I’m Grateful I’m So Cute!

Translated by rsa16
Edited by bachi
Proofread by CosmicRunner

Read the PDF version —> HERE

⛧─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───⛧

It was morning. The air brushed along my cheek, crisp and refreshing. I was on my way to school.

The road was nearly deserted. All the other students had already gone on ahead—leaving me behind. Running dangerously close to being late, I trudged along, stifling a yawn.

“Yeah… definitely played too much yesterday…”

After finally getting my hands on the long-awaited Robo-Bus II R, my bubbling excitement got the better of me and I ended up cracking it open yesterday.

Of course, it's not like I can't tell the difference between a hobby and reality. I'm not that kind of gamer. No matter how much I wanted to play the game, I planned to only play a little. Just enough to not mess up my school day. But…

“Man, but then it was suddenly four in the morning…”

Honestly, I had an absurdly impressive level of focus. Why couldn't I be this dedicated to studying…?

Anyhow, because of that, here I was: power-walking the fine-line of being on-time and late. I’d just barely make it.

It was beautiful timing. Perfect timing.

Anyways, not like anyone was waiting for me anymore, so no there’s no real reason to run—

“God, finally! Yamato-kun, you’re late!”

…Or at least, that’s what I thought.

But there she was, standing alone by the school entrance for reasons completely beyond me.

Her semi-long hair was lightly dyed, just enough not to get scolded by the teachers. And even with her disgruntled expression, her features were so well-defined it was hard not to call her cute.

It was Yuzu Nanamine—my ex-girlfriend.

“...What do you want, ex-girlfriend-san?” I shot her a skeptical look. “We broke up, remember?”

She simply smiled.

“Oh, don’t be like that, ex-boyfriend-san. Just ‘cause we broke up doesn’t mean we can’t be friends, right?” she said, starting to walk beside me.

“I mean, I guess, but...”

—I seriously doubted she was waiting for me out of some innocent desire to play nice.

“So, what’s the real reason you were waiting for me?” I asked.

“Well, I was just worried! I mean, you broke up with someone as cute and perfect as me—I figured you’d be lonely,” she said with a completely straight face, full of confidence. “So? Pretty considerate of me, dontcha’ think?”

Honestly, that level of narcissism was a bit too much first thing in the morning. My stomach was already churning.

“I mean, we still hang out in the literature club and play games like normal, right?” Since our whole relationship started as a fake one anyway, breaking up didn’t really change much between us.

“Awww, but we don’t meet up in the morning anymore, and we don’t even have lunch together either!” she pouted. “There’s so much distance between us now, and so I was sure that Yamato-kun must be feeling lonely…”

The confidence in Yuzu’s voice made me snort. “Sounds to me like you’re the one who’s been lonely, no?”

“That too!”

“…Huh. You admitted that awfully fast.” To be honest, her unexpected honesty caught me off guard. I stared at her, dumbfounded. “I was sure you’d deny it outright.”

Yuzu tugged on the sleeve of my uniform in a sulky manner. Her eyes were wide, needy, and expectant—like those of a spoiled child.

“But I really am lonely… Aren’t you too?”

If she kept looking at me like that—no matter how strong-willed I was—there’s no way I’d be able to deny her.

“…Yeah, maybe a little.”

“See! I knew it! You really do like me a lot, don’t you Yamato-kun? I mean, not that I blame you!” Just like that, Yuzu was back to her usual cocky self. I really shouldn’t have let my guard down. “That being said, I wouldn’t mind dating you again if you wanted.”

“I’ll have to politely decline.” I shot her down without hesitation.

In response, Yuzu puffed out her cheeks, pouting. “What the heck? What’s so wrong with me?”

“That arrogance, for starters.” Another dose of brutal honesty.

She let out a theatrical sigh. “Yamato-kun, you’re really not honest with yourself, huh? Well, I’ll stop trying to win you over with my undeniable charms for now. We need to talk business.”

“You should have led with that.”

“Winning you over would’ve been the ideal outcome.” She shot me a vaguely resentful glare before clearing her throat and switching gears. “Anyhow. As you know better than anyone, up till recently, I’d been dealing with some drama in my social circle.”

“Yeah.”

That was how we ended up dating.

At the time, a love triangle had broken out in the group of extroverts that Yuzu normally hung around—and consequently, the drama that followed. In the end, thanks to my unwilling involvement in their mess—and Yuzu’s moment of bravery—it was resolved.

At least, on the surface.

“Thanks to you, Yamato-kun, we managed to wrap things up and avoid the worst-case scenario…” she said, “but to be honest, we’re still in the process of patching things up.”

“…Well, guess it’s not like everything just snaps back to normal overnight.”

Relationships shift from the smallest things—and once they do, going back is easier said than done. For Yuzu and her group, the real test was only just beginning.

“Exactly. Especially right now, things are super delicate,” she said. “Everyone’s walking on eggshells, feeling things out. It’s a really unstable balance. If we suddenly announced that our ‘relationship’ was just over… what do you think would happen?”

“Uh…”

What would happen?

That fake relationship of ours served a single clear purpose: a safety-net Yuzu used to show that she had no intention of dating Sakuraba.

Even if they already know that—no, because they already know that.

If we end things, that would inevitably send the wrong message to that group.

Seeing Yuzu officially single, how will Sakuraba—who likes her—react? And even if Sakuraba doesn’t make a move, what about Kotani, who likes him?

“Ugh, just thinking about it sounds like a pain…” This was exactly the sort of drama that’d breed doubt and second-guessing.

“Right?” Yuzu said, seeming slightly worn out.

At the very least, breaking up now wouldn’t be doing any good for our current situation.

“And if we break up this quickly, people might start seeing me as some easy girl. I need to build up an image of being devoted and loyal, you know? That’s why I want you to keep ‘dating’ me for a little while longer.”

“…And what exactly do I get out of this?” I asked, eyeing her with suspicion. Somehow, I could almost feel the onslaught of another hassle creeping into my life once again.

Yuzu beamed. With the brightest, most sparkly smile imaginable.

“Hehehe. Yamato-kun, you might’ve forgotten… but the school festival is coming up soon.”

“Oh yeah. Forgot. So? What does that have to do with anything?”

“Everything, obviously! Your reward is a cultural festival date—with me,” she puffed up with pride. “And after that, it’s Christmas, then New Year’s… Event after event! And you get to spend them all with me, as a couple. I mean, hello? What better reward could there be?”

“So basically… free labor.”

“In a manner of speaking!” Yuzu, once again, admitted this without hesitation.

Honestly, it was a terrible deal for me. If I were still the me from September, I would’ve refused without a second thought.

In fact, I did reject her back then under pretty much the same terms.

But this time—

“…Well, I guess I don’t have a choice. Call it part of the ‘follow up service’ for the last job. I’ll take it.”

