Chapter 108: Why?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 108: Why?
"I like you."
Minato’s confession came at the exact moment the fireworks exploded in the sky.
To be honest, I could have pulled the classic rom-com move and pretended I didn't hear her.
The fireworks were certainly loud enough.
But could I really ignore a confession she had worked up so much courage to make?
And more than anything, I was curious.
Why did Minato, a girl I’d only met a handful of times, like me?
"Why? Why do you like me?"
When I asked her point-blank, Minato looked slightly flustered and hesitated before speaking.
"W-Well, sunbae, you're kind, and you're cool..."
"And?"
"Your muscles are amazing, too..."
The moment she said it, her face turned red as if she was embarrassed.
I had a feeling that last part was her true reason.
I already knew she was incredibly serious when it came to muscles.
If that had developed into a crush on me, it wasn't entirely unbelievable.
Frankly, I had been a little worried.
If she had started liking me for no reason at all, it would have meant my worst fears had become reality.
It was much better that there was a clear reason.
But that was that, and this was this.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I can accept your feelings."
I told her clearly.
Minato's expression immediately turned to one of shock.
She fumbled with her lips before asking.
"Can I ask why?"
I scratched my head and replied.
"First of all, to be honest, I've never thought of you as anything more than a junior. We've texted a lot, but we've barely ever met in person, you know?"
I could probably count the number of times we’d met on both hands.
The rest of our communication had been through a phone screen.
Minato said urgently.
"If that's the case, we can just meet more and get to know each other slowly!"
"Do you have time for that?"
"Gh."
Minato fell silent at my point.
She probably knew she had no comeback.
Unlike me, an ordinary high school student, she was an actress loved by the entire nation.
Naturally, she spent more time working than she did at school.
Even if we started dating, we would barely have any time to actually see each other. From her perspective, it would mean taking on the risk of a scandal for nothing.
"You don't need to ruin your future just to date me."
"But!"
Seeing that she still wasn't convinced, I spoke in a gentle tone.
"And honestly, I never imagined you would confess. We've spent almost no time together."
"Time doesn't matter when you're falling in love!"
"That might be true."
I agreed with her claim, but then gave a bitter smile.
"But it matters to me."
That was the end of the conversation.
With her head hung low, Minato didn't say anything for a while.
She must have been crushed after working up the courage to confess, only to be shot down so coldly.
To be honest, I’d never confessed to anyone myself, so I couldn't think of anything to say to comfort her.
Before I knew it, the fireworks display was coming to an end.
Once the last sparks faded from the sky, everyone would start heading home.
I was just standing there, stuck between a rock and a hard place, watching Minato.
Suddenly, she lifted her head, her eyes filled with firm resolve.
"I... I'm not going to give up."
"What?"
It was a completely unexpected reaction.
But she looked me straight in the eye, speaking each word as if savoring it.
"I'll definitely make you see me in a new light. Next time, I'll make you accept my confession."
Something about the atmosphere felt... intimidating.
Usually, when you reject a confession at a time like this, doesn't the person give up gracefully?
But far from giving up, she was burning with even more fighting spirit.
Finally, she said it was time to go back.
"Oh? Uh, yeah. Okay."
Still flustered by Minato acting so bold for someone who had just been rejected, I followed her down the hill.
*
When Minato and I got to the bottom of the hill, Rika, Sasha, and Karen were waiting for us instead of having gone home.
As their gazes fell upon her, Minato let out a small laugh and said.
"Today is my loss. But I haven't given up on being sunbae's girlfriend, so I expect we'll be seeing each other often."
The three of them showed visible signs of relief.
It seemed they no longer had any intention of hiding the fact that they liked me.
I know it sounds like I'm getting ahead of myself, but I never imagined I'd suddenly become this popular.
Thinking that this was all happening because of my connection to the original story still left a bad taste in my mouth, but at least I was relieved that it didn't seem like they liked me for no reason at all.
If that had been the case, I don't think I could have accepted it.
"The fireworks are over, so let's all head home for today."
"Sounds good."
"That would be best."
"I'm tired."
"Let's go home."
As soon as I said it, the four of them readily agreed.
And so, the chaotic night of the summer festival passed.
*
July, with its sweltering heat, passed by, and soon it was August.
At the festival, my relationships with everyone had been on the verge of getting weird, but I somehow managed to smooth things over.
Anyway, I had cleared one major hurdle, but next week, the Group D members were going to the beach together.
That meant I'd be seeing Rika, Sasha, and Karen again, and I couldn't predict what would happen then.
I wouldn't be able to pretend I didn't know about their feelings forever.
I guess this is why most rom-com protagonists are written to be dense.
I knew they were all good people, and I personally liked them all, so I couldn't make a clear decision.
At this rate, wasn't I just leading them on?
Pushing aside the headache from my complicated relationships with women, I was hard at work helping my parents at the restaurant, listening to the news on the radio.
[Li Meiling, the winner of the 7th GOF tournament recently held in the United States, arrived at Narita International Airport today. As a fighter who stands at the pinnacle of the world's martial artists, Ms. Li Meiling...]
"Come to think of it, I wonder how Ivan is doing."
I'd heard he returned to his home country with his daughter, Sasha, during Golden Week, but I hadn't seen or heard from him since.
He's probably fully recovered by now. I just hope he's not on a rampage, plotting to get revenge on me.
I only managed to beat him last time thanks to Fuma-senpai's help, so I wasn't confident I could win if we met again.
Clatter!
After perfectly clearing a table a customer had just left, I brought the dirty dishes to the kitchen.
The peak hour had just ended, so most of the tables in the restaurant were a mess.
Just clearing the plates and wiping the tables clean took a fair amount of time.
I was so busy running between the dining hall and the kitchen that I forgot to eat.
Just then, someone pushed aside the shop's curtain and entered.
"Welcome!"
"Eating, possible, here?"
The new customer was a tall woman, a rare sight in Japan.
She was likely a foreigner, asking me a question in broken Japanese.
She looked Asian, but not particularly Korean, which left only one possibility.
"Yes, it is. This way, please."
She was probably a Chinese tourist.
I brought her a menu with pictures, made for foreigners, and asked.
"What would you like to have?"
The woman ordered without much hesitation.
"Grilled meat, please. A lot."
"Right away."
The outline of her muscles was distinct even through her clothes, suggesting she was someone who maintained an incredibly high level of physical activity.
'Is she some kind of martial artist?'
If not, that amount of muscle mass was honestly not something you'd see on an ordinary person.
She was on the level of a female powerlifter who had trained professionally.
I told my father we had a yakiniku customer, then brought the basic side dishes and a personal grill to her table.
Watching everything being set up so efficiently before her, she got a look of anticipation on her face.
She seemed to be quite hungry.
Seeing as her Japanese was a bit clumsy, I asked her just in case.
"Can you speak English?"
The Chinese woman's eyes widened in surprise, then she nodded with a happy expression.
"Yes, I can."
English, of course.
Communicating in the universal language was much more direct than struggling with broken Japanese.
After that, I answered the woman's questions one by one, serving her kindly.
Soon, my father came out of the kitchen with plates of pork belly and pork neck.
I took the plates, served them, and asked her.
"What brings you to Japan?"
The woman swallowed, her eyes fixed on the meat with anticipation, but she still answered my question faithfully.
"I came because there's a man I must meet."
"A man you have to meet?"
When I repeated her words, the Chinese woman nodded.
"Yes. A Korean man named Kim Yoo-Sung."