Chapter 1: I obtained the power to take away my childhood friend

I obtained the power to take away my childhood friend

From the window of the tourist bus, I absentmindedly gazed outside.

Under the sweltering heat, the historical streetscape appeared to shimmer in the heatwaves.

Today is the first day of our high school field trip.

My classmates are completely ignoring the tour guide’s instructions and are busy chatting and making noise.

They’re probably talking about love or something closely related.

As someone who is distant from romantic matters, it’s a topic that doesn’t concern me.

Suddenly, someone took the seat next to me.

“Hey there, what are you up to, Boyan?”

“Aya. Oh… just looking outside.”

“Outside?”

A tuft of brown hair appeared in my line of sight. A bit leaning over to my side, she was looking out of the window.

Her white short-sleeved blouse was dazzling.

“There’s nothing out there.”

Saying that, Aya turned towards me.

“Ugh…”

Seeing Aya’s cuteness from such a close distance, I couldn’t help but let out a weird sound.

This work is hosted on mananovel.com

Nanto Aya.

A classmate with distinctive short brown hair.

And she’s been my childhood friend since elementary school.

Aya’s boyish appearance matches her bright and refreshing personality, making her popular among both boys and girls.

Yet, her face is well-proportioned.

Relatively youthful and now without makeup, she remains in the realm of ‘charming cuteness’, but with a little makeup, she could easily transform into a ‘beauty’.

“Hey, Boyan, what’s with the ‘ugh’ and ‘ugh’?”

Aya casually tapped my shoulder and even her slightly pouting expression was cute.

This friendly disposition, something she shows to anyone, is one of Aya’s many charms.

Well, as far as physical contact goes, there’s only me, her childhood friend and maybe one more guy who gets this much attention. Thanks for reading on ManaNovel!

“Oh, sorry… whoops.”

“Whoa!”

The tour bus suddenly braked, causing Aya to lean against me.

Apparently, a deer, one of the tourist attractions, had wandered onto the road. The driver was explaining as such.

“Aya, are you alright?”

“Mmm, sorry, Boyan.”

Aya moved away from me.

An unbelievably soft sensation was leaving me.

The top button of her blouse was undone and I could almost catch a glimpse of what was beneath from there.

I quickly averted my gaze.

In our class, some boys had once whispered to each other, “She’s got at least a D… no, E.” Referring to Aya’s bust size.

One of Aya’s many charms.

“Sitting back in your seat soon? Tokita might be worried, you know?”

“Oh… well, today, we’re not sitting together.”

Aya looked somewhat awkward.

“Oh, really?”

As someone who’s not knowledgeable about romantic matters, I couldn’t decipher the meaning behind that expression.

So, all I could do was provide a nonchalant response.

“Yeah… Well then, see you later, Boyan.”

With a somewhat melancholic look, Aya returned to her seat.

The guys in the class were all watching her back with their eyes.

Aya has always been the second cutest girl in our class.

Even as we entered middle school and entered an age when male-female relations tend to become distant, Aya continued to interact with the guys just like she did with the girls.

She had the habit of giving everyone her own nickname. She’d call boys and girls alike by the names she came up with.

It could easily have come off as weird, but there was no hint of pretentiousness or calculation in her actions, making her an unusually appealing individual.

By the way, my nickname ‘Boyan’ was given to me by Aya because ‘you’re always in a daze’. Eventually, it accumulated more attributes like ‘you’re tall and in a daze’ and ‘you look wise like a monk’, and now the entire class calls me Boyan.

So, that’s the story. Aya’s friendly approach to everyone attracted most guys in the class.

Now, why she’s only the second cutest girl in the class…

“Hey, Boyan, what were you talking to Aya about just now?”

A cheerful guy with a sporty haircut took the seat next to me.

It’s Aya’s boyfriend, Tokita.

The one guy Aya doesn’t use a nickname for.

“Oh, nothing… She just asked what I was doing.”

“And what did you say?”

