I (30), Who Works for a Black Company and Died While Regretting My Gloomy Life, Started Over From High School! - 65. Do not flip the angel!

65. Do not flip the angel!

Anyway, I was relieved to see that Haruka seemed to be feeling quite well again. It was distressing to see my friend worrying about something that was likely nothing to be concerned over.

If this were a romantic comedy, it would be the beginning of a love triangle, but Niihama-kun isn’t that kind of person…

With the depth of his feelings, she was worried that if Haruka rejected him, he would become a shell of a person.

“Oh, by the way: Haruka is exchanging emails with Niihama-kun, right? What messages are you sending each other?”

When the conversation was over, Mizuki asked her this with a glint in her eye.

Contrary to her usual cool expression, she’s a bit of a maiden, and she’s very interested in what the two of them are texting about.

…To be honest, I’d kind of like to hear about it too.

“Huh? No, it’s just normal stuff. Things like, ‘I enjoyed that light novel you read today,’ or ‘I ate this and it was delicious.’”

“Is that really all you do? For example, do you send each other pictures?”

“You’re too much of an onlooker, Mizuki.”

“Well, well, I heard that there are men out there who instruct pure girls to take naughty pictures and send them to them, just in case…”

I whispered this to her, and Mizuki replied with a face that clearly showed she was amused.

Well, there’s no way Niihama-kun would do something likea bad uncle would, but…

“Pictures? Come to think of it, I’ve been sending him a lot of pictures of me.”

“What?”

“Our housekeeper, Fuyuizumi-san, said to me, “He would be happy if you took pictures of my young lady’s daily life and sent those pictures to him.”

Oh, wait, what are you talking about, housekeeper?
I’m sure Niihama-kun will be happy to hear that!

“I sent him pictures of me lying in bed in my pajamas, or eating ice cream in a T-shirt after a bath. I was a little embarrassed, but my mother said, ‘Oh, good! This picture looks good!’ And then she picked out a picture to send to him…’”

They had her send a really suggestive picture!

I mean, aren’t the Shijouin family members too flirty?!

“So, what did Niihama-kun reply to you ……?”

“When I sent those pictures, the replies were always very slow, like ‘I don’t know if I can look directly at this… it’s hard,’ or ‘Akiko is definitely involved in this!’ so I stopped sending them after that…”

I can picture the shock and confusion in Niihama-kun’s eyes when the innocent Haruka suddenly sent him a bombshell of a photo.I’m sure the healthy boys would find Haruka’s private shots poisonous to their eyes.

“I’m surprised. It was a joke, but I didn’t know you were actually doing something erotic.”

“What are you talking about? I’m not doing anything naughty!”

“What are you talking about when you have double melons all over your soft body?! The more I look at it, the more I envy you, so I’ll give you a little squeeze later.”

“Huh? Oh my God! Don’t make any quick, strange reservations!”

Haruka’s face turns red as Mizuki gives her a wicked squeeze.

You’re having fun, Mizuki…

‘”But you have almost no contact with boys other than Niihama-kun, don’t you? Doesn’t anyone ever call out to you?”

I know there are a lot of boys who want to get Haruka, but this has created a cryptic check-and-balance situation that makes it difficult for them to get away.

In the midst of all this, Niihama-kun got super close to Haruka, which would normally make the boys in the class jealous, but… it didn’t.

The reason for this was that Niihama-kun had become a person to be reckoned with in the class.

He had become more of a presence in the class as he became very good at his studies and asked for cell phone related advice. After his overworked performance at that cultural festival, no one complained about him being around Haruka anymore.

But that’s just our class. The boys in the other classes said “Even that Niihama guy is getting close to Shijouin-san, so I don’t have to put up with him anymore either!” And I wouldn’t be surprised if someone tried to flirt with Haruka.
I’m a little worried that we might get in trouble for that.

“What, the other boys?　Actually, I was approached by a few people during the semester, and they were asking me to go out somewhere with them.”

“Eh…?! So, how did you answer that!?”

“The first time I met all of them, they were acting so familiar with me that it was scary, so I politely declined and left. I’m still a little confused as to what they were trying to do.”

Yeah…? Who are those people…?

“…Oh, I see. You mean that?” Mizuki whispered to me.”What? What do you mean, Mizuki?) I whispered back.

”I’ve only heard rumors that there was such a move, which means that Niihama-kun and Haruka got their licks in. ‘If a mediocre guy like Niihama can get along with her, then I’m sure I can get in with her!’ With this in mind, the people with a little confidence moved in, such as the slightly handsome, somewhat popular guys and the regulars in the athletic clubs.”

“Ehh… that’s pretty lame. I can’t believe they’re making a move because they see an easy target, not because they like her.”

“Yeah, that’s not cool. If I really liked someone, I’d have just gone for them regardless of the hurdles. And it’s disgusting that they’re making fun of our friends.”

I completely agree with Mizuki’s words, which were filled with anger.

If you think that Niihama-kun, whom you don’t know very well, is lower than you, and you think that Haruka, who is with Niihama-kun, is cheap, then you are not only lame but also really rude.

I stop whispering and speak directly with Haruka.

