The Gal Next to Me Is Trying Too Hard to Make Me Fall in Love With Her
“Good morning, Saeki-san. It’s another beautiful day, isn’t it?”
“Today’s lunch box is delicious too. Thank you, as always.”
“Saeki-san, let’s go home together.”
It had been a week since Amagi-san began preparing for her role.
From morning greetings to goodnight wishes, she maintained a thoroughly demure demeanor.
She didn’t smile showing her teeth, never raised her voice, and of course never touched me. She didn’t say “I like you” or anything like that, and even our LINE exchanges were in formal language. Everything about her appearance and speech was quiet and reserved.
Amagi, giving her all to everything.
I really think it’s amazing she can suppress her true self this much.
I respect her from the bottom of my heart.
Respect… but.
“Well then, Saeki-san, see you at lunch break. Good luck with class.”
“…Ah, yes…”
Before eight in the morning. We arrived at school together.
I parted ways with her in front of the classroom, waved at her swaying black hair, and headed to my own seat.
“Good morning, Mashiro… Hey, what’s with that face? Feeling sick or something?”
“Ah… Good morning, Subaru. I’m fine… It’s nothing…”
“No way, it can’t be nothing…”
Subaru set down the book she was reading and sighed.
I managed to get to my seat and slumped my shoulders heavily.
“What’s wrong… Wait, I guess I don’t need to ask. Is it about Arisa-chan?”
“Yeah… Well, yeah…”
I replied weakly, letting out a dry laugh.
“I know it’s just for the role, so it can’t be helped… But still, I want Amagi san to smile…”
During the cultural festival, I’d run holding her hand.
I couldn’t bear seeing her like that—having given up on reconciling with her mom, unable even to smile. I didn’t want to see her like that.
“So I find myself thinking, ‘I wish she’d finish this role-playing soon,’ or ‘I wish she hadn’t taken that audition’… I’ve just been feeling this constant unease…”
I like Amagi-san when she’s giving it her all.
I like Amagi-san when she’s charging straight toward what she loves.
I love her.
That’s my genuine, honest feeling.
I want to watch her live with all her might, chase her dreams with all her might… yet I can’t wholeheartedly accept her as she is now. I know she’s trying hard, but I can’t bring myself to truly support her.
“Hahaha, it can’t be helped. With that drastic change, it’s only natural your feelings can’t keep up. Especially when you’re as closely involved as you are.”
Subaru smiled like an adult and said, “Have one,” twisting a Pocky stick into my mouth.
…Yeah, it’s delicious.
Even to a hopeless guy like me, sweets are equally sweet. They’re amazing.
“Huh… That thick book? What is it? Do you read stuff like that, Subaru?”
“Ah, this one?”
Saying that, she lifted the book from the desk.
A hardcover, and judging by the title, a textbook on acting. It was covered in sticky notes, clearly read with great enthusiasm.
“Someone said it was really interesting, so I borrowed it. I take acting lessons often, but I’d never read a book like this before. Figured it was a good chance.”
“Huh. Even though modeling’s your main job, Subaru, it’s impressive you study so many things.”
“I don’t dislike acting work. Anyway, do you want to give it a read too, Mashiro?”
“Huh? Nah, I’m good. I wouldn’t understand it anyway.”
“Even if you don’t grasp the content, it’s bound to be interesting. I’d stake my life on it.”
“… life…? Um, well, if you insist…”
Shaken by the extreme wording, I took the book.
What does “interesting even if you don’t understand the content” mean? Does it come with explanatory comics or something, and the story itself is interesting? This is my first time reading this kind of book, so I have absolutely no idea.
Still puzzled, I opened the book—
My eyes scanned what was there, and I gasped.
“See? Interesting, right?”
To that question, I nodded.
Deeply, deeply, I nodded.
◆
“Amagi-senpai…?”
“…………”
“Um… Ah, Amagi-senpai?”
“…………”
“Are you okay…?”
“Uboaaah…”
The McDonald’s in front of the station.
After school, I—Saeki Ouran—got a call from Amagi-senpai and rushed over to meet her.
She was already waiting inside the restaurant… how should I put it? She was melted. Her arms stretched out, her face buried in the table, completely limp.
“…Sa, Saeki…”
She said painfully, slowly raising her body.
Long black wig, pretty makeup. Combined with her naturally outstanding looks, even a non-gal Amagi-senpai was incredibly beautiful… but right now, her face looked terrible.
“Is something wrong with my brother? you were so happy yesterday, saying everything was going smoothly.”
It had been a week since the launch of Operation: Amagi-senpai’s Pure Girl Transformation.
She’d been in contact with me every night,
[Saeki today was totally waiting for me to tell him I like him!]
[Saeki wanted to hold my hand! He was all fidgety!]
[Saeki’s frustrated face was too cute♡ Love♡]
She’d always given me good reports like these.
She’d been steadily building up my brother’s frustration, but today she’s acting completely different.
“…Yeah, right. It was going smoothly. Saeki was practically begging me to say I liked him, and he was so eager for me to touch him… It was just adorable! Like, ‘I like him!’ That’s how it felt. I thought it was working… Yeah, I thought so…”
“But?”
“Saeki’s acting weird! This morning he was acting just like yesterday, but by lunchtime, he had this completely refreshed look like it was all a lie, and he was acting totally normal with me now! Plus, he’s even kinder than usual! What is this?! What’s going on?!”
She slammed her fist down on the table.
