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A month passed as spring continued and the Sakura trees still blossomed. Today was the first day I entered my high school. After waking up and stretching my body a bit, I changed into my school uniform.
"Umm, this looks good, my high school uniform," I said, looking at my reflection in the mirror.
I can't wait to see Hikaru-kun in his uniform too, I thought. I wondered how he would look in this uniform.
After getting dressed, I went downstairs where my sister was preparing breakfast.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmHneImIvl
My big sister had also graduated from high school, and she started attending college today.
"Good morning, onee-chan," I greeted her. "Good morning, Akemi-chan," she replied.
"How does my uniform look, onee-chan? Does it look okay on me?" I asked her, turning around.
"Yes, it looks great on you, Akemi-chan," my sister replied.
"By the way, you're up early today, huh?" she said.
"Well, it's my first day in high school. I just can't wait to see how the environment is there. I also need to prepare myself for 'that.'"
"That? Oh, you mean the entrance ceremony speech you mentioned earlier," she said.
"Yes, that's it. For some reason, it makes me a bit nervous... giving a speech in front of unfamiliar faces for the first time. But I'll give it my best," I said.
A few days ago, I got a call from my high school asking me to give the entrance ceremony speech since I was chosen as the new student representative for scoring the highest mark on the entrance exam.
"That's the spirit, Akemi-chan! Keep it up!" my sister replied while taking a cooked meal to the table to join me for breakfast.
After finishing breakfast with her, I stepped out through my house's entrance, putting on my school shoes. Then I looked at my late mother's photo displayed there and said, "Mom, I'll be going now."
I then called out to my big sister: "Onee-chan, I'm going now!!"
"Have a good day!!!" she called out from the living room.
After that, I made my way to school.
On the way to school, it was nothing much different from my junior high: same road, same scenery.
As I arrived in front of my school grounds, I thought: This is it. My high school life is starting today. I hope my high school life is better than my junior high was.
Then, I walked into the school area, keeping my distance from others, worried the same thing would happen as during my junior high when I bumped into that crappy senior.
Ah, it's not good to remember that now. I'd better find out about my classroom placement on that information board over there.
I then walked there, where many first-year students had gathered. It was the same board where I'd checked my entrance exam results, now showing the classroom list for first-year students. I pushed into the crowd to find my class.
Minato Akemi… Minato Akemi… found it… My name was in class 1B…
Then I noticed Hikaru-kun's name below my name in the list. Yes, he's in the same class as me! I was thrilled to be in the same class as Hikaru-kun again.
After that, I left and headed toward the classroom building. Oh, yeah! I need to stop at the Student Council office first to discuss my speech for today's ceremony, I thought. I did so, discussed with them, and then left for my classroom.
As I neared my classroom, I bumped into someone in the first-year corridor. The impact sent both of us to the ground. The cookies I was holding fell.
"I'm so sorry!" I said.
"It's okay," he replied.
Then he picked up the cookies and handed them to me: "Here, your cookies."
"Thank you," I replied, inspecting the pack. I felt relieved that they didn't break.
"Ah, sorry for ignoring you earlier. I'm truly sorry," I apologized.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrbaNhMgi8
"Don't worry, it's not a big deal. I'm glad you're okay," he said.
"Then, please excuse me." I bowed to him before leaving for my classroom. Ah, this is so embarrassing…
As I entered the classroom, it was already buzzing with activity. Most of the students were seated, chatting with one another. The classroom buzzed with girls chatting excitedly about something.
I wondered what they were discussing as they looked toward someone by the window.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqmj51qEti
It was Hikaru-kun, already inside the classroom, talking with the guy who had bumped into me earlier.
I see, so he's also my classmate, I thought, referring to the guy I bumped into earlier.
As I sat at my seat, I heard my female classmates talking about Hikaru-kun:13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOOy7ECt5e
"See, it's him!"
"Yeah, that is him, Hikaru-kun!"
I watched them, excited to see Hikaru-kun. Is he already famous? From what I could see, none of my classmates were from my previous school.
Has Hikaru-kun's fame reached other schools too? I thought as I saw the girls waving and greeting him enthusiastically.
