NOVEL NEXT Chapter 22
At night, after finishing dinner and taking a bath, I was reading manga, just waiting to go to sleep.
Buzz, buzz. My smartphone vibrated.
Huh? Who could it be at this hour? Well, it’s likely to be family at this time.
Let’s see…
Yayoi-☆
Wha-!?
I dropped my phone in shock.
Yayoi… that’s Kise-san, right?
Why all of a sudden? Did I do something? Well, I better answer it.
“Hello?”
“Hey, why is your voice cracking? LOL.”
Kise-san’s laughter comes through the phone.
Well, I can’t help it… I’m nervous.
“More importantly, you suddenly called. What’s up?”
“Um? Ah, there’s something I want to ask Satocchi.”
Something she wants to ask me? What could it be?
“Satocchi, are you dating Nene-chi?”
I spit out the tea I was drinking.
“Cough! Cough! What do you mean?”
“Exactly what it sounds like? I wanted to ask at lunch, but not in front of Nene-chi.”
And why is it okay to ask me!?
“No, we’re not dating at all. It’s impossible for Kuromiya and me to be together.”
The social gap between introverted me and the popular her is too significant. And the idea of Kuromiya liking someone like me…
“Really? You’re not lying?”
“Why would I lie about that?”
“Eh? Because Nene-chi was clearly jealous today.”
“Jealous?”
“Yes, she interrupted when you were being surrounded by girls at lunch and even exerted pressure with a smile when you were exchanging Line contacts with me. She was displaying possessiveness.”
“Huh…?”
Sure, she seemed in a bad mood when I was being invited by the group of girls, but it’s unthinkable that the popular Kuromiya would be jealous over me.
“Uh, so, in a nutshell, do you like Nene-chi?”
By “like,” Kise-san probably means “like as a woman,” right?
“No, not really.”
I enjoy being with Kuromiya, and I feel comfortable around her, but as for wanting to be her lover…
“Hmm, you don’t have that creepy hesitance typical of introverts, so you’re probably not lying…”
…Huh? Did Kise-san just casually insult me?
“Huh? So that’s what it is? Ah… Eh… What?”
Kise-san seems to have come to some realization and starts to sound convinced. Wait, don’t leave me behind. What’s really going on?
“Um… Kise-san? What do you mean by ‘so that’s what it is’?”
“What? I’m not going to tell Satocchi.”
That’s just mean.
“Hmm, but Nene-chi didn’t show any signs like this until recently, so… is it because of Kaneda? No, it couldn’t be just that…”
Hey… Kise Yayoi-san… please stay in the call. Don’t go into your own world!
“So, Satocchi, has anything happened between you and Nene-chi in the past month?”
Kise-san hits the nail on the head.
Has anything happened? Yes, it has. Even if it was accidental, I’ve come to know a side of Kuromiya that she hides.
And the fake confessions, kisses, and proposals… Wait, actually, quite a lot has happened.
“…No, nothing.”
“Eh, wait, what was that pause? Are you sure you’re not hiding anything?”
“Well, aren’t hidden things supposed to be unspoken?”
“…Hmm, fair point.”
It seems Kise-san is satisfied with my minimal answer. Now the call should end—
“So, onto the main topic.”
—Or not.
The main topic now? What was all that talk before?
“I want you to keep an eye on Hana-chi.”
“Me? On Shirasaki-san?”
I don’t think there’s any need for me to keep an eye on her; if anything, she’s the one looking out for me.
“As you know, the class’s attitude toward Kaneda has changed, right?”
“Yeah…”
“He’s not being bullied, but he is being isolated. However, Hana-chi still talks to him as usual.”
I see, that does sound like something Shirasaki-san would do. She’s a person who can treat anyone without prejudice.
As someone always on the sidelines, I know that even just being spoken to can be a relief. I understand that painfully well.
That’s why I’m happy to be cared for, even by someone like her.
“That’s admirable of Shirasaki-san, but…?”
“That’s just it. Hana-chi is really a good girl, and that’s what worries me.”
“Worried?”
“I’m afraid Kaneda might misunderstand.”
“……Huh?”
“Uh, you don’t get it? In short, I’m worried that Kaneda might think Hana-chi is interested in him because she’s paying attention to him!”
Ah… is that… possible? Well, if I were in his shoes, I might also misunderstand.
Maybe, just maybe, there’s a chance for him. Especially since he was confident in himself before.
“I see, got it. But why are you telling me this?”
“Because you have a ‘special effect’ on Kaneda, right?”
Please don’t describe it like a game feature…
“If you stick close to Hana-chi, Kaneda might not approach her.”
Am I some kind of repellent?
“No, if I do that, the class’s view of me will…”
“That should be fine.”
“…Eh?”
“Didn’t you notice? The class’s attitude towards you changed today, right?”
…Now that she mentions it, maybe it did. Usually, when Shirasaki-san talked to me, I’d get looks and comments like ‘how dare that loner talk to her,’ but that didn’t happen today.
“Hana-chi explained about the karaoke, the fight with Kaneda, and even you throwing up. So, I think the class understood. That Hana Shirasaki values Satocchi as a friend.”
I see, because of Shirasaki-san’s personality, the class didn’t want to risk getting on her bad side, so their attitude toward me changed.
Of course, she’s a central figure in the class, liked by both boys and girls. No one would want to be disliked by someone like her.
“Some might even genuinely start to like you or find you interesting.”
Is that about Kise-san and Kaji-kun, who talked to me kindly this morning?
“But it’s the first time I’ve seen her advocate for someone so much.”
“Eh?”
“…Never mind. So, be Hana-chi’s bodyguard from tomorrow.”
“I will do my best.”
“It’s not about doing your best. Just do it, you wimp.”
With that, Kise-san ended the call.