Chapter 66 - Always By Your Side

I was standing outside the library entrance. I could see there were a few students inside the library, but the corridor outside was really quiet as school hours ended.

I was reminiscing about my exchange with Gaisen regarding the Kizhashi matter. He seemed to be really carefree about this. Even when I was manipulating him, Tsūmen was more worried than him. It makes little sense, unless Gaisen already has resolved this issue.

Also, when I said about Kizhashi cheating on him, he seemed to be sad about it but it seemed forced to me. Either I'm overthinking things or their relationship isn't working out between them.

Maybe this whole incident was planned by Kizhashi and Haruka as a getaway to break up with their respective partners. This explains why Haruka invited Kizhashi even though he knew Gaisen would probably be busy.

But like, doesn't that make Kizhashi and Haruka pretty terrible people? I know Uyeno and her group is a typical bitch despite that, cheating on your partner isn't justified.

Then again, I know little about any person involved in this incident so I would rather not make wild speculations. I don't know why I'm wasting my time thinking about this when this doesn't even concern me.

"So you came after all, huh?" The subtle voice of Reina pulled me out of my wild imagination. 

"Yeah" I turned my head towards her and looked at her glaring at me. She was looking forward to this meeting between us.

"Anyway, let's go." I said as I walked towards the stairs beside the library.

"Wait, are we not going to talk in the library?" She asked.

"No." I answered her clearly.

"Then… Why the hell did you even call me here in the first place?" I could tell that she was irritated. I should really stop pushing her buttons.

"I wanted us to be alone." I looked into her eyes to make my statement seem more authentic.

"Wha… I… you could've just told me to wait inside the class." She was flustered as she started speaking.

"Yes, that would've worked too." I nodded.

"Hey!? Don't give me that." She glared at me with a sharp tone. 

"Nevermind, you're following me, anyway. So let's just continue." I said, as we were already out of the school building and were now heading for the main gate.

"Ugh! I hate you… why can't you do something like a normal person for once." She sighed with much disappointment in her voice.

"Because… I'm not normal." I replied with a chuckle.

"So tell me now!" She stared at me with avidity in her eyes.

"Chill your horses, I'm coming to the point." I said and paused momentarily. "Where was I last time?"

"You said I had an inferiority complex against Koi-san" Her voice was way too restless. It was actually odd seeing her like this.

"Ah yeah… so you wanted to know why I say something like that?" I narrowed my eyes on her.

"Of course, Yes!" She shook her head up and down in affirmation.

"The fact that you're so desperate to know about these proves that my speculation was indeed correct." I chuckled.

"Wait… I….I never said it's correct." She averted her eyes from me, but her body language gave it away way too easily that she was lying.

"I wasn't asking." I said in a cold tone.

"Eh!?" Looks like my tone caught her off guard.

"So… you called yourself a weed, right?" I was trying to trigger her.

"Ahh… please don't remind me about that. It was really embarrassing." She shook her head and her cheeks were slightly tinted red.

"I'm sure, that by flower you were referring to Kizhashi-san, weren't you?" I continued as I looked at her.

"I… wasn't." Even her voice wasn't with her anymore.

"At some point you did, Don't lie to me." I said.

"I don't know." She replied vaguely, or rather in a way because she doesn't want to talk about it.

"I'm pretty sure that the triple date you went on with Kizhashi, you must have felt like a weed again, didn't you? Among all of them couples… those pretty girls… you're the unwanted one." I started my attack on her.

"No…" She tried to deny my claim but before she could say anything, I continued.

"You were just a replacement for Gaisen-kun." As those words left my mouth, there was a sudden change in her expression. It was more ferocious than before.

"Shut the fuck up!" She flipped me off, and somehow this time, she really meant it.

"See, if you weren't not ready to face the truth, then you shouldn't have asked me about this in the first place." I just said what I was thinking at that point.

"You don't know what you're talking about… don't pretend like you know me." She yelled at me in a high pitched voice.

"I'm just trying to help you." I looked at her in a confused way and showed her my palm as a gesture for her to stop.

"I didn't ask for your help! Did I!?" She continued.

"Calm down, Reina-san. You're not the type to lose your cool. Calm down for a bit." Her voice was getting us some looks from people around us. She didn't look at me, neither did she utter another word.

The walk continued in silence for some time before she broke the silence. "I'm sorry, if I'm overreacting." She said in a low voice.

"Listen, I don't know what has triggered your inferiority complex. It may, or may not be Kizhashi's presence… maybe it's something that happened in the past…" I was trying not to make her pissed off with my words.

"I don't want to talk about it. Can you just leave this matter?" She interrupted me midway and looked into my eyes. Her tone and her expression were more serious than usual.

"Listen, I will tell you one thing." I decided to leave that matter, but I had something in my mind.

"Mhm?" She was still staring at me. We were basically standing near the place from where both of us will head in our own directions.

"I have told you before and I will tell you again, you're good just the way you are. I love the Reina-san I see everyday. You may be a bit flawed, but that's just a part of you." I gave her a light smile.

"It's the same thing, again and again. Everyone says the same fucking thing!" She was again irritated.

"No matter how many times you fall, I will always pick you up. No matter what happens." I continued.

"I have a lot of people to pick me up if I ever fall. I don't need your support. Mind your own business." She looked at me with her plain dark eyes and said those words to me.

"If you want, you can stop talking with me. But you'll always be one of those people I really cared for." I sighed.

"Sh...shu...shut up! Leave me alone!" She was flustered by my words.

"I can stray away from you if you want, but I won't ever leave your side." I also stared into her eyes, but she averted it as those words my mouth.

"I… uh… I… um… Bye!" I could look at the colour of her cheeks getting redder as she gave me one last glare and ran in her direction.