I ran into a guy who was a classmate and he looked down on me. My meeting partner came...
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00:00Do you have any memories from high school?
00:03When it comes to my high school memories, I, Akito Ogasawara, remember being the one
00:08who got teased a lot in my group.
00:10Hey Akito, did you get today's math assignment?
00:14Yeah, I did.
00:16Want me to help you with it if you haven't done it yet?
00:18For real?
00:19That'd be awesome!
00:20Do it like Mr. Saito in math class though!
00:25So, by substituting 5 into x, the value of y in this equation becomes 20, and thereforeā¦
00:31Haha!
00:32Mr. Saito actually says therefore like that!
00:35My stomach hurts!
00:38Akito's impression of Mr. Saito is spot on!
00:42You're the best!
00:43Akito, you're seriously funny!
00:46Alright, next to Mr. Sasaki from chemistry!
00:49Well, maybe next time.
00:52Now, focus on solving the problems!
00:54I had a lively and fun high school life, getting teased by my friends while enjoying our time
00:59together.
01:00However, among my friends, there were a couple of classmates who teased me a bit differently
01:05from the others.
01:06Hey Akito, still using that lame pencil case?
01:10Can't you buy a new one?
01:12Hey, come on!
01:13It's important to me!
01:15I've had it since I was a kid!
01:16But that's not something a high schooler should be carrying around!
01:21You'll never get a girlfriend with that!
01:23That was Yuichi Sonohara and Remi Takahashi.
01:26They were part of the group I often hung out with, but their teasing felt a bit different
01:30from the others.
01:31You won't get a girlfriend with that!
01:34Your taste is more like a grade schooler's, not a high schooler's!
01:39Come on guys, one of Akito's good traits is how he values his things!
01:44You shouldn't make fun of him like that!
01:47Thanks you two!
01:48It's okay, I'm not bothered by it.
01:51Looking back, it was probably thanks to the other friends who stood up for me that I didn't
01:55let their teasing get to me.
01:57During those lively high school days, there was someone I secretly admired.
02:01Her name was Karen Sasayama.
02:04She was the class Madonna, admired by everyone.
02:07Oh, Akito's looking at Sasayama again!
02:13No way!
02:14There's no chance for you to get close to the perfect Madonna!
02:20Yeah, I know, but I can't help thinking she's beautiful!
02:24But in the end, nothing happened between me and Sasayama.
02:27I spent my high school days having fun with my friends, and we all went our separate ways.
02:34Three years after graduating from university and starting work as a company employee, I
02:39found myself seeing my friends less often.
02:43One day, while stopping by a cafe on a business trip, I had an unexpected reunion.
02:48Welcome!
02:49Wait, are you Ogasawara?
02:52Huh?
02:53Sasayama?
02:54Are you working here?
02:55Yeah, I am!
02:56It's been a while.
02:58Have a seat.
03:00Karen Sasayama had grown even more beautiful and smiled at me, looking a bit more mature.
03:05Back in high school, we hardly ever talked or interacted.
03:08I was just secretly admiring her from afar.
03:11She was truly someone out of my league, the one I admired.
03:14I was so nervous I couldn't help but get flustered.
03:17What are you doing now, Ogasawara?
03:20I'm working in sales for a regular company.
03:23I was out for business nearby today.
03:25Really?
03:26What a coincidence to meet you here!
03:29Looking at her soft, gentle smile, my feelings from back then began to resurface.
03:34I decided to muster up the courage to ask her out.
03:38Um, meeting you here again feels like fate, so...
03:42Would you like to have dinner together sometime?
03:44Huh?
03:45Oh, sorry, that was sudden.
03:47We didn't get to talk much back then, so...
03:50I'd like to get to know you better, if that's okay.
03:53Seeing her look surprised, my excitement starts to fade, and I realize I might have been too hasty.
03:58Oh, if you don't want to, that's totally fine.
04:01I'm sorry, you might have a boyfriend.
04:04Sasayama is so attractive, it's entirely possible.
04:07I thought as I mentally pinched my own cheek.
04:10Then, Sasayama gave me a soft, happy smile that made my heart skip a beat.
04:15Sorry, it's not that I don't want to.
04:19I was just so happy I froze up for a second.
04:22Oh, and by the way, I don't have a boyfriend.
04:27So let's exchange contacts?
04:30Yes! Yes, yes, yes!
04:33I was constantly told I'd never have a chance with her.
