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

During the afternoon break, Kaneda, who is both a normie and the ace of the basketball team, was gathering people in the classroom for a karaoke competition. Karaoke competition? A participation button?

Ah, I see, I see. He probably organized it in the class group chat and took a poll. The guys who pressed the participation button are now gathering around Kaneda.

…I didn’t know about it because I’m not in the class group chat.

Well, it doesn’t matter for a loner like me. I wouldn’t be able to sing even if I went.

Suddenly, a twinge of loneliness wells up within me.

What if I had friends to go to karaoke with…? No point in thinking about something that doesn’t exist.

“Satou-kun, aren’t you going?”

Just as I grabbed my bag and stood up, I was spoken to.

Her name is Hanashiro ShiroSaki. She has a cheerful and outgoing personality, and she’s a social butterfly with many friends. She’s also an active user of social media. She’s close friends with Kurogi Nene and they’re often seen together. Top of her class, athletic, and good-looking. She’s the perfect girl, and above all, she’s an angelic figure who even talks to introverts like me.

“…Do you not like karaoke?”

ShiroSaki looks a bit downcast. Wait, did she propose the karaoke competition?

“Um… I’ve always wanted to try karaoke at least once, and I’d really like to go… I just didn’t know there was a karaoke competition today.”

“Really?”

ShiroSaki nods at my words.

I thought ShiroSaki would now leave, saying something like, “Oh, I see! Well, I’ll invite you next time!”

“Kaneda-kun! Did you properly invite Satou-kun? He says he didn’t know!”

Wha— ShiroSaki!?

“Huh? Satou? Who’s that?”

“How can you say that? He’s Satou Juubei, our classmate! You said you’d invite him directly since he’s not in the class chat!”

“Ah? Sorry, I forgot.”

Kaneda laughs it off. He’s clearly not sorry.

ShiroSaki tells him to add me to the list of participants.

“Huh? Seriously? You’re coming?”

Kaneda looks at me as if he doesn’t want me there. Man, could you try to hide your feelings a bit more?

“Um… that is…”

Honestly, I don’t want to go! Going to karaoke with a large group of classmates is just too much for me!

“Even if I go… singing alone in front of everyone is a bit…”

“Then let’s do a duet!”

What is she talking about?

The noisy classroom suddenly falls silent.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

“Why is that guy doing a duet with ShiroSaki?”

“That introvert should switch with me.”

I hear whispers around me. My ears are good enough to catch them, but it seems ShiroSaki doesn’t hear.

Suddenly, Kurogi walks into the classroom.

“Ah, Kaneda-kun. I just went to the restroom. More importantly…”

Kurogi looks at me seriously, then smiles.

“That’s an unusual combination.”

I feel a sense of pressure from her smile.

“Yes! We were just talking about today’s karaoke competition!”

“You’re coming too, right Nene? I want to hear you sing.”

Kaneda doesn’t seem to care anymore. I get the feeling he won’t be participating either.

“Sorry, I can’t go today. I have something I absolutely can’t get out of.”

“Huh? I didn’t hear about that.”

“That’s too bad. ShiroSaki was going to form a combo with me for a duet.”

“…A combo?”

A chill runs down my spine.

“Yes! We’re going to sing a duet!”

“My plans got canceled, so I’ll go too.”

Wha— why!?

And so, with a painful stomach, I was set to go to the hellish karaoke competition.