Translator: Soafp Sakura panted her mouth open and closed like a goldfish short on oxygen. “Eh? Hatsukade, so that means—” “Stop using that fake-sounding way of calling me. Just call me Subaru.” “...Subaru.” She lightly pinched the sleeve of my raincoat. “...You know I’m going to take you seriously, right?” “I’m serious too.” “You made me fall for you first, so it’s your fault. I’m not giving up, and I’ll make you fall for me.” “If you can.” “I’ll explain everything to Nakina too. Don’t blame me if I declare war and it turns into a mess.” “I’m prepared for that...” For a brief moment, Amanatsu’s devastated expression flashed through my mind, but... well, these were fair conditions. For me, Amanatsu, Shinonome, and Sakura all started on equal footing. Saying it like that makes me sound arrogant and leaves a bad impression. But right now, I don’t like anyone in particular, so there’s nothing I can do about it. “Well, romance is such an uncertain thing. Even if we’re saying all this now, a few months from now Sakura might get sick of me, and I might fall for someone else.” “You might, but not me. I’ve had a one-sided crush for seven years, after all.” She made a bright smile and a tiny fist pump with her right hand so as not...

Translator: Soafp A few months had passed since I transferred schools, and I had become a third-year high school student. Even after moving into a new class, my classmates continued to casually come up and talk to me. Perhaps because everyone was preparing for university entrance exams, the quality and amount of lessons and assignments had become more demanding, and the students’ attitudes were changing as well. During self-study periods and breaks, many students could be found reviewing their textbooks and notes. “Aizawa, could you teach me something?” It was no longer unusual for a classmate sitting nearby to ask me that. “Yeah, sure.” If I were still the person I had been when I first transferred here, I probably would have kept my distance from everyone around me. I don't know if it would be accurate to say that I had been mentally unwell, but I had certainly shut myself away inside my own shell to that extent. “Hey, could you teach me too?” “Ah, me too?” Little by little, people began gathering around me like this. The reason everyone was willing to come and talk to me was because I was better at studying than they were. If I weren't good at studying... If my grades suddenly plummeted from here on out... Would these people show even the slightest bit of...

Translator: Soafp The next day was Friday. Amanatsu had messaged me again, to the point where she seemed ready to come here even in a typhoon. But the trains were scheduled to be suspended, so physically that was impossible. There was no need to worry. The wind was blowing outside. As time passed, the trees visible from the window leaned more and more strongly. The typhoon was expected to hit at night. Toshie-san gladly took us in for the duration of our stay. I was grateful he agreed without asking for the details. Normally, anyone would want to worry and ask a ton of questions. That was how strange Sakura’s condition was. Since our conversation yesterday, she’d clearly been speaking less. There was only one reason. She was trying to break the promise to give up cleanly and go back to school after one week of dating. She probably hadn’t meant to lie from the beginning. But after spending a few days with me, she’d ended up not giving up at all—if anything, she’d just complicated her feelings even more. “Waaaah, I want to go eat hamburgers with Fujimaru!” It happened while we were eating lunch in the living room of Toshie-san’s house, with nothing to do in my room. Shizuka-chan’s whining voice echoed through the house. “You can’t today. The weather’s bad.”...

Translator: Soafp On Thursday, I replied to Amanatsu, which had almost become part of my routine. Of course, she had said she might go visit the place where Sakura was staying. Officially, that was the reason. But in truth, she probably wanted to find out whether I was there too. “Do whatever you want. But just so you know, a typhoon is coming tomorrow.” By the time the typhoon passed, I’d already be gone. Once I got back home, I could send her a photo proving I was in my own room, and Amanatsu would have no choice but to accept it. If Amanatsu came here, it would only make things messier. This was a peaceful solution. After handling that before work, I got started with Toshie-san. Just as he had warned me, every task was heavy labor. We hauled the boat up, put away the benches and equipment outside Blue Note, and by the time everything was done, the sun was already setting. During the work, I called out to Sakura a few times, but she only gave distracted, half-hearted responses. She’d been like this since last night. After all that back and forth, the final task was finally done. Toshie-san smiled broadly and slapped me on the back. “Whew, you really helped me out. It was a short stay, but thank...

Translator: Soafp If Airi's hypothesis was correct, then there should be a way to avoid the nightmare using the plan I'd come up with. The problem was whether the person at the center of it all would actually agree. So first, I decided to find out how the light music club president really felt. "President, answer me honestly. You don't like that Senpai anymore, right?" "Of course not. I regret that I ever dated someone like him, even for a moment." "Then is there anyone else you like now?" "Not particularly." "Anyone you're interested in?" "Someone I'm interested in, huh..." The president rested a hand against her chin, letting her gaze wander into the distance. Judging by her reaction, there probably wasn't anyone. That was going to make things a little difficult. Or so I thought. "...!" Suddenly, both of the president's cheeks flushed red. Then she began muttering to herself. "Huh? W-Wait, seriously?" Apparently, even she hadn't been aware of her own feelings until that very moment. "Who was the person you just thought of?" "Huh? I-I mean, that's..." "Takagi?" The president's shoulders jolted. Honestly, I'd only been fishing for a reaction, but apparently I'd hit the mark. "J-Just don't ever tell him. No, don't tell anyone!" "Of course. I'm good at keeping secrets." Well, even if I didn't say anything, Airi...

Translator: Soafp Monday, Amanatsu kept messaging me. “Are you still sick today?” “I trust you, Hatsukade-kun, but in the photo Sakura posted on social media, isn’t there someone who looks like you in the background????” When I checked the photo she sent, I found my back-view silhouette barely visible far behind Sakura, who was taking a selfie on the beach. How did she even notice someone my microscopic size? For now, I told her it was probably someone who just looked like me, but I was starting to feel like I was nearing my limit. “Hey, Subaru, good work today too.” Because there weren’t many reservations on Wednesday, we finished early. When I clocked out, Toshie-san called out to me. “Thanks for your hard work.” “You really saved us by covering for Murata-chan too. Honestly, if you hadn’t been here, the whole operation would’ve collapsed. Well, if you hadn’t been here, Murata-chan wouldn’t have taken time off in the first place, though.” That was a pretty nasty way to put it. What exactly had I done? It sounded like I was the reason she’d taken time off. “Right, right. A typhoon’s apparently going to hit hard on Friday. So tomorrow we’re canceling reservations and all pitch in to prepare before it comes.” When he explained it, it sounded like a big job. Hauling...

Translator: Soafp “That’s Aizawa-kun, right?” “Yeah. He’s amazing, isn’t he? He came in first place by a huge margin on the end-of-year exams.” I could feel people’s eyes on me just from walking down the school hallway. “So, Aizawa-kun, what do you usually do? What are your hobbies?” Even in the classroom, all kinds of people came up to talk to me. “Do you have any tips for studying? I’m really bad at science subjects.” A transfer student who had arrived only a short while ago had suddenly become the top student in the school. I had expected to attract attention, but... “What are you thinking about doing after graduation? Going to university, I assume? With your grades, you could definitely get into a good university.” Ah... Right. It used to be like this. When I first entered Kaimei Gakuen High School before transferring, everyone gathered around me and tried to talk to me. “Ah... As for my plans after graduation, I’m still... thinking about it.” At both my previous school and this one, the reason people treated me so well was simply because I was a little better at studying than everyone else. But eventually, my grades dropped, and I became someone nobody paid any attention to... “With grades like yours, Aizawa-kun, you’re definitely going to university, right? Though there are quite...

Translator: Soafp Monday, Amanatsu had messaged me again. “Are you off again today!?” “Sakura says you’re vacationing at the beach, but that means Hatsukade-kun is bedridden at home, right!?” “Can I come visit you!?” Having her show up for something as small as a cold would be a problem, so I told her to please stay away. She kept asking for my address, but if I told her, she really would come, so I dodged the question. That should buy me some more time. So, after Friday, I ended up skipping school again, but Blue Note was so busy from morning that I didn’t even have time to worry about falling behind in class. Reservations were packed, and I, working behind the scenes, was sent running all over the place. As usual, I washed wetsuits, but before they could even dry, I was already handling the next reservation. “Can you take this cylinder down to the beach for me!” “Understood.” Since Toshie-san asked me to, I lifted the diving tank. “Oh, you’re skinny, but pretty strong, huh.” “I’m used to heavy labor.” “Done that before?” “My relatives in the countryside run a watermelon farm. I help out there every summer.” I don’t really have anything to do during summer break except read books, so it’s more meaningful to earn some pocket money. I...

