[Sad News] Living Together with the Unattainable Beauty—Her Overwhelming Affection Is Way Too Calculated - 56-57

Chapter 56: A Night of Struggle and Resolve

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Fujigaya-san came home looking exactly the same as always.

“I’m home.”

There was neither a particularly buoyant joy nor a heavy sadness in that voice. It was so ordinary that it actually threw me off. I could only manage a rusty, tin-doll reply.

“Welcome back.”

I tried to read from her expression some kind of response about Yamada, but with my poor communication skills I couldn’t glean any truth hiding behind that perfect poker face. Even during dinner, I didn’t feel alive. 

Every time I brought a bite of rice to my mouth it felt like it would get stuck in my throat. I couldn’t taste anything. I was on edge, waiting for the moment she might drop a bomb.

『Hey, Miyazuka-kun. I started going out with Yamada-kun today.』 

What if she said that? I might drop my bowl on the spot and crumble into tears. But she only talked about trivial things from school and didn’t utter a single thing about Yamada. That, on the contrary, plunged me into bottomless anxiety. Wasn’t it the calm before the storm?

After dinner I felt like she was looking at me, but I locked myself away in my room as if to run.

I closed the door and locked it. Then, for no reason, I paced the cramped room in circles like a bear in a cage. I couldn’t calm down. What should I do? What was I supposed to do now?

No. It was already decided. I would confess. I would tell her how I truly felt. I understood that in my head. It was the only right answer. But when it came down to it, my legs froze.

『I like you.』

That single word — I couldn’t say it. What if I was horribly mistaken? What if all her kindness up to now had really been nothing but pity or sympathy?

『I’m sorry.』

If she said that with those beautiful lips and clearly rejected me, I would never be able to recover. The remaining time of this miracle-like cohabitation would be spent in a suffocating, hellish awkwardness. That was terrifying. But…

If I did nothing, then what? She would leave this house without ever noticing my feelings, and someday she would become some other man’s girlfriend, a man like Yamada, someone I didn’t know. I’d just sit there and watch with my hands folded.

I absolutely hated that. I didn’t want to live with regret. I never wanted to feel that desperate, chest-twisting regret from the afterparty again.

“Uooooooo!”

Meaninglessly, I roared like a beast and raked my messy hair with both hands. Conflict. Fear and panic. Two huge emotions collided violently inside me and generated something like plasma. Just then, the smartphone in my pocket buzzed once, briefly.

It was a LINE notification. Reflexively I opened the screen and it was the otaku trio group chat with Kimura and Satou.

『Gen-chan, you alive?』

Kimura’s usual light message.

『This afternoon after school you were acting weird. You basically had an out-of-body experience.』 

Satou’s follow-up. Those two had actually been paying attention to me. Clinging to straws, I typed with trembling fingers.

『Hey, you two. I need to ask something.』 

『When a man has to risk his life and make a move, what do you think he should do?』

I left out names, but I was sure they’d pick up what I meant. A few seconds later my phone buzzed repeatedly.

『Ooh…? Is it finally the final boss fight, Gen-chan?!』

『Have you grinded enough levels? You’re wearing the best gear, right?!』 

『Event triggered! Flag management is perfect, right? If you fail it’s straight to a bad end!』 

Typical otaku-brain responses. Still, that joking tone was somehow a comfort to my cornered self. I thought to myself. 

They really are my best friends. 

I replied with a wry smile.

『I’m level 1 in a plain outfit. I have absolutely no chance.』 

『Don’t be so timid!』 

Kimura fired back encouragement.

『This kind of thing is all about momentum! Don’t overthink the negatives! Just go straight at it!』 

『Yeah! If you’re a man, shout ‘Critical strike!’ as you confess! Embrace total defeat! Break apart and become a legend!』 

Satou’s as-usual baffling advice. But that ridiculous back-and-forth gently pushed my frozen back. 

Right. That’s it!

Even if I got crushed, so what? It was far better than doing nothing and regretting it for the rest of my life. I closed the group LINE.

Then I steeled myself and opened Fujigaya-san’s chat screen. My heart was pounding like a drum. My fingers trembled and wouldn’t move properly. I typed and erased over and over.

『Fujigaya-san.』

『I have something important to talk about.』

『Are you free next Sunday?』 

『If it’s okay with you, would you go out with me?』 

I had it. I only had to press send. Just that. And yet… My thumb felt as heavy as lead. It wouldn’t move. I shut my eyes tight, so tight. Then…

To hell with it!