“I was just looking outside.”

“Haha, you’re still the same old Boyan, huh? So typical…”

I had no clue what was so amusing, but Tokita laughed like he was making fun of me.

“Why aren’t you sitting next to Aya?”

“Ah… well, Boyan, I’ll tell you this ’cause we’re friends. Things haven’t been going well between us lately.”

“Oh…”

“Come on, show some interest!”

Smirking and laughing, Tokita threw a friendly jab.

His light-hearted nature can be seen as both shallow and refreshing.

He’s a perfect match for Aya with her friendly and approachable personality.

In our second year of middle school, Tokita, who was in the same class, confessed to Aya.

Even after being turned down multiple times, he kept trying and on the third attempt, Aya finally nodded in agreement.

At that time, Aya consulted me, her childhood friend, about various things related to this. However, being unfamiliar with matters of love, I could only provide vague responses.

Aya and Tokita have had their fair share of fights and makeups and they continue to maintain a close relationship. They became a famous couple during middle school and have maintained their reputation as a well-known couple even after entering the same high school.

This is the reason why Aya is said to be the second cutest girl in the class.

Everyone can’t openly confess their feelings for Aya, who has a boyfriend. Therefore, they put up a defense by saying things like, “Sure, Aya is cute, but I prefer another girl.”

But for me…

Since elementary school, she’s always been the cutest girl in the class.

---

In front of the famous Buddha statue at the tourist spot, I was sitting alone, lost in thought.

Although we were supposed to be in groups, I secretly slipped away because I wanted to be alone.

“Sigh…”

An inexplicable emotion turned into a sigh.

Since a while ago, what keeps coming to mind is the soft touch and sweet scent of Aya from the bus.

“This isn’t good.”

I slapped both my cheeks, trying to dispel my desires.

Although my family dosn’t actually own a temple, I’ve somehow started to adopt a monk-like mentality due to being called ‘Boyan’ for so long.

“Boyan?”

A voice as soft as a cat’s tickling my ear.

When I turned around, Aya was standing there.

She seemed a bit lost, gazing in my direction.

“Aya… are you also alone?”

“Yeah, well… kinda.”

Aya, who is fundamentally serious, rarely ditches group activities like this.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“Um, you see… Boyan, could you listen to me for a moment?”

-----

Aya and I were in a secluded spot behind the Buddha statue.

The two of us were sitting side by side on a bench.

“So, what’s the matter? Did something happen with Tokita?”

“Huh, you figured it out…?”

It was a question that emerged because I had heard from Tokita beforehand that things weren’t going well between them.

If I had my usual insensitive self, I wouldn’t have noticed at all.

Indeed, Aya looked surprised, perhaps she didn’t expect me to notice either.

Eventually, her long eyelashes lowered gently.

“You see… recently, Tokita has been… how should I put it, forceful.”

“Forceful?”

“Yeah… like, he’s been, you know, asking for intimate things.”

“…”

I fell into silence.

For some reason, my brain wasn’t working properly. My emotions were scattered and my head was spinning.

Perhaps sensing a strange sense of relief in my silence, Aya continued, “I’m telling you this because you’re Boyan” and started to reveal the raw details of their relationship.

According to her, during middle school, she was too embarrassed even to hold hands while on a date.

Yeah, I’ve heard this from Aya before.

According to her, after entering high school, under Tokita’s persistent requests, they started lightly kissing and hugging.

This was news to me.

According to her, recently, when they hug, he’s been holding her tighter and after a kiss, he demands a more intense one.

“…”

There’s just too much information and it’s too intense. My brain is on the verge of overloading.

And for some reason, my chest is achingly tight.

I don’t know why, but I’m unreasonably angry.

“…Does Aya dislike that…?”

With some effort, I managed to ask.

“I don’t know… Of course, I don’t hate Tokita, but the way he’s been acting lately is a bit… scary.”

“Is that so?”

Aya surprisingly has a naive personality.

