I Was Oblivious to the Subtle ‘Yandere’ Side of My Nonchalant Sex Friend Gyaru - Chapter 10-11

Chapter 10: 

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Morning. I woke up on the sofa, feeling the discomfort of a bad night’s sleep.

“Hm… She’s not here, huh.”

There was no sign of Kurenai on the bed, and she wasn’t surprising me by making breakfast or anything like that. All that was left on the bed was the rabbit stuffed animal, lying there all alone. It was wrinkled in spots, probably because she’d been hugging it in her sleep.

“Even though she told me not to get it dirty since it was for someone else…”

I muttered to myself, but somewhere deep down I felt relieved. There was no way I could give something like this to the manager now. So, I decided—I’d give it to her after all.

Since she was the one who got it dirty, she’d have to take responsibility for it. That excuse made me feel lighter as I changed into my uniform and brushed my teeth.

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“Morning, Minato! Thanks for everything the other day!”

As soon as I arrived at school, Yumekawa came straight over to me.

“It was nothing. By the way, has Tanaka-senpai said anything since then?”

“Actually, can you believe it? He stopped me at the front gate this morning and was like, ‘Who was that guy you were with the other day?’ So I told him ‘He was my boyfriend.’”

“…I’ve got a really bad feeling about this.”

“Sorry, I just got so pissed so I blurted it out. I’ll definitely apologize properly next time, so if Tanaka-senpai says anything to you, can you play along? I don’t think he’ll be too persistent about it though.”

She said it so casually, but all I felt was dread. Still, I reminded myself I was partly responsible for not refusing that ridiculous one-day-boyfriend favor, and I just said to her.

“Got it.”

Right after Yumekawa returned to her seat, my bad feeling proved right.

“Hey, is there a guy named Minato Aoyama here?”

The door burst open, and seeing the handsome guy who walked in, I hung my head. It was Tanaka-senpai. Well, of course. I knew this was coming.

“Yeah, that’s me.”

Even though I hadn’t introduced myself, he knew my full name—he must have already looked me up. Knowing there was no point hiding, I stepped forward, and he immediately said.

“Come with me.”

So I reluctantly left the classroom with him and stepped into the hallway.

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“Hey, is it true you’re dating Yumekawa?”

That was the first thing Tanaka-senpai asked, and I nodded tiredly, just like Yumekawa had told me to.

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“Hm. What does she see in a guy like you, I wonder.”

His reaction was surprisingly calm.

“You’re… Not angry?”

“I’m not really into her like that. If she’s got someone, it’s just gonna get messy, so I’ll back off.”

So in the end, Tanaka-senpai just wanted to hook up with Yumekawa too.

Every damn guy is the same… Wait, do I even have the right to talk?

“Morning.”

“Ah, good morning…”

While we were talking in the hallway, Kurenai, as usual arriving late, surprisingly greeted me as she walked into the classroom.

“Hm. What a cute gyaru. Hey, are you two close?”

Tanaka-senpai’s eyes locked onto Kurenai. She didn’t seem to care at all, taking her usual seat quietly. Meanwhile, Yumekawa kept glancing over at us nervously.

“Not really. Wait… Are you planning to make a move on her?”

“That’s none of your business. But since we’re here, introduce me. I like girls like her.”

Tanaka-senpai stared at Kurenai with a sleazy grin. His attitude made my irritation flare. And when I realized the reason for that irritation, I got angry at myself.

Kurenai wasn’t mine. Yet deep down, I’d started to think of her that way. Seeing a woman as your possession—wasn’t that exactly what Asou-san’s ex or Tanaka-senpai had done?

And yet… Even knowing that, I couldn’t stop myself from acting self-righteous.

“Hey. Stay away from her.”

“Huh? Watch your mouth, punk. You are talking to a senpai like that? You got a death wish?”

“I said stay away from her. She’s… Yumekawa’s precious childhood friend.”

Words I didn’t even mean and meaningless words can’t convince anyone.

Tanaka-senpai just snorted.

“If you won’t do it, I’ll ask Yumekawa to introduce us.” 

He said as he started to head for the classroom. I grabbed his shoulder.

“I told you to knock it off.”

“Ow, ow! What the hell—let go, it hurts!”

“Then get lost. Otherwise, I’ll make sure you’ll never play soccer again.”

I squeezed his thin shoulder hard, determined to crush it if I had to.

“Ow ow ow! Fine, I get it! W-what’s your problem?!”

Shaking off my hand, Tanaka-senpai bolted down the hallway like he was running for his life.

“…Tch.”

What the hell was I doing?

Guy being jealous… Gross.

Whenever Kurenai called it gross, it annoyed me a little, but she was right.

As I stared at the hand I’d just used to grab him, I slowly made my way back into the classroom I’d stirred up with my outburst. Taking my seat, I looked over at Kurenai, who sat quietly like nothing had happened.

“Minato…”

And coming into my field of vision was Yumekawa, looking at me with a worried expression.

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Chapter 11: 

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“Minato, are you okay? I’m sorry… It’s all my fault.”

Hearing Yumekawa’s unusually apologetic voice, I immediately responded.

“You had nothing to do with it. I just couldn’t stand Tanaka-senpai on a gut level.”

“But… You were protecting Yuzu too.”

“Yuzu… Oh, you mean Kurenai. It’s not like I was trying to protect her.”

Right. I hadn’t meant to protect her. I just couldn’t stand it myself. Even though I wasn’t Kurenai’s friend, childhood friend, or boyfriend. I simply couldn’t bear the thought of her being ogled by other guys.

That was all.

“So don’t worry about me. And after the way I threatened him, Tanaka-senpai probably won’t come near us for a while.”

“…You don’t need to worry about me right now.”

