When I Told the Most Beautiful Girl in the School That My Confession Had Failed, She Suddenly Started Coming at Me With Unbearably Heavy Feelings

Chapter 14: Loss and Lingering Regret

≪Nonoka’s Side≫

“Ugh, this is so boring…”

Beside Ryoutarou, who openly showed his irritation, Nonoka let out a sigh.

She had managed to convince him for this aquarium date on their day off, but seeing him fiddle with his phone, clearly distracted, Nonoka felt regret seeping in.

It was easy to imagine that a date between two people in a purely physical relationship would turn out like this.

Still, Nonoka had pushed for this date, hoping to elevate their relationship into something more meaningful.

“…What you did back there wasn’t cool. Everyone was staring…”

“Huh? Who cares? What’s wrong with messing with a weakling? What, you still hung up on him or something?”

“It’s not like that… but doing stuff like that in public isn’t right. It’s supposed to be our date…”

“Look, this ‘date’ is just me humoring you, okay? We’re friends with benefits, Nonoka. I’m not thinking about dating you. I’m only with you because we’re physically compatible.”

Though she knew it all along, Nonoka fell silent as his words hit her.

Deep down, she wanted a convenient boyfriend, not just a fling. The truth stung painfully.

But Nonoka couldn’t let go of this relationship. Her body was already addicted to the pleasure.

“Ugh, wanna head somewhere else? I’m done with the aquarium.”

“…Huh? Somewhere else…?”

“A hotel, obviously. Let’s go.”

Ryoutarou grabbed her hand forcefully, and Nonoka followed him out of the aquarium.

The outfit she’d carefully chosen and the effort she put into her makeup couldn’t turn his head. All he wanted was her body.

Where did she go wrong? Nonoka questioned her heart.

The day she gave herself to Ryoutarou, swayed by his words.

The day she rejected Renji’s confession.

The days she drowned in pleasure, losing sight of what was right.

Turning a blind eye to her faults had led to this lingering regret.

(…I’ve been making mistakes all along.)

Nonoka finally realized.

In the haze of pleasure, she regretted her actions. She should have chosen Renji, and now she felt sorry for it.

(What I wanted wasn’t this… I wanted something sweeter, purer. But instead, I…)

Sinking into the bed with regret for her past self, Nonoka felt trapped.

Escaping this quagmire seemed nearly impossible. The fleeting moments of Ryoutarou’s kindness filled the gaps in her heart, binding her.

It would be a while before Nonoka fully understood this.

▼▽

“How’s it going lately? That new fling of yours?”

“Hm? Oh… she’s been kinda annoying lately. Keep talking about dating or going on dates. I’m fine with just the physical stuff…”

“Oof, doesn’t sound like it’s going great. She’s so cute, why not just date her? I would.”

“Me, dating someone? Nah, that’s impossible. It’d be a hassle if she got clingy when I checked out other girls. …It might be time to cut her loose.”

—

Chapter 15: Lingering Remnants and the Past

“…I’m home.”

Rinne Kisaragi murmured softly, half-expecting words that would never come in response.

She walked down the wide, quiet hallway and entered her unnecessarily spacious room. Placing her phone and wallet on the desk, Rinne let out a small sigh of relief.

As she sat on the bed, she slid down to lie flat. In this room, where loneliness often gnawed at her, Rinne’s heart was wrapped in an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

(The date was so much fun…)

Her mind replayed the day’s date like a vivid flashback.

After enjoying the aquarium together, they went to a nearby teahouse for a break. Afterward, they savored the scenic coastline, a local tourist spot, before parting ways.

Though they had a minor run-in with Nonoka Hoshiumi and Ryoutarou Kamitsubaki, the date had been fulfilling for Rinne.

(Heh, I might just fall for him even more…)

Rinne’s lips curled into a smile as she looked at the necklace around her neck.

A gift from none other than Renji Hinate, it sent her spirits soaring. The meaning behind the necklace as a present was ______.

(I want to keep you all to myself… Heh, you probably didn’t think that far ahead, did you, Renji-kun?)

Another bond with Renji had formed, growing stronger and harder to let go of—a connection Rinne cherished.

Deeper, heavier. Rinne’s heart, craving Renji’s love, swelled with desire.

(…I never imagined things would turn out like this back then.)

Rinne recalled the day, two years after starting middle school, when she had her fateful encounter with Renji.

▼▽

Rinne Kisaragi had been alone.

Raised by estranged parents, Rinne constantly watched their moods, living cautiously.

She never understood why her parents, who prioritized themselves, had married in the first place.

Later, she learned the truth: her father had another family. Rinne was born from his affair with her mother. The reason they didn’t divorce was likely a faint sense of guilt lingering between them.

When Rinne entered middle school, her parents divorced. Her mother took her in but rarely came home, leaving Rinne essentially living alone.

Quiet and careful with her words, Rinne had no one to rely on, condemned to solitude.

Worse, at school, her talent and beauty drew the envy of older students, who bullied her relentlessly. Isolated in her class, Rinne was pushed to the brink mentally.

Unwanted by society and family, the only one who reached out to her was Renji.

They weren’t in the same class. They hadn’t met through a committee. They hadn’t even spoken before. Yet, without hesitation, Renji helped her.

“I leave what I can’t do to those who can. But I want to do what I’m able to,” Renji had said when she asked why he helped her.

At first, Rinne rejected his involvement, pushing him away repeatedly. But his persistent, sincere efforts wore her down, and those words ultimately won her trust.

No matter how much she’d been hurt, Renji protected her. Though she found his presence unusual, her heart undeniably raced for him.

The moment her heart was fully captured came at a certain café.

After Rinne suffered threats and violence from a group of older students, Renji snapped. He went on a rampage, taking them all down single-handedly.

Afterward, questioned and lectured by teachers, the exhausted pair rested at a café.

Seeing Renji’s bruised face, Rinne’s heart ached painfully.

When she apologized, saying it was her fault, Renji smiled and replied, “I’m just glad you’re okay. It’d be a shame if a scar marred that face.”

His excessive kindness finally melted the frozen heart of the girl.

Starved for love, Rinne’s heart was filled by Renji’s affection.

His relentless kindness, undeterred by her rejections, fueled her desires, turning her into a monster craving love.

People are creatures that endlessly seek something. No one can suppress those desires.

(Heh… I want to get closer, so much closer. Not just as strangers or friends, but as lovers…)

The stronger her wish, the more it burned with a frantic fear of ruin.