Chapter 126: Do You Not Have Any Friends?

 "Did you write this badly on purpose?"

Minami's words weren't meant as an insult.

"…Huh…?"

"These attack names sound like something a little kid came up with."

"Ugh—!"

Akane clutched her chest dramatically.

"Seriously, what the hell is 'The Most Evil and Most Terrifying Monster'?! That's such a cliché!"

"Urgh…"

Akane took a step back as if physically struck.

"And this isn't even a literary novel—it's just a self-indulgent fanfic of yours, isn't it?"

"..."

Akane, the girl who could talk her way out of anything, suddenly found herself… speechless.

Because—

Minami wasn't wrong.

Everything he said was completely true.

Just as he pointed out—her story didn't even fit the criteria for Shuka High's literary magazine.

Instead, she had written a tokusatsu-style script.

To be honest—

She didn't really care whether it got published or not.

What she really wanted to know was if her writing was good enough to support her dreams.

If it also got into the school paper, that'd just be a bonus.

But she hadn't even had the chance to explain that—

And Minami had already ripped her work to shreds.

Akane's pink lips parted slightly, her gaze flitting over Minami's face.

Seriously…

Is there really a guy like this in the world?

A guy who could stare a cute girl his age in the face and mercilessly tear apart her work?

This was just…

There's no way he has a girlfriend.

Akane clenched her fists tightly.

But with her LV5 Disguise, she swallowed down all her frustration.

Taking a deep breath, she forced her usual smile back onto her face.

"So… Minami-kun…"

"Hm?"

Minami cast a cold, sideways glance at Akane and let out a small sound of acknowledgment.

"...Minami-sensei... is there any way to improve my writing?"

If a smile could kill, Akane was sure Minami would have been murdered a thousand times over by now.

No, not just a thousand times—far from enough!

Thinking this, Akane's expression became even sweeter.

"If there's room for improvement, please don't hold back, Minami-sensei."

"Room for improvement...?"

Hearing Akane's words, Minami lowered his gaze and flipped through her manuscript again.

"So?"

Watching him scan her work seriously, Akane felt her spirits lift again.

Looks like my writing isn't completely hopeless in his eyes.

"Relax."

Still reading, Minami muttered under his breath, "It's not a big problem..."

"Not a big problem...?"

Akane let out a small breath of relief and was about to say something—

"Yeah, not a big problem. Just rewrite it."

"COUGH! COUGH!!"

Minami's sudden statement sent Akane choking on her own breath, her face flushing red as she coughed violently.

She stared at him in disbelief.

"What...?"

"What do you mean 'what'?"

Minami furrowed his brows.

"Rewrite it."

"Wait—didn't you just say 'it's not a big problem'?"

Akane was dumbfounded.

"Yeah. Don't panic. If it was a big problem, panicking wouldn't help anyway."

"..."

Grrrrr...!

Akane had lost count of how many times she had clenched her fists today.

She really wanted to punch that clean, handsome face of his—

But unfortunately, she was pretty sure she wouldn't win in a fight.

Minami wasn't bad at sports, after all.

"That's that, then."

Without caring about her feelings, Minami patted his school bag.

"Rewrite it in the next two days and bring it to me again. No problem, right, Akane?"

"...Fine."

Akane nodded reflexively and reached out to take her manuscript back.

But just as her fingers extended—

She froze in shock as Minami, without a second thought, kept her manuscript.

"You..."

Akane opened her mouth.

"The desk was dirty. These papers make a good table mat. Consider it your tuition fee."

Minami replied calmly and stuffed her manuscript into his bag.

"..."

Akane's entire face turned red.

My writing… is just a table mat to you?!

If this were any other situation, she would've stood up, flashed a perfectly rehearsed, gentle smile, and politely refuted him.

But right now—

Her fair face was completely flushed.

And for once, she was at a complete loss for words.

Because she realized something.

In front of Minami—

Her carefully crafted, near-perfect smile was utterly useless.

Her naturally adorable features, which had always worked wonders on men, had zero effect.

And then there was the matter of sunk cost.

She had already endured so much humiliation from him today.

If she didn't at least learn some writing techniques in return—

Wouldn't all this suffering be for nothing?

That was something Akane refused to accept.

Wait!

A sudden thought struck her.

Could it be…?

Was Minami deliberately making things hard for her?

Was he intentionally pushing her into this state—forcing her into feeling trapped by her sunk costs?

She found herself scrutinizing him carefully.

Trying to read something from his composed face.

But soon enough—

She gave up.

Minami's expression didn't change in the slightest.

Calm. Indifferent.

...Yeah.

Akane decided she was overthinking things.

There was no way a guy like Minami, who clearly didn't understand women, could possibly manipulate her like that.

At the end of the day, he was just a bookworm.

Someone like him… probably didn't even have a single female friend.

That thought nearly made her burst into laughter.

She glanced at him with pity.

"Ahh, poor Minami-sensei."

Seventeen years old—

And not even one female friend.

Feeling suddenly much better, Akane rested her cheek against her palm, watching Minami pack up his things.

Her gaze carried a malicious sympathy.

This guy was probably always by himself.

He must've never had anyone to walk home with.

"Ahh... Minami-sensei... so tragic..."

But it made sense.

