The Story Of How I, A Gloomy Guy, Ended Up Surrounded By the Top-Tier Beautiful Girls In Class After A Seat Change

Chapter 17:

“Alright, Ryota, Airi’s heading back to the classroom first! Return the key to the staff room, okay?”

After finishing her lunch, Airi Miyama ran off somewhere, her enormous chest bouncing up and down. As always, her chest moved so impressively that it was almost worth capturing on video.

(Airi mentioned she came up with a “good idea” or something, but what could that be?)

Airi was more airheaded than I had expected. Hopefully, she wouldn’t bring another bombshell like the one with Yuria Ichinose.

Airi mistakenly thought Rui Kuroki liked me, which was a ridiculous misunderstanding.

The idea that Rui Kuroki liked me was as likely as the world turning upside down.

If I were to describe my relationship with Rui Kuroki, she would be the popular idol shining on TV. At the same time, I’d be the ordinary guy watching from the comfort of my kotatsu.

For someone like me to be liked by her is just absurd.

However, it did bother me that Rui acted differently only towards me.

(Is it because we went to the same middle school?)

This high school is a bit far from the middle school I attended. Besides Rui and me, the only other student from our middle school is my otaku friend Kanade Tanaka, who is in the class next door.

This high school is one of the top public schools in the prefecture. Many classmates took the entrance exam, but most of them failed.

Putting aside the question of how someone like Airi, with her bubbly and ditzy personality, managed to get accepted, Rui’s different treatment towards me was probably just because we went to the same middle school.

(So, there’s no way it’s what Airi thinks.)

“Heh… Don’t underestimate my experience as an introvert. I’m not just any delusional introvert.”

I locked the empty classroom and headed to the staff room.

—

I made it through all the afternoon classes today without even looking at Yuria Ichinose’s thighs once. I attended the boring classes relatively seriously and finally reached the end of the school day.

(Now, what should I do after school today?)

The day before yesterday, I bought “Oppai Sui” at Tatsuya, and I went to the arcade in the neighboring town yesterday. Recently, my after-school hours have been quite hectic…

(Today, it’s raining, so I’ll head straight home. I’m also out of money.)

After packing, I headed to the entrance with my bag in hand.

I still hadn’t figured out what Airi’s “good idea” was about… What was it?

(It doesn’t seem to be causing me any trouble, so whatever.)

More importantly, today is the update day for that web manga.

On my way home, I planned to read it——wait, huh?

As I pulled my shoes out of the shoe locker and looked up, my eyes widened.

(What? Why…?)

In front of the entrance, a beautiful black-haired girl glanced back at me from the shoe lockers with a sharp look.

“…Oh, you’re finally here.”

Standing at the entrance was Rui Kuroki, holding a navy blue umbrella.

“Kuroki… Rui…”

(Why is she here… It’s like she was waiting for me… Huh?)

Looking closely at her hand, I noticed a piece of masking tape with a moe character wrapped around the umbrella’s handle.

“That’s… my…”

I didn’t understand why, but Rui Kuroki was unmistakably holding my navy blue umbrella, waiting for me.

—

Chapter 18:

When I came to the entrance hall, ready to go home, I was met by—

“…K-Kuroki?”

It was Rui Kuroki, the most famous and perfect superhuman beauty in high school. Her silky, lustrous black hair and well-cared-for radiant skin. Her small, sharp features and long lashes frame jewel-like eyes.

Even on a rainy day, this perfect beauty radiated presence.

(Why is she standing there holding my umbrella?)

Unable to comprehend the situation in front of me, I put on my leather shoes.

(Calm down, this must be a mistake.)

Surely Kuroki mistook me for someone else—

“Izumiya-kun, I’ve been waiting for you.”

“…!”

It seems it wasn’t a mistake after all. I had suspected as much when I saw her holding my umbrella, but…

“Airi lost her folding umbrella and had a date with her boyfriend today. She was in a hurry, so she asked to borrow mine. I lent it to her.”

Kuroki explained this as if talking to herself, even though I hadn’t asked anything yet.

(It’s all that brainless, busty girl’s fault… I won’t forgive her… At least let me touch those boobs.)

“But since I lent my umbrella to Airi, I couldn’t go home. So Airi asked Izumiya-kun to help me, right? Since we went to the same middle school and our way home is almost the same.”

I had no idea about such a request.

“Sorry for involving you, Izumiya-kun.”

This involvement is too much. Miyama seems to have mistaken Kuroki’s feelings for me, deliberately creating this romantic event where we share an umbrella.

I somewhat understand it’s Miyama’s fault, but I have one unresolved question.

