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 19-20

Chapter 19: Gentle Bite and Evidence

After parting with Amane at the entrance, I headed toward the classroom but stopped by the bathroom first.

“Phew…”

Today, if I recall correctly, we had PE first period. After that, I’d need to go to the changing room to get ready… Wait, wasn’t second period Classical Literature? I forgot to do the homework…

While I was lost in these trivial thoughts, I heard the sound of footsteps—takataka—as someone entered.

If it’s someone I know, I should at least say hi. That carefree thought vanished instantly.

“Hinate-kun.”

“Waaah!?! K-Kisaragi?!?”

There stood Rinne, with an utterly shameless, brazen expression.

Her dark, murky eyes seemed to paralyze me as she slowly approached.

“Kisaragi-san?! This is the boys’ bathroom?!”

“Who cares about that?”

“No, it’s a big deal!! A huge deal!! Just, calm down!!”

My shouts were in vain; Rinne didn’t stop.

A crazed smile spread across her face, radiating an overwhelming sense of menace—directed at me.

Cornered against the wall, I had no escape.

As if to seal my fate, Rinne’s hands slammed against the wall on either side of my face. In a classic wall-slam pose, her stunning face drew closer.

At a distance where our breaths nearly mingled, Rinne spoke.

“…Lend me your face.”

“Y-Yes…”

▼▽

Rinne dragged me into an empty classroom and sat me down on a chair.

The sound of the lock clicking—gachari, gachari—echoed before Rinne sat on my lap. A sweet fragrance wafted from her, and her glossy lips shimmered seductively.

Before I could process my shock, Rinne’s slender hands slid onto my cheeks.

Her long lashes framed her downturned gaze, creating a striking, almost maddeningly beautiful image.

“K-Kisaragi…?”

“I want you to look into my eyes and tell me honestly. Do you know why I’m angry?”

“No, not at all—”

As I started to speak, an image flashed through my mind: Amane, smiling mischievously.

“…You figured it out?”

“No, I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“Why were you walking to school with that girl, Amane?”

My heart leapt in my chest.

Sweat beaded on my palms. My breathing grew shallow, and my heartbeat quickened.

…This is bad.

I hadn’t told anyone about my relationship with Amane. It was to avoid trouble, and no one was an exception.

Spilling the truth now to save myself would be a bad move. The consequences would be obvious. I had to dodge this somehow.

“Uh, well, we just happened to meet this morning…”

“You got off a train from the opposite direction of your usual route, and it was just a coincidence?”

“W-Well, that’s…”

Rinne’s skeptical gaze pierced through me.

It was true—I had taken a different train today. If I’d thought about the possibility of being seen, I should’ve chosen a different time.

How careless of me. I should’ve considered the chance of Rinne spotting me.

“…Hey, Hinate-kun. I want you to tell me the truth. No matter what you say, I won’t reject you.”

“…What if I said we were dating?”

“I’d pounce on you right now.”

I clamped my mouth shut as Rinne pressed her ample breasts against me.

The sensation of her curves molding against my chest was surely something soft and pleasant to the touch.

Even as desire stirred, I bit my lip and held firm. Giving in here would ruin my pride as a man.

“…Take it off.”

“Huh?”

“Strip.”

Intimidated by Rinne, I shed my blazer and unbuttoned my shirt, one by one.

Rinne’s hand slipped between my shirt and skin, gripping me tightly before she licked my neck. And then—

Chomp.

Rinne sank her teeth into my neck.

It wasn’t painful, but it wasn’t exactly pleasant either. The sensation soon gave way to a stinging pain as she sucked.

When her lips finally parted, a red mark remained on my neck. Rinne gave it one final lick.

“Thanks for the treat… So, Hinate-kun? Did you think I’d let you get away?”

“I’m pretty sure I’m already caught.”

“This is a mark. Don’t ever forget you’re my prey.”

It seemed this was Rinne’s way of settling things. Fortunately, she didn’t press further about Amane.

But she didn’t let go right away either.

“Uh, Kisaragi-san? Homeroom’s about to start…”

“…You’re surprisingly toned. You look slim, but holding you like this, you’re solid. I like it.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

Rinne’s hands roamed over my body, tickling slightly. Her voice, whispering affection in my ear, trembled just a bit.

