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 11: I Don’t Want to Make You Cry Again

Chapter 11: I Don’t Want to Make You Cry Again

At the very least, give me a warning first.

When Hari suddenly appeared, it was bad for my heart.

“I’m not that conceited.”

Even after I shot back, she made no move to leave.

Looked like she had something she wanted to say.

“Hinawa’s just nice to everyone.”

She said it like she was pointing out that gravity exists—something completely obvious.

“So a gal who’s basically a saint really does exist, huh.”

“Are you mocking me?”

“Nope, that was a compliment. And relax—I’m not in love with your best friend. I get that’s just her natural self.”

I made sure to clear that up before she could get the wrong idea.

“…You’re pretty self-aware. Honestly, I half-expected you to get carried away and start planning a confession.”

Her words were sharp.

As usual, she was still on guard.

“Suitengu-san, do you always check every detail of your best friend’s relationships?”

“Of course. I don’t want her getting hurt by some weird guy.”

An overprotective friend, through and through.

“I don’t plan on hurting her. And it’s not like she’d ever like me enough for it to get that far.”

“Hinawa’s terrible at hitting the brakes. If she crashes, it’s already too late.”

That analogy, I had to admit, made sense.

It was her way of saying her strict attitude had a solid reason behind it.

“I’ve heard girl friendships can be fragile, but you four don’t seem that way.”

“Obviously. The four of us are lifelong best friends.”

“Yeah. I’m rooting for you.”

Having someone you could truly call a best friend—that was a treasure in life.

“…That smug attitude of yours really pisses me off.”

Hari twisted her thin lips.

“So then, Suitengu-san, have you ever actually liked a guy before?”

“No.”

She shot it down without a second’s hesitation.

“So you hate guys?”

“I can’t stand how sloppy and loud they are. Noise just grates on my nerves.”

“Sounds like the delicate soul of an artist.”

“…Was that sarcasm?”

“Just an observation.”

“Are you mocking me?”

“No way. That kind of sensitivity is a talent. Not everyone has it.”

“Doesn’t sound like a compliment.”

“Do you see your own sensitivity as some kind of weakness?”

When I pointed that out, Hari fell silent.

Looked like I’d hit the mark—her frustrated expression gave it away.

“—Hey, don’t start crying on me again, okay?”

“As if I would cry!”

“Still… I don’t want to make you cry again.”

“That time was just a fluke!”

If she insisted, then I had to take her word for it.

“I bet the boyfriend you end up with would be way better at compliments than me.”

Honestly, out of the four of them, she was the hardest one to figure out—whether she actually had a boyfriend or not.

The lies didn’t matter much, but for some reason, I couldn’t help wanting to know the truth.

“…Why would you even say that?”

“I just can’t picture you being all cheerful with some guy.”

“Imagining other people’s love lives is seriously gross, you know.”

“…Fair enough. Sorry.”

As soon as I apologized, the wrinkle between her brows smoothed away.

“Hey, Kizuki—what’s with that fearless attitude of yours?”

Hari’s sharp tone didn’t bother me in the slightest.

Even after a pause in the conversation, I was already used to it.

“Because I’m not scared of you.”

“────”

Hari looked like she’d just been struck by lightning.

She froze in place, staring straight at me.

“…You really are strange.”

“Am I?”

To me, it was just normal.

But I felt like the way she looked at me had shifted a little. Just a little.

Not enough to completely change her impression of me.

“Hari. That’s enough bullying Kizuki-shi.”

Platina Kongouji and Miyu Chigira appeared right then.

“I wasn’t bullying him. We were just talking.”

Hari pouted, glaring at Platina.

The smallest flicker of displeasure on her face was enough to look like anger.

But Platina, being her best friend, brushed off that sharp glare like it was nothing.

“Kizuki-kun, Hari-chan just isn’t great with words. She’s not a bad girl, so forgive her, okay?”

Miyu rushed to cover for her, genuinely worried.

