Chapter 117 – During the Break

The news of Amane and Mahiru officially dating immediately spread throughout the entire school.

It appeared everyone knew it was a fact and not a rumor, thanks to the classmates who liked to gossip for both good and bad reasons, and also because everyone had seen them attend school together.

Thanks to that, there was always discreet discussions whenever they had to swap classrooms or go to the corridor. Thus, Amane was really uncomfortable with it.

“The commotion will subside in a few days, I guess.”

Kuju commented as he stood some distance away from the ruckus. “Yeah.” Hiiragi too nodded.

“People aren’t going to keep talking about the same thing. Sooner or later, they’ll be discussing something else.”

“That’ll be great. I’ll have a headache if it keeps up every day.”

Even during lesson time, Amane could hear others muttering something. Truth be told, he did not feel so good.

On a side note, the boys in the class kept questioning him during the breaks, and his stamina had dropped by half. Luckily, there was no gym class.

“I think there’ll be fewer people asking you questions. People will be surrounding you for a different reason though.”

“Different reason?”

“Some might think you’re a good commodity to have.”

“Sorry that I’m sold out then.”

Amane had assigned his future to Mahiru, and he could not possibly look at anyone else even if he was ask to. Truth be told, even if there were other females better than Mahiru, there was no way Amane would choose anyone but Mahiru.

Amane would be troubled if anyone hoped that he would look elsewhere. He would be surprised and disappointed if anyone was to think of him as such a frivolous boy.

“Well, love is sometimes unreasonable.”

“Mm, that’s rare coming from you, Makoto.”

“How rude. But well, it’s impossible for anyone to stop liking someone , even if she’s already someone else’s girlfriend. Love is like an impulse after all.”

Of course, you can’t just turn impulse into action, Kuju quipped, and looked towards the chatting girls, sighing,

“For me, I don’t think anyone can butt in between you two.”

“Same here. The lovey-dovey show is also a mean to ward off everyone else. I never thought you two would actually do that in front of everyone…!”

“Forget about that…!”

Amane was overwhelmed with embarrassment as he recalled the conversation he had in the morning.

The intimate act was truly to fend others off, but patting her on the head was basically a confession, and he did sound like he was intending to propose to her. He did not intend for his classmates to know.

Luckily, Mahiru managed to misdirect them. Itsuki and Kuju however might have noticed something when they said dumbfoundedly, “That’s passionate.”

“Well, since everyone now knows that Shiina-san shows that look only to you, I think that’s a fair result, Fujimiya?”

“…You say that, but shameful things are shameful.”

“You’re saying that when you held hands while walking to school?”

“That’s different.”

There was a difference in shame between acts that were done intentionally, and acts that were done unwittingly.

“Just give up. Also, there are some grateful that you two are so lovey-dovey?”

“Grateful?”

“The girls are happy now that the guys looking at Shiina-san can look elsewhere.”

Amane did consider the little mutters.

It appeared the girls who valued Mahiru differently were not being completely united, and some of them were conflicted by how Mahiru had attracted looks from other boys.

Mahiru had been alone till this point, a flower who never showed affection to anyone else. Now that she had specified Amane as a target and showed no interest in any other boy, it would mitigate some of the displeasure they had.

“Not all of them like me. Some do probably badmouth me behind my back.” Mahiru had once noted wryly, and Amane felt that girls were terrifying. Now that this was done however, it seemed Mahiru could finally relax.

“Girls really have it tough, I guess. Well, since this is settled, the next thing is to let everyone know that Mahiru’s just an ordinary girl. It feels like she doesn’t like everyone calling her the Angel because it’s embarrassing.”

“I guess she really hates it huh.”

“Yeah. Yuuta’s always giving a strange look whenever anyone calls him Prince, so that’s expected.”

According to Hiiragi, Kadowaki too was ashamed to be called Prince. Perhaps both Kadowaki and Mahiru had the same troubles. Amane quietly prayed for them in his heart.

He earnestly wished that Kadowaki would one day find someone who could understand him, just like how he came to know Mahiru. He hoped that this kind, unpretentious person who treated everyone equally could get his happiness.

“…What are you chatting about?”

While Amane prayed for Kadowaki’s happiness, Mahiru approached them, seemingly done chatting with chitose.

She probably did not heart what they were talking about, but it seemed she noticed that Amane had been blushing because they pointed out his actions in the morning. She gave a somewhat mystified look towards the trio.

“Ah Shiina-san? Nothing much. We’re just talking about how you’re an ordinary girl.”

“How did you end up talking about this…?’

“Ahh, no, erm…it’s just that we’re talking about how you’re not the Angel but just an ordinary girl, Mahiru.”

Amane pretended to forget what happened in the morning, and briefly mentioned what they discussed. “I see.” She nodded understandingly.

“I know that I have become an idol in some way. That may be true.”

Mahiru hushed her voice. Kuju and Hiiragi gave a look that practically screamed, ah yes.

Since they spent much time with Kadowaki, they had seen many similar instances, and so they probably were concerned about Mahiru, who was the same kind of person as him.

“But I am no longer concerned about what they say.”

“Really?”

“Yes…after all, I am fine if Amane-kun alone thinks I am an ordinary girl.”

Amane, Kuju and Hiiragi were the only ones to hear this murmur, but it was overly destructive.

Mahiru smiled bashfully, and her cheeks reddened slightly. Amane was not the only one mesmerized by her.

He heard Kuju and Hiiragi next to him gasp. The passing students too stared at her face, completely dumbstruck.

“…Fujimiya, control your girlfriend.”

We have a lot of victims around us, Amane quietly agreed with that notion, but he too was helpless, for he was the biggest victim, and it took him lots of effort to suppress his pounding heart.

“…Man, she’s completely lovestruck.”

Kuju muttered in amazement, and Mahiru’s face remained red as her smile brightened in seemingly affirmation.