The cosy café, Mokachino, buzzed with the chatter of patrons enjoying their meals. Sakamoto carefully placed a plastic-wrapped hamburger with fries and a tall soft drink on an unoccupied table by the window. As he settled into his seat, Hasegawa arrived, carrying a similar tray adorned with an additional set of tempura nuggets and fried chicken. Though they were almost the same height, their hairstyles, and school uniforms seemed to create a contrast that influenced how others perceived them.
For Sakamoto, it was a usual occurrence, and he couldn't deny that Hasegawa naturally stood out more.
A group of girls at nearby tables couldn't tear their eyes away from the tall, good-looking young man with brunette hair, treating him like an international idol. Some whispered to each other, discreetly squealing with excitement, and even sneaked out their phones to capture pictures of him.
"Since you broke up with Miura-san, you're becoming more popular," Sakamoto grinned.
"Do you think so?" Hasegawa chuckled, busy unwrapping the hamburger he had purchased.
He paused midway to offer some tempura nuggets to Sakamoto, who sat across from him.
"I've heard you're quite the heartthrob at Mokachino, huh?" Hasegawa said when Sakamoto accepted a nugget. "I told you that working there would make you popular."
As Sakamoto was about to take a bite of the nugget, he looked at Hasegawa with a curious expression.
"By the way, is the Morikita-senpai you always mention working at Mokachino?'' he asked.
"Uh-huh," Hasegawa nodded with a grin.
Sakamoto shook his head, sharing his thoughts, "I don't get it, man. How can you have a crush on him? He treated me like I was his dog, you know."
"Haha, your opinion doesn't matter. And now that you're working there, I have more reason to visit frequently."
Finding his response amusing, Hasegawa expected Sakamoto to laugh as well. However, the latter's face instantly turned gloomy. Though he took a bite of the nugget, he chewed it slowly, resembling a lonely, toothless old man.
Hasegawa couldn't help but notice Sakamoto's evident change in mood, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Eh? Uh... It's nothing..."
Sakamoto hesitated to speak his mind, trying to avoid Hasegawa's gaze as he unwrapped his hamburger. But the longer he tried to evade those eyes, the more intrigued Hasegawa became.
Hence, Hasegawa took a guess, resting his chin on one of his hands. "Is it something about Furuta-kun?"
Bingo! Sakamoto immediately focused his gaze on Hasegawa, who smirked slightly and let out a light sigh.
"Hah, I knew it. You've got no other problem but him," Hasegawa said as he reached for his soft drink. "So, what is it? I thought everything was fine between you two. He even visits you at your workplace often, right?"
Although hesitant, Sakamoto felt compelled to share the thoughts that had been lingering in his mind all this time.
So, he admitted, "I don't think Yuuji came to Mokachino because of me..."
YOU ARE READING
Tiny Memory
Short StoryAfter learning about Kaoru's death, Kenji can't stop blaming himself. He had never failed to visit Kaoru's grave for years, until one day, he came across Yuuji, whom he believed Kaoru's younger brother. Although initially, he just wanted to be Kaor...
