving him a glare. "Just… eat your snack, Aki."
The three continued their conversation, Aoi quickly feeling at ease with her new friends. She loved the playful way they talked, and even though she didn't fully understand Yuki's flustered reactions, she found it fun.
Later that day at recess, the trio headed out to the playground. Aoi's heart was light as she chatted with Yuki and Aki, feeling like she finally belonged.
But as they passed by the swing set, Aoi spotted Haruka and her two friends, Mei and Rina, standing off to the side, watching her with unfriendly eyes.
"Hey, Aoi," Haruka sneered, crossing her arms. "Still clinging to your Onii-chan? Bet he's embarrassed having to look after you all the time."
Aoi felt a pang of hurt, clutching the edge of her hat. She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, Aki stepped forward, his face firm.
"Back off, Haruka," he said, his voice steady but serious. "What's your problem?"
Haruka rolled her eyes. "Stay out of it, Aki. We're just telling her the truth."
"Truth? You mean being mean for no reason?" Aki replied, his gaze unwavering. "You're just picking on her because she's new. That's pretty sad."
Yuki stepped up beside him, crossing her arms. "Yeah, leave Aoi alone! She's our friend, and she's nicer than you'll ever be!"
Haruka huffed, her confidence shaken as she looked between Aki and Yuki. She sneered once more but eventually turned away with a toss of her hair. "Whatever," she muttered as she walked off with Mei and Rina trailing behind.
Aoi looked up at Aki and Yuki, her heart swelling with gratitude. "Thank you," she whispered, clutching her hat tighter. "Aoi… Aoi doesn't know what to do when people are mean."
Aki grinned, giving her a reassuring pat on the head. "Don't worry, Aoi. Yuki and I have got your back."
Yuki gave her a warm smile. "Yeah! We're friends, Aoi. Friends stick together."
Aoi's heart lifted, feeling comforted by her friends' support. She didn't fully understand everything, but with Yuki and Aki by her side, she felt like she could handle anything.
After school, I arrived to pick Aoi up, parking my bike at the curb. I spotted her coming out of the building with Yuki and a boy. Aoi spotted me and ran over with a big smile.
"Onii-chan!" she called, grabbing my arm as I gave her a hug.
"So, who is your new friend?" I asked, smiling at Yuki and Aki.
Yuki nodded excitedly. "Yes! This is Aki," she introduced, gesturing toward him.
Aki studied me for a moment, clearly intrigued. "You're Aoi's Onii-chan? You two look alike… well, sort of," he observed, his brow furrowing slightly. "Your hair and hers are the same color, but your faces… don't really match."
I chuckled, amused by his observation. "I guess we're just a unique pair."
Aoi squeezed my hand, her eyes bright as she introduced me with pride. "Onii-chan is the best! He came here on his bike just for Aoi!"
Aki's eyes widened, clearly impressed. "That's so cool! Yuki and I just have to walk home," he said, sounding a bit envious.
Aoi grinned, looking up at me with admiration. "Onii-chan always takes Aoi home. It's our special time."
"Well," I said, ruffling Aoi's hair, "we should probably get going. It was nice meeting you two."
Aki gave a casual wave. "See you, Aoi!" he added with a grin.
Yuki gave Aoi a quick hug. "Bye, Aoi! See you tomorrow!"
With a final wave, Aoi climbed onto the bike behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist as I started the engine. As we drove off, I could feel her smiling, the wind playing through her hair. Whatever insecurities she'd had earlier seemed to have vanished, replaced by the warmth of friendship and belonging.
That evening, as we settled into our evening routine, Aoi cuddled up next to me on the couch, looking thoughtful.
"Onii-chan, Yuki-chan is always looking at Aki-kun," she said, her voice soft and curious. "Like… like Aoi looks at you."
I looked down at her, trying to gauge her thoughts. "Well, Yuki might feel a bit different about Aki than she does about other people. Sometimes, when you like someone, you want to be close to them."
Aoi tilted her head, considering this. "So… Aki-kun is like Yuki-chan's special person?"
"Maybe," I said with a small smile, feeling a twinge of warmth at her innocence. She didn't fully understand yet, but that was okay.
She nodded, her hand finding mine and holding it tight. "Then… Onii-chan is Aoi's special person."
I squeezed her hand gently. "And you're my special person, Aoi."
As the night deepened and she nestled close, I could feel the strength of her trust and love. No matter what challenges lay ahead, I knew that I'd always be there to guide and protect her, our bond unbreakable.
END OF CHAPTER : 12 : A NEW FRIEND