Source
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n5612jg/63/
“What’s this?”
When I arrived at school in the morning and opened my shoe box, I found a white envelope inside.
“What is it? A love letter?”
Ayaka next to me peeked in and asked.
“No matter how you look at it, it’s not. I don’t even know who sent it.”
I looked inside and found a piece of paper.
On the paper is a message that reads,
[Wait for me at the back of the gym.]
That’s all.
“Is this a love letter after all?”
“I won’t call this a love letter.”
I didn’t want to get involved, so I ignored it and went to class.
“Erm, what is it?”
It was lunchtime and I was about to head to the cafeteria, but a large, strong man was standing in front of the classroom, and I couldn’t leave the classroom.
The man silently looks down at me and glares at me.
“……Mitsui Kenshiro, right?”
“Yes, but what is it?”
“I need to talk to you. Follow me.”
I could have ignored him, but I didn’t.
It would have been too much trouble after that, so I decided to follow him silently.
When I arrived at the back of the gymnasium, my expectation became a certainty.
The man in front of me was the sender of this morning’s letter.
“So? What do you wanna talk about?”
I don’t want to linger, so I quickly ask him the main question.
“……Are you dating Fuyusaki san?”
“Huh !? Why did you bring that up !?”
I had no intention of reacting to whatever was said, but the mention of Fuyusaki’s name upsets me.
He doesn’t let that slide.
“That reaction, it doesn’t sound like you’re in a relationship……”
“…..Yeah, we’re not in a relationship. We’re just friends.”
“Friends? Just friends?”
“? Yes, why?”
I didn’t understand what he was asking me back, so I just answered with the facts.
Then the man’s shoulders began to shake, and the next moment he glared at me with sharp eyes.
“I knew it, you are a scoundrel who is toying with Fuyusaki san !”
“Toying with her? What do you mean?”
I didn’t understand what he was saying.
However, the man proceeded to talk on his own.
“Because of you, Fuyusaki san was captured ! That’s why, at that time…”
The man bites his lip while shedding tears, as if he is remembering something unpleasant.
“Umm, did something happen with Fuyusaki?”
“If you wanna know that much, fine. I’ll tell you.”
And then the man begins to tell his story.
The story goes back to just before the summer vacation.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
My name is Tokumatsu Tsubasa.
I’m a freshman at Koshin High School.
Today, I’m going to tell my feelings to a beautiful woman.
I have made up my mind.
Five minutes before the time I had written in my love letter, the beautiful woman, Fuyusaki Reina, showed up.
First of all, I was relieved that she came.
“Um, you are Tokumatsu kun from class 4, right? What is it that you want from me?”
We had only spoken once before, in an optional class, but she remembered my name.
I was so happy about that that I almost cried.
But I couldn’t cry now.
I took a deep breath to calm myself down.
“First of all, thank you for coming, Fuyusaki san.”
“No, don’t worry about it.”
She smiled back at my words of gratitude.
She is a goddess.
I was too nervous to continue speaking.
But I can’t keep her waiting.
I took another deep breath and said.
“Fuyusaki san ! I’m in love with you ! Please go out with me !”
I bow my head and put my hands out in front of me.
I told her firmly.
After a while, Fuyusaki san answered.
“Thank you. But I’m sorry. I have someone I love.”
Those words were a sign of crushing.
I look up, look into Fuyusaki san’s eyes, and say,
“…..I understand. It’s enough that I was able to tell you how I feel ! As a manly Tokumatsu, I have no intention of clinging to you !”
“Thank you so much. For liking me.”
We shook hands and left the place separately.
At this moment, my love was over.
――――――――――――――
After I finished listening to the story, the question in my mind never disappeared.
I was surprised that Fuyusaki had been confessed to, but she was popular to begin with, so it makes sense when you think about it.
But I have no idea how this Tokumatsu guy got dumped and came up with the idea that I was toying with Fuyusaki.
“erm, what’s that got to do with me?”
“Don’t be in a hurry. The story still goes on.”
Tokumatsu clenched his fists and spoke angrily.
“I was about to give up ! But on the first day of summer vacation, I saw you and Fuyusaki san on a date !”
“Wha !?”
I don’t think that not only Wado but even Tokumatsu saw us, and I started to sweat.
“No, that wasn’t me.”
“It’s no use playing dumb ! My eyesight is 2.0 !”
“Kuh ! How convincing !”
The disguise of parted bangs was meaningless, I had to admit.
Tokumatsu continued.
“When I saw you, I was shocked, but I accepted defeat because I wanted Fuyusaki san to be happy ! But then I looked at you and realized. You’re just trying to keep Fuyusaki san !”
“Huh !? I’m not keeping her !”
“I won’t be fooled ! I thoroughly researched this summer vacation to see what kind of guy Fuyusaki san fell in love with ! This is the proof !”
Tokumatsu presents several photos.
“The lunch date with Hananoi from class 6, the amusement park date with Sasagawa from class 5, the secret meeting with the mysterious innocent beauty, this is all the proof I have !”
The photos are all clear, and the level of skill is deceptive.
“You ! This is a paparazzi !”
“That’s a nonsense argument in the face of love !”
“What’s with that argument !”
“Zip it ! This is the final one !”
Then Tokumatsu shows me the last picture.
The last picture Tokumatsu showed me was of me and Fuyusaki walking together on the beach.
“W-why the hell did you !?”
“You have relationships with several beautiful women, but you even put your hands on Fuyusaki san. How can you say that you’re not playing with her?”
“Why would you jump to that conclusion ! I mean, the guy Fuyusaki fell in love with might not even be me !”
“Shut it ! I will not let a scoundrel like you go free !”
Saying that, Tokumatsu threw a handkerchief at me.
“Mitsui Kenshiro ! I challenge you to a duel ! We will fight at the next sports festival ! If you win, I will say nothing more. But if I win…..you will release Fuyusaki san !”
Pointing at me, Tokumatsu shouts.
“Don’t go ahead with this on your own ! I don’t have anything to gain ! I won’t do it !”
It’s not a win-win situation, it’s a loss-win situation.
There was no point in accepting it honestly.
So I gave him back his handkerchief and was about to leave when he said,
“Are you running away?”
I stopped dead in my tracks.
“You don’t seem confident. Well, that’s understandable. There’s a difference in size between you and me. It’s no wonder you’re scared of me.”
Normally, I would not be taken in by such words.
But Tokumatsu’s strangely snide way of talking lowered my boiling point to the limit.
“…..ept.”
Hmm?
“I accept ! I’ll take on your duel ! I don’t care if you cry later !”
“Hmph ! I admire your guts ! But you’re the one who will cry !”
And so the duel between Tokumatsu and me for Fuyusaki? Was decided.
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