Chapter 19

When the lunch break started, Yumi went to another girl's seat, and in her place, Keitaro came over.

"Let's go to the cafeteria, let's go, let's go!" he said loudly, so I had no choice but to follow. I don't really want to go because the cafeteria is usually crowded.

And indeed, when we got there, it was as expected, crowded.

"Let's just buy some bread and eat it," Yuki said, and Keitaro readily agreed. So we bought bread and drinks at the store and returned to the classroom.

But just before that, Keitaro said, "I'll be right back, I need to use the toilet," and went into the restroom.

When Yuki tried to go back to the classroom, a shadow suddenly blocked her path.

"Hey, Nakato-kun... right? Can I talk to you for a moment?"

It was a tall boy, perhaps even lanky.

He had soft-looking hair that flowed to the side and wore black-rimmed glasses. His cheekbones were prominent, and his lips were a bit thick.

He wasn't exactly ugly, but his face was a bit heavy. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what, but overall, it was heavy.

"Um, what is it?"

"There's no need to be so formal. After all, we are comrades, aren't we?"

"Huh? Who are you?"

"Oh, don't you know me? I'm Sonoda Kenjin... I often end up at the top of the class in tests, so I think I'm quite well-known."

His way of speaking was also heavy.

By the time Yuki had lost the energy to continue the conversation, he was already tapping her shoulder in a very familiar way.

"I understand. I understand without you saying anything."

"No, what do you mean?"

"Hmm, maybe it's faster to say it this way. I was the guy sitting next to Takuzuki Yumi last time."

Sonoda said this with a determined look.

When Yuki responded with a half-hearted "Oh... and?" Sonoda looked at her with a slightly puzzled expression. His gaze was intense.

I've somehow ended up with a weird guy, Yuki thought, and deliberately averted her gaze.

"Hey there!"

Keitaro suddenly came running over, in a kicking pose, towards Sonoda.

Sonoda, with a flustered look, barely managed to dodge, and then his eyes widened.

"Wh-What are you doing all of a sudden!"

"Keitaro Kick. Do you have something to do with my Yuki? Huh?"

Keitaro put his hand on Yuki's back and patted her shoulder on the other side.

It was so stifling that Yuki immediately shook it off, and Keitaro pointed at Sonoda.

"So, who is this guy?"

"Well, he said he was the guy sitting next to Takuzuki Yumi last time..."

"...Huh? Oh, I see, it's Sonoda. Right, I remember you..."

Keitaro's eyes suddenly became sharp.

He stared straight at Sonoda and said in a slightly lower tone,

"Did you confess?"

Sonoda slowly nodded.

Suddenly, Keitaro grabbed Sonoda's hand and squeezed it.

"Ah, a comrade!"

"Comrade? So, Sokin-kun, you also...?"

"Yep, I'm your senior! In middle school... I was a victim of the 'seatmate killer.'"

Keitaro suddenly said this with high energy, and Yuki couldn't help but send a "Wow..." look.

"Don't look so shocked... I was kind of setting up the flag, you know."

"I don't know about that."

"Actually, you don't listen to me 80% of the time, do you? Anyway, I was the one who first gave the nickname 'seatmate killer.'"

"You just say that."

Keitaro puffed out his chest proudly.

Then, Sonoda quickly chimed in from the side,

"Right, right, and as a senior, I came to give Nakato-kun a little advice."

"Is that so? I'm sorry for the flying kick earlier... So, let's form the 'Seatmate Killer Victims Alliance' right here and now!"

Keitaro said this loudly and grabbed Sonoda's hand, then tried to forcibly pull Yuki into the group.

"Don't just include me in your group."

"No, no, you're already part of it, right? Besides, you should confess and get rejected and be relieved sooner."

Keitaro said this with a serious face, and Sonoda jumped on the bandwagon.

"Right, right, Sokin-kun is right. You suffer because you have false hope. Smiling and greeting you every day... sitting next to a smart person, you can get help when you don't understand something in class, and you can see their homework... and the best part, Sonoda-kun's notes are clean and perfect. You can't help but fall in love, right?"

