Can a Boy–Girl Friendship Hold Up? (No, It Can't!!) Prologue

Prologue - The Two-Wheeled Flower

If there is a moment when you fall in love, there is surely also a moment when you fall into friendship.




It was during the cultural festival of my second year in junior high school.




Our cultural festival was well-known for its vibrant atmosphere, especially for a rural school. Each club worked with local eateries and farmers to set up booths for food and merchandise representing the area. There were numerous visitors and students from various schools each year.




The science club's exhibit was a “Flower Arrangement Exhibition”. In collaboration with a large flower shop in the city, we sold decorative items made from fresh flowers aimed at women.




The first day of the cultural festival, which lasts for two days. Currently... it's just before 4 PM.




I was wandering around the school with an accessory case in hand.







“Um, I’m from the science club. We’re selling flower accessories…”




"And so, the seniors' live performance during the day was amazing!"




"Ah! I missed it!"







...I was completely ignored.




No, I know. My voice is too soft for them to hear.




I was feeling anxious. We hadn't even achieved 10% of the sales target.




Finally, an hour before the first day ended, I thought of selling around the school ...The problem is that I had been wandering without doing any actual sales activities.




Can a guy who doesn't have any friends approach strangers?




While I was at a loss as to what to do, a couple who were interested in the accessories approached me.







"What is this? Real flowers? They’re so beautiful!"




"Oh, these are preserved flower accessories. The profits will be donated to a volunteer organization…"







Preserved flowers.




They are fresh flowers that are treated with chemicals such as ethanol to make them less likely to wither. Those processed by an expert are said to retain their freshness for a year or even two.




We incorporated such processed flowers into accessories to create products.







"Oh. You can normally make something like this? How much is it?"







The boy picked up the earrings from the case.




Finally, they showed a willingness to buy. I eagerly told them the price.







"One costs 500 yen!"




"Oh, that's expensive! Then I don't want it."







They quickly rejected it, and the accessories were roughly put back into the case.




...For the first time, I realized that sales were difficult.




Five hundred yen is definitely not a small amount for a junior high school student. Even if they can eat at McDonald's, it's not the kind of money they'd spend on a classmate's handmade accessories.




In the end, I sold five. It took an entire day to sell five out of a hundred.




(One day left... No, it’s impossible.)




Carrying the accessory case stuffed with accesories like an idiot, I returned to the science room.




There was Himari.




With her white skin and slender figure.

Her large, almond-shaped eyes have a translucent marine blue hue.

Her flowing, beautiful long hair is slightly lighter in color and has loose waves.

A beautiful girl who looks like a fairy with a somewhat transparent feel.

She was intently gazing at the flower accessories I had prepared in the empty science room.

Surrounded by colorful flowers for display, her presence stood out even more.

She placed the headband from the case on top of her head. It was decorated with three round flower buds arranged in a playful way. She looked into the mirror on the table and muttered, 'Phew, it feels like my head's in a flower garden. So cute,' and chuckled to herself.

"She really looks like a picture."

I thought so, frankly.

If this were Instagram, I’d hit 'like' a hundred times without hesitation... Well, I mean, you can’t actually hit it a hundred times, though.

As I was thinking such silly thoughts, she turned around.





"Oh, you finally came back. You're Natsume Yuu from the Science Club, right?"





I was startled when she suddenly called my name. To me, it was our first time meeting. I found myself thinking something pointless like, 'Even beautiful people have beautiful voices.





"Y-Yes, that's right...?"





I couldn't even tell if she was an upperclassman or underclassman, so I ended up responding awkwardly. Why doesn’t this school distinguish students by embroidery colors?





"You can't leave the shop empty! Just now, the girls with the flyers came to check it out!”

“What!?”





I messed up. In the Science Club, I’m the only one. Of course, there was no one to help with the shop either. If that's the case, nothing is going to sell…





“...No, never mind.”

“Why?”





Himari asked curiously.

My self-esteem was already too shattered for me to feel so regretful at that point.





“...It wouldn't sell anyway, so it doesn't matter if I'm here or not.”

