It was Monday morning once again.
In a low mood, as on every morning at the beginning of the week, I went to my seat and promptly plopped down, slamming my face on the desk.
My dejected attitude seems to have been like fish bait for a duo who are able to annoy me every day as much as possible.
This time was to be no exception, but I didn't have the willpower to avoid it.
Hey, Tatsuda! Another morning on the wrong foot?!
Right, right! Your expression is pitiful, Tatsuda-kun. You ate your breakfast properly, didn't you?
A handsome boy and an energetic girl approached me as soon as they could. I hadn't been able to introduce them, since as neighbours, they enter into mutual agreement on when to skip school.
They're quite a peculiar pair, if I'm honest.
My friends, Orimoto Taneda and his neighbour, Nakahara Yukina. The two of them are my classmates and my most loyal friends. Together we form the [Comedy Trio] of the class, that's been a fact since the first year of high school.
This group is proportional in all its glory. At first it was just a [Comedy Duo] between Orimoto and Nakahara, but as our interactions increased, they allowed me to become the third side of an equal friendship triangle.
In the face of your stupid comments this early in the morning... there's only one way I can refute...
─Are you starting to annoy me already? Oh dear, the pair of tsunderes come to bother me so early in the morning, better get a room and start working.
The expressions of the two became rigid.
I could see the red rising on their faces and they did nothing to stop it.
─What, what the...?! Me?! With this idiot?! Not even if heaven and earth were reversed! ─. That was Orimoto's reaction.
─I, it's the same with me! Me?! With this damn fool?! Ha, well, I'd rather love a pig! ─. I didn't really understand Nakahara's reaction.
They start to get nervous as soon as someone mentions something about what a good couple they'd make if they were together.
But the moment I do that, they flatly deny any feelings they have for each other.
I've been watching these interactions for three years... they're not going to fool me, the two of them are attracted to each other like a magnet to metal. It's impossible not to think they're a couple when you first meet them.
That's why I like to tease them like this, to return any harm that's directed at me.
─No, no! That's not the point! ─. Having realised that he was avoiding any other topic of conversation, Orimoto exclaims.
And as he should expect, Nakahara backs him up:
─That's right! What the hell, Tatsuda-kun! It's barely been a month since the "event" and you're already looking for another girl?!
Huh?!
Nakahara just said something interesting.
Where did you get that from...? I still haven't... done justice for her yet. Whatever they made you say, it's a misunderstanding. Touka-san and I only shared a hospital room for a while, so we didn't get along.
That's true.
I still haven't done anything to bring justice for the death of the one I might have once called my 'girlfriend'...
With everything that had happened in the last few days, I hadn't had time to think of a convincing way to do it.
Although with everything I had already planned beforehand, changing the main objective a bit to kill two birds with one stone at any given time isn't going to make a huge difference, let's say.
It might be... a little difficult...
But it's a battle that only Katagiri Touka can fight.
If she really likes me... I guess she'll be able to take care of the threat to herself on her own.
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It was a morning like any other...
But I was already tired.
What?
I spent the whole day playing with Manabu-kun, which led me to get a big collection of pictures of him.
But guess what?
The genius here spent the whole night masturbating and couldn't get a wink of sleep...
I have big dark circles under my eyes, I think I'm going to sleep in the infirmary when I have time to do so.
It's just that it's morning classes first...
Although I'm sure my expression is the worst I could imagine... I can't keep moving forward, because someone has stopped me in my tracks.
Katagiri-san, I have something to talk to you about.
A girl with short brown hair, big eyes and a small nose stands in front of me, preventing me from moving forward.
Who is she...?
From the tie she's wearing, I'm led to believe she's a girl in the same year as me.
Although I don't think I've seen her before... seriously, who is she? I haven't the slightest idea about her person.
Mm.
─Who are you?
I couldn't help but ask.
Whether I know her or not, I'm too tired to think of anything right now.
At the very least I want to say hello to Manabu-kun and I could give a shit about the rest...
So...
─I'm Manabu-kun's girlfriend, my name is Kotonoha. I wanted to ask you to stop harassing my boyfriend, Katagiri Touka-san.
...
Oh?
Kotonoha... Kotonoha...
His surname rings a bell from somewhere, from where?
Oh!
─Manaka... Kotonoha Manaka, right?
─That's right! Manabu-kun told you about me?!
─He did, he told me you're crazy!
─Right, I'm crazy-! Wait! He referred to me that way?! I'm his girlfriend!
His girlfriend?
No one would believe it.
Manabu-kun told me about her. Her name is Kotonoha Manaka, and she's Manabu-kun's childhood friend who's madly in love with him. I thought he was showing off when he told me about her, but after he told me the facts that led him to call her "crazy", I understood everything.
Even though Manabu-kun pretends to act like a person who doesn't know anything about it, he has every authority to accuse this girl of harassment and extortion.
He's not wrong at all.
She has perfectly manipulated Manabu-kun's family, planting her roots deep inside the house where they all live. She's gained the favour of the whole family, but it's only because Manabu-kun hasn't told them how scary that girl really is.
I think a good opportunity has presented itself.
I won't miss it.
─Ehh? Girlfriend? I doubt it... if you call yourself his girlfriend, I doubt you should do something like stalk him.
─I don't know what Manabu-kun told you, but I only care about him! It's absolutely nothing like what he thinks!
─Oh yeah? Kotonoha Manaka, because of you, Manabu-kun was hospitalized, you know?
─Don't think I don't know, you idiot.
Huh...?
Just now...
I felt a cold feeling run down my neck area.
