Chapter 70: Afterstory & Prequel – 20: Misunderstandings

Well, even so, Nakano still hasn’t come to terms with it. It’s not exactly a problem to leave her be, but… it doesn’t feel great either. Might as well say what needs to be said.

“Nakano, you’ve been trying to break the no-romance rule to start something with me, haven’t you?”

“That’s…”

“You know what? That rule was outdated and meaningless, so I got rid of it. And now, I’m getting rid of the outdated and meaningless hair color rule too. Applying the logic to one rule but not the other is unfair. That’s all there is to it.”

“……”

Nakano fell silent. She tends to lose control when it comes to me, but at her core, she’s someone who values logic over emotion. She still doesn’t seem entirely convinced, but arguing back would likely be difficult.

However, she hesitated before softly speaking.

“…Is that really all there is to it?”

“Of course it is. What else could there possibly be?”

Maika suddenly interrupted. Up until now, she’d been calmly massaging my shoulders, looking relaxed, but now, for some reason, beads of sweat were forming on her forehead.

“There’ve been weird rumors about Kyugo-senpai since middle school. Even though we know now they were false, originally, Nakano stepped back because of—”

“Hey, this isn’t the time to—”

“It wasn’t false.”

Maika’s attempt to cut Nakano off was interrupted by me. Impressive, right? No one can interject like I can.

That’s right, it wasn’t false. The rumor Nakano believed back in middle school? It wasn’t just some baseless lie.

“Kyugo…”

“……Kyugo-senpai. Do you even understand what you’re saying? If you want to take back your words, now’s your chance. Please… retract your statement. Deny that it’s true. Please…”

Nakano, usually so composed, looked visibly shaken. Her trembling eyes… were they filled with shock? Anxiety? Or something else entirely…?

No, no, no. It’s just that I’ve got… well, extra skin down there. Why are you attaching such deep, heavy emotions to that? Is it really that bad? Damn, if you’d told me this three days ago, I’d have been bedridden from the shock.

But now? I’m different. Sure, it’s still a complex of mine. But someone out there has accepted me, including the weakness of worrying about it so much. The one I love the most has said she loves me just the way I am.

“I’m not taking it back. That’s who I am. And it’s also a symbol of my relationship with Maika. Maika has accepted all of me, including that part of me. She’s always accepted me, and she’ll continue to accept me. So I’ll continue to rely on her, too.”

I locked eyes with Nakano, speaking with unwavering conviction. Though, honestly, I have no idea how Maika feels about our relationship being symbolized by, well… excess skin.

“…That’s the way it is.”

Maika, blushing furiously, backed me up. I guess our relationship is symbolized by that, huh. A lot of extra skin.

“……”

Nakano seemed completely at a loss for words. She simply opened and closed her mouth silently, as though struggling to even remember how to breathe.

Adding fuel to the fire, Maika stepped forward. Facing Nakano, a girl of about the same height, she seemed ready to unleash all her pent-up frustration—or maybe she was just trying to avoid letting me see her face. Even from slightly behind her, I could glimpse her red cheeks. Cutting her hair had backfired on her. So cute!

“That’s how it is! Got it now?”

That’s her opening argument, huh?

“…Maika-san, just to confirm, the letter I wrote back in middle school—”

“Shut up! That’s got nothing to do with this! That’s ancient history!”

“No, it is related—”

“Because even if it’s related, it’s pointless! Even if you stand beside Kyugo, you’ll both end up miserable! You don’t understand anything about him—you just project your ridiculous ideals onto him. What even is a ‘prince charming’?! The real Kyugo is sweaty, clumsy, and a total mess! He has wet dreams three times a month, he’s an unbearable siscon, and if he doesn’t properly clean down there, it stinks because of all that extra skin!”

“…!”

Nakano’s eyes widened as she stood stunned by the force of Maika’s outburst. How much does she hate the idea of extra skin? I might actually start crying here. Also, how the hell does she know about the “three times a month” thing?! I am crying.

“…That Maika-san knows that much… so it’s really not a false rumor?”

Nakano’s once doll-like, pristine face twisted as her composure crumbled. Even back when she had a crush on me, her expressions were never this intense. Now, her bloodshot eyes no longer looked at me with admiration—they glared as if she were staring at something revolting. Pressing both hands over her nose and mouth, she staggered backward in disgust.

Nakano’s illusion of me… was breaking.

Let me be the one to deliver the final blow.

“That’s right. The ‘Kyugo-senpai’ you fell for doesn’t exist. Everything Maika said is true. That’s who I am. And the only one who’s ever accepted me as I am is Maika.”