Translator: Soafp I contact Hiiragi's parents every night. It was to keep them updated. That said, I was keeping quiet about the fact that we were dating. If I told them I’d become her boyfriend for one week only, it could create all sorts of unnecessary misunderstandings. Worst case, they might take it to mean something indecent. So I blurred the details and only told them that things were looking good for her to return to school. Today is the third day of our stay, Sunday. If we can get through one full more week without any problems, then our usual high school life should come back. Oh, and there was Amanatsu too. She had been bombarding me with questions, asking whether we’d be able to meet again on Monday. Of course, there was no way that would happen, so I just told her I’d come if I could. If I said I’d caught another cold on Monday, I could buy myself a few more days. I finished my shift in the morning. It was a bit of a shame that Murata-senpai’s sudden time off had left a hole in the schedule, but Toshie-san told me not to worry and to go enjoy my youth, so I decided to accept his kindness. Well, from my perspective, this didn’t feel like youth at all....

Translator: Soafp In short, because of a strange superstition that had taken root regardless of how it started, the light music club president had ended up wearing revealing underwear every time she performed live. And without spats. "...What would happen if you wore normal underwear and put on spats?" "That's the thing... You might not believe me, but the live performance goes horribly. I start making mistake after mistake, and everything falls apart." It really was hard to believe. Then again, I'd heard that some athletes wear the same underwear or other items for good luck, so perhaps it wasn't entirely strange. Maybe the tension of performing live while wearing revealing underwear had become ingrained in her body, and wearing ordinary underwear made her anxious instead. Perhaps that was the psychology behind it. (There's no way I can make her overcome this superstition right now.) I never imagined there would be a reason like this. There were probably very few people in the club who knew about it. Even I had only heard about it secondhand from Takagi, so there was no way I could have figured all of this out from the fragments of my nightmare. "President, just to make sure... you're not willing to wear normal underwear and put on spats?" At my question, the president's body flinched. She lowered her...

Translator: Soafp Now that Sakura and I were officially boyfriend and girlfriend... What exactly was I supposed to do? Since I had accepted her confession, I needed to act like her boyfriend, even if only for one week. Even if, in my heart, I had no feelings for Sakura. That was the absolute condition for her to return to high school. But if you asked me what I was actually supposed to do, I honestly didn’t know the answer. Was holding hands and going on dates enough to make her my girlfriend? If we just said “I like you” to each other, even if it was a lie, would that count as dating? This... was a hard problem. It was like the question of where exactly the line is between friends and not friends. That boundary was different for everyone, and ultimately depended only on personal feeling. As for me, I didn’t actually like Sakura, so the best I could do was at least act like a boyfriend... but I didn’t have any couple nearby that I could use as a model. No, wait. There were perfect people for that. So I’d use them as my template and spend this week following their example. I called out to her in the back area, where she was standing around dazed like she’d been overboiled....

Translator: Soafp Hiiragi, now bright red in the face, shouted at me. “Come on, Hatsukade, calm down. What about high school?!” “If you come back to school, the problem is solved.” “That’s... that’s exactly what I don’t want.” “Then negotiations are broken. We’ll stay at an impasse until one of us gives in. I’d appreciate it if you gave up sooner rather than later.” Hiiragi and I were complete strangers. Maybe she didn’t even need to go this far to help me. Still, if she ended up repeating a year because of me, in any form whatsoever, I’d feel awful about it. Toshie, who had been seated across from me, stood up. “Oh, so Sakura’s crush was you, huh, Subaru.” “I only found that out recently myself.” “So even a handsome guy like you can get Sakura to fall for you, huh? I don’t know all the details, but I’m rooting for Subaru.” “W-Why, Uncle Toshie!?” “Come on, Sakura. No uncle wants his precious niece to get her heart broken.” With a grin showing his white teeth, Toshie gave Hiiragi a thumbs-up and smiled. “Anyway, once you finish breakfast, I’m going to work you guys hard.” Leaving only those words behind, he walked away. I got up too, and Hiiragi, her neck and ears flushed red, tugged at my sleeve. “...Hatsukade.” “What?” “...Ugh,...

Translator: Soafp Hiiragi stared at me, trembling, and pointed. “You’re coming... why is Hatsukade here?” “I’m accompanying you on your trip.” “Whaaat!?” Her shriek echoed through the ticket gate, drawing the attention of passersby. “Wh-what, no, what are you saying!?” “I mean exactly that. Your parents also asked me to keep you from being alone.” “My mom and dad did!?” “As proof, here—your parents’ contact info.” I showed her the screen on my phone. Hiiragi hurriedly leaned in and stared at it, stunned. “I can’t believe this... We haven’t even exchanged contact info ourselves...” “I already exchanged it so I can give them daily updates on your situation. Hurry up. We’ll miss the train we planned for. By the way, where are we going?” “...The ocean.” Hmph, how clichéd—going to the sea for a heartbreak trip. Still, well... “That means there’ll probably be good seafood.” “Yeah, sorry, I can’t keep up with your thinking.” I passed through the ticket gate using a mobile payment app. When I looked back, Hiiragi had lowered her head in defeat and stared into space with dead eyes. At the platform, I waited for the limited express while drinking coffee I’d bought from a vending machine, stealing glances at her unconvincing profile. Well, of course. If I’d been about to take a solo trip and some classmate suddenly...

Translator: Soafp I had assumed that, as the light music club president, she'd respond with her usual playful joke. Instead, the club president's cheeks turned bright red. Clutching the hem of her dress tightly with both hands, she took a step backward. "W-Well, actually..." She looked away, trailing off. ...That reaction. Could it be...? Takagi seemed to realize it too. His eyes widened as he straightened his posture and asked again. "W-Wait... President... don't tell me... you're not wearing spats?" "I-It's not like I did it on purpose! It was out of my control, or something..." "Did something happen?" I found myself leaning forward as well. In the nightmare, I had never learned why the president wasn't wearing spats, or why she'd chosen such revealing underwear of all things. Scratching her cheek awkwardly, she explained, "I only had one pair of spats. I'd set them aside, but my mom misunderstood and threw them in the wash." She only owned one pair...? Well, if she rarely wore them, it wasn't impossible. Even so, that explanation still didn't sit right with me. (That doesn't explain why she'd deliberately wear sexy underwear.) Even if her mother had washed her underwear along with the spats, she'd normally have another pair to change into. At the very least, it was hard to believe the only spare underwear she...

Translator: Soafp In Hiiragi’s living room, I was enjoying tea. As usual, they used wonderfully selected, high-quality tea leaves. Still, I had not expected to find myself back here again so soon. Judging by Amanatsu’s panic, Hiiragi seemed ready to leave home as early as tomorrow. I had no choice but to see her that same day. What a hassle. Why did I have to deal with this? I did not want to get involved with Hiiragi, but if I was the reason she wanted to go traveling, I could not exactly call it none of my business. Besides, why did every girl around me stop going to school whenever some new problem came up? They were betting far too much of their lives on romance. “Woof!” Rooney-kun barked from where he rested his head on my knee, so I stroked him. Hehe. You’re the only one who heals me, Rooney. You were cute today too. Maybe I should buy a proper camera sometime and hold a Rooney-kun photo shoot. Hiiragi had caused me enough trouble that she owed me at least that much. Yes, that was what I would do. “Thank you for coming all the way here because you were worried about Sakura, Hatsukade-kun. She went to the convenience store, but she should be back soon.” Hiiragi’s mother gave a strained...

Translator: Soafp With Airi leading the way, we climbed the stairs. I wondered where this "place where no one would be around" was. Without stopping, Airi kept heading upward. "Airi, isn't the rooftop supposed to be locked?" Eventually, we reached the top of the staircase, where a door leading to the rooftop stood with a "No Entry" sign hanging on it. Airi grabbed the doorknob and pressed her shoulder against the door. "It is. But Ren-kun, haven't you ever thought something was strange?" "About what?" "If the rooftop is supposed to be locked, then how did that scumbag manage to take those pictures up there?" ...Come to think of it, there really had been photos of Nagasawa-senpai and Yuzuki having s*x on what anyone could recognize as the school's rooftop. The awkwardness hadn't completely disappeared, but perhaps because we'd managed to avoid the worst possible outcome, remembering it no longer made my chest tighten the way it had before. "Now that you mention it... you're right." "So I looked into it. It takes a bit of a trick, but if you put force on it like this—" Keeping her weight against the door, Airi rattled the doorknob several times. Then, with a click, the door opened with surprising ease. "Like that. Looks like nobody's maintained it properly, and the lock's rusted." "So it's...

