[Vol 1] The Secret Life Of An Honor Student Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Do You Like Me?

 

The day after we took those photos in the empty classroom after school, Mamiya’s attitude hadn’t changed at all. At school, she was still the perfect honor student, showing no signs of her hidden side during the day.

But… we did start interacting a little.

During class, we’d write notes on the corner of our notebooks to talk, or send short, casual messages to each other. Her tone in writing was more like her other side, and every time it made my heart race a little.

Still, there were no rumors about those photos being leaked, and nothing had been said about the after-school photo sessions we’d been having. It really did seem like she was keeping her promise—as long as I stayed quiet, so would she.

That was a relief, but at the same time, just thinking about that relationship continuing forever made my stomach hurt. My peaceful school life was still intact, sure, but she still held something over me. The crisis was far from over.

“Looks like we’re the class reps today.”

In the morning, right after homeroom ended, Mamiya told me that. I nodded back with a simple, “Yeah.”

At our school, the duty of class rep usually rotates between you and the person sitting next to you. Which meant I’d be paired with Mamiya—but I didn’t really hate that part.

When she’s in her normal honor student mode, Mamiya doesn’t cause any problems. She’s reliable and efficient, so working with her is actually pretty easy.

Class rep duties mostly involve giving greetings at the start and end of class, erasing the blackboard afterward, writing the daily log, passing along announcements from the teacher, and helping with cleaning before everyone goes home.

It’s not difficult work, just a bit of a hassle. But we can’t exactly slack off, either.

I didn’t want to dump all the work on Mamiya, and more than that, I was scared of annoying the rest of the class.

It’s not like I want to stand out or anything.

──During math class, I found myself glancing at Mamiya, who was sitting next to me.

She was focused on the lesson, copying the notes from the blackboard into her notebook.

“──Mamiya, solve this problem for us.”

“Yes.”

At the old math teacher’s prompt, Mamiya stood up and went to the board to solve the problem. She quickly wrote her solution in chalk, and the teacher marked it correct without hesitation.

“Good, that’s the right answer.”

After bowing to the teacher, Mamiya returned to her seat and focused on the blackboard again. I couldn’t help but envy how unshakable her concentration was.

That thought only lasted for a moment.

Mamiya lightly poked my elbow and showed me some words written in the corner of her notebook.

『When you bow, it looks like your panties might show, right?』

How the hell should I know that?

I mean, sure, with a skirt that short it’s possible, but… seriously? She was solving math problems with that serious face of hers while thinking about panties? Ugh… she really is a pervert.

While I was at a loss for how to reply, she showed me another line.

『By the way, today I’m wearing white string ones.』

Shocked, I turned to look at her. She glanced back at me with a sly look in her eyes.

Then──she casually lifted the hem of her skirt with her right hand. The tights-covered thighs underneath were revealed, the gradient of color drawing my eyes in. Realizing this was exactly what she wanted, I quickly forced my gaze back to the blackboard.

I thought ignoring her would send the message that I wasn’t going to play along, but then she poked my elbow again and showed me her notebook.

『Wanna see?』

…This girl is insane.

What kind of person thinks, “Hey, I should show the guy sitting next to me my panties during math class”? I knew she was just teasing me, but with her, it felt like she might actually go through with it.

This is the same girl who made me grope her chest just to blackmail me into keeping quiet.

But just because Mamiya said she was wearing white string panties didn’t mean it was true. It could be, or it could be a lie. Until I confirmed it, it was basically a Schrödinger’s cat situation.

Not that I planned on checking.

『You’re not actually going to show me.』

I wrote that on the corner of my notebook and showed her. She immediately wrote her reply under it.

『If you want to see, I don’t mind. It’s not like it’ll hurt me.』

Huh? I turned to her, instantly realizing I’d just screwed up. My reaction was too honest to hide.

Mamiya smiled──that mischievous look on her face again──and waited for my reply.

I understood what she was trying to say. Panties don’t disappear just because someone sees them. But still, that doesn’t mean you just casually flash them to someone else.

But──I’m still a guy.

