Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – The Second Time

“I’ve come across something troublesome…”

Confessions happening in an inconspicuous place like this weren’t new, but I never expected that Asanagi-san would be involved this time.

Well, I could understand why people are confessing to her. After all, even though Amami-san stood out from the rest of the class, Asanagi-san was also quite the beauty herself. It wouldn’t be strange that some would be more interested in her than Amami-san.

I didn’t recognize the guy, he was probably from another class, maybe even a senior.

To‌ ‌be‌ ‌honest,‌ ‌other‌ ‌people’s‌ ‌love‌ ‌affairs‌ ‌didn’t‌ ‌interest‌ ‌me.‌ ‌I‌ ‌never‌ ‌understood‌ ‌why‌ ‌people‌ would ‌get‌ ‌excited‌ ‌over‌ ‌other‌ ‌people’s‌ ‌love‌ ‌stories,‌ ‌especially‌ ‌those‌ ‌love‌ ‌stories‌ ‌that‌ ‌were‌ ‌recounted‌ ‌on‌ ‌TV.‌ ‌

“…This‌ ‌has‌ ‌nothing‌ ‌to‌ ‌do‌ ‌with‌ ‌me.”‌

I‌ ‌muttered‌ ‌before‌ ‌fixing‌ ‌my‌ ‌sitting position.‌ Although it was a coincidence, it would be rude to eavesdrop. Besides, I’m not into this kind of thing.

I’ll‌ ‌just‌ ‌pretend‌ ‌that‌ ‌I’ve‌ ‌been‌ ‌here‌ ‌for‌ ‌a‌ ‌long‌ ‌time‌ ‌and‌ ‌didn’t‌ ‌realize‌ ‌that‌ ‌Asanagi-san‌ ‌got‌ ‌confessed‌ ‌by‌ ‌someone.‌ ‌

That‌ ‌much‌ ‌should‌ ‌be‌ ‌fine.‌ ‌

“…So,‌ ‌are‌ ‌you‌ ‌currently‌ ‌dating‌ ‌someone?”‌ ‌

“Ah…‌ ‌Umm…‌ ‌I’m‌ ‌not‌ ‌dating‌ ‌anyone‌ ‌currently.”‌ ‌

“There’s‌ ‌someone‌ ‌that‌ ‌you‌ ‌like?”‌ ‌

“No,‌ ‌no‌ ‌one.”‌ ‌

But,‌ ‌even‌ ‌though‌ ‌I‌ ‌tried‌ ‌my‌ ‌best‌ ‌to‌ ‌not‌ ‌look‌ ‌at‌ ‌them,‌ ‌I‌ ‌found‌ ‌myself‌ ‌listening‌ ‌to‌ ‌their‌ ‌conversation.‌ ‌

‌

I‌ ‌said‌ ‌I‌ ‌was‌ ‌not‌ ‌interested‌ ‌in‌ ‌something‌ ‌like‌ ‌this,‌ ‌but ‌the‌ ‌other‌ ‌party‌ ‌was‌ ‌Asanagi-san‌ ‌after‌ ‌all,‌ ‌I‌ ‌couldn’t‌ ‌help‌ ‌but‌ ‌feel‌ ‌curious.‌ ‌

‌

This‌ ‌was‌ ‌so‌ ‌out‌ ‌of‌ ‌character‌ for ‌me,‌ ‌but,‌ ‌still…‌ ‌

“…I‌ ‌should‌ ‌just‌ ‌get‌ ‌out‌ ‌of‌ ‌here.”‌ ‌

My‌ ‌guilt‌ ‌won‌ ‌over‌ ‌my‌ ‌curiosity‌ ‌after‌ ‌all,‌ ‌so‌ ‌I‌ ‌decided‌ ‌to‌ ‌sneak‌ ‌out‌ ‌and‌ ‌move‌ ‌to‌ ‌a‌ ‌different‌ ‌location,‌ ‌hoping‌ ‌that‌ ‌the‌ ‌two‌ ‌of‌ ‌them‌ ‌wouldn’t‌ ‌find‌ ‌out.‌ ‌

