Chapter 3: Mimori Yui and Tokami Riku wants to get closer
Chapter 3: Mimori Yui and Tokami Riku wants to get closer
When I opened my locker, there was a bento inside.
It was weekday when I went on a date with Mimori. About a week had passed since that.
Mimori's request for me to eat the bento she made, she had started preparing small side dishes for me recently. I feel like it would be bad if someone saws her putting the bento in my shoe locker, but it's Mimori we're talking about. She's probably being careful.
There's sticky note attached onto the bento saying,
--Let's do our best again today too.
"Alright, I'll do my best."
And so, my day at school begins.
Though to be honest, it's not much different from any other day. If I had to mention something, I would be submitting the report on the recent recreation activity to Kurusu-san, it's officially required for committee activities after all.
I didn't know how to write it, but Kurusu-san advices me, "Why not write it in your perspective, like a romantic story about Yui? Make it like a dream novel." Of course, I write the report in a safe and organize manner.
After school, as promised, I headed towards the disciplinary committee room. Then...
"Tch..."
The girl named Manaka was also in there clicking her tongue.
Why was Manaka...? I wonder what she wants to talk with Kurusu-san.
With a sense of curiosity, I entered the room, where Kurusu-san said,
"Welcome back. I wonder if you've written a masterpiece that would make me feel embarrassed?"
"I've told you, I don't write romantic comedies... By the way the girl earlier, she's my classmate, Manaka right? Did something happen... Sorry for prying even though I'm an outsider."
"It's fine. In a way, it's also concerns about you after all."
Manaka and me? The one in the light and the one in the shadow, two contrasting individuals?
... Expressing it like that, it sounds like an intense supernatural battle. In the midst of a false everyday life, it feels like we're fighting while carrying something we must protect. In reality, we're just an extrovert and an introvert.
"There was a report saying that Manaka-san was bullying Yui. So, as the disciplinary committee chair, I was conducting an investigation."
"...Bullying?"
"Things like hiding belongings or such. It's a bit beyond harmless pranks, so I'm thinking of reporting it to the homeroom teacher."
I couldn't help but be stunned. I knew Mimori was disliked by those around her, but I never imagined she would also get harm.
"But there's no need to worry since Manaka-san is the only student who would directly target Yui. If this kind of thing happened frequently, it would be a major problem."
"Speaking of which, does Manaka have a grudge against Mimori? I heard that Mimori stole Manaka's boyfriend..."
"Do you believe that, Tokami-kun?"
"Not at all. I can't say that every rumor is false, but that one is definitely baseless. Most likely, the story has been exaggerated."
"If we reveal the truth, it will be Manaka-san's misunderstanding."
Kurusu-san let out a sigh.
"Manaka's boyfriend apparently made move on Yui, but she rejected him. Then Manaka found out about it and spread the lie that 'Mimori seduced her boyfriend.' In the end, the two of them broke up. Oh, by the way, it seems that the boyfriend transferred to another school. Well, it's only natural for him meet bad end since he did bad deed. Hehehe."
Her eyes didn't show any signs of amusement! It must have really angered her...
But if Kurusu-san hadn't been angry, I think I would have lost control of my own anger. That boyfriend is obviously the worst, and Manaka is just holding a grudge against Mimori.
"Yui has many enemies. That girl probably also want to live her life like any ordinary high school girl... As for this matter, I will take responsibility and handle it, so rest assured."
"Ah, yes. If you say so, Kurusu-san... But, may I ask one question?"
Kurusu-san tilt her head and ask the question that's been on my mind since earlier.
"Kurusu-san, do you always conduct investigations like this, I mean the questioning students?"
"Well, yes. I am the disciplinary committee chair, after all."
"But bullying against students is not just a problem for disciplinary committee but for entire school, right? So, you shouldn't handling that issue on your own."
"...? Why is that?"
Kurusu-san tilts her head in genuine curiosity.
"Students at Sakurazaki High School are being treated unfairly, right? Things like skirt length or untidy attire. I think protecting discipline is far more important than trivial matters like that."
I spoke the words as if it was the most natural thing. Then I noticed,
Perhaps Kurusu-san is even more talented than I had imagined.
After school, holding a bag of donuts in my hand, I pressed the intercom at Mimori's apartment.
For no particular reason, I stopped by the Mister Donut near the station. It was just a simple reason, wondering if Mimori would be delighted if I bought her favorite "Pon de Ring."
...I admit, I'm already completely charmed by Mimori.
"Hmm?"
However, no matter how long I waited, Mimori isn't coming out.
