When I returned to the classroom after talking with Kiritsuki, I noticed the atmosphere felt a bit heavy.
Probably because Kaori, who wasn’t feeling well, hadn’t come back or something like that.
“Tomiya-kun, where’s Kaori?”
“She left early. Seems like her fever got pretty bad.”
So she even left early, huh.
That must be why the air feels a bit heavy. Just one girl being absent causing this much impact—her influence is something else.
“You let her go home alone?”
“No…”
“Kaori’s parents are probably at work, but they’d come pick her up, right?”
Since her mom’s a stay-at-home parent, they’ve got some flexibility with time, so something like their daughter leaving early shouldn’t be a big deal.
That’s what it means to be loved by your parents.
“Unlike our homes, huh…”
The words slipped out without much thought, but for some reason, Kiritsuki muttered the same thing.
When I instinctively met her gaze, she just gave a small smile and didn’t say anything more about it.
It felt like we both sensed it was a topic we didn’t need to touch, a conversation with no reason to expand.
“If Kaori’s gone home, I guess after school’s gonna be kinda free.”
“What about club?”
“Got a message from the captain earlier saying there’s no practice today. Something came up, apparently.”
That way of putting it doesn’t tell me anything at all. Not that I care about the track team, so whatever.
“By the way, what were you two doing earlier?”
“Hmm? Just a little advice session.”
“Advice, huh? Bet she’s already regretting picking the wrong person to talk to.”
“Yeah, she is.”
“Then let’s just pretend that whole conversation never happened, alright?”
“Himura-kun, isn’t that a bit narrow-minded?”
I clearly said “absolutely not, I’d rather die” and still made a compromise for her sake—she should be grateful for that much…
“By the way, is that advice something I can hear about?”
“If it’s you, Tomiya-kun, it’s fine. So, here’s the thing—”
Then why did she go out of her way to drag me to another classroom just to talk in private, making things all complicated?
Kiritsuki briefly explained to Tomiya what she’d told me earlier.
Tomiya nodded, looking convinced.
“I heard about that. It’s Kuchiki-kun, right? Our catcher was saying he regretted not confessing to her. Pretty funny, huh?”
“Don’t laugh at the guy for that.”
“So anyway, I was hoping Himura-kun could act as a shield for a bit.”
“Why not just get a real boyfriend?”
It’s not like I hadn’t thought of that option myself.
“Ehh… that’s kinda, you know?”
What’s that supposed to mean?
Well, since she’s asking for a fake boyfriend, she probably doesn’t plan on getting a real one anytime soon, which is why I ruled it out…
But if she could actually find someone, that’d solve everything, right?
“…Hey, Tomiya.”
“What’s up?”
“That good-looking Kuchiki Rento guy who confessed to both Kiritsuki and Kaori—what’s he like?”
“He’s got a lot of bad rumors about him, but he’s actually a pretty decent guy. This is just my guess, but those rumors probably popped up out of nowhere without him knowing.”
Rather than a misunderstanding, it’s probably safe to assume someone’s benefiting from spreading those rumors.
If Kiritsuki got a boyfriend, the one who’d benefit would likely be another girl, right?
“…What about the part where he confessed to both Kaori and Kiritsuki?”
“Probably just because he’s a ladies’ man. He’s got the looks, and it’s probably his personality too.”
So that’s where the bad rumors come from.
“Would he be loyal if he got into a relationship?”
“Probably not. Personally, I think he’s better off just being a friend.”
Tomiya said it gently, but basically, the guy’s no good when it comes to relationships.
“Got it.”
“Wait, don’t tell me you were thinking of turning those rumors into reality or something?”
“Nah, not really.”
I don’t even know who started it, but because of some pointless rumor, I’m getting dragged into a mess.
I won’t feel settled until I figure out where the rumor came from and what’s going on.
Also, I’d really like to ditch this shield role if I can.
“Kiritsuki, what about that guy?”
“Which guy? And why are you trying to make me get a boyfriend?”
There’s this student council guy I’ve seen hanging around both Kaori and Kiritsuki a lot lately.
I think his name was…
“Tsugiyama, right?”
“Ah… I wouldn’t recommend him.”
For some reason, Tomiya said that.
“Why not?”
“He’s got a girlfriend. Lately, people have been saying he’s been getting close to Nanami-san in the student council, so there’s talk he might be cheating.”
“Huh… How do you even know that stuff?”
“Tsugiyama-kun’s girlfriend is the manager for our club.”
What kind of social network does this guy have?
If I casually asked, “Who’s that?” I bet he could unravel everyone’s relationships with all the info he’s got.
Meanwhile, I can barely remember the names and faces of my own classmates.
“Then, I guess it’s you, Tomiya…”
“Sorry, I’ve already got someone I like.”
“Oh, really? Well, good luck with that.”
“Thanks.”
Well, that’s it for the guys I could think of off the top of my head.
Since Kiritsuki’s talking about fake boyfriends, she probably doesn’t have anyone like that in mind either.
