After I Picked up a Notebook Filled With Intense Emotions, the Girls Started Acting Strange - Chapter 39

The overall grades for all students had been returned.

Some were happy because their rank went up, while others weren’t so lucky. The reactions in the classroom were all over the place.

As for me, I still couldn’t believe the rank written on the paper I was handed.

Name: Shiomi Yuu

Total Score: 481

Class Rank: 5

I made it into the top five. I actually did it.

Incredible, this is all thanks to Sena-san’s quality teaching.

Honestly, I felt confident about my answers, but the top ranks were full of really smart people, so I never expected to be in the top ten.

After all the tests were handed back, the teacher gave a brief explanation about next week’s school trip, and that was the end of the day.

Once the teacher dismissed us, everyone relaxed, talking about their results or heading straight to club activities. Everyone had their own plans.

In the middle of all that, the silver-haired girl sitting next to me spoke up again.

“Shiomi-kun, could I ask your rank if you don’t mind?”

“Yeah… here.”

I didn’t want to sound like I was bragging, so I just showed her the paper with my rank.

She’d probably scored higher than I, though.

“…That’s amazing. Congratulations.”

“Thank you. By the way, how about Kuroe-san?”

“…”

She stayed silent for a moment, then showed me her paper too.

Name: Kuroe Rei

Total Score: 500

Class Rank: 1

“…As expected.”

“Not really.”

“By the way, what about Shindou─”

“Huff, huff, huff!!!”

I was about to ask how he did, and just like the saying goes, here he comes.

But something was off. He looked irritated with his bloodshot eyes, and he was breathing heavily.

…What’s wrong with him?

The other classmates who stayed behind after class were all staring, noticing his strange behavior.

“Rei! Why are you talking to him?!”

“Nothing. Just small talk.”

Kuroe-san stayed calm while Shindou pressed her.

…This guy… does he even remember we’re in the classroom?

It’s fine to show jealousy, but maybe he should think a little about everyone around him.

“Shindou, calm down. I started the conversation. Kuroe-san hasn’t done anything wrong.”

“…!”

“Tch. You again? You pathetic loser. You always poked around and annoyed me! Are you trying to brainwash Rei, too? You pervert?!”

No good. He’s not listening at all.

What should I do… Well, talking to him is probably useless.

“Whatever’s going on, don’t take it out on Kuroe-san. She’s your girlfriend, right? If I’m in your way, I’ll just go home.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Get out of here already!”

Seriously, what is wrong with him?

I hope Kuroe-san doesn’t get bothered by him anymore… but maybe that’s none of my business.

For now, since Shindou is acting so weird, it’s better to leave the outcome of our little competition for later.

I slung my backpack over my shoulder and stood up to leave the classroom.

─But.

“Wait.”

“…Rei!?”

“…Um?”

I was called out by Kuroe-san.

Please, don’t make this worse… I don’t want to push Shindou any further.

Shindou was glaring at me like he could kill me with his eyes.

“Shindou-kun. You were competing with him, right? Aren’t you going to check each other’s ranks?”

“…Huh?!”

I didn’t expect her to bring it up.

Shindou turned pale, his eyes darting around. After the test and getting the results back, he hadn’t looked happy, so maybe things weren’t as good as he expected.

My rank was 5th. To beat me, he’d need to be in 1st to 4th place.

Kuroe-san was 1st, and Sena-san, who made the mock test, would obviously be up there too.

So there were only two spots left. Was Shindou in one of them?

“R-Rei? Isn’t this enough already? Shiomi was trying to go home!!”

“No, Shindou-kun. You promised, remember? The loser has to do what the winner says. That’s the deal.”

“…K-Kuh…”

“And you also promised me, didn’t you? That you’d make it into the top five. Now, tell me your rank. I already know Shiomi-kun’s, so I’ll decide who won.”

“N-No…! There are people around! It wouldn’t be fair if Shiomi lost!! H-Hey, Shiomi!! You don’t want to lose in front of everyone, right!?”

…Don’t put this on me.

Watching Shindou get desperate like that was starting to make me feel sorry for him.

But then, Kuroe-san added a little devilish push.

“Shindou-kun, you have to be clear about who wins in a competition. I like men who are strong in a contest. Now, show me the paper you got earlier.”