I can tell just by looking at her expression. In a moment, she went from a normal girl's expression to absolute zero. The coldness in her gaze immediately transmitted in my direction.
I understand.
Right now she just thought, for a brief moment, of murdering me.
Oh, come on...
─Who do you think I am? ─. Kotonoha says, while grabbing my tie.
I see the intentions to kill me reflected in his eyes.
I can only...
Smile a little at this, because...
─Never threaten someone you can't kill, stupid. You have the makings of an assassin, but I think you lack a lot to even make a good kill.
My words, made this girl back down.
What does she know about death if she's never tried to kill herself in the past?
She doesn't know a fucking thing.
Nothing more than that was able to shake her defenses. Anyway, she doesn't know anything.
Not about me, not about Manabu-kun.
She doesn't know anything about the suffering we went through and overcame together.
But well.
Never mind... I have to go to class.
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It was lunchtime by then.
And once again... I found myself in a complicated situation after a very good time.
I never wanted to be cruel to anyone.
Not at all.
I'm just an ordinary high school kid who's good at writing and doesn't get much attention.
In the classroom, with all my classmates present, one of the most stupidly out-of-place scenes that has happened to me in a long time has been summoned to reality.
It's not... as if I stand out too much...
Nothing of the sort.
After all, it's not as if my good points are too attention-grabbing to say the least.
Manabu-kun, please come out with me.
Manaka's words shocked everyone who heard what she said. Just the last thing I would wish for...
─Come on Tatsuda, you have to answer her like I taught you! ─. Orimoto's voice sounds above all the others.
But... I can't help but turn my gaze towards Touka-san... who seems to be the one most shocked by Manaka's public confession.
Here we are in a dilemma.
I can't accept her. I like Touka-san, of that I'm one hundred percent sure. But I don't want to publicly reject her either, as that would make me lose a good point or two in my opinion.
On the other hand, I can't put my feelings first in this place. Admitting to everyone that Touka-san is the person I like would only make me look twice as horrible.
Orimoto and Nakahara would hate me if I did the aforementioned... they were friends with Matsushita-san's younger sister... that girl I might as well call my "girlfriend" without a problem.
Manaka must have calculated this in a way that would put my back against the wall. Because indeed, there's almost no way I can refuse if she proposes to me in the classroom.
Not if all the elements are gathered in the same environment.
But... it's an "almost"...
So I must respond to this in the way it is my place to do so. I must not think about it too much.
The only way to respond to this, is to make a sacrifice of my lady. But in order to do that, I have to make sure that everything is perfectly sugar-coated so that I don't make myself look like a horrible person.
I could say something like "I'm sorry, I don't love you" or reject her using the sword of guilt. But in this situation where there are several onlookers, I have to be gentle. Manaka... I liked her until I found out the truth about her... because of that, if she had proposed to me without me knowing anything about it, I might have fallen right into her trap.
But it's the opposite.
The complete opposite.
Manaka, you're a good girl. I know that everything you've done so far, is only for me, and I'm glad that someone would think that far of me.
─Yes! Everything I've done is because I love you!
"Then why didn't you let me be happy with Kuroha?"
That was what I wanted to ask, but I decided to spare myself the words. She doesn't deserve that.
I understand how much she loves me. She told me that without a bit of hesitation when I asked her about it that night, which I consider to be the reality of her feelings.
I will not deny the truth of them.
Of that I am sure.
I take a small breath of air, and prepare to sink like the idiot I am.
─You're good and all. My answer is, I'm sorry, but I'm in love with someone else.
Everyone held their breath at my bold statement of little sense.
What do you think of this move, Manaka?
A risky move, for the coming counterattack is something that will bring out a bit of my ruthlessness.
Orimoto and Nakahara may scold me later, but I'm going to sink you, Kotonoha Manaka.
Because there's no way you'll come out of this unscathed.
I understand, Manabu-kun... could you just tell me, who is the person you're in love with?
This is going to give a bit of collateral damage.
Sorry, Matsushita-san... I'm going to tarnish your name a bit.
─I'm in love with my editor. I'm sorry, but I recently found out that I'm a homosexual.
─What the...?!
The surprise came from everyone at the same time.
Of course, no one here knows Matsushita-san, the surname of the person in question is only known because I almost always mention it. In fact, even Touka-san doesn't know about Matsushita-san's appearance.
This is checkmate.
Since no one can prove that Matsushita-san is actually a woman, they can't get me out of it.
If you cannot discredit my assertion, it is Manaka's defeat. That's how simple it can be.
I don't mind... having to be that cruel...
After all, she's not someone who deserves even a bit of my pity, not after everything she did to Matsushita Kuroha. Someday I'm going to finish settling the score with this bitch and when that time comes, I won't have the slightest trace of mercy for her.
Manaka had no choice but to bow her head and retreat. I think I saw some small tears coming out of her eyes. I don't mind her crying.
I am particularly indifferent to her.
I don't care how she feels.
So no matter what... I was going to reject her.
I also don't feel any kind of guilt for rejecting her, so I'm going to go back to my friends and carry on as if none of this had happened.
─Wow, that was heavy, Tatsuda.
─Yes, Tatsuda-kun. You could have said it better...
Orimoto and Nakahara are the first to comment. It's a good thing they don't understand the reality of things, since they would hate Manaka with a higher proportion than me.
I pull out my mobile phone. I see that a message just came in.
- - -
[Touka]: I want to talk to you alone after school.
- - -
I could only reply with an "Alright" and go about my day as I'm used to doing.
Nah... I just don't like Manaka.
That was all I said.
I didn't realize at the time.
Of trouble that was going to happen from this.