‌

Seriously‌ ‌though,‌ ‌this‌ ‌was‌ ‌the‌ ‌only‌ ‌time‌ ‌‌I‌ ‌could‌ ‌relax‌ ‌in‌ ‌school,‌ ‌why‌ ‌did‌ ‌they‌ have to do this here? Just‌ ‌do‌ ‌it‌ ‌somewhere‌ ‌else‌ ‌at‌ ‌different‌ ‌times,‌ ‌like‌ ‌after‌ class,‌ ‌outside‌ ‌the‌ ‌school.‌ ‌

‌

They‌ ‌should‌ ‌consider‌ ‌the‌ ‌fact‌ ‌that‌ ‌there‌ ‌might‌ ‌be‌ ‌someone‌ ‌else,‌ ‌like‌ ‌me,‌ ‌who‌ ‌would‌ ‌secretly‌ ‌hang‌ ‌around‌ ‌this‌ ‌place.‌ ‌

‌

I‌ ‌sneaked‌ ‌out‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌parking‌ ‌lot,‌ ‌trying‌ ‌to‌ ‌conceal‌ ‌myself‌ ‌by‌ ‌not‌ ‌making‌ ‌any‌ ‌noises.‌ ‌

“?!‌ ‌Kya–!”‌ ‌

“Huh?”‌ ‌

Suddenly,‌ ‌I‌ ‌bumped‌ ‌into‌ ‌a‌ ‌figure‌ ‌that‌ ‌appeared‌ ‌from‌ ‌the‌ ‌corner.‌ ‌

‌

Fortunately,‌ ‌we‌ ‌only‌ ‌bumped‌ ‌into‌ ‌each‌ ‌other‌ ‌lightly,‌ ‌we‌ ‌didn’t‌ ‌scrape‌ ‌each‌ ‌other‌ ‌or‌ ‌make‌ ‌a‌ ‌loud‌ ‌noise.‌ ‌Unfortunately,‌ ‌the‌ ‌person‌ ‌I‌ ‌bumped‌ ‌into‌ ‌was‌ ‌a‌ ‌troublesome‌ ‌person.‌ ‌

“Who‌ ‌was‌ ‌it…‌ ‌Staying‌ ‌in‌ ‌this‌ ‌kind‌ ‌of‌ ‌place…‌ ‌Huh?‌ ‌Maehara-kun?”‌ ‌

“…Amami-san…”‌ ‌

“I’m‌ ‌here‌ ‌too.”‌ ‌

“…Nitta-san‌ ‌too…”‌ ‌

The‌ ‌person‌ ‌I‌ ‌bumped‌ ‌into‌ ‌was‌ ‌Asanagi-san’s‌ ‌best‌ ‌friend,‌ ‌Amami-san.‌ ‌Another‌ ‌friend‌ ‌(I‌ ‌think)‌ ‌of‌ ‌Asanagi-san‌ ‌was‌ ‌here‌ ‌too,‌ ‌Nitta-san.‌ ‌

‌

I‌ ‌wonder‌ ‌why‌ ‌they‌ ‌are‌ ‌here,‌ ‌maybe‌ ‌they‌ ‌are‌ ‌following‌ ‌Asanagi-san?‌ ‌

“What’s‌ ‌wrong,‌ ‌Maehara-kun?‌ ‌Did‌ ‌you‌ ‌come‌ ‌here‌ ‌to‌ ‌check‌ ‌on‌ ‌Umi‌ ‌too?‌ ‌Hehehe,‌ ‌you‌ ‌can’t‌ ‌do‌ ‌that,‌ ‌you‌ ‌know‌ ‌~?”‌ ‌

