I’m a Telepath, but It’s Tough Because the Cool Beautiful Girl Next to Me Is Having Pink Thoughts - Chapter 16

If I had to describe Kisara in a few words, she’s the kind of girl I often see at the top of the class caste, the lively and talkative type.

She’s the sort who seems good at looking after others, keeping an eye on the atmosphere around her, and steering the flow of conversation. At least, that’s what I’ve heard through the telepathic chatter of my classmates.

I don’t actually know her personally, so of course I’m just repeating what I’ve picked up.

“I don’t really… get what you’re saying.”

That’s all I can answer to her ridiculous question of, “So, how did you manage to win over Rio-chan?” Not that I’m pretending. I really don’t remember doing anything of the sort.

“Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you’re one of those clueless types? That doesn’t fly anymore, you know.”

Poking at the air with a playful gesture, Kisara steps closer to me.

I instinctively try to step back, but right now I’m standing in line at the campus store.

With people crowded all around, it’d be a nuisance if I kept backing up. So, I slip out of the line altogether with no other choice.

“You didn’t have to get out of line, just so you know.”

“No… If I didn’t, I’d just get in the way.”

“Such a goody two-shoes. Maybe that’s what made Rio-chan fall for you?”

She really can tie anything back to that.

What is with this girl?

“…What exactly are you trying to ask me? I don’t get this whole winning someone over thing.”

“Hehe. So you’re going to play dumb? Fine. I’ll just take my time and pry it out of you.”

Ehehehe, Kisara lets out a deliberately villainous little chuckle, as if she’s enjoying this.

But judging by her tone, she’s not just poking her nose in for fun.

I focus on the voice inside her head, the thoughts she can’t hide.

“Itsumi-kun… He might be kind of interesting, but he just honestly looks like another quiet nobody in the corner.”

So she’s sizing me up.

Not that it’s surprising. People always judge someone when they first meet. There’s nothing unusual about that.

But then—

“Why in the world did Rio-chan fall for a guy like this…? I’m definitely the better choice, no contest!”

…Wait a second. Is this… jealousy?

What I’m hearing from her thoughts sounds just like some clingy, overbearing fan…

…No, maybe that’s exactly what this is?

Tatsuki isn’t just popular with the guys; she’s well-liked by the girls, too.

She’s tall, strikingly handsome, smart, and athletic. The kind of person everyone admires. Even people of the same sex naturally fall for her.

If I remember right… Kisara is always hanging around her.

Well, that’s true for most of the girls, but this one in particular sticks to her like a shadow.

I always figured they were just close friends.

But could it actually be…

“I put in the effort every single day, and then some gloomy nobody like him gets chosen instead~~~ Ugh!”

…So she’s seriously into Tatsuki!?

“Oh, would you look at the time. I promised to have lunch with Rio-chan, so I’ll save the rest of my questions for another day.”

Kisara waves casually as she leaves, putting an odd amount of emphasis on the words “with Rio-chan.”

…Wait. Does this mean girls are going to start lashing out at me, too?

That’s going to be a real pain…

Feeling both overwhelmed by Tatsuki’s ridiculous influence and dreading what my school life might turn into, I sigh and slip back into line at the store.

—

When lunch break ended, I nervously returned to the classroom, only to find no one waiting to punch me in the face.

Well, of course not. It’s not like this school is that rough. Still, the usual chorus of nasty thoughts kept flying my way all the same.

Since it was Friday, the afternoon was reserved for a long homeroom session. Two whole hours of it.

What they could possibly have to talk about for that long was beyond me, but I guess it made sense to cram all the week’s announcements in at once.

“All right, everyone, take your seats.”

Our homeroom teacher came in and quickly settled the noisy, restless class.

“As you all know, starting next week, it’ll be one week before exams. Club activities will be on hold, so make sure you use the time to study.”

The blunt announcement sent the classroom right back into chaos. This time, even in the voices I could hear inside their heads.

As expected, exams were treated like the ultimate nuisance.

Of course, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about them either. But unlike most people, I never found exam season that painful.

Studying has always been one of my strengths. I wasn’t the type to panic two weeks before a test.

If anything, I actually enjoyed watching the normally rowdy crowd suddenly go quiet for a week.

“Ughhh~ I’m doomed in math~”

“I haven’t studied at all, haha!”

“English is impossible for me.”

“Guess I’m pulling an all-nighter!”

The complaints filled the air, both spoken aloud and muttered in their minds.

Some kids were even planning to use the break from club activities as an excuse to go play. Well, whatever happens to them isn’t my problem.

Once it seemed like there were no more important announcements coming, I let my mind drift.

If I actually tried to keep up with this nonstop flood of thoughts, my head would fry.

Sinking deep into my chair, I closed my eyes—

On a whim, I glanced over at Tatsuki.

As usual, she was staring down at her desk with a blank, sour expression.

“Wh-what should I do…”

Even though she was letting out the same kind of anxious thoughts as everyone else.

I’d always heard she was a top student, but that was back in middle school, and even then, it was only a rumor I’d picked up.

Maybe she’s not that great with studying after all. Honestly, considering she spends half of class daydreaming about… less-than-wholesome things, it’d be stranger if her grades were actually good.

I shook off the thought, closed my eyes again, and let my mind drift.

“──Alright then, make sure you head straight home.”

The teacher’s voice pulled me back. The next thing I knew, the dismissal chime was ringing and everyone was bustling to pack up.

“Hey, wanna have a study session today?”

“That sounds good. Let’s go to Saizeria nearby—”

Everyone was already gearing up for test prep.

No way they’d just turn it into a casual hangout… Probably.

“Chihiro, you’ve got a club again today?”

“Yeah. Our tournament’s right after exams.”

He answered with a groan when I called out to him.

Our school wasn’t exactly famous for its sports, but a few teams had the skill to compete at the national level.

Those few were allowed to keep practicing right up until exams, and Chihiro’s soccer team was unfortunately one of them.

“Are you gonna be okay with studying?”

“Eh… I’ll scrape by. Just enough not to flunk.”

I gave his slumped shoulder a light punch and sent him off toward practice. Life’s tough for the club kids.

By then, the classroom was nearly empty.

The so-called study group had already disappeared down the stairs, their chatter fading away.

And yet, Tatsuki was still there.

Earlier, Kisara and the other popular girls had dragged her to the front rows. But even though they’d all left, she remained sitting by herself.

“Um… see you next week, Tatsuki-san.”

At this point, we were at least on sort of friendly terms.

Walking out without saying anything would’ve felt awkward, so I tossed out a casual goodbye.

“Ah, ah, um…”

But for some reason, Tatsuki reacted with visible panic.

Just like during homeroom earlier, she seemed off.

“Okay… okay… I’ll say it! I’ll say it!”

From the sound of her thoughts, she’d made up her mind about something.

“Um, Itsumi-san…”

She shuffled a little closer, speaking barely above a whisper.

“Alright, um, together───”

I heard it in her mind first, but it still didn’t sink in. The words only hit me once she actually spoke them aloud.

“Would you, um, like to study together…?”

……

Looks like exam season is going to be troublesome for me, too.