I have two childhood friends.

They are Aika and Yukki.

They were the only ones who never left me and kept encouraging me after that incident.

Even so…..

Even so, I couldn’t brush away my sense of loss and kept the door to my heart tightly closed.

It was Aika who’s taking care of me and forcefully opened the door of my heart.

At first, I was annoyed by Aika’s constant invitation when she came.

–But one day, Aika finally snapped.

“Hey, Naru, how long are you going cowering like that? Do you think that’s cool?”

It was the first time I had been told like that. Even Rin had treated me as if I were a tumor.

“I had enough, I’ll never get involved with you again, Naru. I’m done with you.”

I’m used to losing people, so it was just one more person leaving me. I didn’t think about it that much.

“Stop it ! Why are you ignoring me?　I can’t believe you !”

I realized my mistake when I saw Aika’s angry face, and almost crying.

I realized that what I was doing now was the same as the people who left me.

“I’m sorry Aika….don’t go away.”

Aika hugged me while crying. I was so into the guitar that I had no interest in relationships.

But from this moment on, I started to see Aika as a girl.

Aika smelled very nice.

As I got involved with Aika, I gradually regained my strength. As usual, my only friends were still Aika and Yukki, but I was fine with that.

Around this time, Rin began to call me “stupid big bro” with contempt, and we hardly spoke to each other anymore.

In late August, my father and Rin left for the United States. Normally, I was supposed to go with them.

Although not as much as now, my mother was often away from home, so Aika was the one who took care of me.

We became close in a different way from childhood friends.

—Well, you know the rest of the story.

I went out with Aika, and was severely dumped by her.

But I am the person I am today thanks to Aika.

I have Iori.

That’s why, I can’t respond to Aka’s feelings, but I will always be grateful to her.