I’m an Introvert, but After Taking Care of the School’s Most Beautiful Girl Who Lives in an Apartment When She Was Sick, She Became Attached to Me and Started Inviting Me Over to Her Place! - Chapter 74

Chapter 74

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“My hair… is there something wrong with it…?”

Before leaving the house, he had checked himself in the mirror over and over, and his mother was usually good at styling hair, so Sorato tilted his gaze as far upward as he could, wondering if he’d somehow messed it up badly by the time he got here. But Kohaku shook his head at Sorato.

“No, that’s not it. Until recently, you had those stupidly long bangs and looked like a gloomy shut-in, right? Then you go and cut your hair and style it properly. Of course people are gonna be curious.”

“No, no, it’s not like I’m handsome like you two… Isn’t that just a misunderstanding?”

Even though he’d made a pretty big image change, Sorato laughed and shook his head, convinced he wasn’t the kind of person who’d end up at the center of attention like that. However, his two friends continued speaking with completely serious expressions, as if to say this was no joke.

“But honestly, isn’t Sorato kinda popular behind the scenes? Your face isn’t bad, and your personality and stuff are basically flawless.”

“…True. Even if it’s not a lot, it does feel like a certain group of girls might be into him.”

As Kohaku and Tenma re-evaluated Sorato’s “stats,” they scanned him from the top of his head down like they were appraising merchandise. Sorato was considerate toward others, and he also carried a surprisingly calm presence. He’d already said goodbye to the gloomy long hair he used to have. In fact, there was no longer any reason for either girls or guys to avoid him, so it made sense that his popularity with girls might be rising. But…

“No, even if you say that, I’m not planning to look at anyone except Kaon…”

“Oooh~?”

“…Natsuki-san really is a sinful woman, making Sorato say things like that.”

At this point, it didn’t really matter to Sorato how much attention he was getting from others. As long as his precious friends and the one person he loved liked him, he didn’t need anything else. Still, once he became aware of the stares around him, there was no end to it. He knew they weren’t mocking looks, so it didn’t feel bad, but constantly feeling his classmates’ eyes on him was uncomfortable in its own way. And then…

“H-hey… Suzuya-kun…?”

“Y-yes!? Y-yeah, me?”

“Pfft—there’s no other Suzuya here, idiot…!”

Suddenly, his name was called from behind in a thin voice, and Sorato half-shrieked as he turned around. Standing there was a female classmate he’d barely ever spoken to. Sorato’s back instantly straightened, tension snapping tight through his body. Seeing his usual panicked reaction, Kohaku laughed and threw in a jab. No matter how much confidence Sorato gained, his resistance to women didn’t seem to improve at all.

“Even if you’ve got more confidence, your tolerance toward girls is still paper-thin. I’m relieved.”

“You two are so damn loud…! Um—Sasaki-san, right? Did you need something?”

Behind him, Kohaku and Tenma kept tossing out comments, completely carefree and oblivious to Sorato’s tension. Deciding there was no point dealing with them, Sorato quickly turned back to the classmate who’d spoken to him. Sasaki kept looking down, occasionally glancing up at Sorato before quickly averting her eyes again.

“Um… Can I take a picture?”

“A p-picture…?”

“Yeah. Just one is fine…”

“Uh… a two-shot? Is that okay? I mean, I don’t mind…”

“Really? Thank you!”

Just when he thought the conversation had finally started, she got straight to the point: she wanted a photo. Though confused, Sorato agreed almost immediately, and Sasaki’s voice bounced with excitement.

I see… Maybe they really were right.

With that action alone, what the two had said started to feel real, settling naturally into him. Nearby, his two friends watched in silence, grinning like they wanted to say, “See? Told you.”

“Natani-kun, can you take it for us?”

“Huh? Sure. …Alright.”

The suspicious look she’d had earlier vanished completely. Brimming with energy now, Sasaki handed her phone to Kohaku and asked for a two-shot.

Isn’t this the kind of thing you do at a sports festival or something…?

Swept along by the flow of things, Sorato stood next to Sasaki and faced the camera, but only now did he wonder if two-shot photos were usually reserved for big events like school festivals. Setting that aside, Kohaku took the phone, stood up from his chair, turned it sideways, and called out.

“Here we go!”

Sorato raised his fingers in a casual pose as well.

“Okay, say cheese—”

But just as Kohaku was about to press the shutter, the classroom’s front door burst open with its usual energy.

Clatter!

“Good morning, everyone~!”

“…Ah.”

“Eh.”

“Hah…”

In that instant, everyone’s expressions were slammed straight into the depths of despair. Thin cries escaped from each of them as they immediately grasped how bad the situation was. A female classmate. Standing right next to her boyfriend, Sorato. Kohaku holding the camera. Tenma laughing like he was enjoying himself. Irrefutable circumstantial evidence filled the scene. Naturally, Kaon’s gaze drifted toward the seats where Sorato and the others usually sat.

“Oh! Suzuya-kun and everyone, good morning…?”

At Kaon’s low, menacing voice, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

“Sorato…”

Hearing his name called simultaneously by Kohaku and Tenma, Sorato felt a terrible premonition race through his body. Their voices were full of fear, almost like the voices of people who’d reached enlightenment.

“T-this is a joke, right…? You guys…? Of course you’ll help me clear up the misunderstanding—”

“Let’s go, Kohaku.”

“Yeah! I just remembered I’ve got an urgent errand!!”

“HEY!? That’s a lieee!! W-wait, you idiots!?”

They leapt up with a bang and fled through the opposite door into the hallway in an instant. Sorato tried to call out to their retreating backs, but the overwhelming pressure behind him was so intense that no words came out.

“H-hey. Sasaki—Sasaki-san!? Huh!?”

Turning around hesitantly, he realized that Sasaki, who should have been right next to him, had vanished without a trace.

“Ah… ah.”

As Kaon advanced with a heavy thud-thud that practically came with sound effects, Sorato could only back away. Eventually, he was driven into the corner of the classroom, and with nowhere left to run, all he could manage was a pathetic whimper.

“Sora-kun… Let’s go have a little talk, okay? ♡”

Her voice, normally one that made him want to hug her, now carried a terrifying, crushing weight that made him want to run away. Her eyes weren’t smiling. Her fist was clenched tight. The gaze she fixed on him carried the unmistakable will to never let him escape.

“I-IT’S NOT WHAT YOU THIIIIIINK!!”

Sorato’s anguished scream echoed through the classroom as he was dragged away by Kaon.

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