章節 94: The Crucial Step (1)

Lunchtime.

Please do not blame me for that sudden announcement. I know it is a bit fast, but then again... after all of the struggle, it makes sense a lot of time has passed unbeknownst to all of us. While spending time with the bookworm, I did not care how long everything took. Kurokawa clearly did not care about it, either. She was too occupied with me, and I was too busy trying to think of stuff to persuade the bookworm to not jump off the rooftop and kill herself.

Not until the school bell rang did we notice it had been so long already. Coincidentally, its familiar chime was the thing that woke me up from the vision of an ending scene with Kurokawa by my side, saying her precious wedding oaths.

Under a destructive thunderstorm and dust devils made of corroded material, my ring finger was wrapped by a thin strip of white bandage to create a makeshift betrothal ring. Stupid as I was, there were hardly any fancy words I could use to describe it except for the cutesy butterfly knot on top.

The white cloth ring was simple. It was cheap. It was something that anyone could do within a few seconds. And the material used was not something considered extravagant.

Yet, to me, it was magical.

Although made of nothing special, its weight was more than any gold and diamond could ever be. Even when presented with money and treasures equal to an entire planet, I would still not trade the thin fabric on my finger.

Albeit unexpected, it...moved me.

No. "Move" was not the right way to put it. It undoubtedly did something to my core and, at the same time, shook me vehemently. That vivid image of Kurokawa holding my hand with nothing except happiness in her eyes touched me in ways I could not yet explain.

Although everything around our bookworm was slowly turning into dust particles, flashes of fulfillment in her emerald green eyes and the gentle touch from her tender hands told me the story of a girl who found the meaning of her life at long last. Her hand exuded a loving warmth capable of melting the coldest glacier. And her grasp, even though light, was more influential than the strongest of binds.

At that place, and at that time, clearly, Kurokawa had no regrets. Maybe there was still a lingering fragment of it somewhere in her heart, but the precious bookworm did not show it once in front of me. She seemed to have achieved her most desired objective in the world, and that alone was enough.

Sadly, the fluffy sensation inside my chest due to Kurokawa's touch was more than my side-character brain could ever describe. It was so passionate yet distant, so emotional yet brief. It was similar to those beautiful dreams where one would want to fall back into slumber to return to it but unable to do so no matter how hard they try. Or, better put...a fleeting comet that barely grazed the earth's atmosphere, a magnificent sight hastily showed and disappeared into the great beyond once more.

However, if I thought too deeply about what I saw after Kurokawa's kiss right now, it would take all the time I had. Do not get me wrong, I wanted to sit idly to reminisce about that ending scene. There was just a tiny issue.

The effect of it was monumental but ambiguous. Rather than giving me answers, those visions only brought me more questions about the origins of those images. They all made me want to find out what really happened there. Because of this reason, I decided to put it aside to wait until there was a 'me' time. Then, I would start to think of that in depth.

Now. As for the other two...

"Hello there!" Rachel smiled like a little devil after I opened the door behind me. She even waved her hands merrily without guilt for being found listening in on our conversation.

"Hello..." Laura tried to act tough by putting up her serious face, but the blush on her cheeks and ears betrayed her. Unlike her other friend, the class rep knew the nature of what she did. She merely did not admit it.

"Generals! Is it me you're looking for?" Looking at the two little devils, I sighed. I knew those girls would find ways to eavesdrop, but I would not have guessed Laura and Rachel would sit directly behind us.

Well...to be more exact, I vaguely thought Blondie would be there, but not the class rep. It seemed someone had been an influence between the two.

"Ehehehe!!" Rachel squinted her eyes. "I brought lunch!" The housewife then raised her ridiculously big lunchbox up high with one arm. Even though I was used to such a sight, I still could not help but admire the superhuman ability inside her tiny body. The box was almost the size of my torso, for goodness' sake.

"Ahahaha..." And Laura laughed wryly. But after a quick second, she straightened her back. "I'm here to check up on my boyfriend. I think I have the right to that as your one and only girlfriend. On the other hand, both Rachel and Kurokawa have no reason to be next to you."

There was nothing I could say after that. The class rep activated the girlfriend-rights trap card, and I had nothing in my hand to counter such a powerful effect. If anything, I was in the wrong for letting someone else kiss me again...

And since they were already there, there was no need to call them. Thus, we decided to spend our lunchtime together as a group. Of course, Han was not allowed to be among us. He was probably sent to his pals: A and B.

Honestly, I felt like the protagonist has been appearing less and less... It started with just our class rep paying attention to me rather than Han, and I seriously thought that was the end of the strange circumstances of this iteration. Still, with the situation going bonkers, Han's role as the one and only leading character has been stripped away slowly...by me...

Han was cucked.

Wait! Hold on! This world was not that kind of eroge!

Sorry, friend... I did not know what else to do. It was not like I was actively trying to get closer to these people. They were the ones who got close to ME!

Then again, I did try to do things for them, too.

Hmmm...

Perhaps I should take fifty percent of the blame. The rest can be divided equally amongst all of the three girls.

Not going to lie, but I was somewhat ashamed of stealing the man's spotlight. This world was supposed to be his, after all. He was the savior of everyone, the guy with ladies' luck, a sweet poison considering the nature of the girls. Yet thanks to a goddamn miracle that should not have existed in the first place, the pedestal was under my feet.

Regardless, that should be enough for a background check and continuity's sake. It is about time I get back to the present.

So, if you are still there, guess where we are currently? Did you say the rooftop? Then you would be technically correct. The best kind of correct.

"Thank you for waiting." I greet Rachel and Laura after coming back up here. Kurokawa and I just got downstairs to be in the infirmary for a little bit.

Next to me, the bookworm is in much better shape than before. First and foremost, Kurokawa has had the chance to clean up her face. Secondly, her wounded arm has been patched nicely with bandages.

"Hi, Rachel. Hi, Laura." The bookworm deliberately waves her bandage-covered arm rather than her good one.

After so many years of struggling to keep myself and others alive, I have perfected the art of bandage-wrapping. On her hand, each medical fabric part accurately covers half the length of its prior part, creating an X shape pattern around her thumb. And near her wrist, a cutesy butterfly knot was added. At first, I did not want to do anything unordinary for her arm. But she wanted a special touch on it, and somehow the wedding ring in my vision suddenly popped up.

I swear it did not mean anything weird. I only wanted to make Kurokawa happy. Serious! I swear on my mum's life!

"This is what C made. Cute, right? Our boyfriend definitely has some hidden crafting skills!"

"Our boyfriend-what-now?" I blurt out immediately. If I had eyes, they would have popped out of the sockets at lightning speed. "When? How? Why? I don't remember a thing!?"

"You're not denying it, C." Instead of answering my flurry of questions regarding her peculiar statement, the bookworm's lips curve slightly upward.

...

It is true...

I did not deny it.

Why, though? I should have denied it instantly. Why could I not say those words?

"Excuse me?!"

Upon hearing Kurokawa's bombing words, Laura's temples twitch violently. As the hair on her head stands up, her glares appear to have the ability to kill someone in this instance. Fortunately for me, that killing stare is directed toward Kurokawa. Still, even when I am only the collateral damage, the chills on my spine are nothing to be taken lightly.

"Ah! I love some nice oolong tea before a meal. The cold temperature around us sure makes a good moment to drink something warm!"

However, contrary to our class representative's response, Rachel sips a container with both hands while smiling happily. The pressure Laura releases means nothing to her. In fact, she looks like she is enjoying it. "What are you two waiting for? Come! Sit down with us! Don't worry about the class rep. She doesn't mean anything bad. She's only a little cranky because you, Kurokawa, kissed C."