106 - The School Idol's Boyfriend

RAW

Monday, the day after Haruto and Ayaka watched the fireworks together.

As Haruto entered the classroom with Tomoya as usual and took his seat, he noticed that the atmosphere in the room was more lively than normal.

“Seems like there's quite a buzz around Tōjō-san,” Tomoya remarked, glancing toward the commotion.

“Do you think they found out about me and Ayaka dating?” Haruto asked, lowering his voice so no one else could hear.

“Nah, if that were the case, you’d have been bombarded with questions the moment you walked in,” Tomoya replied confidently.

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Haruto agreed, nodding slightly.

Ayaka’s seat was near the center of the classroom, where a group of female students had gathered, peppering her with questions. Haruto, concerned, glanced at the group. Through the gaps between the girls, he could catch glimpses of Ayaka, who wore a polite, strained smile.

“I’ll go and eavesdrop to figure out what’s going on. Meanwhile, you should probably stay away for now, just in case,” Tomoya suggested.

“Got it. Sorry to trouble you,” Haruto replied.

Raising a hand briefly in acknowledgment, Tomoya headed toward the center of the classroom. A few minutes later, he returned with a complicated expression.

“So, what’s going on?” Haruto asked.

“Apparently, a classmate saw the two of you walking together yesterday.”

“As I thought…” Haruto muttered, his face turning serious. A question suddenly crossed his mind, and he looked at his friend.

“Wait, then why isn’t anyone asking me anything?”

“Because the person who saw you only got a glimpse of your backs. Tōjō-san’s appearance is so distinct that she’s easily recognizable even from behind. But you? Just an average high school guy. No one would identify you from just that,” Tomoya explained with a grin.

“Hey, what’s with the ‘average high school guy’? You’re making me sound like some random background character!”

“That’s because you are a background character.”

“Why you little…” Haruto muttered, lightly shoving Tomoya in mock annoyance.

The classmate who spotted them had only seen their backs and hadn’t been able to confirm Haruto’s identity due to the crowd. However, even from behind, the two had apparently radiated an unmistakable couple-like aura. Coupled with Ayaka’s declaration after summer break that she had someone she liked, the girls had pieced things together, leading to today’s barrage of questions.

“You two looked like such a lovey-dovey couple yesterday that it almost made me sick,” Tomoya teased, smirking.

“…”

Unable to deny the claim, Haruto could only respond with silence.

“This is going to make it even harder for you to approach Tōjō-san at school now,” Tomoya remarked with a sigh.

“Yeah… no kidding,” Haruto replied, letting out a heavy sigh of his own as he glanced toward the throng of students surrounding Ayaka.

That day, Ayaka was surrounded by classmates—mostly girls—who relentlessly questioned her from morning till evening. Adding to the chaos, male students lingered nearby, trying to overhear whatever they could. As a result, Haruto couldn’t talk to Ayaka at all and ended up quietly leaving for home when school was over.

On his way out, Haruto glanced at Ayaka, still encircled by her classmates, feeling a strong urge to do something about the situation. However, no good solutions came to mind.

Publicly declaring, “I’m Ayaka’s boyfriend!” would certainly put an end to the speculation, but that wasn’t an option. Ayaka had a past experience in middle school where a boy’s confession led to a falling out with her friends, leaving her with a mild trauma. The reason Ayaka had carefully cultivated an image of being disinterested in romance was rooted in that incident.

Knowing this, Haruto couldn’t act recklessly and disregard her feelings.

Though Ayaka maintained her polite smile throughout the day, Haruto, now her boyfriend and more attuned to her emotions, could sense her weariness. He knew she was exhausted beneath that façade.

“Isn’t there anything I can do?” Haruto murmured, frustrated.

On his way home, Haruto walked alone; Tomoya had errands to run. Lost in thought, Haruto considered various ways to interact more naturally with Ayaka at school.

“We barely spoke at school before we started dating,” he mused. Before they met through her part-time housework job, Ayaka was just a classmate whose face he recognized.

“Now that we’re dating, not being able to talk to her even when she’s right there… this is torture,” Haruto muttered, exhaling another heavy sigh.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp shove on his back.

“Do—n!”

“Whoa!” Haruto stumbled forward a few steps, barely keeping his balance. He spun around, ready to complain. “Hey! Watch it, Shizuku!”

“That was an encouragement push, Haru-senpai,” Shizuku said, her expression as blank as ever, her hands still extended forward.

“An encouragement push? Seriously?” Haruto retorted, glaring at her. But Shizuku remained unfazed.

“I heard the rumors at school today,” Shizuku said. “About how Tōjō-senpai has a boyfriend.”

So the commotion had reached even Shizuku, despite her being in a different grade.

“Rumor has it that Tōjō-senpai’s boyfriend is some guy who stole her heart. Poor Haru-senpai, dumped and walking home all gloomy,” Shizuku teased with exaggerated pity.

“I haven’t been dumped!” Haruto replied sharply.

Shizuku’s blank expression shifted slightly as she raised an eyebrow in surprise. “So the mystery boyfriend everyone’s talking about… is actually you?”

“Of course it is! Didn’t I tell you before that I was going to the fireworks festival with Ayaka? You even asked me for a souvenir!”

“I immediately erased that conversation from my memory,” Shizuku said matter-of-factly.

“You little…” Haruto sighed, covering his face with one hand.

“Why are you sulking and walking home alone then, Haru-senpai?” Shizuku asked, tilting her head curiously.

“Well… we’re keeping our relationship a secret at school,” Haruto explained.

Shizuku’s expression didn’t change, but she raised an eyebrow again. “Haru-senpai… are you chickening out? Afraid of the boys’ wrath?”

“No, that’s not it. I’d love to make our relationship public. But…” Haruto hesitated before continuing, “…if it gets out, it might cause problems with her friends. Ayaka’s worried about that.”

Shizuku nodded slowly. “I see. So Tōjō-senpai is afraid of causing drama with other girls who like you.”

“That’s… not exactly what I meant!” Haruto exclaimed, flustered.

Shizuku remained unfazed. “Haru-senpai, are you okay with things staying like this? You’re in your second year. Next year, you’ll be prepping for exams. This is your last chance to enjoy high school life to the fullest.”

“I know! I just can’t think of a good solution,” Haruto admitted, frustrated.

After a brief silence, Shizuku suddenly spoke. “Fine. I’ll help you.”

“What?”

“This kind and dependable underclassman, Shizuku-chan, will lend you a hand,” she declared confidently.

Haruto’s unease grew as Shizuku’s cryptic “help” began to take shape in her unpredictable mind.