I asked him to be my pretend-boyfriend but after a while I fell for him, but I can't seem to admit that fact! - Chapter 8: I didn't ask, though...

Why… why is Akira-sama here!?

And how does he even know my name!?

A mistake?

Misheard?

Maybe I was mistaken? Maybe it isn’t really him.

Am I seeing a hallucination?

I took a deep breath and looked closely again—

It’s definitely him!

There’s no doubt it’s Akira-sama!

No matter how you look at it!

After the live performance, a bit of sweat is making Akira-sama, the charismatic star of “Inherit Sound,” look even sexier.

Oh no… He looks so cool.

My heart feels like it’s about to stop.

“Wait, Imamura-san?”

Something is flashing in front of me.

It seems like Akira-sama is waving his hand in front of me.

But I couldn’t react immediately to this abnormal situation; I was dumbfounded for a while.

—Is this a dream?

Because… it’s Akira-sama, right?

Now… Akira-sama, who’s currently a charismatic hit among young people, is right in front of me.

He’s the Akira-sama from “Inherit Sound,” right?

I’ve heard he’s in the indie scene, but he’s like a celebrity, isn’t he?

He was just on stage earlier, wasn’t he?

Why… why!?

“Imamura-san, are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine.”

A… live Akira-sama.

His husky voice is so charming!

No, no, no, right now, more importantly, how does Akira-sama even know my name!?

Maybe this is a hidden camera show on TV, or maybe I should confirm properly before embarrassing myself.

“…Ah… Akira-san… Why do you know my name?”

“Why do I know? Well, we’re in the same class, aren’t we?”

“Huh?”

W… we’re in the same class?

What’s that… like heavyweight or lightweight divisions in martial arts!?

“A-A-Akira-san… What do you mean by being in the same class?”

Akira-sama raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled.

“Imamura-san, it’s me, Asai. Asai Akira.”

…Huh?

***

For a moment, I felt like time had stopped.

…Asai?

If what Akira-sama is saying is true, it could explain a lot of things—

“Imamura-san?”

“…………”

“Uh—!”

I exclaimed in surprise.

Actually, it was one of the most shocking moments of my life.

“…Asai, the same Asai?”

“Asai-kun from the seat next to you.”

“…Asai, my boyfriend…”

“Your pretend-boyfriend Asai.”

“But… your hairstyle, and you looks cool with the piercings, and your appearance, and your voice, they’re all completely different from the usual you!”

“Well, you know… the appearance I have right now, it’s because of the live performance, and the voice, maybe because I overexerted myself today and got a bit hoarse.”

“Just… just a moment, Asai is Akira-sama, and Akira-sama is Asai…”

“Imamura-san, I am Asai Akira, the guitarist and vocalist of ‘Inherit Sound.'”

—A shocking confession.

Asai is Akira-sama…

Wait, so I… fell in love with the same guy twice!?

“Imamura-san, if you have time, would you like to join us for the after-party of ‘Inherit Sound’? We can talk more comfortably there.”

“T-t-that’s too much! It’s an honor!”

“Honored…?”

“But I mean… I’m just a fan.”

Besides, if I get more information out of him, my head might just explode.

“I’m very happy, thank you.”

“N-no, you’re welcome.”

“What happened, Imamura-san?”

“What happened… I’m still, confused.”

“Why…?”

“Why…? Because it’s Akira from ‘Inherit Sound,’ right? He’s super famous among high school girls in our school, with a ton of fans. And he’s in the same class as me… Asai, of all people… It’s impossible not to be surprised!”

“I… didn’t know.”

“I said I was a fan of ‘Inherit Sound’!”

“…Right, you did.”

…Well, I hadn’t exactly told him I went to their live performances.

But more importantly—

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Timing was off, and it would have sounded weird to bring it up all of a sudden back  then.”

I see… well, that does make sense.

But still—this shock is just too much!

***

Afterwards, we talked about various things.

First, the difference in appearance wasn’t just because of him hiding his true identity; he’s just not a morning person and doesn’t bother styling his hair properly to prepare for the concert. Well, I’ve heard about this so much that it’s a credible explanation.

The glasses are just for show, to prevent his bangs from getting in his eyes, he said.

And the beautiful lady he was with during the day turned out to be the stylist for “Inherit Sound.”

They were arm in arm to prevent Asai from escaping… in other words, it was all a huge misunderstanding on my part.

If I had just listened carefully to Asai’s words at that time, things wouldn’t have gotten so complicated. Lesson learned: you have to listen properly when someone is talking.

And as I came to understand all this, I felt relieved but also realized a new problem had arisen.

Today, with everything that happened, I realized I have feelings for Asai. It’s really awkward considering I was the one who asked him to be my pretend-boyfriend, but I had been thinking of confessing my feelings to him since that time with Yuka.

But this turn of events was unexpected.

If I were to confess as soon as I found out he was Akira-sama from “Inherit Sound”… that would be way too obvious!

Finding out the person I used to like and the person I currently like are the same individual is truly heartwarming, but…

I can’t just confess now!

As I was grappling with these thoughts…

“Kou! So you were here!”

“Oh, my, your girlfriend is here too.”

“Let’s head to the after-party! After-party!”

“Your girlfriend can come too, let’s all go together.”

“Huh? Oh… sure.”

We were whisked away by the members of “Inherit Sound.”

I couldn’t keep up with the whirlwind of events and my understanding was left in the dust.