The Beautiful Girl Who Asked Me to Pretend to Be Her Boyfriend Didn’t Want to Break up With Me for Some Reason - Chapter 81

Chapter 81: Isn’t This a Dream Come True for a Guy?

――Can I borrow Kuwazome-kun for a bit?

That afternoon after school.

For some reason, Nagatsuki had called me, and I found myself on the rooftop.

By the afternoon, the air had cooled down a little.

As the late summer breeze fanned us, I glanced at Nagatsuki, who was holding her hair back by her ear.

Her black semi-long hair and glasses.

She had the appearance of a serious literary girl. I never thought I’d have a one-on-one conversation with someone like her.

There wasn’t any real connection between us.

We were just classmates with a weak link at best.

…Did something happen that I just forgot about?

“I’m sorry for calling you out so suddenly.”

Nagatsuki didn’t look nervous as she spoke.

In fact, she didn’t seem afraid or disgusted by me at all, which was a bit of a strange feeling.

Aside from Shirafuji, Rin, and Hanaba, most people still seemed to be scared of me. That’s why Nagatsuki’s attitude felt refreshing.

“I don’t mind, but… what do you need from me?”

“It’s not really anything important. Just so you know, it’s not a confession or anything, so don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not the type to steal someone else’s boyfriend. I don’t want to make Shirafuji-san my enemy, after all.”

Nagatsuki shrugged as she spoke, and I completely agreed with her.

Girls’ anger is terrifying.

“…By the way, you don’t usually talk like this, do you? You sound a bit more casual.”

“Surprised? I might look like this, but that doesn’t mean I’m always serious. I just act that way because it’s easier.”

“Anyway,” Nagatsuki clapped her hands together, changing the subject.

Honestly, I found it easier to talk to her this way.

“Back to the point. I wanted to talk to you about the school festival. I don’t know how to handle things on the day of the event, so I figured I’d ask you directly.”

“You mean our assigned roles?”

“The three people you usually talk to will probably be assigned to customer service. But I figured you’d prefer working backstage, right?”

“…That would probably be the best way to avoid trouble. It wouldn’t be good if I scared the guests by stepping out in front.”

“I agree with that. But you’re not trying to scare people, are you? Besides, a slightly scary butler is a pretty common trope in games and manga, don’t you think?”

She wasn’t wrong about that.

And now, I was starting to see where this was going.

“In other words… you want me to be on the front lines?”

“Something like that. If you’re there, the customers will be less likely to try anything weird. Rather than handling customer service, I think you’d be better suited as a guide, showing people to their seats. Of course, if you want to do customer service, that’s fine too.”

“I don’t think I’d be any good at actual customer service. But being a guide… I guess I can manage that much.”

Despite some lingering doubts, I gave my answer. Nagatsuki smiled lightly, saying, “That’s great.”

I must be quite a pain when it comes to assigning roles.

Since she went out of her way to consult me about it, I might as well go along with it.

“By the way, there will be two of us guiding guests, so don’t worry. The other person might be me.”

“If you’re with me, then that’s reassuring. I was worried about doing it alone.”

“I wouldn’t do something that cruel. Besides, the other three will definitely be together during that time. Everyone wants to enjoy the festival with their close friends, right? It might be meddlesome, but as someone watching from the sidelines, I can’t just ignore this kind of event.”

“…You’re more interested in this kind of thing than I expected.”

“All girls love romance, you know? Especially when it comes to a pair like you and Shirafuji-san. You two seem close, yet there’s still this frustrating tension between you.”

Close, yet frustrating, huh?

Even though she didn’t know that we weren’t actually dating, we still looked like that to her.

“By the way,”

“What?”

“Did you really have to pull me away from Shirafuji just to have this conversation?”

“Not really. I just thought Shirafuji-san might get jealous if I did it this way.”

The sheer triviality of her reasoning made me sigh.

Jealousy… Yeah, Shirafuji would definitely feel that, at least a little.

Nagatsuki might not stand out much, but she was still a well-put-together girl.

“Come on… I’m the one who’s gonna have to deal with that, you know?”

“But isn’t this a dream come true for a guy? Having such a cute girl show her affection for you… right?”

Her smug expression almost made my own face react.

When someone else outright calls it love, it makes it feel even more real, which is kind of embarrassing.

It just proves how obvious Shirafuji’s feelings must be.

“――But, but, I have to say… I can’t ignore Hakuto either.”

“…Huh?”

“I’m not saying I don’t support you and Shirafuji-san. But this is more of a personal interest thing… like a fated obsession. It’s such a perfect pairing! A delinquent-looking guy with a bad reputation and a delicate, almost girlish boy…!! It’s a classic but incredibly appealing combination…!!”

Nagatsuki’s tone suddenly heated up, and I couldn’t quite follow.

But judging by the little hints in her words, I could guess where this was going.

…Setting aside the fact that I was the one being dragged into this.

However, she seemed to realize she had said too much.

She abruptly shut her mouth and awkwardly scratched her cheek, avoiding eye contact.

“Uh… can we just pretend that didn’t happen?”

“If my name hadn’t come up, maybe.”

I subtly told her it was impossible. She let out a resigned sigh.

“…Oh well. The people who know, know. A habit like this is impossible to completely suppress. You get it, right? Please tell me you get it.”

“Just to confirm… you’re saying you’re into that kind of thing?”

“I am NOT. This is simply a refined taste. All girls are at least a little into deep friendships between men and the emotions that come with them. I just happen to have a little more passion for it…!!”

So, in other words… she’s totally into it, right?

A little bit of information was given in Chapter 1 about Rin’s rumor, and it turns out Nagatsuki was the source.

She’s not a bad person.

She’s not an enemy either.

She’s just… rotten.