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 96

“…Who could that be? Reinforcements for Suzukaze-kun?”

“N-No. I didn’t call anyone.”

“Hm. Well, whatever. The front door is open.”

She spoke loudly enough for her voice to reach the entrance while still seated.

Then came the sound of the door opening with a clatter.

Slowly, footsteps approached.

“Good morning, Mika. Looks like you’ve been causing quite a stir.”

“…Maria?”

“Jinguji?”

“Good morning to you too, Suzukaze-kun. But right now, I have business with her, so wait over there.”

The person who appeared was Jinguji Maria.

“It’s been a while, Maria, since we’ve talked like this.”

“Yes, it has. But you haven’t changed one bit.”

“Really? I think I’ve changed quite a lot since back then.”

“Not at all. No matter who you talk to or what you say, your mind is always filled with Takamiya Riara. That’s never changed. You never truly let anyone get close to you, and that’s why I walked away.”

Jinguji sat down next to me, looking slightly irritated.

“Anyway, I didn’t come here just to complain.”

“So, you made up with Riara. And now you’re trying to be her White Knight? Quite the touching friendship story.”

“Me, a White Knight? Don’t make me laugh. I’m only doing this because my best friend supports Takamiya Riara and Suzukaze-kun. And besides, I can’t stand lowlifes who try to ruin someone’s happiness.”

“Oh? That’s quite the hypocritical thing to say.”

“I suppose it is. Just like you, I guess. Lately, I’ve been seeing ghosts from the past all too often.”

Jinguji leaned forward, staring intently at Mika.

“Maria, let me be clear. This has nothing to do with you. Stay out of it.”

“It’s not up to you to decide whether it concerns me or not. Besides, if anything, I’m worried about you too.”

“Worried? About me? What, are you pitying me now?”

“I’ve been a fan of your streams all this time. No matter how tough my day was, I always looked forward to them. But you haven’t posted anything for the past few days, and it’s lonely without them. So hurry up and make up with her and get back to streaming.”

After saying that, Jinguji turned her face away slightly, as if embarrassed.

“…That’s unexpected. I didn’t think you were the type to watch that kind of thing.”

“Do you remember? Back during spring break, someone asked you for advice about their dull, suffocating life—stuck on a predetermined path just because they came from a wealthy family.”

“Oh yeah, I remember. That was you?”

“That’s right. I was really happy when you spent an entire hour talking to me about it. Though, I only just realized that it was you behind those streams. That ability of yours helps people. They appreciate you for it. Isn’t that enough?”

Jinguji’s voice was gentle as she asked, but Mika let out a sigh.

“I’ve never thought of something like that as my reason for living.”

“You don’t have to. But it still gives meaning to your life, doesn’t it? Stop calling yourself a monster and just be happy that people rely on you.”

“I only want Riara to rely on me.”

“But if you keep going like this, even Riara will leave you. I mean, even I sometimes think about wanting to be with Asou-kun forever. But I also enjoy spending time with Sanae, and chatting with my classmates is fun too. Each of those relationships has its own value. Talking to different people, learning different perspectives, and gathering stories to share when you meet the person you love—wouldn’t that be more enjoyable?”

After saying that, Jinguji glanced briefly at me.

“Suzukaze-kun, you’d better make sure to keep an eye on Riara too. That girl is a total mess.”

“H-Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“I mean that if she doesn’t build friendships outside of her boyfriend, she’ll have a hard time as an adult. If you handle things properly, she won’t have a reason to break down, right?”

“…I’ll be careful.”

Then, turning back to Mika, Jinguji continued.

“So basically, what I’m saying is—don’t try to keep Riara all to yourself. Though honestly, it’s not like she belongs to anyone in the first place, so no one can claim her for themselves. She’s about as popular as I am, after all.”

“…Maria, you’ve changed somehow.”

“Yes, I’ve grown. I reflect on my past mistakes, use them to improve myself today, and move forward to tomorrow. That’s who I am.”

Jinguji spoke proudly, then stood up and looked down at Mika.

“So you need to grow too. How long are you going to let the past keep you stuck?”

“There’s no way you could ever understand my struggles, Maria.”

“You’re right. I probably can’t. I don’t have the insight or empathy to understand everyone’s problems like you do. But—”

They say that when a hundred people come together, wisdom follows.

Just as Jinguji finished speaking—

The sound of the front door opening echoed through the room.

—

Chapter 97

“Mika, we’re coming in!”

“Whoa, Shinozaki-san’s house is huge!”

“Huh? Maria’s here too?”

“E-Everyone? W-What’s going on?”

