Chapter 26

I waited for an hour and a half.

After that, Izumi-san's emotions finally seemed to have calmed down.

She wiped away her tears with her slender fingers.

"I'm sorry. I seem to have caught some garbage on my eye."

"That was a long time waiting…"

"It's because Komori-san came into my sight."

"Damn it, so I was the garbage!?"

I try to be as cheerful as possible.

After all, there's a girl with red eyes in front of me.

I know there's not much I can do, but at least I want to calm her down so she won't get depressed. That's all I want.

"By the way, I haven't asked for your name yet."

"I already told you my name, though!? I mean, didn't you just call out my name?"

"Eh, that's strange. I'm supposed to have a perfect memory that never forgets anything I've seen or heard…" (T/N: This fucking bitch… I love her.)

"Flaws everywhere!"

"Ehh, Komori-san, was it? That's certainly true, but I don't appreciate your self-deprecating jokes, you know?"

"No! I wasn't talking about myself!"

"Again with that. You've got to be joking."

Izumi-san waved her hand as if saying, 'What a silly thing to say.'

What does she mean I'm flawed!

The fact that I can't deny it makes this all the more sad!

"I wouldn't call self-deprecation a joke."

"… Kuku . You're a very funny person, Komori-san."

"I'm not having fun at all!"

"But I'm having fun, though?"

"Aren't you just a sadist?!"

"Would you like me to slap you in the face? Or would you like me to splash some hot coffee on your face?"

"I don't want either!! I mean, why would I ever want that to my face!?"

"Because, you know, Komori-san's face is a disappointment–ah! That was a close call."

"No, it's out. You just said it like it was normal. It's too late to cover your mouth with your hand now."

"It must be hard for your parents. I'm so sorry."

"I'm the one who's hurting, though!? Or does that mean I really have such a disappointing face!?"

"By the way, may I ask you a few questions about the scene we just saw?"

"In this context!? What!? No way! This is too abrupt!"

However, the main topic of discussion is still that scene.

If we don't finish that, she won't let me go home either.

"…Um. You have a question for me, don't you?"

"Yes. I'm sure you're aware of this, but I'm the true love of Kengo Ohashi, the man from earlier."

True love. I could feel Izumi-san's feelings as she chose that word.

"I knew it!"

It seems that Natsukawa-san's true love is Kengo Ohashi.

"Yes. That's why I'd like to ask Komori-san, who goes to the same high school as Natsukawa-san , something."

"Okay. If it's something I can answer, then–Hmm?"

I felt a strong sense of discomfort at Izumi-san's words.

The one that stuck out to me the most was,

"Huh? Did I mention Natsukawa-san's name?"

Yes. This is it.

I didn't expect Natsukawa-san's name to come out of Izumi-san's mouth.

I was sure that since I was holding the career questionnaire in my hand, she was going to ask me something like, 'Who is that woman!?'

"Even if I'm in a different school, Natsukawa-san is still famous. I know her, especially because I'm the type of person that follows gossip. That's why I was so shocked, but–"

I see. That must be a big shock.

After all, her boyfriend is dating a celebrity who is well known in other schools. Just the fact that she's being two-timed is shocking enough, but her opponent is Natsukawa-san… If I were in the same position, I'd faint.

"–If I remember correctly, Natsukawa-san got a boyfriend a couple of months ago, right? There were rumors that the 'Ice Princess' had gotten a boyfriend. I just wasn't interested in who it was. It was right around that time that Kengo-san confessed his love to me."

I see. That's right, you wouldn't be interested in someone else's love life when your own has been fulfilled.

Izumi-san took a breath and then,

"Does this mean that I was being two-timed when he confessed to me? Komori-san, you go to the same high school as Natsukawa-san, so you would know about this, right? When did Kengo-san start dating Natsukawa-san?"

Oops. It's getting complicated.

It was rumored in other schools that Natsukawa-san had found a boyfriend. Izumi-san had also heard about it. However, she was not interested in knowing who it was–

That's why I feel like I've been replaced by Kengo Ohashi-kun for what happened three months ago when I became a fake couple with Natsukawa-san.

However, how should I answer this question? I searched for the best possible solution with all the brainpower I had left.

The difficult part here is whether I should lie or not.

There is no doubt that Kengo Ohashi-kun is two-timing, and I'm not trying to be an advocate, but considering that Natsukawa-san and I started being a fake couple three months ago, I can only assume that his two-timing is recent.

After all, it was only recently that Natsukawa-san's attitude towards me began to harden.

If she had a real boyfriend three months ago, there was no need for us to be a fake couple.

But then I would have to reveal my relationship with Natsukawa-san to a girl I just met today.

I'm still not comfortable with that. I mean, the story's very complicated to explain.

I mean think about it. If I say,

'Ah, no, I think it's only recently that Ohashi-kun started cheating on you. Because three months ago, me and Natsukawa-san were a fake couple.'

I, myself, would say, 'Huh!?' That's all I would be able to say. It definitely doesn't make sense.

That's why I've decided to tell her the external truth.

I didn't know that it would bring me to a reality that I didn't want to know.

"Um… I think that maybe Natsukawa-san and Ohashi-kun started dating recently."

"Eh? What makes you say that?"

"Believe it or not… I'm…actually the one who became Natsukawa-san's boyfriend three months ago."

"Huh!?"

Eh? Even though I thought of a way to phrase it, I still got an unintelligible response.