Chapter 58 – Mini Shuraba

During morning homeroom, the teacher was giving a warning about the use of social media.

Apparently, a first-year student posted a video of bad behavior at a family restaurant, and it went viral for all the wrong reasons.

My classmates were laughing, calling the person an idiot or a fool.

But I couldn’t laugh at the story.

Maybe I’m too serious to find it funny, or perhaps it doesn’t feel like someone else’s problem…

“What’s wrong? You’ve got a serious look on your face. Did you post something dumb on social media, Sakiya-kun?” Koharu asked, approaching me. Apparently, I was making a grim expression.

“Nah, I don’t even post on social media.”

“Did you get scammed into sending money to a shady account or something?”

“No one falls for those.”

“So you’ve checked out those accounts, huh~”

I fell right into Koharu’s trap and got teased.

I mean, come on, every guy has probably searched for something questionable on Twitter at least once.

“Want me to tell you about my secret account?”

“You don’t have one. Those are just urban legends.”

“I do. I post sexy pics and get paid for it. Wanna know?”

It’s obviously a joke, but with Koharu, there’s a tantalizing chance it could be true.

“I’m not gonna look, but send me the account ID on my phone later. I won’t do anything with it.”

“You’re totally gonna check it out lol,”

“I won’t.”

“Sure, sure. I don’t actually do that, though.”

“You should.”

If a classmate was doing something like that, anyone would get excited.

But it seems like that’s just a fantasy.

“Yeah, thought so.”

“Sounds fake, right? But if you’re that curious, should I make an account just for you, Sakiya-kun?”

“Why not, maybe in like three weeks.”

“You’re supposed to say no! Seriously, Sakiya-kun, you’re so full of contradictions, it’s hilarious. You’re so honest, it’s cute.”

While I was having fun chatting with Koharu, I got a message from Yumika saying she has to write three pages of a reflection essay.

______________

Third period was PE, and we had to run a marathon.

It was just laps around the field, but the guys kept sneaking glances at Yumika’s bouncing chest as she ran, which was pissing me off.

As usual, Koharu was skipping class.

She was chatting amicably with the PE teacher, looking perfectly fine, not sick at all.

Students like Koharu, who get along well with teachers, don’t get their grades tanked even if they bomb tests or skip classes.

That’s probably why she can skip so casually.

Teachers are human too.

They don’t want to be disliked by cute students who get along with them, so they avoid being too harsh.

If I were a teacher, I’d probably boost a cute student’s grade a bit.

Koharu seemed to understand this and tended to be friendly with people who could benefit her.

It’s a calculating way to live, but it’s also a smart one.

And here I am, being one of the people she’s friendly with…

What’s she getting out of being nice to me?

After finishing the marathon, I head straight to the water fountain.

I’m competitive and can’t half-ass anything, even in class, so I finished near the top.

If the sports club guys had gotten serious, I’d probably have placed lower.

“Good job, Sakiya-kun~” Koharu said, approaching me as I washed off sweat with the fountain water. She must’ve been bored.

She pulled a towel out of her pocket, but then Yumika speed-walked over from behind her.

“Do you have business with my boyfriend?”.

“Whoa, that was quick,” Koharu replied, surprised by Yumika’s presence.

Apparently, the girls run a shorter distance than the boys, so they finish at the same time.

“Good work, Sakiya,” Yumika said, handing me a towel.

It smelled like her, which was oddly soothing.

“Kinoshita-san, I’ll be blunt. I’d prefer if you didn’t talk to Sakiya so much.”

It’s the first time I’ve seen Yumika and Koharu talk, and the situation is tense.

It’s like a showdown, and it’s already at its climax.

“Who I talk to is my business, don’t you think~?”

“I know it’s your choice who you talk to. I’m just saying it makes me uncomfortable when you talk to Sakiya. You wouldn’t like it if someone was hitting on your boyfriend, would you?”

“…Fair point. If I had a boyfriend and Nagasawa-san was actively chatting him up, I’d probably be annoyed.”

“Exactly. I’m glad you understand.”

“Sorry, Nagasawa-san. I wasn’t thinking about how it looked. I’ll reflect on it.”

“It’s fine as long as you get it.”

Surprisingly, Koharu apologizes sincerely to Yumika, who seems caught off guard and a bit uncomfortable.

That was a heart-pounding moment.

I’m not cheating or anything, but I felt like I was being interrogated.

“Seems like there’s a lot going on, but good luck, Nagasawa-san. I’m genuinely rooting for you,” Koharu says, leaving the scene without anger or sadness.

There was a kind of mature composure to her.

“Hey, Sakiya,” Yumika said, elbowing me in the side, looking flustered.

“W-What’s wrong, Yumika-san?”

“You haven’t told Kinoshita-san that we’re twins, have you?”

“…I told her a while ago.”

Yumika clutched her head at my response.

“Koharu’s a good person who keeps secrets, so it’s fine. Didn’t you see how she took your words seriously and apologized just now?”

“…If she’s truly good, then there’s no problem. But I have a bad feeling about this.”

Koharu wouldn’t go spreading that we’re twins just because Yumika confronted her.

But she did say before that she’s not a good girl, but a bad one, so I can’t say I’m completely free of worry.

Feeling a bit concerned, I decided to message Koharu during break to apologize on Yumika’s behalf for coming on strong.

“Don’t you consult someone about things too, Yumika?”