Translator: Soafp I rushed forward and grabbed Hiiragi’s arm as she stood frozen in the middle of the crosswalk. “What are you doing!?” I pulled her hard. Hiiragi snapped back to herself and ran with Rooney. A blaring horn and the screech of brakes rang out. I reached the sidewalk just in time and pulled Hiiragi tightly against me. Fortunately, the signal had only just changed, so the truck had not been going very fast and stopped before the crosswalk. After the near-disaster, the driver gave two short, irritated honks and drove away. That was close. What had she been thinking, stopping in a place like that? “Are you okay?” “T-That scared me!” “You’re not hurt?” “Yeah... Ah.” Hiiragi’s cheeks flushed. I had pulled her close in the heat of the moment, so our bodies were pressed together. I could hear her heart pounding against my own body. She must have been really startled. I confirmed she was unhurt, then stepped away— “Ah... ah... ah...” Hiiragi began making strange, broken-sounding noises and, for some reason, did not move away. She was still holding my hand. I tried to pull my arm back, but she tightened her grip instead. “...Hey.” “Huh?” “My hand.” “Oh. R-Right.” And yet she squeezed it even harder. Well, I could understand it. She was probably so shaken that her...

Translator: Soafp I looked up at Hiiragi’s house. It was a stylish three-story concrete designer home. Within the stone-walled property was a lawn-covered yard. When I opened the tall front door and stepped into the spacious entrance hall, a fresh scent drifted through the air. Apparently, Hiiragi came from a fairly wealthy family. “I’m home! Oh, Hatsukade, use those slippers.” “Got it.” “Come to think of it, this might be the first time I’ve invited a boy into my house. My heart’s pounding—this is totally an event, right!? You’re nervous too, aren’t you, Hatsukade?” “Yeah.” My chest really was making an obnoxious amount of noise. And then the moment came. “Woof!” “Rooney-kun!” Rooney, the Siberian husky, came running from deeper in the house and launched himself full-speed into my chest. Ah, so fluffy... How could he be this cute? Hiiragi tilted her head. “Your reaction isn’t what I expected.” Whether it was a boy’s house or a girl’s house, a house was just a house. Why would I get excited about that? “Rooney-kun! I missed you so much!” “Hatsukade, aren’t you acting totally out of character?” Rooney pulled away from me, then ran down the long hallway and back like he was doing shuttle runs before jumping on me again. Huskies had faces like wolves but were somehow unbelievably goofy. That was what...

Translator: Soafp In the end, we joined up with Kokoa and the others and headed for Class 2-4, where Airi was. Nodoka narrowed her eyes and asked Kokoa, "...Don't tell me you were waiting here because you predicted we'd be coming to Airi-senpai's class?" "Ehh? I don't even know who Airi-senpai is~." "..." She definitely waited here on purpose. Well, it would probably become a good memory for both Kokoa and us, so I didn't really mind. Honestly, she could've just asked me to show her around from the beginning. Then again, maybe she just wanted to surprise me. "U-Um... I look forward to your guidance..." Ayano awkwardly bowed to me. She was probably being swept along by Kokoa's pace. From her perspective, I was practically her boss now, so it was only natural that she'd feel uncomfortable. Whether Kokoa genuinely didn't realize what Ayano was feeling, or was simply pretending not to, she innocently pointed ahead. "I think it's over there!" Before we knew it, we'd arrived in front of Class 2-4. Perhaps because their attraction was so unusual, the crowd gathered outside was much larger than at the other classrooms. We joined the end of the line. However, the student handing out numbered tickets stared at us in shock the moment she saw Kokoa. "Huh? W-Wait... are you from Jirai-chan Syndrome...?"...

Translator: Soafp Amanatsu and Shinonome stood frozen like statues, staring at each other with pale faces. “Nakina...” “Ah, um, ahaha... Wow, my timing is seriously terrible, huh? It’s fine—I absolutely won’t tell anyone what I heard!” “That’s not it... Could it be that Nakina feels the same way too?” At that question, Amanatsu gave a forced little “Heheh,” tracing a finger between her nose and lips. “My bad, my bad. I’m famous for not being able to read the room, so I have no idea what Shi-chan is talking about. Impressive, right?” What exactly was there to be proud of? Something was clearly wrong with Amanatsu. She kept giving empty laughs for no reason. “No, I didn’t know anything. I never thought this would happen...” “Ehh, what are you talking about? It’s not like I noticed Shi-chan was looking at Hatsukade-kun with the eyes of a girl in love and thought, Oh no, we’re totally competing for the same guy, or anything. Not even a little. Really?” “Nakina!?” In a panic, Shinonome grabbed Amanatsu and shook her. Her face flushed, and she turned toward me for a moment. “Hatsukade, don’t look!” You were doing this right in the doorway. How was I supposed not to? “Nakina, calm down. Let’s think this through rationally!” “Sure, sure. I have absolutely no idea what’s happening right...

Translator: Soafp Shinonome’s words caused the class to stir. Even when someone somewhere blurted out, “A public confession?”, Shinonome stood her ground without flinching. Masaki frowned and murmured, “I thought I already gave you my answer.” “I didn’t confess that day. I was only rejected unilaterally. And after I was the one who egged on a public confession, it would be too convenient for me to do nothing myself.” Then Shinonome looked at me again. “I want to properly tell you how I feel. Otherwise, I can’t move forward.” At Shinonome’s clear expression, Masaki gave a wry smile, said, “I see,” and stood up. Perhaps nervous, Shinonome pinched the hem of her skirt. “...I’ve always been drawn to how kind you are, Masaki-kun. This is the first time I’ve truly fallen in love. So let me say it: I liked you.” “My answer hasn’t changed. I don’t have romantic feelings for you, Shinonome, and I’m busy with basketball. I have no intention of dating anyone.” Masaki smiled shyly, then added: “But the Shi-chan you are now seems more appealing than before.” “...Yeah.” “Is that enough?” “Thank you.” The exchange left something important unsaid, making it feel a little incomplete. Yet Shinonome wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with one finger and smiled. There must have been something between them that...

Translator: Soafp Except for Nodoka, Yui, and me, who saw Kokoa every day, every other classmate had their eyes glued to her, and the butler café had effectively ceased operations. In the end, I headed toward the classroom entrance too. The moment Kokoa spotted me, she smiled brightly. "Ah! You're the senpai who showed me around the school during the open house!" She spoke as though we'd just happened to run into each other by chance. ...Our classmates might have been fooled, but the rest of us immediately knew it was an act. Kokoa came toddling over to us. "What a coincidence running into you here, Fukagawa-senpai!" "Ah, yeah. What a coincidence. Did you come to see the school festival today?" "Yep! Actually, after you gave me such an easy-to-understand tour during the open house, I decided I wanted to apply to this high school!" Takagi had actually been the one who'd done most of the tour. More importantly, I was surprised that Kokoa hadn't come alone. Standing beside her was the other member of Jirai-chan Syndrome. "Oh, let me introduce you!" Perhaps noticing where I was looking, Kokoa cupped Ayano's cheeks in both hands. "She's currently taking some time off because she's been feeling a little unwell, but this is Aya-chan, the other member of Jirai-chan Syndrome!" "U-Um... nice to meet you....

Translator: Soafp Monday. I usually arrive at school at the same time, but today I happened to wake early and got to high school a little sooner than usual. So I thought I’d have a coffee in the courtyard. But beside the vending machines, I found Shinonome trembling with her small back turned toward me. Three empty cans lay at her feet. “I-I’m nervous... Calm down, me.” She gulped down an energy drink, then bought another one. I took the energy drink from her hand and pressed the change into her palm. “That’s enough. You’ll end up hiding in the bathroom all day.” “H-Hatsukade!? H-Hey, what should I do? I want to go home right now, sit in a dark room, and read forever.” What was she, Amanatsu? I took a sip of the energy drink for the first time in a while. It was actually pretty good. I wanted coffee, but it was caffeine either way, so whatever. “Just be yourself. Don’t try to cover things up. What matters is telling the whole truth honestly.” “But the usual me is just a piece of trash with an awful personality.” “...At least you’re aware of it.” Shinonome took a deep breath. Clutching the coins I had given her in both hands, she relaxed her tense body. “Watching you stay exactly the same makes...

