C03

Chapter 3: Playing the Lover to the Fullest

The next morning. As I walked the road to school, I organized what I needed to do today inside my head.

It was just like checking a game's walkthrough steps.

If you piece them together one by one in order, you won't get lost along the way.

(Act naturally as lovers for a few days. Make those around us think we're genuinely dating. If I can progress all the way to the reveal in that state, the reason to skip school will be complete.)

The problem is what happens in between.

Just dating alone has no meaning.

To make everyone in the class think,

“Tachibana is seriously going out with Suzumura.”

If I don't make them believe that, this plan won't work.

It's more convenient if the boys in the class get jealous of me.

That way, it'll lead to a bigger payoff later.

(Half-hearted acting is what fails the most.)

If you're going to do it, do it to the end.

It's the same in games.

Gear up. Gather the necessary items. Max out your level.

Rather than flashy scenes, those unglamorous preparations decide the final outcome.

◇

Entering the classroom, the usual morning atmosphere was flowing.

Students who had arrived at school sat at their desks, laughing together about yesterday's TV shows or videos.

By the window, athletic club boys were making a fuss since morning, and in the front seats, girls were showing each other something and getting hyped up.

I took my seat as usual and hung my bag beside the desk.

Before long, the classroom door opened.

Suzumura walked in while talking with Takamiya, Kitayama, and the others.

Until yesterday, that would have been just that—an ordinary sight.

Suddenly, Suzumura's gaze turned toward me.

Our eyes met for a split second.

Suzumura stopped her feet just the slightest bit, took a small breath, and flashed an awkward smile.

"M-Morning, Tachibana-kun."

At those words, a few people nearby instinctively turned their gazes.

I looked up as if slightly surprised, then gave a shy, sheepish smile.

"......M-Morning."

I averted my gaze as if embarrassed.

Acting, of course.

At the edge of my vision, Takamiya was giving Suzumura a small thumbs-up.

He was probably signaling that things were going well.

Meanwhile, only Kitayama right next to him wore a somewhat uneasy expression as he compared the two of us.

No one was completely certain yet.

Even so,

"......Did something happen?"

Just that subtle sense of incongruity quietly spread throughout the classroom.

◇

Lunch break.

It was just when I was about to take out my bento box.

"Tachibana-kun."

Hearing my name called, I looked up.

Suzumura had walked right up beside my desk.

That alone changed the air in the classroom slightly.

The classroom, which had been bustling just moments before, grew a tiny bit quieter.

No one was looking too blatantly.

But I could tell the surrounding gazes were gathering on us.

Suzumura opened her mouth, smiling a little shyly.

"If you'd like, won't you eat lunch with me?"

(There's no option to turn her down here.)

Act naturally as a lover.

Right now, that's the most efficient choice.

I smiled as if slightly embarrassed.

"Y-Yeah. Of course."

Hearing that reply, Suzumura smiled as if the tension in her strained shoulders had eased a bit.

"I'm glad."

Side by side, we left the classroom.

Gazes gathered on our backs.

I could hear the sound of soft whispering, but couldn't pick up the exact contents.

Even so, it was more than enough to convey that the atmosphere flowing through the classroom had changed from before.

That's fine.

As long as a sense of unease is left behind, the objective is fulfilled.

We just walked down the corridor side by side as we were.

◇

During the meal, we talked about truly trivial things.

Suzumura chuckled softly while opening her bento box.

"Tachibana-kun, do you always bring a bento?"

"Yeah. Pretty much."

"I see. My mom makes mine every day too."

"Is that so."

From there, it turned into talk about favorite side dishes, or talk about today's classes.

The topics kept shifting around, but none of them had any deep content.

Each of us probed for what to talk about, casually blurting out whatever came to mind.

It was an awkward lunch break typical of a newly dating couple.

(Not bad. More than natural enough.)

Even after the lunch break ended, Suzumura spoke to me every single recess.

Every time, I played the part of the slightly embarrassed lover.

Everything went according to plan.

◇

After school.

Homeroom ended, and as I was getting ready to head home, Suzumura came over to my desk.

"Tachibana-kun."

Suzumura smiled a little shyly.

"Walk home together?"

For a split second, the classroom went dead silent.

Even the classmates who had been half-in-disbelief seemed confronted by reality at those words.

I wore a look of mild surprise, then gave a sheepish smile.

"Yeah."

"Let's go home."

Picking up my bag, I stood up and lined up right beside Suzumura.

As the two of us left the classroom, a sudden uproar erupted from beyond the closed door.

Voices unable to hide their surprise.

Laughter expressing disbelief.

Uncontrollable curiosity spread all at once throughout the classroom.

(Up to here, everything is on schedule.)

In just a single day, the class's perception should be pretty much solidified.

This way, the reveal a few days from now will also flow naturally.

(My acting is also top-notch. I just need to keep this up to the very end.)

Nodding quietly in my heart, I walked down the corridor side by side with Suzumura.

Heading toward the shoe lockers with steps just a little slower than usual.

My role as a lover had only just begun.