"Mr. Loner" Starts Dating His Junior, "Ms. Cheeky"

The plan I had yesterday with Kisara, was now in full swing. 

On a bright and sunny morning, I walked toward the school gates with Kisara Mihashi by my side, our arms linked together in a public display of affection. We were an immediate spectacle. 

As we made our way, I could feel the eyes of our fellow students on us. Some wore expressions of jealousy, others of genuine amazement, and a good many were just plain confused. This was exactly what I had wanted.

My primary objective wasn't merely to divert the initial rumor that had spread about Furumi and me. It was to completely replace it with a new, more plausible narrative. Since Kisara was widely known and liked among the first-years, she was the perfect person to help me with this. My instructions to her were simple: use her popularity to spread a story that she was the one who had asked me out—a believable but entirely false version of events. 

She had enthusiastically agreed to the plan, and now we were executing it. The truth was, Furumi's fan circle was simply too large and too devoted for me to handle. 

This was my last resort, my only way of protecting the promise I had made to Furumi about keeping our relationship a secret and, most importantly, my best chance at escaping a much bigger, much more complicated problem.

"Your face seems troubled, Senpai," Kisara said, her voice a mix of playful mischief and sincere concern. "You shouldn't be like that, you know? This plan won't work if you can't sell the act."

I tried to force a confident expression, puffing out my chest. "Yes, yes, my junior. I'll try my best!" I replied, hoping she would buy the performance.

We finally arrived at the school and made our way to the shoe lockers. It was there that we let go of each other's arms to change into our indoor shoes. The playful tension between us seemed to dissipate, replaced by a more relaxed, friendly atmosphere. 

"Well then, Senpai! See ya later at lunch break!" she said with a bright smile, sending me a dramatic flying kiss before skipping off toward her classroom.

I just waved at her retreating figure, a small smile on my face. I thought she was really getting into the role, and I was grateful for her help. So I took a deep breath and decided to do my best, just like Kisara.

Not long after, I headed to my own class, cautiously optimistic that the day would proceed without any major incidents. But as I entered the classroom, I was immediately met with a familiar sight: the intense, scrutinizing stares of my classmates, just like yesterday. 

It was clear now that the old rumor hadn't died down yet. I silently prayed that Kisara’s new story would spread quickly enough to overtake it before it caused any more damage.

I walked to my seat, feeling the weight of their gazes on my back, and sat down. The feeling of being the center of attention was completely unbearable. My eyes scanned the room and found her—Furumi, sitting with her friends and laughing. 

A sharp pang of frustration hit me. How can she be so carefree when I'm the one dealing with this mess? I thought. The irony was not lost on me. I knew she was likely still unaware of my plan with Kisara and would be shocked to hear about my "new relationship."

As I watched her, she suddenly looked up, and our eyes met for a brief moment. But just as quickly, she averted her gaze, turning her head away with a familiar tsundere flick of her hair. I sighed to myself. I didn't know what was on her mind. 

We hadn't talked since the incident at the library, not even over Line, because I had deliberately wanted to keep my plan a secret from her. 

Bringing her to that library was a mistake, and now, my attempts to fix it by running away from her were proving to be just as bad, if not worse.

Not long after, the homeroom teacher came in, and the classes began.

The hours seemed to crawl by, but eventually, the lunch bell rang. I was supposed to meet Kisara in the cafeteria, so I stood up, ready to go. As I moved to leave, a hand landed on my shoulder. The grip was surprisingly strong, a silent command for me to stop. I turned my head, and there she was.

Furumi.

"Where do you think you're going, Kazuhiko-kun?" she asked, a killer smile plastered on her face that didn't reach her eyes.

Summoning all my courage, I broke free from her grip and dashed out of the classroom without any reply to her question. I ran away before a commotion envelops us in the classroom.

I couldn't be stalled here. A public confrontation would ruin everything. I knew it was a cowardly move to run away from her, but at that moment, it felt like the only choice I had. 

I ran through the hallways, my heart pounding in my chest. I couldn't risk a scene that would confirm the old rumors and completely sabotage my new plan.

I finally arrived at the cafeteria, out of breath. I found Kisara sitting at a table with two other girls, whom I assumed were her friends.

"Ah! Senpai! There you are! Come sit here!" Kisara called out, waving me over.

I sat down next to her, facing the two girls.

"So this is the boyfriend," said the girl on the right with pigtails.

"He's cute! Kisa-chi wasn't exaggerating," commented the one on the left, who looked like a gal.

"Right?! Senpai, let me introduce you. This is Misa Inoue and this is Hana Mizuki."

I started to feel a panic rising in my chest. She was taking this act too far. This wasn't in the plan. So, I leaned in and whispered into her ear, "Hey! Why are you introducing me as your boyfriend? This is going to be a problem when we 'break up'!"

Kisara just burst into a fit of laughter. "Come on, Senpai! Don't worry! We're just joking!"

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked, completely confused.

"Sorry, paisen! We actually know you're just faking it," Hana said.

Misa added with a playful wink, "Yep, we're just here to help you get rid of that 'rumor,' right?"

"So that's what's going on... you made me nervous, Kisara."

"Well, don't lower your guard yet, Senpai," she said, puffing out her chest playfully. "I'm still serious about making you take responsibility about 'that' accident." She wink, cheekily.

The other two girls laughed, seemingly aware of what she's saying. 

It seemed my plan was already working in a way I hadn't expected, with more people now in on helping with the lie. I just hoped this would spread quickly enough so I could finally get back to my peaceful life. 

I thought having more allies would make things easier.

But I was wrong. I was making mistakes from the very beginning that I unknowingly didn't know... it will be hurting someone in the process.