Translator: Soafp When I returned to the terrace with the ice cream, Amanatsu was still standing there. Hiiragi was desperately talking, gesturing wildly. “Nakina, it’s not like that. Calm down.” “Ugh... It always ends up like this. Popular girls attract popular guys. That’s the fundamental truth of the world... I’m just a Bronze-rank girl.” An unbelievable negative aura was pouring out of her. I set the cup of ice cream on the table. “Just sit down. This is Hulk’s ice cream.” She cautiously sat and nodded, saying, “Thanks.” I made one thing clear. “Hiiragi and I don’t have the kind of relationship you’re imagining.” “...Really?” “There’s no way I’d ever like this woman.” “But maybe you were actually all excited to go on a date, and you’re just hiding your embarrassment?” What a pain. As I frowned, Hiiragi jumped in this time. “This woman? Isn’t that an awful way to refer to a friend!?” Since when were we friends? More importantly, why did I have to be this considerate toward Amanatsu? I understood how she felt, but I regularly told her I had no romantic feelings for her. Even so, Amanatsu had chosen to stay with me. Still, perhaps I was partly at fault too. For some reason, I always ended up looking after Amanatsu. Just earlier, I had almost bought ice cream...

Translator: Soafp "Huh? Yuna...?" "Yes." Kokoa looked completely caught off guard. There was even a hint of fear in her eyes. She was probably worried that Yuna had changed for the worse, just like Nagasawa-senpai had. "How can I meet only Yu-chan...?" "To put it simply, we're going to lure them with money. It's not exactly the most admirable method." I explained the plan in detail. In short, we'd go through the hospital supporting Yuna and arrange an interview under the supervision of a neutral third party to select recipients for financial assistance. According to the detective's investigation, Yuna's legal guardian on paper was a distant relative of Nagasawa-senpai. "If we do it through the new Japanese corporation we've just established, Nagasawa-senpai shouldn't realize I'm the one behind it." Even if he somehow figured it out, if he truly cared about his little sister, he wouldn't be able to refuse. ...I had to admit, it was a rather underhanded approach. "So you're going to pay for Yu-chan's medical treatment?" "That's the plan." To avoid raising unnecessary suspicion, I intended to support not only Yuna but also other patients in similar situations. If I thought of it as a charitable donation, it didn't feel so bad. More importantly, these were people who genuinely needed help. "Then how about this? We could perform a live...

Translator: Soafp Yesterday was exhausting. Who knew Katsurama had that kind of nerve in him? He actually threw punches. Because the police got involved, I was questioned until late at night. There were calls to the school and other matters to deal with too, so I barely had time to rest. We would find out on Monday what would happen to Katsurama. It wasn’t my decision to make, so all I could do was let things proceed as they would. That was what I told Shinonome. She looked at me with an exasperated expression. “...Hey, Hatsukade.” “What?” “Why are you casually here eating ramen after everything that happened yesterday?” I stopped moving my chopsticks as I slurped my tan-tan noodles. “What’s wrong with coming to a ramen shop to eat ramen?” “No, that’s not what I mean. I thought about a lot of things. Like what I should say when I saw you on Monday, or what kind of face I should make. You’ve completely ruined all of it. What kind of nerve do you have?” “If you have a complaint, take it up with your dad.” I looked toward the kitchen, but nobody was there now. Last orders had already passed, so we were the only ones in the shop. “Your parents wouldn’t stop talking about bringing a gift box to my...

Well, it had been a long time since she started leaving me on read. Maybe Temari didn't need a guy like me in her life anymore. ...Wait, seriously? Why did that thought feel so painfully depressing? If even Temari drifted away from me, I'd legitimately have zero friends left. I might have to live out the rest of my life with only my right hand as my best friend. Bocchi the Fuck! No, wait, doesn't that make even a sex friend precious to me?! Jesus, I don't even have the luxury of choosing my friends! Just as I was wallowing in those thoughts... Boin♪ The LIME app on my smartphone, which had been silent ever since that lose-lose drinking party, chimed with a new message notification. "...From Temari?" Anyone looking at my face when I checked the sender's name would've seen an absolute idiot. That was how dumbfounded I looked. Yet, at the same time, I was happy. A strange sense of relief washed over me—she hadn't completely written me off after all. This was a mindset only someone who had experienced true solitude could understand. The real problem was the content of that message. "Hey, Yuuya!! Is it true that you and Mahiro became sex friends?!" This literally just happened—how the hell did Temari already know? That was my immediate thought upon...

Translator: Soafp “Dad, I want to quit my current high school and transfer.” I said it to my stepfather while he was preparing ingredients in the kitchen that morning. After declaring to Hatsukade at school yesterday that I was quitting, I had kept putting off telling my family. I knew full well that Dad was busy working, but if I didn’t say it now, I felt I would miss my chance again. So I gathered my courage. Dad, who had been stirring a silver stockpot with a wooden spoon, stopped and turned down the gas. “...I see.” He neither got angry nor looked sad. With a gentle smile, he took off his apron. “Let’s sit down and talk.” “Okay.” We sat side by side at the counter. Once I sat down, my feet dangled and swung in the air because I was so short. “Can I ask why?” “...It’s become hard to be in the classroom.” “Are you being bullied?” I shook my head. “No. I did something bad. So you don’t have to worry about me in a weird way.” “...Have you talked to your mother?” “...Not yet. I was planning to tell her when she comes home tonight. But I wanted to talk to you first.” Mom had divorced when I was in elementary school. No one had told me the...

Translator: Soafp Although we fell far behind schedule, we managed to complete all the assignments safely. As a precaution, a teacher supported Katsurama by the shoulder and took him ahead to the point where vehicles could access the trekking course, then back to the lodging. Needless to say, Katsurama glared at me when I reached the finish. Each group prepared dinner at the outdoor cooking area. Tonight’s menu was curry. Curry eaten while looking out at nature was the best. It was the only thing I had been looking forward to in this whole program. Katsurama, injured and useless, was reduced to being a decorative object while the rest of us began cooking. Hiiragi and Shinonome cut ingredients with practiced hands, their knives making crisp, pleasant sounds. Masaki nodded in admiration. “Wow, you two are good at this.” Hiiragi puffed out her chest proudly. “Heheh. I’m working hard at bridal training for my darling! I even make my own lunches every day, you know?” “Haha, Sakura’s boyfriend is a lucky guy.” At that, Shinonome glanced at Masaki and muttered: “I... help with cooking at home.” “Oh, that’s impressive. I’ve never cooked even once, so I couldn’t imitate you.” “It’s not that big a deal.” “I’m bad at it, so I’ll stay out of the way and do the washing up. Mind if I...

"Hey, Mom." "What is it?" "Why is sexual intercourse so pleasurable, anyway?" "Because if it weren't, nobody would make babies. Especially nowadays when the birth rate is already tanking." After scrambling back home from Mahiro's apartment in absolute disarray, I bluntly dumped the question that had been lingering in my mind onto my mother. The answer I received was, in a sense, spot on. "I see. So if pleasure weren't attached to the act, humanity would go extinct." "I wouldn't go that far, but the birth rate in poorer countries would definitely plummet." "Well, it's not like they have much other entertainment..." A statement heavily laced with prejudice, sure, but probably true nonetheless. "It's kind of comforting to hear such a stupid question from you after a while, but what brought this on all of a sudden?" Maybe because my expression gave away some sudden enlightenment mid-question, Mom pressed me. Should I answer honestly? No. Let me start with a roundabout approach. "Nah, I just wondered if a sex friend relationship might make sense if someone's solely chasing pleasure, so I figured I'd ask my experienced mother." "What's this? Are you getting cocky and trying to get yourself a sex friend?" "No, no, Mahi—" Whoa, hold up. Suggesting the possibility of becoming sex friends with Mahiro right here would look horrible to both...

