I'm a Shy Loner and I Was Confessed to by a Beautiful Girl Who Has All the Boys in School Smitten, but It Turned Out to Be a 'Fake Confession,' So I Politely Declined. As a Result, I Ended Up Learning About Her Hidden Side and She Started to Cling to Me - Chapter 45 - END OF PART 1

I am Nene Kuroki, the school idol. I take pride in the fact that all the boys are smitten with me.

Really, I think guys are so foolish.

Just a little soft touch, suggestive behavior, or cunning actions followed by a smile, and they completely fall for me.

Everyone is captivated by me.

Yes, in this school, there isn’t a single guy who can resist my smile.

“Kuroki-san, I like you. Please go out with me.”

These words, I’ve heard them so much that they’ve become tiresome. Being popular means many people want to have a special relationship with me, different from others.

Even with people I’m not interested in, or even those I dislike…

I have to properly reject everyone, making sure not to hurt their feelings and avoid unnecessary resentment.

The only boy I haven’t been able to conquer is…

“…Hey, Nene?”

Sato Ju-bei. Him.

He looked puzzled, gazing at me from across the table.

Right now, for some reason, I’m having dinner with him at his house.

“Sorry… I was just thinking about something.”

“Oh, um… did I interrupt?”

“No, not really…”

Ju-bei seemed a bit flustered. Where did the confident attitude he had with my father go?

“…Um, is something wrong?”

“You really stood up to my intimidating father. Weren’t you scared?”

“Well, yeah, I was scared. But more than that, I didn’t want Nene to transfer.”

“…You like me too much, don’t you?”

“…Yes, I do.”

“…Eh?”

“…I like you, Nene. I want you to marry me.”

“Ha? Eh? Marriage!? What are you talking about!? That’s way too fast! You normally start with dating, right!?”

“So, is it okay to date?”

“Is that… serious?”

“I’ve been serious from the start.”

“Eh, wait… Ju-bei…”

Right as he was about to lean in, our lips almost touching…

I woke up.

“……………………”

This is definitely the worst way to wake up in my life.

Next to me, Ju-bei was sleeping soundly.

Right, I remember now. I whimsically said I wanted to sleep beside him, but he fell asleep in minutes.

Isn’t that impossible? You’re in bed with a girl (and the school’s most beautiful one at that).

Shouldn’t you be a bit more conscious?

Usually, you can’t sleep, right?

I couldn’t sleep at all…

“He’s sleeping so peacefully… it’s annoying…”

Trying not to wake him, I gently reached for Ju-bei’s head. His hair was a bit messy but surprisingly nice to touch.

“Sato-kun, I like you. Will you be my boyfriend?”

Since the day I fake-confessed and got rejected, I’ve been conscious of him. But it was in a bad way.

But now…

…

…

“Sato-kun, I like you. Will you be my boyfriend?”

I fake-confessed for the second time to the sleeping Ju-bei.

But this time it’s different.

My heart is racing, my face is hot, my heartbeat is loud, my voice trembled.

I didn’t feel anything during the last fake confession…

But I know the answer.

In my head, I thought it would probably be like this. But I didn’t want to see it, my heart didn’t accept it.

But now, I have to admit it.

I have this very special feeling, only for him.

Hey, Ju-bei.

I think I like you.

It’s not a lie, so my voice trembles.

It’s not a lie, so my face is hot.

It’s serious, so my heart beats loudly.

…I might confess this feeling tomorrow, or in a week. Maybe in half a year? A year? Soon or far in the future.

But I will definitely confess.

I can’t wait to see your face then.

Thinking this, I left the room to prepare breakfast.

End of Part One.