[Vol.2] Chapter 59: "How could I forget? After all...

Finally, the promised moment arrived.

The last bell rang and students were released of their classes.

Some rushed and couldn't wait to go home, while others loiter the halls, waiting for their friends to finish whatever it is they were doing.

What does a shadow hero do in moments like this...?

Amidst all the chaos, and eagerness of students longing to go home, I, Yukiya Saito had already mysteriously disappeared from the classroom, currently on my way to the meeting place, a rendezvous with the girl I met during lunch break at the old school building.

Walking through the hallways, blending in with the crowds with my [Background Character Mode: Eyeless Mob] there is something I noticed.

'I'm being followed.'

When I became aware of someone's presence following me, I utilized the corner of my vision to discreetly identify who was the one tailing me. And to my surprise, I saw Aria Tamami-san tailing me from behind.

'Hell yeah, she's following me!'

I thought to myself, after noticing Aria Tamami-san secretly tailing me from behind.

'She probably noticed how suspicious I was acting. Kukuku.'

That must mean all those mysterious disappearances I did in the classroom actually paid off.

Aria Tamami-san, like Mocha-san must have taken the bait, thinking how suspicious I was acting as I planted my seeds of suspicion by mysteriously disappearing from the classroom.

However, in reality, she was curious to see how my meeting with the girl turned out, all so that she could get a better read on why I had refused her proposal from earlier this morning.

Along with her was her maid, though I don't know the identity of that person at this point in time, but I'm aware she was there too.

Anyway, where I was heading was the promised meeting place, behind the old school building, however, I decided to make a little detour.

Noticing the piece of plastic on the floor, I picked it up and properly disposed of it in the trash can.

Observing my actions and peering at me intensely with meticulous eyes, as though genuinely evaluating me, what might she be thinking with her expression full of suspense and curiosity? As if, studying my actions.

However, all I was doing was my silent hero act. That's right, this is the shadow hero's tragedy! Helping people behind the scenes while not being recognized for their work.

I did a few more deeds like watering a potted plant where its soil had been dried up, and other small acts of kindness while no one was looking except for Aria-san and her maid who got their eyes fixated on me.

I eventually made my way to the back of the old school building. The agreed-upon place, and finding the promised girl there standing in place.

Aria-san and her maid continued spying on me, at a safe enough distance to overhear our conversation while also hiding out of sight. Though I already know they are there...

Standing in front of the girl, I position myself in a defensive stance, ready for a battle. I was anticipating a magical combat (imaginary/Chuuni battle), but when the girl opened her mouth,

"I like you! Please go out with me!"

She bowed, confessing to me with all her courage which caught me off guard.

"Eh?"

I was stuck there dumbfounded, confused as to why she wanted to go out with me.

I'm not as clueless as not to know what going out means. If I'm not mistaken, then that means dating, right? …But why is she asking me of that? A side character?

Then I thought to myself for a second before it came to me.

'Ah! This is that infamous punishment game! A "False confession"!?'

I nodded to myself, thinking I figured it out.

'Is that what's happening? A love confession born from losing a bet. Now she has to confess her love to the school loser as punishment.'

So that's what's happening… in contrast to Phantom who's cool, charismatic, and powerful, this side character vasaud made me seem weak and unpopular to other people. [He got it mixed up]

'So that's why those girls pushing her from behind are giggling, as if there was something funny. I totally get it now. Kukuku.'

I grinned to myself as if unlocking a new achievement. The mask of being someone weak, being all the more shocking when I revealed I was actually strong.

The title of being the "school loser" all the more contrasts my identity as Phantom. Kukuku, I can't wait for that moment to come.

"Sorry,"

I bowed apologetically, rejecting her confession with this somewhat sudden and shaky voice.

Honestly, a part of me wanted to say "yes", trolling her to go out with the school loser, but I held myself back to see the bigger Picture.

A shadow hero doesn't do relationships, as he is always followed by tragedy wherever he goes. That's why they are always depicted to prefer working alone, not wanting to be associated with anyone as to not get other people hurt.

"M, may I know why?"

The girl inquired, wanting to at least know the reason why I rejected her.

I then proceeded to answer with logic,

"I don't even know you, much less close enough to consider dating."

I bluntly answered.

That's a standard reply, right? I wasn't aware of how mean I sounded when I delivered those lines. The same time, I was truthful to my answer.

"I see… thank you for hearing me out."

She bowed and excused herself, running away as she desperately tried to hold back her tears.

Aria-san, hiding behind the wall overheard our entire conversation.

'So that's why he rejected my offer…'

She thought to herself, after hearing my reply to the acquainted girl.

"But that also means…" she mumbles to herself, conflicted whether the answer she got was satisfactory, at the same time it's not.

Moments later, after everyone left the scene, Shiori-senpai popped out of a nearby bush, holding two leafy branches in each hand that she used to conceal herself as she hid inside the bush.

After overhearing a girl about to confess to her prince at the back of the school, the way she limps from her injury right now, she couldn't really follow after me without being too obvious from the way she walks.

So, she had this keen idea of arriving at the promised place ahead of time, disguising herself as a common bush close enough to see through the confession that was about to occur. And she succeeded.

"I see... So Yukiya-kun is the type of person who wants to take the relationship slow."

