"S-Something... good? What do you mean by that?"
I gulped, asking the question with a tense expression.
"Well... I guess you could call it Yuria's secret?"
"A secret?"
What kind of secret? Her measurements or something? My perverted brain was clearly getting ahead of itself.
If I found out this secret, would I finally understand what she meant this morning when she told me she’d 'memorized it'?
"Yuria is basically always with me and the others at school, right?"
"Eh? ...Ah, now that you mention it, I guess so."
Whenever I spotted Yuria Ichinose at school, she was always with either Miyama or Kuroki from their trio of beauties. Come to think of it, I’d rarely ever seen her alone.
"It’s not just at school, either. We’re together the whole time on the way home, too."
"Isn't that just because the three of you are close?"
"That’s part of it, of course, but the truth is... Yuria is actually a very lonely person."
"A—A lonely person!?"
That Yuria Ichinose was a lonely person? Even though she was a downer gyaru who always looked like everything was a massive drag?
"When Yuria’s alone, she always gets this dejected, puppy-dog look on her face. She’s actually the one who always invites us to hang out after school because she hates being by herself, and she’s the one who always comes over to our desks during breaks. She’s been stuck to us like glue since our first year."
What was with that gap? That was unfairly cute.
Even I couldn't help but feel the charm of such a stark contrast in her personality. To think that the lethargic, aloof Ichinose had such a needy side to her...
"But you see, that’s actually a problem for you, since you want to ask her about what happened this morning, right?"
"I... suppose so."
"I mean, if we’re always around, it’ll be hard for you to bring it up. And Yuria will have a hard time talking to you if Rui-chan or I are right there, wouldn't she?"
"T-That... is true."
"And that’s why! To help you get some time alone with her, I’ll tell you about a certain place Yuria often goes to by herself. Why don’t you head there and try asking her directly?"
I see... so that's what she meant by 'something good.'
Even if I knew where she was, the hurdle for a bottom-tier loner like me to have a one-on-one conversation with a popular girl was incredibly high.
(If this was how it was going to be, I honestly might have preferred knowing her three sizes over her secrets...)
"Ah! You have a face that says talking to her is impossible!"
"Because it is impossible."
"Ryouta, you want to know what she meant by 'I memorized it,' don't you? If you do, you have to talk to her one-on-one."
"T-That might be true, but... between knowing that and having to talk to Ichinose alone, the trade-off just doesn't seem worth it."
"Sigh..."
Seeing me lose my nerve, Miyama let out a heavy sigh.
"Seriously!! If you’re going to keep complaining like this, I’m never going to speak to you again!"
"I-I mean, I don't really mind either way."
"No, that’s where you’re supposed to argue! Don't just accept it!"
Airi Miyama was officially losing her cool.
She seemed to be under some kind of misunderstanding. It’s not like I particularly wanted to become friends with the school’s beauties (though I did view Miyama’s chest with a certain level of interest).
"Listen, Ryouta. We finally got seats near each other, so let's all try to get along, okay?"
"B-But. I’m the exact opposite of someone like you, Miyama."
"...I don't know how you feel about it, but after talking to you yesterday, I decided I wanted to be your friend."
"M-Miyama..."
"I realized that even though you’re gloomy, an otaku, and have a slightly creepy way of looking at people, you’re actually a sincere guy at heart."
It sounded like she was trying to praise me, but the fact that the insults outweighed the compliments was hard to ignore.
"T-That's why I want Yuria to get along with you, too... I just really don't want the two of you to have a bad relationship."
Miyama's words weighed heavily on me. To think that someone as popular as her was actually worried about someone like me...
"In that case, wouldn't it be easier if you just mediated between us?"
"I don't want to do that. It sounds boring."
"W-What?"
"Alright, Ryouta! It’s time for Operation: Get Along with Yuria!"
"Give me a break..."
I couldn't help but feel like I was just a toy for Miyama's amusement.
After school that day.
I took the train and arrived at the location Miyama had described.
"So this is it... the neighboring town's arcade where Ichinose hangs out alone."
I stepped into the game center, which was located inside a commercial complex attached to the station.
At that moment, I was completely off guard. I had no idea about the shocking truth that was waiting for me there—