How long has it been since I met Kota? I think it might have been 14 years already. I'm not really sure. But what I do remember are the times that we spent together playing as kids. All three of us, Kota, Daichi, and me. We would go to the forest and play all day long. It feels nostalgic just thinking about it.

But it was all thanks to Kota that I enjoyed my childhood. Since elementary, I never really had any friends. I just hid away in the corner, isolating myself from other people. Well, it's not that people didn't want to talk to me. In fact, it was the opposite. I was the one who turned down people who approached me. But Kota was different. He kept trying to speak to me, no matter how much I ignored or harassed him. Kota would come to me and casually tell me stories. It continued on for an entire year. I don't get why he wouldn't leave me be.

But slowly, without my realization, my approach towards people changed. And before I knew it, I began talking to Kota, then to the others. But aside from that, there was something else bothering me. There was an odd feeling inside of me. I couldn't discern what it was, but it was my first time experiencing it. It was only until middle school that I understood what I was feeling. It was love.

Ever since I realized it, I became conscious of what I wear, and I wanted to impress Kota. I tried to do everything to at least make him like me back. But I was too late Rina already took his heart. Every time we played together, he would always praise Rina and sometimes boasted about her achievements. I didn't have any bad feelings for Rina, but I avoided her as much as possible.

But one day, she left the village. When I heard about it, deep inside of me, I felt happy. But when I came to check on Kota, guilt started to take over me. The lively Kota became silent. The Kota that I love was heartbroken. I was glad to know that I didn't have a rival, but at the cost of Kota's cheerfulness.

After the day that Rina left, Kota stayed silent. His expression blooming with excitement vanished from his face. I didn't know what to do, but Daichi and stayed by his side. It took an entire month for him to recover, but a part of him still misses Rina.

It pains me to see that the person I love is in love with someone else, but I've come to accept it this past few weeks. I figured I should keep my love for him locked up inside me. It's okay that I won't be with Kota. I only wish for his happiness. If he does end up with Rina sometime in the future, I won't object as long as it makes him contented. I'm okay with that...

One day, Kota suddenly told us that he plans to go to a high-ranking school in Tokyo. In hopes that he will meet Rina again. At first, Daichi and I thought he was joking, but he was actually serious about it. Kota began to immerse himself in studying. And since then, he got high marks on his tests and even became the top student in school.

Daichi and I felt like we were left out, so we also studied alongside him. We didn't want him to be the only one to go alone to Tokyo. After that, there really wasn't much going on since we only focused on our studies.

When we graduated high school, we got the recommendation to Waseda University in Tokyo. I felt relieved that all three of us could go there, and I was also excited to see what the rest of Japan is like since we never left the village, so I was a bit curious.

The next obstacle was our accommodation. Of course, as students who just graduated high school, we didn't have any money, but thankfully our parents gave us enough money to live off for at least half a year, so we'll need to look for part-time jobs to get us through the entirety of college.

So then, we went on to go to Tokyo. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect, but I'm pretty sure it would be a fascinating experience. But don't get me wrong. I didn't go to Tokyo to be with Kota. I also had a goal in mind when I decided to go there, same with Daichi. We all have our own reasons why we wanted to go there.

After a few hours, we finally arrived in Tokyo. We were overwhelmed. In comparison to our small village in the countryside, Tokyo is at a whole new level. There were buildings as high as the sky, people all over the place, cars everywhere, this is too big of a difference!

We wandered from one place to another, trying to find a place to stay. It wasn't easy, especially since we were not familiar with Tokyo. We were exhausted both mentally and physically. We didn't care how much it would cost. As long as we got a place to rest, we were okay with that. Then finally, we found an apartment, and coincidentally it was only a few minutes away from the university.

After we paid everything for the apartment, we immediately went in to take a break. If finding an apartment was this exhausting, then what about classes? Tomorrow is our first day at university. We need to take a good night's rest.

We woke up the morning after. We did get a decent amount of sleep, but in exchange, we were almost late. As we entered the school grounds, I saw Kota staring at something. I was curious, so I also tried to look, and I was surprised! I couldn't believe my eyes! It was Rina!

With this encounter with Rina, could I say that Kota and Rina were fated to be together? It's been six years since then, but it seems that Kota still loves her, just by looking at his expression as he looks at Rina. Honestly, I'm envious of Rina because Kota actually kept his promise of meeting Rina again. But it's also the same for me. I still love Kota, but it has come this far, so I don't have the right to confess to Kota. All I can do now is stay by his side and support him.

But now, it looks like there's a problem. Daichi is sleeping on the bed. Meanwhile, Kota has a troubled expression on his face.

"Kota, tell me what happened. It's something about Rina, isn't it?"

[AT: Chapter 12, finally, I finished it. Sorry for the wait everyone. So, the chapter for today is dedicated to Chiaki and her past with our main character Kota. https://discord.gg/7E75M6CfkJ consider joining my discord.]