Chapter 1: The false confession.

Common Honorifics:
-san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal.
-kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people.
-chan: A common suffix among people you’re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it’s cutesy and childlike.
-senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one’s older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club.

TL Note: I’m translating names as if they were western, meaning the first one you’ll see is the first name, and the other one is the last.
I’m doing that for intuitive reading, but forgive me for any mistakes.
I’m just another humble MTL translator.

“You’re just a childhood friend, stop acting like you’re my boyfriend! Well, I’d never date you in the first place.”

Since we were basically neighbors, and our parents knew each other, it was a given that I, Kyohei Wada, and Maika Ayatsuji would naturally get close to each other.

She gave off tomboyish vibes with her slender build and short hair, but she was still quite pretty, having even some hidden admirers at school.
Due to her charms, no less than a few people stared daggers at the scrawny, gloomy guy walking next to her, namely me.

I had always liked Maika, and just the thought of another guy having her, even though she’s always been by my side, churned my stomach in disgust.
Thus I made up my mind: I would tell her I love her on my birthday, two weeks from now.
However, just as I was set on doing so, her words cut me like sharp knives.

I was rejected before I could even confess…

“I’m not acting like your boyfriend,” I answered.
“I’m just saying that, with your grades as they are, you may not get into a good college…”

Recently, she’s been acting like this every time a word comes out of my mouth.
No matter what I say, she always shoots me with a harsh attitude.
However, today’s words cut deeper than any others.

I’d never date you, she said.
Despite being heavily upset, I managed to scramble out a reply.

“You’re being unnecessary,” she continued.
“Where I go to has nothing to do with you.”

If you say so, I can’t do anything about it.
“I know, it’s none of my business.
Sorry, I won’t say it again,” I managed to spit out a response.

She’s been hating me for some time, I see.
I thought we were good friends, knowing the amount of time we spent together.

“Welp, I’m going home,” and I did exactly that.

“Ah…”

The next day, I left home earlier than usual and walked to my morning classes.
I always walked along with her, but that was merely a coincidence given where we live, and we didn’t make any promises.
Moreover, since she hates my guts, it’s better if we stop going together.

As soon as I arrived at school, I found nobody there.
Hmph, I’m probably too early, I had thought.
Maybe I’ll just do my homework early.

Though, before I could even start, I heard the door open and a girl entered soon after.

“Oh, you’re early today,” she started.
“Where’s Maika? Isn’t she usually with you?”

She’s Aya Shindo, a beautiful girl with long raven hair and well-endowed features.
Maika and her often hang out together along with another friend of mine, Kenichi Saito.

He was my best friend in elementary, but since he started getting into trouble in high school, he stopped getting talking to me that much.
He happens to be a handsome guy and a boob junkie.
That last part is a secret, but it’s pretty darn obvious.

“I woke up early today,” I answered.
“And being childhood friends doesn’t mean we’ll always be together.”

“Hmm, okay…”

Without anything else to talk about, I went to my seat.

After a day full of nothing, I started to pack my things to leave.
Then, something happened.

“U, um, Wada-kun, do you have a moment? I want to talk with you.”

Tsukushi Hirano, another girl in my class, started to talk to me.
I barely had any interactions with her though, so I could only wonder why.
Well, she’s pretty cute, but I still don’t know what kind of person she is.

“Yes?”

“Come with me, it’s kinda hard to say it here,” she said, leading me to an audio-visual room that was barely used by any faculties.

“Um, I really like you! Please go out with me!”

What the—? She likes me? Eh? But, I have Maika… No, I’ve already been dumped.

“Erm, I don’t know you that well,” I answered.

“We can know each other more once we start going out, right?”

She’s kind of aggressive, and this is scarily easy.

“Could you give me a day to think it over?”

“Huh?” She gave me a really weird look.

“Is that a no?”

“Erm, it’s fine.
Sure,” she ultimately agreed.

“Well, that’s that.
See you then.”

I strode away from that room, though I could barely overhear something like the click of a tongue… Was it just my imagination?

The day after, just as school was over, I approached Hirano to tell her an answer I thought over and over to get.

“What?” She answered, weirdly curt.

“Um, about yesterday…”

“Yesterday… Oh, that false confession I did