In the end, Rinne and I stayed in the empty classroom until her mood improved, and we ended up late for homeroom.

—

Chapter 20: Fall and Disgrace

《Hoshiumi Side》

Nonoka was deep in thought.

She could distinctly feel the gears of her fate slipping out of alignment, and she directed her resentment toward the school’s most beautiful girl.

It wasn’t her own choices that led her to this point.

Nor was it Renji’s fault.

It was all because of that woman, Rinne Kisaragi.

Now, Nonoka was trapped in a cycle of self-imposed delusions, convincing herself of this narrative. No one around her was there to point out that it was nothing more than baseless paranoia.

She desperately wanted to face Renji again.

If she could apologize properly and lay bare her feelings, things might work out. Nonoka clung to that belief.

But even trying to approach Renji was met with obstacles.

When Renji was in the classroom, Rinne’s watchful eyes were always on guard. If Nonoka was spotted, Rinne could easily remove her from Renji’s sight.

The obvious solution—approaching him when Rinne wasn’t around—was thwarted by the blonde angel. Amane’s interference could come from anywhere. The moment Nonoka tried to talk to Renji, Amane would swoop in and whisk him away, making her, in some ways, an even trickier obstacle than Rinne.

Nonoka needed to act quickly, in a private space where no one could interrupt.

She schemed tirelessly, determined to use any means necessary to steer her fate back onto the right path.

(If I can just talk to him, he’ll understand… surely.)

▼▽

“Kisaragi-san, can I have a moment? It’s about the committee…”

Watching Rinne leave the classroom with a few other students, Renji began preparing for the next class.

“Hinate-kun, got a second?”

“Me? What’s up?”

“Well, someone’s asking for you…”

Following his classmate’s gaze, Renji saw Nonoka standing at the classroom entrance.

Unable to ignore the summons, Renji reluctantly stood and walked toward Nonoka.

“…What’s this about?”

“…Can we talk, just the two of us?”

An awkward tension hung between them, made worse by the stares from their classmates.

Guided by Nonoka, Renji left the classroom and headed to the north wing, where the special classrooms for skill-based subjects were located.

They climbed the stairs in silence, the sound of their footsteps—takataka—being the only thing connecting them.

Opening a slightly creaky door, they stepped onto the rooftop.

The north wing’s rooftop was more dilapidated than the south wing’s and rarely visited by students. Though it wasn’t officially off-limits, only the occasional curious student came here.

Standing close enough to touch, they faced each other.

In the heavy atmosphere, Nonoka was the first to speak.

“…I’m so sorry!”

She bowed deeply, her movements catching Renji off guard, his eyes widening.

“…I prioritized myself and didn’t consider your feelings, Hinate-kun. Honestly, I thought of you as someone convenient. I’m sorry.”

“I figured it was something like that.”

“But the time I spent with you was fun. It was a feeling I never got with anyone else. That’s not a lie.”

Nonoka poured her heart into her words, trying desperately to mend the broken bond with Renji.

“The movies we watched together, the café we went to—everything was fun. …It was only after losing it that I realized. I turned you down back then, and I know it’s outrageous to say this now, but I want to be with you.”

Nonoka reached out toward Renji’s still hand.

But she froze.

Her eyes caught his expression—twisted with sadness.

“…What’s that supposed to mean? ‘It’s not a lie,’ ‘I realized after losing you’—all these convenient words, and in the end, it’s just about you, isn’t it?”

“No, that’s not—”

“It’s too late to realize after you’ve lost something. If you’re regretting it, it’s because what you lost was too valuable to you. And you’re the one who threw it away and damaged it.”

Nonoka’s heart lurched painfully.

Sweat trickled down her forehead, and her hands began to tremble. Renji had hit the mark exactly.

“The wounds you inflicted, the time we lost—those don’t come back. The sin of hurting me stays with you. I’ve only recently cleared up the misunderstanding, but thinking we can just go back to how things were is too convenient.”

His words carried weight.

Nonoka would never grasp the true burden he bore—the weight of the cross he carried wasn’t something others could easily comprehend.

“There’s no going back.”

Nonoka’s single mistake, born from indulging in her own luck and desires, had become a lifelong regret.

She finally realized that her failure wasn’t something a mere apology or two could erase.

