Chapter 18: Have You Got a Boyfriend?

Have You Got a Boyfriend?

The backyard where I first met Onizuka seems to be the perfect spot for a nap.

After school, instead of going home, I decided to think about the direction I should take next and organize my thoughts in the backyard.

My main goal is to not raise any romantic flags with any of the guys.

That's because I'm not attracted to men.

So, to be honest, I still can't answer the question of whether it's okay to raise romantic flags when it comes to girls.

Since I have a girl's body, I can't even imagine what love between two women is like, where the inside is a man but the body is a woman.

In the first place, if the girl thought I was a girl and fell in love with me, but I was actually a boy, wouldn't that be some sort of betrayal?

I think about this endlessly, but I still can't come to a conclusion.

So, my ultimate goal is to complete the last event without raising any romantic flags with anyone, whether male or female.

I still don't know what the final event will be though.

To achieve this, the content of the shoujo manga must be altered in order to avoid the romance flag.

The most obvious change at the moment is to mediate between Ijuin and Onizuka.

What's even more suspicious is that it seems that not only the two of them, but Ayanokoji will also become involved in this complicated relationship.

The three of them are childhood friends, have different social statuses, and Ayanokoji knows something.

What happened between the three of them, and why did Ijuin and Onizuka, who were best friends, fall out?

"Maybe it's not just a matter between the two men..."

It seems necessary to restore the friendship between the three of them, including Ayanokoji.

Since I couldn't get any information from Ijuin and Onizuka, I think I'll start by becoming friends with Ayanokoji.

If two women can become closer and get each other to open up, she might actually open up.

"Hey."

Just as I was starting to decide on my future direction, a man's voice came down from above.

–Something like this has happened before.

As if at any moment, Onizuka descended from the tree.

He lands beautifully like a gymnast and approached me.

Even though he was just approaching, he was very intimidating because of his height.

Onizuka spoke to me brusquely, then crept closer with a frown on his face, making me wonder if I had done something to upset him again.

"What's the matter? I didn't even bother you today right?"

"It's not about that."

"Then what is it?"

I couldn't help but get into a fighting mood.

Onizuka doesn't seem to have any intention of fighting, but the wrinkles on his brow won't go away.

What could he possibly be talking to me about in such a bad mood?

Not wanting to be outdone, I glared back at Onizuka, waiting to see what he would say.

However, what Onizuka said was something he had never expected.

"...Have you got a boyfriend?"

"Eh?"

In response to Onizuka's question, I let out a rather stupid voice.

I got a boyfriend?

Isn't that the thing I should most avoid in this world?

"Where did you even get that information from...?"

"I heard that you're always together with that guy Nagumo."

"Ahh..."

Have you seen it or heard about it?

Either way, if a man and a woman sneak off to have lunch on the rooftop every lunch break, they're bound to look like a couple.

I can't believe I've become his master, let alone been treated like his gofer, I'm too embarrassed to tell Onizuka that.

What can I say to mislead him?

Like when the girls from the Onizuka fan club confronted me, I wonder if I should just pretend we're boyfriends and get out of this situation.

"So? What's going on?"

"What do you mean..."

To be honest, I wanted to say, "It's none of your business."

But I couldn't say it because Onizuka's face right now as if to tell me to,"Don't ever say that."

The atmosphere was not one in which Onizuka's questioning could be rejected with a simple word.

Unable to withstand the pressure of the tall, handsome man, I stepped back.

If I take a step back, Onizuka will take a step forward.

My back hit the wall of the school building. I couldn't go any further.

"Is this guy Nagumo your boyfriend?"

"Well, I guess you could call him my boyfriend, or maybe not..."

The condition for him to pretend to be my boyfriend is that I am his gofer, named Master, so the confusing thing is that calling him boyfriend isn't entirely wrong.

And to explain how he ended up pretending to be my boyfriend, I couldn't leave out the incident involving Onizuka's fan club.

What will this gentle delinquent boy do when he feels responsible?

He might go and warn those girls directly.

They acted that way because they were Onizuka fans.

It must be quite shocking to be warned about this by Onizuka himself.

...No matter what happens, it's going to be a pain.

Maybe because I had been keeping my thoughts active for so long, my mood was plummeting.

"Well, more than friends but less than lovers? That's how it feels, so–"

Bang!

The moment I tried to put on a smile and leave, Onizuka's right hand slammed into the wall, blocking my way.

He grabbed my shoulder with his left hand and forced me towards Onizuka.

...This is, that!

It's a kabedon!

Before you know it, you'll be completing a shoujo manga event.

This is not good...!

"Is he your boyfriend?"

A handsome man pushes me against the wall, and I can see his handsome face up close.

Even though this is a situation that would make girls all over the country scream in excitement, I feel like I'm going to cry.

It just seems like I'm about to get shot.

That's scary.

Because he's a delinquent.

"...You guys are talking something I can't bear to hear."

A familiar voice came from the other direction.

It's Ijuin.

In a deserted backyard, we came across two people fighting over me, the heroine.

I didn't realize it when we first met, but this is definitely a scene from a shoujo manga.

Unpleasant sweat runs down my back.

"Saotome, I heard you got a boyfriend?"

Ijuin stood next to Onizuka.

The two tall people are like a wall.

The sunlight is blocked by their head.

What evil deed did I do?

Having to explain it to Ijuin, let alone Onizuka, makes it even more troublesome.

It looks like they're going to find out that I have been snooping around about their past.

"Well, you could say boyfriend, or whatever you want to call it... ahahaha."

I tried to escape in a direction where Onizuka's hand wasn't, but Ijuin also placed his left hand on the wall.

A double kabedon?!　

I was restrained by the walls of the school building and the arms of two handsome men.

"Are you dating?"

And Onizuka.

"Or are you not dating?"

And Ijuin.

Red and blue.

When the two main heroes of a shoujo manga approached me, I finally realized.

–Have I just set up romantic flags with these guys somewhere?!

"We're..."

"Huh?"

"We're not dating..."

I stated the facts in a weak, mosquito-like voice.

There was no other way to do it.

"Then that's fine."

They seemed satisfied with my answer, as they both said this in unison and left somewhere.

I was relieved to finally be freed, and my legs went limp as I sat down on the spot.

I feel ashamed that I ended up like this when approached by a man who is physically stronger than me.

No matter how hard I struggle, I feel like I've been made to understand that my body is that of a weak woman.

But even though I have a female body, I'm a man.

My love interest is also a woman.

I am a real man who only has memories of his previous life.

At least I don't feel any resentment towards them, probably because I know they're not bad people.

That doesn't mean it's a reason to date, though.

I stand up and brush the dirt off my skirt.

And then I made a new decision.

–I'll definitely not date anyone and will complete the final event safely!