Monday.
The mountain pass of all people when a break is over and a time of depression begins.
Just because I obtained a girlfriend didn't change the way I went to school, and I tried to disguise my restless heart by speeding up my pace.
After the incident at the shopping mall, this will be the first time since I meet Suzuhara and Yamamoto-san.
I don't know what tone to use.
Since he broke up with that Yamamoto-san, it wouldn't be strange if Suzuhara is so depressed that he can't recognise reality anymore.
I also feel awkward because I did something half-heartedly naughty with Yamamoto-san.
The price I paid for separating from my little sister may have been greater than I thought.
"Ah. Sotomichi-kun."
Just as I was leaving the bicycle parking lot and heading towards the entrance from the courtyard.
Yamamoto-san was the first to welcome me before the lush broad-leaved trees.
Noticing me, she gently turns 90 degrees.
She placed her fingertips on her plump chest while spreading her pleats as she turned to me.
"Good morning, Sotomichi-kun."
Yamamoto-san waves her hand with a smile.
Her expression, which was originally bright, now becomes clear.
To use a metaphor, it was the smile of a goddess.
"G-good morning."
I spoke to her normally.
From Yamamoto-san's perspective, I guess it wasn't all that special.
"Come on-. You're being too tense, loosen up a bit."
"Even if you say that... I wasn't the type to talk that much to begin with, and people might think it's strange if we suddenly become friends."
"I get along well with everyone, so it's okay."
Yamamoto-san started walking right next to me.
It's true that Yamamoto-san is like a saint, treating everyone with a smile.
Whether it's a handsome man in a sports club or an otaku in the go-home club, she treats everyone equally.
However, that doesn't mean the piercing stares from those around me will disappear.
I have things related to Suzuhara, so I can't help but feel awkward.
"Suzuhara-kun will be fine. You'll find out when you meet him."
Perhaps realising what I was feeling, Yamamoto-san immediately followed up.
Just looking at Yamamoto-san, I can see that the matter was resolved amicably.
There's a possibility that Suzuhara was trying to show off until the end to Yamamoto-san, so I can't let my guard down.
"Greetings, everyone!"
After entering the classroom, Yamamoto-san greeted everyone cheerfully.
There was no way there was anyone who wouldn't turn around when they heard Yamamoto-san's voice.
Afterwards, all eyes in the class immediately turned to me, next to her.
Yamamoto-san was the first to step out, and just like that, she blended straight with her friends.
It was as if nothing had happened; in fact, nothing had happened.
I guess I should also act natural?
As I sat down at my seat, forgetting about Yamamoto-san for the time being, a brawny otaku passed by and started talking to me.
"Yo, Sotomichi. I'm jealous of how fun your morning is."
Takanami looks refreshed after morning practice.
Every time it was hot outside, he would douse his head with water, so his black hair was very shiny.
"We happened to run into each other outside the day before yesterday. We were just talking about it."
"Whoa, seriously!? What was she wearing!? Was it erotic!?"
"Don't ask such a thing in a loud voice."
Takanami was excited with both hands on my desk.
He also attracted attention from those around us.
My classmates will get even more suspicious of me. Please stop.
It actually was erotic, though.
"How nice, plain clothes Yamamoto-san! I'd like to admire her just once...!"
In the midst of Takanami's waves of excitement, I noticed that my classmates' gazes had disappeared, contrary to the commotion in my heart.
It would be normal to think that they simply weren't interested, but apparently that wasn't the case.
The eyes of the students in the class were focused on a different point than me.
"Good morning."
The hair on my head twitches at the sound of a familiar voice.
That lazy, haunting voice was definitely Suzuhara's.
"Huh...?"
The person who walked towards me and Takanami was someone with long hair and no glasses.
Eh, who is that?
"Suzuhara! That looks great on you!"
Takanami nudged Suzuhara's shoulder, who looked embarrassed.
I repeat, who are you?
"What is it, Sotomichi? Looking at me like that."
"No, I just didn't think you were the same person..."
"I left my former self behind. I can no longer keep up with reality. And this is how I came from another world line."
Suzuhara pointed at his chest with his thumb.
What a relief.
He went out of his mind, is all.
In any case, I can rest assured that he seems to be doing well.
Suzuhara's change must have been triggered by his breakup with Yamamoto-san.
It doesn't seem like he's in good spirits.
Homeroom begins, the homeroom teacher comes, the homeroom teacher teases Suzuhara a little, causing a bit of laughter, and thus the school day begins.
During that lunch break, I called out to Suzuhara at a time when I wouldn't be disturbed by Takanami.
"I guess it's good to know that you're doing well."
Even though Suzuhara has changed a lot, he wasn't particularly attractive to begin with, so he's still not quite at the level of handsome.
