Ore wo Suki nano wa Omae dake ka yo - Chapter 7 Part 2

Chapter 7 Part 2

 

Fifteen minutes after lunch started. Following Pansy’s words, I went to the library.

 

“Hello.”

“…What is this about your true feelings or whatnot?”

“Before that, could you get me the book ‘I Am a Cat’ from that bookshelf over there? You’ll be in for a surprise.” (T/N: A novel by Natsume Soseki. From the synopsis it’s a satire novel, but I haven’t actually read this book before, so I don’t really know.)

“Oi oi… Whatever, I’ll get it for you… What a pain…”

 

Hearing the word ‘surprise’ coming from her mouth made me almost get a heart attack. But, I didn’t have the guts to disobey her.

 

So, I let out a sigh and went to the bookshelf that Pansy referred to.

 

If I recall correctly, it was located quite far back in the library…

 

I became familiar enough with the library to know about such things. It made me feel sad somehow.

 

“Y-Yo, Sanshokuin-san!”

 

As I was heading toward the back of the library, a familiar voice echoed from behind me.

 

In a panic, I hid my body between two bookshelves.

 

Too narrow! Seriously, this place was too narrow! I managed to squeeze my body here out of desperation, but could I even get out of here?!

 

Oh well, no point in making a fuss about it now. Let’s focus on hiding!

 

If he were to find out that I was in here, he would definitely get angry at me.

 

I didn’t want anymore bloodbath to happen here!

 

There was no choice, I had to endure this! Even though it was doubtful that I could get out of this place.

 

…Anyway, the person who entered the library was Sun-chan.

 

Despite being stuck in between the two bookshelves, I managed to catch a glimpse of his grinning face.

 

Yes. It was a well-known story that Sun-chan had been coming here ever since the day he threw me into the toilet.

 

…I could overhear their conversation from here. Honestly, I wanted to avoid that and get out of the library as soon as I could, but I couldn’t do that under these circumstances. Besides, those two were talking right in front of the door.

 

Sorry, Sun-chan, I had no choice. Sorry for listening to your conversation.

 

“Hello.”

 

Upon receiving Pansy’s reply, Sun-chan happily made his way to the reception desk.

 

As soon as he sat down in front of her, he started to talk to her.

 

“Hear me out, I found out that my grip is strong enough to crush an apple barehanded!”

“Is that so?”

“Also, I always tried to get eight hours of sleep every night! Resting properly is also important if I want to be a skillful baseball player!”

“Good for you.”

 

Sun-chan, I knew that you were proud of those things, but she didn’t care about those at all…

 

Look at her, she just listlessly responded to your words.

 

Nevertheless it seemed like Sun-chan didn’t mind that. He looked like he was having fun.

 

It was that, wasn’t it? Love. He looked so happy because he was enjoying the time he had with the girl that he liked.

 

I couldn’t relate to his feelings.

 

This scene continued for a bit longer, but suddenly…

 

“Oga-kun.”

 

Pansy called out to Sun-chan.

 

“W-What is it?”

 

He straightened his back. That was a good posture if I may say so.

 

“I have something to ask you.”

“Ask me anything! I’ll answer any questions that you have!”

“Is that so? Thank you.”

 

Her voice was more lively than usual. Oi, oi, what were you trying to do? Don’t you dare try to give him false hope, Pansy!

 

“This is the first time you’re going to ask me something, Sanshokuin-san! I’m nervous!”

 

Was this really the Sun-chan that I knew?

 

His usual atmosphere disappeared and he acted differently than usual. Honestly, he looked kinda creepy right now.

 

Pansy didn’t seem to mind seeing him acting like this. She opened her mouth slowly.

 

“So, why did you deceive and set Joro-kun up?”

 

Huh? Pansy, what the hell were you on about?

 

Sun-chan deceived me? He set me up? There was no way that— Huh, Sun-chan?

 

His smile froze after he heard her words!

 

“U-Um, what are you talking about?”

“I’m sorry, I guess my question wasn’t clear.”

“S-Sorry, I didn’t really understand–”

“I’ll rephrase it, but I expect you to answer me properly, okay?”

 

Pansy paused for a breath, then she glared daggers at him.

