I’m a Telepath, but It’s Tough Because the Cool Beautiful Girl Next to Me Is Having Pink Thoughts - Chapter 8

Before I knew it, it was morning.

A morning-after kind of thing… No, what am I even saying?

Had I reached some kind of sage state? No, that’s not right either.

After spending the night together… Ah, damn it, they all sound pink, no matter what words I hear.

Even while I was sleeping, Tatsuki’s thoughts kept flowing endlessly, and perhaps that’s why my own mind has been dyed pink.

Well, putting that aside, I’ve managed to get through what felt like an incredibly long night for now.

I couldn’t sleep, my heart was exhausted, and I found no peace at all.

…Let me explain how it all went.

Like monks undergoing waterfall training, I took showers with clear minds and then quickly went to bed.

That said, it was already past 9 PM, which was only early for a high school student.

In such a small house, the question of how to sleep arises. So, as expected, a pointless argument broke out over who would use the bed.

Of course, I refused and said I’d sleep on the floor, or rather, the tatami. But Tatsuki absolutely wouldn’t accept that.

Looking at how she normally lives, it’s clear she’s the model honor student. There’s no way she’d just barge into someone else’s house and shamelessly take the bed for herself.

But in the end, when I said something totally unlike my usual self. That there was no way I could take the bed over a girl, as she finally relented.

Of course, thanks to my earlier slip of the tongue, the air turned unbearably awkward again… but fine, I’ll just let that slide.

The real problem was her inner voice.

Maybe giving her the bed was a mistake. She grew oddly restless as she curled up in blankets, still carrying traces of me. And of course, her thoughts drifted toward… things of an intimate nature as expected.

Embarrassing lines and scenarios poured into my head one after another, so much so that peaceful sleep became impossible.

I can’t count how many times I repeated in my head, “What kind of eroge is this?” and “What kind of gameplay is this?”

…For the record and for my own dignity, I should say she probably wasn’t imagining those things about me. Probably.

It’s more likely that, just by being around a guy, her imagination got carried away. That explanation makes more sense for my sanity. Or at least, I desperately hope that’s the case.

Even so, despite not being the target, I still ended up feeling restless and frustrated.

Even when she finally drifted into sleep and the telepathy dulled, that stirred-up emotion in me didn’t fade…

The night dragged on mercilessly… and that’s how I ended up where I am now.

I’m so sleep-deprived that I can tell I have dark circles under my eyes without even looking in the mirror.

The dazzling sunlight streaming in through the window is so warm that it makes me feel sleepy.

“Good morning.”

Tatsuki greeted me as I sat there clutching my head.

She was completely awake now, with her usual dignified demeanor.

She had already changed from the tracksuit I lent her back into her school uniform.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the tracksuit neatly folded in the corner of the room. A small glimpse of her strangely conscientious nature.

“Oh… yes. Good morning…”

I return the greeting, still not fully awake.

“I’m sorry… Um, I used the bed… You probably couldn’t sleep, right…”

Maybe she had noticed I hadn’t slept, because she said it with a slightly apologetic look.

“Oh, no… more importantly, did you sleep well, Tatsuki-san? I mean, I do wash the bedding regularly, but if it smells bad or anything, I’m really sorry.”

“N-no, not at all! Thank you for asking. I slept very well.”

When I say it self-deprecatingly, Tatsuki quickly raises her voice.

…As soon as I mentioned the smell, her inner thoughts started to go pink again, but I decided to just ignore it.

“That’s good then… So, what do you want to do now? Breakfast and all that?”

Come to think of it, we hadn’t eaten dinner last night.

Things had been hectic, and I just wanted to pass out as soon as possible.

Not that I actually managed to.

…But I’d feel bad if that made her hungry.

“I’m about to leave, so I’ll pass on breakfast. Please save the food and money for Itsumi-san instead of me.”

Pathetic as it was, I honestly felt grateful for that.

Well, I could have handled just her, but even then, it was only a little bit.

And truth be told, I have absolutely no cooking sense. I’ve been living alone for a few months now, but I still haven’t cooked a single meal for myself. So, saying I’m poor because of that is a no-go.

Therefore, her offer was nothing short of a blessing.

“I see, thank you for your concern.”

“No, it’s me who should be thanking you for looking after me…”

She said it with her usual sense of propriety.

…And for some reason, she seemed a little embarrassed too.

Was she remembering what happened last night? ──Wait, no, no, no.

Hold it. Don’t overthink it.

There’s no way. Right?

My brain jolts awake as if it’s leaping and still in a daze.

It was ridiculous, and yet not impossible, and that very fact made it even more confusing.

At that moment, I realized her telepathy wasn’t active. And of course, it never worked when I actually wanted it to. I cursed this weird condition of mine.

While I was stuck in my own thoughts, she continued speaking.

“…Well then, I’ll be going ahead. See you later at school.”

“Oh, r-right… yeah, see you later.”

After exchanging a brief greeting, I watched her off as she left.

Even after that, my mind continued to spin for a while.

Maybe that was why the moment she left, the room suddenly felt much bigger.

I realized just how much the atmosphere of a place can change depending on the state of mind.

After letting my thoughts run their course, I finally decided it was time to get ready for school.

I ate a light breakfast, changed into my uniform, and reached for the doorknob she had turned just a little while ago.