After My Girlfriend Dumped Me, I Got Reincarnated As A High School Student. That Part’s Fine—But Why Are All My Ex-Girlfriends Here Too? - Chapter 37 – Stalker, Skirt and Caste

Yo, it’s me, Misumi.

I was thirty-five not too long ago, but somehow, I ended up seventeen again. There’s a bit of a stalker situation, but other than that, I’m just your average high schooler! Sparkle.

My biggest worry lately? Exams. Yeah, I’ve got someone tailing me, but forget that — today, I’m gonna study world history like a champ!

That’s right — right now, I’m living the normal high school life! Sure, I’ve got a stalker, but I’m all about studying, friendship, and youth!

Once exams are over and things calm down, maybe I’ll try joining a club.

…Even though I’ve got a stalker.

By the way, why do we call someone with no sense of pitch “tone-deaf,” but someone bad at sports “sports-deaf”?

Man, what a dumb joke… but hey, “deaf” only fits if it’s about being clumsy.

Anyway, maybe a culture club suits me better. Like the literature club, maybe. In my past life, I was in the manga research club, but why were those guys so noisy…?

Oh right — because the popular couples basically claimed the whole place. Yeah, I went once and decided I’d had enough.

Ah. There’s the stalker again.

Maybe I should go check out other clubs. Hopefully, there’s no stalker lurking around.

Haha, no way, right? It’s me we’re talking about!

“Hey! Can I finally comment on this!?”

“Oh my, talking about ‘coming’ first thing in the morning? How naughty.”

“Yuta. Please step outside for a moment.”

Wow, that’s the first time anyone’s ever said that to me. Is this… a confession? Oh. No? Figures.

Right now, I’m walking down the hallway with Rio. We’re heading somewhere quiet to talk about what happened earlier —like the stuff with Hiromi and, well, the gauze on my cheek.

“Anyway! The stalker!”

“Skirt? Yeah, I mean… short shorts are nice, but a long skirt has its own charm.”

“Are you trying to pick a fight? Because I’ll take you up on it.”

Hiii! Scary!

“…Yeah, she’s been there since this morning.”

“That’s all you’ve got to say!? Why are you so calm about this!?”

Oh, the stalker? Probably Shima.

Wait, no… Shima is there — but there’s someone else behind her.

Huh. The stalker’s glaring at Shima now.

“What, you didn’t know you had a stalker, Lio?”

“Stop calling me that! I sound like some random French pianist!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but that’s definitely an insult.”

“Which makes it worse!”

Still, a stalker, huh.

Oh hey — if you rearrange the letters in “social rank” in Japanese, it almost sounds like “stalker.”

“Can you please take this seriously for once!?”

“Hahaha, come on, it’s me! No way that’s real!”

“Except… she’s literally right there.”

Rio points toward her, and the stalker ducks behind the wall again.

Shima, on the other hand, doesn’t move an inch. She’s just smirking proudly.

It’s not a competition, you know…

“Do you recognize her?”

“Yeah. She sends me like a hundred messages a day.”

“I meant the other one!”

Ah… yeah. You could say I recognize her — more than enough, actually.

Alright, let’s do this.

I take a few casual steps forward, pretending not to notice, and when the stalker peeks her head out—

“Red Light!”

“Kyaa!?”

I spin around suddenly. She yelps and falls right on her butt.

“Oww… ah—!?”

“What are you doing?”

When I walk up to her, she tries to get up and run, but her legs give out and she freezes in place.

“Alright, Tama, you’re it next.”

“Not even close, and that’s creepy.”

Rio’s verdict: my impression of a certain bowl-cut elementary schooler = fail. Still, did she have to say it so bluntly? Ouch.

Anyway, I called the stalker “Tama” for a reason.

“What the hell are you doing, Tamai?”

Yep — my former childhood friend, Emi Tamai.

Her braided hair and shy, gloomy vibe scream “introvert,” and when I confront her, she looks away awkwardly.

First my ex-girlfriends, now my old childhood friends… What kind of world is this?

“I don’t remember giving you a reason to follow me around.”

When we met again in middle school, Emi’s attitude toward me had flipped completely. She ignored me when I tried to talk, avoided me when I got close.

And now she’s stalking me? Yeah right. That’s gotta be a joke.

“I-I wasn’t f-following you or anything! I was just, uh, passing by…”

“Oh yeah? Then why were you hiding behind that wall?”

“That’s…!”

“So, you do know her.”

“Well, yeah. She’s, uh… my ex-childhood friend.”

“…!”

Why’s she making that pained face?

You’re the one who decided to end it, remember?

I glare at her — she glares right back.

“Whose fault do you think that was!?”

Wow, she’s really mad.

“Hard to act righteous when you’re the one stalking me.”

