I Was Reincarnated as a Creepy Fat Guy, Then Trained Myself Without Sleep. And Then, for Some Reason, the Heroines Start Approaching Me - Chapter 8: Promise

We were getting ready to set up at our usual quiet hangout spot to have lunch. But before that, I decided to ask the two of them what happened.

“So, how was it?”

“Scary.”

Former bookworm Manabu looked exhausted, and Keisuke, the socially awkward one, seemed anxious. Surely, something had happened in their respective classes.

“What specifically?”

I asked while looking at them. Manabu adjusted his glasses, but then realized they were soft lenses, cleared his throat, and then spoke.

“Until now, both boys and girls in the class looked at me with contempt, but suddenly their eyes started sparkling, and they began talking to me.”

“Huh, isn’t that a good thing?”

“Well, it’s just that their attitude changed so suddenly that it’s suspicious and scary.”

Manabu said this with a troubled expression, and Keisuke chimed in.

“I… felt the same way.”

“So, Keisuke, were you okay?”

“Itsuki-kun… I was really scared.”

Keisuke suddenly pressed against me, trembling. His eyes were on the verge of tears.

Well, it’s understandable. Keisuke was a socially awkward introvert who couldn’t even hold a conversation with others before he met us.

No matter how much he trained his body and groomed his hair to look good (his bangs were still long), it wasn’t something that would change quickly.

I watched their reactions, closed my eyes quietly, and thought for a moment. Then, I opened my eyes and spoke gently.

“This is normal.”

“”Huh?””

“Most of the world is like this. But no matter how unimpressive we were or are, we’ll always be ourselves. I think that’s important. So don’t worry too much about what others think. I want to cherish my relationship with you guys.”

“Itsuki-kun…”

“Itsuki… I have a bad feeling that this might trigger a different flag…”

Although the two of them had dark expressions earlier, they were now looking at me with warm smiles.

“What are you spacing out for? Let’s have lunch already.”

When I said this, they widened their eyes and opened the lids of their bento boxes they had brought. Manabu, seemingly having thought of something, said, “Ah!” and spoke to me.

“By the way, Itsuki.”

“Hm?”

“Aren’t you going to the maid cafe?”

“Maid cafe?”

“Yeah. You’ve been working on your body all summer, so you haven’t been able to go, right? Your current rank is VIP, but it’ll drop if you keep missing it.”

“…”

X X X

After-school classroom

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

“Yes. I’ll take care of the rest…so you can go ahead… Kondo-san.”

Today was my turn for duty. We do it in order of attendance numbers, so I’m usually paired with a guy who always insults me. But today, he seems very docile.

The way he was before…

[Hey, you pig! Take out all the trash!]

[Huh? Why?]

[Because you’re like a cancer cell in our class. It would be better if you disappeared. If you don’t properly take out the trash, you know what will happen, right?]

[…]

[What are you muttering? Do it quickly! I’m going ahead. If you don’t do the trash properly, you know what will happen, right?]

We used to have conversations like that.

I don’t want to waste my energy on such a useless guy anymore. Besides, I need to go to the maid cafe soon.

“Why don’t you just leave everything to me like you always do?”

“…”

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry…”

“What are you sorry for?”

“…for always saying terrible things.”

He bowed his head and said in a trembling voice. Well, in reality, the one who received such harsh treatment was the previous Itsuki Kondo.

I don’t want to make a pointless fuss with this brat. Besides, I need to go to the maid cafe soon.

“The words you’ve been saying until now will probably stay in my memory until I die.”

“…”

“Hand me half of that trash bag.”

“S-Sorry.”

“Be careful with your words from now on. I can be scary when I’m angry.”

“I-I understand.”

I took a part of the trash bag from him as he trembled and headed to the garbage disposal area.

X X X

After finishing my duties, I put on my backpack and left the classroom. Honestly, I didn’t feel very good. If it had been Hanyama, who had slandered me as the previous Kondou Itsuki after my reincarnation, apologizing, it might have been different. However, this was the first time I had talked to him. I wasn’t sure if I had the right to say such things.

It’s complicated.

As I was about to pass through the school gate with a heavy expression, I heard a familiar voice.

“Kondo-kun!”

And then, a soft touch on my shoulder.

I turned around, wondering what was going on, and there was the beautiful face of Kanzaki.

“Kanzaki?”

“You can call me Kanna.”

“Huh?”

“Kanna.”

“Well, that’s a bit…”

“Mou~…”

In response to my reaction, Kanzaki puffed up her cheeks like marshmallows and sulked. Despite me continuing to walk without slowing down, Kanzaki kept following me.

It seems like she’s not going to leave me alone until she accomplishes her goal.

In response to my reaction, Kanzaki puffed up her cheeks like marshmallows and sulked. Even though I continued walking without slowing down, Kanzaki kept following me.

It seemed like she wasn’t going to leave me alone until she achieved her goal.

“K-Kanna…”

“Huh!?”

“Hmm?”

Kanna suddenly tensed up and stopped in her tracks. Curious, I stopped and gestured with my gaze for her to continue. She then blushed, wore a shy smile, and moved her glossy lips.

“Well, then, I’ll call you Itsuki-kun.”

“Ah, well… call me whatever you like.”

“Ehehe~~.”

She smiled happily, and we started walking again.

“By the way, Itsuki-kun, is something bothering you?”

“Hmm? Not really.”

“You had a troubled look on your face.”

“I did?”

“Yeah.”

Her round blue eyes seemed to hold a hint of concern.

But…

“I really don’t have anything.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm…”

She looked at me with a meaningful expression, then let out a small sigh. Silence hung between us for a moment.

It’s a bit awkward.

“Are you going home now?”

“Yes, I am. What about you, Itsuki-kun?”

“I have a promise to keep… so, not home.”

“A promise!?”

“Yeah. I’m headed this way today, so see you later.”

“Huh?”

I couldn’t keep the school waiting any longer, so I walked quickly toward the nearby bus stop. Luckily, the bus arrived just in time, so I got on it quickly.

X X X

Kanzaki’s Side

Watching the departing bus, the black-haired beauty Kanna Kanzaki  was anxious. She wanted to get closer to her benefactor, Itsuki Kondo, who had helped her, but he had a complicated expression.

And…

A promise.

What kind of promise could it be? She racked her brain for an answer and suddenly widened her eyes, as if she had thought of something.

“Ah!”

A scene from a shoujo manga she had read recently came to mind. The male protagonist, who had angered his girlfriend, made a promise to go on a date to make up.

In other words, did Kondo have a girlfriend?

In the past, it wouldn’t have been a big deal, but now he was incredibly handsome and had a fantastic body.

He would probably get hit on if he walked down the street.

Thinking about that, an indescribable feeling of frustration welled up in her heart.

But…

[K-Kanna…]

She remembered how he had shyly said her name, and for some reason, it made her feel calm.

“I just want to be friends with Itsuki-kun and repay his kindness.”

She muttered to herself with a smug face but eventually let out a mumbled confession.

“S-So, that’s really all…”