Because of that, Tokugawa Asuka, who had always held feelings for Akuto, felt a powerful sense of crisis welling up inside her.
"Oh my, Asuka-chan looks so cute when she's jealous~"
Sitting to her left, Sawa covered her mouth and giggled.
Tokugawa Asuka had two close friends: Sawa and Miyama.
In the original plot, Tokugawa Asuka and her two close friends were in different classes. But after the plot changed, all three of them ended up in the same class as Akuto.
Sawa wore her straight black hair down to her shoulders. Beneath her side-swept bangs were almond-shaped eyes filled with a sly smile. Her aura was a little more mature than Asuka's, and she was also taller. Her uniform was neat and well-fitted, and beneath her short skirt, her legs were wrapped in white socks with black trim, giving her a tidy, polished look.
"Still, Akuto-kun really has become incredibly charming. Even I can't help looking at him a few more times."
"Asuka, if I said Akuto-kun was my type, would you get jealous?"
Sawa licked her lips, her gaze following Akuto's retreating figure beyond the corridor, undisguised interest glinting in her eyes.
"Sawa! Wh-what are you talking about?! Who... who would be jealous?!" Asuka's cheeks instantly flushed bright red, like a ripe apple. She abruptly straightened in her seat and refuted her in flustered embarrassment.
"All right, all right~ Sawa, stop teasing Asuka."
"Unless I'm wrong, Sawa, you only brought up confessing to Akuto-kun because you wanted to tease Asuka, right? You really are wicked~"
Sitting to Asuka's right, Miyama hurriedly smoothed things over, her voice sounding very gentle.
Miyama had soft, waist-length hair, the ends naturally curling like fine silk. Her features were delicate, almost doll-like, and her skin was so fair it seemed nearly translucent. Beneath her long lashes was a pair of watery eyes, now shining with complicated emotions.
Miyama was the smallest of the three, but her proportions were good. She had a slender waist and a soft, cute charm. She also wore white socks with black trim, with a stretch of fair skin visible above the cuffs.
Her sitting posture was the most proper. Her legs were together and angled slightly to the side, her hands resting obediently on her knees. The toes of her small black leather shoes turned slightly inward, making her seem quiet and ladylike.
However, Miyama's heart was far less calm than she appeared.
The reason she had stopped Sawa and Asuka from continuing was because she herself was preparing to confess to Akuto.
Taking a deep breath, Miyama seemed to make up her mind. She carefully took a pale blue envelope from her arms.
"Asuka... Unlike Sawa's teasing... I'm serious."
"Could... could I trouble you to give this... to Akuto-kun for me?"
Miyama held the envelope out in front of Asuka. Two red clouds rose over her fair cheeks, and her long lashes lowered as she dared not look her friend in the eye.
Asuka looked at the delicate confession letter before her, and an indescribably complicated emotion surged into her heart all at once, as though someone had overturned a tray of mixed flavors.
Miyama... one of her closest friends... was going to confess to Akuto too?!
"Mi... Miyama? Are you... serious?" Asuka's voice was a little dry.
"Mm!"
Miyama nodded firmly. Her long hair swayed gently with the motion, and even her pale neck was tinged pink.
"I... I've liked Akuto-kun for a long time... since middle school. I just never had the courage to say it before. Now that he's become so amazing, and so many people are confessing to him, I... I don't want to miss my chance anymore."
"Even if I'll probably be rejected, I still want to express my feelings!"
At this point, Miyama mustered her courage and raised her head. Her moist eyes were filled with pleading.
"Asuka, you grew up with Akuto-kun, didn't you...? Please, help me give this confession letter to him, okay?"
Asuka looked at the envelope Miyama held out to her. In her eyes, that pale blue envelope seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.
She liked Akuto. That feeling had only grown clearer and stronger with time. And yet... she had never had the courage to confess to him.
