The Gal Game Heroines Who Were Supposed to Die Somehow Learned My Secret ～By the Way, Where Did My [Diary] Go?～ - SS 1: I Tried Saying “I Love You.”

SS 01: I Tried Saying “I Love You.”

Tomorrow is August 31st.

In some countries, it’s known as I LOVE YOU Day.

The idea comes from 8 letters, 3 words, 1 meaning.

Normally, I’m awful at saying things like “I like you” or “I love you.”

It just feels… embarrassing.

I’ve always believed that if my actions proved it, then my feelings would come across without words.

But the four of them—

They whisper their love to me every single day.

No hesitation. Straight from the heart.

That’s exactly why I feel like I need to say it too.

Because there are emotions that only words can carry.

And honestly, a day with this kind of meaning feels perfect for someone awkward like me.

It gives me a chance. An excuse. A little push on the back.

So tomorrow, I’m going to try.

To my beloved girlfriends—

With all the gratitude in my heart.

━━━“I love you.”

◇ Satsuki Saionji’s Case

“Mmm…”

The savory scent of miso soup and the steady rhythm of a knife chopping in the kitchen gently pulled me out of my half-asleep haze.

Rubbing my eyes, I made my way down the loft stairs—

And there she was.

Satsuki, wearing an apron, softly humming a tune as she cooked.

“Good morning.”

She noticed me and smiled, her expression shining like sunlight breaking through the clouds.

“Morning, Satoshi-kun! Breakfast will be ready in just a bit, so hang tight!”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“Don’t worry about it—it’s something I really love doing~!”

Still full of energy, Satsuki stirred the pot of miso soup while also keeping an eye on the frying pan.

I was about to head to the table, like always—

When something on the wall caught my eye.

August 31st.

…Crap. I almost forgot the whole point of today.

I drew in a deep breath.

Wait—hold on. She’s in the middle of cooking. If I say it now, wouldn’t that be kind of dangerous? Maybe I should wait until after breakfast…?

Idiot.

That’s exactly how I’ve been putting it off all this time!

The embarrassment, the excuses—today’s the day to throw them all away.

If I let this chance slip, I might never say it.

I tightened my resolve.

“Satsuki…”

“Hm? What’s up~?”

“Thanks for always making such great meals. Thanks for always being here with that smile. If you weren’t around, I don’t even know if I’d still be alive.”

“Eh…? W-What’s with you all of a sudden…?”

Satsuki tilted her head, staring at me like I’d suddenly turned into some strange creature.

But I couldn’t back out now. I’d promised myself I’d say it today.

“So, um, I… love you—”

“—Huh?”

The ladle slipped from Satsuki’s hand. It hit the floor with a sharp clatter, rolled, and splashed out a bit of miso soup when the handle struck the ground.

Still, she just stared at me, as if she hadn’t even noticed.

…Did I try too hard to sound cool?

Heat rose in my face, the sting of embarrassment creeping in. My nerves cracked, and before I knew it, I was blurting out words in a panic, like I was trying to run away.

“Ah, no—I just wanted to say that! I’ll go wake the other three!”

I spit the excuse out way too fast, then hurried back up to the loft.

Ever since we started college, mornings had been our weak point. If Satsuki didn’t wake us up every day like this, we’d all be hopeless wrecks.

…Maybe I should’ve told her that too?

I took a step and then—

“Eh?”

Something soft pressed against my right hand.

When I turned, Satsuki was holding it. Her head was lowered, bangs shadowing her face so I couldn’t read her expression. That alone made her look a little frightening.

“…Why would you say something like that first thing in the morning?”

She muttered quietly, then reached out with her free hand to flick off the stove.

The gentle bubbling of the miso soup, the faint sizzle of the scrambled eggs—

Both sounds vanished with a sharp hiss as the heat cut out.

“Ah, s-sorry—huh?”

Before I could even finish apologizing, Satsuki pushed me back. My legs hit the edge of the sofa, and I toppled onto it. She climbed on top of me, straddling my waist.

“S-Satsuki?”

“This is your fault, you know? After hearing words like that… how could I possibly hold back…?”

Her voice was low, sultry, as her hands slipped down to her clothes.

In one motion, she pulled off her shirt, leaving only her underwear.

Her sakura-colored eyes gleamed with heat, lips curling into a predator’s smile. A faint flush spread across her cheeks, and when she slowly dragged her tongue across her lips—

A chill ran straight down my spine.

“—You just pressed my love switch, didn’t you?”

“…Eh?”

◇ Shuna Nanjou’s Case

“Sorryyy~ for dragging you along shopping with me~.”

Shuna apologized with a sheepish smile.

The fridge at home had emptied out completely, so the two of us were out buying groceries. The others had things to do, so right now it was just me and Shuna—rare time alone together.

“I don’t mind. But seriously, it’s too hot… let’s hurry back. I’m dying for some AC.”

“Yeah, me too~.”

I missed the chilled air of the fresh-food section. That place felt like a freezer, and the cool draft from the fish display was heavenly. I kept circling it just to soak in the cold—

Which was probably why the woman at the fish counter snagged me and somehow convinced me to buy white fish instead of the sausages I’d planned on.