Translator: Soafp The next morning, I was reading at my usual seat. Because of the discount vouchers yesterday, I ended up buying more than I had planned. I’d actually been interested in hiking and trekking through forest trails for a while. Being alone with nature, without anyone getting in the way—it was nearly a perfect hobby. As for inviting Shinonome, I was thinking less about her and more about her dad. If his beloved daughter quit high school and turned into a delinquent, the guy would be devastated. The shock might even throw off the flavor of his tan-tan noodles. In other words, I was protecting the security of my future diet. By the way, why was Amanatsu sitting at her desk glaring at me resentfully? The bottle of green tea she was gripping had been crushed out of shape. Then Shinonome entered the classroom. She stopped beside me and shot me a sharp look. But she quickly turned her face away, and a quiet murmur slipped from her pursed lips. “...Morning.” “Yeah. Morning.” That was all she said before walking away. A dull thud sounded. The tea bottle slipped from Amanatsu’s hand, rolled across the floor, and stopped against a desk leg. She didn’t even try to pick it up. She just stared at me with a pale face. After school, in...

Translator: Soafp Monday had come again. When I grabbed my indoor shoes from the shoe lockers, they felt terribly heavy. As I walked down the long hallway with my head lowered, unpleasant sweat gradually seeped out. Even when I entered the classroom, no one spoke to me. As I sat blankly with my cheek resting on my hand, some plain-looking girl watching me gave a derisive snort. (...Hah. What a nasty personality. Is watching me fall this low really that fun for you?) But I understood how she felt painfully well. After all, I was one of them. I knew I was nowhere close to being an extrovert. My self-esteem wasn’t high, either. I hated being short. I wasn’t as pretty as Sakura or Nakina. I even hated that I was from the middle of nowhere, and that my dialect might slip out if I let my guard down. And my parents ran a ramen shop. It was so plain it was laughable. That was why I could understand exactly what those girls were thinking. They were thrilled. A girl who had been praised as cute and had gotten full of herself had been dragged down so perfectly. Serves her right. A scheming b*tch like that belonged at the bottom. It pissed you off when someone was cuter than you, didn’t it? I...

Uh oh. Mahiro’s eyes were dead serious. At this rate, it was obvious I was going to lose my "Schrödinger's Virginity" in the most unsafe way possible—not on a bed, but in the corner of her apartment living room. Naturally, anything that didn't stay in memory didn't count anyway. “H-Hey, slow down and think about this for a second, Mahiro. Have you seriously forgotten how Hashizume used to treat you like you were nothing more than disposable trash?” “I haven't forgotten. I really haven't. But I could never—ever—believe you're anything like that thing, Yuuya. You always think about me before you say anything, don't you?” “…What?” “Back in high school, when that soccer club guy... That thing was taking advantage of me, you called me out for being an idiot. And when I was drowning in self-loathing because of how stupid I'd been, you stayed by my side and comforted me.” Wait... what? I had absolutely no memory of that. If she was talking about the time I encouraged her "true love" with Hashizume, or when I tore into her while she locked herself in her room after falling into depression, then calling those good memories was one hell of a delusion. Still, Hashizume had already been reduced to "that thing." Women really don't dwell on their exes, seriously. Going by that logic,...

Translator: Soafp During class, we were told to split into our groups and assign roles. We sat around a table in the library, facing one another. Everyone wore a different expression. Masaki looked cool and composed. Amanatsu was flustered and fidgety. Shinonome kept her face lowered awkwardly. Katsurama kept following Shinonome with his eyes. And Hiiragi... was smiling happily. Why was she the only one acting completely normal? “Okay, let’s start by choosing a leader. They’ll oversee the group, report to the teachers at departure and arrival, and make the final decisions in an emergency. It’s an important role.” Masaki said that as he read the handout we had been given. At the edge of my vision, the blonde gyaru started to raise her hand, so I spoke up immediately. “I think Masaki would be good. He has everyone’s trust too.” The others seemed to have no objection and nodded. Only Hiiragi clenched her fists in frustration. Hiiragi, an obvious troublemaker, was unsuited to the role, so I had gotten ahead of it. “...All right. I’ll do it. Next, the deputy leader and timekeeper...” Hiiragi’s face immediately brightened. But Masaki put a hand on my shoulder. “Wouldn’t Hatsukade be good? He seems like the type to keep things organized.” “...Fine.” Since I was the one who nominated Masaki as leader, I accepted it...

"…I'm home." Today was just like any other day; after university classes ended, I headed straight home without hanging out anywhere. My college life was already halfway over, and with job hunting starting next year, I had to wonder where my earnest desire to sing the praises of youth had completely vanished to. Suppressing a sigh so as not to make a sound, I opened the front door to my house, only to find my Okan already waiting in ambush. "Oh, welcome back. Mahiro-chan dropped by a little while ago and left a message: 'I have something I want to discuss, so please contact me.'" "…Why the hell did Mahiro go out of her way to visit our house just to leave a message?" "Because you never check your Liso or anything like that, right?" "…" She has a point. Well, ever since high school, my Liso had essentially devolved into a dedicated communication app exclusively for Temari. There was absolutely zero chance of me making a habit out of checking it, let alone becoming addicted to it. However, ever since that memory-less mistake we made while drinking, Mahiro had been coming onto me aggressively. If this was going to happen, I would've preferred it during our high school days, or if I were being greedy, before she started dating Hashizume. But life...

Translator: Soafp For the past few days, I’ve often found myself thinking about my childhood friend. The last time I saw her, she looked exhausted after being held accountable for what she had done. I haven’t contacted her since we parted ways, and I don’t even know how to reach her. Maybe I keep remembering her because I told Amanatsu that old story. Or maybe it’s because some of Amanatsu’s mannerisms occasionally resemble my childhood friend’s. Thinking about that, I sat on the sofa in my room, drank coffee, picked up my phone, and sent a message with flick input. Nice to meet you. Hatsukade-kun! I’m so happy you sent the first message! I didn’t expect you to be the type who actually keeps in touch with people! I could easily picture you agonizing for hours over whether to message me. That would be a loss of opportunity, so I sent it first. ...Sorry, I’m suddenly not happy at all anymore. What an awful thing to say in response to my kindness. Did she seriously expect something romantic to come from me? Let me make this clear: if Amanatsu showed even the slightest sign of seeing me as more than a friend, I intended to crush it immediately. Changing the subject... You know, you treated me to bread the other day? What about...

Translator: Soafp In front of the full-length mirror in the living room, I carefully check my appearance. “Hair: good. Eyelash extensions: good. Skin condition: good. Let’s do our best again today.” As I hold up my freshly manicured fingertips to inspect them, Dad—who is sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper—gives me a puzzled look. “What is this, a workplace safety inspection?” What was he talking about? High school is a danger zone where a moment of carelessness can be fatal, a daily minefield of near-misses. It’s a stage where you must never neglect your efforts and must keep performing perfection every day. “Mom, I’m off!” “Fufu, have a good day. Be careful.” Mom, whom I had worried for so many days, smiled as though cheering me on. That gave me courage. I slipped my feet into my loafers at the front door and reached for the doorknob... only to freeze with a little tension. “Woof!” “Whoa.” Hulk nudged the back of my knee. With a wry smile at his expression—which seemed to say, Get going already—I left home for the first time in a week. The scenery flowed past as I made my way to school. The usual train platform, the crowded route to school, the tree-lined road in front of the gates. Every time I saw someone in a school uniform,...

Translator: Soafp After arriving home, I went grocery shopping with Yui. The moment we stepped out of the apartment building, a cheerful voice I'd become very familiar with called out to us. "Oh, are you heading to the supermarket?" It was Kokoa, still in her sailor-style school uniform. I'd gotten pretty used to seeing her dressed like this. Smiling, I nodded. "Yeah. Want to come with us?" "Absolutely!" Kokoa seemed even more cheerful today than she had been yesterday. She was far livelier than when I'd first met her, and every time I saw her like this, it made all the effort I'd gone through feel worthwhile. "Aya-chan suddenly called me today." "Huh? Really?" For a moment, I wondered if this had something to do with the yakuza. The thought made my body tense ever so slightly. "She apologized to me out of nowhere!" "She... apologized?" "Yep! She said, 'I'm sorry for getting jealous and bullying you all this time.'" Apparently, it wasn't about the yakuza after all. Besides, if something truly dangerous were approaching, I would've already had another nightmare. I'd heard that the manager had sat down and talked things through with Ayano, and it seemed she'd managed to resolve things. "Ren-sama, let's duck into an alley for a moment!" "Huh? Wait, what do you—" Before I could finish speaking, Kokoa...

