Chapter 31: The challenges of social interaction.
Hagiwara Kenji is very tired, both physically and mentally.
The former was caused by a four-day trip during his school trip, and the latter was due to his two idiotic friends who were completely oblivious to socializing!
Jinpei-chan is alright; he simply doesn't like it. But Sora'aki-chan...
Honestly, don't look at me at a time like this! You're making friends, not looking for a partner... wait, even if you were looking for a partner, you wouldn't need to ask me! I'm not your elder—
With a forced smile, Hagiwara Kenji said to his ever-worried, clueless friend, "Sora'aki-chan, Hiromitsu-kun is asking you, so what's your answer?"
This question was beyond Morofushi Sora'aki's level, so he was used to leaving questions to people he trusted. When he was in his own world, he could ask his family, but here, it was only Hagiwara Kenji and Matsuda Jinpei who could answer it.
"Because Hagiwara became unhappy because of his improved relationship with Matsuda, he should talk to Hagiwara first if he wants to make new friends." Morofushi Sora'aki was extremely decisive: "So I'll listen to Hagiwara."
Hagiwara Kenji: "...I'm touched, but you're just trying to dump the problem on me, aren't you?"
"Yes." Morofushi Sora'aki nodded without hesitation.
"Hold on for a second, Sora'aki-chan—" Hagiwara Kenji was on the verge of tears. After joking around with Sora'aki-chan for a while, he remembered that there were two unfamiliar people present. Noticing their gazes, Hagiwara Kenji coughed lightly, trying to salvage his image: "I wouldn't mind being your friend, Hiromitsu-kun, is that alright?"
"Of course, it's my honor." Morofushi Hiromitsu's smile was truly as warm as a spring breeze, leaving no room for criticism.
Hagiwara Kenji: But I always feel a chill down my spine.
Since both trips were school trips and the itineraries were not exactly the same, Furuya Rei and Morofushi Hiromitsu had to leave temporarily. However, unlike before, this time they exchanged contact information.
Yes, I got the one from Hagiwara Kenji; I didn't get the one from Morofushi Sora'aki.
Hagiwara Kenji and Morofushi Sora'aki walked side by side toward the meeting point the teacher had arranged, remaining silent and somewhat quiet along the way.
Then, on the way back, they saw Matsuda Jinpei waiting for them, eating grilled skewers. Matsuda Jinpei immediately swallowed the last bite and destroyed the evidence, then waved his hand coolly: "Yo? Finally finished talking."
Hagiwara Kenji: "If you're going to try to look cool, wipe the sauce off your lips first, Jinpei-chan."
Matsuda Jinpei: "..."
Morofushi Sora'aki, who had been lost in thought, glanced at Matsuda Jinpei at this moment, a hint of disdain on his face.
Matsuda Jinpei: "..."
Matsuda Jinpei wiped his mouth, making sure there was no sauce on his face before asking, "So what's going on?"
"Hmm—" Hagiwara Kenji drawled out a little, piquing Matsuda Jinpei's curiosity before rubbing his eyes and making a face: "I'm not going to tell Matsuda who abandoned me halfway and ran away!"
"Are you an elementary school student?!" Matsuda Jinpei's eyes widened, his tone incredulous.
"Sorry, Kenji-chan is only three years old this year!"
"You really have no shame at all!"
"Matsuda, you have seaweed on your teeth," said Morofushi Sora'aki, making a digression.
Matsuda Jinpei immediately covered his mouth, and Hagiwara Kenji couldn't hold back any longer, finally losing his feigned anger.
"Let's get together first. Aren't we going back this afternoon? We can talk on the plane."
"Okay." Matsuda Jinpei nodded, carefully avoiding showing his teeth during the conversation.
This made Hagiwara Kenji want to laugh even more.
"Well, you really have to make friends with your level of good looks to make friends." Hagiwara Kenji sighed, stroking his chin. "Even if I really wanted to get angry, looking at your two faces, I couldn't get angry at all."
Matsuda Jinpei: "Oh, then let me mention that the pudding in your fridge before was what I ate."
Hagiwara Kenji: "..."
Hagiwara Kenji: "I thought it was my older sister...! I clearly wrote my name on it—Matsuda!"
Matsuda Jinpei: "You promised you wouldn't get angry?"
"The crying pudding gave me 100% resistance! Your face is useless now!" Hagiwara Kenji said, baring his teeth and brandishing his claws.
After bickering for a while, the two of them turned their attention to Morofushi Sora'aki, who was staring blankly out the window. Matsuda Jinpei spoke up first, "So what do you think, Raki?"
"If he said he was my brother, I would have refused outright," Morofushi Sora'aki said honestly. "But he said he wanted to be friends with me…"
Hagiwara Kenji didn't ask why the first part of the sentence was about the older brother instead of the younger brother, but just smiled and analyzed for his friend: "Friends don't need my and Jinpei-chan's consent. When have I ever reported to you guys when I meet new friends?"
"But are Hagiwara's other friends as important as me and Matsuda?" Morofushi Sora'aki asked.
"..." After a few seconds of silence, Hagiwara Kenji grasped the key point: "So, does Sora'aki-chan think that after becoming friends with Hiromitsu-kun, his importance in your heart will be the same as ours?"
