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

"Really? You always say these empty words. I can't do anything about you..."

Even though she said this, she still touched the boy's back tentatively with very light force.

After confirming that the warmth did not dissipate, he finally touched it.

"...But, it would be a lie to say I don't like it."

After confirming that this "preference" was not an illusory thing, she felt relieved and gently closed her eyes.

It would be better to say that the hedgehog gradually lets down its guard because of this person's "favoritism."

"........."

Feeling that Futaba also took the initiative to hug his back, Xingjian was stunned for a moment, and then slowly suppressed the restlessness rising in his heart -

And a special feeling that is hard to erase.

It was as if my heart was hit hard by something, and I began to feel stuffy in my left chest. While I could clearly hear the beating sound gradually getting faster, my head also felt a little dizzy.

This was indeed an unprecedented experience for him.

Is it because of the physical intimacy with the opposite sex? Or is it simply because of the new feelings that have arisen psychologically?

Feeling the soft touch of being held in his arms, he probably understood what this unfamiliar feeling felt like.

"Well…………"

Ms. Futaba probably realized the same thing, so she muttered something in a somewhat helpless voice and gently pushed his shoulder.

"It's so hot, Hoshimi..."

"Ah, sorry."

It seems to be too tight.

He hurriedly loosened his arms and put some distance between them. Thanks to this, he could catch a glimpse of the blushing gray-haired girl's embarrassed posture as she lowered her head slightly to adjust her glasses, and occasionally met her evasive gaze as she looked at him.

Being so cute at this moment is a bit too unfair.

"...What just happened is what couples should do, understand?"

Not to mention that her face was still flushed as she tried to return to a serious tone and brush over what had just happened.

This guy who always maintains a rational and cold attitude, but will use a serious tone to evade the issue when he is shy is really irresistible.

"I got it. So, when can you teach us the next lesson, Mr. Futaba?"

"Ahem... the course content should be adjusted and arranged appropriately, and progress should be gradual."

“Eh…” (disappointed)

"Don't continue to daydream without permission, idiot."

“But…” (still disappointed)

"Let's continue with the rest after you finish dealing with the chores with Isshiki."

Futaba pushed up her glasses, feeling more confident after finally taking the initiative back on the phone.

Then, she smiled lightly and pinched the cheek of the boy who was unhappy about the interruption with a moderate force.

"And don't you have any sense of time? It's already past the last bus."

"So what should I do... Since I'm at Futaba's house, I didn't think too much about it..."

"Your tone is too delicate and artificial. We've known each other for so long, Xingjian, I know your character very well. Don't try to act innocent and naive."

"But what I said is indeed true."

After being exposed, he stopped trying to gain Miss Futaba's sympathy with an aggrieved tone, and said with a smile the words he had been eager to say.

"So what should I do next? Is there any kind family willing to take me in for one night?"

"Don't worry about that at all."

As if she had completely failed to grasp the other meaning behind these words, Ms. Futaba calmly took out her wallet and began to count the money.

"I'll take a taxi to take you back."

"........."

"What's wrong? It's very considerate of me not to ask you to pay out of pocket."

"...Futaba, you can really be called a straight woman of steel in some ways."

"Come on, I'm just not ready to prepare another room for guests. Besides, you may not be able to get used to the environment in my house."

"That's fine."

Xingjian blinked, thought for a moment, and then explained the reason.

"It's not like I haven't lived there before."

"...?"

Sure enough, Miss Futaba's fingers paused slightly as she counted the bills.

"...Xingjian, have you ever been to my house?"

“Yes, but in the future.”

"What do you mean...hmm."

It took Futaba a few seconds to react and steady her expression.

"You mean... that time you traveled through time?"

To be honest, Futaba almost forgot about this incident.

The guy in front of me has been to the future and seen it once. No wonder he is now more decisive and resolute than before.

"Well, I stayed here for one night ten years later."

"Why? What was the situation back then? Why would I allow Xing Jianqing, who appeared in the same appearance as ten years ago, to stay at my house?"

As expected of Futaba, she grasped the core of the question in no time and then quickly asked all the questions at once. Is this the sharpness of an intelligent person?

"Um……"

When it came to this topic that allowed no nonsense, Xingjian restrained his unserious demeanor a little and sat up straighter.

"Giving a general description of my experience... shouldn't be a problem."

"Because the me in that time and space... died in an accident ten years ago, during the autumn tour."