Geez, these girls. I can't let them get close to him. I'll deal with them later, I thought, a bad intention emerging as I felt envy toward them.
Then I heard other classmates whispering:13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NnXGzNbku
"It was her, right?"
"Yeah, she's the one who got a high score in the entrance exam."
"I wonder if she wants to be friends with us."
No need to worry. I'm sure I will get used to it and get close to them soon, I thought.
I'd better ignore them for now and approach Hikaru-kun to greet him.
After that, I approached Hikaru-kun and struck up a conversation, then gave Hikaru-kun the cookies I'd brought.
"Wow, these are so delicious! Looks like you've really improved since last year," Hikaru-kun said after tasting one.
"Hehe, thanks for saying that! I've been practicing to make them even better," I replied with a pleased smile.
Suddenly, an announcement came over the speakers:
"To all first-year students, please gather in the school gymnasium for the entrance ceremony."
It's time already. I'd better prepare myself, I thought.
All the first-year students headed to the school gymnasium. The gymnasium was packed with fresh faces, none of whom I recognized. Giving a speech in front of so many people made me a bit nervous.
The ceremony began with the MC starting the proceedings, followed by a speech from the student council president:
"I hope the next three years of your high school lives will be fulfilling. This is your student council president, Hikawa Nana." The student council president ended her speech.
The MC continued, "And now, a speech from the first-year student representative, Minato Akemi."
"Yes," I replied, thinking, It’s my turn now. I walked to the stage. Keep calm, Akemi. Everyone is watching you—Hikaru-kun too. Don't make any mistakes.
As I reached the podium, I opened my speech paper and took a breath before beginning:
"Fellow freshmen, today marks the beginning of our high school journey here.
A journey filled with endless possibilities and opportunities."
………."On behalf of my class, I would like to thank you for this wonderful ceremony…………."
………."The experience of overcoming the tough entrance exam will give us confidence and strength to overcome the days ahead…."
………."And last but not least, to the teachers and seniors, we hope you will watch over and guide us new students. Thank you."
"First-year representative, Minato Akemi."
As I ended my speech, I received applause from the audience as my speech went well without any mistakes. After that, I returned to my seat, I looked at Hikaru-kun, and he gave me a big smile. I smiled back and nodded.
After the ceremony, we returned to our classroom. Some of my classmates approached me and complimented me on my speech.
"Nice speech, Minato-san!" "Yeah, you looked great and very confident!"
"So expected from our representative!" "If it was me, I’m not sure I’d do well like you!"
"Haha, thank you guys. It was just a speech—nothing that big of a deal," I replied.
Then Hikaru-kun entered the classroom. I called him and made him stop at my seat.
"Hey Hikaru-kun, how was my speech?"
"It was great, really wonderful. So unexpected from you, Akemi," Hikaru-kun said.
"Hehe, thanks, Hikaru-kun!" I said, clinging to his arm suddenly.
"Hey, stop it! Everyone is watching!" Hikaru-kun said, trying to pull away, but I just laughed playfully. I want to show them Hikaru-kun is mine.
"Wait, you two know each other?" one of them asked.
"Yeah, we went to the same junior high and she was my classmate for the last two years too," Hikaru-kun explained.
"I see, that’s why you two seem so close," they said.
As days passed, I got used to my new school. My classmates chose me as class representative since they saw me as an honor student due to my entrance exam results. I also managed to get along with everyone and make close friends. All of them were nice—no one had a bad attitude like Misaka back then.
Besides that, my relationship with Hikaru-kun stayed the same. We acted like before, even after my failed confession months ago. If a girl tried to make a move on Hikaru-kun, I quietly sabotaged her without notice.
Everything ran smoothly… but my happiness didn't last long… again.
A month passed and May arrived; a week had passed since Golden Week.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9Evc5pG9X
I was walking alone to school as usual. As I approached the entrance, I saw Hikaru-kun talking with someone.
Hikaru-kun is talking with someone? I immediately hid behind the nearest tree.
"Who is that?" I tried looking at the girl talking to Hikaru-kun. Wait, is that Misaka? Why is she here? I thought she went to another school?
Wait a moment, no way Misaka is here... also Hikaru-kun is smiling at her. No way Hikaru-kun forgave Misaka already… As I moved closer, I noticed the girl wasn’t Misaka but somebody else.
