Chapter 4

In the classroom after school, a girl with white hair began to speak.

She appeared somewhat divine, shining as the sunset streamed in through the window.

Looking at her, with her skin, hair, and very existence exuding a sense of transparency, I began to feel somewhat uneasy.

A girl as detached from the world as this is hard to come by.

I had always thought of her as quiet, cool, and as cold as ice.

But in reality, it was completely different.

"Sure, Shizuki and I are childhood friends, right? But that doesn't mean we got along well... We just lived nearby, and I don't really have many memories of playing together. Our parents weren't particularly close either. I wonder if this can even be called being childhood friends?"

Shihō Shimozuki talks quite a bit.

No, not just a bit. She's an incredibly talkative girl.

"Well, it's only that person who has been with me from kindergarten through elementary, middle, and high school... But that's just a coincidence. I didn't consciously choose to go to the same schools. Actually, I wonder if she had no other options? She always subtly asked about my future plans, which is kind of creepy."

No, it's not that she's a stalker... I think Ryūzaki likes Shimozuki.

I was curious about how she would react if I told her, but I thought it would be too cruel.

Incidentally, it's not that Ryūzaki is the one who is pitiful.

It's Shimozuki who is pitiful.

"Destiny is cruel. I have the right to choose, yet why does it try so hard to bring me and Ryūzaki together... Ugh, it makes me shudder. I don't like her voice... It sounds like someone who can't understand others' feelings, someone who is insensitive and self-centered."

Though her words are harsh, it seems that because they are connected by a literal rotten bond as childhood friends, she understands Ryūzaki's true nature.

Indeed, that guy is insensitive. Especially when it comes to romantic feelings, he is extremely clueless. Even if my step-sister, childhood friend, or former best friend's girl likes him, he can't read those feelings. He's not just insensitive; I think he almost lacks the sense to feel them.

It seems that this is what Shimozuki dislikes.

"People who make such sounds hurt a lot of people. But this isn't something that can be excused by being 'insensitive.' I think more effort is needed to understand others' feelings... Ugh, I feel cold. If I had been liked by him, I would have had to bear the sadness of all the other girls at once. That would be painful, and thinking about the girls who won't be rewarded makes me want to cry."

Shimozuki, hugging her arms as if she were really cold.

Yeah... I can't tell her that she might be liked by Ryūzaki. If I did, I think she would faint.

She seems to hate Ryūzaki that much.

"That's why, even though we are childhood friends, we're just acquaintances, okay? Pfff. That's the sound of anger. My mom said that doing this makes me look 'cute,' but I wonder if it's true? It seems too calculated and doesn't really have much effect."

...Still, she talks a lot.

In front of Ryūzaki, she was so quiet, so this is quite surprising.

"Because I dislike Ryūzaki, I acted unfriendly, but the real Shimozuki is like this."

I was surprised, but I can understand it.

I also find Ryūzaki hard to deal with. Well, it's because he took away the people I once loved, so it's not exactly the same feeling as Shimozuki's.

However, if that's the case... there's still a question left.

"Then, why did you show your true self to someone like me? I don't think I'm the kind of person who would be liked by Shimozuki."

Why was it me?

I was just in the classroom after school by chance. It felt like a waste to show the real Shimozuki to someone like me, a minor character who couldn't even hold onto the hearts of the people I loved.

Looking at my negative self, Shimozuki was smiling happily.

It seems there was a proper reason for it—