“It’s way healthier than sausages, trust me!” she’d said. Before I knew it, my wallet was open.

Result: my funds were basically zero. No way could I go back and grab the sausages now.

I could already picture Satsuki scolding me for this when we got home.

“It’s really hot though~.”

Shuna fanned her face with one hand while leaning into me.

My left hand carried the grocery bags.

My right hand—Shuna held it tightly, fingers laced with mine. Classic lover’s hand-holding.

Thanks to rehab, sensation in my right hand had come back enough that I could hold hers like this again.

And honestly—being able to feel Shuna’s softness pressed against me like that…

That was the best reward of all.

Not that I’d ever let it show on my face.

“…If it’s really that hot, you can let go of my hand, you know?”

“Muu~, there you go being mean again~.”

Shuna puffed her cheeks a little, then this time wrapped her arm around my right arm, pressing herself right up against me.

“Now it’s even hotter…”

“Fufufu~ That’s your punishment for teasing me~.”

Watching Shuna laugh so happily, I felt like her smile mattered more than the heat ever could.

…Alright. When should I say it?

In my mind, Satsuki’s face from earlier came to me.

The moment I told her “I love you,” her switch flipped and she wrung me completely dry.

But that had to be a one-time exception.

With Shuna, it’d be fine. She’d definitely laugh it off in her usual carefree way.

“Listen, Shuna…”

“Hmm~?”

“I love you—”

…Well?

“—”

The cicadas droned loudly, and the midsummer sun scorched the asphalt. For a moment, it felt like time itself had stopped.

“Thanks, Satoshi-kun~.”

With her usual gentle smile, Shuna answered like nothing had changed.

I let out a small sigh of relief. Yep, Shuna was perfectly normal.

As we chatted, our house came into view.

“Anyway, I really need to apologize to Satsuki. She’s definitely going to scold me for failing at grocery shopping.”

“Yeah, probably~. Ah, but, you don’t need to be the one who gets in trouble, okay? The reason we didn’t get the sausages is because I ate them all myself~.”

“Haha, what’s that even supposed to mean?”

Brushing off Shuna’s joke, I opened the front door. A cool blast of AC washed over me like heaven. Looked like the other three still weren’t home yet.

“Well then, let’s put this in the fridge—mmph!?”

Before I could even finish, Shuna shoved me down. Her lips crashed into mine, stealing a deep, hungry kiss.

“Phaah…”

Just when I thought I could finally breathe, her hands slipped to the hem of her shirt. In one smooth motion, she tugged it up, leaving only the lingerie beneath.

Her orange eyes gleamed with a sultry shine, glowing with heat.

“Now then~ how about we make things add up properly?”

“Eh? Shuna!?”

I tried to resist, but she was already on top of me. Logic and reason didn’t stand a chance.

“Time to dig in~♡”

And just like she promised—
…The sausage got eaten.

◇ Shino Shinonome’s Case

Something’s wrong…

All I did was say “I love you,” and already two of them ate me alive.

No, no—this is seriously weird…

“Why…?”

“Is something the matter?”

“Hyaii!?”

A voice came from right behind me, making my heart leap.

I even let out a dumb little squeak.

When I turned, Shino was standing there like it was nothing.

But those ruby-like eyes sparkled with a clear gotcha look.

She was obviously delighted her little prank had worked.

Problem was… we were standing right in front of the ticket gates.

Crowds of people passing by, and here I was making a fool of myself. Embarrassing didn’t even cover it.

I coughed once to save face and shot her a flat glare.

“…Quit sneaking up on me with your footsteps muted.”

“Fufu, I’ll do my best.”

She replied with a flawless smile. Which, of course, meant she had no intention of stopping.

“Thank you for coming to pick me up ♪”

She clung tightly to my arm, rubbing against me like a spoiled cat. Every move was calculated, every gesture unfairly cute.

And honestly, the only reason Shino went out of her way to ride the packed commuter train was so she could have me meet her here.

Hard to stay mad at that.

…Alright. Time to say it.

I’d already told Satsuki and Shuna. Not telling Shino would be unfair.

That said, being alone with her was risky. If she flipped a switch like those two, who knew what would happen.

Which meant… surrounded by all these people, this was the perfect chance.

“You know, Shino.”

“What is it~♡?”

“…”

“That tickles, you know~.”

Her sudden casual tone caught me off guard. Shino—the ever-polite one—suddenly dropping honorific speech. Her timing was too perfect. Even knowing she was doing it on purpose, I couldn’t resist and ended up patting her head.

—Wait, no, that’s not what I was trying to do!

“I love you—”

A salaryman walking beside us snapped his head around in shock.

A woman in the back narrowed her eyes with a warm smile.

And a group of high school boys shot me glares dripping with jealousy.

And Shino herself?

“I see, I see. ‘I love you,’ is it? Thank you very much.”

She answered calmly, her tone polite as always.

Her expression didn’t change a bit. The same old Shino.

“Ah… yeah.”

