I’m a Shy Loner and I Was Confessed to by a Beautiful Girl Who Has All the Boys in School Smitten, but It Turned Out to Be a ‘Fake Confession,’ So I Politely Declined. As a Result, I Ended Up Learning About Her Hidden Side and She Started to Cling to Me

“You know, just to be clear, that wasn’t a ‘popularity phase’ or anything.”

As we were eating lunch behind the gym, Kuromiya suddenly shot a sharp comment at me. She’s probably referring to how I was surrounded by girls from the class who invited me to lunch earlier.

“Uh, well, I wasn’t really thinking it was—”

I’m sorry, I’m lying… I was totally thinking that. I was hopeful.

“What? No way, you were completely elated. You had this pitiful, smitten look on your face. It was so pathetic it was unbearable to watch. If you had gone on to have lunch and chat with those five girls, you’d only be able to muster weak words like ‘uhh’ or ‘umm,’ right? You’d get even more nervous and couldn’t carry on a proper conversation, making the atmosphere super awkward. Then they’d avoid you from then on, and I can already imagine you feeling down about it.”

That’s the longest string of harsh words I’ve ever heard from Kuromiya. I feel like crying a bit.

“Ah! There they are!”

A cheerful voice rings out. I look up to see Shirasaki pointing at us, with Kise also standing behind her.

“Hana-chan, and Yayoi-chan too… what are you doing here?”

“What do you mean ‘what’? Nene-chan, you suddenly took Satou-kun and left the classroom, so—”

So they were worried and came looking for us. Well, given how we left the classroom, it makes sense.

“Ah, I see. So Nene-chi was using this place as a refuge from Kaneda, huh? Yocchore!”

Kise nods as if she understands, then sits down next to me.

Wait, are we eating here?

Seeing Kise sit down, Shirasaki naturally follows suit and takes out her lunchbox.

Are you serious? The four of us are having lunch together? Ahhh! This is so uncomfortable!

It’s like hell, being the lone outsider in a group of close friends. And they’re all girls, no less.

It might look like a harem from the outside, but it’s incredibly awkward and painful.

“Oh right, Bocchio, give me your Line.”

“!?”

Suddenly, Kise extends her smartphone towards me.

What?! Ah, wa, waa… she’s asking for my contact information right off the bat?! Even modern-day pick-up artists don’t do that!

And what’s with ‘Bocchio’? Don’t tell me it’s short for ‘lonely guy’?

“Is a QR code okay?”

“Uh, sure.”

I hurriedly take out my smartphone from my pocket.

“Yayoi-chan, what’s ‘Bocchio’?”

Kuromiya voices the question that was in my mind.

“Huh? It’s short for ‘lonely guy.'”

I hate this girl. With her wavy brown hair, disheveled uniform, and her flashy, outgoing gal appearance, she’s the polar opposite of me, a socially awkward introvert.

“Oh, but you’re not lonely anymore.”

“…Huh?”

I stare at Kise, not understanding the meaning behind her words.

“What do you mean ‘huh’? We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“What? No, we’ve just met, and it’s too soon to call us friends. Are you sure it’s okay to call me a friend so easily?”

“What’s the big deal? I want to be friends, so that should be enough. You don’t want to be friends?”

Satocchi?! This is the first time someone has given me a nickname…!!

“Ah, well, I never said I didn’t want to be…”

“Then we’re friends.”

Kise extends her smartphone, displaying the QR code.

Kise… I like you…!!

“Your icon is Aoi-chan, huh. Do you watch ‘I-See’?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. The anime’s interesting this season… Do you know it?”

“Yeah, I watch the anime and have the manga too.”

Wait, gals watch anime? They read manga?

“I’ve only seen the anime.”

“Really? Do you want me to lend you the manga?”

“Is that okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll bring it next time.”

An otaku-friendly gal? This is dangerous. I’m actually starting to like her.

“Yayoi-chan, you suddenly got friendly with Satou-kun. What’s going on?”

Kuromiya asks while maintaining a smile, but it feels like an interrogation to me.

“Well, you see, Satocchi was always this ‘mysterious guy we know nothing about’ because he never talked. But the incident with Kaneda revealed he’s actually quite… a character, let’s say.”

So the match with Kaneda somehow changed my previously bland and inconspicuous image, for better or worse?

“Plus, I’ve heard a lot about Satocchi from Nene-chi and Hana-chi.”

About me? …Is that okay? They’re not making fun of me or anything, right?

“Well, based on what I’ve heard from the two of them, my impression of Satocchi has been pretty good.”

“Heh—”

So if her impression is good, that means they haven’t been speaking ill of me?

“But the real reason I wanted to get to know Satocchi is his baffling ‘boldness’ for splashing juice on Kaneda and his ‘ruthlessness’ for vomiting on a downcast Kaneda.”

“…In your eyes, am I some kind of dangerous guy?”