I Thought I Was Dead After Getting Stabbed While Protecting a Girl From a Random Attacker, but a Goddess Gave Me a Special Reward and Brought Me Back to Life in My Original Body—Now, All These Girls Are Coming on to Me!? - Chapter 20: School Life Without Ryu

Chapter 20: School Life Without Ryu

“…”

“…”

“…Amazing. Makoto and Kanade look like wilted flowers.”

That’s right. I felt incredibly down at that moment.

My extreme sadness worried even our close friends.

Why was I so down? Well, my beloved Ryu Minase was away on a club trip and not at school.

At first, I thought three days without him would be no big deal.

But I was wrong.

On just the first day, we waited for Ryu at the station, even though he wasn’t there, and nearly arrived late to school.

On the way to school, Ryu’s house caught my eye, and my body felt drawn to it.

…Sigh. Also, during the trip, Ryu’s phone use was restricted, so I couldn’t contact him properly. Could I endure two more days like this?

“…I’m going to the restroom.”

“Okay…”

Kanade clearly lacked energy too.

I never imagined it would be this bad…

…

I wondered if Ryu was playing in a match at that moment.

I hoped he was doing well…

I missed him so much…

…

Oh no!

I realized I was thinking about Ryu again.

To distract myself, I decided to get some fresh air outside.

I went to the hallway, opened a window, and took a deep breath.

“Makoto! Can we talk for a moment?”

“…Koki?”

This guy again?

Hadn’t he learned his lesson from before?

Ugh, coming to a secluded part of the hallway to be alone was a mistake…

If I had stayed near the crowded classroom, he probably wouldn’t have bothered me.

“So… Makoto, are you satisfied with how things are?”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“You know, Ryu is dating both you and Kanade, right?”

“Yes, he is.”

“Well, if it were me, I’d only focus on you.”

What was he saying?

This guy really knew how to get under my skin…

To begin with, he was the one who first suggested dating both of us!

“Our relationship is our own business, so your concern is unnecessary.”

“Someone as beautiful as you shouldn’t just be a side girlfriend…”

“I said that’s not necessary.”

“Just once, go on a date with me. I promise you won’t regret it.”

As he said this, he tried to grab my wrist.

I quickly swatted his hand away.

“Stop it! Stop!”

“Don’t be so cold. Deep down, don’t you want to outshine Kanade?”

“I don’t understand! Why would dating you mean outshining Kanade?”

“I got picked as captain of the soccer club’s B team! A first-year captain! If you dated me, Kanade would be so jealous, right?”

B team captain? That’s just the second string, isn’t it?

My amazing boyfriend got selected for the main team’s matches!

I tried to distance myself, but my position was bad.

A wall stood behind me, and I couldn’t back away any further.

This was really bad…! He targeted a time when Ryu wasn’t here—what a coward! Disgusting, but if worst came to worst, I’d kick him in the groin…

Just as I thought that, a savior appeared.

“What’s going on here?”

“Y-Yuna-senpai!?”

—

Two weeks had passed since I heard Ryu’s shocking news.

I kept looking for a chance to meet his two girlfriends, and today was the perfect opportunity.

Why? Because Ryu was away on his trip!

Not that Ryu being around was a problem, but girl talk would go smoother without him.

…Well, I couldn’t deny it’d be awkward with Ryu there.

So, during lunch break, I quickly ate and headed to the first-year classroom.

Then, I heard arguing voices from the end of the hallway.

Peeking over, I saw a boy and a girl fighting. A lovers’ quarrel?

If it was just an argument, I didn’t need to get involved, but it seemed to heat up, and the air felt tense.

I couldn’t ignore this.

I approached them and said,

“What’s going on here?”

“Y-Yuna-senpai!?”

Oh, I recognized the boy.

He was the one who talked to me when I came to get Ryu for club activities before.

The girl… was she in the same classroom back then?

“Relationships can be complicated, but I recommend talking calmly.”

“Uh, well, it’s just…”

His face turned bright red when he saw me, and he seemed flustered.

Was he too worked up and losing control? If so, stepping in was the right call.

“Um… Yuna-senpai, why are you here?”

