Rabu kome manga no sekai ni haitte shimattanode - V3 Chapter Epilogue

Epilogue

The fireworks festival ended, and the week began anew on Monday.

Just when I thought my usual days were starting again… something was a little different.

From now on, Sei-chan and I would be walking to school together every day.

“Sei-chan, are you really sure about this?”

I asked Sei-chan, who was next to me in her school uniform.

Her yukata was beautiful and cute, but she’s just as cute in her uniform.

“Yes. I’ve decided to stop keeping our relationship a secret. There shouldn’t be a problem with us walking to school together every day.”

“That’s true. I’m happy, because I wanted to walk with you every day too, Sei-chan.”

“I-I see…”

Sei-chan averted her gaze, looking a little embarrassed.

The way she still gets shy about things like this is adorable.

“Want to ride on the back of my bike to school?”

“That might be easier… but if we walk, we’ll have more time together on the way to school.”

“Ah, Sei-chan…”

I was so moved by her incredibly sweet words.

Sei-chan seemed to realize she’d said something embarrassing, as she averted her gaze again.

“C-Come on, let’s go. There’s no point if we walk and end up being late.”

Sei-chan started walking as if to hurry me along, but she took my hand and pulled me with her.

My heart skipped a beat, but I squeezed her hand back and started walking beside her.

“You’re right. Let’s go together.”

“Yeah.”

And so, we headed for school, hand in hand.

 

Just before we reached the school, where the number of students started to increase, we let go of each other’s hands.

Apparently, it was too embarrassing to walk to school holding hands with this many people around.

But the distance between me and Sei-chan was closer than it usually was on the way to school.

Before, probably because she didn’t want us to be found out, there was always a bit of space between us even when we walked together.

Now, we were close enough that I could reach out and take her hand in an instant.

I figured it was because she was okay with people finding out and had decided to go public, which made me very happy.

We changed our shoes at the entrance and entered the classroom together.

The moment we walked in, I could tell the atmosphere in the room was different from usual.

No, I felt like the air changed because we came in together.

I’ve entered the classroom with Sei-chan a few times before, but we’ve never gotten this much attention… What’s going on?

“Hisamura!”

“You, you…!”

“Wh-What is it…?”

Several of my male classmates suddenly surrounded me.

Their faces were all terrifying, and they were glaring at me with incredible intensity.

“The word is that you were on a date at the fireworks festival the other day, with Shimada-san and a beautiful girl holding a chocolate banana, one on each arm!”

“Everyone’s saying it was you! And who’s the other beautiful girl?! Everyone who saw her at different times testified that she was holding a chocolate banana!”

“I saw you! It was definitely Hisamura! Explain yourself!”

“Eh, ah…”

I can’t believe word that I went to the fireworks festival is already out.

And the beautiful girl with the chocolate banana… that’s Rie, right?

Is that how people saw her?

And the pressure from the guys is intense… I feel like I’m about to be crushed.

“The b-beautiful girl with the chocolate banana is my little sister, Rie.”

“You have a sister?! And she’s that beautiful?!”

“Are you serious?! Please introduce me, Onii-sama!”

“I’ll send you flying.”

As if I’d introduce my cute little sister to a bunch of scoundrels like them.

I’d sooner introduce Yūichi, but even if I did, the chances of Rie ending up with him are extremely low.

That’s why, during the pick-up attempt at the fireworks festival—the part where, in the original story, Yūichi saves her and she starts to fall for him—I was the one who stepped in.

“Hey, boys, you’re bothering Shimada-san and Hisamura-kun.”

“Shimada-san is good friends with Hisamura-kun’s sister. She’s not dating Hisamura-kun.”

Satō-san and Itō-san, whom we’d met at the fireworks festival, threw us that lifeline.

“What, is that how it was? Well, that’s a relief.”

“Still, I’m jealous. Chaperoning your beautiful sister, with a girl on each arm.”

Thanks to their help, the guys calmed down, and the atmosphere in the classroom returned to normal.

At this rate, this will all be settled without me or Sei-chan having to say a thing, but…

“I’m sorry, Satō-san, Itō-san.”

Sei-chan said to the two who had tried to help us.

They tilted their heads, confused by the sudden apology.

And then, Sei-chan leaned against me──.

 

“I lied. Tsukasa and I… are a couple.”

 

She declared, clinging to my arm.

I never expected her to drop a bomb like that, and my eyes went wide.

But the two girls were even more stunned, their eyes as round as saucers.

And so were the guys who had been grilling me just moments before.

“What?! I-Is that true?!”

“I thought that might be the case, but you two are really going out…”

“Hey, Hisamura! You bastard, you were hiding behind Shigemoto and dating Shimada-san?!”

“With Shimada-san, the undisputed number one on our school’s ‘Hidden Beauties Ranking’?!”

“You traitorrrr!”

This must be what they call a pandemonium… Boys and girls, everyone was in an uproar.

Also, a ranking like that exists? I had no idea.

But I have to object to that ranking. A “hidden beauty”?

That makes it sound like Sei-chan couldn’t take first place in the beauty rankings unless she was “hidden.”

Give me a break. In my book, Sei-chan is the runaway number one on the “World’s Most Beautiful Women Ranking.”

…I’ll save that bit of escapism for later.

“I never thought you’d make an announcement like this, Sei-chan,”

I whispered to her as she held onto my arm.

The class was still in an uproar, so no one could hear us if we spoke quietly.

“Sorry, for not discussing it with you.”

“It’s fine, but… well, is it fine?”

“I didn’t expect it to cause this much of a commotion either…”

“But you look like you’re having fun, Sei-chan.”

Amidst the classroom’s pandemonium, Sei-chan’s lips were, surprisingly, turned up in a slight smile.

“Hmph, you’re right. If I was going to announce it, I wanted it to be like this.”

“You did?”

“Yes.”

Sei-chan looked up at me, leaned in close to my ear, and whispered.

“I’m revealing my treasure to the public. I’d be disappointed if it didn’t cause at least this much of a stir.”

“Ah…”

My heart pounded at her words as I stared at her.

Sei-chan must have gotten embarrassed too, because she blushed and glanced away for a moment.

But then her eyes met mine again, and the corners of her mouth lifted into an adorable smile.

I have a feeling my school life is about to get a lot more chaotic and difficult.

But as long as Sei-chan, my number one oshi in the entire world, is my girlfriend──.

──There’s no doubt that I’ll be absolutely happy.

<V3 Chapter 3 | Index | V3 Afterword>