Chapitre 27: Chapter 27
"Um… Can you please not be so silly? I'll kill you."
"I don't need to be told that much!?"
Izumi-san is in a blatantly bad mood.
I'm sure she's surprised… But I don't think I should get killed!?
"To get such a brilliant and talented woman who is well known in other schools, Komori-san… What kind of hypnosis did you use on her?"
"I didn't use any!?"
"Then what is it about Komori-san that she fell in love with? Please tell me."
"Sadly, I don't know either!"
No, we were just a fake couple, so she never fell in love with me in the first place!
The proof is that to her, I'm just a servant.
…A servant…
It's still hard to bear when you hear that from someone face to face. I know it's a little overdue, but I'm still shocked.
"Ehh, then could it be–"
Izumi-san thought about something.
After all, it's hard for others, who don't know the truth, to believe in me and Natsukawa-san being a couple…
But I can't reveal the fact that we were a fake couple, so I have no idea what to do.
When I was troubled, Izumi-san looked somewhat apologetic.
"–Um, it may be cruel to say this to Komori-san, whom I've just met, but…"
"What?"
"I'm really, really sorry to say this, but…"
"I don't mind. Just say it."
"I see. Then I don't mean to be rude, but probably, Komori-san was…being two-timed by Natsukawa-san. And it was a cover."
A cover. The moment I heard that word, I felt as if my heart was being clenched.
I realized that I'm having a hard time breathing all at once.
"Wh-What do you mean…?"
"Everything I'm about to tell you is just a guess on my part."
I nodded.
"First of all, there is no one in my high school who doesn't know Kengo-san."
"That sounds like something I've heard before."
I don't need to tell you who that is. It's Natsukawa-san.
"I'm sure the girls at Komori-san's high school have heard of him at least once."
"Th-That's amazing…"
"Yeah, that's right. I really think that God is so unfair. Because Kengo-san is called an all-around genius."
On top of that, his appearance is on the level of a celebrity. Izumi-san also added that he's as tall as a model.
He's a mutant!
"Of course, Natsukawa-san is no less impressive. Komori-san himself must know very well that she is a high-class woman."
That's right. I really think God is so unfair.
"What do you think would happen if Kengo-san and Natsukawa-san decided to go out with each other?"
My heart is clenched in an instant. I feel like I'm being forced to confront something I've turned my back on.
"It would definitely be a big deal. Even the girls who like Kengo-san wouldn't keep quiet. They might even harass Natsukawa-san, who is in another school. Of course, the opposite is also true. If you were Natsukawa-san's boyfriend, you must have experienced this, right, Komori-san? At least I have. Unlike boys, girls' harassment is insidious, so it's been tough."
Somehow, I began to understand what Izumi-san was trying to say.
"So you're saying that by making a cover, the hate directed at Ohashi-kun was directed at me?
"It's just a guess, of course. But I'm saying that it's a possibility."
"..."
I pondered.
To be honest, Izumi-san's intuition made sense to me.
I don't want to believe that Natsukawa-san would prepare a cover, but the reality is that I was a servant.
I was thinking, 'If she had a real boyfriend three months ago, there was no need for us to be a fake couple,' but now that I realized she had a real boyfriend, it makes sense that she needed us to be a fake couple.
And as Izumi-san said, if Natsukawa-san and Ohashi-kun became lovers, it would be a big deal.
However, this hypothesis sticks more to some people than it does to me.
And all this applies to Izumi-san, too.
The psychological damage that Izumi-san, who really likes Ohashi-kun, suffers must be much heavier than mine, who was a fake boyfriend. I can't even begin to imagine.
"…You're very kind, Komori-san. You're worried about me, even though I speculated and told you something rude."
"Ehh, no, I didn't say any–"
"–That's exactly the reason. Like before, I thought you'd argue and say, 'Aren't you also used as a cover!?'"
Izumi-san bit her lips.
She's trying to hold back the tears that are threatening to overflow.
"To be honest, I'm no match for Natsukawa-san. There's no way I can beat someone with that much beauty and talent."
I was speechless. I couldn't really deny it at a time like this, which is probably why I'm a secondary character.
But that didn't mean I couldn't say, 'That's not true! Izumi-san has her own charm!' but that wouldn't make a difference.
Because that would be fake words for me, too.
I can't win against Natsukawa-san. I think that's close to the truth.
That's why I'm not kind or anything.
I'm just a screw-up. That's all.
"But there is one thing I don't lose to Natsukawa-san. It's my feelings for Kengo-san. That's the one thing I absolutely don't lose. That's why I won't give up. I will definitely turn Kengo-san around. So–"
Ah, what a strong girl she is.
While I was admiring her, she said something I couldn't believe.
"–Why don't we make a pact, Komori-san? I will definitely make Kengo-san turn to me. So, Komori-san, let's make Natsukawa-san regret her decision."
I was offered a cooperation that I never expected. In summary, it was a pact to get Natsukawa-san and Kengo-kun apart.
"I will fight to the end. Because I love him so much. I want to be the only one for him. I can't end up as a supporting character."
"Izumi-san…"
I sincerely hope that both Natsukawa-san and Izumi-san will be happy.
But the road ahead will be so narrow that only one of the two can pass through.
That's why it's hard for me to root for either side. It's painful, and it's sad.
However, I was attracted by Izumi's intense eyes, and I agreed before I could think it through.
"…Alright. I'll help you if I can."
"Thank you very much. Then I will make Komori-san a good man in return. I promise."
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone