Chapter 331: Chizuru

After sending back Hina to the Girl's Changing Room, I went back to the classroom, still in my PE Uniform.

Because I only showed up this time when the class was already gearing up to meet with their respective Mentors, all their eyes fell upon me.

However, upon not getting the reaction they were anticipating from me, they all went back to their own worlds, except from Ogawa who's still glaring at me.

Well, even now, that's all he could do. He didn't even open his mouth to ask me about Hina.

So like everyone else, I ignored him and went to my seat. Satsuki and Nami weren't in the room but as soon as I sat down, Aya updated me about their whereabouts.

"They went to change back to their uniforms." She whispered, making sure that no one will hear it except me.

I guess those two predicted that I would bring Hina to the changing room. Were they going to interrogate her about what happened?

I don't know. I guess they're just curious why I wanted to talk to Hina.

Well, I made them aware of it just in case they search for me after PE.

"How was Ogawa when he arrived earlier?" I whispered back to Aya.

Instead of answering, she took out her pen and wrote something on her notepad.

'Red-faced and angry-looking."

Heh. That guy still had the gall to be angry when it was him who ran away from Hina.

The questions we threw at him were all straightforward that he could answer easily. In the end, he refused to do so. It's like he would keep denying everything else while he lived in his own fantasy.

Let him be like that then. That's his choice.

As minutes passed by, Satsuki, Nami and Hina went back together. Hina was being sandwiched by the two.

As soon as her gaze met mine, her eyes started pleading for me to help her out of that situation.

Of course, I couldn't do that. Instead of answering, I only sent a smile which Satsuki and Nami also received. When Hina got seated, I couldn't help but see her pout as if I wronged her. On the other hand, Nami and Satsuki looked satisfied at their seats.

Well, it's not like the two were lynching her. Moreover, just the way she looked at me already garnered attention from those looking in their direction, it would just invite more rumors if I stood up and saved her from the two.

Just like this, time for the Mentor Program arrived.

Satsuki stood up after messaging me about her plan to talk to Shizu about what happened to us.

Like Satsuki, Nami only messaged me that she's going to Haruko without asking me to accompany her.

I guess, for once they're trying to stop being too high key by waiting here.

After Satsuki and Nami left, Aya also went alone to her Mentor, Otsuka-senpai.

When I left the room to go to that abandoned clubroom to meet Izumi-senpai, someone ran from behind me before matching their pace with mine.

"Onoda-chi. Thank you." Chii sweetly whispered while she kept her eyes forward.

"What for?"

"I saw you talking to Fukuda earlier. You did my request."

"Ah. It's not that fruitful though."

That guy completely dodged my question after all. Whatever's happening with him or whether that was just an act to get Chii's sympathy, I have no idea.

I guess as long as Chii wasn't implicated in what's going on with him, I wouldn't be hostile against him or his group.

After that rare time we shared on the train last Thursday, I knew I was already thoroughly drawn to her. Now that I finished her request, I could now repeat what I took back.

"Even so, I'm glad you didn't forget about it. I will also try to advise him. Also… I will let him understand that… I already have someone else." The volume of her voice lowered when she reached that last sentence.

From the side of my eye, I could see how her ears reddened as she also lowered her head.

Perhaps, at the moment, she's already blushing but the thick makeup she put on was blocking from my eyes.

Although I understood that I'm probably the one she's talking about, I made an oblivious remark.

"Whoever that someone is. That guy's lucky. I'll tell you."

"It's not like you to act this dense, bad Kii."

Casting off her gyaru persona, the original Chii or Chizuru appeared as she closed our distance.

We're already halfway to the Club Building and there's a lot of other 1st year students around us.

As a known gyaru and part of the delinquent group, most of the 1st year students were steering away from us.

I guess that gave us the opportunity to have this kind of conversation.

"Well, I want to hear it clearly. Not as vaguely as that."

