I'm a Kept Man for the Three Most Beautiful Girls in School - Chapter 03: Recollection - Sakurako Daigo

Chapter 03: Recollection – Sakurako Daigo

Leaving the social gathering halfway through, I was on my way back home after finishing my shift at Uber.

I found myself looking up at the famous temple’s main hall, admiring the night cherry blossoms alone.

It was eight o’clock at night. 

Even though it was spring, the night air was still chilly.

I pulled my hoodie up and sniffled.

It had been a while since I last thought the night cherry blossoms were beautiful.

Locals don’t usually go cherry blossom viewing. 

Everyone’s been used to seeing them since they were kids.

Up until elementary school, I used to get excited about the cherry blossoms on the way to school with my friends.

But by the time I became a middle schooler, I stopped paying attention to them. 

Now that I’m in high school, I’m too old for cherry blossom viewing.

And I don’t have friends like I used to.

As I thought about that, a breeze blew. 

The trees rustled, and cherry blossom petals started to fall.

That’s when I noticed something. 

Someone was watching me.

I felt a presence. 

I turned around without thinking.

“Daigo-san…?”

“Who, are you?”

Being asked who I was felt strange. 

Standing there was Sakurako Daigo.

She had a bob cut with light pink highlights like Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms. She wore stylish glasses and had a large bust that pushed against her denim overalls and inner shirt.

Her perfect appearance and demeanor were as beautiful as the night cherry blossoms, yet they gave off a somewhat fleeting aura.

Through her glasses, her eyes seemed to be glaring at me. 

No, to be precise, she wasn’t even looking at me.

It felt like she was looking past me, at something beyond.

Then I understood. 

Daigo-san wasn’t looking at me but at the cherry tree behind me.

“Oh, sorry. I’m Kyosaka from the same class.”

“Sorry, I don’t know you.”

“Yeah, I figured. I’m not really noticeable.”

“It’s not that. I just don’t have much interest in people our age. So, Kyosaka-kun, right? Sorry, but I don’t remember your face.”

Uhh, harsh. 

So this is the kind of person Daigo-san is. 

Well, I kind of expected it. 

In class, during lunch, and even after school, she always looked out the window with bored eyes.

She seemed uninterested in others, like an untouchable flower on a high peak. All the boys in our grade, especially the quiet ones, seemed to have a crush on her, but no one dared to get close. The saying “Don’t touch the goddess and she won’t curse you” fits her perfectly.

She’s a loner, but in a different way than I am.

In that sense, I felt a bit of a connection to her, but I don’t have the courage to speak my mind as clearly as she does.

“Seems like I interrupted you. Sorry. I’ll go now.”

“You were looking at the cherry blossoms, right? You don’t have to leave because of me.”

“Ah, okay.”

Not really knowing what to say, I sat down under the cherry tree. 

Daigo-san sat down next to me.

“Question. Are you living a life without regrets, Kyosaka-kun?”

It was sudden. 

Daigo-san asked this while gazing at the cherry blossoms.

Living a life without regrets, huh? I’m not sure, especially since I don’t have friends, but it seems like a heavy statement for someone our age.

“For now, I think I am.”

“I think the word ‘now’ can crumble easily. It’s just not the time yet. So, I’d prefer if you said you’ll live without regrets in the future too.”

Wow, that’s deep. Like a poem.

“If I think about the future, I might start going easy on myself now.”

“I’m curious. Tell me more.”

“There’s something I absolutely have to do while I’m still in high school. If I don’t do it, I’ll regret it forever. So I have to do it now. Though, today… I already have some regrets.”

Yes. Today, I cut into my work hours.

Joining the class social was important, but that’s a separate issue.

My job is my lifeline and a source of income, so I need to prioritize it.

Also, I almost broke my promise to myself to earn my sister’s college fees.

Thankfully, Ono-san covered for me, so it worked out.

“Ah, I see. You’re the ‘Okeihan’ Tsukasa mentioned.”

Daigo-san asked this with a knowing smile.

“What do you mean?”

“There are countless dots in the world—people, things, scenes. Not all of them connect with lines, but at least for me, they’ve connected. Chikage and Tsukasa talked about you so happily.”

Daigo-san spoke slowly, almost as if reciting poetry.

Karasuma-san and Ono-san talked about me happily… What kind of situation was that?

I couldn’t imagine it, but it made me a little happy.

Being talked about by the three most beautiful girls in school—it’s quite an honor, isn’t it?

“You’re pretty cute up close, Kyosaka-kun.”

“Uh, um… thanks?”

I didn’t really understand what she was saying, so I just thanked her.

Was that a compliment? 

I wasn’t sure.

“Chikage, Tsukasa, and I are pretty realistic, so we’re quite picky about people’s looks. But Kyosaka-kun, you pleasantly surprised us. That’s all.”

With a blank expression, Daigo-san said something profound in a calm tone.

“Pretty soon, you’ll have to make a choice. When that time comes, I wonder which side you’ll pick, Kyosaka-kun. We plan to support you, but you’re hard to read. Just giving you a heads-up.”

“What do you mean? What choice?”

“I can’t tell you now. Chikage, Tsukasa, and I can be pretty ruthless.”

What could that mean? It sounds a bit scary. 

Am I going to have to make a tough choice?

I can’t even imagine it.

“But there’s one thing I can say.”

Daigo-san looked straight into my eyes. 

Her beautiful eyes behind the lenses had an undeniable intensity.

“We’ll probably become friends.”

With the night cherry blossoms as her backdrop, Daigo-san declared this firmly. 

The moonlight illuminating her profile made her look somewhat mystical.

For someone like me with no friends, those words felt a bit ticklish.

Quietly. 

Gently. 

As if softly knocking on my heart—

Cherry blossom petals danced in the night wind.