The Cool Beautiful Girl Sitting Next to Me That Everyone Envies Is Actually Way Too Le*d in Her Head Chapter 3
The sun had begun to tilt westward. In an empty classroom filled with rows of unoccupied chairs, I stood alone. Bathed in the orange light pouring in from the windows, I simply stood there.
For some reason, the glow of sunset always stirs up an emotional mood. Even though I’m someone who barely understands emotions—only recently learning the concept of what emotion even is—when I’m bathed in this twilight light, I can’t help but feel a quiet sadness well up inside me.
Speaking of school, this is about the time when club activities usually wrap up. The end of the day. Saying goodbye to friends. A faint sense of loss mixed with hope for tomorrow lingers in the chest.
…Well, that’s only if I were actually in a club. The truth is, I’m a member of the go-home club, so I’ve never experienced any of that. Usually, by this hour I’d already be lounging comfortably at home. While glancing at the baseball team running around or hearing the sounds of the wind orchestra practicing, I’d be busy shortening my commute time as much as possible.
In short, I have nothing to do with this after-school atmosphere. …So then, why am I here right now? You want to know? The answer is simple.
──I don’t know. Why am I here? When did I get here? Why am I standing here?
Strangely enough, my brain can’t find a single memory of how this happened.
Even after I tried stringing together some kind of poem about the sunset light, no clue appeared. If someone had heard me, they’d probably just give me a blank look and say, “What are you even talking about?” But seriously, I just suddenly realized I was standing here in a sunset-lit classroom!
Wait… did I fall asleep? There’s a vague floating sensation lingering in my head. If I really did fall asleep, then that’s pretty bad. A healthy kid with a full eight-hour sleep schedule shouldn’t end up like this. And even if I did doze off, why didn’t anyone bother waking me up?
Sure, everyone must be busy with their own after-school activities, but I’m not such a background character that they’d just leave me sleeping like that… right?
…Well, whatever. No need to panic. If I can’t remember how I got here, there’s no point in overthinking it. Besides, it’s not completely time to go home yet. Some sports clubs are still hanging around. The teachers stuck in their insane workloads are definitely still locked up at school. So, I should just fulfill my duty as a loyal member of the go-home club.
──Thinking that, I grabbed my school bag again.
“Yonemine-kun.”
A voice called out to me. From behind. Even though there shouldn’t have been anyone there. Reflexively, I turned toward the voice—and there she was. Kagura.
“…Huh?”
I let out a dazed noise before I could stop myself.
As always, with that unreadable expression, she sat with her cheek resting on one hand, at the desk next to mine.
Bathed in the sunset glow, as if nothing was out of place.
Why? Why is she still here this late?
As far as I know, she’s also a member of the go-home club like me. There’s no reason for her to just sit there silently this late. And what’s even weirder is that just a moment ago, I could’ve sworn she wasn’t even here.
Sure, her vibe is kind of mysterious, but that doesn’t mean she’s some supernatural being who can pop in and out at will. She’s just a girl who loves delusions way too much. As weird as that hobby is, at least it doesn’t make her an actual ghost or something, right? Then why has she been staring at me this whole time? Is my face really that fun to look at? I’d say the stains on the ceiling are way more worth staring at.
“Ah—um. So, what are you still doing here this late?”
Even though that question could just as easily be thrown back at me, I asked it anyway.
Normally, I could just answer that kind of question myself by listening to her thoughts with telepathy. But this time, I didn’t. Or rather, I couldn’t. My telepathy was switched OFF. Really, this ability is completely useless when it matters most.
Like that cat robot in the movie version—the one who conveniently sends all its gadgets off for repairs right in the middle of a crisis.
“……”
While I was busy thinking, Kagura didn’t say a single word. She just sat there, staring straight at me without moving an inch. Like a lifeless doll.
“…Hey, say something. This is getting awkward.”
I’ve never liked awkward silences. Maybe because my telepathy usually fills the quiet on its own.
As annoying as it is, I’ve grown used to that presence.
“……”
But even when I tried to break the silence with random words, Kagura stayed completely quiet. Just what is she thinking right now?
Looking at her without hearing her inner voice, I finally understood why people call her the girl with the mask and stuff like that. And why every time she suddenly speaks up, everyone around her freaks out like crazy.
“Yonemine-kun can read people’s minds, right?”
Kagura said it so casually, as if it were nothing.
My heart pounded hard. Because she suddenly said that, I let out a weird noise—“Hyu!”—and gasped.
…How does she know about that?
“……”
I stood there silently. My chair screeched loudly as I pushed it back. I lowered my gaze at Kagura, who was now standing, her face expressionless, almost scary.
Does she know who I really am…? No, that’s going too far. But it’s obvious she’s aware of my ability, and that fact alone made my chest tighten.
If it was just suspicion, I could deal with it. After all, I do use telepathy casually in daily life, so it’s not strange for someone to notice. But Kagura’s gaze and words just now… were full of certainty. Her eyes stared at me as if she naturally knew the truth. For normal people, an ability like this should be unthinkable. If she were just joking, I could brush it off. But her words pierced me with way too much seriousness.
“An ability to read people’s hearts… with that, you must have been peeking into countless minds all this time, right? Sometimes even toying with them, even controlling them.”
Kagura slowly stood up, narrowing her eyes as she stared right at me. I was in the worst possible situation. If she knew about my ability… does that mean she knows everything? How did she find out? …No, the source doesn’t matter anymore.
What matters is: why is Kagura bringing this up? Is she trying to get me caught in some kind of trap?
“…That’s not true, Kagura. I—”
“Then—”
My thoughts spun into chaos. I lowered my head, forcing the words out of my mouth. But my throat was so dry that what came out was little more than a hoarse whimper.
Kagura’s next words immediately shut me up.
Unexpected turn of events. Cold sweat dripped down my face. And then, something I never could have predicted happened.
“Then… that means you’ve accepted all my fetishes… right?”
