CH 4

As I approach, a female student notices me and glares at me.

I feel like my likability rating is going negative. …… I don’t really care about my likability rating, though.

“Sugino-kun, did you see Asuka on your way here? I’ve been calling her because she’s coming with me to talk.”

–I thought I was talking to her alone, but there are two of them. I didn’t hear anything.

“First of all, I don’t know who this Asuka is. What is her last name?”

The name sounds vaguely familiar, but I can’t remember where I heard it. I can count on one hand the number of female friends I have in high school.

“It’s Kohinata, Kohinata Asuka.”

“Ah! Kohinata!””

Without thinking, I dropped my fist into my palm. I had never heard of her, but I had seen her. I had seen her on the class roster.

However, I don’t know why Kohinata is involved in this call.

My only involvement with Kohinata was the vending machine incident. I don’t think anyone would blame me for that exchange.

I wondered if Kohinata was still watching the ants – and when I turned my attention to the shade of the tree where I had just been, it seemed that she had noticed that her name had been called and was walking towards us in a tentative manner.

Then, when I thought she reached us with small steps, she stood next to me and stared at the girls with a blank expression on her face. Somehow, it had become me and Kohinata pair vs. the girl.

“Asuka, over here!”

Kohinata nodded her head and came to a position facing me.

What was that all about? Was it a joke? Did you need to make a joke?

“–Kohon. So, you have something to say, don’t you? What is it that you want to say?”

It is obvious from the attitude of the female student that this is not a floating story or a pleasant one, so I decide to lower the tone of my voice and proceed with the story.

“Yeah, all I want to say to Sugino-kun is don’t get involved with Asuka any more!”

“………………How did that happen?”

I couldn’t help but say a few words of questioning, but when I think about it calmly, I realize that I’ve experienced this kind of atmosphere before when I was in junior high school.

I’ve seen girls sneaking around talking about this kind of thing many times. As expected, I had never been told this to my face, but the content was similar.

This girl must have heard the rumors about me from somewhere.

To calm myself down, I took a deep breath in through my nose and quietly let it out through my mouth.

“Just in case, what’s the reason?”

“I heard it! Sugino-kun, you did a lot of terrible things to girls in your class in elementary school, didn’t you? Beating them up, blackmailing them! You even lied to get close to Asuka, so it’s natural for me to protect her as her best friend!”

She screamed at me as if she was trying to stir me up, and I felt goosebumps rising all over my body.

“In my defense, it was a false accusation. And what lie? I don’t remember.”

The girl already looks so agitated that her hairs stand up on end, but perhaps she is offended by my nonchalant attitude, so she raises her voice even higher.

“It’s so obvious! I checked with the teacher! The ladies clean the cafeteria! Students don’t clean the cafeteria! See, you have no excuse! I know you’re a liar!”

“That’s not true. My condition is a little different——”

“Even if you try to get Asuka’s attention like that, it’s impossible! Asuka is adored by both boys and girls, so she probably doesn’t even care about you!”

I can feel my blood draining from my veins.

“No, that’s not it! Please listen to others—-“

“Asuka is a very dear friend of mine! She’s not very opinionated, so I have to protect her! I have to protect her from bad bugs!”

“—No.”

“It doesn’t matter what your excuses are! In the first place…”

My head was spinning and before I knew it, I couldn’t understand what the other person was saying.

I could understand what they were saying. However, I could not understand the sequence of the language as a sentence. The connections between the words don’t make any sense.

I had been careless, thinking that Kohinata never speaks, and that therefore the other party was alone. I didn’t expect a single girl to be so busy interrupting me.

As time passed and I became more and more aware of the scenery in my eyes, the girl was breathing on my shoulder. It could be seen that she had screamed very vigorously.

Kohinata is looking at me and the female student alternately with her usual blank expression. I can’t see any emotion.

I want to throw up right here and now,……, but as expected, I don’t want to throw up in this situation that is attracting the eyes of the people around me. I force down the rising gastric juices and repeat shallow breaths.

I then said in a pitifully shaky voice to the quieted female students

“I’m not going near …… Kohinata again. So you guys, too, don’t ever get involved with me again.”

I complimented her for being able to spin those words.

I wanted to get out of here as soon as possible, so I left without hearing her reply. Since this was my wish, I didn’t need to hear her reply.