For some reason, the saint of our school drops her façade when she's with me (GL) - Chapter 10

I asked the head chef to deliver the cake for me.

She probably wouldn’t have accepted it if I gave it to her directly.

With that thought, my Sunday passed in a blur of cleaning my room and studying for exams.

It’s typical of me to be inefficient, but I really wish I could manage my time better.

The next morning, when I arrived at school, the Saint was once again dazzling everyone with her radiant smile.

She glanced at me occasionally, but she didn’t seem as mad as I had expected, which was a relief.

As for the one who caused all this—my best friend—she showed up late during the third period, looking completely unaffected by the whole situation.

Not that she’d feel guilty even if she did remember.

By lunchtime, I went to the clubroom ahead of time, and a few minutes later, the Saint walked in.

“Sorry for suddenly taking the day off yesterday.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

I wanted to believe she wasn’t mad, but a small part of me hoped she was a little upset.

Women’s emotions are complicated.

I tried to read her expression, but she seemed relatively calm.

I felt relieved… and at the same time, a little disappointed.

As I was lost in thought, she suddenly locked the clubroom door and walked straight toward me.

Then, she grabbed my wrist, stood me up, and pushed me against the wall.

For the first time in my life, I experienced a real wall slam.

“You seem awfully close to Mizuki.”

“We’ve just been stuck together since middle school.”

“You’re being modest. I know you went out together over the weekend… and even linked arms.”

“That was just a joke! Mia was just messing around—”

Her sharp gaze locked onto me.

I was taller than her, yet somehow, her glare was terrifying.

“Suzuki, do you understand who you belong to?”

“I belong to myself.”

She sighed.

“Wrong. You belong to me.”

She said it so clearly.

So… definitively.

“Swear to me. You won’t do anything like that again without my permission.”

“I swear.”

“Really?”

“You’re being too suspicious.”

“Do you think I’m a troublesome woman?”

Normally, yes.

But the fact that I didn’t mind this situation at all told me otherwise.

“I think I’m just as troublesome.”

I told myself I wouldn’t fall in love.

That I shouldn’t. That she and I were just friends.

And yet, I wanted more.

A voice in my head told me it was dangerous.

If I tied her to me, I’d end up like my mother. I’d lose control.

I knew that.

And yet, I couldn’t stop myself.

I knew the answer already, but I was still resisting.

As long as I didn’t put a name to it, I could still pretend to run away.

“I promise. I won’t do anything like that again without your permission, Aizome.”

As soon as I said that, she held my gaze for a few seconds before sighing and stepping away, sitting down as if nothing had happened.

“Good.”

It seemed like she forgave me.

But we both knew the truth.

This wasn’t just friendship anymore.

She just hadn’t acted on it completely yet.

Which meant…

No, I shouldn’t overthink it right now.

“I made lunch. Let’s eat.”

I placed both her lunch and mine on the table.

She was silent for a moment before muttering,

“…Restraint is difficult.”

Whatever she meant by that, I completely understood.

“Suzuki.”

“What?”

“The cake was delicious.”

“Oh, good.”

“Why did you buy it?”

Why?

“…I thought you might like it.”

“So, you bought it for me?”

“Yeah.”

“You chose it, thinking of me?”

“If you put it that way.”

“…Then I forgive you.”

With that, she finally started eating her lunch.

“I was a bit too rough with you.”

“I don’t mind.”

“And I let my desires show too much. Did that bother you?”

“Like I said, I’m just as troublesome.”

That part… I probably inherited from my parents.

“If it’s you, Aizome, I don’t mind if you’re forceful.”

At those words, she paused for a moment before smiling slightly.

“It seems we’re too compatible.”

She wasn’t wrong.

“Let’s go out together after exams next week.”

Satisfied with her lunch and dessert, she casually suggested it as we relaxed during the rest of the lunch break.

“I don’t mind, but do you have time?”

“My lessons are just a way to kill time. Besides, I’ve wanted to go out with you for a while now.”

I didn’t dislike the idea, but…

“I hope it’s not somewhere expensive…”

“Do you think I’d expect that from you?”

“True… good.”

As a broke student, I wouldn’t be able to afford anything fancy anyway.

“There are a lot of places I haven’t visited before. I’m looking forward to your guidance, Suzuki.”

So, she wanted to experience things from my perspective, as a normal high school girl.

That sounded easy enough.

“First, I need to make sure I don’t fail my exams.”

“Didn’t you do just fine last time?”

“I’m not the most efficient, so I always have to work extra hard.”

I knew I wasn’t naturally smart, so I had to put in the effort.

And keeping my grades up was important for my future.

It wasn’t too early to start thinking about that.

“Then let’s study together at my place when possible.”

“Are you sure? You have work.”

“I wouldn’t mind tutoring you personally.”

If I were to overanalyze, I’d say she just liked being in control.

Still, I appreciated the offer.

“I’ll save my thanks for after the exams.”

It felt like she just raised the bar for me, but…

If I was going to spend time with her, I might as well put in the effort to make it worthwhile.

“By the Way, Do You Hang Out with Mizuki Often?”

“Do you hang out with Mizuki often?”

“Sometimes, I guess.”

Mia is someone who falls in love easily, so how often we meet varies.

Sometimes, she even prioritizes me over her girlfriends, but that’s pretty rare.

“I see.”

“Just to be clear, Mia and I are just friends.”

“I know. But Mizuki seems to act fast.”

So, she’s aware of my best friend’s bad habits.

“Was it last year? I saw her walking with a woman in her thirties.”

I really hope that woman wasn’t married.

“More recently, I heard she was dating a senior two years above us.”

“You sure know a lot.”

“I looked into it.”

Was it because of what happened with me?

If that was the reason, I hate to admit that I feel a little happy about it.

“Can I investigate you too, Suzuki?”

“You haven’t already?”

“I’ve finished most of my research.”

“So, it wasn’t even a question worth asking, huh?”

“That’s right.”

Well, I don’t really have anything to hide, so I guess it’s fine.

As I was thinking that, the Saint suddenly pulled something out of her pocket and placed it in front of me.

…A key?

What kind of key is this?

“What’s this?”

“It’s the key to my room.”

I barely stopped myself from choking on air.

“…You’re joking, right?”

“Of course.”

“Yeah, I figured.”

“I’ll give you that one someday, but this is for something else.”

She gestured toward the corner of the clubroom.

Looking closely, I noticed a safe that I definitely hadn’t seen before.

Ugh, how did I not notice that?

Then again, I had been a little distracted earlier, so I’d like to excuse myself for that oversight.

“If you truly want to know me, open it.”

So, something about her is inside that safe.

“I’d rather hear it from you directly.”

“Some things are difficult to talk about. But if you sleep next to me, I’ll tell you everything.”

“…I’ll think about it.”

“That’s a shame.”

Well, unlike her, I don’t have the money to hire a private investigator to dig into someone’s past.

Part of me is curious about what’s inside, but I’d rather take my time learning about her from her directly.

Maybe I’ll open it when the time feels right—or at the very least, before we graduate.

“By the way, what exactly is inside?”

“My private photo collection.”

I almost wanted to open it right away, but that’s definitely a lie.

It’s written all over her face.

“Kidding. Let’s just say I have a complicated position. I need to have a few precautions in place.”

She really loves saying things that make me curious.

“Anyway, it’s about time.”

I glanced at the clock.

Lunchtime was almost over.

It went by so fast.

As we cleaned up and left the clubroom, the Saint walked ahead toward her classroom.

I didn’t follow—walking together would just be a hassle.

Still…

The fact that I felt even a little disappointed proved how greedy I was.