I Ended up Getting Close With the Class Madonna Who Keeps Rejecting Confessions, Saying She Doesn’t Plan to Date Anyone - Chapter 10

After finishing lunch at the café, we stepped back out into the city.

The plan I had prepared was rejected, so from here on out, we were going with no plan at all.

And naturally…

“So, what do we do now?”

That question hit me hard. It’s a date, after all. Having free time like this probably means I’m failing to make it fun for her.

“That face, you’re thinking that this happened because I rejected your plan, right?”

“Thank you for putting it into words.”

…Was I really making that kind of face?

I never thought I was the type who showed emotions so easily, but maybe I need to rethink that.

All around us, the streets were full of people, from groups of teens to families. So many people. Don’t they have anywhere else to go?

“But I think this is nice too. Just walking around without worrying about time, going where we feel like. It’s our first date, so we should get to know each other more.”

“I see.”

The plan I made was basically just me forcing my own idea of fun on her. But what people find fun isn’t the same for everyone.

A date should be about giving the other person something they enjoy. So the first date should be a time to learn what that is.

She’s really thought this through… Kokonoe Shinoba, not bad at all.

“So, Sousuke-kun, what do you usually do on your days off?”

“I either buy light novels, read light novels, or write novels.”

“Whoa, that’s a textbook indoor lifestyle…”

Shinoba gave a small sigh with her shoulders lifting as if she couldn’t believe it. But that’s what I call a meaningful weekend.

“And what about Shinoba? I’m sure you spend your days off in a much more exciting way.”

“I’m not sure if it’s exciting, but I usually go to cafés with my friends or have lunch with my mom.”

“That’s such a classic example of a girl’s social behavior, always in a group.”

“Your wording is awful…”

My sharp comment was born purely from the desire to fight back, and it made her stare at me with slightly cold eyes. She was the one who started it, though.

“Anyway, that’s exactly why we need to find a middle ground. We spend our time in completely different ways.”

She was right.

At this point, we barely knew each other.

If someone asked why we were dating, I wouldn’t even be able to answer.

“Come to think of it, we haven’t even come up with a story about how we met. Girls love that kind of thing?”

“That’s such a stereotype… but I can’t deny it.”

Shinoba lowered her head with a sigh.

I really needed to come up with a proper story before the new school term started, something that wouldn’t cause any contradictions.

That was what I was thinking when.

God seemed to love messing with me for some reason. Because right then, at the worst possible timing, He threw a new obstacle right in front of us.

“Huh? Shinoba-chan?”

“Hey.”

Two girls were walking through the crowd as they spotted Shinoba and called out to her.

“Wow, it really is you! What a coincidence!”

They were our classmates from the first year. I remembered their faces, but not their names.

Shinoba waved back with a bright smile as the two of them came over.

As soon as they got close, their eyes moved to the boy standing beside her.

Their expressions changed little by little, from friendly smiles to puzzled looks, then to something sharp and suspicious. It was like watching one of those moments happen in real time.

“Eh, why?”

“You’re with Gojou?”

I had to give them credit; remembering my name, even though we’d never talked, was impressive. Which made me look bad for not remembering theirs. But that’s really on them to have a good memory.

The two girls glanced back and forth between me and Shinoba, their faces shifting from suspicion to confusion, and finally to excitement. So easy to read.

“Wait, wait, wait, does this mean what I think it means?”

“They’re hanging out together on their day off. There’s no doubt. This is a huge scoop!”

Before either of us could say a word, the girls jumped to their own conclusion. The one that suited them best.

Honestly, it saved us the trouble of explaining.

Normally, we’d deny it right away, but in this situation, letting people think we were dating was actually convenient for us.

“Um, yeah… that’s right.”

Shinoba’s cheeks turned pink as she nodded.

But that was only the beginning of the problem.

Girls like these never stopped at simple confirmation. And there were two of them, which only made things worse.

“Eh, but why Gojou?”

“How did that even happen!?”

Of course. That was the next question.

After all, Shinoba and I had never really talked before.

If people already knew we were close, or thought it was only a matter of time before we started dating, they probably wouldn’t have asked so many questions.

Now then, what should I do?

It would probably be better if I handled the talking myself instead of both of us trying to cover it up. That way, Shinoba could just go along with what I said, and the story would sound more natural.

So I glanced over to see how she was doing…

“Huh? W-we…?”

Her eyes were spinning in panic, and she kept glancing at me for help.

Yeah, she was completely hopeless.

If I let her speak now, she’d definitely mess it up. Guess I’ll have to take care of this myself.

The trick to making a lie believable is to mix in a little truth.

“Our parents know each other.”

That part was true.

But I left out the fact that we’d only recently found that out.

Shinoba nodded over and over, maybe a little too hard, like she was trying to back me up.

“But Gojou is always alone in class. You didn’t look like you were dating anyone.”

One of the two girls was the one with short hair. She frowned.

“We only started going out recently.”

I replied without missing a beat. Shinoba nodded quickly again beside me.

“Still, you didn’t even talk to each other before. You could’ve at least said hi or something, right?”

Fair point.

Even if we weren’t dating, the story I gave made it sound like we already knew each other. So it would seem strange that we’d never spoken in class.

“Shinoba was really popular with the guys. If people found out we were close, it would’ve caused trouble. So we avoided talking at school.”

The lie came out so smoothly that even I was a little impressed.

The two girls, who knew about Shinoba’s popularity, nodded in understanding. “That makes sense.”

Good. Time to wrap this up before they ask something I couldn’t fake.

“I’m sorry, but we’ve got to get going. We’ll see you around.”

“What, really?”

“Just when it was getting good!?”

Ignoring their protests, I reached out and took Shinoba’s hand.

She let out a small and surprised sound, “Ah…” as we started walking away together.

“Ask her for the full story later.”

“Ehh!?”

The shocked sound that came out of her mouth.

Yeah, that’s not the kind of reaction you’re supposed to give right now.

Before they could stop us, we quickly walked away.

As we left, I heard the two girls behind us saying things like, “Yeah, let’s do that!” and “Girls’ talk time!” It looked like we’d managed to fool them at least for today.

＊

The two of them hurried away and slipped into a nearby arcade.

After wandering around for a bit, she headed to the restroom.

She washed her hands, wiped them dry with a handkerchief, and started walking back to where Sousuke was waiting.

The path she took was lined with crane games on both sides. As she walked, two guys came from the opposite direction.

At first, she wanted to believe they were just passing by.

But their eyes were clearly fixed on her.

Even back at school, she’d always drawn attention, so she could tell right away when someone was staring.

“Please let it just be my imagination”, she thought while hoping for the best.

But.

“Hey, are you here alone?”

“Do you want to hang out with us? We’re kind of bored~”

Of course, her wish didn’t come true.