However, his facial expressions were so well put together that I honestly thought he looked cool.
"You can say that. It's all thanks to Miyu-san."
"Miyu-sa... eh? What?"
Miyu-san!?
What Miyu-san!?
"Thanks to her, I was finally able to take the first step as a man. I'm grateful. Sotomichi, you too."
Suzuhara spoke those words in a calm tone, as if he were a Buddha.
"What on earth did Miyu do?"
"It's embarrassing to even say it. If it's you, I guess I can talk about it."
Folding his hands and resting on his elbows, Suzuhara exhales lightly as if mocking his past self.
"It was still a hot summer."
I resisted the urge to comment that it only happened the day before yesterday.
I listened to Suzuhara's story.
Suzuhara, who was taken away by Miyu after Yamamoto-san at the shopping mall, was trudging diagonally behind Miyu as she continued to walk aimlessly.
He was depressed that his date with Yamamoto-san was interrupted, but he was even more hurt by Yamamoto-san's aggressive attempts to be alone with Miyu.
Suzuhara already knew that Yamamoto-san was no longer interested in him.
He had not been able to abide by the conditions that were initially presented to him for the relationship.
Still, Suzuhara didn't want to break up with Yamamoto-san, and while he struggled with his feelings of guilt towards himself, he managed to maintain their relationship by using a certain secret as a threat.
"Suzuhara-san, you're hated by Kanade-san a lot, aren't you?"
As if to add to that, Miyu threw out an outrageous remark.
"It's not that she hates me! It's just that right now we have a misunderstanding... I just haven't conveyed my love to Kanade yet...!"
Suzuhara rebelled against Miyu with words that became hollower the more he spoke them.
The matter of fact is that Suzuhara truly loved Yamamoto.
He tried everything he could think of, but he still couldn't make Yamamoto-san happy, and before he knew it, he started to see Yamamoto-san as the bad guy.
"Are you serious about this?"
Miyu wasn't even blaming Suzuhara.
However, with pride, he proceeded to confirm the facts.
"W-what? Did Kanade say something to you?"
Suzuhara was also deeply concerned.
Women's talk that keeps men out.
I'm sure there were so many true feelings that made him want to cover his ears.
He couldn't stay calm inside.
"When she talks to you about something, it's hard for her to even get one word in."
"That badly!? That Kanade is complaining about me...!?"
"It's almost closing time, so I'll just cut it short. Are you really unaware?"
Confronted with the cruel truth, Suzuhara could not even move his mouth.
Suzuhara was suffering from so much stress that his stomach juices were boiling and all his organs were screaming.
No matter how much you try to lower your evaluation of yourself, imagining how much you are hated, in the end, you only berate yourself to the extent that you can tolerate it.
No matter how prepared he was to accept this reality, it was such a shock that he couldn't bear it.
"Wh...why! I'm always thinking about Kanade! I'll spare no effort and time for Kanade, and I can take on any pain for her! I've decided that I'm going to dedicate all my time and money... to her..."
He was sure that it was because his own level was insufficient.
He had given up on his poor appearance, low income, and lack of athletic ability, reluctantly accepting those setbacks.
Still, if there is enough love to compensate for that, it is possible to satisfy a person.
Even though he believed that, women in reality are so cold.
"Do you want to know? Why are you hated?"
"Ahh! Of course! If there's something bad about me, I'll make it better!"
Seeing Suzuhara's momentum, Miyu took a deep breath and started walking in front of the store again.
"Then, from now on, please think of me as Kanade-san. If I enjoy what Suzuhara-san calls love, I'll help you get back together with her."
"Al...alright! Leave it to me!"
Suzuhara was confident in his ability to entertain on dates.
It wasn't hard for him to be considerate, and he never felt tired of doing everything he could.
Miyu just kept her mouth shut and walked.
After a few seconds, Suzuhara realises that the test had already begun.
'I have to escort her well.'
'I must please and entertain her.'
Not only to help him get back together, but also to show off his pride as a man, he will show her how much he can do by using everything in his power.
With such enthusiasm, a certain jewelry shop caught Suzuhara's eye as he tried to find a topic to talk about while walking.
"That store is a subsidiary of a major jewel brand. It seems to be cheap and reputable for using reasonably good gems. It might look good on you, Miyu-chan. Shall we go in?"
It was something he had gathered online for his date with Yamamoto-san.
Shopping is the basis of dating.
Even when it comes to women's products, those who are knowledgeable can entertain girls.
"I'm fine."
"I-is that so? Kanade would gleefully say, 'Thanks-!' and go inside without hesitation, though. Don't be shy. I'm not a cheapskate either. If you want, you can pick out one of the necklaces and I'll buy it for you at..."