And if we’re talking about Mamiya—the beautiful, flawless girl sitting right next to me—then the temptation was obvious. For any guy, this would be a once-in-a-lifetime sight.

If I actually said “show me,” though, she’d just get even more dirt on me. Then I’d be completely under her thumb.

I was about to write 『No thanks』──

“──Aisaka, you do this one next.”

Right at that moment, the teacher called on me. My head snapped back toward the blackboard, where a more advanced version of the problem Mamiya solved was written.

“Aisaka, hurry up.”

“Ah, yes.”

I stood up in a rush, and Mamiya silently passed me a small notepad. I thought about ignoring it, but when I glanced down, it had the perfect solution to the problem I’d just been called on.

Feeling conflicted, I took the note and went to the blackboard to copy the answer. The teacher checked my solution, and after confirming it was correct, said,

“Correct. That was a tricky one, but you solved it well.”

He praised me, but I still felt awkward as I went back to my seat. Feeling oddly defeated, I still muttered a quiet “Thanks” to Mamiya.

It wasn’t easy to say, but it was true that she’d helped me. Consider it a debt repaid. It’s not like I hated Mamiya when she’s being the perfect honor student.

And if you asked me whether I hated this other side of her, well… that’s complicated too.

Maybe the best way to put it is that she’s just… a pain to deal with.

『Then that’s one favor you owe me.』

She wrote that on her notebook again, and I immediately crossed it out.

Yeah, I might actually hate her after all.

“Akitooo, let’s eat lunch together!”

After fourth period ended, Natsu came over with his lunchbox in hand.

“What about Tatara?”

“Oh, she said she’s eating with some friends today.”

“Then that’s fine.”

I cleared the front half of my desk, and Natsu borrowed a chair from the row ahead and sat facing me. He opened his lunch and started eating happily.

“By the way, were you talking with Mamiya during class?”

“…Huh?”

“What’s with that reaction? So something did happen.”

Natsu grinned at me with a teasing smile.

Mamiya, meanwhile, was sitting far away, happily chatting with what looked like a group of her friends. At this distance, she wouldn’t be able to hear us unless we raised our voices.

Sure, I was the one who reacted weirdly and made him suspicious… but if this secret ever got out, I’d be socially dead. There’s no way I could tell him the truth.

And if I think about what happened during class today… yeah, no, that’s something I shouldn’t be remembering. Even if it wasn’t my fault, how many people would actually believe me if I tried to explain?

At school, Mamiya’s trust level is way higher than mine. Even Natsu would probably take her side.

“Of course not. If it looked like I was talking with Mamiya, it was probably just when she gave me the answer to the problem I got called on.”

“Huh… so you were doing one-on-one work with that pure and graceful beauty during class?”

“You’re choosing those words to make it sound sketchy on purpose, aren’t you?”

“Okay, fine, you got me. But hey, you’re sitting in a seat most guys would die for.”

He wasn’t wrong. Mamiya really was a beautiful, graceful honor student type, the kind of girl that was naturally popular. I’d heard rumors that she’d even been confessed to by upperclassmen.

But there’d never been any rumor about her actually having a boyfriend, which probably made some guys think they had a chance with her—and every single one of them had been spectacularly rejected.

Me? I mean, sure, I think she’s cute in a general sense, but I’d rather keep my distance. Plus, that one incident after school was more than I could handle.

If I hadn’t found her in the classroom that day, I’d still be living my peaceful school life, blissfully unaware there was a devil sitting next to me. Why does reality have to be so cruel?

“Well, I’ve got Hii-chan, so I don’t really care either way.”

“Yeah, yeah, thanks for rubbing it in, Mr. Happy Couple.”

“Why so cold? Come on, don’t tell me you don’t like Mamiya.”

“…‘Don’t dislike her’ would be more accurate. And besides, it’s not like I’m thinking about making her my girlfriend or anything. You know that.”

I shot him a half-lidded glare as I finished off my carton of café au lait.(coffee with milk)

Natsu was one of the few who knew about my distrust of girls. The only reason I could even talk to girls a little now was because of him. He and Tatara came to my desk every day, chatting with me so much that I eventually got used to small talk.

