The Villainess Reika-sama

[106]

But Tomoe-senpai really was amazing. Even once would do, I wanted to experience having somebody profess their love to me at graduation like that!
While bells were ringing in my head, somebody tapped me on the shoulder. Mn?
I turned around to find Kaburagi, standing there looking sorrowful.
What on earth was he doing here?

"Umm... is something the matter?"

It was a completely reasonable question.

Hand still on my shoulder, the sorrow on Kaburagi's face deepened before he spoke.

"You're amazing..."

"Eh?"

Amazing? At what?

"You've liked him all this time, right? The Student Council President."

"Eh?"

"It must have been tough being told that you were like a little sister to him..."

"Eh? Ah, well..."

Kaburagi had a knowing look on his face as he slapped my shoulder a few times. That hurts, damnit. And stop misunderstanding things on your own. Seriously, what the heck was this guy saying.

"I'm in the same position as you, so I know. Being told that you're a sister by the person you love...!"

Kaburagi gripped my shoulder as he was overcome with emotion. Oww oww owwww!

"But you were amazing. You even smiled as you congratulated them. You did great."

This time it was my back that he was smacking. That hurts, goddamnit!! I'm not a sumo wrestler so stop hitting me already!

"Kaburagi-sama, might you be misunderstanding something?"

I casually put some distance between us and escaped the reach of his hand. But this time he grabbed me by both shoulders.

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. Seeing you really encouraged me. The way you watched those two...! You're so amazing, Kisshouin! After watching you, I realised that I wanted to follow your lead and start facing forwards as well... So don't let yourself lose to a broken heart either!"

Grind, grind, grind. Oww, oww, owwww! He was pushing me into the ground!
My shoulders and my back hurt so much that I was starting to tear up, but then Kaburagi saw and started tearing up as well.

"If it gets to be too much, come talk to me. We both have to try our best... We can both get over this, I know it..."

Kaburagi turned away from me to hide his tears as he wiped his face.

"Don't do anything rash," he said, before leaving.

............

What the hell was that?

And what do you mean rash? Did you think I was going to go on a journey as well? Um, I'm really not, okay? Toujinbou is freaking cold.

But wow, did Kaburagi have some strong ideas about things. Arbitrarily getting the wrong idea about Tomoe-senpai and I, too. That was ages ago. And it was a bit troublesome how because of the little sister comment he started thinking of us as comrades or something.
Sometimes I called people idiots in my head, but just now was the real deal.

My shoulders still hurt...

The next day I went to school with some analgesic strips on my shoulders. When I got to school, Kaburagi silently handed me a poem anthology.
'Eh-, I don't want this,' I thought and tried to hand it back, but he slapped me on the shoulder again so I nodded.

"Our feelings are in this book..."

What do you mean 'our'... I told you to stop lumping us together.

...Heine was the one who said 'love is always a kind of madness.'

You spent all that time reading poems, but you didn't learn a thing, did you Kaburagi.

"Also, Kisshouin, take care about your crying face. You look pretty horrible."

"...Hah?"

Apparently having said everything he wanted to, Kaburagi left for his own classroom with a satisfied expression.
Enjou, looking extremely pleased with himself, came over and spoke to me.

"Because of you, Masaya's looking a lot better now. Thanks."

...Haaah!?
Don't feel better by making out other people as heartbroken rejects! And sorry for being ugly when I cry! Instead of bringing me a poem anthology, bring me some heat strips instead! Odourless ones!

Since people were watching I couldn't exactly throw it away, and so I was left bringing it back with me.

"Kaburagi-sama gave Reika-sama a love poem anthologyy!" they squealed as I entered the classroom. God, could this get any worse...!?

"Giving a girl a poem anthology!? He's so sensitive and dreamy!" some other girl pitched in. You think so? I'm not happy at all.

The thing was an anthology of poems read over two months by some sobbing reject. Just having it in my bag felt like it was harming my love fortunes. It was like a mass of bad luck!

When I got home and slammed my bag down, the head from a Japanese doll fell off.