Yuzu’s face lit up instantly. “Really? You’re surprisingly reasonable!”

“Right? Be grateful.”

“I am! This is all thanks to my irresistible charm! I’m grateful I’m so cute!”

“You’re something else, Yuzu. Only you could possibly pat yourself on the back right now.” Honestly, I was beyond exasperation. It was practically admirable at this point.

Then, she gently reached out, taking my hand. “Of course, I am grateful to you too, Yamato-kun.”

“…You sly little…”

Damn it.

I hate that my heart actually skipped a beat.

—And just like that, right when I thought I was finally done with one job, I found myself getting pulled into yet another mess.

⛧─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───⛧

As the two of us walked into the classroom together, a few classmates glanced in our direction—then promptly looked away, as if it wasn’t anything worth noticing.

At first, they'd been stunned. After all, someone like me, a quiet loner, was dating someone from the class’s extrovert clique. But after a month of seeing us together, they'd pretty much gotten used to it. Barely anyone reacted anymore.

Well, this time, one person did react—Yuzu’s friend, Namase.

“Alright, looks like everyone’s here now. You two, grab a seat. Let’s get this meeting started!”

Namase was one of the people who had been heavily involved in the chaos from that recent incident of ours. By extension, he also happened to know the truth behind our fake relationship. Seeing the two of us arriving together, his eyes flicked towards us with mild surprise.

If he had any thoughts on the matter, however, he didn’t voice them aloud. Instead, he took a spot at the front of the class.

Behind the teacher’s podium.

Yuzu and I exchanged a quick look before heading to our seats.

Once everyone was seated, Namase spoke up. “Okay. So I’d like to talk about the cultural festival coming up in three weeks.”

Oh yeah—Namase’s on the cultural festival committee. I hadn’t really been paying attention. If I remembered correctly though, our class was doing a café.

“This year’s festival is being held over two days: October 30th and 31st. You all already know the entire school’s going with a Halloween ^[1] theme, right?”

Yep, this year the festival committee and student council had decided to take the initiative and unify the entire school under one aesthetic. It was something our school had never done before, so naturally, a bunch of issues were expected…

Wait, does that mean that our class had a problem too?

“Oh, and before I go any further—our class’s preparations are going really smoothly this year. Like, ‘best in the whole grade’ kinda smooth,” Namase added, like he'd read my mind.

But he didn’t look all that thrilled about it. Oddly enough.

“It’s just… we’re doing so well that the committee came to ask if we could lend a hand to some of the groups that are behind. A few clubs are struggling to keep up with preparations.”

Ahh, of course.

People who can do the work—get the work, huh.

As I mused to myself, a male student stood up, looking visibly uncomfortable.

Tall. Athletic. Neatly cropped hair. The pretty-boy type.

—Souta Sakuraba.

“I’m sorry. The one falling behind… is the basketball club.”

It likely wasn’t even entirely his fault, but Sakuraba still looked deeply apologetic as he stepped forward.

“I know it's sudden,” he said hesitantly, “but if I could get two people to help out, that’d really save us.”

The room fell silent.

The rest of the class responded with difficult expressions.

“I’ve got club stuff to do…”

“Same here…”

Even for someone as popular as Sakuraba, asking for volunteers out of the blue—especially in the middle of a hectic season like this—was definitely a tall order.

My eyes wandered across the room, landing on one of the girls.

Small frame. Long, flaxen hair. Despite her petite stature, she had a distinct presence.

Aki Kotani.

She had a crush on Sakuraba, so in theory, she’d be the ideal person to step up right now—but…

“…”

—Nothing. She didn't budge..

Was it because she was naturally shy when it comes to romance? Or maybe it was because she was still patching up her social circle. Whatever the reason, Kotani just sat there, glancing around nervously. Her eyes shimmered with hesitation.

And so, the silence dragged on.

The air in the classroom seemed to grow heavier, inch by inch.

I wasn’t planning to get involved either. As usual, I was content to sit back and watch it all unfold. But then, surprisingly… or perhaps predictably, she raised her hand. The one who always knew how to read the room.

“I don’t mind, if you want.”

Needless to say, it was Yuzu.

She may have been extremely narcissistic, but she was never selfish. For all her bluster, she really did care about the people around her.

Namase made a conflicted expression. “Uh… are you sure, Yuzucchi?”

No one knew better than Namase just how awkward things were between Yuzu and Sakuraba. So while her offer was appreciated, it also clearly complicated things.

“Yeah. I can’t just sit back and do nothing when someone’s struggling,” Yuzu said with a decisive nod.

Seeing that, I instinctively turned toward Kotani.

“…!”

Whoa, she's totally frozen.

Yeah, not surprising. A move like that in this already-fragile dynamic of their friend group? No one would know how to react. Kotani, Sakuraba, Namase—and even Yuzu, though she didn’t show it on her face—were all probably stressing out over how this would affect the group’s relationships going forward.

“Um, anyone else willing to help out?”

Namase, having accepted Yuzu’s offer, now looked around for another volunteer. He didn’t say it, but I could tell from his expression that he was practically begging “please, just one more person.” After all, someone needed to balance it out.

At this point… guess I’ve got no choice.

After wrestling with a dozen conflicting thoughts, I slowly raised my hand.

“…I’ll do it.”

I was probably the person best suited to keep Yuzu and Sakuraba from getting too close. If I made sure to be seen alongside Yuzu, maybe Kotani would feel a little more at ease, too.

Not exactly what I was planning on—but hey, chalk it up to a part of the follow up service.

“Izumi, you sure about this?” Namase asked, his voice cautious. He was trying not to pressure me.

I stood up, swallowed everything I was feeling, and nodded.

“Of course! I mean, I’m Yuzu’s boyfriend, right? Prepping for the festival with my girlfriend sounds like a blast!” My exaggerated show of affection rang loud and clear throughout the classroom.

Most of the class seemed pretty satisfied with my dramatic display.

On the other hand, Namase—who knew the truth about our fake relationship—only looked more confused. “Uh… Yuzucchi, you okay with that?” he said, shooting her a glance.

She simply smiled, all poised, and nodded her head.

“Yeah. Can’t have my boyfriend feeling lonely, after all. Sorry, but I’m asking you to take us as a pair.”

Hey—what’s with that smug “I’m the mature girlfriend coddling her clingy boyfriend” face?! I’m the one doing damage control here! Why does this feel so backwards?!

“Alright, then. Let’s have these two help out the basketball team.”

Seeing us like that, Namase must’ve picked up on something, because he didn’t press the issue any further and simply moved on with the culture festival discussion.

But the rest of the class? Yeah, they weren’t really paying attention to that. Instead, they were shooting me and Yuzu these lukewarm, knowing glances.

Hah…

Just kill me already.

