CBGBE 04

Chapter – 04

A Compromise

“Fuyunose-kun, won’t you be my boyfriend?”

I was troubled by Koyatori’s words.

It was a line I had anticipated, but hearing it directly from her left me at a loss for words. However, since I had already prepared an answer, I managed to respond somehow.

“Sorry, but no.”

As soon as I said that, Koyatori slammed her cup down with a clatter so loud it seemed like it might break.

“I told you, didn’t I? It’s an order. So refusing isn’t an option.”

“Wait, wait. I at least have the right to refuse, don’t I?”

“There’s no way you do. After all, I’m the one making the proposal. For a lifetime bachelor like Fuyunose-kun, this should be a dream come true.”

“I don’t appreciate being arbitrarily labeled a lifetime bachelor.”

Sure, I’ve never had a girlfriend, and I’ve never really been popular either.

But I’ll do it when the time comes. It just hasn’t happened yet—it’s bound to happen sometime in my life. Probably.

“By the way, when you say ‘boyfriend,’ you mean a fake boyfriend, right? Just for show?”

I tried to confirm the facts just to be sure, but the response that came back from Koyatori was completely unexpected.

“It doesn’t have to be fake. A real boyfriend is fine too.”

“…Huh?”

What does she mean by a real boyfriend?

…Does that mean we’d actually be dating?!

“Wait, wait. We’ve only just met, you know.”

“The amount of time since we met doesn’t matter. And besides, it’s not something you need to worry about.”

“Okay, then let me ask you—do you even like me?”

“Not in the slightest. I don’t have even a shred of affection for you.”

“I didn’t need to hear that much.”

Even an evaluation from someone you don’t care about stings a little.

“If we don’t like each other, dating is out of the question, right?”

“Well, I suppose so. It’s true that we’re in a one-sided love situation.”

“Hey, why are you assuming I have feelings for you?”

“You don’t? I would think that after talking with me alone this much, most people would fall for me.”

“Your self-evaluation is sky-high.”

Well, Koyatori’s thinking isn’t entirely wrong.

Men are creatures that fall in love easily—if you spend time alone with a cute girl, you’ll develop at least a little affection. But who would fall for someone after being dissed to their face like this?

“Besides, there’s no need for both sides to have feelings. Even without affection, if there’s mutual benefit, it’s not strange to date.”

“Then what benefits do each of us get?”

“For me, having a boyfriend means persistent confessions will stop, envious looks from other girls will disappear, and I can properly ward off that thug from before.”

“And for me?”

“You can call me your girlfriend, sort of.”

“That’s so little!”

And the “sort of” part shows she’s a bit reluctant too.

“Come on, stop hiding your embarrassment and be honest. I’m the one offering to go out with you here. This is a rare opportunity, you know.”

“I’m being perfectly honest from start to finish.”

When I showed her my firm resolve, Koyatori let out a sigh.

“I don’t understand. You don’t have anyone you like, right? And you don’t have a girlfriend either. So what’s wrong with dating me?”

“It’s not that simple. You know, dating is something more… meaningful than that.”

“You speak as if you know a lot about romantic relationships, but have you ever had any experience?”

“Well… no.”

“…Heh.”

Wow, she’s looking at me with such contempt.

But I’m not so spineless as to just let her mock me in silence.

“What about you, then? Have you ever had a boyfriend?”

“No.”

“You haven’t either, huh.”

“But it’s not that I can’t—I just choose not to. There’s a difference between not having one and not being able to get one.”

“That’s not how someone who’s asking for a favor should act.”

She really does see this as an order, doesn’t she.

At this rate, we’ll never reach a conclusion. It’s a bit forceful, but let’s put an end to this conversation.

“Fine. Let’s say I follow your so-called order and date you. In that case, you and I would be lovers.”

“That’s right. Though I should mention, I don’t like Fuyunose-kun in the slightest.”

“Okay, I get it already. So, if we’re lovers, that means we’d do stuff, right?”

“…………”

“In other words, it wouldn’t be strange for me to grope your breasts. Or even do more than that. Because we’re dating.”

I looked at Koyatori as if to say “How about that?” but she didn’t change her expression and just listened quietly.

“If you’re fine with that, I don’t mind dating you.”

“…I see. That does make sense.”

She looked up for a moment, thinking, then declared firmly:

“I don’t like that.”

“How selfish can you be?!”

Without considering my situation at all, she’s trying to make everything overwhelmingly convenient for herself.

Is she some kind of queen or something?

“That was a complete blind spot. I thought that since Fuyunose-kun is a lifelong bachelor and lifelong virgin, even if you dated me, you wouldn’t dare to make a move… but it turns out you’re just a pervert whose delusions don’t match your actual ability.”

“I envy how you can always paint me as the perpetrator no matter what.”

“Fine. Here’s what we’ll do.”

Koyatori raised one index finger.

“Fuyunose-kun and I will be in a formal, but fake, romantic relationship. In other words, we’re fake lovers. The rule is: you don’t lay a single finger on me. If you do, it’s a 1,000,000 yen fine.”

“I feel like I’ve been forced into a death game.”

The conversation is moving forward without my consent. She’s worse than some scammers in that regard.

“Does that work for you?”

“There’s no way it works for me.”

“Let me tell you one thing—this relationship actually has benefits for you too.”

“I heard that earlier, and there were practically none.”

“No, there is. Right now, rumors are circulating around school that you and I are dating. Moreover, I clearly stated that day that you’re my boyfriend. You understand what that means, don’t you?”

“…………”

“If you deny dating me while I insist we are, which side do you think public opinion will take? And it’s easy to imagine what kind of treatment you’d get from that guy the other day.”

I see. So by the time I got to this point, the board was already checkmated.

I let out a deep sigh and leaned back against the chair.

“Until the heat from that senior’s incident dies down. That’s my minimum condition.”

“Hmph. Well, I suppose that’s the compromise. Fine. Let’s do that.”

Koyatori shot me a glare with her usual sour expression.

I let out a sigh loud enough for her to hear and downed the rest of my coffee.

◆ ◇ ◆

Morning commute.

“Hey, do you understand? If you touch me, it’s a 10,000,000 yen fine.”

“Didn’t that number just increase by a zero?”

Walking side by side with Koyatori, we gathered the stares of all the students around us.

…Sigh. This really turned into such a pain.