The third wheel

The Question

It was a rainy afternoon, the kind of day that made everything feel a bit more melancholic. The three of us were huddled under the awning of a small café, waiting for the downpour to ease up. Jun was in his usual high spirits, bouncing on the balls of his feet despite the rain. Haruki stood beside him, calm and collected, his hand resting gently on Jun's shoulder to keep him grounded.

As for me, I leaned against the wall, staring at the puddles forming on the street, lost in my own thoughts. The rain had a way of bringing out the introspective side of me, making me think about things I usually tried to ignore.

"Tatsuya, you're spacing out again!" Jun's voice broke through my thoughts, a hint of amusement in his tone. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

I shrugged, trying to play it off. "Just thinking about how long this rain is going to last."

Haruki's eyes flickered over to me, sensing that there was more on my mind than just the weather. He didn't say anything, though, just offered me a small smile of understanding.

Jun, on the other hand, wasn't so easily convinced. "Come on, out with it! You've been acting weird lately. Something bothering you?"

I hesitated, unsure of how to put my feelings into words. It wasn't like I could just tell them that being the third wheel was starting to weigh on me. But before I could come up with a suitable excuse, Jun surprised me by grabbing both my shoulders and looking me straight in the eyes.

"Tatsuya, are you lonely?" he asked, his voice uncharacteristically serious. His usual playfulness was gone, replaced by a sincerity that caught me off guard.

I blinked, not expecting the question. "What? No, of course not."

But Jun didn't let it go. "You've been different ever since Haruki and I got together. I just... I don't want you to feel left out, you know?"

Haruki nodded in agreement, his hand moving from Jun's shoulder to my arm. "We care about you, Tatsuya. You're our friend, and we don't want you to feel like you're on the outside."

The rain continued to pour around us, the sound of it almost drowning out my thoughts. I hadn't realized how transparent I'd been, how obvious my feelings had become to the two people I was trying to hide them from.

"I'm fine," I said, though my voice wavered slightly. "Really. I'm happy for you guys."

Jun's grip on my shoulders tightened, and he pulled me into a hug, catching me completely off guard. "You don't have to pretend with us," he murmured into my ear. "We're your friends. We're here for you, no matter what."

For a moment, I stood there, frozen, unsure of what to do. But then I relaxed into the embrace, letting out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. It was awkward, standing there in the rain, sandwiched between Jun and Haruki, but somehow it also felt right. Like maybe, just maybe, I wasn't as alone as I thought.

Haruki placed a hand on my back, his touch warm and reassuring. "If there's anything you need to talk about, we're here to listen," he said softly.

I pulled back from the hug, wiping at my eyes quickly before they could see any tears. "Thanks, guys. I mean it. You two are... you're the best."

Jun grinned, his usual energy returning as he threw an arm around each of our shoulders. "Of course we are! We're the dream team, remember?"

Haruki chuckled, nodding in agreement. "And we're not going anywhere, Tatsuya. We've got your back."

As we stood there, huddled together against the rain, I felt a warmth spread through my chest. Maybe being the third wheel wasn't so bad after all—not when I had friends like Jun and Haruki who cared about me. The rain didn't seem so heavy anymore, and for the first time in a while, I felt like everything was going to be okay.

"Alright," Jun said, breaking the silence. "Enough of this mushy stuff. Let's go get some ramen! My treat!"

I laughed, the tension in my chest easing up. "You're on."

And just like that, the three of us dashed out into the rain, racing toward the nearest ramen shop, our laughter echoing through the empty streets. For now, the storm had passed, and I was content to just be in their orbit, even if it meant being the third wheel.