My 2D anime story

Miura Yumiko left.

Su Yu glanced at the new message on his phone.

It was from Hina Ebina.

The message was simple: "Stop Yumiko."

She didn't specify what to stop.

But they were both smart—there was no need to spell it out.

Su Yu recalled the disappointed expression on Yumiko's face when she left and sighed.

Truthfully, Yumiko wasn't a bad choice. But accepting her now would mean giving up on both Yui Yuigahama and Yukino Yukinoshita.

That wasn't an option.

With Yumiko, he was stalling for time.

If he could keep things stable for one month, he'd receive his reward, and her choice wouldn't matter anymore.

Su Yu wasn't rejecting Yumiko because he liked her—her favorability level was simply valuable.

She would probably spend a long time thinking about what he had said.

After all, Su Yu's words had contradicted the image she had of him.

Yumiko didn't fully understand Su Yu yet, so she might just observe him for now.

That meant she wouldn't make any more moves for a while—which was convenient for him.

Gazing out the window, Su Yu typed a short reply to Hina:

"No problem."

A few minutes later—

Hina sent him a photo.

It was a picture of Yukino and Yui together.

Below it, a caption:

"Which is more important—friendship or love?"

Su Yu saved the photo, sent a short reply, then put away his phone and left his room.

After sleeping for several hours, he was starving.

At the Train Station

Hina looked at Su Yu's latest message, a smirk forming on her lips.

His reply?

"Hina, you know too much."

She chuckled but didn't reply further.

Instead, she tucked her phone away and turned to Miura Yumiko, who stood beside her.

"Yumiko, it's still early. Let's go to a café and have a proper talk."

"I… I'm a little tired."

Yumiko lowered her head, her voice barely above a whisper.

"So, do you want me to tell Yui about this? Or would you rather talk to me?" Hina said seriously.

"Fine. Let's go to a café… Just don't tell Yui." Yumiko responded immediately.

Hina adjusted her glasses without saying another word.

The two boarded the train, and after getting off, they walked to a café near their neighborhood.

This café held special meaning for them.

They had met here for the first time in middle school—this was where their friendship had begun.

Inside, Hina ordered a coffee and a sandwich.

Yumiko, on the other hand, only got a coffee.

They sat by the window, the evening lights flickering outside.

Hina stared out the window and began to speak.

"Do you remember, Yumiko? The day we first met? I was standing outside this café, too scared to go in. But then you showed up. You knew I wanted to go inside but was too nervous—so you grabbed my hand and took me in."

Yumiko lifted her head slightly.

"I… I noticed you always stopped here after school, so I guessed you were curious but hesitant."

"Afterward, I told you, 'Miura-san, you're really brave. I wish I could be brave like you. Can we be friends?' And you said, 'Sure, I'll share some of my courage with you.'"

"And then we became friends. But you never found your courage." Yumiko whispered.

Hina let out a small chuckle.

"Actually, I wasn't stopping here to check out the café. I was waiting for you."

Yumiko's eyes widened in surprise.

"I knew that if I kept waiting here, you'd notice me and take me inside. That way, I'd have an excuse to become your friend." Hina removed her glasses as she spoke.

Yumiko was stunned.

"At first, I befriended you to avoid being ostracized. Staying close to you—praising you, playing dumb when needed—was easy. Thanks to you, I had a smooth middle school experience. When we entered high school, you hadn't changed—and I expected that."

"Yui only joined our friend group because I invited her. I knew she was too passive to disrupt the existing social structure. That way, I could secure my position above her."

"But then Su Yu appeared—and he changed everything."

"You and Yui both started changing."

Hina's voice was calm.

Yumiko, however, looked at her in disbelief.

"Hina, you…"

"Don't look at me like that." Hina smiled. "At first, I just wanted to avoid being isolated. But after being your friend for years, my feelings became genuine."

She put her glasses back on.

Yumiko let out a slow breath.

"Yumiko, you and Yui are actually quite similar—both a little naïve and kind. But me? I'm a manipulator. I calculate everything—it's how I survive."

"I might be a terrible person, but I treasure my friendship with you and Yui. I don't want your relationship to fall apart because of Su Yu."

Yumiko lowered her head, her face full of guilt and conflict.

Hina looked at her and asked—

"Yumiko, do you like Su Yu?"

"I… I don't know." Yumiko hesitated.

"Alright. Let me ask differently—if Su Yu tried to kiss you, would you refuse?"

Yumiko opened her mouth but didn't answer.

Her red cheeks gave Hina all the confirmation she needed.

"Su Yu helped you. He made Hayama apologize. That probably triggered something in you. And then, when you overheard Yukino and Yui talking about confessing, you realized that if Yui confessed first, you'd lose your chance."

"So, you wanted to confirm things with Su Yu before that happened."

"I wasn't thinking that! I know Su Yu and Yui are together! I just… I just…"

"Just wanted to kiss him?" Hina said, hitting the nail on the head.

Yumiko's silence was all the confirmation needed.

"What did Su Yu say to you?" Hina didn't ask if she succeeded—she already knew the answer.

"He… He told me to think it over." Yumiko admitted after some hesitation.

"And? What's your decision?"

Yumiko fell silent for a moment before speaking.

"I'll keep observing him… but I won't do anything reckless again. If, after some time, I still can't forget him, I'll talk to you about it… or talk to Su Yu directly."

Hina smiled.

That was good enough for now.

Notes-Read advanced chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X