For some reason, the saint of our school drops her façade when she's with me (GL) - Chapter 8

After spending some time reading, I realized it was about time to head out. I got ready and left the house.

I had sent a message to Mizuki, but I knew she wouldn’t read it until we met in person. It was just a precaution.

After all, my best friend was terrible with time management and not a morning person.

Some might call it a laid-back genius personality, but the reality was that she was so fundamentally unfit for structured life that she shouldn’t be making plans in the first place.

Honestly, I worried about what would happen after she graduated high school—assuming she actually graduates.

With her low attendance rate, the possibility of repeating a year was very real.

That being said, I knew from our long years of friendship that, aside from that issue, there was nothing to worry about.

She was incredibly sharp and far more capable than me.

Even with her awful dating habits, I had no doubt she’d somehow drift through life with ease, effortlessly dodging obstacles.

Meanwhile, my future was far more uncertain.

My grades hovered somewhere in the middle—not great, not terrible.

I didn’t have any particularly outstanding talents, either.

If I had to name a skill, I was decent at cooking and household chores—but there were thousands of people better than me at both.

I wanted to continue my studies, but I didn’t want to burden my uncle financially.

Would it be possible to save up money during high school and balance multiple part-time jobs while attending university?

It would be tough, but it was something I needed to seriously consider.

Or perhaps, I should skip college altogether and get a job.

Either way, I needed to have a solid plan by my senior year.

Setting aside my anxieties about my low specs and uncertain future, I arrived at Mizuki’s house, which wasn’t far from our school.

It was also close to my uncle’s old place, so I was very familiar with the area.

A Little Flashback

Back when I was in third-year middle school, my uncle was transferred to another prefecture.

Originally, I had planned to move with him, but since I had already decided to attend my current high school, and because my uncle didn’t want me to leave my friends behind, I ended up staying.

The apartment I lived in was managed by one of his acquaintances, which meant cheaper rent, so there was no reason for me to refuse.

The truth was—

I had wanted to follow him.

I still felt like I owed him so much, and deep down, I had been far more dependent on him than I realized.

But my uncle, knowing this, had gently pushed me toward independence, saying that it would be better for my future.

He made the choice for my sake.

The least I could do was live up to that expectation.

In the end, I had settled into living alone, and honestly, with so many of my uncle’s acquaintances nearby, I rarely ran into trouble.

That said—

Every once in a while, nights alone felt a little lonely.

But I supposed that was just me being selfish.

At Mizuki’s House

Mizuki’s house was a fairly large standalone home.

I had visited many times, yet I still felt a bit tense every time I stood at the door.

It wasn’t because of her family—they were fine.

It was because someone inside always jumped on me the moment I walked in.

“Oh, Sachan! Are you here for Mizuki?”

“Yes, hello, Auntie. I came to pick her up.”

“Sorry about this. That girl is still asleep—come on in.”

Mizuki’s beautiful and cheerful mother welcomed me with a gentle smile, though her tone was filled with exasperation at her daughter’s laziness.

I secretly admired her—but that was my little secret.

“Woof!”

Uh-oh.

The moment I heard the bark, my body tensed.

And then—

I was tackled from the side.

A large, enthusiastic mass of fur slammed into me, panting excitedly.

“Stay, stay!”

“Woof! Waff waff!”

Yeah—this wasn’t working.

The giant culprit was none other than Mizuki’s family dog, Inunuwan—the household’s self-proclaimed guard dog.

Yes, the name was exactly as ridiculous as it sounded.

Apparently, Mizuki’s mother had named him.

I had many questions, but I had learned not to ask.

“Hey, Inunun, stop that!”

“Whimper…”

The dog, who had been all over me a second ago, immediately softened under Mizuki’s mother’s command.

He definitely saw me as beneath him—

But the bigger problem was that every time I visited, he physically licked me, leaving my hands disgustingly wet.

“Auntie, can I use the sink?”

“Of course, sorry about that.”

“I’m used to it.”

While Mizuki’s mother distracted Inunuwan, I hurried inside and washed my hands.

“Huh? Sachan?”

As I was drying off, a familiar voice called out—

It was Mizuki’s older sister, Mizuho.

She ruffled my hair as she walked by.

“Mizuho-nee, are you off today?”

“Nope, I’ve got a club meeting. You’re here to pick up that idiot, huh? Sorry for the trouble.”

“I’m used to it.”

Mizuho-nee had always been mature, but ever since she started university, she had gained this effortless elegance.

She had always seemed like an adult, but now, every little movement of hers felt refined.

While I was pondering the mysteries of natural allure, I chatted with her for a bit before heading upstairs.

I knocked on the far corner bedroom door—

No response.

I knew she wouldn’t wake up, so I let myself in.

Sure enough, my best friend was still sound asleep.

“Mizuki, it’s morning.”

“Mnyaah… just… one hundred and twenty thousand more years…”

“Stop quoting anime songs.”

I yanked the blanket off and rolled her onto the floor.

Still, she didn’t wake up.

As always, I had to dress her myself.

And, as always, I felt a deep resentment as her oversized chest jiggled in the process.