Fuh, I thought she was her. Looks like I misidentified that girl as Misaka. It really surprised me. Is it just me or does that girl resemble Misaka?
"Oh, that girl is leaving. Hikaru-kun is alone now—it’s my chance to ask about her!" I approached Hikaru-kun. "Hikaru-kun, good morning!"
"Oh, Akemi, good morning," he replied.
"Who was that girl you were talking with earlier?" I asked.
"Oh, you saw us? Actually, she’s a transfer student who started today. She got lost, so I showed her the way. That’s all," Hikaru-kun explained.
I see, just a lost student. I thought she was trying to make a move on Hikaru-kun. I sighed in relief.
"But her appearance really resembles hers… right?" Hikaru-kun said.
Wait, Hikaru-kun thinks the same? That girl does look a little like Misaka.
"You mean Misaka?" I replied. Hikaru-kun nodded.
"But from what I saw, this girl looks better than her," Hikaru-kun added.
Then Hikaru-kun blushed. "Ah, forget what I said! Let’s go to class," he said before walking with me.
As we walked, I thought: Hikaru-kun blushed earlier… Is he falling for that girl?
After I entered my class and took my seat, I heard some male classmates talking:
"Hey, did you hear about that new girl who just transferred here today?"
"Really, what does she look like?" "She's such a beauty too."
"What class is she in?" "From what I heard, she’s in Class 1F."
"The same as Eri-chan, right?" "Also, Shimizu-san—we must be careful."
"Oh, you mean that delinquent girl?"
From their conversation, the new girl was in Class 1F, the same class as Sakamoto-san.
This is not good because Hikaru-kun sometimes goes there too, since his close friend Zul is there. I’d better keep a close eye on them later.
As lunch break started, I was having lunch with my close friend when I saw Hikaru-kun leave our classroom and go somewhere else.
Hikaru-kun has left. Where is he going? Is he heading to Class 1F? At first, I just let him go, as that was Hikaru-kun's privacy, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt uneasy. Before deciding to go to Class 1F, I finished my lunch.
As I arrived at Class 1F, I hid behind the wall outside and watched from afar as Hikaru-kun and his friend Zul sat together with the transfer student. They were having a fun conversation together. Even Hikaru-kun was smiling while talking with her. It had been a while since I'd seen Hikaru-kun smile like that—the last time was when we were eating together with Misaka.
What is this? Just on her first day, she's already getting along with Hikaru-kun? Who does she think she is? I was shocked, then clenched my fist and gritted my teeth. A feeling of anger was about to explode inside me. As I kept watching them, someone suddenly spoke to me from behind.
"Do you need something here?" she said. I turned around to face her and found a girl who looked like a delinquent, with red hair, looking at me. I was shocked by her presence and thought, Erk, what's with this girl? She looks scary... Is this the delinquent Shimizu they were talking about earlier?
"Hey, do you want something in my class?" she kept asking me. Scared of her, I replied, "Umm, the new... girl... who just transferred today... can you tell me her name...?" I said, shaking.
"Oh, her? Her name is Yuki Mizuha. Do you need something from her? I can call her for you," she said, offering to help.
"No, it's nothing. Please excuse me," I said, then left the corridor and returned to my own classroom.
I see, her name is Yuki Mizuha... I will remember that... I thought, upset about this girl.
Since that day, Hikaru-kun disappeared during lunch break to go to Class 1F every day, unlike before when he only went sometimes.
It left me with less time to talk and be around Hikaru-kun. This is so frustrating. What charm did she use to attract Hikaru-kun so much? What does that girl have that I don't? Sometimes I went to Class 1F during lunch break to watch their interactions, like when I used to stalk Hikaru-kun in junior high. It seemed I had returned to my old routine.
Recently, Mizuha and her friends started eating lunch on the rooftop, which made it hard for me to observe them, though I could see their relationship better from there. Even that delinquent girl from before, Shimizu, and both Sakamoto-san and Zul joined them. I never expected they would get along.
One day, as I returned from the teacher's office after delivering exercises for my class as part of my duty as class rep, I found two girls collecting scattered papers from the floor in a panic.
