I Favor the Villainess Chapter 75Oohashi Rei’s first love (3)

From the day after I visited Katano-san, I was absent from school due to influenza.

I probably got it from Katano-san.

Although I was delirious with fever, I was totally immersed in the novel borrowed from Katano-san.

The novel Katano-san lent me was a story set in a prestigious Catholic girls’ high school.

Its title was “Between Prayer and Feelings”.

The protagonist was a devout Christian girl, who at one point fell in love with her senior of the same sex.

While being stuck between the faith she naively held until then and seeking the love of the same sex, the protagonist grows little by little.

Platonic relationship with a year older senior, heartwarming times with her friends, with its detailed depictions it was beautifully written.

I was totally captivated.

In the story, there was a character who professed to being homosexual.

She was called Sei-senpai.

When the protagonist was at a loss, Sei-senpai always affirmed her feelings.

It wasn’t just emotional sympathy.

She repeatedly advocated that from the standpoint of theological knowledge or gender theory homosexuality isn’t a sin.

Although the protagonist resisted at first, in the end she moved on from blind faith to voluntarily obeying her feelings of love.

I felt my feelings affirmed as if I were the protagonist.

On that day, while lying in bed with a cold compress on my head, I was rereading the novel for who knows which time.

My fever already went down, but because my worrywart father told me to rest, I had nothing else to do.

Suddenly, the door to my room opened.

“Rei, your friend are here”

“Hey mother. You could’ve knocked”

“I did. You just didn’t notice”

It seems I was too absorbed in the novel.

“More importantly, what will you do? Can you get up a little? Katano-san came to see you”

“…”

I thought it would be Misaki or Kosaki, but it’s Katano-san, huh.

I hesitated.

To be honest, I’m a little scared to meet Katano-san.

She has a mysterious side to her.

But, I want to express my thanks for the novel no matter what.

“Only for a bit”

“Got it”

Saying so, mother went back.

Soon I heard signs of somebody coming to my room and knock the door three times.

“Feel free”

“Excuse me. Ara, aren’t you surprisingly healthy”

With these words, Katano-san put down a bag on the carpet.

“It’s a cute room… can’t be said about it”

“Don’t look too much. I’m aware of it”

I don’t like girly stuff much.

No, that’s wrong.

I like cute things, but such items don’t seem to suit me due to my large frame, so I kept away from them until now.

But, maybe I’ll change that.

“The novel was interesting”

“I see. Which parts?”

“Yup. For example――”

We got immersed in talking about the novel.

We brought up characters one by one to discuss their good qualities and commented on the highlights of the story.

It was my first time talking so passionately about a novel, it was amazingly fun.

“Doesn’t this mean that not only your influenza healed?”

“That’s right… I may be able to face my romantic feelings”

Since the novel isn’t complete yet, I don’t know what conclusion awaits the protagonist.

But, because I wasn’t religious, I didn’t intend to deny my feelings anymore.

“It’s thanks to Katano-san. I’m really grateful”

“If you’re grateful, call me Shiiko. Isn’t it unfair only I say Rei-san”

“You’re right. Thank you, Shiiko-san”

“You are welcome”

For some reason, I think Shiiko-san had the same position to me as Sei-senpai from the novel.

She was an important person who showed me the way when I was at a loss because of my love for the same sex.

I didn’t have much resistance to calling her by her name.

I felt happy not having to deceive myself anymore.

But――.

When I went to school next day, I immediately felt out of place.

Even if I said my greetings, no reply was returned.

Unlike the usual, I couldn’t enter the girls’ circle.

At first I thought since I just came back from the long absence I just couldn’t grasp the feeling, but it was obviously different.

I was being avoided.

“Hey, Kosaki. It’s super rare to get influenza in this season”

“Ye, yes…”

Misaki loudly said while glancing at me.

Kosaki seemed uncomfortable, but she was also looking here.

“Speaking of which, wasn’t there a person who got influenza a little earlier?”

“Tha, that’s right”

“Somehow… It seems fishy”

Misaki said in a sticky tone.

And, one boy joined in.

“Didn’t she do something to get infected?”

The classroom roared in laughter.

As for me, I was in panic watching as my everyday life that I desperately maintained was collapsing.

“Wrong…! I haven’t done that!”

“Huh? Rei, what is it, you suddenly got so desperate. I wasn’t really talking about you”

“Don’t play dumb. Why else would you say that?”

“Eeh, I didn’t really mean anything else by that”

I thought I was like a rat being playing with by a cat.

“Shiiko-san, say something too! Like this, I’ll be misunderstood――”

“Eh, Shiiko-san? What? Rei, are you in a relationship where you call that otaku woman by her name? Crap. Seriously, that girl”

“Wro, wrong! It’s not like that!”

I completely dug myself into a hole.

“Then, what? Why are you suddenly close to her?”

“I just… asked her for a little advice…”

“Advice? About what? Ah, about the techniques used in bed?”

Vulgar laughter echoed in the classroom.

My tears were already welling up.

At that moment――.

“Why are you so stupid? Are you a monkey?”

A sagacious voice cut through the laughter.

Katano-san stood up and looked here.

“What, Katano. Any problem?”

“Yes. What’s with this farce. It’s so stupid I feel nauseated. You should know better at your age. Or did only the body grow bigger and the head remained a kindergartener’s”

It was an unforgivable scolding.

Normally, you wouldn’t think Shiiko-san would say such words of advocacy, so the unyielding Misaki was at a loss for words.

Taking the chance, Shiiko-san continued.

“In the first place, Rei-san has a person she’s seriously in love with. It’s not me. If you were her friend, you’d know this much”

“… What can you understand”

“Ah, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter, so could you not involve me in kindergarten games? Because you’re only dragging me down”

“! You…!”

Just when Misaki and Shiiko-san got into an explosive situation.

“Enough… Stop it already…? I don’t want it…”

It was Kosaki who said in a tearful voice.

“Misaki-chan… I don’t want everybody in the classroom to fight… Misaki-chan fighting with somebody… No more…”

She cried large tears, the classroom was dumbfounded by Kosaki’s statement.

Misaki and Shiiko-san too were taken aback, and like everybody in the classroom, looked at Kosaki.

“Tsk… I got it. Here, don’t cry”

“Sorry… everyone…”

Misaki clicked her tongue when the focus turned to her, and hugged Kosaki.

The boys who got caught up in the moment and jeered, scattered in small groups.

“…”

Before I noticed Shiiko-san returned to her seat and started reading a book.

She splendidly switched in a moment.

As for me, I breathed out in relief that the situation got settled for the time being.

But――.

(Farewell, my peaceful days)

Although this place settled down, I won’t be able to enter Misaki’s group anymore.

I have to seriously think about my future course from tomorrow.

What should I do.

I already felt it became a fact.