 

“I know that you were aware of Akino-senpai’s and Hinata-san’s feelings for you. You used them to set Joro-kun into a trap.”

“…Um, what are you talking about? Also, wasn’t it you who set him into a trap?”

 

What? What was this all about?

 

I almost jumped out from where I was hiding, but I desperately held the urge.

 

They were still talking. I should only come out after they are done.

 

With that thought in mind, I held myself back.

 

“Still playing dumb, I see.”

“Ugh…”

“If you don’t want to talk, then I’ll keep on talking. My interaction with you for the past week is enough proof for me to reach this conclusion.”

 

It seemed like she was sure that her words were correct. They weren’t mere speculations.

 

I could sense anger in her voice.

 

“People around you thought that you’re a cheerful and lively person and I believe so too. But that isn’t all there is to it. You are hiding another part of yourself. A cunning and calculative one.”

 

There was no trace of emotion in her voice as she said those words. It was as if she was reading Sun-chan’s criminal charges.

 

Meanwhile, Sun-chan just stared at her dumbfoundedly.

 

“I had my suspicions when I heard Joro-kun told me that even though Akino-senpai and Hinata-san made you angry, you were completely fine the next morning. You sounded so angry just the day before and you suddenly forgave them the next day after? It’s strange no matter how I try to think about it. So, I thought of a possibility. Maybe after you got angry with them, you realized their feelings for you.”

“…”

 

Oi, oi, seriously?

 

That meant, Sun-chan just pretended to forgive them all along?

 

“Then again, how could you not notice it? One day, Hinata-san suddenly stopped coming to school with Joro-kun and always tried to talk with you. Not only that, Akino-senpai started to interact with you and even went as far as to make you lunch every day. You don’t need to be a genius to notice their feelings for you…”

 

Right, I guess she was correct. If I was in his position, I would definitely notice that without fail.

 

I mean, if they didn’t do that out of love, then the world would most likely come to an end tomorrow.

 

“But you’ve been pretending not to notice their feelings up until later. All of this was to deceive Joro-kun and set him up. Am I wrong?”

 

Why would he do that to me, though?

 

“Afterwards, you made a plan to take out both Joro-kun and the two girls, create a situation where he wouldn’t be able to run away from and denounce him so that people would never come to trust him again.”

“How did you?…”

“I’m just that good.”

 

And I gotta agree with her! Just look at Sun-chan’s face!

 

That was the look of a murderer who got caught red-handed!

 

“But, something unexpected happened.”

 

Something unexpected?

 

“To do that, you planned to ask Joro-kun to help you out with your love life, but he firmly refused you. So, on the spur of a moment, you changed your plan to deceive him instead.”

 

Really?… So that baseball question was meant to mislead me in the first place…

 

Anyway, it seemed like I managed to avoid his first trap, only to end up falling into his second one.

 

“Except that you didn’t expect that Joro-kun and I knew each other. That was why when you found out about it, you decided to tell Hinata-san and Akino-senpai about your feelings for me in a hurry.”

“…You even knew that much. Did Joro tell you?”

“No he didn’t. Thank you for confirming my speculation.”

“Ugh!”

 

Pansy, that was scary! Was this the famed ‘leading question?’

 

“So, you changed your strategy. First, you tried to get the two girls to cooperate with you. Then, you took advantage of the feud between them and Joro-kun, who was still cooperating with them. But, a stroke of luck came to your lap that day.”

 

Was she talking about the day when she dropped me into the depth of the abyss?

 

“I wasn’t doing anything special in particular, but Joro-kun was talking to me. You took this opportunity to out him once and for all.”

 

Wait, if you knew this much, why did you set me up, Pansy?!

 

You should be protecting me instead!

 

“But, back then, you said all those things about Joro!”

 

Right! You tell her, Sun-chan! As expected of my precious friend!

 

Ah, wait, we weren’t friends anymore…

 

“Yes, I indeed tricked him too. But, if I didn’t do it, you would never come forward.”

“What are you?…”

 

I had the same reaction as you, Sun-chan! As expected of my not best friend!

 

“If I didn’t pretend to be Joro-kun’s enemy, you’ll realize that I’m on his side. Knowing how cunning you are, you’ll never set your foot here again. I wanted to prevent that.”

 

Pansy, you did all that for my sake?