From the looks of it, the two of them had spotted us talking alone and jumped to the conclusion that I was being picked on.

“It’s fine, you two. Really—we were just talking.”

I vouched for Hari’s innocence.

“…She forced you to say that, didn’t she? Don’t be scared, you can tell us the truth.”

“Yeah, you don’t have to cover for her.”

Her best friends didn’t believe me at all.

They treated it like the standard response to a repeat offender.

“…Suitengu-san, just how much do you intimidate people on a daily basis?”

I couldn’t help but look at Hari in disbelief.

“Wh-!? I don’t! They’re just scared on their own!”

She insisted with a serious face and a sharp tone.

And of course, that only made Miyu and Platina laugh, like, See? Exactly that.

This queen really had no clue about the aura she gave off.

That’s probably why Miyu and Platina had rushed in—to make sure their friend didn’t end up looking like the bad guy.

I gave her a lukewarm stare.

“What’s with that look?”

“I was just thinking, Suitengu-san, you’re lucky to have such good friends.”

“Obviously.”

The way she answered without hesitation showed just how deeply Hari Suitengu trusted her friends.

Pouting, she folded her arms and turned away.

“As you can see, this is just how we always are. So really, it’s fine.”

Once again, I made sure they understood there’d been no harm done.

“Kizuki-kun! Thanks for getting along with Hari-chan! I’m honestly moved—seeing her happily chatting with a boy like this is amazing!”

Miyu beamed like it was her own joy. What a pure-hearted girl.

“I wasn’t happy at all!”

Hari instantly shot her down.

“Kizuki-shi, you’re not suffering from stomach pains or heart palpitations, are you? If you start feeling off, consult someone early. I’m sure Miyu will take care of you—this girl’s capacity for compassion is top-class.”

“Eh, me!? But Platina-chan’s way smarter.”

“I prefer tearing people down over healing them.”

“…That’s just plain awful.”

Basically, she’d just declared that badmouthing people was her hobby.

“That quick comeback—I like it.”

Platina grinned wickedly and adjusted her glasses.

“Come now, we’ll run out of lunch break at this rate. Let’s go!”

Hari looked like she didn’t want the other two talking with me any longer.

“Then why don’t you join us for lunch too, Kizuki-kun?”

It was Miyu who made the suggestion.

“Tempting, but I’ll pass. Don’t want to intrude on your group.”

“Yep, rejected. Kizuki must have his own circle of friends to hang out with, after all.”

“Actually, who is your closest friend, Kizuki-shi?”

With Hari nudging me along, Platina tossed out the question.

“Right now, I don’t really have anyone I’d call a close friend.”

I never lacked people to talk to, but I didn’t have that one person I shared a deep bond with.

No one came to mind who I could clearly call a true friend.

“Doesn’t it feel unsettling… not having someone you can really rely on?”

Hari looked puzzled by my answer, her expression serious.

“…Never really thought about it.”

I just went through each day without putting anyone on a pedestal. To me, that felt normal.

But her casual question stirred up a faint ripple inside me.

“So you’re fine being alone. That’s pretty strong of you.”

It felt like she’d jabbed me right where it hurt.

“Strong, huh? Me?”

“In school life, friends are basically like a lifeline, aren’t they?”

I couldn’t immediately respond.

Because to me, the very picture of strength was Hari Suitengu herself.

She really wasn’t the same Hari Suitengu I’d known in the past.

Being one of the old-timers from Glass Doll made it tricky—my old image of her clashed with who she was now.

“…To me, a real friend is something special. It’s not a word I can use lightly.”

“I see. Sounds like a pretty high bar to clear.”

Hari didn’t seem to get it, brushing off my words with ease.

Taking my silence as the end of the conversation, the girls drifted away.

“Phew—made it back in a dash!”

Hinawa came running in from her shopping trip, rejoining the others.

With her arrival, the Fives gathered as usual, pushing their desks together at the back of the classroom to start lunch.

I couldn’t help but watch that scene for a moment.

☆☆☆☆☆

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