Prove Your Eternal Love. There Shall Be No Heroine Correction. - Introduction

“I’m sorry, Aogashima-san. I don’t think I can respond to your feelings anymore.”

Shirase-kun said this and bowed deeply to me in front of the school gate.

Earlier, we had been discussing plans for the Cultural Festival at a nearby coffee shop. All the while, he had been fidgeting. So I had a hunch.

“…I see. I understand.”

We were still friends. We were not lovers. Even so, he rejected me.

It was a little over a month ago that I confessed my feelings to him. I put the letter I had spent two weeks writing in his shoebox and called him to the rooftop. I told him how I felt, but I didn’t ask him to go out with me. I couldn’t say it. He didn’t know anything about me yet. I wanted him to get to know me first, so I asked him to be my friend.

The result was this.

Hey, Shirase-kun. Were you not happy being with me? Did I not get your heart racing? Have you ever thought that you wanted to go out with me?

That was why he bowed his head like this. I knew that, so I didn’t ask. I didn’t want to.

“I’m really sorry. I’ve found someone I like.”

“…It’s enough. No need to apologize.”

I knew that the someone he was referring to was Tokiwa Nagisa, a junior student who often hung out with him these days.

But I had done that first before her.

If things had continued as they were, I was sure we would have gone out.

And yet, that girl who suddenly appeared by Shirase-kun, I don’t know how she did it, but she stole Shirase-kun’s heart. In the blink of an eye.

I clenched my fist in response to such thoughts. I have to admit it. I was defeated. I couldn’t get it. At the very least, I don’t want to be a burden to him. And yet…

“I don’t care. I still like Shirase-kun. I can’t give up on you so easily.”

“…I see, right. I understand. I’m not going to ask you to pretend it didn’t happen. I’m just sorry I got your hopes up. I’m sorry about the Cultural Festival and all.”

Ah, now I understand how Aika felt when she told me she liked me. I’ve been pretending not to notice Aika’s feelings for me, and now I was getting the bad end of the stick. Was this karma?

Was that why God was making me suffer like this?

I could vividly remember the happy days I had until recently. I laughed and he laughed. We were so close that our fingertips were almost touching. Our eyes met more often. The number of times he turned his head away when he was embarrassed. Hey, Shirase-kun. You already like me, right? But why?

“But, Aogashima-san. I want to say this. …This past month had been very enjoyable.”

I told you that was enough. Stop it, Shirase-kun. Please don’t say anything more. Because—

I won’t be able to hold my tears back.

“…Same here.”

I kept my face down, but it still seemed no good, so I turned away. Until I couldn’t hear his footsteps anymore.

I found myself back in my room.

I let go of my bag by the side of the bed and dropped myself on it. The bedsprings swayed like waves. I reached out and touched the can that was sticking out of the bag. I had bought it, trying to imitate his habit. I opened the hard lid and what came out of a piece of mint candy.

My love was not fulfilled.

The sweet and bitter taste of the candy made me realize the reality. Tears started to well up again with the sudden stimulation. Ah, just like him on that day I saw him, I was about to cry out loud.

“Hello, Aogashima Yuno-san. Wow, I am very sorry for your loss!”

Suddenly, a flying object appeared before my eyes. Flapping its wings, it floated in midair. When I saw it, it was completely naked…Ah, I thought, it just looked like Cupid of love.

“…Frustrating. Unreasonable. I don’t know how it could end up this way.”

It didn’t matter to me now what it was. Just talking to someone distracted me just a little.

“Yes, I know. You don’t know how it got to this point.”

“You talk like you know.”

“Yes, I do. The cause is the『Confession Quartet』 A game in which you participated and lost. The world has been remade by the outcome of this game!”

“The world? Something absurd like that…I don’t believe it.”

I immediately searched the name of the game on my smartphone. Nothing came up. No, wait. The screen displayed the message, “Forbidden Search Term. I had never seen this message before. When I turned to look at it, it smiled at me.

“Did you believe me now? In addition, I hope you would remember that I am an angel and my name is Ocupido. Now, Aogashima Yuno-san. I have a proposal for you here. This is surely something worthwhile for you to consider.”

I gulped the mint-flavored spit and silently nodded.