Shiori-senpai grinned to herself, as if glad to find out this newfound information.

Overhearing our conversation, she came to the conclusion that,

'That means he wants to get to know the other person better before even considering dating.'

"Noted."

Shiori-senpai nodded, satisfied with acquiring new information as materials on how she would approach her fated prince in the future.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On my way back to the classroom, Aria-san still following me from behind.

By this time, most students had already gone home so the halls were pretty much empty, with little to no people passing by.

Looking at the sky that has already become orange, it really has become quite late.

I got to the classroom to pick up my things, but suddenly.

As Aria-san stalked me, hiding behind the sliding door, she accidentally leaned too much, accidentally losing balance making her fall to the floor.

By the time she looked up, I was already there in front of her, stretching out my hand, asking,

"Are you all right?"

Her eyes widened as she looked at that hand I offered her, a familiar scene resurfaced as I stretched out my hand. A familiar feeling of kindness she experienced from a very long time ago.

'I see... You haven't really changed. You're still the same Yu-kun I know from before…'

She took the hand I offered and assisted her back up. All of a sudden, I found myself being pinned to the wall by Aria Tamami-san.

"Why won't you look at me, you idiot!"

She venting out said, her voice sounding angry yet desperate at the same time.

I just kept silent, and let myself free and started walking away in silence. (Like the quiet and mysterious character that I am.)

"So you really have forgotten about me, huh…"

She told me in disappointment, with hints of sadness to her tone as she watched me about to walk out the door.

I then suddenly stopped walking… glancing back at her not quite enough to see my face nor even meet eyes with her.

I just opened my mouth with my back turned and said,

"During lunch, you chose to eat the tempura first, and left the bell peppers out. Your favorite color is red, Birthday: March 17, Favorite animal: Dogs, Hobbies: playing the piano, likes to eat ice cream for dessert. You're terrible at Japanese, dislikes bugs…." And so on and so forth.

I started spouting random things about her, things she said in her introduction, to random conversations with our classmates, and things she did earlier today. I laid out to her all I know about her as if to imply I wasn't fully ignoring her.

The things I was saying caught her off guard, telling trivial things about her in such attention to detail, as if indirectly saying I was keeping a close eye on her, having my eyes on her this entire time.

Was she glad to know I was paying attention to her? It left her speechless, wondering what she's feeling right now, leaving her flustered.

Was it the feeling of relief…? She wonders to herself.

After finishing laying out all the things I knew about her so far, I smiled back at her and said,

"Oh, yeah… Welcome back. Aria."

I told her, looking back with a smile, as if to confirm I remembered her.

I then proceeded to face forward and excuse myself from the classroom, leaving the place first, and Aria-san was now left in the classroom collecting her thoughts.

And with that, I successfully executed my "I am always watching" scene. The one who oversees everything as he watches from the shadows, just like Gaias did in WHKE.

Walking a few steps outside the classroom, I sigh to myself, thinking,

'Ha. To think she thought I had already forgotten about her...'

I thought to myself as I walked through the hallways.

"What a funny thing to say" I mumbled.

'I mean how can I forget...? After all, SHE TRIED TO BUY ME!!!'

[A trauma from the past has been unlocked.]

Back in kindergarten, I tried to befriend this lonely-looking girl who was always sitting alone by herself. She was always alone away from the other kids, so I thought she might be lonely so I tried to cheer her up.

Everyday I persistently tried to befriend her, and every day she would shut me down while giving me this cold glare. Until one day, she finally gave in.

After I befriended her, my parents came to pick me up from school, and Aria-san just suddenly approached them, giving them this absurd request.

"How much are you willing to sell Yukiya-kun?" Aria-san inquired to my parents.

"Well, how much are you willing to pay?" My parents jokingly replied.

Aria-san then proceeded to hand them a check. I took a glance at it, and there I saw continuous zeros I barely even knew how to count.

…Was it millions? ...Billions? All I know is it was an amount a child couldn't comprehend by how much zeroes are put in that check.

Thankfully my parents declined her offer, but it frightened me that my parents looked almost convinced of handing me over after seeing the check.

When she came to me earlier this morning, demanding those lines "Be mine" unlocked some childhood trauma that I had since long ago forgotten and sealed away.

That is why I tried my best to minimize my interaction with her, trying my best to avoid eye contact throughout the whole day.

Though I felt kinda bad pretending not to know her, I just wanted to prioritize my safety. Not knowing what the enemy might pull or was fully capable of. That's why I tried ignoring her, cause I was cautious of her!

Plus, ...

"This is also revenge for suddenly transferring schools without telling me…"

As I walked away from the classroom, my ears turned slightly red, embarrassed at how immature I was acting, reflecting on my childish reasoning and behavior as to why I ignored her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moments after I left the classroom, Aria-san's maid came to pick her up.

She found Aria-san inside the classroom, seemingly lost in deep thought, processing her feelings, and pondering what action she should take from here on out.

The maid then spoke,

"Aria-sama, what do you want to do moving forward?" her maid, Mei inquired.

Aria-san pondered for a moment, until she finally gave a concrete response.

"I have decided. I want to stay in Hokkyokusei High School."

Hearing Aria-san's answer, her maid just simply nodded, respecting her master's decision.