04:36It's only a small step, but I'm glad I reached out.
04:42That night, I sent a message right away, and we made plans to have dinner at a restaurant over the weekend.
04:47Even though it was just a coincidence that we met again,
04:50the fact that I was going to have dinner with the Madonna, Sasayama, felt surreal.
04:55If my high school self knew about this, he'd probably pass out.
05:00As I waited at the restaurant I'd reserved, these thoughts kept running through my head.
05:04Ogasawara! Sorry to keep you waiting.
05:08A few minutes later, Sasayama arrived, looking adorable in a cute dress.
05:13She's... she's so cute!
05:16I didn't know there was such a lovely place around here.
05:20It's got such a great atmosphere.
05:23A client told me about it, and I thought I'd check it out sometime.
05:27I'm glad you invited me. Thank you, Ogasawara.
05:31As the food arrived, our conversation naturally shifted to our high school days.
05:36Ogasawara, you were pretty close with the Lively group, right?
05:41Yeah, but after starting work, I got busy, so I haven't been in touch with them much.
05:46It's been a while since I've met any of my high school friends.
05:50I see. That makes me kind of happy.
05:55But I'm impressed you remember the people I used to hang out with, Sasayama.
05:58Well, your group was pretty noticeable.
06:02Were we... loud? Sorry about that.
06:06I remembered how we used to fool around and make everyone laugh, and suddenly I felt embarrassed.
06:11No, you weren't loud. I just thought your group seemed like a lot of fun.
06:17Oh, I'm glad to hear that. I guess.
06:20We spent the evening reminiscing and enjoying a peaceful time together.
06:25Thank you so much for tonight. I had a great time.
06:29Me too. It was really fun.
06:32After spending the evening together, I realized how genuinely kind and wonderful Sasayama is.
06:37As I thought about whether I'd get to see her again, she suddenly asked.
06:41Ogasawara, if you'd like, could we meet up again sometime?
06:47Hm? Yes, of course! I'd love to!
06:51Our first dinner together was so enjoyable that I kept thinking about it for days.
06:57The image of Sasayama laughing at my jokes was burned into my mind.
07:01And before I knew it, exchanging messages with her had become the highlight of my day.
07:06There's a detective movie I want to see. Would you like to go together?
07:11Sounds great! I was thinking of watching it too! Let's go together!
07:15She said she wanted to meet again, but I'm still amazed that she actually invited me.
07:21I'm touched!
07:23Through that movie, we found out our tastes were quite similar.
07:26Our conversation flowed, and we made plans to go out for drinks next.
07:30And on the day...
07:32Good evening. I have a reservation under Ogasawara.
07:36I had made a reservation in advance and arrived a little early, so I decided to go in and wait.
07:41Sasayama had asked me to go ahead and enter if I arrived first, so I did, but...
07:47Wait! Are you Akito?
07:50Yuichi?
07:51The person who greeted me was none other than Yuichi Sonohara, a friend from high school.
07:56Another unexpected reunion!
07:59Yuichi and I hadn't kept in touch since graduation.
08:02There was no particular reason, but he never reached out either.
08:05I learned that he had trained in the restaurant industry and had recently opened his own izakaya.
08:11I saw the reservation name Ogasawara and thought it might be you,
08:15but I didn't expect it to be you for real!
08:18I didn't expect this place to be your shop, Yuichi. I'm surprised too.
08:22When I congratulated him on opening his shop, Yuichi gave me a smug look.
08:27But Akito, you're still as uncool as ever, huh?
08:32In high school, we wore uniforms, but now your fashion sense is really put to the test.
08:37So, you still don't have a girlfriend, do you?
08:42Yuichi teased me in the same way he did back then.
08:46I had a hunch, but his teasing now had a bit of malice to it.
08:49Even after being shown to my reserved seat, Yuichi kept playfully engaging with me,
08:53perhaps because the shop was still empty.
08:56Hey, guess what? I'm actually engaged now!
09:00Engaged? Is it with Remi?
09:03Yeah, that's right! We've been dating since high school, and we figured it's about time we got married!
09:08That's great! Congrats!
09:11I'm working as an office lady now, but she's going to help me with the shop after we get married.
09:16She's even been helping out here after work sometimes.
09:19Actually, she should be coming in today too. Oh, there she is!
09:24Yuichi! Good work today!
09:27Remi, it's been a while.
09:29Speak of the devil, just then Remi walked into the shop.