 

Even though you knew that I’d be angry at you…

 

Thinking about it like that, I guess I could forgive her… As if!

Honestly, I was fine being in the dark, I deserved it!

 

My current situation might be too much, but I was fine with it.

 

Regardless of those two’s intentions, I would end up in this situation sooner or later anyway.

 

“It was just a matter of acting earlier or later, since Joro-kun will get his just desserts eventually because your plan is already in motion.”

 

Correct. Still, hearing you pointing that out actually p*ssed me off.

 

“With that out of the way,let me repeat my first question, Oga-kun.”

 

Pansy paused, preparing to deliver the final blow. Seeing this, Sun-chan gulped.

 

“Why did you deceive and set Joro-kun up?

“…”

 

Sun-chan was silent as he gazed downward.

 

But, after a few moments…

 

“…It was in middle school.”

 

He started to tell his story, like a criminal confessing his crimes.

 

The melancholic atmosphere he exuded from his slumped back was hard to watch.

 

“I lost to Joro. There was a girl that I liked, you see?”

 

Huh? What? Did we fight over a girl back in the day?

 

Wait, Sun-chan, you liked someone back then?

 

Why didn’t you tell me? I would have helped you if you were to tell me!

“At first, things between us were awkwards, but she often came to talk with me and we got along better over time. I really thought that we had something going on between us. Then I found out that she only approached me to get closer to Joro…”

 

This didn’t make any sense. Why did my name come out?

 

Also, if she really wanted to get closer to me, she could just talk with me… Wait, could it be?

 

“I see. She liked Joro-kun, that’s why.”

 

Really?! Oh, right, I remember now. There was this one girl that he introduced to me back then. Us three used to hang out a lot, but one day we just drifted apart from each other.

Ah, but at our graduation, she said something along the lines of, ‘Don’t forget me.’ So nostalgic.

 

“Seriously, what’s up with that? She used me to get closer to him. I was just a convenient tool for her!”

 

Sun-chan… Long before I did, you’ve suffered the same pain as me…

 

“It was frustrating. I tried so hard to get her to like me, but her feelings didn’t change. She still loved Joro, who didn’t even do anything to gain her favor. I still don’t understand. Why did I lose to him?!”

 

Sun-chan slammed his fist to the desk as his body trembled.

 

“Joro was hiding his true nature! He just acted meek, his true personality wasn’t like that! I told her that, do you know what she said to me? ‘I like that part of Joro-kun too.’ Unbelievable.”

 

Woah, you even knew that, Sun-chan? You were more perceptive than I thought.

 

“That’s why I believe my actions this time are perfectly justified. Joro cared about those two more than anything. It feels great to see him go through the same pain as I did!”

 

…I was shocked.

 

When Cosmos and Himawari talked to me about their love, I’ve never felt an ounce of hatred toward Sun-chan.

 

In fact, I was happy and proud that my best friend managed to catch the eyes of the two school idols.

 

“But, even after all that, he still managed to get ahead of me…”

 

What did you mean by that, Sun-chan? You were better than me, you know? I was in the bottom of the school caste.

 

“Never did I expect that you two would know each other. You said back then you visited our class to retrieve the book that he borrowed, but that wasn’t all there was to it, right? You wouldn’t go out of your way to visit him for such a reason.”

“Indeed. I did it because I like him.”

“I knew it…”

 

Sun-chan looked devastated. That was the kind of devastating look one would give after they got a comeback homerun from the opposing team.

 

I guess it was understandable… The person that he liked ended up liking me… Both back in middle school and in high school…

 

“It’s always him! Every girl that I fell in love with always fell for him instead! This is why I told the two girls about my feelings! Then they told me, ‘First you get to know her better, so start visiting the library! We’ll help you!’ Seriously, those two girls were fools. I knew I could use them since they liked me and they did exactly what I expected them to do. This past week was the funniest week I had in my life. No matter how unreasonable my requests were, they didn’t even try to refuse me! Hahaha!”

 

So that was why Pansy had a determined look back then.

 

I had forgotten about it since my mind was preoccupied with trying to come up with ways to handle her.

 

Everything proceeded as Pansy expected…

 

Sun-chan, I thought you were a good friend of mine…

 

But, in the end, my feelings were one-sided, huh?

