Chapter 121: Ichinose Honami's Confession?
Kikyo wrapped herself around Yuto's arm with a sweet, excited smile.
"Yuto, you were so impressive just now! You frightened that person away with only a few sentences."
"He simply didn't know how to refute me." Yuto shrugged. "Besides, his argument couldn't stand. If we judge only by class points, Class D truly is at the bottom."
"But if we look at quiz scores, many Class D students scored above eighty, while Class C performed terribly, with most of them hovering around fifty or sixty."
Class C's quiz results were far too mediocre, with barely any outstanding scores. Class D was the opposite—their highest scores were extremely high, while their lowest were abysmal, creating a clear divide.
"And if we judge by athletics, no one can defeat you, right?" Kikyo asked playfully, winking at him.
"Yes, yes." Yuto looked toward Suzune. "You should continue studying. I won't disturb you any longer."
"Mm." Suzune lightly nodded.
Kikyo glanced at the unusually obedient Suzune. That cold and arrogant woman was actually listening so readily—could she have fallen for Yuto too?
Yuto looked toward Sudo, Ike, and Yamauchi. The three avoided his gaze and glanced around, showing no intention of thanking him for resolving the confrontation.
Yuto could not be bothered reminding them to study. After saying goodbye to Kikyo and Suzune, he headed back toward Kei.
However, halfway there, a beautiful girl with striking strawberry-blond hair stepped in front of him.
Yuto smiled at Ichinose Honami. "Ichinose, where's your little follower?"
"Shiranami? She... had something to do, so she isn't with me." Ichinose's eyes showed hesitation and discomfort.
"Hmm?" Yuto studied her unusual expression. "Did something happen? Tell me. I'll help if it's within my ability."
A delighted smile appeared on Ichinose's face. Being treated with concern by Yuto made her feel comfortable.
Yuto had a fairly good relationship with Ichinose, a genuinely kind little angel whose inner self matched her outward personality. He also intended to bring her into the student council as his helper once he joined.
So if Ichinose encountered difficulties, Yuto was willing to assist—provided it was something he could actually solve.
"I really do have something I need your help with, Shimizu-kun. May I ask you a few questions?" Ichinose asked sweetly.
"Of course."
"Then come with me. Let's sit down before we talk!"
"Okay."
Ichinose seemed genuinely anxious. She hurriedly pulled Yuto by the arm until they reached an empty area with fewer students, then released him as a faint blush appeared on her face.
"Sorry, Shimizu-kun. Just now, I..."
"There's no need to apologize. Tell me what happened."
Yuto sat down, and Ichinose took the seat beside him.
"Shimizu-kun, I wanted to ask..." Ichinose took a deep breath.
Her ample chest, constrained by her school uniform, rose slightly, making the buttons look as if they were about to burst.
"Have you ever been confessed to by a girl?"
"Huh?" Yuto looked stunned. He had not expected Ichinose to ask such a question.
Scratching his cheek, he answered, "How should I put it? Quite a few times, I suppose."
"That makes sense. You're extremely capable and handsome, Shimizu-kun, so naturally many girls would like you," Ichinose said with a soft smile.
She suppressed the inexplicable disappointment rising inside her, then quietly continued, "Someone asked me to meet behind the gym at four this afternoon. I believe she intends to confess to me."
"I see."
Yuto could easily understand why. Ichinose was beautiful, charming, and kind enough to be called a little angel, so naturally she was extremely popular.
"Shimizu-kun, look. This is the confession letter she left in my shoe locker."
Ichinose took a letter from her uniform pocket. The envelope was pink and decorated with a cute heart-shaped sticker, making it obvious that it was a confession letter.
Since Ichinose offered it to him, Yuto accepted the letter and read its contents.
[I've been interested in you since the day we enrolled.]
[I recently realized how I truly feel.]
[I would like to meet you behind the gym at four after school today.]
[Please make sure you come.]
The handwriting was delicate, elegant, and extremely beautiful.
Yuto muttered subtly, "Why do I feel like this letter was written by a girl?"
Using pink stationery for a confession letter was understandable, but the writing was so delicate that it did not resemble a boy's handwriting.
Ichinose looked at him admiringly. "As expected of you, Shimizu-kun. You immediately realized a girl wrote it."
"Huh?" Yuto stared at her in surprise. "You mean this letter was written to you by a girl?"
"Mm."
"So a girl wants to confess to you?"
"Mm..." Ichinose's pretty face showed distress, while Yuto's expression became complicated.
Girls loving girls might be wonderful, but they could not have children together.
"Still, how did you confirm that a girl wrote it?" Yuto asked.
"I don't mind telling you. You'll keep it secret for me anyway."
Yuto helplessly shook his head at Ichinose's trust. This little angel trusted people far too easily and might suffer because of it someday.
"I recognized the handwriting. It obviously belongs to Shiranami."
"Shiranami Chihiro? Your little rabbit-like follower?" Yuto asked instinctively.
"Yes, the girl you always enjoy frightening whenever you see her." Ichinose gave Yuto a reproachful look, seemingly blaming him for constantly teasing Shiranami.