"...?"

"Perhaps only you, Futaba, ten years from now, would be willing to help me change the established facts. That's why I came directly to your house then. Later, just as I expected, with your help, I continued to survive safely."

There are definitely some omissions in the middle, but this should be enough to explain it clearly.

"...How did you manage to change this fact, Hoshimi?"

Futaba was shocked, but she also raised her doubts. Knowing how thirsty Futaba was, Hoshimi naturally confessed everything.

"My thought at the time was that if I could change some of the established conditions before I died... then I might be able to avoid death."

"…………ah."

Futaba quickly thought of something and suddenly a light bulb went off in her head.

"So that's why you suddenly found me that night... and confessed to me, right?"

There seems to be something vaguely wrong with this description.

After Futaba involuntarily said this, her expression gradually became visibly complicated.

[Futaba Line] Different Paths to the Same Destination: Chapter 3: The Barrier Called Friendship (Part 1)

“…Is that so?”

Around ten o'clock in the evening, the ticking sound of the second hand of the wall clock became the only sound in the silent environment.

The atmosphere now is completely different from before, with a more complex meaning mixed in.

The reason was that the gray-haired girl sitting on the same sofa with him had a strange expression on her face.

"I see... No wonder Xingjian and you knocked on my door so late that night."

Her tone was still very light, but this time Xingjian felt a little uneasy.

However, contrary to this bad feeling, Futaba smiled faintly and held her glasses, looking very calm and natural.

"That also explains why your offensive was so intense that day. If we want to change our future by altering our relationship with someone, changing our friendship is indeed the most cost-effective, convenient, and simplest approach."

Something was clearly wrong.

Although Futaba is used to keeping her bad thoughts to herself, she is surprisingly good at disguising herself.

"Forget it, if you can talk it through, then it's fine. It's true that I'm your best friend, and you can only count on me when you encounter something like this."

If Xingjian hadn't been dealing with her for such a long time, he might have been deceived like this.

It's obvious that this guy is feeling lost about something.

"Um, Futaba. I—"

"It's getting late now. I'll tidy up the guest room for you and you can rest here tonight. Of course, if someone plans to do something out of line at night, I might start researching human experiments."

"Well………"

Don't give yourself a chance to speak at all.

Realizing the hidden meaning between Futaba's words, "The conversation ends here," Hoshimi, who originally wanted to explain it clearly, had to shut up in disappointment.

I originally thought that this would be a chance for them to be alone together to bring them closer, but unexpectedly it created a gap between them.

rather say……

Because we were once friends, this gap has arisen.

"……………well."

I spent the night and morning in a daze, and nothing happened.

In confusion, I unknowingly got through the boring class time and the idle lunch break.

After school in the afternoon, Xingjian stood at the door of the science laboratory with her schoolbag and sighed dejectedly.

The door of this laboratory was not opened for him today.

Rather, the owner of the laboratory, who always appears here after class, did not sit at the table doing inexplicable little experiments as usual this time.

"...Are you going back first?"

Realizing this, he had no choice but to close the door and lock it with the spare key.

Originally, Futaba was the only person outside of the school who had the key to the laboratory, but after Hoshimi became a frequent visitor here, she made a spare key and gave it to him.

He said, "If she forgets to bring her key, at least there is someone who can open the door here," but Xingjian could also read the implicit meaning of trust.

She trusts herself, whether from the perspective of a friend or from the perspective of a closer relationship now.

"...But yesterday's conversation was clearly a mess."

We need to find an opportunity to have a good chat.

Just as Xingjian was heading home feeling somewhat dejected, a flaxen head vaguely visible in the corner caught his attention.

"... Isshiki-sensei, what are you doing there?"

"Well!"

The figure by the wall shuddered suddenly, and then the owner of the figure pouted slightly and walked out slowly with an unhappy look on his face.

"Senior... you're still obsessed with Futaba-senpai, right?"

"I think you still miss me."

As one problem after another arose, Xingjian, who felt a headache swell up, rubbed his temples, and then tried to convince others with a calmer tone.

"Listen to me, Isshiki."

"Uh-huh."

This time, the flaxen-colored little devil nodded seriously, and his bright eyes showed his serious attitude as a listener.

"I don't know why it turned out like this, but in my memory, the relationship between you and me was just that of an ordinary senior and junior. And I believe that neither you nor I have ever had any feelings that crossed the line for each other."