09:33When Remi spotted me, her eyes lit up, and she excitedly started to tease me.
09:39No way! Is that you, Akito?
09:43Wow, it's been forever! And you're still as uncool as ever.
09:48Hearing the same words from both Yuichi and Remi, I felt a bit exasperated inside.
09:53Turns out it was Akito who made the reservation today!
09:57What? That's such a crazy coincidence.
10:01Are you here drinking alone?
10:04No, I'm actually meeting someone.
10:07It's gotta be a guy, right? Still lonely, huh?
10:11With that fashion sense, I bet you don't even have a girlfriend.
10:16Say whatever you want.
10:18As we were talking, the door to the shop opened again.
10:22Ogasawara! Sorry to keep you waiting.
10:25Oh, Sasayama! I just got here myself.
10:29Sasayama walked in wearing a breezy dress, and Yuichi and Remi's eyes widened in shock.
10:35Huh? Sasayama?
10:38The same Sasayama from high school?
10:41Why are you meeting up with the class Madonna?
10:45Sasayama noticed Yuichi and Remi and cheerfully greeted them.
10:49Sonohara? And Takashi? It's been a while.
10:54Yeah, it has been.
10:57This place is Yuichi's shop. I just found out today, too.
11:01And apparently, he's engaged to Remi, and she's been helping him out sometimes.
11:05Wow, that's great! Congratulations on your engagement!
11:10Yuichi and Remi were clearly confused about why Sasayama and I were meeting up alone.
11:15Especially Yuichi, who couldn't seem to accept it and nudged me to explain.
11:20Hey, Akito, explain! Why are you here with Sasayama?
11:25Oh, we ran into each other at a cafe recently.
11:29We had dinner and found we got along well, so we've been meeting up whenever our schedules match.
11:35Wait, have you been together alone this whole time?
11:39Yeah, Ogasawara is really kind, and I have so much fun with him.
11:45I've been laughing non-stop, and being with him makes me feel so at peace.
11:51Huh, really?
11:54Seeing us smile at each other, Yuichi looked frustrated.
11:58That expression was fleeting as they quickly returned to teasing me again.
12:01I never would have guessed Akito would be meeting up with Sasayama!
12:06But still, you're not a good match for the class Madonna, man!
12:11Yeah, Sasayama, why would you hang out with a lame guy like him?
12:17Huh? Lame? I've never thought that. Not even once.
12:23Yuichi and Remi laugh while Karen looks puzzled.
12:26Sasayama, the class Madonna is really kind to even a lame guy like this, huh?
12:33That's not really a nice thing to say, is it?
12:36Weren't you both close with Ogasawara?
12:39We've always been like this with Akito. I'm sure he's used to it by now.
12:43It's okay, Sasayama. I'm really used to this kind of thing. It's always been like this.
12:48But...
12:49Seeing how close we were, Yuichi's expression darkened. Then...
12:54Damn it! I thought she was out of reach back in high school, so why you?
12:59He suddenly snapped, something I'd never seen before, and I was shocked.
13:03What are you talking about? You have Remi, don't you? You're getting married soon!
13:08I only chose Remi because she was one of the cuter girls in high school and she seemed attainable.
13:14If I could have dated Sasayama, I would have chosen her instead.
13:18What? Hey, you! That's really cruel!
13:21You're the cruel one, Akito. I told you there was no way you could reach Sasayama and you ignored me.
13:27Back then, I did believe I had no chance with Sasayama, but even so, his argument made no sense.
13:33But...
13:34Remi, are you okay?
13:37I glanced over at Yuichi and saw that, just as I thought, Remi was fuming.
13:42One of the cuter girls? Attainable? What the hell is that supposed to mean?
13:50Yuichi's face paled as he realized he couldn't talk his way out of this one.
13:55Yuichi is now pale-faced.
13:57R-Remi! I-I'm sorry!
14:00I don't care! You've been looking down on me this whole time, haven't you?
14:05If you're so set on Sasayama, why don't you try making a move on her? Not that you'd have a chance.
14:12I-I'm sorry! It was just a slip of the tongue!
14:15Yuichi tried to apologize, but Remi's anger wouldn't subside.
14:19Ugh! This is the worst! Why do I have to go through this?
14:24If that's how you feel, then we're done! The engagement is off!
14:29What? Calling off the engagement?
14:32I'm glad I found out how you really feel before we got married, and there's no way I'm paying you any compensation!
14:39Goodbye!
14:40Wait! Remi!
