Chapter 12 – The Beautiful Girl Next to Me Isn’t Glaring Anymore
I sat at my desk, leaning on my elbows, zoning out. Tsukishiro-san was laughing with a few girls in the corner of the classroom.
She looked the same as always, but after yesterday’s hugging incident, things felt awkward. I hadn’t even managed to greet her today.
She used to glare at me, which made things awkward in its own way, but now the vibe was different. It felt like I wasn’t even on her radar. She wasn’t glaring—but that just meant she wasn’t looking at me at all.
I knew I had to do something. But for now, I had no choice but to cling to Takase’s “Popular Guy Conversation Masterclass.”
Takase himself was casually saying goodbye to everyone—boys and girls alike. Like breathing, he smiled and made everyone smile in return.
Once he finished his round of farewells, “Takase-sensei” came over to me with a big grin… or rather, a mischievous smirk.
“Tsubasa, today’s finally the real deal!”
Smiling, Takase leaned forward, placing both hands on my desk. Her soft chest and girly scent made my brain boil.
“Today’s assignment is: ‘Talk naturally with a girl in class!’”
I recalled yesterday’s rooftop training. Voice tone, eye contact, nodding, asking questions—this was my chance to put it all into practice.
“Alright, your target is that girl! Go get ’em, Tsubasa!”
Takase pointed toward a girl with straight-cut bangs and a gentle aura—Saeki-san. She was the quiet type, not very noticeable in class.
The difference in energy between me and Takase made me nervous, but I steeled myself. I took a deep breath and mentally reviewed yesterday’s practice.
“Um… Saeki-san, you’re organizing your handouts, huh?”
I kept my voice low, careful not to let it crack.
“Ah, Kanzaki-kun. Yeah, just tidying them up a bit…”
Her gentle reply gave me a moment of relief. Alright, time for a question. Girls like to talk, right? Just like in practice…
“I see. By the way—what subject are those handouts for?”
“Eh? Oh, um… math.”
“Math, huh! That one was kinda tough. Honestly, I barely kept up…”
“I know, right! That formula was so hard to memorize.”
—The conversation was flowing naturally. Riding the momentum, I tried expanding the topic.
“You seem like you’d be good at math, Saeki-san… What club are you in?”
“Actually, I’m in the literature club. I’m not that good at math…”
“Literature club, huh? Nice! What kind of stuff do you do?”
Saeki-san’s eyes sparkled just a little as she began talking about her club. I nodded along, throwing in occasional questions—like I was being puppeteered by Takase, the conversation flowed smoothly.
“Ah! Sorry, Kanzaki-kun. I have to go…”
Huh!? Did I say something wrong…? The confidence I’d started to feel crumbled all at once.
“Ah… yeah. Sorry, Saeki-san. I know you’re busy.”
Just before leaving the classroom, Saeki-san paused, her cheeks slightly flushed, looking nervous.
“Sorry. I really have to get to club… But I’d like to talk again sometime.”
With that, she left lightly and gracefully.
I was left standing there alone. But inside, I felt a sense of accomplishment and relief spreading.
“That went great, Tsubasa!”
“Y-yeah…”
“Saeki-san said she wants to talk again! Isn’t that super cute!? She’s totally into you…”
“No way. There’s no chance she’d fall for me.”
“Hey! Didn’t I tell you yesterday that popular guys need confidence? So—what do you say?”
My popular-guy brain spun into overdrive. Uh… a confident line would be…
“…I’ll take responsibility?”
“Pfft! Ahahaha! What was that—too fast, don’t you think!? Well, I guess having that much confidence wouldn’t be bad.”
So it was too fast after all… Sounds like something a romcom protagonist would say… But having confidence in myself is still hard.
“Anyway, about your conversation with Saeki-san. Your opening was perfect, and your smile was natural! But your question pattern was still a bit repetitive. You kept asking ‘What club?’ and ‘What do you do?’ right? Expanding the conversation is key. Next time, try mixing in a little bit of your own story with the questions—it’ll feel more natural.”
“…I see.”
Takase-sensei’s advice was spot-on. She sounded like a psychology professor—so logical and precise.
“But for a first try, you did great. Nice job!”
She smiled at me, and I suddenly felt embarrassed. I mean, having such a beautiful girl praise you—of course it feels good. Honestly, Takase’s looks were top-tier. Ask ten people and all ten would say she’s a beauty. Apparently, she’s super popular.
After talking to her a bit, I realized something—real extroverts really pay attention to those around them. She saw right through my social awkwardness and offered help, always acting to make everyone feel comfortable.
I wish I could be like that… No, I’ve decided I will be. I’ll do my best.
Alright! What’s the next lecture, Takase!?
Just as I was brimming with motivation, she swung her school bag over her shoulder with one hand, lifting it behind her back. It looked light, but somehow cool.
“—Oh, right, Tsubasa! I’ve got something to do today, so no lecture. Make sure to run the roleplay in your head, okay?”
“Eh!? Ah… a-alright.”
“See ya. Until tomorrow~”
Waving her hand, Takase walked off, her bag swaying on her shoulder.
…Tomorrow, huh.
That ended kind of abruptly. Just having the person who brightened up the classroom leave made the air feel so quiet.
If there’s no lecture today, maybe I’ll go home and punish my lats…
I grabbed my bag from the locker and headed for the school entrance.
***
In the corner of a classroom a little ways away, I clutched my bag, watching Kanzaki-kun and Ai talk with a hazy feeling in my chest.
Kanzaki-kun…
My heart ached deep inside. What were they talking about…? I couldn’t take my eyes off them.
Now Kanzaki-kun was talking to Saeki-san. She looked happy, smiling. Then she stood up and said loud enough for me to hear:
“But I’d like to talk again sometime.”
The moment I heard those words, I remembered the LINE message I’d sent to Kanzaki-kun.
“…Yeah, me too. Even if it’s little by little, I want to talk again.”
This won’t do… Why did I choose to go to the same high school as him?
Yesterday, he helped me when I almost fell. Being held like that felt like a dream—he was so cool, and my heart squeezed tight.
“I haven’t even thanked him… I’m the worst.”
Ever since we started school, Kanzaki-kun’s been sitting next to me. Right there… so close… and yet I’ve done nothing. I’m sick of myself.
Watching him talk with Ai and Saeki-san hurt. I want to be the one next to Kanzaki-kun too… I have to be brave…
I chased after him, heading toward the school entrance.