Why wasn't I the one who got the male lead's script?

Futaba, who had just been bluffing with anger, froze completely after hearing these words.

Her expression seemed frozen, and it took a long time for her to come back to her senses.

“………Heh, is that so…”

However, she did not indulge in the joy of having her feelings discovered by her loved one - instead, she showed a somewhat self-deprecating and sad smile.

"...Yeah, after traveling through time...it's not surprising that you know this kind of thing."

“…So it’s true?”

"Don't you already know everything? What's the point of asking me this question now?"

"Because I want to hear it from Futaba herself."

"...Why can't you just play dumb about this kind of thing, Hoshimi?"

Don't add any more unnecessary hopes.

"Because that would be the least gentle thing to do to Futaba."

His tone was casual and calm, as if he was discussing today's weather, but there was also a hint of unquestionable oppression and decisiveness mixed in.

He means it.

“…So what?”

My back trembled unconsciously, and my palms seemed to be quietly oozing out fine beads of sweat.

But Futaba still managed to maintain her composure, forcing a smile and expressing her most sincere feelings in a joking tone.

"Is it causing you trouble? After all, I know this kind of behavior should be disgusting."

"...?"

"Being secretly in love with someone like me, who we've always been friends with, and even having the delusion of not exposing it and continuing to be friends with each other, must be disgusting."

She turned her face away in annoyance, the bitter and sarcastic smile directed at herself.

"If it were me, I would feel the same way. I treat you as a friend, and you actually think this way about me..."

The smell of self-loathing that hit her face made Xingjian narrow her eyes slightly.

Yes, this guy Futaba...under the surface of arrogance and independence, he actually hides an inferiority complex that is different from ordinary people.

"Can I ask you a question, Futaba?"

"One last question before we break up?"

"...If I only like you as a friend and want to maintain the status quo, what will you do?"

"........."

The girl was silent for a long time.

After a while, she raised her head, a forced smile on her face that showed melancholy but already content.

"I will stand where I was, with the same feelings, even though I know you will never return my feelings."

"........."

Who the hell is this idiot?

Xingjian, who was somewhat speechless, rubbed his forehead, not knowing for a moment how to respond to Futaba.

too heavy.

This feeling was a bit too heavy for him, who had never known what love was.

This is probably more than just love.

Xingjian really had no idea what it felt like to be deeply loved.

Xingjian had thought more than once that he might be the type to constantly avoid intimacy. He would be somewhat intimidated by other people's warm and intense affection and kindness.

However, I wasn't as repulsive as I thought.

Maybe it's because he doesn't mind dating, or maybe it's just because the other person is Futaba.

[Futaba Line] Destiny: Chapter 9: Necessary Changes (Part 4)

"...So that's how it is."

"What do you want me to say now, you bastard?"

The gray-haired girl turned her face slightly away. Perhaps because she was not very good at talking about this kind of topic, her expression looked a little repulsive.

It may also be that their secrets have been exposed, so they choose to show their sharp fangs to protect their sensitive and fragile heart.

"…You've never considered talking to me about this before?"

"How do I talk about this? Tell you that there's an idiot who never considered you a friend and has always harbored feelings different from yours?"

She chuckled twice at herself, and her tone gradually became increasingly unpredictable.

"Maybe we can't even be friends."

This will definitely push the other person, who is not yet a friend, further away.

"And even if we did date, we'd definitely break up eventually. I never even dreamed of dating from the beginning..."

"........."

I roughly understand what Futaba is thinking.

Compared to the uneasy relationship between lovers, the relationship between friends is more stable and reliable.

"...Besides, I probably wouldn't be able to be a qualified lover."

Futaba put her legs side by side, then gently wrapped her arms around her shoulders, still unable to look directly into the eyes of Hoshimi who was so close to her.

"I've never been in this kind of mood before, and I don't know how to love someone correctly."

Just like a hedgehog, I repeatedly push others away and hope they come back, and I can never completely let down my guard.

"...So if you can find someone better, who am I to stand in your way?"

If it was just a short but passionate relationship, Futaba Rio would probably choose an appropriate time to express her feelings to the other person.

After all, she also knows that she should not leave any regrets for herself.

However, if this person is so precious that she "cannot lose the friendship she has had with him so far", Futaba can actually do it even if she has to suppress her feelings for a long time.

Because she couldn't accept the possibility of losing this person.

"——Isn't it the same with me?"

"...?"

"I've never fallen in love, and I never knew how to properly handle the so-called love relationship."

The boy, realizing that Futaba was worried about something like this, smiled wryly and shook his head slightly.

