“……”

Towards that sudden question, I subconsciously sank into silence .

It wasn’t a question that was hard to answer .

I had already come up with the answer .

That too, since quite a long time ago .

Rather than saying that I had come up with the answer, I ought to have said that it had always been there . It hadn’t changed .

However, if I was to suppose that Yuuto had lied and that he hadn’t been going out with s.h.i.+zuku, then my answer would hurt her . I knew that .

For me, the woman named Kanzaki s.h.i.+zuku was——

“s.h.i.+zuku is……just a childhood friend”

I turned towards Yuuto and clearly conveyed that .

That’s right, s.h.i.+zuku was simply a childhood friend .

She was more than a friend, but that was pretty much it .

Neither more nor less .

It is often said that a really intimate friend of the opposite s.e.x was more than a friend and less than a lover . However, it was a little bit different in our case .

She was a childhood friend . However, I was sure that I had categorized her as a special kind of person .

A special person

You might even be right to say so .

However, my feelings for s.h.i.+zuku weren’t the romantic kind that Yuuto held for her .

I never thought of wanting to walk together while holding hands with her .

I had never thought of wanting to become the most special person to her .

I had never even thought of the possibility of her figure standing next to me in the future . Even imagining something like that was tough .

By no means, it was because it was s.h.i.+zuku .

Just that, I couldn’t fundamentally begin to fathom such an imagination . I couldn’t begin to imagine any other person other than my family, standing next to me .

“Kanzaki-san is not to your liking?”

“To my liking, you ask?……am I even in a position where I could answer to that?”

If I said I liked her, I would be attacked by her believers .

This wasn’t about whom I liked .

The problem was simpler, and therefore, a big one .

“……In the first place, how does it feel like to love someone?”

I had unconsciously said it out loud .

Was it different from the feelings of love that I had for my family?

I loved Kaede .

As a brother, as her family .

Of course, I loved my parents as well . I loved them as a son would .

Just that, I didn’t understand the difference between the love I held for my family and the love that Yuuto and s.h.i.+zuku held for the persons they adored .

If I had to state my true opinion, I had my own reasons for turning down their requests during the spring break .

It wasn’t a lie that I had turned them down because it was a pain in the a.s.s either .

This kind of problem could easily become a troublesome affair, so I didn’t want to have to do anything with it .

However, since I myself didn’t understand the feelings of love for anyone other than my family members, it would have been difficult for me to help those two .

Even if they were troubled or irritated over love, I wouldn’t be able to comprehend those feelings .

I was confident that I would have ended up hurling cold words at them .

“I think that differs from person to person . However, when you come to like someone, the world seems to sparkle resplendently, I guess?……a feeling of fulfilment envelopes you”

“In that case, my world is a monochrome”

I said these words in a voice inaudible to the two before me .

Wasn’t it befitting myself?

A plain world of black and white .

Every day was filled with boredom .

Although, I would often feel tired, but, when was the last time I felt like I had a fulfilling day?

At the very least, I couldn’t recall a day down the memory lane, when my world had shone resplendently .

“Are you satisfied with this?” (MC)

“Aa……” (Yuuto)

I couldn’t think of my answer as anything but unsatisfactory .

However, Yuuto lightly nodded, seemingly satisfied .

The grim expression that he had been displaying until a little while ago had returned to the usual refres.h.i.+ng one . It made everything until now seem like a lie .

As if he had just gotten rid of something bad .

“This means that there is still a large possibility”

“……Ha?”

What possibility?

Judging from the flow of the conversation, was he talking about the possibility of me falling in love with s.h.i.+zuku?

Yuuto, who had looking at me until this moment, directed his gaze towards the stairs at the entrance of the park .

I turned back and s.h.i.+fted my attention toward the direction of Yuuto’s gaze .

Kirasaka too had been looking at the entrance .

“Minato-kun……”

“You……came?”

The one who descended those stairs was the person who was at the centre of this turmoil . It was Kanzaki s.h.i.+zuku .

