Unedited version, as well~

Chapter 3

Eavesdrop

 

It has been one week since I, Ichinose Megumi has resolved to confess my feelings to my best friend, Len. And it has been more than one year ever since I realized my love for Len. Yet… I haven’t been able to convey this feeling to Len. It’s not that I haven’t been trying. Believe me, I’ve been trying so hard to find the chance to be alone together with Len, yet that situation hasn’t come yet! There has been many obstacles when I was about to talk. So… there is no progress yet so far. I think I’ve become a somewhat… stalker?

And since my other best friend, Rin told me to ask him specially to make his time for me—and thanks to her, who has threatened me to confess as soon as possible, I don’t have any other choice. I must ask Len to talk alone after the school is over!

Ding dong…

It’s lunch time! This is my chance to ask Len to talk with me after the school is over! And so, I will do my best to stalk Len—no, I mean to follow Len and ask him! That’s right, it’s not like I’m stalking… I’m just following him! He usually goes to the canteen anyway…

And so, I followed Len from the distant. But this is weird. He doesn’t seem to go to the canteen. Isn’t this… the way to the school’s backyard? But why would he come there?

Len stopped at the backyard and he looked left and right. Who is he looking for? Therefore, without any bad intention, I spontaneously hid behind the bushes… when I saw a girl walking towards Len.

“ So, what do you need?” asked Len coldly.

This pattern… Could it be… a confession?! I’ve lost to that girl!! Oh wait, come to think about it, Len is quite popular and it’s not the first time he’s got someone to confess to him. But I have never seen one with my own eyes!

“ Uhm, Kagamine-kun!” said the girl awkwardly. She seems to be a senior.

“ I- I… about you… I like you! Please go out with me!” –finally she managed to finish her confession. I stared a bit to Len. I wonder how would he reply…

“ Sorry, but I don’t know you,” Len answered—still with his cold act. I am surprised. I don’t think Len is such a cold-hearted guy. He sounds a bit harsh here. Len is usually—friendly, cheerful, and …kind.

“ E-eh, that’s why! Let’s be friends first and we can try to–,” the girl still tries. She’s quite persistent—or must I say, strong, despite Len’s cold act and his rough answer.

“ Sorry, but I have no interest in it at all. Good bye,” Len threw a letter to the ground. I couldn’t believe what I just saw. This got to be a lie. Len should be a warm and kind boy who’s thoughtful of the others—but why did he…? Aah, I can hear the girl cries. I feel like to cry, too. I don’t get it at all, why did Len’s behavior change? Why didn’t he reject her softly? Why…?

This is not good. I am more afraid now…

I’m afraid if I were to confess, then our friendship would break. I don’t want to lose my bond to Len. What should I do?

Cafetaria. After school.

“ I see… So it happened again, huh?” said Rin, after listening to my story.

“ …Again?” I tried to drink my milkshake even though it’s hard for me to swallow it.

“ Yeah, I’ve heard the rumour about it, but I didn’t believe Len to be that cold, either…but then I saw it too, accidentally, and I thought it was because the girl who confessed to Len was annoying. But this… can’t be just…,” Rin looked a bit annoyed.

“ What should I do? At this rate, if I were to confess—he would reject me and our friendship would… brea—,” my tears were about to run down my cheek.

“ I won’t let it break! And more importantly, you’re pretty close to Len! And you’re one of his best friend, too! I don’t think he would be so cold towards you—even if he wouldn’t accept you, but he might be considering it, after all, you’re his best friend, too!” Rin was so spirited when she encouraged me—she doesn’t even realize that she was standing at the moment, and that her voice is a bit loud. We’re the center of the attention now.

“ Uhm… Can you lower your voice and sit down before we continue?” I smiled awkwardly while staring to the other customers.

“ Sorry,” Rin quickly sat down.

“ I wonder why is he like that…,” I gazed at my cake.

“ I guess…,” Rin hesitated for a moment.

“ Rin-chan! You’re his childhood friend, right? Please tell me what you know about Len!” I looked directly to Rin’s eyes.

Rin sighed, “Okay then…”

“ So, I’m assuming that Len has some kind of trauma about relationship. You see, his parents have divorced. And it’s all because of his mother’s affair with another man. Although Len is close to his mother, and he loved his mother more than his father. Yet, his mother betrayed Len’s trust and went with another man—without even bringing Len, leaving Len behind with his father whom he is not close with.

And when he was going out with Miku, you see… It seems that the reason behind their broke-up was… Miku who liked another boy, despite she was going out with Len at the moment.”

Rin didn’t add anything to her story. She just stayed right there, trying to eat all of her cake. I didn’t know what to say, so I just kept silent and finish my drink, too.

“ You see–,” Rin finally broke the silence, “I think you’re different from Len’s mother and Miku, I think you two would be a compatible couple! So why don’t you give it a try? Something will work out for sure!”

I nodded. That’s right. I am different than the women who’ve betrayed Len’s feelings. And I think I will regret it more if I don’t give it a try rather than trying but resulted in a fail. But even if it would resulted to a failure, I’d try my best and cover up Len’s wound… I must be able to heal Len’s trauma!

I will not run away now. It will be tomorrow.

I’ve sent Len a mail to ask him to give me a bit of his time.

This time, for sure!

Gumi’s fiery determination… What will happen once she confesses… And how will she convey her genuine love to Len…?

To be continued…