“.....…”





Himari was holding a juice carton. It was Yoguruppe. I used to drink it often when I was in elementary school. She put the straw to her mouth and slurped it up.





"Well, it did sell, you know?”

“What...!?"





A strange sound escaped me. It was no longer a normal voice.

Was she teasing me? No, it didn't feel that way.





"Wait, why...? I wasn't even here!?”

“Oh, don't worry, I have the money. I kept it safe for you!"





Himari's Yoguruppe made a slurping sound as she finished it. She carefully folded the empty carton and put it in her pocket. Her well-mannered gestures were quite impressive.

Then, she took out a brown envelope and offered it to me, saying…





"Here, this is for 15 people.”

“Wha...!?"





I hastily opened it.

One thousand, two thousand, three thousand... 11,500 yen.

Wow. I've only seen such a large sum of money during New Year's gifts...





"Wait a minute. This, um...”

“Oh, I sold a total of 27 items for 15 people.”

“T-The calculations...!?”

“Is the calculation off?"





I nodded vigorously.





“It's not wrong. Um, Yuririn bought earrings and hairpins, Mappi bought a book cover and a bookmark, and Anju-senpai bought about three items."





With a hearty laugh, I recounted the purchase histories one after another.

Did each person really buy multiple items? Even 500 yen is quite a significant amount of pocket money for a junior high school student!

But indeed, the items she mentioned are gone…

Why suddenly? I struggled all day to sell just five items, yet in the one hour I was away, 27 were sold?

...Is my face really that bad? It's not like I have any confidence, but it really hurts.





"Hey!"





She suddenly looked into my face.

Being stared at directly took me by surprise, almost making my heart stop.

...Anyway, she was a girl with a beautiful face.

She didn't seem like the type to wear heavy makeup. But her grace, or rather, a natural elegance that came from her upbringing, radiated from her demeanor.

Her hair swayed gently as she bent down, soft and silky. It reminded me of the famous weeping cherry blossoms in Kyoto swaying in the wind... Though, I wonder how good that comparison really is. But for me, flowers are still the closest thing I can think of.





“Natsume-kun, why aren’t you looking at me?”

“I-It's not like I’m…"





I instinctively looked away. ...I'm not good with beautiful girls.





“Ah, by the way, I wanted to thank you for helping with the store...”

“No, no, it's fine. Im bored anyway.”

“W-Well, that’s not how it works...”

“Hmm. Then, can I ask you one thing?”





Himari said this and suddenly tried to touch on a sensitive topic without anywarning.





“Why do you have to sell 100 items?”

“Huh, how do you know about that?”

“Sato Sensei from the Science Club mentioned it.”

“M-My privacy...!?”





Is that old man really saying that just because he's dealing with a beautiful girl!?

As I sat there with my head in my hands, Himari peered at me again. Even when I looked away, she circled around to face me.





“Hey. Why?”





She smiled brightly.

She had a really beautiful smile. It was as if she was saying, "Hehe. I'm the cutest girl telling you to tell me, so just give up and confess already." No doubt she was cute, but the silent pressure she exerted was intense and frightening.





“.....…”





Honestly, I didn't want to say anything. I would probably just be mocked again.

But... this 27 items is a big deal.





“My dream is to open a shop for flower accessories. I told my parents that after graduating from junior high school, I wanted to get a job to gather funds. But they said I had to go to high school to become a public servant. So, if I could sell 100 of my handmade accessories at the cultural festival, they would let me do what I want...”

“.....…”





Huh? No response?

Himari blinked her large eyes, wearing an unreadable expression on her face.

Hey, wait a minute. After I confessed something so embarrassing, there’s no way she wouldn’t react. I understand if she’s taken aback, but if that’s the case, she should at least say something…





“...Puhah!”

“Huh?”





Suddenly, Himari burst out laughing.





'Ahhahaha! Of course! If a kid had such a reckless life plan, normal parents would stop them! That’s even crazier than being a charismatic shop assistant!'





It was a full-blown laugh.