As I approached them to help, I was shocked to see a familiar face. It was Sakamoto-san and that girl - Mizuha. After seeing her there, I didn't really want to help them, but my instinctive kindness forced me to.
I approached them and said, "Let me help you guys," and started collecting papers for them. After gathering all the papers, I handed the stack to Mizuha, saying, "Here are your papers."
Mizuha bowed her head slightly, gratitude evident in her voice. "Thank you so much."
"It's no problem," I replied with a fake smile. Then, I pretended to just notice Sakamoto-san.
"Eh, Sakamoto-san! It's been a while. Are you doing well?"
"Umm, I'm... okay... doing... thank you," Sakamoto-san replied in her usual shy tone.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CkEg1Ou2w
I chuckled softly. "You're still as shy as before, huh? Okay, I need to return to my class. Please be careful, you two," I said, preparing to leave.
Mizuha bowed her head once more. "Once again, thank you so much."
That was my first encounter with Mizuha and my first time speaking to her. From what I could see, she spoke politely and with good manners - she somehow reminded me of myself before. But I still needed to know more about her.
I then talked to Hikaru-kun, who had bumped into Mizuha after that incident. Hikaru-kun thanked me for helping both of them earlier.
After school, I walked home with Hikaru-kun as he was walking alone today - not with Mizuha as usual. It had been a while since we'd walked together like this.
We were having a conversation when I unintentionally slipped and mentioned Misaka, comparing Mizuha to her. Hikaru-kun's expression turned serious and he begged me not to bring up that name again. I apologized immediately.
Suddenly, my stomach growled, making me blush with embarrassment. This made Hikaru-kun laugh, and his earlier serious expression faded. He offered to treat me to a family restaurant like before, which I happily accepted.
The next day, as lunch break arrived and Hikaru-kun was about to leave for the rooftop, I approached him and asked if I could join them. In reality, I just wanted to get close to them to learn more about Mizuha. At first, he hesitated, feeling uneasy about bringing me along, but then he changed his mind and agreed.
As we left for the rooftop, Hikaru-kun walked so fast that I struggled to keep up. When we arrived, I said, "Wait for me, Hikaru-kun! Why are you walking so fast?" Mizuha and the others were already there, and Hikaru-kun was being scolded by Shimizu for being late.
As I appeared behind Hikaru-kun, Mizuha and the others stared in surprise. Shimizu asked about me. Hikaru-kun introduced me to both Shimizu and Mizuha, since Sakamoto-san and Zul already knew me. Mizuha recognized me from yesterday and thanked me again.
I started talking with them, but noticed both Sakamoto-san and Zul seemed uneasy with my presence. Mizuha first called me "Minato-san," but I said it was okay to call me "Akemi." Soon she was calling me Akemi-chan like my classmates, and I called her Mizuha-chan in return.
Then Mizuha offered everyone tamagoyaki she'd made after learning from Sakamoto-san. Everyone complimented it, including me.
Then something unexpected happened. Mizuha suddenly picked up a piece with her chopsticks and turned toward Hikaru-kun. Wait, is she going to feed him? I can't let this happen!
When Hikaru-kun hesitated but then leaned forward, I quickly snatched the tamagoyaki from Mizuha's chopsticks. "Mmm... so delicious!" I exclaimed, pretending to enjoy it.
Both froze, staring at me in shock. "Ah, sorry, was I interrupting something? Teehee," I said with a mischievous grin. See that, Mizuha? With me here, you won't get to feed him. That's my privilege.
After the awkward moment passed, we continued lunch. When we finished, I thanked them for including me. Mizuha then asked to be friends, and we exchanged contact information - though my agreement was completely fake.
Later, I learned Mizuha is exceptionally talented at drawing, which irritated me even more because it reminded me of Misaka - they share not just similar looks but also talents.
Time passed, and it was the last day before summer break. Today, we received our midterm exam results. As expected, I got first place in my class. Most of my classmates congratulated me for it. Then my homeroom teacher said the overall rankings for the entire year were posted on the hallway information board.
My close friend asked me to stop there before we went to the cafeteria for lunch. When I arrived, many students were looking at the overall results.
"We can’t wait to see your overall rank, Akemi-chan. I’m sure you got first place in the entire year," one of my friends said.