“Eh?‌ ‌No…‌ ‌I‌ ‌didn’t.”‌ ‌

“Hehe,‌ ‌just‌ ‌kidding.‌ ‌You‌ ‌just‌ ‌stumbled‌ ‌upon‌ ‌them‌ ‌by‌ ‌accident‌ ‌right?‌ ‌Sorry,‌ ‌our‌ ‌Umi‌ ‌is‌ ‌causing‌ ‌you‌ ‌trouble.”‌ ‌

If‌ ‌it‌ ‌was‌ anyone ‌else,‌ ‌they‌ ‌would‌ ‌give‌ ‌me‌ ‌a‌ ‌suspicious‌ ‌look‌ ‌and‌ ‌barrage‌ ‌me‌ ‌with‌ ‌questions‌ ‌as‌ ‌to‌ ‌why‌ I am ‌even‌ ‌here‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌first‌ ‌place,‌ ‌but‌ ‌Amami-san‌ ‌didn’t‌ ‌do‌ ‌anything‌ ‌like‌ ‌that.‌ ‌

‌

Even‌ ‌when‌ ‌I‌ ‌couldn’t‌ ‌answer‌ ‌her‌ ‌questions‌ ‌properly,‌ ‌she‌ ‌didn’t‌ ‌give‌ ‌me‌ ‌such‌ ‌look,‌ ‌instead,‌ ‌she‌ ‌gave‌ ‌me‌ ‌the‌ ‌same‌ ‌bright‌ ‌smile‌ ‌that‌ ‌she‌ ‌showed‌ ‌to‌ ‌everyone‌ ‌else.‌ ‌

‌

Her‌ ‌smile‌ ‌was‌ ‌so‌ ‌cute‌ ‌that‌ ‌if‌ ‌someone‌ ‌told‌ ‌me‌ ‌that‌ ‌she‌ ‌was‌ ‌the‌ ‌main‌ ‌heroine‌ ‌of‌ ‌a‌ ‌manga,‌ ‌I‌ ‌would‌ ‌believe‌ ‌them.‌

“Yuu-chin,‌ ‌let’s‌ ‌go‌ ‌over‌ ‌there,‌ ‌we‌ ‌can‌ ‌see‌ ‌them‌ ‌clearer‌ ‌from‌ ‌there.”‌ ‌

“Mm!‌ ‌…Right,‌ ‌why‌ ‌don’t‌ ‌you‌ come ‌with‌ ‌us‌ ‌too,‌ ‌Maehara-kun?”‌ ‌

“Eh?‌ ‌Ah,‌ ‌no,‌ ‌I…”

Even‌ ‌though‌ ‌this‌ ‌was‌ ‌Amami-san’s‌ ‌idea,‌ ‌I‌ ‌would‌ ‌still‌ ‌feel‌ ‌guilty‌ ‌toward‌ ‌Asanagi-san,‌ ‌so,‌ ‌I‌ ‌tried‌ ‌to‌ ‌refuse,‌ ‌but‌ ‌Nitta-san,‌ ‌who‌ ‌was‌ ‌behind‌ ‌Amami-san,‌ ‌grabbed‌ ‌my‌ ‌shoulder.‌ ‌

“Hey,‌ ‌Maehara,‌ ‌dude,‌ ‌don’t‌ ‌move‌ ‌too‌ ‌much,‌ ‌we’ll‌ ‌get‌ ‌exposed!‌ ‌Stay‌ ‌still‌ ‌for‌ ‌a‌ ‌bit.”‌ ‌

“But…”‌ ‌

“Jeez,‌ ‌just‌ ‌stay‌ ‌still‌ ‌for‌ ‌now.”‌

She‌ ‌grabbed‌ ‌my‌ ‌shoulders‌ ‌harder‌ ‌and‌ ‌forced‌ ‌me‌ ‌to‌ ‌sit.‌ ‌

‌

Seriously,‌ ‌if‌ ‌you‌ ‌didn’t‌ ‌want‌ ‌people‌ ‌to‌ ‌find‌ ‌out‌ ‌what‌ ‌you’re‌ ‌doing,‌ ‌why‌ ‌do it ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌first‌ ‌place?‌ ‌Besides,‌ ‌why‌ ‌are‌ ‌you‌ ‌so‌ ‌interested‌ ‌in‌ ‌other‌ ‌people’s‌ ‌love‌ ‌life?‌ ‌

