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[Yuri Novel] The Girl Next Door Knows My Secret <Prologue> [Creative Awards 2025]

2025年6月13日 21:00

Synopsis

Mika has her own 'special seat' in the university lecture hall. She hides the fact that she loves women, spending every day acting in a way that fits in with those around her. Then one day, she falls in love at first sight with Nana, a perfect woman who suddenly tells her, 'I want you to make me your special someone.'
———A few years later. Mika continues to hide her feelings for Nana, and the two have become irreplaceable 'best friends.' When Nana, now a working adult, finally gets a boyfriend after lamenting that she couldn't find one, their world begins to quietly fall apart.
This is a painful yet warm story about two people who could only move forward by hurting each other, until they find the true meaning of being 'special.'

Prologue -The Special Seat by the Window-

　　For lectures in certain university classrooms, I go a little early to claim my special seat. This was especially true for popular lectures like Introduction to Psychology, where people tended to crowd in.
　Even if the class that day was boring, it was the perfect spot to look outside. It was my own special seat, one I hadn't told anyone about.

　But that day, someone—someone I didn't know—was sitting there.
　She wasn't looking outside, but had her eyes cast down on a book she held in her hands. Her sleek black hair shone through in the sunlight. I thought about speaking to her, but with so many other seats empty, there was no way I could possibly say, 'That's my seat.' In the end, I left one seat empty behind her and sat down even further back.

　——Ugh, the window frame is in the way...

　I sighed and rested my cheek on my hand. Various people were always walking along the outer path below the window. There were people walking arm-in-arm looking happy, and others who seemed concerned about someone far away. Sometimes, there were even people throwing bags at each other in a fight; it was much more interesting to watch than any boring lecture.

　However, I couldn't fully enjoy that entertainment from anywhere other than my usual seat. Besides, the seat I was in now was surprisingly sunny, making it hard to read my textbook. It was only after sitting in a different seat that I realized that the other spot wasn't just good for the view; the tree's shadow blocked the sun just right, creating a comfortable environment.

　My very precious 'special seat.' She wasn't looking outside; she was just reading a book. If that was the case, any seat should have been fine. So why—why that one?
　I slumped my shoulders and sent a burning, questioning gaze at her back as she sat in that seat.

　Suddenly, she turned around. Before I could look away, my gaze collided head-on with hers. Startled, a small 'uh' escaped my lips.
　I had been caught watching her. Had I stared too long?

　I hurriedly looked away. After our eyes had fully met, that action probably looked even more unnatural.
　She kept her eyes fixed straight on me and spoke, as if she had made up her mind about something.

''——Why don't you say anything to me?'
'Huh?'

　Do I know her? The thought crossed my mind for a second, but I immediately dismissed it. There was no way I would forget a girl who could capture your attention at a single glance. ——If that's the case, then who on earth is this person?
　As I hesitated on how to respond, she continued.

''Why don't you tell me, "Don't take my seat"?'

　For a moment, I gasped.

　She had realized the meaning of my 'special seat'—that secret I shouldn't have told anyone—all on her own.
　Her deep, clear eyes caught mine, and I felt as if she could see right through to the depths of my heart.