[TLN: NU is probably going to get it wrong again madge]\n\n\n\nTitle: Sakuraba Aoto is planning something\nĀ \nāThatās why, please Sakuraba-kun! Please go out with me!!ā\nĀ \nJust why did this girl fall in love with me.\nĀ \nAs she confessed to me, she turned straight at me and clasped her hands together as if she was praying.\nĀ \nThe tears that were pooling in the corner of her eyes were shining like jewels as they reflected the after-school evening light.\nĀ \nYuunagi was certainly attractive.\nĀ \nSheās cuter than any girl Iāve ever come across before, and without a doubt she is definitely pretty.\nĀ \nBut even so, my feelings wouldnāt change.\nĀ \nāIām sorry, I canāt go out with you.ā(Sakuraba)\nĀ \nāā¦ā¦I see.ā(Yuunagi)\nĀ \nYuunagi held her head in her hands, her mouth twisted in a position that made it look like she would start crying any minute.\nĀ \nThen, she let out a groan, took a deep breath, and once again raised her face.\nĀ \nāWh-, why? I thought that you werenāt dating someone right now, Sakuraba-kunā¦.ā(Yuunagi)\nĀ \nāThat is, well, thatās trueā¦..ā(Sakuraba)\nĀ \nāTh-, thenā¦..Is it because Iām not your typeā¦.?ā(Yuunagi)\nĀ \nSeemingly unsure of herself, Yuunagi looked down and fidgeted with her hands, her eyes upturned and waiting for a response.\nLooking at the sheer cuteness of the gesture, I felt my will weaken.\nĀ \nBut I canāt break down here.\nBecause if I did that, it would never end well for either me or her.\nĀ \nāYuunagi-san, of course I think youāre attractive. But right now, Iām not really looking to go out with anyone.ā(Sakuraba)\nĀ \nāTh-, thenā¦.that means that you like me?ā(Yuunagi)\nĀ \nāā¦..No, that isnāt the case.ā(Sakuraba)\nĀ \nDo you have romantic feelings for Yuunagi.\nIf I was asked that, my answer would be no.\nĀ \nIām not really sure about the reason behind it, but I guess the bottom line is just that love isnāt that simple.\nĀ \nYuunagi had a very complicated expression on her face.\nDepressed, a little happy, and still definitely sad.\nĀ \nBut I could tell from the way she looked at me that, even though I didnāt really like the idea, she really did actually like me.\nĀ \nāā¦ā¦From now on, Iāll do my best to make sure that you end up liking me. Soā¦.I want you to go out with me.ā(Yuunagi)\nĀ \nāEven if I fell in love with you, Yuunagi-san, I still donāt think I would go out with you. So, Iām sorry.ā(Sakuraba)\nĀ \nāā¦ā¦Uuu.ā(Yuunagi)\nĀ \nYuunagi looked like she was on the verge of tears again.\nHowever, her eyes held strong, and they seemed to say that she would never cry.\nĀ \nāā¦ā¦So then what do I have to do to get you to go out with me?ā(Yuunagi)\nĀ \nāEven if you ask me what you should doā¦ā¦Regardless of what happens, I donāt think itās happening. I wonāt go out with you.ā(Sakuraba)\nĀ \nāThat canātāā¦..ā(Yuunagi)\nĀ \nYuunagi crumbled.\nShe looked like she was supporting her body with her hands on the desk.\nI felt increasingly guilty.\nĀ \nEven so, to be this persistentā¦..\nĀ \nI used to think that, once a confession was rejected, it was normal to give up, at least for the time being.\nĀ \nBut it seems that isnāt the case with Yuunagi.\nāIs-, is it an issue with meā¦.?ā(Yuunagi)\nĀ \nāNo, youāre wrong. Even if it wasnāt you who confessed, I still wouldāve turned them down, regardless of who they were.ā(Sakuraba)\nĀ \nāI-, I seeā¦.ā(Yuunagi)\nĀ \nAnother complex expression.\nIt was a strange face that looked sad yet relieved.\nBut, regardless of what expression Yuunagi made, she looked incredibly cute.\nĀ \nāā¦..Why donāt you want to go out with anyone?ā(Yuunagi)\nĀ \nI wasnāt obliged to answer.\nThat shouldāve been the case, but, looking at Yuunagi who was trying so hard, I thought that maybe that was what I should do.\nĀ \nāI like the time I get to spend alone. I read books, watch movies, and get to think about things.ā(Sakuraba)\nĀ \nāā¦ā(Yuunagi)\nĀ \nāIt might sound silly to you, but, to me, thatās whatās more important than anything else. I donāt care if you donāt understand my reasoning, so I just want you to leave me alone.ā(Sakuraba)Ā \nĀ \nIf anything, I would be happier if she actually did think that it was silly.\nBecause, if that was the case, she would probably lose interest in me.\nĀ \nBut Yuunagi had a serious expression on her face and looked like she was thinking about something.\nThen, after a moment of silence, Yuunagi opened her mouth to speak again.\nĀ \nāIf-, if thatās the case, I definitely wonāt get in your wayā¦..! I donāt need you to spend time with me. I donāt even need you to give me attention. Thatās why, go out with me. Please, Sakuraba-kun!