My Childhood Friend, a Cool, Beautiful Girl With a Pure Face, Is a Monopolising Yandere
After lunch break and the start of afternoon classes, there is still a strange atmosphere in the class.
Since Ogawa-san’s attempted confession (although nothing was actually said), the other classmates seem to be increasingly suspicious of the relationship between me and Ran.
I didn’t want to stand out, so why โฆโฆ.
Staring at the blackboard in my seat, I couldn’t concentrate. As I open my textbook, I glance at Ran next to me. She is nonchalantly copying the board.
The same cool profile as usual. However, it seems that my childhood friend, who until a short while ago had not particularly interfered with me, has now built a wall around me.
During recess after class, boys in my class approach me with great interest.
โHonda and Hasegawa, why are you guys so close? You’re together in the morning and after school, right?โ
โEh, no,โฆโฆ we’ve just been together for a long time because we’re childhood friends,โฆโฆ and we went to the same elementary school and junior high school. Right, Ran?โ
I vaguely try to deny it, but Ran doesn’t particularly interject. Rather, she just quietly looks at me.
The fact that I am aware of that gaze reduces my courage to deny it strongly.
“You don’t deny it, do you? Are you seriously going out?”
“N-No, we’re not! Maybeโฆit should be โฆโฆ.โ
The boys laugh and leave, saying โWhat’s that?โ at the overly ambiguous response. Ran remains cool and silent. That one, no matter how much I deny it, people around me won’t believe me.
Haa โฆโฆ.
After afternoon classes, after school, my classmates ask, โAren’t Honda and Hasegawa-san already a couple?โ They whisper in hushed tones, โThere’s no point in hiding that one, is there?โ
Ogawa-san did not approach me, and the other girls and boys were also restrained. I can tell that people around us are beginning to recognize us as a pair.
Feeling awkward, I try to put my bag away, but Ran calls out to me as if it were a matter of course.
“Yuto, let’s go home soon.”
“Eh, ah โฆโฆ yeah.”
I casually ask as I put on my shoes.
โRan, don’t you mind?โ
“What?โ
“What โฆโฆ that people are talking about us like we’re a couple!”
It’s so embarrassing to say it myself.
“Do I need to care?”
“No, I don’t, but โฆโฆ I’m kind of uncomfortable.”
โIf you don’t extra relationships with other people, that’s fine.โ
“What do you mean by an โextra relationship?โ โฆโฆ”
I recall how she forcefully prevented Ogawa-san’s attempted confession.
Ran had assured me from the beginning that there was no need for me to bother. It seems that it was all her own good intentions. โฆโฆ
โRan, do you really hate it when I get involved with other people so much?”
โIt’s not that I don’t want to, it’s more like it’s useless. I’m optimizing so that you don’t get confused.”
“Optimizing?”
“You are indecisive and bad at saying no. If I’m your filter, you’ll have zero unnecessary stress.”
It is true that I am not good at saying no. I might have felt awkward about Ogawa-san’s case, too, because I would have had to say no if I had heard about it (if it was really a confession, that is. โฆโฆ).
If I think I avoided that, Ran’s behavior has a point. I’m puzzled, but I can’t say it back.
It’s too much to worry about. But it seems that Ran is not trying to annoy me, but to โprotectโ me from unnecessary relationships.
I doubt that she needs to protect me, but she has good intentions, so it’s hard to deny. Above all, she is natural and shows no signs of regret.
Hmmm. Well, it’s just like Ran.
She always had a forceful personality
As we walked out of the school gate, Ran casually asked
“Speaking of which, what do you do on weekends?”
“Weekend? I don’t have any special plans.”
“Then come out with me. I’ll eliminate the inefficient event of other girls asking you out.”
โI’m not being invited โฆโฆ.โ
“Since you’re indecisive, I’d better make the first move.”
She invites me too naturally. I wonder if I should deny it, but I can’t think of a strong reason.
“I’ll be waiting for you in front of your house on Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m.โ
“You’re coming to pick me up? Even though we live next door.”
“Of course I will. To reduce the risk of meeting someone else.”
โRisk? โฆโฆ Okay, okay”
I couldn’t even muster up the energy to talk back. If she is this thorough, I have no choice but to give up halfway.
Besides, what is a little strange is that I am not completely uncomfortable while being so interfered with.
It could have been a troublesome situation for me, as I am not very good at saying no when Ogawa-san approaches me. Thanks to Ran (if you can call it that), it was less bothersome.
When we part near my house, Ran says shortly, โSee you tomorrow.”
Her voice is matter-of-fact, but I think she was subtly amused. Maybe it was my imagination.
โฆโฆ I don’t really know, but if she seems to be having a good time, I’m fine with it!
I’m not the type to worry much, so I accepted the current situation.