After My Childhood Friend Rejected Me, I Cut My Bangs and Took off My Glasses in Shock, and I Became Popular With the Girls. And I Don’t Like It When She Wants to Be Friends With Me Again…..
The next morning, when I arrived at school as usual, Minami-san, the lily girl sitting next to me, called out to me.
“Good morning, Inoshita-kun!”
“Good morning. You are so energetic from this morning. Did something good happen to you?”
“Ara, Don’t you know?”
Minami-san looked at me with a vacant look on her face, and upon closer inspection, I noticed that her classmates around her were also somewhat fidgety.
“…… sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I didn’t know what she was talking about.
“Really, you’re not in a group, are you?”
“What group?”
“It’s a group line that all third-year students are on. Here it is.”
Minami-san showed me the screen of his phone.
There were the words “Third Grade Information Sharing Group (145)” on the screen.
It seems to be a LINE group. There are six classes in the third grade, from A to F, with a total of about 180 students, so it was clear that quite a few people were in the group.
“Did something happen here?”
I ask anyway.
“Yes, we usually only move around talking about classes and other such things, but last night things were a little different.”
Before I could ask what was different, Minami showed me the screen of her phone again.
“…… [Saionji-san’s rumor turned out to be a fabrication! I assure you! Don’t do anything that will cause one student to be disrespected and bullied! My friend is in trouble! If you have a problem with it, talk to me! That’s all] What is this? The letters are filled with hot air, but the sender is ……HARUTO?”
I opened my eyes.
It’s helpful that he took action immediately, but it takes a lot of courage to speak out on LINE, a group of 145 people.
“Yes, yes, Haruto kun from class A. I don’t know, but he assured us that the strange rumors about Saionji-san are false. Haruto-kun has a lot more popularity than the rest of us, and maybe he has some reason to believe that the rumors are false. I’m curious about the “friendi” thing, though……”
I’m sure that means me.
But, well, there’s no need to reveal that, and I’m glad that the strange rumors are going away.
“I see. So, everyone is getting nervous. I feel sorry for Saionji-san.”
The classmates are fidgeting when they see Saionji-san’s seat, which has not yet arrived at school.
The only one who is normal, except for us and a few others, is the always energetic Sumi.
He is also not a member of the group line, or perhaps he is just enjoying himself.
I don’t think he is concerned about the strange rumors about Saionji-san, since he is a person with no preconceived notions.
“In the past couple of days, there were suddenly strange rumors, and everyone was looking at Saionji-san in a strange way, and some of them were even talking behind her back, right? So I think they don’t know how to look at Saionji-san anymore.
If you’re going to act like that, you shouldn’t have done anything in the first place.”
Minami-san was pouring over the class with a blank look on her face.
“That’s true.”
I agreed with her.
At the same time – Saionji-san came to the classroom.
She wore a dignified atmosphere as usual.
The class was unnaturally quiet, and Saionji-san also sensed the atmosphere and stopped in front of the teaching table.
Her eyes narrowed in dismay.
She probably doesn’t know that the rumors have been put to rest.
She must be imagining that she’s going to have another bad experience like yesterday.
At times like this, things would be resolved well if they just pleaded their case and apologized quickly, but no one says anything or takes any action.
Maybe someone has to be the trigger to talk to her or apologize to her properly.
That’s how strong the feeling of apology is toward Saionji-san, I can tell.
Like the first penguin, huh?
“….Haaa”
I let out a small sigh and quietly got up from my seat.
And then, I bowed my head. There is no hesitation there.
“I’m sorry, Saionji-san.”
“…. Inoshita-kun?”
When Saionji-san muttered my name, the class started to murmur at once.
However, that was short-lived as one of the girls approached Saionji and bowed to her, and from then on, her classmates started talking to her one after another.
“…..”
Having finished my role as First Penguin, I left the classroom stealthily.
As I was leaving, I felt like I met Saionji-san’s eyes.
-Maiban