Chapter 5: Class 2-D

“Chiba-san.”

Hearing my name called so suddenly by the very person I was fantasizing about, my heart jumped into my throat.

—No, it didn’t. I’m safe.

I fumbled around to make sure my heart hadn’t actually popped out.

The only thing that happened was that my shoulders shot up with such a jolt that my butt nearly slid off the chair.

Shinichi-kun, completely oblivious to my panic, approached me with a friendly smile.

“I grabbed an extra copy of the Japanese handout, so you can have it. You haven’t gotten one yet, right?”

Shinichi-kun placed the handout he’d gotten from the teacher’s desk on my desk.

Come on, me. Just say thank you. Be cool. Be smart.

“Th-th-th-thank you!”

I stammered, big time.

Idiot! He’s going to think I’m such a weirdo!

Shinichi-kun didn’t seem to mind at all. Even though class was about to start, he opened his mouth wide—aaah—and popped a piece of candy in. I could hear it rolling around inside his mouth. I want to be that piece of candy.

As I secretly observed Shinichi-kun right next to me, I was basking in a sense of superiority.

Shinichi-kun’s black hair, with a stubborn cowlick that wouldn’t stay down. His heavy, languid eyelids. The slender arms extending from his rolled-up dress shirt sleeves. I’m the only one who gets to see all this up close during class. This view is mine and mine alone.

The seat next to Shinichi-kun. It’s the legendary spot people would pay a fortune for. In fact, I’ve actually been made offers for it.

On the day we changed seats two months ago, the super lucky girl who scored the spot next to Shinichi-kun was me.

But, foolishly, until recently I’d just lumped Shinichi-kun in with all the other guys.

Why hadn’t I ever noticed that such a charming guy was right here, so close to me, this whole time?

I know the answer. It’s because I had a crush on another guy.

Just then, another boy came over to Shinichi-kun’s desk.

“Yo, Shin-chan!”

“I tooold you, stop putting your arm around my shoulder all the time! You’re so damn annoying.”

“C’mooon, what’s the big deal? Hey, lemme borrow your textbook again.”

“I’ve got no textbook to lend to you!”

“Aww, you still mad about that dick I drew in it?”

It was Takuya-kun.

I had been in love with Takuya-kun.

To be precise, I had merely convinced myself I was in love with him.

Until now, I’d thought all boys were cold. That it was normal, that it was just how things were.

Since they were all uniformly cold, I just played at love, basing my crushes on whether a guy had a good-looking face or not.

—But I’ve woken up. Ever since he gave me that piece of candy, a candy made of Shinichi-kun’s kindness.

I looked over at Takuya-kun, who was still pestering Shinichi-kun to lend him the textbook. He certainly had a handsome face. But my heart no longer beat for Takuya-kun. My pulse didn’t quicken, my face didn’t flush, and my mood no longer rose and fell with his every word.

The center of my world now was, of course, Shinichi-kun.

Shinichi-kun is… different.

No one knows what he’s thinking or what he wants to do. He’s whimsical, tricky, and unpredictable. And yet, he would absolutely never needlessly hurt anyone. Incredibly, he’s kind! Even though he’s a guy!

A kind guy—I had no idea such a thing actually existed in the real world!

There are rare cases of guys who are nice to girls just to use them—for example, to use them for sex, or as an ATM.

But that’s not the case with Shinichi-kun. There’s no hidden motive; he’s genuinely kind to everyone.

That said, his kindness isn’t about coddling people. No, Shinichi-kun engages with everyone seriously. He’ll make a joke with a straight face, give a deadpan retort, and goof around with all his might. Watching Shinichi-kun, I felt like I was taught what true kindness really was.

Takuya-kun left Class 2-D, textbook in hand.

Shortly after, the sensei arrived and Japanese class began.

As usual, I couldn’t focus on the lesson at all.

I was too busy single-mindedly observing the boy next to me, Shinichi-kun.

The pen in my hand and the notebook on my desk were for jotting down information about Shinichi-kun, not for copying the notes from the board.

I want to know everything I can about him, even if it’s just one more thing. With that single-minded focus, I devoted myself to observing his behavior.

Shinichi-kun is a laid-back kind of person, so he only finally took out his pencil case five minutes after class had started.

Placed casually on his desk was a black, boxy, rectangular pencil case. The kind a kid in the lower grades of elementary school might use.

So cute!

I wonder why he uses that pencil case?!

Are his tastes childish?

Or does he just take really good care of his things?

Whatever the reason, it’s dorky in a good way, and so cute!

As if he’d finally decided to copy the notes from the board, Shinichi-kun slowly opened the lid of his pencil case.

snap

Inside were a pen and an eraser—

—Wrong! It was a pencil case packed solid with individually wrapped candies. Candy, candy, candy, candy, candy! An overwhelming amount of candy! There were lollipops stuck in the pencil holders. Shinichi-kun took one of them out and, even though it was the middle of class, brazenly unwrapped it and popped it into his mouth. So cute.

