A Woman in Love Tells Lies 4
‘I’m better than him,’ so confident ones erged, but the excuse of already having a lover was extrely effective.
The lukewarm gaze of our classmates seed to play a part in keeping those targeting Akira at bay.
Akira’s girlfriend act was thorough; while there were no blatant body touches, she naturally ca to my side. We were together in the classroom and during breaks, reinforcing the impression of a class-approved couple.
As we spent more ti together, Akira’s reactions softened.
Her hypersensitive and aggressive responses decreased, and the thorns in her words began to fall away.
Interestingly, as Akira beca more approachable, the classmates started to engage with her more frequently.
Akira too began to laugh at trivial topics and enjoyed the back-and-forth of conversation.
I watched with interest as Akira integrated into the social circle.
Preparations for the cultural festival also progressed steadily.
Mayuzumi-san, who had beco the class leader, directed the preparations with precision, focusing on those who were free after school to help with the decorations.
As mbers of the going-ho club, Akira and I stayed behind to help, and thanks to Mayuzumi-san’s deliberate arrangents, we often ended up working together.
Akira didn’t refuse, and I accepted it.
Everything was moving along smoothly.
Except, perhaps, for Tenjō-sensei——
Contrary to our relationship at school, Tenjō-san’s behavior at the apartnt had clearly changed.
“Yuunagi-kun, I made a lot of beef stew, so here’s a little gift for you. Please enjoy.”
It was a Saturday evening holiday when she suddenly ca over with a pot in hand.
“Ah, thank you very much.”
“I’ve been simring it since last night, so it’s really delicious.”
“You went through such a ti-consuming cooking process? You also seed to be doing a major cleaning during the day.”
Throughout the day, I intermittently heard the vacuum cleaner from next door.
“Yes! I wanted to thoroughly clean the places that were bothering . You know, ‘Strike while the iron is hot.’ I even made progress in decluttering, getting rid of old clothes I don’t wear anymore! Having space in the closet feels like having room to breathe in your heart. And it feels good to have shiny clean water areas too!”
Her eyes were fervent as she explained.
“Wow, that’s amazing...”
Isn’t that taking on too much at once?
She’s incredibly active.
She works during the weekdays, so I wish she would rest properly on her days off.
“It’s like I’m on a self-powered quest to raise my QOL. Farewell to my sloppy lifestyle. I’ve realized how much I’ve been taking advantage of Yuunagi-kun’s kindness. I’m sorry for everything until now!” (Quality of Life)
Tenjō-san was unnervingly high-spirited.
Of course, I had an inkling why.
Ever since I started playing the role of Akira’s boyfriend, she would leave my room without lingering after als each day.
It’s not unusual for her to leave early in the morning for staff etings and such.
But it was new for her to return to her room imdiately after dinner without even having tea, which had never happened before.
“Could it be that you’re doing all this housework as a way to relieve stress?”
The mont I pointed that out, Tenjō-san’s smile froze.
Bullseye.
Imrsing herself in work could serve as an escape from reality, and housework, with its visible results, easily provided a sense of accomplishnt.
“Well anyway! I still have cleaning left to do! Oh, and don’t worry about returning the pot anyti!”
Tenjō-san abruptly ended the conversation and returned to her room.
At first glance, it seed healthy, but it was still off.
It was the opposite of losing motivation or appetite in a noticeable way.
She was forcibly elevating her mood and becoming excessively active.
“It’s a Dark Reiyu...”
She wasn’t angry or crying. She was just putting on a brave front.
She was intentionally avoiding spending ti alone with , fearing a slip of the tongue.
Her smile, usually as bright as the sun, now seed as dark as a solar eclipse.
The light that should be there was blocked, casting a dark shadow.
Every day in the classroom, seeing treated as another girl’s boyfriend was ntally taxing.
Yet, Tenjō Reiyu never forgot her role as a teacher at school.
I respect her integrity, and I feel guilty for being a part of such a foolish act.
Unnoticed, it felt as if the tide was coming in, and I was starting to feel suffocated.
I realized I was only standing on my tiptoes, and there was a sense of impending danger that I might drown.
These small accumulations could lead to the collapse of our relationship.
What awaits us at the end of this path is————
“No, this can’t go on! This isn’t good!”
I called for help.
***
“So, Yuu-kun is asking for help. You have your cute monts, don’t you?”
“Sorry about this.”
The next day, Sunday evening, I had invited my stepsister, Nishiki Kaguya, over for dinner.
I thought that having a al with the three of us, including Kaguya, might help Tenjō-san change her mood.
While standing together in our kitchen, I explained the awkward situation to our neighbor.
“It’s not like apologizing to will fix Rei-chan’s mood.”
“I know, but I’m stuck when I’m on my own.”
“It’s disappointing to be invited by Yuu-kun only to be made to listen to confessions about another woman. Such a cute girl ca over to play, you know?”
Kaguya’s gaze was sharp.
“I’m grateful you could co on such short notice.”
“You’re welco. I’d co to see Yuu-kun anyti.”
Seeing Kaguya’s carefree smile lightened my mood a bit.
“Who would’ve thought I’d feel relieved talking to you.”
“Using your stepsister as a convenient way to relief yourself, huh? I’m not that kind of a convenient girl.”
“But you ca anyway.”
“Because Yuu-kun is special.”
“I’ll take that as a sign of trust.”
“Show a little more gratitude to such a devoted sister.”
“I’m treating you to dinner, isn’t that enough?”
“Ehh, not enough.”
Kaguya said, wrapping her arms around .
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