Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Unexpected

「So? You brought me all the way here—what do you want to talk about?」

The guys dragged me to an empty classroom where no one else was around. Since it hasn’t been long after classes ended, I can still hear the voices of sports club members and people messing around on their way home echoing from afar.

If they were planning anything shady, they’d be smarter to pull a Miwa and lure me off campus, or at least confront me somewhere truly hidden from view. Even though there’s no one here right now, on the way over we passed a few people I know, so if they try anything flashy, it’ll come back to them quickly.

While I’m thinking about that and bracing myself just in case, the leader of the group, standing at the front, brushes his curly hair back without even looking my way and says:

「You need to stop bothering Sakaki-san any further.」

「…This again, huh?」

Just like Kozaburo Miwa the other day, they’re making baseless accusations and talking down to me. …Mori-kun said he thought we looked like a good match, but most people seem convinced I’m threatening Saori Sakaki somehow.

…Seriously, what’s so unacceptable about me? Is it my flashy blond hair? The last time I went to the salon I asked for the brightest color they could give me, but maybe next time I should go for something more toned down.

I let out a big sigh.

「I’ve had enough of this. I don’t know whose rumors you’re swallowing, but that’s between me and Sakaki-san. It’s none of your business.」

「That only applies if it’s a normal, healthy relationship.」

「…Huh?」

「We already know you forced her into dating you by threatening her!」

The guys in the back all chime in with a chorus of agreement. Another sigh escapes me.

「What a pain. So what’s your point? Are you planning to play the hero rescuing the heroine from the villain?」

「…And if we are?」

「Then it’s just lame. Is that some trend now? ‘Save the girl who’s been tricked by a jerk, and then she’ll fall for me’—that cliché. …Well, I guess that trope has always been around.」

I crack a small joke, but their faces only grow more grim. …Honestly, it’s a pain, and I’d prefer to brush it off like I did with Miwa, but if they find out that Sakaki-san and I have broken up, they might take it the wrong way and go after her.

I think for a moment, trying to decide what to do. Maybe these guys interpret my silence as a victory, because the leader speaks up in a triumphant voice.

「Can’t you tell Sakaki-san hates you? Even in P.E. today, you forced yourself on her, didn’t you!」

「That’s right! Sakaki-san hates being touched by men! How could you not know that?」

They raise their voices angrily. I just shrug.

「Even if you say that, we were practicing for the three-legged race. The only places we touched were our shoulders and legs, right?」

「Don’t lie! You forced yourself on her, hugging her when she didn’t want it!」

「Yeah! She… she didn’t like it at all! You can’t just casually put your hands on Sakaki-san like that!」

「What kind of logic is that? Why do you guys get to decide what Sakaki-san should or shouldn’t do? …In the end, isn’t this just you lashing out at me because you’re too chicken to ask her out yourselves?」

「D-Don’t be ridiculous! We’re not fickle guys like you!」

「Yeah, we protect Sakaki-san from afar! I’m sure she cares more about us than she ever would about the likes of you!」

「…」

I doubt that, but whatever. I more or less understand what they’re trying to say. …Honestly, if they’re serious, I feel bad for Sakaki-san, but it’s not my place to say anything.

There’s something else I need to address first.

「Anyway, can I have my phone back now? I’ve already bought a new one, but if you give it back, I won’t blow things up too much.」

「…I don’t know what you’re talking about.」

The leader plays dumb, smiling. I smile right back.

「Really? Guess there’s no helping it. I’ll have to make a big deal out of this. Worst case, all of you could end up getting expelled, but that’ll be your fault, right?」

「Don’t try to bluff! You fooled Sakaki-san with stuff like that, too, didn’t you? We know everything.」

「Even after seeing this, you still want to claim that?」

I show them the phone cover Sakaki-san returned to me. The guys flinch in shock.

「A friend found this lying in an empty classroom and handed it over to me. If I take this to the police and have them check for fingerprints, I’m sure they’d find one of yours all over it, wouldn’t they?」

「…That’s just another bluff. A guy like you telling the cops, ‘My phone got stolen, so please check for prints’—they won’t even take you seriously.」

「Depends on how I go about it, right? And even if the police don’t bite, I already heard you were lurking around my desk after school. It’s only a matter of time before people figure it out.」

I give a provoking laugh. The guys look at each other nervously.