“Well, it’s a good response anyway, Haruka. You don’t have to deal with people who are suddenly trying to be friendly.”

“Yes. To be honest, I was scared, so it’s nice to hear that. I’m not a big fan of people who are too selfish”

I somehow knew this already, but it seems that Haruka doesn’t like violent people. Well, Niihama-kun, despite his energy, is not the arrogant type either.

“And speaking of being strong, what happened to that other guy, Mitsurugi? I heard he had a dispute with Niihama-san over the final exam.” [TLN: Not sure about the d*ckhead guy name. He’s not worthy to be remembered] [ED: It’s Mitsurugi. And yes, what an actual d*ckhead lmao]

Suddenly remembering the name, I casually mentioned it.

I really just said it in the flow of conversation, and it didn’t mean anything more than that, but…

“Mitsurugi……?”

“He…?”

Haruka’s appearance changed drastically.

For some reason, the tone of her voice became very low and harsh, and her eyes became fixed.

The usual atmosphere, like a flower garden with the sun shining on it, became freezing cold like the frozen Arctic.

“Oh… you mean that very rude person?” [TL: You mean that d*ckhead]

“Haruka, what…?”

…What’s wrong with you?

What’s wrong? The shine in my eyes are gone!

“It’s true that I may have been spoken to by that crazy person, but I’ve forgotten at this point. I have no intention of speaking to him again, and if possible, I would like to erase him from my memory completely. Just the sight of him makes me very uncomfortable.”

Huh, all the things that a normal Haruka would never say!

What is this? Her innocence has been turned inside out!

I quickly turn to whisper with Mizuki.

“Wait, what’s going on? The angelic Haruka is snapping at me with an expressionless face like a noh mask!” [ED: A noh mask is a mask that has a limited amount of facial expressions (usually ranging from one to three), often used in the classical style of Japanese dance/drama by the same name.]

“I’m sorry, I should have told you about that. Apparently, during that final exam, Miitsurugi said ‘Niihama is scum and trash! I’m the best of the best!’ Ever since then, whenever she hears that man’s name, she seems to be like this…”

“What is that prince-like person doing? It’s not right to make the kind and gentle Haruka so angry!”

“I never thought I’d be so disgusted by a really vulgar, self-conscious, arrogant person. Just remembering that makes my chest turn black…”

I don’t know.

Haruka mumbling in abhorrence is messed up and scary!

“Please be careful. The reason Haruka did this was obviously because she was angry that Niihama-kun got belittled, but the same thing doesn’t necessarily happen with jealousy.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t think this will ever happen, but if Haruka hits her limit of lovesick jealousy, this dark side of her usual angelic nature might explode. We’re already getting close to that, so we should be careful not to advance Haruka’s darkness gauge by misleading her about our friendship with Niihama-kun. [TL: Yandere Haruka?]

“Eh, that… actually, I’ve been with Niihama-kun all day long, accompanying him in his training during the ball game. Could this be out of the question…?”

“You should never say that. This may lead to jealousy, which in turn may lead to a TV episode like “This Thieving Cat!” or something like that.” [ED: A “thieving cat” is a Japanese idiom which refers to someone who steals another’s partner. Obviously, not something you want applied to you.]

“Hey! If that happens…

When you say that, I can’t help but get a little paranoid.

–The rooftop of an empty school building.

Haruka and I are facing each other as the world turns the orange color of dusk.

“You practiced softball at a park on your day off with Niihama-kun? So that’s how you got close to him, a guy who’s not very good at exercise. …This thieving cat.”

“No, no, no, I didn’t mean it! Trust me!”

“That’s what all thieving cats say. Oh, I’m so sad, Mai-san. I thought we were friends, and now I have to send you to the same place as Mitsurugi.”

Haruka, who has zero sanity in her eyes, smiles as she holds a bloody knife in her hand.

This is the kind of thing that makes communication completely impossible.

“So, the blood on that knife is…! Oh, no! Mitsurugi!”

— I accidentally said this out loud in reality, and I heard a voice from outside saying, “Oh, I got slaughtered first?” But my delusion continued.

“Hmm, I knew I should wipe out all the girls who get close to Niihama-kun. So, good-bye Mai. But this is your fault, isn’t it?”

“Gah! This person is a yandere!”　

And Haruka slowly approached me with her sickly, lightless eyes–

“Awwww! Stab to pieces!”　

I shudder as I return from my fantasy.

If Haruka’s purity is turned inside out, it would be very bad!

In the meantime, Haruka seemed to have regained her composure.

“I’m sorry. When I heard the name of that strange person for a moment, I lost my cool. …Mai? What’s up?”

“H-Haruka!”

“Yeah…?”

I leaned forward on the table and grabbed Haruka’s hand.

Haruka’s eyes are black and white at the sudden action.

I’ll always be your friend, and I’ll always stand by you, Haruka! You can trust me!”

“Yes, sure! It’s so nice to have a friend say that about you! I’ll always be on your side, too!”

Although I was surprised, I accepted Haruka’s dazzling, pure smile with all the guilt I felt for spreading my ridiculous fantasies earlier.

…I’m sorry for thinking of something weird…