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 ~ - 56

Chapter 56: What’s the Most Important Feeling to You?

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“Oh, come on, do something about that gloomy face already. You’re exuding way too much negative energy.”

I was at our usual family restaurant with Kokubun. With my head buried in my arms on the table, I sobbed openly, paying no mind to the other customers.

“…When I die, scatter my ashes at the center of the world.”

“Now that you mention it, I think we’re out of sand for my dog’s litter box.”

“…Sniff.”

The new school term had begun, and while everyone else was settling back into their daily routines, I alone felt like I had been left behind. Sure, I might have been isolated in class before, but now I was spending even more time alone than ever. Even so, the only one who treated me the same as always was, unsurprisingly, Kokubun.

“…I mean, I did push you pretty hard to confess, so I do feel a bit responsible for you.”

Kokubun’s voice sounded awkward.

“This isn’t your fault. I was simply not good enough…”

“When you say it so genuinely like that, it actually makes me feel worse.”

“…Hey, Kokubun.”

“What is it… Michihito?”

“Do you believe my story?”

“You mean about Sarashina’s ‘ability’?”

“…Yeah.”

Right after being rejected by Kisara, I had told Kokubun about what happened at the fireworks festival. Of course, I had also told him about Kisara’s ‘ability.’ I was afraid he would think, “This guy’s lost his mind from the shock of being dumped,” but surprisingly, Kokubun had listened to my story calmly without any hint of panic.

To be honest, deep down, I had hoped that Kisara would accept my feelings… That maybe she felt the same way about me. I couldn’t deny that there was some arrogance on my part. I wasn’t trying to come up with excuses, but I had confidence that I played my role as her ‘fake boyfriend’ well. Even when I asked her to extend the ‘fake relationship,’ her reaction wasn’t bad.  Even on the day of the fireworks festival, she told me I looked cool, and she even held my hand. But… she still rejected me… And to make it worse, she said, “Your feelings of ‘love’ are an illusion.”

What kind of anime ending is that?

I never saw that coming… No one would ever expect something like an ability that caused people to fall in love with you with just a touch. Hence why, I had no idea what to do anymore. And so, once again, I had turned to Kokubun for help…

“‘Ability,’ huh… If I’m being completely honest, it’s hard to believe.”

“…Yeah, I think so too.”

“Logically speaking, it just sounds like a convenient way to turn someone down. If she says, ‘Your love is an illusion,’ it lets her reject your confession without hurting you directly.”

Kokubun was absolutely right. That day, I was too shaken to think straight, but looking back with a clear head, it made sense. Maybe that was her way of being considerate toward me…

“…Normally, that’s what anyone would think.”

“You don’t sound convinced at all.”

“Yeah… That would be the most logical conclusion, but there’s a part of me that just doesn’t want to accept it.”

Kokubun let out a sigh at that.

“So, do you think Sarashina was lying?”

His pressing tone made me lift my head from the table.

…Was Kisara lying? …Was she making up the whole ‘ability’ thing?

“…I don’t know. Sorry.”

Kokubun’s expression didn’t change as he continued questioning me.

“Then let’s make it simpler. Do you think your feelings for Sarashina are real? Or are they fake? Are they just illusions?”

That’s….

“They’re real. At least, I want to believe they’re real. I want to believe that I didn’t come to like Kisara because of some ‘ability’…”

“Hey, hey, come on. Those feelings are important to you, right? You need to say it with more confidence! Besides, if that’s your conclusion, then it means Sarashina’s so-called ‘ability’ doesn’t exist, right?”

If my feelings of ‘like’ to her were real, then the idea of an ‘ability that makes someone fall in love just by touching them’ had to be false. But then… Why did I feel this strange sense of unease…? Suddenly, I recalled the expressions Kisara had shown at times.

During the palm reading, under the shared umbrella, while watching a movie, and when she was being attacked by Makabe.. In all those incidents, she had that fleeting, sorrowful, and fearful look, as if she were terrified of something. And then, there were the final tears she shed at the fireworks festival. Looking back now, she had seemed like she was carrying a heavy burden on her back.

“I…”

I opened my mouth, as if I was trying to taste the feeling of my own words by speaking it out loud.

“…I think her so-called ‘ability’ really does exist.”

Hearing my words, Kokubun let out a thoughtful “Hoo~.”

“It’s not like I have any concrete proof or anything, but… I just feel that way. Like maybe she’s been troubled by that ‘ability’ all this time.”

“Hmm… But if that’s the case, doesn’t that mean your feelings of ‘liking’ her were just something created by that ‘ability’? That means your feelings are fake, right?”

“No… that’s not it either… I know I sound really contradictory right now, but… It just doesn’t feel that way…”

Hearing my response, Kokubun let out a short “I see.” It was as if he had somehow reached his own conclusion.

“Did you figure something out?”

“No, it’s just that if you, the person who’s been closest to Sarashina, say so, then I feel like it must be true.”

Saying that, Kokubun gave me a gentle smile, like a parent soothing a crying child, and then continued speaking.

“Hey, Michihito… What’s the most important feeling to you?”

“The most important feeling to me…?”

“Yeah. What is the most important feeling to you? You’ve been caught up in pretending to be her boyfriend, in this ‘ability’ thing and I know there’s too much going on right now. That’s why you’re getting all confused like this.”

“…………”

“But forget about all those complicated things for a moment. Just think about Sarashina, with everything you have, one more time. If you do that, I think the answer will come to you on your own. You will understand whether your feelings of ‘liking’ her are real or not.”

With that, Kokubun flashed a grin, showing his teeth. Were my feelings of liking her real or fake…? I repeated his words over and over in my mind.

My feelings toward Kisara… this ‘like’ I felt…

“Kokubun…”

“What is it?”

“I’m glad I talked to you about this.”

“Oh, well, this is the best advice I, ranked 28th in our grade, can give to you, ranked 33rd. Just pay me back when you make it big.”

“You’re fine with being paid later?”

“I’ll settle for a nude photo of Sarashina.”

Normally, I’d have set my right arm on fire and launched it at Kokubun for pulling a comment like that, but right now, I was just deeply grateful to Kokubun for cracking jokes to lighten the mood.

You really are a good guy. The best friend I could ask for. Sorry for always dumping all my problems on you. And…

“Thank you, Kokubun…”

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