…In reality, I don’t even know if there are any prints on this cover, and even if there were, that alone wouldn’t prove theft. Plus, the part about a witness is a total lie—if someone had actually seen them, I’d have done something sooner.

…Well, technically, Sakaki-san did see whoever stole my phone. If I asked her, she might be able to confirm if the thieves are in this group. But I’m not about to put her in that awkward position now.

「So what’s it gonna be? You can keep playing dumb if you want. If you return the phone, I promise not to make a huge deal of it. The choice is yours.」

「…Tch.」

They recoil, clearly rattled. …Just that reaction alone basically announces they’re guilty, but it doesn’t seem they’ve realized it.

「…What the hell am I even doing here?」

Suddenly, the whole thing feels ridiculous. This isn’t what I wanted. I wanted to change; I wanted to be someone else. I’ve been running so hard toward that, and all I have to show for it are these endless conflicts.

Sure, I have classmates like Mori-kun who are genuinely nice to me, but that’s just because they’re good people, not because of anything I’ve done. I dyed my hair and did all this flashy stuff, but it’s all been wasted effort. I lasted only three months with Saori Sakaki before we broke up.

Koga Kotone said she was glad I hadn’t changed deep down, but that’s probably just thanks to how I was back in junior high. She’s so kind that she’d have treated me the same even if I’d stayed in my shell.

—So what was this past year of effort for, anyway?

「…Well, whatever.」

These Sakaki-san fans are still talking crap. Nothing I say is going to make them listen. …They don’t seem too bright, so if I push them just a bit more, they’ll probably give the phone back. What happens to them after that is none of my concern—

「Don’t be too hard on them, will you?」

「You…」

The one who appears is a tall guy wearing sweet-smelling cologne—Kozaburo Miwa. As usual, he steps in between me and the other guys with an almost theatrical flourish, speaking in a playful tone.

「Hey, we keep running into each other today.」

「You’re the one who keeps approaching me, aren’t you?」

「Making a remark like that won’t make you popular, you know?」

「I don’t care if I’m popular or not.」

「Haha, you say the funniest things. …Hard to believe that from someone who was so desperate to chase after Saori.」

「Same goes for you, doesn’t it? Stop taking out your frustration on me just because Sakaki-san won’t give you the time of day. If you’re so popular, go find some girl to keep you company.」

「…」

「…」

We glare at each other in silence. There’s no way Miwa just happened to find us by chance. He must have some connection to them, or he came here specifically to get one. It’s hard to tell what he’s plotting.

He looks like a typical pompous rich kid obsessed with himself, but something about him feels… darker. Maybe Saori was right—his inferiority complex toward his sister twisted him.

I stay quiet for now, waiting to see what he’ll say. Miwa flips his neatly styled black hair and looks at the guys, not me.

「I heard you stole his phone.」

「That’s…」

「No need to make excuses now. He’s not stupid, and if you try to lie, it’ll just bite you in the end. There’s still time to fix this. For my sake, won’t you give it back?」

「…If you’re asking, then…」

The group’s leader takes a phone out of his pocket. The case is removed, so it’s hard to tell at a glance, but that must be mine. Miwa accepts it from him and hands it to me.

「Here, be more careful with it next time, alright?」

「…」

Feeling unsatisfied, I take it. Miwa’s face, the guys’ faces—I’ve memorized them all. If any new problems arise, I can deal with them accordingly. …I don’t plan on making a big show of this, but I still can’t quite swallow my anger.

「So, that solves the phone issue. Now it’s about you and Saori.」

「…Don’t act like you’re in charge. Whatever my relationship with Sakaki-san is, it has nothing to do with you or the guys behind you. Stop making me repeat myself.」

「I know what you want to say. You and Saori are already broken up, so it’s none of our business, right? But isn’t that a bit irresponsible?」

「…What do you mean by that?」

「Exactly what I said. You chased after her so persistently, but once you realized she wasn’t the girl you’d built up in your head, you ditched her and switched to someone else. She’s left all alone, with nasty rumors following her around. Doesn’t that seem a little pitiful for Saori?」

「That…」

TL: ouch…

How much responsibility do I really bear? I don’t think I’ve done anything that requires me to take extraordinary measures. One way or another, I confessed to her and she accepted. So the responsibility isn’t just mine—it’s hers, too.

…But they’d never admit that. In their narrative, I’m the villain and she’s the victim. And in reality, she never returned my feelings.

I let out a small breath.