While he was talking, Miyu simply walked past the store.
Suzuhara immediately changes his mind, thinking that maybe it just doesn't suit her tastes.
"Ah, excuse me. Can I go to the restroom for a moment?"
Miyu points to the toilet sign and asks Suzuhara for permission.
Suzuhara nodded with a full smile and walked closer to Miyu.
"Then, I'll take your baggage for you. I'll be waiting for you as long as you want, so take your time."
While saying that, Suzuhara reached for the pouch that Miyu was holding.
Immediately after, Miyu instantly turned around and distanced herself from Suzuhara.
"Alright, you're disqualified. If it were me, I would break up with you now and go home."
As expected, Suzuhara is furious at Miyu's ruthless judgment.
"No, you're getting the wrong idea. Miyu-chan isn't my real girlfriend, so of course you would react like that. I wasn't trying to touch you, I wanted to hold your pouch so it wouldn't get in the way of the toilet. That’s just what I thought."
Suzuhara also showed his irritation and started stepping on the floor with his toes.
"Deciding a girl's feelings just like that is exactly why she hates you."
Miyu was unmoved.
She only tells Suzuhara the truth.
Suzuhara silenced his mouth.
Suzuhara wanted to be kind to her, but he could feel Yamamoto-san's excitement dropping every time she left her baggage to him.
"I wanted to reapply my lipstick, so I wouldn't like to have my pouch taken away. Also, I don't want to leave my smartphone and wallet with my boyfriend. I also don't want him to touch my favorite pouch."
Miyu held the pouch in her arms and pulled away.
"Then, you should say so. Women are always like that... hiding the truth..."
"There are some things a girl doesn't want to talk about. Things like fixing their makeup and taking care of their moons, if you make her tell you all about it, don't you realize that Suzuhara-san is forcing the other party to put up with it?"
"Wha... t-that's...!"
He was unable to provide a rational answer, let alone emotional.
Suzuhara just didn't want to admit it.
He thought he was doing something good, but it was simply a nuisance for the other person.
If it was a simple mistake, he could have apologized right away.
However, he could not accept that his good intentions were being trampled upon when he was criticised for his efforts.
"Also, about the jewelry shop you mentioned earlier. That store caters to the elderly, or to put it bluntly, it's an old lady's shop. The reason they keep their prices low is because they detuned their products to appeal to the general public, and they are definitely not accessories for young people. That's right. Do I really look good in cheap clothes? Did you say the same thing to Kanade-san?"
"That kind of stuff... I didn't... know that..."
He pushed himself and forced himself to say something.
He believed that if she didn't like it, she would just say so, and had his heart put to rest by the smile on her face.
Once you become lovers, you don't have to worry about anything.
Even though he couldn't do that himself.
He behaved as if it were a matter of course.
"Therefore, you get 0 points. Rather than 0 points, you get minus 1 million points. It made me so uncomfortable in just a few minutes, it must have been very painful for Kanade-san to have been with you the whole time."
Miyu had no mercy.
Miyu was well aware that if she conveyed it in a half-hearted way, he would interpret it in a convenient way.
"I've..."
Miyu's evaluation was clearly too harsh.
However, for Suzuhara, it was the moment when all the memories finally came together.
"Incidentally, I would like to give you some advice based on what I heard from Kanade-san. Please stop worrying so nervously about heels that are not very expensive. It will make you more tired. Also, please stop actively trying to enter lingerie shops. It's a nuisance to those around you. Also, please don't criticise the clothes she picks with a know-it-all look on your face. If you can't respect her tastes, please don't follow her.''
Stab, stab, stab.
Miyu who specializes in straight heart stabbing.
She destroys Suzuhara's heart with her cruel words.
The number of complaints against Suzuhara spit out from the mouth of Miyu is well over 50.
The confidence and pride that Suzuhara had built up disappeared as if it had never been there in the first place.
"B-but..."
Suzuhara was completely depressed, but there was one thing he still couldn't agree with.
"If there's something she doesn't like, she could have just said it like what you're doing right now. Why is she being silent? I can change for Kanade's sake."
It's impossible to expect me to understand.
If you put it into words, I'll understand right away.
I believe that by pointing out areas of concern to each other and making improvements, the relationship between men and women can grow stronger.
Suzuhara was dissatisfied that Yamamoto-san did not do this from the beginning.
"Because Suzuhara-san, you're depressed, aren't you?"
Even though that was because of all the heartless words you pointed out.
Just as Suzuhara thinks about it, he realises his mistake.
"Why do you like Kanade-san so much, Suzuhara-san? Is it because she's cute? Is it because she has big breasts?"
Yamamoto-san's prettiness is beyond the level of saying that appearance doesn't matter.
