Vol 6 Chapter 10 (2/2)

Hime's protest was intense

”I never lied tothe role of my ideal self, my cutest self, andto yourself! That's because—”

At this point, Hime was at a loss for words

”That's because what?”

Masuzu's voice was tre

Hime sucked a small breath and then spoke:

”Because President—You really do love Eita, don't you?”

A look of shock gradually spread across Masuzu's face

If Masuzu was nor the lines of, ｢Heh, that's ih it off Or, she'd have a wide sht｣, while nodding her head Her response should have been soo I asked her this and she had simply said, ｢Nope｣ She really wasn't the kind of woman that would be fazed by this kind of question

However—

”N-No, I don't…!”

Masuzu shook her head repeatedly as she retreated backwards step by step

”I love Eita? Akishi+no-san, what the hell are you talking about? I' like I'ly in love with Eita It's true that I've been really extreme these days, but it was all just an act It was fake Look, didn't Saeko-san say so like this before?”

However, Hime shook her head

”I don't think that's the case Even though I don't want to admit this, you're extremely well matched with Eita, President”

”No!”

Masuzu shout was almost like a shriek

”No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! I wasn't falling in love! I won't fall in love with others There's no way I'd do soly, and filthy! The only person in this entire world who I can say I love with all my heart is my mother”

”Masuzu, calm down”

I wanted to help support Masuzu's shoulders, but she pushed me away

”Don't touch me Were we really so intimate? You're just a fake boyfriend after all”

With those intense words, tears started to ee from Masuzu's eyes

She had this expression that looked like she was just about to break and crumble apart, like she was alone and very weak

—She was at her limit

I couldn't keep… pretending that I didn't see anything

The time that I used ｢this is just an act｣ as a pretext to caled our secret to Hime was already past

”I don't knohat your real feelings are, fake or real, and I'm not even sure if I can tell the difference However—there's no way I'll let you go no matter how you put it This is real”

”……Huh?”

Masuzu gave this minuscule sound as she lifted her head to look at me

”Even though it was an instant ht?”

”I just didn't want to lose to Harusaki Chiwa That's all”

”When I got second place on the assesso hoo”

”That's because your grades are your only positive point, so I thought it was very pitiable”

”When we changed our seats so that we ended up farther apart, didn't you lose your head over fear and become jealous?”

”You really don't stop nagging! That was all just an act! You were tricked!”

”…If that was really so, why are you crying now?”

”Huh?”

Masuzu lightly touched her own cheeks

Her tears painted a streaers

”What is… this? Huh?”

No matter how she wiped it, she still would have seen these sparkling drops of tears Masuzu stared blankly

”I just can’t ignore you! When I see you like this, I feel terrible! This has nothing to do with us being boyfriend and girlfriend or whatever! I'ht now, Natsukawa Masuzu, as Kidou Eita!”

I reached out with my hand towards Masuzu

If Masuzu grabbed irl's side

If ere lovers in name, that was fine If I was her fake boyfriend, that was fine Neither of them mattered

If Masuzu needs me, then I'll—

”—I refuse I don't want it”

However, Masuzu didn't grab my hand

”…Is this how you really feel?”

”The ｢boyfriend｣ that I need is not Kidou Eita”

I sighed and then lowered my hand

”If that's the case, then it's impossible”

”Impossible?”

”I can't keep continuing as your fake boyfriend I can't be your accomplice”

”……Y-You want me to use force?”

Masuzu's voice was treht now

”Did you forget, Eita? I still have ers and all of your e black histories will be released all over the Internet for the world to see—”

”Then release it”

”Huh?”

”I said you can release it It's enough”

Actually, when Hio

The reason why I never did —was because I was afraid I was afraid that the relationshi+ps within ｢Jien-Otsu｣ would collapse

”Eita…?”

”To tell you the truth, Hime, the notebook that Masuzu usually reads from is actually mine”

I've already made a firm resolution

Hieously confessed all of her black histories

What reason was there if I couldn't sue?

”You'll regret this, Eita”

Masuzu slowly started taking steps back as she angrily stared at me

”If you want to apologize right now, I'll forgive you and only release ten pages”

”This isn't a trial period Just release them all in one breath”

”If you find it e to adht you can coive you and only release twenty pages”

”I said, it doesn't matter Just release all of them”

”In that case, before I go to bed, if you just give me a phone call then I'll—”

”I said that it was enough!”

Masuzu's eyes were filled with tears and she shook her head nonstop

”You'll regret this, Eita No, I'll definitely ret this!”

The loud shoutson the telephone lines all disperse After Masuzu thren that final sentence, she ran away

”I'ot us nowhere”

”That's not true”

I placed my hands on Hime's shoulder

”Hime, you… how should I put this? You're incredible In barely two months, you've matured even more than I did in ”

Right now, to be honest, I didn't want my notebook to be revealed to the world I was afraid for

Hime took her own past and used her oords to tell it

She even had the bravery to say that the ｢world is so gentle｣

She's definitely not like me She was someone who could keep her chuunibyou yet become happy

”Eita……”

Hied me

The fold of my arms could completely surround Hime's tiny body Her presence warmed my chest

”I think I' than President”

”Huh?”

Hied me

”Because, I hate things that are fake Real is better I want real things, because—that's what feels warm”

”Hime……”

I tightly hugged Hime and spoke:

”Please forgive Masuzu Earlier when I asked her, ｢Do you like me?｣, she was completely indifferent However, when you asked her the same question, Hime, she was completely destabilized I think thisto you”

Hime raised her head to look at me

”After this, what's going to happen with you and President?”

”I don't know We'll see what that girl does”

I only knew one thing If that notebook was ever revealed to the world, h school life would be over

In the soulless playground that bathed in the setting sun, the eht

Only the nearby sandbox, caught in the shadow of a house, didn't receive any light fro sun and was dark

……Masuzu

I tightly hugged Hi sensation si

Was our fake relationshi+p finished just like this?

Translator notes and references

Jump up↑ Apparently it's an option on the traditional menus of japanese McDonalds The point is supposed to be that the employee's smile is a free service I'h

Ju escort sick people to the nurse's office

Jump up↑ Typo intentional Hime mispronounced it that time