I Accidentally Saw Her Get Dumped — Now the Losing Heroine Senpai Won’t Stop Clinging to Me - Episode 3

—Yesterday was just a dream. Yeah, it had to be a dream.

Getting pulled into comforting a crying upperclassman who had just been dumped, getting way too close, sharing a weird, awkward conversation… then watching her walk away from the storage shed saying she was probably going to cry again.

All of it—a dream.

Stuff like that doesn’t happen to someone like me. I’m just a regular high school student. I’ve just been a little tired lately, and I must’ve had a weird dream. That’s all. Let’s go with that.

Trying to convince myself of that, I headed to my usual secret spot after school.

Behind the old school building, next to the storage shed.

Tall grass, a breeze, and the kind of quiet where no one ever shows up.

It’s my private oasis. No one else knows about it—

“Ah! Ayase-kun!”

…Huh?

“You’re late~!”

There she was. Shirakawa Chiharu-senpai.

Sitting right on the ground, holding a juice can, smiling at me like it was the most natural thing in the world.

She looked way more composed than she had yesterday.

So, it wasn’t a dream.

It wasn’t a dream at all…

“Wha—why are you… here?”

I asked, totally stunned. She scratched her cheek, looking a little bashful.

“Well, I don’t know… It just felt… calming. I guess I wanted to come back. Is… is that okay?”

Her voice trailed off a little at the end.

For someone so popular, she was surprisingly sensitive.

“N-not at all!! Not a problem!!”

I probably sounded ridiculous, but I honestly didn’t mind. I mean, as long as this wasn’t another emotional breakdown situation like yesterday, then I was totally fine with it.

“Phew, glad to hear that! Okay then—I’ll be intruding~”

I mean, you already are, but sure. Still, if it’s her, I guess it’s okay to share my secret spot… just a little.

“Want a drink? I bought two, just felt like it.”

“…Thanks.”

She handed me a lemon soda—fizzy, slightly sour.

“You like this kind of drink?” I asked.

Chiharu-senpai smiled brightly.

“Yeah! That fizzy feeling helps me reset, you know? And it’s not too sweet—just the way I like it.”

“Huh… I didn’t expect that.”

“I’ve gotta shake off yesterday’s feelings, right? Aha… ahahaha…”

“Ahaha…”

Her laugh was awkward, brittle. I found myself laughing with her… even though I didn’t really feel like it.

Honestly, it surprised me. I had always assumed she was more into sweeter stuff—like fruit milk or strawberry lattes.

Before I knew it, we were just chatting casually.

“Don’t you get sleepy during class?”

“All the time. Especially in physics—I’ve basically given up.”

“Right? I nearly fall asleep while writing equations!”

“I’ve literally stopped at just writing ‘y =’ before.”

“That’s so relatable~!”

We laughed, sipped our drinks, laughed some more.

And before I realized it, my usual quiet hideaway had become a little more lively than usual.

“Hey, Ayase-kun… would you say you have a lot of friends?”

“Not really… just normal, I guess.”

“I see. People always say I look like I have tons of friends, but… I actually don’t.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I mean, I’m always talking with people in class or during club activities, but it’s not like I have anyone I hang out with one-on-one after school. I guess people find me easy to talk to, but they don’t take me seriously.”

She rolled her juice can between her palms as she spoke, voice softer now.

“Being the ‘bright and bubbly girl’… gets exhausting sometimes.”

That hit me. Right in the chest.

Chiharu-senpai—she’s a school idol.

Bright, cute, friendly with everyone.

But maybe… that version of her is partly just an act.

“…But here, I feel like I can just be myself. That’s why I came.”

“…”

“Haah… I bet you’re thinking, ‘What the heck is up with this senpai? Yesterday and today, she’s all over the place!’ Sorry about that~”

She laughed, trying to brush it off.

If I were the protagonist of some high school rom-com, this would be where I’d say: “Not at all! I’m actually really glad I got to talk to you like this!”

But I’m not some protagonist. I’m just me.

“Really, thanks. Even after seeing me like that yesterday, you’re still talking to me like normal.”

“No… I’m actually kind of glad someone came to this place.”

It was the truth, even if it made me a little shy to admit it.

Senpai smiled—just a bit flushed—and let out a soft giggle.

By the time our juice cans were empty, the sun was already starting to set.

“Well then, I’ll come by again. Maybe tomorrow. If it’s a bother, just tell me, okay?”

“…No, I don’t mind.”

“Then it’s settled~!”

She waved lightly and walked off with her usual bouncy steps.

Watching her back disappear around the corner felt… a little nicer than it had yesterday.

And just like that, the strange, unexpected after-school time I shared with Shirakawa Chiharu-senpai—

Had only just begun.