The only takeaways are that, from what Tomiya hinted, there are quite a few guys who like Kiritsuki, and that Kuchiki probably didn’t spread those rumors himself.
“Hey, Himura-kun.”
“Hm?”
“You just brushed it off, but didn’t you say something pretty big just now?”
“?”
“Ugh…”
I had no idea what Kiritsuki was getting at, so I ignored it for now and turned my gaze back to Tomiya, who was smirking for some reason.
“What’s with that face?”
“Nothing? Just thought it’s very you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing at all. By the way, Kiritsuki-san.”
Tomiya shifted his gaze from me to Kiritsuki, a faint smile on his face as he leaned in toward her ear.
I could tell he was whispering something, but eavesdropping on their conversation would be pretty tactless.
I got up from my seat and headed toward my locker.
“I think asking Aoi was a smart move, you know.”
“Huh? Why… I mean, I guess it’s weird to ask, but…”
“Hmm… I just trust him as a friend, so my reasoning might not make much sense.”
“Then, maybe I’ll figure it out if we hang out a bit more?”
“I think so. But just so you know, my super shy little sister is totally attached to him, so he’s at least good at looking out for people.”
“Now that you mention it, last year Kaori was raving about her ‘childhood friend’ too…”
“Done with your secret talk?”
When I got back to my seat, Tomiya was still wearing that same smile.
“Wasn’t anything major.”
Was it really?
Knowing Tomiya, I bet he’s feeding her some unnecessary ideas. But I’m pretty sure he’s not badmouthing me, so that’s a relief.
“Hey, wanna hang out after school?”
“…You got somewhere you wanna go?”
“It’s not about where, it’s about who you’re with, don’t you think?”
She’s probably saying that because of whatever Tomiya told her. I don’t know how to respond to that.
“Haha, you’re probably the only guy who’d make that face when Kiritsuki-san asks you out.”
Tomiya, watching from the side, gave a wry smile.
“Then go in my place.”
“No way, it’s about who she’s going with, right? Besides, I’ve got club practice.”
“Himura-kun, do you, like, hate me or something? You always make a face no matter what I say.”
“Relax, Kiritsuki-san. Aoi’s like this with everyone.”
That’s not true—I’m not like that with everyone.
Probably just when I’m stuck hanging out with good-looking people, I might make a face. That’s it.
“Even when we talked about getting Kaori a birthday present, you looked like you were gonna ditch early…”
She remembers that? I wasn’t trying to ditch back then, but honestly, I would’ve preferred meeting up somewhere off school grounds.
I know from experience that hanging out with people above my league just makes enemies pile up fast.
Friends or childhood pals—those concepts don’t get in the way of that reality.
If my childhood friend is a high-class flower, then her best friend is probably the same.
Being approachable or low-key doesn’t mean someone can’t still be untouchable.
That’s why I can get along with Tomiya—he knows his own influence.
Not that I’d ever say that to him, of course.
“…Look, lunch break’s almost over. Get back to your seat.”
Conveniently, the chime drowned out my sigh, so I motioned for Tomiya to leave.
“My seat’s right here, though.”
I wasn’t talking to you—ugh, it’s too much hassle to keep snapping back at her.
Ignoring Kiritsuki’s words and avoiding her gaze, I quickly started prepping for the next class.
“Hey… aren’t you being kinda cold today?”
“You’re imagining it.”
If I had to pin it on something, it’s probably because someone out there keeps stepping on landmines or making weird requests.
“I’m not imagining it. I haven’t seen you smile even once today.”
“When have I ever smiled in front of you?”
“…Huh?”
Kiritsuki put a hand to her chin, looking serious as she thought it over. A few seconds later, she came to a conclusion.
“You’re right. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile!”
That’s not something to announce so proudly.
What if some classmates overheard us? What am I supposed to do if people think I’m some unfriendly, gloomy guy? Not saying they’d be entirely wrong, but still.
It’s only April—there’s still time to make friends.
I don’t go out of my way to talk to people, so I know it’s unlikely, but still.
But if she goes around saying stuff like that so loudly, it might make people hesitant to approach me.
“Is it… not fun hanging out with me?”
“Let me ask you this: have we ever done anything you’d call fun?”
“I actually have a lot of fun just being around you, Himura-kun.”
“…Is that so.”
I know Kiritsuki didn’t say that with any special feelings attached.
But I’d never had anyone tell me “it’s fun being with you” before, so for a split second, I thought, Maybe hanging out with Kiritsuki isn’t so bad. And I kinda hated how simple-minded that made me feel.
☆Afterword──────────────────
☆We’ve passed 800 and hit 900—seriously?! I’m thinking once we reach 1,000, I’ll stop with the 100-interval updates. We’ve also gone over 2,000 followers—truly, thank you so much.
I’ve been getting more and more supportive comments lately.
Reading through them, it kinda feels like this is secretly a story about “Aoi Himura, a brooding heroine with a complex about her childhood friend, getting won over” (lol).
But that’s more or less the vibe of the story, so if you’re thinking, “This protagonist is such a pain!” please consider giving a ☆, leaving a comment, or following. Thanks!
