A Beautiful Model In My Class Comes To The Coffee Shop Where I Work Part-time Only When I'm On Shift

Episode 10: Confession

Upon arriving at school, I noticed some commotion coming from the courtyard.

The courtyard, often used by students for lunchtime conversations, was filled with students leaning forward to get a better view.

(What’s going on…?)

Intrigued, I peered through the crowd to see what was happening.

There, I saw Shizuku.

In front of her stood a male student.

“Hey, do you think it’ll be a success? Yoshioka-senpai’s confession.”

“He’s the ace of the basketball club, right? There’s a chance!”

I overheard a conversation among some girls.

The person standing in front of Shizuku was Yoshioka-senpai, a third-year student. I remembered seeing him excel in last year’s sports festival.

With refined features and a well-toned body, he was tall, and even his school uniform seemed stylish. He must be quite popular.

“Shizuku Kamisaka-san…! Will you go out with me?”

Senpai Yoshioka reached out towards Shizuku.

The onlookers, anticipating the outcome, erupted in cheers as they witnessed the confession.

“…I’m sorry, but I can’t go out with you.”

“That’s…! Please wait…!”

“Excuse me.”

Ignoring Senpai’s protests, Shizuku left the courtyard.

As I watched the crumbling figure of Senpai, a nearby female student sighed.

“Sigh… So, even Yoshioka-senpai got turned down.”

“I heard she’s dating an older actor, Kamisaka.”

“Huh, really? Well, I’d refuse too.”

“It’s nice, though. Just being good-looking is enough to attract guys.”

“Jealous. I wish I had a handsome boyfriend like Yoshioka-senpai.”

“That’s true. From the perspective of a supermodel, she probably doesn’t need a boyfriend who’s not even a celebrity.”

“Luxurious~.”

As they chatted and walked away, it was evident that her appearance was a formidable weapon. She was blessed, but I couldn’t help feeling a sense of bitterness as if her efforts were being trampled upon.

◇◆◇

“Juntaro, what do you think it means to be in a relationship with someone?”

“…?”

That night, at the Café Mellow, Shizuku suddenly asked me such a question.

I wondered about the nature of her question and took a moment to think seriously.

“W-well… I guess it means being romantically involved?”

“Pu… ahahaha! I know that much!”

Seeing Shizuku burst into laughter, I scratched my cheek.

“Juntaro, have you ever been in a relationship with someone?”

“I haven’t.”

“Me too…”

“Huh?”

“I mean, I’ve never been in a relationship before.”

“Oh?”

“What? That surprised expression.”

“Sorry… It’s just, Shizuku, you’re beautiful and popular, so I assumed you’ve had plenty of romantic experiences.”

“Hey… don’t suddenly praise me like that.”

Blushing, Shizuku averted her gaze from me.

“Admittedly, I’ve been confessed to many times. It even happened this morning.”

“Ah… the one from the basketball club-senpai?”

“Juntaro noticed too, huh? Maybe you were curious whether I’d end up dating Yoshioka-senpai?”

“Eh, ah, no…”

I was about to deny it, but the words got stuck in my throat. Was I really just casually observing that confession scene?

It felt like there was another emotion within me, and my heart felt restless.

“You were curious? Hmm?”

“…Are you making fun of me again?””

“Juntaro’s reactions are interesting. Not just me, but many people feel like teasing you.”

“Ugh…”

I cast a sidelong glance at Utahara-san.

She was washing dishes at the counter, but she noticed my gaze and waved at me.

Certainly, she occasionally teases me.

There’s no discomfort or unpleasant feeling, but since I consider myself uninteresting, I couldn’t understand the meaning behind her actions.

“Well, let’s put teasing aside for now… Honestly, I’ve had many confessions, but I haven’t felt anything for any of them. I’ve apologized to those who confessed, but truthfully, I can’t even count them all.”
“You’re quite popular.”

“Popular… yeah, maybe. But it feels like they only see my face and figure… Oh, don’t get me wrong. I believe it’s fine to be attracted to someone’s appearance. I use my appearance as a weapon too. I don’t deny that. But it’s just that they seem to only focus on that, you know? People who haven’t really talked to me much confessing their feelings—it makes me wonder if they genuinely like me for who I am.”

“That’s… a difficult situation. If they haven’t talked to you much, they wouldn’t know much about you.”

“Exactly. That’s the thing. Confessions from people who only see me as an accessory… I can’t help but wonder how different that is from having a simple piece of jewelry that looks similar to me. If someone else had the same appearance, they probably wouldn’t care if it were me or not.”

“…Shizuku?”

“Ah… sorry, I got a bit worked up.”

Seemingly tired of talking, Shizuku took a sip of her coffee.

“Did you really dislike Yoshioka-senpai’s confession that much?”

“…I don’t have strong feelings about the confession itself. What bothered me was the conversation I overheard between Senpai and his friend.”

“…?”

“I happened to see Senpai being comforted by his friend before leaving. It felt awkward, so I tried to distance myself quickly, but I ended up hearing their conversation.”

—That girl is just good-looking.

—Always acting high and mighty. If you guys were dating, she’d just be demanding all the time.

—Yeah, and her attitude when rejecting you was terrible. Not dating her was the right decision.

“When Yoshioka-senpai heard that, he said, ‘I see, that’s right!’’ and became cheerful. I felt really empty. I was trying to be a little considerate, you know? Even though he confessed to me, he coolly brushed me off in public. And yet, when someone says something negative about me, it makes him feel better…”

“If he truly likes you, it’s strange for him to feel better after hearing mean comments.”

“You think so too, Juntaro?”

“If someone said bad things about someone I liked, I’d definitely be upset. The person I like isn’t like that. Don’t speak ill of them—something like that.”

“In the end, Yoshioka-senpai just hoped to date me if possible. If he cared even a little about me, he wouldn’t have confessed publicly. It feels like everyone sees me as some object. It’s as if they think of me as just a thing.”

“An object…?”

“Don’t worry, Juntaro. I know you don’t see me that way. That’s why I came to this cafe. But once I step outside, I’m treated as ‘SHIZUKU,’ a single object.”

“……”

“Everyone might think of me as an uncomplaining punching bag. Despite appearances, I do suffer and get hurt.”

In Shizuku’s eyes, there was not anger, but profound sadness.

“―That, I’m sorry? I ended up complaining a lot.”

“No need to hold back with me. I apologize for not being able to say anything witty…”

“Just having you listen is appreciated.”

Seeing Shizuku’s smile return, I felt relieved.

Nevertheless, it seemed that even celebrities had their own struggles.

The responsibility of choosing that path—there was no denying that they understood it themselves.

No matter how many times it’s said, it doesn’t give anyone the right to attack them just because they chose that path.

Everyone should understand that, even if they pretend not to.

“But I receive lots of voices cheering me on, praising me… Of course, including your voice, Juntaro. That’s what keeps me going.”