I Confessed My Sexual Preferences to My Online Game Best Friend, and the Person Who Showed Up at the Offline Meetup Was the Cute Girl from My Class - 24

Chapter 24: The Fine Line of Secrets

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The fountain plaza in front of the station was filled with a refreshing breeze that rustled the fresh green leaves, making it a perfect day to go out. I, Sato Kazuma, arrived fifteen minutes before our meeting time and sat on a bench at the edge of the plaza, idly staring at my phone.

…Alright. This outfit should be fine.

It was an outfit that emphasized cleanliness and put together enough that I wouldn’t get teased by Haru (Shinonome-san) with, “Still as lame as ever,” but not so overdone that it looked like I was trying too hard. The breeze brushed pleasantly against my skin through the fabric of my shirt.

When I casually checked my phone, I saw a private LINE message from Shinonome-san.

『I just got to the station. …Sato-kun, you’re not waiting there while making some weird face, are you? You good?』

Classic Haru. That one line loosened my tension a little, and a self-deprecating smile tugged at my lips. And then…

“—Nihihi! Found you, Kazucchi-kun!”

A bright, bursting voice rang out from behind me. Someone tapped my shoulder, and I nearly jumped out of my skin as I spun around.

“Whoa!? …I-Ichinose-san?”

“Morning! You’re early, Kazucchi-kun. Don’t tell me you’re all fired up trying to look good for Rin-rin?”

Standing there was Ichinose Saki-san, as if she had sunlight itself on her side. She wore a sheer white blouse and a pale yellow flare skirt. Her wavy chestnut hair was styled in a half-up look, swaying in the breeze. She was truly a “walking angel.”

…I guess the “walking bomb” image had made me forget, but she was ridiculously beautiful. Well, she was one of our school’s two great angels after all. And the other angel was about to show up too? Wait, what? Was it really okay to allocate this much human resources to one background character like me?

…While thinking that, I looked back at Ichinose-san.

“…You’re early too, Ichinose-san. It’s still more than ten minutes before the meeting time.”

“Because I was excited! Going out with Rin-rin and Kazucchi-kun, the three of us. Isn’t that, like, a historic event?”

Ichinose-san plopped down beside me.

…She was close. A sweet, berry-like perfume drifted over on the wind and tickled my nose.

“Hey, hey, Kazucchi-kun. You look cool today! Won’t Rin-rin be happy?”

“…It’s not like I dressed up for Shinonome-san. …More importantly, you’re loud. What if someone sees us?”

“It’s fine! We decided we’re hanging out as a group of three today! …Hey, Kazucchi-kun. Can I ask you something?”

Ichinose-san tilted her head slightly and peered into my face. In her large eyes, there was a faint probing light and the light seemed different from her usual carefree brightness.

“…What?”

“What kind of impression do you have of Rin-rin? I mean, you two don’t seem to talk much in class, so I was just wondering what kind of relationship you really have!”

Thud. My heart jumped.

…How dangerous. Ichinose-san was suspicious about our connection. I had to answer carefully as “just a normal classmate.”

“…Relationship? We’re just classmates. As for my impression… Well, she’s the school idol. Smart, great at sports, and living in a completely different world from a background character in the go-home club like me… She’s like ‘an amazing person from a faraway place.’”

“Ehh? That’s it? Nothing more like your heart racing because she’s a girl?”

“…N-no way. She’s way too out of my league to even look at properly. …Oh, and if you asked Kaito, he’d say the same thing.”

I desperately built a wall, shielding myself behind self-deprecating labels as a mere  “background character” humor. There was no way I could let slip that Rin Shinonome and I were partners. Ichinose-san stared at me with a dissatisfied “Mmm…”

“…Really? When Rin-rin looks at you, she makes this weirdly relieved face. …Oh. Speak of the devil, there she is. Look.”

Ichinose-san pointed. From the station ticket gates, the crowd began to part left and right like the sea splitting in two.

“…What?”

My thoughts blanked out instantly. Standing there was neither the “Shinonome-san” I knew at school nor the “Haru” I talked to through a screen but a perfectly formed, breathtakingly beautiful girl. She wore a pale sax-blue three-quarter sleeve blouse and slim white pants. The neckline dipped slightly wider, exposing the elegant line of her collarbones. Her silky black hair flowed in the wind, occasionally veiling her pale skin. Instead of her usual soft, angelic aura, she radiated a refined, urban beauty that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight.

Every passerby stared at her as if time itself had stopped.

Rin Shinonome. Without paying any attention to the surrounding commotion, she walked straight toward us.

“…Sorry to keep you waiting. …Saki. …Sato-kun.”

She stopped in front of us and pressed her lips together slightly. A flawless greeting from the perfect “Shinonome-san.”

“Rin-riiin! What is that outfit? You look insanely beautiful! I’m a girl and even I’m getting butterflies!”

“Oh, Saki, you’re exaggerating. …Sato-kun, good morning.”

“…Ah, good morning, Shinonome-san. …Um, it really suits you.”

“…Thank you.”

Shinonome-san and I exchanged deliberately polite bows. The moment she lowered her head, her hair swayed gently, and the white nape of her neck, the same one that had become last night’s “blackmail material,” came into view.

Its almost translucent whiteness struck my heart directly.

…I get it now, past me. I understand why you’d want to bottle up the air around her nape.

“Hey, hey, Rin-rin! I was just asking Kazucchi-kun what kind of impression he has of you! He said you’re ‘an amazing person from a faraway world!’”

“…A faraway world?”

Shinonome-san stared straight at me. In the depths of her eyes, I could almost see my partner Haru grinning—“Oh really? That’s what you think? Later, we’re publishing your entire log as punishment.” Okay, that was probably just my imagination running wild.

“…Then, to Rin-rin, is Sato-kun also ‘just a classmate’?”

Ichinose-san pressed on mercilessly. Shinonome-san placed a finger to her chin, pretending to think for a moment, then smiled softly.

“Let’s see… A serious and slightly quiet classmate maybe? But sometimes, he gives off an air of being very  dependable.”

“Dependable!? Sato-kun?”

“Yes. …Just a feeling. Intuition.”

After saying that, Shinonome-san narrowed her eyes for just a split second, so subtly that only I could understand.

…We’re pulling this off, right? This should maintain the ‘no connection’ cover…!

I encouraged myself internally, but Ichinose-san still looked unconvinced.

“Hm. Well, whatever! Today I’ll be your ultimate producer! Alright, let’s move out!”

Ichinose-san grabbed both my arm and Shinonome-san’s and started walking. As she pulled us along, in the middle of the crowd, my shoulder lightly brushed against Shinonome-san’s for just a moment. And then..

Out of Ichinose-san’s line of sight, Shinonome-san hooked her finger into my shirt sleeve and gave it a small tug.

“Kazu. …You’re going to correct that ‘faraway world’ comment later, okay?”

Her voice as Haru was so quiet it could have been swallowed by the crowd, yet it reached my ears clearly.

“…………!!”

I hurriedly faced forward. At school, we were far away from each other, just Shinonome-san and Sato-kun. But the unmistakable warmth transmitted through the fingertips gripping my sleeve… The “partner” signal sent in secret so Ichinose-san wouldn’t notice..  Right now, it was more destructive and more pleasant than any powerful raid boss attack.

“Ah, Kazucchi-kun, you just grinned, didn’t you?”

“…Huh? N-not at all…!”

Our far-too-thrilling, awkward serious match called “pretending to be strangers” had only just begun.

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