I Ended up Getting Close With the Class Madonna Who Keeps Rejecting Confessions, Saying She Doesn’t Plan to Date Anyone - Chapter 5

“The author’s definitely a virgin loser, LOL.”

“You can tell he’s never been on a date.”

“↑Exactly. No girl would ever be happy with that kind of plan.”

“Don’t screw with me!”

I almost threw my phone at the wall, but stopped at the last second. My arm hung limp by my side.

Throwing it wouldn’t solve anything. Taking it out on stuff is what idiots do.

“…Damn it.”

I spat out the words, pulled out a chair near my desk, and sat down.

Writing was my hobby. I’d been posting my own novels on an online writing site ever since I got a smartphone in high school.

Lately, I’ve even started getting comments. It was something I was honestly happy about.

The problem was that most of them were insults.

People wrote nasty comments just for fun, but reading them felt like getting cut by a sharp blade.

Still, I guess the reason they bothered me was because, deep down, there was some truth in them. That frustration I felt was basically proof they had a point.

I never thought cutting myself off from people would come back to choke me like this.

But still.

I don’t want to waste time doing stuff I don’t enjoy. At the same time, I don’t have much real experience.

“If only there were someone convenient. Someone who’d let me get a bit of experience without getting too close…”

I don’t think everything in fiction has to come from real-life experience. But a certain level of realism is important, especially in stories set in the real world like the ones I write.

If I want to grow as a writer, I’ll have to gain some experience sooner or later.

“…What should I do?”

I don’t want to spend too much time on other people. But I can’t deny that I need more life experience for my writing.

There has to be some kind of balance. A plan that could give me both.

As I was racking my brain, the doorbell rang, echoing through the house.

Mom was at work. My little sister was still out.

So I had to answer it.

It was probably just a delivery, I thought. They could’ve just left it at the door.

Still grumbling, I dragged myself up from the chair.

＊

For some reason, Kokonoe Shinoba was in my house.

She sat on a cushion on the carpeted floor, fidgeting with her fingers and glancing around awkwardly.

When I answered the doorbell, she was standing there. “I wanted to talk for a bit. Oh, I asked your mom for your address, so don’t worry,” she said, which was not the kind of thing that made me feel any safer. That’s straight-up information leakage.

Still, if I sent her away and her mom somehow mentioned it to mine, things would definitely get annoying. So, I had no choice but to invite her in. Now, I was back in my room while holding two glasses of barley tea.

I set one down on the small table near her, and she said, “Oh, don’t worry about me.”

If she didn’t want me to worry, maybe she shouldn’t have come over in the first place.

I sat down in my chair and faced her.

“So, what do you want? I’m not exactly free, so make it quick.”

I’d hear her out.

Then she’d go home.

After this, I still needed to figure out a plan to fix my lack of experience. So I’m busy.

Right now, the only idea I’ve come up with is asking my little sister for help. Obviously, that was out of the question for a lot of reasons, so I needed to think of something better.

“Ah, I’m sorry for showing up so suddenly. Um, the thing is, I came because I wanted to ask you for a favor.”

“A favor? Does it benefit me in any way? If it’s one-sided, I don’t even need to think about it.”

“…W-Well, that kind of depends on how you look at it.”

She forced a nervous smile and clearly hadn’t thought that far ahead.

Didn’t seem like there’d be any reason to say yes, but she did come all the way here, so I guess I could at least hear her out.

“What is it?”

I urged her to continue, wanting to get this over with. Kokonoe swallowed hard and looked a little tense.

“Yesterday, when you gave me advice.”

“Advice?”

“You know, about how I keep getting confessed to, and it’s been stressful.”

“That.”

Wait, that was advice?

I thought she was just venting.

“At that time, Gojou-kun said I should just get a fake boyfriend, right?”

“Yeah, I might’ve said something like that. Why? If you need help making up his backstory or personality, I can help with that much.”

It sounded like a hassle, but if that was all it took, then fine.

“Um, that’s not what I meant.”

Apparently, I was wrong.

Then what did she mean?

