Chapter 10Who is Natsukawa Aika?
Not long after that, I looked at Aizawa from the side. Her eyelashes are very long.
Eh? Has she always been this cute? I couldn't help but stare at her.
My heart was indeed racing, but by squeezing my own cheeks, I was able to regain my composure.
Well, this was a very important moment.
"Aizawa... ...you see, before I met Natsukawa, I was rejected by another girl."
"Eh, Sajou-kun got rejected?"
"Yeah, the story is that I was in middle school."
I'm a fan of an idol named Natsukawa Aika. It's not an exaggeration to say that my kindness to her is more than love, and it can't be called just 'love' anymore. No one should hold a grudge against someone like Natsukawa Aika.
"Yeah, that girl rejected me in a really bad way. It was like, "You're such a disgusting boy." or "How could you say such a thing?", however, it was in a way to deny my existence. Well, come to think of it, it might not have been entirely wrong."
"That, that kind of thing..."
"Anyway, after that, as I was walking down the corridor, the girl who rejected me appeared in front of me with her boyfriend. And her boyfriend said, "How dare you do such an unpleasant thing to my girlfriend.", something like that."
"..."
"I was beaten up and made to fall down. At that time, Natsukawa Aika was walking behind me, and my face was pushed into her chest."
"Eh!?"
"Then, Natsukawa screamed and got angry, and made me take the whole slap from her hand."
"Eh!?"
"And, I fell in love with her."
"Why!?"
"I was joking."
Natsukawa Aika stood right where I was made to fall. She was shocked and told us to tell the whole story, and, the girl's boyfriend exclaimed, "He made a mistake!", while pointing at me.
However, Natsukawa got angry at the boyfriend, and also at the girl who rejected me. "What you're doing is trampling on other people's dignity. That's the worst thing you can do!", is what Natsukawa shouted at them.
Many students agreed with her angry words. Anyway, thanks to that, I was saved, and wanted to know more about Natsukawa, so I started chasing after her.
...It was all a hoax, a big scam, that I told Aizawa about.
(TL Note: Even though I already seriously listened to it.)
"...Natsukawa Aika is not only cute, but she's also a kind-hearted girl. I believe that I can do anything if it's for her. In fact, even if I don't do anything, Natsukawa seems to be able to do things for herself."
"...Is that so? Oh, I see."
At my words, Aizawa raised her legs that were already stretched out to the ground and held her knees on the bench. I don't want Aizawa to think badly of Natsukawa. That's why I made Natsukawa as "The girl who understands the feelings of someone who is heartbroken".
...By the way, I'm sure that Natsukawa really understands that feeling! Because it's Natsukawa, who we're talking about!
"That's why I'm such a big fan of Natsukawa."
"Okay... ...Hmm?"
I must tell this to Aizawa. That, I'm not Natsukawa's boyfriend and I can't be like that. I'm not an entertainer who makes people laugh by showing my desperate attempts at trying to get someone out of my reach, and I'm also not going to maintain the role of making class time feel more lively. I need to tell her that I'm just an ordinary being. A human being who makes mistakes.
"...Eh? What do you mean fan?"
"Natsukawa Aika is everyone's idol, I'm confident enough to say that I'm her number one fan."
"Wait a minute! Aren't you dating Natsukawa-san?"
"The only one I would give my consent to go out with is Natsukawa, just a handsome boy!"
"No, that's not what I meant!"
Come on, Aizawa Rena! Don't be so confused! That's the punishment for trying to hurt my idol, Natsukawa Aika! You should know your mistake. Make a face! Oh! So cute!!!
"Everyone knows that, but I guess, in the case of Aizawa, who can only see her boyfriend, might not know about it?"
"...Eh? Maybe, it's true."
"Natsukawa is a good girl. I can confidently say that I will always continue to support Natsukawa even if I have a boyfriend who is not her."
"Eh! Eh!? From a girl's point of view, that feeling is too complicated..."
"Look, all guys are like that. And, even some girls who already have boyfriends, they're still preoccupied with handsome idols, right?"
"Ugh... ...If you say so..."
If Arimura-senpai was really the worst boy, he wouldn't have been easily convinced when Aizawa wanted to break up with him, and would have continued to try to maintain a relationship with Aizawa. A boy, too, would care about his own status when looking at a girl, and think about whether or not she was right for him, and most importantly, Aizawa was cute. Just because he's really in love with Natsukawa Aika, he won't care about other girls anymore, it's not a boy's nature to do that. You see, we are all greedy creatures.
You see, your appearance is just the outer part of your heart. So even though Arimura-senpai didn't specifically try to get a new hairstyle or dress up to look more handsome, he had the cool air and personality of a "reliable senpai". Back then, when he was asked about his favorite girl and answered "Natsukawa", I don't think he was planning to seriously make Natsukawa his girlfriend for now. I think he answered with a feeling like 'I'm her fan'. However, that feeling has turned into a feeling of guilt towards Aizawa. If that's the case, everything can be resolved quickly.
"Oh, the lunch break is almost over."
"You won't be able to eat your lunch. I'm sorry..."
"Don't worry. And, I'll lecture Ashida again later."
"No, no need... ...Perhaps, Ashida-san just wanted to protect Natsukawa-san, and I don't think she has any bad intentions towards me."
"Eh? That Ashida? Protecting her?"
I think Ashida said those words just to seek enmity and malice. You see, Ashida knew that I wasn't dating Natsukawa, and she knew that Natsukawa hated me. She must know that Natsukawa won't be hurt even if Aizawa snatches me. Seriously, though, I don't really understand what she means, I wonder if there are things that only girls can understand.
"Well, whatever. By the way, if you expect too much from a boy, it will only hurt you."
"You don't need to say such unnecessary words. Sajou-kun, too, don't expect too much from a girl."
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
I'm not hoping or expecting anything from her, and I'm not planning to get too serious about it. If I could build a good relationship with her, that alone would be more than enough. Thanks to that, I felt that my life had been extended by about 5 years* recently. It was shocking to understand that and let myself be deceived.
(TL Note: It's been realized, Mas, because this novel/chapter is from 2018, translated 2023 in Indonesian and 2024 in English.)
The rear view of Aizawa's departure was completely rejuvenated. Looking at the current Aizawa, I think her gentle way of speaking is her original self. It's really scary to try to blind others just by using her charm. In fact, I was already blinded by her.
That hut was originally a place full of memories of Aizawa and Arimura-senpai. I shouldn't approach it too often anymore.
Yeah, I also didn't think that I would come here by myself unless someone invited me.
If only I didn't chase after Natsukawa. Certainly, Aizawa wouldn't have tried to get close to me either, and maybe I shouldn't have had such a problem at all. But, the fact that I was able to get to know a beautiful girl was just sheer happiness for me, it was to the extent of blossoming with a soft blanket in bed. What I realized from this incident was that, in terms of avoiding trouble, it's important to know yourself better.
"..."
And if only I had done that from the beginning. I might not have to feel a bit lonely like this.
H-Hey, I guess I was kind of expecting something.
Author's Note: In conclusion, boys are just as stupid when it comes to love.
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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