“Sigh…”

As I walked down the hallway, a sigh slipped out.

“…I can’t believe she was that kind of person.”

Humans are creatures who tend to impose their ideals on others.

They often view others through the rose-tinted glasses of their own ideals, thinking things like “That person must be like this,” or “That person would never do that,” and end up imposing their own values on them, even if unintentionally.

It seems I was no different. While considering the possibility of betrayal, I also held a sliver of hope in my heart. Perhaps that’s why I feel so heavy right now.

“I should have learned my lesson by now, but I really don’t learn, do I? …Haha…”

A dry laugh escaped me. Hinamori-san will probably date the man of her dreams, kiss him, do intimate things with him, maybe even have children and build a happy family.

“Ugh…”

On the other hand, I have to keep interacting with others, all while imagining that I’ll be betrayed again. Of course, I don’t have anyone to love, no important family, and nothing to be proud of.

++I should never have dated her in the first place if it was going to make me feel this miserable.++

The thought that crossed my mind made me feel sick.

“…Ugh…”

Feeling something rising from my stomach, I rushed to the restroom.

!next

“Haah, haah… Finally, I’ve calmed down.”

I never thought I would actually throw up. Was I that stressed about what happened earlier? Or was I disgusted by my own pathetic life?

“No point in thinking about it… I should just focus on getting to work.”

I shook my head, trying to dispel the anxiety welling up inside me, and started walking again. As I reached the area near the shoe lockers—

“Ah, it’s you, Harucchi!”

I involuntarily stopped at the voice coming from behind me.

++That voice is…++

Honestly, in my current mental state, she’s the last person I wanted to deal with. After what just happened, I had a really bad feeling about this.

But still, I couldn’t just ignore them outright. They clearly called my name.

“Enomoto-san… what do you need?”

When I turned around, as expected, it was a classmate’s face that greeted me.

Dull blonde hair, slightly modified uniform. With earrings on both ears and decorated nails, it’s clear she was not your average girl.

“Huh? So I can’t call out to you unless I need something?”

Her voice was cheerful, but her expression was completely devoid of laughter. Even so, her face, possessing a once-in-a-generation beauty, was unfair.

―She was Enomoto Mio, the gal who rivaled Hinamori-san in popularity in our class.

“Hey, Harucchi?”

I, the lowest of the low in the class hierarchy, am being glared at by someone from the top. I felt like a pitiful rabbit being stared down by a lion.

“N-no, that’s not it..”

I couldn’t run away, so I answered while avoiding her gaze.

“Hmm? Well, I was looking for you… Oh, wait a minute.”

“Huh?”

Suddenly, she took out her phone. ++What’s she doing? Also, her phone is heavily decorated. Isn’t that inconvenient?++

“Say cheese!”

Without even asking for my permission, she pointed the camera at me and took a picture.

“Hey! Why did you take a picture!?”

“Hahaha! Look, check out this face.”

Instead of answering my question, she shoved her phone in my face. Reluctantly, I looked at the screen.

“…”

On the screen was an image of me with absolutely no energy in my eyes—a truly lifeless expression.

++…So this is what I look like right now.++

“Even though you’re already an introvert, Harucchi, you’re making a face like you’re about to die. Are you trying to kill me with laughter? Ahahaha.”

“…”

I don’t mind being laughed at. Compared to her, my looks were definitely inferior, and it wasn’t hard to imagine someone at the top of the social ladder making fun of someone at the bottom.

But it’s different to mock someone who clearly isn’t feeling well. That’s not something to joke about.

“So, why are you making that face? Come on, we’re close, right? Tell me what’s up.”

++What do you mean by “close”? From my perspective, you’re on my personal blacklist—someone I really don’t want to be involved with.++

“Nothing for—”

I tried to continue.

“Huh?”

“I thought it was nothing, but actually, there is something.”

But, Enomoto-san’s face was so scary that I felt like I had to tell her the truth.

“Hey, so, what happened?”

“Sigh… Actually…”

Feeling like I wouldn’t be released until I told her, I reluctantly started explaining what had happened earlier.

….

……..

…………

“So, you got dumped by that girl, Harucchi… Fufu.”

After hearing my story, Enomoto-san was smiling radiantly for some reason.

“Fufu, you’re really an idiot, huh?”

“…”

The way she happily laughed at someone else’s misfortune was completely different from the Enomoto-san I once knew.

++She wasn’t like this before.++

When I first met Enomoto-san, she wasn’t the kind of person who looked down on others. Rather, she was trying hard to fit in with the class after her high school debut, and she secretly worried about trivial matters because she was kind.

I couldn’t just leave her alone, and her efforts to change herself shone so brightly that I found myself helping her out.

By the time we moved up to our second year, she had become popular, but I noticed that her attitude towards me had changed to what it is now.

I felt a pang of sadness about that.

“Anyway, I’ve got something to do after this. So, as usual, can you take care of the class duty for me, Harucchi?”

Today, too, she pushed her responsibilities onto me, treating me like a servant.

I was just throwing up, and I’ve got work later. I have time, but it would be troublesome if something happened, and my priority is my job. Originally, the class duty was supposed to be her responsibility, so there’s no issue with refusing.

“…Okay, fine.”

However, the words that came out of my mouth were different from what I was thinking—they were words that accepted her unreasonable request.

“Oh! As expected of you, Harucchi! You understand! Well then, I’ll leave it to you!”

Was it my fault for strictly adhering to my late mother’s words, “Be kind to others,” and being unable to refuse people’s requests? Or was she the one at fault for knowing I couldn’t say no and still asking me to do this?

As I watched her walk away, I couldn’t find the answer.

The only thing I could say for sure was that I no longer had any feelings for her at all.

!next

SIDE: Enomoto Mio

“Ehehe, I took a picture of Harucchi.”

I couldn’t suppress my grin as I nuzzled my cheek against the picture of Harucchi on my phone.

Looking at his face gives me courage and warms my heart. It makes me want to be closer to him.

Until now, I had to suppress those feelings because of that girl.

“But now, hehe.”

It seems that the girl, who was Harucchi’s girlfriend, found someone else she likes and dumped him.

Just thinking about how she could dump such a good guy makes me think she’s crazy, and the fact that she hurt Harucchi so selfishly is unforgivable.

“She’s such an idiot.”

Well, thanks to that, I could approach Harucchi without any reservations, so I was actually really happy about it.

“Now, how should I approach Harucchi from now on~?”

Thinking about the happy future that awaits me with Harucchi, I walked home in high spirits.

!next

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