Extra 2: The Impact of Black

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Translator: Soafp

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[Kuromine PoV]

“…Summer break is over, huh.”

On the last day of summer break, I muttered those words in the middle of my room.

Unlike the usual summers filled with nothing but boring, hot days, this year was different. It had been an exhausting summer, in so many ways.

I placed the book I had finished reading back on the shelf and began to reflect on this summer.

It started with something tiring right off the bat.

While shopping at the mall, a girl called out to me. From the unique way she addressed me, I immediately knew who it was.

— Shion Nijitani.

A girl who is my benefactor’s step-sister and the junior I adore the most.

Although I was surprised she called out to me, I was more happy than anything. Her smile has a healing effect that lifts people's spirits.

But then, seeing the person standing behind her left me with mixed feelings. Nijitani-kun was watching us with an indescribable expression.

Apparently, the two had come shopping together as siblings.

We exchanged small talk for a while, but then someone I didn't want to see appeared.

[Ara, if it isn't Kuromine-san.]

I felt absolutely awful. Of all the times, she had to show up when Nijitani-kun was here. This person really is like a demon. How could anyone call her the Goddess of White?

[…Tch.]

[Still as unfriendly as ever, I see.]

[Shut up. Don't talk to me so casually.]

While I silently watched the situation, Shirose suddenly suggested that we all go to the pool together.

No way. Who would want to do that? I definitely didn’t want to go, and Nijitani-kun probably wanted to avoid it even more than I did.

But then, something unexpected happened. The Nijitani siblings agreed to join.

Well, to be precise, Shion-chan said she would join.

Shion-chan, who only became his step-sister this year, didn't know about our situation. If she knew, she would surely resent and despise me, so she had to be unaware.

Nijitani-kun was reluctant. He tried to decline, using the excuse that he'd be the only guy. I applauded his judgment in my head.

But the problem was quickly solved. Shion-chan brought along Shirase's younger brother.

[U-Um… you'll come too, right, Onee-sama?]

She looked up at me anxiously, leaving me at a loss for words.

Shirase hadn't realized Nijitani-kun's true identity yet. But if we went on this outing, she might find out. I had to go to cover for him.

[…Fine. I'll go.]

When I glanced over at Nijitani-kun, he looked absolutely devastated. I felt bad for him. Seeing his face, my own expression must have mirrored his despair. For some reason, Shirase was also making the same face. You're the one who suggested this, aren't you?

After the date was set, I rushed to prepare.

I restricted my diet, bought a swimsuit, and put a lot of effort into things like shaving. It had been a while since I'd been to the pool, so the preparations alone were exhausting.

Honestly, I'm not a fan of pools.

I hate being stared at, and getting hit on is annoying.

When we arrived at the pool, Shion-chan dragged me around to play. Despite my expectations, I ended up having more fun than I anticipated.

But, as I expected, we were approached by guys looking to flirt. I brushed them off casually. However, more and more guys kept coming over to hit on us. They were a real nuisance.

By the time the next group of guys showed up, I had lost count. These two were flashy and the kind of guys I hated the most. I was about to deal with them when one of the guys reached out his hand toward me.

Ah—

I was about to react with a rejection stemming from a past trauma, but before I could, his hand was swatted away. Nijitani-kun had stepped between me and the guys.

In the middle of his exchange with the guys, he said something unexpected.

[And by the way, she's my girlfriend.]

Then Nijitani-kun took my hand. It was the first time anyone had ever called me their girlfriend. My heart skipped a beat seeing him trying to protect me.

[Sorry, but I'd rather stick with my boyfriend than hang with you guys.]

I played along with his words to escape the situation and clung to Nijitani-kun as we got away from the guys.

It was probably the first time in my life I had said the word “boyfriend” out loud. Of course, it wasn't true at all, but in that moment, saying it gave me a strange sense of fulfillment.

The pool wore me out. But it was fun.

At the end, I asked Nijitani-kun for his contact information.

Normally, that would be an unreasonable thing to ask of him. But after being called his “girlfriend,” I was on cloud nine and got carried away.

After that, I just returned to my usual routine.

Even though it was summer vacation, I had no plans to go out, so I spent my time studying, reading, and working part-time. I did feel a little excited when I ran into Nijitani-kun during my shift at work.

Things were peaceful.

But it was painful not being able to do anything for Nijitani-kun.

The thorn in my chest remained, and after the trip to the pool, it felt like the thorn was digging deeper and deeper.

It was one of those late summer days, as vacation was nearing its end, when I was out shopping and heard a voice call out:

“Ah! Tsukiyo Onee-sama!”

Hearing Shion-chan’s voice made me happy, even though I thought, “Here we go again.” Maybe I'd run into Nijitani-kun again.

