What's Wrong With Interfering With My Childhood Friend's Love? - Chapter 38 : The Origin Of Problem

Chapter 38 : The Origin Of Problem

It was a sudden confession.

And not just any confession — it was a bold decision made right in the middle of the classroom, with so many people still around.

For someone like me, who had always chosen to confess in secret, hiding in the shadows, Shino’s confession was dazzling, even if it seemed a bit reckless.

Being honest about one’s feelings and having such a noble spirit… That was exactly what I had longed for.

Before I knew it, I was clenching my hands tightly. I realized that, deep down, I was hoping for something from this confession, too.

But that hope was shattered in an instant.

“I’m sorry, Kokaze! I… I can’t go out with you.”

“No way… Y-You don’t like me that much?”

“That’s not it. It’s not that I don’t like you, but… right now, I’m not planning to date anyone—”

“Even if I’m second! Even if I’m second or even third, that’s fine! Even then… Akihito-nii, is it still not okay?”

Shino pleaded desperately, though there was a slight shadow on her face. She was even ready to be his second best… That was a way of thinking I could never adopt. It shocked me, yet I understood her.

If I were to confess to Suisei seriously, I would probably say the exact same thing.

But this was a desperate, last-resort measure. A blade that, if failed, would leave no way out.

If it worked, there would still be a chance for Suisei to become Akito’s girlfriend.

‘But even so, it’s fine.’

I couldn’t help but admire Shino’s courage.

Even though I didn’t agree with her way of thinking, it was dazzling…

“…I don’t know. But at the very least, not yet. I just can’t, not right now.”

But even that desperate plea was rejected.

As always, Akito remained indecisive, giving only a vague response.

Hearing that, Shino clutched her ears and began to panic.

“No! No, that’s not right! You’re wrong! You’re wrong!! If you really liked me, Akihito-nii, you wouldn’t say something like that!”

“Kokaze, calm down! You’re not thinking straight. Just take a deep breath—”

“Shut up!! Everything I did was for nothing! It was all a lie! Everything up until now… it’s all gone! I hate you, Akihito-nii!!”

In a state of confusion, Shino grabbed her bag and stormed out of the classroom.

“…Kokaze.”

Akito called out her name, but he didn’t chase after her.

It was probably the first time he had ever rejected someone.

Everyone in the classroom had their eyes glued to him.

And just as Akito was about to take a step forward…

He grabbed Ichinose by the collar.

“Ichinose! How the hell are you gonna take responsibility for this?!”

“Ugh… must be nice being the golden boy, huh? Even though you’re the one who made Kokaze cry, you get to act like you’re in the right.”

“…You bastard!”

I had never seen Akito this genuinely angry before.

It was his worst habit — only reacting after the damage was done.

Even so, seeing him act like this was rare.

“Akito, calm down! Don’t let him provoke you!”

“Riku… tch, fine. I just lost my temper for a second, but I’m calm now.”

“…Really?”

“Hey, Ichinose. Sit your ass down. Don’t think you can just walk away from this.”

“Hah. Fine by me. While we’re at it, why don’t I tell you all how Kokaze-chan has been treating the guys in our class up until now?”

Ichinose didn’t back down. He snapped back at Akito with surprising persistence.

That’s when something started to feel off to me.

There was something I had been wondering about this whole time.

I didn’t know Ichinose Takuma very well, but I could tell this wasn’t just a random outburst.

Why did he suddenly have the guts to stand up to Akito like this?

He was always alone. And yet, he deliberately ruined his friendship with Shino Kokaze.

Why…?

And why now, of all times?

If this was just a fit of emotion, it should have happened much earlier.

But the whole situation surrounding Shino’s confession had been too… calculated.

If it was planned, then there had to be a reason behind it.

Looking at everything that had happened so far, I thought about the bigger picture.

If there was a purpose behind all this…

Could it be to disrupt the class hierarchy centered around Akito?

Someone else was behind this.

Someone other than Ichinose, someone unhappy with the way things were.

That explanation made the most sense.

The first person I suspected was Yuto-kun.

He hated Akito.

But he had always confronted him head-on. He wasn’t the type to resort to underhanded tactics like this.

Then, as I glanced around the classroom… I found her.

A girl unable to hide her sneering smirk—

Iyo Yasuike.

The moment our eyes met, she muttered something.

“Serves you right.”

That was all it took for me to be certain.

She was the mastermind.

Yasuike quickly left the classroom, as if trying to flee.

I was about to chase after her—

But then, someone grabbed my arm from behind.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Chiya… I was just heading to the bathroom—”

“Don’t joke around. You were about to go after that girl, weren’t you?”

“……”

“Don’t stick your nose into trouble!”

“…I’m already involved, whether I like it or not.”

“Then let me go instead. Riku, go find Kokaze, okay?”

She sounded like she had a plan.

But why did I have to be the one to find Shino?

She was probably devastated, and she hated me.

There was no way she’d listen to anything I said.

“It won’t make a difference if I go.”

“Kokaze is more smart than you think.”

“……”

“Besides, as her rival, I doubt she’d be able to talk to me properly.”

“That’s…”

“And Akito himself can’t go, either. That leaves only you. The right person for the job!”

“…Fine. I’ll look for Shino. But don’t expect much. If she really hates me, I don’t know what I can do.”

