The Childhood-Friend-Type College Girl Gets Jealous

A summer vacation from life.

Because getting into university is difficult but graduating is easy, Japanese university life is sometimes described that way.

That doesn't apply to vocational schools or science and engineering universities, but a lot of liberal arts programs really are like that.

If I had to generalize, the university I attend is definitely more on the 'summer vacation' side of things.

I think you can graduate as long as you live a normal life... Since getting in was the hard part, not many students seem to struggle with assignments or classes.

And since it's called a vacation from life, all the students want to enjoy their university years.

"I can't get a guy!!!"

The girl sitting next to me, Mizuho Tonozaki, seems like the type who wants to go all out and enjoy the romantic side of college.

"It's already been two months since we started! I should've landed a guy or two by now!"

"Aren't your standards a little too high...?"

Mizuho swung her trademark twin tails around wildly, openly showing her frustration.

A guy or two...? How many girls do you think graduate without getting a boyfriend at all...?

"No way! This is our precious college life! We have to go on tons of dates with our boyfriends, do all that stuff, and have a grand old time!"

"Could you not discuss that so loudly...?"

"First things first, we must hold a mixer. When we do, I would be most honored if you would attend, Koiumi-dono."

"Who are you?"

It seemed the heat had made my friend a little weird.

Well, she was always kind of like this.

Just as I was thinking, 'Good grief,' Mizuho suddenly whipped her head and twin tails around to look at me.

Uh, this is kind of scary.

"Hey, Koiumi. You're hiding something from me, aren't you?"

"Huh? N-no, I don't think so..."

"Oh, you definitely are! So..."

Mizuho pointed straight at my face.

"Who's that handsome guy you've been taking classes with?!"

"Ghk..."

I did have something I was hiding from her.

"I've been thinking something was off lately. You started saying you couldn't take the classes you used to take with me. And when I asked our other friends, they said, 'Koiumi suddenly stopped taking classes with us.'"

...I'd known she'd find out eventually.

Actually, I'd always had friends who took most of my classes with me.

Since I'd turned them down and said I might not be able to take almost any of those classes with them, of course she'd figure it out right away...

"So I looked over at the corner of the classroom, and there was this handsome guy, and you were sitting next to him all lovestruck!"

"I-I wasn't lovestruck!"

"Oh, you definitely were. You had a woman's look on your face."

W-was I really that obvious...? Now I'm getting embarrassed.

"Well, fine... You're going to introduce him to me, right...?"

"Ah... Um..."

I'd had a feeling this might happen.

There aren't many guys around, and Masato—who's mine... well, not mine yet—is incredibly handsome and perfect on the inside. Calling him a great catch doesn't even begin to cover it. Once women got to know him, they'd all be lining up with SOLD signs in hand.

I'll chase them all off, though.

That's exactly why meeting him back then was a miracle. No, more than a miracle... it felt like fate.

I mean, come on. You don't get a meeting that fateful even in manga.

"Um... Koiumi?"

"Oh, sorry, sorry."

This wasn't the time to get lost in my thoughts.

Well, of course she'd ask me to introduce him... The question was what I'd do now.

Honestly, I'd already made up my mind.

"I'm sorry. I really can't do that one thing."

"What?! Why not? We said we'd share information about guys!"

"I'm sorry!"

"...!"

I pressed my hands together, cutting Mizuho off.

She was right. We had made that promise.

Honestly, back then I hadn't thought I'd get this invested in one person. I just had a casual thought that I'd like to try dating someone.

But now, everything was different.

"I'm serious about him. I'm sorry, but... I can't give Masato up to anyone."

This was the first love I'd ever recognized for what it was.

This was the one thing I couldn't give up to anyone.

As I bowed my head, I heard Mizuho sigh.

"Sigh... If my bestie bows her head to me like that, I can't say anything more."

"I'm sorry... Thanks."

"But! Then I'm getting information about every other guy! If you're going to keep that handsome guy all to yourself, introduce me to other guys!"

"Haha... I'll do my best..."

As expected, Mizuho was a good person.

If, if I ever had a chance to talk to a guy other than Masato, I'd introduce him to Mizuho for sure.

After parting ways with Mizuho, I headed to the classroom for my second-period class.

"Huh... Is Masato not here yet?"

Usually, he arrived about fifteen minutes before class started, and we'd meet up, but I hadn't heard from him yet.

"Can't be helped. Maybe I'll save us seats."

I entered the classroom, which was still mostly empty, and made my way to the very back.

I put my bag on my seat and the one beside it to save them.

Masato would be coming to sit here.

Just thinking about that made the corners of my mouth lift on their own.

"I'll message him."

I sat down and opened my phone.

We'd exchanged contact information right away. All it took was saying I wanted to send him photos of the class materials.

I felt silly for being nervous about it.

I wonder if using a heart would creep him out... No, it's Masato. He'd never think that.

After spending a little over a month at university with Masato, I'd realized how good-natured he was. I already had an inkling from the start, but he really was just that good. So good that it worried me.

What worried me was that his good nature made him incredibly easygoing around girls. Unbelievably so.