I screamed inwardly, and with that cry I pressed the screen hard with my thumb. There was a small, light, hollow tap. The text I had written slid onto the screen. It was sent. There was no turning back.

I set my phone down carefully on the bed, handling it like a time bomb. Then I flopped forward onto the bed and buried my face hard into the pillow. I was terrified of the reply. But I couldn’t not look. I held my breath and waited for the notification sound that would decide my fate.

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Chapter 57: The Best Notification Sound

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I turned down Yamada-kun’s confession. I had been able to be honest with my feelings. This was for the best. I told myself that over and over. But my heart still didn’t clear up, as if it were covered by a thick cloud.

The certain presence I had felt from the shadow of the gym storage room… It had to be Gen-chan. He had seen it. He had seen me being confessed to by Yamada-kun. And he had seen me clearly refuse him. And yet..

He didn’t say anything. More than that, ever since the cultural festival he had been avoiding me, more and more. I didn’t understand anymore. I really didn’t know what he was feeling. What did he think of me?

After all those sexy hints I gave him, did he feel nothing? Was he fine with me being confessed to by another boy? Had he been pretending not to notice all the times I showed I liked him? Or did he truly only think of me as a nuisance, a meddlesome roommate with an exhibitionist streak?

On my bed in my room, I clutched my phone tight and wandered in a maze of thought with no way out. The time limit was closing in, moment by moment. There really wasn’t much time left. If he didn’t do anything like this…I would have to be the one to say something.

But I was scared. What if he rejected me? What if everything up to now had been my enormous misunderstanding? When I thought that, I just couldn’t take that final step.

“Haah…”

A deep, heavy sigh escaped me. Maybe it was over. Maybe it was useless to keep hoping. He was Gen-chan — there was no way, like the protagonist of a light novel, he would conveniently notice my feelings. Just as I was about to give up and weakly set my phone down beside the bed, it happened.

PING!

The phone in my hand trembled briefly. My heart jumped hard. I hurriedly checked the screen. A notification was displayed on the lock screen. There were two words etched on the screen: 【Genji Miyazuka】.

No way. No, no, no! From him? At this timing? 

I unlocked it with trembling fingers and tapped the green LINE icon. What appeared on the chat screen was an unbelievable, almost magical message.

『Fujigaya-san.』

『I have something important to talk about.』

『Are you free next Sunday?』 

『If it’s okay with you, would you go out with me?』

…………

…………Huh?

I rubbed my eyes over and over. It wasn’t a dream. It wasn’t a hallucination. It was written there, unmistakably. Gen-chan had written it — that timid, clumsy, dense Genji Miyazuka. He was asking me out on a date.

In the next instant my thoughts completely froze. A few seconds later, the meaning of those words slowly seeped into my heart and my understanding caught up, and then….

“YAYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!”

I buried my face deep in my pillow and screamed at the top of my lungs.

I was so happy. Happy, happy, happy! I couldn’t believe it! I almost dropped my phone but forced myself to hold onto it. I kicked my legs and flailed on the bed. I couldn’t stay still. I jumped off the bed and hopped around my room like a rabbit for no reason.

Then I immediately went to my phone. I opened the chat with my best friend, Ami. My fingers shook with excitement and I couldn’t type properly.

『Amiiiiiiii! Big news! Big news! Big newsssss!!』

『Finally?? Finally!! Finally it’s here!!!』

『Gen-chan asked me out on a date! Yes! It’s finally hereeeeeeeeeeee!!!』

I hammered the send button. I spammed every sparkly sticker I could use to show my joy. I couldn’t even wait for the read receipt and dove back onto the bed. I was too happy. This might be the happiest moment of my life.

I suddenly came to my senses. Right — I had to reply. I was keeping him waiting. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. My mouth kept twitching into a grin. I couldn’t stop smiling.

I read his message again. Every single word felt unbearably dear. What kind of reply should I give? Would just saying “Sure” be too curt? But being too pushy might turn him off.

No — but I wanted to properly convey this sky-high joy. After a few minutes of agonizing, I typed a heartfelt reply.

『Yes! Thank you for inviting me out, I’m so happy! I’m looking forward to it then!』

And then, I added a cute cat sticker. 

There. Perfect.

I nodded to myself in satisfaction and gently tapped the send button. A soft “pon” notification sound rang. It echoed in my ears and heart like a fanfare announcing the brilliant beginning of my new story.

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