It was my second day at the garden.
I was once again having lunch with Minami and Hina under the ultra curious eyes of the first year students.
Hmm, my Gaze Perception was picking up even more signals today.
Hmm, infact there were quite an extra number of students here.
It looks like me approaching the super-popular Minami had spread through the whole of the first years.
Heck there were even seniors here.
Some of these curious bitches really need to stop gossiping too much and focus on studying, and these boys really need to get a life.
I mean, as I was walking through the hallway, I felt malicious gazes.
Like Jesus fucking Christ, at least confirm my relationship with Minami before unilaterally assuming I am a cockroach of a childhood friend who is in love with her and sticking to her.
But for today, I am thankful for these people as they are needed to spread stuff about me even further.
I hear 3 pairs of footsteps approaching us.
And the show I designed with Tachibana yesterday starts.
"Yo Kazama, can I sit here?"
She points down on the spot right in front of me and sits down.
Huh?
What...
Once again, huh?
This wasn't in the script if I remember correctly.
Tachibana, I don't remember us yesterday talking about acting chummy in front of pretty much every boy and girl in the first year.
And if you're fucking gonna sit down anyways then why bother bloody asking me!
I look at her and she was looking at me with shiny eyes.
No way, no fucking way.
Yo Tachibana, stop fucking looking at me like I'm your prince in shiny white armour!
I don't even remember seducing you.
Heck, I've been ultra normal with her and even avoided flirting.
Was it the good first introduction?
Or was it the chill atmosphere we created every night where we wouldn't wear masks and just be ourselves for the last 3 weeks.
Surely it wasn't about last night because this show we are about to create was about establishing social positions for both of us.
I wasn't even unilaterally helping her.
It seems like she planned to get along as friends and secretly try to progress romantically.
Thankfully, I my eye sight is good enough to pick up micro-expressions that I might as well call it an Emotion Detector.
Oddly I wasn't able to pick this up when we talked at night.
Maybe it was because I always looked up at the sky instead of looking at her, but why would I look at her?
That would be like sending a wrong signal to her which I was trying to avoid.
Either way, I'll deal with this mess later.
For now...
"Yo, umm Akane Tachibana is probably your name? You can ask Minami and Hina if they have any problem. I don't really mind."
I refuse to recognise her.
Her eyes instantly dim.
No way, this is too much for me to deal with.
.
Thankfully before she could react we were called by someone
"Umm, Aoki, Hina and Kazama, can us three sit here?"
Someone asks politely as if to clear the awkward situation created by.
I look up and see a girl with long brown hair tied in a pony tail, with marine green eyes.
This must be Aya Amasawa, Tachibana's best friend, tennis club member and potential female lead too.
"Of course, please sit down Amasawa and Watanabe."
Minami ignored the awkwardness and welcomed them both.
Hmm, the other girl must be Rika Watanabe, who had purple hair of shoulder length and green eyes.
Yeah one look at this girl and I can see she's a fujoshi (girls who are interested in gay men, kind of like how boys are interested in lesbians ero-material).
While the 4 girls were getting chummy and getting to call each other with first names, Tachibana was looking at me with a gaze that would drill a hole in me.
I was casually looking down and eating my lunch in the meanwhile.
"... but Minami what is your relationship with Kazama?"
Amasawa asked Minami with bright eyes.
But...
"They are just family friends and aren't romantically interested in each other"
Tachibana answered before Minami could even open her mouth.
All 5 of us stared at Tachibana.
Amasawa and Watanabe stared at her as if to ask why is she the one answering.
Minami and Hina were staring at her as if to ask why does she know this.
And I am staring at her with frustration and anger while Tachibana is staring at me as if to show resistance.
Well doesn't matter either way.
I didn't explain the full plan yesterday, and thankfully so.
"Amazing Tachibana, I didn't expect you to know this."
I exaggerate and speak loudly to attract attention to myself and clear the awkward air.
"And I have a girl I like but it isn't that big of a secret so I don't mind if your curious friends ask you about it"
I continue and explain.
Now why have I done this?
Four reasons.
First, the girls in this school will be curious about me and the girl I like, her details and so on but this is only a short term effect.
Second, when I go to karaoke or outings, the girls won't perceive me as a potential partner, well most of them if we include some weird bitches might be turned on by NTR(act of stealing other's partners), and they will be more likely to turn to me out of all the other boys in class for something since I wont be lusting after them; this could allow me to be a potential mood maker which has quite the benefits since I would have a 'safe to interact' tag attached to me.
Third, the boys won't perceive me a threat for the most part but I will have to deal with some trouble if I actively interact and become friends with girls and make a shit ton of female friends which I absolutely don't intend to do since it would be troublesome to hear multiple women whining about each other.
And finally, this would be a veiled message to Megumi Todou (suspected protagnist's childhood friend's BFF) to not have thoughts about me; and now this veiled message also goes to Tachibana too.
Now all Amasawa has to do is spread these words.
With her credibility, I'm sure the job will be done and Amasawa, Tachibana and Watanabe have a better social position with this fresh gossip and connections to us three.
I put my headphones on, look down and start eating naturally as if I am not interested in any of them while ignoring whatever Tachibana might be doing.
✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
It is night once again.
I am slobbered on the stairs at the river bank enjoying the night sky.
Tachibana comes over and copies me like always.
There is silence.
But it is not awkward.
Tachibana seems to be grumpy at things not working out the way she wanted.
.
I know I didn't lead her on.
"I'm sorry, my life is too difficult at the moment."
But I still apologise.
"It might be years before I am even remotely in the mindset to care for someone considering I can barely do so for myself."
She doesn't reply but I am guessing she is listening properly.
"Therefore you are free to like me but I will probably not reciprocate."
Its not you, its me; a dazzling and beautiful being like you shouldn't be stained by a failure of a creature like me.
"I'm sorry, Tachibana."
I apologize once again.