Why the Cool Beauty, Who Repeatedly Keeps on Read and Ignores, Only Replies to Me - The Beautiful and Aloof Girl Wants to Know the Lonely Me - 05 - Cool Beauty Is Jealous

The next morning.

I woke up, opened the curtains next to the bed, and saw that it was raining outside. Although it’s mid-June, which is typically the rainy season, there has been little rain this year, so I didn’t really feel like we were in the rainy season.

Rubbing my eyes with a sense of gloominess in the damp air, I thought, “Was what happened yesterday… just a dream?”

As I picked up my smartphone lying on the bed, I noticed a message from “her” in the notification bar.

SaeKi: Good morning

It seems like it wasn’t a dream after all.

I had thought the conversation ended after I sent a stamp last night, but now, unexpectedly, a good morning message from SaeKi. What does Saeki intend by sending me a lime?

Maybe popular guys who want to raise their value by getting close to Saeki would be thrilled by this, but for me, who wishes for a peaceful school life without interference from anyone, this situation is not good.

“But if I leave it on ‘read,’ I won’t be able to say anything to Saeki…”

Knowing Saeki’s feelings by reading a message that Saeki sent herself is ironic. I replied with, “Good morning. It’s raining today, huh?” and then left the room to wash my face.

Saeki’s mood might be affected by me leaving her on ‘read’…?

“No, no. Why am I even trying to gauge her mood? She finally left me on ‘read’ for once, so I shouldn’t worry about it.”

I couldn’t help but feel that Saeki always had a higher status.

I usually don’t care about the caste system within the class, but when it comes to Saeki Yukine, it’s a different story.

Should I ask Tamari for advice and subtly let Saeki know that I’m being troubled? …..no, with that idiot Tamari, she wouldn’t be able to handle such things.

While pondering various thoughts, I finished my morning preparations and left the house with an umbrella in hand.

The weather was rainy, and combined with Saeki’s situation, I was feeling quite nervous.

As I commute by bus, I walked through the underground passage to the station’s rotary to catch the bus from the station front.

When I reached the bus stop towards the high school, there were a few students waiting for the bus besides me. I stood at the end of the line, took out a paperback book from my shoulder bag, and started reading.

This time spent reading a book was the only time when I could forget everything.

I continued reading until the bus arrived, and even after getting on the bus, I sat by the window in the two-seater at the back and continued reading my book.

“Is it okay if I sit next to you?”

As I was engrossed in my book, a voice suddenly came from the side.

I shifted my attention from the book to the seat next to me. A ponytail and those large eyes…

The one who spoke was Hinata Machibari.

Wondering why she chose the seat next to me, I looked around, but my seat was the only available one.

“…It’s fine, I don’t mind.”

I said, and Machibari responded with a “Thanks” and sat down.

Come to think of it, Machibari also commutes by bus.

There was a slightly awkward atmosphere between us due to yesterday’s incident, but I tried to forget everything by reading a book.

However, as I was reading, Machibari lightly tapped my shoulder from the side.

“Okami… are you angry about what happened yesterday?”

Machibari asked directly.

“Not really.”

“…Really?”

“I messed up since I didn’t take any notes. You didn’t need to extend a helping hand to someone like that, and as the student council president, you were right.”

“….fufu.”

Machibari chuckled softly and looked at me from the corner of her eye.

What’s this? Is she making fun of me because I talked a lot?

✳︎✳︎

I got off the bus at the high school bus stop, put away the book I was reading in my bag, and started walking towards the school gate.

There was no obligation to go to the classroom together just because we were classmates, so I wanted Machibari to go to the high school first. However, Machibari was walking next to me from the bus stop to the high school. I wanted her to keep her distance…

“By the way, where’s Doudo-san?”

“She’s always running late for the bus, just before the chime rings.”

“Running late… even though you’re childhood friends, shouldn’t you wake her up?”

“I won’t. It’s not a manga.”

As we approached the school gate while talking, the surrounding gazes focused to one point again. This feeling, could it be…?

I cautiously looked in the direction of those gazes.

Even with her face hidden by an umbrella, I recognized her proportions and swaying long hair. There was Saeki Yukine, on her way to school.

The moment I looked, Saeki reacted to me with the speed of reading a message on Lime, glanced at me for a moment, and then continued walking to school.

The lukewarm outside air froze in an instant, and her cold gaze also sent a chill down my spine.

What was that just now…?

“Okami? Why did you suddenly stop?”

“N-Nothing.”

I’m too much of a coward.

We exchanged messages on Lime, but Saeki has no reason to talk to me, and we won’t be involved in the future. Eventually, Saeki will get bored, stop sending Limes, and there’s no need to worry.

Thinking that, just before, my smartphone received a notification.

…With a bad premonition, I opened my smartphone, and as expected, it was from Saeki.

SaeKi: You seem to get along not only with Doudo-san but also with Machibari-san… Only women. I’m disappointed.

D-Disappointed? …Does that mean Saeki won’t send Limes anymore…?

W-Well, I don’t really understand, but thanks to Machibari, did I get released from Saeki?

I felt a sense of relief. I closed my smartphone, told Machibari, “I’ll go ahead,” and came to the classroom while laughing in my mind.

No more Limes from Saeki.

While feeling relieved, when I took out the book I was reading from my bag, another notification came to my smartphone again, and I checked…

SaeKi: Instead of ignoring it, how about explaining yourself quickly?

Ugh, troublesome…

I was full of the desire to just ignore it.

———

【Afterword】

End of Chapter 1. Next time, on to the tumultuous Culture Festival arc.