⛧─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───⛧

“Honestly, geez. You really do love me, don’t you, Yamato-kun? I mean, come on—that kind of lovey-dovey stuff in front of everyone? Even I get embarrassed, y’know!”

It was currently our lunch break.

Yuzu, looking way too pleased, tossed the faux complaint my way as we ate in the literature club room, our usual spot. Sitting across the table from her, I shot her a glare laced with resentment.

“…And who do you think made me say that ‘lovey-dovey stuff’ in the first place?”

But clearly, narcissists become completely invincible in a good mood, because she simply gave me a bright, smug little smile. “Well obviously it’s my fault,” she said, all puffed up. “I mean, I’m just too irresistible. You couldn’t hold your love back anymore, that’s all.”

“…Fine. Whatever. Sure.”

There’s no point fighting a narcissist in this state. And with culture festival prep still ahead, I was already feeling wiped out.

“Kidding, kidding. Sorry, okay? I do get that you were trying to cover for me. I’ll make it up to you later. How about I give you an ear cleaning or something?”

“I’m good…”

If she offered me something more normal, I wouldn’t be opposed, but why did she have to default to the most embarrassing idea possible?

“Anyway—did you tell Kotani that we’re going out again?”

Without that setup, I wouldn’t work as a deterrent at all.

“Yup. Told her during break. Not just Aki—Souta and Keigo too.”

So things are finally going back to how they were before, huh.

Quickly, I glanced around to make sure no one was nearby. I leaned by Yuzu's ear. In a quiet whisper—

“You tell them it’s a fake relationship again?”

Even if they found out we were a fake couple, I figured that it would still work as some kind of deterrent. But obviously, it’d be way more effective if everyone genuinely believed we were the real deal.

That said, Kotani and the others weren’t idiots. There’s no way we could keep fooling them for long.

“Nope. This time, I told them that we’re actually dating. And they were like, ‘Oh, yeah. Well, makes sense. Figured as much.’”

“I-I see…”

It’s good that they didn’t doubt it, but… why do I feel so unsatisfied?

What exactly do people think of us?

Just as I was arriving at some vaguely unpleasant conclusions, Yuzu's expression turned slightly more serious. “Well, just in case, we should probably keep piling up a bit more proof that we’re actually together.”

“R-Right. Yeah, they’re probably still skeptical deep down.”

They must be. There’s no way they truly bought it. Right? Probably. Most likely. Indeed.

“Anyway, what exactly is the basketball club doing for the culture festival?” I said, in desperate need of an escape route.

“Souta said that the basketball club traditionally does a play. Something about building confidence on stage.”

“Huh. Well… I guess that does make sense.”

No matter how good you are in practice, it’s meaningless if you can’t perform under pressure. Doing a stage play could be a good way to see which players had that clutch instinct.

Still… one thing bothered me.

“If they’re putting on a play… does that mean we’re going on stage too?”

I couldn’t help but grimace.

Back in the day, maybe I could’ve handled that. But now? I was about as far removed from that kind of thing as it got. From my proud little introverted perspective, this was definitely a mission I’d love to skip.

“Nah, we’ll be backstage. Helping with props and set pieces and stuff. We might have to step in during rehearsals as stand-ins or whatever, but we’re not performing in the real thing.”

Yuzu’s words let me breathe a deep sigh of relief. “Thank god. If they made me act, I probably couldn’t stand it.”

“I wouldn’t mind being on stage, though. Honestly, I kinda enjoy that sorta stuff,” Yuzu said.

“…Yeah, you’d probably be good at that.”

She’s smart, so memorizing lines wouldn’t be a problem, and she’s got the confidence to perform. Honestly, she might be top-tier material.

“Oh? So, you do think my cuteness is meant for the stage, huh, Yamato-kun?”

“That isn’t really what I was complimenting.”

In the split second I let my guard down, Yuzu had already twisted the whole thing into one of her usual takes.

“No need to be shy. I know, I know. My cuteness is meant for the stage. But seriously, Yamato-kun, you should really be a li’l more worried. ‘Cause if I do go up into the spotlight like that, you’re gonna have loads of competition to deal with, y’know!”

“…Wasn’t it you who said you wanted to play the ‘devoted girlfriend’ role?” I gave her a deadpan stare.

She winced in return. Looks like I hit a nerve.

“Crap. My plan to make you anxious and extra affectionate is falling apart…”

“Sounds like that plan was broken from step one.”

As we bantered back and forth, we both finished our lunches.

After putting our empty bento boxes away, I checked the clock—still plenty of time left before the end of lunch break.

“Wanna kill some time with a game?” I was curious about the next part of the RPG we’d just started.

But Yuzu shook her head.

“Next time. We’ve got something else to do right now.”

“…Something else?”

She suddenly flashed a mischievous smile. Then, from her bag, she pulled something out.

At first glance, I thought it was a pen—but it wasn’t. The curved tip, shaped sort of like a cat’s paw, was unmistakable.

“…An ear cleaning stick?”

Yep. No mistaking it. That was a full-on ear-pick tool.

“Bingo. I told you I’d do it earlier, didn’t I? Now c’mere.”

Pat, pat. She patted her thigh, clearly inviting me over.

“…Pretty sure I already turned this down.” I said, instinctively taking a step back.

Yuzu pouted. “Aw, come on. It’s a thank-you gift!”

“Did you forget we didn’t even survive a lap pillow last time?”

I had a vivid memory of the time we tried that on a whim and both crumbled under the weight of secondhand embarrassment. Yuzu must’ve remembered it too, because her cheeks turned a little red.

However, she showed no signs of backing down.

“The past is the past. This is now. We’ve gotten through a bunch of boss battles since then, right? We’ve totally leveled up. We can handle it now!”

“Bosses… huh. Not sure we actually beat any.” All I remembered was grinding slimes nonstop.

“Of course we beat some. So come on, chop-chop! Hurry up ^[2]!”

She started patting her thigh again like a drum.

No signs of her giving up… and if I refused, she’d probably just go back to giving me those guilt-trip bento lunches again. With a long sigh, I surrendered.

“…Alright, fine.”

“Yay! Come here!”

Resolving myself, I sat down in the chair next to her and slowly lowered my head onto her thigh.

The softness of her thighs. The warmth of her bare skin.

—My heart couldn’t help but beat faster.

“Ugh… th-this really is embarrassing.”

“Uh, wanna stop?”

“N-No. I’m not stopping.”

“R-Right…”

And just like that, we both instantly turned awkward again. Some things never change.

“O-Okay! Time for an ear cleaning! Whew… this is kinda making me nervous, my hands are shaking a little.”

“Oi, I think I just heard something extremely terrifying come from you.” I tried to make a break for it, but—

“Shh. Don’t move. It’s dangerous.”

—Yuzu held my head down firmly. At this point, all I could do was pray she didn’t mess it up.

