**SLIDE** 

Sliding the door, I stepped inside the classroom with morning yawns still urging me to look like a sleepy head.

**YAWN** 

Welp, no one notices me, so it was okay.

Walking to my desk, I landed on my bag before someone called for me.

"Yo. Should we start the game tonight?"

It was my only friend Ryuuta who chimed like a ball of enthusiasm before I could have settled down.

I didn't have any clue how even working for such hectic people; he could maintain his protagonist charm all the time.

"And what about your harem? Won't they object to it?"

Asking nonchalantly, I hooked my bag to the side before I draped my face on the desk with my hand inside the narrow pencil shelf.

(A/N:- The small space under the desk where you put stationary and some books)

I don't know if it was a fetish of mine or what, but I like to put my hands in the dark narrow small space while keeping my eyes closed.

'Well, I hope I don't fall asleep while doing th-hmm?'

Suddenly my hands caught a piece of paper that was neatly placed on the shelf.

"Well, they haven't recov- I mean they haven't returned from their relative's house so we can ...Hey! Is that a love letter?!"

The massive idiot shouted with a grin which naturally attracted every gaze on me.

I hurriedly stuffed the envelope inside the shelf before cursing the bastard under my breath.

"Calm your tits, will ya!"

Growling, I saw him joining his hands in apology, but the smirk on his face told me how intentionally he pushed me on the spot right now.

Suddenly the thought of saving the bastard's ass from getting swooped by that vampire felt a little regretful, but what's done is now done.

Sighing, I leaned on the desk and ignored the stares I still was receiving, which mostly contained astonishment as well as disbelief, before I pulled out the letter but this time cautiously.

I did have an idea what it could be about, but seeing it myself, made me relieved that I still was unpopular.

[Meet me in the back garden of the school during recess. Sorry, but it's not about you, so please don't raise your hopes.

[Ps:- You have to come, or I will tell everyone that you are an otaku]

Well, I wasn't a legit Otaku but being called one, made me feel proud?

Anyway, I was going to meet this girl who undoubtedly was another maiden in love and needed my help to get closer to Ryuuta.

This wasn't the first time I would be facing something like this, and oddly I have become quite accustomed to such invitations.

A gyaru once offered me those pictures of her too, but I wasn't a simp enough to let those pleasures get over my friendship.

Putting back the letter, I saw the homeroom sensei entering the classroom with a face that told how tired she was already.

Well, I could relate to her, but our reasons undoubtedly are different.

I was tired since I kept on reading shounen manga last night and about her, then I heard she got married recently, so maybe...hehe~ 

"Stand. Bow. Greet."

"Good morning, sensei."

"Sit down, class."

As soon as the class settled down, another enthusiast raised his voice to ask something most of the class was concerned about.

"Sensei. Karen-chan, hasn't recovered yet?"

The boy who asked the question was, in fact, a spokesperson for most males in the class.

Since it was already two days since that incident, the concern about their Karen-chan, felt a little genuine and a little exaggerated too.

The curious and worried gaze cornered the sensei as she sighed in defeat before replying with the information she wasn't allowed to share.

"Well, she has taken leave without informing the school, so in actuality, whether Karen is sick or not is still unclear."

"No way!"

Just like the spokesperson, others also have the same reaction as they heard the reason why their new idol went absent just after the first day.

I mean, only in one day, Karen was bestowed with a fan club just like the three flowers of Ryuuta.

'It's kinda sad for the boys that I snatched their idol...'

Laughing like a chunni maniac, I took out my books as the class finally started.

______________ 

**RING** 

After a very hectic four-hour journey of nothing but boring lectures and uninteresting topics, the lunch break arrived.

Honestly, studying what I actually know doesn't make me feel intelligent, but it sure makes me incredibly more sleepy than usual.

I have become accustomed to sleeping using Ryuuta's back as a cover, but whenever I get found out, the spotlight gives me a headache. So I have been practicing the art of sleeping with my eyes open for some days.

'Well, I should get going.'

Taking advantage of students' rush toward the cafè, I thought it would be better if I handle the backyard matter first.

But when you have a bastard in the name of a friend, how can you expect to do everything as you plan?

"You are going to meet that letter girl, right~."

Rolling my eyes, I felt like punching something real bad, but I held that urge somehow before responding.

"Yup. Can't neglect my brother's growing harem, can I?"

I sneered at the perplexed face of my dense friend before leaving the class without any further ado.

Well, he was aware of the three girls since he works with them, but other than the three beauties, Ryuuta doesn't know the number of girls fawning over him.

Or maybe he pretends, but in reality, I would also have done what he's doing since it's kinda hectic to pay attention to so many beauties when your hands are already full.

Passing by the schoolmates who were moving in groups and chatting like they had been freed from prison just like me, I descended the stairs.

The backyard generally remains devoid of any populace since there was a net fence that allowed the outsider to see inside the school premise.

I don't know why such a thing was built when they could have gone with a typical wall, but thanks to that fact, the backyard hasn't become lovers' point until now.

Walking with slow strides, I exited the back gate of the building, which directly leads to the rear garden, and I sensed someone already hiding behind the tree.

Choosing to stay ignorant, I walked toward the wall beside the small flower bed, before leaning lazily over it.

Since the summer was in full swing, I intended to stay there only for five minutes, but fortunately, the girl was less cautious than I thought.

Coming out of the shadow, the girl expected me to be surprised, but bad for her, I was terrible at acting.

"Y-You really came."

Judging from her tone of speech, I concluded that she was an introvert, and adding her appearance to the account, it seemed she was slightly conservative too?

I mean, wearing a sweater in the scorching heat could only mean that either she has tattoos like a particular character from my favorite anime or she doesn't like to expose her skin?

Well, I shouldn't judge someone's thought process when I wasn't normal myself, either.

"It looks like, no?"

I asked without minding her shy gaze behind her glasses which seemed cute, before I heard her confessing the reason she wrote the letter for.

"Since I already troubled you, I won't make you wait anymore. The thing is...c-can...Kei-kun, help me get closer to Fujiwara-kun?"

Since she used my first name despite being an introvert (self-claimed), it meant that either she felt the familiarity among us or maybe she didn't know my full name.

I leaned on the second option.

"Even if I want, I can't since there are some certain girls already around him who won't let another person enter their circle. So, for your own good, you better give up."

I suggested to her honestly, which I don't do to the girls I meet with the same motive as this one, since I felt a little bad for her.

It must be tough for her to come out of her shell and express her thoughts so openly in front of the friend of the boy whom she has fallen in love with.

(A/N'-i didn't write boy's friend, since it felt gaaaaaay.-_-)

The girl's eyes didn't flicker, nor her temperament shifted as I thought. Instead, her response came in such a natural way that I felt she was already expecting such an answer from me.

"Mm. I know I can't compare with them in any way, but I had to ask for your confirmation. Thank you, Kei-kun. I am sorry for troubling you, and please forget whatever happened here."

The smile she directed at me, which covered her grief, made my heart clench slightly.

With a bow, the girl whose name I wasn't able to ask started walking away without any kind of motive to ask anything further.

I have met many girls who were after Ryuuta, and through many means, they tried to bribe me.

But this was the first time I met someone so precious and honest.

The way she confessed her love, then also accepted her possibility made me regretful of outright rejecting her.

Watching her distancing back, a sigh leaked out, with my mind wandering in a very strange manner.

'I hope I can find someone so genuine one day.'

______________

A/N:- Drop a comment.

Editor : Zenon #4120