Chapter 5: Deadly Poison

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Translator: Soafp

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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 is easy.”

Katsurama proudly spun the ball around on his fingertip, but his eyes tracked Shinonome about once every five seconds.

I mean…

At this point, he was almost cute.

But he was trying so hard to make his interest obvious that it was painful to watch.

Meanwhile, Shinonome…

“Waaah, nice layup, Masaki-kun! You practically reached the rim!”

She gave Masaki—said to be a future basketball-club ace—an enthusiastic round of applause for his elegant layup, smiling as sweetly as could be.

Once P.E. ended, several girls gathered around Masaki.

At the front of them stood Shinonome, speaking in a sugary voice.

“Masaki-kun, you're going to be in the starting lineup for a game soon, right?”

“Yeah. I'm grateful they're letting a first-year take a position.”

“That's amazing! Hey, can people come cheer for you?”

“It's a practice game against another school, and it's at our school, so that's fine. But it's Saturday morning—wouldn't that be inconvenient?”

“I happen to be free that day!”

She was no less obvious.

The quality of Shinonome's smile toward Masaki was visibly different from the smile she gave every other boy.

Incidentally, when she looked at me, it came with a tongue click and an expression like she was staring at garbage.

Thanks for the special treatment…

Even after school, Shinonome kept talking to Masaki until the very last moment before he left for practice. Katsurama watched them from afar, his expression complicated.

After getting home from school, I tossed my school bag aside and flopped onto my bed.

Katsurama liked Shinonome, Shinonome liked Masaki, and Masaki had feelings for Amanatsu.

Invisible triangular lines had been neatly drawn throughout the classroom.

Shinonome really had no charm, did she?

She definitely knew Katsurama liked her.

Yet she neither treated him coldly nor accepted his feelings; she simply brushed him off with behavior that kept his hopes alive.

No matter how pleased she looked when he praised her, her eyes never smiled.

For someone who had been popular for years, being fawned over by boys was simply expected.

There was no gratitude in it, no consideration for them.

Just an arrogant quality that got under my skin.

And Katsurama, swept up in love, was committing a wrong of his own.

Katsurama and Masaki were friends.

They were always talking happily in class, so that much was clear.

Katsurama fit into the class as its well-liked, easygoing character. He didn't seem like a bad person.

But he had prioritized his own romantic prospects and leaked the identity of Masaki's crush to Shinonome.

Katsurama knew Shinonome liked Masaki.

He knew he had no chance against Masaki himself.

So he told her that Masaki had someone he liked.

Hoping she would give up on Masaki and turn her attention toward him instead.

Love drove people crazy.

An unpleasant possibility came to mind.

But I had no intention of saying it aloud.

I had no desire to criticize something ugly simply because it was ugly, then self-righteously shout about it as though I had won some great victory.

So I intended to keep it to myself.

Until that Monday, when this happened…

---

The moment I arrived at school, something felt off.

People I passed in the hallway followed me with their eyes.

I had grown used to being watched over the last few days, but there was one clear difference: even students who weren't in my class were paying attention to me.

I dismissed it as my imagination, opened the classroom door, and took my seat.

Then a boy spoke to me.

“Hey, Hatsukade.”

Someone I had never spoken to before.

What could a person like that want from me this early in the morning?

“Is it true you're dating Amanatsu?”

“…Huh?”

As I tilted my head, the boy jiggled his leg restlessly.

“Well?”

“I'm not dating her.”

“You're not just hiding it?”

“What would be the point of that? Where did you even hear something like that?”

“…I dunno. Just kind of heard it.”

After saying only that, he returned to his own seat.

What an absurd misunderstanding.

He had probably jumped to conclusions because of the public-confession-like spectacle.

But he wasn't the only one to ask.

“Hatsukade, are you seriously dating Nakina!?”

“Again? Nothing like that is true.”

“Come on, that's suspicious.”

Questions like that kept coming all through the day.

By then, it was beyond individual misunderstanding. Without some clear reason for the rumor, it made no sense.

“Hey, why does everyone think Amanatsu and I are dating?”

So I asked one of the boys questioning me.

“Huh? It's pretty big on social media. You didn't know?”

“…I don't use social media.”

“What are you, some kind of caveman? Here, look.”

He showed me a social-media screen.

An anonymous account had repeatedly posted claims that Amanatsu and I were dating.

“I got a direct message about it too. This account follows a ton of people at our school. It's one of those trendy gossip-exposé accounts, I guess?”

“It's the end of the world if trash like that is trendy.”

Finally, I understood.

This was why things had been getting weird.

“You really are strange, Hatsukade.”

“How?”

“Normally, if something like this got exposed, you'd panic more—whether it was true or not.”

“I am panicking. Normally.”

Because so many idiots were being led around by information like this.

The public-confession incident from yesterday had probably made it sound more believable, but Amanatsu and I dating was already stepping one foot into fantasy territory. How strong were these people's imaginations?

Still, a rumor like this didn't matter to me.

That was only true if I were the sole victim.

“Nakina, hey, what's really going on with you and Hatsukade?”

“Huh? Um…”

“After he gave you such a passionate confession, did your maidenly heart start wavering?”

