Chapter 2: I need your help for a bit.

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Translator: Soafp

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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 that she had tens of thousands of followers on social media under the name “Sakura Cherry.”

Not that it mattered to me—I didn't use social media.

And what kind of name was Sakura Cherry, anyway? It was completely redundant.

So much for her “evidence” about not needing Japanese class.

“I'm sorry too, Nakina,” another girl said. “I did something bad. But if you didn't want to do it, you should've said so.”

Next, the short girl with bobbed hair wrapped her arms around Amanatsu from behind.

Her name was Emiri Shinonome.

According to the boys, she was the class's “healing presence.” Apparently, her cute appearance had a way of charming men.

Incidentally, she was the very person who had cornered Amanatsu by saying, “Aren't you being kind of a buzzkill?”—and now she was telling her that she should have said something if she didn't like it. What a garbage personality.

These two had been the main culprits who pushed Amanatsu into the fake confession.

There had been other girls present, but they had only read the room and laughed along.

Judging from the atmosphere between Amanatsu, Hiiragi, and Shinonome, it seemed they had settled the matter of Amanatsu crying over the fake confession.

Who Amanatsu chose to hang out with wasn't my business.

Besides, once she returned my handkerchief, our connection would be over anyway.

(Glad they made up…)

I muttered inwardly and was about to rise from my chair when Shinonome loudly addressed the boy sitting across from me, her voice carrying throughout the classroom.

“Oh, hey, Masaki-kun, listen to this. Yesterday, Nakina confessed to Hatsukade.”

Wait, what? She'd just apologized, so why was she spreading it around?

And right in front of the victim, too.

Without even noticing I was there, Shinonome happily swayed her small body as she approached the boy called Masaki.

“So? Surprised?”

“…A confession? Is that true?”

“Well, it was a fake confession!”

“So you're not actually dating, then.”

“Ahaha, obviously not. It was fake.”

Didn't you say she should date me for three days and then dump me?

What was wrong with your memory?

Then Shinonome beckoned over the other girls.

“Come on, Sakura, tell him too. It was a punishment for losing at Daifugo, right?”

[TL: Daifugo is the same cardgame as President. Played with a 52-card deck, the goal is to empty your hand as fast as possible by playing progressively stronger single cards or combinations than the previous player. Winners gain privileges in the next round, while losers suffer disadvantages]

“Exactly. And by the way, I won every single game of Daifugo.”

“It's unfair how Sakura's amazing at literally everything. Oh, right—Masaki-kun, since Amanatsu lost, she said she'd do anything. That's how she ended up giving him a fake confession!”

“Eh!?”

Amanatsu let out a startled cry.

Of course she did. Shinonome made it sound as though Amanatsu had volunteered for it.

So, what was I supposed to do about this hellish atmosphere?

They were clearly picking a fight, yet unbelievably, nobody had even noticed I was there.

How lacking in presence was I?

Only Amanatsu had been repeatedly glancing at me, her face growing pale.

“Um… ahaha, can we stop talking about this? It's not something we should tell people who aren't involved.”

Amanatsu said that, and Shinonome curled her lips into a smug grin.

“Ohhh, did Nakina get upset because plain old Hatsukade rejected her?”

“Shi-chan, what are you saying!?”

“You're embarrassed and trying to hide it from Masaki-kun, aren't you? That has to be it. Ahaha, you got rejected by a guy with about as much presence as a utility pole, but you don't need to take it so hard.”

Being casually classified as part of the scenery was about to push me past my limit.

I stood up sharply and opened my mouth.

“Can I borrow Amanatsu for a moment?”

““““Wah!?””””

Don't react like I suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

I'd been here the whole time. What was wrong with you people?

“Amanatsu, I want you to take care of that thing we promised during lunch break.”

“…Promised?”

“Did you forget? You said you'd clean the clubroom as an apology for deceiving me.”

“Huh? Oh, right, did I? Y-Yeah, I forgot. Let's go!”

Amanatsu visibly relaxed and put on a forced smile.

As she hurried out of the classroom, I followed her—then stopped and turned back toward Shinonome.

“Oh, by the way, I was a little flustered because Amanatsu was the one who gave me the fake confession. But if it had been you, Shinonome, I would've rejected you on reflex.”

