บท 51: Alone
Onodera wasn't a nobody. While she wasn't the most popular girl, she also had a share of friends and popularity, especially when she attended the Shuchi'in Academy from kindergarten, so it was natural that many quickly noticed her story when she went on a date with Ishigami.
Ishigami Yuu.
All of them, especially girls, knew him well, but he was known because he was popular or handsome. Instead, he was known because of his infamy of being a stalker, vicious, and violent, but the truth was out, and everyone's perception toward him also changed.
Ishigami was innocent, and those two whose names were forgotten were criminals and also an ungrateful bitch.
Still, the world was like this: sometimes, you were at the top, and sometimes, you were at the bottom, being stomped like trash.
As for Ishigami, his fate was like a spring; as he was being pushed down lower and lower, he would jump higher and higher, reaching his peak, and when everyone saw his photo with Onodera on a date, many couldn't help but gaze over him and understood why Onodera decided to become his girlfriend.
At the same time, many thought that Onodera was quite cunning as she made a move when no one reacted.
Yet, romance is like war; everything is fair.
Onodera realized Ishigami's advantage before anyone else and confessed to him first, so when all of them realized everything, it was too late, and what they could do was watch them, feeling jealous and envious of how happy they were.
Still, while others could only congratulate Onodera on their hypocritical ways, some of them were truly happy and a bit curious, as many of them didn't have experiences with love.
Nevertheless, watching all the notifications, Onodera felt a bit regretful about showing off and decided to ignore all of them since if she talked to them, she knew well that they would continue to talk for so long that they might bother her date with her boyfriend.
Meanwhile, Ishigami was troubled by the chats sent by Kobachi, but like Onodera, he pretended that he didn't see anything and continued the date.
As for Tsubame, she was quiet, but it was normal since she hadn't woken up from her sleep and was exhausted after teaching Ishigami gymnastics.
Naturally, Chika also saw the lovely picture of Ishigami and Onodera. It didn't take much time for her to know who Ishigami's girlfriend was, as her junior on the Tabletop Gaming Club was Ishigami's classmate, and with her connection, she quickly followed Onodera, yet she started to regret her decision, especially with how show off this girl was, and when she saw Ishigami's gentle smile.
"....."
Chika felt her heart was torn and couldn't help but mock him to make her feel slightly better.
"You are such a simple guy..."
Yet, even if Chika said those words, she could tell that Onodera's feelings toward Ishigami were genuine. After all, if a girl didn't like a guy, then would they even go out with them or upload his picture on her social media? It was because they did all of that that she showed that she was taken and that she enjoyed her relationship with him.
Frankly, she should have wished for his happiness, especially when she knew his struggle, and as he found his happiness, she should have congrats on him, but... but...
As she kept staring at his picture and subconsciously ignored Onodera by his side, suddenly, a notice appeared, and she got a call from her best friend.
Unlike before, when she took the initiative, this time, she hesitated for a while before she answered the call.
"Kaguya-san?"
"Fujiwara-san? What's wrong? You seem down."
Even if they didn't see each other's faces, from Chika's voice, Kaguya could tell that Chika appeared to be down. "You are going on a date with Ishigami tomorrow, right? Or you don't want to go?"
As Chika hadn't said anything, Kaguya couldn't help but blurt, which made her realize that she made a blunder, but Chika didn't seem to realize it and said, "Kaguya-san... what should I do?"
"What's wrong again? Did he deceive your innocent and pure heart again?" Kaguya thought that Chika wanted to act like a victim again.
"No, it's just... it seems he has a girlfriend now."
"....."
"Kaguya-san?"
"Sorry, I didn't catch what you said before, Fujiwara-san."
"Oh, Ishigami has a girlfriend now."
"...is that you?"
"No, it's someone else."
If Ishigami chased after her, Chika felt that they needed to take their time, and probably a month or two, then they could think about what kind of a relationship they wanted to take.
If their relationship was suitable, then... she might not mind being with him, but she realized that everything was just her whim, a wish that never existed to begin with, as someone made a move without etiquette and dropped a bomb directly, which made her helpless.
Her pride made her wish to forget about everything since she knew well that she didn't lack suitors, but her heart said otherwise.
She still wished to be with him, even if she knew that he had a girlfriend. More importantly, in this world, there was nothing permanent, and someday, Ishigami and Onodera might break up.
At the same time, if Onodera could steal Ishigami, then couldn't Chika do the same?
However, Chika hesitated since while she often cheated in many games that she played with everyone, she wasn't a bad girl who would steal someone's boyfriend. Moreover, even if she had confessed to him, she had told him that she didn't expect anything from him.
Still, she really didn't know what to do.
The talk, laugh, fun, and time they shared were real.
Even now, she still remembered everything, and at the same time, when she thought about how Onodera would enjoy Ishigami's abs, which he trained hard, her stomach churned, and her heart felt like being stabbed, and she felt so uncomfortable, so when Kaguya came to her, she couldn't help but tell her everything, from how the interaction they exchanged from the student council room, their daily chats, date plan, his confession that he had a girlfriend, and also her confession that told him that she loved him.
"Kaguya-san, what do you think I should do?"
From the beginning to the end, Kaguya never said anything, but when Chika finished her talk, she gathered her emotions for a moment and said, "You are going on a date with him tomorrow, right?"
"Yes..."
"Then, use that chance to determine your feelings."
"I see!"
Chika didn't expect Kaguya to say something useful to her, but she was glad that she talked about her problem with Kaguya.
Yes, she didn't know what to do, but there was no need for her to determine everything now, right?
Let's just wait until tomorrow when she goes on a date with him.
If her feelings for him were nothing but just momentary interest, then as long as Chika waited for a while, everything should subdue, but if it was real... she really wondered what to do.
Chika was lucky since she had a best friend to talk to, but another wasn't so lucky since this girl was all alone.
Inside a dark room without windows, surrounded by large bookshelves, a single girl lay on the large teddy bear doll as she stared at her smartphone, which was the only source of light inside her room.
On her smartphone, Onodera uploaded his photo, and her eyes never moved. She kept staring at him until her hand moved toward her lower body hesitantly and slowly before she touched a part that made her body jerky as she cried his name softly.
"Ishigami... Ishigami... Ishigami..."
Her eyes never looked away from his photo. She called his name before her petite body trembled and curled tightly within the embrace of her teddy bear doll.
Her emotions were a mess; she felt empty, yet somehow, she was calm as she continued to stare at his photo without looking away in this dark, quiet room alone.
---
"...."
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