After I Picked up a Notebook Filled With Intense Emotions, the Girls Started Acting Strange - Chapter 27

Golden Week was over, and everyday life was back again.

No, ever since that day, I felt like my daily life had started to change somehow.

What Sena-san said that day still echoes in my head. Her feelings, her confession that she never actually liked Shindou to begin with.

That was shocking enough.

Then who does she like?

I’m not trying to flatter myself, but… somehow, it feels like her feelings are directed toward me.

I mean, even after we went home, she kept sending me messages like a storm. And that letter she gave me when we went out together.

Well, gave me might not be the right word? It was hidden under the popcorn. I know that sounds crazy, but that’s exactly what happened.

That letter. I still haven’t opened it.

One reason is because of what she wrote in her message afterward.

─Read it when you’re ready, okay?

Yeah, that’s scary!

I’m sorry for being such a coward, but I honestly have no idea what could be written in there. I just haven’t gathered the courage yet.

And there’s another thing I need to think about.

Right. Yukina might have seen that notebook.

Her reaction that day still bothers me. Judging from how much it was sticking out of my bag, there’s no way she didn’t see it.

So now, I have no idea how I’m supposed to face her after Golden Week. The more I think about it, the heavier my sighs get.

“Haa… What am I supposed to do, seriously…”

“Is something bothering you? You can talk to me.”

“No… I just wondered why you’re here.”

“Eh? I thought I’d walk with you!”

With a bright and carefree smile, Sena-san looked up at me.

Ever since before Golden Week, we’d been walking to school together more often (we never actually made plans for it), but it somehow kept happening. And every time, the spot where she’d meet me got closer and closer to my home.

And today, she finally called out to me right outside my apartment building.

She didn’t even call on the phone. At this point, she’s like Mary-san from that urban legend.

If I woke up one morning and found her right next to me, I wouldn’t even be surprised anymore. No, probably not.

…Yeah, right? I’m not so sure anymore.

◆

“Yuu-kun, good morning!”

“…”

When I got to school, I found Yukina sitting in my seat for some reason. She smiled brightly at me, her face full of sunshine.

Why is she there…?

Before I could even ask, Sena-san stepped forward and stood in front of Yukina.

“What exactly are you doing there?”

“What do you mean? It’s fine, isn’t it?”

“That’s Shiomi-kun’s seat, right? You’re making him uncomfortable. Could you move, please?”

“Ha? Why do I have to listen to Mizuki-chan? Yuu-kun doesn’t mind, right?”

Um, what is this pressure? What’s going on here?

The two of them were glaring at each other, sparks practically flying. They didn’t act like this before, did they?

While I was still trying to process what was happening, Yukina’s cheerful face suddenly darkened.

“Wait, am I bothering you? Did you start to hate me?”

“…Eh? No, it’s not like that…”

“I’m sorry… Please don’t hate me… I’ll do anything… please…”

“Wait!?”

Yukina clung to me and looked like she was about to cry.

Why is this happening?!

─Hey, isn’t that Orihara-san?

─And that’s Shiomi, right?

─Why is she sitting at his desk?

─Wasn’t Orihara going out with Shindou?

While all this was happening, classmates who were just arriving started whispering to each other as they looked at us.

Now everyone’s staring at us!

I could pretty much guess what kind of rumors were already forming in their heads. I helped Yukina to her feet.

“We’re not! We’re not like that! More people are coming, so please stand up!”

“Really? You’re not going to throw me away?”

“Throw you away? What are you even talking about!? There’s no throwing away here!”

She made it sound like I was some horrible boyfriend breaking up with her.

But it’s not like we’re even dating! And besides, the person Yukina likes is… Shindou. Probably.

Yeah, I only have paper-thin confidence in that now.

But right now, that wasn’t the problem.

Everyone around us was staring.

I had no idea what Yukina was trying to do or what her goal was… But could it be that something changed after she saw that notebook?

Either way, I had to do something about her first.

“F-for now, let’s just talk later.”

“Yeah… later then.”

“─Ah.”

…That might’ve been a mistake.

The look on her face when she said that wasn’t any of the usual Yukina expressions I knew. Her eyes softened, her lips curved faintly. It was a look that almost seemed to melt.

“Then I’ll see you later too. And you’ll tell me why you were like that with Orihara-san! Because I want to know more, and more, and more about Shiomi-kun.”

Where did the light in her eyes go?

◆

“What on earth is going on…?”

When I came to school that morning, I noticed a few students staring at me.

Every time someone saw my face, they started whispering to the person next to them and sometimes even laughed.

It was an unpleasant kind of attention.

Even after I entered the classroom, it didn’t stop.

I felt uneasy, so I turned to my friend, Imaoka Ryouji, to ask what was happening.

“Hey, everyone’s been whispering and looking at me weirdly. Do you know anything about it?”

“Huh? Oh… that… Um…”

Imaoka trailed off, his mouth opening and closing like he couldn’t find the right words. Whatever it was, it seemed hard for him to say.

His eyes weren’t even on me; they kept shifting somewhere else.

“Why do you keep looking behind me?”

I followed his gaze and turned around.

There, Yukina was chatting happily with her gal friends, laughing like nothing was wrong.

“Is something about Yukina?”

“No… um, did something happen between you and Orihara?”

“With Yukina? Hmm…”

The last time I saw Yukina was during Golden Week… in other words, just yesterday.

I didn’t really want to remember it. She had misunderstood something and even slapped me.

Even now, just thinking about it made my blood boil. After that, I sent her a ton of messages, but she never even read them.

Still, there was no way I could admit something that pathetic to my friend.

I’ll have to talk to Yukina again later. Enough time has passed since then; maybe she’s calmed down a little by now.

Well, knowing her, she’ll probably start teasing me again soon, like nothing happened.

“Yeah, something did happen, but it’s not a big deal.”

“…I see. That’s good, I guess… No, maybe it’s not?”

But Imaoka still looked unsure while muttering to himself.

“What’s with you? Just say it clearly already! I don’t mind!”

“…Are you sure you want to know?”

“I said it’s fine, stop dragging it out!”

“…Alright then, I’ll say it…”

He finally seemed ready to talk. Seriously, what took him so long? Did it really need all this buildup?

“You got nicknamed the guy who gets his girlfriend stolen in a gal game.”

“─Ha?”