Why Is the Prettiest Girl in School Trying to Talk to a Loner Like Me during Lunch Break?

Chapter 50: Loner and Juliet

In the year 2595… the world had become a friend-supremacist society where human worth was judged by “how many friends you have.”

And in a high school in the city of Erona, there was one beautiful girl…

“My name is Juliet! I’m the most beautiful girl in this school!”

Juliet was such an unfortunate beauty that she’d say things like that herself. However, perhaps that unfortunateness was part of her charm, because friends always swarmed around Juliet like they were a dime a dozen.

“Woooo! Juliet, you’re beautiful as always today. How about trying the new menu at Starpa?”

“No way! Juliet’s going to Village Vanguard in Shibuya with me today!”

Juliet was the principal’s only daughter and the school’s most beautiful girl, so she was incredibly popular.

The era of judging students by “academic ability” had ended. This was an age where society valued “communication ability” over school “academics.” So what criteria determined student grades in such a world?

Studying…? No, it was the number of “friends.”

That’s why students competed to become “friends” with Juliet, the beautiful principal’s daughter.

“Today’s the school ball! Father said ‘Find a man worthy of being your fiancé, someone who seems to have many friends!’ but… there’s no man who could match me.”

Saying this, Juliet grew bored and escaped the ball, taking refuge behind the deserted gymnasium.

“Phew, no one’s here… Having so many ‘friends’ is exhausting to talk to, so sometimes I just want to be alone like this… Oh?”

However, someone was already there.

“You are…”

His name was Romeo. Just a “loner.”

“Who are you? Why are you in a place like this?”

Romeo answered.

“My name is Romeo… We’re actually in the same class.”

“……”

And so, the two fell in love.

“Oh! Romeo-kun, Romeo-kun! Why must you be a ‘loner’…?”

“Because I don’t have any friends!”

“If you don’t have friends, why don’t you just make some?”

“What… can you make friends by buying ingredients at the supermarket? What kind of alchemy is that? Do I have to give up an arm or leg?”

Then Juliet answered, fidgeting bashfully.

“Th-that’s why… I’m saying I’ll be your friend… D-don’t misunderstand! It’s not like I want to be your friend! I just feel sorry for you, so if you really insist, I suppose I could be your friend!

I-I’m the most beautiful girl in school offering to be your friend, so I won’t forgive you if you refuse!”

“Feh!? O-okay… Please take care of me.”

And so, the two became friends.

“Romeo-kun, Romeo-kun! I’ll give you this!”

“This is… a dagger? Why are you giving me this?”

“Because if you’re friends with me, the most beautiful girl in school… won’t the boys resent you and try to stab you, Romeo-kun? So it’s for self-defense.”

“That’s scary!”

“Romeo-kun, Romeo-kun! I found an interesting novel!”

“Oh, ‘Another World with a Transceiver,’ right? I heard it’s getting an anime adaptation.”

“Eh, really!?”

“Hey… can I call you ‘Romeo’?”

“Then… can I call you ‘Juliet’?”

“……”

“R-Romeo…”

“J-Juliet…”

“……”

“”E-ehehe…””

However, those around them didn’t approve of their relationship.

“Why is someone like him Juliet’s ‘friend’?”

“Juliet’s lost it too! Choosing a ‘loner’ like that as a friend!”

“What’s with that guy…? His normie power level is only ‘5’? What, he’s just a ‘loner.'”

And finally, their relationship was discovered by Juliet’s father, the principal.

“A man who doesn’t even have 100 friends has no right to stand beside Juliet!”

The doting principal was furious at Romeo for leading his daughter astray, and Romeo was expelled from school for having no friends and terrible grades in everything except math.

“Romeo, wait! Why do you have to leave school!?”

“My test scores in everything but math, and my friend count, are all zero… I can’t stay at this school anymore.”

“Wait! If it’s friends, if it’s friends… you have one right here!”

“Juliet… I’m sorry, I can’t think of you as a friend anymore.”

“No… Romeo, why?”

“Because I ‘like’ you. Once I realized that… I can’t think of you as just a ‘friend’ anymore.

Goodbye, Juliet…”

And so Romeo left school and became a “middle school graduate.”

However, Juliet wasn’t ready to give up.

“Class Rep, please… I’m going after Romeo! So won’t you help me escape from the dorm?”

“I understand!”

Juliet’s high school was a boarding school with strict curfews.

“Juliet, if you drink this potion, you’ll enter a death-like state for forty-two hours. They’ll think you’re dead, and you can elope with Romeo who’s outside! Don’t worry, I’ll explain everything to Romeo!”

“Class Rep, thank you!”

And so, Juliet decided to cooperate with the villainess-looking Class Rep for her escape plan.

The plan went well up to that point.

“Yamada! Is Yamada here?”

“Ninja Yamada has arrived! What is it, Class Rep?”

“Actually… explains situation. So I’m putting Juliet in a death-like state for forty-two hours to help her escape. Can you tell Romeo outside to come pick her up?”

“Understood!”

However, the Class Rep’s plan wasn’t properly conveyed to Romeo.

“What did Class Rep say again…? I guess I just need to call Romeo to the school!”

‘Tonight, come to the parking lot behind the school building. We have Juliet there.’

“What is this threatening letter… Juliet! Please, be safe!”

And what Romeo saw at the meeting place was Juliet in her death-like state.

“Juliet! D-dead!? No… why did this happen to you!”

Romeo fell into deep despair at Juliet’s “death.”

“It’s all my fault… because you met me! Because I fell in love with you…

I knew… I knew how people’s attitudes toward you changed after you started talking to me! I knew you were turning down invitations from other friends to talk to me!

I realized your eyes when looking at me weren’t those of someone looking at a ‘friend’ anymore!

I was… happy about that! But scared… I wanted to make you my own personal ‘friend.’

That’s why I pretended not to notice! Because we could keep smiling if we stayed ‘friends.’ Because I thought we could continue this relationship if I didn’t know the truth…

But my selfish ‘feelings’… killed you, Juliet!

Knowing you’d be hurt, watching your friends leave you, understanding your feelings…!

Your fate changed because you met me. So I’ll atone to you with my own fate.”

And so Romeo took his own life by piercing his throat with the dagger Juliet had given him.

“Mmm, I slept well… Eh, Romeo! No, no… why!?”

The awakened Juliet discovered Romeo’s corpse.

“Romeo! Romeo! Why did this happen… I didn’t need anything as long as I had you! As long as I had you, I didn’t need other friends! Or money! Or even family… So why! Why did you… disappear from my life!

Ugh… I’ll never let you go again. No matter where you go, I absolutely won’t let you be ‘alone!'”

Saying this, Juliet followed him by stabbing her chest with Romeo’s dagger, departing this world.

‘Romeo… Romeo, Romeo! I finally found you!’

‘Juliet… you came looking for me, thank you… I’m happy… because from now on, I can always be with the person I love…’

‘Yes! I’ll… never let go again! We’ll be together forever!’

‘Juliet… you must be tired. I’m tired too… I feel so sleepy. Juliet…’

Romeo was “all alone.” But from now on, he won’t be a “loner” anymore.

The End

Translation Notes: