I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me - Chapter 57

Chapter 57   The First Lecture

Five more minutes until we reached the university.

As we got closer, Shinohara’s excitement grew, and she began to practically bounce beside me as we walked.

“I’m officially a second-year student starting today!”

“Congrats on leveling up.”

“And you’re a third-year now, senpai!”

“Congrats on leveling up.”

At that, Shinohara looked up at me with a pout.

“Your responses are so half-hearted!”

“Why are you so hyped, anyway?”

She must have something she’s really looking forward to at university. I was somewhat excited too, but definitely not enough to be skipping along.

“Aren’t lectures a drag?”

“No way, they’re fun! Isn’t it nice when things you don’t understand start to make sense?”

“Ah, you’re too dazzling!”

I covered my face with both hands, blocking Shinohara from my sight. It’s not that I hate studying. I know it’s necessary. But if a god offered me a life where I could become a successful adult with a high income without needing to study, I’d gladly never touch a book again.

Shinohara, on the other hand, would probably still attend every lecture with enthusiasm, even in that scenario. She’s so obviously on the right path that it makes me want to look away sometimes.

“Maybe the reason you’re bored with lectures, senpai, is because you don’t have anyone to attend them with?”

“Wow, that was rude.”

“Oh, sorry! That just slipped out.”

“Apologize properly! And for the record, I do have people!”

Between my friends from the club, classmates in my department, and Ayaka, I’m not exactly alone. Without them, my credits would probably be a disaster by now.

“Hmm, true. You actually do have more friends than I thought, senpai.”

“What do you mean, ‘more than you thought’? I don’t have that many friends.”

“Oh, so you don’t?”

“Stop giving me that look!”

Shinohara’s sad expression made me instinctively tease her.

In moments like this, it’s better to poke fun; it helps lighten the mood.

“But you’ve got Toudou, right?”

“That’s just a friend, not really about having influence or anything.”

“Hmm. Well, maybe people’s understanding of ‘influence’ varies.”

With that, Shinohara jumped ahead of me and turned to face me.

“I think you’re pretty great, senpai.”

“…Thanks.”

How many people would fall for that line? If it weren’t for me, they’d be hooked. I owe Ayaka for building up my resistance. Thanks to her, I won’t end up a wreck from this.

“Yup, yup. So, senpai,” Shinohara said, stepping closer and looking up at me.

“I think there are some general lectures we both have to take. Want to attend together?”

“Yeah, no thanks.”

“What? Why not!?”

Shinohara’s eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting a rejection.

“Because being with you makes me stand out too much.”

Even at the end of the second semester, when Shinohara ran up to me after an exam, I got all kinds of stares from the guys around. Unlike Ayaka, Shinohara interacts with me the same way no matter who’s watching, so I end up feeling the weight of all those eyes on me.

To be fair, her open and honest personality is a great trait, but for my university life, it’s not exactly convenient. My high school years were one thing, but now, the situation is totally different. Prioritizing my own school life is just common sense at this point.

“…Senpai.”

“What now?”

“If you ever need help, I can share my lecture notes.”

“Fine, I guess we can take them together!”

“Oh no, we need to fix this greedy senpai before it’s too late…”

Shinohara groaned dramatically, clutching her head. Watching her laugh lightly afterward, I couldn’t help but feel that if anyone could fix this part of my personality, it would probably be her.

◇◆

I parted ways with Shinohara and stood in front of the large lecture hall.

Let me share a typical “latecomer” thought.

Big lecture hall. Only twenty minutes left until the second period ends.

In this situation, any liberal arts student would think:

──Wouldn’t it be smarter to grab lunch seats for my friends right now?

Naturally, I thought the same and turned on my heel when my phone vibrated. It was Ayaka.

“Come.”

“Scary…”

I instinctively pulled my face away from the phone. We hadn’t made any plans to attend the lecture together, but I couldn’t say no. I owed her for all the times I borrowed her notes. Not that rejecting it was ever really an option.

Trying to make as little noise as possible, I entered the lecture hall. A few people in the back looked my way, as if asking, “At this time?” I get it—if I were in their shoes, I’d think the same. That’s exactly why I hate walking into class late.

Ayaka usually sits in a specific area, just slightly toward the front. Sure enough, her bag was placed next to her, likely saving a spot for me. Feeling guilty that I’d only be using the seat for twenty minutes, I hunched my back and climbed the stairs quietly. Ayaka noticed me, glanced over, and silently placed her bag on the floor.

Just as I moved toward the spot she saved for me, someone tugged on my sleeve.

“──Huh?”

“Hey, take a seat.”

It was Natsuki Yamanashi.

The last time I saw her was at the Valentine’s party. Knowing she’s close to my ex, Reina, makes me feel a bit guarded around her.

“I, uh…”

I glanced toward Ayaka, but she waved her hand dismissively while looking at the PowerPoint projected in front of her. It seemed she realized I had been pulled into a conversation. With no other choice, I sat down next to Natsuki, who smiled slightly.

“Aren’t you going to sit with Aya-chan?”

“You’re the one who called me.”

“Just kidding, just kidding.”

“What kind of joke is that?”

As we whispered back and forth, I rummaged through my bag. The only thing inside was my notebook.

“Ah, crap.”

The words slipped out unconsciously. Natsuki glanced over at me and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“No, um… it’s hard to say, but…”

“Yeah?”

“I forgot my pencil case.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Natsuki smiled slightly while looking ahead.

“So what now?”

“Huh?”

I was a bit confused, unsure of what she meant. As I scratched my head and faced forward, the PowerPoint screen was changing. Well, with Ayaka around, I felt somewhat at ease. Still, I didn’t want to rely on her too much, so I resolved to take proper notes next time.

After that, we listened to the lecture in silence, and time passed quickly. I could hear the sound of camera shutters each time the slide changed, indicating that this professor was quite lenient.

“This professor seems relaxed.”

When I said that, Natsuki nodded, a smile on her face.

“Definitely looks relaxed. I think I’ll sign up for this class.”

“I’ll take it too.”

“How many credits do you have left until graduation?”

“About forty or so.”

Just as I answered, the chime rang. As I tucked my blank notebook into my bag, Natsuki spoke up.

“Hey, Yuuta…”

“Yeah?”

“You’re pretty fortunate to have good people around you.”

“Yeah, I think so too, even I realize that.”

Just thinking of Shinohara, Ayaka, and Toudou, it’s an impressive lineup.

“But why do you bring that up all of a sudden?”

When I asked, Natsuki tilted her head. The tips of her loosely curled hair swayed gently.