章 963: Asada Shinichi is Tortured
For Shinichi, this wasn't really a confession.
Because they had already affirmed their feelings for each other and vowed never to give up.
Better to move forward with embarrassment than to have nothing beautiful and noble.
Therefore, this "proposal" was just his honest confession to the girls, an honest confirmation of their relationship, no longer ambiguous.
From now on, Shinichi became a scoundrel dating many beautiful girls.
From now on, he would build a harem in this real world.
From now on, he would no longer hide anything and would create the miracles that should exist for the girls he liked and loved.
Only verbal answers would be recognized as their response.
"Please make marriage a prerequisite and date me!"
And he would tell the girls openly and honestly.
Though nervous, Shinichi didn't think he would be rejected.
After all, they had already kissed each other, some even almost went further into adulthood prematurely. If still rejected, Shinichi would surely wonder if they didn't want him to take responsibility.
And if they didn't want to demand responsibility, wouldn't the bonds, discomforts, and conversations that happened in the past be meaningless?
So, he waited for the moment the girls took the ring from the box.
As he expected, the next second.
The feeling of something coming out of the box clearly reached his fingers, and Shinichi smiled and looked up.
The camera beside also captured some shots at the right moment.
"Asada-kun... Is this your 'surprise' today?" Chika whispered, her face flushed, holding back the emotions swirling in her heart.
She bit her lip hard, and her tone was slightly choked and trembling.
Shinichi felt a little pressured, but seeing her moved like this, he felt a sense of satisfaction.
"Not really... I just wanted to reassure you and let you trust me from now on."
"So, be my girlfriend, Chika."
"You've won the promised love war."
Chika shook her head, wanting to smile, but she only made a very strange expression.
"I didn't win… The condition for winning is I have Asada-kun all to myself, so now, it's clear you've won."
"...Then just treat it like this. Anyway, no matter who loses or wins, I'll make you happy."
"Um."
The hem of the wedding dress twirled, Chika turned around and sniffed.
With her back to Shinichi, she seemed to wipe her tears, and after she calmed down, she said something unclearly.
"Though sudden, let's solve the riddle first!"
"Huh?" Shinichi scratched his head helplessly and stood up from the ground, "This is indeed quite sudden… But what can I say, it's you as expected."
"I'll accept this praise first!" Chika raised her head and said with a very impressive look.
"Asada-kun, let me ask you, what is weightless fur?"
Shinichi stared at her slender back with a disgusted expression, "What is this person talking about?"
Though he didn't understand the question asked, he could guess Chika's thoughts, something even former student council members couldn't do, but he was already very skilled in it.
So after thinking for a few seconds, Shinichi answered very confidently.
"It's the free wings of the heart that do their best to do what you love and are not bound by others!"
"Pfft."
It seemed like there was a spurt of water from the direction of the photographer...
"Correct!"
"Pfft-!"
The photographer seemed unable to hold it anymore and buried her face in her knees while suppressing laughter.
Ignoring Kashima's laughter, Shinichi intended to ask about the reward for answering the riddle correctly, but Chika had already turned around.
Her face was filled with a sweet smile, and she reached out her slender arm towards him, and a shining silver ring appeared on the ring finger of her right hand.
"Ehehe~ I guess this is how you wear it?"
Shinichi was surprised, then he saw the happy smile on his face.
"Yes, if a girl wears it on her right ring finger, it means she's in love... So when you wear it." Shinichi said, holding Chika's hand.
"You're my beloved girlfriend—"
Before he could finish his words, he suddenly stopped as his hand felt empty.
Shinichi: "???"
Was Chika serious about taking a step back?
At this moment, his heart seemed to be pinched hard by Platinum Star. After freezing in place for half a second, he looked hesitantly at Chika who was avoiding his hand.
"Chika, you..."
"Ahem!"
Chika turned her face away from him, scratching her flushed cheek, and said softly:
"Um, Asada-kun~"
"Can you let me think about dating?"
Shinichi opened his mouth wide, not even feeling his jaw almost dislocated.
He showed a very surprised expression so he couldn't make a sound, and he stared in disbelief at the pink-haired girl in front of him covering her face with the hand wearing the ring.
Shinichi finally managed to regain his soul, his eyes trembling heavily a few times, and he managed to speak from his throat.
"Then, what does that mean..."
He thought they would be happy if he did this...
