Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/822139838626691253/episodes/822139839595474872
After that, it turned into a lunch meeting where Aiba, feeling emboldened again, relentlessly tried to impress Hoshikawa.
While the other girls were visibly uncomfortable, Aibawas desperate to use this chance to close the distance between them, even just a little.
The result felt like it only pushed Hoshikawa further away, but well, that wasn’t my concern.
After Hoshikawa and the others returned to their classroom, Aiba wore a satisfied expression.
“Phew… I got to talk to Hoshikawa-san a lot…”
“…Good for you.”
“This means I’ve made Hoshikawa-san aware of me.”
“…Yeah.”
“Hehehe… This is how I’ll gradually close the distance with Hoshikawa-san… And someday, I’ll become Hoshikawa’s boyfriend and producer…”
“…”
“Hey, Ren. If my name shows up in a weekly magazine as Hoshikawa’s boyfriend, don’t be surprised, okay?”
“…I envy you.”
Where on earth does this confidence come from?
Judging by today’s conversation between him and Hoshikawa, the chances of his delusions coming true are practically zero.
Well, I’m not rude enough to meddle in other people’s love lives.
Anyway, Hoshikawa wouldn’t listen to anything he said, so I decided to leave my friend alone to spout his non-existent fantasies.
I noticed the Grim Reaper outside the window after homeroom ended and it became after-school time.
The Grim Reaper floated outside the window, staring intently into the classroom as dusk fell.
“Kurose-kun…? Aren’t you going home…?”
Nanase came over to me, inviting me to go home together like usual.
“Wait a moment. Can we do it a little later?”
“…? What’s wrong? Do you have something to do?”
“No, it’s not that… Could you just wait a little longer?”
“Huh…? Sure, I guess.”
I looked at the grim reaper outside the window while scanning the classroom.
Many students were still inside, and it wasn’t clear who the grim reaper was attached to.
I waited for the students to leave the classroom, trying to figure out who the grim reaper was attached to.
“Is there something outside the window?”
“…Ah, no. I was just thinking the sunset is pretty…”
“…?”
Nanase tilted her head, looking out the window.
As the number of students remaining in the classroom gradually decreased, I watched, observing when the grim reaper would finally move.
The grim reaper showed no sign of moving.
I had a bad feeling.
“Kurose-kun…? Are you okay? You look kind of pale…”
Nanase peered at my face, looking worried.
“S-should we head home soon…”
“Yeah. Okay.”
I grabbed my things and left the classroom with Nanase.
I glanced back over my shoulder.
The Grim Reaper glided through the window and approached us.
It stuck right behind me, refusing to leave.
Apparently, the Grim Reaper had attached itself to me.
“Seriously…?”
“…?”
Why on earth was the Grim Reaper attached to me?
Like I said before, I have no intention of committing suicide.
My body is perfectly healthy.
Does this mean I’ll be caught up in some incident or accident and die soon?
Either way, one thing is clear: being possessed by the Grim Reaper means I’m destined to die before long.
What on earth will be the cause of my death?
“…!”
“Are you okay, Kurose-kun?”
I walk cautiously, carefully observing my surroundings for any signs of an impending accident or incident.
“Senpai!”
Just as I was about to exit the school building through the entrance, a voice called out from behind me.
Standing there was Aoi-chan.
Her large, round eyes, reminiscent of a small animal, were fixed intently on me.
“Aoi-chan? Is something wrong?”
“Um… there’s something I forgot to tell you this morning… I want to ask you something…”
“Something you forgot to tell me…?”
Come to think of it, when she gave me the box of sweets this morning, Aoi-chan seemed like she was about to say something.
“Th-this year’s Culture Festival… Would you go around with me…?”
“Huh? The Culture Festival?”
It was that time of year again—the Culture Festival was just three weeks away.
Once the regular tests ended in a week, everyone would finally start preparing for the festival.
“Even just one day would be fine. No, just an hour or two is enough. Would you walk around the festival with me…? There’s something I absolutely need to tell you there…”
“Um…”
“No way.”
I instinctively glanced over at my neighbor.
For a moment, I doubted if that voice belonged to Nanase.
There stood Nanase, her usual timid way of speaking gone, replaced by a stance that carried a certain intensity.
“Kurose-kun is going to walk around the festival with me. So, no.”
“Bu-but…”
“Kurose-kun and I are dating. Kurose-kun is going to walk around the festival with me. Right?”
“Eh, um…”
I scratched my head.
True, as long as our fake relationship continued, it seemed natural that I’d end up going around the festival with Nanase.
But even so, we wouldn’t be together every single minute.
The festival lasted three days. If it was just a little time out of those three days, I could probably spare some time for Aoi-chan.
Aoi-chan seemed kind of desperate, and I figured it wouldn’t hurt to spare her a little time.
“H-Hey, wouldn’t a little time be okay?”
“S-Senpai!”
“Kurose…-kun…?”
“Well… the festival lasts three days, right? We haven’t decided what our group will do yet, but both Nanase and I will have to help out with something, right? We won’t be able to be together during that time, so at least listening to Aoi-chan’s story then…”
“I won’t allow it.”
“…!”
Nanase, who had been looking down, raised her face.
Her eyes, which could be emptier than a grim reaper’s, fixed on me intently.
“No, Kurose-kun. You can’t do that. Kurose-kun and I are dating, right? So why are you trying to hang out with another girl? That’s weird. It’s not allowed. You can’t do that. Kurose-kun is mine. You have to stay with me forever. Kurose-kun can only look at me. You can’t look at anyone else. Got it?”
“Ah—”
The grim reaper closed in on me.
Feeling an unbelievable pressure, I found myself nodding before I knew it.
“I understand…”
“…Yeah. That’s good then.”
Nanase smiled.
I naturally resumed the breath I’d been holding.
“S-sorry… Aoi-chan. I’ll be going around the cultural festival with Nanase…”
“I-is that so… That’s too bad.”
Aoi-chan slumped her shoulders.
Looking back over my shoulder, I saw the Grim Reaper slowly walking away from me.
“W-what was that…?”
I muttered that as I watched the Grim Reaper’s retreating back.
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