3rd short story “ Pretender”
（ This story can be read in about 1 minute）
Episode 3. “Pretender”
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――――
――――――
The orange-tinted soda ice candy cracked open.
“Be yourself. I like it better more.”
On the way home at dusk.
She said bluntly and offered me an ice cream.
When I stared at her in surprise, she seemed embarrassed and escaped from my gaze.
She was dignified, calm, and cool.
Even if the whole world is my enemy, it’s okay if she’s on my side.
She is very important for me. As I can believe so.
“This is our secret.”
She told me a “Top Secret”.
There was no way I could tell it anyone. I couldn’t. Never.
It is impossible for me to betray this happiness.
–So, we’re accomplice. We’ll be together forever, right?
I’ll never forget the look on her face when I said that.
I think friendship is invisible.
But only then did I feel that I could see her feelings.
I had nowhere to go, so I ran to the bathroom in lunch break.
It’s the only place I can breathe in this suffocating school, and I love there.
The old wooden door creaks. It seems that someone has entered.
“Yeah, she is so troublesome. I’m tired.”
It was HER voice.
“She didn’t seem to have any friends, so I got involved with her. Then she started sticking to me. It’s not nice to let her alone, right? So I’ve just been with her.”
“Well, why don’t you be her best friend?”
“No way! I can’t. She’s such a pain in the ass. I allow you to be her friend.”
“No, no, no, no! No thanks! You should be!”
They laughed mockingly and went away.
The aftermath still gripped my heart tightly.
I crumple up my flushed face and pull out my phone.
I open the group chat that I was invited with pity then, type her Top secret into the text box.
My fingertips trembled. I catch my breath and ……
“This is our secret.”
The word she said returns like flashback.
I remembered and my arm slowly go down.
I felt a pang in the back of my nose.
I bit my lip and hit the delete button repeatedly.
Every time I pressed one button, my teeth bit into my lip and it hurt.
It must have been the reason why tears were rolling down my cheeks.
Coincidentally, it was dusk, just like that day.
The girl didn’t even notice the swelling around my eyes and asked me to go home with her.
I had no right to refuse.
“Summer is over. We didn’t do anything this year. Let’s have more fun next year.”
Her mouth that insulted me talked about our friendship.
I couldn’t forgive her for acting so ridiculous, and my sadness spread, and I had no words.
“What’s wrong? What’s happened?”
I felt my heart flutter.
I wanted to tell that stupid face “I know everything”.
I want to tell her my honest.
I also want to break our secret.
I don’t care if I’m alone. I knew I’ve always been alone.
It was all make-believe friend from the start.
I love her and I hate her.
My feelings are mixed up with love and hate, and they are all jumbled up.
In the end, all I could do was stare at her.
“We’ll be together forever, right?”
She smiled and offered me a piece of ice candy.
This is a trap.
It’s a sweet, devious, cruel trap.
I know that, Of course, but I can’t help but reach for it.
You can’t have two at the same time.
If you want one, you have to get rid of the other.
So I let go myself.
–No, I was just tired!
I’m sure that’s how “I” would fake it.
Oh, I see.
That’s why you could finally laugh.
From now on, I’m going to play me.
The ice candy in my mouth felt more salty than usual.
――――――
――――
――
vocal…haro
music…biz & yuzuki
illustration…nou
story…mog
movie…mashimo
《Youtube》
https://youtu.be/aNhMMQKVL24
《Spotifyなど各種配信サイト》
https://linkco.re/QgZpP0QQ?lang=en
（ This story can be read in about 1 minute）
Episode 3. “Pretender”
――
――――
――――――
The orange-tinted soda ice candy cracked open.
“Be yourself. I like it better more.”
On the way home at dusk.
She said bluntly and offered me an ice cream.
When I stared at her in surprise, she seemed embarrassed and escaped from my gaze.
She was dignified, calm, and cool.
Even if the whole world is my enemy, it’s okay if she’s on my side.
She is very important for me. As I can believe so.
“This is our secret.”
She told me a “Top Secret”.
There was no way I could tell it anyone. I couldn’t. Never.
It is impossible for me to betray this happiness.
–So, we’re accomplice. We’ll be together forever, right?
I’ll never forget the look on her face when I said that.
I think friendship is invisible.
But only then did I feel that I could see her feelings.
I had nowhere to go, so I ran to the bathroom in lunch break.
It’s the only place I can breathe in this suffocating school, and I love there.
The old wooden door creaks. It seems that someone has entered.
“Yeah, she is so troublesome. I’m tired.”
It was HER voice.
“She didn’t seem to have any friends, so I got involved with her. Then she started sticking to me. It’s not nice to let her alone, right? So I’ve just been with her.”
“Well, why don’t you be her best friend?”
“No way! I can’t. She’s such a pain in the ass. I allow you to be her friend.”
“No, no, no, no! No thanks! You should be!”
They laughed mockingly and went away.
The aftermath still gripped my heart tightly.
I crumple up my flushed face and pull out my phone.
I open the group chat that I was invited with pity then, type her Top secret into the text box.
My fingertips trembled. I catch my breath and ……
“This is our secret.”
The word she said returns like flashback.
I remembered and my arm slowly go down.
I felt a pang in the back of my nose.
I bit my lip and hit the delete button repeatedly.
Every time I pressed one button, my teeth bit into my lip and it hurt.
It must have been the reason why tears were rolling down my cheeks.
Coincidentally, it was dusk, just like that day.
The girl didn’t even notice the swelling around my eyes and asked me to go home with her.
I had no right to refuse.
“Summer is over. We didn’t do anything this year. Let’s have more fun next year.”
Her mouth that insulted me talked about our friendship.
I couldn’t forgive her for acting so ridiculous, and my sadness spread, and I had no words.
“What’s wrong? What’s happened?”
I felt my heart flutter.
I wanted to tell that stupid face “I know everything”.
I want to tell her my honest.
I also want to break our secret.
I don’t care if I’m alone. I knew I’ve always been alone.
It was all make-believe friend from the start.
I love her and I hate her.
My feelings are mixed up with love and hate, and they are all jumbled up.
In the end, all I could do was stare at her.
“We’ll be together forever, right?”
She smiled and offered me a piece of ice candy.
This is a trap.
It’s a sweet, devious, cruel trap.
I know that, Of course, but I can’t help but reach for it.
You can’t have two at the same time.
If you want one, you have to get rid of the other.
So I let go myself.
–No, I was just tired!
I’m sure that’s how “I” would fake it.
Oh, I see.
That’s why you could finally laugh.
From now on, I’m going to play me.
The ice candy in my mouth felt more salty than usual.
――――――
――――
――
vocal…haro
music…biz & yuzuki
illustration…nou
story…mog
movie…mashimo
《Youtube》
https://youtu.be/aNhMMQKVL24
《Spotifyなど各種配信サイト》
https://linkco.re/QgZpP0QQ?lang=en