"I never expected that."
Yuto looked genuinely surprised. Shiranami seemed timid, yet she had ignored gender and possible rumors to confess directly to Ichinose. Yuto admitted he had underestimated her.
"But this letter might not necessarily be Shiranami's confession. Perhaps she wrote it for some boy."
"That's possible, but it isn't particularly important. I don't intend to accept anyone's confession. Right now, I only want to reach Class A with everyone," Ichinose said softly.
She looked toward Yuto. "I don't want to date anyone, so I'll reject the confession regardless of who it is. But I don't want to hurt them either."
"You've received many confessions from girls, haven't you? Could you tell me how to reject someone without hurting them?"
"Let me think..." Yuto rubbed his chin.
Although Yuto already had three girlfriends, he had never actually rejected a girl's confession. Airi, Kei, and Kikyo had all become his girlfriends.
"I'm afraid I can't answer that. Every girl I rejected ran away crying, cut ties with me forever, and refused to remain friends," Yuto lied with a perfectly serious expression.
"I see..."
Disappointment appeared on Ichinose's face. She quietly touched Yuto's handsome face, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Then, Shimizu-kun, could I ask you for a favor?"
"Go ahead."
"I searched the library for ways to reject a confession while remaining friends. One book said that claiming to already be dating someone is the least hurtful reason."
Yuto studied Ichinose's embarrassed expression.
"Are you asking me to pretend to be your boyfriend?"
"Mm!"
Ichinose nodded, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. It was unclear whether she was shy about the idea or embarrassed to trouble Yuto.
"I understand that you don't want to hurt the person confessing, but this only treats the symptom, not the cause. If the truth is discovered, that person will be hurt even more," Yuto warned.
"It'll be fine. After some time, we can say we broke up and that you dumped me. That way, the person who confessed will never discover the truth," Ichinose answered.
Her immediate response showed that she had seriously considered using a fake boyfriend to reject the confession.
However...
"Do you think I'm an idiot? Why would I ever dump someone as perfect as you?" Yuto complained.
"Shimizu-kun, what are you saying?"
Ichinose's blush deepened. Feeling both shy and secretly pleased, she hurriedly returned to the subject.
"Anyway, you'll help me, right?"
"I still think it won't solve the underlying problem. If the person hears that I dumped you and confesses again, what excuse will you use next time?"
"That..."
Hesitation appeared on Ichinose's face. She had focused entirely on rejecting the confession without causing pain and had never considered that the person might confess again.
'Wouldn't everything be fine if Shimizu-kun kept pretending to be my boyfriend?'
'No, no, no! I can't trouble him like that!'
Ichinose shook her head, throwing away the strange thought that had appeared in her mind.
Seeing her troubled expression, Yuto spoke seriously.
"Ichinose, concealment and lies will always be exposed someday. If something can be explained honestly, then you should speak clearly from the beginning."
"Otherwise, the problem will only become more serious and troublesome."
"..."
Ichinose's eyes froze slightly.
Yuto's words reminded her of the dark incident in her past.
Ichinose was outstanding in almost every respect. A student like her should have been assigned to Class A, yet the school had placed her in Class B.
The reason was that Ichinose had once committed theft.
When her mother became ill, Ichinose wanted to give her younger sister a birthday present in their mother's place, so she stole one.
Afterward, she lied to her sister and claimed their mother had prepared the gift, hoping she would simply treasure it.
But her sister could not contain her happiness. Instead of storing the gift away, she brought it to the hospital and thanked their mother.
Since their ill mother had never prepared a present, she immediately realized that the gift's origin was suspicious.
After being questioned, Ichinose confessed the truth. Her mother personally took her back to admit the crime.
Although the shop owner forgave her, the incident left a deep wound in Ichinose's heart. She locked herself inside her home until she was accepted into the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School.
Ichinose believed everything had been her fault.
For her mother and sister, she had chosen theft, concealment, and lies, ultimately causing the terrible chaos that followed.
Yuto stared at Ichinose in surprise. Her eyes had lost focus, and she looked as though her mind had drifted far away.
"Ichinose? Ichinose!"
"Huh?"
Yuto's voice pulled Ichinose from her memories. Still dazed, she looked at his handsome face.
"Are you all right?"
Seeing the concern on Yuto's face warmed Ichinose's heart. She lowered her eyes and gently shook her head.
"I'm fine. Thank you, Shimizu-kun."
"What are you thanking me for?"
"Thank you for reminding me."
Ichinose's expression became determined, and her shining eyes looked as though they had regained new life.
"You're right. I can't use excuses and lies again. I need to face the confession and reject it honestly."
"You're no longer worried about hurting them?" Yuto asked with a smile.
"Mm!"
Ichinose nodded solemnly.
"Sometimes, honestly telling others what lies in your heart can prevent many unnecessary tragedies."
Ichinose was also warning herself.
Had she honestly explained her family's difficulties and her mother's condition to her sister back then, she might never have chosen to steal.
…
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