W-What Are You Talking About, You Idiot!

Peaceful February passed, and March arrived.

Which meant I had to go back to school.

I’d given up on going to university, so I’d never imagined I’d be going to school again. But if we’re going to talk about what makes sense, isn’t being possessed in the first place completely absurd?

…And there was something else wearing down my nerves even more than the shock of going back to school.

“Here!”

“…Why do you keep holding your hand out?”

“Because I want us to hold hands while we walk!”

Because the protagonist had been holding out a hand to me for ages, insisting we hold hands as we went…!

Seriously, how little sense of personal space did the protagonist have to offer a hand so confidently?

“You’re such an idiot….”

“Huh? Why?”

Even more annoying was the fact that I’d started taking the protagonist’s hand without thinking, as if I’d gotten used to it.

Somehow, our hands were already clasped. When I belatedly noticed and trembled with embarrassment, the protagonist tilted his head at the sight of me.

…You think that’ll make me fall for you?

‘I absolutely, positively won’t fall for the protagonist.’

I squeezed the protagonist’s hand hard enough to hurt, just to show my displeasure. Seeing their face scrunch up made me feel a little happy, but—

‘…Did I squeeze too hard?’

I started worrying that I might’ve squeezed so hard that it hurt more than I’d intended.

But my pride wouldn’t let me ask if the protagonist was okay, and I didn’t want to.

Besides, my mom and the protagonist’s parents kept looking at us like we were a couple, which was awkward enough already. With our parents watching from behind us, I couldn’t ask here.

“Idiot. If we don’t leave now, we might be late, so hurry up.”

“Why’d you suddenly squeeze my hand so hard—mmph?!”

“Be quiet…!”

I clapped a hand over the protagonist’s mouth to shut them up, then anxiously glanced behind us to see if they’d heard—

“You can do it, sweetheart!”

“…??”

I couldn’t help tilting my head at the sight of our parents watching us with fond smiles.

What was there to be happy about here…?

I’d been worried that the protagonist’s parents would be offended if I used force like that, so their reaction—which was the exact opposite of what I’d expected—left me completely flustered.

“Why’d you cover my mouth?!”

“Y-you seriously don’t know?! You idiot!”

While I was still flustered by their reaction, the idiot pushed my hand away and spoke again. The voice startled me so much that I immediately shouted.

I flinched a little, then glanced back to check their reactions. They still seemed fine, so I sighed in relief.

‘Ugh, how did I end up getting tangled up with an idiot like this?’

Even if the protagonist was the lead in a dating sim, weren’t they way too oblivious and stupid?

I’d let myself off the hook a few times by telling myself the protagonist was just young, but being this dumb meant they were simply an idiot. An idiot.

“Seriously, who’s ever going to take this idiot?”

“Huh?”

“…Nothing.”

I’d accidentally said what I was thinking out loud, so I hurried to say it was nothing. But it seemed the words had stuck in the protagonist’s mind, because they kept mumbling, “Who’s going to take me?”

“Can’t Siyeon take me?”

“W-Wha-wh-wh-wh-what?!?!”

After mumbling for a bit, the protagonist asked if I could take them, and I finally snapped.

Why would this idiot say something like that all on his own?!

The protagonist obviously had no idea what “taking someone” meant and was just throwing the words around.

I was so flustered that I completely forgot our parents were behind us and shouted at the top of my lungs.

-Squeeeze.

“Oww….”

“W-What are you talking about, you idiot!”

I immediately grabbed both of the protagonist’s cheeks and stretched them out to punish him.

Seeing how much it hurt, I considered loosening my grip a little. But I was so angry this time that I tossed the thought aside at once.

-Thump, thump.

I could hear my heart beating loudly. This had to be because I was absolutely furious.

“Seriously, you idiot….”

Still, I figured that had probably knocked some sense into the protagonist. I let go of their cheeks, and before I knew it, I was holding their hand as naturally as ever. I had to do my best to keep the corners of my mouth from turning up.

…D-didn’t the protagonist kind of acknowledge me?

There was no way that idiot had meant “take me” the way I’d explained it. He must’ve meant it literally—that he’d have more fun if I took him along.

In other words, the protagonist was all set to become a social butterfly.

As Kim Siyeon, someone who’d spent the previous twenty years as the loner Lee Siyeon, I was already terribly starved for friends. The more I thought about what the protagonist had said, the happier it made me.

…W-well, I feel a little bad for pinching the protagonist. Should I give them some chocolate?

