Although She's a Beautiful Student Council President Who Maintains Her Coolness Towards Everyone, She Wants to Act Spoiled and Lovesick Around Him, Who is Misunderstood by Everyone as a Delinquent - Chapter 24: Confession

(…Come to think of it, Riku-kun has never made any moves on me before…)

Shizuku’s feet were heading towards the library, where Riku was likely to be. She was thinking about everything that had happened up until now.

Holding hands, making a promise to walk home together once a week, being embraced…

(But he didn’t initiate any of those things… Even the invitation to share an umbrella wasn’t serious…)

The only time Riku had initiated something was when he asked her to share an umbrella. However, she knew it wasn’t a serious invitation.

(Maybe everything up until now was just a bother to him…)

Such thoughts were unavoidable for Shizuku.

This was her first love… and the first time she had tried to make a move on a guy. She didn’t know how to proceed or what the right balance was. She didn’t even know how to get him to notice her.

(Maybe I should just follow the advice of that love fortune-telling… Be more honest with my feelings…)

With those thoughts in mind, Shizuku opened the door to the library.

“Excuse me…”

It was an unwritten rule not to speak loudly in the library. Shizuku said in a small voice and moved towards the history books section.

(There he is…)

As expected, Riku was there, engrossed in a book on history, so focused that he hadn’t moved an inch while reading.

Shizuku approached him as usual, without trying to take him by surprise from behind, and tugged at the hem of his uniform to get his attention.

“Riku-kun.”

“Hmm?”

At the moment their eyes met…

“Woah, what the…!?”

Startled, Riku jumped back from Shizuku. To him, it must have seemed sudden and unexpected, so his reaction was understandable.

“You didn’t have to step back so much… That kinda hurt.”

“I-I was just surprised. You appeared out of nowhere…”

Taking a deep breath, Riku closed the book and slowly closed the distance between them.

“S-So… What’s up today?”

Riku’s awkwardness arose from his conversation with Rinka during lunch break. He had been told that Shizuku’s feelings were serious, and he didn’t know how to act around her anymore.

“I… knew it. You forgot the day we promised to walk home together.”

“W-Walk home together…? Oh, sorry…!”

Riku apologized profusely for forgetting their promise to walk home together, but Shizuku’s expression betrayed her dissatisfaction.

If he had forgotten their promise, it meant there was a chance he had made other plans… a chance that they wouldn’t be able to walk home together after all.

“Did you, by any chance, make other plans…?”

“N-No, I didn’t have anything else to do. Luckily, I’m free.”

“Good… I was looking forward to it.”

Shizuku relaxed her eyebrows and tried to let out a sigh of relief.

Seeing that, Riku became curious and asked what was bothering her.

“Is it that big a deal for you? I mean, I’m relieved that I didn’t break our promise, but…”

“Of course it is… I’ve been looking forward to it…”

“Huh… Wha!?”

“What’s with that reaction…”

In the quiet space of the library without any talking, Riku’s voice echoed. What Shizuku showed there was her honest self.

“N-No… I just didn’t expect Shizuku to say something like that. And to be excited about going home with me…”

“Well, it’s natural to be excited. A-After all, I reserved the spot to become your girlfriend…”

Twining her index fingers in front of her chest, Shizuku fidgets as she speaks the truth.

“Well… I mean, I asked you this before, but are you serious about that?”

“I wouldn’t joke about something like this…”

“… … …”

A moment of silence followed. Two, three seconds of stillness dominated the air. The one who broke the silence was Shizuku, with her cheeks crimson.

“W-Well, I’m going to say this since it’s the perfect time… I… have no intention of having any other boyfriend besides Riku-kun. Of course, I have no intention of canceling the reservation either.”

“W-What do you mean…?”

Normally, she wouldn’t reveal something like this. Shizuku was feeling a sense of urgency.

Now, there is a new rumor circulating about Riku – that he is not a delinquent. It is a relief that Riku’s misunderstanding has been cleared up… But the timing couldn’t be worse.

If Riku’s bad-boy image is dispelled, it is inevitable that girls will start approaching him. Shizuku knows this from experience.

With his gentle personality, good looks, and lack of dating experience, if this information spreads, anyone would want to pursue him. Knowing this, Shizuku has to take some preventative measures.

There are only two things Shizuku can do to protect herself.

Take the initiative.

Follow the advice from fortune-telling to “be honest with oneself” and “show the true self”.

“W-What I mean is that I only have eyes for Riku-kun… I’m telling the truth. All the confessions I have rejected until now are proof of that.”

“…!?”

There was no lie in the determination that shone in Shizuku’s eyes.

“Well… I’m going to confess now.”

After two seconds of silence, Shizuku took a deep breath and continued.

“…Riku-kun, I love you. This feeling is something I won’t lose to anyone. I don’t want to give you up. I don’t want anyone to take you away from me… that’s how much I love you.”

“……!”

Shizuku said it. The answer she had been struggling with was now spoken from her own lips.

“But this isn’t a confession. It’s just a soliloquy…..”

With her eyes downcast, Shizuku struggled to control her embarrassment as she made a preface. And then, she conveyed the most important thing.

“When you, Riku-kun, realize that you like me, and I know it for sure… then, I’m going to make a real confession. Like I said when we were under the same umbrella, I’m going to steal your lips first…”

At that moment, Shizuku’s radiant silver hair was shining with the reflection of the setting sun pouring in from the window.

With the greatest courage she could muster, she confessed her feelings. Shizuku’s face turned bright red all the way up to her neck, but she didn’t hide her face behind her long hair, which she kept looking down and away from him.

There was no one in the room who could miss the expression of shyness on her face… except for Riku. He was completely unaware of the fact that Shizuku was looking at him with such intensity.

(T/N: Yes, I am annoyed too but just a couple chapters more true confession is soon)