"But, in the end, this kind of thing doesn't even need to be right or wrong."

Right and wrong are used to judge problems, but applying them to emotions is somewhat inappropriate.

As others often say, it is difficult to define feelings in terms of right and wrong.

“…So, what do you mean…?”

Hearing what he said, Futaba was stunned for a moment, and her eyes gradually brightened up as if she suddenly realized some possibility - but soon dimmed again.

"No... If you're just saying this out of pity for me, then I'd rather never have anything to do with you again."

That's right.

Although Futaba generously admitted her inferiority complex, she was not so self-deprecating as to crave for affection in the form of charity.

"So why do you think I'm saying this because I'm pitying you, Futaba?"

Xingjian pursed her lips in a somewhat amusing manner. To be honest, it was quite rare for Futaba, who was usually rational, objective and calm, to be so sensitive.

And kind of cute too.

"Don't you understand me? I'm the type of person who won't compromise, and I'm even more unwilling to say anything against my will. If I truly can't accept someone, I'll definitely hold back until I can't help but keep my distance from them. I won't be gentle to someone just because of so-called pity or sympathy - that's actually the cruelest thing, isn't it?"

"...?"

"So, the reverse is also true."

He looked directly into the girl's eyes, not caring at all even though she was vaguely avoiding his gaze.

"Ah, I'll just admit it straight out... I have feelings for you, Futaba, too."

Although it may not be as long-lasting and profound as her feelings for herself.

As Xingjian said this, the cheeks of the gray-haired girl in front of him unknowingly turned a fresh and juicy red at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"I'm not really that into relationships... so I probably just chalked this feeling up to friendship, until the recent time-travel incident."

Xingjian scratched the back of his head in distress. He was still reluctant to recall the heartbreaking expression on Futaba's face when she saw him ten years later.

"I probably haven't told you yet that I actually traveled to the near future. I'm not sure what I should say and what I shouldn't, but after this incident, I think I've finally figured out what I'm thinking."

He was very serious and cautious as he gently took the girl's right hand, which was folded in front of her and placed on her knees, as if he was afraid that she would be thrown away.

"——I can't accept a life without Futaba in the future."

"—!"

Ms. Futaba's remaining sanity and self-control were at an emergency—

"The situation is obvious now. If we have to say something between the two of us, it's that I can't leave you."

Xingjian curled his lips in dissatisfaction, but there was a hint of childish cunning in his eyes.

"...So stop saying those hurtful things and trying to push me away, Futaba."

At the same time, there is a tone of helplessness and expectation between the lines.

"…………………"

The gray-haired girl with a flushed face just stared at the tip of her right index finger that he was holding, slowly buried her face in her arms, and did not speak for a long time.

I don't know how long it took before a faint buzzing sound like a mosquito could be heard.

"…Are you serious, Xingjian?"

Her tone became somewhat milder, no longer as decisive and sharp as before.

"Ah."

The black-haired boy tilted his head slightly, allowing him to catch a glimpse of the tips of her ears, which were tinged red.

"...Are you serious? If you're forcing yourself, there's no need to—"

"I have a crush on you, Futaba. And if you keep looking this cute I'll only like you more and more."

"Well--"

I heard a certain Miss Futaba whimpering like a small animal - perhaps that was the subconscious sound she made when her defenses were broken.

The boy who saw Hoshi didn't think that his straightforwardness was anything to be ashamed of. He just blinked and sat there, patiently waiting for Futaba's next move.

“…It’s all because of you.”

After a while, Miss Futaba's voice, with a hint of complaint, slowly sounded.

"I'm sure I won't be able to sleep tonight."

[Futaba Line] Destiny: Final Chapter: The Future of the New World (?) (Part 1)

In the middle of the night, in the hotel, which was so quiet that only the chirping of cicadas and the sound of running water could be heard faintly outside, only the light in one bedroom was on.

In this slightly small room, Xingjian pursed his lips and looked at the gray-haired girl huddled in front of him with gentle eyes that held a hint of hope.

She was still curled up like a hedgehog, but a vague tentative look swept across her face as it hung in her arms.

Come to think of it, was what I just said a confession?

Xingjian realized it belatedly and raised his eyebrows, feeling a little uneasy.

"You keep saying things like 'like' and 'cute'... and you even say you like it more and more... Tsk."

If even he himself doesn't believe it, then that's not a confession.

Come to think of it, this was clearly the first confession in life, but there was no sense of ceremony at all... Xingjian, who had come to his senses, still felt it was a pity.