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 18: You Were Imagining Something Weird, Weren’t You?

Chapter 18: You Were Imagining Something Weird, Weren’t You?

“Because sitting next to Chigira-san felt like the most peaceful way to eat.”

Alright—time to dig in before my udon got soggy.

“Ahh, Hari looks… a little annoyed.”

Of course, Hinawa instantly picked up on Hari’s expression.

“Meals are supposed to be eaten quietly. There’s nothing strange about it.”

“Ohhh, but maybe deep down, Hari actually wanted Ikoi to sit next to her?”

“You’re one to talk—you were the one calling him over.”

“’Cause I wanna chat with Ikoi more.”

“Really now?”

“Wow, Hari. You’re extra prickly today, huh?”

Hinawa fanned the flames like it was second nature.

“You’re imagining things. You’re just being overly sensitive, Hinawa.”

“Oooh, says the delicate ‘Glass Doll’ Hari-chan herself.”

“My mental state is tougher than reinforced glass now, so no need to worry.”

“Heh. Mind if I test just how tough it really is?”

To an outsider, their back-and-forth probably sounded nerve-wracking.

But they weren’t seriously fighting.

It was just the kind of banter that happened because Hari and Hinawa were close.

That was exactly why I’d chosen to sit next to Miyu—so I could actually enjoy my lunch in peace.

I ignored the commotion and bit into my piece of fried tofu. Mmm… the flavor had soaked in perfectly.

“Fufufu, Kizuki-shi, you sit here eating with us so calmly. At least try to enjoy the fact you’ve landed yourself in the tastiest role.”

Platina practically ordered me to be happy.

And sure enough, I could feel eyes from nearby tables all on us.

The Fives usually ate by themselves, so with an outsider like me suddenly mixed in, it was impossible not to draw attention.

Honestly, it wasn’t relaxing at all—but I guessed this was just their everyday life.

The four of them, unfazed, continued eating like nothing was out of the ordinary.

“Well, I’m sure there are plenty of guys who’d kill to sit here.”

I kept my tone flat—neither denying nor agreeing.

After all, I had no interest in cozying up to the so-called high caste, so I didn’t see any value in it.

“You’re a man with no greed. You could stand to loosen up and enjoy yourself more, y’know.”

“Kongouji-san. Let me eat my udon first.”

“Why would you order noodles when you knew lunch would be mostly talking!? They’re going to get soggy!”

“Because I usually eat alone.”

I slurped away, chopsticks moving without pause.

“Platina, give it up. Kizuki’s just as stubbornly at-his-own-pace as you are.”

“Seriously, Hari, how do you not lose your temper with him?”

“As if. I blow up all the time. He just ignores me like it’s nothing.”

“Kizuki-shi, do you wear some kind of emotional bomb suit around your heart!? Fine then—I hereby add bomb disposal specialist to your list of titles!”

Platina looked at me like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

“Platina-chan, that’s rude to both Kizuki-kun and Hari-chan, you know.”

Miyu gently reined her in, and just like that, Platina’s chatter quieted down.

There was no doubt about it—Miyu Chigira was the conscience of the Fives.

“Chigira-san, can I ask you something?”

“Of course, go ahead.”

“You’re a lot calmer than the other three. How did you end up becoming such close friends with them?”

It was honestly a mystery to me.

The four of them were all so different—Hari the cool one, Hinawa the energetic one, Platina with her scheming streak—and then there was Miyu, gentle and laid-back.

“What, are you saying we’re noisy or something?”

“At least you can’t deny it, Hinawa.”

Hinawa and Hari’s back-and-forth was basically turning into a comedy duo routine at this point.

“Well, it started back in our first year of middle school, when Hari-chan and I were in the same class. Some boys were teasing me, and Hari-chan stepped in to help. That was the beginning, I think.”

Miyu began speaking quietly but clearly.

“Oh yeah, I remember that! Hari’s lecture was so loud, even us in the next classroom—me and Platina—could hear it.”

Hinawa clapped her hands at the memory.

“Lecture?”

I looked to the person in question for clarification.

“Back in first year of middle school, there were still those bratty kids who acted like grade-schoolers, right? The type who’d tease Miyu just for fun. That nonsense pissed me off, so I snapped and chewed them out.”

