The Story of How I, a Guy Who Couldn’t Care Less About School Castes, Somehow Ended Up Making All the Five-Star Gals Fall for Me - Chapter 09: Just a Little Curiosity☆

Chapter 09: Just a Little Curiosity☆

“…You really don’t hold back, huh.”

Hinawa was as bold as ever, asking about my love life even though we weren’t all that close yet.

“It’s just curiosity☆”

“You’re good at English, but not so great at Japanese, huh.”

“Fufu, that’s ’cause I’m a global girl.”

She flashed a peace sign—her nails making it look extra long.

Why was it that when someone called themselves “global” like that, it always sounded kinda dumb?

“Yesterday I told you I don’t have any dating experience. That’s your answer.”

“Oh yeah, guess you did. Totally forgot.”

She brushed it off with a laugh.

“Hiwatari-san, what about your lunch?”

“I forgot to buy something this morning. Ikoi, share with meee, I’m starving~~”

She opened her mouth right there like she was expecting me to feed her.

Hold on—I never said I’d give her anything.

“Then I won’t have enough for myself.”

“Ehh, I’ll starve to death.”

Hinawa tugged gently on the edge of my uniform, begging like a spoiled kid.

“I don’t really have that share-everything culture built into me.”

“Too bad. But hey, if I go to the school store now it’ll be crazy packed. Just let me hang out and kill time here, that’s fine, right?”

The fact that she didn’t complain about me being stingy showed Hinawa Hiwatari’s true personality.

Even if she looked like a carefree gal, she had this natural sense for keeping relationships balanced just right.

“I don’t have much to offer, you know.”

“That’s fine. I just wanna learn more about you, Ikoi.”

Her big eyes stared straight up at me. Even without colored contacts, they were naturally large and had this unusual sparkle to them.

“You’re really pushy.”

“Every second you hold back is just less time left in life.”

That smug face. What’s with that dazzling, overconfident look?

Damn it—I actually felt impressed.

“So you want to make the most out of life.”

“Yep. If it’s fun, then that’s all that matters!”

Hinawa never wavered.

With her leaning in so close, it almost felt like she was into me—or at least, it made me want to think that. But realistically, a girl I’d barely even spoken to before yesterday, someone with no real connection to me, wasn’t about to suddenly like me.

Conclusion: take her seriously and I’d just be setting myself up to get burned.

She was just a girl who naturally closed distance way too easily.

“So? Spill it. Even if you don’t have a girlfriend, is there someone you like?”

She leaned in, her eyes shining with curiosity.

My heart pounded hard at her careless closeness.

I knew it already, but Hinawa was easily as cute as Hari in her own way.

“Would be nice if there was.”

“Then that means you’re on the market.”

She stuck a finger up like she’d just cracked the case.

Her neatly manicured nail gleamed under the light.

“Why does it automatically have to mean that?”

“Because youth and romance are a high school happy set!”

…Seriously?

I had no idea.

Was that really common sense for everyone else?

I almost blurted out something lame, like, won’t you just lose interest once you grow up?

Kind of like those toy freebies you begged for as a kid—then one day, poof, they’re just gone.

“So what’s your type, Ikoi? Like, if you had to choose out of the four of us, who’d be your pick?”

Asking a guy straight-up, and even including herself in the options—that was Hinawa Hiwatari in all her overwhelming boldness.

“Do you really need to know that, Hiwatari-san?”

“Totally! I need to know! And hey, just call me Hinawa, no honorifics needed.”

Hinawa was pure no-brakes.

She bulldozed ahead at her own pace, dragging the conversation wherever she wanted.

Her insane energy and rapid-fire talk were intimidating… and yet, somehow she didn’t come off as annoying. That had to be her charm.

“Maybe if I feel like it.”

“Feel like it now! Right this second, now!”

“Patience makes it more satisfying when you finally get what you want.”

“Ohh, is this a tease play thing? Ikoi, you perv.”

“I’ll never say it now.”

“Liar! I was kidding!”

“You really do like to talk, don’t you, Hiwatari-san.”

“Do I? I think that’s just normal for girls. If anything, you’re the quiet one, Ikoi. Don’t worry, if you’re bottling stuff up, I’ll listen.”

Her expression suddenly turned serious, like she was genuinely worried about me.

“If I’m considered quiet, then the whole planet would probably be a lot quieter.”

“Pfft, that’s hilarious.”

She laughed without a shred of restraint.

And yeah—I finally understood why she was so popular.

It wasn’t just her looks or the things she said.

It was the way she always laughed, instantly and wholeheartedly, at whatever you tossed out.

Even if you didn’t actually do anything special, she made you feel like you were the one who made her smile.

That kind of reaction left people with a sense of satisfaction… and probably made them like her even more.

“Feels like I’m the only one talking. C’mon, Ikoi, you say something too.”

Yep. There it was. The usual impossible demand.