After a short train ride, we’re on our way to school.
As we draw closer to our destination, the number of people on the sidewalk increases. Lots of fellow students in the same uniform now.

As we slipped into the crowd, I thought about Miyu.　
I quickly derailed the conversation earlier, but now what?

Miyu thinks that I haven’t noticed her committing untoward acts on the sleepy old me.
That girl, she’s what you’d call the cool type… No, the downer type, so she generally doesn’t speak much. Her facial expression rarely changes too.

Because of that, it’s hard to completely grasp what she’s thinking.
And that’s in spite of us being together for so long.

Additionally, she can be a bit air-headed and eccentric.
I once told her about this, and she clapped back, 「That’s just you.」
She can be harsh on me on some occasions, but that’s the good part.

Well, honestly, it’s not like I particularly hate or can’t stand her doing stuff to me while I’m asleep, not at all.
This much is still cute. Actually, it makes me a bit happy.

But if I continue ignoring this, things might gradually escalate. I’m a bit nervous about what she’ll do to me next. Kind of.

… No, no, no, wait, wait.
*Don’t hate her going stuff to me? Makes me a bit happy?* That’s not the super beauty mindset; that’s super pervert!

Not good; I need to keep a stiff upper lip.
Still, what is Miyu thinking… Is she just doing this as a prank or something?

Or does she perhaps, think of me… Nah, out of the question. Not with her usual attitude.

In the first place, we’re both girls now; we’re just friends.
If I had stayed as a boy, then cliched situations like, 「Kyaa, what’s that!」 「It’s a biology thing, I can’t control it!」 「Then what do we do about it?」 「Umm, that’s…」 might have still been possible, but now…

When I came to, I was walking by myself on the street right in front of school. Around me are all unfamiliar students.
No good, I was tripping on my own delusion.

In a panic, I searched for Miyu, and she, to my surprise, was considerably far ahead of me, walking together with some unknown girl. Since when?

Whenever I see Miyu talking to other people, it really makes me restless for some reason. Not just the men, but the women, too.

Miyu-cchi, as a beauty on par with me, is being targeted by snipers from all four directions.
It’s even a mystery how no one’s got her heart yet.

After (what looked to me like) flirting a lot with some other woman, Miyu stopped right before the school gates.
After waiting for me, she then spoke.

「Misaki?」
「*Mnwhat?*」
「What got you suddenly upset?」

She handed me a scrap of paper. What looks like some SNS ID was written on it.

「What’s this?」
「I was told to pass it on to you. *If you’re free, wanna message sometime?* Kinda thing.」
「*Ha?* From the girl earlier?」
「No, it’s from some other boy. Gave it to me yesterday; I forgot.」

*Haaaah.*
I spontaneously looked at the sky.
Ah, pathetic. Boys these days―can’t they even give their contact info in person?

「Tell him that he needs to do this kind of thing himself.」
「You’re hard to talk to, you know.」
「Me? Why?」
「The boys get too nervous. You’re cute, after all.」
「Like you’re the one to talk.」

I’m not as unsociable as Miyu. I generally welcome anyone wanting a chat.
On the other hand, Miyu has a strong *’Don’t talk to me, peon’* aura, so people don’t approach me much when I’m with her.

「Aren’t you Ms. Popular?」
「Well, I’m a super beauty, after all?」
「*Wow.*」

That was super monotone. If you don’t quip back, it’ll feel like I bombed the bit.
Had I replied *’Not at all,’* it could come off as being sarcastic, so I intentionally play it up. Being considerate of such minute details is what makes a super beauty.

「Misaki, don’t you have any plan of getting a boyfriend?」
「No, no, no, nah, never. I told you I was a boy before, didn’t I?」

Her face is practically saying, *’Not this crap again.’* At this point, it feels like she’s pitying me or something.
Every time I say that I was a boy, this is the immediate reaction.

「Hmph. So you like girls, then?」
「Ugh, ummm…」

Well, this is a troublesome question.
Actually, isn’t this a sensitive topic? I guess in this age, these kinds of issues need to be readily addressed?

Well, strictly at this point in time, I can’t really imagine doing the deed with men.

If Miyu had a wiener on her, then I might not be against a little gobbling―Hey, shut the f̲u̲c̲k̲ up, stop.

Still, for Miyu to bring up topics of this nature, that’s pretty unusual. Well, it’s really hard to answer, though. Time to misdirect.

「W-well, you know me, I’m a bit complicated and all. What about you, Miyu? You know, the boyfriend stuff…」
「… *Haaah*…」

She let out one of the longest sighs I’ve ever heard.
Eh, did I just say something *that* unbelievable?

It might just be because I answered her question with another question, but I am curious about Miyu’s thoughts. Extremely.
Without looking at my face, Miyu answered.

「Misaki, I… got a boyfriend.」
「… *Ho*?」

I ended up reacting like some senile grandpa.

「… What did you say just now?」
「A boyfriend, I got one.」

It was so sudden, I stopped.
Got me dancing with bad luck.¹

No, wait.
*You asked me about having a boyfriend, but you don’t plan to get one either, don’t you?*
I thought that was going to be the punchline.　

「So I… might have less time to be with you… Maybe.」

Miyu said with her face remaining downcast the whole time.

Huh, I wonder why?
For some reason, the three letters N-T-R popped into my mind.

From GB to NTR. Combined, NTRGB.² Wow, that sounds like a new gen GPU. Cool.

「R-really? *Hahaha*, never would’ve known～… Congrats～」

Well, sure, it isn’t like we’re dating, and I haven’t even confessed and gotten rejected by her, but…
I want to punch past me for being deluded enough to think that Miyu might have feelings for me.