NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4
In the morning, as I was walking alone through the crowd on my way to school, I felt a tap on my back.
“Sato-kun, good morning.”
“!?”
I turned around to see Kurogami waving at me with a smile. The moment I saw her smile, I tensed up. Knowing her hidden side makes me suspicious that she might do something to me.
Well, for now, she’s showing her popular, cute face because we’re in public.
“Um… Kurogami-san, do you need something from me?”
“Huh? No, not really. I just saw your back and felt happy, so I called out to you.”
That’s a lie. There’s definitely something more to this!
“Oh, okay… I’ll be going ahead then.”
I picked up my pace while waving back at her cheerfully. The best move here is to get away from Kurogami quickly. She might be meeting up with someone to walk to school together, and I’d create an awkward atmosphere if I stayed.
This decision is for Kurogami’s sake. It’s not because being near her makes me anxious.
Definitely not.
“Wait!”
Just as I quickened my pace to get away from Kurogami, she grabbed my bag and stopped me.
“Why not walk to school together?”
Um… No way. If people see me walking to school with Kurogami, it’ll become the talk of the class. The guys will look at me weirdly, and above all, Kurogami herself is scary.
“Don’t you want to walk to school with me, Sato-kun?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Huh?”
“I’d be happy to.”
“Yay! I’m glad you said that!”
Terrifying! That “Huh?” was really scary! The temperature difference between her cute voice just now and that is alarming!
So I walked to school with her, while my face twitched and I sweated cold sweat.
During the break.
The 10-minute break between classes is a void for a loner like me. I usually pretend to sleep to pass the time.
“Hey, Nene-chan, did you watch ‘Maji Koi’ yesterday?”
“Of course! For me, the pairing of Yuto-kun and Nagisa-chan is the best.”
“I get it~ They got closer in the last episode, right? How about you, Hana-chan?”
“Um… I think I was watching a variety show?”
“Hana-chan, you really have no interest in romance, do you?”
Kurogami was sitting on my desk, chatting happily with her usual group.
The trio of Kurogami, Shirasaki-san, and Kise-san forms a top-tier group of beautiful girls, which has nothing to do with me.
It’s fine for Kurogami to chat next to me since Kise-san sits beside me, but why is she sitting on my desk? I can’t pretend to sleep like this.
“Huh? Sato-kun, where are you going?”
Kurogami stopped me as I stood up.
“I, um, need to go to the restroom.”
“Okay, sorry for holding you up.”
Feeling uncomfortable, I quickly left the classroom. I headed to the bathroom, somewhat feeling like I’d been kicked out of my own spot.
Somehow, Kurogami has been near me all day today. I didn’t talk to her at all until yesterday, but today, she’s been around me quite often.
It’s as if she’s clinging to me… No, that’s probably overthinking it.
Maybe she’s following me right now—
“…Ah, Sato-kun.”
As I turned around casually, Kurogami was there.
…She’s really following me, isn’t she?
“… I wanted to fix my hair a bit. Ehehe.”
Well, okay. The restroom is also a place for grooming, so that’s not strange… but why now?
I parted ways with Kurogami and entered the men’s restroom.
Sitting on the toilet, I held my head in my hands.
Could it be… is she really following me around? It feels like… I’m being watched? Targeted?
Wait a minute. I haven’t done anything to deserve being followed by Kurogami…
“Being a loner! Socially awkward! Rejecting my confession! I hate you!”
“Worst! Absolutely the worst! Unbelievable!”
“I let you touch my chest! What’s with that reaction!? Virgin! Sato, die! Die!!”
“If you tell anyone about this, I won’t hold back.”
“If you tell anyone, I’ll use all the boys in the school to corner you.”
I have plenty of reasons to be suspicious!!
That’s right, she’s probably following me to make sure I don’t spill her secrets…
No, no, no, that’s too early to conclude. There’s even a possibility that this is just paranoia.
Right. Yes, it’s probably just in my head. So it’s okay, it’s okay.
Trying to convince myself, I stood up and left the restroom.
If Kurogami is waiting for me outside the restroom, then there’s a high chance I’m being targeted.
It’s been a while, so Kurogami should have—
“Ah, Sato-kun. You took a while.”
The moment I left the restroom, Kurogami, who had been waiting for me, was there.
Ah, I’m definitely being targeted!
Why would she need to wait for me? She’s definitely following me to keep an eye on me!
…What should I do? Should I swear to her, “Don’t worry, Kurogami-san! I’ll never talk about your secret side!”
As I walked beside the smiling Kurogami, I pondered.
“Hey, Sato-kun, are you free after school today?”
“Um… no, I don’t have plans.”
“Really? Then… would you mind spending some time with me?”