I scanned the list intently. "Okay, let’s see my rank for the first-year overall." My face fell suddenly. "What? I only got fourth place...?" I said, turning pale. "Then who got first place?"
I quickly found the top name. Mizuha? I thought, confused.
Out of all people, I lost to her...!?
Why... why did it have to be her and not me!!!
Then I heard nearby students talking about Mizuha, praising her for doing well on the midterm exam. Now, nobody was talking about me.
Damn, Mizuha! Not only did you try to take Hikaru-kun from me, you also stole my place as honor student! I gritted my teeth and clenched my fist.
Later, I went to the cafeteria with my friend. My friend offered to treat me for getting first place in class. As I lined up to buy a meal, Mizuha approached me and asked how I did on the exam.
I was upset by her question, especially after she took my place. Without looking at her, I replied coldly, "Why are you here? Is it important to you?"
Mizuha said, "But I... just wanted to ask you about it..."
"Enough!! Please get out of my sight now. I don’t want to talk to you," I replied.
Mizuha smiled sadly. "I see. That’s okay, I’m sorry for asking. Please excuse me." She left.
Take that! That’s what you get for messing with me, I thought as she walked away.
The summer break passed quickly after that. With just a few days left before returning for our second term, I reflected on how I’d spent most of my summer break at cram school.
Today, I went to a fireworks festival in our neighborhood with my big sister. It had been a while since we’d gone out together, as she was now busy with college. We both wore our yukatas for the occasion.
"Woah, so many people here today," my sister said.
"Yeah, you’re right. It’s so hard walking in this crowd," I replied.
"Why did you want to come with me today? Why not go with your friends?" my sister asked.
"Well, they had something to do, and it’s been a while since we went out together like this. I wanted to spend more time with you too, onee-chan," I said.
"Akemi-chan..." she said. "Kyaa! I’m so glad to have a cute little sister like you!" she exclaimed excitedly while hugging me.
"Onee-chan, stop it! It’s so embarrassing!" I said.
"Okay, choose anything you want. I’ll treat you today," she offered.
"Really? Thanks, onee-chan!!" I replied.
As we walked, I spotted an apple candy stall. "That looks delicious," I said. "Onee-chan, over there! I want that apple candy!"
"No problem, anything for my little sister," she said before we went to buy it.
"It’s delicious, and so sweet," I said while tasting it. "Want to try some?" I offered some to my sister.
"Yeah, you’re right. It really is sweet," she agreed.
We also enjoyed challenging each other at game stalls like yoyo fishing, ring toss, and goldfish scooping.
Then, my sister noticed the takoyaki stall. "Hmm, that takoyaki looks good. Many people are lining up to buy it. I should get some for Dad and Big Brother," she said.
"Akemi-chan, can you wait here? I want to buy takoyaki over there," she said.
"Sure, I’ll wait for you at that bench over there," I said, pointing to the nearest bench. My sister then joined the line at the takoyaki stall while I went to wait on the bench.
As I sat, my thoughts wandered: So many people here today… I can see some girls with their boyfriends… It would have been nice if Hikaru-kun was here too…
Suddenly, I noticed someone familiar. "Wait, is that... Hikaru-kun?" I murmured.
Was he alone? I wondered. Hikaru-kun looked uneasy, like he was searching for someone.
This is my chance... I should approach him now!
I grabbed his arm and said, "Found you, Hikaru-kun!"
"Akemi? What are you doing here?" he asked, surprised.
"Why am I here? Of course, to enjoy the festival! What’s wrong? Can’t I be here? It’s not just for you, you know," I replied.
"That’s not what I meant..." he said.
"Since you’re here, let’s play a game!" I said, clinging to his arm and pulling him toward a nearby shooting stall.
"Wait, Akemi, I need to—" he began, but I didn’t let him finish, pulling him along.
At the stall, I asked, "What prize do you want? I’ll win it for you."
"Anything is fine," Hikaru said, but he seemed to be looking around, not focused on me.
"Then I’ll aim for that candy box," I said, taking the toy gun. I must win this game and give that to Hikaru-kun. I focused on my target and fired. I missed my first shot, then continued with the second and third tries. Unfortunately, I didn’t hit my target at all. I gave up on this game and decided to try another stall.
