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 3 – Can a Loner Embrace Their Cringe Past?

After school.

“Hmm hmm hmmm~♪”

Walking beside me, humming happily, was none other than Hiyori Amano.

This was the second time I’d walked home with her—counting last time.

She’s in the track team, but they have Wednesdays off.

Me? I’m proudly in the Go-Home-Right-After-School Club.

Yesterday, she sent me a message:

“Let’s walk home together tomorrow, darling ♡”

…Yeah.

I might’ve blushed at home reading it.

Alone.

No one needs to know that. Ever.

It was clearly just playful teasing, but the fact that even a small part of me took it seriously…

Pathetic. I’ve gotta toughen up.

It’s been a week and a day since we “started dating,” but if you’re asking whether I’ve gotten used to it yet—nope.

Not even a little.

If anything, I’m getting more nervous by the day.

Our conversations are still super one-sided—

I’ll barely say one awkward line, and she’ll react like I told the world’s funniest joke three times over.

Even now, we were walking in silence.

Hiyori didn’t seem bothered at all.

She just strolled along, swinging her tote bag, occasionally humming.

She created this vibe where silence felt comfortable, and honestly, I appreciated that.

But for someone like me—someone not used to being around others—it was anything but comfortable.

The silence was suffocating. I couldn’t take it.

(Say something… anything… A topic! Come on, brain… Wait, I’ve got nothing!!)

No shared hobbies.

Different clubs.

Our social circles—if you can even call mine that—are complete opposites.

…Let’s be real. I don’t have any friends. Ha.

Even so, Hiyori kept walking beside me.

She even matched my pace.

What is she doing?

What does she want from me?

I mean, this is a punishment game, right?

So, I shouldn’t have to try so hard.

At least, that’s what I told myself—

Until a long-forgotten memory suddenly resurfaced.

My cringe-filled past.

No—my jet-black history.

***

Back in middle school, I was deep into my “character creation” phase.

I used to fill notebooks with magic spells, sword abilities, and special equipment.

I’d rank them by rarity, create custom activation triggers, and design elaborate backstories.

No one ever saw them.

I fully planned to take those secrets to the grave.

And yet—

“…I used to write notebooks full of magic sword lore.”

I said it.

It just slipped out.

Or maybe I was looking for an escape from the silence and ended up stepping on my own landmine.

My brain had basically overheated and crashed.

“Wait, really!? Magic swords? What were they like!?”

She latched on immediately.

Hiyori looked at me with genuine curiosity lighting up her face.

Well, yeah. I did finally say something out of nowhere, so I guess she couldn’t help but get interested.

Still—

Her eyes were sparkling way too much.

…Wait, hold on.

Wasn’t this the part where she was supposed to cringe and back off?

Oh well.

Guess I’ll lean into it.

I’ll go full cringe-mode and push her away!

“U-Uh… So… My right hand was possessed by the ‘Sealed Black Flame,’ and…”

“That’s so cool!”

She said it immediately.

With literal heart-eyes.

Cool?

THAT was cool!?

You’re telling me that line didn’t make me sound like a total nutjob?!

“And what was the sword called?”

Hiyori asked, eyes wide with excitement.

“…Black Fang of Judgment.”

“That’s amazing!!”

She yelled it. Like, really yelled it.

Her excitement was off the charts.

I thought she was going to skip right into a telephone pole.

“‘Judgment’ is such a perfect touch! Like, you’re not fighting for justice or anything, just passing judgment with a black fang. It’s peak edgy fantasy—so emotional!”

(‘Emotional’…? What kind of taste is that…?)

She said it with such a straight face that it just made it more embarrassing.

I never imagined someone would shine a spotlight on my cringe history like this.

No, not a spotlight—this felt like a pilgrimage. A worship session.

“And? What was the sword’s ultimate attack? You totally made one, right? You had to!”

“…Unlimited Death Catastrophe: The Black Annihilation Waltz.”

“…Aaaaaaaah! I can’t! I love you!!”

Wait—

Did she just say she loves me!?

She definitely said it again!

You’re telling me…

That of all things got her that excited?!

How does that even happen?!

Hiyori blushed and smiled like she was truly happy.

Meanwhile, my brain had crashed again.

I just kept walking, expressionless, unable to process the emotional overload.

Right next to me, Hiyori kept talking nonstop:

“Masato-kun, you’re so good at building worlds!”

“You’ve got such an amazing imagination!”

“I want to read that notebook!”

Then she even added:

“If Masato-kun wrote a fantasy novel, I’d read the heck out of it!”

(…She’s not trying to stomp on my landmines…)

(She’s… hugging them??)

Why?

Why is she treating something I should be ashamed of—

something people would laugh at—

like it’s precious?

If this is a punishment game,

she’s being way too kind.

And if it’s not—if she’s acting—

then her performance is so good that it’s making my heart waver.

…Am I really just being tested?

Or maybe—

What if that smile of hers… isn’t a lie at all?

(…Trusting someone is scary.)

And yet, for some strange reason—

My heart felt just a little warmer.