Chapter 42: I Will Never Fall in Love With You Guys! End

I Will Never Fall in Love With You Guys!

I was standing in front of the large doors of the chapel.

Behind this door, an altar and Ijuin holding a ring are waiting, as if at a wedding.

I walked down the aisle to where Ijuin was standing in front of the altar.

Have the ring worn on the ring finger of his left hand.

The cameraman captured the whole sequence.

...Yeah, that's all.

"Are you ready?"

Asked the staff member who opened the double doors.

"……Yes."

I lift my face.

At the same time, the door opened and a white landscape jumped into view.

There are benches lined up on both sides of the aisle.

The attendees, or rather the students in the gallery, were sitting there.

Everyone welcomes me with applause.

Nagumo and Ayanokoji were also there.

--But Onizuka isn't here.

As instructed beforehand, I walked slowly down the aisle.

My destination was the altar and a smiling Ijuin.

...Ijuin is really cool, as expected.

The wall behind the altar was made of glass, and the clear blue sky was beautiful.

Even that seems to bring out the best in Ijuin.

The priest is not present as the purpose is to photograph the bride and groom.

I stood next to Ijuin and faced him.

It's time to put the ring on.

"Saotome... your hand."

"……Yes."

I held out my left hand and placed it on Ijuin's large palm.

"…………"

Ijuin seemed to be thinking something, but he turned my hand over, which had been facing me.

"...?"

Before I could ask was it difficult to wear the ring, Ijuin placed something in the palm of my hand.

It was a necklace decorated with a cross.

"This is..."

It was Onizuka's necklace, which I thought I had lost.

"I picked it up after Ayanokoji's matchmaking session, right before they kicked me out too. It looked familiar."

Ijuin smiled.

I see.

If it was a gift Onizuka received from his parents when they were still close as a child, it wouldn't be surprising if Ijuin, who often played with him back then, also remembered its existence.

"I immediately thought of Onizuka's, but I didn't have the timing to give it to him. Then I heard you guys say that you lost your necklace."

"Ah……"

Was that how he listened to my conversation with Onizuka on the way home after the three of us got into a fight with some delinquents?

"...Thanks for picking it up. But now's not the right time to give it to me."

I laughed, but Ijuin kept his serious expression.

"No, it must be now."

"Eh?"

"You like Onizuka, don't you?"

…………………Hah?

…………Is that so?

Do I like Onizuka?

No, no, no, we're two guys.　

There's no romantic feelings or anything like that.

There shouldn't be!

Ijuin looked exasperated at me, unable to confirm or deny it, but he smiled gently at me.

"Maybe you don't know your feelings yet, but at the very least, I'm not the one you want to take wedding photos with."

It's true that when it was decided that I would be shooting with Ijuin, I felt a vague sense of unease somewhere in my heart.

It was left alone without its true nature being discovered.

Then I got into an argument with Onizuka, who said, "This was good."

"...But I got into a fight with Onizuka..."

"Then maybe this is a chance to make amends. I saw Onizuka here earlier."

Onizuka was here?

I turned towards the gallery, but the familiar redhead was gone.

However, if Ijuin claimed to have seen him, he must be somewhere on the church grounds.

"...Ijuin, I...!"

I looked up at Ijuin.

Ijuin kept smiling, but he looked a little lonely.

Like a child giving up what he wants.

"Go, Saotome. To his place."

Thump!

He gently pushed me back.

I can tell that Ijuin suppressed a lot of his emotions to do that.

─Because I knew Ijuin liked me.

I thought apologizing was wrong.

So all I could do was hold back my tears and nod.

"……Thank you"

I'll take the necklace, not the ring.

The onlookers began to wonder why we still hadn't put the rings on.

"Saotome-san...?"

I could hear Ayanokoji's anxious voice, but I lifted up the skirt of my dress.

"Huh!?"

"What's wrong, Saotome-san?!"

My classmates who came to watch were all surprised, but I told them that long skirts get in the way when running.

As I was about to run down the aisle towards the exit,

"Wait a minute!"

...There was a drama at a wedding where someone said something like that.

I forgot, this isn't just a normal shoujo manga world.

──It was the world of an "old" shoujo manga.

Stealing the bride at the wedding.

That's a good cliche.

Onizuka, dressed in formal attire, held the door open.

Everyone was shocked by Onizuka's sudden appearance.

Only the girls in the Onizuka fan club were happy to see their favorite idol make an appearance.

And the person who created this chaotic situation was,...

"I'm not giving up on you after all!"

He raised his voice as if he was taking the oath at a sports day.

...Why did this phrases it like guy losing his love?

Do you really think Ijuin and I are going to get married?

Onizuka took a deep breath and shouted.

"I love you, Saotome!"

──Ah!

The confession has finally been made.

What I had been trying so hard to avoid had become a reality.

Ijuin gently pulled me by the shoulders as I felt dizzy.

"What's the point now? It's no use confessing. I won't give Saotome to you."

…………Eh?!

You told me to go just now!

Looking at Ijuin's face, I noticed that his smile had changed from the complicated one he had had a moment ago to one that resembled a mischievous child's.

Ah, this guy seems to be enjoying this situation!

Where did that noble attitude from earlier go?

Ignoring my confusion, Ijuin put his hand on the back of my neck and pulled me close.

Chuu~

I was kissed on the forehead.

"Oi!? Ijuin, what are you doing...!"

I instinctively cover my forehead with my hand where he had kissed me.

A scream-like cheer rose from the stands.

"...Huh!? You!!"

Onizuka approaches with big strides.

"Please wait a moment!!"

Ayanokoji stopped him.

Finally, a sensible person put a stop to it.

Ayanokoji had put so much effort into planning it, and now they ruined it.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that the cameraman and staff were all panicking.

Ayanokoji, who had been sitting in the stands, stood up and walked over.

She must be angry.

That's right, they just did whatever they wanted.

"Ah, Ayanokoji, I'm sorry..."

"I love you too, Saotome-san!!"

Why you also be participating in this?

Saying this, Ayanokoji kissed me on the cheek.

Isn't Ayanokoji just too handsome in everything she does!?

"Eh?! Then I'll do it too! Wait a minute!"

Nagumo booed and came stomping over.

Then, Nagumo placed his lips on the cheek opposite the one Ayanokoji had kissed.

"...You guys!!"

Onizuka, who had been watching the whole thing trembling with anger, finally pulled me out.

I easily fell into Onizuka's arms.

A large, rough hand was placed on my cheek and I was roughly turned to face Onizuka.

"Hmmmm!?"

Our lips met.

To my surprise, a man stole a kiss from me.

At least it was better that Ayanokoji stole my first kiss already.

"Hey, what are you doing...?!"

I covered my mouth, but it seems like everyone doesn't care about my kisses anymore.

"So, Saotome, who will you choose?"

Ijuin asks me.

"It's me, right? Otome-chan?"

"It's me! Saotome-san!"

"Do it with me, Saotome."

"...Choose me, Saotome."

The four of them approached at once.

...You want me to choose?

Can I choose one of these to be my lover?

...There's no way that's possible!

"Listen! Listen carefully!"

I pointed my index finger at the four of them.

"I! Absolutely! Will never fall in love with you guys!!"

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>>[THE END]<<