“…Huh? Huh?”
I looked up. The usual calm Kagura was gone. What I saw was a Kagura with flushed cheeks, drunk on fantasies I had only ever glimpsed in bits and pieces through her thoughts. The situation had changed completely.
“Because, right? If you’ve been hearing my thoughts all this time, then you must already know about those fantasies. So naturally… you’ve accepted all of my fetishes, haven’t you?”
Kagura spoke as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, completely convinced.
Wait, really…? Could that even…? I was too stunned to respond.
“Just as I thought. Isn’t that right?”
She took my silence as agreement. Her gaze burned hotter, filled with desire.
“Then that means… we’re partners in crime now, aren’t we?”
“P-partners…?”
“Fufu… I’ve never told anyone this secret before. So… you know what that means, right?”
Know what that means…?
Don’t just look at me with that “You get it, right?” face. Who could’ve predicted we’d jump from a serious topic to… fetishes?
I couldn’t understand what was going on in her head anymore. And what even was that logic?
“If you’ve heard it so many times, that means you’ve accepted my fetishes.”
That logic is nonsense. Like saying, 'If you own a TV, you have to pay the broadcast fee.'
Completely unrelated. But Kagura seemed more and more convinced of her own conclusion. My head hurt.
“…♡”
Eh—wait. What was that? She even stepped closer to me.
Her eyes sparkled, her breathing grew heavy. Her hands moved toward her shirt as if ready to unbutton it.
This is seriously weird. Something is definitely wrong with her.
“S-stop! Don’t come any closer!”
For some reason, I really didn’t want her any closer.
Well obviously! Who would want someone coming at them with ragged breathing, a lustful gaze, and creepy behavior?
I backed away, but she kept advancing. Before long—
Thud!
My back hit the wall. I was cornered.
“Fu… fufufu…”
Her gaze locked onto me, like a predator about to strike. Just like the way she once looked at Sawari.
“U-uwahhhhh!?”
Kagura was now right in front of my face. My vision shook, my body trembled. And then—
She reached out her hand toward me…
【〜〜〜〜♪】
My consciousness snapped awake. The intro of a popular pop band’s song blared through the room. Bright light seeped through the curtains. The house was still quiet and dim.
Morning had arrived. I turned off the alarm just as the lyrics were about to start and slowly got up from bed.
“Haaaahhh…”
A dream.
Faced with reality, I finally understood what had just happened. It was only a dream. A strange sense of relief mixed with heavy exhaustion washed over me. I patted my face and body just to be sure, but nothing was out of place. Only a heavy, sluggish feeling pressed down on my head.
…What a ridiculous nightmare. The more I focused my awareness, the faster the details of the dream faded away. But one thing was certain—whatever it was, it definitely counted as a nightmare.
My awareness inside that dream had felt way too clear—that might be what they call a lucid dream. But since I didn’t realize I was dreaming, maybe it doesn’t really count.
Either way, all I can do is pray that it wasn’t some kind of omen. But why did I even have such a terrible dream in the first place? Could it be I’ve been too influenced by Kagura’s delusions?
If that’s the case, that’s just too cruel. Who would want to become a miserable person, stuffed full of corny romcom daydreams?
Sometimes my mind does get pulled along by telepathy, but to have it swapped out with Kagura’s pink delusion signal… that’s just too much.
“You just had a weird dream, didn’t you?”
While I was rubbing my furrowed brow in exhaustion, a voice suddenly came from beside me.
“Ah… more like the worst dream ever.”
I answered weakly, still feeling drained. But then, I suddenly realized something strange.
“Huh?”
There was a girl next to me. A stylish girl crouched down, staring right at me. Even though I live alone. No one’s ever here to greet me with a good morning or welcome home. But right now, there was actually a girl right next to me.
“Hello~ Good morning, Onii-chan.”
She greeted me with a mischievous grin.
I don’t have a little sister. There’s no cliché story about a long-lost sister suddenly showing up one day. I’ve been a loner all my life, with no close family at all.
Which means, obviously: this girl in front of me is nothing but an intruder with a lying habit.
She should be brought to justice. Yes, that’s right.
“Hello, police?”
“Wait wait wait!! Don’t call them just yet!!”
I immediately grabbed my phone, but the girl hurriedly stopped me by force. How reckless could she be? She might really be a dangerous criminal. I have to stay alert.
“I borrowed the key from the landlady! I told her I was coming, but you overslept, right!!”
She kept talking nonstop, her mouth rattling on and on. Apparently, her little act was finally over.
Even so, that doesn’t mean I can just accept it with a simple "oh, I see, so that’s why she’s here, makes sense.”
Why is it so easy for someone to just hand over the key to my room? Don’t tell me my human rights have been secretly revoked?
“Haa, seriously… the landlady will be here soon anyway, so hurry up and get ready.”
She said it with a tone that sounded like, “well, that’s just how it is.”
Are you my mom or something? Just a moment ago, you called yourself my little sister, and now you’re acting like my mom—stop switching roles so much. Besides, isn’t it weird for someone who barged in uninvited to lecture me? I never even agreed when she said, “I’ll be coming over next week, okay?”
“Haa…”
I let out a long sigh and tried to calm myself down. This is just how she is—there’s no point paying her any more attention.
Oh right, today’s actually a day off. The alarm went off, but I must have forgotten to turn it off yesterday.
Well, I guess this counts as good luck. Thanks to that, I managed to wake up from a nightmare. I could just leave this intruder waiting outside without a care… but realizing that my day off might basically be ruined because of this made my mood sink even lower.
As I was gloomily thinking about the rest of my day, I noticed she was staring at me. I frowned and stood up.
“What?”
“Eh, usually when a guy just wakes up, it’s, you know, big, right? B-but yours, Sumito, is actually small—pffft.”
It took me a moment to understand what she meant. But after seeing her burst into laughter and recalling my previous experiences with her antics, I quickly figured out where this conversation was headed.
