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 17

Episode 17: “Being Hated (?)”

“―About today’s events…”

“Hm?”

As we were being rocked by the train, Misaki opened her mouth with a serious expression.

I wonder if she still holds a grudge about exchanging contact information.

“As you can see if you think back to what happened earlier, I don’t think Hyouka-chan dislikes Raito-kun… I mean, you guys even exchanged contact information.”

It seems to be related to what happened earlier, but Misaki seems to want to talk about a slightly different aspect.

“Well, thinking about it normally, that makes sense.”

Certainly, it’s not common for someone to exchange contact information willingly with someone they dislike. It would probably only happen out of necessity for work or some other reason.

“However, I don’t think it’s a lie that she dislikes men?”

“Well…”

Misaki averted her eyes, looking awkward.

It seems that Suzumine-san indeed dislikes men, and there must be a reason for it.

“Um… this is something I’d like you to keep a secret, but…”

“If that’s the case, maybe you shouldn’t tell me either?”

I don’t know what she’s going to talk about, but there’s absolutely no guarantee when sharing things with others. I don’t have any intention of telling anyone else, but there might be accidental slips or reactions when the topic comes up, and Suzumine-san might find out what I know.

“It’s not like I’m sworn to secrecy… Hyouka-chan doesn’t want to talk about it…”

“Well, I’ll do my best not to mention it.”

That’s about the only promise I can make. If she’s deliberately bringing it up, it must be something important.

“Thank you. Um… well, in middle school, Hyouka-chan had a bad experience on the train… and since then, she developed a dislike for men.”

A bad experience on the train led to a dislike of men. Just that much and you can imagine what happened.

“I see… well, it’s understandable that she would be wary of men approaching her.”

I convey what I think she doesn’t want to say explicitly. Indeed, if someone as attractive as Suzumine-san might attract unwanted attention. They should’ve had an encounter like that in the past, too.

The girl at that time was so frightened that even after I handed the guy over to the police, it wouldn’t have completely healed her emotional wounds. The scars from such incidents are not easily forgotten.

“Yeah… but you know, there’s something about Raito-kun that Hyouka-chan has appreciated since freshman year… It seems like she noticed your kind…”

“Is that so? In freshman year, she treated me the same way as other guys.”

Well, I’ve already realized that there must be some reason for that.

“Probably, Hyouka-chan has her own way of thinking…”

Misaki seems to share the same opinion. Without that, the difference in her attitude between school and outside of school can’t be explained.

“Why does Suzumine-san think I’m kind? Any ideas?”

Misaki might be misunderstanding due to her feelings, but I’ll ask for some hints. Maybe I can get some clue about why Suzumine-san is a bit gentler outside of school.

“It’s hard to put into words… but, in freshman year, there was a time… When I was having trouble because some boys confessed to me, and I talked about it, she said that if Raito-kun were to confess to me, it might be okay to accept it.”

“What does that mean…?”

“Personally, I think Hyouka-chan appreciates Raito-kun, but not in a romantic way, I guess…”

“Doesn’t that sound a bit awkward?”

Misaki seems to be visibly flustered, probably thinking, “Did I hit the nail on the head?”

“No, it’s fine to have that perception.”

She seems to be in a hurry, thinking that the current Misaki is saying, “It might not have been like that after all.”

Well, even I, despite being me, can understand why she might be reconsidering things.

“But earlier, she casually asked for your contact information… If it was Hyouka-chan, even if she had some business, I don’t think she would exchange contact information with a guy who already has a girlfriend. You know, she dislikes getting involved in troublesome matters…”

I understand what Misaki is saying. I understand, but she’s making a little misunderstanding.

Suzumine-san should have noticed that we’re not dating. So, Misaki’s statement about a ‘guy with a girlfriend’ doesn’t apply, and Suzumine-san probably doesn’t care.

However, telling her that—there’s a high chance Misaki might end up digging her own grave with Suzumine-san. It’s not something to say lightly…

“Is she okay with it because the other party is Misaki? Even looking at the messages she sent, it seems like she just wants to go to the sea.”

“That may be true…”

Misaki still seems uneasy. Perhaps because she knows Suzumine-san well as a childhood friend, it’s not settling with her.

“If there’s no problem happening, you shouldn’t worry about it. The possibility of Misaki misunderstanding is high.”

As long as I observe Suzumine-san’s behavior, it’s unlikely to turn into a chaotic situation. She’s a pretty smart girl, and like her, she seems to avoid getting involved in troublesome things.

“But if I’m not mistaken… I might end up being really resented by Hyouka-chan.”

Well, thinking about it normally, that would be true… Even if they’re childhood friends, there are things that are unforgivable.

However—

“If that’s the case, wouldn’t she not be recommending me to Misaki? Even if it turns out Misaki’s not mistaken, it’s just the result Suzumine-san wanted. There’s no reason for her to resent you.”

I don’t know what she meant by saying that, but if the recommendation has resulted in something she wanted, she shouldn’t be complaining. She’s a straightforward girl, for better or for worse.

“Yeah, you’re right…! I think so too…!”

“Yeah, so don’t worry about it. Rather, make sure not to say anything strange to her, especially considering how Suzumine-san is…”

In Misaki’s case, I have to be concerned about that. Dealing with Suzumine-san might make her stumble and say unnecessary things…

And the probability of Suzumine-san getting angry seems to be quite high.

“Yeah, I’ll be careful…”

As Misaki nodded, we arrived at the station where I needed to get off, so I bid her farewell and went to meet Kokoa.