The third wheel

My name's Tatsuya, and if you'd asked me last year what it was like to be the third wheel, I probably would have laughed. But now, I'm living it. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for them—I mean, who wouldn't be? Jun and Haruki are perfect together. But sometimes, just sometimes, I wonder what it's like to have what they do.

Jun's the loud one, a whirlwind of energy that's impossible to ignore. He's always the first to crack a joke or say something that makes everyone's heads turn. With that big, silly grin plastered on his face, you'd think he didn't have a care in the world. But the guy's got a one-track mind, especially when it comes to Haruki. He's always finding some excuse to cling to him, and he's not exactly subtle about it.

Haruki, on the other hand, is the cool, calm type—the one who always seems to have everything under control. He's taller than Jun by just two inches, but he somehow always looks like the older one. His hair's this silky mess that girls are always swooning over, and he has this habit of brushing it back whenever it falls into his eyes, which is pretty much all the time. Jun calls him "Kimi," short for "Kimi ni Muchuu," which roughly translates to "crazy about you." Honestly, it fits.

The three of us have been friends since middle school, but something changed when we hit high school. Jun and Haruki went from being just close friends to something more, and suddenly, I was the one left holding the camera while they made heart eyes at each other.

"Oi, Tatsuya, stop spacing out!" Jun's voice jolted me out of my thoughts as he slapped me on the back. He was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet, as usual, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "What's the plan for today?"

I shrugged. "Dunno. You're the one with all the energy—shouldn't you be the one deciding?"

Haruki chuckled softly from beside him, ruffling Jun's hair like he always did. "Let's go to the arcade. You love it there, right, Jun?"

Jun's eyes lit up, and he practically glowed with excitement. "You know me so well, Kimi!" He threw his arms around Haruki's neck, nuzzling his face into his shoulder. "Tatsuya, you're coming too, right?"

And there it was. That moment where I was dragged into their bubble, only to realize that I was still standing on the outside, watching them be... well, them.

"Yeah, sure," I said, forcing a grin. I wasn't going to be the one to spoil their fun.

At the arcade, Jun was like a kid in a candy store, dragging Haruki from one game to the next, chattering non-stop. And Haruki, ever patient, just smiled and let himself be pulled along. When Jun wasn't looking, Haruki would glance over at me with a soft, knowing smile, as if to say, "Thanks for putting up with us."

I'd just nod in return, feeling like the luckiest and unluckiest guy in the world all at once.

Later, after they'd spent what felt like hours playing games, we ended up at our usual spot—a small park near the school. Jun had gotten his hands on some cheap plushies from the claw machines, and he was proudly showing them off to Haruki like they were treasures.

"Look, look! Isn't this one cute?" he said, holding up a stuffed bunny with bright pink ears. "I won it for you, Kimi!"

Haruki smiled, that soft, warm smile that made everyone else in the world fade away. "It's perfect. Thanks, Jun." He reached out to pet Jun's head, and Jun practically melted under his touch.

I watched them, feeling that familiar mix of warmth and envy. They were perfect together, no doubt about it. But as I sat there, watching the sunset dip below the horizon, I couldn't help but wonder... would I ever find someone who'd look at me the way Haruki looked at Jun?

But for now, I'd settle for just being part of their world, even if it was from the outside looking in.

"Oi, Tatsuya!" Jun's voice snapped me out of my thoughts again. "You're spacing out again! What's on your mind?"

I shrugged, not wanting to ruin the moment. "Just thinking how lucky I am to have you two as friends."

Jun grinned, throwing his arm around my shoulder. "We're the lucky ones! Right, Kimi?"

Haruki nodded, giving me that soft smile again. "We wouldn't be the same without you, Tatsuya."

And just like that, I was pulled back into their orbit, content for now to be the third wheel in their perfect little world.