A large group of people suddenly rushed into the living room, leaving both Mika and me bewildered.

They all looked cheerful—too relaxed for the atmosphere of this place—but their faces seemed somewhat familiar.

They were probably our classmates.

I say “probably” because I barely interact with them, so I couldn’t be certain.

I was wondering why they would come to Mika’s house at this moment, but I quickly found the answer.

“Mika, everyone has something they want to say to you.”

“Riara!?”

“Don’t look so surprised. Did you really think I wouldn’t come see you just because we had a fight? You’re such an idiot. I always say I’m your best friend, don’t I?”

Takamiya, already on the verge of tears, spoke as if trying to act tough.

Then, standing in front of the lively crowd, she stared at Mika for a moment before lifting the corners of her mouth into a smile.

“Besides, I plan to get along with everyone here too. Even if I didn’t end up dating Suzukaze-kun, I don’t have time to only focus on you.”

“…What’s that supposed to mean? Did you come here just to tell me I don’t matter?”

“Heh, it’s kind of refreshing to see you being so pessimistic. But that’s not it. What I mean is, you don’t have time to only focus on me either.”

Takamiya glanced behind her, and at that moment, everyone suddenly swarmed around Mika.

“Hey, hey, Shinozaki-san, you’re really the famous GodMichael, right? I always watch your streams! Can I get your autograph?”

“I always leave comments! Your advice corner is so much fun! Keep up the great work!”

“I always thought you were a loner, but you actually talk so much! It was surprising! Hey, let’s all have tea together sometime! I want to ask you for advice on a lot of things!”

“W-Wait… you can’t just say things like that out of nowhere…”

“Shinozaki-san.”

“Mika-san.”

“Ugh…”

As Mika hesitated, everyone pressed in closer, overwhelming her.

Seeing this, Jinguji burst into laughter.

“Hahaha, you’re quite the popular one too. See? People are kinder than you think. Sure, life comes with its fair share of awful people, and maybe you just happened to have some of them close to you. But look—you’re also surrounded by good friends.”

“…Maria, how do you know about my mother?”

“Oh, don’t worry, Riara didn’t snitch on you. Actually, when I looked into it, I found out that last year your mother applied for a job at my dad’s company. But our company is pretty strict, so we do thorough background checks. Turns out, she was drowning in debt. When asked why, she admitted it was for alimony and other things. That’s how I got a rough idea of the situation.”

“…Is she working at your company now?”

“Of course not. No respectable company would hire a woman who cheats on her family. Would you trust someone like that with important company funds? In the end, when you do bad things, they always come back to bite you. So? Feeling a little better now?”

Jinguji smirked at me, but Takamiya immediately sat between us with a sour expression.

“Hey, Maria, don’t get too friendly with my boyfriend.”

“Were you even listening? I just said something really profound, you know?”

“That’s a separate issue. But, well, I’ll let it slide for today.”

“Hmph, I don’t need your permission. But fine, I’ll overlook it for today.”

Watching them stubbornly argue, the others chuckled and said, “Wow, this is precious.”

It was a phrase that Mika had popularized herself.

Hearing that, Mika softly muttered,

“…Seriously, you guys are all so precious.”

Tears welled up and rolled down her cheeks.

“I feel so stupid. I kept thinking I was alone, that Riara was the only one I had, that I couldn’t trust anyone, and that I wasn’t even human.”

“Mika, you’re not a god or anything like that. You’re just my kind-hearted friend. So let’s all get along. We’ve all been relying on you this whole time. Now, it’s our turn to support you. I might not be able to do it alone, but everyone is here.”

Takamiya stepped in front of Mika and spoke sincerely.

Mika quietly nodded.

And at that moment—

“Ohh, the tears of a god. This transcends preciousness into pure divinity.”

Tokito entered the room late, holding up her phone with sparkling eyes.

“…Tokito-san, was this all your plan?”

“Not entirely. I had the wisdom of many to help me. Three minds may not be enough to rival a god’s wisdom, but with this many people, we might just match it.”

“Heh, I’m no bodhisattva.”

“Indeed. You are simply our classmate—and my inspiration. Now, since we’re all gathered here, how about a round of The Game of Life?”

Tokito pulled out a big box from who knows where, showing it off to everyone.

Everyone burst into laughter.

Especially Jinguji, who laughed, “There’s no way we can finish this with so many people!”

Even Mika, who had been the last one holding a serious expression, eventually let out a sigh and a small laugh.

“Alright, alright. I give up. I lose.”

She looked up toward the sky—

And with a bright, refreshed smile, she laughed.