Chapter 9 – The Fourth Girlfriend Knows Everything

In front of the school gate after class.
Under the faint glow of the setting sun, I gazed at my smartphone screen, feeling a bit restless.

“I’m sorry, Senpai! Did I make you wait?”

Accompanied by a cheerful voice, I heard light footsteps approaching from behind. When I turned around, Kasumi-chan was running toward me, waving her hand.

“Ah, no. I just got here myself.”
“Hehe, isn’t that a cliché line guys always say?”

Saying that, Kasumi-chan let out a small giggle.
…Something is different from the past. She looks a bit more refined than she did in middle school.
Her hair is slightly curled, she’s wearing modest but cute earrings, and the way she wears the same uniform as everyone else seems so stylish…

“Well then, shall we go… to the ‘path for just the two of us’?”

Whispering those meaningful words, Kasumi lined up beside me.

The way she said “path for just the two of us” is kind of scary…

But, ignoring that feeling, I started walking.

—————————

“Senpai, do you remember? Back in middle school, you used to read books in the corner of the library all the time, right?”
“Eh, ah… true, I might have gone there often.”

Since I was hooked on reading back then, I frequented the library quite a bit.
That seat had good sunlight and felt really nice…

I recalled my middle school days, immersed in nostalgia.

“At that time, I was pretending to choose books from the next shelf, but I was actually watching you the whooole time, you know?”
“……Eh?”

My thoughts froze at being told something so incomprehensible all of a sudden.
That’s a joke, right? …I wanted to say that, but the atmosphere felt slightly different from before, and I hesitated.

“Hehe, I just loved that defenseless look on your face when you were reading, Senpai.”

Kasumi smiled nostalgically.
That smile sent a slight shiver down my spine.

I felt something jarring in her smile.

—————————

“Hey, Senpai.”
“Hm?”

After walking for a while and passing the park near my house, the conversation returned to the past.

“Do you still use that character ballpoint pen?”
“Eh, yeah… how do you kno—”

That mouse character pen from the theme park everyone loves.
It’s a pen I use not because of the specific work… but because I like the genre.

“Aha, I knew it~. It relieves me that you haven’t changed in that regard, Senpai.”

When I was momentarily at a loss for words, she smiled with satisfaction.

“If it’s about you, Senpai, I understand everything. …I even know what time you leave your house every morning.”
“……”

Why does she know things that even I don’t keep strict track of…?

“Also, regarding the bread you choose at the cafeteria, you rotate through three patterns… did you realize that, Senpai?”

A version of myself I didn’t know was being revealed.
That wasn’t a fresh discovery… it was something I couldn’t understand the reason for.

“…Hey, Kasumi-chan.”
“Yes?”

She tilted her head cutely.

“…Why do you know so much?”
“Hehe, observation! It’s observation~. I mean… isn’t it natural to want to know about the person you like?”

I felt a sense of wrongness in that word, “natural.”

I understand wanting to know about the person you like… but even so, this feels like going too far.
But, when told with such a smile, I couldn’t retort any further…

However, as I conflicted over whether to press the issue… she closed the distance and clung to my arm.

“K-Kasumi-chan… what’s wrong?”

I stepped back in surprise, but she closed the distance by just as much.
Her twin eyes stared straight at me.

“Senpai… won’t you go out with me…?”
“…What brought this on so suddenly?”

She suddenly said something outrageous.
Dating… we just met again after so long, so it doesn’t feel real.
In the first place, I currently have three girlfriends. To increase that any further…

“I don’t mind no matter how many people you’re timing, you know…? I suppose you’re worried about the three-timing… but I don’t care.”

My worry… the sensitive topic was spoken of as naturally as breathing.

“W-What are you… ‘I’ve seen everything, so lies won’t work on me’… eh?”
“The hug with Iroha-san, the date with Himuro-san, the bite marks from Asagiri-san… I’ve seen it all. Aaaall of it.”

…Words wouldn’t come out… Was she there the whole time back then too? Why would she do such a… Even trying to string words together, only a dry voice came out.

“But, that part doesn’t really matter. Because the one who will be next to you in the end, Senpai, is me. It’s okay, accepting this confession won’t change anything.”

It sounded like such sweet, tempting words.

“…And, since you are indecisive, Senpai, you can’t refuse this confession. Hehe, I love that part of you too.”

—————————

When we arrived near my house, Kasumi-chan came to a dead stop.

“Today was happy like a dream!”

She turned around and smiled with pure innocence.

“I see… It was good to talk to you after so long too.”

It’s only been one day since we reunited, but it felt incredibly dense.
… a lot really happened.

“Senpai… will you walk home with me again?”
“Well, if our times match…”
“Then———”

I just had a great idea. With that kind of expression, she opened her mouth.

“I should just manage all of your time, Senpai!”
“……Eh?”

She said something absurd.
With a tone that was quite serious, she had an aura like she might actually do it any moment.

“Hehe, it’s a joke. Just a joooke~. Did you believe me?”

She is laughing, but her eyes aren’t laughing.

I laughed bitterly to gloss over it.

But deep in my heart, I felt anxiety spreading slowly.

My three-timing… no, my four-timing has only just begun.

—————————

《Side: Kurose Kasumi》

Hehe, today was a day with a great harvest…

I was able to talk to Senpai after so long, and I managed to check Iroha-san… plus, I was able to date Senpai.

“Haaah… Senpai is so cute…”

I gazed at the photos plastered all over one wall of my room.

“Is this the first time I’ve taken one from today’s angle? It came out pretty well… Ah, his shirt is a little dirty… Cute~!”

Looking at the printed photos of Senpai, I writhed in agony alone.

“At this stage, four-timing… but I’m probably the only one who realizes that. Surely, when he gets into trouble ahead, he’ll have no choice but to rely on me… if that happens, we can become much, much closer entities.”

I imagined a future walking alone with just Senpai.
…Slurp… my drool is dripping…

“…Because the one by his side in the end will be me…”

Saying that, as if swearing a vow, I glared at the photos of the three other girls.