My Girlfriend Who Is Older Than Me Teases Me When I’m Working At A Bar, But Maybe Because Of Alcohol

Grateful For a Best Friend.

“Hey, did you hear? The big news this morning!”

“They say he was arrested on the spot… that guy, Yuuto.”

“It’s unbelievable considering how he usually acts… when I first heard the news, I thought it was a lie.”

“It’s honestly a relief that a criminal like him was trying to become a nurse. I’m glad he got caught.”

“I heard the university is also busy answering phone calls about it.”

“Seriously, that guy better not mess around! Attacking my Mio-chan… he needs to take responsibility for that!”

“Well, she’s not really yours, though…”

The incident from yesterday had already spread throughout the university, and now with the morning news broadcast, many people were aware of it. Yuuto is being charged with property damage, assault, obstructing business, violating the firearms and swords control law, and even stalking, as captured on surveillance cameras.

It’s still unclear what kind of punishment he’ll receive, but with so many charges against him, the university has already expelled him. While things have calmed down a bit, reporters from various TV stations were gathered at the front gate, making more noise than usual.

“Are you okay, Mio-chan?”

“Uh, y-yeah. I’m fine… I mean…”

The only person who approached Mio, the person involved in the incident, was her best friend, Nanami.

Without even preparing for class or putting her books on the desk, Mio had been looking down, devoid of any energy.

Mio’s demeanor was completely different from usual. The shock of the incident was visibly overwhelming, so the other students didn’t stand by and watch. It was a mature action befitting university students.

“But Toma-kun is different… He got seriously injured in my place…”

After Toma was taken away in an ambulance, Mio was questioned by the police, accompanied by Miki and Wataru, and she was allowed to go home early.

Since then, she hadn’t received any contact from Toma and learned about the details of his injury from the news this morning.

He suffered a fracture of the radial shaft in his right forearm. In the case of adults, surgery is performed to fix the broken part with a plate. Even with smooth progress, it takes time for a complete recovery. Of course, things don’t always go smoothly, and there can be cases where the bone doesn’t heal.

There’s also the possibility of muscle adhesion around the fractured area, affecting the movement of the hand and fingers. Therefore, whether through conservative or surgical therapy, rehabilitation to move the hand and fingers is crucial. Additionally, it’s important to keep the shoulder mobile to prevent stiffness caused by immobilizing the broken arm.

As you can see, a fracture of the radial shaft is a troublesome injury. Even if there was no immediate danger to his life, the guilt of causing such an injury weighed heavily on her. The suffocating feeling of attending university as if nothing had happened. The frustration of not being able to do anything at that time.

Mio’s heart wasn’t strong enough to easily brush aside these emotions.

“I don’t have the face to meet Toma-kun anymore…”

The person she intended to confess to that day if not for that incident. How should she face the person she loves? What words should she say? There was no answer.

“Sigh… I really don’t understand it at all. It was Yuuto who caused Toma-kun’s injury, not you, Mio-chan. Why are you blaming yourself?”

“W-Well…”

Nanami understood what Mio was thinking, that she had caused the injury by putting Toma in harm’s way. While that wasn’t entirely wrong, the fundamental issue lay elsewhere.

“Mio-chan, you understand Toma-kun the best, don’t you? You know that he would never think you intentionally hurt him.”

Frowning, Nanami spoke with logic. She wanted to somehow cheer up her best friend. That’s why she couldn’t say anything reckless.

Since this morning, she had been organizing her thoughts and carefully choosing her words to say something that Mio would accept.

“And, you know, Mio-chan, you’re doing something really rude to Toma-kun without even realizing it.”

“Huh…”

“I’m sorry if it sounds harsh, but what do you think Toma-kun would feel if he knew you were feeling guilty for ‘causing his injury’? He went to great lengths to protect you, and yet the person themselves is feeling so down… It’s just really sad.”

With a serious expression, Nanami slowly closed the distance between them and gently pinched Mio’s soft cheek with her fingertips.

“I definitely want to see the usual Mio-chan. That’s what I want, and Toma-kun too, right?”

With a bit of force applied to Mio’s cheeks, Nanami forced a smile and smiled herself.

“You’re so mean…”

“Ahaha, sorry, sorry.”

After apologizing, Nanami relaxed her grip, but her hands that were holding Mio’s cheeks were still there.

“…By the way, Mio-chan, your cheeks are so squishy. They’re like marshmallows.”

“How long are you going to touch them…”

Whether it was the pleasant sensation of the cheeks or not, Nanami pressed on them like slime for about six seconds and then released her hands.

Mio wouldn’t have expected that Nanami was using this time to think about what to say next.

“But… as you said, Nanami , it would be rude to Toma-kun if I stay like this…”

“That’s right. If you keep moping around, someone might take advantage of the opportunity and target Toma-kun. Is that okay with you?”

“D-Don’t make me confirm that… You already know the answer…”

“Yeah, I guess so. In that case, there’s no time to say that you don’t have the face to meet him. Toma-kun is injured and it’s difficult for him to send messages, so you should at least contact him.”

Mio briefly opened her mouth, but quickly closed it. She realized that what she was about to say would have been an excuse.

“…I’ve been relying on you too much, Nanami. Even though we’re supposed to be rivals in love.”

“Huh? I’m not your rival anymore. I’m not interested in guys who have girlfriends…”

“W-What do you mean by ‘guys who have girlfriends’? Toma-kun doesn’t have anyone like that, right?”

“I wonder who’s the one who intentionally made everyone else misunderstand, huh?”

With a sigh, Nanami raised both hands and sat down on the chair next to Mio. She pointed at the clock in the classroom.

“Look, the class is about to start. Let’s get ready quickly.”

With a small nod, Mio narrowed her eyes and said this.

“Thank you…”

There were many things that the “thank you” could be directed towards, and if one were to express its meaning, there would be plenty. Mio narrowed her eyes and showed her brightest smile of the day. She had a completely different, cheerful expression compared to just a moment ago.

“I-It’s just a loan, okay? Take this.”

It was precisely because the extent of her gratitude was conveyed that Nanami averted her gaze with a bashful look.