A Late Bloomer's Powerful Restart ~My Second Life Starts at a Prestigious School Where the Gender Ratio Is Totally Off, and for Some Reason, All These Talented Girls Get Attached to Me...!?~ - Chapter 40.2: Just Like an Unaware Protagonist

Chapter 40.2: Just Like an Unaware Protagonist

When I first met Tsukimi here, we made a deal: I’d get love advice from her, and in return I’d keep her secret.

But from her side, maybe she found it suspicious that I would stay quiet for such a light condition.

So she probably figured it was just sympathy from one commoner to another.

I could explain here that up until I entered the academy I had lived pretty much like an ordinary person.

But I didn’t want to make excuses when I had hurt someone I considered an important friend.

“…………”

“Sigh… Just by looking at your face I can tell you’re reflecting on it, so Tsukimi isn’t mad anymore… You didn’t spill in the end, after all.”

Since she wasn’t pressing me about why I hadn’t come here for so long, she must have understood my situation to some extent.

That kind of thing makes conversations go quickly, which helps.

“So? Was it you who saved Mishina-chan?”

“…Who knows. I’m the one who convinced Morozumi, though.”

“Hmm. And? What did you do to Sara-chan…?”

“Huh?”

I figured she already knew about Mishina since Morozumi’s apology happened publicly, but I didn’t expect her to pick up on Sasa too.

I couldn’t imagine telling anyone what happened that day… Maybe it was just because Tsukimi has really sharp insight.

I cautiously looked at her face… only to find her eyes wide in surprise.

“Wait… Don’t tell me you’re not even aware?”

“Aware? Aware of what?”

“Ugh, what is with this dense guy? While I was over here terrified you’d expose my secret, you’ve been acting like some oblivious harem protagonist? You trying to get yourself killed?”

“…Aren’t you kinda mad?”

“I’m nooot mad.”

She said a bunch of stuff in a tone laced with quiet anger, but something told me I shouldn’t ask what she meant.

Eventually her face returned to that stunned expression.

“Seriously… Why did I even bother giving love advice to a guy like this? Doesn’t look like there’s been any progress anyway.”

I really do feel bad about that, but it’s not like there hasn’t been any progress at all.

It’s just that Shika is a little… different from normal girls, so I’m not sure if what happened counts as “progress.”

“Ah, wait—could it be Mishina-chan? Then there is progress?”

“No, not Mishina.”

“Then whooo? Tell meee… Wait— No way, is it that!?”

Suddenly she covered her face with both hands, then started pretending to panic in an exaggerated way.

“Is it Tsukimi!? You kept my secret because you fell for cute little Tsukimi at first sight!?”

“…Sorry for interrupting while you’re getting all worked up by yourself, but no.”

“Tch〜 Come on, at least say I’m cute, you guy! Sigh, why are you so dense even at a time like this? You want your skull cracked open? Ughhh, so annoying.”

With that, she grabbed another doughnut from my plate without asking and shoved it toward my mouth again.

Does she want to fatten me up or something…?

She seemed angry for some reason, but the doughnut was soft and sweet.

“These raw doughnuts are really good. First time having them.”

“…Instead of complimenting the girl, you’re doing a food review!?”

No, she told me before that she wanted me to taste the sweets properly, so I just gave an honest opinion.

Also, she’s definitely doing this on purpose. Because——

“You’re probably used to being called cute, right?”

I thought of Tano’s and Yūki’s faces.

Those two got completely messed with by Tsukimi and lost their minds.

I’m not letting her claim she’s unaware.

“Heh… Hmm… Guess that’s passing grade, maybe.”

“Passing grade for what?”

“Huh? For how you compliment girls… Wait, you seriously didn’t realize that was a compliment? That’s insane…”

I don’t know what’s insane about it, but somehow it turned into me having complimented Tsukimi.

Well… did I compliment her…?

Maybe I really didn’t realize it, but isn’t Tsukimi the one jumping to conclusions here?

“Tsukimi almost got her heart racing and now she looks like an idiot.”

“Heart racing… That’s gotta be a lie.”

“Yeah, I can tell that much.”

“…………”

When someone says with a straight face that they were just acting, it actually stings pretty deep, so can we stop?

I only thought that because it didn’t sound like something Tsukimi would normally say… So why do I have to be the one getting hurt?

“You should probably take a page from Tateakawa-kun or something, Taiki.”

“Ousei? That guy’s just naturally sincere; I can’t copy him.”

“…So even though you’re oblivious, you’re at least aware you’re not sincere~”

Are you picking a fight…?

Well, it’s true, so whatever.

“I heard he got confessed to recently. Honestly, that’s kinda sad for the girl, isn’t it? Liking someone who’s already got a fiancée.”

“…You knew Ousei has a fiancée…?”

“Huh? Oh, uh… y-yeah, I heard it through someone…”

Ousei himself doesn’t really talk about it publicly, so it shouldn’t be a rumor.

Did she hear it straight from the girl who confessed…? Or I really hope Tano or Yūki didn’t blab about it.

After that, I managed to dodge the question about who I liked.

Since I had almost slipped up just now, I still felt it wasn’t the right time to say it.

Besides, since I’ve decided to protect Shika, whether it develops into romance or not might not even matter in the end.

Either way, I learned not to underestimate Tsukimi’s information network.

If she became an enemy… she might be even more trouble than Morozumi.