第104話 いざデートへ② - I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me

The silence between us was suffocating as she tried to persuade me into a mock relationship. I decided to break it without hesitation. "Hey, don't mix this up with marriage-hunting. We're students, remember!" "But students can get married too! Not that I want to marry you or anything!" Shinohara exclaimed, her words lacking in courtesy. You'd think even a lie should carry a positive spin. Then again, it's true I'd be in trouble if she actually did say she wanted to marry me, so either way, her approach leaves me unsettled. Despite her argument holding more sense than I expected, it doesn't apply to us as students. "Isn't a pretend relationship for college students kind of irresponsible?" "Senpai, please, come on, just a little bit, I really mean it." Shinohara clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture, looking up at me with a deliberately coy expression. Her overly cute attitude earned her a light flick on the forehead from me. "Domestic violence..." "For that?" "If you don't want me to file a report, then go out with me!" "In the end, you're just threatening me!" Even as I replied, I felt something was off. Shinohara seemed different somehow, though it may be my imagination. Perhaps she truly wanted to convey something. I couldn't fathom what could only be communicated through a mock relationship. Still, there was a slight sadness in the difficulty of sharing our thoughts. "Do you think I'm doing anything that fits my role as an upperclassman?" Out of curiosity, I asked. Shinohara immediately grinned. "Yes, sometimes you still do. Even when you don't show it, I do get a bit flustered at times." "Really?" "Well, yes. I can't completely deny that possibility." "You don't have to force a compliment. It's more painful that way." Fake support can often hurt more than words left unsaid. Her awkward response left me feeling deflated. "Alright, then just one day, okay?" "A week sounds better!" "No way!" I shook my head firmly. Shinohara and I had never spent a week together consecutively. She would come over two or three times a week at most. Increasing her visits could lead to stress. I believed our current arrangement balanced just right for both of us. "An entire week together is a no-go." Upon reiterating, Shinohara pouted, "You don't have to keep saying it." —In truth, there was another reason. Currently, I don't harbor romantic feelings for Shinohara. My feelings for her differ from those towards an ordinary junior, that's clear, yet I haven't distilled them into words. Were we to spend an entire week together, my feelings might change. Ordinarily, a guy wouldn't mind if these feelings evolved into romance or whatever. In fact, dating someone like Shinohara could be a source of pride for any guy. Yet for me, just now, developing romantic feelings for Shinohara felt premature. It was just the beginning of a new chapter with Reina. This all started from a request by Reina herself, leading us into a mock relationship, which under normal circumstances would never happen. I should have refused, forced as it was. The current situation respects my viewpoint, but becoming accustomed to it might unconsciously shift my thought process to self-centeredness. I feared that such a shift might lead to mistakes. "Can't, can't, can't. If you're going to refuse so much, then give me an alternative. Anyone can just say no." "You're not wrong, but as the one being asked, it's tough if you get mad." "I'm not mad. I'm just being unreasonable." "If you know you're being unreasonable, stop it!" "Ahaha." Shinohara laughed jovially, seemingly inspired as she snapped her fingers. The sound echoed in the small room. "Then, Senpai, how about a trial, trial run?" "A trial what?" "A date for today. If you think it's doable, extend the mock relationship for a week!" "Okay." "So easy!?" Shinohara exclaimed loudly, the most surprised she'd been all day. The reason I agreed was that the decision still rested with me. Even if today turned out wonderfully, I could refuse for any reason. "I'll hold you to that." "Sure, in your memory." "No, I recorded it." Shinohara held her phone up to my face. The microphone symbol filled the screen. "You little criminal!" "Senpai, look at the screen closely." Upon her urging, I peered at the screen to find no recording made for today's date. I heaved a sigh of relief. Even unwitting remarks recorded data made me uneasy. "Don't scare me like that. So the whole recording thing was a joke." "No, it was real. I just couldn't do it in time." "Call it a joke!" I let out a deep sigh at her attempted recording act. Even if only a single day, this day made me worried. "Senpai, what's the most important thing in a relationship, do you think?" "What, another romance TV trivia session?" "No, it's not that! Come on, quickly!" ...She was likely caught. I thought as much from Shinohara's demeanor but kept it to myself. As I tried to offer an answer, a rather harsh truth came to mind. "Looks?" "Yes, and money, probably. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that relationships for people our age often come with baggage from various statuses." "So grim..." I'd thought it many times before, but college romance differs slightly from high school relationships. Moreover, there's an even greater divide between working adults and college students' relationships. "But still, personality matters just as much, if not more. It just comes behind looks and money, and you can't date if your personalities don't match." "So does that mean your compatibility with Genosaka wasn't all bad? At least, at first." "You might not know much about relationships, but as long as you have a basic sense, anyone can judge status. The tricky part is judging character, which requires romantic experience. You're building experience with me to apply it in the future, as I am." "Hey." "Quiet!" "Suddenly!?" Her abrupt change in volume caught me off guard, and I let out a startled, goofy shout. No doubt, Shinohara's perspective on relationships likely stems from another romance show survey or the like, but since there are as many views on romance as there are people, it doesn’t particularly pique my interest. At the very least, if we’re doing a mock relationship just to verify popular opinions, I’d rather not. I don’t want to spend my time on that. Maybe to others, my time isn't that valuable, but for me, it’s a priority above all else. Still, if it’s about understanding Shinohara’s own thoughts, I'm willing to help. After all, it’s Shinohara who’s asking. Since I often don't act my age, I’d like to make up for it with these spontaneous gestures. And, although I played it off earlier, Shinohara might be right—it could indeed enhance my experience as well. "So, what do you think is most important in a relationship yourself?" "Eh, me?" Shinohara was caught off guard, seemingly surprised to be asked. "What you mentioned was a romance program summary, right? I'm only interested in your opinion. If it's for you, I'm entirely okay with the mock relationship." Shinohara stood up from my bed, her mouth agape in surprise. "...Wh-why would you say something so embarrassing so casually! Pervert!" "I’m not a pervert. So, what's your answer?" When I asked again, Shinohara looked down for a few seconds before raising her head. "...I don't know what it is, so I'm relying on you, Senpai." "Oh, is that so?" I responded lightly, making Shinohara blink in bewilderment. "You're not disappointed?" "Not really. You've been like that from the start, haven't you?" I'd known she lacked much experience in romance since the first day we met. She created her first boyfriend simply because she wanted to experience being in a relationship, only to be cheated on and break up quickly. It's a rare, intense story. However, it also conveyed Shinohara's naivety, which I found endearing in a way. Though, it must have been tough from her perspective. "If that’s the case, I’ll go along with it for just one day. I promised, after all." "Wow, Senpai’s ethics are off the charts!" "In that case, go home." "I'm sorry, it was just a joke, a bit of cover-up for embarrassment. I was showing a cute side, so please forgive me, horrible Senpai, that’s too cruel!" "In five seconds, you've completely flipped the script! Why are you the one who's angry in the end?" I felt like I was caught in a new kind of scam. I almost apologized, pushed by her energy. "I-it’s a joke. I'm sorry, but it's true I was covering up for embarrassment." "Oh, is that so?" Even if she said it now, it was hard to believe, but bringing it up would stall the conversation. I let out a light sigh and scratched the back of my head. "Well then, shall we head out for our date now?" When I said that, Shinohara blinked in surprise, momentarily frozen.