182: The Final Whisper (2)

"This girl is really annoying."

Koizumi Natsumi scowled as she watched Kotonoha beam with happiness.

"She's smiling like that—must be seducing someone again."

Obuchi Minami propped her chin up with malice in her voice.

"What do you think, Otome?"

Obuchi Minami turned to Kato Otome, who was quietly eating her lunch, and said offhandedly, "I heard Katsura is dating Ito Makoto from Class 1-3. Don't know if it's true."

Kato Otome froze, chopsticks mid-air.

"No way, Ito? He'd be into her?"

"Hard to say. After all, our Katsura is beautiful and well-endowed—no boy could resist."

Obuchi Minami sounded like she was praising Kotonoha, but it was clearly a backhanded compliment.

Kato Otome put down her chopsticks and stood up. "Why don't we just ask her directly?"

She was about to walk over when she suddenly noticed Ito Makoto peeking into their classroom from the door, clearly looking for someone.

Seeing this, Kato Otome changed direction and walked straight toward him.

"Makoto, why are you here? Looking for—" she didn't finish the sentence, and before she could say "me," Ito Makoto lit up and said happily, 

"Otome! Perfect timing. Could you get Katsura-san for me? I have something I want to tell her."

Kato Otome's smile froze, and her eyes dimmed a little.

So he was looking for her.

Guess I was just imagining things.

"Please, Otome. I'm begging you."

Seeing her silent, Ito Makoto clasped his hands together and pleaded.

"S-Sure. Just a second."

Forcing a smile, Kato Otome turned and walked to Kotonoha's desk, rapping her fingers hard against the tabletop.

Kotonoha had her earbuds in, listening to a voice message from Takashi, and hadn't noticed her approach.

Kato Otome thought she was being deliberately ignored, which only made her angrier.

Bang.

She slammed her palm onto the desk, making everything on it jump.

"Are you ignoring me on purpose?"

Kotonoha looked up in confusion and shrank back a little when she saw it was Kato Otome—one of the girls who bullied her.

"Is something wrong, Kato-san?"

Kato Otome thought Kotonoha was just good at pretending to be the victim, always acting like she was being bullied.

But since Ito Makoto was watching, she simply pointed toward the door. "Makoto wants to talk to you."

"Ito-san is looking for me?"

Kotonoha looked surprised and glanced toward the classroom door.

The last time he'd approached her was a month ago.

Hearing her call him "Ito-san" put Kato Otome at ease—her face looked a little better.

It probably meant there was nothing between them.

"Ito-san, what do you need from me?"

Standing at the doorway, Kotonoha looked puzzled at Ito Makoto.

She didn't understand—what was there left to talk about?

"K-Kotonoha, what did you just call me?"

Ito Makoto froze at her words.

"Is there something wrong with it?"

Kotonoha tilted her head, genuinely confused.

"You used to call me Makoto, didn't you? We're still boyfriend and girlfriend, right?"

"You didn't talk to me for so long, I thought we broke up."

Kotonoha's tone was calm, emotionless.

"I know I was wrong, but I had my reasons. Please, let me explain."

"There's no need."

Her silky long hair swayed gently.

"It doesn't matter anymore."

"Neither you nor your explanation matters anymore."

Ito Makoto's face turned pale, then he spoke with conviction: "Is it because of Kitahara Takashi?"

Aoba Kitahara Takashi—his name was well-known.

It hadn't been hard for him to find out.

"That time at the subway station—I didn't imagine it, did I?"

"You were kissing him there, weren't you?"

Kotonoha recalled that moment at the subway exit and looked a little embarrassed. 

"That was me and him, but it's not what you think. We didn't kiss."

You think I'm blind?

I saw him kiss you with my own eyes!

Ito Makoto clenched his fists. "Did he know you had a boyfriend?"

"He did."

"Then he still went after you?! So Takashi just enjoys stealing other people's girlfriends, huh?!"

His shout drew attention from both the hallway and many students in Class 4.

"Is that how he gets his kicks—stealing someone else's girlfriend?!"

"Ito Makoto, I won't allow you to speak of him like that," said Kotonoha.

When it came to Takashi, Kotonoha's expression suddenly turned serious.

"This has nothing to do with him. I'm the one who's clinging to him."

Ito Makoto turned red with envy seeing the usually meek Kotonoha actually defending Takashi.

This was a kind of treatment he had never received before.

"Kotonoha, you're defending him?"

"Do you even remember whose girlfriend you are?"

"You're my girlfriend, and you're actually standing up for him?"

Ito Makoto's chest began to heave violently.

"They're actually in a relationship? Since when?"

"No idea, but losing to Kitahara Takashi isn't something to be ashamed of."

"If it were me, I'd choose Kitahara Takashi too. Who could say no to Tokyo's most handsome guy?"

The murmurs around them grew louder.

"This has got to be a joke. Kitahara Takashi? Interested in her?"

Obuchi Minami broke down when she heard that Kotonoha had gotten together with Takashi.

Last time she approached Takashi to ask for his contact info, he gave her a single glance and replied: "No. You're ugly."

"Ex: Ito Makoto. Current: Kitahara Takashi. She's really eating well these days."

Jealousy twisted Koizumi Natsumi's face.

If she could date Takashi, she'd even be willing to move into a mansion with him.

"Takashi stole my girlfriend and you guys are taking his side?!"

Ito Makoto was on the verge of exploding from rage.

What was wrong with this world?

No one helps the victim. They help the perpetrator.

Just because he's good-looking, everything he does is justified?

"Ito-san, you can't seriously be trying to stop Katsura from going after someone better, can you?"

A girl, following the principle of girls help girls, delivered a punch that shocked all of Tokyo.

Immediately after, another girl followed up with: "If you were good enough, do you think Katsura would've left you?"

"Putting aside the facts, Ito-san, are you saying you did nothing wrong?"

"Katsura is improving herself—what about you?"

"He's been 'improving' together with Saionji, hasn't he? 

I saw them grocery shopping together and going home side by side. I thought they were the real couple."

A boy chimed in, exposing what he'd seen.

"Wow. Shrimp-head guy is disgusting."

Feeling the disgusted gazes of the girls around him, Ito Makoto hurried to defend himself.

"Everyone, don't misunderstand. Saionji and I are just friends. There's nothing going on between us!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than he heard Saionji Sekai's voice from behind.

"Just friends?"

Saionji Sekai pushed through the crowd and stood in front of him, eyes red as she demanded: "Do 'just friends' kiss?"

"Do 'just friends' spend the night together?"

"Do 'just friends' say 'I love you'?"

We kissed. We slept together. And now you're telling me we're just friends???

What the hell are you saying?

Now that you've had your fun, you're pulling your pants up and pretending it never happened?

No way.

"Ito Makoto, what kind of man are you?"

Just as Ito was about to defend himself, Kotonoha spoke: "So, the reason you weren't answering my calls… was because you were with her, huh?"

Ito Makoto turned pale as he looked at her, only to find her glaring at him with pure, heartfelt disgust.

Then came her final words, spoken like a soft dagger:

"You're not even worth a single strand of Kitahara's hair."

___

Makoto should be grateful to Takashi.

Technically Takashi saved his life lol.

Not that Kotonoha is bad tho, after some research, turns out in the novel/game, she's actually okay with a harem as long as you don't leave her.

The stabby stabby accident only happened because Makoto had all his attention on Sekai.

So Katsura Kotonoha is manageable as a yandere. No need to be scared.

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