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 9: I Think I Like Introverts

Lunchtime.

I grabbed some random bread from the school store and headed to the dim, quiet spot behind the stairwell to eat alone.

For some reason, I just wasn’t in the mood to sit next to Hiyori today.

Before returning to class, I peeked in through the window—a habit I hadn’t shaken.

And the moment I saw inside, my chest stirred uneasily.

Hiyori was surrounded by the extrovert crowd, laughing.

Ren Kurokawa. A regular on the soccer team, just as popular as Hiyori among both boys and girls—a smooth-talking, laid-back guy with dyed hair and a perpetually loosened tie. And despite the image, his grades were decent. One of those unfairly perfect types.

Right now, he was cracking jokes that had Hiyori laughing.

Haruto Soma. Basketball team’s ace and a total loudmouth. More noise than person, but not in an annoying way. He was fist-bumping Kurokawa and howling with laughter.

Daichi Nishina. Smart-looking, glasses-wearing newspaper club president. He wasn’t loud, but always delivered sharp, well-timed quips that got everyone laughing. He was smiling quietly now, probably saying something dry and cutting.

Then there were the three popular girls—Tachibana, Minamino, and Saeki. The usual extrovert lineup.

And in the center of it all—Hiyori.

She was laughing. Naturally, effortlessly fitting in with them, like she belonged there.

(…Yeah. She’s one of them, after all.)

That’s what I thought.

That was her real place. Laughing, talking, being liked by everyone.

She wasn’t someone who should be walking beside a guy like me.

Let’s be real—her dating someone from that crowd would make way more sense.

Just then, Hiyori noticed me and flashed me a bright smile.

She waved at me with a small motion.

…But I couldn’t move.

Instinctively, I looked away—and walked off.

***

Near the end of lunch break, I was the last to return to the classroom.

Hiyori greeted me with her usual smile and a gentle “Welcome back.”

But I only nodded vaguely, eyes downcast.

What the hell was I doing?

Still, I couldn’t bring myself to look at her properly.

***

After school.

Just as I grabbed my bag, hoping to get out before anyone else, a voice called out from behind me.

“Masato-kun, wait a second.”

It was Hiyori.

Once she confirmed most of the class had already left, she walked up to me, looking a little uneasy.

“You’ve been kind of distant today… Did something happen?”

“…Not really.”

Same old wall, same old answer.

But Hiyori didn’t give up. She looked at me seriously, her eyes locked on mine.

“Did I do something to upset you?”

“No. …I just saw something.”

“You saw… something?”

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

And once they did, I couldn’t cover it up—I had to continue.

“At lunch… I saw you laughing with the others in class.”

Her eyes widened slightly.

Then, she smiled gently.

“…Ah. I see.”

“That’s your world, right? Being in the middle of everyone like that. That’s where you belong.”

I said it like some bitter outsider.

But Hiyori only stepped closer, her voice soft and steady.

“…Masato-kun, I’m not going to drag you into that world.”

Those words stopped me cold.

“I want to come here—to the world where you are.”

Her voice was quiet, but unwavering.

No flash, no hesitation. Just her, standing there, saying exactly how she felt.

“…I’m not anyone special. Not popular. Not an extrovert.”

“I know.”

She answered immediately.

Then continued, without missing a beat.

“But that’s exactly why I like you.”

My heart skipped.

Oddly enough, it didn’t feel heavy—it felt lighter somehow.

“…What does that even mean?”

“Hmm, let me think.”

I realized—I’d never actually asked her why she liked me.

So, I asked.

And she gave me an answer so absurd, I almost laughed out loud.

“You know how people talk about introverts and extroverts?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Well, I don’t really get it, but… I think I just really like introverts.”

“…What?”

What is this sunshine girl even talking about?

Sure, there are extroverts who are kind enough to accept introverts.

Maybe we call them the true extroverts.

But the girl in front of me—Amano Hiyori?

Apparently… she likes introverts.

…That makes no sense.

“I mean, don’t you think there’s something cool about people who have that ‘quiet depth’
vibe?”

That’s not a real explanation, I thought.

But I couldn’t stop the corners of my mouth from twitching upward.

Hiyori saw it and grinned even wider.

“See? You smiled just now!”

“…I did not.”

“Liar~! But I love that kind of quiet smirk, too. It’s totally my thing~!”

The whole conversation was ridiculous.

And yet—deep in my chest, something warm had started to spread.