Chapter 73: So, What Should We Call Ourselves?

“What’s wrong? Isn’t this news exciting enough?” Kazuta Ichinaka noticed the uninterested looks on Yojirou Heisuke and Haruhi Harano’s faces, scratching his head in puzzlement.

“I got this straight from an upperclassman! I brought it to you guys as soon as I heard—hey, come on, wake up! This news is one hundred percent legit!”

Kazuta kept talking, oblivious to how the classroom had slowly quieted down again, everyone now listening to him alone.

“Haruhi, didn’t you say you thought Kiyoshi was really pretty before? No worries, there’s always the rest of us—”

Haruhi Harano and Mirone Kiyoshi remained calm and didn’t say much, while Yuriko Ogata looked increasingly distraught.

Her small body slumped over her desk, her head in her arms, trembling from head to toe.

Kiyoshi had clearly said she didn’t like Harano—so how did things turn out like this?

Sob sob T﹏T. She’d planned to ask Harano to walk home together today.

If I’d known it would end up like this, I’d rather have just been thrown straight in the trash back then! Sob sob!

Her friend tried to console her, while classmates kept glancing back and forth, unsure what was happening.

Why is Ogata crying too? What on earth is going on today?

Finally, Heisuke couldn’t take it anymore and pulled Kazuta to the corner to whisper something.

They shot sidelong glances at Haruhi Harano as they talked.

Kazuta’s expression shifted from confusion, to curiosity, then slowly into astonishment and disbelief.

In the end, he looked at Harano with open admiration, his eyes shining with awe.

Now Kazuta was more convinced than ever: Harano was the protagonist of a romance anime!

A sprawling three-season, twelve-episode-per-season school romance played out in the minds of the two self-styled chuunibyou boys.

The King’s Seat! The legendary “bad girl” girlfriend!

And the ambiguous Yuriko Ogata! All the elements were there!

As “bros,” they more or less knew about Ogata’s feelings, but though they were dramatic, they were tight-lipped and hadn’t spread rumors.

Don’t underestimate chuunibyou boys! For real!

But, come to think of it—

What should they call their current lives?

“Haruhi’s Revenge?”
“Is There Anything Wrong With Harano’s Love Story?”
“Youthful Fantasist and His Infamous Girlfriend?”
???

Haruhi Harano was perfectly composed, even leisurely pulling out a love letter from her shoe locker that morning. She opened the envelope—neat, delicate handwriting filled the page.

It was a confession from Nanami Minami in Class 2-B.

But her looks and aura couldn’t compare to Mirone Kiyoshi, nor was she as cute as Yuriko Ogata, and her figure was nowhere near Mrs. Uehara’s.

Just an ordinary person, really…

If Harano dared say any of this aloud, he’d surely be pummeled for it, even if it was true—who asked him to compare everyone like that!

Compared to all these girls, Nanami would be totally outclassed, even though she was considered a beauty in her own right.

“Kiyoshi, when did you two get together?”

On the other side, Mai Hanai couldn’t help but ask.

“What do you mean, ‘get together’?” Mirone Kiyoshi’s cheeks colored for once, but she stubbornly tried to play it cool.

“Oh, please! No wonder you’ve been busy lately. Spill it—how far have you two gotten? When did you start dating? Out with it!” Kanae Terashima pressed her.

“What are you talking about… Fine, fine, I’ll take you all out tonight, all right?” Kiyoshi, overwhelmed, promised an outing to change the subject.

With their boss lady’s word, Terashima gave up questioning for now—she could always ask Harano later.

“But Kiyoshi, you really are magnetic. It’s not just the guys—even the girls…” Hanai glanced at the still-crying Yuriko Ogata.

Others might not know the reason, but she and Terashima had seen it: Ogata had confessed to Kiyoshi and been rejected!

Irresistible charm, indeed—their leader lived up to her reputation.

Terashima had noticed too, and couldn’t help but wonder if Kiyoshi’s sudden search for a boyfriend had to do with it.

But no, no one could force Kiyoshi to make a decision. Unless…

A scene from a recent anime flashed through Terashima’s mind—one with a circle and a slash over the number eighteen, the girls’ version.

There was a scene just like this: because a girl-girl romance wasn’t accepted, one of them found a…

A 120-episode melodramatic love saga unfolded in Terashima’s imagination—tragic, bleak, lonely, cold…

So what should it be called now?

“Tsundere Queen and Her Gentle Little Girlfriend?”
“Crossing the Bridge of Friendship?”

The more she thought, the more outrageous her fantasies became, her cheeks gradually flushing. It almost looked as if white steam was rising from her head, filled with wild, fanciful images.

Only Mirone Kiyoshi was left utterly bewildered. Hey, what are you all talking about? Why can’t I understand any of this???

At that moment, Yuriko Ogata, eyes red from crying, walked over. The small girl stood before her, seeming a bit taller and more resolute than usual.

Mirone Kiyoshi’s expression chilled as she stared at her, face blank.

So, she’d come to demand answers?

Terashima felt something ignite inside her—the spirit of the gossip-hound, burning fiercely!

Her gaze toward Ogata was no longer hostile, but tinged with sympathy and pity.

Ah, must every pair of lovers reach this point? How tragic~

Kiyoshi’s face remained impassive as she glanced down at the little figure, then rose, her long, black-stockinged legs carrying her out of the classroom.

“Hey, Harano, Kiyoshi and Ogata just left together.”

“They won’t fight, will they…?” Heisuke whispered.

Haruhi Harano glanced up—Kiyoshi, the fair-haired beauty, was striding out coolly, even shooting Harano a look as she passed, while Yuriko Ogata followed behind in small but determined steps. Her head was lowered; who knew what she was thinking.

“I’m so jealous. Ogata always seemed so timid and shy, never daring to speak, and now she’s confronting Kiyoshi herself—not once, but twice,” Kazuta muttered nearby. “It’s amazing! Is this the power of love? Damn, I can feel it!”

Their chuunibyou hearts blazed brighter than ever.

Haruhi Harano was exasperated with the two, but had to admit—apart from their overactive imaginations, they were good friends.