“That’s not—! I just wanted to talk to you, but… I couldn’t find the right time, and… then it got awkward, and… so…”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it.”

I smile and gently put a hand on her shoulder.

“Kyaa!? H-Hey, Yuta!?”

“Let’s go to the police together.”

“No way!!”

Dang. I thought that was a solid punchline.

“‘Solid’!? That was terrible, Yuta…” Rio sighs.

“Why… didn’t you come see me!?”

“What—!?”

“I waited for you…! Me and Naoya both…!”

She blurts it out, then runs off.

I can’t chase her.

“Yuta…”

“It’s fine.”

No… it’s not fine. This really is my fault.

She really did wait for me. We grew up together like siblings — played house, even bathed together when we were little.

I never saw her that way back then, but we even promised to get married someday.

Then we went to different elementary schools, and before we knew it, that promise started to feel like a lie.

“Yuta!”

Is this really okay?

…Of course it isn’t!

I take off running.

Didn’t I promise I’d do everything I wanted in this new world?

“Emi!”

She wasn’t far — I caught up quickly.

“Is it too late now?”

“…!?”

“I know it’s sudden. But I’ve been regretting it too.”

“…It’s too late.”

“Then—”

“Hey! You kidding me right now!?”

Ugh… again?

Kawasaki.

He grabs me by the collar, eyes burning.

“Don’t you dare sweet-talk Emi after everything you did.”

That look in his eyes — it’s not the same as before. This isn’t about ego or frustration. He’s genuinely angry.

“It’s not like that.”

“Then what the hell is it!?”

He punches me again.

“Hey—Kawasaki!”

“Stay out of it, Emi!”

“…!”

She flinches and falls silent.

“See? I told you. He always resorts to violence.”

“Shut up! You—!”

“Go ahead, hit me as much as you want. If it makes you feel better, I’ll take it.”

“You’re insane!”

Another punch. And another.

“Stop! Please, stop!”

Emi screams, voice trembling.

“Please stop… I can’t watch this anymore.”

Her eyes glisten with tears as she glares at Kawasaki.

He freezes.

“Why…? You feel the same way, don’t you?”

“Of course I was mad at Yuta! But this—this isn’t right! This isn’t what I wanted!”

“You just didn’t want to back down. You threw the first punch, and because I didn’t fight back,
you got addicted to it.”

“Shut up!”

“Must’ve felt good, huh? Always taking your anger out on me.”

“You think this is my fault!?”

“You stopped visiting her! Do you even know how lonely she was!? I couldn’t do anything to help her,
and you—!”

“Yeah, I didn’t do anything.”

“Exactly—!”

“Because she never said anything!”

I headbutt him.

“You just hit and kicked without ever talking! What, you wanted me to read your mind!? Grow up!”

I return the favor with a solid body blow.

“Guh—!?
Then what, you think you’d have done something!?”

“How would I know? It never happened! Talking ‘what ifs’ won’t fix anything!”

“Then what—!?”

“We can’t change the past. But we can change now!”

There are things I can do now —things I couldn’t do before.

In my old life, it was too late. Kawasaki stopped talking to me. Emi drifted away.

But now… it’s different.

“Yuta…”

“E-Emi, don’t—”

“It’s fine. I’ll believe Yuta.”

“Wha—Emi!?”

“I don’t like guys who hit people.”

She glares coldly at Kawasaki.

“Th-that’s not what I— I was just—”

“For my sake? I didn’t ask for that.”

Kawasaki shrinks under her stare.

“Just… make up properly, okay?”

“…Tch.”

He looks away, biting his lip.

“Um, Yuta.”

He turns to me reluctantly.

“It’s ‘Yuta,’ actually.”

“Yuta?”

“Yes ma’am! I was joking, ma’am!”

Emi glares daggers at me.

“Here.”

I offer my hand.

He hesitates… then slaps it.

“You little—!?”

“Forget it! I’m not shaking hands with this guy!”

“Fine by me!”

Emi sighs and shrugs.

“Well, whatever.
Yuta! Let’s get along again, okay?”

She wraps her arm around mine.

Childhood friend, joined the party!

Wait, did I just hear a game announcer in my head?

“Hey, Yuta…? You didn’t forget I’m here, right?”

Shima’s dragging a toy sword behind her.

It’s… a toy, right?

At least it’s not a cleaver.

“Shima, real stalkers don’t announce themselves.”

“Well, you never noticed me!”

“I did actually notice you.”

“You did!?
Then were you just ignoring me!? Is this some kind of play!?”

“It’s not that kind of play!”

“Yuta… who is this person?”

“You don’t know? She’s your senior.”

“Huh? We’re the same year though?”

“Not what I meant…”

Eh, better not explain that one.