Translator: Soafp My mind went completely blank. Hatsukade-kun and Sakura were both looking at me. “Ugh... ngh...” The back of my nose stung, and tears began spilling down my face. This was a love that could never be discovered. I had meant to keep these feelings locked in my heart. Even if we could only be friends, I wanted to stay by his side for even one second longer. I was afraid to lift my face. Feeling sweat run down the back of my neck, I looked up at Hatsukade-kun. He always wore a scowl in class, but when we were alone together, he would smile just a little, as though he was enjoying himself. But Hatsukade-kun in front of me wore an expression I had never seen before. His eyes were wide open without blinking, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion. He hadn’t so much as flinched when the class made him into a laughingstock, yet now he was flustered. How many times was I going to cause him trouble? “...Nakina.” “Don’t touch me!” I slapped away Sakura’s reaching hand. It was the first time in my life I had ever shouted that loudly. Ah... I had spent two months with Sakura, and this was the first honest thing I ever said to her. What a disaster. “I’m sorry, Nakina.” “Stop!” I...

Translator: Soafp Three days had passed since I saw Sota’s LINE. Thursday morning. I woke up like always, got ready like always, and left the house like always.The sky was clear — a break in the rainy season at the end of June. The air was humid, but the breeze felt nice. Just like always. A morning where nothing had changed. — That was a lie. Everything had changed. On Monday, when the screenshots of Sota’s LINE started going around, I learned about it earlier than anyone else in my class. The words lined up on the screen that a girl from Class Two showed me before homeroom. ‘She’s just clumsy lol’ ‘She’s so cold. Well, she always was lol’ ‘Bad at handling things’ All of them — Sota’s words. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t surprised. But I also wouldn’t call it a devastating shock. Because, somewhere in the back of my mind, I had known. I knew Sota was the kind of person who talked badly about others. I just believed he wouldn’t say those things about me. That trust — was a mistake. That’s all there was to it. After school on Monday, Sota apologized to me. I said what I needed to say and turned my back on him. I wasn’t angry. And I wasn’t sad...

Translator: Soafp The classroom had fallen completely silent, as if the excitement from moments ago had been a lie. There was no longer any atmosphere pressuring Amanatsu to confess. Shinonome, slumped on the floor, looked utterly despairing. Her mouth kept opening and closing as faint groans spilled out. Someone muttered: “If what Hatsukade’s saying is true, isn’t Shinonome seriously trash?” “I thought she was always cheerful and cute, but this is such a letdown.” Once one person began talking, voices rose from elsewhere. “Her hidden side is way too nasty. I can’t.” “I’d been wondering about her for a while. The way she acts around Masaki-kun is so obvious. Who does she think she is?” Shinonome slowly got to her feet. Tears gradually filled her increasingly frantic eyes. I was surprisingly detached. I felt neither anger nor sympathy—nothing at all. A fanged beast had come at me, so I had pulled the trigger. That was all. “...It’s made up! I never did anything like that! It’s just your stupid delusion!” “Then why did you push Amanatsu into doing a fake confession?” “...I just thought it would make things more exciting.” “But even now, you were desperately trying to force things into another confession.” “...!” “The more I think about it, the more I realize you were unusually hostile toward me. I wondered if...

For the time being, since Mahiro had completely clammed up and the awkwardness had reached a Tokyo-interior level of vastness, I left the room without waiting for Naegi-san to return. Still, I needed to think about this rationally. My brain had been so thoroughly corrupted by alcohol that my memory had become completely unreliable, but was it really possible that I got overly excited and opened up the Aura Hole like a sex warrior man-boob with Mahiro? If I were an Aura Battler, maybe, but a convenient development like that only existed in thin doujinshi you couldn't buy with a Master(bation) Card. There's no way I can get hard while that shit-faced drunk!! Therefore, I hadn't done a single thing. I couldn't have. So if Mahiro claimed that something had happened, it would be a blatant case of reverse rape. The crime of non-consensual sexual intercourse would be established. ...Alright, I'd go in with a strong front. Having solidified that resolve, I went home. A spectacular walk of shame. "Hey, Yuuya! What is the meaning of this, staying out all night without even a single call?!" "Yuuya-kun, did you have a good time last night? What happens to Mahiro?" The moment I thought that, my hopes were instantly crushed. This was the worst. Why was Chihiro-san here? Retreating to my room became the...

Translator: Soafp Before homeroom the next morning, I watched Katsurama chatting and laughing with his male friends. With his stocky build, he seemed to occupy the role of the group’s good-natured punching bag—the kind they teased affectionately. But when Shinonome entered the classroom, I didn’t miss the quick glance he gave her. He kept talking as usual, but Katsurama’s attention had completely shifted toward Shinonome. “Ah, I think I forgot my homework. I’m gonna check my bag.” Saying that, Katsurama left the group. He casually rummaged through the school bag on his desk, then called out to Shinonome with an apparently nonchalant expression. “M-Morning, Shi-chan!” “Morning, Katsurama-kun. You’re energetic as always.” “Hahaha, that’s about my only good quality, right? Oh, hey, did you listen to ELLIT’s new song yesterday?” “Of course I did! I’m a huge fan, you know.” “I knew it! I figured you’d definitely have heard it, Shi-chan!” ELLIT was some trendy girl group, if I remembered right. They didn’t seem like something Katsurama would be interested in. And then, at lunch break. “Shi-chan, I have some extra snacks. Want any?” “Ooh, those are chocolate cookies shaped like pandas with upturned eyes. Cute. Can I have one?” “Yeah. There were more than I expected, so I can’t finish them all.” And then, during basketball in P.E. “Whoa, Katsurama, that’s awesome!” “This...

Translator: Soafp Despite everything that had happened, we finally started eating lunch ourselves. Since there were other people around today, I figured Nodoka and Airi would show a little restraint— ""Aaah."" As usual, the two of them simultaneously picked up pieces of food and held them out in front of my mouth. The Club president and Takagi both stared with their eyes wide open. "S-So amazing... Is this what a harem looks like...?" "Damn...! I'm not jealous, but I'm jealous...!!" Perhaps because she felt a little embarrassed, Nodoka's cheeks were unusually red. Airi, on the other hand, was completely unfazed as always, carrying herself with enough confidence to make it impossible for anyone to intimidate her. Takagi stood up. "I think I'll go buy a yakisoba bread." Right, he usually bought lunch from the school store. Maybe I should've stopped by there before coming to the clubroom. Thinking that, I felt a little bad for him. "I figured you'd say that. Here, have one of these." The club president pulled two sandwiches identical to the one she was eating out of a plastic bag and tossed them to Takagi. "Huh...? Are you telling me I should go on a diet too?" "It's not like that. They're just really good, so eat them." "Seriously? I can have these? I thought you were planning to...

Translator: Soafp I realized something was wrong on Monday morning. The moment I walked into the classroom, the air felt different. Normally Sakamoto would raise a hand and go, “Yo.” Tanaka would crack some stupid joke and make me laugh. But today — no one looked at me. No, that’s not it. They looked for a second, then quickly looked away. More than one person did it. “…Morning.” I walked over to Sakamoto’s desk and spoke to him. “Ah, yeah. Morning.” He answered. But it didn’t have its usual lightness. His eyes were wandering. “What’s wrong? The atmosphere’s weird.” “No, it’s nothing—” “Sakamoto.” Tanaka cut in from a seat farther away. His face — was dark. “You should tell him.” “…Tell me what?” Sakamoto let out a small sigh. “Sota, sit down. We need to talk.” What Sakamoto told me — was the worst. The group LINE. All the trash I’d been posting about Fujimiya. About Rin. It — had been spread around as screenshots. “Huh… who did that?” “No idea. But someone in the group sent it to another group. Looks like it spread from there.” My head went completely blank. “Spread — how much?” “…I think about half the grade has seen it.” Half. Half the entire grade. “Did Rin — did Himuro see it?” Sakamoto lowered his eyes. “…Probably. It...

