The Story of Waking up With My Beautiful Childhood Friend and Realizing We Had Spent the Night Together - Chapter 39.4

Interlude: About the Rumor Damage of Being the Second Cutest Girl in the Year

“Please go out with me!!!”

“…Um.”

It had been one month since I entered Shirayanagi High School.

The place was behind the school building. In front of me was a nervous-looking male student.

…This was probably the fifth one already.

“…Um, I’m sorry.”

I murmured softly and bowed my head.

Then the male student slumped his shoulders deeply.

“…I see.”

He muttered and walked away, somehow looking like he had expected it.

—Confessions. The highlight event for students.

It was supposed to be that.

(…This feels off somehow.)

Honestly, I think this isn’t right.

It’s not about the person or having someone else I like or anything like that.

(…That guy just now confessed to “that girl” only a week ago, right…?)

Left alone, I muttered in my heart.

He did not seem that shocked for having been rejected.

…In other words, that’s how it was.

Guys rejected by the most beautiful girl in the year tried confessing to the “second” one.

Lately, that kind of trend had been going around.

—The second cutest girl in the year.

Apparently, that was the evaluation for me, Kashiwagi Koto.

“…This feels off somehow.”

I ended up muttering out loud.

I know it’s a luxury problem.

But being confessed to like some kind of safety school… it makes me think that.

I don’t expect some dramatic passionate confession or anything.

But at least a bit more seriously… hoping for that is probably a luxury too, right?

“…Sigh.”

“What’s wrong, Koto-chan?”

—After school.

I was sitting at the library counter for my new library committee work and let out a sigh.

Then the person next to me, Ayase-san, also on library committee, spoke to me.

We sat next to each other at the entrance ceremony, and since then we had been together a lot.

She was my first friend at this school.

“Ah, s-sorry. It’s nothing.”

“Really? Ah, by the way! Koto-chan, you got confessed to again today, right? And it was a hot guy from the soccer club!”

“…Ahh…”

So that guy was from the soccer club.

I did not even know that.

I barely talked to him to begin with…

…And yet he confesses, which honestly makes me wonder about that too.

“So? So? What happened!?”

“What do you mean, I properly turned him down.”

“Eh…? You turned him down!? Why!?”

“Um… because I didn’t know him.”

“You can just get to know him from now on!”

What a waste—! Ayase-san yelled.

I gave her a vague wry smile in return.

“He’s good at soccer too, and popular with other girls, you know!?”

“…I see?”

That was all I could think.

It felt completely like someone else’s problem.

Seeing me like that, Ayase-san let out a sigh.

“Koto-chan is really hard to conquer… On the flip side, what kind of guy is your ideal?”

“Ideal?”

“Yeah. Like, I want to date someone like this! You have that, right!?”

“Um… even if you ask suddenly.”

“Come on, face or personality or anything, you have something, right!”

She pressed in close.

I pulled back a bit and groaned.

(…Ideal, huh.)

Well, sure… I do have one.

But honestly, guys in general are not really my strong suit.

They stare at my chest or butt every time we pass.

Even talking, I sense ulterior motives, and it does not feel good.

Especially athletic-type guys, I have a strong dislike for.

(…Well, that’s probably because of my older brother and younger brother.)

My older brother in karate club and younger brother in baseball club.

Both are thorough athletic types, not that we get along badly, but honestly a bit overbearing.

They leave clothes lying around after taking them off. They smell sweaty. No delicacy.

Please consider the position of a girl at that age sandwiched between two such brothers.

…So, because of that.

Before I knew it, I was chasing only delicate androgynous boys in shoujo manga.

I have had enough of manly types.

If I date someone, more like cute and sensitive—

“—Kashiwagi-san.”

While I was mulling over it.

Suddenly called, I looked up.

There stood one boy.

“Eh? Ah, Amano-kun…?”

It was Amano Iori-kun, also on library committee.

He held a paperback, frowning as if troubled.

“W-What’s up?”

My voice flipped, and I hurriedly covered my mouth.

Called while lost in thought, I got a bit flustered.

“This book was returned… do you know the shelf number?”

Amano-kun apologetically held out one paperback.

I reached to take it, and suddenly his face caught my eye.

Double eyelids like a cat’s eyes, small features.

Hair smooth, but with a bit of bedhead.

Skin fair, and how to put it. Like…

(…He’s cute, after all, right?)

Looking again… pretty close to the type I just pictured.

No, no, I shook my head.

Sure, he has a pretty face, seems smart, easy to talk to, and lately committee work with him has been a bit fun, but…

That does not mean it’s that kind of thing.

I made excuses to no one in particular.

The boy in front of me tilted his head curiously.

“Eh, ah, w-wait a second?”

I hurriedly operated the PC at hand and checked the shelf number.

Matched the book number and identified the shelf.

“Um, 3-15, I think.”

“Ah, that side… sorry, thanks.”

He said that and turned to walk toward the shelves.

I somehow watched his slender back—for a boy—and…

“…Haha—n.”

The person next to me looked over with a grin.

“W-What?”

“Oh? Nothing? I see. So that’s the type.”

“W-What is!?”

I see, I see… Ayase-san kept grinning and poked my cheek.

From that mischievous gaze, I somehow understood what she meant.

“I-It’s not like that!”

“Yes?”

“So, it’s not that kind of…!”

“Eh—? What kind of is that? I don’t knooow.”

“Kuh…!”

Bad. This is very bad.

If I do not deny it now, it becomes established fact and I’ll get teased forever…!

Picturing that worst future, I desperately thought of a defense.

“I see. Amano-kun, huh… Certainly not bad. If you like that type, it makes sense the soccer club hot guy didn’t click.”

“S-So, like I said!”

“Okay, leave it to me, Koto-chan! For my bestie, this Ayase will thoroughly investigate info on your beloved and…”

There, Ayase-san suddenly cut off for some reason.

Then she widened her eyes and froze.

“…? Ayase-san? What’s wrong?”

That made me lose momentum too.

My friend’s gaze was directed behind me.

As I started to turn—

“—Excuse me.”

A beautiful, but somehow cold voice sounded.