That cool, refreshing beauty was now holding her stomach and laughing. The composed impression she had just moments ago completely shattered. I was overwhelmed in a different way... But even that gesture seemed elegant, which I thought was somehow unfair.

Breathless with laughter, Himari wiped away her tears.





“You’re such an idiot.”

“Sh-Shut up!”

“Seriously, you’re an idiot!”





Even though I was being lightly insulted by a girl I had just met, I felt a strangely ticklish sensation. ...No, it’s not that I’m a masochist.

I realized that this sense of familiarity was something comforting, and that’s just how Himari was.





“How many of these accessories do you have left?”





Suddenly, Himari asked.





“Um, there are 68 left until I reach 100...”

“Is that all?”

“What do you mean?”

“Preserved flowers are fragile, so you have some spare ones ready, right?”

“Well, I have 50 spare ones…”

“So, that means you need 118 more, huh? Well, that should be manageable.”





I didn’t quite understand the meaning of that statement.





“Get everything ready to sell by tomorrow, okay?”





Himari said that and waved her hand as she left the science room.

Left alone in the science room, I was stunned.





...And then, the next day.





On the second day of the cultural festival, after 4 PM.

Exactly the same time I met Himari yesterday. I was slumped over the desk in the science room, utterly exhausted.

On the desk, there was a sign standing upright.





“Flower Accessories, Sold Out”





Even though I had eagerly prepared, I never dreamed I would end up using this today. Not a single display accessory remained in this science room. The stock was completely empty.

Unlike yesterday, I didn’t have time to sell outside. Today, I was just focused on handling the sales. I hadn’t even eaten lunch. My stomach was empty, but I didn't have the energy to go buy something.





(Why did everything suddenly sell out...!? )





I couldn't keep up with what was happening.

The sales weren't just from the students. The second day was a Sunday, and there were guests from outside the school. That’s where the sales really took off. In particular, there were many female university students from the nearby fukushi university.

Those older women wearing the accessories caught everyone's attention as they walked around the school. The female classmates heard the rumors and came to visit the science room. When those students participated in bands and theater performances, it drew even more eyes to the accessories.

As a result, everything sold out.





“Ahh! There aren’t any left for me!?”





I lifted my head at the noisy voice.

Himari was looking at the empty display case with a stunned expression. She shook my back, which was slumped over the desk in exhaustion, without any mercy.





"Hey, what about that one!? The yellow one!"

"Well, even if you say 'the yellow one,' there were a lot of them..."

"The choker! The one with the bubbles in it, remember!"

"...The choker with bubbles?"





I remember. I took out the last flower accessory from the stock box.

It was a delicate piece with five white petals and yellow thread.





“Anemone flaccida.”

A perennial plant that grows wild in the mountains. It gets its name because it bears two flowers on a single stem. This wasn’t one that I had grown from seed; it was one that had bloomed before I knew it.

I preserved some double flowered anemone and encased them in a transparent resin, shaping it into a rhombus. I envisioned it as an amber-like piece of jewelry, and set it into a choker.

Unfortunately, it was a failed attempt. The resin contains an excessive amount of air bubbles, which is a definite drawback for a saleable product. Despite its appealing appearance, I've decided to use it solely as a display sample.

Seeing it, Himari’s eyes sparkled.





“Ah, great! I forgot to buy it yesterday!”

“...That’s a failed piece, though.”

“Why, why!? It’s super cute!”

“I-If you like it, I’ll give it to you. I can’t take money for a failed piece anyway...”

“Really!? Natsume-kun, you're so nice!”

“Whoa!?"





Suddenly, she hugged me from behind, and I nearly jumped out of my skin.

...It freaked me out. The personal space of extroverts is seriously wild.





“I'm really glad I helped out. I feel so lucky.”

“Helped out...? So, did you do something to sell everything out?”

“Hmm, I wonder~?”





Himari took it with satisfaction and immediately wrapped it around her neck.

It suited her cool appearance perfectly. In fact, the air bubbles seemed to complement her translucent image even more.

...It was like a chemical reaction. Even a failed piece could shine this much depending on who wore it. I was genuinely impressed.

However, my admiration vanished the next moment with Himari's bombshell statement.





