When I Helped the Beautiful Sister Duo Being Hit On, I Ended Up Being Taken Home as a Thank You - Chapter 35: Spread

Chapter 35: Spread

“Hey, is it true you’re dating Kana?” The question hit me first thing after the school break.

As soon as I stepped into my classroom and sat down, a friend leaned in and whispered into my ear.

“…Where did you hear that?” That was the first thing I managed to say, almost reflexively.

There was no way anyone at school could know about me and Kana being in a relationship.

We hadn’t told anyone. We weren’t overly affectionate in public, let alone at school. There were no clues for anyone to figure it out.

If the secret had gotten out, it had to be from someone who knew about us—either Minase or Samidare. It had to be one of them letting it slip.

While I wrestled with these thoughts, trying to keep my composure, my friend cut straight to the point.

“You don’t know the picture’s been circulating?” He held out his phone, and I stared at the screen in disbelief.

There it was—a photo of me and Kana sitting together at the theme park, taken just the other day.

As soon as I saw the image, my anger toward Minase and Samidare subsided.

“Who the hell took this…?” That photo wasn’t one of the ones Minase had sent me. I’d made her send every single shot she took that day, and I’d even double-checked the camera data myself. There was no way she’d missed one.

So then, who? I slumped over my desk, burying my face in my arms as confusion took hold.

This was bad—really bad. It meant someone who knew us had been there at the time, unnoticed.

And now, our relationship was out in the open. I couldn’t even imagine the things people would start saying.

Kana, the younger sister of the school’s famous beauty duo, and me, a nobody.

It was the perfect recipe for a storm of criticism. This was exactly why we wanted to keep it a secret. But now, the worst-case scenario had unfolded.

“…Sorry, I gotta go,” I mumbled, getting up abruptly.

First, I had to tell Kana. There was a chance she hadn’t noticed yet, and she needed to know how serious this situation was.

I hurriedly left the classroom, typing out a message to Kana on LINE while making my way to her class.

She would be the one facing the most backlash. If the rumor had already reached me, it was almost certain Kana was being bombarded with attention.

As I approached her classroom, I peeked in carefully, trying not to draw attention to myself.

“Too late…” Inside, Kana was surrounded by a mix of boys and girls. She was putting on a strained smile, clearly trying to keep the situation under control.

At this point, there wasn’t much I could do. Even if I stepped in and said something, no one would listen to a nobody like me.

If Kana decided to deny our relationship, I was fine with it. Whatever she thought was best for her, I’d go along with it.

Resigning myself, I turned to leave, but just as I was about to walk away, Kana caught sight of me through the classroom window.

“Wait!” Her voice rang out across the room, and before I could react, she was rushing toward the door.

With a loud bang, the door flew open. “Come here!” Without any further explanation, she grabbed my hand and pulled me into the classroom.

The chatter in the classroom came to an abrupt halt as Kana dragged me to the center of the room.

“What’s going on, Kana?” one of her friends asked cautiously. Kana tightened her grip on my hand and looked around the room.

“I want everyone to know,” she began, her voice clear and unwavering. “Yes, I’m dating him.”

A wave of murmurs swept through the room. “We’ve been keeping it a secret because we didn’t want unnecessary drama,” she continued, her gaze steady as it moved from one face to the next. “But now that the photo’s out there, there’s no point hiding it anymore.”

“Kana…” I whispered, completely taken aback. She turned to me, her expression softening. “I don’t care what people think. I like you, and that’s all that matters.”

Her words silenced the room. For a moment, no one said anything, the weight of her statement sinking in.

Then, someone broke the silence. “Well… as long as you’re happy, Kana,” a girl said with a shrug, and a few others nodded in agreement.

The tension began to dissipate, replaced by a mixture of curiosity and acceptance. Kana let out a small sigh of relief, then looked back at me with a smile.

“See? It’s not the end of the world,” she said softly. I could only nod, still trying to process everything that had just happened.

Later, as we walked home together, I finally found my voice. “You didn’t have to do that, you know. I would’ve been fine with keeping things quiet.”

Kana smiled, lacing her fingers with mine. “I know. But I didn’t want you to think I was ashamed of being with you.”

Her words warmed my heart, and I squeezed her hand gently. “Thanks,” I murmured.

“No problem,” she said, leaning her head on my shoulder. “Now, let’s figure out who took that picture.”

Her determination brought a small smile to my face. Even in the midst of chaos, she always managed to keep moving forward. And as long as I had her by my side, I knew I could do the same.