Even Today, the Genius High School Programmer Cashes In on Day Trades, Completely Flustered by Beautiful Girls' Growing Affection. - Chapter 25: “You’re Really a Good Person, You Know That?”

“You’re Really a Good Person, You Know That?”

“The more boys confessed to Yukina and got rejected, the more certain girls started saying things like ‘She’s getting way too full of herself,’ or ‘Just because she’s a little cute,’ or ‘How could she turn down someone like ○○-kun? That’s unbelievable.’ And none of it was Yukina’s fault at all.”

Exactly.

Sakuraba hadn’t done anything wrong.

It was pure, misplaced resentment.

“At first it was just gossip behind her back—nothing too serious. But lately it’s escalated to actual harassment. Things like weird notes stuffed into her shoe locker.”

“Weird notes?”

“Yeah. Stuff like ‘Stop acting so high and mighty’—that’s all they’d write.”

“I see…”

Even something that simple could be terrifying in its own way.

“And lately it feels like even that’s starting to get worse. But Yukina never brings it up herself. She always says, ‘I’ll handle it, so don’t worry about me.’”

That sounded exactly like something Sakuraba would say.

“I’m not even in the same class anymore. And even if I were, there’s only so much one person can do alone.”

That made sense.

When harassment turns genuinely malicious, a single girl can only do so much.

“Ooyama-kun… so I’m asking you.”

Yamano looked straight into my eyes, unflinching.

“When that time comes… please lend Yukina your strength. Help her.”

She gave a small, earnest bow.

The words rose in my mind instantly, and I let them out without filter.

“Yamano… you’re really a good person, you know that?”

“Huh?”

Clearly not the response she’d expected, she lifted her head in surprise.

“You could’ve just comforted your friend when she was being mocked. You could’ve let it slide, pretended it wasn’t happening, and let the whole thing fade away.”

I kept going.

“But you didn’t. Confronting the people who were picking on Sakuraba head-on? That’s not something just anyone can do. One wrong move and you could’ve become the next target. You only do something like that when you truly care about the person.”

Yamano’s eyes wavered, glistening faintly.

“When Sakuraba said she wanted to change, you gave her a ton of advice, didn’t you? On clothes, hairstyles, makeup… In terms of fashion sense, back then you were probably the one leading the way.”

“That’s not…”

She fell silent.

I took it as confirmation.

“And during high-school entrance exam season, Sakuraba tutored you a ton, right?”

“How did you know that?”

Her eyes widened in genuine shock.

“From around the second half of third year, Yukina was basically teaching me every single day. In the library, at each other’s houses… The only reason I got into St. Clark Academy was because of her. Really.”

“I get it now. You were desperate to go to the same high school as Sakuraba. And she felt the same way. So she poured every spare minute into helping you study.”

The image formed clearly in my mind—two girls huddled over textbooks, laughing quietly in a sunlit library corner.

“Back to the point. Yamano… at the very least, I consider Sakuraba, you, and Ryuusenji all friends. I’ve never really had friends of the opposite sex before, so I’m still kind of fumbling my way through it.”

My throat felt dry. I took a sip of coffee.

“I’m incredibly selfish. Whenever I decide to do something, the only criterion I use is how I feel about it—not what other people think.”

I pressed on.

“So when I picture ‘myself standing by while a friend is in trouble’… I don’t think I could stomach it. Not for a second. Whether it’s Sakuraba—or you, for that matter—if a friend is suffering—”

I met her gaze directly.

“I’ll help. Every single time. Not for Sakuraba’s sake. Not for yours. For my own.”

Yamano’s eyes grew misty. Her lips trembled for just a moment before she abruptly turned her face away.

“Haaah… That’s exactly it. Yukina warned me about this side of you. And the crazy part? You’re completely oblivious to how you come across. Smart, secretly handsome, and pulling stunts like this without even realizing… If we leave you running loose, you’re going to leave a trail of broken hearts everywhere. We need to get you and Yukina together ASAP before the body count gets too high…”

“What was that?”

She’d muttered it under her breath, but I still caught fragments.

“Nothing! Just thinking out loud!”

“Thinking?”

“Yeah. Thinking about a certain super-oblivious, tone-deaf, dense-as-a-brick, unintentionally charming high-school playboy.”

“?? Can you say that in Japanese?”

“I’ve been speaking Japanese this whole time! Saya bisa berbahasa Jepang!”

“Why Indonesian all of a sudden?”

Yamano half-shouted in frustration, then let out an enormous, exasperated sigh.