Takeshita—or whatever her name was—kept saying such bizarre things that I couldn't help but snap at her. I really needed to stop talking to girls like that.
I let out a sigh, trying to settle my nerves. "Anyway, I'll teach you. That good enough for you?"
"…R-Really? Is it really okay?"
"Don't make me say it again. It's fine," I replied, nodding in exasperation. "Just think of it like being on the Titanic. It’s a luxury liner, right?"
"It sinks at the end, though."
Takeshita’s expression grew conflicted. "Don't say things that make me anxious all of a sudden…"
"Sorry, sorry. I was just trying to lighten the mood with a joke."
Plus, I had a desperate urge to end this unproductive conversation as quickly as possible.
"Thank you so much. Having you as a tutor is like having the strength of a hundred men, Yamamoto-kun."
"That’s right, isn't it? Despite how I look, I’m good at teaching others."
Back in high school, when I tutored Kasahara, she used to say, "Wow, my boyfriend is such a good teacher! It’s just a shame he’s so arrogant about it!"
Even lately, while I’m helping Hayashi with her bookkeeping exam, she’ll tell me, "You’re so good at teaching, so why are you so clueless about how people feel?"
Regardless! The consensus from those around me was that my ability to teach was exceptionally high.
Everything else about me was catastrophic, of course.
"…Come to think of it, that girl from before," Takeshita muttered, as if the thought had just occurred to her. "That was… Kasahara-san, right?"
"Yeah, that’s her. You’re well-informed."
"Of course I know her… Everyone says that if she entered the university Miss Contest, she’d win for sure. The guys in my circle were always talking about how there was an incredibly cute girl in our year."
"…Huh."
For some reason, I didn't find that particularly interesting to hear.
"Hey, Yamamoto-kun?"
"What?"
"What’s your relationship with her?"
I found myself at a loss for words. Seeing my hesitation, Takeshita sensitively picked up on something.
"No way… is she your girlfriend?"
"No."
I answered instantly. At least, not anymore.
But damn it—I was still thinking in a way that dragged up the past.
"Ehh…"
Takeshita, looking somewhat brighter than she had a moment ago, peered into my face.
"What now?"
"Then why were you together earlier?"
Come to think of it, Hayashi made this exact same face whenever she was probing into my love life. It was the kind of look I didn't particularly enjoy seeing—like a mischievous brat plotting something wicked.
"We went to the same high school. We’re just old acquaintances."
"Hmm…"
Takeshita seemed dissatisfied, but perhaps deciding the explanation was plausible enough, she didn't interrogate me further. Maybe she thought it was more realistic than the idea of her and me being together.
"Hey, Yamamoto-kun."
"What?"
"Do you have a girlfriend right now?"
"Do I look like I have one?"
Was this conversation even necessary? I considered saying as much, but I didn't want to cause another strange misunderstanding, so I kept my mouth shut.
"I think it wouldn't be strange if you did."
"I don't. I really don't."
"…Heh, I see."
It felt strange to be having romantic talk with a girl I wasn't even close to. It was actually getting awkward. Was the lecture going to start soon? I glanced at the clock, but there was still plenty of time.
"Hey, Yamamoto-kun?"
"What is it this time?"
"You're lying, aren't you?"
"I’m not." I let out a heavy sigh. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Yup!"
With a charming smile, Takeshita started acting strangely. I had given her a straight answer, but her face said she didn't believe a word of it.
She sulked when I said I wouldn't teach her. She got flustered when I said I would. And now that the topic had turned to romance, she looked happier than she had all day. She was a woman with intense emotional swings.
Perhaps the "pitiful" environment she had been stuck in had influenced her. She could find joy in the smallest bit of fortune and seemed to delight in finding reasons to tease others. If that was the case, she was a remarkably simple-minded person.
Well, since she’d clearly gone through enough misery for even me to feel bad for her, I figured I’d play the fool for a bit.
…But at the same time, a slight sense of dread crossed my mind. This girl was the personification of misfortune. If a small bit of happiness were to befall someone like her… wouldn't a massive wave of misfortune be right around the corner?
I had a very bad feeling about this.
With a dull creak, the door to the lecture room opened. There was still time before class, but it seemed another student had arrived.
"…Ah, there he is."
It was a familiar voice. One I had heard every single day lately.
I was sitting in the very front row with Takeshita right beside me. When I met the eyes of the girl standing by the door, she was smiling at first. But a moment later, she turned a freezing gaze toward me.
"Yamamoto, you forgot your lunch, didn't you?" the girl said.
For some reason, her voice was like ice. I couldn't even manage a reply. The girl walking toward me possessed an overwhelming pressure that allowed for no excuses.
"…And?" the girl smiled. "Who is she?"
Takeshita, sitting right next to me, was suddenly on the verge of tears.
Watching this "heroine," I was starting to lose track of what it actually meant to be a "Queen."