 

Also, didn’t you feel sorry for those two girls?

 

Their love for you was sincere, you know?

 

“Tell me. Why do you like Joro in the first place? That guy is rotten to the core, you know? Even now, he–”

“Shut your mouth.”

 

An unexpectedly strong tone came out from Pansy’s mouth, interrupting Sun-chan’s words.

 

Was she…mad?

 

“Your situation might be similar, but there’s one big difference between you and Joro-kun.”

“Big difference?”

“You haven’t noticed anything, huh? The reason why Joro-kun did all that was not for himself, Hinata-san or Akino-senpai.”

 

Ugh! Pansy, you even noticed that?!

 

“…It was all for your sake.”

 

She knew! And she said it out loud too! Aaaagh!!

“At first, Joro-kun tried to get you together with either Hinata-san or Akino-senpai. While part of the reason why he helped them was because they asked for his help, the biggest reason why he did that was because he knew that you’d be happy to go out with either one of them. But, his goal changed midway through.”

 

Pansy, stop!

Please, don’t say anything!

 

“After you told him that you like me, he immediately asked me to go out with you. He decided that it would be better for you to go out with someone that you truly like rather than going out with Hinata-san or Akino-senpai. Joro-kun knew that you are someone who would never give up once you’ve made up your mind. He was really pushy when he told me to go out with you. It was unpleasant. He refused to help you out, but he went out of his way to do it nonetheless.”

 

STOOOP! PLEASE STOP TALKING!

 

“Joro-kun is that kind of person. He did everything for you, not for Hinata-san or Akino-senpai. He always had your best interest in mind, no matter what the situation he got himself into…”

 

Pansy clenched her fists. It was as if she was grieving.

 

Look, I didn’t know why she was feeling sad, but she should stop talking if she really felt that way.

 

“Last week, in the library, Joro-kun never blamed you for anything. Even though he knew that the reason for the mess that happened was because of you intentionally revealing your feelings toward the two girls.”

 

Seriously, stop! It’s embarrassing to hear all this!

“Even when you punched him in the face, he was worried about you. ‘You’re a pitcher, so take care of your hands better,’ that was what he was thinking about during the time…”

 

Okay, I wasn’t even embarrassed anymore. Instead, I felt scared! How could she know what was going on in my mind during that time?!

“This is why I’ll never forgive you. How dare you betray him for such a petty reason.”

“B-But, my feelings for you are sincere! I-I—”

“I love Joro-kun.”

“Why?…”
“Unlike you, he is kind… He’s too kind for his own good…”

“And how did you know about that?…”

“It was last year, when the baseball club went to the finals at the regionals.”

 

You were there too?! Seriously, you people, why did you all like that place so much?!

 

I thought that we wouldn’t be getting back to this ever again, but here we are!

 

“The regional finals?”

“Yes. You said that you fell in love with me after seeing me at the south exit, but before that happened, I met Joro at the north exit. He was waiting for you there.”

 

Hello, it was I, the Black Tortoise of the North. The Vermillion Bird found me.

 

Wait, Pansy was there?!

 

Really?!

Ah, actually, that wasn’t really surprising, I guess…

 

While I was waiting for Sun-chan, there was a big chested beauty nearby. She took all my attention, so it was inevitable that I didn’t notice Pansy there. I mean, she was so plain.

 

“Back then, Joro-kun was waiting for you under the scorching sun for a long time. He knew you would be depressed after seeing the result of your final match, so he was waiting for you with your favorite kushikatsu in his hands. He was a dummy, wasn’t he? Everyone who passed him by laughed at him, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was you. Under the jeers of others, he stood there while waiting for you…”

 

I mean, Sun-chan was my best friend. That was the least thing I could do for him…

 

“That was the moment when I fell for him. He went that far just for his best friend. Out of all the people I’ve met, he was the coolest. Even now, I still think that way about him. Your trap might’ve made people hate him, but it only made me love him even more. I can say with confidence that I love him more than anyone else in this world…”

“I see… So that’s the difference between me and him, huh?”

“Yes. Do you understand now?”
“Yeah.”

“Good.”

“But, you made a mistake.”

“A mistake?”