In the end, I was chosen through the process of elimination.

And honestly, even if I chased after Yasuike, what could I do?

The best I could do was scare her to deal with her.

But… That would be a hassle.

So, I did as I was told and went to find Shinoo.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

Today, I’m feeling great for the first time in a while. 

My plan to boost my social standing by making Akimitsu, the popular guy, my boyfriend may have failed, but this time, things went perfectly.

I held a personal grudge against Shino. It all started when Akimitsu rejected me. I tried to force a kiss and take a photo as proof, but Shino, who loves to meddle, showed up at the worst possible moment and ruined everything. On top of that, even using my older brother to intimidate them backfired, and for some reason, I was the one who got scolded.

‘This payback… basically, it’s just my rightful revenge, isn’t it?’

If I can’t raise myself up, I’ll just bring others down. It’s a simple and effective logic. And the best part? I don’t have to get my hands dirty.

Watching from a safe distance, enjoying the spectacle — what could be better? They say other people’s misfortune is sweet like honey, but when you’re the one orchestrating it, it’s even more exquisite.

‘Ahh, this is what it means to be alive~’

A one-sided crush is nothing more than a fragile sandcastle — it crumbles the moment you realize your feelings aren’t returned.

I never expected Shinoo to go through with confessing, but when they self-destructed so spectacularly, I could barely hold back my laughter.

“Hey, Iyo… hold it right there.”

I was happily skipping my way home when I heard someone call my name from behind.

Turning around, I saw none other than the infuriating Sahara.

“Huh? What do you want, Sahara? And don’t call me so casually.”

“We’re classmates, so it’s fine, isn’t it?”

“That’s not the point.”

“…You look awfully relaxed for someone who secretly took photos of me.”

“Wha—what are you talking about? Even if I did, what would I gain from taking photos of you? Absolutely nothing.”

For a moment, I was rattled, but I quickly composed myself and responded with the most reasonable argument I could think of.

How did she find out? Maybe she was just fishing for a reaction.

In the first place, I hadn’t deliberately taken her picture… she just happened to be in the frame. I hadn’t done anything wrong, so I could deny it as much as I wanted.

“Playing dumb, huh? Well, I can’t say I have solid proof yet, so I suppose that’s expected. Oh, by the way, Iyo… your dad runs a startup company, doesn’t he?”

“S-So what? Are you trying to threaten me? Even if you’re the daughter of the Sahara Group, you can’t just do whatever you want.”

“You really don’t know anything, do you? Are you sure I can’t?”

Her gaze was dead serious.

It wasn’t about whether she would or wouldn’t — Sahara had many ways to make things happen.

I wasn’t naive enough to miss that this was a warning.

“What do you want? Are you trying to blackmail me over some stupid photos?”

“Finally, you’re starting to understand. But you’re getting ahead of yourself… You’re not even valuable enough for me to bother blackmailing.”

“Valuable? Who do you think you are?”

“Just send me the photos and delete them. That’s all I need from you. I’ll even let this slide… because, you know, we’re classmates, right?”

“……”

I could feel her looking down on me.

But my instincts screamed that resisting her would be a mistake.

I was no longer in a safe position. The smartest move was to comply.

Besides, the damage was already done. Shino was isolated for good. That was enough for me.

I didn’t need to ruin my good mood any further.

“Are we done here?”

“Yes. Thanks to you cooperating, I now have a useful weapon at my disposal.”

At that moment, I realized Sahara’s real goal.

She didn’t just want the photos — she wanted to use them, just like I had planned to.

But considering her status, she could have easily taken the pictures herself.

‘Wait… if the photos ever get leaked, and it’s traced back to me… oh, I see. That’s her real play.’

I finally understood Sahara’s scheme.

The stolen photos, with her in them, had enormous value.

No matter how they were used, she would never be suspected as the one who took them.

“Wait. I don’t know what you’re planning, but I want assurance that I’ll be safe.”

“Hmm… sure. As long as you delete everything completely and don’t keep any copies, you won’t have anything to worry about.”

She agreed too quickly.

I thought I’d have to negotiate, but she responded instantly, as if she had anticipated this from the start.

Her demand for deletion was practically a threat in itself — it was clear she had intended to say that from the very beginning.

‘I completely misjudged her. Sahara is way more cunning than I thought… I lost this round, huh?’

It finally hit me — I had underestimated her.

If Sahara really wanted to crush me, she wouldn’t have gone about it in such a roundabout way.

She had countless ways to take me down the moment I made myself her enemy.

“I didn’t save the photos anywhere else, so you don’t have to worry. As long as my own safety is guaranteed, that’s all that matters to me.”

Just looking at her turned my excitement into pure fear.

This was the worst.

Trying to analyze what she was thinking or what her end goal was — it was mentally exhausting.

I had never felt this kind of stress before.

I needed to get out of there as soon as possible.

“Oh, by the way… you do realize that once the photos are in my hands, your ‘no copies’ condition is meaningless, right? You’re so naive. Not to mention, you didn’t even notice my hidden camera.”

As I turned to leave, Sahara muttered something under her breath.

I didn’t quite catch it.

But as I walked away, I realized — I had already lost.

And I was too much of a fool to even notice how she had looked down on me until the very end.

☆☆☆☆☆☆

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TL : zenon_xt