Hagiwara Kenji paid special attention to Morofushi Sora'aki's expression and, after realizing that he himself was unaware of this, sighed: "Jinpei-chan and I won't ask you about your relationship with that Hiromitsu-kun—but Sora'aki-chan knows him and doesn't dislike him, right?"
"So, what are you afraid of or worried about if you want to refuse now?" Hagiwara Kenji said, "I don't think that Hiromitsu-kun is a bad person. If we really become friends, it would be a good thing."
Morofushi Sora'aki found it difficult to explain this situation in parallel worlds, so he did not answer.
So Hagiwara Kenji thought for a moment and said, "How about this?"
"Hiromitsu-kun is obviously meeting you for the first time. If Sora'aki-chan's impression of him isn't too bad... how about giving him a chance?"
"Don't completely reject it, just stay where you are. Whether Hiromitsu-kun chooses to walk towards you or take a step back, Sora'aki-chan, you just need to stay where you are."
"After all, it's Hiromitsu-kun who wants to be friends with you, not Sora'aki-chan who wants to be friends with him, right?" Hagiwara Kenji gestured with his fingers: "In this situation, the initiative is entirely in your hands, Sora'aki-chan."
Matsuda Jinpei grew increasingly uneasy as he listened: "Why do I feel like... you're teaching Raki how to fall in love?"
Or is it that sophisticated fishing technique of leaving the person confessing their feelings hanging?
Hagiwara Kenji looked utterly innocent: "Then I'm definitely going to call the police! Sora'aki-chan is still a child!"
"Why don't you just say he's still a baby?"
"So that's how you see Sora'aki-chan?" Hagiwara Kenji gave a subtle look.
Morofushi Sora'aki also squeezed to the edge, making a move away from Matsuda Jinpei: "Jinpei-chan talks so strangely."
"...It's clearly Hagi who's acting strangely!!" Matsuda Jinpei was exhausted, but he still bravely spoke up: "Anyway, although it sounds strange, what Hagi said isn't wrong."
"Since you don't dislike him, and he wants to befriend you, why not take the opportunity? It's no big deal to have another friend."
Hagiwara Kenji: "Why can Jinpei-chan talk about this like it's a supermarket sale?"
Morofushi Sora'aki: "Because he's Jinpei-chan."
Hagiwara Kenji suddenly realized, "That's true."
Matsuda Jinpei: "...Am I really going to get angry?"
After these conversations, the atmosphere became noticeably more relaxed.
However, at this moment, Matsuda Jinpei, resting his chin on his hand, spoke up: "But, isn't that a little unfair?"
"What?" Hagiwara Kenji asked, somewhat puzzled.
"It's over here, Raki's side." Matsuda Jinpei's sharp blue eyes looked in the direction of Morofushi Sora'aki, meeting those clear cat eyes. Matsuda Jinpei was always good at getting straight to the point, and his words were also a bit sharp: "You mean that Morofushi... tsk, I mean that Morofushi Hiromitsu, Morofushi Hiromitsu doesn't even know you, does he?"
"For Morofushi, this is their first meeting. It's one thing for you to ignore everyone else as you usually do, but this obvious rejection and exclusion is quite... an undeserved disaster for Morofushi Hiromitsu?"
"So you feel it's quite unfair? Because of one-sided prejudice, it's become more difficult to become friends or something," Matsuda Jinpei said casually.
Hagiwara Kenji subconsciously tugged at Matsuda Jinpei's arm, feeling that his friend had gone a bit too far, and whispered, "Alright, Jinpei-chan—"
"I didn't say anything wrong." Matsuda Jinpei continued in a nonchalant tone, "Besides, I wasn't criticizing Raki."
"Raki didn't break the law, he's just being a little hypocritical. It doesn't matter to me, as long as he's happy, that's all that matters."
Matsuda Jinpei yawned lazily, scratching his hair, making his already messy curls even messier: "It just suddenly occurred to me. I'm going to sleep for a while, wake me up when we get off the plane."
Hagiwara Kenji: "..."
"..." Morofushi Sora'aki looked at Hagiwara Kenji and said calmly, "Jinpei-chan is right, it does seem a bit excessive."
"But I have some trouble controlling it."
For example, when I see my brother's classmates, I feel a little unhappy because they have the same face as my friend, but look at me with unfamiliar eyes.
"Hagiwara, what do you think is the best course of action?"
Hagiwara Kenji: "..."
You guessed Sora'aki-chan's reaction, that's why you made an excuse to sleep, right?! You bastard Matsuda—! Stop pretending to be asleep, open your eyes right now—!
Perhaps sensing Hagiwara Kenji's emotions, Matsuda Jinpei not only didn't open his eyes, but also deliberately made a little snoring sound.
Hagiwara Kenji hardened his fist.
"Well... anyway, how should I put it?" Hagiwara Kenji rubbed his temples, trying to find a reasonable suggestion: "Well, if it's not the other party's fault... Sora'aki-chan just needs to maintain his own attitude!"
"Just like I told you, you don't need to take the initiative, but don't deliberately refuse either... how about that?"
"Anyway, the connections between people are wonderful. Don't try to do anything deliberately, just let things take their natural course."
Morofushi Sora'aki nodded thoughtfully: "I understand."
So, next time you run into your brother's classmates, don't deliberately avoid them—that's what Hagiwara means, right?