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 37

♤

When I got back home from the aquarium, I handed my mom the souvenirs, and Takamiya left almost immediately.

With a happy smile, she said, “I’m having dinner with Mika later.”

Watching her excitedly leave, I felt a mix of emotions—more relief than loneliness, really.

I had spoken with Mika briefly before, and she seemed like a really nice person. More importantly, it was clear she prioritized Takamiya above all else.

With someone like that by her side, she probably doesn’t need a mediocre boyfriend.

So instead of worrying about her, I needed to focus on myself now—specifically, the election.

I wanted to support Takamiya’s determination to beat Jinguji no matter what. But if I lose, my school life will become a living hell.

Jinguji Maria.

If I ended up serving as vice president under that selfish, one-sided dictator, my three years would be over.

I had to win.

But to be honest, I couldn’t see a clear path to victory.

The rumor that Takamiya and I were dating must have spread widely by now.

If that’s the case, I couldn’t count on votes from the boys.

If anything, as her boyfriend, openly supporting her might only backfire.

That leaves only the girls’ votes as our hope.

Sure, someone like Jinguji probably has plenty of enemies, but in terms of influence, she still seems to outshine Takamiya.

Many students are likely to rally to her call. And I’d heard that, until recently, her popularity with the boys was on par with Takamiya’s.

Against someone so popular, is there really any way to win?

“…Mika-san seemed like she had some kind of plan, though.”

She mentioned something about “my feelings.”

But could expressing those feelings really help us win?

My true feelings—about Takamiya.

And expressing those in front of the entire student body…

“Hm?”

I paused from writing and glanced at my phone, noticing a message on LINE.

I’d been so engrossed in brainstorming strategies and drafting my speech that I hadn’t checked my notifications.

When I opened it, I saw a message from Takamiya.

“Want to meet?”

Just those two words.

No emojis, no context—just a blunt message.

I stared at it in surprise.

Then a sense of unease crept in.

What’s going on? Did something happen at home? Is she even at home right now?

Worrying about countless possibilities, I found myself moving before I even replied.

I grabbed my jacket and rushed out of my room.

“Where are you off to, Kagami?” my mom called from the living room, where she was watching TV.

“Just running to the store!” I shouted back and hurried out of the house.

As I headed toward Takamiya’s place, I tried calling her.

“…Hello?”

“Hey, Takamiya? What’s going on?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I should be asking you that! Did something happen? Are you home right now?”

“Uh, yeah…why?”

“I’m almost in front of your house. Are you there?”

“Wh-what? No way! Why are you—?”

Before I could explain, I arrived in front of her house.

“…Well, I’m here,” I said into the phone.

The line went dead.

“What the heck…”

Unsure what to do, I waited outside her house until the front door suddenly burst open.

“K-Kagami-kun? G-good evening.”

“Well, you seem okay, at least.”

Seeing Takamiya rush out in her sweats, I felt a wave of relief.

“So, uh, why are you so flustered?” she asked.

“Are you kidding me? What was with that message? I was worried something had happened.”

She looked puzzled, tilting her head in that typical Takamiya fashion.

Still, there was no point in pretending I wasn’t concerned—I’d rushed over here, after all.

“…You were worried about me?”

“Of course. Anyone would be worried after getting a message like that out of the blue. So, what’s going on?”

“Nothing, really…”

Takamiya clasped her hands behind her back and looked down at her feet, mumbling.

Just then, an unseasonably cold wind blew through.

“Ugh, it’s freezing. Guess they were right about tonight being chilly.”

“…Do you want to come in?”

“Huh?”

“I mean, it’s weird to stand around talking outside this late. There’s no one else here, so…just come in already.”

She opened the door and gestured for me to enter. Her tone was as bossy as ever, but her voice was trembling slightly.

“…Alright. It’s cold out here anyway. Thanks.”

I couldn’t just leave without knowing what was going on, so I stepped inside, feeling a little nervous.

◇

“Here, coffee. This is all I have for something warm—hope it’s okay.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Takamiya’s house was much bigger and tidier than mine.

The living room, where she brought me, was furnished with luxurious-looking sofas and furniture, and the floor was covered with an expensive-looking rug.

There was even a large grandfather clock, the kind you only see in old movies, ticking rhythmically in the background.

It was my first time properly visiting her house since the day we met, and everything felt new to me.

“Your house is amazing,” I said.

“It’s just how it’s been since my parents divorced. Sorry, there’s nowhere else for guests to sit.”

“You don’t have to apologize—I’m the one barging in at this hour.”

“…I invited you, though.”

Sitting across from me, Takamiya placed her coffee on the glass table and exhaled deeply.

“Do you always stay here alone at night?” I asked.

“Yeah. My mom’s often out late with work or just doesn’t come home.”

“Have you two never gotten along?”

“Who knows? I can’t really remember.”

She spoke nonchalantly, then blew on her coffee before taking a sip.