 

Suddenly, it happened. Sun-chan, who had a defeated look, had a gleam in his eyes that made him look especially villainous. I gotta say, that villainous look was quite fire. That was my (former) best friend for you.

 

“It’s lunch break and no one comes here during this time.”

“Yes, and?”

 

Oi oi. I got a bad feeling about this…

 

“That means I can do whatever I want to you and nobody would notice.”

“Indeed. I’m guessing that you’re going to do something to me since you’ve stood up from your seat.”

 

Was this why you made me hide in here, Pansy?

 

Were you truly an esper?! That would explain your extraordinary ability to read other people’s behavior.

 

“Of course. There’s only one thing that I’d do now.”

 

Then, I guess there was also only one thing that I’d do now.

 

“I see. What a foolish man.”

“Yes. Not only I’m foolish, but I’m also a sc*m. But, so what? I don’t want to lose to Joro ever again, so I’ll do anything to make sure that I beat him!”

 

Haah… If possible, I really wanted to hide until he left, but it couldn’t be helped… Let’s have a talk with him…

 

“That’s not what I meant.”

“What?”

“If you’re trying to do something to me right now, that person will definitely come for me, you know?”

 

I get it, I get it. Idiot.

 

“T-That person?”

“My lousy and rude prince charming.”

“Things like this is why I’m doubtful of your love for me. Oi.”

“J-Joro?!”

 

Gotta say, Sun-chan made quite the face when he saw me come out.

 

I guess he didn’t expect me to be here, huh?

 

His mouth was agape and sweat started appearing on his face.

 

“Yo, Sun-chan.”

 

I said in an indifferent tone.

 

“Hm, how do I put this? …I know you like her and all, but there are things that you can’t do, you know? I mean, if you really have to do that to someone, at least go for a better looking girl.”

“Why do you feel the need to add that last part?”

“It’s the best course of action. I need to make him face the reality that you’re ugly as hell.”

“I mean, they did say that love is blind. Just like my love for you. I love you so much that I’m unable to see my surroundings properly.”

“Are you sure that’s not because of those lame looking glasses? Also, stop being creepy, act like a decent person for once.”

“I’ll do my best~”

“W-Why are you…”

 

Sun-chan was seeing us with a bewildered look as Pansy and I started talking casually.

 

Well, that reaction was expected. Up until now, he didn’t notice that I had been listening to his words.

 

Including the part where he tried to do something to Pansy.

 

It was no brainer that he would be surprised by this development.

 

But, this wasn’t the end of it, so he had to deal with this for a little longer.

 

This was my turn to shine.

 

“I understand how you feel, Sun-chan.”

“Eh?”

 

My words surprised him. He stared at me with wide eyes.

 

“Cosmos and Himawari. Those two girls are indeed funny.”

“Those two?”

“Yeah. They tried really hard to make you notice them, doing all kinds of things that made them look like complete idiots, only to fail miserably in the end. They’re laughable. I got stomach cramps from laughing too much at those two.”

 

Thinking back to the past two weeks, I started laughing.

 

“Himawari didn’t think things through enough. Whenever she thought of a good idea, she always acted up on it quickly, but she always faltered during the most crucial moments. In the end, she’d use her pouty look to try to get my help. She’s so lame, don’t you think?”

 

Like when she suddenly stretched her arms wide mid-conversation or the whole thing about bamboo shoot gnocchi.

 

It would be fitting for me to start calling her the airheaded b*tch.

 

“Meanwhile Cosmos was the opposite. She was thinking too much. She always tried to take note of everything and if she were to move without any detailed plan, she’d be too useless to do anything. When it came to actually doing the things that she planned, she spectacularly failed everything that she needed to do. She always acted like an adult, but in truth, even a little kid could do better than her. I still can’t believe that she’s older than me. What a useless girl.”

 

Seeing Cosmos flailing about while panicking was funny, though. That girl was laughable.

 

You’d think with that kind of demeanor she’d be a calm person, but in the end, she was just a reckless idiot.

 

“All my efforts to help them were for nothing. They didn’t even try to listen to me when I tried to explain to them that everything was a misunderstanding. When they didn’t need me anymore, they threw me aside without thinking twice about it. I admit that they have their good points, but they’re overshadowed by the sheer amount of their bad points. I came to hate them after what they’ve done to me. I genuinely don’t want to see their faces ever again.”