With all that candy packed in there, isn’t it hard to get his pens out? Just as I was wondering that, Shinichi-kun slowly stuck a hand into his pocket and pulled out… a mechanical pencil.

The pencil case is pointless! It’s a mystery! A cute mystery! Is that pencil case just for candy?! Is it a dedicated candy-delivery system?! It wasn’t a pencil case anymore; it was a candy box.

Oh man, this is bad. He’s cute! He’s too cute! The sound of my notebook pages fluttering from the force of my own breathing made me realize how heavily I was panting. When I looked down, I saw a stain where my drool had dripped. Just as I was getting all worked up over this new intel on Shinichi-kun, he suddenly turned to look at me. Our eyes met.

It’s over, I thought. A cold sweat trickled down my back. I instantly tried to think of a hundred excuses for staring at him so intensely, but not a single one could explain the heavy breathing and the drool. If he thinks I’m gross, I won’t be able to go on living. It’s no use. I should just die.

But, completely misunderstanding the situation, Shinichi-kun just nodded slowly as if it all made sense, took a candy from his pencil case, and placed it inside mine.

Then he leaned close to my ear and whispered,

“This month’s new flavor.”

…and gave me a proud look.

Cu…

Cu…

CUUUUTE!❤︎

He’s too cute! A candy maniac is adorable! And what was with that proud expression! It was a smug look I want to frame and hang on my wall! He’s too precious! Also, why is the candy exchange being conducted via pencil case?! Such a mysterious commitment to his method! A cute mystery! Shinichi-kun is so adorable it hurts to be alive!

As I was inwardly writhing in delight, I suddenly felt a cold gaze on my back. I cautiously looked over my shoulder.

Death itself had taken form and was staring at me.

—No, wait… that’s not Death! It’s Momoyama-san!

Momoyama-san was glaring at me with an expression like a demonic mask, filled with murderous intent. The normally gentle Momoyama-san. Scary. W-wait, so scary! Just imagine it. The class president, who’s always kind and smiling, is glaring at you with murder in her eyes. What on earth could have awakened such murderous intent within Momoyama-san? While I was shaking in terror, class had proceeded without me noticing.

“Alright. Now then, for this question… Suda-kun. Could you answer it?” the sensei said, turning to Shinichi-kun.

To be blunt, Shinichi-kun isn’t very smart. In other words, he’s an idiot. Of course, that’s part of what makes him cute, but you can’t solve problems with cuteness. Naturally, the idiot Shinichi-kun couldn’t solve the assigned problem. Even as I thought, ‘Poor thing…,’ the sight of him flustered and panicking got me excited, and I got a little wet.

It was just when it seemed like Shinichi-kun was finally about to give up. Suddenly, Momoyama-san shot to her feet.

“Sensei! A question like this is beneath Shin-chan. I am more than sufficient. I will answer it.”

Are you the demon lord’s top general or something?! Even if it’s to protect Shinichi-kun, there’s no way that kind of excuse would—

“Oh? In that case, Momoyama-san, could I ask you to?”

It worked?! I’ve thought this for a while, but I think the teachers at this school are a little weird.

Just then, the bell signaling the end of class rang.

“Oh my. Is it that time already? Alright, class monitor! Collect today’s handouts and bring them to the faculty office.”

The sensei gave the instruction to the monitor, but nobody answered. Huh? Wasn’t today’s class monitor supposed to be Shinichi-kun? Shinichi-kun didn’t seem to realize he was on duty. Then, Momoyama stood up again.

“Sensei! Shin-chan, the class monitor, hurt his back yesterday from walking bent over too much! I will carry them instead!” “H-hey! Don’t spread weird rumors!” Shinichi-kun jumped up, too.

“Hehehe. How cute.” “Sounds like he’s full of energy, both upstairs and downstairs.” “huff, huff”

The class got noisy. It got to the point where some weirdo was even panting while clutching his crotch. Seriously, what happened at the student council meeting yesterday? Now I’m curious, too.

In the end, Shinichi-kun and Momoyama-san took the handouts. Damn it, I wanted to go with Shinichi-kun.

During the break after class, I sat at my desk organizing my intel on Shinichi-kun.

I watched Shinichi-kun head to the bathroom out of the corner of my eye and moved my pen. 10:50 AM, Shinichi-kun feels the urge to urinate… check.

It was a peaceful break. Then, I suddenly sensed a hair-raising Death.

It’s behind me…!

I couldn’t turn around. If I did, I’d be dead. The terror was like a natural disaster you could never fight against. I knew this presence, this entity that was Death itself.

—Momoyama-san.

Momoyama-san whispered into my ear.

“If you lay a hand on Shin-chan, I’ll kill you.”

Just as she had appeared, she vanished. I whipped around, but no one was there.

That’s not a person anymore. She’s a monster. The wretched husk of a human who’s completely lost her mind over Shinichi-kun. An angelically cute Shinichi-kun, and the Momoyama-san who protects him with such abnormal devotion. Yep. This student council is seriously messed up.