“……”.

Towards that sudden question, I subconsciously sank into silence

It wasn’t a question that was hard to answer

I had already come up with the answer

That too, since quite a long time ago

Rather than saying that I had come up with the answer, I ought to have said that it had always been there . It hadn’t changed

However, if I was to suppose that Yuuto had lied and that he hadn’t been going out with s.h.i.+zuku, then my answer would hurt her . I knew that

For me, the woman named Kanzaki s.h.i.+zuku was——.

“s.h.i.+zuku is……just a childhood friend”.

I turned towards Yuuto and clearly conveyed that

That’s right, s.h.i.+zuku was simply a childhood friend

She was more than a friend, but that was pretty much it

Neither more nor less

It is often said that a really intimate friend of the opposite s.e.x was more than a friend and less than a lover . However, it was a little bit different in our case

She was a childhood friend . However, I was sure that I had categorized her as a special kind of person

A special person.

You might even be right to say so

However, my feelings for s.h.i.+zuku weren’t the romantic kind that Yuuto held for her

I never thought of wanting to walk together while holding hands with her

I had never thought of wanting to become the most special person to her

I had never even thought of the possibility of her figure standing next to me in the future . Even imagining something like that was tough

By no means, it was because it was s.h.i.+zuku

Just that, I couldn’t fundamentally begin to fathom such an imagination . I couldn’t begin to imagine any other person other than my family, standing next to me

“Kanzaki-san is not to your liking?”.

“To my liking, you ask?……am I even in a position where I could answer to that?”.

If I said I liked her, I would be attacked by her believers

This wasn’t about whom I liked

The problem was simpler, and therefore, a big one

“……In the first place, how does it feel like to love someone?”.

I had unconsciously said it out loud

Was it different from the feelings of love that I had for my family?.

I loved Kaede

As a brother, as her family

Of course, I loved my parents as well . I loved them as a son would

Just that, I didn’t understand the difference between the love I held for my family and the love that Yuuto and s.h.i.+zuku held for the persons they adored

If I had to state my true opinion, I had my own reasons for turning down their requests during the spring break

It wasn’t a lie that I had turned them down because it was a pain in the a.s.s either

This kind of problem could easily become a troublesome affair, so I didn’t want to have to do anything with it

However, since I myself didn’t understand the feelings of love for anyone other than my family members, it would have been difficult for me to help those two

Even if they were troubled or irritated over love, I wouldn’t be able to comprehend those feelings

I was confident that I would have ended up hurling cold words at them

“I think that differs from person to person . However, when you come to like someone, the world seems to sparkle resplendently, I guess?……a feeling of fulfilment envelopes you”.

“In that case, my world is a monochrome”.

I said these words in a voice inaudible to the two before me

Wasn’t it befitting myself?.

A plain world of black and white

Every day was filled with boredom

Although, I would often feel tired, but, when was the last time I felt like I had a fulfilling day?.

At the very least, I couldn’t recall a day down the memory lane, when my world had shone resplendently

“Are you satisfied with this?” (MC).

“Aa……” (Yuuto).

I couldn’t think of my answer as anything but unsatisfactory

However, Yuuto lightly nodded, seemingly satisfied

The grim expression that he had been displaying until a little while ago had returned to the usual refres.h.i.+ng one . It made everything until now seem like a lie

As if he had just gotten rid of something bad

“This means that there is still a large possibility”.

“……Ha?”.

What possibility?.

Judging from the flow of the conversation, was he talking about the possibility of me falling in love with s.h.i.+zuku?.

Yuuto, who had looking at me until this moment, directed his gaze towards the stairs at the entrance of the park

I turned back and s.h.i.+fted my attention toward the direction of Yuuto’s gaze

Kirasaka too had been looking at the entrance

“Minato-kun……”.

“You……came?”.

The one who descended those stairs was the person who was at the centre of this turmoil . It was Kanzaki s.h.i.+zuku