While I Was Giving Love Advice to My Best Friend, the School's Most Beautiful Girl Somehow Became the Closest Person to Me-Volume 1 Epilogue

Chapter 10: Epilogue

A little time had passed since Hirasawa Reo and Otsuki Shizuku became a couple.

The fact that Hirasawa Reo, the most popular person at school, had gotten a girlfriend was quite the talk of the school. And for good reason. Reo had been turning down confessions from girls left and right, to the point where people thought he liked men and his childhood friend who was a guy was his love.

Otsuki-san’s reputation also rose. She had been overshadowed by the strong presence of Asahina-san, but being chosen by Reo cast a significant light on her. She was already pretty, one of the top two or three in our class in terms of looks, but by the time everyone noticed, it was too late.

She’s good-looking, kind, serious, a great cook, friends with Asahina Alisa, and always takes on the chores, so she’s highly regarded by the Sensei. I often heard boys saying they should have approached her sooner.

Reo now spends his lunch breaks and after school with Otsuki-san. They’ve become the school’s famously lovey-dovey couple, always seen together.

It’s funny, Otsuki-san used to have a crush on Asahina-san’s Onii-san until not too long ago, but now she’s completely attached to Reo. There were various stories from the fan club, but with Reo and Asahina-san by her side, there was nothing they could do…

The gals in the same class who had been in love with Reo are still friendly and maintain the same interactions as before.

Reo now has a girlfriend and is thriving in both academics and sports.

Otsuki-san has the ideal boyfriend and is diligently caring for her hobbies.

Asahina-san continues to draw people in with her charisma, always surrounded by others.

And then… I became the only one who was alone.

The popular crowd that used to gather around Reo never saw me as more than a classmate, so our interactions completely ceased. This must be what it feels like to be a truly invisible boy.

So now, even during breaks, lunch, and after school, I’m alone. I knew it, though. I did everything for my best friend, and in the end, my best friend’s lover took him away, and it was inevitable that I would be alone.

The words I exchanged with Otsuki-san during our argument have come back to haunt me.

Today, I can’t bring myself to go to the cafeteria during lunch, so I eat the lunch I made by myself.

Will my life from now on always be solitary?

Being alone is lonely. That’s what I was thinking when…

“Hey… do you want to go to that place again? It’s been a while?”

Suddenly, Asahina Alisa spoke to me. Since Reo and Otsuki-san got together, my interactions with her had drastically decreased, and I had started to think that our connection was just a dream.

“I heard you’re off from club activities today… I’ll be waiting.”

Without waiting for my reply, Asahina-san walked away.

Could I be mistaken?

She seemed very nervous. She took a deep breath and held her chest after she had walked away.

The place she mentioned must surely be that cafe. The place where my relationship with her began.

What could she possibly want to talk about now?

◇◇◇

After school, I waited for a while as usual and entered the familiar cafe. The nice middle-aged master greeted me with a smile as always. And beyond where his gaze left off, Asahina-san was sitting at our usual spot while looking at her smartphone.

I started to feel nervous too. Until recently, we used to talk on the phone every night.

Let’s talk without any pretense.

“Asahina-san, sorry to keep you waiting.”

“K-Kogure-kun.”

The moment she caught sight of me, her cool and dignified demeanor suddenly crumbled, she became flustered, and her cheeks turned red.

I couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

“Don’t laugh.”

“I’m sorry. So… why did you call me here today?”

“…It’s been a while since we’ve done this. It’s been so long since we’ve talked like this. You haven’t approached me at all…”

Instead of answering my question, Asahina-san glared at me. But it’s not easy to just strike up a conversation with the most beautiful girl in school.

She is like a beacon of light… something I can’t even get close to without a reason.

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“It can’t be helped. My roles are over.”

Yes, from now on, we are just classmates. Nothing more, nothing less.

