I Got Dumped by My Childhood Friend Fiancée Who I Didn’t Even Like, I Thought I Could Finally Have a Peaceful School Life… But Then I Got Targeted by SS-Class Beautiful Young Ladies

Chapter 35: [Rewrite It?] The Senior Who Got Touched by a Stranger Gave Me a Rare Cute Smile and Acted Spoiled

“No… yeah. I figured. I kinda knew it would turn out like this…”

I was holding the tray with the heiresses’ refill drinks, but instead of heading straight back to the terrace seats, I hid in the shadows, stayed quiet, and let out a soft sigh.

The reason was crystal clear. At my own table in the direction I was looking, three young guys—the same ones who had been staring at me earlier—were standing around Rei, Azusa, and Charlotte, boxing them in.

I’d been holding onto a faint hope that they were actually old acquaintances, but that got completely shot down by the super obvious scene of all three girls totally ignoring the guys’ attempts to talk to them.

I’d been watching for a while, but I had to admit it now. It was hard to believe because I knew their backgrounds, but this was probably—

—The mega-wealthy heiresses… are getting hit on!?

I’d always thought pick-up attempts in the middle of town or in shops were just urban legends from light novels and manga, but seeing it happen right in front of me left no room for doubt.

The only guy with them was me, so the moment I left their side, the guys probably figured they’d chat them up and maybe join in and hang out.

Or maybe just swap numbers and meet up later? My knowledge of pick-up culture is too thin, so that’s all I can think of, but anyway… either way…

“…Haha. You picked the wrong people to talk to, huh.”

A dry laugh with a hint of sympathy slipped out of my mouth.

Since they were trying to pick up girls, they probably had a lot of confidence in their looks. And yeah, they were actually pretty decent-looking guys.

That’s exactly why there were tons of groups with only girls around—if they’d just gone somewhere else… weren’t they scared of what would happen to them later?

It was seriously reckless, but—this part couldn’t be helped. If they didn’t know who the girls were, they probably just looked like cute high schoolers.

“…Ah, poor guys. You really had terrible luck… my condolences…”

Even though they jumped straight into a walking disaster, those three guys were definitely the victims no matter how you looked at it. If you thought about the losses they’d suffer from here on, the fault ratio was nine to one, with the heiresses at fault. At least that’s what I thought.

Actually, they knew something annoying like this would happen, so they deliberately sent me away from the table… with all those eager hyena-like stares, there was no way the girls didn’t notice.

I offered a few seconds of silent prayer for the guys who got dragged into the heiresses’ whims and games.

But—even in that tiny gap, the situation at the terrace seats seemed to be getting worse by the second.

When I opened my eyes again, I saw Rei, who had been ignoring them the whole time, finally open her mouth and mutter something. Azusa followed right after, speaking shortly with a blank expression.

I was too far away to catch what they actually said. But right after that—

“Huh?”

One of the guys twisted his face obviously.

…Ah~.

I almost covered my eyes without thinking.

They probably just dropped some brutally logical truth or something insanely harsh. Or maybe both.

And those girls always talk in such a super polite way that it rubs people the wrong way even more…

And sure enough.

One of the irritated guys stepped forward, moving one step closer to them.

While I was watching, I thought I really didn’t want to get involved in this hassle, but it was about time I stepped in… and as I frowned at that thought, a sudden question crossed my mind.

—Wait, hold on. Now that I think about it… what happened to the bodyguards from each conglomerate family?

No matter how you looked at it, this was clearly a serious situation. Even if the guys were skinny and weak, the precious heiresses of the mega-wealthy families were surrounded by men.

Normally—or actually, because it’s not normal, some bodyguard should’ve quietly taken care of it by now…

But when I looked around, all I saw were people watching anxiously. No one who looked like a bodyguard. This was way too weird. Could it be—

—Huh? Am I… being tested or something?

For a second my sharp radar picked up something shady, but that messy thought got blown away instantly.

By the time I realized, I’d already jumped out from the shadows, tray in one hand, and firmly grabbed the arm of the irritated guy. The arm that was holding Rei’s wrist.

“I get that you’re pissed, but… don’t you think that’s going too far?”

“…Ah?!”

The guy tried to shake off my arm with all his strength. But I held it with even stronger pressure so he couldn’t move even a millimeter.

“…!”