“You know, I had my eye on this choker for a while. I was watching the whole time when you were pouring the resin in the science room.”

“Huh? Wh-where from...?”

“From the hallway window. Natsume-kun, you didn’t notice at all, did you?”

"I didn't notice..."

"I even tried calling out to you."

"Seriously!?"

"You ignored me though. I never imagined you didn’t even recognize me until yesterday."

"S-sorry about that…"





I had no memory of it at all.

I’d always been told that when I focus on something, I lose sight of everything around me... But I never imagined that I was being watched by another student at school.





"Shall we go?"

"Huh? Where to?"





Then, Himari flashed a smile.





"To our after-party!♡"





...What I learned later was that this girl, Himari Inuzuka, was a very famous classmate at this school.





“The Enchantress, Himari Inuzuka”





Boys, girls, upperclassmen, underclassmen, even teachers—all were like putty in her hands, completely manipulated by the number one popular girl student.

Her lineage is quite prestigious.

Her family has been a major landowner since the Taisho era.

Her grandfather was a former member of the National Diet. Her father is currently a diplomat.

Her two older brothers, who are several years apart in age, are respectively a sharp-minded local politician and a high-ranking official in a government office.

Last night, it seems that a popular model on Twitter mentioned this flower accessory. Along with that, she noted that it was being sold at this culture festival. The model is a classmate of Himari's brother, and after seeing that, female university students flocked to visit.

The after-party... or rather, the thank-you gathering at the Mos Burger, had me taken aback as I looked at an account boasting an outrageous number of followers. There were numerous reports of purchases on Twitter, with many questions like, 'Where can I buy this?' I became anxious about whether my privacy was truly secure.





"Amazing..."

"It's not amazing, it's not amazing. I'm just a little good at asking for things," Himari said with a carefree smile.





That smile was so natural that I felt no resentment at all, which was impressive.





"Why did you help me?"

"Hmm?"





Himari took a sip of her shake and said something strange.





"I didn't help you. I don't feel sorry for you."





While checking her Twitter, Himari continued.





"I wanted to sell this. That's why I just asked my brother for help. I didn't sell it because I felt sorry for you, you know? We shouldn't get our words mixed up."

".........…"





She was the type to say such things nonchalantly.

Then, with her eyes sparkling, she said something outrageous.





"Let’s do it! A flower accessory specialty shop. I’ll help!"

"Huh?"





What is she talking about?

When I looked at her with such a gaze, she spoke a bit smugly.





"You know, I've always been able to do anything. I excel at studies and sports, I'm cute, my communication skills are high, and I’m loved by everyone. Oh, and I'm cute, too!"

"...You just said 'cute' on purpose twice, didn't you, Inuzuka-san?"





Well, it’s not like I can just smile back at you.

To be honest, I’m not the type who can immediately respond with something like, ‘Yeah, you’re the cutest in the world.’









"But what I'm doing is basically just borrowing a little bit of other people's power. So, I really admire someone like you who’s putting everything on the line."

"No, what do you even know about me...?"





Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

It was as if she had been waiting for this question all along.





“You know, I know that ever since the gardening club disappeared, you’ve been taking care of the flower beds in the backyard every day, right? Those accessories you made are all handmade from materials you grew yourself, aren't they?”





She hit the nail on the head.

Furthermore, Himari began to expose my dark history.





“I know you named every single flower, too. When you were preparing for the cultural festival, you were crying while cutting them one by one, weren't you?”

“Y-You were watching?!”

“And talking to the flowers while watering them was a major point too, right? You said things like, "You all look so cute today," and "You guys are my only partners," and "Even if we're apart, I'll always love you." How come you can say such cool lines when it comes to flowers?”

“Just kill me already...!?”





As I writhed in embarrassment, Himari burst into laughter.





"Honestly, I was just planning to buy some accessories, but things turned out to be much more tragic than I expected. I thought, 'This is bad,' and I couldn't help but use my one big favor from my brother."

"One big favor...?"

"Yep, one big favor. It's super important!"





She gazed down at me with an upward glance, peering into my eyes.





