"Hey, how about a fake confession for Nakina's punishment game?"
"...Wait, you mean confessing to someone I don't even like?"
"Yeah, exactly! Wouldn't that be hilarious?"
"N-No way, that would definitely cause trouble for the other person!"
I, Subaru Hatsukade, a first-year high school student, happened to overhear that conversation while alone in the club room.
Peering carefully through the crack in the door out into the hallway, I saw four of the top-tier popular girls in my class surrounding Nakina Amanatsu.
"C-Come on, can't we do an easier punishment game?"
"Ehh? But you promised you'd do whatever we said if you lost, right?"
"No matter what, there's gotta be a limit to these things, ehehe..."
Twirling a strand of her pinkish-brown hair around her finger, Amanatsu laughed flippantly, but she looked genuinely uncomfortable.
This wasn't the first time I'd seen that expression on her face.
In the classroom during lunch break, in the hallway after school, or whenever I spotted her around town—whenever Amanatsu was with that group of girls, she always wore that look of someone desperately reading the room. It was painfully obvious how hard she was forcing it.
(Is it really worth hanging out with them if you have to go that far?)
Perhaps annoyed by Amanatsu's indecisiveness, a short girl grumbled openly.
"Lately, aren't you kind of a buzzkill, Nakina?"
"Huh?"
"You're totally killing the mood. So, are you gonna do it or not?"
"...Y-Yeah. Well then... ahaha, maybe I'll give it a shot."
(Ridiculous.)
That's what happens when you force yourself to hang around people who don't share your values.
In that regard, I fully understood my own standing.
I had zero intention of getting involved with anyone in the class.
Naturally, I planned to continue having nothing to do with girls like that in the future...
"How about Hatsukade for the confession?"
—Huh?
"H-Hatsukade-kun?"
"Sounds great. He's always alone anyway, so wouldn't he be thrilled?"
"Idiot, if he actually says yes, it won't be a joke anymore."
Hey, are these girls for real?
"Who cares if he says yes? You can just date him for like three days and then say, 'Turns out it wasn't working out.'"
"Hatsukade gets to make a sweet, once-in-a-lifetime memory, so he should be happy, right?"
Why is this conversation progressing under the assumption that I'm going to die alone?
"Sounds good, right, Nakina?"
"..."
"Ah, don't tell me you actually have a crush on someone? In that case, instead of a fake confession, you could do a real one."
"N-No, there's no one like that!"
"Then it's settled! You're confessing to Hatsukade tomorrow!"
"...Okay."
With that, those idiots walked away down the hallway.
My reaction went straight past anger into utter disbelief.
That conversation was worse than a bunch of first-year middle schoolers going through puberty.
The way they talked as if I'd be overjoyed annoyed me, and I was irritated at both the instigators and Amanatsu for giving in.
Well, whatever.
In this situation, I held the overwhelming advantage.
They were probably expecting me to get all flustered tomorrow when confessed to, stuttering out something like, "A-Are you really okay with a gloomy loner like me?"
Too bad for them.
I already knew it was a fake confession from the start.
I felt a little bad for Amanatsu, but I'd think up a rejection line designed to inflict maximum emotional damage and turn her down in spectacular fashion.
(Hmph, I might as well enjoy this to the fullest.)
◇
The next day, after school.
The evening sky cast two long shadows across the rooftop.
"U-Um, so..."
"...Yeah."
It had been about ten minutes since Amanatsu called me out here, and we'd been standing opposite each other like this the entire time.
Despite that, there was zero progress, and an intensely awkward silence hung between us.
"Look, Amanatsu, if you've got something to say, just spit it out already."
"...R-Right, ahaha... Um, speaking of talking, do you have a favorite dog breed? I really like big dogs..."
There was that smile again.
A fake face, laughing to gloss things over and hide her true feelings.
"Did you come all the way to the roof just to talk about dogs?"
"N-No, but..."
"Then let's drop the small talk. Get to the point."
"...Okay, sorry."
Honestly, by this point, my mood had cooled down quite a bit.
I'd spent all night thinking up various parting shots to deliver a painful payback, but seeing the perpetrator acting like this took all the wind out of my sails.
