"Don't touch me!" I angrily pulled my hand away from his.
"...Can't we go back to being friends like before?" he asked, his face etched with sadness.
Friends?
He has a girlfriend, and he still needs me? I'm not that kind of person. It's impossible for me to be friends with Nada-san like we were before, now that he has a girlfriend.
"You have a girlfriend now, right? You won't be lonely if you don't see me anymore."
She'll be able to heal all his loneliness.
He should just spend every day with her.
I think my words were cold. He looked hurt.
...I'm sorry.
But I...
"I hope you and your girlfriend are happy." I closed my laptop, gathered the documents I had spread out, and put them in my bag. "I don't think we'll be seeing each other again. If there are any problems, I'll contact you by email. Goodbye."
That's right, we won't see each other again. It's over.
I stood up, bowed my head, and turned my back to him.
"Don't go."
I heard a small, trembling voice. A stabbing pain shot through my chest, and I instinctively turned back.
"Na...Nada-san?"
Nada-san was standing up, looking at me with tears streaming down his face. He looked like a lost child.
"P-Please don't cry."
"Huh, I'm...?"
He apparently hadn't realized he was crying. He touched his cheek, felt the moisture, and his face turned bright red. He covered his face with one hand and fumbled in his pocket with the other.
...A handkerchief.
He's looking for a handkerchief.
Honestly, Nada-san...
"Here."
I took my handkerchief out of my pocket and held it out to him.
"Please use this."
"...Thank you."
His face, flushed with embarrassment, grew even redder as he took the handkerchief.
Why? Why?
Why is Nada-san pulling me back like this?
"It's really hard for me when you call out to me like that, and cry, too. Why, when you have a girlfriend?"
When I said that, he lifted his face. His round eyes stared into mine.
"I don't have a girlfriend."
...Huh?
But Mita-senpai definitely told me Nada-san got a girlfriend...
Seeing my confusion, he continued.
"I lied to Isamu. I didn't want him to know we were fighting..."
...So that's it.
A lie...
"Is that so?"
I showed a look of obvious relief. It made me want to ask him if I could finally have some hope.
"...I'm not gay. But, with you..."
Nada-san slowly began to speak.
"I just want to spend time with you like we did before. Is that selfish?"
...Of course, it is.
I stared at him intently and opened my mouth.
"...It is selfish. How much patience do you think I have?"
"Pa-patience?!"
"Because I love you. That's why I kissed you and hugged you."
"!"
Everything was out in the open now, so there was no point in lying or trying to deceive him. I honestly told him how I felt. His cheeks immediately turned as red as an apple.
Why is this man so cute?
But this reaction... he's not disgusted.
Can I have hope after all?
The word "cute" should never fit Nada-san. But with his hands on his cheeks and his eyes blinking in shock, he looked absolutely adorable.
I still love him. I can't give up on him.
He likes me. I was certain of it.
But becoming lovers was still a little too soon. I decided to take my time and settle in for the long game.
"...But I'll be patient. I don't want you to cry again."
"D-Don't want me to cry?! What's that supposed to mean?!"
My words made Nada-san's eyebrows furrow into a frown as he protested.
"You were just crying a moment ago."
"..."
When I pointed that out, he looked down and fell silent. He thought he had lost me and wouldn't see me again. But he stopped me. So I'll keep loving him. Until my feelings reach him and we fall in love with each other.
"Nada-san, I look forward to working with you from now on."
When I said that and held out my hand, he shyly lifted his face. His eyes were still moist, and his cheeks were still faintly red. Even if Nada-san didn't mean to, to me, he looked like he was inviting me to do something.
"Yeah, I look forward to it too."
A little mischief is okay, right? After all, I was in so much pain when I thought he had a girlfriend.
Mischief bloomed in my heart, and I pulled his hand after he shook mine.
"?!"
Nada-san, caught off guard, fell right into my arms.
"Tadashi!"
"It's a sign of our reconciliation."
I hugged the flustered Nada-san tightly.
It's fine. It's just a hug.
"Let go of me! I'm just a normal friend, you know!"
Even as he said that, he didn't seem to resist.
"Yeah, yeah. Of course you are."
It seemed we had long passed the "just friends" stage. Nada-san squirmed in my arms, but he let me hold him.
This is enough for now. He'll surely accept me eventually.
After thoroughly enjoying his warmth, I let him go.
"Well then, Nada-san. I'll call you later."
I felt a sense of exhilaration. My heart had been heavy ever since that matchmaking party. But now, it felt so clear and bright. I left Nada-san, who was standing there in a daze, and walked out of the reception room.
When I left the building, the freezing wind blew against me. But I didn't feel cold.
A happy ending is just around the corner. Feeling Nada-san's warmth on my body, I stepped out into the city under the winter sky.
(End)