“…Sorry,‌ ‌Maehara-kun.‌ ‌You‌ ‌see,‌ ‌Nina‌ ‌is‌ ‌a‌ ‌sucker‌ ‌for‌ things ‌like‌ ‌this…‌ ‌Well,‌ ‌this‌ ‌time,‌ ‌I’m‌ ‌actually‌ ‌interested‌ ‌too…”‌ ‌

“You‌ ‌too,‌ ‌Amami-san?”‌ ‌

“Mhm.‌ ‌Umi‌ ‌is‌ ‌my‌ ‌best‌ ‌friend‌ ‌after‌ ‌all.”‌

Really?‌ ‌Well,‌ ‌now‌ ‌that‌ ‌I‌ ‌think‌ ‌about‌ ‌it,‌ ‌if‌ ‌Asanagi-san‌ ‌were‌ ‌to‌ ‌go‌ ‌out‌ ‌with‌ ‌someone‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌future,‌ ‌she‌ ‌wouldn’t‌ ‌be‌ ‌able‌ ‌to‌ ‌hang‌ ‌out‌ ‌with‌ ‌Amami-san‌ ‌as‌ ‌much,‌ ‌huh?‌ ‌

‌

Time‌ ‌is‌ ‌equally‌ finite ‌for‌ ‌everyone,‌ ‌that’s‌ ‌why‌ ‌they‌ ‌had‌ ‌to‌ ‌manage‌ ‌it‌ ‌properly.‌ ‌

‌

Well,‌ I ‌guess ‌if‌ ‌that‌ ‌happened,‌ ‌I‌ ‌would‌ ‌be‌ ‌the‌ ‌first‌ ‌person‌ ‌that‌ ‌Asanagi-san‌ would ‌cut‌ ‌off,‌ ‌huh?‌

“…If you’re not dating, and don’t have anyone you like,‌ then ‌how‌ ‌about‌ ‌starting‌ ‌a‌ ‌trial‌ ‌with‌ ‌me‌ ‌first?‌ ‌Of‌ ‌course,‌ ‌if‌ ‌you‌ ‌find‌ ‌someone‌ ‌you‌ ‌like‌ ‌along‌ ‌the‌ ‌way,‌ ‌I’ll‌ ‌give‌ ‌up.”‌ ‌

“No.‌ ‌I’d‌ ‌rather‌ ‌not‌ ‌do‌ ‌something‌ ‌like‌ ‌that‌ ‌either…”‌

As‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌situation‌ over there,‌ ‌things‌ ‌were‌ ‌going‌ ‌south‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌boy.‌ ‌

‌

Asanagi-san‌ ‌had‌ ‌already‌ ‌refused‌ ‌him…‌ ‌Him‌ ‌trying‌ ‌to‌ ‌push‌ ‌his‌ ‌luck‌ ‌like‌ ‌that‌ ‌would‌ ‌only‌ ‌bother‌ ‌her‌ ‌and‌ ‌make‌ ‌her‌ ‌hate‌ ‌him.‌ ‌Sure,‌ ‌Asanagi-san‌ ‌didn’t‌ ‌have‌ ‌someone‌ in her life right now,‌ ‌but‌ ‌this‌ ‌isn’t‌ ‌how‌ ‌you‌ ‌should‌ ‌do‌ ‌things.‌ ‌