"I'm going home. I'm never drinking alcohol ever again... Tell Sara I said bye..." While I desperately tried to piece together what had happened, a completely shattered Temari pushed herself to her feet and stumbled toward the door on unsteady legs. "Are you going to be okay? Can you make it home by yourself? I can walk you back if..." "Having you walk me home, Yuuya, would probably just traumatize me even more, so I'll pass... Sorry..." "...Right. Okay." My attempt at being considerate got completely shut down. That stung. Still, I had stayed out all night without calling home, so I wanted to get back before adding more fuel to my mom's raging fire. But sneaking out before Naegi-san returned felt a bit too awkward. After hearing the front door click shut, I decided to ask Mahiro, who had stayed behind, to fill me in on everything. "I wonder if Temari will be okay..." "Well, she probably has a hangover, but she seems conscious enough, so she'll manage. Putting Temari aside for now, just tell me what happened yesterday. My memory is seriously so blurry I have no clue what's what." "...You really don't remember." "That's what I've been saying." "Yeah... U-Umm, well, first, you grabbed an alcohol bottle and punished all the guys who tried to force you to drink..." "Punished...?"...

Translator: Soafp I’ve been getting an awful lot of looks today. During the short breaks after second and third period, classmates kept watching me from a distance. Some whispered and laughed among themselves; others wore hostile expressions. Well, I had practically made a public confession first thing in the morning, so it was only natural. Originally, if someone from that girls’ group came after me, I had only planned to sarcastically needle them with the copy of No Longer Human I borrowed from the clubroom. But Shinonome and Hiiragi attacked from such an absurdly unexpected angle that things escalated into something much bigger. Honestly, I didn’t care how much they tried to provoke me. The reason was simple: I had no interest in them. Still, if they came after me, I’d hit back. That was my strong style as a lone introvert. If you made it clear that biting you came with poison, even stupid beasts would think twice before attacking. That said, the fake confession had genuinely pissed me off. That was a different matter. I had my reasons. (I should apologize to Amanatsu later.) I had no choice if I wanted to throw her a lifeline, but I had pretended in front of everyone that I liked her. She understood I had no actual feelings for her, so it probably hadn’t...

Translator: Soafp I finished volume three. Friday night. I turned the last page on my bed and stared at the ceiling for a while. It was an incredible novel. The shock when every single foreshadowing came together. The weight of the characters’ choices. And—the quietness of the final line. After I finished reading, I couldn’t move for about five minutes. Now I completely understood why Himuro Rin had been so absorbed in it. This story was about a person who sees with their own eyes, judges for themselves, and takes responsibility for their own actions. It was just like her. I picked up my phone. Opened LINE and pulled up my chat with Himuro Rin. Our last exchange had been a week ago. Her message: “Tell me what you think after you’ve read up to volume three.” My reply: “Got it.” What should I write here? “I finished it.” That’s true. “It was amazing.” That’s also true. But words like that weren’t enough. I didn’t want to send my thoughts about this novel as text. I wanted to see her face and tell her in my own voice. So I typed: “I finished volume three. Can I tell you what I thought at tomorrow’s volunteer? I can’t put it into words.” Sent. One minute later—read. Three minutes later—a reply. “Okay.” Two characters. But...

Translator: Soafp (Ahh, this is the worst. I can’t face Hatsukade-kun. I don’t want to go to school.) As I walked along the route to school that morning, negative thoughts kept endlessly spilling through my mind. I—Nakina Amanatsu—am in love with Subaru Hatsukade. It started on the day of that fake confession. Even though I did something so awful, even though it was a punishment game, he offered me his handkerchief while I was crying. I remember my heart giving a sudden thump at that moment. He wasn’t especially tall, and he looked down at me with that grumpy expression on his face—but there had been a flicker of gentleness in his eyes, as though he was concerned for me. I desperately wished that this low fever making my head feel hazy was just a misunderstanding. But whenever I let my guard down, he was always in my field of vision, even without me meaning to look for him. Seriously, give me a break. Because isn’t that obvious? Even if this happened now, I’d already disqualified myself at the starting line. It wasn’t right for me to have feelings like this for someone I had tried to bully. During lunch break, I hurried after his back as he left the classroom alone. I wanted to confirm immediately that these feelings were all in...

Translator: Soafp I noticed something was off with Amanatsu soon after our conversation in the stairwell. For one thing, our eyes kept meeting at random moments. Yet whenever our gazes met, she would blush—then her expression would suddenly darken, and she’d quickly look away. She still hadn’t returned my handkerchief either. Still feeling unsettled after the final class ended, I was packing my things into my bag when I heard Amanatsu talking with the blonde gyaru. “Finally, school’s over! Seriously, what’s even the point of studying modern Japanese? We can already have normal conversations, can’t we? I’m the evidence. You think so too, right, Nakina?” “I-I don’t know about that...” Then the blonde gyaru said, “Oh,” and pressed her hands together in front of her face. “By the way, I’m really sorry about yesterday’s punishment game. I didn’t think you’d cry that seriously, Nakina.” “It’s okay. You’ve apologized a lot already.” “I thought it would turn out more funny, but when I really thought about it, it was pretty bad. Sakura-chan is deeply reflecting on her actions!” The gyaru stuck out the tip of her pretty tongue with a little “heh.” Several boys were staring at her absentmindedly. Her name was Sakura Hiiragi. She occupied the undisputed number-one position in our class. She had polished looks and a model-like figure. Rumor had it...

Translator: Soafp Lately, Rin has been acting strange. No—what’s strange isn’t Rin herself, but the atmosphere around her. Monday morning. When I entered the classroom, Rin was talking to Yui. For once, Rin had spoken first, and Yui was listening with a smirk. I tried to approach and join the conversation—but Rin closed her mouth. “Good morning, Rin.” “…Morning.” She replied. But the expression from a moment ago was gone. Her usual blank face. Her usual coldness. …That in itself isn’t unusual. Rin is always like this in front of me. But—what was that softness from just a moment ago? I spoke to Yui. “Hey, Ogawa. What were you talking about with Rin?” “Hm? Nothing, just about a book.” “A book?” “Yeah. The series Rin’s been reading lately.” A book. I knew Rin liked books. She’d been spending all her time in the library since elementary school. But—it was rare for Rin to talk about books to someone on her own. Even with me, she wouldn’t talk unless asked. “What series?” “Some overseas mystery series. Do you read it, Mimura?” “Nah, I don’t read much.” “Oh, I see.” Yui was smiling. A smile that seemed to carry some hidden meaning. What did she know? Rin had already returned to her seat. She faced away from me, taking her textbooks out of her bag....

Translator: Soafp “What about making Nakina’s punishment game a fake confession?” “...You mean confessing to someone you don’t even like?” “Yeah, exactly. Sounds like it’d be fun, right?” “N-No, that’s awful! It’d definitely bother the other person!” I—Subaru Hatsukade, a first-year high school student—happened to overhear that conversation while I was alone in the clubroom. Cautiously peering through the gap in the door, I saw four of the class’s popular girls surrounding Nakina Amanatsu. “C-Come on, can’t we pick a lighter punishment game?” “Ehh? You promised you’d do anything if you lost.” “Well, even then, there ought to be some limits, hehe.” Twisting a strand of her pinkish-brown hair around her finger, Amanatsu gave a vague laugh, but she looked genuinely reluctant. This wasn’t the first time I’d seen that expression on her face. At lunch in the classroom, in the hallway after school, even when I spotted her around town—whenever Amanatsu was with that group of girls, she wore the kind of face people made when they were reading the room. You could practically feel how hard she was forcing herself. (There’s no way hanging around with them is worth that much.) Maybe irritated that Amanatsu couldn’t bring herself to give a firm no, the short girl openly complained. “Hasn’t Nakina been kind of a buzzkill lately?” “Huh?” “You’re killing the mood....

Translator: Soafp The plan to have Takagi relay the message to the light music club president didn't seem very promising. In that case, maybe it would be better to leave it to Airi or Nodoka after all. As I was thinking that over, Takagi looked at me seriously. “What's with you all of a sudden? Did something happen to the president?” Could it be that Takagi had started to suspect my ability? I'd warned him directly about the flowerpot falling before, so it wouldn't be strange if he'd begun to wonder... Even so, I had no intention of honestly telling him about my power. “Well, it's just... after seeing the president's stage costume yesterday...” “Yeah? What about it?” “Didn't you think the skirt was really short?” “Really? I mean, aren't mini dresses usually about that length?” “They are, but she'll be performing on stage. Just in case something happens, I thought maybe she should take some precautions.” I'd phrased it indirectly, but I hoped my point had gotten across. After all, this was a perfectly reasonable concern to have before a live performance. Takagi nodded. “Ah... yeah, you've got a point. If that's what you mean, I bet the president would listen if you talked to her seriously. She's not that stubborn.” “Then can I leave it to you?” “Uh... well...” Takagi looked...