“Well, anyway, I’m glad you’ve cut ties with that jerk.”

I didn’t like being worried about or thanked, so I said something vague to send Yumekawa away. She still looked like she had more to say, but just then the bell for the start of class rang, and she reluctantly returned to her seat.

Good grief. I’d let my emotions get the better of me. I needed to watch myself next time. Though what really worried me was whether Kurenai would say something to me later.

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“Hey, do you like Arisu?”

After school, Kurenai came over to my place like usual. Normally, she’d head straight for the shower, but today she sat on the bed, fiddling with her phone for a bit.

And then, she asked me that.

“…You heard my conversation with Tanaka-senpai, didn’t you?”

“Well, you were pretty loud. So, since you’re not denying it, you must like her.”

“Of course not. I just hate guys like Tanaka-senpai.”

“Jealous of him because he’s handsome? Pathetic.”

“…Maybe. But I really can’t stand people who think being good at sports makes them superior. That kind of thing won’t get you anywhere once you’re out in the real world.”

Even as I said it, it stung my own ears. I was aware enough to know that I used to be that kind of person myself.

“So that’s why you quit sports?”

“I just realized my own limits, that’s all. What about you? If our school had a softball team, would you have joined?”

“I knew it didn’t have one when I chose this school. I never planned on playing.”

Kurenai tossed her phone on the bed in boredom. Then she started taking off her outer garment.

“You’ve got work, right? If you don’t hurry, you’ll run out of time.”

“Your towel is in the usual place.”

“Forget it today. Let’s just do it like this.”

“We still have time—”

“You don’t mind it even if I don’t take a shower first?”

“…Not really.”

Normally, Kurenai would never get close to me without taking a shower first. But today, for some reason, she took off her clothes and clung to me just like that. The fresh sensation of our slightly sweaty skin sticking together excited me more than usual. I held Kurenai tightly, almost like I was trying to vent something inside myself.

And I completely forgot about the stuffed animal sitting in the corner of the room.

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“Fwaaah…”

“Oh? You look unusually worn out. Been fooling around with too many girls?”

“It’s not like that, Asou-san.”

Night. Work was unusually slow. With the manager off today, it was just Asou-san and me running the place until the replacement staff showed up. I was a little uneasy about being alone with her, but she seemed to have regained a bit of her old cheer.

“You’re already over him, huh?”

“Yeah, pretty much. He kept pestering me even afterward. He sent me this ridiculously long message at the end… I just lost all interest.”

She showed me her phone. The message was so long it made my eyes hurt. Honestly, it was kind of creepy.

“Sounds like he turned out to be more of a basket case than you.”

“Right? But you never know what guys like that might do. It’s a little scary… Could you walk me home tonight?”

“Well, I don’t mind.”

“Oh, thanks! My parents are both out drinking tonight, so they can’t pick me up.”

We made small talk like that, but there wasn’t even a hint of customers coming in tonight.After spacing out for a while, the bell over the door finally rang.

“Welcome!”

A guy who looked like a college student with dyed brown hair came in alone. It was pretty normal to see people like him at this hour, so I didn’t think anything of it and started to seat him. But when I saw Asou-san duck into the kitchen in a panic, I realized exactly who he was.

“If you decide what you’d like, please call me.”

I led him to the furthest seat, where he wouldn’t have a good view of the kitchen, and then quickly returned. Asou-san was crouched down with a pale face.

“…It’s him, isn’t it?”

“Y-yeah. But why did he come here…?”

“He’s here to see you, obviously.”

“I never told him I worked here, though. Could he have followed me?”

She was clearly terrified. So that was why she’d been putting on a brave face. Deep down, she must have been really stressed by his relentless messages.

“Well, he won’t find you back here. I’ll handle it.”

“S-sorry… Thank you.”

Right then, the call bell rang. I stepped out of the kitchen and headed to the back table. Then—

“Hey, is there a girl named Asou working here?”

The guy was glancing around suspiciously as he asked.

“I’m not sure, I just started working here myself.”

Of course, all I could do was play dumb in this situation. But the guy seemed convinced Asou-san was here, and his attitude changed instantly.

“Don’t tell me you’re trying to cover for her. Are you her new guy or something?”

I wanted to smack my forehead at the ridiculous accusation. Well, I was covering for her, but still.

“So, what would you like to order?”

“Shut the hell up. Just bring her out. I just want to talk to her. Hey! Mariko, I know you’re here! Hey!”

“Excuse me, you’re disturbing the other customers. Please lower your voice.” 

Even when I told him that, he wouldn’t listen.

“There’s no one else here! You better remember what happens if you make a fool out of me!”

He started yelling threats, and I found myself thinking—just like with Tanaka-senpai earlier, maybe I should crush his head this time. But this was my workplace. I didn’t want to cause a scene and lose my job. Especially not with the manager away.

“I’ll have to call the police.”

I said it calmly, and with a click of his tongue, the man slammed his water down, splashing it everywhere, and stormed out of the store.

“Phew…”

As I wiped up the spilled water on the table and floor, Asou-san came over timidly from the back.

“A-are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Are you okay, Asou-san?”

“I’m… Yeah. Sorry for putting you through that.”

“You don’t need to apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong. That guy was the one who crossed the line.”

“B-but…”

“You’re not involved with him anymore, right? Then there’s nothing for you to feel guilty about. Anyway, the replacement staff will be here soon, so let’s get you ready to go home.”

“…Yeah.”

Once Asou-san disappeared into the back, I felt the tension drain out of me.

Really… Things like these have been happening a lot lately.  Are guys these days all like this? Or did I just happen to have a string of them in my life? Or maybe…

Maybe deep down, I’m no different from them.

That thought lingered in the silent store as I scratched my head with my damp hand.

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