The impact sent fries flying, and Amagi-senpai caught them in her mouth, teary-eyed as she gobbled them down, crying, “I don’t get it!”
“Thanks to you, it’s so hard to keep up my innocent act!! I want to show my affection so badly, it’s exploding inside me!! Waaah~~~!!”
“C-calm down, Amagi-senpai! You’re supposed to be making my brother frustrated, not getting frustrated yourself!”
“I know—I know, but—”
The thing is, this person absolutely adores my brother… .
I know my brother must be suffering too, but Amagi-senpai’s struggles must be immense.
She’d been able to mask that pain by toying with my brother. But now, because of his sudden change, everything she’d been holding back is about to overflow.
“…I have to go home and help Saeki with his studies, but I don’t think I can keep up this persona anymore. I just want to hug him tight right now…!”
Amagi-senpai, eyes brimming with tears.
This is bad… What should I do…?
“Um… Then, please wear this when you interact with my brother today.”
“What’s this? Wireless earbuds? What do I do with these?”
“Keep your phone on a call. I’ll listen in on your conversation and encourage you whenever Amagi-senpai starts to lose control.”
“Encourage… Will that really help me keep up this act…?”
“You can do it, Amagi-senpai! You want to date my brother, right?! You want to do lover-like things, don’t you?!”
“…I do. I want to kiss him…!”
“Then this is where you have to push through! Get through today, and a happy lover’s life awaits you!”
“A happy… lover’s… life…”
“Exactly! Every day where you can do anything to my brother and get away with it!”
“Anything… heh, ehehe♡ I can do anything…♡”
“Exactly! So let’s do our best, Amagi-senpai!”
“Yeah, I’ll do my best! I’m gonna make Saeki feel sooo frustrated! And then, and then… Uheh, uhehehehe♡♡♡”
Ugh, wow… You’re making a face that’s pure ulterior motive.
Even with a face like that, you’re still cute. That’s just unfair…
Still, why did that guy suddenly change like that?
What happened between this morning and lunch break? In such a short time… Probably just Amagi-senpai imagining things, right?
◆
“Even if you don’t understand the content, it’s bound to be interesting. I’d stake my life on it.”
“life…? Um, well, if you say so…”
The acting textbook Subaru showed me.
Opening it, my first thought—admittedly a dumb one—was how packed it was with kanji and crammed with text.
But hey, what can you do?
It was clearly written assuming the reader had some prior knowledge. For someone like me who didn’t know the first thing about acting, it was way too difficult.
But.
The moment I saw it, whether it was difficult or whether I understood it or not—none of that mattered anymore.
A single sticky note.
On it, in small but neat handwriting, were carefully written thoughts about what the page had evoked.
Another sticky note had meticulously detailed questions about the content.
Yet another had a concise summary of what had been read so far.
It wasn’t Subaru’s handwriting. Since she said she borrowed this book, the owner must have written and stuck these notes.
I recognized this handwriting.
There was no way I wouldn’t know it.
—It was Amagi-san.
“See? Interesting, right? Arisa-chan is really studious, isn’t she? She doesn’t even want to make a living as an actress, so where does she get all this passion?”
As she spoke, she reached into her bag and laid several textbooks on the desk, saying, “By the way, all the others I borrowed are the same.”
Each one was faintly bulging with sticky notes.
There lay a fragment of Amagi-san’s effort.
Every day she looked after me, worked diligently as a model, earned her living as an instructor, attended school, and maintained excellent grades. Amidst all that, she was studying acting like this too.
“…Amagi-san, you’re truly amazing…”
“I agree. There aren’t many girls her age who push themselves this hard.”
“I… didn’t know Amagi san took acting this seriously. I kinda thought it was just something she did on the side, like modeling… Maybe I was unconsciously underestimating her…”
The image of Amagi surfaced in my mind—exhausted to the point of collapse, yet still rubbing sleepy eyes as she sat at her desk, throwing herself wholeheartedly into her studies.
I couldn’t help imagining her, trying to push forward even one step while I slept with my stupid face.
Ah, come on…
What the hell am I doing?
Just because Amagi-san isn’t paying attention like usual, I’m sulking… Dammit, cut it out.
That’s not it! This is way too pathetic! Keep your stupid face to your sleeping face!
“You know—”
Subaru opened her mouth, looking somehow proud.
Her sky-blue eyes were soft, warm, and reflected me directly.
“I’m really glad you’re my best friend—someone who can notice things properly and reflect on them properly.”
“…………”
“What’s with that suspicious look? That was my genuine, honest feeling.”
“That’s not it… Wait, Subaru, did you deliberately borrow that book to make me realize how serious Amagi-san is? Did you set it up so I’d see it?”
“Interesting deduction. You should become a detective.”
“Isn’t that what the culprit says?”
We both chuckled.
I lowered my gaze back to the book in my hands, my eyes following the words written on the sticky note.
I pondered what I could do to support her as she ran so hard.
I wanted to show my appreciation in a way only I could.
Even if Amagi-san didn’t smile at me because of my role-playing, it would be enough if she smiled inside.
What should I do?
What should I do?
What can I do?
――…After thinking it over for half a day.
School ended.
Amagi came home after stopping somewhere else, which was unusual.
I finished getting ready and opened the front door, saying, “Please come in.”
“Ubyaa!!?”
The moment she saw me, she let out an incredibly dumb-struck cry and slammed the front door shut.
Maiban