It was kind of a brute-force approach, but since I never would’ve taken the initiative on my own, I guess it worked out in the end.

I was grateful, but I really wished he’d stop constantly telling me, “You should get a girlfriend, man.”

Natsu gave me a light shrug and looked at me like I was hopeless.

“You’re already acting like a dried-up old man in high school. Come on, live a little! You don’t even do any club activities—getting a girlfriend is all that’s left for you.”

“Don’t make it sound like high school life is just clubs and girlfriends.”

I thought school was supposed to be a place to study, but maybe I was the weird one.

No, I’m pretty sure the weird one here is Natsu.

Definitely not jealousy.

Besides, if I actually liked Mamiya, things would be way more complicated. Finding out the girl you like is secretly posting lewd selfies on a ura-aka account? Yeah… that’d be soul-crushing.

Even if I didn’t know about that, just being treated the way she treats me would be enough to snap me out of it. Though, I guess some guys might actually discover new fetishes that way. Humans really are a complicated species.

“But seriously, I just want to see you get a good girlfriend, man.”

“Why do you care? You’ve already got one.”

“So I can go on a double date.”

Not happening. I don’t have any plans, but still—hard pass.

Go on a date with just the two of you like normal. Why would you need two couples? Is it just to go, 'Look at how lovey-dovey we are!' in front of other people? I’ll never understand the thought process of couples.

“If you ever decide you wanna get a girlfriend, come talk to me. I’ll make you the most popular guy in school.”

“Yeah, that’s never gonna happen.”

It’s not like I don’t want to fall in love—it’s just that I’m still hung up on the past.

And yet, when Mamiya tries to show me her panties or teases me, my heart still jumps against my will. Maybe it’s just because she really is cute—at least on the outside. When I think about her personality, though, I immediately get mixed feelings. Weird, right?

Before we knew it, both Natsu and I had finished our lunches.

About twenty minutes of break time left… we were just about to relax when Mamiya returned to her seat after finishing lunch with her friends.

“Guess it’s time for me to head back. Good luck.”

Natsu gave me a good-natured smile, clearly sensing Mamiya was the reason he was leaving, and headed off. I let out a heavy sigh, exhaling all the tension building up in my chest.

“Were you talking about something with Shishikura-san?”

Mamiya’s round eyes met mine as she leaned over slightly, her glossy black hair falling between her chest and the desk.

For a split second, my attention was drawn there before I quickly forced my gaze away.

“…Why do you ask?”

“Because Shishikura-san kept glancing this way.”

“…It wasn’t anything serious. We were just talking about why you don’t have a boyfriend.”

“Ah, that again. Everyone loves that topic. The answer’s simple: I just don’t like anyone.”

“You’re okay telling me that?”

“It’s not like it bothers me if you know.”

She smiled as she said that, and just then, my phone buzzed with a notification.

『I don’t mind getting confessed to, but getting asked 'So you don’t like anyone?' over and over is kinda annoying.』

Ah… guess being popular isn’t all fun and games. Being treated like a school beauty comes with its own problems.

Another message came right after.

『That’s why you’re easy to be around, Aisaka-kun. You’re not interested in me, right?』

…Yeah, pretty much.

She was so far out of my league that I never even thought of her that way. Not like I had any desire to pursue her in the first place. That goes for girls in general, honestly.

And yet, Mamiya still ended up becoming the biggest source of my headaches. Life sure is unpredictable.

“──Aisaka-kun, you’re really fun to tease, you know.”

“—!”

She suddenly whispered right by my ear, her breath tickling it and making my shoulders jump. I heard her quiet giggle and couldn’t help but frown.

Still, this was lunchtime.

It looked like she had no plans to break her honor student persona.

“What’s wrong?”

“…Nothing.”

And so, I quietly focused on finishing my class rep duties and made it through the rest of the day.

Most of my classmates quickly packed their things and either went to club activities or headed home. The few who stayed behind left after a few minutes, leaving just me and Mamiya behind to finish our work.

“Let’s get the cleaning done.”

“Yeah.”

I nodded at Mamiya, who was still clearly in honor student mode, and we started cleaning the classroom. I swept the floor, wiped the blackboard, and took the trash out to the collection point outside.