She’s comfortable interacting with guys as friends, but as soon as she’s seen as a romantic interest or treated as a woman, she becomes as nervous as a boiled octopus.

Even when Tokita confessed to her for the first time, she turned bright red, fidgeted with both hands and eventually fled the scene.

When he confessed to her the second time, she sounded like a broken radio, stammering “I-it’s impossible, impossible, impossible.”

So, when she nodded silently the third time he confessed, I was truly flabbergasted.

Seeing that I couldn’t manage to say anything beyond “Is that so?” Aya suddenly started to apologize.

“Sorry! I guess it’s kinda awkward to talk to you about this out of nowhere.”

“Oh, no, yeah…”

“Yeah, sorry, sorry. But talking to Boyan made me feel better. Thanks!”

Even though that’s probably not the case at all, Aya said this with a smile.

She appears to come into people’s lives without reservation, but in reality, she’s sensitive and self-conscious about people’s feelings.

This is one of Aya’s charms that only I know about.

Since I fell silent again, Aya changed the subject with an anxious expression.

“By the way, Boyan, do you have anyone you’re interested in or something?”

Someone I’m interested in?

Apart from Aya… there isn’t anyone in particular.

“Well, you know, I don’t really understand that stuff… And, I can’t really imagine myself dating anyone or…”

“What a waste!”

“Huh?”

Suddenly, Aya raised her voice so loudly that I was startled too.

Without minding me, Aya closed the distance between us.

Her large double-lidded eyes were staring intently at me.

“It’s such a waste, Boyan!”

“Um, what do you mean?”

To my confusion, Aya clenched her fist and asserted.

“Boyan, you’d be so much more attractive if you were more assertive!”

Attractive… me?

Me, who’s been nicknamed things like ‘Anpanman’ because I’m unlikely to get into any awkward situations even when I’m alone with girls?

“Everyone just doesn’t see how great you are, Boyan!”

For some reason, tears welled up in Aya’s eyes.

She… she knows how great I am?

For some reason, at that moment, my heart skipped a beat.

Gradually, a feeling resembling joy began to fill my body.

I replied to Aya as if clinging to something.

“Yeah, maybe.”

I could feel my cheeks turning red even on my own.

What’s going on here?

Why am I feeling so happy?

“Yeah, that’s right. That’s why if Boyan ever likes someone, I’ll totally support you!”

I felt like I had been hit on the head with a hammer.

My euphoria vanished and I was suddenly plunged into a sensation akin to falling into an abyss.

After that, I think I exchanged a few words with Aya.

I believe I watched her departing figure saying, “I’ll head back to the group.”

Before I knew it, I found myself gazing up at the Great Buddha statue, lost in thought.

I realized it.

Realized how late I was in recognizing my own feelings.

That I had been keeping my feelings for Aya locked away.

Once I realized, I was astonished by how much I had fallen for Aya all these years.

And yet, even though I had finally realized it, I knew it was too late.

Despite all that.

Right now, I’m burning with love for Aya.

I want her so badly, desperately, unbearably.

I prayed earnestly to the Great Buddha.

“Just give me Aya, no matter what…!”

‘—Your wish shall be granted.’

I felt like I heard someone’s voice and opened my eyes.

Before I knew it, a pitch-black darkness had spread.

And then, another voice echoed.

‘—Your wish has been granted.’

My vision returned in an instant.

Before me sat a benevolent-looking Great Buddha.

Hallucination, auditory illusion?

No, that’s not it.

What I just heard was probably the voice of some kind of godly being.

For some reason, I’m convinced of that.

The godly being said, “Your wish has been granted.”

But in reality, nothing has changed in the world.

Aya didn’t suddenly fall in love with me, or anything like that.

For some reason, I know that too.

However, I’ve changed.

It’s as if a surge of vitality is overflowing endlessly.

I feel like I can do anything in this state.

No matter what I do, no one can obstruct me.

I’m absolutely certain I can make Aya mine.

Such conviction was brimming within me.