I Was Unreasonably Dumped By My Girlfriend And Had My Heart Broken. When I Rescued A Beautiful Girl Who Was My Former Classmate And Idol In My Class From A Group Of Yarisa, My Gray College Life Started To Shine - Chapter 4

Episode 4: It Seems I Was Remembered After All

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To distance ourselves from the crowd as much as possible, I carried Aoba on my back and walked relentlessly through the expansive park.

Aoba’s weight was probably quite light.

It wouldn’t be more than 45 kilograms, but still. For someone like me who doesn’t exercise regularly, it felt quite heavy.

And above all, her very presence was the problem.

Her warm breath, body temperature, and soft touch all made my body stiffen.

Nevertheless, I managed to keep walking somehow, seeking a safe place, and eventually, we arrived at the fountain square.

I had no idea where this was for a country bumpkin like me, but there were a few benches placed around, and there weren’t many cherry blossom viewers around, making it quiet.

I laid Aoba down there and sat beside her.

For now, things have calmed down.

All we had to do was wait for her to recover.

As I sighed in relief, she said something in a somewhat troubled voice.

“Hey, you’re…”

Well, yeah. I had a feeling she’d say that.

To her, I was probably just a peripheral figure in her shining life.

There was no way she’d remember.

But it didn’t really matter.

I didn’t help her this time expecting anything in return.

Leaving her would have made me feel awful.

So, I convinced myself.

And then, I realized.

…Wait, from Aoba’s perspective, I’ve practically been abducted by a stranger, right?

“Oh, um, well, I’m not some suspicious person, you see. It’s just that, due to certain circumstances, I came to help you, Aoba-san. I wasn’t stalking you or anything, and it’s definitely not kidnapping—”

I was being too harsh on myself.

Instead of clarifying things, wasn’t I making myself seem more like a pervert? Even more suspicious? Especially with my increasingly bizarre behavior?

Realizing that the situation was getting worse, I panicked alone, but she suddenly burst into laughter.

Clutching her stomach on the bench, she laughed out loud.

“W-what’s so funny all of a sudden?”

“Sorry, sorry. It just got funny. It’s okay, I remember. Nogami-kun. Keito Nogami-kun. That’s right, isn’t it?”

“…You remembered, huh? About me, just a guy who sat in the corner of the class?”

“That’s not true. You were pretty much in the middle of the class most of the time in junior high.”

I never expected her to remember even that.

It’s true, physically, I was in the middle of the class. But I should have had a noticeable presence.

“So, why is Nogami-kun here? Care to tell me calmly?”

“Don’t tell me to calm down, you’re drunk. But yeah, sure.”

“Heh, you’re quick with the comebacks.”

With intermittent laughter, she seemed amused, and I took a deep breath.

I’m different from the me in junior high.

I tried a little harder in high school, made more friends, and could even converse with girls somewhat.

If I calm down, everything should be fine.

“By chance, I saw you on the university campus, Aoba-san. I remembered later that you were with some suspicious circle, so—”

I omitted the part about Asuka.

It’s not something to discuss with a classmate I haven’t seen in ages, especially one I wasn’t close to.

“…I see, by chance. But thanks to that chance, I was saved, right? Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s my own doing. So, why were you with that circle anyway?”

“I was approached, and I couldn’t refuse because I was surrounded. I didn’t really look into it. I’m so stupid, aren’t I?”

“You’re just too kind. There are bad people out there in the world.”

Especially now, there will undoubtedly be more of those kinds of people.

They’re probably lurking everywhere, targeting us.

And once I start living alone, no one will protect me anymore.

University life may sound glamorous, but it’s not just about having fun.

…Well, in my case, my university life is already doomed.

As I recalled Asuka again and started feeling down, she said,

“Hey, Nogami-kun. What about getting dumped by your girlfriend? You mentioned something like that when you were fighting that jerk senpai, didn’t you?”

I was attacked by an unexpected follow-up.

Oh yeah, I said something like that when I kicked the big guy who was trying to take Aoba away.

“You heard that…?”

“Heh, well, yeah. Even though I was half-conscious, I remember those kinds of conversations. Girl’s love talking about romance. So, is that part off-limits?”

“It’s off-limits, off-limits. It’s not a big deal. Literally, I just got dumped.”

As I said it again, a sense of being pathetic and helplessness overwhelmed me.

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees.

At that moment, Aoba, who had just woken up, sat up.

She put her hand on her head, squeezed her eyes shut, and chuckled.

“Ouch… What’s up? Isn’t it better to stay lying down? You’re still probably drunk, I don’t really know.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Besides, I have to get used to lifting my head gradually; otherwise, I’ll end up spending the night here. More importantly, are you really okay, Nogami-kun?”

“…Me? I’m just hungry, and my muscles ache a bit from running, that’s all.”

Plus, my arms hurt from carrying Aoba, but that’s not something I should mention. It’s not like I’ll be dragging this until tomorrow anyway.

As I massaged my legs with my hands, Aoba suddenly made an unexpected move.

She leaned in closer to me, peering up at me from below.

“W-what’s wrong? Are you still drunk?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just that you don’t look like yourself.”

“Huh…? What do you mean…?”

“Nogami-kun, you have a sad face. Not just a little, but a pretty sad face. You’re not okay at all.”

“Simply being dumped… you’re lying, right? I could tell from just watching.”

It seems like those eyes can easily see through whatever secrets I have.