…Wait, what? Normal?

She was the one I thought most likely to go off the rails.

Yet here she was, clinging tightly to my arm, refusing to let go.

And still, she kept her face lowered.

…Could it be she’s embarrassed?

On the outside she looked perfectly composed, but inside, she was probably screaming with joy. Just holding it in because of the crowd.

Thinking about that gave me a strange sense of superiority.

“Satoshi-san.”

“Hmm~?”

“Do you see that alley over there?”

“…Yeah.”

“And beyond it… there’s a multipurpose restroom.”

“…That’s true.”

“And right now… there are a lot of people here, aren’t there?”

“…Yeah, there are.”

…Why do I suddenly have a really bad feeling about this?

“Where would you like me to attack?”

“What are you saying!?”

Shino kept talking as if she were offering options, completely calm.

“If someone whispered ‘I love you’ to me like that from the front, I couldn’t keep my reason. Now, decide within five seconds. Or I’ll attack you right here.”

This was bad. She’d definitely flipped into full-blown runaway mode. I’d never seen her like this before. I forced myself to stay calm, like defusing a bomb.

“Okay! Okay, I get it! Please, at least—at home…?”

“That’s impossible… zero. —Alright, strip.”

“Your personality just changed!?”

She dragged me down the alley…

◇

“Haaaaaah…”

“Something wrong?”

“…Not really.”

After being eaten alive by Satsuki, devoured by Shuna, and dragged off by Shino, I finally felt genuinely unsafe staying in my own room. So I retreated to Reine’s.

Her room was simple—no real furniture except the bed. The only “decoration” was that giant cushion built to ruin productivity. I sank into it, and Reine sat on my lap, calmly reading a book.

This defenseless side of her—only I got to see it.

Reine had worked her part-time shift at the used bookstore today. All the money she made went straight into buying more books. Reading a fresh purchase while perched on my lap—that was Reine’s idea of bliss.

She shifted, twisting on my knees until she faced me directly. Her hands slid up to my neck, holding me still; our faces lined up perfectly.

Close. Way too close.

With her flawless face right in front of me, I had nowhere to look. Her hand kept my head in place, so I couldn’t turn away even if I wanted to.

“Caught you. You came here because you had something to tell me, right?”

“Well… yeah.”

“Hmph, thought so.”

As she spoke, her cheeks flushed a faint red.

“No point hiding it. I’m… Satoshi’s… y-your girlfriend, after all.”

“If it embarrasses you that much, you don’t have to say it…”

“…I’m not embarrassed.”

“Sure you’re not. With your face that red.”

When I teased her, Reine puckered her lips for a moment—then suddenly threw her arms around me. She buried her face in my chest, her silver hair brushing softly against my cheek.

“That’s not true…”

God, she was way too cute…

“…Sorry. My bad.”

“As long as you understand.”

Reine pulled back just a little, her face still burning. Being a gentleman, I pretended not to notice.

…Alright. By now it felt like a tradition—I braced myself to be eaten alive by Reine too.

“Hey, Reine.”

“Yes?”

“I love you—”

Alright, do your worst!

“Eh? Ah, um… thank you…”

Her crimson eyes wavered. She looked down, fidgeting with her fingers, then peeked up at me.

“I-I love you… too.”

“Reine…!”

Without thinking, I pulled her into a tight hug.

“Kyaa! W-What’s gotten into you?”

Yeah, that was the reaction I wanted. I never expected her to actually devour me.

“It’s just… I told the same thing to the other three, too.”

She flinched.

“I honestly didn’t expect to get eaten for it though… huh? What’s wrong?”

“Muuuuu~~!”

Reine puffed up her cheeks, glaring at me with adorable protest.

“Eh? Reine? Wait—hey!?”

Her fingers went straight for my shirt buttons. Wordless, calm-faced but dripping with jealousy, she started undoing them.

“You idiot, Satoshi!”

And just like that… I was devoured by a jealous Reine.

◇ ???

“Yeah… guess ‘I love you’ is officially banned in this house.”

It hit me then—one clear truth.

If I said those words under this roof, I was going to get eaten alive.

After dinner and a quick bath, I decided to crash early. I’d been slacking lately, and with classes starting soon I had to sort my schedule out anyway.

“Saaatoshi-kun~.”

“…What is it?”

I glanced over cautiously and saw Satsuki leading the other three as they climbed up into the loft.

“After stirring us all up like that, you’re just gonna go to bed? Don’t you think that’s a little cruel?”

“Eh? No, I don’t think it’s like that at all—”

“Do you really think hearing ‘I love you’ once is enough to satisfy us?”

…How was I supposed to know!?

“Satoshi-kun’s gotta take responsibility for this, right~?”

“Obviously.”

“Yes…”

I’d known this was coming. That was why I’d tried to go to bed early…

But there was no escape now.

“Satoshi-kun.”

“Hm…?”

““““You’re not getting away (We love you).””””

Strange. 

They said “I love you” out loud, but threaded through those words was something else—possessiveness, obsession, pressure.

Yeah… tonight was hot.

In every possible sense.