“Suitengu-san, that’s pretty admirable—getting angry for someone else’s sake.”

“It wasn’t anything noble. Just a communication-cripple lashing out, that’s all.”

Hari put herself down, but standing up with righteous anger for someone else definitely took courage.

I could picture it—Miyu, small and mild-mannered, being the easy target for pranks.

Or maybe it was that childish thing where teasing was the only way those boys knew how to show interest.

Either way, it was pathetic.

“Still, I’d say that was brave of you.”

Very much a Hari Suitengu move.

“Back in middle school, Hari was seriously the straight-laced type. Couldn’t bend a single rule, and she just couldn’t overlook anything sloppy. She even reported those boys to the teacher and made sure they got properly disciplined. Honestly, it was impressive.”

Platina’s voice carried a touch of nostalgia as she shared her memory of the old Hari.

“Yeah, Hari’s mellowed out a lot. Back then she was so harsh, it was like she was either a razor-sharp knife or a spiky hedgehog.”

For even Hinawa—another girl—to describe her that way… that said a lot.

“…Wait. You’re telling me this current level of Suitengu-san is the mellow version?”

My eyes went wide before I realized it.

If this was “rounded,” then her middle school self must’ve been glaring holes through people like some street-corner executioner.

“Kizuki, you were imagining something weird just now, weren’t you?”

Hari shot me a sharp look. Caught red-handed.

“So anyway, that’s how you all became best friends, right?”

I nudged the story along.

“Well, when someone that interesting shows up, you can’t help but be curious. Hinawa and I went to tease her a bit, and for some reason we just really clicked. Then Miyu joined in too.”

Very much the kind of curiosity Platina would have.

“Hari-chan was like a dignified prince—so cool. I fell for her instantly. If only Hari-chan had been a boy.”

Miyu spoke with open admiration, like she was recalling her knight in shining armor.

To someone who’d been saved like that, Hari really must have looked like a hero.

And honestly, with her, even crossdressing as a guy would’ve suited her perfectly.

“Once I became friends with Hari, even if some creeps tried to get close to me, she’d cut them down on the spot. That really saved me.”

I could feel the trust radiating from Hinawa’s words.

When you’re popular, you can’t exactly choose who approaches you.

Hinawa, too, probably struggled behind her bright smile.

But if someone as stunning as Hari laid down the law without mercy, well—anyone would back off fast.

“Ugh, seriously, can we not with the old stories? Please.”

While her best friends gushed about her past, Hari herself looked visibly embarrassed.

“Because of youthful mistakes, people grow into adults. That’s how it should be.”

Platina casually placed a hand on Hari’s head.

And Hari didn’t push it away.

There was a whole history between them that I didn’t know, a bond of trust built over years.

The Fives were complete as four—there was no room for anyone else to squeeze in.

All I could do, as an outsider, was cheer for them from the sidelines.

“Suitengu-san, you don’t need to regret that old promise that couldn’t be fulfilled. The time you spent giving it your all—that’s what really matters.”

No one but the person themselves could ever truly understand the pain of defeat.

The more serious the effort, the heavier the loss—and the sharper the regret of falling short.

I was sure there were nights when she cried, wishing she’d never even tried in the first place.

Getting forced to abandon her path because of an injury—it had to have been devastating.

If only I had stayed as Koi-chan, always by her side.

If only I’d been there to support her when she was hurt, to run to her when she needed someone.

The thought flickered through my mind—only for me to realize immediately how useless that regret was.

It was nothing but the private sentimentality of Ikoi Kizuki, who just happened to witness the beginning.

All I could do now was give her my wholehearted support.

“Th… thanks.”

Apparently I’d gotten a little too heated without realizing it, because Hari looked caught off guard.

She almost seemed embarrassed, unsure how to react.

“Ikoi, wow—you’re seriously intense right now.”

“Kizuki-kun, do you… have regrets of your own or something?”

“Kizuki-shi, you’re really siding with Hari quite a bit, aren’t you?”

The three of them spoke in hushed tones, like my reaction had surprised them more than they expected.

☆☆☆☆☆

And then—after finishing lunch in the cafeteria and heading back to class, that’s when it happened.