Even without prior experience, anyone would immediately understand. Her gaze was blatantly fixed on my crotch. My face burned red.
“Get out!!”
I kicked the blanket away with all my might.
＊＊＊
A few minutes later.
The usually quiet atmosphere of my room was now completely drowned in noise.
The intruding girl—Mitome Tsuyuha—and the landlady, who also serves as my guardian, were now sitting comfortably in my room.
Compared to the peaceful days I was used to, it felt unbearably lively. Not that it was the kind of liveliness I wanted.
“C’mon, c’mon, don’t be so mad, Sumito. It was just a little joke.”
“Hey, Tsuyu-chan, that was about a man’s pride. You should be more considerate. Besides, Sumii—though he looks plain—could actually turn into a giant when the time really comes, you know?”
“Eeh, but I’ve never seen Sumito being serious like that.”
“…Could it be that he’s the type whose size never changes?”
Pfft.
I kept a straight face while Tsuyuha apologized without the slightest bit of remorse. Instead of mediating, the landlady even added fuel to the fire, making things worse. This was a scene I’d witnessed countless times before.
Noisy. Ahh, way too noisy. Why are all the women around me like this? Has the standard of Japanese femininity dropped this low? They should seriously remember the spirit of Yamato Nadeshiko. Though, well, I’m not really one to talk.
“Wait, are you actually worried about being small?”
“Don’t worry, Sumito-kyun. It’s not about big or small for men—it’s about hardness, you know?”
When I stayed quiet, both of them stared at me with what seemed like worry.
So noisy. I wasn’t thinking about that at all. Besides, I’m not small, and it’s not like my size is permanently fixed either.
“What the hell is wrong with you two!! Did you just enter my room without permission just to talk about dirty stuff!?”
I shouted in anger, but the two of them just looked at each other.
Their faces showed zero signs of guilt.
“Saying ‘entered without permission’ makes it sound bad.”
“Yeah, right? We’re basically family, aren’t we? Family can just come and go from each other’s rooms, right?”
Both of them pouted. True, we had been friends since childhood. We’d known each other for years. But that’s all it was—just a long friendship. There should still be boundaries, even in close relationships.
If it were just the landlady, I could let it slide, but Tsuyuha? I don’t even feel that close to her.
“Aah, don’t be so stiff. We’ve been naked together before, remember?”
I glared at her, and she casually patted my shoulder.
“We have not! That was just you! Stop twisting the facts to make it sound like we have!”
“So what you mean is… Sumito, besides showing off your body, you also want me to show you my naked body?!”
“Of course not!! The only pervert here is you! You’re the one shamelessly looking at naked people’s bodies!”
She hugged herself and went “oh my~,” making me clench my fist.
Is her life’s purpose just to tease people?
“But isn’t that the same? After all, you can read every single thing I’m thinking—even the dirty stuff.”
She narrowed her eyes at me with a teasing look.
I wanted to argue back, but fortunately, my telepathy was OFF right now, so I wasn’t guilty of anything.
…Yeah, she probably already noticed. We’ve known each other long enough that both of them are well aware of my ability—telepathy. And Mitome Tsuyuha, in particular, has a strange ability of her own.
Her ability is… x-ray vision.
Yes, she can literally see through things. And she abuses it endlessly just to spy on other people’s sensitive areas.
Ah, how wicked. How immoral. Truly deserving of being called a pink bastard, no less than Kagura.
“Ah, right now you’re probably thinking something rude, aren’t you? I can tell even without telepathy.”
“Nope. I’m just calmly reevaluating my opinion of you.”
“Haa~? If you say that, then I won’t tell you the colors of the girls’ underwear anymore, you know?”
With a smug look, Tsuyuha said that. She had the worst habit in history—peeking at the underwear colors of every girl around and then gleefully telling me just to see my reaction.
If Kagura was the one-sided harassment type, Tsuyuha was the omni-directional harassment type. To make it worse, she did it fully aware of what she was doing. In that sense, she might actually be worse than Kagura.
“Go ahead, I don’t care. Why does it sound like I’m the one who wants to know? And stop doing that. You’re going to get in trouble one day.”
“Hearing you say that just makes me want to do it more! It’s like I’m drawn to uncovering hidden mysteries—it’s the destiny of humankind~!”
“Seriously, you deserve to get punched.”
I was almost in tears at the fact that the world couldn’t punish her. Even if I reported her, saying “Hey, she’s using x-ray vision for pervy stuff!” no one would believe me.
I really need to think carefully about what to do with this dangerous woman.
“Please, landlady, say something. No one wants a relative as messed up as this.”
Rubbing my temple, I passed the responsibility to the older adult in the room. The wisdom of an adult might be my only hope.
“Weeell, if no one finds out, it’s not a problem!”
But the landlady just said whatever she wanted… I’m doomed.
With messy hair, dark circles under her eyes, wearing a worn-out tank top and shorts, she had zero dignity. And from such a figure came those irresponsible words.
Is this really what people call an adult…? Well, I kind of expected it, considering she was the one who casually handed my key to someone else. As I began feeling disappointed, I noticed something strange about her. Her body was swaying unsteadily, and her eyes were unfocused.
“Wait. Don’t tell me… you’ve been drinking since this morning?”
She really is a heavy drinker. Or rather, she’s completely addicted. More often than not, whenever she appears in front of me, her face is flushed—just like now. But this time… could she really be drunk in broad daylight?
“…I haven’t been drinking~”
She denied it, forcing a fake cutesy act. If I remember correctly, she’s already in her thirties. The more I think about it, the sadder it gets.
“I’ve told you so many times, at least drink at night…”
“No way. Adults can’t survive without drinking, you know.”
“Even so, you don’t have to get this drunk!”
“Naïve. You’re too naïve, Sumii-kun. If you’re not blackout drunk, it doesn’t count as real drinking.”
Don’t say that so proudly, lady.