"This game is hard. Let’s try another one… Hikaru-kun?" I said, turning around.
I turned around to see Hikaru-kun was no longer there. "Hikaru-kun, where are you going?" I called out, scanning the area. Wait, you can’t just leave me like that! I thought.
Confused and frustrated, I began looking for Hikaru in the surrounding area but couldn’t find him.
I then returned to the bench, and my sister was there looking for me. It looked like she had finished buying the takoyaki.
"There you are, Akemi-chan," she said. "Geez, where did you go? I was looking for you, you know."
"Sorry for worrying you. Actually, I was going to the toilet earlier," I lied to her.
"I see. I thought you had already left for home, haha," she chuckled.
"No way I’d do that to you, geez," I replied.
"Sorry, sorry, I was just kidding," she replied.
Suddenly, the fireworks began.
"Akemi-chan, look at the fireworks! They’re starting!" she said, pointing at the sky.
I looked at the sky, amazed by the fireworks. "It’s so pretty…."
The fireworks launched, making the sky turn bright with a colorful flash.
Even though I was disappointed that Hikaru-kun had left, enjoying the fireworks with my big sister made me feel a bit calmer.
As the fireworks ended, my sister said, "It’s already over… huh."
"Yeah, it went by so quickly, but I really enjoyed it, I guess," I replied.
"Then, I think it’s time for us to go home… let’s go, Akemi-chan," my sister suggested.
"Yes, let’s go," I replied.
After that, we returned home together, and I went straight to my room. I lay on my bed, still excited after enjoying the festival with my sister. I hope we can do this again next year.
Then I checked my phone and found a message from my friend.
"Akemi-chan, did you enjoy the festival with your big sister?" she asked.
"Yes, I really enjoyed it," I replied.
"I’m sorry I couldn’t go with you earlier today," she said.
"Don’t worry about that, we can go again next year," I said.
"Ah, one more thing. You see, I actually happened to see Hikaru-kun earlier when I ran an errand to the convenience store."
"Also, do you want to see something interesting?" she texted.
"Yes, what is it?" I replied.
"Here," she sent me a photo of Hikaru-kun carrying Mizuha piggyback.
What is this? Why is he carrying her on his back like this?
I see... The reason Hikaru-kun was looking around and left me earlier was this girl’s fault...
Why… Why must it be her, not me, Hikaru-kun…?
I… I can’t hold back my anger anymore… I won’t let her steal Hikaru-kun from me….
At that moment, I felt extremely upset looking at that photo. My thoughts turned dark.
This girl… This is too much… I can’t accept this anymore.
I must do something when we return to school later. Time for a counterattack…
"Akemi-chan…? Are you okay?" my friend sent another reply, as she got no response from the earlier message.
"Ah, don’t worry about that, thanks for telling me about it. See you at school next week," I replied.
"Yes, see you soon," she replied before we ended the text conversation.
Just wait, Mizuha… I thought while smirking.
Three days later, with the rainy season's arrival, we returned to school for the second term. In the morning, I went to the toilet before the first class started. In the toilet, I thought about my plan to sabotage Mizuha and make her stay away from Hikaru-kun.
Okay, firstly I must make Mizuha's spirit turn down by spreading a bad rumor about her, but I must take care of my own reputation too; I don’t want to spread it myself.
Then, I heard some students discussing something they were upset about.
"I cannot accept this; this Yuki girl is with Hikaru-kun all the time recently. I haven't even had a chance to get close to him at all. She does not know her place at all."
I peeked at them and found it was this girl Kurumi and her friends. They were in the same class as Mizuha, Class 1F. Wait, do they all hate Mizuha and like Hikaru-kun too? I never expected this, I thought after hearing their conversation.
I smirked before thinking, Wait a minute, I can use this girl to do the job for me—make them spread bad rumors about Mizuha without getting my hands dirty. Okay, let's do this.
I approached them, and they looked surprised by my presence.
"Wait, you, Minato Akemi, right? From Class 1B, the one who gave a speech during our entrance ceremony earlier. I heard quite a while about you."
"What do you want? Did you hear our conversation earlier?" Kurumi said.
