The Story Of How I, A Gloomy Guy, Ended Up Surrounded By the Top-Tier Beautiful Girls In Class After A Seat Change - Chapter 40

“Are you done petting the cat already? Shouldn’t we head back?”

Kuroki continued to stroke the cat, so I, exasperated, stood up first, ready to leave the park.

“Ryota-kun, are you jealous because I’m paying more attention to the cat?”

“It’s not that! It’s just been a tiring day with everything that happened… You must be tired too after track practice.”

“Well, that’s true, I guess.”

As I reasoned with her, Kuroki finally got up reluctantly.

“Okay then, see you later, kitty.”

She reluctantly gave the cat one last pat and started walking away.

Kuroki is… definitely unique. Normally she gives off an image of being neither too bright nor too dark, gentle and ladylike. But when she’s with me like this, she shows a soft smile.

Maybe it’s just her perfectionism trying to catch my attention… but is it really?

“About the cat we were talking about earlier, what’s this other special thing that happened?”

“…You want to know about that?”

“Yeah, I got a bit curious.”

Kuroki has a habit of leaving meanings hanging when she speaks, so I thought I should ask now, or it would remain another mystery.

Kuroki nodded slightly and began to speak slowly.

“When I was in elementary school, a cat I had suddenly fell ill. We went to a skilled vet in the neighboring town to have it checked.”

Ah, so the cat she had mentioned earlier was the one that had already passed away.

“Thanks to that vet, the cat quickly recovered, and the illness was resolved. But… the problem happened on the way back.”

“On the way back?”

“There’s a large multi-story parking lot near the station in the neighboring town, right? While my mom was driving there, the fully recovered cat suddenly escaped through the car window.”

“Hey, that’s serious!”

“Yeah. I panicked seriously and searched for the cat with my mom, crying. With cars going up and down from top to bottom in the parking lot, I was afraid it might have been hit somewhere… but…”

Kuroki stared directly at me.

“Were you really…?”

“A boy suddenly appeared in front of me and my mom.”

“A boy?”

“It seemed he was in the neighboring town for his mom’s errand… After he returned the cat to me, he quickly left somewhere without telling me his name. He looked cool and mysterious, eating a wafer with my cat on his shoulder and a blue bag in his left hand.”

“He was pretty skillful, huh?”

“Yeah, right? But he looked really cool to me.”

Kuroki laughed softly, covering her mouth with her hand as if remembering.

“Well, I don’t think he was that cool…”

“That boy is my other special memory. How about that? Does it make sense now?”

“Yeah. Thanks for telling me.”

“…Is that all?”

“Huh? Uh, yeah.”

As we walked and talked, we could see Kuroki’s mansion.

“Ryota-kun, you might regret it if you let me go, you know?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Thanks for walking me home. It was fun chatting during our stroll.”

Kuroki opened the gate leading to her mansion and went inside.

“Oh, and! I’ll send you more photos later today, just for today’s special date~ ♡”

She winked playfully over her shoulder.

“Uh… yeah.”

Kuroki disappeared into her mansion.

Maybe I’m just a pervert after all, unable to say ‘I don’t need them’ even now.

☆☆

—Monday.

As usual, I arrived at school early and confidently read a light novel at my desk.

(Yesterday, I talked not only with Yuria but also with Kuroki about various things…)

Furthermore, information about a date with Airi Miyama at Snow Tops after school on Friday was spreading unknown to me, and I was being glared at by my male classmates with murderous eyes.

“That guy is seriously amazing.”

“Has he already touched Miyama’s huge breasts?”

“Damn, such a playboy introvert.”

It seems like a contradictory nickname, “playboy introvert,” has been attached to me behind my back.

(Well, I do think about wanting to touch Miyama’s huge breasts… but there’s no way I could.)

I don’t know what others think, but I don’t have that kind of relationship with Miyama.

*Sigh*… No matter how many dates we go on, I’m just a guy friend who knows her secrets.

But what if…

If by some mistake, my relationship with those three progresses, will there come a day when I can freely touch Miyama’s huge breasts, bury my face in Yuria’s thighs, or trace Kuroki’s belly button slowly?

“No, that will never happen.”

I am a virgin introvert through and through.

Even if I foolishly hope for it, it’s clear that they will all end up with handsome guys and I’ll be left alone.

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

“Oops!”

While I was lost in thought, Miyama had sat in front of me without me noticing, facing me while still in her seat.

“Aren’t you tired, Ryota? Shall I comfort you?”

“W-why are you talking to me so casually like that?”

“Well, it seems like Airi and I are getting along well, so I thought it was okay. It would be weird to hide it.”

As expected, Miyama is… like a silly child.

If we talk normally, people might think we’re dating.

“Ryota, Ryota~”

“W-what?”

“The cultural festival voting. What will you choose?”

“The cultural festival voting?”

A new word came up, and I unintentionally asked for clarification.

“Yuria, the executive committee member, said she would decide on Monday what to do.”

Come to think of it, she did mention that during homeroom on Friday.

“Shall we vote for a café or a play for the cultural festival? Airi prefers the café.”

“A café…”

Miyama in a maid outfit…

Imagining Miyama’s big breasts peeking out from the maid outfit, I couldn’t help but smirk.

“Ryota, why are you smirking?”

“…A café with big breasts is also a good idea.”

“Huh?”

Miyama looked puzzled, and at the same time, Yuria and Kuroki entered the classroom together.

Miyama immediately turned to them and started talking.

“Good morning, Yuria and Rui-chan.”

“Good morning, Airi… Hey, weren’t you talking to Izumitani?”

“Well, I just asked Ryota to vote for a café for the cultural festival.”

“…Right, that’s true.”

Yuria glanced at me before sitting in her seat next to mine.

Yuria is quite indifferent in front of these two… even though we had a fun movie date yesterday.

As I glanced at Ichinose, Kuroki stopped in front of my seat.

“Hehe, so in the end, Ryota-kun, which one will you vote for, the play or the café?”

“Ryota-kun!?”

Kuroki’s calling me “Ryota-kun” made both Miyama and Yuria react at the same time.

Simultaneously, with a smug smile, Rui Kuroki licked her lips with her tongue.

Ugh… Kuroki, you troublemaker! This is going to be a hassle!!