A Popular Girl Confessed to Me, the Loner—Thinking It Was a Prank, I Tried to Scare Her Off... But She Was Actually Serious. - Chapter 2 – Love Doesn’t Need a Reason

In the end… I ended up going out with her.

With Hiyori Amano. The beautiful, extroverted queen of the class.

We even exchanged contact info.

Her icon was a cat.

(Even if this is a prank, it hits way too hard…)

I couldn’t stop the paranoid thoughts—

“This contact was probably made just for the sake of the prank.”

“They’re still messing with me.”

But… even so—

She messaged me. Sent me stickers. Reached out like it was nothing.

Even if all of it was scripted, part of some elaborate setup, or just another extrovert joke…

—I was happy.

And that alone made me feel like I’d already lost.

Like I was dancing in the palm of her hand.

I knew it, and I still couldn’t resist.

Can you blame me? This was the first time in my entire life someone told me they liked me.

And not just anyone—Hiyori Amano, the girl at the very top of the school social pyramid.

But still—

A part of me couldn’t let go of the idea that it was all some elaborate joke.

Which meant… I was still in the middle of a “test.”

Fine, then. The game’s still on.

Time to double down on my cringe loner act today too.

***

The next day, I walked into the classroom to find Hiyori Amano already at her desk.

Right next to mine—same as always.

The moment she saw me, her face lit up and she waved with a big, cheerful smile.

A few students snickered and let out teasing little “Oooh~”s, but Hiyori didn’t pay them any mind.

If anything, she looked proud.

“Good morning, Masato-kun!”

“Good morning” my ass.

People like her don’t greet people like me with a smile.

That’s just… not how the world works.

I placed my bag on the desk, pulled out my chair, and sat down—without looking at her.

Hiyori, unfazed, casually started shuffling snacks into a smaller pouch from her bag beside me.

Just doing her thing, totally normal.

This atmosphere…

It doesn’t feel like a prank at all.

It’s almost too normal.

It’s me who’s overthinking and awkward now.

***

After school.

Class had ended, and I was getting ready to head home, backpack slung over my shoulder—
when Hiyori walked up beside me like it was the most natural thing in the world, and peeked into my face.

“Hey, hey! Club’s off today, so let’s go home together!”

Her voice was bright and sunny.

She said it with this pure, sparkly energy that screamed “I’m not hiding anything!”

I could feel everyone staring.

The guys were sneaking glances.

Even the girls in her group were watching us and smiling for some reason.

(Alright. Here it comes. Time for my Loner Mode to shine.)

I deliberately turned my head away, acting cold, and muttered:

“…Huh?”

There it was.

I said it in a deadpan voice, didn’t look at her, even added a hint of disgust.

Any normal person would shrink back after that.

This has to work.

(Yep, she’s gonna flinch now… Got her.)

I silently celebrated.

Perfect move.

There’s no way someone like her would fall for someone like me.

This is just a game—

And I’m going to make her realize that.

“…That distant vibe is exactly what I like about you.”

“…Huh?”

Now I was the one frozen.

Hiyori blushed and clasped her hands near her chest.

Her eyes sparkled.

“It’s like… when I try to get close, you slip away like a cat. It’s cute.
But you don’t completely run away either… it’s kind of sweet.”

“……”

Stop.

Please stop.

I’m doing this seriously.

I’m going all in on the awkward loner thing.

Not to be complimented. Not to make you blush.

Why are you smiling?

Why are you happy?

This isn’t how it’s supposed to go.

You’re glitching, aren’t you??

“Let’s go? Together?”

She tugged gently on the sleeve of my uniform.

I didn’t reply, just stood up.

But she smiled like nothing was wrong and started walking.

…Is this what it means to be “dating” someone?

No, no, no.

We’re just pretending, right?

This isn’t real yet.

It’s way too soon to trust her.

Still, when I saw her walking beside me with that happy smile…

something inside me stirred, just a little.

***

On the way home.

As we walked toward the train station, Hiyori chatted the whole time.

About tomorrow’s classes.

Her favorite kind of bread.

Just everyday stuff.

I didn’t say much.

Didn’t even nod. Just kept walking silently.

But she didn’t seem to mind at all.

She carried the silence like it was something comfortable—

And that somehow annoyed me even more.

How do you even crack someone with this level of unbeatable positivity?

And yet… before I realized it, I opened my mouth.

“…Are you serious about this?”

Hiyori stopped walking and turned to look at me.

I didn’t meet her gaze.

It felt like something would break if I did.

“You really… like me?”

A soft breeze passed between us.

Hiyori paused for just a second—

Then spoke, clearly and without hesitation.

“Yeah. I’m serious.

…Because love doesn’t need a reason, right?”

There it was again—that look on her face like she’d take in everything, no matter what.

It’s not a look meant for someone like me.

It should be directed at someone more outgoing, more exciting, more… normal.

(Is she… really serious?

But I’m just… me.)

(…So why… does that make me happy?)