I’ve seen plenty of people drown themselves in alcohol and other things. From what I’ve seen, her habit is clearly unhealthy. Still, I do owe her a lot. So I genuinely wish she’d stop.
“Anyway, hurry up and tell me why you’re here. And you too, Tsuyuha… don’t tell me you came here just to ruin my peaceful day off.”
After our conversation had derailed completely, I finally brought it back to the main point.
Why do I have to spend my day off in such a noisy mess? The landlady being here was understandable—she was my guardian and often dropped by. But Tsuyuha? She lived somewhere else. There was no reason for her to come here on purpose.
There must be a reason. If not, I should just kick her out.
“Oh, right! I almost forgot!”
Tsuyuha clapped her hands together.
“So, a lot of new fashion items just came out recently, right? I want to go around and check some shops, so… I need an extra pair of hands to help~.”
She swayed her body cutely as she glanced at me.
Ah, I see now.
“So basically, you want me to carry your shopping bags.”
“Heeey, don’t put it like that! It makes me sound bossy! Of course, I’m not asking for free. If you come with me, I’ll let you enjoy the special privilege of hugging me as much as you want—”
“Rejected.”
Not even a second of hesitation.
“Haaah!? Why!? This is a rare chance to touch me, you know!?”
“That’s the most worthless chance in the world. You’re overestimating your own value.”
“Arrghh!! You jerk, Sumito-kun!!”
Holding her forehead, Tsuyuha acted as if she were truly frustrated. I’d be more surprised if she actually thought I’d say yes.
“Haaah, landlady!”
Ignoring my exhaustion, she quickly turned toward the landlady.
As if giving her a signal—“Your turn now!”—it seemed like this was all prearranged. The landlady scratched her head for a moment, then spoke.
“Weeell, actually, I do have some business with Sumi too.”
For some reason, she looked a little more sober than before.
“…What?”
“It’s nothing major. I just need you to run a little errand.”
Slowly, she pulled out a paper bag containing several books. The covers were plain, with no titles, but they gave off a strangely dignified air.
“What’s this? I didn’t think you were the type to be diligent about this sort of thing.”
“Weeell, just a little~. These are books I borrowed from the city library, and I just remembered they’re due today…”
“Oh, come on, return them yourself.”
“Aww, don’t be so cold! I’m busy too, you know!”
When I tried to push the paper bag back to her, she suddenly grabbed my hand and clung to me, pressing her whole body against mine.
So annoying. And she reeked of alcohol—yep, she totally drank. And what kind of books would a woman like her even read? It couldn’t be novels, and she’d definitely laugh off photo albums or encyclopedias with a “so boring, hahaha.” I just couldn’t imagine it.
…Still, I do owe her a lot. Even though this apartment is a rundown mess, she rents me a room for next to nothing. I’m not so petty as to refuse such a small request.
“…Fine. I just have to return them, right?”
“Exactly. As expected of Sumi, you’re such a lifesaver.”
With an oddly formal tone, the landlady thanked me. How polite of her.
Yeah, I guess she really is serious and responsible at heart.
I know that behind the scenes, she takes care of a lot for us. If it weren’t for the alcohol issue, she’d probably be a truly respectable person.
“Thanks a lot!”
As I accepted the paper bag, for some reason, Tsuyuha also thanked me. Did she think I’d agreed to carry her shopping bags too?
She had clearly been steering the conversation toward the landlady with a "please take advantage of this!” tone, so maybe she thought she could ride along with her request. But I never agreed… though I was too lazy to argue, so I let it slide.
＊＊＊
Not long after, I was standing at the crowded station exit.
Even though it wasn’t rush hour, the train headed for the city center was still pretty packed, making the ride a little suffocating.
"Haaah… so tired…"
Tsuyuha, who had been sticking close to me the whole ride, let out a weary sigh, her face pale.
"You get train-sick easily, huh?"
"Hmm… a little. I usually ride my bike to school, so I’m not used to taking the train."
True enough, my apartment and Tsuyuha’s house are a fair distance apart, but she can still bike to school. No wonder she doesn’t usually ride trains or buses and isn’t used to being crammed in with strangers.
Honestly though, I’m a little jealous. Not about her motion sickness—about the short distance. It’s cheaper and way more convenient. For someone as broke as me, that sounds like the perfect setup.
…Well, not that I have the energy or motivation to pedal a bike to school every single morning. Besides, if I lived too far from my landlady, it would just make things more complicated if something ever came up.
"…But from the way you’re talking, motion sickness doesn’t seem like the real problem. So why do you look so pale? Did you see something weird with that x-ray vision of yours?"
"Yeeah, you could say that. More like… this. Right here."
Tsuyuha pointed at her own eyes with an annoyed look.
"This power of mine, I can’t turn it off. I end up seeing right through the whole train. The scenery keeps changing so fast it just messes up my head and wears me out."
Just like me, she’s another failed esper. If my telepathy sometimes turns on by itself and drags people’s thoughts into my head, then her x-ray vision also goes out of control sometimes, letting her see through absolutely everything.
"You can even see through the train itself? I can’t even imagine what that’s like."
"Yeah, well, you wouldn’t understand. One time I felt like I was standing on top of magma, because I could see right through the ground too."
That sounds terrifying. And yet, she actually looked kind of proud of it—what’s wrong with her?
"So yeah, that’s why I’m exhausted now…"
With a weak tone, Tsuyuha leaned against me.
"Hey, don’t lean on me. It’s hot, you know."
"What, you won’t even let a poor, frail, beautiful young girl lean on you?"
"Don’t call yourself beautiful."
"Eeh, normally when I say that people are happy to hear it… ah, oh, I see how it is!"
She mumbled under her breath, as if she’d just had some sort of revelation, then looked at me with a sly grin.
"…Don’t worry. I get it now. Besides, I’m only seeing you as a skeleton right now, so even if you’re, y’know, ‘standing’ down there, I wouldn’t be able to tell—hyan."
In an instant, I shoved her away from me.