Even if you searched all over the country, let alone the school, you would never come across someone as beautiful as her.
However, even so, there was one thing Suzuhara could say for sure.
"...Kanade is so kind."
He used to classify himself as a so-called creepy otaku.
Even when talking to such a no-good man, Yamamoto-san never stopped smiling.
Even if he messed up and caused trouble, she didn't get angry in the slightest and comforted him, saying that things like that could happen.
When something bad happened and he was feeling nervous, she used her natural energy to blow it all away.
The day after he happened to report that his test score was good, he was so happy he got dizzy after receiving a gift of chocolates packed in a cute box from her.
"That's why I want to do the same for her...! If there's something you don't like, you should have told me...!"
His happy memories faded as he got used to them.
Even though she was so wonderful, he even started to feel hostility towards her.
For that foolish man.
Inadvertently, he was given an appropriate evaluation.
"Because you're so kind, Kanade-san couldn't tell you honestly. Does Suzuhara-san blame her for that?"
That was the deciding blow.
Tears, which he had never shown to anyone because he was a man, were overflowing intensely from the corners of his eyes.
"Suzuhara-san is just taking advantage of Kanade-san's kindness and doing whatever he wants. I haven't heard the details, but it seems like you're threatening her with something, right? Are you insane? Towards such a nice person at that."
Still, Miyu's words did not stop the chase, and finally Suzuhara's hand trembled.
He got down on his knees, crumpled, and curled his back.
"I'm the worst... What have I done..."
Reaching that point, he finally understood.
In restrospect, there was no way denying it.
He was genuine scum.
It was the worst thing to do as a man and as a person.
"Please don't worry. Suzuhara-san."
A hand was finally extended.
When Suzuhara looked up, there was an angel in front of him.
"Actually, I'm asking Yamamoto-san to run a small errand for me, and I have some time left until it's finished. So."
Miyu will show him the path to rehabilitation.
This little teacher will teach him how to be a proper man.
Suzuhara saw a light shining from behind Miyu.
"I'm going to show you how unpleasant and boring your dates are."
"Eh."
"First of all, Suzuhara-san's appearance is enough for me to go home immediately. But this time, I'll forgive you even if you're lame."
"Ah..."
"I dare say it, but I can't look at Yamamoto-san without pity anymore, so please break up with her. Even if you have some common sense, Suzuhara-san is not a match for her.''
「…………」
Suzuhara's heart should have been washed away by now.
For that, Miyu's poisonous tongue had gone beyond being a disinfectant and was as painful as being smeared with sulfuric acid.
"--and that’s how we got to where we are now."
"No, where was the part where you got rehabilitated!?"
It was Miyu's way of doing things.
It is understandable that Suzuhara reflected on it.
But I had no idea how it moved in such a great direction.
"Well, calm down. There's an epilogue to this story."
Suzuhara rubs his tired throat after talking and takes a deep breath.
"For the last time, I was told. By Miyu."
Looking out the window, Suzuhara was filled with emotion as if it were a memory from a long time ago.
"She said, 'You're hopelessly ignorant of people's hearts, but the passion you have in your heart is definitely your charm. For as many flaws as you have, you have as many upsides.' I’ve already…"
Suzuhara's eyes were bright red.
Hey, hey.
Is this guy okay?
"That's why I'm really going to change. I'm going to do my best to become at least good friends with Kanade. Then, someday, I'm going to find a girl that I can truly love and make her happy."
Suzuhara stared at his hand and gripped it tightly.
Like the words he said, they contained passionate feelings.
"So, if you're planning on dating Kanade, Sotomichi, you'd better be careful about that. I'll support you, but either way, you won't be able to keep that promise either."
I have a girlfriend, so I don't want to go out with Yamamoto-san anymore, though.
If you tell me that, I'm going to have to ask.
"Is that promise a condition for dating her? What kind of thing is that?"
"I can't tell you anything. I talked to you about it to some extent the day before yesterday, so I'll give you as much advice as I can. It's a secret that's practically a weakness she holds. It's a pretty serious problem, so to be honest, I want to tell Sotomichi too. But just leave it alone."
The more you talk about it, the more I get concerned.
But if this is the cause of your worries, shouldn't you dig deeper?
"Got it. As long as Suzuhara is okay, that's fine with me. I'll be back after lunch break. See you then."
Both Suzuhara and Yamamoto-san changed, but I'm relieved those changes were good.
I was horrified beyond admiration by Miyu, though.
For some reason, I guess she's also a caring person.
I have a date with Sachiko after school.
In the meantime, I'll be careful not to become the second mourning of Suzuhara.
Then came my first date with my first girlfriend.
It was really me who was changed by Miyu.
At this time, I had no way of knowing that.
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