First of all, I needed to salvage my memories from yesterday or I couldn't even begin to process this. Let's see, I was force-fed alcohol by those guys who were harboring lustful feelings for Mahiro... and I didn't know if I started feeling good or sick, but my brain got paralyzed from it. Paralyzed... What is this? My sense of self is completely missing. What the fuck, this is terrifying. In terms of objective memories... I got banned from the venue after mowing down the guys who started picking a fight with me. I was challenged to a drinking contest by Yoshizaki-san, who was trying to take Temari home, and I won. The men who were raging for Mahiro gave up on her and set their sights on the dead-drunk Yoshizaki-san instead, which somehow swept the issue of paying for the broken equipment under the rug. I was trying to head home while being guided by Naegi-san. ...Flashes of footage like that remained in my head, albeit covered in a heavy mosaic. Looking around the room once more, I realized that this was probably Naegi-san's apartment. First, I was relieved it wasn't a love hotel. Or rather, no matter how unconscious or drunk they were, there was no way Temari and Mahiro would ever agree to enter a love hotel with me. However,...

Translator: Soafp Something had changed. Wednesday, lunchtime. I was passing by Class 2’s classroom when my eyes met Himuro Rin’s. Normally—lately—she would give a small nod in my direction. Not exactly a greeting, but a sign in her own way that said, “I see you.” Today, that didn’t happen. The moment our eyes met, she looked away. I saw her back as she walked quickly into the classroom. “…………” Did something happen? Did I do something wrong? I had no idea. Last week’s volunteer session—she had said, “See you next week.” The atmosphere back then had been warm. I hadn’t had the chance to meet her at school on Monday or Tuesday, and I don’t remember doing anything strange. And yet—the distance had returned. No, not just returned—it felt like the wall between us was even thicker than before. While eating lunch and thinking, Kaito peeked over. “What’s wrong? Your chopsticks haven’t moved for a while.” “…Just thinking.” “About Himuro Rin?” “………” “Bingo.” Kaito looked at me sideways, sipping on his coffee milk through a straw. “Did something happen?” “I don’t know. It feels like a wall suddenly appeared. Things were fine until last week.” “Hmm… girls can change their attitude suddenly. Maybe you stepped on a landmine or something.” “I didn’t even get the chance to step on a landmine. We haven’t...

"Why the hell are you already wasted, hey, Temari!!" The moment I stepped into the venue, all unnecessary worries flew right out of my head. Naturally, there was no way Temari could give a crisp, coherent answer. Naegi-san looked worried as she acted as a makeshift chaperone by her side. "U-Um, you see, a bunch of people kept pouring her drinks saying 'Congratulations on coming of age!', and she couldn't refuse, so she drank at a crazy fast pace and just like that..." "That's textbook alcohol harassment. You should've stopped her, Naegi-san." "Sorry..." Did the option to refuse alcohol even exist in Temari's head? Well, even if rejecting goodwill was tough, the percentage of genuine goodwill that was 'purely celebrating Temari's coming of age' in the hearts of the people around her was probably less than ten percent. Were they just having fun with it, or were they planning to get her wasted and drag her home... Ah, Yoshizaki-san on the other side was flashing a wicked smile. It was definitely the latter. "Glaaaaaaare!!" "Whoa, eyes like a cannibalistic hamster." "...Did you say something?" "Nope, nothing." Sure enough, Yoshizaki-san had me in check. Was he telling me not to snatch his prey, Temari? But well, as long as Temari wasn't dragged off to a private room, things could be managed. The party had...

Translator: Soafp “Ren-kun, did you have another bad dream?” The next morning. After giving me a light kiss as I woke up, Airi looked at me with concern. At her words, Nodoka—who had been in the middle of doting on me that morning—opened her eyes wide. “W-What!? Another one!?” “No, not that kind of nightmare.” At the very least, it wasn't one where someone died or was seriously injured. Still, it was quite a shocking event for me. I got out of bed and sat down at my desk. Then, as I told the two of them about the nightmare I'd had that morning, I began writing it down in my notebook. “The light music club president suddenly drops out of school.” “Huh? Why?” “Well...” Even in the dream, I'd only heard about it secondhand from Takagi. Even Takagi had been completely flustered. The reason for her dropping out was something I never could have predicted. “She ended up showing her panties to the entire student body.” ““...Huh?”” Not only Nodoka, but even Airi blinked several times in confusion. Seeing Airi react like that was surprisingly refreshing. “Apparently, during the cultural festival performance, she got so caught up in the excitement of playing that she stopped paying attention to her footing... and took a spectacular fall.” “So... when she fell, everyone got a...

Translator: Soafp Before I knew it, I was thinking about Fujimiya Ito more and more. During class, when I was staring blankly out the window. When I was picking bread at the school store. On the way home, listening to music through my earphones. At random moments, his voice would come back to me. The smile he had when he said, “See you next week.” The excited look in his eyes when we got into the cat conversation. His happy expression when I went on too much about the novel. —Stop it. I shook my head and returned my eyes to the textbook. Third period on Tuesday. Classical literature class. I need to focus. The test is coming up. But—words on the page wouldn’t stick in my head. This is bad. I know it. I know it, and yet I can’t stop. Himuro Rin hates this version of herself the most. Being swayed by feelings she can’t control with reason—that scares her more than anything. Lunchtime. I was eating in the classroom with Yui when I overheard a conversation from the group next to us. “Hey, did you hear? Fujimiya was apparently dating someone from Class 3 until last month.” “Eh, really? Did they break up already?” “Ended after about a month. And the one before that was about two months.” “Isn’t that...

"I'm home... Oh? Yuuya-kun?" In the midst of all this chaos, Chihiro-san finished work and returned home. Had it gotten that late already? "Welcome back, Mom." "Pardon the intrusion." "My, my, I wouldn't mind at all if you stayed the night, Yuuya-kun. Actually, it's been a while since you last came over. Did something happen?" Chihiro-san seemed to be in a strangely good mood. Maybe something good happened at her workplace. Because she was in such high spirits, she would probably forgive me even if I asked a slightly rude question. "Um, Chihiro-san, can I ask you something?" "Sure, sure. What is it? Are you wondering if Mahiro has a boyfriend right now?" "I couldn't care less about that. Do you remember the first time you drank alcohol, Chihiro-san?" "...Eh?" It must have been an incredibly out-of-left-field question, because Chihiro-san completely froze for a second. "Well, long story short, I just wanted to ask if you were able to grasp your own alcohol tolerance limit right from your very first drink." "Ah, I see what you mean... Well, that makes sense. But I do remember taking one sip, feeling strangely good, and ending up blacking out after drinking everything I was offered." "It's a miracle you came out of that safe." "..." That silence from Chihiro-san was incredibly awkward. Did she not come...

Translator: Soafp Third time at volunteering. Technically, the penalty should have ended last time. I didn’t have to come anymore. I’d done my duty. I was free. And yet, here I am in front of the community center at the same time as last week. Earlier than last week, actually—twenty minutes before the meeting time. “…I’m messed up, huh,” I muttered to myself, giving a wry smile. It’s humid today. A cloudy sky in the brief pause between rainy days. Moisture clings to my skin. I sip water from the vending machine while waiting, and one of the staff ladies calls out to me. “Oh, Fujimiya-kun. You came again today? Didn’t the penalty end already?” “Yes. But I thought I’d keep going a little longer.” “Well, that’s great. It really helps when young people come voluntarily.” She’s smiling cheerfully. Getting a reaction like that makes me want to keep going even more. Not just for myself, but feeling like I’m actually helping someone. Himuro Rin taught me this. Do what you can, properly. After three weeks, I feel like those words are finally sinking into me. …Of course, the real reason I’m here is to see her. I won’t hide that. There’s no point in hiding it. People start to trickle in. Same faces as last week. Mimura Sota is here too. The...