A Twisted Introvert loner Like Me, Mentally Wrecked One-Sidedly due to Love, Throws Away the Love Letter Sent by the foremost School's Beauty, Leading to an Unwanted Romantic Comedy

Chapter 27: Casual Walk 1

Katase looked back and forth between the handkerchief and me, clearly puzzled. Maybe to the degree that she might not even understand why I gave her the handkerchief in the first place.

“Come on, your hands and clothes are still dirty. It won’t help you to clean completely, but at least it’ll help you to you look a little better.

“—But, but, that’s not right. Kazari-kun’s, your handkerchief will get dirty because of it…”

“A handkerchief is meant to get dirty. It wouldn’t be a handkerchief if it stayed clean all the time. Besides, it’s practically abandoned… Um, so, in other words, feel free to use it without hesitation.”

“Fufu, what’s with that reasoning~”

Katase’s soft laughter eased the tension in the air.

“Thank you, Kazari-kun.”

“…You’re welcome.”

Katase’s innocent smile upon receiving the handkerchief was too radiant, like staring directly at the sun, that I found myself avert my gaze unconsciously.

Ah, Taro… You’re truly a cute one.

By now, Taro had somehow made his way over to me, providing a focal point for my thoughts and calming my heart.

“Taro, seems to have taken a liking to you, Kazari-kun.”

“It seems so.”

“Un. But it’s quite rare for him to warm up to someone he’s meeting for the first time.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah.”

HoHo… This guy, he’s definitely got a good eye for things.

Feeling like I’m special. That’s an ego boost for any guy and can serve as the basis for getting carried away. Of course, I’m not an exception. Even now, I feel so elated that, I’m overindulging in petting Taro all I want.

I don’t understand what you’re saying at all; it’s all vague to me. If that’s the case, please try searching “chuunibyou” online. There should be plenty of stories about people who have gone overboard with the delusion of being someone special. And surely, you’ll find one or two examples that resonate with yourself.

However, I wouldn’t mock those currently suffering from or who have suffered from “chuunibyou” in the past. Or rather, I can’t.

Because I used to be one of those patients suffering from that excruciatingly painful illness. No, perhaps I still am. Since it’s something determined by others’ evaluations, I can’t judge it myself… But I am at least aware that I’m a cringeworthy guy.

Was it ‘Chuunibyou’ …… or maybe was it more like the un-aadorable version of it, ‘Kouniibyou’. I don’t remember quite well.

[TL notes: Kounibyou = Chuunibyou (which is restricted to Junior High) in a High-school student]

“Ah, I see. So, I became a loner by my own choice. Well, it’s my stance, or rather, my true feelings that I became a bocchi by my own choice. But still, even if I hadn’t wished for it, the bocchi-ness in my blood wouldn’t have been shaked by anything else.

[TL: Bocchi = introvert, loner.]

Woah woah, am I being seriously? I’ve just proved by bocchi-ness to myself… Self-analysis can be such painful, huh?”

“――Kazari-kun.”

I was pulled out of my self-loathing-analysis when Katase called out to me. When I turned around, she was giving me the handle of that leash toward me.

“Could you hold onto this for a bit?”

“Sure thing.”

I understood that it might be getting in the way from wiping the dirt off her clothes, so I took it without hesitation.

“I’ll wash the handkerchief and return it.”

“Eh? Aah, right. Sorry about that.”

“Nope, not at all, that much is only natural.”

Katase said that, but for some reason, she didn’t move her hand at all.

“What’s wrong, frozen still like that?”

“…Uhm, well… Kazari-kun, do you have any plans after this?”

“No, not really.”

“T-Then, um… would you like to… well, go for a casual walk together after this? What do you say?”

I thought she was going to ask for something outrageous, but it turned out to be an unnecessary worry. Katase’s invitation was actually quite casual.