CH 63

Faced with the erotic books that poured out of the torn bag, everybody was at a loss for words.

“…T-These were brought by Hasumin, right? W-Why these books…?”

Akarin voiced her question, clearly in a state of shock.

Mihorin was red up to her ears, covering her face with her hands and staring at the books that had fallen on the floor through the gaps in her fingers.

“U-Umm… T-That’s…”

Hasumi’s face was pale as a sheet and her body was trembling.

Her breathing was rough and erratic, and she looked as if she might collapse at any moment.

(This isn’t good…)

I’ve experienced this atmosphere before.

Both Hasumi and I might even go so far as to call it a traumatic experience: “a bone-chilling atmosphere.”

The feelings of guilt, brought about by ruining a pleasant atmosphere.

Then, being seen by others as a weirdo and watching them distance themselves from you.

Their gazes becoming a barbed needle, piercing into one’s heart and eating away at their life, never to be forgotten.

―Before I could even think, my lips started moving.

“I… made Hasumi bring it.”

“―Ehh?!”

When they heard my words, Shiorin and her friends shifted their gazes to me in astonishment.

This is a good start.

I have to protect Hasumi from any strange gazes at all costs.

She’d gone to great lengths to befriend these girls, so there is no reason she should have to go through being ostracized by them just because of my own actions.

Without any friends, Hasumi coming to school would probably wear down on her nerves a ton.

Even if she were to try and politely explain herself, she’d only get looks of “you brought an erotic book to school.”

Surely even Shiorin and her friends would distance themselves from Hasumi, one way or another.

That’s why, to fool everybody… I must provide a clear motive.

Instead of it being Hasumi’s own will, I will make it seem as if I was the one who directed her into doing this.

I will provide them with clear evidence showing that “Hasumi couldn’t go against him…”

I tried to put on the sleaziest look I could muster and sneered.

“Ahh~, even though it was so fun ordering you around so that others wouldn’t find out. This is your fault for not preparing a sturdier bag, you know, Hasumi?”

Shiorin and the others had bewildered expressions as they watched me speaking in an amused manner.

“W-What do you mean?! Explain!”

Shiorin asked me this with a bead of sweat running down her cheek.

I could already see hostility towards me in her eyes.

Continuing my act, I laughed contemptuously as I replied.

“Hasumi is a gloomy and antisocial person whose only friend is me. She won’t say no to anything ‘cause she doesn’t want to be disliked by others. How about you give it a go, Shiorin? This girl will do anything you ask her to do. Surely all that idol work must be pilling up loads of stress on your back, so you could even use her as an outlet―”

―Slap!

Shiorin slapped me on my cheek.

I felt a sharp pain in my cheek, and my glasses got dislodged.

“You’re the worst! You scum!”

Shiorin had tears welling up in her eyes.

“That scary-looking friend of yours, that fridge filled with alcohol… I was a little skeptical, but it turns out you are the worst of the worst. You even forced Hasumin to do something like this.”

Akarin, who always had a smile on her face, was now glaring at me as if I were garbage.

I guess she doesn’t see me as a fan anymore.

That’s why she could make that kind of expression.

“Hasumi-san, you’re safe now. It’s okay… Calm your breathing, you don’t have to be scared anymore.” Mihorin said, tightly hugging the flustered Hasumi. She seems to think I’m threatening her and that she’s scared.

“Ah… ah…”

Hasumi’s mouth flapped open and closed repeatedly, but she couldn’t get any words out.

I guess her mind must still be blank.

But the fact that she isn’t telling the truth is also a good thing.

“I’m too scared to use that studio now; I don’t know what you’ll do to me! The fact that I used the showers is revolting too!”

Shiorin thrust the studio’s keycard back at me, almost straight up throwing it.

Her eyes were just like Akarin’s: cold and contemptuous, as if she were looking at a criminal.

They must’ve been shocked by my betrayal since they had trusted me after all the practice sessions.

Shiorin and the others glared at me one last time, then grabbed Hasumi by the arm and took her away.

―Just then, Rinka arrived at the back of the school building with a guilty look on her face.

“Sorry for being late! Everybody’s already her―”

“Rinka-sama, you mustn’t involve yourself with that kind of trash anymore! Let’s go!”

“O-Oi?! Why, what’s going on?!”

Rinka, who arrived late, was caught and taken away by Shiorin and the others.

Well, I’m just glad she didn’t see me like this.

(With this… there should be no problem…)

Hasumi thought about me and brought a book just for me.

Although she was clumsy, she wholeheartedly tried her best and gave it her all.

No matter what book she brought for me, I didn’t want her sentiments to instead cause a new traumatic experience for her.

I was the fundamental root cause of her actions, and it was my fault that the books she secretly brought fell in front of Shiori and the others.

This was the only way to cover for Hasumi completely and avoid exposing her to any strange gazes.

Now alone, I stuffed the erotic books in my bag and went back home.

Author’s notes:

Hopefully the misunderstanding gets cleared up one day…

By the way, the act of circulating harmful books and literature to young people is a violation of the law.

If the school found out about it, it could have resulted in Hasumi’s disciplinary action or the suspension of Hasumi Bookstore’s business, so Ritsuki took the blame.

It’ll be explained in the main story in due time, though.