CH 214

It appears that Kurumizawa-san has some sort of relationship with Ryuzaki.

I don’t know the details, but that could be a ray of light for me.

(If I can poke around here …, maybe I can talk some sense into her?)

For example.

<“You said you liked me, but maybe you really don’t. Maybe you like Ryuzaki more?>

It seems like the quickest way to find out.

Because it is so unnatural for Ryuzaki to be here right now.

(What is the god of romantic comedies thinking…?)

Not so long ago, you were all over me.

Now it seems as if she’s obsessed with someone other than me.

Because nothing has happened to me since yesterday.

To be precise, I might be able to describe it as since I met … Shiho again.

Anyway, there is no doubt that Kurumizawa-san’s heart is changing now, at least somewhat.

(Did Ryuzaki save her from an accident? …Then it’s not surprising that she’s involved in that guy’s next event.)

If that’s the case, then blame her there.

If I can get her to admit that she doesn’t like me, then this whole thing will go away.

I still feel guilty about Shiho, and I still have a history with my mother, but if I don’t have to face Kurumizawa-san’s love for me, I feel much better about it.

(I only love … Shiho, after all.)

I’m sorry to Kurumizawa-san, but I want to love only her.

Of course, I think Kurumizawa-san is attractive too. I would be lying if I said that my heart has not been swayed by her many times before.

But I’m just too clumsy.

If I felt sorry for her, even a little, I would not be able to truly love her.

So,

“Kurumizawa-san, did something happen between you and Ryuzaki?”

I ask frankly.

I’m sure this is probably the last thing that Kurumizawa-san would want me to mention right now.

“…”

As evidence of this is that she has turned completely pale.

I did not even take off my shoes at the entrance, but faced Kurumizawa-san and exchanged words with her.

“Tell me. What were you ‘doing’?”

It was as if her boyfriend was questioning her about her affair.

When I asked in such an atmosphere, she immediately became dismayed.

“Nah, there’s nothing … going on with Ryuzaki.”

It is obvious that she is lying and her eyes are constantly darting about.

I took advantage of this opportunity to further accuse her.

“If there’s nothing going on, why are you so agitated?”

“I-I don’t know.”

“… I don’t know why you’re trying to hide so much when there’s… something going on.”

Then I decide to cut more into it this time.

I tried to cut to the sharp edge of her heart to end the romantic comedy between me and her.

“Me and Kurumizawa-san aren’t dating, so it doesn’t matter what she’s doing with other boys.”

But … that one word was probably the worst thing I could have said.

“…Stop.”

Abruptly, she shook her head.

“Don’t say that.”

Her eyes were filled with large tears.

“Even I don’t know.”

She let me know that her mind is very unstable at the moment.

“I don’t … know why I’m feeling this way all of a sudden.”

I guess it is Kurumizawa-san who is more confused than anyone else about the current situation.

“I should like Nakayama.”

However,

“Why? I’m not such a light person… Why am I like this? I don’t know… This is not right…”

Now she probably feels as if someone has taken over her heart.

Maybe she has developed a liking for Ryuzaki.

(Quite the protagonist, isn’t he? … I don’t know what happened to him, but he’s easily capturing Kurumizawa-san.)

If I hit that spot, she will have no more excuses.

Her current statement is as good as a confession that her feelings for me are fading.

If that’s the case, blame her.

Make her admit that she doesn’t like me.

If I could do that, this story would be over.

The heroine, Kurumizawa-san, will drop out of the story and the curtain will close.

I know that.

I know that, but…

“…”

–I couldn’t do it.

Because now Kurumizawa-san has the same face as … those girls.

(Azusa … Kirari … Mary-san … and everyone else, the same.)

The girls who were once captivated by the main character Ryoma Ryuzaki, and the current Kurumizawa-san has the same face as those girls.

Her feelings are not reciprocated, they are trampled on, and she is still suffering from the fact that she likes him.

So I couldn’t say anything.

(This is impossible…!)

I can’t do it.

I can’t make a girl who is already hurting suffer even more.

But I wonder if he can do that.

(If Ryuzaki is … the real “protagonist-sama”, he would be able to give another answer here.)

In the end, though, I chose to keep my mouth shut because all I could do was torment her.

Ryuzaki might have been able to give a different answer.

For example…, he could have loved even Kurumiawa-san…

It would not be surprising if Ryuzaki could do it.

In other words, this boundary is the “threshold” that separates me and him.

(I guess ordinary people and protagonists are different after all.)

No matter how much I try, I can’t surpass the real protagonist.

That’s why I don’t have the power to move the story.

In other words, this romantic comedy will only progress … out of my hands now.

(I wonder if something will change by the end of the week)

And I can only watch from the sidelines, it seems…