Unbelievable. I actually feel stupid for listening to her seriously just now. This girl’s casual attitude could drive anyone insane.
"Geez, you’re so mean, Sumito! You heartless skeleton!"
She started fake-crying loudly, her voice echoing through the area and turning heads toward me. So embarrassing. I was genuinely grateful my telepathy was working properly right now.
＊＊＊
I arrived at the city library. This should be the place my landlady was talking about.
"Book returns, please."
"Yes, we’ve received them. Thank you very much~."
I handed the paper bag of books straight to the receptionist. She took them and carried them away.
"……"
"……Do you need anything else?"
"Eh, ah… no. Thank you very much."
So returning books was this simple, huh?
I waited for a moment thinking there would be more steps involved, only to get a look that said, “What is with this guy?” I guess I was acting stiff because my landlady’s request felt kind of important… how embarrassing.
Either way, mission complete. If it was this easy, she should’ve just done it herself. But yeah, she’s lazy. Going somewhere this crowded would be too much trouble for her. Then again, I’m not one to talk, so I’d better not let that habit rub off on me.
"……"
"……"
"…………"
The library was quiet. Some people were reading, some were studying, others were staring at their computer screens. Everyone was minding their own business, but all of them were doing their best to keep the peace.
Ahh, how nice. This was thanks to the self-discipline of the visitors—and also because my telepathy was switched OFF. Otherwise, my head would feel like a concert hall right now.
Weird voices like "Kyeee!" or "Uhyoo!" would flood in uninvited, making me want to ask, "Hey, what the heck are you even reading?"
If only I could switch my telepathy off like this at school too, it would be a great place to escape the chaos.
Wait, if my telepathy is off, I wouldn’t even need to escape from the noise, would I? Either way, since I had the chance to enjoy this quiet atmosphere, maybe I should take a look around.
The library was pretty big. From the map, it even had a manga section. It definitely wouldn’t have the cheap stuff Kagura reads during homeroom, but the selection looked pretty broad. I don’t dislike reading longer works, and since I had nothing else to do after this, I figured I might as well browse a bit. Just as I started walking toward the shelves—
Zap.
A jolt of electricity shot through my head.
『Ah, guess this is as far as the story goes. Can’t believe the heroine died… I wonder if there’s a sequel?』
『Hee~ so that’s how it is. So gorilla chest-beating isn’t meant as a threat.』
『Wait, what!? So the protagonist who seemed like just an ordinary guy was actually an escaped experiment from the enemy’s secret organization!?』
『Uhhhyoooo, this girl is soooo cute!』
…Crap. My telepathy was going out of control again.
The thoughts of all the readers came crashing into my head from every direction. Each one completely absorbed in whatever book they had in front of them, their minds full of the stories or lessons they were taking in. Though some of them… I wasn’t even sure they were actually reading.
…Haaah. My telepathy really is like mountain weather—changing without warning. I still haven’t figured out how it works even after living with it for over ten years.
I should just go home. Go home and sleep. When my telepathy is going crazy like this, that’s really the only thing I can do. Feeling gloomy, I quickly left the library.
＊＊＊
"Sloooow! How long are you going to make a girl wait!!"
The moment I stepped out of the library, I ran into a monster. She was carrying several shopping bags from well-known clothing brands. Even from a distance, I could smell the scent of trouble all over her.
▼ Yonemine's Choice: Run away from Tsuyuha.
"Wait—why are you running away!?"
Unfortunately, she was quick to cut me off. With her cheeks puffed out in an exaggerated way—so overdone it lost any hint of cuteness—Tsuyuha blocked my path.
"...What do you want."
"What do you mean 'what'? You promised you'd carry my stuff for me!"
"I have absolutely no memory of ever making such a ridiculous promise."
"But you just delivered something for the Landlady, right? So, do this too!"
"Sorry, that package didn’t come with a bonus service like this."
"Ugh, stingy! I was even planning to dump all my shopping bags on you and then drag you around for another five hours of shopping."
"Your idea of 'since you're at it anyway' is way over the line."
This girl's shamelessness... honestly, it's something you could almost admire. Of course, only as a bad example.
"Haa... seriously. You bolted the moment we left the station. You're just so... forgettable!"
"Hello? Could you not slip in insults so casually?"
"But it’s true. Sumito’s always been quick to disappear. Every time you vanish, I swear, the Landlady and I have almost filed a missing person report!"
"Sorry, I have zero memory of that ever happening. In fact, I don’t remember ever hanging out with you two at all— because it never happened."
"Wow, you're the type who just erases anything inconvenient, huh."
"There's no convenient or inconvenient in made-up stories. Not once, in all the time I've been stuck with you, has there been a peaceful conversation like that."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Even if heaven and earth flipped upside down."
"Eh~? So that time under the full moon, when you said 'You're the only one I'll never let go of,'.you’ve forgotten that too?"
"If that ever actually happened, then heaven and earth really have flipped too far. What kind of situation would that even be."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. So just carry this."
She suddenly shoved several shopping bags into my hands. Why do I feel like I'm the one being made out to be the bad guy here...
Annoyed, I glanced inside the bags. Clothes. More clothes. Packed to the brim. Where did she even get the money to buy this much? Don’t tell me she’s doing some weird part-time jobs.
"But seriously, you can see through things, right? Why are you even interested in clothes?"
"You know, Sumito-kun... that’s nonsense. Absolute nonsense."
She started smacking her own forehead repeatedly, as if I’d said something truly stupid. But still, if she can see through not just clothes but flesh and blood too, what’s the point?
"Sure, I can see through clothes. But it’s exactly because people wear them that others get curious. You get what I mean?"
"No, I don’t get what you mean..."
Isn’t that usually about what clothes are hiding?
"Besides," Tsuyuha continued, glancing slightly upward before going on, "I don’t just like wearing clothes, I like seeing them too. What people choose to wear, how they coordinate, the material, the colors. From those choices, you can tell a little bit about what kind of impression they want to give, or how they’re feeling. That’s something I can’t know just by seeing through things. And because I can’t, it makes me curious."