“Here we go.”

With that, the ear pick made contact with my ear.

Getting your ears cleaned by someone else was completely different. It was… strangely ticklish and gave me chills.

“How is it? Feels good?”

“It’s… kinda ticklish.”

Physically, yeah. But it was mentally ticklish too in a way.

Like, the whole feeling of helplessly surrendering myself to Yuzu’s discretion, the way my attention was almost fixed on the sensation of her thighs because I couldn’t move at all—it was too much. I never imagined ear cleaning could be this embarrassing.

“Okay, I think that’s good enough. Now, for the finishing touch… Fuu~”

Just as she said something, Yuzu suddenly blew a puff of air into my ear.

The ticklish sensation spiked all at once, and I instinctively shot upright, clutching my ear.

“Y-You little…!”

Crap, my ears are hot. I’m pretty sure they’re red as hell right now.

“Hehe. I just couldn’t resist teasing you. Sorry!”

“…It’s fine, I guess…”

With my willpower being steadily eroded by embarrassment, I scooted away from Yuzu without pressing the issue any further. Seeing me like that, Yuzu tilted her head, curious.

“Oho? That’s a pretty lukewarm reaction. Could it be that… you actually liked it a little?”

“Not a chance.” I frowned and shot her a glare, but it had zero effect. Instead, she smugly held her phone screen up toward me.

“Really? ‘Cause you looked reeeally comfy here.”

On the screen was a photo—me, lying in Yuzu’s lap while she cleaned my ears.

“Wha—!? When the hell did you take that!?”

“Just a moment ago~”

Damn it…! I was so busy trying not to die of embarrassment, I didn’t even notice the shutter sound.

“Delete it!” I lunged for her phone, but she effortlessly dodged me with a grin.

“Nuh-uh, not gonna~ I already told you, didn’t I? We should really show Aki and the others some proof that we’re dating.”

At those words, the blood drained from my face.

“Y-You’re not actually thinking of showing someone that photo, are you!?”

“Of course I am!”

The devil. She’s the devil.

“If we don’t send this photo, someone’s bound to start doubting us again, right? And you wouldn’t want that, would you, Yamato-kun?”

“Well… that’s true, but—”

“Then shouldn’t we show Aki this tender, love-filled shot of ours?”

“Yeah, but… I mean…”

Aside from the utter humiliation on my end, everything Yuzu was saying was completely logical. Which made it painfully hard to argue back.

“Relaaaax, it’s just a picture. No big deal. Besides, it’s basically public knowledge that you’re head over heels for me. You were gushing about your love for me in class, remember?”

“That was your fault! You made me say all that!”

Still, she wasn’t wrong—at this point, it was kinda too late.

Everyone in class already believed I was obsessed with her, and now even Kotani and the others, who knew the real situation, were going to see this embarrassing photo. All it’d do is reinforce the worst possible impression.

“…Is there truly no one left on my side…?”

“You’ve got me, don't you?”

“You’re literally the enemy here!”

──My desperate cries went unheard, and a few minutes later, the ear cleaning photo was on its way to Kotani’s phone.

⛧─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───⛧

After school.

Starting today, we were to go and help out with the basketball club. And so, Yuzu and I walked together to the gym.

“Hmm… the gym, huh.”

I looked up at the familiar building and let out a quiet sigh.

Not long ago, we had a dramatic showdown here with a lot riding on the line. Being back made me feel oddly uncomfortable, of sorts.

And having Yuzu next to me only made it even worse.

“Hehe, it’s the place where you tried your best for your beloved Yuzu~ A place full of sweet, sweet memories, huh?”

Called it. She was already saying dumb things.

“I told you; I was doing it for the job—both then and now.”

“Aww, someone’s getting all shy again. Such a tsundere.”

She started poking me in the side with her finger, which I found extremely annoying, but I just ignored her and headed into the gym.

“Excuse us—”

“Defense! You're too slow getting back! Don’t just stand there after a shot goes in!” A loud, energetic voice rang out, along with the echo of a bouncing basketball.

Yuzu and I instinctively looked at each other.

“...I thought they’d be setting up for the cultural festival.”

“Looks like they’re practicing as usual. What do we do, Yamato-kun?”

With no clear moment to jump in, we just stood there and watched practice for a while.

Apparently, they were in the middle of an intense scrimmage—everyone was laser-focused on the game and didn’t even seem to notice we were there.

That’s when I noticed something odd.

“There aren’t many people here.”

One of the teams only had four players during the scrimmage. It looked a little off.

“Oh, right! I heard the second-years have supplementary lessons for entrance exam prep.”

“So it’s just us first-years, huh… And the second-years are already talking about exams? That’s gotta be rough.” I couldn’t help but grimace, imagining us next year.

“They said that’s why the festival prep is behind too. Most of the second-years aren’t even participating.”

“That’s gotta suck. Well, I guess if it’s our grade running the show, it makes it easier for us to talk to them.”

While I was listening to Yuzu explain the basketball club’s situation, the buzzer signaling the end of the scrimmage echoed across the gym.

“Ah, Yuzu and Izumi!”

It looked like Sakuraba, who had been playing in the scrimmage, had finally noticed us.

“Nice work out there, Souta. Looked like you were really stepping it up with them.” Yuzu greeted him with her usual cheerful smile.

“Haha, well, the upperclassmen aren’t around, so I’ve got a bit more freedom to play my own way.” His response was just as smooth.

To an outsider, they’d probably just look like normal friends. But knowing everything that went down, I could see the subtle awkwardness in their exchange.

Well, you couldn’t see it, exactly… but there was definitely a huge wall. Or rather, a scab, I should say.

Like a leftover wound, not yet fully healed.

…In the end, it was just like Yuzu said: they’re still working on patching things up. Their wounds may not have closed—not completely—but they’re still trying to move forward and come to terms with them.

And it’s not just those two—Kotani and Namase are probably in the same boat.

“Izumi.” Sakuraba, seemingly done talking with Yuzu, turned to me. “Sorry for all the trouble the other day. And, well… looks like I’ll be troubling you again,” he said with a wry smile.

Honestly, since that whole incident, I hadn’t really talked to him much either. So, it was definitely a little awkward.

“Nah, I was just doing my thing. Same then, same now.”

“Got it.” He gave me a short nod.

And yep—conversation totally dead in the water.

I gave Yuzu a look, silently begging her to bail me out, and she picked up on it right away.

“Hey, so… you’re still doing club practice like normal, but what about the cultural festival? You guys okay on that front?” she asked, immediately changing the topic.

Sakuraba’s expression turned sour. “Honestly? Not really. But unless the girls’ team makes a move, there’s not much we can do on our end.”

His frustrated tone gave us a glimpse into how things were going behind the scenes.

“I see. So the girls usually take the lead when it comes to the basketball club’s part in the festival?”

