The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten (WN) (Volume 5+)

142 - Parting

In a corner of his heart, Amane had a feeling they might meet again.

They never left this place, fooled around during the summer, and all lived near their middle school.

However, he never expected them to meet at this moment.

"It's really you, Fujimiya. I couldn't remember your name until it was mentioned."

The name...was Tojo, and he was looking at Amane. Tojo did not look too different from when Amane last saw him at the middle school.

In contrast, Amane had greatly changed over the past two years away. He was dressed in outdoor clothing and hairstyle, so Tojo might not have recognized him immediately.

Tojo's smile was as frivolous as Itsuki, who too was of similar demeanor. While Itsuki was a cheerful, good boy, Tojo instead was more of a hoodlum.

"It's been a while, Fujimiya."

"Yeah."

"Thought you left this place. Now you're back?"

"Only in the summer vacation. Looks like you're rather lively."

Amane answered more normally than he expected, probably because while he was shocked, he did not falter.

Tojo was a local lad, and it was to be expected that he would appear here. It was merely a coincidence after all. After all, Amane's residence was nowhere near, and Tojo was a mere unrelated stranger.

He felt goosebumps in his heart as he recalled the past, but once he sensed Mahiru's warmth next to him, they dissipated.

"What's with her? You bluffed her?"

"Of course not. She's my girlfriend."

"Ugh."

Tojo sized up Mahiru. He looked peeved to hear Amane mention the word girlfriend.

Tojo would occasionally show such a face back when they were on better terms, and it was then that Amane understood why Tojo did so.

That expression was shown only when others had something Tojo did not have.

"You're good, getting a girlfriend. You used to be so cute, and now you're a man now."

Tojo leered at Amane, but the latter had no thoughts. Amane assumed he would be hurt, but he really thought nothing about it, and instead, was worried that Mahiru next to him would be furious about him being belittled.

He glanced aside at Mahiru, and found her blinking, before she smiled.

He never knew if he should be relieved by such a smile, and was uneasy at her reaction. Tojo then showed a gleeful smile.

"Hey girlfriend, do you know? He's better now, but we used to tease him for looking like a girl, and he nearly cried."

"Now that's nostalgic."

Amane showed no reaction towards those malicious words.

First off, Mahiru was holding his hand by the side, and more importantly, Amane merely felt nostalgic about meeting Tojo, and found the latter to be such an ordinary person.

In the past, Tojo had the better physique and size. He was cheerful, would earnestly raise his own views, and had many friends.

Amane was once scared of showing hostility against someone who was outright superior. He also suffered much from Tojo's betrayal.

Amane remained completely calm, not to the point of nonchalance, but he was capable of calmly looking back at the past, thinking that it all happened. Despite verything that happened, Amane no longer shivered as he did back then.