"Yes, that's right, I heard it," I said. "You don't like this Yuki girl from your class, right? Because she got Hikaru-kun."
"Then what do you want? Do you want to tell them?" Kurumi said.
"No, not at all. How about I help you take her down and get Hikaru-kun after that?" I said.
"Wait, are you sure? You want to help us?" she said.
"Of course, I'm glad to help students when they have problems. Besides, I don't like that Yuki girl," I said.
"What do you think? Do you want to work with me?" I said, giving her my hand.
She shook my hand and said, "Alright, I accept it…"
"Then what's the plan? I'm happy to hear about it as soon as possible," she added.
"Here, give me your ear..." I whispered to her about the plan to take down Mizuha.
"Good, really good... You're really smart, Akemi... you've really helped... that's why you were the honor student before," she said, smirking.
"Okay, guys, let's do this during lunch break…" Kurumi suggested to her friends before they left to return to their classroom.
After they left, I chuckled. What idiots, they don't know that I'm actually using them… well, let's see if she can do her job or not… haha, I thought.
At that moment, without realizing it, I had completely turned into another Misaka—this time, manipulating and using people as tools for my own purposes.
After that, I returned to my classroom, and classes continued. As lunch break arrived, I noticed Hikaru-kun eating alone at his seat. Huh, this is rare. Why isn't he eating with his usual group? His face looked red too. I approached him to find out.
"Hikaru-kun," I called out.
"Oh, it's you, Akemi," he replied.
"It's so rare to see you not eating with Mizuha-chan and her group. Are you fighting?" I asked.
"No, we're not. I'm just not feeling well today," he said.
"Oh, that explains your red face. You must have a cold," I said.
"Cold? No way, I'm fine," Hikaru insisted—then started coughing.
"See? You should go to the nurse's office. I'll tell the teachers," I said.
"Thanks, Akemi. I'll go now," Hikaru-kun said, heading out. Ah, I wanted to hang out, but he's sick, I thought.
As he left, I overheard classmates talking:
"Hey, did you hear? Yuki-san from Class 1F cheated on the midterm!"
"Really? Is that why she got first place?"
People started badmouthing Mizuha. I smirked. Good. Kurumi and her friends did well. Time to plan my next move. This was just the beginning of Mizuha's downfall as the rumor began to spread. I heard that Kurumi argued with Shimizu and Zul in their class—they defended Mizuha. Still, it wasn't enough; Mizuha still had her friends' support.
After school ended, I saw Mizuha walking with Takeru-kun while I was on my way home. Good, I can use this for my next move, I smirked. Unaware of them, I silently followed them from behind and managed to take a photo of both of them together, then gave it to Kurumi for our next move.
The next day, I met Kurumi and suggested a new rumor: Mizuha was stringing along Hikaru-kun and Takeru-kun; not enough with Hikaru-kun, Mizuha made a move on Takeru-kun. I also made Kurumi spread another rumor: that Mizuha was using Shimizu to force Hikaru-kun to get along with them.
It worked perfectly. Girls who liked Hikaru began isolating Mizuha, ruining her reputation. To avoid any suspicion, I pretended to support Mizuha. I met her and we talked—since Takeru-kun had begged me to.
As school ended, I happened to see Mizuha and Zul walking somewhere together. Just like yesterday, I managed to snap a photo of them and sent it to Kurumi to spread more rumors.
Chaos continued the next day when Mizuha discovered Kurumi's plan to target her friend. They confronted each other in the bathroom, drawing a crowd.
I happened to be there, watching. Then Shimizu, Zul, Takeru-kun, and Sakamoto-san showed up after hearing about it. I played innocent and explained the situation. Upset, Shimizu dragged Sakamoto-san and rushed into the toilet, pushing through the crowd.
To my shock, Hikaru-kun appeared—he was supposed to be absent with a cold. About ten minutes later, Kurumi and her friends left the toilet looking irritated, thanks to Shimizu’s interference. Once Kurumi was gone, I excused myself, saying I needed to see a teacher.
I was furious after I heard Hikaru-kun and Takeru-kun unexpectedly cleared up the rumors earlier right after I left. Thanks to them, the students now believed that the bad rumors surrounding Mizuha were fake.
