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We had two P.E. classes every week, and for Class 2-3, one of them was on Friday, presumably during the second period. Each period lasted fifty minutes, with a ten-minute break in between.
For anyone who wasn't particularly fond of physical activity, P.E. could feel like an eternity.
Miku was one of those people.
She already looked exhausted before we'd even started.
"Come on. A little exercise is good for your health," I encouraged her.
She grumbled, wearing the same exhausted expression as a child being forced to do something they didn't want to.
"But... I don't like physical work."
I didn't argue.
Instead, I simply placed a hand on top of her head, silently trying to give her the strength to get through it.
She was always like this whenever P.E. came around.
Yet somehow, she always managed to make it through.
On the other hand...
No matter how many times I'd seen Miku wearing this outfit, I still couldn't get used to it.
A simple short-sleeved white jersey paired with dark navy-blue shorts.
And with her hair tied up in a bun so it wouldn't get in the way, her neck was left completely exposed.
My pulse quickened.
This is bad for my heart.
Actually...
It might be bad for every part of my body.
The P.E. uniform was the same for both boys and girls, with only the proportions adjusted accordingly. And with Miku's naturally striking figure, it was inevitable that some of the boys would occasionally sneak a glance her way.
One sharp glare from me, however, was usually enough to make them snap their head somewhere else.
I was practically a guard dog whenever i am around Miku, ready to bare my teeth at anyone who looked like they might have the wrong idea.
"Y-You're staring..."
Miku's voice suddenly brought me back to reality.
"At m-my nape again..."
Apparently, I'd been staring at it for longer than I realized. She shyly covered the back of her neck with both hands.
I immediately looked away and cleared my throat, raising a fist in front of my mouth.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to."
Even my face felt a little warm from embarrassment.
Calm down.
What would Miku think of me? Some kind of uncontrollable beast overflowing with lust?
Seeing my rare moment of embarrassment, Miku lowered her hands from her nape and smiled.
"Are you secretly a vampire or something?"
She asked it playfully.
Before I could even think, the words slipped out on their own.
"I have no interest in drinking blood, but I sure would love to take a bite on your na—"
I immediately clamped both hands over my mouth.
My face burned red.
What the hell am I even saying?!
I glanced at Miku.
Her face had turned bright red as well, and she quickly covered her nape again, as if she were genuinely afraid I might act on what I'd just blurted out.
She turned her head away with a tiny pout.
"Pervert."
...
I wanted to cry.
Begone, worldly desires!
Just then, a sharp whistle pierced the air.
"Enough chatting, everyone! Find someone of the same gender and pair up for stretching!"
The order came from our P.E. teacher, a burly middle-aged man with lightly tanned skin and short black hair. He was the kind of teacher who could often be found standing near the school gate, keeping an eye out for late students or anyone attempting to sneak onto campus.
Awkwardly, Miku and I separated and went looking for partners.
Activities like this were always troublesome for me.
Being a loner came with its own set of inconveniences.
If not for Shiraki—my desk mate—I probably would've been standing around awkwardly by myself.
"Let's get started?"
Perhaps seeing my situation, he had always gone out of his way to pair up with me.
I nodded.
"Thanks, as always, Shiraki."
I genuinely appreciated his consideration.
And, sorry for thinking of you as just another talking weed when we'd first met.
Shiraki casually waved a hand.
"Don't worry about it. We're desk mates, aren't we? Besides, you can just call me Kundo."
I nodded.
"Alright, Kundo."
We pressed our backs against each other and locked arms, taking turns stretching our backs. One person would lean backward while the other acted as support, allowing us to stretch without putting too much strain on our backs.
Naturally, this was also the kind of situation where the boys' inner perverts inevitably began to show.
Just look around.
There were plenty of... bouncy movements happening all over the field.
Which was precisely why I stayed close to Miku.
Don't let me catch you staring at her.
Nearby, Miku was doing the same stretch with her partner, who happened to be her desk mate as well.
The girl chuckled.
"Your boyfriend is really possessive."
"That's true, but I don't feel restricted," Miku replied. "If anything, I feel safe around him."
"That's a sign you're starting to depend on him."
The girl then glanced in my direction.
"Still, it's unbelievable how much he's changed from before. Ren seems much more approachable now... and handsome too."
The moment those words left her mouth, Miku abruptly stopped.
She turned around with a blank expression, though there was something slightly unsettling about the way her eyes had become unfocused.
The girl immediately realized she'd stepped into dangerous territory.
"W-Wait! I didn't mean anything by that!"
She hurriedly explained herself.
"If you knew what he was like before, you'd have been just as shocked!"
"I see..."
Miku quietly muttered before turning back around and resuming the stretch.
The girl let out a relieved sigh, as though she'd just narrowly escaped some kind of disaster.
'Seriously... those two really are two peas in a pod.'
Meanwhile, both of them thought something at the same time.
'I really don't know anything about him... but that's going to change after this test.'
Once we finished stretching our backs, we moved on to another exercise.
Then another.
Eventually, I sat down on the ground and spread my legs apart while Kundo applied a little pressure from behind, helping me lean forward until I could grab my toes.