Initially, he thought his careful preparations were to declare happiness from now on...
Initially, he thought that after considering so many different confession sentences, what he could get in the end would be a happier moment than usual...
Why did it turn out like this?
"...Anyway, I'm sorry!"
Chika suddenly bowed and apologized, then ran away like a flying wedding dress with the hem of the dress in her hand.
"Wait, wait, wait…..."
Shouting like this, Shinichi didn't follow her.
It's not that he didn't want to chase after her, but now, all the strength in his body had been drained, he didn't even have the strength to stand still, and he held onto his knees weakly.
Seeing her figure disappear outside the church with wide and dim eyes, Shinichi opened his mouth, his thoughts confused, and his usual calm scattered.
"This development is wrong… why, did I do something wrong?"
"What should I do, what should I do..."
His mind was in chaos, and what made him even more nauseous and annoyed was that memories of the past suddenly surged like a high tide, increasingly hitting his mind.
At this moment, he saw the experimental shed.
He saw himself lonely all his life, he saw himself pale surrounded only by books, and he also saw loneliness as if imprinted on his soul.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and countless "Asada Shinichi" appeared in fragmented scenes like a kaleidoscope.
They were gone, they had rejected him countless times.
They chose a different path but headed towards the same ending.
They gained the knowledge they dreamed of, but they never got the happiness they deserved.
Why?
How could this happen?
What does it mean?
"Ugh—"
The sound of sorrow came from his chest, unconsciously Shinichi clenched his teeth, and breathed occasionally.
"Calm down, calm down, don't panic... Don't panic!"
That was just a vague answer, A man who fainted because of an unworthy word to bear his happiness.
Alone, Asada Shinichi was merely a puppet made of molten glass, fragile and empty both physically and mentally.
But his greatest fortune in life was meeting those girls.
It was precisely because of their support that glass could melt into steel and paper shreds could blossom into flames.
What was once fragile was no longer fragile, what was once empty was no longer empty...
Therefore, he was no longer the same person as before.
"...Everything will be okay."
Perhaps there are words that can save someone in this world.
His trembling almost subsided.
"Sigh..."
Slowly unclenching his fists, Shinichi lifted his face and patted his cheek twice.
His closed eyes slowly opened, he bowed his head again, and exhaled.
Though his thoughts still didn't function smoothly, at least he was calm.
Even though the images still flickered like snowflakes in front of his eyes as if the screen was overloaded, at least... It had nothing to do with him.
Shinichi would never let go of happiness from his grasp.
At this moment.
"The next bride is here."
Kashima's voice sounded, and Shinichi turned around and looked back, feeling grateful in his heart.
Kashima might not see his mistake now.
"...Hm?"
Leading a stylish girl with blonde hair and a side ponytail, Kashima looked at Shinichi standing at the other end of the red carpet, puzzled, then she realized something.
Just before she could take a closer look, she was tapped on the shoulder by the senior next to her, and at the same time, a cold and slightly mocking voice was heard.
"I didn't expect that guy to be so shaken up. Honestly, it's quite funny."
"Hayasaka-senpai..." Helplessly looking at the girl's whitened lips, Kashima-san said, "When you say this, can you not show a depressed expression?"
"...You're wrong, I'm tsundere." Her ears reddened, Hayasaka immediately changed her expression, "Take me to change clothes, Kashima-san."
"Yes..." As a response, Kashima sighed, casting a worried glance at Shinichi before leading Hayasaka to the changing room.
△
After Hayasaka changed into her bridal gown and came out, Shinichi stood behind the church, smiling as if nothing had happened earlier, albeit he was surprised when he saw her appearance.
"Ai, your hair..."
Her long golden hair, which, except when Hayasaka was in disguise, would only hang loosely when she was alone with him, silently hung behind her.
"Well, at such an important moment, it's natural to change your appearance." Hayasaka said casually, but unconsciously curled her hair with her fingers, and a clumsy red blush appeared on her face.
"Is... it good?"
Shinichi smiled, "More than that! It's so beautiful that I met a princess."
"Just a maid." Hayasaka rolled her eyes at him, walking with her skirt in hand, and before she could speak, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him firmly.
"Mhm!"
It wasn't a kiss meant to rub both of ears, but a method of communication conveying someone's feelings through actions.
Shinichi seemed to realize something. He widened his eyes in surprise, looking at her innocent yet focused expression, and responded stiffly.