“Oh, I came to meet someone.”

“Who do you want to meet? I can call them for you…”

“Hmm, could you call Makoto and Kanade?”

“What?”

“Huh?”

“I’m Makoto…”

“What!? So you’re Ryu’s girlfriend?”

“Y-Yes, I am…”

“Then this is perfect. Where’s Kanade?”

“I’ll go get her.”

“I’ll come too.”

“Wait, hold on, we’re not done—”

“I have nothing more to say. Let’s go, Yuna-senpai.”

At first, I thought something was going on between them, but it seemed different. Makoto’s glare at him was ice-cold.

I was curious about the details, but my priority was connecting with Ryu’s girlfriends…!

—

“Let me introduce myself properly. I’m Yuna Yamamura.”

“I’m Makoto Hiragi.”

“I’m Kanade Sumeragi…”

Hmm… so these were Ryu’s girlfriends…

They were stunningly beautiful! Ryu, you sly dog!

But they were clearly wary of me. Understandable, since a random senior called them out…

…

I realized I called them out but hadn’t planned what to say.

…

For now, I’d start by talking about myself!

“Ryu and I are childhood friends!”

“You came to pick Ryu up from class before, right?”

“You were so pretty, I remembered you.”

“R-Really? Thanks…”

“So… what did you want to talk about?”

“Oh, well, I heard Ryu got girlfriends, and I was curious about you…”

Oh no. I blurted out exactly what I was thinking.

I meant to say it more gently, wrap it in softer words…!

“Maybe… Yuna-senpai, are you…?”

“No! I’m not trying to steal Ryu from you or anything!”

“I didn’t say anything…”

“Ugh…!”

“Yuna-senpai is kinda cute, isn’t she?”

“C-Cute…? I meant to talk more calmly…”

“I’m amazed Ryu didn’t turn into a beast with a senior like her around. I’ll praise him when he’s back.”

“True. I’m always the one being petted, so maybe I’ll pet him next time.”

“P-Pet…? You guys do such shameless things…!?”

“Shameless…?”

“I mean, petting heads, right? That’s shameless…!”

“I underestimated Ryu’s self–

control.”

“Yuna-senpai is really adorable…”

The two juniors stared at me with their mouths open.

This wasn’t supposed to happen…!

—

“By the way, what was up with that guy earlier?”

“That guy?”

“Oh, him…”

“What happened?”

“Well, it’s just…”

Makoto explained the whole situation to us.

The more I heard, the worse that guy seemed.

Ryu, you did well protecting these two! I’ll praise you for it!

“He still hasn’t given29 given up?”

“I was shocked too… it was so sudden…”

Hmm, that guy didn’t just cling pathetically to a girl who rejected him but targeted a time when her boyfriend was away. What a lowlife.

From what I saw, he might still bother them.

“Alright, got it. How about you two stick with me until Ryu gets back?”

“With you, Yuna-senpai?”

“Yup. That way, you won’t have to worry about that creep, and if he tries anything, I’ll protect you.”

“But that feels like too much trouble for you…”

“You have no reason to protect us.”

“Ryu’s girlfriends are my friends too, and worth protecting. Don’t hesitate to rely on me.”

“Still…”

“Honestly, it’s a relief.”

“No need to hold back! If I may say so myself, I’m more dependable than Ryu when it comes to rough stuff!”

“Then… we’ll take you up on that…”

“Please take care of us.”

“Looking forward to it, even if it’s just for a bit.”

It was unexpected, but these girls seemed really nice, so getting along with them shouldn’t be an issue.

Maybe by the time Ryu gets back, I’ll be closer to them than he is! Yeah, that sounds good.

By the way, what was Ryu doing right now?

I bet he was fine.

He’d probably come back having easily secured a regular spot.

I couldn’t lose either.

This year, I’d win the national championship.

…If I won, would Ryu praise me again…?

N-No, I wasn’t working hard just to get his praise!

Who was I even explaining this to!?

“Yuna-senpai, you’re never boring to watch.”

“I’ve never seen someone as expressive as Makoto.”

…Please stop, it’s really embarrassing…!