Chapter 2 – The Beautiful Girl is Trying to Follow Me Like a Baby Chick

Even though they had the opening ceremony, classes started normally that day. When the first period ended and break time rolled around, the classmates swarmed Ichizu, making a huge fuss all at once. Shinta had kept them in check that morning, but they still couldn’t help being curious about her since she had completely transformed into a different person. He wasn’t tasteless enough to interfere and ruin their break time, so he kept his mouth shut.

As for the girl getting crowded, she was bewildered by the unexpectedly high level of attention but still chatted amicably with her classmates. Some guys from other classes had even caught wind of the rumors and came over to look. While watching the scene out of the corner of his eye from his seat, Shinta heard one of the girls throw a question at Ichizu.

“By the way, Arai-san, why did you seem so chummy with Kamiji-kun?”

Throwing out that question, the girl shot a glance toward his seat for a split second. To Shinta, her eyes seemed to hold not just fear but also a tinge of contempt, which was a little unpleasant.

“You greeted him this morning too. Are you being threatened behind the scenes or something?”

“Seriously? I knew that guy was dangerous.”

How the hell did they jump to that conclusion? He just got greeted, and that was all.

The girl who brought it up lowered her volume so he wouldn’t hear, but Shinta could hear every word. Well, whatever. He was well aware of how he was treated in that class. They had probably just decided he was aggressively forcing himself on Arai, who had successfully dieted and turned into a beautiful girl. Looking closely, the other classmates were directing similar gazes of contempt his way.

(Hmph, how stupid.)

Finding the surrounding stares annoying, Shinta gave them a light glare, and they all averted their eyes in unison. But he had no intention of saying anything more than that. He truly couldn’t care less about the evaluations of those around him. Or rather, it might be more accurate to say he had given up on it. However, even if he was fine accepting that, Ichizu couldn’t allow it.

“That’s not true. Kamiji-kun isn’t that kind of person.”

Up until then, Ichizu had been somewhat overwhelmed by the class’s energy. But the moment an unfounded bad rumor was about to be pinned on him, her expression completely changed. Her sudden shift from a soft face to a serious one made the classmates flinch, and facing the people around her, Ichizu continued.

“Don’t treat Kamiji-kun like a bad guy based on your own selfish speculations. The reason I was able to change this much is because he helped me diet over the break, and he did it without expecting anything in return. He constantly supported me when I was about to give up on my own, and that is why I was able to transform like this.”

Ichizu’s voice rang clear through the classroom, which had fallen into a dead silence. Then, as if to wrap it all up, she declared her final point.

“Kamiji-kun is my benefactor. So don’t make him out to be the villain without any proof.”

Having finished speaking without a single stutter, Ichizu turned her face toward Shinta and flashed a bright smile. After a brief silence enveloped the classroom, the girl who had first misunderstood him apologized.

“I-I’m sorry. I just made a selfish assumption. Um, I am sorry to you too, Kamiji-kun.”

“It’s fine.”

Shinta gave a half-hearted reply to the girl bowing her head in his direction. Even so, he was surprised that Arai had so boldly reprimanded the people in the class. It felt like her personality had grown much stronger through the diet along with her appearance.

Despite that little scene, Ichizu continued to be the center of attention. Amidst it all, there was even a moment where one of the boys half-jokingly confessed to her and asked if she would go out with him. The only thing that caught Shinta’s mind, however, was how she was looking at him and getting all flustered when it happened.

And so, the reborn Ichizu successfully managed to blend in with the class, but a problem arose during the lunch break.

“K-Kamiji-kun. I made you a bento, but would you eat it?”

“You seriously made one?”

Just as Shinta was about to head to the school cafeteria for his usual loner meal, Ichizu brought over a bento box wrapped in a cloth. Truth is, right around the end of spring break while he was helping her lose weight, she had brought it up. She said that since he always ate lunch at the cafeteria or bought something at the school store, she would make him a bento and bring it if he wanted. He had told her there was no need to go out of her way to do that once the break was over, but it seemed she really brought one anyway.

“Is it a bother?”

Shinta instinctively flinched as she said that with her eyes growing slightly moist. A beautiful girl who already drew so much attention making a face like that would only make the glares from the rest of the class pierce into him even harder.

“I don’t think it’s a bother at all. I’ll gratefully accept it, then.”

Taking the offered cloth-wrapped box, he tried to take it straight to the roof. Seeing him randomly stand up to leave, question marks popped up in Ichizu’s head.

“Huh, Kamiji-kun, where are you going?”

“The roof. The roof. I’m gonna eat this bento up there.”

Honestly, it was hard to eat in the classroom while being exposed to all those curious stares. Thinking that, Shinta was about to change locations, but then Ichizu spoke up.

“Um, is it okay if I eat on the roof with you?”

Though slightly reserved, Ichizu was pleading to eat lunch together. Honestly, if she came with him, it would likely just attract weird attention all over again. But those eyes looking at him with such expectation were just like a small animal’s. In the end, he caved and gave her permission.

“Do whatever you want.”

Having gotten his permission, Ichizu’s expression shifted into an easy-to-read, manga-character-like display of joy, and she grabbed her own bento box to follow behind him.

(She kinda looks like a baby chick.)

Involuntarily picturing a baby chick chasing after its parent bird, Shinta let out a wry smile. Anyway, right now he just wanted to be freed from the class’s annoying stares. Thinking that, he tried to leave the room, but the door opened before he could even put his hand on it.

Checking the person standing on the other side of the opened door, Ichizu’s face instantly went pale, and Shinta clicked his tongue softly.

“Whoa, you really have been reborn into a totally different person.”

“Eh. W-Why are you in this class?”

“Hey, hey, there’s no need to sound so cold to your childhood friend after so long, right?”

Standing right there was the scumbag who had driven Ichizu to despair—her ex-boyfriend, Ogawa Keisotsu.