I became the boyfriend of the school's madonna, who had turned down numerous confessions, but somehow, without realizing it, I wasn't just playing a role anymore - Chapter 11

Episode 11: Visit of the Ice Queen

“Niini… sleepy…”

After finishing dinner, taking a bath, and sometime later, Kokoa began to look drowsy in my arms. It’s already past 8 PM, so it’s time to put her to sleep.

“Let’s go to bed.”

“Mm…”

Carrying Kokoa in my arms, I stood up and led her to my room. Placing her on the bed and covering her with a blanket, I gently stroked her head.

“Goodnight, Kokoa.”

“Goodnight… nyanight…”

She seems half asleep already. I’ll let her sleep peacefully.

“Zzz… zzz…”

After about five minutes, Kokoa’s adorable sleeping breaths became audible. Making sure not to wake her up, I quietly left the room and headed to the living room.

“Mom said she’d be late tonight, so I should do the laundry first.”

Since Kokoa is still young and requires constant attention, I often do household chores after she goes to sleep. I haven’t finished my homework yet, and there’s a lot to do. If I don’t finish quickly, I’ll lose sleep.

While thinking about this―

Ping pong♪

―The intercom rang.

A bad feeling struck me…

My mom wouldn’t ring the doorbell, and salespeople wouldn’t come at this hour.

Who could it be? I found out when I saw the face on the monitor.

“Good evening, may I come in?”

The monitor reflects the figure of a girl in a school uniform—Suzumine-san calmly conveys her demands.

I never expected her to come

Was it because she didn’t come to the classroom because she wanted to talk to me without Misaki…?

“It’s already late at night. Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”

“If you’re clever, you’ll understand, right? The reason I came all the way here.”

She didn’t smile or was angry.

With an expressionless and indifferent tone, a chill runs down my spine.

“Is it about Misaki? If so, it’s better to talk about it with Misaki.”

“When she’s around, the conversation won’t progress. Or should I wait here until your mother returns?”

Implicitly, she conveys that she won’t leave until she achieves her goal.

I’m curious about how she knows that my mother isn’t at home, but being left waiting outside would obviously be inconvenient for me.

“Okay, I’ll open it…”

She, who prepared for the conversation, and me, who was caught off guard, it’s clear who has the upper hand.

I wanted to avoid a confrontation, but…

“Please come in.”

“I’m sorry, coming at this hour.”

Opening the door, Suzumine-san enters normally.

If she knows that my mother hasn’t returned yet, I think it’s strange to enter like this.

Especially since she dislikes men.

“If you thought so, wouldn’t it have been better to consider the time?”

“I just came back from cram school. Your house is far from the one I attend, and I rushed here, you know?”

When I opened the door, Suzumine-san walked in casually. If she knew my mother wasn’t home, she wouldn’t have been able to enter like this… Especially considering her aversion to men.

So, that’s why she’s in her school uniform.

I didn’t think she would go to such lengths for a conversation…

Luckily, the atmosphere is unexpectedly soft. At least, it’s not as tense as it was at school.

“My sister is sleeping, so try not to speak too loudly.”

“Sure, unless you do something strange, I won’t be raising my voice.”

Well, since she’s a cool girl, she won’t raise her voice without reason. If she does, it would be when it’s necessary.

Since it’s just the two of us, it’s inevitable that she’s on guard. It would be troublesome if she weren’t.

“So, did you come to complain about something?”

Let’s get to the main topic. If we keep talking leisurely, my mother might return home, and I want her to leave as soon as possible.

However, Suzumine-san had a puzzled expression and tilted her head.

Wait, did I get it wrong…?

“I thought you were angry about the situation with Misaki? I mean, there are things to consider when it comes to childhood friends, right?”

“I feel like I understand how you see me now.”

Seemingly displeased with my statement, Suzumine-san narrowed her eyes and gave me a sharp look.

I don’t think I said anything that offensive…

“I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s only natural to worry about a childhood friend, and it’s normal to complain if she’s dating a guy who seems to be disliked, right?”

Indeed, Misaki’s friends had complained.

I think it’s normal to do so.

“Anyway, it’s Misaki’s business who she dates.”

Suzumine-san sighed as if she were exasperated. Given her cool demeanor, it seems she might not be very interested in others around her.

“While your opinion, Suzumine-san, might be mature, isn’t it a bit cold for childhood friends to treat each other like that?”

“Oh, coming from you?” 

For some reason, Suzumine-san’s eyes seemed to sharpen for a moment. Was that a tactless remark…?

“Well, never mind. It’s not like I wouldn’t voice my complaints if I thought she was wrong. But honestly, I don’t think she was wrong this time.”

“So that’s why you didn’t come to the classroom during the morning commotion. But then, why come now?”

If she’s satisfied, there’s really no need for her to go out of her way. We’re not that close, so we don’t talk much.

However, as if she had been waiting for me to ask that question, she loosened her lips with a self-satisfied smile.

“You two aren’t really dating, are you?”

“―!”