It was a cool October afternoon.

The breeze brushed against my cheeks, just cold enough to make me shiver. When I got back to the classroom, Mamiya had just returned from handing the daily log to the teacher.

“I made you do all the work, didn’t I?”

“Hey, I’m the class rep too.”

“That earnest side of you is really nice.”

“I’m not being earnest. Anyone would’ve done the same.”

Being called earnest just for doing my job as class rep felt a bit embarrassing. Mamiya was way more earnest than me. And besides, she was better at talking with the teacher anyway.

“Class rep duties are done—so I guess we’re good to go.”

As if to signal the end of her honor student mode, she stretched her arms and let her other side peek through. Her tone relaxed, and the atmosphere around her completely changed.

Her smile bloomed like a flower, but that didn’t necessarily mean it was a good thing for me.

Mamiya Yuu is a ura-aka girl with the kind of personality that can threaten me with a straight face. There’s no such thing as being too cautious around her.

As she packed up her things to get ready to go home, she said,

“Oh, right. The photo I took yesterday got such a good reaction.”

She told me that with a happy smile. By 'the photo I took yesterday,' she must mean the one she sent to me too.

Even if she says it got a good reaction, I honestly don’t know how I’m supposed to respond, and I really don’t want to imagine the kind of reactions she gets on that ura-aka account of hers.

“Good for you, I guess.”

“Yep, yep. So, you’ll help me again, right?”

“You mean I’ll be forced to, right?”

“Pretty much.”

Don’t just admit it so cheerfully.

“Anyway. Want to go home together today?”

Me? Going home with Mamiya?

...Yeah, I’d really rather not.

“...Why?”

“Isn’t it more fun to have someone to talk to?”

Sure, maybe. But if I walk home with Mamiya, I’ll be way too conscious of people staring to enjoy it.

If anyone from school saw us, it’d be a huge pain, and I don’t want to waste my mental energy before I even get home.

“...What if I refuse?”

“Then I’ll spill your secret.”

“Wow, no hesitation. And I don’t even get a choice here?”

“Huh? Don’t you want to go home with a cute girl like me?”

“Anyone who calls themselves cute out loud can’t be trusted.”

How can she say things like that without a shred of doubt?

Sure, I’ll admit Mamiya’s cute, but saying it about yourself? I guess she’s confident because she’s always being told that by others. If I started calling myself handsome, I’d just sound like a narcissist.

Mamiya narrowed her eyes at me, glaring, but it didn’t look like she was actually mad — more like half of it was just for show.

“Don’t you want to do something youth-like, like stopping by different places on the way home?”

“That sounds like I’m the one footing the bill.”

“...What do you think I am?”

“A crazy, two-faced girl who threatened me for no reason.”

“That’s so mean!”

When I told her exactly what I thought, Mamiya covered her face with both hands and pretended to cry. I knew it was fake, so I ignored her. No way someone who can instantly follow through on a threat would cry over something this small.

“Aren’t we going in different directions anyway?”

“Hmm, who knows?”

She lifted her face — of course, there weren’t any tears.

Instead, there was a sly smile.

“...Wait, don’t tell me you live nearby?”

“How would I know where you live?”

“Fair point.”

“We probably go in opposite directions. I’ve never seen you on the way home.”

“So this ends with, ‘You’ll walk me part of the way, right?’ and me wasting my time, doesn’t it?”

“Come on, it’s autumn already. It gets dark after five. You’re really going to leave a defenseless high school girl to walk home alone? What if some bad guy tries to attack me?”

That’s unfair. Still... Mamiya might actually be more dangerous than any random stranger out there.

Someone who can just threaten people on the spot is definitely not what I’d call harmless.

“So, let’s go home together.”

“Yeah, yeah. Of course it comes to this.”

Mamiya waved me over from the classroom door, and I slung my schoolbag over my shoulder and hurried after her.

“I mean, I’m pretty cute when you look at me objectively, right?”

“...Yeah, objectively speaking, I guess.”

“And yet here you are, spending a nice after-school moment with such a beautiful girl, without even smiling once. Makes me wonder if your emotional sensors are broken.”

