The Beautiful Girl Who Asked Me to Pretend to Be Her Boyfriend Didn’t Want to Break up With Me for Some Reason - Chapter 75

Chapter 75: Being Taught Step by Step

“Hey, it’s been a while, you two! I’m so glad to see you’re both doing well!”

As soon as we arrived at the classroom, Hanaba cheerfully greeted us. She looked like she’d gotten a bit of a tan over the summer.

I guess the last time we saw each other was at the pool.

It seemed like Shirafuji had been keeping in touch with her through messages, though.

“It’s been a while. Hanaba, well… I don’t even need to ask.”

“Indeed. You look well, which is great. Seems like you’ve gotten a bit of a tan, though.”

“Yeah, I spent a lot of time outside with my little sister and friends. I did use sunscreen, but I still ended up getting tanned. But, hey, doesn’t it suit me?”

Hanaba grinned, making a peace sign with her fingers.

It really did suit her, so there was nothing to complain about.

It also fit perfectly with her lively personality.

“Luna, your skin is still so beautifully pale. I’m jealous.”

With an enchanted look, Hanaba reached out to touch Shirafuji’s cheek.

Shirafuji allowed it, letting Hanaba squish her soft cheeks as she pleased.

Two close, affectionate girls—it’s quite a sight.

And when both of them are cute, even more so.

“I took precautions, and besides, I didn’t go out much in the first place.”

“She was practically a complete shut-in.”

“Weren’t you the same, Hakuto?”

“I’m not blaming you. Besides, I did go out a decent amount.”

As we bantered as usual, I casually observed our classmates to see if anything felt off.

Outwardly, we were still maintaining the image of a couple, but in reality, our relationship had partially ended.

I was a little tense, wondering if anything seemed unnatural, but so far, no one was looking at us suspiciously.

Probably. Maybe.

“Did you two go anywhere over the summer?”

“Ah… well, I guess we did, technically—”

If I were to casually drop that Shirafuji and I went back to my hometown together, I could easily imagine the kind of looks we’d get from our classmates.

So I tried to dodge the question, but…

“We went to Sendai. I accompanied Hakuto on his trip home.”

“Ah.”

Hearing Shirafuji state it so plainly, I let out a dumbfounded noise.

That basically confirmed her statement as the truth.

I could feel our classmates’ gazes gathering on us.

Even Hanaba was momentarily speechless.

“…Wait, are you serious?”

Hanaba lowered her voice slightly as she asked.

Shirafuji gave a short and precise response, “Yes, it’s true,” leaving no room for misunderstanding or misinterpretation.

Hanaba then turned her gaze to me.

At this point, there was no hiding it, so I just silently nodded.

“…Isn’t it way too early for a family introduction?”

“It’s not like that. I just didn’t feel right leaving Shirafuji alone while I was away. My mom had already said she was okay with it as long as Shirafuji was, so I invited her, and she decided to come along. That’s all.”

“I would have been lonely spending several days alone, so I accepted the invitation. Plus, I wanted to properly greet Hakuto’s family since they always take care of me.”

“See? That totally sounds like a family introduction.”

“No… it was just a normal greeting within socially acceptable bounds, okay?”

It was definitely not a marriage proposal or anything like that.

…At least, it shouldn’t have been.

The issue was, everything we just said was completely true.

Shirafuji had, in fact, greeted my family at my home.

“I was wondering how things would be between you two after the summer break, but you’re still as lovey-dovey as ever. That’s impressive. Has it almost been a year now?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Honestly, I’m surprised too. High school relationships are usually said to be short-lived. A whole year… That’s quite a long way to come.”

“Seriously. I thought we’d break up at some point.”

“Yet you still take care of me every day.”

“Because your ability to live independently is concerning.”

“I’m gradually improving, you know. Since someone has been teaching me step by step.”

“Step by step…?”

I’m not denying that I’ve been teaching her, but that wording isn’t right.

Even Hanaba gave me a suspicious look, so I had no choice but to deny it.

I’ve definitely guided her, but I haven’t literally taken her hand or foot to do so.

Leaving aside the idiom, that’s just not accurate.

“—Good morning, everyone! How have you been?”

Rin’s voice interrupted the conversation, giving us a natural break.

It was the first time I’d seen Rin since the pool, and she had tanned as well. Her tanned arms peeked out from her short sleeves.

“Rin. Morning.”

“Good morning, Shinonome-san.”

“Shino-chi, good morning! You got a tan too!”

“I’m like this every year. It’ll fade after a while, but I don’t like it since it stings when I take a bath.”

That said, it did suit her well.

Unlike me—if I get too tanned, people tend to avoid me.

And I can’t blame them. One look in the mirror is enough to understand why.

“Anyway, it’s the second semester now. It’s still hot, but let’s do our best.”

“Seriously. I don’t hate summer, but when it gets this hot, I start wishing for cooler weather.”

“I prefer winter. You can just wear more layers to deal with the cold, and unwanted attention lessens a bit.”

“Yeah, girls have to deal with a lot in that regard.”

“Tell me about it. Even at the pool, it was intense.”

“As long as it doesn’t directly affect me, I can ignore it. Besides… Hakuto will protect me from all of that, right?”

That confident question, laced with trust, was exactly why I took on the role of her fake boyfriend.

“I’ll do my best. As long as you stay within my sight, that is.”

“I have no intention of going anywhere out of your sight, so don’t worry.”

Today, Shirafuji seemed to be in a pretty good mood.