‌

…For‌ ‌some‌ ‌reason,‌ ‌I‌ ‌ended‌ ‌up‌ ‌observing‌ ‌their‌ ‌situation.‌

“Hmm‌ ‌~‌ ‌The‌ ‌boy‌ ‌this‌ ‌time‌ ‌is‌ ‌unusually‌ ‌persistent.‌ ‌Unlike‌ ‌the‌ ‌previous‌ ‌boys,‌ ‌he’s‌ ‌pretty‌ ‌athletic,‌ ‌Umi‌ ‌might‌ ‌be‌ ‌having‌ ‌a‌ ‌hard‌ ‌time‌ ‌handling‌ ‌him.”‌ ‌

“…This‌ ‌time?”‌ ‌

I‌ ‌couldn’t‌ ‌help‌ ‌but‌ ‌ask‌ ‌at‌ ‌Nitta-san’s‌ ‌explanation.‌ ‌

‘This‌ ‌time’.‌ ‌‘Unlike‌ ‌the‌ ‌previous‌ ‌boys’.‌

“Umi‌ ‌had‌ ‌been‌ ‌confessed‌ ‌to‌ ‌like‌ ‌this‌ ‌a‌ ‌number‌ ‌of‌ ‌times‌ ‌since‌ ‌school‌ ‌started,‌ ‌this‌ ‌is‌ ‌the‌ ‌fourth‌ ‌time,‌ ‌right?”‌ ‌

“Fifth,‌ ‌Yuu-chin.‌ ‌There’s‌ ‌that‌ ‌guy‌ ‌from‌ ‌another‌ ‌school.”‌ ‌

“There‌ ‌you‌ ‌go.”‌ ‌

“…Ah,‌ ‌well…‌ ‌You‌ ‌don’t‌ ‌need‌ ‌to‌ ‌tell‌ ‌me‌ ‌that…”‌

That many times, huh? It’s only been about half a year since school started, isn’t that number quite high?

“Amazing, right? Umi is really popular, you know? Whenever we hang out, people always called out to her.”

“That’s because Yuu-chin is too dazzling for them, no? You know, you’re like an idol, it’s hard for everyone to keep up with you, so they just gave up and become your backup dancers instead, they follow you like puppies, no?”

Nitta-san’s analogy was quite harsh, but I could see where she was coming from.

Instead of keeping up with the best person, people would fool themselves to believe that keeping up with the second-best person is easier.

“Eh, really? I think Umi is more dazzling than me though. Maehara-kun, what do you think?”

“…Who knows…?”

To me, Amami-san was the most dazzling out of everyone, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to say that out loud in this situation, especially when Nitta-san is still around. Rather, she shouldn’t ask an outsider (me) a question like this.

“Haah… In any case, I have to say no to all your suggestions.”

“Then, at least, can we start from friends…”

“…That suggestion came way too late.”

Asanagi-san was getting tired of this and tried to push him away. I admit that being passionate is nice, but being passionate to the point of making someone uncomfortable like this is not.

“Ah, looks like it’s over. Let’s go back to the classroom then.”

“Nina, wait… Maehara-kun, I’m sorry for getting you involved in something strange like this.”

“…No, it’s okay, just treat me like an accomplice.”

However, I should still tell Asanagi-san that I accidentally listened to this, after all, it isn’t a good idea to hide things like this from my friends. Of course, I’ll hide the fact that Amami-san was also with me.

“Yuu-chin, what are you doing? Come here quickly.”

“Sorry, wait for me ~ Oh, right, Maehara-kun, can I borrow your phone?”

“Eh? Ah, sure…”

“Thank you.”

I reflexively held out my phone, which Amami-san took and fiddled with.

“Amami-san? What are you…?”

“Umm ~ just in case something happens…”

Then Amami-san handed my phone back to me.

The screen showed a phone number that wasn’t mine

“Here, my phone number! I’ll register Maehara-kun’s number as well, so call me later, okay?”

“Ah, wait—”

“Then, see you after lunch! Don’t tell Umi what happened here, okay?”

Without waiting for me to say something, Amami-san dashed away while waving her hand.

“…As expected, this turned into something troublesome.”

Most boys would love to get Amami-san’s phone number, but to me, this was a ticking time bomb more than anything.