The Day After I Told My Shut-In Genius Childhood Friend, Who’s Highly Dependent on Me, “I Got Confessed To,” She Showed Me a Hypnosis App - Chapter 7

“Ho-Honamin!? W-what are you doing!?”

“Huh? Did something happen?”

“D-Did something happen!!”

Momose-san was really close to me as she suddenly started panicking.

No, if she’s asking what I’m doing―,

“I’m just ‘hugging you until you feel happy when we’re alone…’”

“H-Hug!? W-what!? S-suddenly, like that!?”

Momose-san’s face was bright red.

Could she be running a fever or something?

“…Do you want to go to the nurse?”

“I think Honamin is the one who needs it more!?”

“Huh?”

“Don’t huh me!”

“This conversation isn’t making any sense… Are you really feeling okay?”

“Honamin, what’s going on!?”

As I held Momose-san as she was squirming in my arms, the bell finally rang.

Crap, we’re gonna be late.

“Momose-san, are you satisfied?”

“I-I am! Totally satisfied! To-to-totally!”

“Oh, I’m glad to hear that…!”

Hearing that she was satisfied, I let go. Momose-san wobbled back and glared at me with her bright red face.

“Ho―”

“Huh?”

“―Ho-Honamin, you idiot!!”

She threw that strange insult at me and ran off.

“…Eeh?”

I didn’t understand what she meant, but when a girl calls me an idiot, it hits my heart hard.

(W-why…!?)

Even after the bell stopped ringing, I stayed crouched down while holding my chest.

…Having skipped only the fifth period for two days in a row, I was later called in by the teacher.

◆ “Momose Nanaka”

I closed the rooftop door and immediately sank down as I felt weak.

(W-w-why did he hug me…!?)

The scene from just a moment ago was stuck in my mind, like it wouldn’t go away.

The boy I like hugged me the moment we were alone.

(He said he hadn’t replied yet…!)

Yesterday, I lost control and confessed after he saw my phone. He said he hadn’t replied yet.

But now, even without a reply, he just suddenly hugged me.

“~~~~Kya!”

A soundless escaped me. This wasn’t just embarrassment; I felt like my whole body was boiling.

(What’s gotten into Honamin…!?)

I had to admit, he seemed a little different. His expression made hugging look natural, and he even made that weird comment about going to the nurse. Normally, he’s the strange one!

(But… if he does something like that…)

I didn’t know what he was thinking, but I knew what was happening to me.

My heart wouldn’t stop pounding. My breathing was uneven, and my body felt hot.

It felt like I had a fever…

I knew it wasn’t that kind of fever, though.

I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t. It would echo down the hall.

This frustration…

“It’s all your fault, Honamin…!”

I muttered and stood up. If I stayed here, he might come back. I needed to get away and cool my face down. While holding my pounding chest, I took a deep breath and went down the stairs.

—But even then, my heat didn’t go away. In the end, I ended up giving my friends a perfect chance to tease me, “Ooooh, were you doing naughty stuff?!~”

◇

After getting yelled at by Momose-san.

I sat through afternoon classes feeling a huge weight in my stomach.

(She just suddenly called me an idiot…)

Even after being late and returning to class, I couldn’t meet Momose-san’s eyes at all.

I had no idea why she was acting like this. There was no reason for her to suddenly change like that; it had to be weird.

Momose-san herself stayed with her face bright red the whole time.

My close friends asked her what was wrong,

“Nanaka, what is it?”

“Your face is so red?”

“N-nothing! Nothing at all!”

“Your voice is loud.”

“So funny.”

She was clearly drawing everyone’s attention, and something was definitely off.

(Could it be, she’s mad because I haven’t replied yet…!?)

No… maybe I had a reason to worry.

Could it be my slow reply? Momose-san said, “It’s fine,” but maybe inside she was thinking, “I can’t believe you, idiot!”

(No… she wouldn’t be like that…)

I imagined her secretly furious behind that smile, but it didn’t seem likely.

Just then, the bell rang to end class.

After homeroom, as I was leaving the classroom, I finally met Momose-san’s eyes, but she quickly turned her face away and ran off.

W-what just happened…? Did she confess to me…?

I slumped over my desk when a notification popped up on my phone.

The sender was “Kirisaka-senpai.”

“Honami-kun. Are you in the clubroom today?”

I sat up and opened my phone. Getting a message from senpai was rare, so I replied right away.

“I’ll be there!”

“Then maybe I’ll come too.”

Whoa, she actually said something so nice.

And honestly, meeting senpai right now was a huge relief.

(Senpai might be able to give me some advice…)

Holding my still-aching stomach, I headed toward the second building where the clubroom was.