“Huh!? Why!?”

“Because Amanatsu is a hundred times cuter than you.”

“H-Hatsukade!”

“Oops, would you look at the time…”

With people like that, nothing worked better than comparing them to their friends—especially someone they looked down on.

Originally, I had planned to use that line when Amanatsu confessed, replacing her with some random girl.

Well, either way, the comeback I spent all night thinking up hadn't gone to waste after all.

---

In the cramped clubroom, which smelled of dust, I sat in a chair facing Amanatsu.

It was all well and good that I had pulled her out of there on the spur of the moment, but now I had nothing to say.

Amanatsu nervously kneaded her fingertips together.

Looking at her again, it was hard to imagine she'd reinvented herself for high school based on her appearance alone.

Her small face radiated charm, and there was a slight airheaded looseness to her overall vibe.

She insisted it was all thanks to makeup, but if that were true, then the whole human race ought to be as cute as she was.

“About what you said earlier…”

Amanatsu murmured, and I tilted my head.

“Which part?”

“…The part where you said I'm cuter than Shi-chan.”

“Oh, Shinonome's stupid face was pretty funny, huh?”

“That's not what I mean at all!”

“Then what do you want to ask?”

“…Um, I was just wondering whether you really meant it.”

Amanatsu looked at me expectantly.

“A hundred times was obviously an exaggeration, but it's true that you're cuter than Amanatsu.”

“…Huh?”

I had misspoken.

“A hundred times was obviously an exaggeration, but it's true that Amanatsu is cuter than Shinonome.”

“I see… ehehe.”

Amanatsu's eyes softened into crescents.

What value could there possibly be in a compliment from an introvert like me?

“Thank you for helping me. We never promised I'd clean the clubroom, did we?”

“That would've been awkward for you too. They were getting into a rhythm of insulting me.”

“Y-Yeah… Everyone's weird. You aren't plain at all, Hatsukade-kun.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“Eh?”

“Amanatsu, you're acting kind of strange.”

“Why am I the one being attacked now!?”

“Because it's objectively true that I'm plain.”

“…Y-You're being way too self-deprecating.”

“A fair assessment and an insult are different things. Shinonome intended the latter, so I talked back.”

At some point, Amanatsu had gotten to her feet. She puffed out her cheeks in irritation.

“T-That's not true! Hatsukade-kun isn't plain at all! I think people who have a solid sense of self are always cool!”

“Okay, okay. Calm down.”

“You don't look even a little happy about it!?”

“I don't care about other people's opinions of me.”

“…Other people… I guess that's true, but still, other people… ugh.”

Amanatsu dejectedly sat back down and looked around the clubroom.

The shelves along the wall were crammed with books, while all kinds of junk lay scattered in the corners.

“By the way, what is this room?”

“The General Entertainment Club's clubroom.”

“Oh, so you actually belong to a club, Hatsukade-kun.”

“I don't do anything. I've never even seen another club member.”

“Oh, so you're basically in the go-home club.”

This school still had a culture of mandatory club participation, so it had several slacker clubs made up entirely of ghost members. This clubroom, with its mixture of classics, light novels, and old manga magazines, was one of them.

“I come here sometimes because it helps pass the time. What club are you in, Amanatsu?”

“The handicrafts club, with Shi-chan and the others. Even the third-year club president said she doesn't know where the clubroom is.”

They should just shut that club down already.

“I'm jealous you have a place like this where you can unwind.”

“You don't need a gloomy place like this, Amanatsu.”

“I-I do need it! Do you have any idea how much I have to watch myself in the classroom every day? Girls' conversations are intense! It's like we're stabbing and slashing at each other in perfect sync! Let your guard down for even a second, and—slash!—you get cut down from behind!”

“Just to confirm, you're talking about conversations between friends, right?”

“Of course! Ahh, and ever since the fake confession, it's gotten even harder to read the room. I have no idea how I'm supposed to interact with everyone starting tomorrow.”

“Why keep associating with them if it makes you feel that miserable?”

“Because… they're the first friends I've had in a long time. Since elementary school…”

“Elementary school?”

“Ah!”