"Wow, you're really flexible," he remarked appreciatively.
Well, he wasn't wrong.
I really was flexible, and I was rather proud of it. This kind of stretch wasn't exactly easy, and judging by the people around us, most of them were struggling just to bend at the waist.
Looking straight ahead, I spotted Miku doing the same exercise like everyone.
She was clearly struggling.
Her cheeks were puffed out as though she were holding her breath, while her partner carefully push her on the back.
"Miku, relax. Don't push yourself too hard, or you'll hurt yourself."
I only said it out of concern.
But perhaps she took my words as a challenge—or thought I was making fun of her.
Her expression immediately became more determined.
"No... I can... do it."
She forced the words out between breaths and pushed herself farther down.
For a brief moment, her fingertips finally glance against her toes.
However, in that split second, my eyes caught a glimpse through the wide gap in her collar as she leaned forward. Right there, held by a plain white bra, was the deep valley between her two soft mountains.
This oblivious girl... she wasn't even wearing a sports bra!
Miku snapped back up and turned to me, beaming. "See? I did—"
Her voice cut off. The excitement vanished from her face, her eyes widening in horror as she caught sight of me.
"Your nose is bleeding!" she shouted.
Her yell instantly turned every head in our direction. Only then did I feel the warm trickle and realize it was actually happening.
Damn my teenage hormones!
Lunch break initially came, but apparently, the incident from P.E. wasn't going to be forgotten anytime soon.
"Imagine getting a nosebleed from looking at your girlfriend!"
"Totally hilarious!"
The laughter continued around the classroom.
I, on the other hand, had my head buried beneath my folded arms on top of my desk.
Usually, I didn't care much about what other people said about me.
But this time...
This was genuinely embarrassing.
Kundo gave my back a few reassuring pats before standing up.
"Don't overthink it. These happen sometimes."
With that, he simply walked away without waiting for a response. He knew perfectly well he wasn't getting one from me in my current state.
As the noise in the classroom gradually died down, or at least began to feel distant, I sensed someone dragging a chair closer before sitting down beside me.
Very close.
I didn't need to look up to know who it was, my nose was more than enough.
"Are you okay?"
Miku's voice was soft and gentle.
I nodded without lifting my head from my arms.
"I'm sorry..."
With my face still buried beneath my arms, my voice came out slightly muffled.
Miku gently shook her head.
"I-I didn't mind... Besides, I was really worried when I saw your nose bleeding."
Her cheeks reddened slightly as she looked away.
I finally lifted my head, staring at her in disbelief.
"Really? I thought you'd be disappointed in me."
"Of course not."
She paused, then gave me a slightly embarrassed look.
"Though... I can't deny that you can be a little perverted sometimes."
My face immediately burned.
"But I'm actually glad that you're honest with me about how you feel."
I couldn't respond to that.
There were things in my heart I couldn't lay bare to her right now, feelings that are straight yet morally complicated.
I love Miku, yet i love her sisters too. I couldn't simply give up or suppress those feelings.
Those feelings had become a part of me. In many ways, they had helped me find my direction and become the person I am now.
All I could do was make sure that Miku never felt neglected or lacking because of them.
For now, though...
I let out a quiet sigh.
"Ah... I could really use a hug right now."
I said it half-jokingly, hoping to ease the awkwardness that still hung between us.
However, I hadn't expected her to actually act on my request.
"Y-You're so demanding..."
Miku moved closer and hugged me from the side.
It lasted only a few seconds, but it was warm and comforting—the same kind of embrace I'd given Nino the other day.
Then, apparently overwhelmed by her own shyness, she quickly let go.
Even after she pulled away, I could still vividly remember the warmth and softness against my shoulder. For a moment, I was completely dazed by how comforting it had been.
It felt as though a weight had been lifted from my heart.
Turning her back toward me, perhaps because she was too embarrassed to meet my eyes, Miku quietly muttered,
"I-If you're feeling better, let's go to the cafeteria."
I quickly stood up and caught her wrist.
"Wait. There's something I need to tell you."
Miku glanced back at me shyly but didn't say anything.
"It's about Itsuki..."
The moment I mentioned her name, Miku immediately filled in the blank.
"You mean... about being her fake boyfriend at the shop where you work?"
My eyes widened.
I was completely dumbfounded.
"H-How..."
"Itsuki told me everything."
She gave me a small smile.
"I was just waiting for you to tell me yourself."
I fell silent.
So she'd known all along.
She had simply been waiting to see how long it would take me to come clean.
But more importantly...
How did she actually feel about it?
"It's fine. I don't mind. I told her that too."
Miku stepped closer.
She lowered her head and gently rested her forehead against my chest.
"I understand that you lied because you were worried about her."
As she spoke, her forehead lightly grind against my chest.
"Still..."
Her voice trailed off.
I understood what she was trying to say.
This time, I was the one who wrapped my arms around her.
Unlike the comforting hug I'd given Nino, this embrace carried something more personal—a hint of possessiveness and reassurance.
"Don't worry."
I spoke softly.
"My love for you will never change."
Miku's body relaxed.
