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 42: Words Deserve Words

Lunchtime.

Surrounded by the usual hum of voices in the classroom, I sat by the window, staring blankly outside.

Hiyori had already left her seat—said she had a meeting for the track team.

She left her lunch, still wrapped, on the desk. Normally, she’d be right next to me. But today, her presence was just… missing.

(…It’s nothing. Or at least, I want to believe that.)

And yet, just for today, I couldn’t seem to settle down.

Even the rustling of the leaves in the breeze felt louder than usual—like it grated on me.

(I don’t think it’s a punishment game anymore.)

(I’ve known for a while now… that Hiyori’s “I like you” was real.)

But still—

(Even now, those words… are smoldering somewhere deep in my chest.)

Being with Hiyori had become the norm.

“Good morning” in the morning. “Let’s eat” at lunch. “See you tomorrow” on the way home.

All of it had become easy, natural to say.

But “I like you”…

I had never once said it from myself.

—That confession.

It was so sudden that I completely blanked out.

I doubted her. Thought it was a joke. Put up walls.

Even so, Hiyori kept stepping toward me, again and again.

And that’s how we got to where we are now.

(And yet, I still—)

Her thermos, left on the corner of the desk, gave a tiny tremble.

It was like it was asking me, “Have you really noticed?”—and I looked away.

“…The one who hasn’t said it… is me.”

I muttered under my breath—right as the classroom door opened.

Nishina walked in, a notebook tucked under his arm, heading for his seat with his usual unreadable expression.

For some reason, I called out to him without thinking.

“Hey, Nishina. You working on something?”

He blinked in mild surprise, then gave me a faint smile and answered in his usual calm tone.

“Yeah. Got asked to write a column. Something about ‘The Power of Words.’”

“…The power of words, huh.”

I found myself saying it before I even realized.

“Don’t you think… words are kind of scary?”

Nishina came to a stop, then looked at me with narrowed eyes and a quiet smile.

“People who say words are scary… usually already have their answer.”

“…Huh?”

“There’s something they want to say. Something they want to return. But they’re afraid—of how the other person will take it, of what might change. So they stay silent. …Am I wrong?”

His words pierced straight through me.

It felt like he could see right into my heart.

“But listen, Manabe.”

“…Yeah?”

“If you received something through words, then you should return it the same way—no matter how long it takes.”

With that, Nishina walked back to his seat.

And I was left there, alone in my thoughts.

(Return it… with words.)

Something that had been smoldering quietly in my chest suddenly took shape—loomed large.

I thought I was “doing okay.”

I thought I was treasuring Hiyori. Supporting her.

But maybe it was all just in my head.

(Hiyori told me she liked me. Honestly. With words.)

When I got back to my seat, Hiyori had already returned.

“I’m back~,” she said brightly.

I responded like always,

“Welcome back.”

But deep inside, something had already been decided.

—This time, I’ll say it. For real.

Even if things fall apart… I want her to know how serious I am.

For that “I like you” she gave me that day…

I’ll return it—with words of my own.

Because that’s the only way I know how to truly face her.