Chapter 13: At the school gate, where I arrived after a restless night

As soon as we stepped out of the convenience store, we headed towards a nearby park. The term “nearby park” was a bit awkward.

It was the Takamari Academy Park. Owned entirely by the Takamari Foundation, it was a special area accessible only to students and authorized personnel. Essentially, it was the private property of the Asakura family, owners of the Takamari Foundation.

“Hmm hmm~”

And the eldest daughter of the Asakura family was none other than Asakura Mizuki, humming cheerfully as she led us to a bench.

“Here we are! It’s not a good look to be caught eating snacks like this. We can relax here.”

‘Isn’t this her family’s park? Will we really not be caught?’

Perhaps because I wasn’t close enough to Mizuki yet, I lacked the courage to voice this thought.

More importantly… I stared at the pudding in my hand and sighed. Did Hiiragi-senpai really like me? The idea of a boy liking me was still unbelievable.

“Rina, you’ve been looking down in the dumps,” Mizuki observed, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

I didn’t know what to say, so I just fidgeted with the pudding cup. Mizuki unwrapped her chocolate, her voice teasing.

“Rina, don’t overthink it~ He didn’t challenge you to a duel or anything. We’re just relaxing here, see? Cheer up~”

Was I really that gloomy? I hadn’t cried, had I? I forced a smile and peeled back the pudding lid.

“Here, here! Eat something sweet and feel better.”

“Yeah. Mmm…! This iced tea is so good!”

We settled on the bench, unpacking our convenience store snacks. I took a spoonful of pudding and…

Mmm…! The smooth, sweet flavor filled my mouth. It was as if the sweetness washed away all my worries.

‘Huh… I didn’t have such a sweet tooth in my previous life.’

Perhaps because I was now a girl, I craved sugar. I might develop an addiction. I finally understood why girls looked so happy while eating sweets.

Aya took a bite of her pudding, her face lighting up. “Wow, this is… really good.”

“Really? Let me try~ Ah~” Mizuki opened her mouth wide, her expectant gaze fixed on Aya.

Aya, without hesitation, scooped a spoonful of pudding and fed it to Mizuki. “Here.”

“Mmm~ delicious!”

…Huh? Wait… what? I froze, pudding halfway to my mouth.

‘Wait a minute, is that okay?’

My mind went blank, and my face flushed.

‘Am I… the only one who’s thinking about this? I-Indirect kiss?! Is this normal between girls?’

But Aya, unfazed, smiled and took another bite of her pudding. The Aya in the novel was an untouchable flower, but the Aya before me… was… kind! Well, in the novel, she was especially kind to the protagonist.

‘There weren’t any scenes of Mizuki and Aya alone together in the novel, so I didn’t know… Ahhh…!’

My thoughts were a jumbled mess. I took a bite of my pudding, but the sweetness was overshadowed by the scene I’d just witnessed. Mizuki, with a mischievous grin, held out a chocolate.

“Mmm~ I’m a chocolate person, after all. Rina, want one?”

“Uh… I’m oka—”

Before I could finish, Mizuki unwrapped the chocolate and popped it into my mouth.

“Mmm?!” The rich, sweet flavor exploded on my tongue.

Mizuki giggled, watching my reaction. “How is it? Good, right?”

I nodded dumbly, swallowing the chocolate.

‘I-Is this… normal?’

“Aya-ring, want one?”

“Thanks.” Aya took the chocolate, carefully unwrapped it, and ate it. After a moment of quiet contemplation, she said softly, “I understand why Mizuki likes chocolate, but it’s a bit too rich for me.”

“Aw~ but Rina likes it! Rina, want to convert to the chocolate faction?” Mizuki nudged my shoulder, grinning. I tried to maintain my composure.

‘Is this… how girls normally interact…?’

While I was being swept along by their casual physical affection, I didn’t dislike it. The atmosphere was comfortable, and I felt their warmth and genuine concern.

“…Hmm, I’ll think about it,” I replied.

Mizuki shrugged, feigning disappointment. “You think too much, Rina~”

Aya, smiling softly, asked, “Rina, how are you feeling now?”

“I’m feeling better!”

