Chapter 39

“Why doesn’t our school have names embroidered on the gym uniforms?!”

“Seriously! Most schools at least have surnames or initials stitched in.”

“I tried guessing random names of guys who might be candidates, but she just calmly said, ‘If you keep guessing, you’ll eventually get it right, so I’m not going to say yes,’ like she had all the time in the world.”

“I see… If she said that, then even if you hit the jackpot by chance, she’d probably just keep a straight face and say ‘No,’ huh? Ugh, now I’m even more curious…”

The topic of Reika’s boyfriend, already a hot subject within the school, had picked up steam again thanks to even the slightest bit of new development.

(Is it really that big a deal…?)

If Reika had been single and just said she liked someone at school, then that would’ve meant there was someone out there who could end up dating her.

In that kind of situation, it made sense for everyone to get excited.

But now, even though they didn’t know who it was, it was already confirmed that she was dating someone.

Knowing that wouldn’t change anything, so Satoru couldn’t quite understand why everyone was so desperate to find out.

(At this point, when it does finally come out, the atmosphere is going to be… weird.)

His little sister had just brushed it off with a “Let them say whatever they want,” and looked at him like she couldn’t believe he cared. But deep down, he couldn’t help but be aware of it.

“Wait, so Hatsune-san’s boyfriend is someone from this school? I mean, who the hell is the guy who’s been hiding the fact he has such a gorgeous girlfriend?!”

“…Yeah, I wonder what kind of guy he is.”

Sorry. You’re literally sitting across from him.

“Normally, if you had a girlfriend like that, you’d totally be bragging about her, right?!”

“…Can’t argue with that.”

What Seiya was saying made perfect sense. Guys who date popular or beautiful girls always get found out quickly—and they tend to get a bit of a reputation.

Satoru figured it was because, in a way, it becomes a kind of indirect bragging: “Look who I managed to get.”

And the only reason his relationship with Reika hadn’t been exposed yet was because she hadn’t said anything about it—intentionally.

(Bragging, huh…)

Even someone like Satoru, who tried to keep everything low-profile, couldn’t deny that having someone like Reika—beautiful, smart, and kind—by his side gave him the strength to be more confident.

He didn’t necessarily want to brag, but he is proud of her.

As he chatted with Seiya, a curious thought popped into Satoru’s head.

It was something that had also come up in passing during a conversation with his sister.

(…What if I went up to her and said, ‘I’m the one she’s dating’? What would she do?)

Until now, it had always been about how Reika would handle things publicly, and Satoru would respond accordingly. That was their unspoken dynamic.

But what if their roles suddenly reversed?

It was obvious that chaos would break out around them—no doubt about that.

But that wasn’t the point.

What intrigued him was how Reika would react—because he was pretty sure she wasn’t expecting him to be the one to do something so bold.

(Would she be surprised? Or would she just keep her cool and go along with it…?)

In all their time together, he’d only seen her truly surprised once—and that was back in middle school, during a moment of extreme pressure when she had no composure left.

In her current, calm and composed state, he had never seen her lose her cool.

It was like she could see right through everything.

(If she did get surprised… I kinda want to see that.)

A strange, curiosity-like feeling was beginning to well up inside him—the thought of seeing her even slightly flustered or confused.

Of course, it wasn’t like he had the guts to do something so bold out of nowhere.

He couldn’t even make the first move when they were alone, let alone in front of a crowd. That would be insane.

(Going to her… huh.)

Up to now, it had always been Reika who led the way. Their whole relationship had flowed from that.

She always said, “You can do what you like,” and then took the initiative herself, pulling him along with ease.

But recently, she’d started saying things like, “It’d be nice if you came to me sometimes.”

In general, guys were expected to be more proactive in relationships. Words like “passive” and “shy” got tossed around all the time.

Satoru didn’t know whether Reika was hoping for that same kind of dynamic, but he was definitely curious now.

What if he really did make the first move?

That thought lingered with him.

And the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to try being the one to take the lead—at least when they were alone.

(Well… I can kind of imagine how that would go.)

If he did suddenly try something bold, he could easily imagine her smiling calmly and saying something like, “Oh my, what’s gotten into you, puppy?” as she gently stroked his head—completely unfazed.

※※※

“…Yeah, lending out your gym clothes was always going to lead to this, huh.”

“Oh? Did you not realize? I assumed you understood the consequences and accepted them, so I didn’t say anything.”

“Man, I feel like such an idiot I can’t even laugh about it.”

They were sitting next to each other on the train ride home, having their usual casual chat about the day’s events.

“Well, now that it’s come to this, it’s just a matter of time before people find out. I’ve decided not to lie anymore, and we’re going to get a lot more attention now. The chances of someone spotting us on campus are definitely going up.”

“Guess we’ll just have to stop meeting on campus, then.”

“Are you serious? Should I start crying right here and now?”

“…Sorry, that was definitely a joke.”

Even if her tone didn’t change, whenever Reika mentioned “crying,” Satoru took that as a sign she was genuinely sulking or feeling down.

Which is why he always rushed to smooth things over when she said it.

“Even as a joke, you shouldn’t say such things to your cute girlfriend, you know?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

That brought a brief pause to their conversation.

“…Hey, there’s something I want to try.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“From now on, I’m going to do something, and based on that, I want you to tell me honestly how you feel about it.”

“Well, that’s a roundabout way of putting it. But sure, I don’t mind anything you do, and I can’t think of any reason to say no.”

Reika smiled gently, just as she always did.

Then, Satoru gently pulled her into a hug.

“…So, like this. If I suddenly stood up in front of everyone at school and said, ‘I’m her boyfriend,’ what would you do?”

“……”

In the empty train car, Satoru made his first bold move toward Reika.