第1話:疑惑
「もー! あともうちょっとで到着だったのに、お財布を持ってるかくらいちゃんと確認してから家を出なくちゃダメでしょ!」
「あー、ごめんって! 何度も謝っただろ。部屋に取りに行くからここで待っててくれよ」
「これで限定ロールケーキが買えなかったら、ゆーくんのこと許さないんだからね」
のことを怒っていた。ことの発端は、近所にある洋菓子店の20個限定ロールケーキを買いに家を出たのに、俺が財布を忘れてしまうという凡ミスを犯してしまったからだ。大急ぎで2人で家まで戻ったが、ロールケーキが購入出来るかは微妙なラインかも知れない。スイーツ大好きっ子の奏がプリプリとするのも仕方がないだろう。
しかし、今でこそプリプリとしているが、本気で怒っているわけではないと俺には分かってる。
奏とは小学校4年生のときに、地元のサッカークラブで出会ってからの仲だ。小学生のときは、髪の毛をベリーショートにしていたので、見た目がまるで少年のようだったが、中学に入ると髪の毛をミディアムヘアまで伸ばしたことで、とても可愛らしい女の子に華麗なるジョブチェンを果たしたのだった。そんな奏のことを周囲の男たちが放っておくわけもなく、数多くの男子から告白されていた。
中学を卒業してからも、俺と奏は同じ高校に進学、そして2年連続でクラスメイトになれた。さらには、お互いサッカー部に在籍しており、ひょっとしたら高校に入ってから一番同じ空間にいるやつかも知れない。
それくらい気心が知れたやつなのだから、奏がどれくらい怒ってるかなんて手に取るように分かってしまうのだ。
慌てていた俺は、奏にドアの前で待ってくれとお願いして、勢いよく家のドアを開けた。すると家の奥、具体的にいうと俺の部屋から、ドタドタドタと大きな音が聞こえてきた。
驚いた俺と奏は一瞬固まってしまったが、すぐに我に返って俺の部屋の前まで行き、躊躇せずにドアを開けた。そこにいたのは泥棒.........なんかではなく、俺たちの帰りを待っていた羽月と光輝の2人だった。
「お前たち、ドタバタと大きな音を出して一体何してたんだよ?」
特に怪我などはしてなかったようなので、俺はホッと一安心した。
「いや、なんだ......虫がな、そう、でっかい虫が急に出てきたから2人でなんとかしようと格闘してたんだよ!」
「う、うん。そうなの。けど光輝くんが窓の外に捨ててくれたからもう大丈夫よ」
光輝はいつものことだけど、いつも冷静な羽月がアタフタしながら「虫がー」と、良く分からないことを言ってるのが面白くて、「なんだよそれ! ハハハハハ」と大爆笑してしまう。
それを見た2人はどこかホッとした表情で、「だよな」と一緒に笑っていた。
は、小5のときに引っ越して来てからの親友だ。中3の卒業式に転校してしまったが、高2の7月からこっちに戻って来て、また以前のように良く遊んでいる。
部屋の中にいたもう一人は、2人目の幼馴染みでもあり、最愛の彼女でもある
「俺が忘れ物をしちゃってさ、今取りに帰って来たんだよ。つか、ロールケーキが売り切れるからまた急いで行ってくるな! お前らまたドタバタ暴れて部屋を汚すなよ!」
「おぅ! 気をつけてな!」
「行ってらっしゃい。待ってるわね」
俺は2人の言葉を聞いて、奏に「行こうぜ」と声をかけると、奏は「えぇ」と心ここに在らずという感じで相槌を打つ。俺は、そんな奏の態度に疑問を持ったが、特に気にせず玄関へ向った。脳天気な俺は、さっきのやり取りで、奏が一言も声を出さなかったことに気付いていなかったのだ。
まぁ、このときに何か怪しいと思っても何もかもが手遅れだったんだけどな。
「あいつら人の部屋で暴れてるなんて何してんだよなぁ!」
「うん」
「俺の部屋だからってあいつら好き勝手しすぎなんだよ。一度ビシッと言ってやらないとダメかもな」
「そうだね」
何とかラス1のロールケーキを購入できた俺は、ホクホク顔で奏と家に向かって歩いている。だけど、そんな俺とは正反対で、奏はずっと浮かない顔をしていた。
奏が大好きな限定ロールケーキが買えたっていうのに、急に元気無くしてどうしちまったんだ? やっぱりめちゃくちゃ走らせたから怒ってるのかな......。
「奏どうした? 走らされたのがそんなに嫌だったのか?」
「あっ、ごめん。違うの。ちょっと考え事してただけ」
「考え事って急だな。さっきまで俺にブーブー文句言ってたのによ。けど、奏がそうなることって珍しいよな。もし俺に話して気が楽になるなら、いつでも声掛けてくれよな。力になるからさ」
「うん。ありがと。急に変な感じになってごめんね。考えがまとまったらゆーくんにちゃんと相談するから」
奏はどこか思い詰めた表情をしながら微笑んだ。
俺はそんな奏を見て少し動揺をしてしまう。奏は明るく元気で、悩みごとを前向きに捉えられる性格をしていた。そして、良くも悪くも自分の思いを、なんでも真正面から伝えて来てくれる子だったからだ。こんな風に言い淀む奏を俺は見たことがなかった。
奏は部屋に帰ってからも、俺たちの一歩後ろにいるような距離感で終始していた。
【奏の視点】
あれは一体なんだったんだろう。
忘れ物を取りに帰ったときに、羽月ちゃんと光輝くんはとても慌てていた。
本人たちは「虫が出た」「窓から投げたから大丈夫」と言っていたが、窓は開いていなかったし、窓のすぐ下にあるベッドが乱れていなかったのは、どう考えても不自然だ。
さらに私がおかしいと思ったのは、羽月ちゃんの洋服が若干乱れていたこと。私たちが家を出る前は、スカートにシャツがキレイにインされていたが、私たちが忘れ物を取りに戻ったときは、羽月ちゃんのシャツが少しスカートから出ているのが見えてしまった。
実は私は一つの答えに辿り着いている。だがそれは、考えるだけでも悍しく、嫌悪感を抱いてしまうものだった。
私は頭の中にある考えを振り払うように頭をブンブンと横に振った。
まさか羽月ちゃんに限ってそんなことはないよね。だって羽月ちゃんとゆーくんはずっと一緒だったし、特にカップルになってからは誰かが入る余地のないくらい幸せそうだったんだから。
