Why Is the Prettiest Girl in School Trying to Talk to a Loner Like Me during Lunch Break? - Chapter 54 - Fake

Chapter 54 – Fake

“Ta-da! Andou-kun, look, look! Today’s cafeteria has a limited-time beef curry using black wagyu beef for 800 yen! So I ordered it. What did you get~?”

“130 yen cup noodles…”

(Wow, how pathetic…)

“Huh~ Andou-kun doesn’t eat much for lunch~”

“Well…”

(That’s not it! I just don’t usually eat with girls alone, so I was nervous and didn’t know what to order! Wait, why am I, a ‘loner,’ eating lunch with Momoi-san…?)

“Um… Momoi-san, isn’t there something you want to ask me? About Asakura-san?”

“Huh!? Eh, wh-why? Oh no~ That’s not it~”

(Andou-kun noticed I want to talk about Sakura? So Andou-kun really isn’t just a regular ‘loner’…)

(Well obviously, that’s the only reason? I mean, there’s no other reason Momoi-san would talk to me besides something about Asakura-san… But what does she want to talk about?

‘Hey, don’t you dare mess with my best friend Sakura!’

Is she here to warn me like that?)

“Then why did you invite me to lunch?”

“Well, you see. I wanted to talk to Andou-kun a bit… Andou-kun, you chose me as the narrator when deciding roles yesterday. Why… did you choose me for ‘Narrator’?”

(Actually, I was curious about this too~ Sure, I didn’t have a role, but I don’t play a character that would get stuck with a troublesome role like narrator~)

(…Why is Momoi-san asking something so obvious? That’s because—)

“Eh, because Momoi-san, you’re good at ‘reading the atmosphere,’ right?”

“BUHEH!”

(Ugh! Gross! Momoi-san just sprayed curry!)

(…Wha!? What did this ‘gloomy loner’ just say!?)

“A-Andou-kun… what exactly does that… mean~ Ahaha~”

“Well, Momoi-san deliberately matches other girls’ hobbies when talking, naturally keeps distance from boys who seem about to confess, and naturally includes girls who might get excluded into groups, doing various things to maintain the class atmosphere, right? So I thought someone like Momoi-san who’s good at ‘reading the atmosphere’ could do ‘Narration’ well too…”

“I-I see…”

(This is bad… Eh? Could it be that Andou-kun has noticed my true nature?)

“…?”

(Huh? Somehow… Momoi-san’s face looks strained? Ah! Maybe I shouldn’t have said this!)

“S-sorry, Momoi-san! I don’t mean to say you’re ‘creating a character’ or ‘hiding your true nature,’ okay? I just meant you’re good at that kind of thing—right?”

(That should smooth things over, right?)

“Oh, I see… Thanks for that~”

(Nope, this is bad. For some reason, he’s completely seen through my true nature…)

“B-by the way… when did you notice that I was… ‘putting on an act’?”

(I’ve only been in the same class as Andou-kun since second year started… No way! We’ve only been in the same class for two months, and he already noticed my true nature—)

“Eh, from the beginning?”

“…” ding

(I see… He knew from the moment we became second-years…)

(Loners don’t have the illusion of friends to talk to, so instead they’re creatures that observe the people around them… Momoi-san especially stands out—she has large breasts, often hangs out with Asakura-san the school beauty, and is quite the beautiful girl herself. She really catches the eye.

So naturally, since first year, every time we passed in the hallways I thought ‘Ah, this person is really putting on an act to fit in with those around her.’)

“I see~ You figured it out… Well, there’s no point in putting on an act for Andou-kun anymore.”

“Eh?”

(What does that mean!? Is she saying there’s no point in being nice to a ‘loner’ like me!?)

(Andou-kun is incredibly perceptive… Could he be smarter than me? If so, hasn’t he noticed Sakura’s feelings? That would be really bad!)

“I’ll ask directly – do you ‘like’ Sakura, Andou-kun?”

“BUHEH!”

(Ugh! Gross! Andou-kun sprayed cup noodles!)

(…Huh!? What did this ‘busty ponytail’ just say!?)

“M-M-Momoi-san, what are you saying!? I don’t think anything special about Asakura-san!”

“Oh, is that so~”

(What’s with this overly obvious attempt to hide embarrassment? It’s so obvious it seems fake instead… I really can’t read Andou-kun’s thoughts~)

“B-besides, even if I had strange feelings for Asakura-san… I couldn’t presumptuously think that Asakura-san, the school’s most beautiful girl, would see me as more than a ‘friend’… Ahaha.”

