The Story of Waking up With My Beautiful Childhood Friend and Realizing We Had Spent the Night Together - Chapter 15.1

Chapter 15.1: Apparently, a Lot Happened After That

――After that, our daily life went on without any major changes.

Since that day, no more classmates had shown up at my workplace.

And no one had found out about our relationship.

At home, we were childhood friends and lovers.

At school, we were just classmates.

Our relationship remained unchanged.

…However, there were some things that did change.

“――Kashiwagi-san. Let’s eat lunch together.”

“Ah… U-Um.”

Every now and then, Mizuki had started inviting Kashiwagi-san to lunch.

Today was the third time, but those two normally belonged to different groups.

Seeing them occasionally together, the class found it suspicious yet amusing.

“…They’ve gotten pretty close, haven’t they?”

“Two beautiful girls from different worlds. A feast for the eyes.”

“Right? This is truly delightful.”

It seemed the classmates generally welcomed it, but…

“――So, how do you feel about it?”

“…Scared. Uneasy. I don’t get it.”

“I figured.”

Renji, the only one who knew everything, looked at me and gave a wry smile.

I mean, come on. This is weird, right?

My girlfriend and the girl I turned down having friendly lunches together?

This is hell.

I guess it’s better than them being hostile… I think?

I was full of doubts.

And there was another change.

“A-Um, Yukimura-san… Sorry, but another guy from another class is here again…”

“…Yeah.”

During break, I glanced toward the classroom door and saw a nervous-looking boy standing there.

Mizuki saw him and got up, looking used to it.

There was no need to ask what was about to happen.

“――Y-Yukimura-san! I’ve liked you for so long!! Please go out with me!!!”

“…I’m sorry.”

…Just like that, more and more guys were confessing to Mizuki.

Back in our first year, Mizuki had already knocked out most of the boys in our grade.

Since that legendary moment, confessions to her had declined.

But now, even guys who had been rejected before were trying again.

It was the resurgence of Mizuki Yukimura’s confession rush.

“…So, how do you feel about it?”

“…”

Don’t ask, you bastard.

“Well, I mean, lately, Yukimura-san has been… you know, looking more mature. She used to be like a perfectly crafted work of art, but now she’s becoming more of a ‘woman,’ you know?”

What the hell are you trying to say?

“…Thinking about it now, I’m really jealous of you. You’re treating me to lunch tomorrow.”

“Why?”

It was unreasonable. But I couldn’t argue.

I was well aware of how lucky I was.

“But man, you’ve got it rough, too.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Your girlfriend keeps getting hit on by other guys every day. That’s gotta be stressful, right?”

“Ah… Yeah.”

…Yeah, it really is.

Honestly, it’s not fun.

Among the guys confessing to her, there were plenty who were better than me.

And yet, for some reason, I never once thought Mizuki would leave me.

…Was that overconfidence?

…Ping.

“…Huh?”

Hearing a notification, I checked my phone.

[Mizuki: Sorry.]

[Iori: For what?]

[Mizuki: The confessions. It must feel bad, right?]

[Iori: No, it’s fine.]

Yeah, I’ve been dealing with this since elementary school.

At this point, one or two confessions don’t matter… That’s what I told myself, but it was partly just bravado.

Because I knew I wasn’t good enough for her, I sometimes wondered if this was really okay.

…Still, even so.

“――Renji.”

“Yeah?”

“If I start working my ass off right now… do you think I could ever be on Mizuki’s level?”

“Not a chance.”

…He shot me down instantly. I’m gonna cry.

“You already know, right? She’s special.”

“…”

“No matter how much us commoners struggle, we’ll never catch up to someone like her.”

Renji spoke as if it were obvious.

A noble and a commoner. That’s taking it too far… but he was probably right.

No matter what, people aren’t equal.

No matter how many pretty words you say, the difference you’re born with is real.

That’s a fact… But…

――Can I really just use that as an excuse?

Whether I succeed or not, isn’t it wrong not to even try?

If there’s even the slightest chance I can close the gap between Mizuki and me…

“――Renji.”

“Yeah?”

“We’re going to the gym after school. You’re coming with me.”

“…What?”

Ignoring the stunned Renji, I firmed up my resolve.

—And then, after school.

Renji and I had come to the school’s training room.

Since our school was a prestigious academy, the facilities were pretty well-equipped.

There were plenty of machines, so we could start training right away.

“…Hey, Iori?”

“What?”

“I get how you reached this conclusion, but why do I have to come along?”

“…Because I don’t know how to use the machines by myself…”

Renji let out a long sigh.

Hey, that really hurts, you know?

How can he be so cruel? Does he have no heart?

“Well, whatever. I’ll go along with it. But this isn’t something you can do overnight, you know? You have to be consistent.”

“Y-Yeah, I know.”

“Alright then, let’s start with the basics—”

Just as we were about to start—

“――Huh? Iori-senpai!?”

A bright, lively voice called out.

I turned to look and saw a girl with a high ponytail and black hair.

“…Oh no.”

“Hey! What’s with that reaction?! That’s rude to your cute underclassman!”

With big, round eyes and a cheerful smile, she was small but had a lean, athletic build.

A girl who perfectly fit the description of “energetic.”

Her name was…

Asahi Inoue.

A first-year in the basketball club and, for some reason, a junior who had taken a liking to me after a certain incident.

“Oh, Asahi-chan! Long time no see!”

“Ah, Miyama-senpai! It’s been a while! You’re still as sleazy as ever! Stay away from me, please?”

“That’s harsh, don’t you think?”

Asahi was friendly and kind to almost everyone… except Renji.

Apparently, when they first met, Renji confessed to her within three seconds.

According to him, “Sporty underclassman beauty? Sounds great!”

Naturally, he was rejected instantly and had been on her watchlist ever since.

“Handsome guys with dyed hair are always bad news… My grandma was right,” she once said.

“So, what are you two doing here? You never come to the training room.”

She tilted her head cutely, and Renji glanced at me before smirking.

“Oh, well, Iori here says he wants to become a ‘man.’”

He grinned wickedly.

Hearing that, Asahi gasped in shock.

“No way, Iori-senpai!? The king of herbivore guys is finally—?!”

“Who are you calling the king of herbivores?”

“Right? Now he’s more of a beast, totally obsessed with a beautiful woman every night— Ow!”

I elbowed Renji.

Who’s a beast? …Okay, I can’t really deny it.

“Oh, by the way! I heard a crazy rumor! Something about Iori-senpai getting a girlfriend?!”

She laughed like it was impossible.

…Why’s that so hard to believe? I’m gonna punch her.

“Oh, that rumor’s true.”

“…Huh?”

“And his girlfriend is insanely beautiful.”

“…H-HUH!?”