"So, I want you to take responsibility, Natsume-kun."

"Ugh…"





Her words felt like a heavy punch to my side. It was clear what would have happened if things had gone on as they were... No, I knew exactly how it would have turned out.

At this point, all I can picture is myself sulking alone in front of a mountain of unsold inventory.





"What exactly do you mean by responsibility...?"

"Hmm?"





She placed her index finger on her chin and tilted her head cutely.





"I want to take those beautiful eyes of yours!"





A chill ran down my spine.

Seeing me inadvertently crush the burger in my hands, Himari stifled a laugh and added,

"Not in a splatter-fest kind of way, okay?"

"Yeah, I get that. And honestly, if it were the other way around, that would be a problem…"





Himari scooped some teriyaki sauce that had leaked from my burger bag with her fries. Without hesitation, she popped it into her mouth while saying, "Natsume-kun, you don’t show it on your face, but your reactions are really big. It’s super high points." I couldn’t tell if she was complimenting or mocking me.

After finishing that, she took a sip from the shake. The teriyaki sauce on her lips mixed with the white shake, and… I couldn’t help but think it looked a bit erotic.

Unaware of my thoughts, Himari said with a serious expression, "I love the way your eyes shine when you’re making the flower accessories. They sparkle with your passion for the accessories. They’re so straight and beautiful."





"My eyes...?"





Hinari's shake made a slurping sound as she playfully fiddled with the straw and laughed, "So, show me those passionate eyes just for me? Let me monopolize them? Then, I’ll sell your accessories as much as you want. —Let’s become partners in fate!"

".........…"





I nodded silently.

To be honest, I didn’t quite grasp what Himari was saying. It wasn't that I was moved by her fancy words; it was more the fear of thinking, “I have no idea what she’d do if I rejected her,” that weighed heavily on my mind.

But, surprisingly enough—I found myself wanting to be friends with Hinari.

For the first time in my life, I had met someone who recognized my worth. She clearly stated that she liked my only passion, which had never been understood by anyone—not even my family.

The choker around her neck shone as if to assert its presence.

The flower language of the Nirinsō is "friendship," "cooperation"—"never apart."

I couldn't help but think that this Nirinsō must be a dependable and charming girl.

To me, Himari was like the Nirinsō that had manifested as a human. It would be strange if I didn’t fall for her.

As I was getting lost in my own thoughts, Himari suddenly murmured, "Ah."

Then, the atmosphere shifted slightly. Rather than saying it changed, I should say it returned to normal. The serious vibe from earlier vanished, replaced by the carefree smile I had seen in the science room.





"Of course, there's no romantic feelings involved," she added. "Love is just a hassle, right? It's like a poison that ruins everything. So, let's just skip that part."





The sudden shift from the emotional, lyric-like dialogue to something so mundane caught me off guard.

Well, I understood what she meant. It’s generally important to separate business from romance.





"So, Natsume-kun, what do you think? Can you do it?"





She poked my leg with her toes under the table. If someone as cute as Himari does something like that so naturally, it’s no wonder people end up liking her. It felt close, like she had a kind of approachable charm.





Himari smiled happily, propping her cheeks up with both hands and swaying her head gently. Her beautiful hair flowed back and forth gracefully.





"Or maybe you’ve already fallen for me? Have you fallen for me already?"

"…………"





Himari's eyebrows furrowed in surprise. Seeing her unexpected expression, I realized that today was the moment I could finally fight back.





"I'm not good with pretty girls. My sisters are really beautiful and popular, but… I’ve heard their scary honest feelings about their boyfriends since I was in elementary school. Girls with that rose-type personality are seriously terrifying."

"…………"





She stared at me in disbelief.

Then, while shaking her shoulders, she burst out laughing uncontrollably.





"Puhaha! Rose-type girls!? Nice! You're the best, Yu!"





Saying that, she playfully poked my nose and continued to laugh.

It seems I have cleared the last "verification item." …I mean, she suddenly started calling me Yu, and it felt strangely ticklish. Even though there were no romantic feelings, having a girl drop my first name like that was embarrassing enough to make me want to die.





