My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 61

Oh dear—even I'm starting to get nervous.

Hearing her laugh as she spoke, I smiled and replied, "I understand." Then I said:

"...In the end, I wasn't able to help much. It was almost entirely Xiaoyue's advice..."

"No way. If it were just me, Dongtou would have given up long ago."

"Yeah?"

"yes."

Xiaoyue seemed to have her reasons, her tone filled with certainty.

"So, Jie Nu? How do you feel about your stepbrother getting a girlfriend?"

"...Do you think she will succeed?"

"Probably, if we think about it logically."

"Common sense?"

"Unless you make a really bad impression, I think the success rate of confessing your feelings is quite high if you have the courage to do it—because, don't you think just being liked by someone is enough reason to like them back?"

That...maybe that's true. I think it's a very natural psychological phenomenon to like someone who likes you back.

"However, there's a famous saying: 'Nothing is more disgusting than someone you're not interested in showing you affection.' Frankly, I belong to that group."

"Hello!"

"On the other hand, doesn't that mean Dongtou, who's already a good friend, is fine with it? They can't possibly not get along, and he's worried that rejection would make things awkward. Besides, he can get a girlfriend with just a nod. So, even if they're not dating, he might still fall for her in the future. I think, given how things naturally go, he'll probably accept her confession first."

"...Perhaps."

"But... Irito-san, she's just not that natural."

Xiaoyue said in a slightly gloomy tone:

"That's probably my only worry. What I was talking about earlier was the kind of person who values ​​girlfriends. But I don't think Irito-san is like that."

"……Yeah?"

"Yeah. Irito-kun is the kind of person who can live without a girlfriend. He doesn't think the word 'couple' has any meaning in terms of personal value... So, if he still wants a girlfriend even so—"

Xiaoyue's next sentence...

It resonated so strongly within me that I even forgot to breathe.

"Sigh, even though I made it all up!"

Although Xiaoyue managed to brush it off with a laugh, those words from earlier kept swirling in my mind.

If that's the case...

If that's the case, then I—

Goodnight, Yui. Let's work hard together tomorrow to see the results!

"Huh, ah, um... why does spying seem to have become so natural?"

"This is the duty of the person providing the advice."

At that moment, I found myself becoming somewhat melancholic.

why?

Before I could even figure out the answer, I had already hung up the phone and pulled the covers over my head.

I tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

I've become a creature that can only toss and turn in bed, so I had no choice but to sit up first.

Perhaps influenced by Dongtou's classmate, even I started to feel nervous?

First, drink some water to calm yourself down...

I left my room and went downstairs. I entered the living room, which was dark, and fumbled for the light switch. After living here for two months, this action had become a habit.

I found the switch and made the living room bright and airy.

That's when I noticed that there was someone sitting on the sofa.

“Wow!”

I couldn't help but gasp, and someone on the sofa slowly turned around.

It's a water bucket.

He seemed distracted, and when he saw me, he didn't even blink.

"What...what are you doing...without turning on the light..."

"...Think about something."

After saying that, Shuidou looked up at the ceiling.

Thinking.

Aside from what happened to Dongtou... there couldn't be anything else.

No matter how clueless this guy is, he should know that Dongtou is going to confess to him tomorrow. The best evidence is that he chose a less crowded time to meet Dongtou. He made this subtle and thoughtful gesture because he guessed Dongtou's intentions.

Is he hesitating?

Hesitating whether to accept... tomorrow's confession.

For Dongtou, becoming boyfriend and girlfriend is merely a further development of their friendship. It won't erase their current relationship—in fact, even after deciding to confess, Dongtou's attitude towards Shuidou has never changed.

The period after she became aware of this relationship was, frankly speaking, a trial period.

It is a period used to prove that even after becoming a couple, the relationship has not ended.

We decided not to force her to change, and in hindsight, I think that was the right choice. This effectively eliminated the possibility of her rejecting us beforehand on the grounds that "if we're dating, we can't be friends anymore."

So... there are no excuses to escape.

Everything depends on Shui Dou's mood.

Given this, the answer should be as simple as it gets—

"...I'm asking you."

At this moment, Shuidou continued to look up at the ceiling and talk to me.

"If... I mean, if?"

With an uneasy, swaying tone, like that of a lost child.

"If I got a new girlfriend... what would you think?"

I felt a pang of heartache.

The festering wound was throbbing with pain.

At the same time... a surge of anger welled up and boiled within him.

"What I think is irrelevant to this matter."

Dongtou's efforts, and the response that should be given to Dongtou...

He actually tried to pin all this on me? Dream on!

You should do what you think is right.

I have absolutely no say in the matter.

The decision rests with this man.

Only this man himself can give Dongtou a reply.

Whatever the answer may be.

"...You and Dongtou are saying the same thing."

"what?"

"I mean you're right."

Mizuto gave a self-deprecating smile and stood up.

He walked towards me, who was standing by the door, and gently patted my shoulder as he passed by.

"I'm sorry."

My ex-boyfriend left a soft whisper in my ear and then disappeared down the stairs.

I stood there for a while, and after a few minutes, I poured myself a glass of water at the counter.

Cold water gradually flowed into the body from the throat.

However, it cannot be filled.

I still feel empty, as if there's a hole in my heart.

Let's break up.

Unintentionally, I remembered the time when I broke up with that guy.

I recall the feeling of a heavy burden being lifted from my shoulders, a feeling of refreshment and invigoration.

Ah, I get it.

Because at that time, that was the situation—

So I had never experienced heartbreak before.

"--Okay. All done--!"

Xiaoyue put the comb away and turned Dongtou's face toward the mirror in the women's restroom.

"How is it, customer? I think it looks pretty good, don't you think?"

"...Isn't this already a scam?"

"It's not illegal! Besides, I didn't fix that many! I've said it so many times, Dongtou, you're actually quite cute, aren't you?"

"Come on, don't give me that!"

"In the end, my self-evaluation hasn't changed much..."

Although Dongtou had learned how to tidy up her messy hair and apply lipstick, she was still completely different after being done by a professional (?).

Perhaps she's just the type who suits makeup. She's tall and has a great figure, but her facial features give off an innocent and naive vibe... how should I put it? She seems like the type you'd find in a gravure idol.

"Even the parts where he looks completely different when he dresses up resemble that guy..."

"Oh~ Irito-san is the type who looks handsome when she dresses up~? Yume, do you have any photos or anything?"

"I really want to see... Mizuto-san dressed up so carefully..."

"...No, no...I'm sorry, I don't have any photos..."

I can't exactly show them the celebrity photos that are sitting dormant on my phone.

Next comes the confession. I'm afraid causing unnecessary misunderstandings could make things awkward.

When I came out of the girls' restroom, the school building was empty.

At most, you can hear the sounds of band or sports clubs practicing in the distance.

On the one hand, because it's a prestigious school, our school doesn't particularly focus on club activities. Many of us, including a few of us, just go home to join clubs, so after school, the school practically becomes a ghost town within an hour.

This is the perfect setting for a confession.

"Well... remember to practice as you've been doing, Dongtou. We'll be there to protect you!"

"I... I'll do my best..."

I couldn't bear to see Dongtou's face blank with tension, her whole body stiff, so I gently placed my hand on her shoulder and told her in as firm a tone as possible:

"You can do it."

Because even I can do it—there's no way you can't.

Dongtou, whose phone was vibrating like a cell phone, slowly regained his composure and took a deep breath.

"...I'm over there."

His tone and expression still carried a hint of tension—but Dongtou walked steadily toward the confession spot behind the school building.