"I-I... Hatsukade-kun..."
"..."
"...I like you."
Letting out a sigh mixed with exasperation, I looked at her face.
"Tch, why are you crying in the middle of a confession?"
"...Huh?"
Amanatsu looked up in surprise and wiped her eyes.
She was crying. And not just with tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. She was full-on bawling, large tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Wait, why?"
"..."
"I'm sorry for crying... sniff, sob..."
Watching her sniffling and weeping right in front of me was so pathetic that it completely drained away any remaining venom I had left.
"I don't even feel like getting back at you anymore. Look, I knew it was a fake confession from the start."
"...What?"
"I happened to overhear your conversation yesterday."
"...No way, no way..."
"It's not going to work as a prank."
Amanatsu bowed her head vigorously.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for trying to trick you!"
"I told you, it's fine already..."
"...I'm really the worst!"
Covering her face with both hands, she began hyperventilating between sobs.
(Haaah, why did it turn into this?)
At this rate, it just looks like I'm the one making a girl cry.
I didn't want to stay in this place for a single second longer.
Thinking that, I took a step forward to leave...
"Waaaahhh."
Amanatsu's wailing lingered persistently in my ears.
I vigorously scratched the back of my head.
Good grief, what was I even doing?
"Here."
I pulled a handkerchief from my pocket and held it out to her.
"...Why?"
"Just take it."
"...I can't accept this."
As Amanatsu kept hesitating, I forcefully pressed the handkerchief into her hand.
"If you feel guilty enough to cry over it, don't agree to the punishment game in the first place."
"...Hatsukade-kun."
"I know you're not a bad person, Amanatsu... So, you know... don't push yourself so hard to fit in with people."
"Wait!"
"See ya. Just wash the handkerchief and give it back."
Ignoring her voice calling my name, I opened the door leading back into the school building.
Sure enough, the girls who had sent Amanatsu after me were standing right there, staring at me with their mouths hanging wide open.
(Serves you right. I completely crushed the spectacle you wanted to see.)
Snorting derisively as I walked past them, I flipped them off in my mind and headed down the stairs with light steps.
◇
The next day, during lunch break.
(She's definitely staring at me.)
As I chewed on my bread, Amanatsu kept shooting glances my way.
It wasn't just during lunch break; it had been like this ever since I arrived at school this morning.
Eating while someone is watching you makes food taste far more bland than you'd think.
She was probably hung up on what happened yesterday.
But as far as I was concerned, that was already water under the bridge.
Having her walk on eggshells around me was more of a nuisance than anything.
Standing up from my seat, I wandered around the school building in search of a deserted spot.
After confirming that the landing of the stairs leading to the rooftop door was empty, I sat down.
"Phew, finally I can eat in peace."
"...Hatsukade-kun."
"Whoaaa?! A-Amanatsu?!"
Standing just below the top step, Amanatsu was leaning forward with her hands planted on the landing, poking out just her head. Just how long had she been standing there?
"S-Sorry for scaring you!"
"...It's fine, but your entrance was so creepy you freaked me out."
"...I know, right? From your perspective, Hatsukade-kun, I must seem like an earthbound spirit."
"That's not what I meant."
Crawling up the stairs like Sadako, Amanatsu fidgeted as she pulled a piece of white cloth from her pocket.
"I wanted to return your handkerchief."
"Ah, is that why you've been staring at me all day?"
"...Y-Yeah. I guess so."
Amanatsu nodded, speaking hesitantly.
Despite declaring she wanted to return it, she remained clutching the handkerchief as if it were something precious.
"Are you mad about yesterday?"
"It pissed me off, but I'm not mad at you."
"You're really kind, Hatsukade-kun."
"...I'm not particularly kind."
"But you're still talking to me even after what I did."
"Don't get the wrong idea. The only reason I'm not mad is because the one who gave me the fake confession was you, Amanatsu."
"...Huh?"
"If it had been any other girl, I would've lost my mind on them."
In reality, I had planned to snap at Amanatsu too.
However, the major reason I held back at the last second was, after all, because it was her.