“Eh, what are you saying?”

(…Wait a minute.)

“Andou-kun… could it be… you haven’t noticed Sakura’s feelings?”

“Huh? Momoi-san, what are you saying? Of course I’ve noticed.”

“Oh, so you have—”

“Of course I’ve noticed that Asakura-san thinks of me as an important ‘friend.’ But don’t worry! I’m not so far gone as a ‘loner’ that I’d misunderstand that as Asakura-san ‘liking’ me!”

“…”

(I see, I finally understand… why I couldn’t read Andou-kun.

Andou-kun has much lower ‘self-esteem’ than I thought.

Wait, my true nature was seen through by such a ‘loner’…)

“Andou-kun, thank you… I feel like an idiot for worrying all this time…”

“Momoi-san, why are you crying?”

(Because all my effort and worries until now… basically, it was all me overthinking, right? Ahaha~ I could really cry~)

“M-Momoi-san? If you’re troubled by something, even a ‘loner’ like me can listen?”

“Thanks~ I’m fine… I just thought maybe it was wrong of me to always match those around me and put on an act, ahaha… hah.”

(I’d always suspected it deep down. I’m always reading the atmosphere and adapting to it. Sure, I’m popular in class, but unlike my genuine best friend Sakura, I’m nothing but a ‘fake.’)

“In the end, a ‘persona’ built by just hiding my true nature and reading the atmosphere is nothing but a ‘fake’ me~”

“No, that’s wrong.”

“Eh?”

(Andou-kun… what do you mean ‘that’s wrong’? My persona is fake—)

“Because unlike me, Momoi-san has many ‘friends.’ Sure, they might be friends made through your ‘persona’ that hides your true nature, but that doesn’t make those ‘friendships’ fake, does it? Then isn’t that ‘cheerful classmate persona’ also part of who Momoi-san is?

Actually, I think it’s ‘amazing’ that Momoi-san can read the atmosphere while maintaining a persona. I mean, who else would go to such lengths just to keep the peace? I couldn’t do it… Well, that’s why I’m a ‘loner’… But that’s exactly why what Momoi-san does is incredible. People are drawn to that persona and become friends because of it, right? So how can you call all that ‘effort’ fake when it produces real connections?

Because someone who reads the atmosphere and helps in difficult situations… is the best kind of person.”

“…”

(I just realized now… I see, this is what attracted Sakura to Andou-kun… I never thought someone would notice my act and call me ‘the best kind of person’…)

“Ahaha! Thanks, Andou-kun~ I feel better now! See you in class!”

“Ah, yeah…”

(What was that about with Momoi-san?)

“I see~ So that’s the kind of person Andou-kun is~”

(Andou-kun is pure like Sakura. But unlike Sakura… he observes his surroundings really well. But Andou-kun should have more confidence in himself~ Talking to him, I think that’s the cause of their massive miscommunication… Oh, I know!)

“…Hello, Class Rep? Yeah, how about we team up~?”

Meanwhile, Asakura-san

“Geez! Where did Andou-kun gooooo! He said he’d buy lunch at the convenience store, so I’ve been waiting at the shoe lockers but he hasn’t shown up at all!” growl

【Bonus SS】”One Year Ago”

“Good morning, Momoi-san.”

“Ah, good morning~♪ You’re Asakura-san, right?”

“Yes, I’m glad the person next to me is someone as easy to talk to as Momoi-san. Actually, I was worried about making friends in high school. Ufufu~”

“Eh~ What’s that~? Someone as beautiful as Asakura-san doesn’t need to worry about that~ If anything, I’m the one worried about making friends~”

“Ufufu, thank you. But I think Momoi-san is plenty attractive too.”

“Eh~ Really? Ehehe~ Thanks, Asakura-san.”

“Let’s be good friends from now on, Momoi-san.”

“Yeah!”

(Good. I was a bit anxious about entering high school, but it looks like Momoi-san and I can be good friends♪)

(…Seriously? Beautiful, great personality, already becoming popular in class, and she’s worried about being ‘anxious’? And she seems to mean it sincerely too, no hidden agenda… I really don’t like this girl~)

“Ufufu♪”

“Ahaha~”

“…” ← Andou-kun

(Holy crap! That ponytail girl has huge breasts!!)