“I’ve been so bored lately. We’re the ones who brought those two together, but Shizuku has been glued to Hirasawa-kun, leaving me feeling incredibly lonely.”

Asahina-san felt the same way. But of course, she would. To me, Reo is what Otsuki-san is to Asahina-san. The same kind of relationship.

“Don’t you have lots of friends, Asahina-san? There are always people around you.”

That’s the charisma of the most popular girl in school. Even if she loses it, she can easily regain it.

“It’s different for me. Reo was all I had. Without Reo, I am… alone.”

“I feel the same. There’s no substitute for Shizuku. She’s my dearest and best friend. But, you know…”

Asahina-san looked at me with her straightforward gaze. Our eyes met, hers a round emerald green.

“I found the time I spent with you to be just as comfortable… Did you feel differently, Kogure-kun?”

It’s impossible that I felt nothing.

The days I spent with Asahina Alisa were really some of the most enjoyable I’ve ever had.

“What are we to each other? Tell me.”

Our relationship, Asahina Alisa and I.

First, we’re classmates. But just classmates don’t go to amusement parks together. And we wouldn’t have exchanged so many emails and phone calls just for the sake of our best friends’ relationship.

It’s not that simple.

“Friends… I guess?”

“That’s the my point. If it was just friendship, there would be others, right? You have people from the basketball club, and you mingle with Hirasawa-kun’s followers during classes. Am I the same to you?”

Honestly, the line between friends and acquaintances might be blurry. I’ve gone out with them a few times. But I’ve never been to their homes.

However, it’s different with Asahina-san.

I’ve been to her house, cooked meals, supported her when she was sick, and helped mend her relationship with Otsuki-san.

I’ve planned strategies to get Reo and Otsuki-san together, made bento, went to the amusement park with her, and even let her rest her head on my lap.

During the basketball games, she affirmed the complexes and wishes deep in my heart, telling me it was amazing.

To me, Asahina-san is…

“Hey… what kind of relationship do we have? Please, tell me with your own words, Ryouma!”

“…”

My best friend was gone, and I thought I could never be the same as before. But maybe I had gained something new… I just hadn’t realized it.

“Me and Asahina-san are… that’s right, ‘best friends’.”

“Yeah! Exactly, we’re really close friends. Just like Hirasawa-kun is to you and Shizuku is to me. Friends that I love just as much.”

Asahina-san’s smile was incredibly cute. I had been pretending not to notice that I had such a beautiful and kind best friend.

It was stupid of me… After all we’ve been through, it’s impossible for that to just disappear.

I wasn’t invisible. I had such a cute best friend by my side.

“Thank you for making me realize it, Asahina-san.”

“Tsk.”

Suddenly, Asahina-san turned moody and looked away. Even when I called her name again, she wouldn’t respond.

“Ryouma is Ryouma because… you’re Ryouma.”

“Why do you keep saying my name like that?”

Until now, Asahina-san had always called me by my last name. But now, she kept calling me by my first name. Maybe she wanted to be called this way.

“…Alisa.”

“っ!”

“It’s embarrassing to call a girl by her first name… What’s wrong!?”

Asahina… no, Alisa placed her hands on her cheeks, writhing as she shook her long hair.

Well, I also felt my face heat up when she said my name.

Alisa stood up and slowly looked into my eyes.

“Hey Ryouma… Can you call me by my name one more time?”

“…Alisa.”

“Ehehe.”

Her voice was incredibly sweet, and it was incredibly effective coming from Alisa.

I knew this, but it made me realize once again just how cute this girl was. However, Alisa and I were just best friends. We weren’t in a relationship like Reo and Otsuki-san.

Alisa smiled.

“Well, shall we order something?”

“Can’t you stop that too? Ryouma… your way of speaking changes when you’re with friends of the same sex and best friends, right? Our relationship isn’t like that anymore.”