“Yeah. The guys usually prioritize club activities, so it’s kind of a tradition that the girls run the cultural festival stuff. But… things aren’t going so smoothly this year.”

And basically, the boys have no choice but to sit around and wait.

“So, where are these important girls, then?” Yuzu asked as she looked around, scanning the gym.

Now that she mentioned it, I hadn’t seen a single girl around since we got here.

“They’re probably still in the middle of discussing what they’ll be doing for the cultural festival. I think they’ll be back soon,” Sakuraba replied.

The three of us turned our eyes toward the gym entrance. Right then, as if on cue, a female student returned.

“Oh, there’s Kunie-san. Hey—!” Sakuraba called out.

However, the girl he referred to as Kunie flinched at the sound, her shoulders jerking up as she nervously glanced around.

Just from that reaction, I could tell—this girl was like me: an introvert.

And Yuzu, who’s ‘dating’ one such introvert, seemed to have picked up on it too. She held back Sakuraba with her hand. “Don’t go shouting like that, Souta. Let me and Yamato talk to her.”

I heard my name. “Why me too?”

Before I could argue, however, Yuzu grabbed my wrist and started heading over to Kunie.

“U-Um… uh…” Kunie fidgeted like a startled small animal.

Yuzu greeted her with a soft, reassuring smile. “Sorry for suddenly approaching you. I’m Nanamine Yuzu. Nice to meet you.”

“Y-Yes…”

Kunie looked just a bit less wary now. Man, Yuzu’s social skills are seriously unreal.

“We just wanted to ask you a few things about the cultural festival. Do you happen to know what’s going on, Kunie-chan?”

“U-Um, well…” Kunie clammed up, seemingly unsure of how to respond.

She clearly wasn’t comfortable answering that, so I tried asking something else. “What about the other girls in the club?”

She flinched again when I spoke. It seems that my question was easier to answer than Yuzu’s, however. This time, she responded, albeit slowly.

“Th-They’re still in the middle of the discussion… It’ll be over soon, so I came ahead to get ready for practice…”

“So that means the discussion itself is starting to wrap up, huh.”

“I think so.”

In that case, no point in holding her up any longer.

“Got it. Thanks. Sorry for interrupting you during practice.”

“N-No, not at all. Excuse me.”

Kunie gave a small bow, then quietly settled into a spot a short distance away from us.

—And seeing her like that, a sudden memory surfaced.

Back in middle school, when I was still on the basketball team, I met someone who sort of resembled her.

“Yamato-kun, why are you staring at Kunie-chan like that?”

Apparently, my gaze was too blatant, because Yuzu picked up on it right away. And she sounded a little annoyed, too.

“No way… even though your super cute girlfriend is standing right here, you were checking out another girl? ’Cause then, even I can’t help but get a li’l jealous.” She puffed out her cheeks in a show of dissatisfaction, clearly trying to make a point.

“That’s not it.”

“So that kind of girl is your type?” Yuzu interrogated me once again, despite my denial.

“No, no, I don’t see her like that or anything.”

“Ohh, so not as a love interest, but she still ‘caught your attention’ somehow? Hmm. Interesting…”

My eyes began to dart around the room, desperately searching for some way to change the subject.

Geez, she’s got eyes like a hawk.

Apparently, however, I guess the gods decided to throw me a bone or something. At that very moment, the girls from the basketball team began filing into the gym.

I immediately jumped on the opportunity. “Ah, looks like the girls’ team is here. Now we can get some answers!”

“…Wow. That was the most blatant topic change ever.”

Yuzu still looked at me with suspicious eyes, but even she couldn’t justify dropping our original reason for being here, so with a reluctant little grumble, she let it go.

Just then, one of the girls from the group broke away and ran over to Kunie. She must be a friend of Kunie’s. That should make it easier for us to talk, too.

“Hey, hey, let’s go ask that girl over th—”

Mid-sentence, the words just stopped in my throat.

“Ah, Sanae! Sorry for making you prep by yourse—wait, Yamato?”

—Speak of the devil and she shall appear, huh.

The girl I casually tried to call out to was someone I know… no, used to know well.

She had long, black hair that reached all the way down her waist. And while she lacked the striking flair of Yuzu and Kotani, her features were still pretty enough to be considered plenty cute.

“Hina…”

Hiiragi Hinano. My classmate from middle school.

“…”

“…”

Silence.

It probably wasn’t even a full second, but it felt like an hour’s worth of stillness.

But Hina broke it—with a cheerful, easygoing smile.

“Wow, it’s been forever! What brings you here, Yamato? You thinking of joining the basketball club?” She acted like it was just a casual run-in. Like nothing had ever happened between us.

—Ah. So that’s the stance she’s taking.

“Nah, I’m just here to help with the culture festival. The club’s way behind schedule, so they pulled me in.” Putting on my own mask of calm, I answered similarly, like it was nothing.

“Oh, so you came to help me out? That’s so you, Yamato.”

“I’m helping the whole basketball club. Didn’t you just hear me?”

“I decided not to hear that part.”

“Throwing up an invincible mental shield, huh? Fine, interpret it however you want.”

“Yay!”

Through that brief exchange alone, we were able to establish a vague sense of rhythm, defining the space between us, in a way.

“So, Hiiragi-san… you seem pretty close with my boyfriend. You two went to the same middle school, huh?” Yuzu jumped in, noticeably emphasizing ‘my boyfriend’ while wearing a smile that was a bit too perfect.

However, whether she didn’t notice the thorn in Yuzu’s words or just gracefully let it slide, Hina nodded with a bright smile.

“Yeah. We were on the same basketball team back in middle school. So, I was kinda hoping Yamato was coming back to rejoin the team today…” she trailed off, casting me a slightly meaningful glance.

But since I had no such intention, I responded with a wry grimace. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve got no plans to play club basketball again. I wouldn’t even be able to keep up with practice.”

At this point, I’m basically a weak indoor type.

There’s no way I could survive in our school’s fairly competitive basketball club.

“Really? I thought you were really good, Yamato. I think you’d do just fine.”

Faced with such wild overestimation, I could only shrug.

“No way. Just the other day I played one-on-one with Sakuraba and got completely wrecked.”

At that, Hina’s eyes widened. “What? You played against Sakuraba-kun? That’s unexpected.”

“We crossed paths somehow. Anyway, I didn’t stand a chance. Two matches, two losses.” I winced, recalling the bitter defeats.

“I mean, Yamato, you’re a point guard, right? So you’re at a disadvantage going up against a forward like Sakuraba-kun.”

“Well… guess that’s true.”

A point guard is like a field commander.

Rather than a star player who scores all their points independently, they're specialists in coordinated team tactics, someone who rallies his teammates to battle.