 

I wasn’t lying. That was my true feelings.

 

I genuinely didn’t want to have anything to do with those two selfish b*tches again.

 

Making another deal with them would just bring me troubles.

 

“But, you know, Sun-chan…”

“Eh?”

 

Gradually, I moved closer toward him.

 

“I might’ve laughed at them, but I’ve never laughed at their feelings! Doing that is unforgivable!”

“W-What are you— Ugh!”

The moment I realized that he didn’t understand what I was talking about, I grabbed him by the collar.

 

I knew that I’d definitely lose if I were to fight him here.

 

Even a kid could see it. There was no way a mere former student council secretary could win a fight against the ace of the baseball club.

 

But, that didn’t matter.

 

No matter how much the odds were against me… No matter how impossible it seemed to be…

 

“That isn’t something that you could laugh about, you a*shole.”

 

When I decided to do something, I’d do it no matter what. That was my motto.

 

“Sure, what they’re doing is foolish. Even kids could tell that. I saw better things in sh*tty B-movies. But no matter how dumb their actions were, no matter how corny it seemed to you, they were doing their best for you. They did it to make you happy because they love you.”

 

I put in more strength to my grip. Blood rushed to my head.

 

“Despite that, how dare you act as if you are completely unrelated to this? You can make fun of them, sure, I get that. Make them regret their decisions, sure, you have the right to do that. But, the audacity of you to laugh at their feelings… They love you! They did all those dumb sh*t for you! In order to make you happy, one of them did her best to prepare a movie date with you! Meanwhile the other one spent a lot of her time to prepare a lunch for you to eat, every single d*mn day! How dare you laugh at their feelings! You hated the fact that you were used by a girl back in middle school, yet you willingly used those two to do your biddings!”

 

 

“Ugh… Agh…”

“Someone’s love isn’t something that you can just make fun of! You yourself fell in love with someone, but how could you, out of all people, fail to understand this?! F**ker, if you have a problem with me, then confront me directly! Why the hell were you using those girls?! Now, do you understand what you did wrong, you f**ker?! If you don’t, I’ll make you understand. With my fists.”

 

Sun-chan nodded his head weakly in response to my threat. 

 

After confirming his answer, I let him go.

 

“Those two always put you before everything else. Not their ‘important childhood friend’ or their ‘precious kouhai,’ but you!”

“Ah… Gghh… *cough*”

 

It was then that I realized that my grip was stronger than expected. As soon as I released him, he started to cough violently.

 

“Apologize to those girls. Do you understand?”

“I-I got it… I-I’ll apologize… I-I really think that I did them wrong…”

 

Good. I didn’t need to use my fists then.

 

Well, despite his flaws, Sun-chan was an honest guy. If he said that he’d apologize, he’d do it.

 

In any case, it was great that we didn’t get into a brawl over this.

 

I wouldn’t want the library to be stained with blood. Because it would be mostly my blood that’ll stain it. Even the thought of it scared me.

 

“…But, Joro, what about you?”

 

Sun-chan asked after a while.

 

Right, there was the matter of my current situation. To put it bluntly, it was grim. Everyday, people would harass me and I’ve turned into everyone’s enemy. Honestly, it was tough and painful living like this.

 

But, it was more painful to see Sun-chan looking at me with a frightened look like that.

 

Even though I wouldn’t do anything to him…

 

“I don’t care. I deserved it in the first place. Besides, if I were to do something about it, that’d put you in an awkward position. I won’t tell anyone about today’s incident. Treat it as your former best friend’s goodwill.”

“…I see. Again, you’re…”

 

Whoops, I almost forgot. There was one more person here.

 

“Pansy, don’t tell anyone about this.”

“Is that an order? Or a request?”

 

Pansy replied in a good mood.

 

“I’ll whisper some words of love to you in exchange.”

“It can’t be helped then.”

 

She gave me a meaningful smile.

 

“Now that’s done. Do your part, Sun-chan.”

“Y-Yes… B-But, J-Joro…”

“Hm? What?”

“…I haven’t lost to you yet.”

 

After saying that, Sun-chan turned around and left the library.

 

TL: Iyo

ED: Iyo

 

 

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