Chapter 8 – NO THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK
"These two are the only boxes left, right?"
I asked Hayano as we finally reached the old storage room. Dusty smell, creaky floor, the usual.
She glanced at me like I was the dumbest lifeform on earth.
"There's only two left. What, you think boxes respawn like in video games or something?"
I scratched my cheek awkwardly. "...I was just making sure, okay?"
She huffed, arms crossed, looking smug. "Idiot. Like I'd miscount boxes. What kind of airhead do you think I am?"
I sighed, deciding not to push it. No use arguing. I let her have this imaginary victory.
We grabbed the last two boxes—thank God they weren't as heavy as the first ones—and headed back toward the student council office. My legs felt like lead. Why the hell was this my life now? Slave labor for the student council on top of dealing with an obsessed elementary school fiancée.
When we reached the office door, I noticed something weird.
Someone else was inside.
Sitting on the couch, staring at her phone.
Miyazawa Nozumura.
Third-year. Serious girl. Class rep energy. Kind of quiet, but when she speaks, people listen. Straight A's. Type who probably files her receipts and balances her wallet every night.
She barely noticed us enter.
Her eyes were locked on her phone screen. Mouth slightly open. Expression frozen like someone who just discovered government secrets.
Wait... why did she look so shocked?
I glanced at Hayano. She didn't seem to notice anything strange, busy putting her box down.
I quietly put mine down too. My gaze flicked back to Miyazawa.
Then I realized something horrible.
My phone.
Where was my phone?
I left it on the student council table earlier.
And what was Miyazawa holding right now?
MY PHONE.
Panic shot through my chest like a bullet.
No.
No no no no no.
She's looking at the messages. The Airi messages. ALL OF THEM.
And judging by the look on her face... she'd read everything.
A drop of cold sweat rolled down my back.
Miyazawa slowly stood up.
Her eyes were wide with disbelief as she walked towards me—my phone held out like some cursed artifact.
"Isagi..."
Her voice trembled. "Is this... real?"
I swallowed thickly.
Hayano finally noticed. "Miyazawa-senpai? What's going on?"
Miyazawa didn't break eye contact with me. She turned the phone screen toward Hayano and scrolled slowly.
"...A girl... An elementary school girl... calling him darling... sending him love messages... This isn't a joke, right? Right?!"
Hayano blinked. "Hah? No way. Isagi-kun isn't like that. I've known him for years. There's no way he—"
Miyazawa scrolled up.
Photo.
A photo of Airi in a blue dress with white frills, making a peace sign.
Then another.
Airi in a pink one-piece pajama covered in bunnies.
Then another.
Airi asking, "Do you like this one, darling? Or the other one better? My future husband should decide! ♡"
Hayano's jaw dropped.
Dead silence.
They both stared at me.
I could hear my own heartbeat thudding in my ears.
Hayano turned her head slowly, her face pale.
"...Haru-kun…" she whispered in a dangerously low tone.
I raised my hands like I was getting arrested.
"...I can explain..."
The room froze.
Miyazawa stared at me like I'd grown a second head.
Hayano's eye twitched. Her mouth opened... but no words came out.
"I... I swear it's not what you think!" I said quickly, waving my hands around like a lunatic. "It's not like that! I didn't... I didn't do anything weird! She's the one who—!!"
"...An elementary school kid... calling you darling…" Miyazawa muttered, staring at the phone like it contained the apocalypse.
"Wait, WAIT—!!" I begged. "She's my neighbor's kid! I mean—technically she's my... uh... fiancée... but it's not what you think!!"
Hayano snapped her gaze to me, eyes wide. "...Fiancée?!"
I wanted to bury myself alive.
"No—it's complicated! Our parents—my mom—she was drunk—she made a stupid promise—!!"
I kept rambling. My words tripped over each other like a broken record.
"I never agreed! I swear! She just... moved in and decided she was my fiancée! I didn't—!!"
Miyazawa held up the phone screen.
"My cute pajamas! You'll see them tonight, right, darling? ♡"
She gave me a look.
A look that could burn holes in steel.
Hayano's face went blank.
Then she spoke in the most dead, disappointed tone I'd ever heard from her:
"...You disgusting lolicon."
"NOOOO!!" I practically screamed. "I'm NOT!! I'm not a lolicon!! Listen to me!! It's all a misunderstanding!!!"
I dropped to my knees dramatically.
"God, why is my life like this?!"
Miyazawa turned to Hayano, sighing like she'd aged ten years in five minutes.
"Call the police?"
"No. We need to hear him out..." Hayano muttered, arms crossed. "But if his explanation sucks, we're kicking him into the river."
I held up my hands again. "Please—just let me explain before you ruin my whole life!!"
Their eyes narrowed.
This was bad.
This was really, really bad.