The Charm of the Popular Beautiful Succubus in Class Doesn't Work on Me ~ For Some Reason, This Beauty Keeps Trying to Hold My Hand ~ - 16

Chapter 16: From That Day, My Time Came to a Halt

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The afternoon after Golden Week had ended. I couldn’t go home because of the sudden downpour, so I just stood idly by the window, gazing outside from the classroom. As I stood there in the after-school classroom, I recalled the day I first spoke to Sarashina. The inside of the school building was just as quiet that day as it was now. It had already been almost a month since then… 

Since our date at the shopping mall, Sarashina had approached me countless times, both inside and outside of school. She had taken me out numerous times, and eventually, we even exchanged LINE contacts. Spending time with Sarashina had become part of my daily life now, but despite that, the anxiety in my heart only grew stronger with each passing day. 

What kind of relationship do we have right now? How do I feel about her? What does Sarashina want from me…?

I still couldn’t sort my feelings out.

I was lost in thought, immersed in the lingering afterglow of the afternoon when the door to the classroom suddenly creaked open. Startled by the noise, I instinctively looked toward the door. There stood a girl, it wasn’t Kisara Sarashina though. It was someone else. Our eyes met. 

“Naruse-kun… It’s been a while.”

She looked me straight in the eye and said that as her opening words. The calmness in her tone and attitude made it clear that she hadn’t just stumbled into the classroom by accident.

“Akanashi…”

Her name was Akari Akanashi. She was a cute and petite girl with light amber-colored hair that reached her shoulders. Akanashi and I were in the same class during our first year, along with Kokubun. We used to hang out together, but something had happened. We had completely drifted apart since then. This was the first time in six months that I had a conversation with Akanashi.

“You must be surprised because I came here all of a sudden. If you don’t mind, could we talk for a bit?”

Akanashi said softly as she closed the door behind her. Then, she slowly walked toward me. Her expression didn’t reveal much about what she was thinking, but one thing was clear. It seemed nothing good would happen to me anyway. 

Because… My relationship with Akanashi had ended on that day. 

Feeling the air grow heavier, I decide to break the ice with a lighthearted comment, hoping I could gauge her intentions from that.

“Judging from the situation… Are you going to confess to me or something?”

Akanashi then let out an exaggerated sigh. 

“Why did you say that? You’re only making me feel awkward now. It’s been so long since we last talked, so I’m not really sure what I should do either.”

Akanashi said, seemingly exasperated. Then, she continued on. 

“But… Being alone together in a dimly lit classroom after school… I guess that possibility isn’t entirely off the table, is it?”

Akanashi said with a bewitching smile. She let out a soft chuckle. Feeling the atmosphere was teetering on the edge of turning serious, I struggled to keep things lighthearted. I really didn’t want our relationship to take that kind of turn… Not with Akanashi. 

“If we’re going to get that kind of ‘event,’ then you need to give me a heads-up. I need time to mentally prepare myself, you know?”

“If I told you in advance, it wouldn’t really count as a confession, would it?”

While tucking her hair behind her ear, Akanashi narrowed her eyes slightly before letting out a refined, gentle laugh.

Ah… Right. Now that I think about it, Akanashi has always been the type to change her expressions so effortlessly like this. 

Actually, Akanashi was incredibly popular with the guys. She wasn’t a flashy girl, but her youthful features and her feminine figure were exactly the kind the guys go crazy for. Her personality too. She had this girlish charm that subtly stirred a guy’s protective instinct. Thanks to Sarashina  dominating the spotlight in our grade, Akanashi wasn’t in the center of the attention, but back when we were first year, I had seen more than a few guys confess to her in secret only to walk away heartbroken. 

For the record, according to Kokubun’s information network, she’s currently single.

“Hey… Can we get to the main point already? If I keep going along with Naruse-kun’s beat, the sun’s going to set before we know it.”

Though Akanashi still wore a bright smile, her expression seemed to have shifted to something more serious. I gulped nervously at the change in mood between us. 

“First, I need to apologize to you, Naruse-kun.”

“Apologize? For what?”

I asked out of reflex since I genuinely had no idea what she was talking about.

“Well, you know…”

Seemingly uneasy, Akanashi bit her lip and cast her gaze downward. 

“Naruse-kun, even though the words you had said really make me happy, but I never gave you a proper answer.”

The moment I heard Akanashi’s words, memories I had desperately wanted to forget flooded into my mind like a vivid montage. Memories I had tried to bury… Memories I had tried to leave in the past… 

“Aah…”

A sound escaped my lips, one that barely qualified as a word. 

“Naruse-kun… I’m truly sorry.”

Akanashi choked on her words as she bowed her head deeply to me. Then, while averting her gaze from me, she continued on. 

“I’ve thought about it so many times… If only I hadn’t run away back then, if only I had stayed… You wouldn’t have gotten badly injured like that… You wouldn’t get ostracized at school because of ‘that’ incident either.”

“….”

“The more I thought about it, the more I became scared to face you, Naruse-kun… I ended up running away again… I couldn’t even visit you in the hospital and that just made it even more awkward for me to see you…”

Akanashi said, finally began to sob. 

“Don’t worry about it, Akanashi. You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s all my fault.  couldn’t tell the difference between ‘friendship’ and ‘love’ back then.”

“Back then…?”

Akanashi’s expression grew a little forlorn.

“You know, I’ve thought about it so, so much since then. Naruse-kun’s words, Naruse-kun’s gestures, Naruse-kun’s expressions..”

“…”

“And finally, I’ve come to terms with my feelings.”

“…”

“I… I like you, Naruse-kun.”

The moment I heard those words, I felt my heart jump from my ribcage. At the same time, I felt suffocated, like my heart was being squeezed from the inside. 

“That day, when Naruse-kun told me that you ‘like’ me, I was really happy. But back then… I didn’t see you as a potential romantic partner. That’s why… I didn’t know what to do. I ended up running away without facing your feelings properly.”

As she said so,  she averted her gaze and looked out the window.

“From that day on, time has come to a halt for me…”

“…”

“Because I caused Naruse-kun to get badly injured…”

“….”

“Because I ran away from your confession…”

“…”

“Because I betrayed the person that I loved…”

A brief silence ensued between us. Just a few seconds, but to me, it felt like eternity.

“…Hey, Naruse-kun?”

As if she had made up her mind, Akanashi murmured. 

“Is the confession from that time still valid?”

She said while staring straight at me. Her eyes seemed to be wavering a bit. 

I… I didn’t have any answer ready for her. Those words of her… Those words should’ve made me happy, but… I could only remain silent and gaze at her as I stood by the window.

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