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 41: [The Heiresses Are the Same as Always] That’s Why There Are Some Good Things About It… I Think?

“Man… I’m pretty late…”

After finishing my interrogation of Nakamiya in the boys’ bathroom, I was rushing up the stairs to the top floor, panicking about how badly I’d overslept the meeting time.

Because our random chat had gone on longer than I expected, it was already a little past six. Normally I’d be in the clubroom by five at the latest, so this was almost a full hour late.

My phone had missed calls from all three of them stacked up, and just looking at the history made my stomach hurt a bit.

—Well… I get how they feel, though?

The guy who usually shows up pretty early suddenly wasn’t there and hadn’t contacted anyone. Plus, the fact that the four of us being connected was now public. Of course they’d get worried.

“…Sorry about that.”

I naturally muttered that to myself while finally stepping onto the top floor.

I hurried down the hallway, nervously opened the clubroom door, and said in a small voice,

“Um… sorry I’m late…”

I slipped inside quietly.

If they hadn’t noticed, I was planning to just blend in and act like “Huh? I’ve been here the whole time?” but the second I stepped in, my eyes met Charlotte’s and that wish vanished into thin air.

“Yoichi! You’re late!!”

At her voice, the other two immediately realized I’d just arrived too.

“What were you doing? I got kinda worried, y’know?”

“Yeah, Yoichi~! You didn’t pick up your phone at all! I thought you went home!”

All three pairs of eyes locked onto me at once.

My back straightened up without me even thinking about it.

I stood frozen at the clubroom entrance with perfect posture, shrugged my shoulders with an awkward nod, and said,

“Well… ahaha. I got caught up talking with some people…”

But when Azusa heard that, she frowned suspiciously.

“Talking…? With who?”

“Just… some friends, I guess…”

There was no way I could say I’d caught one of Ryuki’s underlings in the bathroom and interrogated him, and honestly I barely had any friends I could casually chat with at this school anyway, so I told a sad little lie to blur the truth.

I smiled like I was brushing it off and set my bag on the desk. Rei kept staring at me without looking away, tilted her head with a puzzled expression, and asked,

“Hmm… was it a girl?”

“…Huh?”

The question was so out of left field that a weird sound slipped out of me.

Rei pouted a little, lips pushed out, then opened her mouth like she wasn’t happy.

“‘Cause, Yoichi… you seem kinda different from usual…”

“Um… different how?”

“I dunno… you just look like you’re in a better mood than normal.”

…Sigh. As expected of a mega-wealthy heiress’s observation skills. I almost let out a real sigh.

Honestly, it sent a chill down my spine. It felt like those eyes could see right through everything.

Not just Rei—Azusa and Charlotte too. They all showed this side sometimes, so you could never let your guard down in this room.

I forced the corners of my mouth up into a soft smile, making sure my nervousness didn’t show, and shook my head.

“No no. The people I was talking to were just regular guy friends, and I’m not in a particularly good mood or anything…? I spent the whole day getting grilled about my relationship with you three. I’m completely worn out.”

When I answered, the three of them glanced at each other for a second.

Then Azusa let out a small, bitter laugh and said,

“Ah~… figured. I got asked a bunch too.”

Charlotte gave a small nod in agreement.

“Me too. A few people asked about my relationship with Yoichi.”

So it looked like quite a few people had gone straight to the heiresses themselves.

Rei stayed quiet, but the fact that she didn’t deny it probably meant she’d been hit with it too.

Well, that made sense. Ever since that scene in the classroom, our connection had spread to the point where hiding it was impossible.

Of course rude people with no manners would charge straight at the girls themselves.

“…Sorry. I caused extra trouble.”

When I apologized quietly, Rei looked surprised and shook her head right away.

“No no! It’s not your fault! Why are you apologizing!?”

“Someone from my class apparently took a photo…”

“Ah~… so that’s what happened. Hmm. Well, we’ll look into whoever that was later… but either way it’s not your fault! We’re not really bothered by it, y’know? Right…?”

She tilted her head cutely toward the other two heiresses as she spoke.

Azusa and Charlotte both gave gentle, pleasant nods.

“If you say so… then it’s fine…”

All three of them seemed to be taking the whole thing less seriously than I’d expected.

No… more accurately, they just didn’t feel the need to take it seriously—unlike me, they weren’t nearly as obsessed with keeping things peaceful at school.

If anything, Azusa even looked a little excited about it.

As proof, she gave a little smirk and dropped a completely unnecessary line…

“Come on, worrying about that stuff won’t change anything. And y’know… because of all this, there are actually some good things… I think?”

“Because of all this… good things?”

“Yeah yeah. For example…”

She smoothly stood up from her chair.

Then she slowly walked over to me, and the moment she was right in front of my face she suddenly spun around on her heel—and sat down again.

The chair she chose this time was right on top of my lap…

“During breaks and stuff, we could chat like this… y’know?”