I suppose that's part of how I got close to him, but now that we're friends and I'm openly pursuing him, it worries me quite a bit.

The thought of some awful bitch tricking him sent a chill down my spine.

(I have to protect him...)

So I'll protect him while we're at university.

I'll stay with him as much as I can.

And someday... I want to protect him outside of university, too.

My phone pinged, so I took it out.

Masato had sent me a sticker of a cartoon cat saying, 'Thank you!'

Even his stickers are cute...

It's okay. I'll definitely protect you.

About ten minutes into class, Masato came into the classroom.

He came in through the back door and looked around. Cute.

I waved so Masato would notice me.

Then he spotted me and walked over.

Hmm. His outfit today looks good, too.

Masato has amazing fashion sense as well.

"Seriously, thanks, Koiumi. You saved me."

"Hehe... For you, Masato, this is a piece of cake!"

We called each other by our first names and took the class together.

For me, every day felt like a dream.

But it had been a month since this life began.

Maybe... maybe it was about time to move things to the next stage. That's what I thought.

(Hmm... Maybe I can use this situation?)

While Masato wiped off his sweat and took out his stationery, I watched his profile.

I love Masato.

But if I told him that right now, I didn't think my chances would be very good.

I absolutely wanted Masato to be my boyfriend, so I couldn't afford to fail.

I couldn't confess unless I was sure he wouldn't turn me down.

Everything takes time, and what we needed now was to get closer.

The quickest way to get closer was... a date.

I decided to go for it.

Masato had finally settled down and was ready to pay attention to class, so I tugged on the sleeve of his T-shirt.

"...Hey, since I went to the trouble of saving you a seat, why don't you have lunch with me today?"

...Maybe that was a little too calculated.

But if I didn't do something like that, he was never going to see me that way.

"Ah, I'm really sorry, but I have work today."

Guh... But I'd expected that. He'd turned me down last Friday, too.

If so, I still had another option.

"Oh, so you always have work on Fridays, Masato?"

"Yeah, most of the time."

"I see. Then how about next Monday?"

"Oh, sure, Monday works for me."

"Yay!"

I got it!!! A date! I got a date!

I was so excited that I couldn't help pumping my fist. But I couldn't help it. I was happy!

I immediately started putting together a date plan in my head.

We had classes until the sixth period on Monday, so we'd probably be done at around five.

I'd definitely make a dinner reservation, but where should we go before then?

Maybe we could do a little shopping by the station?

There might not be enough time to see a movie.

Karaoke wouldn't be a bad idea, either.

I pictured the places around the nearest station, trying to figure out what Masato would enjoy most.

I didn't absorb a single thing from class.

"...Hey."

"...?"

At that moment, Masato spoke to me in a quiet voice.

Oh no. I hadn't been listening to class at all. What if he asked me something about it?

But then...

"Are you sure this was okay? You would've rather taken classes with your friends than with me, right...?"

"...Hmm? Not at all. I can see my friends in our clubs and stuff."

...What did he mean by that?

Of course I didn't mind. I wanted to take classes with Masato. I wanted to spend time with him.

A muddled feeling settled in my chest.

Then he twisted the knife.

"If you'd rather, you can take a class with your friends once in a while. I'm fine on my own."

...Why would he say that?

A dark feeling swirled in my chest in an instant.

"Why?"

My voice came out colder than I expected.

"Huh? I just thought maybe you'd want to take classes with your other friends..."

"Do you not want to take classes with me, Masato? Do you want to take classes with another girl instead?"

That wasn't what I wanted to say.

A wave of dark feelings came over me, and I couldn't stop it.

"No, no, no! That's not it. I'm seriously grateful, and I couldn't be happier than to take classes with a beautiful girl like you, Koiumi! I mean, you're the only friend I have!"

...A beautiful girl?

Did he just call me beautiful?

"B-beautiful? Really? Do you think I'm cute, Masato?"

"Y-yeah. Of course you're cute. You can be confident in yourself."

Wait, that made me so happy.

Suddenly, my heart felt warm and fuzzy.

"I see... Hehe... I'm cute, huh..."

I never knew it would feel this good to hear the person I loved call me cute.

I was truly glad I'd put so much effort into improving myself.

And then I remembered what Mizuho had said that morning.

—Maybe I really am acting all lovestruck.

After the third period ended, Masato went home.

I watched him as far as the university exit, then headed to my fourth-period class.

On the way there...

I thought back to what had happened in second period.

(I didn't want to say something like that...)

I didn't understand it myself.

Just thinking Masato might want to spend time with another girl made the dark feelings inside me run wild.

Ugly feelings of jealousy.

Masato seemed flustered, too.

He hadn't even said a single word about wanting to take classes with another girl in the first place.

(Masato is such a good person... and I...)

I couldn't help hating myself.

But even now, if Masato said he wanted to hang out with another girl, I felt like I'd say the same thing again.

I couldn't help thinking, 'Why not me?'

For the first time, I'd truly fallen in love with someone.

Every day was so much fun.

—But I felt like I couldn't control this enormous emotion I'd never experienced before.

I have to be careful... If he hates me, I probably won't ever be able to recover.

Ah, I see.

I was a jealous woman after all.