I’m a Telepath, but It’s Tough Because the Cool Beautiful Girl Next to Me Is Having Pink Thoughts - Chapter 14

No matter how much I wished tomorrow wouldn’t come, it always did.

I got up from the bed as its sheets were already stripped of Tatsuki-san’s scent and pulled open the heavy curtains. Warm sunlight spilled into the room, comforting in its own way, but along with it came something else entirely.

“Heeey, Rei-kun, open uuup.”

The singsong voice in my head bounced around like someone dancing in place, or maybe that was just my bias against it.

Haa, I let out a long breath and made my way to the front door.

The door felt heavier than usual. When I opened it, standing there was a woman in a tattered camisole dress and oversized sunglasses. Not exactly what someone expects from a thirty-three-year-old first thing in the morning.

“…Landlady, what on earth are you wearing?”

“Trendsetter, baby!”

If that ever became a trend, society was doomed.

This eccentric person was both the landlady of the apartment and my guardian.

She knew about my ability; she honestly probably understood it better than I did myself.

“I’ll just make myself at home~ Hmm~ Now then, where do you keep the valuables~”

“What could you possibly steal from a broke student?”

Every week, she dropped by like this. It was to officially check on my situation, but really, she just liked to hang around.

“You still have such a dreary room. You have no charm at all!”

“…I can’t afford charm.”

She plopped herself down and let out a booming laugh, the kind that filled the place.

And she calls my room lacking charm? Please.

“Well, living in this rundown apartment already says it all, huh?”

“You’re the one managing this building. Don’t say that.”

“Managing is just a title. Only you and Jaga-san live here anyway.”

I bit back the urge to say, maybe it’s because of how it looks right now that nobody else moves in. That was a little too cruel.

Because no matter how she acted, she was my benefactor. Not just for things in the past, but even now, she’s renting me this place for practically nothing.

Sure, she had her own reasons for doing so. But that didn’t make it any less of a kindness.

The other tenant here goes by Jaga-san. Of course, that’s not their real name. Their room always smells like steamed potatoes, so that’s what I started calling them. I actually know their real surname from the nameplate, but Jaga just stuck.

“Why not do some renovations? One of the steps on the stairs to the second floor is broken.”

“Eh, no one’s gonna move in anyway~. No money either~. So it’s fine, right~?”

I couldn’t tell if that easygoing attitude was just her nature or the alcohol talking.

“…If you cut back on drinking, you’d probably save quite a bit. Wait, don’t tell me you’ve been drinking already today?”

“Oh, you noticed?”

“Of course, I noticed. You reek of alcohol and your thoughts, too.”

Drunk thoughts always feel fuzzy and blurred, and right now, the landlady was deep in that haze. It was pretty strong at that.

“Come on~, I couldn’t survive without drinking.”

“You don’t need to get wasted every time, though.”

“That’s naive. Sweet, even. The whole point is drinking until you’re flying.”

I don’t know much about alcohol, but even I was certain that this was a bad example. I understood the anxiety about the future; I carried my own. But numbing it with alcohol felt like the worst possible choice.

“Anyway, that’s enough, right? You’ve finished your check-up.”

“Ehh~, let me stay a little longer.”

“I’ve got to head out already!”

She clung to the bed like a child, and I had to peel her off while dragging her across the floor. She was so light it was like pulling around an empty sack.

“Well then, see you next week.”

“Aww~, meany…”

By the time I hauled her to the entrance, she was fumbling with her shoes, slow and clumsy, probably from being half-drunk. I wasn’t cruel enough to rush her.

“Oh, by the way, Rei-kun.”

“Yes?”

My hand was on the door when her voice suddenly shifted to clear, like sobriety had snapped back into her.

When I gave a halfhearted reply, she turned to me.

“Have you made any friends at school?”

Her eyes weren’t swirling like they did when she was drunk.

“Little by little… I guess.”

“…Good.”

And with that, she stepped out of the room.

…She always acted careless and scatterbrained, but every now and then she hit me right in the core. I never really knew what to make of her.

—

Not long after that, I left home and arrived at school without anything out of the ordinary happening.

And now, I stood frozen in front of the classroom door.

Yesterday’s incident… What if the rumor had already spread?

If it had, the guys would probably be riled up and out for blood.

That thought clung to my mind and wouldn’t let go.

