For Some Reason, I’m Almost Locked up by the Most Beautiful Girl in School Who Can Hear My Inner Thoughts - Chapter 14-15

Chapter 14

I was scared to leave the toilet, so I stayed inside for ten minutes or so, but Noa-san called out in a cold voice, “Is your stomach hurting?” so I had no choice but to come out.

When I returned to the living room, Mitsuki was sitting a bit nervously, and across from him, Noa-san still had a cold expression, clearly showing she was angry.

Well, that makes sense.

If a male classmate I recently got to know had something like that happen with my parent, I’d understand wanting to be angry, but since it was an accident and I didn’t do anything wrong, I hope she’d let it slide.

…Wait a second.

If this makes Noa-san dislike me, maybe I won’t have to be her bodyguard for a while, which I’m supposed to do.

Thinking about that, I sat next to Mitsuki.

“S-Sasaki-kun,” she said.

“Y-Yes,” I replied.

“Something like that won’t make me dislike you, but please avoid unnecessary contact with my mom,” she said.

“G-Got it,” I answered.

It’s only natural, so I nodded, but did she just casually call me by my name? Or was it my imagination?

“And call me Noa,” she added.

“No, that’s…” I hesitated.

“Call me Noa,” she insisted.

I ended up calling Yukika-san by her name by accident, but I feel like Noa-san should stay Noa-san.

It’s not like it’s inconvenient.

But the pressure from Noa-san in front of me was intense.

“My mom and I have the same last name, Shimozuki, so isn’t it inconvenient to call us both that?” she asked.

“Well…” I started.

For a moment, I thought she might be right, but since I call her mom Yukika-san, I don’t think I’d mix them up.

“If you don’t call me that, I’ll bring up what happened earlier at school…” she warned.

“Got it, I’ll call you that!!” I said.

I responded energetically, like a well-trained dog, and agreed.

I had no choice but to nod when she brought that up.

My school life would be completely ruined otherwise.

“So, c-can you try calling me that once?” she asked.

“…” I hesitated.

Even though I agreed, calling a girl by her first name is pretty embarrassing for a guy.

Plus, Mitsuki was right next to me.

But since she might bring up what happened earlier, I couldn’t avoid it.

“N-Noa-san,” I said.

“Y-Yes,” she replied.

When I called her Noa-san, she looked away, seeming even more embarrassed than I was.

An awkward atmosphere settled in.

“…What am I even witnessing right now?” Mitsuki muttered.

I’m really sorry, Mitsuki.

—

Chapter 15

Some time passed since I started studying at Noa-san’s house, and the day before the test arrived.

The test starts tomorrow, and if I guard Noa-san for about four more days, including today, our strange connection will likely end.

Even if it ends, we got a bit closer during this time, so we’ll probably still greet each other.

“…Even after the test, can’t we keep walking home together like now?” she asked.

“Uh, what?” I replied.

Right then, I was walking home with Noa-san, and she guessed exactly what I was thinking, which startled me.

“That’s…” I started.

“I’d feel a bit lonely if we just said goodbye after the test period,” she said.

She looked down as she spoke, so I couldn’t see her face, but her voice sounded lonely and sad.

Since the study sessions at Noa-san’s house, her attitude toward me softened, she smiled more, and we started greeting each other or chatting a bit at school.

The chats were just about the next class or a little talk during lunch break, though.

She probably doesn’t want to lose our friendship, if you can call it that.

She doesn’t have many people you could call friends.

Now, how should I respond to make her feel okay?

“…Even if this relationship ends, it’s not like we’ll completely cut ties, so you don’t need to feel so down about it,” I said.

“That’s true, but…” she replied.

She gave me a dissatisfied look with half-closed eyes.

“It feels like you want to cut ties with me, Sasaki-kun,” she said.

“No, that’s… not true,” I answered.

She hit exactly what I was thinking, and I panicked.

Like earlier, lately it feels like she can read my mind, guessing my thoughts perfectly.

Is she some kind of psychic or something?

“S-So, what’s the real deal?” she asked.

For some reason, she started panicking and said that.

Honestly, I do want to cut ties with her.

It’s not that I dislike her, not at all.

It’s just that I don’t know what the people around her might do, and the jealous stares are annoying.

Since we started walking home together, someone must have seen us because Yoshida and his idiot friends said, “Why are you walking home together?” and gave me murderous looks.

On top of that, I don’t really want to get involved with girls. That’s partly because of my past and my own shortcomings.

…Well, that’s not important now.

“I do want to cut ties with you, Noa-san, but it’s not because of you. It’s not that I dislike you either,” I said.

“It’s because of the people around me, right?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I replied.

When I said that honestly, she thought for a moment and then said, “Then I’ll cut ties with all those people swarming around me during breaks or lunch. I won’t talk to them ever again.”

“Please don’t do that,” I said.

For some reason, she said it like it was obvious.

“Why not? I don’t like those people even a tiny bit, and I never talk to them first. They just annoyingly talk to me, so I just nod like a bobblehead. Those people mean nothing to me compared to you, Sasaki-kun. You’re a hundred times, a thousand times more important,” she said.

She spoke quickly, leaning closer, overwhelming me with her words.

She really doesn’t want to lose our connection.

I’m happy about that, but I still don’t understand why she’s so friendly with me.

But…

“Okay, calm down,” I said.

“S-Sorry,” she replied.

“…How about we walk home together like this twice a week?” I suggested.

As soon as I said that, her pained expression turned bright, like a flower blooming, and she smiled happily.

“Y-Yeah!! Let’s walk home together, let’s do that,” she said.

She sounded so excited, almost like she’d start skipping.

Seeing her so happy made me feel good too, and even though I thought it was annoying earlier, it didn’t seem so bad now.