“Maybe think about whose fault that is.”

I rubbed my temples with my left hand as I cut a piece of gateau chocolat with my fork and popped it into my mouth. The rich chocolate flavor spread across my tongue, melting away a bit of my gloom.

I followed it with a sip of bitter black coffee and let out a small sigh.

For some reason, we’d ended up stopping by a café on the way home. Of course, it wasn’t relaxing in the least... I was just taking refuge in the taste of the cake and coffee I’d ordered.

Sitting across from me, Mamiya had ordered a slice of rare cheesecake and lemon tea, which she was eating delicately and elegantly, like something out of a commercial.

“What? Staring won’t get you any of mine.”

“I wasn’t staring... Well, maybe I was a little curious about the taste.”

“Hmm... want to swap a bite?”

She said it so casually that it caught me off guard. I was surprised she’d offer, but I figured sure, why not — and I started to push my cake plate toward her, when—

“Why don’t we just feed each other?”

“Can’t you just eat it yourself?”

“That’s boring. I want to see you panic when I go ‘aaah~’ and feed you.”

“That’s just sadistic.”

Her reason was way more childish than I’d expected.

What happened to that perfect honor-student mask... Can you please keep it on, at least when you’re around me?

“Oh, you can feed me too, if you want.”

“That just sounds like punishment.”

“Whaaat? For someone living a lonely, girl-free, totally gray high school life, this is an experience more precious than gold!”

“I get it, you have a very warped view of me. Just take the cake already...”

I was too tired to argue anymore and slid the plate over to her. I’d only eaten about a third, but I could always come back alone another time.

But Mamiya just stared at the cake, then at me, looking oddly dissatisfied.

“Aisaka-kun, are you trying to make me fat?”

“That wasn’t my intention at all. And this much isn’t going to make you fat.”

“............”

She just stared at me, silently pressuring me.

The quiet stretched on, the café music filling the air.

“...Fine. Just eat as much as you want. If there’s any left, I’ll finish it.”

In the end, I gave in. If she’s worried about calories, she can just stop eating when she’s full. But instead, Mamiya let out an exasperated sigh.

“That’s not the point. If we’re sharing, then it’s supposed to mean something... Okay, open up.”

She cut off a bite-sized piece of her cheesecake and held the fork out toward me.

...Wait, she actually wants me to eat this?

I stared at her in disbelief, but she only brought the fork closer to my mouth. The corners of her lips curled into a playful smile.

“Aaaah~”

Her voice was soft and sweet, urging me to open my mouth.

That gentle smile almost made it feel rude to refuse.

The face she was showing me right now was her honor-student persona, but I was sure her real self — the one hidden underneath — was grinning with amusement at my reaction.

But still... with her going this far, there was no way I could not eat it. And if I resisted, she’d just keep going until I gave in anyway.

She knows I’m weak to this kind of pressure. It feels like the moment we ran into each other after school, the power balance between us was set in stone.

Guess I’ve got no choice.

If it goes badly, I’ll just sincerely apologize. At the very least, Mamiya should understand that much.

I braced myself, calmed my mind, took a deep breath, and then—opened my mouth and accepted the cheesecake. The rich sweetness, almost like yogurt, mixed with its distinctive tang and slowly melted on my tongue.

After savoring it slowly, chewing, and swallowing, I said,

“...It’s good.”

“Right? Plus, it’s an indirect kiss with me.”

“Can you not say the thing I was deliberately trying not to think about?”

“Oh, so you were thinking about it but still ate it, huh? I see, I see.”

“Stop saying it like that.”

It was just that Mamiya had no choice but to use her own fork if she wanted to feed me cheesecake. ...Wait, couldn’t she have just borrowed my fork?

“Well, I don’t care anyway. ...And just so we’re clear, I don’t do this with just anyone.”

“Do you realize that sounds like the kind of thing that causes some hopeless misunderstanding?”

“Could it be that you actually like me, Aisaka-kun?”

“If you can say that with a straight face after reviewing everything you’ve said and done until now, then sure, I’ll praise you.”

