Ever Since I Carried Out the Penalty Game of Accidentally Confessing "I Like You, Please Go Out With Me" in the Class Group Chat, the Girls in My Class Have Been Acting Weird — Part 2

Of course. There’s no way this troublemaker would ignore such juicy gossip.

“What’s up, Fujino?”

Turning to my side, I was greeted by Fujino, who wore a predatory grin, like a carnivorous animal stalking its prey.

She was one of the popular girls in the class, with dyed light brown hair in defiance of school rules and colored contacts to match—a classic gyaru.

“Was that thing yesterday… real?”

“What thing?”

“Oh, come on. Don’t play dumb. I saw it, clear as day.”

“Haha…”

“And I even took a screenshot and shared it in the girls’ group chat.”

“Fujino, you traitor! What the hell is wrong with you?!”

Does this girl even have a heart?!

So that’s why the girls have been acting strange. I expected some rumors after ten people saw it, but to think it got screenshot and circulated…

This isn’t just a class issue anymore. It’s probably spread across the entire grade.

I’m doomed, aren’t I?

“So, who were you trying to confess to?”

“I invoke my right to remain silent.”

“You don’t talk to girls much, right? There aren’t many you’re close with… Could it be me?”

“I invoke my right to remain silent.”

“Not denying it means it’s true? By the way, if it’s you, I wouldn’t mind at all.”

“Pffffft!”

Stop it! Don’t blush and make it look like you’re serious!

This whole prank—intended to avoid hurting anyone—was just a dumb game between three idiotic high school boys. But now, how am I supposed to explain that without making things worse?!

Dodging the question here would make me the lowest of the low.

I should respond with sincerity—

Ding dong dang dong!

Saved by the bell.

At the same time, the teacher entered the classroom.

“Sorry, we’ll have to continue this later.”

“Oh… okay…”

For now, I resolved to spend today’s break holed up in the boys’ restroom…

The final bell rang to signal the end of class.

Ignoring Fujino, who had been acting unusually shy and fidgety since earlier, I decided to make a beeline for the restroom to hide.

But—

“Yoru Nagi! Stop right there!”

I was called out by name and forced to stop in my tracks.

“W-what is it?”

I turned my head awkwardly, like an old machine creaking into motion.

“There’s something you need to say to me, isn’t there?”

Standing there confidently, arms crossed, was Kano.

A beautiful girl with sharp eyes and twin tails as her trademark.

“Uh… no, I don’t think so?” 

"Kano, I have nothing to say to you."

Just let me escape to the restroom already.

“What? Of course you do!”

“No, seriously, I don’t.”

“Weren’t you trying to confess to me?”

“How did you come to that conclusion?!”

Seriously, how did it come to this?

Sure, Kano is one of the prettiest girls in the class.

She’s even done some part-time modeling, and plenty of guys secretly have a crush on her.

“But you accidentally confessed in the class chat yesterday, didn’t you?”

“Can you not shout that out loud?!”

“So obviously, it was a confession to me that you accidentally posted there, right?”

“Your confidence is off the charts!”

This… this is absurdly presumptuous.

Sure, I think Kano is cute, but that’s all there is to it.

Yesterday’s so-called “accidental confession” was a setup—a prank that wasn’t directed at anyone specific.

“I’ve been waiting since then, you know…”

“Waiting for what?”

“For you to confess properly this time… to me.”

“Stop assuming everything revolves around you!”

“Wait… so it wasn’t me?”

“It wasn’t!”

“Oh… I see. It wasn’t me.”

Come on, Kano. Don’t make that sad face!

I didn’t see this twist coming at all.

Her disappointed look is making it feel way too real—just like Fujino earlier.

“Haha, just kidding! It was a joke.”

“Oh, a joke? Don’t scare me like that.”

“So? How did the confession go?”

“Well… about that…”

“Ah, so it didn’t work out, huh.”

“Wait, Kano, that’s not—”

“But it’s fine! You’re a good guy, so I’m sure you’ll find someone amazing. Someone like me, for instance.”

What am I supposed to do?

It’s becoming harder and harder to explain that yesterday was just a prank.

I glared at Hashioka and Tajima.

For some reason, they glared back at me like I was their mortal enemy.

This is so unfair. I didn’t even do anything wrong…

* * *

Lunch break.

Unable to endure the awkward atmosphere of the classroom, I decided to retreat to the library.

There was no way I had the courage to spend lunch right in the middle of that battlefield.

And hiding out in the restroom for the entire lunch break would be way too long.

So, the library it was.

Luckily, the test period had just ended, so no one was studying there.

The library was all mine.

Finally, some peace and quiet.

I decided to pass the time reading.

I grabbed a random book and started flipping through it.

I’ve always been fond of reading.

Whenever I had free time, I’d come to the library to read, so this felt natural to me.

“…”

It was peaceful.

The only sound in the quiet library was the rustle of turning pages.

“...?”

Just as I was getting into the book, I felt a presence behind me and turned around.

“Oh, sorry for bothering you.”

“Oh, it’s just Higuchi.”

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