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 27 & 28: A Date with the Classic Energetic Gal | A Secret Just Between Us

Chapter 27: A Date with the Classic Energetic Gal

“What are you planning, Hinawa?”

“Obviously move our bodies now that we’re here! We’re gonna settle this with bowling!”

“And of course, I have the right to refuse?”

“Denied!”

With that dazzling smile, she didn’t give me the slightest chance to say no.

Once again, I found myself being dragged around by Hinawa Hiwatari—and honestly, I couldn’t help laughing at how ridiculous my situation was.

We passed through the game corner, rows of crane machines lined up on either side. Hinawa’s eyes sparkled the moment she spotted a plushie from a popular game.

“Ohhh, I love this Pokémon! I want it so bad… but yeah, no way I can actually win it.”

“Hiwatari-san, you don’t exactly seem built for delicate, precise work like that.”

“Ugh, you got me… But dumping all my cash here would be scary, so I’ll hold back!”

Even she knew her limits. With obvious reluctance, she tore herself away from the crane games and marched straight toward the bowling alley.

“So, what would you do if your date turned out to be a total klutz at sports?”

Normally, if you saw the person you liked looking uncool, you’d get that whole “ugh” feeling and maybe lose interest.

“Come on, we’re not grade-schoolers. I’m not gonna like or dislike a guy just because he’s good or bad at sports.”

“You wouldn’t be disappointed if he was terrible?”

“Please. My dad’s a freakin’ athletic monster—nobody can beat him anyway.”

She said it so casually.
I guess when you grow up with a superhuman dad like that, you learn early on that no one can top him—so you stop having any expectations in the first place.

“And if it doesn’t go well, we just go on another date, right? Could be a rematch, could be something totally different— as long as we’re having fun together, that’s what counts.”

Hinawa’s optimism, no matter who she was with, was honestly something I admired.

“You really do only add points, huh.”

“Add points?”

“You judge people by their good sides only. That’s amazing.”

That kind of positivity wasn’t something you could just copy by deciding to.

“Obviously!”

With that dazzling smile, I had no choice but to give in. I was completely weak against Hinawa’s smile.

“Oh, and the loser has to treat the winner to something.”

“Pretty sure we didn’t agree on that.”

“Just decided it now.”

“I’m not exactly good at competitions, though…”

“If you waste your energy making excuses for losing, you won’t focus on the game.”

“…I haven’t lost yet.”

We each grabbed our shoes and picked out balls.

The rules were as simple as they come: whoever knocked down the most pins won.

Hinawa bowled first, me second.

Her opening throw—clean and straight down the lane. Seven pins went flying in an instant.

“Yesss!”

Fired up from that strong start, Hinawa bounced on the spot like she couldn’t contain herself.

“Woo-hoo! High five!”

She thrust her hand toward me.

“Uh, aren’t we mid-match?”

“Don’t be a killjoy. Respect’s part of the game! You celebrate each other’s plays.”

“…Fair enough.”

So I raised my hand and met hers.

“But the one who’s gonna win is me.”

Hinawa flashed a fearless grin.

Then it was my turn. I grabbed the ball, lined up, focused all my energy, and sent it rolling down the lane.

Straight shot, perfect speed—strike. All ten pins exploded out of the way.

“Oooh, Ikoi, not bad! Looks like this is gonna be a real fight!”

And just like that, the match turned into a heated battle.

“No way! That was totally the setup where I was supposed to win! You cheated somehow, didn’t you!?”

In the end, though, I came out on top.

“Told you, nothing said I had to lose.”

“You didn’t tell me you were that good!”

“I’m not that good. You’re just sloppy.”

Judging by her movements, Hinawa’s athletic sense—definitely inherited from her dad—was top-notch.

But her laid-back personality showed through in her play. Her aim and control were shaky, and her throws kept grazing past the pins. Bit by bit, her rhythm fell apart.

Meanwhile, I slipped in a few strikes and kept stacking points.

By the time it was over, the victory was mine.

“Boo-Boo! This round doesn’t count!”

“Don’t be childish. Now then, what should I make you treat me to?”

“…What are you talking about?”

She feigned ignorance on purpose.

“You’re the one who brought up the penalty game first.”

“Don’t remember~”

“Good thing I recorded it on my phone.”

“Eh—wait, you what!?”

Hinawa flailed in a full-on panic.

“Of course it’s a lie. But don’t worry—it’s all stored right here.”