(How did Kuroki know that navy umbrella was mine?)

“Airi’s such a troublemaker. She’s really into her boyfriend… I’d love to see a picture of him.”

I wrapped the handle of my umbrella with masking tape decorated with chibi characters from my favourite anime. It was a unique mark only I knew.

(And yet, Kuroki has my umbrella. How did she know?)

“Shall we go?”

“…Yeah.”

I couldn’t refuse. If I did, it would create tension between Kuroki and me. Even though I find her difficult to deal with, I don’t want to be on bad terms with her, especially since we sit next to each other for the rest of the school year.

Kuroki could have asked another friend to share an umbrella, but why did she insist on me?

Kuroki’s house is a large traditional Japanese-style house near mine. Miyama’s idea that she could borrow my umbrella and go home makes sense, but why would she go home with a bottom-tier introvert like me?

“Can I open this umbrella?”

Before stepping out of the entrance, Kuroki tried to open my umbrella.

“You’ve been using this umbrella since middle school, right?”

“Uh, y-yeah.”

“Hehe… I thought so.”

How does she know that?!

“This umbrella is pretty wide.”

“I-I’ll hold the umbrella.”

“You’re kind.”

Kuroki’s usually calm demeanour seemed more affectionate when talking to me than with others.

(Kuroki… doesn’t usually show this much expression in front of guys…)

I started to understand what Miyama had said.

“Well then, I’ll take care of the umbrella.”

I took the umbrella opened by Kuroki and invited her under it.

“Excuse me.”

“…”

I was speechless with nervousness. She’s the school idol, and I’m just a background character. We shouldn’t be under the same umbrella.

(We hadn’t spoken until the seat change.)

Kuroki’s stride was surprisingly long, showing her athletic side from being in the track team.

“Hey, Izumiya-kun.”

As we started walking, Kuroki looked up at me from my left side and spoke.

“Recently, you got a girlfriend, didn’t you?”

“…Huh?”

I was stunned.

The question was so out of the blue that I stopped.

“Are you dating… Yuria or Airi?”

“N-no, no, no! There’s no way someone at the bottom of the class hierarchy like me could be dating a beauty like Miyama or Ichinose!”

“Clearly flustered, usually quiet but denying quickly, hands shaking while holding the umbrella… Conclusion: lying.”

Her insight was unnecessarily sharp. Is she a detective or something?

“Why are you lying to me? We’re middle school classmates, right? Aren’t we?”

Just classmates, nothing more, nothing less!

Kuroki moved her face closer to mine. Because of the rain, I couldn’t move away, and I endured it, my face heating up.

“I’m not lying! I’m not dating anyone!”

“Then why were you getting along with Airi?”

“Miyama?”

“I heard from my track team friends that you had lunch with Airi in the school cafeteria yesterday. How did you get close to her?”

Is it already common knowledge that I had lunch with Miyama?

“Answer me.”

Is Kuroki worried about that…? She should be concerned if her best friend is getting close to a guy like me. So, did she approach me this morning to separate me from Miyama?

“That was… I was just thanking Miyama. The day before yesterday, I ran into her at a store, and she helped me get something I wanted.”

I wasn’t lying. I ran into her (working) at a store, and she helped me get (the first volume of Oppai Sui).

“Really? Nothing is going on with you and Airi?”

“Of course not. I don’t think a beauty like Miyama would ever like someone like me.”

“…Haha, I see. That’s good to hear.”

Kuroki sighed in relief. She must be glad her best friend isn’t dating someone like me. Her face, now serene, looked like it could win an art prize for its beauty.

(A stunning beauty… It’s hard to believe someone from a different world stands beside me.)

Kuroki may not have a voluptuous figure, but her face is more beautiful and well-formed than any girl I’ve ever seen. The more I look at her, the more captivating she becomes.

“This might be embarrassing, but I’ve always been a perfectionist.”

Kuroki suddenly started talking now that she was calm.

“I’m the type of person that won’t be satisfied until I’m perfect in my studies, in sports, and in the hearts of my parents, teachers, and those around me.”

If Miyama, her best friend, dated someone like me, would it ruin that perfection?

Rest assured, Kuroki, I’m not involved with Ichinose or Miyama in that way—

“That’s why I was relieved you aren’t Airi’s.”

…Huh?

The rain started coming down harder. Standing under the same umbrella in front of the empty school gate, Kuroki and I looked at each other.

“Wait, what do you mean by—”

When I tried to ask, Kuroki smiled.

“You were the only middle school classmate who didn’t confess to me, Izumiya-kun.”

I… was the only one…?

N-no way…