A Beautiful Girl Confessed Her Love to Me as a Punishment Game, but After We Started Dating, She Started Getting More and More Obsessive

Chapter 26

My relationship with Kiryu-san started with a penalty game. Dachi-san suggested a game where someone confessed to the person in class they most wanted to date.

I, just an awkward loner always in the classroom corner, got chosen by the most beautiful girl in class—probably in the whole town—because I “seemed least likely to get the wrong idea.”

I knew I was a charmless loner, and there was no way she’d like me. This relationship was temporary, born from the surfaced tensions in Fujisaki-kun’s group, and I understood from the start it would end soon.

So, I didn’t expect anything from Kiryu-san or get my hopes up.

Tomorrow or the day after, she’d probably call me to end this relationship.

I knew this because I overheard Kiryu-san and Minami-san’s conversation.

I had no reason to explain the details or reasons to Dachi-san.

I only told her the fact that “my relationship with Kiryu-san will end soon.”

Dachi-san, uninterested in the details or thinking it was inevitable, just said, “Good,” and left.

Did she think that once this ended, Kiryu-san would return to Fujisaki-kun’s group and things would go back to normal?

In my view, that wouldn’t happen.

Kiryu-san chose me for the penalty game because of the rift between her and Fujisaki-kun’s group.

Unless they understood that, even if I stepped out, Kiryu-san’s heart wouldn’t turn to them.

Still, Fujisaki-kun, Yasumura-kun, and Dachi-san were true popular kids.

They got along with Kiryu-san just days ago, so I hoped they’d work things out somehow.

When they didn’t get along, the classroom atmosphere turned bad.

I stood up, walked to the café exit, and saw Dachi-san panicking at the register.

“Let’s split the bill,” Dachi-san suggested.

Apparently, her wallet was short on cash.

“Split it? No way. I only had a coffee…” I protested.

Dachi-san ate a ton. Paying for my share was fine, but half of her huge meal? No thanks.

“Y-yeah, right,” Dachi-san agreed.

She looked like she might cry.

Saying she’d treat, acting cool, and leaving only to say, “I’m short, lend me money,” must’ve been embarrassing.

Since I ate too, I couldn’t just abandon her and leave.

“How much are you short?” I asked.

“Two thousand yen,” Dachi-san answered.

The bill was 4,200 yen.

She only had 2,200 yen and offered to treat? Well, without her huge meal, it might’ve been enough.

I handed 5,000 yen to the cashier.

It was pocket money my dad gave me before my date with Kiryu-san, but I hadn’t used it.

“I can’t pay this week, but I’ll repay you by the end of the month when I get my part-time job money,” Dachi-san promised.

“No, it’s fine. Consider it my treat,” I offered.

Paying for Dachi-san’s huge meal wasn’t ideal, but dealing with her repaying me later felt more troublesome.

Treating her left no strings attached and felt easier.

“I’ll definitely repay you. I don’t want to owe Numata,” Dachi-san insisted.

She said that and left for real this time.

Soon, my relationship with Kiryu-san would end.

I’d go from a lucky boy noticed by the grade’s most beautiful girl back to a loner reading light novels in the classroom corner.

Four days passed since she confessed to me during Friday’s lunch break.

Those four days, less than 100 hours, felt denser and fuller than my entire 16 years and some months.

I learned that the popular kids, who seemed to live in a dazzling, distant world, struggled with their relationships too.

I thought Kiryu-san, beautiful and smart, was blessed with everything, but I learned she worked stoically to maintain that perfection.

Going out with Kiryu-san taught me the basics of grooming as a person.

I couldn’t have gained that insight just reading light novels in the classroom corner.

It was a good life experience.

My short relationship with Kiryu-san would end soon.

I knew it would end someday.

I didn’t assume Kiryu-san would like me or expect anything.

I’d return to being a loner reading light novels in the classroom corner.

But I learned something.

I knew the taste of eating lunch while chatting across from someone.

I felt the joy of someone calling out to me on the morning train.

As a loner, I only envied people eating lunch and chatting, but returning to being a loner, I’d feel a bit lonely.

My once-normal solo commute would now feel silent and quiet.

I didn’t particularly want romance.

I fully understood I wasn’t suited for it.

Still, I wanted to know Kiryu-san and Minami-san a bit more.

The next day, Kiryu-san called me out.

During lunch break, in an empty classroom.

Kiryu-san stood waiting.

She just stood there, but her beauty’s aura or the situation of being alone with a girl in a quiet classroom made me nervous.

I knew why she called me.

I said nothing and looked at Kiryu-san.

Kiryu-san opened her mouth slightly, hesitated, then bowed her head.

Her unexpected action made me panic lightly.

“First, let me apologize, Numata-kun. I’m sorry for dragging you into this ‘penalty game.’ I did something unfair to you,” Kiryu-san apologized.

“N-no, it’s fine. Really!” I reassured.

Being with Kiryu-san temporarily was a net positive, and her bowing made me more uncomfortable.

“That’s why I think we should end this relationship,” Kiryu-san stated.

“Y-yeah,” I agreed.

“And…” Kiryu-san began.

“Um, well…” I interrupted.

“What is it?” Kiryu-san asked.

She was about to say something, but my panic interrupted her.

I felt the urge to say it was nothing, but if I didn’t express my feelings now, our relationship would truly end.

My mind went blank, but I strung together the words I decided to say last night.

“My relationship with you, Kiryu-san, started with a penalty game, sure. But learning you’re not just amazing but work hard behind the scenes, going out together, eating lunch during break, or chatting on the way to school was fun…” I confessed.

Even if our fake romantic relationship from the penalty game ended, I wanted to stay friends who occasionally chatted with Kiryu-san and Minami-san.

“So, um… I’d be happy if you’d keep hanging out with me as friends,” I added.

“I was just about to suggest the same thing. I didn’t expect you to say it first, Numata-kun,” Kiryu-san replied.