I tapped my temple with a finger. No way she was wriggling out of this one.

“Ugh, Ikoi totally played me.”

“Now then… what should I make you treat me to?”

“Just don’t make it something crazy expensive!”

“Better set a limit upfront, or you’ll regret it.”

“Ikoi, you’re not the type to rip me off. I trust you.”

She said it so easily it almost threw me off.

Before long, we’d circled back to the crane game corner.

“Alright, I’ve decided. This one.”

“Uhhh, fine! A deal’s a deal. Take my money, thief!”

She handed me a 500-yen coin—enough for six tries.

I went straight for the machine with the plushie Hinawa had been eyeing earlier.

“Eh, Ikoi?”

“Quiet. Focus is everything here.”

First, I tested the arm strength.

Then I mapped out the steps from its current position to the drop hole.

Bit by bit, I nudged it closer over the course of a few plays.

Finally, on the last attempt—down it went, clean into the hole.

“Woooah!! You did it! Ikoi, you’re amazing! You actually got it! Total genius!”

Hinawa smacked my body over and over in pure excitement. 

Ow, ow. And quit clinging to my arm—your chest is pressing against me. Not that she noticed, too wrapped up in her joy.

I pulled the big plushie out from the slot.

“Be a good kid at Ikoi’s place, alright?”

Hinawa stroked the plushie’s head like she didn’t want to let go.

“Okay then—here.”

And I passed it straight into her arms.

Chapter 28: A Secret Just Between Us

“Eh?”

Hinawa’s eyes went wide at the plushie I held out.

“It’s yours. My room’s too small—no space for stuffed animals anyway.”

“Wait—seriously? You’re giving it to me?”

She suddenly turned meek as she carefully accepted it.

“If you don’t want it, that’s fine too.”

“I want it! Totally want it! No way I’m letting this go!”

Hinawa hugged the plushie tight against her chest, glowing with happiness.

“Geez, Ikoi, surprise gifts like this are cheating. I’m seriously happy!”

“…But you’ve got a boyfriend, right? Isn’t it kinda awkward to take something from another guy? If anyone asks, just… cover for me somehow.”

The thought hit me—maybe I’d just done something unnecessary.

“—That was a lie.”

“…What was?”

“I don’t have a boyfriend. Not right now.”

Like she’d finally had enough, Hinawa dropped the truth without hesitation.

You toooooo!?

That scream almost shot out of my throat, but I forced it back down.

If I slipped here, Miyu’s little lie would get exposed too.

Still, once again, my instincts had been right.

“Everyone suddenly started saying they had boyfriends, so I just got swept up and blurted out the same thing. Thanks to that, it’s been a pain covering for myself all the time~.”

Honestly, whoever started the whole “I have a boyfriend” trend really needed to reflect.

It had spread way too much bad influence through the group.

If lying was such a hassle, wouldn’t it be easier if they all just confessed the truth to each other?

…Well, maybe that was easy for me to say since I wasn’t one of them.

Even girls as close as they were couldn’t always be honest—classic teenage self-consciousness.

Still, why unload it all on me?

Thanks to that, the number of secrets I was holding for these gals just kept piling up.

“Ikoi? Why’d you suddenly go all quiet?”

“Just caught off guard, that’s all.”

“Oh, and while I’m at it—never had a boyfriend before. Not even once!”

Gals always had that “wild and free” image, but clearly Hinawa was different.

A miracle—turns out pure-hearted gals actually existed.

“…I see.”

“What, are you happy I don’t have a boyfriend?”

“Nope.”

“C’mon, no need to act tough. I’ll keep it our little secret.”

For some reason, Hinawa got all fired up and started pestering me in her usual over-the-top way.

Stuffing the plushie into a bag, we headed outside, making our way toward the next meetup spot—Nakano Ikebukuro Park, in front of Animate.

“Ahhh, feels so much better. Honestly, I wanted to tell you sooner, Ikoi.”

“…Why me?”

“Because it sucks having to keep lies and secrets from a friend, y’know?”

“Friend? I’m just a classmate and your so-called judge, remember?”

“As if! We’ve been friends for ages already!”

“…What!?”

I couldn’t help shouting out loud.

“Why are you the one more shocked here? Seriously, mystery solved, Ikoi.”

“I just… didn’t think friendship happened that easily, that’s all.”

“We talk all the time, and you still act cold like this? That hurts, y’know.”