The guy’s face twisted in pain, but of course I had zero intention of letting go right away. Idiots who put their hands on girls need to learn it through pain.

When I squeezed harder, the feeling of pressure on bone came through my palm.

“…It hurts!”

“…Sigh. Then…”

I let out one sigh. Then I spoke quietly.

“First, get your hand… off her.”

“…Huh? This has nothing to do with—”

“—Do you know what cause and effect means? Just let go.”

I didn’t yell or glare. I just calmly stated my demand.

“Grgh!! F-fine!!”

The guy finally gave in and let go of Rei’s wrist before I even finished speaking. After confirming that, I loosened my grip too.

The guy who had backed off rubbed his own wrist and glared at me.

“Who the hell are you…”

Yeah, that’s my line, actually?

But arguing back normally would just drag things out.

I tilted my head just a little and opened my mouth.

“Hmm… just someone sitting at the same table? Ah, no no. I’m in the same club as them. And also…”

I lightly tapped the tray I’d finally set on the table with my fingernail.

“Their drink guy.”

The moment I muttered that, the air around us went completely still.

Then Azusa behind me couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing.

“…Pfft! Ahaha! That’s such a weird self-introduction… no way they get it.”

I thought it was a safe answer, but the guys in front of me were clearly stunned.

Feeling a strange embarrassment, I cleared my throat once and said,

“A-anyway. If you’re picking up girls, can you do it somewhere else? You’re bothering us. Seriously… in a lot of ways…”

“…What? You’re with three girls, so are you someone’s boyfriend?”

“If that’s what you think, then all the more reason… I’d like you to go somewhere else?”

Honestly, whether I was even their friend was questionable, let alone a boyfriend, but it seemed like a hassle so I didn’t deny it.

At first the guys looked like they wanted to say something, but they must have calmed down a bit. They noticed all the attention they were getting from everyone around, made awkward faces, and reluctantly left.

I thought their faces showed they hadn’t learned anything at all, but their thick nerves were honestly impressive. Having the mental strength to make that suspicious expression at the end of this situation was kinda enviable, to be honest.

For whatever reason, I’d ended up repelling the pick-up guys against my will. The audience that had been watching the whole thing burst into applause all at once, and a few words of praise mixed with misunderstanding flew over.

“You were so cool~!”

“Her boyfriend protecting her—she’s so lucky~!”

“Japan doesn’t allow polygamy, you know~!”

…Why am I getting praised by so many people today…?

It’s not that I hate it, but I don’t like standing out in the first place—and it’s honestly embarrassing.

I sat down in my chair, shoulders hunched, feeding that itchy feeling in my chest.

While I kept my head down so no one would see my probably red face, someone gently tugged at the hem of my shirt on the right side.

“…Yoichi.”

“What is it, Rei…?”

“That…”

She called me in an unusually hesitant tone for her, then fell silent.

But she quickly brightened her expression, let her slightly flushed cheeks go soft, and opened her mouth with an adorable smile.

“Thanks, Yoichi! For protecting me!”

“…! I-it wasn’t anything that big…”

It was the same smile from Rei that usually brought trouble, but… today it felt a little different.

Because, without meaning to—I thought the smile she showed me was… cute.

“But you know… that guy touched my wrist. So… can you rewrite it with your hand? ♡”

“…What?! What are you saying, Rei?!”

This girl really… as expected of a mega-wealthy heiress. Her mental strength is insane. Even in this situation she still has the energy to tease me and play around…

“…Geez. Here, you three, drink up quick, okay? We can’t exactly take our time in this state…”

Somehow or other, after that we—I mean, they—spent another forty minutes or so just chilling.

By the time we left the cafe, the moon was already high overhead.

From leaving the shop until we split up, their usual laid-back pace was a total lie—they moved super fast. I watched them get into the waiting cars from their respective families, and only then was I finally alone.

In the end, I got dragged around by the heiresses again today. I’m grateful I met a new side of myself, but even so, there are a mountain of complaints I want to make.

—And yet.

The moment I slipped into bed and my eyelids grew heavy. What stayed in my brain and heart wasn’t irritation or tiredness… just one thing.

That it was fun. Really, that was it.

How long has it been since I could fall asleep with such warm feelings? On a day like this, I should just stop thinking and go to sleep.

“Fwaa… good night.”

I mumbled something I don’t usually say when I’m alone, then turned off the light in my room.