She let out a small sigh after saying that.
I guess what she meant was that she wanted to understand people through what they wear. Honestly, I’m not sure clothes can reveal that much about a person’s personality. And since I can literally read people’s thoughts with telepathy, it’s hard for me to completely relate.
But somehow, her words stuck with me—half made sense, half felt like they were floating in the air. Turns out, Tsuyuha actually has some surprisingly deep thoughts.
"But really, I just want to wear cute stuff."
"So that’s the real reason! And here I thought your image just went up a bit."
"Hey don’t just stand there looking dumb! I was actually heading to the bathroom, you know!"
How was I supposed to know that? You’re the one who started this weird conversation.
"Anyway, hold these for me."
As if she’d just remembered, Tsuyuha shrugged off her shoulder bag and shoved it toward me.
"Hah? Carry it yourself."
"No way. These are new clothes, I can’t bring them into the bathroom. They might get dirty."
"Public restrooms are pretty clean though. Or what, are you like a dog that just sprays everywhere?"
"Idiot! That’s not what I mean! I meant the city air is dirty! New clothes will get contaminated!"
"What nonsense. The air we’re breathing right now is the same air that’s already passed through other people’s butts."
"Hiii... you have no sense of delicacy at all."
She glared at me with a look of pure disdain. But honestly, I felt like it was basically the same thing.
"Haa... anyway, just watch them for me!"
"Hey, hold on—!"
Tsuyuha dumped all the bags in front of me and dashed toward the bathroom. So she won’t take them into a restroom, but leaving them on the ground is fine?
I seriously don’t get her logic.
"Haa..."
But with this many bags left behind, I couldn’t just ignore them. Sighing, I finally sat down on a bench with all the bags in hand.
『What’s with them, are they fighting?』
『So noisy in the middle of the day.』
『That guy’s seriously the worst.』
And just like that, telepathy kicked in.
Probably because of that argument I just had with Tsuyuha, random one-sided comments started flooding into my head. This is why I hate being in crowded places...
The complaints born from strangers’ hearts are sharper than knives. And of course, they can say whatever they want without worrying about how it feels for the other person. The problem is, I get it all directly. In the end, I’m the only one who gets hurt. And the annoying part is, there’s no one I can blame. Normal people wouldn’t believe their thoughts were read anyway—at best, they’d call it a cheap conspiracy theory.
...Wait. So they’re all blaming me? Do my values and actions really differ that much from everyone else’s?
Just as I was starting to shrink back at the thought—
『Hey, he’s grabbing her hand! Call the cops!』
Huh? What was that just now?
I quickly lifted my head, noticing that everyone else was looking in the same direction. Turns out, that comment wasn’t about me. Thank goodness... though I’m a little embarrassed for assuming it was.
But wait. What’s actually going on?
It’s not every day you see a guy and girl fighting in a busy street. I turned to look toward the commotion, just like everyone else in the crowd. And sure enough—just as my telepathy had warned me—there was a girl being harassed by a pair of men.
Two guys: one big and burly with a scary face, the other tall and skinny with the same delinquent vibe. They were blocking the path of a girl with long black hair.
She was stunningly beautiful. Tall, slender, and even with two men like that pestering her, she didn’t so much as twitch an eyebrow. Her attitude was calm, completely unshaken...
"...Kagura?"
There was no mistaking it. That was the girl who sat next to me in class.
There aren’t many people with a face as expressionless as a noh mask, so there was no way I could be wrong. The moment I realized it was someone I knew, confusion instantly washed over me.
What is she even doing here? Well, of course Kagura’s allowed to go out. And it’s not like this is some deserted place—this is a busy area. But why is she being harassed like this? Did someone try to hit on her? Or did her blank expression get mistaken for a glare...? No, the cause doesn’t matter right now.
What should I do? And why isn’t anyone stopping them? No matter how you look at it, this is clearly harassment. Some people just glance and keep walking. Others think This is bad news and secretly aim their phone cameras. Others just stand there staring out of curiosity.
And me? I was just a background character too.
I had no clue how to handle this situation smartly. I had my phone in hand just in case, but I didn’t even know what to do with it.
Maybe... they were just joking around?
Just as my sense of justice was about to stir—
『...Scary.』
A tiny whisper, almost like a choked sob, slipped into my mind.
No one else around noticed. Because it wasn’t a sound you could hear— it was something only I could catch with this strange ability of mine. A cry from deep inside, hidden behind her expressionless face.
"...Hey, you guys. Calm down a bit."
Before I knew it, I had already stepped into the middle of it all.
＊＊＊
"Hah?"
Before I knew it, there was already a young man standing there. The onlookers around seemed bewildered by his sudden appearance.
There hadn’t been the slightest hint of his presence just moments ago, yet in the blink of an eye he was there—grabbing the arm of the man approaching the high school girl, looking straight at him with a gaze that wasn’t even all that intimidating.
And perhaps precisely because the boy himself didn’t seem remarkable in any way, the whole atmosphere only grew more uncanny. The two delinquents glared suspiciously at the stranger who had suddenly appeared.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Nothing much. It just looked like this girl was scared, so maybe you should stop."
"Hah, playing the hero now? What a badass."
The fat one snorted, while the skinny one grinned mockingly.
But the boy simply kept a faint smile on his face, his expression unchanging.
"Yo, Yonemine—"
The girl who had been cornered was about to speak, but the boy raised a hand toward her as if to say, "Leave this to me."
"If I’m the hero here, then that means you guys do realize you’re acting like villains, right?"
"Yeah, we know we look scary. But relax. We’re just talking with this girl, that’s all."
"Yeah, just trying to get to know her. So quit making that scary face. Besides, there are plenty of dangerous people around here. If a scrawny guy like you tries to play tough, you’re the one who’s gonna get beat up, got it?"