And this wasn’t just paranoia. When it came to Tatsuki, misunderstandings had a way of exploding.

If people started assuming things about me…

I didn’t even want to imagine what would happen.

While I was stuck worrying.

“Boo.”

“Uwaah!?”

Something brushed my back, and I let out a stupid yelp. 

I looked back quickly.

“What are you doing, Itsumi?”

Of course. It was Chihiro.

As always, he was practically glowing with that dazzling aura of his.

“I, nothing..”

“Nothing, huh? Well, whatever. Let’s go in.”

“Um, yeah…

My half-baked answer didn’t bother him. Chihiro just slapped me on the shoulder and pulled me along as he opened the classroom door.

“Yo, Ichigo! Morning~”

“Chiihii, what’s up!”

“Morning~”

The greetings came flying the moment we stepped inside.

None of them were directed at me, of course.

Not that it stung anymore. I’d gotten used to it, and I didn’t honestly see the point.

If anything, I just admired how Chihiro had managed to build such wide connections already.

“Morning~, everybody!”

He tossed back a casual reply.

At a good breaking point, I split off from my radiant friend and headed toward my own desk.

The moment I left, a small crowd gathered around him again.

And then, there it was.

The conversation I’d been dreading.

“Hey, did you hear about Tatsuki’s boyfriend?”

“What hell? What’s that about?”

“Apparently, some second-year student saw her with a guy.”

“Unforgivable! Tatsuki is supposed to be an untouchable goddess!”

As expected, the rumor about her had already spread.

And just as expected, the boys’ reactions were exactly what I imagined.

I was amazed at how fast information traveled, but at least it seemed like none of the sparks were going to land on me.

From what I overheard, the one who’d spotted that scene was a second-year.

No one in my year or even my own class really knew my face, so there was no way I’d be identified.

Sure, it was possible someone else had seen us, but given how things stood, there wasn’t much reason to worry. All that hesitation at the classroom door had been needless anxiety.

I was relieved as I let out a quiet breath.

And that was when.

“Ah, morning, Tatsuki-chan!!”

“Rio-chan, heeey!”

“You’re looking gorgeous as always~!”

The door slid open, and greetings rained down in an instant.

Of course, all directed at Tatsuki Rio.

With her usual calm, almost aloof expression, she acknowledged them───No words, just a polite little nod of her head.

“G-Good m-morning, Tatsuki-sa, san!”

“M-Me too! Good morning!”

The boys followed while stammering through their awkward greetings.

Tatsuki gave them the same response and just a small, silent nod.

And yet,

“She nodded at meee!”

“So cuuuute!”

Their thoughts bloomed like a flower garden in spring. Honestly, if she ever actually spoke to them, they’d probably ascend to heaven on the spot.

After navigating her way through the barrage of greetings, Tatsuki finally made her way to her desk, right next to mine.

“Haa… replying to all those greetings is brutal for a socially awkward mess like me.”

The weary thought slipped from her mind.

So that cold, minimal response of hers… it was just because she was shy?

And that counted as her returning the greeting?

While I was mulling that over, our eyes suddenly met.

I tried to look away immediately, but—

“Good morning, Itsumi-san. Are you feeling alright after yesterday…?”

If ever there was a time to use the phrase my heart nearly leapt out of my chest, it was now.

“…Eh!? Oh, y-yeah. I-I’m fine. Really.”

“If you ever feel sick, please tell me, alright? I’ll help you anytime.”

Did she have any idea what those words were doing to my fragile standing in this classroom?

“A-and if you need to lean on my shoulder again, I don’t mind.”

“W-what the…”

Did she realize that little joke just demolished whatever scraps of reputation I had left here!?

“Um… right.”

“W-well then, I’ll just go to the restroom for a bit…”

And with that, Tatsuki scurried away, her retreat leaving behind a whirlwind that felt bigger than any typhoon.

Only then did I realize just how sharp and heavy people’s stares could be.

I glanced toward Chihiro. Around him, the guys were staring at me, their eyes dead and lifeless.

I didn’t need telepathy to know what they were thinking. Their thoughts leaked out like curses, heavy and bitter.

As for Chihiro himself… he was grinning. Not maybe grinning, but he was openly and definitely enjoying the show.

Help me, I thought, but even I had no idea how anyone could save me from this.

And so, to sum it all up. My high school life just went up in smoke, and it was scattered like dust in the wind.