“…I’m… disillusioned…”

Nakano lowered her head, her shoulders trembling. Tears didn’t fall—her hands were still covering her nose and mouth. She wasn’t sobbing; she was suppressing her gag reflex. It wasn’t heartbreak she felt—it was sheer disgust toward me, along with nausea.

Without exaggeration, she had truly become disillusioned with me. Her feelings of love had completely vanished. It was over.

Why the hell does having some extra skin warrant this level of rejection? I am crying, damn it.

“…I despise you, from the bottom of my heart.”

“Yeah, well, sorry for making you feel uncomfortable.”

It wasn’t sarcasm. I didn’t intend to blame Nakano for anything. Everyone gets caught up in illusions sometimes. If holding onto an ideal version of someone makes your life richer, then I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it.

Honestly, if Maika hadn’t been there for me, I might have tried to live up to Nakano’s ideals. Maybe I would’ve gone as far as getting surgery, becoming her ‘perfect prince,’ and ending up either crushed under the pressure or somehow achieving her ideal. Who knows? I didn’t choose that path, so there’s no point speculating.

That’s why I can’t blame Nakano.

If there’s a villain in this story, it’s probably Takase, the third-string goalkeeper who recently transferred to the handball team. He kept his phone in his pocket during practice, and because of that, the video data of everything that happened between me and Nakano got wiped. Honestly, that guy’s inability to back up data makes him unsuited for goalkeeping.

“Even if you apologize… it doesn’t help.”

Nakano kept her head down as she continued.

“I won’t ask you to date me anymore. But let me give you one last piece of advice: the two of you need to grow up. All that’s waiting for you is an unhappy future. You’re the ones chasing unattainable dreams and fantasies. You should cut them off immediately—they’re unethical!”

“…!”

That’s harsh. Way too harsh. Why does a little extra skin warrant this level of hostility? How much does she hate uncircumcised men? This is soul-crushing. If they used her for anti-phimosis ads, everyone would probably rush to get surgery.

Even Maika looked furious. She clenched her fists tightly, trembling, glaring daggers at Nakano.

“What is it, Maika-san? If anyone should feel resentful, it’s me. By now, I’ve figured it all out. Since middle school, everything—”

Nakano abruptly stopped speaking. She looked back and forth between Maika and me, then sighed heavily—something uncharacteristic for her.

“No, it doesn’t matter anymore. It’s all in the past. Besides, back then… it’s true that Kyugo-senpai saved me. That much is undeniable. …Kyugo-senpai.”

“What is it? If you’re planning to hurt me further, I really will cry.”

“I’ve always loved you. Since middle school, I’ve been truly in love with you.”

“…Uh, yeah. I know that.”

“…Heh. I finally said it. Now I can finally let go of this heartbreak.”

Nakano smiled at me for the first time. It was a full, radiant smile. She was actually kind of cute. I even felt a little flutter in my chest. But this girl… she’s a hardcore anti-phimosis extremist! A cool beauty on the surface, but deep down, she’s a total bigot when it comes to extra skin!

Maika, on the other hand, was staring blankly, as if caught off guard. It was as though the tension had drained from her, and she collapsed into a chair, utterly spent.

Well, I guess Nakano had truly let go of her feelings for me. No wonder Maika looked relieved.

“Well, then, I’ll be taking my leave. I’ve decided to quit the baseball club after today.”

“What? Wait, why—”

“It’s not for a negative reason. I’ve decided to seriously pursue art school. I simply don’t have time for anything else.”

“I… I see.”

If that’s the case, I don’t have the right to stop her.

Nakano turned on her heel and headed for the door. But just as she reached it, she stopped, as if something had crossed her mind.

“I don’t hold any grudges against you, Kyugo-senpai, so of course, I’ll keep this secret to myself. I won’t tell anyone, ever.”

“That’s… a huge relief.”

“…If it makes you that relieved, then maybe… No, it’s pointless to say more. I’ll just hope you naturally grow into a proper, decent adult. That’s all I’ll say.”

Does she really need to go that far? She’s treating my extra skin like it’s some juvenile delinquent. I’m actually crying now.

“And one last thing—to Maika-san. Let me leave a parting shot.”

Nakano’s tone shifted.

She’d shown me more expressions in the last few minutes than ever before. Even though I could only see her back now, I could feel the rawness of her emotions.

A chill ran down my spine.

The emotion she radiated was pure, pitch-black hatred.

“—You lying sisters. I’ll never forgive you.”