ā(Yuunagi)Ā \nĀ \nSaying this, Yuunagi once again put her hands together like she was praying.\nĀ \nUnconsciously, I began to scratch my head.\nIs rejecting a confession really this difficultā¦.\nĀ \nHow in the world am I going to get her to give up one meā¦\nI didnāt expect her to be so resilient, not at all.\nI was completely unsure of how to approach this.\nAnd what was even more troubling was that there was a part of me that did like her a little bit.\nBut those feelings werenāt romantic feelings but rather just feelings of pure, platonic affection.\nĀ \nIām sure sheās as beautiful on the inside as she is on her all-too-beautiful outside.\nWhat a waste.\nFor her to fall in love with me of all people.\nIām sure she has many better choices for a partner.\nĀ \nAt the very least, I wished she had only asked to be friends with me.\nIf she only wanted to be friends, I would gladly accept her.\nĀ \nā¦.Oh, I see.\nI can do something like that.\nĀ \nāā¦..I still canāt go out with you.ā(Sakuraba)\nĀ \nYuunagi had an expression on her face that made it seem like the world was ending.\nBut I still hadnāt finished my response.\nĀ \nāBut how about we start as friends? Suddenly going out with you is, after all, tooāā(Sakuraba)\nĀ \nāNo! Thatās not good enough! I want you to go out with me!ā(Yuunagi)\nĀ \nYuunagi shouted, interrupting my words.\nĀ \nI was at a complete loss.\nĀ \nā¦.Ugh, wellā¦\nĀ \nāI told you that I donāt want to. You arenāt even listening to what Iām saying.ā(Sakuraba)\nĀ \nāI just like you that much! I wonāt give up until you go out with me!ā(Yuunagi)\nĀ \nāI definitely wonāt go out with you. Until you give up, Iāll continue rejecting you.ā(Sakuraba)\nĀ \nIn the center of the classroom, the two of us glared at each other.\nĀ \nHow did things end up like this. At this point, I have no clue.\nĀ \nAs sparks formed between the two of us, I began thinking.\nĀ \nWhen there is a disagreement in a discussion and neither person is willing to give up, how do people really decide thingsā¦.\nI wonder if there is any way out of this situationā¦..\nAfter a bunch of thought and further considerationā¦.\nĀ \nāā¦ā¦I got it. Then letās do this.ā(Sakuraba)\nĀ \nI presented the three conditions to Yuunagi.\nThey were:\nĀ \nć»Donāt restrict my actions or behavior at all\nć»Donāt expect me to fall in love with you\nć»Donāt let anyone else find out about the fact that you confessed to me or that weāre dating\nĀ \nIf Yuunagiās will was this strong, it would definitely be difficult to refuse her and get her to give up properly.\nIf thatās the case, Iāll just begin a surface-level, meaningless relationship and then sheāll get fed up with me and dump me.\nĀ \nThatās the most realistic development, and, most importantly, this plan means I wonāt run into any other issues or any aftermath.\nĀ \nAs long as these conditions are kept, I can still live my life the same way I did before.\nBut, for her, these conditions will probably be incredibly boring.\nĀ \nRegardless, if she goes out with me, sheāll soon realize that Iām not that great of a person.\nAnd then sheāll probably give up on me, and then Iāll just be known as the guy who foolishly went out with Yuunagi without recognizing his own social standing that ended up getting dumped.\nIn this situation, taking on that reputation is probably unavoidable.\nĀ \nBut if I can put up with the interest and pity that the surroundings offer for a brief time afterwardsā¦.\nThen I can go back to my normal life.\nĀ \nI felt a little guilty about the proposal, but Yuunagi accepted it surprisingly easily.\nIt was so easy to get her approval that I wondered if she had another complex agenda or plan.\nĀ \nBut Yuunagi, showing no signs of anything remotely related to a scheme or a trap, only innocently cheered, saying things like āYes!ā and āThank you!ā\nĀ \nThe way Yuunagi looked was extraordinarily cute, probably the cutest sheās looked all day\nĀ \nI could feel my heart squeeze a little.\nI think I might have to be careful about this.\nUnexpectedly, I found myself thinking that.\nĀ \nĀ \nĀ \n[TLN: Sorry, this chapter was a bit difficult. Was hoping to upload this earlier. Once I get the English essay I have to get done over with, Iāll tryhard translate a bit. Iāll try to finish up to chapter 30 or something by the middle of next week. And Iāll get at least one chapter of whatever series I decide to pick up done as well.]\n