Childhood Friend Heroine V1 Interlude

Interlude: A Certain Man’s Lament

I had been regretting it all along.

──Why on earth did I do such a thing that day?

──Why didn’t I chase after her that day?

Alone in a room where no one else remained, I was always regretting.

She was precious to me.

I had always, always wanted to protect her.

She was weak, fragile, and so ephemeral it felt as though she might disappear at any moment. I had resolved in my heart to stay by her side, always, so that she wouldn’t truly vanish.

But my indecisive self couldn’t bring myself to abandon her.

I couldn’t shake off the hand of that haggard underclassman who, just like her, seemed on the verge of disappearing at any moment.

Because of that, she was hurt and truly did disappear.

I tried everything—phone calls, messaging apps, emails—but nothing reached her.

Only the monotonous beeping of a disconnected line remained.

Just as I was falling into the depths of despair, time suddenly rewound to my high school days.

All the way back to the entrance ceremony, when I first met her.

Time had turned back.

A miracle had occurred.

It was as if God himself was telling me, “This time, don’t make her sad.”

I had resolved to make her happy this time, and yet…

What in the world am I doing right now?

On the way home, I found myself thinking such thoughts as I glanced at my childhood friend walking beside me.

Her expression, which had been clouded with pain only moments before, had completely transformed.

She looked genuinely happy that her favorite keychain had been found.

That was a good thing.

It was a very good thing that my childhood friend looked happy.

But the problem was that the one smiling wasn’t her, but my childhood friend.

Even though I had sworn to make her happy this time, I ended up helping an acquaintance in need, just as I had in my first life.

I knew how to solve the problem.

And knowing that, I simply couldn’t bring myself to ignore it.

I wanted only one person’s happiness, yet I couldn’t turn a blind eye when others were suffering.

I hated, hated, absolutely hated that part of myself.

Please, let that day come soon.

And so, I wished.

For the day when I would finally become involved with her.

Because then, this time, I would surely be able to choose her.

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