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 5: The Junior and Jealousy

Chapter 5: The Junior and Jealousy

The sound of the bell echoed through the school, signaling the start of lunch break.

As usual, students headed to the cafeteria or grabbed their homemade lunches to eat on the rooftop.

I was about to make my way to the cafeteria as always when a familiar blonde girl caught my eye at the classroom entrance.

“Hey, isn’t that girl cute? Is she a first-year?”

“Who’s she friends with… heh, I’d love an introduction…”

“Oh, senpai!”

Spotting me, she gave a small wave to get my attention. Her cheerful, carefree nature always radiated energy.

“Yo. Got business with someone in our class?”

“Hehe, I came to see you, senpai! Let’s eat lunch together!”

“Oh, shoot. I didn’t bring lunch today. Cafeteria okay?”

“You didn’t bring one, senpai? …Living alone must be tough.”

“No kidding… but the cafeteria’s cheap and tasty, so I don’t mind too much.”

“I figured as much… ta-da!”

Amane revealed another wrapped package from the hand she’d been hiding. It was identical to the one she held in her other hand.

“I made a lunch for you, senpai! Homemade by yours truly.”

“For real? Can I really have it?”

“Who do you think I made it for? It’s just for you, senpai!”

With a playful wink that practically sparkled, Amane handed me the lunch. The special feeling of receiving a homemade bento from a girl sent a small thrill through me.

But at that moment, a chilling shiver ran down my spine, making my body tense.

(What… was that cold feeling just now?)

“…Hinate-kun?”

I turned slowly to find Rinne standing there. Her intense gaze seemed darker than usual, almost heavy.

“K-Kisaragi…?”

“Who’s this girl?”

“I’m Amane Shinomiya. Nice to meet you.”

Amane gave a polite bow. Rinne, however, began staring at her as if sizing her up.

“Oh, Amane’s my junior from work… we get along pretty well.”

“Kisaragi-senpai, right? I’ve heard a lot about you from senpai. He says you’re way out of his league, like someone from another world.”

“…Is that so?”

A prickling sensation ran across my skin. The calm lunchtime atmosphere shifted into something tense, almost electric.

Both Rinne and Amane wore smiles, but there was an undeniable pressure in the air. It was as if invisible sparks were flying between them.

“Uh, you two…?”

“Would you like to join us for lunch, Kisaragi-senpai?”

“…Well, if you insist.”

And so began a turbulent lunch break.

—

We moved from the classroom to the cafeteria, where the three of us sat around a table to eat our lunches.

Rinne and Amane continued their subtle jabs at each other, their smiles masking the tension.

“Senpai totally had my back when I messed up at work the other day! I’m so lucky to have such a kind senpai.”

“Oh, really? I didn’t know about that. Hinate-kun’s always been the type with a strong sense of justice, ever since middle school.”

(What is this atmosphere? My stomach’s killing me… this is painful…)

Caught between their mysterious pressure, my stomach was practically screaming. I could use some antacids right now.

“Here, senpai. Say ‘ahh’ ♡.”

“Uh, ahh…”

I ate the hamburger patty Amane offered with her chopsticks.

Her homemade food was delicious, but in this icy atmosphere, it was hard to genuinely enjoy it.

“Senpai, hold on a sec.”

“Huh?”

Amane reached out with her index finger, brushing it against the corner of my mouth. A bit of hamburger sauce stuck to her finger.

“You had some sauce there. Trying to play the clumsy card?”

“As if I’d do that.”

“Mmm… delicious ♡.”

Amane brought the sauce-covered finger to her mouth, giving me a teasing look.

Her mischievous smile and tilted head only added to the playful vibe.

“Tastes like senpai ♡.”

“C’mon, don’t do stuff like that. You’ll give some guy the wrong idea.”

“Are you getting the wrong idea, senpai? It’s fine if it’s you—I’d just laugh it off!”

I gave a wry smile at Amane’s complete lack of remorse. Then, I felt Rinne’s piercing gaze stabbing into me.

Her eyes, framed by long lashes, glared at me with an unsettling intensity.

“…You hesitated when it was me.”

“K-Kisaragi-san…?”

“You two seem awfully close. A bit too close, don’t you think?”

“Sorry, it’s just a habit… I get told I’m too touchy-feely all the time. Was it too much, senpai…?”

“Nah, I’m fine with it.”

“Yay! Senpai’s so nice~!”

Amane expressed her joy with both hands, then clung to my arm in her excitement.

Seeing this, Rinne grabbed my other arm.

“Uh, you two…?”

“You’re okay with closeness, right, senpai?”

“There’s no reason it’s fine for Shinomiya-san but not for me, is there?”

“Y-Yeah…”

Sandwiched between two beautiful girls, I felt anything but thrilled.

Plagued by mysterious stomach pain and their overwhelming presence, I somehow survived the lunch break.

—

“…Kisaragi.”

“…What?”

“Are you mad…?”

“I’m mad.”

“No, yeah, I figured… but, like, you’re really mad, huh—wait, what?”

“I’m mad.”

At our usual train station platform, Rinne repeated herself as if emphasizing something important.

Her sharp, almond-shaped eyes glared at me with a cold, standoffish attitude.

“…You don’t act like that with me.”

“…Are you jealous?”

Rinne’s eyebrow twitched. It seemed I’d hit the nail on the head.

“…I was just a little envious of how close and friendly Shinomiya-san seemed with you.”

To my surprise, Rinne’s honest feelings came out in a cute, vulnerable way.

I’d always thought there was an unbridgeable gap between us, but it seemed that for her, it was just a small distance.

“Do you not want that with me?”

I spoke gently to Rinne, who was trying to cover her feelings with her usual aloof demeanor.

“No, it’s not that I don’t want it. I always felt a distance with you, Kisaragi. You’re so talented and beautiful, so different from an ordinary guy like me. I thought we lived in different worlds… but I guess I was wrong.”

I looked into Rinne’s eyes. They sparkled like sapphires, breathtakingly beautiful.

“You’re human just like me, Kisaragi. You feel sadness and joy like anyone else. I should’ve known that better than anyone, but I lost sight of it.”

I gently placed my hand over hers.

In contrast to her usual confident aura, her hand felt delicate and small, reminding me of how fragile she could be.

“If you’re okay with it, is it alright if I do things like this?”

“…Yeah.”

Rinne nodded quietly. Her snow-white skin flushed red, like the first snowfall tinged with sunrise.

“You’re blushing.”

“Shut up.”

“Embarrassed?”

“I’m not embarrassed! …I’m never letting you go now.”

Rinne gripped my hand tightly, almost painfully, refusing to let go. Her assertiveness reassured me of the strength of our bond.

Soon, the train pulled into the platform, and Rinne boarded.

As she gave a small wave, I smiled and waved back.