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 ~ - 44

Chapter 44: You Two Are Not Really Dating, Right?

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“(Oi, Kokubun… How did things end up like this?)”

Ignoring his uneasy expression, I dragged Kokubun over to the drink bar and pressed him for an answer. A quick glance back at the table where Kisara and Akanashi were waiting showed Kisara looking uncomfortable, her gaze cast downward as she fiddled with her hands, while Akanashi was tapping away on her phone, barely making any conversation.

“(Well… Um… Sorry about this.)”

It was rare to see Kokubun this meek. This only emphasized the gravity of the situation.

“(Don’t apologize… Just tell me what happened.)”

“(I told Akanashi we’d celebrate her qualifying for the national competition by treating her to some cake at a family restaurant, but then you guys happened to be here…)”

“We happened to be here?)”

“(I suggested we sit somewhere else to avoid interrupting you two, but Akanashi insisted on talking with you both.)”

“(And why did you agree to that?)”

“(You know how terrifying Akanashi can be! If you think I could’ve stopped her, then you try it!)”

True. Though Akanashi was small and had an adorable smile, it was easy to forget that her personality wasn’t exactly typical for a girl. Her mood swings were extreme and she was heavily influenced by her emotions. When she snapped, she was absolutely terrifying.

But still…

“(Kokubun, I told you, didn’t I? Akanashi confessed to me… On top of that, Kisara has already told me to stay away from her. This is like sitting on a bed of nails!)”

“(You think I don’t know that? But the moment Akanashi glared at me earlier, I nearly wet myself…)”

I let out a deep sigh at that. 

“(Explain the relationship between the two of them. I can’t do anything without understanding their dynamic first.)”

“(I’d love to, but we can’t just stand at the drink bar talking forever, can we? Michihito… Is it okay if I leave first?)”

“(Try it and I will curse you so your pee turns into iced coffee!)”

“(Ugh…)”

“The two of you… Are you planning to refill drinks forever?”

Akanashi’s calm yet firm voice suddenly came from directly behind us. Kokubun and I whirled around in a panic, only to see Akanashi urging us to hurry back with our drinks. 

There’s no escaping this now…

With our shoulders slumped, Kokubun and I returned to the table like prisoners being escorted back to their cells. The atmosphere felt less like a battlefield and more like a frosty cold war. 

“Kokubun-kun, thanks again for the other day at the batting center.”

“Ri-Right.”

Kisara, seemingly trying to break the tension, said so to Kokubun excitedly. Judging by the situation, it seemed it wasn’t Akanashi who was avoiding Kisara. It was Kisara who was avoiding Akanashi. We took our seats. I was sitting with Kisara and Kokubun with Akanashi. 

“Kisara-chan… It’s been a while. The last time we really talked like this was back in middle school, wasn’t it?”

Akanashi placed her hands on the table, her eyes narrowing as she spoke calmly.

“…Yeah. I transferred schools in the second year of middle school, so I never thought we’d end up at the same high school.”

Kisara flinched slightly at Akanashi’s sudden remark but quickly put on a smile to cover it up. Still, it was clear she was hesitant to talk with Akanashi. In fact, she seemed afraid of Akanashi. 

Just what kind of relationship did these two have…?

Akanashi smiled at Kisara’s response before continuing.

“By the way, Kisara-chan, I hear you’re dating Naruse-kun now.”

Though Akanashi’s tone was soft, there was a sharp edge to her words. Kisara’s eyebrow twitched at the comment. She responded hesitantly, almost as if she was afraid of Akanashi’s next words.

“Yeah. Michihito-kun is my boyfriend.”

Kisara went on.

“Akari, have you known Michihito-kun before this?”

Kisara was looking at Akanashi, so the question was clearly directed at her rather than me. Well, the answer was as simple as “We were in the same class in our first year,” but… 

Please, don’t dig any deeper than that.

“Oh? Naruse-kun didn’t tell you?”

Akanashi glared at me sharply as she spoke.

This must be what it means to have chill run down your spine…

I thought to myself. At that moment, I was pretty sure my face had turned completely pale.

No, seriously. Please stop trying to stir things up… I’m going to run away from this place at this rate. 

When I glanced over at Kokubun for help, it seemed like he was already fully immersed in practicing “chakra” training.

“No… Not really…”

This time, I noticed that Kisara was glaring at me with a resentful look. Pretending not to see her gaze, I gulped down the now-sweating iced coffee in front of me in one go.

“Oh, really? Then Kisara-chan doesn’t even know that Naruse-kun confessed to me when he was a first-year?”

At those words, Kisara let out a small “Eh?” in surprise. However, this time, she didn’t turn her gaze toward me.

“Sorry… I didn’t know about that.”

Kisara murmured. Her voice dropped an octave lower. 

Ah… I can’t escape from this… 

In despair, I looked toward Kokubun, only to find him fully absorbed in a “spot the difference” puzzle prepared for kids.

“So, then… You obviously don’t know that I confessed to Naruse-kun just recently either, right?”

I could hear Kisara gasp audibly at those words. She clearly hadn’t seen this coming, her eyes widening in shock as she covered her mouth with her hand. Sensing my impending doom, I turned to Kokubun again, but it looked like he was already plotting his escape, leaving just enough money for the drink bar.

“So, Kisara-chan didn’t know anything at all…”

Akanashi let out an exaggerated sigh, sounding disappointed. Then, she turned a piercing gaze toward Kisara.

“If you didn’t know, then it can’t be helped, but… Can you stop stringing Naruse-kun along any further?”

I could feel the temperature in Akanashi’s voice steadily dropping. It was… Right. It was a cold voice that came straight from the depths of her heart.

“N-no, I’m not…” 

Kisara desperately tried to deny it, but Akanashi cut her off sharply.

“I know everything. You don’t have to lie anymore.”

Akanashi paused for a moment, then directed her dulling, lifeless eyes straight at me and spoke.

“Because… The two of you… Are not actually dating, right?”

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