They stepped closer, their tone growing threatening, clearly trying to provoke him. The skinny one slung an arm over the boy’s shoulder, while the fat one deliberately swung his fist in the air as if to show off.
"Ah, yeah, that’s true. I’ve heard this area’s supposed to be dangerous."
The boy shifted his weight to one leg, pretending to think as he rubbed his chin. Then he narrowed his eyes and gave a sly grin.
"...But didn’t I also hear that even strong guys like you were once forced to get down on your knees and beg for mercy?"
The delinquents’ eyebrows twitched.
"The hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Eh? Was I wrong? I heard something like that happened about two weeks ago. Somewhere in a parking lot not too far from the station. Something about someone getting down and begging for forgiveness because they hit on some gang leader’s girlfriend? Hahaha, pretty pathetic, right? And here you are, still not learning your lesson."
The boy burst out laughing after dropping such a random comment. To a normal bystander, it must have looked completely unhinged, totally nonsensical. But slowly, the color drained from the delinquents’ faces.
"Ah, well, if it wasn’t you guys, then forget it. Just thought I’d tell the story. But you two should be careful, yeah? Keep messing with girls like this and you might step on the wrong landmine someday."
"You...!!"
"Tch, don’t act so cocky. No wonder your girlfriend dumped you."
"What!? You bastard!"
A fist came flying. The tension snapped in an instant, and the crowd erupted in noise. ...But the boy stayed calm, even smiling faintly.
"Sure, you can hit me if you want. But personally, I think the one who really deserves to get punched— is him."
He jerked his thumb over his shoulder—pointing at the skinny one still holding onto him.
"H-Hah!? M-me!? I swear it wasn’t me!!"
"You bastard...!"
"No, no, I’m serious! It’s all lies! He made it up!!"
"But didn’t you say it yourself? That line—‘You’d be better off with me than with him’—when you hit on that girl?"
"You son of a—!!"
"Uwaaaaahhh!?"
The fat guy roared, and the skinny one bolted. Like a cat chasing a mouse, the two of them took off, sprinting after each other until they disappeared completely from sight.
The whole place fell silent, everyone wearing the same look of confusion as if to say, "What the hell just happened?" Only after both delinquents were completely gone the crowd finally start to relax.
"...Haa... fuh."
The tension in his body, strung tight from dealing with those violent thugs, finally began to ease. The boy wiped his forehead, grimaced slightly, then turned to the girl he had just protected.
"Ah... are you okay? I should’ve stepped in sooner—eh?"
The words of surprise slipped right out of his mouth. Even when facing down those guys, he hadn’t looked this shaken. But what he saw in front of him was far beyond anything he’d expected.
"Kagura... you’re crying?"
From the girl’s eyes—from Kagura’s eyes— tears fell silently, one drop after another.
＊＊＊
The human brain has this strange trait: the moment it hears a certain word, it automatically pulls up any related memory from the past.
Especially when it comes to something tied to guilt or trauma— even the simplest word can set off a chain reaction that drags that memory to the surface.
That’s what happened with those guys just now. The phrase "dangerous area" unconsciously dragged up their memory of being forced to kneel and beg for mercy. I just happened to read it through telepathy—and then repeated it aloud on purpose.
Honestly, it took a lot out of me. But it was worth it to scare them like that. Come to think of it, to someone who had no idea what I was doing, I must have looked seriously creepy—like I was reading their minds word for word. Well, at least that headache earlier wasn’t for nothing. Maybe I really should have just called the police right away.
"Ehoh... cough..."
"...."
And now that the commotion was over, I once again had no idea what to do.
Beside me, Kagura was still crying, tears streaming down her face without end.
When I first saw her, I was so shocked. She wasn’t sobbing loudly or anything, but considering that she always wore that emotionless, iron-mask expression, just seeing her face distort like that was enough to shake me to my core.
Saying, "Why did it turn out like this…" felt a little too obvious—because the reason was plain as day.
Sure, Kagura was a girl whose head was always full of pink, romantic thoughts, but that didn’t mean she was some shameless pervert off the streets. Being approached by two strange men, even having her hand grabbed—of course she would be scared. It wasn’t going to turn into some indecent manga scene, so her tears weren’t surprising at all.
For a moment I had the awful thought, "Could it be that she actually liked it?" but I quickly apologized to her in my heart. Either way, seeing her like this, there was no way I could just leave her alone— so I stayed by her side…
『Whoa, drama between a couple, huh.』
『Hey, look, your girlfriend’s crying!』
『Huh? How could you make a girl that pretty cry?』
For some reason, I was the one taking the blame from random passersby. Since we were standing together, they must have misunderstood, thinking we were a couple— and now I was the jerk who made her cry.
Well, no one had seen what happened from the very beginning, and I wasn’t the type to break from a few stray remarks from strangers. Still… it stung. More importantly, in this situation, what exactly was I supposed to do?
Come to think of it, I’d hardly ever had an actual conversation with Kagura. All I ever did was peek into her mind and get surprised by what I saw. Outside of class, we almost never spoke. And I wasn’t exactly the type who could pull out the perfect words at a time like this.
"Umm… feeling a little calmer now?"
In the end, all I could manage was a simple greeting. Kagura rubbed her eyes with the sleeve of her uniform, trying to reply, but no voice came out. Even her inner voice wasn’t clear—
『＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊』
—all I could sense was a chaotic current of emotions I couldn’t fully comprehend. Humans can think and feel so many things at once. And in a state of panic like hers, emotions get tangled together, overlapping and colliding until they can no longer be sorted out.
The same thing had happened with the skinny guy earlier. When I brought up the fact that he stole the fat one’s girlfriend, his thoughts had become completely scrambled, like "akjhfkasdhfksjhf." Memories and feelings all mixed up together—that was pretty much what it was like.
"Sorry… I didn’t mean for things to end up like this."
"…It’s fine. I don’t mind."