When I pressed her on just how overconfident she was, Mamiya put her hand under her chin, pretended to think for a moment, and then said,

“Hmm... so you actually do like me, Aisaka-kun?”

“Yeah, you’re definitely messed up.”

What kind of mental gymnastics do you have to go through to reach that conclusion? Is your brain made of Happy Meal toys or something?

While I was seriously reconsidering how to deal with Mamiya—

“Anyway, give me some too?”

Mamiya tucked her hair behind her ear, opened her mouth just enough to still look cute, and closed her eyes as if she were waiting for a kiss. ...Do I seriously have to feed her too?

...Maybe I should just go home. No, that’d be bad.

If I stood up now, who knows what she’d do.

Reluctantly, I held out the fork with the remaining gateau chocolat toward Mamiya’s mouth. She took it in one bite, then slowly pulled the fork out, leaving nothing behind.

Mamiya chewed, swallowed, then smiled with her eyes gently curved.

“Sweet, slightly bitter, and really good.”

She said it so naturally.

My gaze was locked on her, and a sharp pain ran through my chest, as if a needle had pierced my heart.

It was probably because that smile of hers—the kind that could make anyone feel affection—brought back old memories. I quickly drowned that feeling with the bitterness of my coffee.

And yet—

“...Sorry. Did you hate it that much?”

Mamiya looked up at me with round, worried eyes, the corners of her eyes lowered apologetically as she asked.

Was it really showing that much on my face?

...Yeah. I really did hate it.

“Not really.”

I answered bluntly, and Mamiya said nothing more.

The unusual air of hesitation, like she couldn’t quite gauge the right distance between us, made me feel a little guilty. But this wasn’t something I could just talk about casually.

The reason Mamiya does what she does as a ura-aka girl, and my own secret—they’re both things we probably don’t want exposed. That’s why she kept quiet.

“...Come on, hurry up and finish. We should head back before it gets dark.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

Mamiya nodded with a slightly awkward tone, and we finished the rest of our cake in silence. The only sound was the café’s BGM in the background.

After paying separately, I decided to walk Mamiya home. There was no deep meaning behind it—just that letting a high school girl walk home alone at this hour didn’t sit right with me.

Mamiya looked like she was about to refuse, but by now the autumn sky was already darkening before six o’clock. The red of the sunset and the deep blue of approaching night melted together on the horizon.

“Thanks, Aisaka-kun. Were you worried about me?”

“A little. It’d be a pain if something happened.”

“I see.”

Her quiet voice drifted between us.

The gaze coming from my left felt strangely suffocating, so I turned my face toward the road to the right.

It’s not like I really want to spend more time with Mamiya. After making her feel uncomfortable earlier, I didn’t really know how to act around her anymore.

Looking back, I never really had to think this hard about how I reacted to other girls before. But then again, there was no one else who tried to close the distance with me as much as Mamiya did.

Yeah... I guess I still haven’t gotten over my distrust of women.

“So... I shouldn’t ask about earlier, right?”

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t. I’d appreciate it even more if you deleted those photos.”

“The first half is fine, but no to the second half. Besides, you know. Data can never be completely erased. Just like my photos.”

Mamiya smiled faintly and looked up at the sky. I followed her gaze and saw the first star of the evening already twinkling above.

A cold wind blew past, and I shoved my hands into my uniform pockets for warmth.

October.

Winter would be here before I knew it, I thought as my footsteps echoed on the pavement.

“You know, because I’m like this, I don’t have any real friends I can just be myself with.”

“Well, you do talk differently at school.”

“Exactly. And being a ura-aka girl is kind of a gray area. Even if I just post photos, people wouldn’t look at it kindly.”

Yeah, I could understand that. My own image of ura-aka girls was basically girls who met with older men for money... probably what most people think too.

“But I really don’t do that, okay? I’m not looking to meet anyone, and I’ve never done anything like that.”

“...Hey, don’t just bring that up with some guy who’s not even your boyfriend. I don’t even know how I’m supposed to respond.”

“Because you’re a virgin, right?”

“That’s rude. And also, we’re outside.”

“It’s fine, no one’s listening.”