With that trivial thought in mind, I quietly headed for school.

With the protagonist’s hand clasped tightly in mine.

==========

“Hmm….”

As the entrance ceremony began, I was both despairing over being in the same class as the protagonist and relieved that our roll numbers were far apart.

My name started with K, while the protagonist’s started with H, so we were practically at opposite ends. I stood at the very front, while the protagonist stood at the very back.

I was relieved to finally have some peace with the protagonist nowhere around, but at the same time, something felt empty.

Normally, by now the protagonist would be asking, “Want some chocolate?” or boldly holding out a hand and asking me to hold it….

“……”

Quietly, I clasped with my other hand the hand that had been holding the protagonist’s just a moment ago.

…S-somehow, it feels warm.

Even though it was spring now, it was practically still winter, so it was cold out.

The kind of weather where your cheeks turn red even if you’re just standing around. Yeah, yeah.

‘The protagonist’s hand felt surprisingly nice. It barely got sweaty, and it was pretty big but soft. And warm, too.’

While we were holding hands, all I could think about was letting go as soon as possible. But now that the protagonist wasn’t beside me, I felt nothing but emptiness.

…Maybe we’d been together for too long. I mean, we’d already been together for two years—and if I counted this year, that made three. It was only natural that I’d feel the protagonist’s absence.

That didn’t mean I liked the protagonist, though.

It wasn’t just that I didn’t like the protagonist now. I was sure I’d never like them in the future, either. Still, the protagonist was someone I could get along with as a friend.

‘Yeah, yeah. That’s all this is about.’

I felt a hollow ache at the slight emptiness, but didn’t pay it much mind and simply looked ahead.

Anyway, once the ceremony was over and we went back to class, the protagonist would definitely come over to me with a smile when break time came.

The protagonist I knew was definitely like that, so I popped a piece of chocolate into my mouth and enjoyed the ceremony in peace.

==========

‘…Why isn’t the protagonist coming?’

The entrance ceremony was over, we’d returned to class, and even after a short lesson, break time had arrived. I stole a glance at the protagonist, who showed no sign of coming over to me.

Why, why wasn’t the protagonist coming?

If my prediction was right, the protagonist would obviously come over to me during break and chatter away, but they had no intention of coming over at all. They were only talking to the people around them…!

I couldn’t even go over and give the protagonist a hard time, because unlike back in elementary school, when the girls’ roll numbers started at twenty-one, boys and girls were numbered together this time….

I was number one and the protagonist was number thirty, so I was seated in the upper left and the protagonist in the lower right. All I could do was watch from way over there.

But if I went over and talked to the protagonist myself, my pride would be on the line….

“Um….”

“What?”

“N-never mind….”

I brusquely brushed off a boy nearby who tried to talk to me, then glared sharply at the protagonist.

I really didn’t like that the protagonist wasn’t looking my way at all, but I couldn’t exactly shout from here.

Besides, the protagonist and I were probably the best-looking boy and girl in the class, so the kids had gathered around us—though plenty of them came over to me only to leave again.

Anyway, it really bothered me that the protagonist was happily chatting away over there and not paying me any attention.

“U-ugh…!”

In the end, I swallowed a little of my pride, stood up, and started walking toward that idiot’s desk.

“Oh? Siyeon!”

I quietly went over, and the protagonist must’ve noticed right away, because they smiled brightly and gestured for me to sit beside them.

Hadn’t someone been sitting there just a moment ago? I spotted a boy who’d gotten up and moved aside as soon as he saw me.

“…Idiot, why didn’t you come over?”

“Huh? Oh, talking with the others was fun.”

I gave the boy who’d moved aside a small nod of thanks, then immediately sat down and asked why the protagonist hadn’t come over to me.

I didn’t like how the protagonist smiled brightly and said it was because they’d been talking with the other kids. I wanted to pinch their cheek, but there were too many people watching.

“…Whatever. Idiot. You’re such an idiot.”

“…??”

In the end, all I could do was complain to the protagonist.

‘So the protagonist chose them over me in the end?’

I’d been waiting so long my neck nearly snapped, while the protagonist had forgotten about me because they were having fun with all their friends.

“What did Auntie say I should do in this situation again… Ah!”

I grumbled and glared at him. The protagonist looked at me while mumbling something, then seemed to remember something and spoke up.

-Pat, pat.

“…Huh?”

The protagonist immediately placed a hand on my head and began stroking it.

…Huh?