Looking down at me as I sat, Amanatsu's voice trembled faintly.
"Why only me...?"
"You... pulled a high school debut, right?"
"Heh-heh?! How do you know my secret when I haven't told anyone?!"
"I mean, it just oozes out of your everyday behavior..."
"N-No way..."
"For example, when other people are talking, you stay completely silent, but the moment your turn comes, you start rattling off words super fast. Conversations aren't turn-based, you know."
"Uuuugh!"
"Also, it's totally obvious you're overthinking reading the room. Real extroverts just do that naturally without even thinking about it."
"Haa, haa, haa..."
"And then you pretend to know all about trendy topics you have zero interest or knowledge in just to get laughs..."
"Stop, please! My HP is hitting zero?!"
Collapsing onto all fours, Amanatsu's complexion turned ghostly pale.
"I knew it... No matter how much sparkling gold plating I slather on, in the end, I'm just rusted iron..."
"Your self-esteem is way too low."
"Uuu... But how does me being a closet introvert tie into anything?"
"Simply put, I think it's amazing how hard you're trying."
"Me?"
"Even though you're clearly bad at it, you're proactively trying to blend into the class. That's something I could never do."
I had no desire to fabricate a version of myself that others wanted just to make friends. In fact, I found the idea repulsive.
That said, I wasn't arrogant enough to claim that my way was the only right way.
Simply put, everyone just chooses different pillars to build their lives around—that's all it is.
Looking at it from that perspective, I could feel a clear sense of resolve from a girl named Nakina Amanatsu.
Her flashy hair color, short skirt, glossy lipstick. Her desperate desire to be part of the glamorous crowd.
Even though she stuck out like a sore thumb within that group and had absolute trash-tier mental fortitude, her sheer grit in clinging to that status was worthy of praise.
"So, I respect you a little bit."
Without twitching her long eyelash extensions in the slightest, Amanatsu stared intently at me.
"F-From my perspective, you're a hundred times cooler, Hatsukade-kun."
"If that were true, I don't think I'd be a loner."
"T-That's just because everyone doesn't know your charms, Hatsukade-kun! If they knew, I'm sure they'd be deeply moved by how cool you are for never compromising yourself!"
"You're just compromising yourself way too much. I mean, Amanatsu, wouldn't it be fine if you just acted the way you are right now in class, too?"
"Why?"
"I think it's nice since you don't feel like you're forcing it. Also, sorry if this sounds blunt, but your face is the cutest in the class."
"Whaaat?!"
"What are you so surprised about?"
"No, no, no, I'm entirely artificial! If I stripped off my makeup, even my mom who gave birth to me through painful labor and the retired police German Shepherd we adopted wouldn't recognize me, going, 'Who the hell are you?!'"
"At that point, you could just live as a completely different person."
Stammering in flustered confusion, Amanatsu stood up, hurriedly fixed her bangs, and looked down at me with downcast eyes.
"Hatsukade-kun... you hate people who do fake confessions, right?"
"Of course I do. It's basically the same as bullying. It wouldn't be surprising if the person on the receiving end couldn't trust people for the rest of their life—I despise it."
"Right... of course."
Standing motionless without even blinking, the light gradually drained from Amanatsu's eyes.
Seeing her wear an expression so grave it became concerning, I hastily added another word.
"Like I said earlier, I'm forgiving it this time because it was you, Amanatsu. You don't need to worry about it, okay?"
"...Thank you for being so kind."
"Actually, why are you asking about that now?"
"No, never mind after all....After all, I don't have the right to do that anymore."
"Hey, are you okay, Amanatsu? Your face looks..."
"Sorry, I have to go now!"
"Hey, wait a sec!"
Shaking off my voice trying to hold her back, she wrapped herself in a pitch-black aura and whispered softly.
"...Nobody told me it would be like this."
Maybe I was seeing things.
But I felt as though a faint trace of tears had welled up in her dark, sunken eyes.
Making loud footsteps, Amanatsu's back vanished beyond the stairs in the blink of an eye.
In the now-quiet stair landing, my lonely voice echoed out.
"...What about the handkerchief?"
In the end, what did she even come here for?