With such a horrible personality, even she, a near-perfect girl who was universally liked, had a hard time dealing with him.

Just thinking about it put her in a great mood.

She never let her emotions waver because of a guy.

But today?

Today was an exception.

After all—

This was Minami.

To be honest, at that moment—

She had the strongest urge to put on an innocent, surprised face and ask—

"Minami-sensei, do you not have any friends? Why are you always going home alone?"

But—

"Ahem."

Akane coughed lightly.

As fun as teasing him was, a perfect girl like her should be making the first move to invite him to walk home together.

That way, she could raise his affection toward her.

And in the future, she could slowly mold him into one of the guys who willingly served her like the rest.

Yes, this was the correct approach.

With that in mind—

Akane took a confident step forward and spoke.

"Minami-sensei, do you want to—"

She never finished her sentence.

Because—

"Minami-senpai!"

A cheerful, lively voice suddenly interrupted her.

The words caught in Akane's throat.

Her pink lips parted slightly in shock as two girls with guitar cases slung over their shoulders appeared at the classroom door.

...Friends?

Minami's…?

Minami—

That Minami, whose personality was horrible—

Had female friends?!

And not just any female friends—

But cute ones?!

Akane immediately recognized the red-haired girl.

Kita Ikuyo.

A well-known first-year with a bubbly personality and a dazzling smile that could brighten any room.

The other girl had pink hair.

Akane didn't know her name, but even in her loose sportswear—

Her figure was undeniable.

If she dressed up properly, she would definitely rival Kita in appearance.

But…

These two… are Minami's friends?

Akane refused to believe it.

No way. No way!

It had to be something else.

Kita must've just spotted Minami and was being polite.

She was known for her outgoing personality—it was normal for her to greet an upperclassman.

Yes, that had to be it.

Akane reassured herself.

And then—

She watched as Kita walked inside, flashed a bright, cheerful grin—

And grabbed Minami's hand.

"I told Bocchi earlier that Minami-senpai might still be here… and I was right! Let's go to STARRY together!"

"..." Akane.

Akane struggled to keep her smile in place.

She didn't know why.

But watching Minami interact with his female friends felt worse than being friendless herself.

She stood frozen in place, unable to say anything.

And that was when—

Kita, who had been happily chatting with Minami, finally noticed her standing behind him.

With a bright, friendly smile, Kita greeted her.

"Oh! Shinjo-senpai is here too! Hello!"

"...Hello."

Akane replied softly.

She didn't know what else to say.

So instead, she simply nodded, picked up her school bag, and prepared to leave.

But just as she was about to walk away—

A voice called out behind her.

"Akane."

"Hm?"

Instinctively, she turned back.

And there—

She saw Minami looking at her, an expression of genuine surprise on his face.

"Akane… do you not have any friends? Why are you going home alone?"

"..."

Akane.

Her heart stopped.

That was my line!

I was supposed to say that to you!

She clutched her chest, feeling an unfamiliar tightness there.

At this moment, for the first time in her life—

She truly understood what people meant by the phrase heartache.

"Just for today."

Akane forced out a bright, carefree smile.

But even to Kita and the others, that smile looked painfully lonely.

"It's fine! Come with us, Shinjo-senpai," Kita said, after a moment of hesitation.

Going home alone like this… it was way too sad.

"Y-Yeah..."

Even Bocchi, who barely spoke, managed to mumble something.

She glanced at Akane, looking somewhat conflicted.

She never expected someone like Shinjo-senpai—one of the most admired girls at school—to be in the same position she once was in middle school.

Going home all alone.

It was... heartbreaking.

At least she had Minami and Kita now.

But Shinjo-senpai… had no one.

Realizing this, Bocchi looked at Akane with a gaze full of pity and understanding.

"..." Akane.

If there was one thing that hurt her more than a knife—

It was pity.

That was something her pride absolutely could not tolerate.

"No, really! It's fine! My friends just aren't around today!"

Akane quickly responded, brushing them off with a wide grin.

And before they could say anything else—

She turned on her heel and left in a hurry.

She bit her lip hard, pulling out her phone as she walked.

No friends?!

Did they really just say I have no friends?!

Minami's words kept echoing in her head.

Without a second thought, she dialed a number.

"Ah… sorry, Asada-san? I'm free now. About karaoke..."

"Huh? It's almost over...? Oh… okay. Never mind, then..."

She hung up.

Then, she opened LINE.

[Ahhh, I'm in such a good mood! Anyone want to go out?]

Her eyes stayed locked on her screen.

But her mood only worsened.

The group chat—usually lively—only had a few responses.

And they all said the same thing—

"It's too late."

"We already had dinner. Let's go out tomorrow instead, Shinjo-san."

Akane's footsteps slowed to a stop.

No friends...?

Her gaze landed on the names in her contact list—

Friend #1.

Friend #2.

Her fingers hovered over the screen.

And then—

"What am I even doing...?"

She murmured to herself.

"This is... so stupid."

It was as if she was talking to herself.

Or perhaps—

As if she was muttering a confession.

Minami's voice replayed in her mind.

"Akane… do you not have any friends?"

Her lavender hair swayed slightly as she lowered her head.

And for the first time—

The girl who never opened up to anyone bit down on her lip, hard.