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 88

Chapter 88

When I closed my eyes, for some reason, an old memory surfaced in my mind.

It was from when I was in the fifth grade.

Riara was already beautiful back then, with her bright hair color making her stand out, but I was just a classmate who occasionally talked to her.

I was more of a quiet, unnoticed person, while Riara seemed to be close with the more popular kids.

Even so, she treated me without any bias, and I remember how I ended up liking her, one-sidedly admiring her.

Thinking back, I had always liked Riara since those days.

But I was just someone who happened to be a little good at studying—I wasn’t the kind of person who could stay by her side forever.

Sometimes, I would blend in with the rest of the class and play together.

Sometimes, when we happened to walk home together, my heart would flutter.

That was all it ever was.

Until that day.

One day during summer vacation.

Dad was away on a business trip, and Mom had plans with her friends, so no one was home.

Mom had told me not to leave the house, but I felt lonely and went out shopping by myself. That’s when I ran into Riara by chance.

I still remember how she excitedly spoke to me while I was feeling nervous.

She had been so cheerful, saying that she was going to the aquarium with her family the next day.

The conversation got lively, and I ended up going over to her house.

And then, when the two of us stepped into the living room—

They were there.

Riara’s dad and my mom.

Entwined on the sofa, making love.

My memory after that skips a lot.

Before I knew it, I was back home, with Dad and Mom’s angry voices filling the house.

Back then, I only vaguely understood the weight and severity of what Mom had done.

But more than anything, what truly tore at my heart were the words she said when she left the house.

“If only you hadn’t been there.”

She glared at me as if I were her enemy.

Right after that, I realized that something inside me had changed.

What were my friends really thinking behind their smiles at school?

While teachers spoke seriously, how did they secretly look down on their students?

How much frustration did the people I passed by carry as they walked forward?

I could sense it all, as if I could reach out and touch it.

Not their voices, but the shape of their hearts.

At first, I thought it was just a temporary thing, but it never stopped.

Every single day, I unconsciously peeked into people’s hearts.

It was driving me crazy.

I couldn’t forget the harsh words or the faces of the people I hated.

I thought about dying.

At that moment, I wanted to talk to Riara one last time, so I went to see her—even though I had been avoiding her since that day.

After all, it was my mother’s fault that her family was destroyed. Of course, it was awkward.

I shouldn’t have been able to face her.

“Mika, we’re in the same situation, aren’t we? I’m lonely too, so let’s be friends.”

She said it like nothing had ever happened.

Her smile saved me.

Even someone like me—it made me feel like I was allowed to live.

After that, I was always with Riara.

After school, on days off, whatever we did, it was just the two of us.

Listening to her ordinary, meaningless, yet deeply human words felt comforting.

I wished we could stay together forever, even after we grew up.

But I also knew that she was different from me.

She was someone who would fall in love, be with someone, and find the happiness that our parents had shattered.

I thought that one day, someone like that would appear for her.

And yet, I also wished that no one would.

While I was drowning in those contradicting thoughts, he appeared before my eyes.

Suzukaze Kyou.

A kind person who chose to hurt himself rather than hurt others.

If it was someone like him, then maybe—

That fleeting thought of introducing him to Riara was probably the biggest turning point in my life.

No matter how much I regretted what my mom did, nothing could change it.

I no longer thought, I should have just died back then.

But—

If only I hadn’t introduced Suzukaze-kun to Riara.

I think about that every single day.

Every day, when I see Riara looking happy, I feel like my choice wasn’t wrong.

Every day, when I’m away from Riara, struggling alone, I regret that choice, wondering if it was a mistake.

What am I supposed to do now?

Is this feeling really just obsession, like Enjou-san said?

Is what I feel toward Suzukaze-kun just jealousy?

“I don’t know…”

When I opened my eyes, I was staring at the ceiling, alone in my room.

Then, the doorbell rang.

♡

“Mika! Thank goodness, you’re okay.”

“You’re exaggerating. I told you, it’s just a cold.”

When I arrived at Mika’s house, I went in without hesitation and headed straight to her room.

There, sitting on her bed in pajamas, was Mika.

I couldn’t help but rush over and hug her.

“But still… It’s really scary being sick and alone, isn’t it?”

“That’s why I called Suzukaze-kun the other day. Having a boyfriend is nice.”

“T-That’s not important right now. More importantly, are you hungry? I brought something to drink, but if you lend me the kitchen, I can make some rice porridge.”

“Oh? I didn’t expect you to cook something like that.”

“Hehe, Suzukaze-kun’s mom taught me.”

“I see. There’s rice in the cooker, so could you make it for me?”

“Yeah, wait here.”