「So what now? Are you gonna complain until you’re satisfied? I’ve already broken up with her, I have my phone back, so there’s no reason for you to bug me—or for me to bother with you.」

「You’re just going to say it’s not your problem anymore, right? That you’ll leave her to deal with the fallout alone? You hurt Saori and left her in a mess. Now you’re telling her and everyone else to deal with it themselves? I’m sure she regrets ever getting involved with you. …Or maybe she’s crying by now. She did seem to dislike you.」

「And if she is, that’s her business. …You guys need to back off. No matter how you feel about Sakaki-san, it’s got nothing to do with me. Quit pestering me.」

「Oh my, scary. Is that how you threatened Saori, too?」

「Shut up. If you want tips on how to pick up a girl, I’ll teach you, but stop messing with me. You’re annoying.」

「Haha, you say interesting things. What would you possibly teach me?」

Miwa laughs; I don’t.

「Miwa, you’re not as popular as you think you are. No matter how good-looking you are, if you keep acting so smug, girls won’t be into it. …Actually, that’s not it. You’re probably scared someone will figure out you’re empty inside, so you’re putting on this tacky show to protect your weak self, right?」

「…」

Miwa’s smile fades. Looks like I hit the mark. I continue:

「As for the rest of you losers—you’re out of the question. You’re just watchers on the sidelines, making a fuss from afar. Do you think anyone would be interested in that? If you like her, then say so to her face, cowards. Are you that terrified of getting hurt? You sneak around in a pack, harassing me—who’s going to fall for that? You’re all idiots.」

「D-Don’t talk like that! Sakaki-san cares about us—」

「Enough. That’s your delusion. She’s never given you a second glance, has she? Don’t dump your little fantasy on me.」

I laugh. Not because I want to. I don’t want to do any of this. I didn’t work so hard this past year just to end up here. …But fine. If they’re not going to stop, I’ll give them exactly what they want.

I glare at the guys in front of me. Miwa… laughs again.

「Hahahahahaha! So that is who you really are! There’s no way Saori could love a guy with such a cold, cruel face!」

「That’s right! You’re nothing but trouble for Sakaki-san!」

「There’s no way she’d ever fall for someone like you!」

「You worthless piece of shit, give Sakaki-san back!」

They hurl insults at me alongside Miwa. …Alright. Fine. If they’ve got so much to say, I’ll take this fight. I’ll smash their miserable pride along with their nose bones.

I grab Miwa by the collar. That alone makes his sneer twist.

「S-So you’ll resort to violence after all? Do you have any idea what’ll happen to you—」

「Who cares. Go cry to your mommy with a bloody nose.」

「Hii…!」

I draw back my fist.

…But the door opens before I can throw a punch.

「Why… are you all here…?」

I lower my arm reflexively. Standing there is the girl I assumed had already gone home—Saori Sakaki. She looks at Miwa and at me grabbing him by the collar, her eyes wide with shock.

「L-Look, Saori! This is who he really is!」

Miwa’s voice rings out as if he’s delighted she’s here, and the others follow suit:

「Y-Yeah! You shouldn’t be around someone like that!」

「If you hate him, just say it like you always do, Sakaki-san! We’ll protect you!」

They’re all triumphant, probably thinking they’ve tricked me and shown her my true colors.

…What idiots. Do they really think this will make me hesitate? That I’d be afraid of being hated by her now? It’s way too late for that.

I ignore everyone else and raise my fist again.

「…Hii!」

Miwa and the other guys tremble in fear. Right to the end, they insist on playing the victim.

…God, they’re irritating. They piss me off, every last one of them. Why do they get to deny everything I’m struggling for? They’re all on the outside, too scared to get hurt, clinging to the idea they’re something special. It really pisses me off. …They’re just like I used to be.

「…What the hell am I even doing?」

Their annoying voices echo around me, though I barely register the words. I don’t care anymore, so just shut up. About Sakaki-san, these punks, about me—who cares.

So—

「…Huh?」

Suddenly, the rowdy classroom goes quiet. It’s as if time stops, and all sound disappears in an instant. With just a brief contact, everything changes.

—Saori Sakaki kisses me.

No one can say a word. Miwa, the other guys, me—we’re all speechless at this completely unexpected act. …All but Saori herself. In the hush, she looks only at me and says:

「──Sakashima Ochiba-kun. I love you.」

TL: Not sure if I should translate (好きです) as love you or like you?