"You're being used, aren't you?"

"Studying was worth it!"

"Studying is a given."

"Making sacrifices to study hard was worth it!"

"Good for you."

Sonoda started to close his eyes and recall the past in a dangerous way, so Yuki decided to go along with it to avoid stimulating him too much.

Keitaro, who had been listening silently, suddenly snorted.

"What, Sonoda. You fell for that? You're such a pitiful guy."

"Wh-What about you? When did you fall in love?"

"Well, the smile and greeting were a given, but there were other things too... but the decisive moment was definitely the eraser."

"The eraser?"

"It happened when I accidentally dropped my eraser. As soon as it rolled to my feet, she picked it up, blew on it to clean it, and said, 'Here, you dropped it,' with a smile. She blew on it! How cool is that? You think so too, Yuki, right?"

"Wow, that's something."

"I thought this was it. I confessed on a whim. By the way, it was the tenth day of sitting next to her."

"That's quick."

"Then she said, 'Huh? Ah, sorry... I, I don't think I can. I'm really sorry,' with the most troubled look on her face! I felt so bad and wanted to die!"

Keitaro clutched his head and let out a strange cry, "Nwaa!"

Sonoda, looking down at the top of Keitaro's head, rubbed his chin.

"Hmm, it was different for me... She said, 'I can't see you that way. Hehe, sorry. It's awkward, so let's pretend nothing happened,' with a smile... It felt like she was used to it."

"So, you didn't even get a chance, Sonoda?"

"No, that's not true, Sokin-kun. It was just bad timing! But what is she thinking... She acts so suggestive, but when you confess, this happens. There must be something going on... So, I used my different kind of brain and came up with a hypothesis."

"Spit it out, don't be so dramatic."

"The hypothesis is... bluntly put, she is playing a game where she makes the guy sitting next to her fall in love and then toys with him!"

Sonoda said this with a dramatic flourish.

Yuki, who was smiling calmly, looked at the flabbergasted Keitaro.

"What, Yuki. I thought you were smiling for a different reason."

"I noticed that too, long ago."

"Wow, Nakato-kun, you agree! That's right, that's right!"

"It's not about agreeing. I told her myself. Though she managed to dodge it."

"Really? You're a hero... But, indeed, that makes sense. So, we were just being toyed with... As expected of the top student, even if he has a stinky mouth... So, she's a terrible woman, isn't she?"

"No, I don't think so. She shows you her homework."

"That's a big deal to you?"

"No, Nakato-kun is right! I think she's a good person at heart. She must have had some traumatic experience that made her this way. Or maybe it's ongoing... Anyway, it's sad."

According to Sonoda, Yumi had some tragic past or current issues that led her to play this ridiculous game.

In other words, she was mentally troubled.

Indeed, as expected of the top student... Yuki was impressed, but then,

"Actually, I'm not here to criticize Yumi... I mean, Takuzuki Yumi. Because..."

Sonoda stopped Yuki and the others with a hand, suddenly opened his eyes wide, raised his arm, and shouted loudly,

"Being toyed with, with no regrets!! Thank you for the blissful moments! Thank you for the dreams and hopes!"

"Ah... You're right... I agree! I was indeed happy at that time! Every day was happy!!"

The two of them linked arms and suddenly got hyped up.

Feeling that they were getting too loud, Yuki tried to pretend to be someone else and escape, but her shoulder was grabbed firmly.

"Think of being toyed with as a beautiful moment!"

"Right, right, savor the happiness while you can!"

The two of them, standing side by side, were stiflingly hot. Yuki just wanted to eat something quickly.

Looking down the hallway, she saw three girls walking towards them.

And the one in the middle, the very person in question... Yumi, made eye contact with her.

It was a very trivial matter, but when she tried to type "Ah, it's nothing," she accidentally typed "Ah, it's nothing" and Google Japanese Input suddenly suggested "Ah, Ito Imaten"...

...I'm lying. I just used it.

And now, it suggests it with just "Ah"...

...I'm lying. I just used it.

And now, it suggests it with just "Ah"...

...I'm lying. I just used it.