「このことをゆーくんに言った方がいいのかな......」
だけど、どうしてもあの時に二人には違和感しかなかった。そして私はその違和感の正体に辿り着いている。
「羽月ちゃんが浮気をしているかもしれない」
Volume 1 - Ch 1
"We were almost there and you should have at least made sure you had your wallet with you before you left!"
"Oh, I'm sorry! I apologized many times. I'll go to my room to get it, please wait here."
"If we can't get the limited edition roll cake, I won't forgive you, okay?"
My childhood friend, Miyama Kanade, was angry with me, Yamagishi Yuuri, as if she were my mother. It all started when we left the house to buy a limited edition of 20 roll cakes from a nearby confectionary store, but I made the mistake of forgetting my wallet. We rushed back to the house together, but it may be a close call whether we can buy the roll cake or not. It was no wonder that Kanade, who loves sweets, was so worked up.
However, even though she's prickly now, I know she's not really angry.
Kanade and I have been friends since we met in the fourth grade at a local soccer club. In elementary school, she wore her hair very short so she looked like a boy, but when she entered junior high school, she grew her hair to medium length and made a magnificent job of transforming herself into a very pretty girl. There was no way that the guys around Kanade would leave her alone, and numerous boys confessed their feelings for her.
After graduating from junior high school, Kanade and I went to the same high school and were classmates for two consecutive years. We were also both on the soccer team, and I think we may have been in the same class most of the time since we entered high school.
Since we know each other so well, it's easy to tell how angry Kanade is.
In a hurry, I asked Kanade to wait at the door and vigorously opened the door to my house. Then I heard a loud thudding sound coming from the back of the house, specifically from my room.
Startled, Kanade and I froze for a moment, but quickly came to our senses and went to the front of my room and opened the door hesitantly. They were not thieves... but two people, Hazuki and Mitsuki, who were waiting for our return.
"What the hell were you guys doing slamming around and making loud noises?"
I was relieved to hear that no one seemed to have been hurt.
"No, it's a... bug, yes, a big bug came out suddenly, and the two of us were struggling to do something about it!"
"I was just trying to get rid of it. I'm not sure what to do about it. But Kouki threw it out of the window, so it's all right now."