"Why are you that demanding? Should I remind you? You took back your confession."

So she's throwing this out when she's the one who dubbed it as a lie.

"Ah, don't worry. I told you, I will do it again after completing your request. Anyway, even if I didn't repeat it… that's how I am feeling for you now. Honestly, it is more than that."

By only holding back to say the magic words, I laid bare what I am feeling for her.

And that surely put Chii to a stop. She froze in place with various emotions flashing past her face. Joy, sadness, shock, excitement and anything you could think of that was associated with how she was probably conflicted with her feelings with me.

She still likes me but she's afraid for the same thing to happen. Moreover, there’s more she was keeping hidden.

Despite observing the change that happened in me, Chii still couldn't let go of the notion that if our relationship went back to how it was before, she would one day hear those hurtful words from me once more.

"This guy and his womanizing tendency that's not picking a place..."

Upon hearing her words, I looked around and scanned our surroundings. With our distance from other students, we're clear from any eavesdropper. Moreover, no one was looking at us. So, I guess it's safe? We're both acting normally despite our conversation after all.

Unless someone kept their eyes on the girl's expression, they would only see two friends walking side by side.

"My bad. Should I invite you to date first?"

Although that sounded like a joke, I mean it truthfully. I already have a lot of dates scheduled, I know. However, like with the other girls, I'm clear with myself how I wanted my relationship with Chii to be.

"With your busy schedule? No thanks… I'm already content with this." After a clear rejection of her sentence, the second one saved it.

But how can one be content with just this? We're acting sneakily.

I want to hold her, to talk to her, to once again get to know her…

However, before I could do that…

"Let me make it up to you, Chii."

At this point, we should've reached the Club Building by now, however, at one point, our path diverged and we're now at someplace desolate.

This time, without any eyes looking at us, Chii turned to me for the first time since we started our walk and talk.

"You don't need to. Kii, my appearance may have changed drastically from the one in your memory. However, even if years already passed, you're still the one occupying my mind…"

It sounded so sweet… But this girl… I couldn't see any reason why she continued liking me or rather, if that was true, what did I do to deserve all of that? No matter how much I tried to remember that past, I couldn't find any reason for her to continue liking me after what I did to her.

"I don't think I deserve that, Chii. My eyes have been opened and I became aware of how much I'd hurt you…"

"Stop being stubborn, Kii."

Am I being stubborn? Perhaps.

"I will, if you start being honest, Chii."

As if I stepped onto some kind of a switch, Chii's somewhat energetic appearance suddenly disappeared. And in place of it was a gloom that I hadn't seen before.

She then stepped back and sat on the bench next to a vending machine not far away from us.

With her head lowered, Chii mumbled something.

"… Honest. Am I not honest?"

"Un. Chii. You can be honest now. Aside from liking me as the reason for why I still occupied your mind, you also hated me, right? However, you turn all of that into your motivation to change… Perhaps, there's more."

"How did you… No. It's you. Of course, you'd notice. Just like how you instantly noticed how I became the target of those girls who ended up knowing that I confessed to that guy… And you resolved it by yourself without telling me... Haa... I'm still that naive girl from before."

"We still have time, let me hear what you kept hidden, Chii. After that, let's talk again and if it's still fine for you, let's start over." I stepped forward and took the space next to her.

Unlike with Miyako where she laid bare everything she felt for me; the hate and the love, this girl intended to retain only the colorful parts.

I could really just accept what she's saying earlier about liking me. However, it's just too clear that she was hiding the other emotions she was feeling for me.

Ah. Not exactly hiding it but she's intending to bury it, never to be unearthed anymore. For us to move forward.

If I have to guess, it's almost a mix of everything and that’s excluding the notion of me repeating the words that would hurt her.

Although we're probably still young in the eyes of others back then, what happened to us wasn't something normal.

Izumi-senpai can wait for a while, I will expect a nag. For now, while we have this chance, I want to get to know Chizuru again.