“That's not it! We're not dating!”

Amanatsu was surrounded by girls in our class, sweat beading on her forehead.

If even I was getting questioned, then naturally, she—being far easier to approach—was being grilled even more intensely. Panicking Amanatsu was perfect prey for the gawkers.

By lunch break, the gossip reached its peak.

With food forgotten, the whole class was focused on the two of us.

The one encouraging it more than anyone was Shinonome.

“Come to think of it, people have seen you two alone together sometimes, right? Have you been flirting behind everyone's backs?”

“I-I told you, that isn't it.”

“Aww, you don't have to lie. Wow, I never would've expected Nakina to like such a plain guy. So it means it wasn't a fake confession after all—it was the real thing!”

Shinonome happily turned toward Hiiragi.

“Then why not have her confess one more time? Hatsukade said it himself, didn't he? He only rejected her because it was fake.”

Sakura raised one arm with a bright expression.

“Yep, yep, Sakura-chan totally agrees. I want to see the moment a new couple is born.”

Amanatsu desperately shook her head.

“Ahaha, that's a cruel joke, you two. It would bother Hatsukade-kun. Besides, I don't have anyone I like!”

“Be brave. Be honest about your feelings.”

Sakura grabbed Amanatsu by the arm.

“Come on, come on, go say it!”

Pushed from behind, Amanatsu was forced into the middle of the classroom.

The girls' mocking voices—“Pfft, why him of all people?” The boys' dissatisfied looks—“Why would she pick that guy?” The silent pressure from everyone merely watching.

The swelling excitement in the room was forcing the situation toward a confession event.

Amanatsu looked at me with tearful eyes, completely at a loss.

Shinonome and Hiiragi urged me on with their eyes, as if telling me to hurry up and get onstage too.

Who had spread the rumor online that Amanatsu and I were dating?

The only possible culprit was someone who stood to gain if we actually got together.

I stood up.

A ripple ran through the room.

Some people hurriedly opened their phone cameras.

Amanatsu drew in a breath and hung her head apologetically.

“Amanatsu, can I ask you something?”

“…What?”

“Who first suggested doing a fake confession?”

She blinked in confusion.

“Why are you asking that now?”

“There's something I'm curious about.”

“Huh? I-I think it was Sakura?”

That matched my memory.

When I overheard them in the empty classroom, she had been the one who suggested the fake confession.

I looked at Hiiragi.

“Hey. Why did you suggest a fake confession?”

Sakura pointed at herself, looking blankly surprised.

Because I had cut straight through the planned confession, I could feel the crowd's gawking excitement rapidly cooling.

Ignoring all of it, I asked again.

“Won't you answer?”

“I-I mean, I don't mind, but… why did I, again?”

Then Shinonome cut in, her face twisting.

“Hey, isn't that irrelevant right now?”

“You're the irrelevant one. Shut up.”

“Huh!?”

As I dismissed her, Shinonome raised one eyebrow, her face twitching.

At that moment, Hiiragi—who had been holding her chin and thinking—suddenly brightened.

“Oh, right! We were thinking of a punishment game, and Shi-chan suggested doing a fake confession.”

“Sakura!?”

Just as I thought.

Girls really could come up with the most pointless things.

“Hatsukade, Sakura, none of that matters right now!”

Shouting that, Shinonome edged closer to me.

“How bad are you at reading the room? Nakina was about to confess to you.”

“Sorry. I'm a loner because I'm not good at picking up on things.”

“E-Enough already! Stop trying to cover things up with random lies!”

“Calm down. I'll meet your expectations.”

I turned to Amanatsu.

Then I held out a hand toward her as she caught her breath in her throat.

“But doesn't this seem kind of unfair to Amanatsu?”

As I dragged out the confession, I could keenly feel the room's hostility gathering against me.

But considering what I was about to do, that was probably perfect.

“What is your problem!?”

“It's unfair to make only one person confess. Hey, Shinonome—why don't you join her?”

“W-What are you talking about?”

“You're making your friend do it while you don't have to. That doesn't add up.”

“I don't get it, I don't get it! I'm absolutely not doing that. There's no one I like!”

Deliberately curling my lips into a smile, I pointed at Masaki.

“There is. The person you're hopelessly in love with is right over there.”

“…Huh? Wha…”

“Oh, but this is rough for you, isn't it? Because Masaki likes Amanatsu.”

“…How do you…”

As Shinonome staggered backward, I grabbed her arm so she couldn't get away.

“Let go! That's not true!”

“Oh, come on. You've been doing the same thing to other people this whole time. Or are you going to claim the person you like isn't Masaki? Then say it to him right now.”

“…I-I can't…”

“You can't, you say? Not after you pushed Amanatsu into giving that fake confession in order to make Masaki give up on her. That's why you said she should date me for a few days, wasn't it? So Masaki would be disappointed in Amanatsu.”

I slowly loosened my grip on Shinonome's arm as she tried to retreat.

She staggered and sank to the floor, tears welling at the corners of her eyes.

Looking down at her, I said:

“I made a reckless confession too. So you should do one as well. Let's have a fun little public confession.”