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 29

“Numata! Don’t touch Kiryu with your filthy hands!” Yasumura-kun shouted.

Yasumura-kun’s red face loomed close, his spit hit my face, and his harsh voice grated my ears. His grip on me loosened my uniform’s hem and stretched the button threads.

Above all, my hand, which held the school’s most beautiful girl, Kiryu-san, was forcibly pulled away for some whim. This should’ve been the worst situation, yet I somehow felt a bit relieved.

“Let go, Yasumura-kun. You’re the one who shouldn’t touch Numata-kun with your dirty hands,” Kiryu-san commanded.

Her cold, low voice, like during the “penalty game,” had the power to loosen Yasumura-kun’s grip.

“K-Kiryu, what’s going on? With a guy like him… Didn’t you break up? Why are you holding hands?” Yasumura-kun stammered.

“Obviously, it’s because he and I are together,” Kiryu-san declared.

“Huh? N-no, that’s just the ‘penalty game’ vibe, right?” Yasumura-kun questioned.

“No. The ‘penalty game’ was the start, but we ended that yesterday. Numata-kun confessed openly, and I accepted,” Kiryu-san explained.

“N-no way, that can’t be…” Yasumura-kun muttered.

Yasumura-kun’s face mixed despair and shock as he looked between Kiryu-san and me.

I was just as shocked, hearing this for the first time, too stunned to speak.

I looked at Kiryu-san to confirm her intent, but her profile looked completely serious.

W-what’s going on?

I did say to Kiryu-san, “I’d like to keep hanging out (as friends),” but it definitely wasn’t a romantic confession…

“Why, Kiryu? Why him and not me or Fujisaki?” Yasumura-kun demanded.

“Don’t misunderstand. Even if it wasn’t Numata-kun, I wouldn’t be romantically involved with you two. Numata-kun sees me without bias, works hard to overcome his weaknesses, and is earnest and admirable. He’s not someone you can mock as ‘a guy like him.’ Let’s go,” Kiryu-san retorted.

She pulled my hand.

I heard a thud, like Yasumura-kun collapsing to his knees.

I pieced together Kiryu-san’s intent from the situation and her words.

Part of why she approached me during the “penalty game” was to avoid Yasumura-kun and Fujisaki-kun’s advances.

Even if our fake romantic relationship turned into just friendship, that wouldn’t change. Kiryu-san was popular. It wasn’t just Yasumura-kun and Fujisaki-kun; other guys likely pursued her too.

For Kiryu-san, continuing the fake romantic relationship was probably more convenient.

My memory of that moment was hazy with tension and anxiety, but I think I mentioned “like before.”

My relationship with Kiryu-san was no longer a “penalty game.”

She still talked to me, and I acted as her fake boyfriend to ward off suitors. Truly “like before.”

As a loner, I felt inadequate, but considering the effort to find someone she wouldn’t mistakenly think liked her, I was a decent fit.

I had a track record of never getting carried away during the “penalty game.”

That explained why Kiryu-san said she planned to suggest it herself.

Our relationship wasn’t a penalty game anymore but a mutually beneficial cooperative friendship. It made sense.

It was far more realistic than the absurd idea that I forgot the “as friends” part, Kiryu-san mistook it for a romantic confession, and somehow accepted.

So, my role now was to be the minimum deterrent against suitors.

I straightened my hunched back and quickened my pace.

If I seemed unconfident, I’d embarrass Kiryu-san and weaken my role as a deterrent.

Kiryu-san smiled at me, regaining my awareness.

It seemed I got it right.

**Minami Hiyori’s Perspective**

Kirino was my idol.

She was more beautiful and cool than anyone, with a noble heart.

In middle school, she slapped a boy who called me, a plain girl, ugly, which started our friendship.

Back then, Kirino was more unapproachable and had few friends.

Perhaps feeling something about it, she stopped being harsh with guys who approached her in high school, but she was originally quite wary of men.

Kirino also had high self-awareness.

To avoid misleading guys, I never saw her exchange contact info or touch them. She rarely initiated conversations.

So, I was shocked when Kirino waited at the station after getting off the train and even more shocked when she held hands with Numata.

Were they dating?

Numata said they were friends, but did he lie? Why would he? I didn’t understand. I looked at Numata for answers, but he seemed confused too.

“Didn’t the penalty game relationship end?” I asked.

“Yes, I ended it properly,” Kirino confirmed.

“You and Numata are friends now, right?” I checked.

“That’s the plan, but…” Numata replied.

Neither Kirino nor Numata seemed to be lying.

Kirino wouldn’t hold hands with someone she didn’t like, penalty game or not. That meant Kirino genuinely liked Numata.

Since when?

I thought Kirino liked Numata, but not romantically.

Sorting it out, one answer emerged.

Numata meant to say “let’s be friends,” but Kirino mistook it for “let’s date,” leading to this situation. It added up.

They both missed the misunderstanding.

Should I, who noticed, tell them?

No, that wouldn’t do. Numata, unprepared to date Kirino, seemed a bit pitiful, but Kirino probably really liked him. If I interfered, Kirino might resent me.

If I were in a good situation due to a misunderstanding and Kirino pointed it out, I’d be upset too.

I didn’t dislike Numata, but I was Kirino’s biggest ally.

“(Sorry, Numata,)” I thought.

I decided to support them as much as I could, given the complications.

**Dachi Ichika’s Perspective**

“So, Kiryu’s breaking up with him?” Fujisaki-kun asked.

“Yeah, probably. Numata said he’d end the relationship,” I replied.

“Good. Things are settling as they should,” Fujisaki-kun said.

When I told Toru what Numata said, he smiled cheerfully. His face was as handsome as ever.

But knowing my feelings and openly rejoicing at Kirino being single again annoyed me slightly.

Still, it was better than the tense atmosphere before.

Then, Kirino and Numata entered the classroom, holding hands.

““…What?”” Toru and I said in unison.

“Hey, Dachi, what’s going on? Weren’t they breaking up?” Toru demanded.

“I-I don’t know,” I stammered.

I knew Kirino was so guarded she refused to exchange contact info with Toru or Yasumura despite their pleas. She wouldn’t hold hands unless it was real. Were they actually dating?

Toru’s face twisted with anger, but I felt a dim joy rising.

Kirino, holding Numata’s hand and looking at him, clearly had the face of a girl in love. Hmm, Kirino really liked that guy.

“Dachi, what’s this about!” Toru shouted.

“No idea,” I replied.

“It’s not ‘no idea.’ You said they were breaking up!” Toru snapped.

His voice carried anger.

Born as the eldest son of a wealthy family, Toru was handsome, smart, and rich, but his unkindness to girls was his flaw.

Seeing Kirino lovingly hold hands made Numata, once just a plain loner, seem not so bad.

Now was my chance to pursue Toru, but… maybe not.

I remembered I promised to repay Numata for the café meal from the other day and started thinking of ways to invite him.