I tried calling her on my smartphone, but there was no response. I thought about waiting a little longer, but there was a possibility of being seen by classmates if I stayed here...
Reluctantly, I entered the entrance using the spare key to the apartment. Mimori gave me this key because we're lovers.
Reaching Mimori's room and surprisingly, the door was unlocked.
"It's open...? Mimori, I'm coming in."
I entered the living room and was taken aback.
Neatly folded laundry was placed on the table. And on the sofa beside it, Mimori was lying down, peacefully asleep, breathing softly.
"Oh, so she was sleeping. ...I guess she left the door unlocked so I could come in."
Now, what should I do?
It's probably better to wake her up, but Mimori must been tired after the work, she does. It must be quite challenging to handle household chores while going to school, so maybe I should leave her like this for a little while.
...However,
"I know this is her own home, but there's a limit to being defenseless right...?"
Mimori is currently dressed too casually.
The short shorts suit, exposing her fair and beautiful pure white thighs. The thin camisole exposes his shoulders, and above all, her voluptuous chest is so visible that you can see the lines.
To be honest, it's hard to know where to look.
While she's sleeping peacefully. I thought, this is even more awkward than the swimsuit.
I'm also a boy, so if a girl my age is in such an indecent state, I can't help but have inappropriate desires. I've been stealing glances since earlier, and maybe I should just stare at her...
...Wait a minute.
"Could it be... she's just pretending to be asleep?"
In other words, Mimori is currently watching my every move, and if I were to look at her with lecherous eyes, she would use that as excuses to tease me, right?
No, no, I'm being too paranoid. After all, she left the door unlocked for that purpose, and she's even pretendeding to fall asleep as if she dozed off. But the risk of me going home while still pretending to sleep──
Yeah, Mimori is capable of doing something like that.
I've been teased in ways I couldn't even imagine before.
Wait, does that mean I should wake Mimori up right away? But there's also a possibility that she's actually asleep, so it would be bad if I'm mistaken... Ugh, why does a psychological battle have to happen just because Mimori is sleeping!
"...Hey, Mimori? I brought back donuts from Mister Donut. If you don't wake up now, I'm going to eat them all."
"*...soft breathing*"
"Oh, there it is. If you're so defenseless like that, even I won't be able to resist."
"*...(soft breathing)*"
"Chikuwa Daimyojin" (TL: Chikuwa Daimyojin or Chikuwa God is a god that is basically nobody, but in 2ch in 2008, he/she was mentioned and was asked "who?" Meaning the person who asked 'who?' doesn't know her, and it became meme or joke after that. This also happen to Mano Aloe, a Vtuber who got locked (twitter) at the beginning of her introduction as Vtuber and became 'nobody' as 5th gen.)
I thought she would at least laugh a little, but Mimori shows no sign of waking up.
...Who am I even fighting against?
Mimori is just sleeping, and I've been overthinking things for no reason. When I calm down and realize that, I feel a slight urge to die, so I decide to stop.
...But if Mimori is sleeping, maybe I should say one last thing.
"...Hey. I couldn't say this until now."
Speaking in a serious tone, I utter these words while gazing at Mimori, who is peacefully breathing in sleep.
"Mimori, you're the cutest in the world... Thank you for being with me."
"............"
Well, there's no way she would wake up from that.
Feeling foolish, I gently poke Mimori's cheek with my finger. It might be a bit much, but Mimori always toys with me. This is just a small payback.
I cover Mimori with the blanket I found in the living room. I guess it's okay to let her sleep for another 30 minutes or so. I take out my smartphone...
"...Chikuwa Daimyojin"
My phone slips from my hand.
Upon hearing that voice from behind, a chill runs down my spine. My instincts scream that I shouldn't look, but slowly, I turn around...
There, Mimori is faintly blushing, desperately trying to hold back a grin.
"Oh, I see... So, you thought of me that way, huh... Riku-kun, you've been thinking of me like that."
Nooooooo! She was pretending to be asleep the whole time! Wait, that means she heard everything about eating everything and not being able to resist, right? And that last word too...!?
"I was just thinking of getting some attention from you, but it turned out to be an unexpected result. If I knew this would happen, I should have looked at your face properly."
"I-I don't know what you're talking about! Right, I don't remember anything! Even though it happened just ten seconds ago, I don't remember a single thing!"
"Then let me remind you. You said, 'Mimori, you're the cutest in the world. Thank you for being with me. Please marry me,' didn't you?"
"I didn't say marriage though.... Ah!??"
As soon as I made a slip of the tongue, Mimori started smiling with a grin on her face.
I felt a warm sensation spreading throughout my body at that smile.
"Kill me... Just kill me already..."
