My Classmate Whom I Helped Seems to Be Mentally Sick, So I've Been Trying My Best to Hide My True Identity, But It Seems Like I've Been Found Out - Chapter 56

Never

“I’m back.”

About thirty minutes later, Sumire returned.

I was the only one in the clubroom.

The clubroom was so quiet that I could hear the shouts from the athletic teams on the school grounds, and it was growing dim as the sun was about to set.

Illuminated by the red light streaming in, Sumire slowly walked over to me.

“What were you reading?”

“Ah, the one you recommended to me.”

“Made good progress?”

“I’m almost at the end. It’s so interesting that I just keep reading. Before I know it, the story has progressed this far.”

“Then you’ll finish reading it soon. I’ll read another book while waiting, so go ahead and finish it.”

“Really? To be honest, I wanted to do just that. Sorry for making you wait.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Sometimes, you can get absorbed in it, and before you know it, you just can’t stop.”

Sumire sat quietly beside me and began reading a novel she had taken out of her bag.

I continued reading my book as well.

The content of the book that Sumire recommended goes like this:

The heroine was raised in a wealthy household, but upon observing her workaholic father and a mother solely devoted to her own hobbies, she deeply questioned why the two ever married.

Was it because they wanted to have children?

Even if that was the case, they didn’t truly care for her, their child.

There was money, food, and a place to live.

But there was no love.

Taking her parents as negative role models, the heroine, who had decided not to pursue romance or marriage, nevertheless finds herself yearning to experience genuine love that is not based on ulterior motives from friends or men.

Unconditional love.

She wanted to meet someone who would love her and others without asking for anything in return.

She desperately wanted to fall in love with someone.

She wants to love someone like that.

When she got to high school, she ran away from her home in search of new encounters.

And then, she met her destiny.

The heroine, who gets caught up in a robbery at an event she happened to attend, is saved by a male classmate who also happened to be there.

Without concern for his own life, the young man fully shields the heroine.

Though he leaves without introducing himself, she soon discovers his name, address, and that they go to the same school.

She learns about his mother, his hobbies, his type of woman, how he walks, how he runs, and even his social relationships.

The heroine investigates him thoroughly.

Ultimately, she falls in love with him.

Whether she investigated him because she loved him or she fell in love as a result of the investigation is vague.

However, she had never been so captivated by another person before.

So, she is sure.

He is the one destined for her.

And so she decides.

She will share her fate with him.

The heroine thinks that he must not lose interest in her nor let his eyes wander to someone else.

She wonders if she should confine him so he meets no one else, or if they should meld into each other, embracing every day until they’re both completely captivated, or perhaps they should make it a done deal by having a child?

None of the above.

Maybe they should just fall into the darkness together.

What version of herself would he accept?

If he would accept her, she feels she could escalate the situation endlessly.

Aware of this, the heroine reaches the story’s climax.

“Hey, let’s go back. I want to be lovey-dovey with Hayate-kun as soon as possible.”

What choice will the heroine make?

At the climax of the story, I closed the book at Sumire’s call.

What kind of ending awaits me will be tomorrow’s treat.

“Shall we go home?”

“Yeah.”

We leave the clubroom hand in hand.

Her hand is very cold, but it is also very soft.

Her slender fingers hold mine and don’t let go.

I don’t feel like she will ever let go.

Hand in hand with her, I leave the school.

Then, we start walking toward the setting sun.

Where are we headed?

I don’t know, but I’m not anxious.

Because I’m with her.