"It would be great if all boys were like you, Yu."

"No way, that's impossible. A normal guy would have probably fallen in love at least three times by now and confessed five times on top of that."

"Why are the number of confessions higher!?"

"Well, when it comes to beautiful girls, it's more about wanting to... you know...?"





Himari snapped her fingers, clearly amused.





"Ah! I totally get it! There are definitely people like that, and they might even approach me sometimes. Mostly, it's upperclassmen and underclassmen who are lurking around. But Yu, if you're embarrassed, you don't have to say it!"

"Well, Inuzuka-san, you're clearly on the cheerful side, so I thought that kind of vibe might be better..."

"Haha. You don't have to force it! But I might actually like it when someone as expressionless as you gets all flustered and says things like that."

"T-Thanks for that... but could you please let it go? We're in a restaurant right now."





It’s one thing for a guy like me to say it, but when a beautiful girl like Himari says it, the stares from around us really hurt, so I wish she would stop.





"...But what is this feeling? It’s like I’m sitting in front of my 'ideal male friend' and feeling at ease."

"But to be honest, I was already popular before I even understood romantic feelings. So now, I really don’t know what to do. I even have a feeling that I might never fall in love for the rest of my life."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

“I guess I might come off as someone who’s easy to like. Then I get confessed to a lot, and I think to myself, ‘Oh, I guess I’m popular!’ and my self-awareness just grows. But honestly, I still haven’t had my first love.”

“That sounds tough, but it’s a problem that feels pretty far away from me.”

“Yuu, have you ever had a girlfriend?”

“With this kind of hobby, there’s no way I could have one. Oh, but there is someone I like…”





Himari's eyes sparkled with excitement.

She leaned forward eagerly, her curiosity piqued.





“Really? Who is it? If it’s someone I know, should I set you up with her?”

“No, that’s absolutely impossible. Like, seriously impossible. For one, I have no idea where she is... She’s just a girl I met on a trip back in elementary school.” (T/N: It’s her, isn’t?)





Himari let out a small laugh.





“A pure-hearted boy, huh!?”

“...Yeah, I am. Is that a problem?”





...This is not good.

Himari teases others without mercy about their weaknesses. However, there’s surprisingly no malice in it. Because of a strange sense of security, as if we’ve been friends for years, it feels like she could make me confess to anything.





“You know, in a way, we’re really similar, aren’t we? You’re easier to talk to than I thought, and it feels like fate!”

“A-are we similar?”

“It seems like we won’t be able to have a normal relationship.”





If that’s the case, I can certainly feel it. Himari's sensibilities are too detached from reality, while I'm simply a flower nerd. It seems like I can blend in with my classmates, but in reality, I can’t truly connect.

If we were to say that it was fate for us to meet like this, it actually feels surprisingly fitting. From our first encounter, Himari and I hit it off so well.





“Yuu, if we’re both single at 30, why don’t we just live together?”

“Let’s set aside that abrupt approach for now. Why 30...?”

“Hmm. It’s like a rough border line, you know? Until then, it’s about pushing forward towards our goals without getting distracted.”

“Ah, I see what you mean…”

Indeed, having a sense of balance is important in everything. When it comes to risking your life, you also need to consider the possibility of failure… that is, you have to be prepared to turn back if necessary.





“If you’re still single by 30, you should just go with me, okay?”

Himari looked at me with a suggestive, upward glance. Her finger tapped against the empty shake cup.

Easily seeing through the expectation hidden behind that, I let out a small sigh.





“No way, Himari. I’m more into gentle, ladylike women. I really don't want to come home to this kind of atmosphere."





In response to my answer, Himari burst into laughter, as expected, letting out a “Puhaha!” and exclaimed, “This might be the first time I’ve ever been rejected!” She laughed so hard she nearly had trouble breathing.

I didn’t know what exactly tickled her, but it seemed that I was definitely learning about this girl’s preferences.

And that's how I fell into friendship. I thought that Himari and I would be best friends forever. To think that such a dramatic and certain belief would shatter so completely in just two years... man, life is really unfair.