"Why? I'm so happy."
Mimori's cheeks loosened with a smirk.
"It's the first time someone I love, called me cute... So, thank you for being with me."
"...Yeah."
"So, say it again?"
"Absolutely not!!"
I crossed my legs, trying to escape from Mimori's gaze.
Honestly, why did I even say something like that...? Trying to change the subject, I asked about something that had been on my mind.
"By the way, I saw Manaka in disciplinary room with Kurusu-san. Did Manaka do something to you?"
"So you knew about that. It's not a big deal, really. It's not something that happens often, like having things hidden from me. Are you worried about me, by any chance?"
"...Well, yeah. Mimori, you don't have many friends at school right?"
"Well, just relax. I'm fine."
Mimori said those words like she was acting, but she's genuinely fine.
But is it because she's already used to other people's jealousy?
"Manaka-san isn't a bad person, but she can be a bit emotional. I tried explaining that it's not what it happened... but since she knows about the rumors, it's no wonder she's not believing me.
"That doesn't justify anything though."
"...Yeah. Thanks."
I already understood that Mimori is a good person, so there's no need for someone to tell me now.
That's precisely why I hope Mimori can fit in at school. It feels completely wrong for her to be excluded. However, Mimori's bad reputation is already implanted in our school, and the one who refuses to deny those rumors is none other than Mimori herself.
Mimori is clearly keeping secrets, and she's keeping the reasons hidden from everyone.
Perhaps I don't know anything about Mimori after all.
"Oh, speaking of which, Riku-kun, did you stop by Mister Donut?... Wow. They have all the flavors of Pon de Rings. Um, is this heaven?"
"It's heaven since you can buy it with just one coin."
I chuckled at Mimori, who had a sparkle in eyes. As expected, I don't want things to stay like this.
I want to know more about Mimori.
I don't think I've ever felt this strongly about someone before though.
Three days later, returning to the school after weekend, the usual lunchbox is in my locker.
I'm starting to get used to it, but when I think about it, she went through a lot of effort of making it... I packed it in my bag, feeling grateful in my heart, and headed to the classroom.
It's a bit late to say this, but I don't have anyone close enough to greet me. Without anyone noticing me, I usually continue chatting with my few friends... or so I thought.... The moment I entered the room, which is usually filled with noise, suddenly fell in silent.
"............?"
What's this strange feeling?
The sensation of the entire class staring at me. This feeling is something I didn't like. Curiosity from the boys and disgust from the girls.
If I were to put it forcefully, this atmosphere... is similar to when rumors spread through the class after witnessing a conversation between me and Mimori.
I got a bad feeling about this.
"Takahashi-kun, I'm sorry but, Can I talk to you now?"
I called out to Takahashi-kun, who was preparing for the first period at his desk. However, despite the sweat on his forehead, he didn't even attempt to meet my gaze. It was blatant rejection.
But since there was no one else to ask, I couldn't easily back down. I stared at him silently, applying pressure... and then, with a sigh, Takahashi-kun conceded.
"Hey, Tokami. I told you, right? That you shouldn't involve with Mimori. I know we're practically strangers, I intended to give you a friendly warning, you know?"
"What do you mean by that?"
Instead of replying, Takahashi-kun operated his smartphone and showed me something.
It was a chat screen from a messaging app. Most likely, it was the class group chat that Takahashi-kun mentioned before.
And among the messages, one person was sending an image... and I was left speechless.
The image showed none other than myself.
It captured me leaving Mimori's apartment through the entrance.
Multiple students were causing a commotion through messages about the photo.
And the majority of those messages were full of insults directed at both me and Mimori.
[This is Mimori's apartment, right? I remember it being a trend in our school recently.]
[For real? So that means Mimori and that guy did it, huh?]
[Tokami-kun is always quiet in the classroom, right? ...What a disappointment.]
Something is off—this is definitely wrong.
If it were just a coincidence to spot me, there's no way the photo would turn out this clear. It would require confirming my entry into the apartment, waiting in hiding for hours until I came out, and then taking the shot. It takes that level of planning to achieve this.
I sense malice in this photo. It's a clear intention to trap me and Mimori.
"Oh... So this is Mimori's apartment?"
"Didn't you know, Tokami?"
"Well, no... I have a friend who lives here too. I've been visiting quite often lately. Oh wow, seriously? People have been saying things like this about me?"
However, Takahashi-kun's expression of disbelief remains unchanged.
It seems my feeble excuse won't work.
"Right now, your reputation is at worst. The girls look down on you, and the guys don't want to be associated with you to avoid being viewed negatively."
