The Case of Liking the Most Beautiful Girl in the School Even After Being Told Not to Like Her - Chapter 2 - Her Secret Face

Chapter 2 – Her Secret Face

—One month ago.

One day after school in May, when I was beginning to get used to school and was enjoying my high school life, I made some, but not many, friends. I was on cleaning duty that day and came home later than usual.

By the way, I’m not a member of any clubs. I was a member of the football club in junior high school, but I didn’t want to join it in high school either.

I would usually go home with friends, but today, I was alone. I changed my shoes at the locker room and left the school building. As I was leaving the building, Tachikawa passed in front of me.

“She’s…”

Tachikawa…what was it again? What’s her first name?

I didn’t remember her name properly because I only remembered her as a beautiful and popular-looking girl.

With this in mind, Tachikawa entered the back of the school building.

Hmm? Was there something over there?

There was nothing behind the school building and I didn’t think she needed to go there…

I was curious about what she was doing there, so I decided to sneak after her. Tachikawa went to the back of the school building and suddenly stopped. Seeing this, I hurriedly hid behind a large tree nearby.

What is she going to do?

Is she meeting up with her boyfriend?

No, I think I’ve heard she doesn’t have a boyfriend. If that’s the case, I shouldn’t be here.

I thought it was not a good idea to sneak on her and tried to leave the place. But at that moment, I heard Tachikawa’s voice.

“Seriously, I really hate it. They only look at my face anyway, and every time they look at me, it annoys me—”

Tachikawa’s monologue continued after this, but I was too surprised at the situation and froze.

That’s Tachikawa over there now, isn’t it?

The person who talked to herself just now was no Tachikawa Mina that I know of…

The tone and the atmosphere were all different…

Well, let’s pretend I didn’t see it.

I tried to leave, but I stepped on a piece of shattered glass that had fallen down and it made a cracking sound.

“Who’s there!!??”

Tachikawa turned and looked around. As for me, after I stepped on that glass, I immediately hid myself in the tree I was hiding in earlier.

“Someone’s there, right?”

Tachikawa said this in a tone that lacks the gentleness she showed earlier, and came towards me.

Is it better to get out and not hide anymore?

She’s probably aware that someone was listening.

“You’re not coming out, huh? Then, let’s do it this way. If you come out to me right now, I won’t be mad at you for eavesdropping. But if you don’t—”

“S-Sorry… I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”

Tachikawa was surprised that I came out normally.

It’s not a good thing to neglect people like this. So I gave up on hiding myself.

“Um, you’re my classmate, Wakashi-kun, I think?”

“No, I’m Asai…”

I have no idea if she was just joking around or if she really didn’t know me…

“Oh, sorry. I don’t remember the names of classmates I don’t care about.”

I received some hurtful words. Apparently, I’m an unimportant classmate to Tachikawa.

“So, how long have you been here, Wakashi-kun?”

She asked me how long I’d been listening to her. More importantly, she doesn’t seem to remember my name.

“Since Tachikawa came here…”

I’m going to answer honestly here, because if I lie, I’m going to be found out immediately.

“Eh, from the beginning? It’s the worst…”

Tachikawa covered her face with her hands and looked down. After a few seconds, Tachikawa came towards me and came so close that I thought I could kiss her. While I was wondering what she was going to do, Tachikawa pointed her index finger at me.

“Forget what just happened. You know what will happen if you tell your classmates or anyone else, don’t you?”

Eh? What will happen?

I mean, even if you told me to forget it, how could I forget something so shocking? …And what’s in it for me anyway if I tell my classmates?

“I know you’re worried about a lot of things, but I’m not going to tell anyone that everyone’s favorite is actually all an act. I see zero need to tell them.”

“Z-Zero… Well, you’re right.”

Right now, there is just no need to say it… I might say it depending on the occasion, though.

“It’s a pity, isn’t it? That I have this bad character.”

Tachikawa is ostensibly an honor student, a person who smiles every day and is liked by everyone. But in reality, it’s all for her own sake and she only pretends to be an honor student.

“No, I rather like Tachikawa who doesn’t act like an honor student. I couldn’t stand to see your fake smile or the way you blabber about things you don’t want to say.”

“You’re so different.”

“Really? I wasn’t really disappointed with the you I just saw earlier.”

“You’re really different, after all… For now, forget it, just forget everything that happened today. If you tell anyone else, I won’t forgive you.”

“Yes, yes, I understand.”

I thought I had said I wouldn’t tell anyone earlier, but…

From that day on, Tachikawa started talking to me. Perhaps, she was afraid that I might tell others about what happened that day without her knowledge, so she repeatedly asked me not to tell others or glanced at me.