“I thought about it, and if I just pretend to have a boyfriend, it might not sound very convincing. I’m not sure I could pull it off.”

“…I see. You’ve got a point.”

Her guy classmates were one thing, but her girlfriends might ask to see a picture of him.

They could even ask about their dates or what kind of guy he was. It’d be hard to make everything perfectly.

“So I thought… instead of an imaginary boyfriend, I should get a fake boyfriend.”

“You mean… someone who actually pretends to be dating you?”

She nodded seriously.

It was the kind of setup you often saw in light novels, the fake couple thing.

Considering her situation and what she was worried about, it actually made sense. She wasn’t as clueless as I thought.

Wait a second.

Hold on.

This whole conversation…

“Don’t tell me, you’re asking me to play that fake boyfriend?”

“Bingo! That’s exactly right!”

“Shut up.”

Maybe trying to lighten the heavy mood, Kokonoe pointed at me with a smile. I couldn’t help but snap at her.

But still, so it really was that.

Being the fake boyfriend of a girl everyone calls the school’s Madonna, the one all the guys like. No way, won’t cause trouble.

My answer should obviously be no.

“Why me? You’ve got plenty of guys who’d fit better. They’re good-looking ones, popular ones, and people who actually match you.”

“But if I pick someone like that, there’s a risk he might really fall for me.”

“You’re seriously saying that yourself?”

I let out a breath as I was amazed.

“…I-I’m just accepting facts as they are.”

“Really now.”

She said it with a shy look, but she wasn’t wrong.

Actually, I kind of respected her for thinking it through that far.

If she got a fake boyfriend to stop real confessions, but that fake boyfriend ended up actually confessing to her, it’d defeat the whole point. It’s not like she could keep changing fake partners either.

“And there’s also a chance that guy might tell people it’s all fake.”

“I see. So you even factored in risk management. You picked me because I don’t have anyone to tell, no risk of leaks.”

“Yes.”

Well.

She’s right. I don’t exactly have friends to spill secrets to anyway.

“I get why you picked me because of the information leak thing. But what about your other concern? I don’t get that part.”

“Well, because Gojou-kun is not going to fall in love with me, right?”

“You really said it that clearly. Well, yeah, you’re right.”

Real-life romance is just a pain.

That’s why I prefer the kind that only exists in fiction, pure and ideal.

“That’s why you’re the best choice.”

“I get what you’re saying. But what’s in it for me? You mentioned I’d have some kind of benefit, right?”

She had said that earlier, but so far I hadn’t heard anything that sounded like one.

“Um, for example, you get to be my boyfriend…. sort of?”

Kokonoe spoke hesitantly, her eyes darting left and right. I shrugged.

“You’re serious? If you are, that’s one hell of a joke, even for me.”

“…Ugh.”

She looked down with her face red with embarrassment.

Yeah, just as I thought, she hadn’t really thought it through.

Any normal guy would be proud to pretend to be Kokonoe’s boyfriend. They’d brag about it nonstop.

But I’m not interested in that kind of thing.

“I’m sorry, but me pretending to be your fake boyfriend, going on fake dates and all that…”

Wait a sec. Hold on.

This whole proposal doesn’t mean…

“Gojou-kun…?”

She leaned closer since I’d suddenly gone silent mid-sentence.

“Give me a second. I need to think.”

I took a moment to organize my thoughts.

My situation.

Her offer.

And what I could possibly gain from this.

It only took a few seconds.

I found my answer.

After a sip of barley tea to clear my throat, I looked at her again and said…

“…Alright. I’ll accept your proposal. But on one condition.”

＊ ＊ ＊

Afterword

Thank you for reading up to Chapter 5!

Kokonoe’s proposal.

Sousuke’s answer.

Starting next time, their story will finally begin to move.

With this, the prologue comes to an end, and so does the author’s little rambling. So, just one last thing.

If you enjoyed the story, please support it by leaving a ★ and following!

It would make me really happy if you could also write a ★ review, so more people can discover this story.

Next time, Chapter 6: “Gojou Sousuke Went on a Date”

I’m still figuring out the update schedule, so make sure to follow and don’t miss the next chapter!