My Best Friend is so Popular it's a Problem (BL) - Chapter 12
After school, Sora from the basketball club ran off to practice. Since Haruto and I weren’t in any clubs, we parted with Sora in the classroom and headed home together.
Normally, there’d be people coming from all over trying to invite Haruto somewhere, but today things were a little different.
From down the hallway, glances kept shooting toward us, like they were spying on us. Those stares stabbed into me all over, and it actually hurt.
“What’s wrong, Yuto?”
“Ah, no, it’s just…”
When I darted a glance down the hallway, Haruto made an “ahh, I see” face and gave a wry smile.
“Don’t worry about it. They’ll give up eventually. Right now, it’s just hard for them to accept that we became lovers. They’re curious. But eventually, they’ll get used to it.”
Slide.
…Twitch!
Haruto quietly reached out and rubbed my fingers like he was treasuring them.
That gesture—it was the kind you’d only do with someone you truly loved. My heart started to spin into confusion again.
No, this is an act! This is an act! An act—an act, I tell you!
Like chanting a spell, I kept screaming it inside my head. If I didn’t, I’d lose myself completely.
“You two really dating?”
“…Huh?”
The sudden words dropped from above. I jerked my head up. Looking down at me with a doubtful expression was Hatayama.
“Ah…”
Right, I remembered now. Hatayama had asked me before if I only thought of Haruto as a friend.
“…What?”
I must’ve shown that I remembered, because Haruto’s face turned sour. He looked between me and Hatayama with probing eyes.
“…What… Hatayama, do you like Yuto?”
“…Hah?”
“W-wait, what are you saying, Haruto!? That’s not it—”
“Then what is it?”
Both of them stared at me with suspicious eyes. Cold sweat dripped down my back. Why did I, the supposed helper, have to be the one panicking like this…?
So unfair…
“Yuto?”
“No… that’s not it. He asked me if I only thought of you as a friend, Haruto. And I answered that yeah, I did.”
When I explained, Haruto’s sour look only got even worse, and I panicked.
Uwaaaah. But—come on, I never thought he’d ask me to pretend to be his lover!
I couldn’t help it!
“B-b-but… there’s no way I could say I liked you! I thought it was just one-sided… and if Haruto found out, it would’ve been bad…”
Ugh, now I was sweating buckets. Why did I have to make such an embarrassing excuse!?
I felt completely drained…
When I glanced at them fearfully, Haruto’s cheeks were red as he smiled like he was happy (what acting skills!), while Hatayama just looked exhausted, like he’d been struck by something.
What kind of shame play is this? Please, spare me already…