The Pure-Hearted Beauty Who Only Dotes on Me Despite Not Being in a Relationship—And How She Became Even Sweeter After We Started Dating - Chapter 3: How about I give you a lap pillow until you wake up?

How about I give you a lap pillow until you wake up?

“Sorry to keep you waiting~ I went down to the first floor to buy some cake, and… Are you two dating? If so, why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

Returning to the second floor with a tray holding tea cups, Hasebe-san looked at the scene before her and asked.

“We’re not dating! Tsu… Tsuyuzaki, wake up and help me clear up this misunderstanding!”

I gently tapped her shoulder, but there was no sign of her waking up. Then, Hasebe-san chuckled softly.

“Once Mizuki-chan falls asleep, she’s hard to wake up, you know?”

“I-I see…”

“Yeah, she really is. But, maybe if Kougami-kun kisses Mizuki-chan, she’ll wake up. How romantic~”

Is Hasebe-san getting too excited all by herself? There’s no way I can just kiss a girl who’s not even my girlfriend.

Not good, Hasebe-san mentioned a kiss, and now I’m staring at Tsuyuzaki’s lips!?

“Hasebe-san, is there any other way besides a kiss?”

“Hmm~… None that I can think of. How about giving her a pillow for her head until she wakes up, boyfriend-san?”

This is bad… We’re not boyfriend and girlfriend…

“Tsuyuzaki and I are just friends. She’s just being affectionate for some reason.”

“But she doesn’t look like just a friend. If she’s being affectionate, it means Mizuki-chan isn’t wary of you, Kougami-kun. So, Kougami-kun, what do you think of Mizuki-chan?”

What do I think of Tsuyuzaki…?

At first, I was somewhat uncomfortable around her. She always seemed to be trying hard to be liked, forcing smiles and always being the perfect student to impress everyone.

But…

“Tsuyuzaki is someone who works harder than anyone else and always puts on a brave face, but in reality, she’s not as strong as she seems… The more I get to know her true self, the more I find her to be someone I can’t just ignore…”

At school, she always seems so composed and unapproachable.

But the Tsuyuzaki here is different from the one at school.

“Do you have feelings for her?”

“I don’t. I just want to be there for Tsuyuzaki…”

“…By the way, do you know why she’s being so affectionate?”

“I’d like to know that too. Tsuyuzaki and I started talking like this after a certain after-school three months ago…”

─ Three months ago

“This, please.”

“Understood.”

On a day when I stayed late for cleaning duty, as I passed by the staff room, the homeroom teacher handed Tsuyuzaki a stack of printouts.

It was definitely too much for one girl to carry. I couldn’t just walk away without saying anything, so I silently took half of the printouts she was holding.

“Um, Kougami-kun? Could you please return those?”

“Where am I supposed to take these?”

“Did you hear me? I said, ‘Please return those.'”

“You don’t want to rely on people that much?”

When I asked, she nodded slightly.

Watching her at school, I had thought that she seemed to trust others, but in reality, she didn’t trust them much.

“Some people misunderstand when you rely on them too much. So, I don’t rely on anyone as a rule.”

One of the troubles of being popular, perhaps. She stopped relying on others because someone misunderstood when she did so before.

“Putting on a brave face.”

“W-what, I’m not putting on a brave face. I can carry these by myself.”

“I don’t necessarily think it’s nice to be relied upon, but maybe it’s worth trying to trust my words and rely on me once?”

“What do you mean, ‘rely on you’? But… it’s not good to distrust everyone like this. Okay, could you please help me take these printouts to the Japanese prep room?”

That was the first time we had a proper conversation. Until then, she had been a classmate who never spoke, but after that, we started meeting often after school or on holidays.

“Are you always being made to do things by the teacher?”

After putting the printouts in the Japanese prep room and returning to the classroom to get her bag, I asked Tsuyuzaki.

“I’m not necessarily being made to do things. I do them because I want to.”

“There was some weird tension there.”

“T-that’s just your imagination…”

At that moment, for the first time, I felt like I got to know the real her. I had thought she was very stiff, but when we talked, she didn’t seem that way.

“Working hard for someone is good, but don’t overdo it,” I said, and for some reason, I ended up patting her head.

Ahh, I did it. Even though we’re not close, doing this is definitely not okay.

“C-Can you pat me a little more?”

“Huh?”

“I-I’d like a reward for working hard.”

Tsuyuzaki-san!? Do you realize what you’re saying? I’m not your boyfriend or anything…

“Is it okay to let someone you don’t know pat your head?”

“You’re not someone I don’t know. You’re my classmate, Kougami-kun. And you patted my head without permission just now, didn’t you?”

“Uh, well…”

“If you don’t pat me again, I’ll tell everyone in the class that Kougami-kun patted my head without permission.”

I feel like I’m being threatened… If I say I patted Tsuyuzaki’s head, I don’t think I’ll be able to go to school tomorrow.

“Okay, is this good enough?”

“Yes, this is fine…”

“…Good job today. You worked hard,” I said, patting her head gently once more. She smiled happily. So this is how Tsuyuzaki smiles. At school, it feels like she’s always forcing a smile to fit in.

Talking to Tsuyuzaki was just for today. I thought I would have no further involvement with her starting tomorrow.