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 10: Bang☆

Chapter 10: Bang☆

Getting hit with a sudden question like that… yeah, I didn’t have the kind of witty, smooth-talking skillset needed to entertain a girl I wasn’t even that close with.

Honestly, I had no idea what kind of topics would even catch Hinawa’s interest.

“…Nothing in particular.”

I raised the white flag without hesitation.

My policy was simple—don’t force what I can’t do.

Trying to act cool would only pile on more embarrassment.

“Ikoi, do you get tired talking with me?”

She’d been staring right into my eyes, but just then, her gaze slipped away.

“No, it’s fine. Listening to you is fun, Hiwatari-san.”

“Phew, good! People tell me I’m always way more high-energy than everyone else, and sometimes they don’t like it.”

It wasn’t that they disliked it—they just couldn’t keep up with her turbocharged energy.

But the thing was, for all her chatter, Hinawa did have this thoughtful side, like how she worried about stuff like this.

“You’re probably pretty popular, Hiwatari-san.”

I didn’t know much about our class’s dating scene, but I was sure plenty of guys had their eyes on her.

“Popular? Well, the four of us all are.”

She didn’t brag, didn’t deny it—just stated it like it was fact.

For the Five-Star Gals, getting attention from boys wasn’t anything special. It was just daily life.

“Out of the four, you’re probably the easiest for guys to talk to.”

I tried rephrasing it.

Hinawa always seemed like the one most likely to give a friendly, straightforward response if a guy approached her.

Second place would probably go to Miyu—but judging by how she acted in class, she wasn’t comfortable around boys. Before any conversation could even get going, you’d have to clear the hurdle of earning her trust.

Hari Suitengu, on the other hand, radiated an unmistakable don’t talk to me aura, practically locking herself into communication shutdown with anyone outside her closest friends.

And Platina Kongouji? She was just plain unpredictable.

“But all the boys are my friends.”

Hinawa said it so easily it was hard to tell if she was just acting or genuinely like that.

“That kind of gap in perception… is a sin.”

I spoke on behalf of all adolescent boys everywhere.

In the end, guys were simple creatures—more likely to fall for the girl nearby who was easy to talk to, whose conversations just flowed naturally, rather than some distant crush.

Looking back on all the love consultations my classmates had dumped on me, that was the common thread.

For some reason, when it came to me, they were more than willing to spill their hidden feelings.

“Ikoi, what do you mean by that?”

Yep. She was clueless. Absolutely genuine.

The more people talked with Hinawa, the more they ended up liking her.

But to her, she was just… talking. Nothing special. Just normal.

That’s why she never saw the guys as anything more than classmates.

The end result? A whole army of boys hopelessly crushing on her.

This gal… she was basically a natural-born heart thief.

“I mean your openness is what makes you attractive. That’s why everyone ends up liking you.”

“Does that include you, Ikoi?”

“I said everyone.”

Not a lie. Just being around her brightness had this weird way of making you feel lighter too.

“Ah, yay! That makes me happy!”

“Positive much.”

“Well, Ikoi, you actually smiled just now.”

Too dazzling. Her smile bloomed like a huge flower, and before I knew it, I’d been pulled in, my own mouth curving up.

I even caught myself touching my chin, checking if I’d really smiled.

“Was my face usually that blank?”

“Your reactions are kinda thin. Do your facial muscles even work?”

Hinawa suddenly cupped my face with both hands and started kneading like she was giving me a massage.

“Hey—quit touching me!”

“I’m just loosening you up.”

“I didn’t ask for this—ouch, ouch, ouch! Too strong! Your nails are stabbing me! You’re way too close to my eyeball! You’re poking my eyelashes!”

I twisted and flailed, desperate to escape.

Hinawa just laughed her head off, totally entertained by my suffering.

“Ikoi, if you don’t smile properly, you’ll just look grumpy.”

“Not much in life makes me smile.”

“Then I’ll just talk to you more and make you laugh again. Smiles are important!”

That innocent grin of hers—it had to be natural-born.

A place someone like me could never reach.

Honestly, it was on the level of witchcraft.

Was it really safe to let this gal run free?

Flash that smile at any guy and he’d be done for.

“Doesn’t your boyfriend ever get worried about that?”

“Ahhh, umm, no need to worry about that stuff. Totally not a problem!”

I found myself studying her face.

Hinawa tried to bulldoze through with another smile, but this time it was a bit forced.

“H-Hey, don’t stare at me so seriously.”

“For someone so playful, you’re not great at being on the receiving end, huh.”

Suddenly, she went quiet and bashful.

And that gap only made Hinawa Hiwatari even more captivating.

Her bottomless brightness, her carefree and playful style—and yet, this unexpectedly shy side.
Unfair. Completely flawless.

“When you say it all calm like that, it makes me super embarrassed!”

Yeah… no doubt about it now. The whole “I have a boyfriend” thing was a lie.

Her reactions were way too innocent.

That said, with someone like Hinawa Hiwatari, maybe romance and friendship really did blur together.

If she treated her boyfriend just like a close friend, then it wouldn’t feel heavy—it’d probably just be fun.

Before I realized it, my thoughts had wandered deep into romance territory.

Guess talking with Hinawa had me a little more giddy than usual.

“I should get going. Wonder if there’s still anything left in the cafeteria.”

“Yeah.”

“Ikoi.”

“Yeah?”

“Next time, I’ll be waiting for you to call me Hinawa.”

Recovering her playful spirit, Hinawa flashed an extra-charming smile, then shot me with a playful finger gun—Bang☆—straight to the heart, before skipping off.

So this was what it meant to feel reluctant to let someone go.

Without realizing it, my eyes followed her retreating figure.

“—Don’t get the wrong idea.”

Another gal’s voice cut in from behind me.

Hari Suitengu had somehow crept up without a sound, her cold tone laced with warning.