Do You Like Romantic-Comedy Protagonists? - Chapter 23: Do You Like Suda Toki? 3

Chapter 23: Do You Like Suda Toki? 3

“Oh, Suijou-san…”

“Heya!”

Suijou raised her hand, tilting her body slightly.

Hachiya, shocked that Suijou and Akaishi knew each other, widened her eyes, looking between them.

“Huh… Are you actually friends with Shiorin…?”

“What’re you talking about? We went to the broadcasting club together, remember?”

“Yeah, Kyouko-chan! I went with Akaishi-kun to the club! Didn’t you notice!?”

“What… No way? I totally didn’t. You weren’t even on my radar…”

Akaishi realized Hachiya was too focused on Sakurai to notice him.

In fact, he’d hidden behind Suijou at the club to avoid attention.

“Suijou-san, why’re you here?”

“Ugh, Akaishi-kun! We’re classmates, so no polite speech!”

Suijou made an “X” with her fingers, bringing them to her mouth.

Akaishi, feeling admiration and a sense of inferiority toward Suijou, was startled by her gesture.

“You can speak politely…?”

“Anyone can.”

“You didn’t use polite speech with me from the start!”

“I judged you weren’t worth it.”

“What’s that supposed to mean!”

“You two get along so well~”

Suijou smiled warmly at their banter.

Akaishi, hearing they got along, recalled the rumor that he and Hachiya were dating.

“No, no, no, no, no! Not at all! I’m not close with Akaishi at all! Seriously!”

Hachiya, blushing, waved her hands frantically to deny it.

Given Akaishi’s comment yesterday about possibly seeing her romantically, it wasn’t a joke.

“Uh, but you two…”

Suijou stopped mid-sentence.

Is this rumor circulating to her too…? Akaishi thought, giving a suspicious look. Who started it? No suspects came to mind.

“N-No, no, no! There’s nothing going on! Really! Speaking of, what about you, Shiorin!”

Fearing further probing might reveal her crush on Sakurai and Akaishi’s role in helping, Hachiya quickly shifted to Suijou.

“W-Me!? Well, I…”

Suijou squirmed, blushing and looking down, fidgeting with her fingers, catching Akaishi’s attention.

“I actually confessed to someone I like a while ago!”

“Eek! No way, for real!?”

Hachiya, red-faced, screamed at Suijou’s revelation.

Her crush was almost certainly Sakurai.

Hachiya doesn’t seem to know who Suijou likes, Akaishi realized. But if Suijou confessed to Sakurai, it could change things for Hachiya… As he thought, Suijou spoke.

“But it didn’t work out.”

“No way!? Shiorin got rejected!? That’s impossible!”

“Well, I confessed at school, but the bell rang right then, and it seems he didn’t hear me. Bummer.”

“Whaaat! That’s so sad!”

Hachiya patted the dejected Suijou’s head.

Suijou’s school confession must’ve been that day Hachiya couldn’t go home with Sakurai, Akaishi recalled.

But her confession was drowned out by the bell.

Just the school’s mechanical chime.

Could that really happen?

Sure, Sakurai’s rom-com protagonist aura might’ve caused the bell’s timing.

But could a bell really drown out “I love you”?

And why did Suijou stop after the bell, assuming he didn’t hear?

“What…”

Akaishi nearly spoke but stopped.

Why didn’t Suijou continue after the bell? Why didn’t Sakurai hear because of it?

Saying so gained him nothing. Avoiding others’ affairs, he had no reason to speak.

He stayed silent but kept thinking.

Sakurai… pretended not to hear Suijou’s confession.

Once confessed to, he’d either focus on Suijou or lose one entourage member.

He’d have to choose, and Akaishi was dumbfounded, grasping Sakurai’s motive.

It’s the same as the family restaurant with Hachiya.

If his guess was wrong, Sakurai truly didn’t notice any of his entourage’s feelings.

Not noticing in that situation is implausible—downright abnormal.

Akaishi listened to Suijou without speaking.

“Too bad, Shiorin. There’s always next time!”

“Yeah, you’re right. Thanks.”

Hachiya gently patted and comforted Suijou.

Akaishi watched, trying to read Suijou’s emotions.

It might be speculation, but he organized his suspicions.

Why did Suijou announce her failed confession here?

This is outside the staff room, where others could easily overhear. Someone might’ve already heard. At least he and Hachiya did.

But she chose this spot.

Maybe she expected Hachiya to know she liked Sakurai and wanted to confront her with the confession.

Despite Hachiya’s rom-com heroine obliviousness, unaware of the entourage’s feelings, Suijou’s words might hide a calculated plan.

If Hachiya realized Suijou confessed to Sakurai, she’d hesitate to confess herself.

Confessing would mean knowing Suijou’s feelings and preempting her.

Not confessing sharply lowers her chances with Sakurai.

Either way, dating Sakurai becomes impossible—a double bind.

Suijou might’ve announced it to check Hachiya.

Looking at the comforted Suijou, Akaishi didn’t want to think it. He hoped it wasn’t true.

He admired Suijou, but could she have targeted Hachiya, isolated among the entourage, with such a dark plan?

Was she annoyed by the others, trying to eliminate them one by one?

He didn’t want to believe it. He truly hoped not.

But this moment was ideal for reducing the entourage, and if Hachiya knew Suijou’s feelings, it’d serve as a check.

Suijou… Suijou… It’s not like that, right?

Holding hope, Akaishi looked at her.

“Oh, why’re you here, Shiorin?”

“Oh, I needed to borrow a CD from Kanna-sensei for the club…”

“Shut up, you lot!”

Suijou and Hachiya’s chat outside the staff room was interrupted by Kanna’s shout.

Her intrusion halted Akaishi’s thoughts, shifting the mood.

“Shio and Kyouko! You’ve been noisy out here! There are people studying!”

“Sensei! There’s no one else studying…”

Hachiya glanced and saw Akaishi solving math with earplugs.

“…Huh?”

Hachiya was stunned, feeling betrayed by Akaishi.

“Akaishi’s studying! Even without that, you’re too loud out here!”

“Kanna-sensei, I came to borrow a CD for the club…”

“Then hurry up!”

“Kanna-sensei, watch your language…”

“Come quick!”

Kanna and Suijou discussed the club, and Kanna was, as usual, scolded for her language.

Suijou took the CD from Kanna.

“Well… Kyouko-chan, let’s go?”

“Uh… Okay.”

Hachiya was dragged to the club by Suijou, and Akaishi sighed in relief, narrowly escaping. He hadn’t spoken, so he wasn’t really involved.

※

The faint, nearly invisible distrust toward Suijou that arose in Akaishi could never be fully erased.