Completely oblivious to my quiet suffering, Mizuki let me change her without resistance.

Then, just as I was about to drag her out—

Her eyes finally opened, and she grinned mischievously.

“Yukie, I can totally feel the love vibes coming from you~!”

I smacked her.

And I had zero regrets.

Mizuki, ever the annoying best friend, was poking at me with an exaggerated “Eii eii!”.

“You seem to be in a good mood. Something good happen yesterday?”

“Fufufu~ Feast your eyes upon this!”

Mizuki whipped out her phone and proudly showed me a screenshot.

“Ah, so you finally got that one.”

“Exactly! And on a single pull! Isn’t that amazing?”

Apparently, she had pulled a high-rarity character she had wanted in a mobile game—on a single try.

That explained her over-the-top enthusiasm.

“Nothing beats the brain-melting dopamine rush of getting a rare pull as a free-to-play player~.”

“I get it, but still.”

Then, suddenly, Mizuki gave me a curious look.

“Speaking of which, did something happen to you yesterday?”

“What makes you think that?”

She tapped her chin, thinking for a moment before answering.

“Hmm… At a glance, I’d say 30% happiness, 20% confusion, and 40% pure maidenly feelings.”

“And the last 10%?”

“That’s a se~cret!”

She winked dramatically, holding up a single finger near her eye.

Seriously—where did she learn to be so effortlessly flirtatious?

“So, so?”

“Hmm… If I had to say, I found a really good part-time job.”

“Ohoho?”

“And I happened to run into someone my uncle knows.”

“I see, I see.”

“And… well, it might actually be kind of fun.”

I left out everything else—the dream, the lingering feelings, all of it.

Because I knew she’d tease me to death.

“Hmm… then maybe I imagined it~.”

“Imagined what?”

“That I totally sensed love vibes coming from you.”

“You’re still going on about that?”

“I’m sure I wasn’t imagining it.”

If we were talking technicalities, I supposed it wasn’t entirely wrong.

I did like the Saint—she was intriguing.

For once, I didn’t find the idea of being involved with someone to be exhausting.

She was also ridiculously attractive, and I did enjoy seeing the little expressions she only showed me.

I liked making her food, and I wanted to see her natural, unguarded smile more often.

And, okay—sometimes my heart did weird things around her.

But that didn’t mean it was love.

And as for that dream from this morning?

Uhhh… yeah, that’s fading away now.

“Well, Yukie, you always try to hide these things, so I know I’m right.”

“I’m not hiding anything.”

“Reeeally?”

“Really, really.”

And no, it was not because I was afraid Mizuki would snatch her away the moment I admitted it.

“Relax~ I wouldn’t steal my best friend’s crush.”

“But didn’t you date Mikako’s girlfriend at the same time back in middle school?”

Mizuki froze for a second—then gave me a completely deadpan expression.

“…I have no memory of that event.”

Oh, I remembered it just fine.

That horrible mess of a love triangle.

And how Mikako immediately moved on to another guy after all that drama.

Some people really were built differently.

Mizuki, in particular, had a talent for emotional gymnastics that I completely lacked.

“Well, in any case, I’m happy for you.”

“About what?”

“That you’re finally capable of experiencing romantic feelings.”

“That’s not confirmed yet!”

“But you’re interested, aren’t you?”

I couldn’t deny that.

“Listen, if you do like someone, you shouldn’t hesitate.”

“I don’t do that sort of thing.”

Even if—

Even if I really did like the Saint that way—

Even if I started seeing her in a romantic light—

I shouldn’t fall in love.

Because if I did—

I would end up like my mother.

Clingy. Overbearing. Possessive.

Someone who couldn’t handle being abandoned.

Someone who would destroy herself—and the person she loved—if they ever left her.

I didn’t want to become that kind of woman.

Mizuki must have understood my hesitation because she gently patted my back.

“I get it, Yukie. You’re scared. You don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“…”

“But what if—just what if—the person you love feels the same way?”

“What if they’re someone who won’t make you hold back? Someone who’ll love you just as much?”

“Wouldn’t it be okay to try—to take a little risk?”

I wasn’t so sure.

Love wasn’t something I could selfishly push onto someone else.

“And besides.” Mizuki smirked.

“I guarantee that whoever you fall for is gonna be just as much of a handful as you are.”

“Based on what?”

“A maiden’s intuition!”

That was completely baseless, but coming from a serial heartbreaker, it had way too much credibility.

For a moment, the Saint’s face flashed through my mind.

Would she really accept me?

Would she be okay with someone like me—someone complicated?

I quickly shook my head to clear my thoughts.

Even if—just if—my feelings turned out to be real.

Even if she did return them.

Would I ever have the courage to say it out loud?

I still believed I shouldn’t fall in love.

That wouldn’t change.

But the thought of her disappearing, just like in my dream—

That—

That terrified me.

So, whether I confessed or kept it buried, the first step would be—

Figuring out how I really felt.

“Hey, hey, Yukie. That girl over there is cute—mind if I go hit on her?”

“You completely ruined the mood, Mizuki.”

I had wanted her to stay serious for once.

But then again— This was Mizuki.

I should have known better.