After Becoming a Counselor for Girls, I Ended Up Producing a Lot of Potential Girlfriends Who Became Mentally Ill - Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Spot the Differences

After finishing with the crane game and bowling, we decided to grab a quick bite.

At a nearby family restaurant, we ordered something inexpensive. There wasn’t anything particularly special about the place.

Even so, Kotomi seemed to enjoy herself.

“I can get excited even at an ordinary family restaurant,” she said.

“It’s great to have a low bar for happiness.”

“Especially since I get to eat with you, Yasuda-kun.”

“Oh, that’s what it’s about.”

“That’s why I can be thrilled even when ordering this super popular, super cheap gratin!”

This family restaurant, one of the cheapest in the area, is often built near amusement facilities.

For students constantly battling a shortage of funds, it’s an oasis.

“Do you ever do spot-the-difference puzzles?”

“Yeah, I end up trying them a lot.”

This restaurant’s highlight is its spot-the-difference game. Surprisingly challenging, I’ve often felt frustrated when I couldn’t find the last one.

“This time, since there are two of us…”

“Our chances of success just skyrocketed.”

“Exactly. When I do it alone, I often can’t find all the differences.”

“Well, at least today, you won’t be lonely.”

With that, I managed to calm Kotomi down.

We ordered two servings of gratin and dove into the spot-the-difference puzzle.

Kotomi, sitting next to me, stared intently at the illustrations.

“These two spots are different.”

“Quick start.”

“It’s just the beginning. The real challenge comes when only a few are left.”

Kotomi was right. Most differences are manageable, but spotting the fine details is the tough part.

“The hat is different.”

“Looks like you beat me to it.”

We steadily identified one difference after another.

Kotomi leaned in to look at the illustration near me. She was unmistakably close.

“You’re looking pretty intently.”

“I actually need to get even closer to see properly.”

“…I could just move the illustration closer to you. That way, you wouldn’t have to hide the real reason.”

“Cheh, you caught me.”

“Even this flustered Kotomi has her charm.”

“Oh, Yasuda-kun teases people too, huh?”

I’m not always on the receiving end. Sometimes, I feel like fighting back.

Especially with Kotomi.

“Next time, I’ll definitely get a ‘yes’ from you, Yasuda-kun!”

It’s strange. There was a time when I thought it was normal to just go along with her requests.

Kotomi has her own kind of strength. She’s someone who can disrupt the norms I hold within myself.

“Now, for the last one… which is it?”

For this moment, both Kotomi and I were focused solely on the illustration in front of us.

After a few minutes of trial and error…

“There it is!”

We pointed to the final difference at almost the same time. Our hands lightly bumped into each other.

Kotomi, with her hand still on top of mine, didn’t move it away.

“With this, we’ve achieved our goal of solving it together.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Finishing the puzzle means securing you, Yasuda-kun.”

“Please don’t make it sound like I committed a crime.”

“Oh, but you did. A serious one, in fact.”

As I was thinking about how harsh that sounded, Kotomi continued.

“For making my heart race, you’re guilty of a ‘heart-throbbing crime’!”

“What an absurd charge.”

“The name might be silly, but the effect you’ve had on me is no joke!”

It’s hard to believe I once thought of her as just a quiet girl.

My impression of Kotomi has changed so much that it’s almost startling.

“Honestly, I sometimes wonder if it’s okay for people to call me an easy girl.”

“It’s fine. If it’s Yasuda-kun, being called ‘easy’ would feel like a reward.”

Is it really to that extent? I can’t bring myself to overestimate myself that much.

I wonder if I’ll ever be able to stop this smitten Kotomi. The thought crosses my mind.

“Anyway, could you let go of my hand?”

“Not until I get some answers.”

Being stared at like this, I couldn’t help but brace myself.

What in the world does she want to know?

“Your orders are ready.”

The gratin we had ordered arrived at just the right time. Kotomi finally let go of my hand so the server could place the dishes.

“Fine, I’ll let go for now. But you have to answer my question, Yasuda-kun.”

“And what do you want to know?”

Pointing a finger at me, Kotomi began to speak.

“How many girls have confessed to you, Yasuda-kun?”

“What made you want to ask that?”

“Your calm reaction when I confessed, like you were used to it, made me curious.”

Despite acting like my interactions with Kujo and Shizuku didn’t exist, it seemed pointless.

She must have picked up on some kind of aura. I had underestimated her intuition.

“It’s not zero.”

“I figured. So, how did you respond to them?”

“I didn’t say yes.”

“You turned them down?”

“I wouldn’t say I completely rejected them.”

After thinking about it for a moment, Kotomi said:

“Doesn’t that mean you’re just keeping them around?”

“…Maybe. But I don’t think making everything black and white is always the right answer.”

“That’s a dangerous mindset. Leading girls on will ruin them. They might even start doing things like earlier.”

She was probably referring to when she had pinned my hand down to ask a question.

Honestly, it caught me off guard. While not as extreme as the others’ antics, it still surprised me.

“I’m planning to meet with the other girls who confessed soon.”

“Really? Will that be okay?”

“Are they that dangerous?”

“They might not be easy to handle.”

It was easy to imagine the chaos that would unfold when the three of us interacted.