People who play point guard are often physically inferior to players in other positions, so they’re generally at a disadvantage in one-on-ones.

“In a real game, it’d be a different story. Hey, why not join the boys’ scrimmage match as a test? Looks like they’re short on players today.”

“I decline. I told you, I’m here to talk about the culture festival,” I shut her down flatly.

After pausing to think for a bit, Hina put on a mischievous grin.

“Hmm… okay, how about this? If you win the scrimmage, then I’ll talk to you about the festival. Sound good?”

“You’re seriously… Whatever. Fine. Just one quarter.” I figured it’d be faster to just play than argue, so I nodded to her proposal.

“That’s more like it. Hope you can show off a little for your girlfriend, too,” she said teasingly. Then, Hina turned around and headed toward the boys’ team.

“Good luck, Yamato-kun!”

I turned around to find Yuzu smiling sweetly, cheering me on. “Y-Yeah…”

Terrifying. Utterly terrifying.

Yuzu’s the type who cares quite a bit about how she appears in front of others, so she won’t say anything out loud here. But… I can almost feel her hiding something underneath the surface.

“Yamato! The boys’ team said you’re good to go!”

Just as I was trembling inside, imagining the hell awaiting me when we were alone, Hina waved from the court, having cleared it with the team.

“A-Alright! I’ll go grab my sneakers, wait there!”

Mumbling excuses to myself, I fled the scene, half-convincing myself with the blissful illusion of temporary escape.

⛧─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───⛧

Conveniently—well, more like because I’d been too lazy to take them home—my basketball shoes were still lying around in the literature club room.

After grabbing them and getting ready, I stepped onto the court.

Four teammates, five opponents.

The sight, one I hadn’t seen in over a year, stirred a peculiar mix of nostalgia in me.

“This time we’re on the same side. I’m counting on you, Izumi.”

Sakuraba, who had ended up on my team, gave me a bright, cheerful look. I felt a little pressure.

“Don’t count on me. Actually, just be ready to cover for me at all times.”

“Haha, roger that.”

Even though I made the request with a serious face, Sakuraba just laughed it off like a joke.

With that, everyone took their positions.

“Alright, starting now.”

The moment Hina, acting as the referee, tossed the ball into the air, the match began.

Both centers jumped high and tapped at the ball.

The one who came down with it—was Sakuraba.

Seeing that the opposing defense hadn’t yet prepared themselves, he immediately pushed into a fast break with a dribble.

“Not so fast!” One of the opponents quickly reacted, cutting in front of him to guard the basket.

“Izumi!”

Without missing a beat, Sakuraba passed the ball to me, who was hovering away from me at a slight distance.

Outside the three-point line.

Catching the pass, I bent my knees and got into shooting form.

“A shooter!?”

The defender, surprised by my appearance, rushed in to block me.

But—it was a fake.

I dribbled past the defender who had jumped to block my “shot” and returned the ball to Sakuraba. “Sakuraba!”

“Hell yeah!”

Having already shaken off his defender, Sakuraba caught the pass, took a light step, and sank a clean layup—drawing first blood.

“Izumi, nice pass!”

“Yeah.” He held out his hand for a high five, and I casually slapped it.

My position was point guard—the field commander.

The role involves many responsibilities, but to put it simply: you pass the ball to the teammate in a position to score.

And since we had a natural scorer like Sakuraba on the team, I only had one thing to do: get the ball to him.

For the first five minutes of the game, I focused our offensive strategy around Sakuraba.

Worn down after being evaded and burnt repeatedly, the enemy point guard suddenly shouted. “Shut Sakuraba down! Double team him!”

Their new strategy was to cover Sakuraba with two defenders. Bold.

It was a solid tactic really. Our previous offense wouldn't work anymore.

But unfortunately for them, no strategy is perfect. And if you focus too much on one player—

“Let’s hit them from outside! Be ready on the rebound!” I barked out.

—It leaves gaps elsewhere on the court.

We shifted our focus to the shooting guard instead, moving to a very three-pointer heavy offense.

A point guard lives and dies by leadership. For an introvert like me, it’s a tough role, but someone has to do it.

So the battle raged on, responding and counter-attacking to each other’s moves, until at last the promised first quarter came to an end. Thanks in no small part to Sakuraba’s skills, our team came out on top.

“Man… I’m beat.”

But because of the time I had spent away from the sport, playing had taken its toll, and I’d completely run out of stamina. I collapsed to the ground, completely spent.

“Izumi, you really saved us. We wouldn’t have won without you,” Sakuraba said as he came over to thank me, still full of energy.

“Nah, I’m just glad the buzzer rang before I totally fell apart.”

If the game had gone into the second quarter, I probably would’ve turned into a statue right there on the court.

“Haha, didn’t seem like you had a break at all. If you’re ever in the mood, play me again sometime.”

“…If I’m ever in the mood.”

By the time we’d finished talking, I’d recovered enough to stand and walk off the court. That’s when Yuzu, who’d been watching from the sidelines, came up to me with sparkling eyes.

“Good work, Yamato-kun. I finally got to see you in action today, huh?”

Whatever irritation she’d had earlier seemed to have vanished. In fact, she actually looked a little excited. Huh, now that I think about it, this might be the first time she’s actually seen me win a match.

“Well, I lucked out with my teammates this time.”

Having a strong scorer like Sakuraba makes a PG’s life way easier.

“You were calling out plays left and right like crazy. Honestly, it just made me think… Yamato-kun, you’re totally a fake introvert, huh?”

Somehow I ended up getting accused of being… a fake introvert? What the hell even is a “fake introvert ^[3]“?!

“The heck’s that supposed to mean…? Just so you know, being an introvert doesn’t mean being quiet. It’s just that we don’t know how to properly communicate, so we end up staying silent.”

I’m the type of introvert who can talk like a normal person, so long as I’m with someone I trust, or we have something in common. Especially when it comes to basketball. I’m used to calling plays, so once I’m on the court, I get a lot more talkative than usual.

“Ohh, I see. But you know…” Yuzu tilted her head, eyes gazing blankly into the distance as if replaying the scene in her mind. “Didn’t you seem better than last time, Yamato-kun?”

“Well, I’ve been practicing a little lately. Just as a break from grinding RPGs.” Light exercise makes the perfect breather between long gaming sessions.

“Oh? You sure you weren't… frustrated ‘cause you lost to Souta last time?” Yuzu leaned in teasingly, peering into my face.

“Course not. He’s an active player.”

Like Hina said, it was a match I never had much chance of winning anyway. I went into it knowing I’d probably lose both times.

“Mhm, I see. Then, was it not the loss itself—but the fact that you lost in front of me that stung?”

“…Course not.”

“Ah, you paused a bit there.”

Yuzu seemed to be trying to figure out my thoughts from the silence between my words.

“I said no, didn’t I?”