I glanced around just to be sure, and as Mamiya said, no one was paying attention to us. Still, this wasn’t exactly conversation for public spaces.

“Whether you’re a virgin or not aside, I’ve heard plenty of kids our age have already done it. I honestly don’t get it.”

Her words carried a faint trace of sadness.

“I mean, they must have someone they trust enough to do that with, right? Well, maybe some don’t. But still, I just can’t imagine it.”

“Are you jealous?”

“I’m a pure maiden, you know. I’d want my first time to be with someone I actually like... but I doubt that’s gonna happen.”

“…That’s not decided yet, right?”

“When the girls in class talk about romance, I don’t get it at all. I’m a little interested in love, but since I’m basically putting up a fake version of myself, there’s no way I could fall for someone.”

“Because you don’t want them to see the real you?”

“Bingo. Well, you already know my real face though, Aisaka-kun.”

Mamiya stuck her tongue out playfully, blowing away the gloomy air she’d just created.

Can’t fall in love, huh. The reason was different, but I kind of felt the same way.

You can’t date someone you don’t trust. And honestly, aside from my mom and my sister, the only girls I can even talk to normally are Mamiya and Tatara.

And they’re both people I can confidently say I’ll never have a romantic relationship with.

“Do you regret it?”

“I’d like to say yes, but I think this is better. Keeping up the mask forever would be exhausting. And even after seeing my secret side, you didn’t really reject me.”

Mamiya turned to me with a soft smile.

I could feel a faint trace of trust in that look, and it felt like something caught in my throat, but I swallowed it down and forced out words instead.

“...I was shocked, and I still want to cut ties with you somehow.”

“Says the guy who was happily groping my boobs.”

“‘Happily’ isn’t exactly the right word. I just thought, ‘Oh, so they’re kind of soft.’ That’s all.”

“Do you want to touch them again?”

“Yeah, no.”

“I see. Guess you were just pent-up from what happened during class. Sorry I didn’t notice.”

“That’s a massive misunderstanding, and can you please stop saying stuff that invites weird misunderstandings in public??”

Seriously, think about how that sounds to other people. Even if no one’s around right now.

“...So, your place is—”

“Right here. Actually, it’s right in front of us.”

Mamiya pointed to a building up ahead.

It was just a normal apartment complex—and wait, that’s where I live too. Huh? We live in the same place? And we’ve never run into each other once? Guess we’ve just been lucky—or unlucky—up until now.

“You live here too, right? If it’s not a bother, wanna keep walking home together?”

“Judging by the way you said that, you knew from the start.”

“Yep. I saw you once before.”

...I don’t think I can be surprised by anything she says anymore. Just how much does Mamiya know about me? Feels like she knows way too much.

Walking home together, huh. Just thinking about how people at school would react is enough to make my blood run cold.

Best case, they just tease me or give me dirty looks. Worst case, they start spreading rumors or harassing me because of some fake story they made up about us.

“Don’t you have anyone else who lives this way?”

“Not really. I mean, I eat lunch with some people, but I don’t wanna take unnecessary risks. When someone at school asks me to hang out, I just say I have cram school or lessons and they usually understand.”

“Can’t believe you’ve kept that up this long.”

“That’s why I wear the honor student mask. So? It’s more fun walking together, right?”

More fun, huh.

I don’t have many people I’d call friends. Just Natsu and Tatara. But we don’t live anywhere near each other. They’re probably happily walking home together right now.

Sure, if I looked I could probably find classmates who live this way too. But I wouldn’t go out of my way to invite them. I’m not great at socializing anyway, and being alone never really bothered me.

But... taking a detour like today and chatting along the way wasn’t so bad. I just wish it wasn’t with Mamiya.

Still, if I think of it as keeping her in check, I can accept it.

With a secret like that between us, Mamiya and I are basically bound together. Maybe not quite partners-in-crime, but something close to that.

As long as I keep her secret, I know she won’t betray me.

“Then text me when you’re heading home.”

“So no one in class gets suspicious?”

“Exactly.”

“Hmm. Okay, fine. Even though it’d be way more fun if everyone misunderstood.”

“You really are the devil.”