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 39

Chapter 39

“……”

The expression “my heart is about to jump out of my mouth” has always felt overly dramatic, and I disliked it.

But now, that phrase perfectly suits me.

I’m in Takamiya’s room.

A one-person room, about the same size as mine.

A plain room with a bed and a desk.

But there’s no mistaking it—this is her room.

For the first time in my life, I’m in a girl’s room.

And at this late hour, no less.

After letting me in, Takamiya left the room, saying she’d be back soon.

I sit on a cushion on the floor, knees tucked beneath me, stiff and still like a borrowed cat.

“…What the hell am I thinking?”

It’s not anything indecent, that’s for sure.

But could she be testing me? Checking if I have ulterior motives while we work together on the student council election? No, even if that were the case, it’s too risky for her.

Really, what is she thinking?

“I’m back. There we go.”

Takamiya returned; she carried a futon in both of her arms. She dumped it onto the floor with a thud.

“Oh, sorry you had to go out of your way.”

“What are you saying? There’s no way we’re sleeping in the same bed, right?”

“Y-Yeah, of course not.”

“Well, let’s get some sleep, then.”

While Takamiya casually prepared for bed, I couldn’t stop my mind from wandering as I laid out the futon.

Would she, this perfectionist, even respond if her boyfriend—me—made a move on her right now?

“……”

But no words would come out, no matter how much I tried to speak. It felt as though someone was gripping my throat, rendering me silent.

And then it hit me—I didn’t have the courage to make a move anyway.

After all, I’ve spent so much time fearing interactions with others. Just growing closer to someone already made me anxious and overly hopeful. It’s ridiculous.

As I sighed in exasperation at myself, I felt the tension in my shoulders ease, and I started to calm down.

We’ve barely even held hands… Well, technically we did once.

We’re not even officially dating.

There’s no way someone as cautious as Takamiya would allow things to go that far with a guy she’s not even in a relationship with.

Besides…

The fact that she called me here tonight despite her distrust of men… I can’t take that lightly.

She trusted me.

She relied on me.

I can’t betray that.

Once I realized that, the heat coursing through my body began to subside.

“Okay, I’ll use the futon.”

“What are you saying? I’ll take the futon. You sleep in the bed.”

“Huh? But it’s yours—”

“This futon hasn’t been used since Mika slept over ages ago. I’ll use it.”

“…What does that mean?”

“W-What? Are you saying you want to sleep on the futon Mika used? Pervert. Absolutely not.”

“Uh… By the way, when was that?”

“Um, back in elementary school, I think.”

“Oh… I see.”

What kind of conversation are we even having?

Still, seeing her yawn several times, I cautiously got into Takamiya’s bed.

“Goodnight.”

“Yeah, goodnight.”

She turned off the lights.

The room went pitch black. I couldn’t even see Takamiya anymore.

I didn’t know where I was. I couldn’t tell if my eyes were open or closed.

If I fell asleep without thinking too much, morning would come soon enough.

As I tried to empty my mind, taking a deep breath—

“Hey.”

Takamiya’s voice broke the silence.

“What is it? Weren’t you going to sleep?”

“I know. But I just had to say this.”

After a brief pause, she quietly spoke.

“I’m glad you came tonight. Thank you.”

Then she fell silent again.

But my heart started pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out of my chest again.

The feelings I’d pushed down surged back up.

She’s right there, within reach.

If I took just one step forward, maybe our relationship wouldn’t feel fake anymore.

The more I tried not to think about it, the hotter my body grew.

“Takamiya, I…”

If I told her how I felt—

I clenched my voice, trying to speak.

But—

“…Takamiya?”

“Snore…”

Her soft, steady breathing reached me through the darkness.

She had fallen asleep.

“Thank God.”

I whispered to myself, letting out a sigh of relief.

I’d almost been swept away by the mood. If she hadn’t fallen asleep, I might have…

“Goodnight, Takamiya.”

I stifled my feelings, pulling the covers over me.

Wrapped in the unfamiliar, slightly sweet scent of her room, I curled up, trying to cool my heated body.

I closed my eyes.

“Coward…”

Suzukaze-kun, you coward.

He could’ve just said it.

No, it’s me.

I’m a coward.

I wanted to hear it. But I was afraid that once I heard it, there’d be no turning back.

Pretending to be asleep—how stupid.

I invited him to my room, hoping he’d say it.

But I’m still scared.

If he told me what I wanted to hear…

I don’t have the confidence to respond.

I’m not ready.

I have nothing.

And yet, I did something like this.

I’m so stupid.

I was the one who made things so complicated.

I want this to end.

But I don’t want it to end.

“Hey, Suzukaze-kun…”

To the boy who was already fast asleep—

Cowardly me asked, knowing there’d be no reply.

“…What do you think of me?”