Then she slowly wrapped her arms around my back in return, accepting my reassurance without another word.
For a few quiet seconds, we remained like that in the empty classroom.
Eventually, we separated and headed toward the cafeteria.
"You guys are late."
Nino complained the moment Miku and I finally reached their table in the cafeteria.
Compared to before, I felt much more welcome here now.
And thanks to my part-time job, I could finally afford to spend a little money at the cafeteria instead of always worrying about every expense. Though, admittedly, my meal was still pretty basic.
"Hmm~? What's this?"
Ichika immediately noticed the awkward atmosphere between Miku and me.
"Why are you two acting so awkward? Were you doing something that made you late?"
She teased us with a mischievous smile.
"It's just your imagination."
Miku hurriedly denied it before taking the empty seat.
I naturally sat beside her.
Though this time, I wasn't sitting between Miku and Nino.
Itsuki was beside me instead.
She stopped eating when I sat down and greeted me with a somewhat awkward smile.
"Hi..."
I returned the greeting.
She probably felt embarrassed after telling Miku everything.
But I couldn't really blame her.
Itsuki was an honest and earnest girl. Keeping secrets and lying to people wasn't exactly in her nature.
So, rather than continue hiding the truth from Miku, she'd simply decided to come clean before I had the chance to tell her myself.
Honestly...
I respected her for that.
As I started eating, I glanced around the cafeteria and eventually spotted Futaro sitting alone at a corner table.
He was eating by himself, a tiny notepad resting in one hand.
Seeing him like that made me feel a little bad.
At this point in the original story, Futaro had already grown fairly close to the Nakano sisters. In a way, he was around the same position I currently occupied.
But because of my intervention, their attention had shifted toward me, and Futaro had ended up becoming little more than an occasionally annoying tutor in their eyes.
Though, admittedly, I couldn't say the same for Yotsuba.
And if I were being completely honest...
I preferred things this way.
I didn't want some strange romantic flag suddenly appearing between Futaro and the nakano sisters.
I know what I said before.
I once talked big about how love wasn't necessarily about having your feelings reciprocated or getting the happy ending you wanted. Sometimes, loving someone meant sacrificing your own feelings and letting them go.
Beautiful words.
Noble words.
But now?
I couldn't bring myself do it anymore.
I'm no saint.
Just like any other human being, my desires had grown.
And so had my greed.
Whenever I imagined any of the sisters with another man, my heart ached.
The thought of them becoming intimate with someone else made my skin crawl, as though countless insects were crawling beneath it, while my head throbbed painfully.
I kept telling myself that I would help Yotsuba and Futaro grow closer.
That was what I had intended from the beginning.
But now that I was actually seeing how little progress there was between them, my own true colors were starting to surface.
I was relieved.
I don't want them falling in love with someone else.
I want their love for myself, just as my love belong exclusively to them.
It was selfish.
Greedy.
A total scum move.
But at least I knew where the lines are.
I would never force them to stay with me.
I couldn't bring myself to do something like that.
If, despite everything I did, they still ended up falling in love with someone else, then I would accept it.
I'd accept that I'd lost.
I'd accept that perhaps my feelings simply weren't enough.
But until that day came...
I would do everything I could.
My gaze drifted back toward Futaro one last time.
I wasn't heartless.
But when I hate someone, I tended to hate them with passion.
And, honestly, Futaro hadn't exactly started out wanting anything to do with the Nakano sisters either. At the start, he considered them troublesome and only wanted to do his job, earn the tutoring fees, and help pay off his family's debts.
So, I hoped that mindset of his wouldn't change.
In exchange, I'd help him get his tutoring fees somehow.
"Umm..."
Itsuki's hesitant voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
She quietly slid an untouched hamburger steak toward me and murmured shyly,
"I want you to have this... for helping me."
Looking at her adorable attempt to repay me, I couldn't help but smile fondly.
All the tension that had been building in my head vanished in an instant.
"Really? Thank you. It looks delicious."
I accepted it with a charming smile.
Itsuki didn't say anything else. She simply returned to her meal, though I noticed a faint blush creeping across her cheeks.
Meanwhile, the other three had practically frozen.
Yotsuba, Ichika, and Nino were all staring at us with their mouths hanging open.
It was already shocking enough to see Itsuki willingly share her food with an outsider.
But what was this strangely lovey-dovey atmosphere between the two of us?
"Eh? What's this? What help? When did you two even get so close?"
Yotsuba fired off her questions in a single breath.
"Oh my~ How curious."
Ichika leaned forward with obvious interest.
Nino remained silent.
Though her narrowed eyes were fixed firmly on me.
Yeah...
This was troublesome.
Should I tell them the truth?
I barely had a second to consider it before Miku decided to answer for us.
"Turns out Itsuki is Ren's girlfriend where he works."
She explained it with a sweet smile.
A smile that somehow seemed to grow colder the longer I looked at it.
"What?!"
Nino was the first to voice her disbelief.
She shot to attention, staring directly at me.
"Explain yourself!"
She demanded, her voice leaving absolutely no room for excuses.
Well...
As I thought my path forward wasn't going to be easy.