Chapter 22 – Not Looking for a Boys’ Love Route

“Sorry for calling you out of the blue today.”

“I was free, so it’s whatever.”

While Akira was eating ice cream with his sister with the massive brother complex, Chifuyu and Shigure were also taking a walk down Fifth Avenue.

For anyone who knew them, it might have just looked like two friends hanging out.

But to an outsider, this was a date between a high school couple.

The boy—that is, Shigure—was a true pretty boy.

It was hard to tell their gender from their outfit of jeans and a short-sleeved black shirt.

This wasn’t a coincidence, of course. It was an effect Shigure had intentionally crafted.

“You’re so nice, Chifuyu. Putting up with my… hobby.”

“You’d better be grateful. If Akira saw us here, he’d accuse me of cheating, wouldn’t he?”

“But you two already broke up, right?”

“We’re probably getting back together, so it’s fine.”

On what grounds she was saying this was a mystery, but Chifuyu said it with a proud look on her face.

The two of them entered a bookstore.

When you come to Fifth Avenue, everyone gets drawn into a bookstore. You can kill time, and it gives you something to talk about.

The sight of a cute high school girl walking next to a handsome high school guy was stealing the attention of many customers.

“I can’t get enough of these stares. It’s getting me excited.”

“Could you not say weird things?”

“Dressing as a guy is so much fun, you know? If you ever discovered its charms, Chifuyu, you’d be totally hooked.”

As Shigure spoke about her hobby of cross-dressing, something bordering on manic floated in her eyes.

“Should we hold hands? We’re just friends, so there’s no problem.”

“But… what if Akira sees us?”

“I think the chances of that are low, but… if by some miracle it does happen, I’ll explain everything.”

“Explain?”

“That we’re just friends.”

“First, are you going to explain that you’re a girl?”

“Hmm, I don’t know about that.”

Shigure offered a refreshing smile.

Seimei High School has winter and summer uniforms. For both, the girls basically wear skirts, and the boys wear slacks.

However, Shigure wore slacks for both.

Because of that, many students outside of her own class mistook her for a boy.

“Forget it. I’ll explain it to Akira myself.”

“No way. Most of the people in Class 1 probably think I’m a guy. I’d like to keep that misunderstanding just as it is.”

Shigure and Chifuyu had been friends since middle school.

Back then, Shigure had kept her hair long enough to touch her shoulders.

She had projected the image of a refined and graceful female student, to a degree that was unimaginable now. The very picture of a prim and proper girl.

But a turning point came for this Shigure.

The third-year middle school trip.

Her group ended up having to perform a short play, and as it happened, Shigure was cast in the male role.

That was the beginning of everything.

“High school is the best. It can’t be helped with the people from my middle school, but to people who don’t know me at all, I’m already a complete guy.”

“And what’s so good about that?”

“Other guys mess around with me like I’m one of them. It’s the best.”

“So you’re into guys, Shigure. Huh.”

Chifuyu leveled a flat, scornful look at her.

Her heart ached for her best friend, who was completely different from her prim-and-proper days.

She’d even changed her first-person pronoun from “watashi” to “boku,” becoming a whole new person.

“Come on, I’m not into guys. It’s just that when I’m a girl, boys get all nervous and won’t even make eye contact. But when I’m a guy, they look me right in the eye, throw an arm around my shoulder, and even grope my chest. It makes me happy.”

“Wait, grope your chest?”

“Apparently, it’s a trend for guys to grope each other’s chests.”

What kind of trend is that? Chifuyu thought, but she sensed that pressing the issue further would just lead to more trouble, so she fell silent.

For the record, Shigure’s chest was an A-cup leaning toward a B, while Chifuyu’s was a cutting board.

　＊＊＊

Why is this happening? He’s a hottie, but his chest is soft.

I’d been secretly spying on Chifuyu and Shigure-kun’s little outing, and now Shigure-kun had me completely cornered.

One moment he was asking what I was doing, and the next, he was hugging me from behind.

The soft sensation I felt against my back.

Handsome guys must have soft chests. Or maybe it’s high-quality pectoral muscles, forged through intense training.

“Um… why are you hugging me?”

I asked honestly.

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Chifuyu, Akira-kun.”

“You know my name.”

“Of course I do. I’ve been curious about you for a long time, Akira-kun.”

“As in, ‘I wish he’d break up with her sooner’?”

My tone might have come out a little sarcastic.

“No, no, that’s not what I meant.”

Shigure-kun moved in close to my ear.

Since he was still hugging me from behind, my heart started to pound.

He whispered in a sultry voice, his breath tickling my ear.

“I’ve always wanted to talk to you.”

“Whispering in my ear makes me nervous, so could you please stop?”

“Geez, you’re so interesting, Akira-kun.”

I’m not trying to be interesting.

“If you’re keeping Chifuyu waiting, shouldn’t you get going? She might get suspicious and come over here.”

“That would be a problem. If Chifuyu saw me clinging to you, she’d get jealous.”

I can see that happening.

When I was dating Chifuyu, she’d glare at me just for talking with Shinichi or Souichi.

If her current boyfriend, Shigure-kun, was seen messing around with her ex-boyfriend, me… it would be total chaos.

“Then you should get back to her. I’m not trying to get in your way or anything, so… see ya.”

“You’re cute, Akira-kun.”

That line made me think of Matsumaru-sensei.

Speaking of which, she’s probably around here somewhere. I can only pray she doesn’t show up right now. My sister, too.

“You seem to be misunderstanding, so let me spell it out. I’m sure Chifuyu would be jealous of me. Worried that I might steal her beloved Akira-kun away, you see.”

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

As we were talking, I’d started to have my suspicions.

I had a feeling this might be the case.

Not that I’m criticizing or anything. Like Ryuuji said, we live in an age of diversity, and understanding of LGBTQ issues is growing.

But for now, I’ll just say this.

Chifuyu’s new boyfriend… he’s gay.