The Beautiful Girl Who Asked Me to Pretend to Be Her Boyfriend Didn’t Want to Break up With Me for Some Reason - Chapter 77

Chapter 77: Even Flaws Can Be Charming

“Shirafuji, please go out with me!”

“Um, well, I… I’ve liked you for a long time, Shirafuji.”

“Shirafuji, ditch that guy and go out with me instead.”

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“—Even I am exhausted. Mentally. Getting confessed to three times in one day is quite unusual, don’t you think? But just because it’s rare doesn’t mean I’m willing to accept it. That’s a different matter entirely, and besides, I’m especially furious that Hakuto was insulted.”

It was after school.

Normally, I would head straight home without making any stops, but today was different.

I was at a stylish café, guided by Shirafuji, having tea.

While eating the shortcake chosen as part of the cake set, Shirafuji still looked annoyed.

…Though her eyes seemed a little softer.

It looked like even Shirafuji couldn’t resist sweets.

Her mood had seemed to worsen as the afternoon went on.

Shirafuji is usually the type who can regulate her own mood, but occasionally, there are days like this.

There are various reasons for it. If it were due to something specific to girls, it would be tricky to bring up, so I usually gauge her mood and respond accordingly. But today didn’t seem to be one of those days.

“Getting confessed to three times in one day, huh.”

“Don’t say it like it’s someone else’s problem. I wasn’t really… troubled, but it’s not a pleasant experience. It takes up my time, emotions are forced on me, and if I reject them, I sometimes get unpleasant looks. On top of that, when they insult someone else just to elevate me, it’s completely nonsensical. Just thinking about it makes me mad all over again—”

“Whoa, whoa. Calm down, Lady Shirafuji.”

“…What is that? I do appreciate being treated like a princess, though.”

If something like this could improve her mood, I’d do it as much as needed.

Still, she seemed particularly on edge today.

“Eat your cake and relax. If it’s not enough, you can have mine too.”

I tried to offer my rare cheesecake, but Shirafuji stopped me with her hand.

“That’s Hakuto’s portion.”

“I see.”

“Also, if I eat two, I’ll get fat.”

“…I don’t think one extra cake will make a difference.”

“That’s exactly how these things sneak up on you. Even if I’ve been fine until now, who knows what could happen tomorrow?”

“Well, I suppose.”

“So, how about we just exchange a bite?”

An exchange, huh.

I had rare cheesecake, while Shirafuji had a fruit-filled roll cake.

I understood the desire to try two different flavors rather than just one.

A bite exchange was something we always did anyway.

“Sure. I was curious about yours too.”

“Then it’s a deal. Now, open your mouth.”

Shirafuji scooped up a bite with her fork and held it out to me.

I had a feeling she’d make me eat it like this. We’d done this plenty of times, so I wasn’t particularly resistant to it, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t embarrassing.

Especially since it was just the two of us.

There weren’t any students from our school around within sight.

Because of that, my mind automatically shifted its perception of our relationship.

“…I can eat it myself.”

“We do this all the time. Are you embarrassed because we’re at a café?”

“That’s part of it. But mostly, there’s no need to pretend to be a couple anymore. Normally, friends don’t feed each other like this, do they?”

“If they’re close, they do.”

“Even if they’re opposite genders?”

“Even if they’re opposite genders.”

She stated it so matter-of-factly that I had to reconsider.

…There wasn’t enough evidence to completely deny it.

The concept of being “close” has many layers.

It wouldn’t be strange if some friends—regardless of gender—fed each other like this.

The fact that she wasn’t backing down meant she was perfectly fine with it.

That, in itself, was a sign of trust, which I appreciated.

At the same time, I realized I was the one acting strangely here.

When I was playing the role of her fake boyfriend, I had no problem with this. But now that I wasn’t, rejecting it felt like I was just being controlled by the role.

Could I really call that my own decision?

Even as I thought about it, I couldn’t make sense of my feelings.

Was I feeling possessive just because Shirafuji had been confessed to?

If that were the case, then at least part of my reaction would make sense.

“…Ambiguous relationships are difficult.”

“But that’s part of human relationships, isn’t it? Not everything is clearly divided into categories. Sometimes, you interact with people while feeling both like and dislike.”

“If there’s anything about me that bothers you, just tell me. I’ll do my best to fix it.”

“Even if you say that… flaws can be charming, too.”

“Like what?”

I tried asking, and she withdrew her fork for a moment, seeming to think about it.

“…Like how you spoil me too much.”

“You don’t seem to want that to change.”

“Exactly. And if there’s anything about me that bothers you, don’t hold back.”

“Hmm… I can’t think of anything off the top of my head. Being bad at housework or waking up early doesn’t really count as a flaw.”

“It is a bit lazy, though.”

“If we used you as the standard for laziness, a lot of people would be considered lazy.”

“Including how I think about things, yes. But for now, how about we eat our cake?”

She held out the roll cake again, and this time, I hesitated only slightly before accepting it gratefully.

Maybe I was lazy, too.

Instead of dealing with my feelings, I just let things continue as they were.

And the fact that I didn’t mind that… meant I was completely hopeless.