“…Fuuuh…”

Shindou made a tiny and trembling sound, barely audible, and grabbed his bag with shaking hands. Seriously… could he have used a stronger voice?

He slowly took out the paper with his grades, his hands trembling like crazy, and held it out toward her.

Just as Kuroe-san reached to take it, it was like two magnets of the same pole repelling each other. Shindou pulled his hand back.

“…”

“…”

“Just show it already.”

“I-I know…”

But despite his words, he repeated the same motion several times.

After a few tries, Kuroe-san finally lost her patience.

“Shindou-kun, we don’t have time to play around.”

“I-It’s not that… this is─ Ahhh!!”

“Just give it to me.”

She decisively took the paper from his hands and looked at his grades, her face going completely blank.

“R-Rei…? This isn’t… During the test, my stomach really hurt…”

“…Haa.”

A deep sigh. The classroom was suddenly filled with tense silence, like everyone was holding their breath.

Shindou turned pale and was trembling like a criminal being sentenced to execution.

“I’m disappointed.”

“…Ehh…”

Her cold and heavy words crushed him completely. He didn’t even care if the other classmates were watching.

But then, Kuroe-san’s next words changed everything.

“No, Shindou-kun.”

“…Huh?”

“I’m the disappointed one. I must not have taught well enough. Just because someone can study doesn’t mean they’re good at teaching. I feel ashamed.”

“…”

“I’m sorry, Shiomi-kun.”

“Y-Yes.”

Kuroe-san turned away from Shindou and faced me, and bowed as she apologized.

I froze for a moment, a big question mark appearing over my head, but I managed to reply.

Then, just like that, she did something even more shocking.

“…Gasp.”

“R-Rei!?”

She kept looking at me and lowered her head.

“Like this. Could you forgive him and ignore the order from the bet this time?”

“K-Kuroe-san…?”

“R-Rei… why are you bowing to someone like him… what are you saying…”

“Just stay quiet. Normally, you’d have lost this contest. So you would have had to obey his command. But this is my responsibility too. I taught him, so I believed he could make it into the top five… but I was too soft.”

“Th-That can’t be… Rei…”

“Shiomi-kun. I know he probably bothered you with his weird challenge. You might even want to refuse forgiveness. That’s why I’m apologizing for him. Like this…”

She bowed once more.

“If you still can’t forgive him. Then, it’s my turn. You can give me any command you like. Anything. Whatever you want.”

^[1]What is she saying, this crazy girl!

I thought I heard two small voices freaking out behind me, but I didn’t turn around. I kept my eyes on Kuroe-san.

“Ah… aaah… that… Rei… Rei…”

“Don’t just let me apologize. No small commands. Give me a big punishment. If not, I can’t forgive myself for embarrassing Shindou like this.”

“…”

What is this?

What is even happening right now?

Shindou could only groan while holding his head as he trembled and was unable to speak.

Seriously… someone save me.

This was all happening with every student left in the classroom watching.

But this situation isn’t good for me either.

If I follow Kuroe-san’s instructions and give her a command, I have no idea how everyone will see me. There are already some unpleasant rumors about me going around.

Even if the command itself is innocent, the other person is Kuroe-san. Who knows how the story could get twisted as it spreads.

All my escape routes were blocked.

But that didn’t mean I was going to give Kuroe-san a command. She had nothing to do with this.

“Now, punish me.”

“Ahhh…”

I just wanted to run away. How did things get this bad?

At this point, I had only one choice.

“Alright. Alright, Kuroe-san. If you insist, we can just forget this whole contest.”

“…Are you sure?”

“Of course. I just want Shindou to stop bothering Sena-san and the others.”

“Understood. I’ll make sure he promises not to do it again.”

“Yeah, I’m counting on you.”

The choice I made was to forgive.

I wasn’t really interested in giving Shindou a command in the first place. Honestly, I didn’t mind, but as long as he didn’t cause trouble for Sena-san and the others, that was enough.

Since she agreed, this would be the end of it.

If I trusted Kuroe-san’s words, it meant Shindou wouldn’t bother anyone much anymore.

“R-Rei… Rei…”

“It’s okay, Shindou-kun. Really, it’s okay.”

I left the classroom and felt awkward, but the only thing that stayed on my mind was Kuroe-san quietly speaking to Shindou behind me, who looked like a slug covered in salt.

“…Now Shindou-kun has finally fallen.”