The Reason Why The Cool Beauty Who Repeatedly Ignores Messages Replies Only To Me. ~The Lonely Beauty Wants To Know The Lonely Me〜 - Chapter 21

Episode 21: Saeki Wants to Hear My Thoughts

—The Next Day

Feeling shaken (in various ways) by that photo, I ended up sleepless, and as I made my way to school with tired eyes, “that guy” who was the cause of it all was waiting for me as I got off the bus.

“…Good morning, Okami-kun.”

Saeki said, a faint smile appearing on her face as soon as she saw me.

That expression of hers seemed as if she could see right through me.

Could it be… that she planned everything, including sending me that photo?

“You look a bit off this morning. Did something happen?”

Saeki cut straight to the point.

“Yesterday’s photo… what is that?”

“It was a reward for your hard work at the cultural festival. You should be grateful.”.

Once again, she spoke in that condescending tone…

“Or… maybe you didn’t need it?”

“It’s not about whether I wanted it or not. Just don’t go around sending photos like that. Weren’t you the one talking about digital footprint during our cafe meeting?”

“You were the only one I sent it to, so it’s not a digital footprint or anything.”

Having the tables turned on me like that reminded me of that time…

“W-What if I spread it around?” .

“You wouldn’t do something like that.”

Saeki says that and starts walking.

Why does Saeki trust me like this…?

I need to take a stand here.

“I’ll do it when I have to.”

“…You won’t.”

“That’s why you should stop trusting like that.”

“It’s not trust, it’s certainty. If you were just like everyone else… we wouldn’t be friends in the first place.”

“Friends…”

“And besides, I wouldn’t be embarrassed if it were you seeing it.”

W-what’s with that?

You’re saying you wouldn’t be embarrassed if I saw it? Is it because she doesn’t see me as a man?

She’s really looking down on me…

“By the way, Okami-kun. Your reply yesterday was unusually late?”

“Reply? Oh, that’s…”

“Could it be—?”

“?”

Saeki scratched her cheek with her index finger, her gaze wandering.

“W-was it because you were doing… something indecent with my photo?”

“Ha?”

“How disgusting. I lectured you to reply promptly, yet you prioritize your own desires.”

“While muttering to yourself like that is not good, I was just trying to figure out what to reply back to you.

“You can say whatever you want.”

I don’t really get it, but Saeki was talking to herself without listening to me at all.

That Saeki, she’s been surprisingly talkative since the cultural festival. (Though it feels like she’s become even more of a hassle…)

“Now, tell me about your thoughts on the photo, right now.”

“Haa?”

“If you don’t give a proper response, I won’t send you anything anymore.”

“I didn’t even ask for it in the first place.”

“…If you don’t share your thoughts, I’ll send it again.”

“It’s like you’re warning me instead.”

M-My thoughts…

“A normal guy like me wouldn’t usually criticize someone as beautiful as you… but I thought it was cute.”

“……”

“W-what?”

“…90 points.”

“Surprisingly high.”

I’m not happy at all though.

✳︎✳︎

Selfie Strategy.

I came up with this plan the moment I saw that maid outfit.

Even though he’s Okami-kun, he can’t resist his male instincts, and there’s no way he wouldn’t be conscious of me after seeing me wearing that.

Right, for example…

“Um, seeing that photo, I couldn’t stop thinking about you, Saeki. I-I think I like you…”

“Well, I guess it can’t be helped. If you say that much, should I upgrade you from just a friend a bit?”

It was supposed to go something like that…

“It’s surprising how you do something like that. You’re just like Tamari.”

Even though I went through the embarrassment of sending him that photo…this guy, he’s infuriating.

“B-By the way… how were Michifuji-san’s selfies?”

“Tamari’s? She bombarded me with about 10 annoyingly cute selfies…”

T-ten?

I spent two hours after getting home carefully considering my pose, and I could only manage one decent photo…

I can’t underestimate Tamari Michifuji…

[Afterword]

Please give the work a [follow] and leave [☆ratings] and [likes] down below! Also follow the author if you like.