Much to my chagrin, she didn’t look like she was buying it. She wore a pleased, irritating look, as if she had completely figured me out.

“Mhm, mhm. Bet it felt great to show off in front of your super cute girlfriend today, huh? You were looking pretty cool out there, Yamato-kun!”

“Shut it!”

I turned away from her smug little face, regretting ever letting my guard down—just in time to see Hina coming back from chatting with the boys' team.

“Nice game, Yamato. Looks like you’re not completely rusty yet.” She looked in pretty high spirits herself.

“Cut the flattery, Hina. I was absolutely rusty.”

Hina used to play with me. She of all people knew exactly how bad I was out there today.

“Oh? Then I’ll be honest—yeah, you got worse. You used to move way better back then.”

“…You being honest somehow makes it more annoying,” I said with a scowl, which made Hina giggle.

I didn’t want to drag out a conversation that made me look bad however, so I steered us back to the main topic. “Anyhow, let’s talk about the culture festival, like we promised.”

“Oops, you’re right.” It seemed that Hina also had no intention of dawdling on the topic any longer, and so she went along with my change of subject. “We’re putting on a play. The show’s Cinderella… The script just got finished this morning, so we’ll be starting rehearsals now.”

“Cinderella? That’s got nothing to do with Halloween.”

The choice threw me off a bit, and it seemed like I hit some kind of nerve, as Hina only gave me a sheepish smile.

“That’s what everyone argued about, which is why it took so long. But the planning committee decided, ‘Hey, it’s got a pumpkin carriage, so it basically counts as Halloween.’”

“…That’s just lazy, man.” Considering that they stretched out the decision all the way to the last minute, that’s a pretty half-baked choice.

“Hey, hey, what role are you playing, Hiiragi-san?” Yuzu asked.

Hina averted her eyes, clearly embarrassed. “Um… Cinderella.”

“Whoa, the lead role?!” Yuzu exclaimed with pure surprise.

In contrast, I was slightly worried. “You sure about this? You’re gonna be in front of a lot of people. Weren’t you always bad with that kinda stuff, Hina?” I couldn’t help but ask.

Hina puffed her cheeks slightly in protest. “That was a long time ago. I’m fine now.”

“You sure? You’ve always been weirdly stubborn about stuff like this.”

“And you’ve always been weirdly overprotective, Yamato.” Perhaps because she was sulking, Hina’s tone took on a bit of a childish edge.

Some things really never change.

“So! What exactly do you want us to help with? I heard we’re mostly doing backstage work,” Yuzu said, suddenly cutting into our conversation. It was at an awkwardly unnatural timing.

“Ah, yeah. I’d like you to help with props and script reading. I think the festival committee already ordered all the materials in bulk.”

“Gotcha. In that case, we should probably head over to the committee’s office.”

“That’d be great. We’re about to start acting practice.”

Wanting to fire herself up, Hina pulled her long black hair into a ponytail and pinned her bangs back with a cheap, worn-out hairpin.

Upon seeing that, my eyes widened in surprise. “You’re still wearing that hairpin?”

“Yeah. I like it.”

“…I see.”

A strange feeling tightened in my chest. Just as I was about to open my mouth, still grappling with the right words to describe it—

“Well then, let’s both do our best! Right, Yamato-kun?!”

—Yuzu jumped in loudly, more than necessary.

And for some reason, she pressed right up against me at the same time.

“Hey. The heck? Back off a little.”

“Whaaaat, we’re dating! This much is normal, isn’t it?”

We’re a fake couple! And right now’s the follow-up service!

—Or so I wanted to say, at least. However, I swallowed my retort and forced it down. “Even so, we’re in public.”

Yuzu finally stepped away from me.

“Okaaay. In that case, let’s get out of the gym so we can flirt all we want.”

With that, she grabbed my hand and forcibly dragged me toward the exit.

“H-Hey. Sorry, Hina. Catch you later.”

“Yeah. See you two later.”

As Hina saw us off, Yuzu and I left the gym.

Whatever good mood she was in after the match was completely gone. Yuzu stayed silent, and a tense atmosphere filled the space between us.

…Now what am I supposed to do?

Wrapped in a tension greater than during the game, we made our way to an empty stretch of hallway, where Yuzu suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Ah—here it comes.

“What was that? What was with that atmosphere!?”

Right on cue, Yuzu exploded, her voice full of pent-up frustration.

“I get it, but calm down,” I said, trying to pacify her.

Having kept her mask on for too long, however, Yuzu’s outburst only gained in explosiveness.

“You expect me to calm down? What’s going on between you two?!”

“Didn’t Hina say it herself? We went to the same middle school. Same basketball team, that’s it.”

“That’s not it! The way you call her ‘Hina’ and everything! There’s no way that you—who’s socially awkward, a loner, someone who hates approaching others—would call someone else by a nickname!”

“You know, lately I’ve been thinking… if I’m putting up with this kind of verbal abuse and still dating you, maybe I do have pretty strong social skills.”

“No, you don’t! If you really had good social skills, you’d understand how I’m feeling right now! Actually, let’s test it! Question one: What is Yuzu-chan feeling at this moment!?”

“You’re insanely jealous because you just saw your beloved boyfriend getting too close with another girl.”

“Correct! One hundred points! But you can’t just score a hundred at a time like this! It’s too embarrassing! Why are you only this sharp when it’s absolutely useless!?”

“How else am I supposed to interpret this situation?”

Even though I got the answer correct, she still looked away from me with a pout, like I’d committed some crime.

“Getting a hundred when you’re not supposed to—that’s exactly what makes you a socially oblivious can’t-read-the-air introvert. Work on your language skills more.”

“That was such an unfair question. If it showed up on a real language test, I’d definitely flunk and repeat the year.”

Still, no matter how unreasonable she’s being, I can’t just leave her hanging. I gotta patch it up somehow.

“Just so you know, nothing ever happened between me and Hina.”

“Reaally? You're still kinda suspicious, you know…”

“What exactly are you suspicious of?” Even though I was telling the truth, her doubts weren’t going anywhere. Maybe…

“Is there any specific reason you’re doubting me?” I asked.

Yuzu hesitated for a second, then started to speak quietly.

“I actually knew from the beginning that you and Hiiragi-san knew each other.”

“Huh? How would you—wait, never mind. You probably found out that time you started dating me.”

Yuzu gave a small nod.

Looks like I was right.

After I turned her down once, she’d done some digging on me before confessing again. That research had led her to the key to luring me in: RoboBus. Then she’d gone for the second confession.

“Yeah. While I was looking into you, I naturally ended up talking to Hiiragi-san, ’cause you guys went to the same middle school. But y’know what she said? ‘There's no point asking me. I don’t know anything about him.’ That was such a lie, wasn’t it? She didn’t even mention you were on the same basketball team.”

