The Cheer Squad for Their Romance

That was the first time in my life someone had confided a secret to me.

I’m sure it was spring of my first year at university. We were waiting for the train on the station platform after going out with Yui.
I happened to get invited to a mixer by another friend, and it occurred to me that Yui didn’t have a boyfriend either.

Thinking I might as well ask her, I casually said, “I’ve been invited to a mixer. Fancy coming?”
　Then Yui turned to me and said, quite matter-of-factly:

“I’ll go if there are cute girls there.”

I probably blurted out, “What on earth?” without thinking. I mean, it’s a mixer – why girls? Staring blankly, unable to grasp the meaning, Yui smiled, looked me straight in the eye, and said:

“I like girls, you know.”

　Huh? I remember letting out a completely absurd sound. I mean, what could I do? I’d only just moved to Tokyo from a snowy backwater in Tohoku. I’d only ever seen or heard about such things on television.

I couldn’t think of anything clever to say. All I could manage was a stunned, “No way…”

　Then, the train arrived promptly, and we boarded as if nothing had happened. Yui and I continued our trivial chatter until we parted at the station nearest my flat.

Afterwards, I rushed frantically to a nearby second-hand bookshop and bought so many books about homosexuality that my palm nearly tore from clutching the shopping bag.

　I remember feeling slightly awkward when I took the books to the till and the male shop assistant stared at me appraisingly.
At the same time, I was a little concerned that when Yui had told me about her sexuality, I might have reacted in a similar way to this shop assistant and hurt her.

　I felt I couldn’t afford to remain ignorant. I needed to reset my values and acquire proper knowledge. To do that, I had to gain information from multiple angles, avoiding bias at all costs. Specialist texts, essays, novels – I wanted information from anywhere. Reading just one book wouldn’t suffice. That’s what I thought.

I’ve always been rather good at studying. Don’t underestimate the diligence of Akita natives. Compared to exam preparation, this was nothing.
Forgetting to eat dinner, I pored over the books I’d bought until the sun rose that day.

　Whether it was due to her striking looks or not, Yui had been incredibly popular since her first year. Seeing her made me realise that the sentence in one of the books I read that day – “Approximately 8% of the population are sexual minorities” – was absolutely correct.
In fact, intuitively, it felt like the number was even higher.

After all, if there were ten girls, one of them would definitely fall for Yui.

　This was probably largely due to Yui’s appearance.
She was that kind of woman, possessing that charm. Moreover, while she was certainly attracted to pretty faces, she didn’t particularly fixate on any specific type of girl. The girls she was seen with were older, the same age, or younger.
Put simply, a pretty face was enough. The girls who approached her knowing she was a lesbian didn’t seem to expect anything more.

　I don’t understand the feeling of liking women. If 8% are sexual minorities, then I was one of the 92%. Yui was incredibly perceptive, so she seemed to see right through me from the start, knowing I wasn’t interested. She never once looked at me that way.

It’s undeniable that it could simply have been that my appearance wasn’t to her taste… Well, it doesn’t really matter.

Yui and I hit it off from the moment we first met. I was certain we could become best friends instantly, and that hunch proved right. Even in our second year, then third, I remained by Yui’s side.

Seeing Yui repeatedly chasing women night after night seemed hollow. It felt like she was trying to fill some invisible void. I’d scolded her about her behaviour countless times. “Don’t blame me if you get stabbed one day,” I’d say. Each time, Yui would laugh it off.

　Somehow, I sensed there was something untouchable there, so I never pressed the matter further.

The change in Yui began just before the summer of our third year at university. Looking back, it coincided precisely with the period when that girl she’d started sharing a flat with in spring ran away from home.

Yui’s tastes, which I’d always thought were just superficial, changed completely.

Until now, aside from the common trait of having pretty faces, the girls Yui played with had been a mixed bunch. But that had visibly changed.

Long chestnut hair. Round, wide-set eyes. Fluffy-looking clothes and sweet-faced features. And the clincher: they were all younger than her. Each girl gave off a faint sense of déjà vu.

　If you were to list the common traits among the girls Yui now favoured, those characteristics led back to just one girl.

—The obvious one.

No matter which girl you picked, there was something about her that resembled that girl. Silly girl. No matter how much she held girls who resembled her, it would all be hollow unless it was the real thing.

Probably, definitely, by this point, Yui was in love with that girl. She never said it aloud, but having watched her all this time, I could tell from her behaviour. No matter how you looked at it, Yui liked that girl.

She should just stop messing about with these insignificant girls and go out with her. Is there really no chance at all?

Thinking that, I went to the café where that girl worked and asked. She did say her romantic interest was in men, but it didn’t seem like Yui was completely without hope.

　Or rather, it seemed like she could make it work if she pushed harder. I couldn’t understand why Yui, who could charm a woman as easily as twisting a baby’s arm, was hesitating so much.