Her chair clattered as it tipped over.

Amanatsu's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish.

“T-That didn't count!”

“…”

“I had friends, okay!? It wasn't that bad!”

“I didn't say anything.”

I felt as if I had caught a glimpse of one reason Amanatsu was so obsessed with becoming one of the glamorous girls.

After letting that slip, her face had gone terribly pale.

“This is the worst. You found out I reinvented myself for high school, and now you know I didn't have any friends too… You totally think less of me now, don't you?”

“Why would I? If anything, how hard have you been working, Amanatsu?”

“…H-Hatsukade-kun?”

“I thought I appreciated you before, but it wasn't nearly enough. Isn't that kind of incredible?”

“…!”

I had no intention of copying her, but if someone told me to do what Amanatsu had done, I could say with absolute certainty that I'd never manage it.

“Huh? What's wrong? Your face is red.”

“I-It's nothing.”

She replied in a breathless voice, looking at me with strangely heated eyes.

That was when the clubroom door suddenly opened.

“Oh, Nakina, you were here. I've been looking everywhere for you!”

“Sakura!?”

Sakura Hiiragi entered the room.

“W-Why are you here, Sakura?”

“I was worried because Hatsukade kidnapped you, so I came to check on you.”

After saying that, Hiiragi pointed at me.

“Hey, wasn't that earlier totally uncalled for!?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Shi-chan got all upset because of you, and it's been a huge pain. Just go apologize to her.”

I couldn't tell whether she was actually serious.

I had no idea why I was somehow the one expected to apologize.

My head cooled with astonishing speed.

“I didn't say anything strange.”

“Huh!? No, you were provoking her by saying Nakina was a hundred times cuter than her!”

“If it sounded like provocation to you, doesn't that mean you and Shinonome both honestly think Amanatsu is cuter?”

“H-How does that follow!?”

“Then should I take it that you think Amanatsu ranks below Shinonome?”

“…What the hell are you even talking about?”

I gave her a smug smile. Beads of sweat appeared on Hiiragi's forehead as she rapidly looked back and forth between Amanatsu and me.

“Come on, answer me.”

“L-Like I could say that. We're friends, so neither of us is above or below the other.”

“Says the person who said that. You clearly think I'm beneath the other guys, don't you?”

“…I don't.”

“I assume Amanatsu told you, but I saw you trying to make her do that fake confession. You said, ‘Hatsukade gets one sweet memory before he dies alone, so everybody wins.'”

“…Ugh.”

“Isn't that something you only say when you're looking down on someone?”

Like checkmating someone, I blocked off her escape routes one step at a time.

I gave a short laugh through my nose, and Hiiragi openly grimaced.

“…I didn't mean anything by it.”

There it was: the standard line of a criminal.

I don't remember. I didn't mean any harm.

“Like anyone would believe that.”

“I-I'm telling the truth! Hatsukade, you're always alone, so I thought you might be at least a little happy to get confessed to by Nakina, even if it was fake!”

“That's insanely naïve. What if I had genuinely been in love with Amanatsu?”

“…W-Well… but you weren't, right?”

“That's only because things happened to turn out that way. Sure, I don't have even the slightest romantic feelings for Amanatsu. But if I had…”

“Ah, fine, I get it! I get it! I was wrong, okay!? S-o-r-r-y! Is that good enough for you?”

“No. I don't feel any sincerity. Bow your head more.”

“Grrr… I'm sorry! What the hell? Ugh, come on, Nakina… Nakina?”

Hiiragi grabbed Amanatsu's arm and tried to lead her away.

But Amanatsu stood there in a daze, not moving a muscle.

“…Ugh… You didn't have to say it so clearly…”

“Nakina… Don't tell me…”

Hiiragi peered at Amanatsu's face, then suddenly looked straight at me.

“Hmmm. I see. So that's what this is.”

Her lips curved upward like a crescent moon in a knowing smile.

“Come on, Nakina. We're leaving.”

“Okay.”

Still staring at me, Hiiragi closed the clubroom door.

That had been a whirlwind.

More importantly, what was that meaningful expression about?

In the end, my handkerchief was never returned.

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TL: Give this man his handkerchief back