The Silent Me Who Talks on the Phone at Midnight with the Class’s Most Beautiful Honor Student - Chapter 3

The Bath and the Injury

“Um, I’m the one who should apologize for suddenly DMing you like that.”

“No, no, I’m happy you did. Actually, just before this, I was talking to someone else through #TsuboTalk, but the conversation didn’t really go anywhere. It kind of just turned into a counseling session for their problems…”

After I said that, her voice went quiet for a moment.

“Hmm… Was that person a girl?”

“Eh? Yeah, she was.”

“I see… I get it.”

What’s going on? Her tone just dropped way down all of a sudden.

“That’s why I wanted to talk with you, Yossy.”

“Eh… really?”

“Of course. I was happy when your DM came.”

“Then I’m glad I sent it!”

Her mood instantly shot back up. Wait—could it be that she’s… jealous? No way. That can’t be it, right?

“Yossy, sounds like you were busy today.”

“Yeah, not that I had tons of plans or anything. I just… took a long bath.”

“O-oh, a bath, huh…”

Man, I really want to smack myself for saying earlier that I could “talk as a different person.” The moment the word “bath” came out of Yossy’s mouth, my brain immediately connected Yossy with Sakura—and suddenly, Sakura taking a bath appeared vividly in my head.

No, this is beyond my control! I mean, come on—what high school guy wouldn’t imagine something if a girl classmate mentioned taking a bath?

If she washed her hair, maybe she tied it up so it wouldn’t get wet… but personally, I’d rather she left it down a little so her semi-long hair showed. Would her bathtub be white? If so, her light brown hair would really stand out against it. After soaking for a while, her bright eyes would grow hazy and relaxed, and her pink lips would get warmer, turning an even deeper shade of pink.

Wait—don’t some people take half-body baths these days? H-half baths?! That means her upper body would be… exposed… That’s way too much! I wouldn’t survive that sight!

Get a grip! You’re not actually seeing anything! The fact that you’re fully imagining Sakura’s bath scene in your head is what’s really dangerous here!

“Um, Mukk-san? Are you okay?”

“Eh? Oh, y-yeah! I’m fine!”

My mind, which had drifted to another world, was suddenly yanked back by Sakura—no, by Yossy.

“Actually, I kind of twisted my left ankle.”

“What?! Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I took a long bath to take care of it. I texted earlier that I might not be able to call tonight because I thought the hospital visit might take long, but it turned out to be a minor injury, so here I am!”

“I see. I hope you recover soon. Did it happen during track practice?”

“Yeah, I twisted it mid-run.”

“Ugh, that sounds painful… You said your meet’s coming up soon, right? Will you be okay?”

I asked seriously, and she replied cheerfully, “I’ll be fine.”

“The doctor said it’s a light sprain, so if I rest for three or four days, it should heal. The prefectural meet’s next weekend, so I should make it.”

“That’s a relief. Just don’t push yourself, okay?”

“Thank you! I’ll take care and walk carefully on my left foot.”

Sakura’s always working so hard—
I really wanted her to be in top shape for the competition. The thought slipped out as an honest wish behind my hidden identity.

“Man, if we went to the same school, I could help you out when we change classrooms or something. Too bad we don’t.”

“Eh?! If we did, how would you help me?”

“Well… I could carry your bag, or if stairs are tough, I could let you lean on my shoulder.”

Even I knew how embarrassing that sounded. But somehow, it still came out—maybe because we were talking over the phone, not face-to-face.

After a short silence, Yossy let out a shy giggle, like she was playing along.

“If you did that, I’d be really happy, you know…?”

“Then I’d be happy too—if it made you smile.”

Aaaah! What is this?! What is this conversation?! It’s way too sweet!

I totally just confessed my feelings outright! And she went along with it! Saying something like “I’d be happy”? That’s insane!

Wait, does this mean… over the phone, we’re basically mutual crushes already?
And she’s a classmate too! Though I can’t tell her that part…

Yeah, I definitely can’t tell her. If she ever found out, Sakura would probably never call me again—or even talk to me at school. Even though we’re so close right now, revealing who I am would ruin everything.

“Mukk-san, I really think you’d help me out if we were in the same class.”

“Of course! I’d totally help you. We’re good friends, after all!”

“Yeah… we are good friends.”

Her soft laughter came through the speaker, and my heartbeat quickened.
Confirming that we’re “friends” like this felt awkward—but in such a warm, tender way.

Ah, I just want to ask her straight out—
What are we, really? Just call buddies?
How do you feel about me?

But… I don’t have the courage.