Hinawa shrugged her shoulders with an exaggerated sigh.

“You girls are a tight-knit group. I just happened to slip in by accident.”

To me, it had always felt like I was just a guest star in the Fives’ hangouts.

“And yet, here you are spending your weekend hanging out with us.”

“That’s only for the ‘judge’ thing, right?”

“I don’t hang out with people who aren’t my friends…”

She stressed the word “don’t.”

Her face was dead serious—this wasn’t some spur-of-the-moment whim.

“…I see. Thanks.”

“Honestly, Ikoi, you’re way too stiff. You make friendship sound like some impossible hurdle.”

“Suitengu-san told me the same thing.”

“Exactly! You’re always holding back, and it makes you feel so distant. It’s kinda lonely, y’know. Way too formal!”

Hinawa grabbed the plushie’s arm and started bonking my shoulder with it—bonk bonk bonk.

“That’s not what I meant…”

“Then swear it.”

She suddenly stepped in front of me, staring straight into my eyes over the plushie.

“…There are two kinds of hesitation I feel around you girls.”

Might as well spill it now.

“Go on. I’ll listen properly.”

“The first reason is what you said—I’m never sure what really counts as friendship. Even if we talk face-to-face and get along, I can’t tell if that closeness is strong enough to be called real friendship.”

The whole social measuring stick just never sat right with me.

The line between “good acquaintances” and “true friends” was so blurry it always left me floating.

“Well, I already think of us as friends! So Ikoi, you can trust me without holding back!”

Hinawa shot back instantly, without even a breath of hesitation.

That straightforward honesty of hers was so refreshing it made my doubts feel tiny and almost laughable.

“You’re a good person, Hiwatari-san.”

Whenever I talked with her, my worries seemed so silly I almost wanted to laugh them off.

“I mean, Ikoi—you won that plushie right in front of me and then surprised me by giving it away. Are you secretly some kind of smooth player who’s used to handling girls?”

“Not a chance.”

“Exactly. If you were some shallow playboy, I’d reject you outright. Same goes for the others—we wouldn’t be hanging out with you like this on a weekend if we didn’t trust you. So stand tall already! Be confident about being our friend!”

She leaned in as she made her passionate point, pressing closer and closer.

If not for the plushie between us, she’d have been practically glued to me.

Her sense of distance was way too close!

“And that brings me to the second reason I hold back.”

I gently pushed on her shoulders, easing her away to restore some space.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m still a guy. When girls like you get this close, of course I get nervous.”

“Pfft, could’ve fooled me! Ikoi, you always look way too calm—that confidence act hides it all! More like Overconfident-Man if you ask me!”

Hinawa’s eyes went wide like she couldn’t believe it.

Seriously, what the heck is Overconfident-Man supposed to be?

Guess my nerves weren’t showing at all.

“Well, whatever. Point is, I wanna know more about you, Ikoi. So from now on, don’t hold back—spill it.”

“Nothing to spill.”

“Wrong answer! This is the perfect emotional moment! C’mon, give me at least one juicy secret~!”

She suddenly slung an arm over my shoulder and shook me around with a loud “weeei!”—clearly on purpose.

“You probably don’t even realize it yourself. So fine—if something comes up, I’ll tell you.”

“Deal. Oh, and don’t tell the others I don’t have a boyfriend, okay? It’s way too embarrassing to admit I lied this whole time.”

“Okay.”

Miyu had already made me promise the same thing, so no issue there.

Then Hinawa suddenly let go, bouncing ahead with a light step.

“Oh, and by the way—I’m totally in the market for a boyfriend. Ikoi, don’t be shy about making a move!”

“Even me? Just a ‘friend’?”

“Friends can totally rank up to boyfriends, y’know. Plenty of potential there.”

Hinawa looked more than a little pleased with herself.

And honestly, if she ever became my girlfriend, every day would probably be so lively I’d forget all my boring worries.

We regrouped at the park, and it was time for the next date.

Weird to even call it that, but… what exactly was “the next date”?

Never in my life did I imagine spending a single day going out with multiple girls—let alone four of them.

Still, after four straight hours of nonstop running around, the fatigue was definitely starting to creep in.

Naturally, the other three zeroed in on the plushie Hinawa was carrying.

She launched into an over-the-top retelling, piling on flair and dramatics as she proudly showed it off.

“This way.”

My next partner, Platina Kongouji, guided me toward a suspicious-looking building.