14:43Remi grabbed her things and stormed out of the shop.
14:46Yuichi chased after her, but after a brief argument at the door, he came back alone.
14:51What did Remi say?
14:53She told me to cool off and not contact her for a while!
14:56You brought this on yourself! That was entirely your fault, Yuichi!
15:00But I was just jealous, seeing you and Sasayama getting along so well!
15:05Unfazed, Yuichi took out his phone and approached Sasayama.
15:09Hey, Sasayama! Why don't you exchange contact info with me, too?
15:14If you hang out with me, you'll have even more fun than with Akito!
15:18W-wait, Yuichi!
15:20Huh?
15:22Sasayama looked slightly troubled as she glanced around, then slowly opened her mouth.
15:27I'm sorry, but I've actually always felt a bit uncomfortable around you, Sonohara. And now even more so.
15:36Huh?
15:39Why?
15:40Taken aback by her response, both Yuichi and I let out surprised voices.
15:45But there was no doubt in the expression on Sasayama's face, who looked genuinely troubled.
15:50You see, Sonohara, back in high school, you used to make fun of others to get laughs, right?
15:57I always felt uncomfortable with how you looked down on people.
16:01Even now, despite your relationship with Takahashi getting strained, you're trying to do something like this?
16:07I just can't believe it.
16:09But what about Akito? Akito was part of the same group, wasn't he?
16:14Yuichi desperately tried to pull me away from Sasayama, but it was clear that her feelings weren't going to change.
16:20I did like the group itself. Everyone got along, and even though they teased Akito, it was clear they cared about him.
16:28But you and Takahashi were a little different, weren't you?
16:32And so, Akito would always smile and brush it off, and I thought he must be a really kind person.
16:39Sasayama...
16:41So, I'm sorry.
16:43N-no way!
16:46Yuichi, you told me countless times that I'd never have a chance with Sasayama.
16:50I believed it, too. She was out of my league, my unreachable dream.
16:55But if you don't reach out, nothing changes. I understand that now.
17:00You can't grab hold of anything if you don't try. I'm here now because I mustered up the courage to reach out.
17:06And you know, back then, I didn't mind being the one who got teased.
17:10Even when you and Remi teased me harshly, I didn't really care.
17:14I paused and pulled Karen close.
17:16But from now on, stop it. It hurts the person I care about. The person I love.
17:22Ogasawara!
17:24D-dammit, I...
17:27Yuichi muttered something in frustration, standing there in shock.
17:31In the end, the atmosphere was ruined, and we decided to leave the shop.
17:35Later, Yuichi and Remi ended up calling off their engagement.
17:39Yuichi kept running his shop, but Remi changed jobs and moved far away.
17:44Why did I say something like that back then?!
17:47Yuichi was still hung up on both Remi and Sasayama, moping around by himself.
17:52Coincidentally, on the day of our argument, no other customers came in after us.
17:56It seems his shop isn't doing well.
17:58And Remi, who used to tease me just as harshly as Yuichi.
18:02It seems she's been struggling to adjust her teasing style, causing her to become isolated in her new workplace.
18:08Takahashi-san's words can be a bit sharp, right?
18:12If she thinks she's just teasing, she's really bad at it.
18:15Yeah, she's really not good at it.
18:18Teasing someone is only fun when there's mutual affection and trust.
18:22I wonder if she'll ever realize that.
18:26As for what happened after that incident,
18:28Karen and I decided to find another place to eat, strolling through the city at night.
18:32I'm sorry about that. I didn't expect things to get so messy.
18:36I'll make sure to research the next place better before I book it.
18:40No, it's fine.
18:42I never imagined we'd reunite like that.
18:45Seeing Sasayama smile kindly as usual, unbothered by what had happened,
18:49I decided to tell her how I felt.
18:51Sasayama, I want to be with you. Always.
18:55Eh? Does that mean...
18:58If you're okay with it, would you be my girlfriend?
19:02Yes, of course. I've been thinking I'd love to be with you too.
19:07Sasayama's face brightened with a smile that made me feel overjoyed.
19:11Being teased didn't bother me.
19:13If it made everyone laugh, I thought it was worth it back then.
19:16But if being looked down on makes someone I care about sad,
19:19I need to value myself more.
19:21Long time no see!
19:23By the way, I started dating Sasayama recently!
19:26When I told my high school friends about her, they were all happy for me.
19:30After that, we ended up having a big reunion party for the first time in ages.