Because... they were too close. So close she did not know how to say it. So close she feared that once she spoke those words, even their current relationship might no longer survive. She was used to staying by his side as his childhood friend, and she truly did not dare imagine what would happen after tearing through that thin barrier between them.
And now, her best friend wanted her to personally deliver those feelings to the same person she liked?
"Asuka?" Seeing Asuka remain silent, merely staring blankly at the envelope with an unreadable, complicated look in her eyes, Miyama called softly again. Her voice carried a trace of unease and confusion.
Asuka suddenly came back to herself and met Miyama's deliberately puzzled gaze.
She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the churning emotions in her heart, and managed to squeeze out a smile, even though that smile looked somewhat forced.
Slowly, Asuka reached out and accepted the confession letter, which still carried Miyama's warmth and faint fragrance.
"Okay... I understand. I... I'll give it to Akuto-kun for you."
Asuka lowered her head, avoiding Miyama's delighted gaze and also avoiding Sawa's meaningful eyes.
Sawa seemed to have noticed something, but she only observed the two of them with interest and had no intention of speaking up.
"Thank you! Asuka! I knew you were the best!" Miyama immediately sighed in relief, and a bright, moved, yet slightly sorrowful smile bloomed on her face.
...
The brightness and emotion were because Asuka had truly agreed to help deliver the confession letter.
The sorrow was because Miyama felt she was being despicable.
Although her confession to Akuto did indeed come from her heart, she also knew that because of her confession, Asuka's own feelings might become even more troubled.
However, she truly did not want to keep waiting.
Even knowing that, she still intended to confess to Akuto.
Perhaps... this was what people called youth.
...
Meanwhile, on Akuto's side.
The moment the classroom door was pushed open, the air seemed to freeze for an instant.
The male and female students all raised their heads in unison. Their gazes were like iron filings drawn to a magnet, fixing firmly on the figure at the door. Akuto had returned.
Akuto calmly walked into the classroom as if he did not see the dozens of heated stares that seemed ready to burn holes into him.
Even so, Akuto's appearance and aura, both of which had risen another level compared to before he left, made several girls in the front rows blush instantly.
"A-Akuto-kun! Please... please accept this!" A ponytailed girl abruptly stood, her voice trembling slightly with excitement. She held a pink envelope in both hands and nearly thrust it against Akuto's chest.
"Mine too!" Another short-haired girl squeezed forward, refusing to lose.
"Akuto-kun, this is a bento I made myself!"
"Akuto-kun, after school, could we... could we walk home together?"
A small commotion quickly spread. Akuto became the center of the storm, surrounded by passionate confessions and gifts. His face showed no particular expression. He neither looked annoyed nor showed any smug delight at being admired. He simply refused each person politely.
Fortunately, the number of students in the class was limited, and some of the girls had already confessed to Akuto before. So after refusing fewer than ten people, Akuto soon regained his peace.
...
After dealing with all the trouble, Akuto turned and looked at Kusanagi Godou behind him. That was right. Godou's seat was behind Akuto.
If Akuto sat in the second-to-last row by the window, then Godou was seated right in the classroom corner.
"Yo, Godou. I heard you were the one who dealt with the storm that hit Tokyo?" Akuto abruptly looked toward Godou.
The smile on Godou's face stiffened. He subconsciously raised a hand and scratched his hedgehog-like short hair, his eyes drifting slightly as if he were weighing his words.
"Ah~ that?"
"It did... have something to do with me."
Godou licked his somewhat dry lips and glanced around, confirming that the nearest students were still caught up in the aftershock of Akuto's return and that no one was paying attention to their corner.
Of course, in truth, even if those students noticed Akuto and Godou talking, they would not be able to hear them. Or rather, they would not even perceive the fact that the two were having a conversation.
At least for now, Akuto had no intention of involving ordinary people in the supernatural world.
After confirming that no one nearby was paying attention to him and Akuto, Godou began organizing his words.
(End of Chapter)
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