After I Confessed to My Childhood Friend and Got Rejected, I Threw a Game Offline Meetup to Cheer Myself Up, Only to Find Out My Long-Time Gaming Buddy Was Actually the Quiet, Silver-Haired Swedish Beauty Who's the Cutest Girl in School - Chapter 3: Confession Attempt and Major Failure

Chapter 3: Confession Attempt and Major Failure

“I like you, Chika… p-please go out with me…”

Takaaki finally confessed his feelings to Chika.

His voice sounded like a broken machine from the tension, but he intended to convey it seriously.

Chika, who had not expected the confession, stepped back and put a hand over her mouth.

“Takaaki, you…”

“I’m sorry it’s so sudden. But I couldn’t hold it in. I love how you’re so caring, how you’re strict but adorable when you smile, how you help when I’m in trouble, how you make meals for me, Chika. Not as a friend, but as the opposite sex. Please!”

Takaaki bowed his head and extended his hand.

He mustered his courage, held back tears, and confessed.

He hoped to become more than childhood friends with Chika, to hold hands on the way to school, to go on dates after school.

Several seconds passed as he waited for her reply.

Since she did not take his hand, Takaaki raised his face.

What entered his view was Chika’s expression, which clearly showed disgust.

“Eh, no way that’s possible… Me and you dating? No matter how you think about it, we don’t match at all… right? You’ve been looking at me with those eyes… it’s gross.”

Chika’s tone was far colder than usual.

“You stay up all night playing stupid games and can’t even get up alone properly. You have few friends, yet you pretend to sleep during breaks instead of talking to classmates yourself. Your looks are halfway decent, and your personality is gloomy. No girl would ever like someone like that, right?”

Chika’s words stabbed into his chest, and Takaaki felt nausea rise in his stomach.

It was undeniable truth with no room for rebuttal. The harsh reality thrust at a gloomy type like him.

He wanted to run away. He wanted to cry.

But Chika did not even allow that.

“You’re not misunderstanding that I stayed by your worthless self because I liked you, are you? Are you an idiot? That’s impossible even if heaven and earth flipped. Walking on water has a higher chance. Don’t get cocky just because we’re childhood friends.”

Takaaki stood frozen as if encased in ice and fell silent.

That seemed to touch Chika’s sore spot, and her sharp tongue escalated further.

“You can’t even do studies or sports properly. I’d rather date the soccer club’s ace Kumagai-kun than go out with you. Ah, why am I childhood friends with a guy like you? I wish it had been a hotter guy.”

Takaaki could not hold back his tears at Chika, who chuckled mockingly.

He had not imagined she would reject him so thoroughly.

As she said, Takaaki convinced himself it was true.

He was halfway decent, gloomy, a hopeless gloomy type with no way out.

He could never match Chika, who was super popular in the class.

Objectively, it had been nothing but a futile, fragile wish.

“It’s me who wants to cry, honestly. No more walking home together. I’m not going to your house for a while, so cool your head and reflect.”

After saying what she wanted, Chika left Takaaki behind with a triumphant expression, satisfied.

The left-behind Takaaki leaned against the wall, listened to the sounds of club activities echoing from the gym, and quietly broke down in tears.

About an hour later, as he headed to the main gate, Kumagai was standing there for some reason.

With his hands in his pockets, he approached.

Takaaki tried to turn toward the back gate out of awkwardness, but Kumagai threw something at him.

He caught it in a panic.

“Let’s go home together.”

Kumagai said it considerately and started walking at Takaaki’s pace.

What had been thrown was a canned lemon juice sold at the school’s vending machine.

He walked the usual homeward path, which he always took alone or with Chika, now side by side with Kumagai without a single word of conversation.

<Looking forward to the offline meetup, huh? I want to meet early, so how about Saturday?>

<Whoa, you’re suddenly enthusiastic. Could it be that on Sunday, you have plans for a d-date with that girlfriend…?>

Takaaki’s chest throbbed with pain, but he did not want to cut the conversation short, so he kept typing on the keyboard.

<Haha, no way~. I got totally rejected. Might be hopeless now. Cheer me up.>

<R-Rejected? Wh-wh-whoa, for real!? You really, really got rejected!?>

Takaaki pulled back a bit, not expecting such intense interest.

Maybe Dragonhead was the type who enjoyed others’ misfortunes.

<What an idiot girl~. If it were me, I’d never reject Rain’s confession~. We’d date with marriage in mind~>

<Can you not say creepy stuff even though we’re guys…? I’m down because my childhood friend hit me with 100% pure logic.>

<Don’t mind what a girl like that says. Just be your usual self.>

<No, there were parts where I agreed with my childhood friend. So maybe from now on, I’ll try to polish myself up a bit…>

<No way! Please stay the usual Rain.>

Takaaki flinched at the burly emoticon scolding him.

But since he was being considerate, he was a kind person after all.

<Got it, so offline meetup on Saturday at 12. If you’re going to be late, contact ahead of time.>

<Of course! Well, I’m logging off now, so good night!>

<Dragonhead has logged out.>

Logging out immediately without waiting for a reply was his usual self-paced way.

Takaaki liked Dragonhead, including that part.

With the confession ending in failure, to heal the wound in his chest, Takaaki wished to meet and talk with him soon.

Meanwhile, at that time, the person inside Dragonhead, who had logged out earlier than Rain, let out an inaudible voice and collapsed onto the bed.

She hugged the pillow and, far from sympathizing with Rain’s failed confession, rejoiced grandly.

“Hehe… yes!”