Actually, the Hungry Gyaru Who Eats a Lot Was Being Cheated On, so I Decided to Win Her Heart (And Stomach) From Her Jerk Boyfriend - 31

Chapter 31: The Hungry Gyaru and the Sinister, Malicious Rumors

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The next morning, there was this strange, uncomfortable feeling enveloping the entire classroom. I noticed something was off the moment I walked into the class. The class was quieter than usual and yet, there was this tangible awkwardness in the air. Something was off… 

An uneasy feeling began creeping over me. As I made my way to my seat, I carefully observed my surroundings. It didn’t take long for me to figure out the reason. Every circle of friends was speaking in hushed tones, whispering among themselves. Their conversations were barely audible and by the looks of it, they all seemed to be talking about the same thing. 

Though I didn’t know what they were talking about, but their voices sounded a bit tense, like they were talking about a very sensitive topic, something that felt almost taboo, even. I tried to kill time while sitting at my desk despite the strange, oppressive awkwardness engulfing the classroom. Then, Shizuku and her gyaru friends entered the classroom together. All four of them entered at the same time and in an instant, everyone was staring at them. Suspicion, confusion, everything was gathered on the gyaru group of to be precise, on Shizuku.

Why…?

But then, one of the male classmates slowly approached Shizuku, albeit he looked very uncomfortable and hesitant. 

“K-Kushina…! Y-You see…. Th-There’s something I want to ask…!”

“Oi! You stupid! Stop—”

The boy next to him hurriedly tried to stop him, but—

“Is it true that the reason you broke up with Yamachi was because you cheated on him…?”

But it was already too late. THe bomb had been dropped. I immediately understood the real reason behind the strange tension in the air. The previously restless feeling in the air immediately flipped into a deathly silence, like we were in a funeral. Shizuku just stood there. Her face was aghast. I could clearly see how distraught she was, even from a distance. Her face turned pale and her body seemed to sway a little as she covered her mouth with both hands. 

Shizuku…!

Just as I was about to stand up…

“…Huh?”

Miura’s spat out, cutting through the air with her voice alone. Her voice sounded cold and sharp. She glared fiercely at the boy who had questioned Shizuku. 

“What the hell are you talking about? Is that a joke? What a shitty joke.”

“E-Errr… N-No, but…! I-I didn’t make it up! Everyone has been talking about it since this morning!”

“But still, who’s dumb enough to go straight up to the person and ask about the truth of some stupid rumor? Use your brain for once!”

“Ouch!”

The boy who had tried to stop the questioning boy hit the questioning boy on the head and then, he dragged the questioning boy back to his seat. However, that smack couldn’t lighten the already sour mood. In fact, it only made the mood become even heavier. Everyone was tense, reasonably so. 

Shizuku? Cheating? Impossible. That can’t be farther from the truth. Yamachi was the one who had been cheating on Shizuku. 

In fact, the reason why Shizuku was able to make up her mind to break up with Yamachi was because Yamachi had been cheating with Katagiri. And yet… Despite all the pain and tears Shizuku had to go through… The truth had been twisted by someone. The person behind this rumor clearly had it out for Shizuku. Someone was trying to frame Shizuku… And it was easy for me to imagine who was behind all of this mess. That must be also the reason why instead of feeling angry, Shizuku was feeling panicked instead. She looked like she had been pushed into the pit of despair. 

Should I expose everything now…?

I took my smartphone out of my pocket. The recording of Yamachi’s affair was still saved on my phone. If I showed that video to the people here, at least Shizuku wouldn’t get misunderstood again. And on top of that… Yamachi’s evil deeds would be revealed. Indeed. Spreading the video should solve everything, or at least improve Shizuku’s reputation at least. 

But… Is it okay for me to do that?

I would be going against Shizuku’s wishes if I spread the videos without her permission. Not to mention, all that effort she had gone through to break up peacefully with Yamachi would be for naught. After all, despite all the pain, Shizuku still wished to treasure the kindness Yamachi had shown to him. She didn’t want to paint him as the villain. I still wanted to respect Shizuku’s wishes. My feelings remained the same, back then and now. Even if… I had to make what people might consider an overly lenient decision for Yamachi. 

But still, if Shizuku gets hurt any more than this… 

I was wrestling with my own thoughts, unable to make a decision, when…

“-?! Shizuku?!”

Sasamoto raised her voice in panic. Shizuku had collapsed to her knees on the spot.

“Are you okay!? Can you stand?”

Miura called out to Shizuku, but Shizuku only shook her head from side to side weakly. Her face was hidden by her hair as she cast her gaze down, but it was clear she was enduring so much mental pain caused by the rumor. 

“….Yeah. I don’t think she can stand right now…”

As she said that, Suzuki began scanning her surroundings. Our eyes met and Suzuki gestured for me to come over. 

“Oi! Suou! We’re going to take  Shizuku to the infirmary! Come! Give us a hand!”

“Yeah, got it.”

I answered immediately and stood up from my seat.

I could feel the surrounding boys were itching to say something, but when Miura shot them a sharp glare, all the boys shrank back instantly. 

“So? What should I do?”

“Just carry Shizuku for now.”

“Got it. …Kushina, can you lean on me?”

I asked, crouching and turning my back to Shizuku. 

“…Sorry, Suou-kun.”

She said weakly, like she was about to cry before she leaned her body against my back. After confirming she had her arms wrapped around my neck, I carefully stood up. Her grip on my neck was so weak, so I had to move slowly to hold her steady. 

She’s so light. 

Shizuku’s soft, delicate body was pressed against my back, and the faint sweet scent of her perfume tickled my nose. My heart suddenly raced and my pulse quickened even though I didn’t think about anything. I desperately tried to appear as calm as possible. The reason why Suzuki had picked me was simply because Shizuku trusted me. In that case, I had a duty to live up to their trust. That was all I had to do. 

On our way to the infirmary, we ended up catching the attention of the other students in the hallway because of the scene. However, Miura and the others efficiently cleared the way, so nobody dared to disturb us. I was really grateful at how fierce these gyarus were. 

“Suou-kun, I’m sorry for troubling you…”

“You don’t need to apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong after all.”

However, Shizuku kept apologizing over and over again as we made our way to the infirmary.

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T/N: That jerk! (눈_눈)