Chapter 6

I...Ibuki Nanami confessed to a boy for the first time today. He is quiet, unassuming, and not very noticeable, with no particular connection to me, and someone I hardly know... but he is a kind boy, Nishimura Harunobu.

It's not that I confessed because I like him.

This confession is part of a penalty game.

A penalty game where I have to confess and continue dating for a month.

It's the worst act of playing with someone's heart... I realize again how low I am.

Anyone who was quiet would have been fine... saying this makes me sound like a stalker, but it's the truth... to him, it must have felt like he was stalked.

To be honest, I didn't come up with this penalty game. It was a game thought up by my friends, Hatsune Hatsune and Megumi Kaminai. I am equally guilty for accepting it.

At first, I hesitated because it felt like playing with someone's heart, but in the end... I accepted the penalty game.

I may look flashy, but I have a bit of a problem with men... my appearance, which they helped me with, is like a wall to protect my heart.

It's not much of a wall, but... with this appearance, I can somehow talk to boys normally when I'm with the two of them. I think I've even made some friends.

But I can only do that when I'm with the two of them. I still can't be alone with a boy.

That's why they are worried about me.

Right now, it's fine, but I plan to go to university, and Hatsune is studying to become a beautician, and Megumi is studying to become a designer. We all look a bit silly, but our grades aren't that bad. We are studying hard for our dreams.

In the future, my path will definitely diverge from theirs. They are both very worried that I might fall for a weird guy at university without them around.

They worry about me more than my own mother.

That's why they suggested this penalty game. To help me get used to boys a little...

I think they chose a boy they deemed safe. Indeed, although I've never talked to Harunobu, I always felt he was harmless because he is so quiet... so with their encouragement, I decided to confess.

And I confessed to him today. Even though I thought it was the lowest thing to do, I confessed to him for selfish reasons to get used to boys. ...I really am the worst.

But, I had never confessed before, so even though it was a penalty game, I was extremely nervous and my heart was pounding... but I was even more surprised by his reaction.

All the boys who had confessed to me before... the captain of the sports club only looked at my chest, the delinquent only looked at my legs, and the serious-looking boy with glasses only looked at my arms.

Everyone looked at some part of my body, not my face, and they all had a look of expectation.

But he was different. He looked straight into my eyes... he didn't even glance at any part of my body. He looked at me seriously, only in the eyes.

His reaction, different from anyone in the past, made me feel something other than nervousness.

And when I mustered the courage... it wasn't really courage for a penalty game... but when I mustered the courage to finish my confession, he suddenly ran towards me. Then he quickly pushed me to the ground and loomed over me.

What?! Is he going to attack me?!

In the end, is he the same as the other boys... or even worse? I was so scared that I screamed, but my legs wouldn't move.

I could only scream... but I soon realized my mistake.

Right after I was pushed down, I heard a sound like water splashing on the ground and a loud thud. The impact also came through his body to mine.

What happened? I cautiously opened my eyes and saw Harunobu, bleeding from his forehead and drenched in water.

His blood dripped onto my cheek... and he smiled at me.

"Are you okay? Nanami... are you hurt?"

Even though he was injured and drenched, his first words were a concern for me. And right after that... he collapsed.

I almost panicked, thinking I had killed him, but I quickly called a teacher... and they took him to the infirmary.

The nurse quickly removed his wet clothes and treated him, then laid him on the bed... when I was told he was fine, I really breathed a sigh of relief.

...After all that, I saw his upper body and was even more surprised by how well-built he was.

I thought he was just a weak, quiet boy, but he was far from it. He was surprisingly strong.

And I realized he was more gentlemanly and kind than any boy I had ever met.

When he accepted my confession, I felt joy, but also a strong sense of guilt. ...And I was surprised to find myself happy that he accepted.

When he called me by my name to help me, I was so happy that I suggested we call each other by our names, but that was all I could do. I couldn't say anything more to him.

Even on the way home, I couldn't talk to him much, either from the growing guilt or from the tension of being alone with him. I felt really sorry.

In the end, we exchanged contact information, and from tomorrow, I will act as Harunobu's girlfriend. I can't afford to make a mistake like today. I'm a bit determined.

Suddenly, I wonder why I'm so determined for a penalty game. This is a one-month relationship. But... when we parted ways... why did I feel so sad?

I shake off that feeling and look at my smartphone, which has been buzzing non-stop.

...While I was thinking, my phone kept buzzing... probably the two of them were asking for the results of the confession. I look at my phone... as expected, messages from the two of them were coming in one after another.

"How was it? Did the confession succeed?"

"Everything's fine, right? But tell us the result."

I smile wryly at the messages and simply reply to the group chat.

"It succeeded. A lot happened, so I'll tell you the details tomorrow. I'm going to sleep now, good night."

I end the conversation with that. A few more messages came in, but they stopped when they thought I was asleep.

Then I... take a deep breath and select Harunobu, with whom I exchanged contact information... the icon is probably a character from an anime? A girl with braided hair. Does he like this kind of thing?

Without trying to suppress my racing heart, I send him a message.

"Since we're dating... let's go to school together from tomorrow. How about meeting at the station at 7:30?"

I wonder if it sounds a bit cold, but the message was immediately read. I felt happy that he read it so quickly, but I was anxious because the reply took a while.

Did I say something weird? ...Did he ignore it? Or is he just not used to girls? If so, I feel a sense of familiarity.

It didn't feel like a long time, but it felt very long to me. Finally, the reply came.

"I'm so happy to be able to go to school with you. 7:30, got it. I'm looking forward to it."

I jump up from the bed in joy at the word "happy," making it creak. I noticed the polite language, but it must be because he's not used to messaging... I found him a bit cute.

...Cute? I don't know anything about him, so what am I thinking?

I don't know if my current excitement is from the suspension bridge effect or if I'm starting to like him. If I am, I think I'm too easy.

Their worries were justified... but no, I'm not that easy. He's just a test boyfriend to get used to boys. I'm not that easy! This is just the suspension bridge effect!

"But... yeah... even if it's just a test, I'm his girlfriend... so it's okay, right?"

I decide to go to bed early, as I declared to my two friends. With a single resolve, I slip into bed.

I need to wake up earlier than usual tomorrow.

While I'm nervous about the first meeting with my boyfriend... I fall asleep quickly due to the mental fatigue of the day.

In my dreams, Harunobu, shirtless, appears multiple times, and each time I wake up... I end up more sleep-deprived than usual, but since I woke up earlier than usual as planned, I decide to take it as a good thing.

Interlude: Harunobu at that time

"Tomorrow is the meeting... meeting with Nanami... going to school together... going to school with my girlfriend... Nanami is my girlfriend..."

I can't quite believe it, but I can't help but keep looking at the message on my phone... and I can't fall asleep.

I'll definitely be sleep-deprived tomorrow...