Once the storm inside her had calmed down a little, Kagura finally spoke. Her tone had returned to its usual flatness, though it still trembled slightly from crying. She picked up the bottle of water I had given her earlier and took a sip.
"…I’m not used to men."
She began to speak quietly.
"I went to an all-girls’ school in middle school, so other than my father, I almost never interacted with boys. One of the reasons I chose a co-ed high school was so I could get used to being around them… but I failed. Months have gone by, and I still can’t talk properly or feel comfortable around them. Even just now, I couldn’t do anything…"
She let out a quiet sigh and lowered her gaze. So she really was a graduate of an all-girls’ school. That explained why she was so sensitive to men.
"That’s why… I was really grateful when you saved me, Yonemine-kun."
"You don’t need to be so formal about it. I just happened to be passing by."
She bowed politely, which only made me panic a little.
"…Why did you help me, Yonemine-kun?"
"Hmm… no real reason, I guess."
"But you could’ve ignored me, like everyone else did."
"No, pretending I didn’t see anything would’ve felt really wrong…"
Honestly, I had hesitated for a moment back then… but I couldn’t say that aloud. Besides, Kagura had been wearing her usual expressionless face at the time, so just like the bystanders who had been watching from afar, I had thought, "Maybe she’s still okay?" From a certain point of view, she really had seemed tough.
In this case, my troublesome telepathy had actually been somewhat useful. But of course, I couldn’t just say, "I knew because I read your mind!" So—
"…Maybe it was because your face looked like you wanted to be saved?"
For some reason, what came out of my mouth sounded way too much like a cheesy hero line.
"──…I see."
She just glanced at me briefly, then fell silent. A stillness settled between us. Was she unsatisfied with my answer? Sure, it was kind of lame, but still—some kind of reaction would’ve been nice. Instead, I just felt embarrassed by my own words. But I didn’t want to pry into her mind to find out what she was thinking. Right now, I really didn’t want to think too much about this power of mine.
"Haa…"
I let out a heavy sigh, as if releasing my fatigue.
"…Umm, are you okay? You’ve been looking pretty worn out this whole time."
"Ah, yeah… it just feels like anemia or something."
Using telepathy consciously had drained my brainpower.
Normally, I would filter out all the incoming voices into nothing but background noise, but in reality, the amount of information rushing in was overwhelming— so much that it felt like my head might split open. Even just picking out and processing the necessary information was exhausting.
So after forcing myself to use that ability to drive off those thugs earlier, I was now suffering from a fairly nasty headache.
"…Anyway, next time be careful if you see any suspicious people around. Like those guys said, this area can get pretty shady."
Kagura looked a lot calmer now, almost back to her usual self. I figured she didn’t need me to stay with her anymore, so I gave her a simple warning and stood up, my steps sluggish.
"Well then… see you at school."
"Wait. Are you really planning to go home in that condition?"
Kagura’s tone this time was clearly trying to stop me. I tried to stand like nothing was wrong, but in truth my body was still shaky. Her gaze cut straight through me, as if refusing to let even the smallest excuse slide.
"It’s fine… it’s just the train ride home. I’ll be fine after a little rest."
"Even if you say that, you look paler than before. You’d have to walk to the station, take the train, and then walk again… are you really okay with that?"
"Well… I’ll be home in forty, maybe fifty minutes…"
"But in your condition right now, isn’t that kind of a long trip?"
…She had a point. Even though I said that, I couldn’t deny that I felt unsure.
My head throbbed painfully from the overuse of telepathy, my vision even a little blurry. If I were to collapse and hit my head somewhere, it wouldn’t be a laughing matter.
"But still… there’s nowhere to rest around here, and I don’t have any money…"
If this were just ordinary lightheadedness, sitting on a bench or stopping at a café for a bit might have been enough. But unfortunately, this wasn’t something that simple. Just being in a crowded place right now was something I wanted to avoid as much as possible.
"…In that case," Kagura said, pausing for a moment.
Then, in a calm, quiet voice, she continued,
"Why don’t you… come to my house?"
…
…!????!????!????!?
"Eh, what? Wait, what?"
"My house isn’t far from here. My mom’s coming home late today, and my dad’s away on a business trip. So I thought you could rest there for a bit before heading home."
She said it so casually. If I wasn’t just hearing things because my head was full of question marks, then yes—that really was what she said.
Was she serious? She was inviting me to her house… and today was literally the first time we had actually talked. And the reason she gave was even weirder— 'Because my parents aren’t home.'
That just sounded… way too suspicious.
"No, that’s a bit much…"
"Well, I’m not forcing you. But as a way of thanking you for helping me, I’d like to."
She said it with a serious look on her face. Expressionless as always, but there was a clear sincerity in her tone.
Why? Of all times, why was her mind completely pure right now?
"I couldn’t just leave someone who saved me when he’s this unwell. At the very least, I want to let you lie down for a bit…"
I tried to listen to her thoughts through telepathy, but there wasn’t the slightest hint of anything impure. Her mind was so clear it was like a stream so transparent you could see the trout swimming inside.
…Was I the one who was wrong here? Had Kagura actually rubbed off on me so much that now I was the one thinking more pink than she was?
"If you really don’t want to, then—"
"No, fine, okay. But just for a little while. As soon as I feel better, I’m heading home."
"…Yes. That would be better."
Seeing the faintly sad look on her face, I quickly nodded. Kagura then smiled softly, without a single trace of hidden intent.
…Seriously? There’s really nothing behind that?
For some reason, I felt like I’d lost. Like I was just… disgusted with myself. I had completely misjudged Kagura’s sincerity, panicking at her simple, honest invitation— and this was coming from the so-called 'pink-brained alien.'
『It’s nothing special, but at least I can offer him some cold tea. For lying down, the sofa should be fine…』
Kagura’s thoughts were filled with pure hospitality, a simple wish to take care of her guest. And somehow… compared to when I thought of her as someone with a head full of silly fantasies, I felt like I understood Kagura even less than before…
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