Alisa’s words seemed to tear down the facade I had been upholding. I had decided to maintain this tone when speaking to girls, but… if we’re best friends, there’s certainly no need for barriers. I closed my mouth for a moment and then, just like when I talk to Reo, I addressed Alisa.

“Alisa, why don’t we eat some pancakes?”

“Yeah… Ryouma.”

Her smile was adorable, and it seemed to fill my loneliness instantly. After we both ordered pancakes, I decided to ask why she had called me out today.

“Ryouma, you probably know this, but until now, Shizuku has been taking care of me. She cooked every meal and was always there for me.”

I knew about that. Alisa, who was hopeless at household chores, had hired Otsuki-san, who lived next door, as a sort of housekeeper.

“She used to come seven days a week, but… that detestable Hirasawa Reo stole Shizuku away, and now she’s asking to cut it down to half.”

On days like today when there’s no club activity, those two are definitely out on a date.

“He NTR’d me! It’s so frustrating.”

“You didn’t even sleep with her in the first place.”

“I did sleep. We’ve slept in the same futon before.”

The sleeping I’m talking about is different.

“So, Ryouma, why don’t you take on a housekeeping part-time job instead of Shizuku?”

“Huh? You mean at your house, Alisa? That’s…”

“You don’t seem very enthusiastic about it?”

Alisa showed a worried expression. It was true that I wasn’t enthusiastic, but not because I disliked her or anything like that.

“It’s just… going to a girl’s house makes me a bit embarrassed.”

“What are you saying now? You barged in through the rain before.”

“That was because I had no choice!?”

“…Ryouma, you looked really cool back then.”

I still get restless sometimes when I remember that incident.

I was trying to act cool, breaking into a girl’s house and then lecturing her the next morning. I still regret doing that to some extent, even now. It turned out well in the end, but… there’s no doubt it might turn for the worse.

“Ever since Shizuku stopped coming, it’s been incredibly lonely being alone at night.”

“Ah…”

That’s right. Alisa is practically living alone, isn’t she? She had said that her parents are overseas, and her brother lives in a dormitory.

If Otsuki-san stopped coming, she would be all alone every night. My parents came home late or Hiyori was with me, so it’s completely different.

I shouldn’t think it’s the same. Even if she’s surrounded by many friends at school, being alone at night is very lonely. I hadn’t been able to understand that. Alisa and I are best friends, after all.

Alisa tapped something on her smartphone and then showed it to me.

“By the way, this is the hourly wage for the housekeeping job.”

I glanced at the screen and involuntarily leaned forward at the amount displayed.

“What? This amount, are you joking?”

Alisa smiled and whispered again.

“Ryouma, won’t you do the housekeeping job?”

“Understood!”

Do you know?

In this world, it all comes down to money. I was astounded by the extraordinary amount.

No wonder Otsuki-san didn’t quit and only cut it down to half. This amount of money is too big for a high school student.

◇◇◇

The housekeeping job starts today.

Since Otsuki-san won’t be coming, I have to make dinner for Alisa today. After leaving the cafe, we headed to Alisa’s house.

“I’m home~”

“S-sorry for intruding.”

After taking the bus, we quickly arrived at Alisa’s house. I’ve only been here once before, but it’s huge.

This house… must be worth well over a billion. Well, I don’t know much about house prices.

“Here, Ryouma, this is for you.”

“A card key?”

“The spare key for our house. It’s your copy.”

“A-ah, a spare key!?”

“It’s necessary for work.”

“…But is this really okay?”

“Yeah. After all, you’re my best friend, Ryouma. I’ve only given this to Shizuku and you, so please take good care of it.”

I never imagined I would get a spare key to this mansion… To think it would be handed over so easily. Well, I guess being trusted is something to be happy about.

“Make yourself at home.”

Alisa quickly left, perhaps to change clothes. I ended up waiting on the living room sofa. But what a spacious house. It’s like a mansion a celebrity would live in, seriously. I felt uncomfortable in its vastness.

