I Ended Up Pretending to Be the Boyfriend of a Beautiful but Tough Classmate for Just a Month, but It Seems That She Has Awakened Her Yandere Tendencies Because of That.

Chapter 24

My head hurt sharply.

That was probably my first love.

But it wasn’t really love.

The classmate from middle school who rejected me.

Enjo Shirabe.

She was the kind of girl who was kind to everyone and liked by everyone.

Even though I spent most of my time reading in the corner of the classroom, she would casually talk to me.

We became friends over time, and we had many chances to talk.

Her occasionally cute smile definitely attracted me.

But before I could even figure out if I liked her or not…

I was rejected.

One day.

When she called me, I went to the meeting spot feeling a little excited.

But she looked at me with a gaze as if I was trash.

With just one sentence, “Don’t ever talk to me again.”

My mind went blank.

And I became afraid of interacting with people.

Since that day, just seeing the faces of my middle school classmates made my head ache and I felt nauseous.

Whenever the topic of love came up, I would feel sick, and my stomach would hurt.

But it’s strange.

Right now, I had a slight headache, but no nausea or stomach pain.

“…”

“Hey, what about it? Is it still…?”

“It’s obvious that Takamiya is better.”

Those words came from my heart.

She’s troublesome, selfish, a rich girl, and too forward.

Aside from being beautiful, Takamiya doesn’t really have any redeeming qualities, but still…

She didn’t deny me.

Even when she teased me for being gloomy and a shut-in, she tried to pull me up.

She got along with my mom.

She ate with me, and now, she talks to me as an equal.

Comparing her to Enjo Shirabe…

That’s a foolish thing to do.

“W-What is this all of a sudden… d-don’t act cool!”

“You asked me, didn’t you? And honestly, I don’t think I actually liked her.”

“…How can you say that?”

“Right now, even if I try to remember her, I can’t really recall much. Her voice, her gestures. In the end, I think I just wanted to play at love, being swept up in the atmosphere. So, I don’t think it’s even worth comparing her to someone like that.”

“…I see.”

While twirling her hair with her finger, Takamiya sulked a little. Then, she took a deep breath and let it out.

“Sorry. I knew that topic was a trauma for you, but I said something mean.”

“No, it’s fine. In fact, I feel like I’ve gotten over it. Before I keep worrying about the past, I need to focus on what’s in front of me.”

“What does that even mean? I don’t get it.”

“It doesn’t really mean anything.”

“Hmm. By the way, does she still live around here?”

“I heard she went to a private school outside the prefecture. So, I don’t think I’ll ever meet her again.”

“What about reunions?”

“Do I look like the type to go to one?”

“Pfft, true.”

“Hey, stop laughing.”

I laughed a little as I said that.

Though I couldn’t put it into words, right now, I felt like I could enjoy this moment a little.

A temporary girlfriend.

Once Takamiya’s goal is achieved, she’ll just go back to being a stranger.

That was decided from the start.

So I don’t plan to say anything about it now.

But for now, I’ll let myself enjoy this moment a little.

That much of a selfish wish is something I can accept in return for listening to her selfishness.

“Ah, I’m tired. Dates are exhausting.”

“More than that, I’m broke. Do dates really cost this much?”

“Well, we didn’t know about each other’s situation, so that made it worse. So, what are you planning to do tomorrow?”

“Well, I’m broke, so I just want to stay home and relax.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. Then tomorrow, we’ll study at your place and discuss the election stuff.”

“Wait, why my place? Stay at your house tomorrow or something.”

“Because I skipped out today, so I want to learn some cooking from your mom. Plus, at school, there’ll be all kinds of distractions, right?”

After we left the cafe and were walking home, Takamiya didn’t mention exactly what distractions, but it was obvious what she meant.

Jinguji Maria.

The girl who relentlessly got involved with me and Takamiya, dragging us into the student council election that’s happening after the break.

Sure, at school, there are always interruptions from her.

And outside, we might run into her, like today.

It’s true, if we’re at my house, we won’t have to worry about that.

“I get it, that works. But what exactly are we going to discuss about the student council election?”

“Don’t you know? Before the candidates’ speeches, there are supporting speeches. We need to prepare the script for that.”

“Hmm, but who should we ask? Mika?”

“Are you an idiot? Obviously, it’s you.”

“Huh?”

“Mika doesn’t like to be in the spotlight, and explaining everything from scratch to someone else would be a hassle. You, on the other hand, are involved, so it’s easier to talk to you.”

“I don’t want to do the speech, though.”

“If I don’t ask you, Maria will definitely ask you. Is that what you want? Oh, is that what you want? Fine then.”

“Of course not! Ah, fine, I’ll do it.”

“Really? Alright, it’s decided then. I’m coming over tomorrow morning, so be sure to wake up on time.”

As we were talking, I realized we were right in front of my house.

“Well, I’ll stop here. Be careful going home.”

“Thanks for today. I mean, I had a decent time. See you tomorrow.”

Takamiya waved her hand shyly and left.

I went inside and headed straight for my room.

After lying on the bed and letting out a big breath, I stared off into space for a while.

I spent some time reflecting on today.

Thinking about Takamiya.