Vol.1 What are girls planning?

The days passed sluggishly. After being appointed as a class monitor, my school routine became significantly busier. My responsibilities included carrying out various tasks assigned by the teacher. I wasn’t the sole monitor; there was another student, Kushida—if I remembered her name correctly. Once the teacher left the classroom, it was our duty to maintain discipline. Additionally, any class-related work assigned to us had to be completed diligently. The role was exhausting and wouldn’t have been as tiring if not for Kushida. She eagerly accepted any task given to her, which often meant I had to assist her. Was she doing this intentionally?

Recently, my keen observational skills led me to an intriguing realization—the girls in my class frequently spoke about me. Initially, I dismissed it as overthinking, but today’s events confirmed my suspicions. During lunch, while I was eating alone and minding my own business, I noticed an unusual pattern in the way the girls positioned themselves. They appeared to be planning something. Since I was too far away to hear their conversation, I could only infer their intentions through body language. After some time, a few of them glanced in my direction, which triggered a sense of unease in me. Shortly after, one girl nodded to the group and started walking toward me with her lunchbox. The others watched intently.

‘Wait, isn’t she...?’

She was the most admired and popular girl, not only in our class but across multiple sections. Many students harbored feelings for her, yet she was now approaching me. She stopped right in front of me as I continued eating, pretending not to notice. Outwardly, I appeared composed, but internally, I was in turmoil.

‘Why is she here? What does she want? Did I do something wrong? Should I apologize?’

A flood of questions ran through my mind. I hoped to avoid the situation by acting indifferent, but she remained standing there. As mentioned earlier, the benches in our class accommodated only two students. I had been sitting next to Youtskei on my left. Thinking that she might have come for him, I turned to look—only to find his seat empty.

‘Where did he go?’

I scanned the room and spotted him socializing with a different group. ‘Since when did he make new friends?’ Before I could process the situation, the girl casually sat in Youtskei’s vacant seat and addressed me.

“Taichi... would you like to share lunch with me?” she asked, offering her lunchbox.

“Huh!?” A collective gasp escaped from nearby students, though they quickly pretended as if nothing had happened when she turned in their direction.

‘What should I do? If I accept, people might get the wrong idea. If I decline, it could come off as rude...’

“...No, thank you.”

That was the safest response I could think of. Although I avoided looking at her directly, I could sense her gaze on me.

“Please, just a little~.”

Her tone was so gentle that rejecting her again felt impossible. It seemed like she genuinely wanted to share her meal, and refusing her kindness felt ungracious.

“...Okay. If you insist.”

I accepted a small portion of her food, and she took some of mine in return. The entire class was watching us.

‘Why is everyone staring? It’s lunchtime—eat your own food already.’

As we ate, I glanced at her.

‘She’s gorgeous. But she’s someone I could never be with. I must ensure I never develop feelings for her.’

After lunch, she returned to her seat. While packing up, I noticed a piece of paper had fallen from the bench. Curious, I picked it up.

‘What’s this...?’

Upon unfolding the paper, my heart nearly stopped. It contained a phone number.

‘A phone number? This wasn’t here before. Could it be hers? Should I sell it? No, that’s ridiculous—why would I even think that?’

I slipped the note into my pocket. Although part of me was happy, my natural skepticism took over.

‘Who am I kidding? This is probably a prank. Maybe they’re testing me. Well, girls, too bad—I won’t fall for it.’

Despite my doubts, I couldn’t bring myself to throw the number away. A small part of me wanted it to be real. However, nothing noteworthy happened afterward. The day continued as usual, and she never once looked in my direction.

‘Wait... why am I looking at her?’

Realizing I had been subconsciously watching her, I forced myself to stop. ‘What am I even expecting? I don’t have friends—why would she be interested in me?’

At home, I stared at the number, debating whether to call it. Eventually, I mustered the courage to dial. The call connected, but no one answered. Moments later, my phone rang—the same number calling back.

[Hello?]

“Hello...”

[I got a missed call from this number. Who am I speaking to?]

“...”

‘What should I say?’

Sensing my silence, she continued.

[Hello, can you hear me? ...... You’re Taruo, right?]

‘How does she know my name?’

“...”

[Can you hear me? ... Hello?]

‘Damn it, say something!’

Finally, I managed to respond.

“Hello... I couldn’t hear you at first. I found this number at school and wanted to check whose it was.”

A soft sigh came from the other end.

[.... Who could it be? It’s me, Himari.]

‘Himari? Who is she? Wait, what was the name of the girl who sat with me today? Damn, I don’t even know her name! And I even shared lunch with her. How clueless can I be? Maybe she’s the same person?’

“So, it’s your number. But why did you give it to me?”

[...You know, Taruo? You are incredibly dense.]

Before I could respond, she ended the call.

‘What does that even mean? Me? Dense? I, who have honed exceptional observational skills, am dense?’

That night, I couldn’t sleep, preoccupied with her words. The next day started normally—until lunchtime, when, for some reason, all the girls suddenly wanted to eat with me. Himari, seemingly irritated, claimed me as her designated lunch partner. From that day forward, she always sat with me, and the other girls stopped paying attention to me.

What had been their original plan? What did they gain from this? These questions remained unanswered.