Despite the unexpected events of the day, I felt strangely lighthearted and content in this moment. I smiled, looking at them both.

****

The next morning.

Birds chirped outside my window. I woke up a little late, still drowsy, replaying yesterday’s events in my mind.

“Ugh, Aya…” I mumbled, burrowing deeper under the covers.

Just then, my mother’s voice came from outside my door. “Rina, don’t forget your gym clothes. You have P.E. today, right? Did you sleep well? You’re up late.”

“Yeah…”

“You need to eat breakfast. Come on, get up.”

I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed, ate the breakfast my mother had prepared, and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. I quickly washed my face and grabbed the bag my mother had packed for me.

Seeing the bulky bag containing my gym clothes, I sighed.

‘Ugh… P.E…’

Yes, today was P.E. day. And I was a girl now.

Which meant… I had to go to the girls’ locker room. And Aya and Mizuki would be there.

“Ugh…”

“Rina, are you feeling sick?”

“N-No! I’m going to school!” I blurted out, hurrying out the door.

Perhaps because I’d left a little later than usual, I didn’t run into Aya on the way to school. But I didn’t realize, at that point, what would happen if I wasn’t with Aya and Mizuki.

****

After a fifteen-minute walk, I arrived at school and headed straight for the gates. I’d intended to take my time, since I was still well within the time limit, but I noticed an unusual number of students staring and whispering.

“Isn’t that the transfer student everyone’s talking about?”

“Wow, she’s really cute.”

“I heard the student council is already trying to recruit her…”

“Shh, here he comes.”

I could feel their gazes, but their whispers were indistinct. I hadn’t slept well, and I felt sluggish and tired, my senses dulled.

‘Ugh… I shouldn’t have stayed up so late.’

The reason, of course, was Aya and Mizuki. The image of them sharing chocolate and pudding kept replaying in my mind. I’d tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.

‘Stop thinking about it! Stop thinking about it!’

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. But the whispers around me seemed to grow louder. And then, someone blocked my path.

“Kurosawa Rina-san.”

I looked up to see a boy with neatly styled brown hair. His eyes held a cool, dignified gaze. The impeccable state of his uniform and the name tag on his chest indicated he was a second-year. He held a bouquet of flowers and a small envelope.

‘This… this is… wait a minute, is this one of those confession events Aya always gets in the novel?!’

I was flustered, wondering if he’d mistaken me for Aya. But the boy stepped closer, his eyes shining.

“I’ve been… watching you ever since I first saw you, Kurosawa-san.”

“…Huh?!” I stepped back, startled.

Wait, was he confessing to me? Wasn’t this supposed to happen to Aya?!

‘Ah… in the novel, Aya was constantly bombarded with confessions…’

But I wasn’t the protagonist. I was just a side character… or was I? I had no idea why this was happening to me.

“Um… are you… sure you’re not mistaking me for Aya?”

The boy shook his head firmly. “No, I’m not. I’ve fallen for you, Kurosawa-san. Please accept my feelings!”

He held out the bouquet and the envelope. I inwardly cringed, shaking my head and backing away.

‘This… isn’t right!’

Just then, like a hero—or rather, a heroine—appearing in the nick of time…

“Rina!”

Mizuki’s familiar voice called out. She appeared from behind me and linked arms with me, her expression playful as she pulled me away.

“Aww~ Rina’s so popular~ Let’s do this later!”

“Wait, Mizuki?! No, it’s not like that…”

Mizuki dragged me into the school building.

“Sorry~ Maybe next time!” she called out to the boy.

The boy hesitated, looking disappointed, then stepped back. I was relieved to be rescued, but the encounter had drained what little energy I had.

“Phew… that was close,” I muttered.

Mizuki chuckled, looking at my relieved expression. “Rina, it must be nice to be so popular. Not everyone gets a confession from the ‘Violet Knight.’”

“I don’t know what’s going on…” I mumbled, practically leaning on Mizuki for support.

Wait, if he’s the Violet Knight… shouldn’t his hair be purple? The hair colors in this world were strangely realistic. Even Mizuki, who was supposed to have pink hair in the novel, had brown hair.

I tried to distract myself with these thoughts as we headed to the classroom. The day hadn’t even started, and I was already exhausted.