Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: A Hundred Confessions, One Confession
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The door swung open, and Harumi dashed off down the opposite end of the hallway. She was so furious that tears streamed down her face as she ran.
I hid behind the vending machine and watched her retreating figure. Her shoulders trembled faintly.
As the hospital room door closed again, the hallway fell back into cold silence. From beyond the door echoed Kenji's eerie laughter.
"I'll be waiting. Sis."
Disgusting bastard.
This was on a whole different level from that Kurogami yakuza incident last time.
Once everything was sorted out, beating the crap out of that bloodline-complex trash was a given.
But setting aside his pathetic inferiority complex, the guy was pure evil—he'd ruined Harumi's parents and seized their business. It meant his head spun pretty well when it came to wicked schemes. Though from what I'd seen sending money under his own name to that paparazzi uncle, he still had some sloppy kid vibes left. Seemed like a teenager, yet he'd already become such a monster at that age.
Anyway, he'd definitely forged the contract or the will or whatever. Legal headaches weren't my expertise.
Sure, if I buckled down and studied for real, I'd pick it up quick—but that still took time.
No matter how I thought about it, I couldn't handle this alone.
Time to hit up Mesui. Let's get some advice.
I headed straight for the academy.
"Hey, Yuu! Perfect timing! Get over here!"
The moment I stepped onto campus, I ran into Saki and Ren heading out for lunch. Talk about lucky.
Might as well man up and confess without dragging it out. The academy director would stick around till noon anyway.
"Yeah, Saki. Let's go. I'll explain everything. To you too, Miss Ren."
"Uh, y-yeah...? You're way more bold than I expected.... Anyway, follow me to the rooftop!"
The rooftop where Ren, Saki, and I always hung out.
"So, what's with that tiny girl? I saw everything, you know. Last time, you sat right next to her on the bus!"
Saki fired off before Ren could even chime in.
Guess she'd spotted us from afar that day I swiped her card for her.
"Miss Ren. This is sudden, but hear me out."
Calling her out directly, she tilted her head with wide eyes.
I wiped the slight sweat from my palms on my pants and opened my mouth.
"I like you, Miss Ren. No—I'm in love with you."
This wasn't just some line to dodge the situation. It was the real deal, the feelings I'd harbored since that day our eyes met through the monitor. Ren had to feel it too.
"H-Huh?!"
Ren's eyes went wide as saucers, and Saki let out a deflating wheeze from her lungs as she half-collapsed.
"Wh-Wh-Wh-What... Y-Yuu, d-did you just... confess...?"
Saki pointed at me with trembling fingers, utterly shocked.
"Yeah. It's a confession. I've liked you for a while now, Miss Ren. You knew that, right? From the moment we first bumped into each other, I've been into you."
"W-Wait a sec..."
Ren clutched her chest with both hands, breathing raggedly. Her ears and face flushed tomato-red.
"Hey! Th-There's such a thing as mood! How do you confess like this with another girl friend right here?!"
"S-Saki, it's fine.... More than that, I want to hear your reasons. Not just some out-of-the-blue 'I like you'—something more proper—"
Reasons?
I could list hundreds. Before Ren could even finish, I jumped in.
"I love everything about you, Miss Ren. Shall we start with the outside? I love your big, clear eyes. Your obsidian-black pupils that shine so brightly, sucking me in when we lock eyes. Your ebony-smooth hair is gorgeous. That rabbit-shaped hair clip you always wear suits you perfectly. Your ears turning red every time you're embarrassed are adorable. The way your earlobes lift slightly from below your ears—that shape's just my type too. The faint collarbone line peeking from your shirt makes me want to trace it with my finger. I won't get too detailed on your figure to avoid sexual harassment, but it's exactly my type. Your long, slender legs make my heart race just looking at them. Your fingers are pretty, and you always smell nice. Oh, you switched your hand cream to apricot scent recently, right?"
Saki gawked at my nonstop mouth, jaw dropped.
Ren just stared blankly, listening.
"Eh, wh-what...? Y-Yeah...?"
"Even those little senses of yours win me over—I like apricot too. Though I prefer the lavender shampoo scent from your hair even more. You always have this cool yet cozy aroma. Like softly piled snow? Just like your personality. Speaking of which, time for personality talk? I actually overheard you once, when I saved you from that broken bathroom stall. Practicing your cold tone in the mirror. You act all aloof and distant on the outside, but deep down, you're craving warmth more than anyone—that childlike side is so lovable. Your love for small animals like rabbits is endearing too. I'm sure you'd shower our kids with all your love if we raised them together. Your taste for kelp simmered in oden broth is cute. You might be embarrassed and call it an old lady preference, but if we live together, I'll simmer kelp for you every time we have banchan. And—"
"Ah... Ack... A-Ah..."
Her face somehow kept reddening even more, to an unbelievable degree.
"Your voice is so clear too. Just listening calms me down, clears my head no matter my mood or the situation. When I lose it and want to swing wildly, you've always been there to help me rein myself in. I love that rational, logical side of yours. And sure, you seem cold on the surface, but Miss Ren, when we first met, you warned me not to hang with those punks, right? That casual concern you toss out hits me every time. As class president, you're always jumping in first to help the class—impressive. Hanging with guys couldn't have been easy, but your mindset for joining the play was cool. Dresses suit you so well too. Few girls could pull off a stage costume like that. Your confident acting made you a true leading lady."
I could go on all day.
Filling a full 5,700-character isekai possession rant with nothing but Ren praise? That's me!
"And—"
"W-W-Wait! W-Wait!!"
Ren was way more flustered than when I'd first blurted the confession. Her voice quivered finely, lips trembling.
"Huff...! Huff...! Huff...! Live confession..."
Saki, for some reason, was insanely excited. Hands clasped tight at her chest, legs squeezed together, snorting through her nose.
Getting some vicarious thrill as a girl?
As I eyed Saki curiously, Ren covered her face with her palms and replied.
"G-Got it. I get it now, Sanghyeon. No need for more—my face might explode if I hear any longer.... Urgh..."
"Glad my feelings got through."
I grinned, and Ren slowly lowered her palms, averting her gaze.
"...M-Me... too..."
"Pardon?"
"...I like you... too, Sanghyeon."
She lifted her averted eyes.
Gathering courage, she met mine.
"I like you."
"Kyaaaaah!!"
Saki screamed like a maniac and bounced around. In the middle of her circling like an Indian chief's dance, I took Ren's hand.
"Will you go out with me?"
"...Yes."
"Congrats!!"
Saki stopped her frenzied dance and pounded our backs.
But looking at her face, something was off.
Tears trickled down.
"Hey, why are you crying...?"
"Huh...?"
"S-Saki? You okay?"
"Wha...? Huh?"
Saki wiped her tears roughly, confused about her own reaction.
"Must've been happy tears! Ahahaha!"
Embarrassed about crying, she changed the subject.
"A-Anyway! I get your feelings for Ren as a third party. Ahem. So what's with that other girl?"
"Yeah. I'll explain that too. Listen up, Ren."
Now that we were officially dating, I didn't hesitate.
"Y-Yeah."
Ren nodded shyly, clearly pleased.
And then I doused her warmed-up heart with cold water.
"I want to date other girls too, besides you, Ren."