I gazed at Aizawa’s profile as she looked down, her expression ephemeral. Her eyelashes were incredibly long. Wait, was she always this cute? I found myself wanting to stare.
I mentally shook myself, massaging my wavering heart and grinding my fingertips into my cheeks to psych myself up. This was the moment of truth.
"Aizawa... Look, before I met Natsukawa, I was once cruelly rejected by someone else."
"Eh, you were, Sajou-kun?"
"Yeah, back in middle school."
I was a fan of the idol Natsukawa Aika. My affection for her transcended mere "liking"; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say I loved her. I needed to show Aizawa that Natsukawa Aika wasn't the kind of person who deserved to be hated.
"It was a horrible rejection. She called me a 'gross guy,' asked 'who did I think I was'—she basically just flat-out denied my very existence. Looking back, she wasn't exactly wrong, though."
"Th-that's..."
"To top it off, as I was walking down the hallway later, the girl who dumped me showed up with her boyfriend. He got in my face, saying, 'How dare you do something disgusting to my girlfriend?'"
"..."
"I was punched, sent flying, and landed face-first right in Natsukawa Aika’s chest as she was walking behind me."
"Eh!"
"Natsukawa screamed in anger and slapped me with all her strength."
"Eeeh!?"
"And that's when I fell for her."
"Why!?"
"I’m kidding."
At the spot where I'd been sent flying, Natsukawa Aika had indeed been there. Startled, she had questioned us about what was happening, and the boyfriend had pointed at me, loudly proclaiming that I'd done something creepy.
Natsukawa had snapped at the boyfriend. She’d snapped at the girl who’d dumped me, too. "What you're doing is a disgusting act that tramples on human dignity!" she had shouted for everyone to hear.
Many students had agreed with the anger of a girl as talented as she was beautiful. Thanks to that, I was saved. I’d wanted to know more about Natsukawa, so I started chasing after her.
——I drove this fabrication home to Aizawa.
"—Natsukawa Aika isn't just cute; she's a fine woman. I'm confident I could do anything for her sake. Though knowing Natsukawa, she'd probably handle things herself even if I didn't do anything."
"...I see. So that's how it is."
At my words, Aizawa pulled up her legs and hugged her knees on the bench of the Azumaya. I didn't want Aizawa to think poorly of Natsukawa. That's why I painted Natsukawa as a "woman who understands the pain of heartbreak." No, she actually should understand...! Because she's Natsukawa!
"That's why I became a die-hard fan of Natsukawa."
"Yeah... Huh?"
This part, I had to convey properly. I was by no means Natsukawa's boyfriend, nor could I ever be. I was no longer that one-hit wonder comedian, desperately chasing something out of reach just for a laugh. I wasn't the class clown anymore. I was just a normal creature... no, a human.
"...Eh? What do you mean, a fan?"
"Natsukawa Aika is everyone's idol. I'm confident that I'm a bigger fan than anyone else."
"Wait a second. You're not dating Natsukawa-san?"
"The only one allowed to date Natsukawa is a handsome guy I've personally approved!"
"No, that's not what I meant!"
Go ahead, be bewildered, Aizawa Rena! This is your punishment for trying to harm my idol, Natsukawa Aika! Realize the depth of your misunderstanding. Let your face turn red! Ahhh! Man, she was cute.
"Everyone knows about it. Since you only had eyes for your boyfriend, maybe you just didn't know?"
"Eh...? I guess... so."
"Natsukawa is great. Even if I hypothetically had another girlfriend, I'm confident I'd keep supporting Natsukawa."
"E-eeh!? From a girl's perspective, that's really complicated..."
"Guys are all like that. There are girls out there who are totally devoted to handsome idols even though they have boyfriends, right?"
"Ugh... when you put it that way..."
If Arimura-senpai was truly a bottom-tier guy, he wouldn't have accepted it when Aizawa broke up with him; he would have maintained the relationship just to keep her as an option. Even guys care about whether they have a girlfriend as a status symbol, and above all, Aizawa was this cute. It wasn't in a man's nature to stop caring about other women just because he'd truly fallen for Natsukawa Aika. We're—no, they're—greedy.
Appearance is the outermost layer of the inner self. Even though he didn't particularly style his hair or dress fashionably, Arimura-senpai had a coolness about him, like a reliable older guy. At that time, when asked which girl he liked, he'd answered Natsukawa, but I doubted he had any intention of getting a girlfriend for the time being. I think he'd answered with feelings more akin to being a fan. But even those emotions had turned into guilt toward Aizawa for Arimura-senpai. If that were the case, everything would be settled once and for all.
"Oh. Lunch break is ending."
"We didn't get to eat lunch. Sorry..."
"Don't worry about it. I'll give Ashida a piece of my mind later."
"Ah, don't do that... Ashida-san was probably just protecting Natsukawa-san and didn't mean any harm."
"Eh, Ashida? Protecting her?"
I'd thought Ashida had said those things out of pure hostility and malice. After all, Ashida knew that I wasn't dating Natsukawa and that Natsukawa disliked me. She knew that even if Aizawa tried to steal me away, Natsukawa wouldn't be hurt. I didn't really get what that was about; I guess there are just some things only girls can understand about each other.
"Well, whatever. Later then. If you expect too much from men, you'll just get hurt for nothing."
"Don't say such unnecessary things~. Same to you, Sajou-kun."
"I'll be fine."
I wouldn't expect anything, nor would I get serious. Just being able to build a friendly relationship was more than enough. Thanks to this, I felt like my lifespan had increased by about five years recently. Being deceived while knowing it was a deception was surprisingly comfortable.
Aizawa's back as she walked away had completely regained its energy. Looking at her now, I started to think that her bubbly way of speaking was probably her natural self after all. Trying to deceive someone with just charm is truly terrifying. My judgment was clearly shot.
The Azumaya was originally a place of memories for Aizawa and Arimura-senpai. Depending on the circumstances, it might be better if I didn't come here anymore. To be honest, unless someone invited me, I probably wouldn't visit a place like this on my own.
If I hadn't been chasing Natsukawa, Aizawa wouldn't have approached me, and I might not have had to go through such a troublesome experience. The part about getting to know a cute girl was enough to make me dance for joy and kick my legs on my bed, though. I understood a little more from this ordeal; I guess knowing one's place is important in the sense of avoiding trouble.
"..."
And if I had done that from the beginning... I might not have had to feel this little bit of loneliness now. Hey, turns out I was expecting something after all.
In conclusion, men were all equally stupid.