I felt upset, why was he defending her too? Why isn’t this working as I expected!!! This can't be happening, I can't allow this, I must plan my next move now.
Later, I met Kurumi on the rooftop to plan our next move. Unknown to us, someone overheard.
The next day, something I never expected happened—Kurumi suddenly apologized to Mizuha, looking completely shaken. What is that girl doing? Why is she giving up? She was supposed to carry out today’s plan!
Enraged, I texted her: "Meet me in the bathroom at lunch."
During lunch break, when I demanded to know why she quit, she said some unknown person had threatened her to stop—or she'd be their next target. I was confused and asked who it was, but Kurumi didn’t seem to know anything about them.
I then suggested Kurumi not give up yet, telling her I had another plan, but she decided to stop and thanked me for helping her before leaving.
Upset with Kurumi's decision, I gritted my teeth and kicked the toilet door.
"Damn it! Why isn't my plan working?!" I seethed. "Too many interferences... and Kurumi was useless. Just one warning, and she already gave up? What a coward."
Taking a deep breath, I smirked.
"I need to come up with a new plan. Just wait, Mizuha... This is not the end, I’ll make sure that I take Hikaru-kun back from you," I chuckled darkly before leaving.
That evening, as the school day ended, I got a text from Shimizu telling me to meet her on the rooftop. It was rare for her to text me; I wondered what it was. I took my bag before moving to the rooftop to meet her as promised.
When I arrived there, I was surprised to see Zul standing there instead of Shimizu. I asked him why he was there. Then he revealed that I was the mastermind behind the rumors and conflict surrounding Mizuha over the past week. I then defended myself and said Zul was just making up stories before Shimizu appeared, playing a recording of my conversation from her phone.
Tch, these two, they trapped me, I thought.
Shimizu then forced me to confess since they had evidence. Noticing I was trapped and couldn't do anything more, I confessed everything. I showed them my true face and dropped my friendly act before Mizuha unexpectedly arrived with Sakamoto-san.
Mizuha asked me why I did that, saying we were supposed to be friends. I revealed to her that my previous friendliness was fake—that I had just been pretending. I also revealed I did all this because she stole Hikaru-kun and the honor student status from me, making me hate her so much, especially as her appearance also resembled Hikaru-kun's ex, Misaka.
Shimizu then threatened to tell Hikaru-kun about this, but I did not care about it anymore, and just let them tell him. But Mizuha stopped them from doing that. I didn't understand her intention.
After everything I said to her today, she still called me a friend. But I kept rejecting her and cried in anger. Then Mizuha told me how she felt—and said that both of us shared the same feelings for Hikaru-kun. I didn’t agree with her. Upset, I told her not to compare herself to me, because we are not same, as she didn’t know how I truly felt. I had already lost Hikaru once to Misaka.
Annoyed by her naive act, I excused myself, declared her my rival, and said,
"Don't think this is over. I haven’t given up on Hikaru-kun—not until I confess my feelings to him." I grabbed my bag and left, heading straight home.
At home, as I lay on my bed, I recalled my confrontation with Mizuha after declaring her my rival. Ah, why had I been crying over nonsense and talking like that? It was so embarrassing, I thought. But that was good for me, as I confessed all my feelings about Hikaru-kun to her. Somehow, I felt more relieved now.
I still haven't confessed to him about my true feelings. Even if he didn't accept it before, this time, I will make sure he gives me an answer. Just you wait and see.
Back to the present,
One week had passed since then. We all acted as usual, like nothing had happened, as Mizuha kept her promise not to tell Hikaru-kun anything about my role. But our relationship became cold since then.
As the last bell rang and I cleaned up to go home, I saw Mizuha, Hikaru-kun, and her usual group standing there. Mizuha then stopped me suddenly and asked if I wanted to join them for karaoke.
What is with this girl? After everything I did to her last week, she still thinks I want to be friends with her? Why is she this naive? I thought, feeling uneasy about her invitation.
I initially wanted to decline, but seeing Hikaru-kun there—seemingly wanting me to join—made me change my mind, and I accepted their invitation.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡayVF95WqUG
To be continued…Amemonogatari XIV
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