What? Wait…

This was completely unexpected. Shion-chan was on a date. To me, that was a huge deal.

Her date was none other than Shirase’s younger brother, the one who had gone to the pool with us.

“It’s been a while, Kuromine-senpai”

…Unlike his sister, this kid might actually be decent.

Even at the pool, he had been well-mannered. He hadn't ogled anyone in swimsuits and had made sure not to leave the girls alone.

For some reason, his presence reminded me of Renji-kun Inuyama.

When I asked Shion-chan about it, she explained that it wasn't a date but that they were out shopping for Shirase's birthday present.

“…That boy is definitely in love.”

Shirase's younger brother was clearly head over heels for Shion-chan. Even while talking to me, he kept looking at her, so it was obvious.

As we continued chatting about how our summer vacation had been, Shion-chan mentioned:

“In two days, Akazawa-senpai is coming over to our house.”

“Huh—”

I couldn't help but react.

That girl was the worst among the so-called “goddesses.” If it weren’t for the rumors that spread because of her, none of this would have started. She's practically the root cause of everything.

“Are you interested in joining the dinner party too, Onee-sama?”

“Uh, well, maybe a little.”

“Then you should come, Onee-sama!”

Nijitani-kun would definitely hate that.

But it felt risky to let Akazawa handle it on his own. There was always a dangerous vibe about him, far worse than Shirase.

And when the day came, the situation was more than I expected.

All the goddesses had gathered. On top of that, some kind of cooking contest had begun. I didn't understand what was going on, but I refused to lose to this group.

At some point, Shirase pulled me aside, saying she wanted to talk.

We headed to Nijitani-kun's room.

Apparently, he wasn't home, and she had gotten permission to be there, but I felt uncomfortable. If Nijitani-kun knew, he would definitely hate it. From his perspective, we were his enemies—people he didn't want around.

“…So, what do you want to talk about?”

“It's about Shota Mukawa. You remember him, don't you?”

When she said the name Mukawa, my heart skipped a beat.

Calm down. Don't get rattled.

Why would she mention his name here, in his own house?

It couldn't have been a coincidence. Could she have realized that Shota Mukawa was actually Shota Nijitani?

At least at the pool, she hadn't noticed. If she had, there's no way she would have invited us. Well, unless she was an unimaginably cruel person who had deliberately invited us to mentally corner Nijitani-kun—but I couldn't be sure.

Is she testing me?

Does she suspect something but isn't completely sure?

It doesn't matter. I can't figure it out.

I didn't know why she brought up that name, but since I couldn't find an answer, I decided to feign ignorance and steer the conversation away to make her lose interest.

“…Who's that?”

When I said that, Shirase's face was filled with shock.

I felt a pang of guilt for lying, but my words would never reach Nijitani-kun. There was no way he could hear, and Shirase wouldn't tell him.

After that, I stayed silent.

“Then, how do you feel about Nijitani-san?”

Feeling guilty about pretending not to know Mukawa-kun, I praised Nijitani-kun to make up for it.

“He's a great guy. He's clean, good-looking, and easy to be around. Unlike other guys, he doesn't give off that sleazy vibe. It's fun to talk to him, and he's kind in a way that doesn't feel overbearing. He gets how I feel, so overall, I think he's pretty great.”

I spoke a little too quickly, but those were my genuine feelings.

After a while, as we were still talking, Shirase said,

“I was just really curious. If I've done something to upset you, I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize.”

The cause?

It's because you're the demon who destroyed Mukawa-kun.

But I couldn't say that. Not after pretending I didn't know Shota Mukawa. That would contradict my earlier words.

“If there's something you don't like about me, I'll change it. I want to be friends with you, Kuromine-san. Please.”

Looking at Shirase pleading with me, I was left speechless.

Even though I didn't like it, I had no reason to refuse, so I reconciled with Shirase.

After our conversation ended, I secretly visited Nijitani's room.

The bookshelves were filled with manga and light novels. Most of them seemed brand new, likely because he had just moved in.

However, his tastes hadn't changed since those days when we used to read together in the library.

Standing in the center of Nijitani's room, memories of the past came flooding back. I felt frustrated that, even after all this time, I still hadn't thanked him.

As I was about to leave, I bowed deeply, expressing all the gratitude and apologies I had been holding inside.

—Thank you for helping me back then. And I'm sorry I couldn't correct the rumors sooner.

With the goddesses around, I couldn't say it aloud, but that's what I said in my heart. Someday, I'll say it to him and bow in person. Even if that day never comes.

And thus, the final event of summer break ended.

I was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Very exhausted, but it wasn't a bad summer break.

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The second semester began.

Shortly afterward, a huge bomb was dropped.

Nijitani had joined the White Faction. The moment I heard that shocking news, my vision went completely dark.