Ah, I see. Perhaps Takahashi-kun ignored me earlier because he didn't want others to see us talking.
Well, I don't blame Takahashi-kun for his reaction. I understand how he feels.
"I see. Sorry about that. Thanks for telling me though."
As soon as I took my seat, I reported that to Mimori via my phone that the trend photo earlier is circulating among the students. Her reply came quickly.
"Understood. I'll check on it here too. Did you mention to anyone that you know me?"
"No, I kept it a secret. Though I don't think anyone would believe it anyway."
"That's fine. It's best if our relationship isn't discovered. Even if they think it's a desperate lie, I want you to stick to the story that you didn't know."
Shortly after, I received another message from Mimori.
"Stop coming to my place from now on. We need to be thorough in avoiding any suspicion about our relationship."
"...Even if it means leaving the lunchbox behind?"
"We can deal with that later."
Indeed.
From then on, I tried to maintain a calm demeanor as much as possible. The students around me were clearly gossiping about me, making it an uneasy day.
After the closing ceremony, without hesitation, I headed to the disciplinary room. I made arrangements with Kurusu-san in advance to meet there.
"It's become quite a situation. How does it feel to be a victim of paparazzi for the first time in your life?"
Kurusu-san wore her usual confident smile, but her fingers tapped the desk in a busy manner.
Kurusu-san is feeling flustered.
"...I'm sorry. It's all because of my carelessness that such a photo was taken."
"No need to apologize. There's no way to be on guard against something like this. That photo, the focus was as accurate as a professional journalist's work. They must have targeted you, Tokami-kun."
It seems Kurusu-san had the same thought as me.
"Also, we've identified the student who took this photo."
"What? Already? That was quick."
"It's not a big deal. I used the authority of the disciplinary committee to check your class's group chat. The one who took that photo is Manaka-san."
"...Seriously?"
I knew that Manaka had a grudge against Mimori, but I never expected her to go as far as taking photos.
However, something about it doesn't sit right with me.
"But I have a question regarding Manaka's involvement. How did she find out that I was visiting Mimori's apartment? I was careful everytime I went to see her, and if she were tailing me from the station, I would have noticed."
"It's no wonder that you notice that. But it wasn't Manaka-san herself who discovered that you are going in Yui's apartment, but all the students at this school."
"......What?"
"When you connect all of these little rumors together, like a puzzle, you will end up with a single speculation."
Kurusu's sharp eyes, like Japanese swords.
"The rumors are actually "A boy from Sakurazaki High School going in Yui's apartment". When you put this rumors, you will end up with a new rumor that there is a student from Sakurazaki High School who visits Mimori's apartment during the evening and at night."
I was horrified by Kurusu-san's explanation.
The students have a web of information that is as thick as a spider's web. The most popular and most trouble maker in the school cannot be able to escape from this.
It was as if she was being watched by every student.
"Manaka-san who was first to catch the rumors, had always wanted a proof that Yui was having promiscuous intercourse. Well, that's impossible, of course. Because Yui has never done anything like that."
"You mean that's why ...... she was so eager to get the evidence this time around?"
"Yes. The fact that finding evidence is actually really hard than you might think. But when she heard that a high school boy that is actually you, got it more easily trend." Kurusu breathes a sigh of tiredness. "I don't think those pictures will prove that Yui was having promiscuous intercourse...... but it created a bigger problem for you, Tokami-kun."
That is to say, our relationship that we've desperately hidden all this time has now been exposed to those around us.
"It's fine, really. I was a loner to begin with, so I don't have anyone to worry about disliking me now."
I meant it as a joke, but Kurusu-san's expression remained cloudy.
"Just to be clear, Tokami-kun... Do you regret becoming Yui's boyfriend?"
"You already know the answer to that."
Without hesitation, without a hint of hesitation, I looked at Kurusu-san and stated clearly:
"If I were to regret it, I wouldn't have started dating her in the first place."
"Yeah, that's true."
For the first time since this situation spread out, Kurusu-san had a gentle expression on her face.
"If you ever need someone to talk to or if there's something I can help with, I'm here for you. I can offer advice or lend an ear to your complaints. After all, there's hardly anyone else you can talk to about Yui-related matters, right?"
"I'm sorry for relying on you so much, Kurusu-san."
"It's okay, really. I told you that before, didn't I?"
Suddenly, Kurusu-san smiled softly.
"I see myself as the cupid of Yui and Tokami's love... I've always been rooting for a happy ending for the two of you."
"Haha... Are you seriously like that role?"
I couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Somehow, I felt like I laughed for the first time today.
Chaoter 2 End. Open for Correction.
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