Oh—that makes sense. Neither of them were wrong, though.

“I see… so that’s what Hina said about me.” It stung a little.

There was a time when we understood each other. That much was real. I didn’t regret how things turned out, but I couldn’t help feeling a bit sentimental.

“I don’t think Hina lied, honestly. Back in middle school, there was a time I tried hard to be better with people. I told you about that before, right?”

“…Yeah. I remember.”

That was so typical of Yuzu. She’d sensed that my mood had shifted and began to listen with a more serious attitude than she had before.

“Hina was one of my friends from that time. But when I quit the club and gave up on putting in effort socially… I cut ties. With everyone, including her. In a way, she’s a victim of mine. One day I just stopped talking to her, and she had no idea why.”

“Yamato-kun…” She’d been mad a moment ago, but now Yuzu looked up at me with concerned eyes.

But for me—it was already over. I wasn't going to get emotional about it now.

“So yeah. When she said she didn’t know me, she was telling the truth… Earlier was just us playing along.”

No matter how amiable we seemed on the surface, that sense of pretending—the fakeness in our words—was written into every thought and etched in our minds. I felt it, and I was sure Hina did too.

The rift that opened a year ago was still there between us.

“…I see. Yeah, I guess that was kind of an insensitive question, huh? Sorry about that.”

It must've hit close to home for Yuzu too, especially since she was working through her own relationship stuff. She apologized in a small, guilty voice.

“It’s fine. I probably would've told you sooner or later anyway,” I brushed it off.

Treating it lightly seemed to help, and she finally let go of the sour look on her face, replacing it with a smile.

“Okay… I feel a bit better now. So you two really didn't have anything going on, and you two didn’t think anything of each other. Just like… club member A and club member B, right?”

“…………That’s right.”

“And here comes a massive silence! Just that pause tells me more than any explanation! There’s gotta be something going on!”

“No no no, it’s not like that, okay? Like, me and Hina were definitely friends, so I was just debating whether saying ‘nothing’s going on whatsoever’ would sound like me denying that too! It just felt a little wrong, that’s all!” I exclaimed, scrambling to explain myself. Clearly, however, that wasn’t enough to erase her doubts.

“Okay, then riddle me this—what’s the deal with that suspiciously sentimental hairpin?”

Sharp-eyed as ever. Yuzu knew exactly where to strike.

“…I gave it to her. A long time ago.” There was no use lying, so I told her the truth.

The second I did, Yuzu staggered like she’d just taken a bullet.

“Grrrgh… I kind of already knew, but hearing it out loud still hits hard! I feel so defeated!”

“What are you even losing to here?”

“Because I haven’t even gotten one single present from you ever since we started dating! And then suddenly, this girl with this whole backstory shows up, and she’s got a gift from you? It’s like I got completely owned!”

Yeah… I guess from Yuzu’s perspective, this whole thing would be a bit annoying. Seriously though, that hairpin really wasn’t anything special.

“I mean, I gave her that hairpin over three years ago. And it was some cheap thing I got from a 100-yen shop too. It wasn’t anything big.”

I meant to say that it wasn’t something she needed to even care about. But instead, Yuzu’s expression only turned even colder.

“Ohhh… so she still uses the cheap little hairpin you gave her three years ago? Like it’s some precious treasure?”

“Wait, what—?”

“Wow. Hiiragi-san must really cherish it. I mean, no one keeps using a cheap accessory for whole years unless it really means something to them.”

W-Wait. That was supposed to be an explanation. Somehow, I think I just dug my grave even deeper.

“Well, whatever. If she’s more important to you than I am, that’s fine. It’s not like we’re really dating anyway, right? You only started going out with me for the sake of that game. Even if you had the money to buy me a present, you’d probably just spend it on a new game instead.”

Aaand there it is. She’s sulking now. But this attitude of hers was a clear cry for attention. No way I can just ignore it.

“That isn’t true. You’re the most important person to me, Yuzu-chan.”

“Reaaally?”

Looks like I read the mood right. She’s still suspicious, but she’s back to talking again.

“Really really! I seriously love you a whole lot, Yuzu.”

“The way you say it sounds so unconvincing somehow...”

She gave me a squinty glare, still questioning my sincerity. However, her frustration had likely worn her out, as she let out a sigh. Her expression finally softened.

“Haa… well, whatever. I’m kinda tired now anyways. But you know what? Getting genuinely jealous like this kind of helped me discover something new about myself. Turns out jealous-me is also cute. That alone makes all this worth it.”

“…That’s one weird way to put yourself in a good mood. I never would’ve guessed that’s all it’d take for you to forgive me.”

I felt like I’d just witnessed the essence of pure narcissism.

While I was standing there, strangely impressed in a way, Yuzu pointed a firm finger right at me.

“That said! The fact remains: I still feel jealous and totally defeated. So, Yamato-kun, at some point, you need to give me a really amazing present. Consider that your official boyfriend homework.”

“Yes, sensei. Understood.”

And just like that, I’d picked up a new assignment… on top of the culture festival duties.

“Good! Now come on, let’s go find the event committee. Work, work!”

With her mood mostly back to normal, Yuzu started walking again, her usual upbeat self restored. As I followed behind her, I glanced back once at the gym.

──Old friendships left behind in middle school. Yuzu’s still-repairing group of friends. The fake relationship that had begun again.

All these tangled threads, both clashing and intertwining in our cultural festival…

What kind of chaos was waiting for us?

I wonder what that future’ll look like.

Translator's Notes:

[1]: For reference, the reason they’re mentioning Halloween is because Japanese high school cultural festivals generally occur near Halloween. They’re usually either around the beginning of November or the end of October. Because they’re so close to Halloween anyways, a lot of them have Halloween themes and aspects. Hence why Yamato questions why they’re using Cinderella. If you don’t understand why Cinderella doesn’t have anything to do with Halloween… are you a real person?

[2]: Yuzu says, “Hurry up!” in both English and Japanese. This is kinda weird to hear, so I localized the first hurry up (“早く”) to chop-chop since they have the same connotations in English. BTW, the reason she says the second one in English is it adds a sorta kinda playful effect if ykwim. I don’t really know what I’m on about either.

[3]: The word used here for “fake introvert” is the slangy term fasshon inkyara (ファッション陰キャ) which literally translates to “Fashion Introvert.” Don’t ask me, I dunno why it’s called that either, but it represents someone who dresses or acts like an introvert for superficial reasons like social image, rather than actually being withdrawn. It does technically have negative connotations, but in this context it is used playfully by Yuzu. The reason that Yamato-kun asks “what the hell is a fake introvert” is because it wouldn’t be a word that’d make sense to him since he’s introverted. Lol, Yamato gotta go touch grass. (To be fair it also did not make sense to me, I had to look this up on a JP forum to figure out wtf this meant).