Chapter 25 

“Were six periods of class always this exhausting…?”

The first day back after his day off was incredibly tough for Satoru.

In the morning, his brain wouldn’t start up, and by the afternoon, he was unbearably sleepy.

From first period to sixth, there wasn’t a single class he could say he properly attended.

At the very least, he had to avoid standing out in a bad way and drawing the teacher’s attention.

To make matters worse, the unexpected encounter in the morning had already drained all the energy he had managed to recover.

What didn’t help was that his body had memorized the addictive comfort of depended on Reika.

“If you want to recover your energy, go and get pampered,” screamed a voice inside him—he couldn’t even tell which part of his mind it came from anymore.

And so, by the time the final bell rang, the combination of mental and physical strain had completely drained him.

“You… look totally wiped out.”

“Yeah, coming off a sick day is rough. I don’t get how you guys don’t get sick more often.”

He wasn’t actually sick, but his comment carried enough realism that it came out naturally.

“How weak are you, man…?”

Even Seiya gave him a look of disbelief, but Satoru couldn’t help but reflect on how much energy high schoolers burn in a single day.

On top of that, some even go to club activities or cram schools afterward.

At this rate, he figured “home is just a place to sleep” wasn’t even an exaggeration when it came to weekdays.

“I’m just gonna go home and sleep early. Gotta rest up.”

“Geez… Well, I guess it can’t be helped since you’re ‘recovering.'”

Seiya was completely exasperated.

He himself had club activities to attend until late, while his friend was talking about going to bed at the same time. No wonder he was baffled.

“But at least reply to Ruri, alright? She was worried about you in her own way.”

“Y-yeah, I know…”

He wasn’t thrilled about it, but once Seiya said it, he had no choice but to nod.

Sure, her cutesy behavior stood out.

But obviously, she was doing all of that to try to get his attention.

She wouldn’t act so aggressively with someone she disliked or wanted to avoid being misunderstood by.

Even if it made Satoru uncomfortable, you could interpret it as her sincere way of approaching him.

(Still doesn’t mean it works on me, though…)

Even after giving her the benefit of the doubt, he couldn’t bring himself to want to be friends with her.

(And if she’s going to randomly drop weird topics like that in the middle of a conversation, I’ll really be in trouble.)

Today’s sudden mention of Reika had completely blindsided him.

He’d dodged it well this time, but from now on, he’d have to treat both face-to-face talks and messages as potential minefields.

And that, above all, was what made dealing with Ruri such a hassle for Satoru.

※※※

“You were getting hit on by her again, weren’t you?”

“Oh, you saw that?”

On the train ride home, Reika, sitting next to Satoru with a book in one hand, made the remark.

“Hehe, I’m still a high school girl, you know? It’s hard not to look at your beloved  boyfriend.”

“Well, same here, I guess.”

“You two looked pretty close. Did you enjoy the approach from the girl who’s always tangled in dating rumors?”

“Not really. It just felt fake. She was so obvious that even a guy could tell she was doing it on purpose.”

“Even so, I think that kind of charm is exactly what guys tend to fall for.”

“You think so? I honestly didn’t feel a thing.”

When Satoru said that, Reika gave a soft, amused smile.

“That might be because you’re a bit… unique.”

“What, you mean that whole ‘you’ve been dyed by me’ thing again?”

“That’s part of it. But more than that… I think you have a much keener eye for observing people than most others.”

“W-where’s this coming from? Compliments from you in this situation feel way too weird.”

“I’m just stating facts. Even if you’re resistant to becoming horny, the fact that you can analyze a girl’s deliberate actions—that’s not easy for a high school boy.”

“Can you not say horny with such a serious face…?”

“Oh, but it’s just a term in the world, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, still—don’t say it like you’re giving a lecture or something!”

“Well, more importantly—that’s one of the reasons I feel secure. Even if some annoying girl tries something.”

The way she said it might’ve been a little questionable, but in short, she was saying she trusted him.

“Although, there’s one thing that bothers me.”

“What is it?”

“This morning, while we were talking, she suddenly brought you up. Said, ‘Looks like Hatsune-san’s back today too.’”

“……”

“And I mean—why say that to me when I was the one absent yesterday? Like I’d know that.”

Satoru laid out the simple suspicion that had been bugging him.

Reika closed her book gently and let out a soft sigh.

“Maybe… she’s figured it out.”

“Huh?”

“About our relationship.”

“No way… We haven’t said anything to anyone.”

“Maybe she noticed how often our sick days line up?”

“……I-I mean, that’s just coincidence, right?”

“But yesterday made it three times. And considering how wide her social circle is, I wouldn’t be surprised if she heard something and started putting things together.”

“Three times is kind of suspicious. And we’re still only in the first half of second year.”

“That’s probably why she brought it up—to test you, see if you’d slip up.”

“…Girls are scary.”

Just thinking about it sent a chill down his spine.

“So? What did you say?”

“Uh, I played dumb.”

“Your sense of danger is really sharp, you know that?”

“I did my best, if I do say so myself!”

And with that, Satoru gave himself a firm nod of approval, convincing himself that he more than earned the rest he was about to get.