An Ex-popular Guy Can’t Get Love Down His Throat - CH 5

A little after the start of my third semester, winter came. Despite the cold, I managed to get home safely from school, though as soon as I stepped inside my home, Sayu suddenly tapped my shoulder.

“Yuu, don’t worry about it anymore. It’ll all be fine.”

“Huh?”

What a mystery. What will be “fine” in the first place? —The answer to that question would arrive during lunchtime the next day.

Lunchtime. Students grabbed their grubs and sat together in bunches of friends. Needless to say, I was alone. The usual.

“Excuse me, do you have a minute?”

A voice well too familiar echoed inside my classroom.

“As some of you may know, I am Sayu Takasaki, Yuu’s younger sister,” she said while stepping inside with two friends in tow. “I know it’s sudden, but I have something I’d like you all to hear.”

She swiftly took out her phone, something strictly prohibited here, and tapped away. Soon, an audio recording started playing to the attentive class.

“Miu-senpai, you said the other day you saw Takasaki-senpai trying to r*pe Toudou-senpai, right?”

“Mhm…”

“Did you know his sister is in our grade? Apparently, she’s been snooping around trying to prove her brother’s innocence. She’s quite the annoying mosquito, so you’d better be careful.”

“Eh…”

“I mean, you saw that happen, didn’t you? That being the case, I’m sure insisting you did will be fine.”

“No, but I…”

“Oh, am I wrong? Didn’t you say you’ve seen it happen with your own two eyes? I mean, that girl’s personality can be quite the pain in the a*s.”

“No, I saw it. I saw it.”

“If so, why are you so fidgety? If you haven’t seen it happen, you should take the proper measures.”

“B, but…”

“But it’s annoying, isn’t it? What happened that day? Clarify.”

“T, Toudou told me to say that…”

The conversation between the overbearing junior and the timid Yamamoto continued. I’m not sure that’s enough proof to make me innocent, but it’s more than enough to throw a stone at the suspicions raised against me.

Then, Sayu tapped her phone and stopped the recording. What she had just played was enough for her.

“I knew she wouldn’t answer if I asked her directly, so I asked these two girls who’re my good friends, and also happen to be Yamamoto-senpai’s clubmates, to lend me a hand. So, Toudou-senpai, what does this mean?”

I looked around. Yamamoto’s face was the Oxford definition of blue, and I could see a myriad of emotions swirl in the eyes of those who blindly cursed me. Even the uninterested crowd was astonished, even if a little. However, there was only one person in that room who looked at me with a smile on their face.

“Toudou-senpai, why are you smiling?”

Sayu noticed the elephant in the room, and the liar finally took her gaze off me.

“No, you did a swell job researching. I thought the timid Yamamoto would be easier for me to use, but that turned out to be quite the disadvantage.”

Even with all these questions, I still thought I wouldn’t be able to come out innocent. However, Toudou herself started spouting things that could be easily taken as a confession.

“W–what’s going on?! Yamamoto! Takasaki! Follow me to the staff room, right now!”

The teacher hurriedly called us out and we left the classroom. Yamamoto didn’t seem to have enough energy to even get out of her desk, but when Toudou got up and urged her, she staggered to her feet.

I walked past Sayu, who stood right by the classroom door. She had a mighty satisfied look on her face. As soon as I got close enough, I gave her a warm “Thank you.”

After that, Toudou began to spill the beans, seemingly holding no will to keep it under wraps. Her claim to be attacked by me was a lie, a ruse, and Yamamoto was the collaborator responsible for turning that lie into a believable truth.

The main person behind it happily affirmed what happened while the collaborator cried and vehemently denied it.

I, the victim of this whole debacle, didn’t know whether to feel angry or sad. I just kept my eyes on these two despicable beings while watching it all unfold as my face contorted, unable to be controlled.

What’s up with this Toudou chick anyway? Despite everything she said, she was the only crazy girl who talked to me in class, nay, the entire student body apart from my own sister. While it didn’t happen often, it was more than once or twice.

“So, what did you want after all?”

“Fufu, what do you think I wanted? If you can guess correctly, I’ll give you a reward!”

Unlike before, she answered me without showing a drop or a modicum of guilt. My desire to lash out in anger was embers shrinking to flickers, and I turned my head away. I don’t want anything to do with this crazy chick ever again.

“You’re not gonna answer? But the reward though! It’s amazing, y’know?!”

Her glad voice lingered in the hallway as I left, filled with something akin to disappointment.