Just get together already. Stop messing around with women and have a proper relationship.
I don’t know what she’s agonising over, but this is her chance to become a decent person.

　At this point, I resolved to support their romance wholeheartedly.

Then came summer, autumn, and Yui’s womanising visibly dwindled. By winter, it had ceased entirely.

I learnt that Yui, that notorious womaniser, had fallen so deeply for that girl she could no longer embrace anyone else.

It seemed no other girl could even serve as a substitute.

　I remember feeling genuinely happy when I saw that single diamond necklace, which had always adorned Yui’s neck, gone, its sparkle now transferred to that girl’s chest instead.

Despite conveying her feelings so clearly, Yui stubbornly refused to commit. She really was a stubborn one. Watching from the sidelines, I thought she was just strangling himself.

As their cheerleader, I reckon I’ve been quite active this past year. Fuming over how their relationship just wouldn’t progress as I’d hoped, on New Year’s Day I decided to be a bit mean to Yui.

I deliberately took that girl’s hand and snatched her away, and sure enough, she looked jealous like a child – it was absolutely hilarious.
See? If you want to keep this girl all to yourself, you really must tell her properly. That’s what I wanted to tell Yui.

All winter long, Yui wore the scarf she’d apparently received from that girl. I’d never seen her like this before. I’d always thought she was just a womaniser who never fell for anyone, but apparently, falling in love changes people this much.

It was heartwarming. Precisely why I kept thinking, over and over, that they should just get together already.

　Despite always seeming so carefree, when it came to this girl, she just couldn’t manage it. The second spring arrived, and their relationship shifted dramatically.

That day became the turning point in their romance.

She called me in a panic, and I wondered what on earth was wrong. The first thing Yui said, her voice trembling, was, “Ritsu, help me. Please.”
I knew immediately something had happened. In the middle of the after-party, I slammed down payment for one person’s drinks on the table, apologised to Yuri, and rushed out of the bar.

What Yui told me then was a parade of words that seemed utterly unreal.

I’d never known she had an fiancé. Simply put, the fact she’d been hiding was discovered by that girl.
　And the hurt girl had run away, and Yui hadn’t been able to chase after her.

“Are you bloody stupid?” I snapped at Yui. I was so stunned I couldn’t even speak. I know you genuinely like that girl. I know you can’t love a man.

All of Yui’s actions up until now finally clicked into place for me. I see. So that’s why she said she wouldn’t get a girlfriend. That’s what it meant.

　It wasn’t like Yui. You could have handled it better, I thought, swallowing the words that rose to my throat.

She was in love. Truly, deeply in love, to the point of losing herself. And so I found myself wanting to support her, this Yui.

Certainly, the usual Yui would have handled it better. If it hadn’t been that girl.

What Yui did was unforgivable. But I’ve watched her for three years. I know how serious she is. So in the end, I find myself siding with Yui. Because she’s my friend.

Back then, I told that girl, “You should decide for yourself,” but deep down, I hoped she’d choose to stay by Yui’s side.
　But the next day, seeing that look on her face, like a spell had been broken, I knew for certain Yui’s heart had been broken.

You fell for the wrong person, didn’t you?

She was far too sincere. And because they both cared for each other, wanting to avoid hurting one another, they decided it wasn’t right for them to walk this thorny path together. That’s the whole story of how this love ended.

　I wanted to be there for her. Even after that girl was gone, Yui’s life would go on. No matter how painful it was, she had to keep walking forward.
She couldn’t stay stuck forever, so I wanted to do everything I possibly could for Yui, as a friend.

Then, one night after that girl had left, several nights later. A simple message arrived, typical of Yui: “I’m at the usual bar. Come over.” When I showed up as requested, I spotted her slumped over the bar, apparently drowning her sorrows, and sighed.

Oh dear, she’s a wreck. That’s why I told her to chase after her.

I patted her back and asked, “Are you alright?” Yui, her cheek pressed against the bar, replied through tear-filled eyes, “Does it look like I am?”

“Not at all.”

I said it with a laugh, and Yui scowled. Goodness, how much had she had? Her face, usually so resistant to alcohol, was flushed red.

“…If that’s how you feel, you could be a bit kinder.”

“I thought I was being kind enough? Well then, shall I introduce you to some lovely girls? Shall I call a few over now?”

I asked just to see, but predictably, Yui shook her head left and right. Yeah, she’s not in the mood for that right now, is she?

“Cheer up, I’ll keep you company until morning.”

Saying that, I stroked Yui’s shoulder. Already thoroughly drunk, she hung her head and gave a small nod.

　As someone who’d supported their romance, I was disappointed it ended so bitterly. But honestly, that girl’s probably crying alone right now. Compared to that, you’re still better off. Because I’m here with you now.

Until you recover, I’ll be kind to you.

Of course, once you’ve recovered, I’ll make you repay this favour.