Kouki was amused that Hazuki, who is always so calm, was saying something he didn't quite understand, "Insects," as he was getting flustered, and he said, "What the heck is that! Hahahahaha" and they burst out laughing.
Seeing this, the two looked somewhat relieved and laughed together, saying, "Yeah."
Kouki Kitajima has been my best friend since I moved here when I was in the fifth grade. He transferred to a different school for his ninth-grade graduation but came back here in July of his second year of high school, and we are playing well together again as before.
The other person in the room is Hazuki Sakashita, my second childhood friend and also my beloved girlfriend. Hazuki and I were born a day apart, live next door to each other, and have been close to each other since we were little, making her my closest and most precious girl. She has long, silky hair and is, in my opinion as her boyfriend, a very beautiful girl.
"I forgot something, and I just came back to get it. Well, the rolls will be sold out, so I should hurry and go rushing off again! Don't you guys mess up the room with your slamming antics again!"
"Oh! Be careful!"
"Have a safe trip. I'll be waiting for you."
I heard their words and said to Kanade, "Let's go," to which she responded, "Yes," as if she was not even in the room. I questioned Kanade's attitude, but I didn't pay any attention to it and headed for the front door. I was so absent-minded that I did not notice that Kanade did not utter a single word during our earlier exchange.
Well, even if I had thought something was fishy at this point, it was too late for anything.
"What the hell are those guys doing running wild in someone's room!"
"Yeah."
"They're doing whatever they want just because it's my room. I'm going to have to give them a stern talking-to."
"Right."
I managed to buy the last cake roll and was walking home with Kanade with a relieved look on my face. But in contrast to me, Kana's face was looking down the whole time.
What's wrong with Kanade, she suddenly lost her energy even though she was able to buy the limited edition roll cake that she loves so much. I guess she's mad because I made her run so hard.
"What's wrong, Kanade? Did you really hate it that much that I made you run?"
"I'm sorry. It's not that. I was just thinking."
"That's a bit sudden to be thinking. You were complaining to me just a few minutes ago. But it is rare for Kanade to be like that.  If you feel comfortable talking to me, please feel free to talk to me anytime. I'll help in any way I can."
"Yes, thanks. I'm sorry I'm acting weird all of a sudden. Once I've got my thoughts together, I'll talk to Yuu-kun about it."
Kanade smiled with a somewhat troubled expression on her face.
I was a little worried to see Kanade like that. Kanade was cheerful and energetic, and she was able to look at her problems in a positive light. And she was the kind of girl who would tell me everything, good or bad, about her thoughts and feelings head-on. I had never seen Kanade hesitate to say things like this.
Even after returning to her room, Kanade was always one step behind me from beginning to end.
[Kanade's point of view]
What was that all about?
Hazuki and Kouki were very upset when we returned home to pick up the forgotten items.
They said that they had "found a bug" and that they were fine because they had thrown it out the window, but the window was not open, and it was not natural to think that the bed just below the window was not in disarray.
What I found even stranger was that Hazuki's clothes were slightly disheveled. Before we left the house, her shirt was neatly tucked into her skirt, but when we returned to pick up our forgotten items, I could see Hazuki's shirt sticking out of her skirt a little.
I have actually arrived at one answer. But it was one that was terrifying and disgusting to even think about.
I shook my head buzzing to the side as if to shake off the thoughts in my head.
I don't think Hazuki is the only one like that. Because Hazuki-chan and Yuu-kun have been together for a long time, and especially after they became a couple, they seemed so happy that there was no room for anyone else.
"I wonder if I should tell Yuu-kun about this..."
But I just couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with the two of them at that moment. And I need to get to the truth of that feeling of discomfort.
"Hazuki-chan might be having an affair."
After Being Betrayed By My Beloved Childhood Friend and Best friend, It Was Another Childhood friend Who Saved Me
最愛の幼馴染みと親友に裏切られた俺を救ってくれたのはもう一人の幼馴染みだった
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/after-being-betrayed-by-my-beloved-childhood-friend-and-best-friend-it-was-another-childhood-friend-who-saved-me/
Drama Romance
Beautiful Female Lead Betrayal Childhood Friends Depression First Love First-time Interc**rse Love Triangles Male Protagonist Modern Day Netorare Obsessive Love Revenge
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n0937hf/
音の中