At the same time, she saw it—a clear kiss mark on his neck.

Something inside Nonoka crumbled. Emotions she could no longer contain surged from her throat like a broken dam.

A sense of loss and emptiness she’d never felt before overwhelmed her.

“…So?”

“…?”

“Why, why, why, why?! Why! Was it all a lie when you said you liked me? What about those feelings? That time?”

Nonoka’s voice trembled with instability as she shouted.

Her tearful, anxious expression was painfully familiar to Renji.

“Won’t you help me…?”

“My words and feelings weren’t lies. But you’re the one who trampled on them.”

“…But!”

“That’s enough. It’s pathetic.”

A clear, commanding voice echoed across the rooftop. Rinne’s love wasn’t so shallow that it could be stopped by Nonoka’s makeshift schemes.

Rinne appeared with confidence, stepping between Nonoka and Renji.

Her gem-like eyes shimmered with a mix of emotions, the most prominent being anger, which stoked Nonoka’s inferiority complex.

“You’ve said enough, haven’t you? Getting your friend to lie for you—didn’t that hurt your conscience?”

“Don’t interfere!”

Smack.

A sharp sound rang out across the rooftop.

Nonoka’s swung palm had struck Rinne’s cheek.

Nonoka’s face showed instant regret. Rinne stood motionless.

Renji, his sadness turning to anger, stepped toward Nonoka, but Rinne stopped him.

“…That’s enough!”

“…”

“How many people do you have to hurt before you’re satisfied? Is it all fine as long as you get what you want? Don’t be ridiculous! Someone who hurts others doesn’t deserve to be loved!”

Rinne’s words carried anger at Renji’s pain.

At the same time, her lips trembled with sadness.

“This person—Hinate-kun—is kind enough to love even someone like you. So don’t trample on his feelings. You should be ashamed for prioritizing your own desires over his kindness.”

Rinne’s words were the final blow, and Nonoka ran off. The emotional explosion from moments before left a lingering, sorrowful echo in her heart.

Rinne let out a relieved sigh, and Renji rushed to her side.

“Kisaragi, your face…”

“It’s fine. Compared to the pain in your heart, this is nothing…”

“It’s not fine!”

Rinne’s eyes widened at Renji’s raised voice.

He gently touched her reddened cheek. The subtle closeness made Rinne’s heart skip.

“…Good, no scars. I was worried what I’d do if your beautiful face got marked… Kisaragi?”

“…It’s not bad, you know. Being worried about.”

Rinne recalled a memory.

Her mother once scolded her for causing worry, and since then, Rinne had worked tirelessly to avoid burdening others.

No one worried about Rinne, who always succeeded. As a result, she hadn’t felt affection from others in a long time.

The one who gave her that affection was none other than Renji.

“By the way, Kisaragi, how’d you know we were here?”

“Well, love, obviously.”

Rinne made a heart shape with her index and middle fingers and winked dramatically.

Seeing Renji’s stunned expression, she continued, “Joking aside…”

“That girl told me.”

Following Rinne’s gaze, Renji saw Amane peeking out from behind the door.

“Ehehe… caught me.”

“Amane…”

“When I realized the summons was a lie and went back to the classroom, Amane-san was there. I pressed her, and she reluctantly spilled that she saw you head this way.”

“Well, with that scary glare, I couldn’t exactly stay quiet…”

Rinne glanced at Nonoka, who flinched and then shot a piercing look at Renji.

“…You can’t hide it anymore, can you?”

“Ugh…”

“…Senpai, should we spill?”

“Huh, is that okay?”

“Sure. …Clean up the bloodstains, bury the evidence in the mountains… one hit, and Kisaragi-san will go down easy…”

“That kind of spilling?!”

Renji’s retort made Amane laugh with satisfaction.

“Joking aside, it’s fine. It’s not like we’ll die if it gets out.”

“Right. …Then—”

Ding-dong-dang-dong.

“…Let’s talk after school. At the diner.”

“Sounds good. …That okay with you, Kisaragi?”

“Yes. If you say so, Hinate-kun.”

With their agreement reached, Renji and the others returned to the classroom.

“Just wait for it! You’ll hear all about me and Senpai’s honeymoon phase!”

“Don’t stir up trouble at the last second…”