Yandere? Menhera? Bring It On, If You're Confident That I'll love You For Who You Are - Chapter 18

A Harbinger of a New Tragedy

The day after a holiday, I went to school as usual.

Ignoring the unchanged stares of the other students, I made my way to my seat.

“Hey, haven’t seen you in two days. Back to normal today—wha?!”

I dropped my bag on my desk and, for starters, landed a punch in Yuuya’s gut.

“What the heck, why am I getting punched all of a sudden!? What did I do!?”

“Be grateful it’s just one hit. Thanks to you, I’ve had a rough time of it.”

I explained the situation to Yuuya. Naturally, it would be undesirable for him, the person involved, and myself to let him know about my relationship with Mio and her true nature, so I kept it vague.

“Ah, right… The thing with the tickets, huh? Pleasure Restaurant, was it? She works part-time there?”

“Mio gave them to you? But why did you give them to Rio?”

“Why? Well, because she said siblings get extra services at that place. Of course, I first thought of going with her, but I was resoundingly rejected and—Wait a minute.”

Yuuya, making excuses, suddenly cocked his head like a marionette.

What’s with him? Did my punch (though it was to the gut) mess him up? If that’s the case, it might be good to hit him a few more times like an old TV set.

“Mio… Mi… O…? You just called her by her name, right?”

“(Crap…)”

I slipped. This guy is especially sensitive about this sort of thing.

“Good morning, Kurogane-kun, Saotome-kun. You two seem to be getting along well this morning.”

And then, as if on cue, the person in question appears.

Though, knowing this girl, it likely was on purpose…

“Hey, Mio-chan! Listen to this! This guy just called you by your first name—”

“Ah… um, it’s because Kurogane-kun helped me out a lot with the incident at Pleasure Restaurant.”

“Ah? Oh, I’ve heard the rumors. The place got robbed, right? Were you okay?”

“Yes… Ah, Kurogane-kun was really cool then, you know?”

Mio’s speech was hesitant and awkward, and she acted like a timid, introverted character.

Come to think of it, that’s her character at school…

“But man, Minato isn’t here, huh. But the serious and shy Mio-chan dealing with this rough guy must be tough. On the other hand, I’m skilled with girls, and I’ve got the looks! I’m a bargain!”

Yuuya, with a line that even a grade-schooler wouldn’t use, struck a confident smile.

Or rather, serious and shy… knowing this girl’s true nature now, just that is enough to make me laugh.

“Haha… You’re funny, Saotome-kun. Um… so, I’m sorry.”

“Ugh…”

Yuuya, who was quickly rejected, looked at me with a face full of despair.

This girl, for her part, seemed to be choosing her words carefully, but she was slyly looking toward me and smiling meaningfully—a testament to her remarkable acting skills.

“(You probably here to make sure I don’t spill any unnecessary information, isn’t she?)”

“(Hehe… well, who knows?)”

After we exchanged words in whispering tones, the bell for homeroom rang throughout the room.

“Then, I’ll see you later.”

With the bell, she returned to her seat.

“Wow, you two seem pretty close. I’ve never seen you together before, but when did you get so friendly?”

“Well, it just happened.”

While saying that, Yuuya and I also took our seats. At the same time, my inner pocket vibrated.

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9/5 (Mon) (8:42)

Hey, long time no see! It’s sudden, but are you free this lunch break?

Actually, I made too much lunch today, and it’d be a waste to throw it away, so I was hoping Minato could help me eat it ^^;

You know, since our last talk didn’t pan out, right? (Read)

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The message was from Kanade. I immediately began to compose a reply to her.

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9/5 (Mon) (8:43)

I don’t mind. Is the rooftop okay?

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The text was bland, even for me, but I doubt she’d care.

As soon as I sent it, the phone vibrated again in just a few seconds.

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9/5 (Mon) (8:43)

Okay (＾∀＾)

I’ll unlock the rooftop door. I packed a lot of your favorite things today, so look forward to it (Read)

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“(Hey, wasn’t I supposed to help you eat the excess food?)”

It’s probably just an excuse, but she might as well stick to the script she decided on. I decided not to mention it.

Sooner or later, it was bound to come to this.

It looks like it’s time for a showdown.

Soon enough, the first lunch break of the term arrived.

“Alright, that’s over! Hey Minato, what are you doing for lunch?”

“Sorry, I already have plans with Kanade.”

“With Kanade-san? Then…”

It seems Yuuya has guessed my situation. That’s fine.

“Yeah, I’ll turn off my phone, so if anything happens to Rio, I’m counting on you.”

“O-Okay, leave it to me…”

Yuuya nodded, looking a bit bewildered. He’s not exactly reliable, but there’s no one better to deceive my sister.

I left the classroom and jogged down the corridor, turning at the end. Just as I was about to hit another dead end, I looked back over my shoulder.

“(Now’s my chance…)”

I reached the stairs marked “No Entry” by a rope. Without a second thought, I stepped over the rope and went up.

At the top, a metal door firmly shut awaited me.

With a clank, the door opened, revealing what lay beyond.

“Ah, there you are. You’re late!”

The refreshing blue sky above the rooftop, and in the center, a red picnic sheet.

There was Kanade, dressed in her gym clothes.