About a minute later, Hayasaka pulled away, licked her wet lips, and slightly averted her gaze to Kashima, who was responsible for the photography.
Without saying anything, she quickly redirected her gaze back and said to Shinichi:
"Alright, let's start your performance."
"...I feel unappreciated."
"Appreciated?" Hayasaka rolled her eyes, "I just saw Secretary-chan... Chika. You came to us to experience a 'wedding' like dumplings. Is this what you call respect?"
"I'm so angry, when can we JK really stand?"
"..."
Shinichi fell silent for a moment.
Despite having many thoughts in his mind, Shinichi still followed his initial plan, confessing to Hayasaka, and handing her the ring.
Like Chika, Hayasaka accepted it with a smile, then said cruelly:
"I'll think about it again, sorry."
After sincerely apologizing, she turned around and walked towards the changing room, and at that moment, Kashima's voice was heard.
"Here comes the next one~"
Shinichi: "😐"
Although he noticed something in his heart, he didn't change his approach, he still greeted the "brides" with a smile, still said a different confession, and still handed them the ring.
Then, he still got similar answers.
Itsuki: "Um... Sorry, please let me think about it again!"
Yotsuba: "Shinichi-san, I really, really, really like you! But, when it comes to dating..."
Nino: "You want to date me? Not impossible. Let me think and observe~"
Ichika: "I really like this wedding dress~ Shinichi-kun, do you want to do something fun while wearing a wedding dress? Do you mean dating? Don't worry about trivial things like that~"
Rizu: "I also like Shinichi-san, but please let me think carefully about our relationship."
Fumino: "So, you called it your own mistake."
She extended her finger, gently poking his forehead, and laughed helplessly.
"Only by trying your best to control yourself, can you avoid going crazy'... Who said that?"
"Osamu Dazai, from No Longer Human."
Shinichi reflexively answered, and then the memory immediately came back to him.
The first thing he said to her was this.
However, now their roles were reversed, and their relationship was very different from the past.
"It's because you don't have self-control that this situation happened now." Fumino extended her hand again. Although there was a smile at the corner of her mouth, the pressure from her gaze was somewhat strong.
"You should reflect on yourself when you go back, idiot!"
"...Then, what about the relationship?"
"I'll think about it again."
Fumino stuck out her tongue, winked at him with a smile, then quickly walked towards the changing room.
On her finger was also a ring specially made for her. On the surface of the silver ring, there was a sparkling star-shaped obsidian.
Finally, Miku, wearing a wedding dress, slowly walked towards him.
"Shinichi."
"Miku..."
She stood in front of him, a thin smile appearing on her always mysterious face.
"Do you like me?"
"...Um."
"I like you too."
After a brief conversation, Miku extended her hand and said to Shinichi with a smile:
"Put it on for me."
Shinichi lowered his gaze and fell silent for a moment, then showed a relieved smile.
He no longer followed his routine and took out the ring from its box, then slowly placed it on Miku's right ring finger.
"Next time, the left hand..." She murmured as she looked at the ring adorned with a blue aquamarine gem.
Shinichi nodded and said nothing.
After he released her hand, Miku raised her gaze.
"Shinichi, lower your head."
Shinichi bowed his head as instructed, but Miku had no intention of kissing him. She merely pressed her cold forehead against his body and stared at him from a close distance.
"You asked that question first."
"Can you go out with me?"
"Let me think about it first."
"..."
Indeed.
"But..." Miku narrowed her gentle eyes and said with a smile, "Even if you don't say it, I will never leave you."
"So, you'll never, never, never..."
"It's not the same person."
"I will always, always, more than ever, be by your side."
"Asada Shinichi, I like you."
"From then until now, whether strong or weak, rejecting or accepting."
"Nakano Miku, I really like you!"
Although gentle, the voice was still full of strong will.
Although small, the determination still shone with a strong light.
"..."
Feeling captivated, Shinichi slowly closed his eyes, and for the first time, he relaxed his body under her support.
All the images that didn't belong to him had been completely shattered in his mind.
His mood became very peaceful.
Ah, what should he say now?
Sorry? Thank you? Nice to meet you? Do I like you more?
...It seems like there's nothing more to say.
So Shinichi reached out his hand and gently hugged Miku's body.
He smiled contentedly and said, "Maybe, this is what falling in love feels like?"
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