And then, after several minutes.

“Late…”

Alisa hasn’t returned. Since my role is that of a housekeeper, it’s none of my business what the homeowner does, but still, she’s taking too long.

This is bad… I’m starting to need the bathroom. Surely she’ll let me use the toilet at least?

I stand up and start looking for it. That’s when I find myself in trouble.

There are too many rooms, and I can’t find the bathroom. I decide to open any nearby door.

In my haste to find a toilet, I somehow open the door to a room where there’s noise.

Inside, there is…

“Ah…”

There stood Alisa, drying her platinum blonde hair with a hairdryer while holding a bath towel.

Her body, which the small towel could not fully cover, caught my eye… I was so mesmerized by her beauty that my eyes met—hers, a striking emerald green.

Yeah, she’s definitely fresh out of the bath.

Alisa trembles then let out a loud scream.

“Kyaaaaaaa!”

“I-I’m so sorry!”

No wait, why is she taking a bath in the first place?

The shock of the scene left me too excited to calm down. I hurried back to the living room, out of breath, and kept glancing in the direction where Alisa had been.

After a little while, Alisa returned. It was incredibly awkward since I had peeped.

Alisa let out a deep breath.

“I usually only have Shizuku come over, so I didn’t lock the bathroom door… It was my fault.”

“No, I’m the one at fault for opening the door without thinking.”

“Let’s both be more careful from now on.”

“Yeah.”

Thanks to our mutual reflection, the atmosphere didn’t turn sour. Alisa sat down on the sofa next to me.

“Why were you taking a bath?”

“The last class today was physical education, right? I sweated quite a bit and it was bothering me.”

Summer was approaching, and it was common to sweat during PE. Honestly, I don’t mind such things, but…

“Ryouma, your face is red.”

She’s sitting so close that I can smell the scent of her bath! The fragrance of her shampoo is enough to turn my face beet red.

“Alisa, could you move away a bit?”

“No way.”

Instead, she moves closer!

Her platinum blonde hair sways gently, and her mischievous pose is outrageously cute. She probably doesn’t think much of it, but whatever she does comes off as appealing.

Face, don’t turn red. Stay calm, stay calm. But it might be impossible.

There was a reason.

“Alisa, your clothes… I can’t look at you.”

“Eh, it’s just casual wear. I always dress like this when I’m with Shizuku. You’re standing in for Shizuku, right?”

Fresh out of the bath, Alisa was wearing an off-shoulder shirt and a miniskirt that highlighted her thighs.

Moreover, her top was very low-cut, revealing a sexy look. Her alluring figure was too much for me, and I panicked.

This was too much to handle for an average high school boy. I had to avert my eyes.

“Hey! Look at me properly.”

Alisa clung to me tightly. It was different from when we played together at the amusement park.

This time, she clung to me consciously. The softness of her skin was directly conveyed to me. Her body heat from the bath seemed to make me flush as well.

“Alisa… why?”

“Because… Ryouma and I are best friends, aren’t we?”

When I slowly looked at her, I saw Alisa smiling with her face all red. Her cuteness made my face heat up once again.

“From now on, I’m going to be super spoiled with you, just like I was with Shizuku, so be prepared!”

I might fall for her charms in no time.

Hold on, reason!

I swore to myself not to be captivated by beautiful women anymore! It’s great that the most beautiful girl in school has become my friend, but it seems like it’s going to bring me new troubles…

◇◇◇

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been back in this town.”

A girl with long black hair muttered happily.

Holding a travel suitcase, she was greeted by Kogure Ryouma’s family.

The girl chatted nostalgically and also talked with Ryouma’s sister, who wasn’t around back then.

She looked around for her childhood friend but he seemed to be absent.

“I can’t wait to see you.”

The girl placed her hands over her heart.

“Reo doesn’t matter, but you… I’ve spent ten years cherishing the memories I have with you, Ryouma.”