Chapter 10: Account Exposure

The day after my relationship with Shigure began, the next morning. When I went to school as usual, I felt something off about the students.

The gazes directed at me until yesterday were from curiosity or novelty, but today was different.

Eyes looking at me like I was something diseased, gazes of avoidance. The kind of look people give when ostracizing someone.

Groups of people who pretend to fiddle with their smartphones while glancing at me when I get close. Students who quickly look away when our eyes meet. I'm clearly out of place.

Being looked at like this reminds me of middle school. Honest me was a target for bullying in that overly intimate place called a middle school classroom.

To prevent unpleasant memories from resurfacing, I shake my head once and reset my mood.

For now, I need to figure out what happened. From this situation, either my seeing Shigure's panties was revealed, or it's trouble related to Shigure.

When I enter the classroom, my classmates' gazes gather on me. They still look at me like I'm some rare animal. But today there's a feeling of rejection mixed in with those emotions.

「Yoo, Kanato. Rough morning, huh.」

As soon as I sit down, Sena comes over. When things like this happen, nothing good usually occurs. True to form, today would probably be the same, I sighed.

「What the hell is going on...」

「Well, listen to this. Look at this.」

I looked at the smartphone screen Sena handed me and frowned.

「...Seriously?」

▼▽

Lunch break. Today too, I was heading to the rooftop, taking the stairs two at a time.

I kick open the door and head toward the waiting Shigure, ignoring the other students around.

「You're late.」

Shigure said in her usual manner.

「...I ran here at full speed, though.」

「Passing grade. Sit down.」

I plop down in the seat across from Shigure. Before any troublesome lies could come flying, I questioned Shigure.

「What's the meaning of this?」

The smartphone I held out displayed a certain SNS account.

That account had hundreds of photos posted. Images from the neck down of what appears to be a high school girl. There are casual selfies as well as selfies showing risqué parts.

In a word, it would be what's called an "ura-aka" (secret account). An account used separately from the one someone uses publicly, for uploading private photos.

I don't understand who would make such an account or for what purpose. However, the uniform shown in this account was concerning to me.

This morning, when Sena showed me this account, I grasped the full picture of the commotion. It was clear that the owner of this account was Shigure.

Even with her face hidden, her distinctive navy-blue hair proves it's her.

If it were discovered that the school madonna has a secret account, it would certainly cause a stir.

「This is yours, right?」

「What do you think?」

「No lies, please.」

「You catch on quickly, that helps. ...Looks like I've been found out.」

Even Shigure, perhaps taking this matter seriously, wasn't in her usual carefree manner.

Following a sigh that seemed to say "I messed up", Shigure begins to speak.

「It seems I got a little too carried away.」

「...Why did you make something like this?」

「At first, it was from a shallow desire for recognition. Someone I don't even know the face of, but who needs me. Thinking that made me somehow happy and... Do you despise me?」

「We're facing a breakup crisis on day one of dating. ...Do you still have photos on your smartphone?」

I look at several photos on the smartphone Shigure hands me. Her camera roll was overflowing with selfies.

From selfies with sweets to underwear shots on the bed, various selfies are saved. I almost got absorbed in looking, but I steeled myself and returned her smartphone.

「...Your top isn't white.」

「How long are you going to keep saying that?」

Minazuki-senpai's words from yesterday flash back in my mind. He said I should manage it better, so this is what he meant.

「Could it be that Minazuki-senpai targeting you is because of...」

「This is the cause. There's nothing else it could be.」

「So he's also the one who leaked this?」

「There's no one else it could be.」

「Haa... Then, delete this now.」

「...Isn't it too late now?」

「There's no point in keeping it.」

I confirmed that Shigure deleted the account right in front of me and let out a sigh of relief.

「...I never thought the school madonna would do something like this.」

「Everyone has one or two secrets. ...So, what are you going to do?」

「Do about what?」

「This relationship. Dating a girl who takes sexy selfies on a secret account, people will look at you strangely. ...They might think we have that kind of relationship.」

Being asked that, my mind was struck by momentary blankness.

「What's that supposed to mean? It's too late for that now. We've already caught Minazuki-senpai's attention.」

「But if we're going to quit, it should be now. I'm saying this for Tsukishiro-kun's sake.」

「Then I'll say this for your sake too. ...Your true feeling are?」

At my question, Shigure's expression becomes startled.

She tries to say something, swallows it again, then looks down. Even so, she kept her eyes directed at me, and as if pushing aside the heavy silence, Shigure opened her mouth.

「...Help me.」

Just those words, in a voice volume that might or might not be audible, Shigure whispered.

「I thought you'd say that. Either way, we two are both targeted by Minazuki-senpai. It's better for us to be together now.」

「...I'm grateful you'd say that. 50 points.」

「That's out of how many points?」

「50 out of 500 points.」

「Harsh...」

I don't know if what Shigure just said was a lie or the truth, but I definitely felt the emotional distance between us grow closer in that instant.

「...Kanato.」