After I Picked up a Notebook Filled With Intense Emotions, the Girls Started Acting Strange - Chapter 15

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I’ve been in love with one boy for a long time.

I didn’t even know his name, but I admired him. I kept wishing that maybe, we’d meet somewhere by chance someday.

That small wish grew bigger with every passing day. Because of him, I started to change the way I saw myself, someone who used to not care much about anything.

I began to think more positively, even about the parts of me I used to hate. And thanks to that, I became who I am now.

They say love can change a person. It’s true.

My plain and messy black hair became straight and beautiful blonde. I stopped wearing glasses, switched to contacts, and learned how to do makeup. I worked hard to lose weight, followed new trends, and changed my taste in clothes and music. Everything.

All of this. I did for you.

Do you understand? Every bit of it was for you.

If it weren’t for you, I never would’ve tried this hard.

If it weren’t for you, I’d still be living the same boring days.

If it weren’t for you, I never would’ve felt such ugly emotions inside me.

Hey, notice me.

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“Here you go, Shiomi-kun! Today’s lunch!”

“Oh, ah. Thank you. We’re doing another consultation today?”

“That’s right. This is my way of saying thank you!”

Lately, we’ve been eating lunch together almost every day under the excuse of her wanting to talk about her problem.

She says she wants advice about her situation with Shindou, but those talks always end in less than a minute.

…Does she really want to talk about it?

And lately, her questions don’t even seem related to Shindou anymore. For example,

―What would Shiomi-kun do in this kind of situation? And.

―If someone made Shiomi-kun a lunchbox, what kind of food would you want inside? And so on.

Is it all about me?

Every day, for a few minutes.

She asks me these kinds of things. She says it’s because, besides Shindou, I’m the only guy close enough to talk to, so she wants to know how boys think.

Well, if that’s how it is, then I’ll answer seriously.

When I asked her if she really wanted things to work out with Shindou, she always replied right away.

―Of course! I really love him!!

Her face would turn red when she said it, and I couldn’t bring myself to think she was lying.

If she has her reasons for doing this, then all I can do is help her.

If I take her word that she didn’t drop that notebook back then, then she isn’t the real owner.

…So, my original goal is to find who owns the notebook and help their love story end peacefully. It doesn’t really require me to get this involved with her.

But still, I’d already gotten on this ship, so I decided to stay until the end.

…Even if the guy she likes is that kind of person.

That said, I’m starting to feel bad about getting homemade lunches every time for just a few minutes of consultation.

From next time on, I should refuse lunch, even if we still talk.

Thus, today’s lunch also has chikuwa tempura with seaweed. It’s delicious, I love it, so no complaints there.

“How is it? Is it good?”

“Yeah, it’s great. Thank you as always. But, Sena-san doesn’t have to keep making lunch for me.”

“…Why? Why would you say that?”

“Um.”

That’s scary. Her eyes just lost all their light.

Sena-san’s mood changed suddenly, but I tried not to get nervous and told her what I really thought.

“No, it’s just we only talk for a few minutes, right? It feels wrong for me to get such a nice lunch every time just for that.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s my way of saying thanks, and I want to make it. So don’t worry about it, Shiomi-kun.”

“But still―”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“No, I mean―”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Yes.”

She refused my refusal. I didn’t even get a say in it.

“My lunchbox is something I make for myself anyway, so adding one more isn’t that much work. Don’t really worry about it, okay?”

“If you say so…”

Maybe she said that so that I wouldn’t feel guilty. I glanced down at my lunchbox, then at hers.

…Aren’t the contents different?

Well, she said it wasn’t any trouble, so I decided not to press the issue.

“Oh no, look at the time! Next is P.E., right?”

While putting away her lunchbox, Sena-san checked her phone and suddenly panicked.

Now that she mentioned it, the warning bell was about to ring.

“Did you bring your gym clothes?”

“Ah, they’re in the classroom.”

“I’m sorry, I should’ve noticed sooner…”

Sena-san’s shoulders slumped, and she looked genuinely apologetic.

“No, it’s fine. I still have time to go back. You should head to the gym first. It takes longer for girls to get ready, right? I’ll bring your lunchbox back.”

“Really? I’m sorry.. I should be the one taking care of all that for you.”

“Taking care of everything for me…? Well, don’t worry about it. Think of this as me repaying you for lunch.”

“Thank you. Just leave my lunchbox on my desk!”

Something about her words felt a little off, but I didn’t think too hard about it and just watched her leave.

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After that, I stopped by the restroom and rinsed the lunchbox lightly. I wiped off the water with a tissue and wrapped it back up before heading to the classroom.

“…I guess I should start carrying a handkerchief again.”

I used to always carry one. A gift from the girl I liked back then.

But after getting my heart broken, just seeing it made me think of her, so I stopped bringing it altogether.

Come to think of it, that handkerchief was…

“—!”

Lost in thought, I stepped into the classroom and froze. There was someone inside. I didn’t expect anyone to still be here.

“…So this is Shindou-kun’s… Ahaha!”

Standing there was a blonde gal girl, holding Shindou’s gym clothes in both hands. She’s 

doing something she definitely shouldn’t be doing.

…Déjà vu.

I didn’t even want to think about what she was about to do. I carefully crept forward, making no sound as I moved toward Sena-san’s desk. I quietly set her lunchbox down.

Then, I picked up my own gym bag and tiptoed toward the door.

There wasn’t much time, but I couldn’t help it. She won’t notice. She won’t notice.

I was almost at the door when,

“Yukina! Did you find Shindou-kun’s gym clothes? …Oh, Shiomi-kun?”

“Ah.”

“—!?”

A girl in a gym uniform suddenly peeked in from the hallway.

If I remember right, she is Miyajima-san, one of Orihara-san’s friends.

Thanks to that, Orihara-san turned around while still holding the gym clothes, and our eyes met.

“Yukina. Come on. We’ll be late.”

“Ah, yeah. I’m sorry, I’m coming!”

Called out by her friend, Orihara-san walked past me.

And as she did─.

“(We need to talk later.)”

She patted my shoulder lightly and whispered coldly into my ear.

“…”

All I could do was watch the two of them leave, their voices cheerful as they chatted down the hallway while I stood there with an uneasy look on my face.

“Ahaha, Setsuna-chan. Were you maybe about to do something weird with Shindou-kun’s gym clothes?”

“Hey! Don’t call me that name here!”

A chill ran down my spine.

…Setsuna (S).