Chapter 3

Lunch break.

For a web novelist, this is the perfect time for input.

In the classroom of 2-2, while savoring a yakisoba bun bought from the cafeteria, I operated my smartphone and accessed "Let's Eat with Novels!"

With excitement, I tapped to see what kind of sweet works would be ranking today,

“Huh...!?”

The scene displayed on the screen made my eyes nearly pop out and stick to the screen.

“Wh-what...”

The hand holding the smartphone trembled violently.

To make sure I wasn’t seeing things, I shifted my gaze to the yakisoba bun.

Yeah, it’s the premium yakisoba bun with my bite marks, looking delicious.

...Alright.

After calming down, I refocused on the screen.

“...”

It wasn’t a mistake.

The modern romance ranking TOP 3 that I frequented was now filled with...

‘The Bullying by My Childhood Friend Was Exposed to the Education Board ~ After Returning from Suspension, We’re Strangers Now ~’

‘I Sue My Violent Childhood Friend for Assault ~ Enjoy a Honey Moon Trip with the Settlement Money ~’

‘After Revealing That My Dad Is the Prime Minister to My Childhood Friend Who Boasted for 10 Years About Being the Daughter of the Chief Cabinet Secretary ~ You’ll Pay 500% Consumption Tax ~’

Why!?

Why are all the works about ‘Childhood Friends Getting What They Deserve’!?

Where are the sweet, syrupy love stories that comforted me whenever I was down, like when my pet goldfish Pentagon died, or when my IC card was rejected during the morning rush hour?

‘Childhood Friends Getting What They Deserve’

This term refers to the plot where the classic losing heroine, the ‘Childhood Friend,’ is harshly rejected by the protagonist or pushed to the bottom of the class hierarchy, essentially getting what they deserve.

I remember.

Come to think of it, a famous author recently completed a super hit ‘Childhood Friend Getting What They Deserve’ novel that ranked high.

This might have sparked a trend where other authors started writing more of these stories, leading to their rise in the rankings.

...Yeah, I get it.

I understand...!?

I get the appeal of this genre and why it’s popular.

But... I have... I have a childhood friend I like!

I have Rin, whom I love so much!

Just imagining it—rejecting Rin, telling her she’ll pay 500% consumption tax, and seeing her face turn to despair as she cries out not to go, reaching out to ask about the reduced tax rate... oh no, no, no, no, no.

My imagination was forcibly shut down.

My brain refused to think any further.

A feeling like my insides were being flipped and the contents were flowing back up.

Thud!

Without thinking, I clutched my head and fell face-first onto the desk.

I shouldn’t have imagined it, really.

“Yonekura-kun, what’s wrong?”

Looking up, I saw the class president, Hashimoto Yuka, standing there with a puzzled expression.

“Childhood friend... getting what they deserve... 500% consumption tax...”

“Hmm, let’s calm down, okay?”

Hashimoto has a small, round face, a fluffy hairstyle, and a gentle, airy personality that makes it hard to tell what she’s thinking.

But Hashimoto is kind and often talks to me, even though I tend to float in the class.

It’s possible she does this out of a sense of duty as the class president, but that’s not the case!

After Rin, she’s the person I talk to the most.

“Is there something bothering you? I’m here to listen.”

Tilting her head to the side, Hashimoto smiled innocently.

Given my current mental state, I really wanted someone to listen, but...

It’s hard to explain.

Saying something like, ‘Childhood Friend Getting What They Deserve’ is trending on ‘Let’s Eat with Novels!’ and I got depressed when I imagined it happening to Rin, is awkward.

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to talk about it if it’s hard to share.”

“Are you a mind reader?”

“Even without being a mind reader, I can tell.”

Hashimoto laughed softly and gently.

“Just let me know if you need to talk.”

She clasped her hands in front of her chest, like a small animal holding a sunflower seed.

“Hey, Yumiiin!”

At that moment, a lively voice called out to Hashimoto.

“I’m being called by Hiyori. See you later.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Smiling, Hashimoto slowly walked over to her classmate, Yumii.

“Let it out, huh...”

After she left, I muttered to myself.

Muttered...?

“Right!”

There’s Tsubuyakita!

Tsubuyakita is the perfect SNS for venting your feelings.

Plus, my account is dedicated to writing, so only readers and other authors can see it, and I don’t have to worry about my classmates seeing it.

What? Real account?

What’s that? I don’t know, but it sounds delicious.

Tapping the blue bird icon, I opened the text input field and started writing my thoughts.

Releasing my honest feelings into the digital sea.

‘Childhood Friend Getting What They Deserve is trending and it’s tough’

– Tweet sent.

A few seconds later, a notification sound.

– ‘Nira’ liked your tweet.

“Oh... Nira-san”

Nira is a super fan of my work.

And a follower on Tsubuyakita.

Nira always likes my tweets instantly.

We’ve never exchanged messages.

I wonder what kind of person Nira is.

I’m a little, no, quite curious.

Another notification sound.

– ‘Nira’ replied to your tweet.

No way!?

“Nira-san commented...!?”

Looking at the notification, I saw a simple line of text.

‘I agree’

Ah, Nira, you understand this feeling!

I was so happy to receive a response from Nira, whom I always appreciate, and the lingering frustration from imagining Rin in a bad situation made me write this:

‘Nira-san!! I’m so glad you agree!! I have a real childhood friend, and I’ve liked her since elementary school... Just imagining her getting what she deserves really hurts my heart! I want to be sweet to my childhood friend, not make her get what she deserves! In other words, I want to make my childhood friend super happy!’

Huh!

What am I doing, sending something like this to someone I’ve never interacted with!?

Before my rational mind could stop me,

– Tweet sent.

“A”

...

What am I doing?

A sudden feeling of blood draining from my face.

I immediately thought about deleting the tweet.

But Nira probably saw it already, and deleting it would make things even more awkward...

While I was hesitating, I realized:

It’s been over 10 seconds, and there’s no ‘like’.

That’s strange, Nira usually likes my tweets in just a few seconds.

Ping.

– ‘Nira’ replied to your tweet.

‘I see’

Ah, it’s over.

This is the classic ‘I’m turned off’ response.

I faceplanted onto the desk again.

◇◇◇

At the same time, in the classroom of 2-1.

I, Hashimoto Yuka, was called to the neighboring classroom by my best friend, Yumii, also known as Hiyori.

To chat with our other best friend, Asakura Rin.

“So, you see! Jikun leaned on my shoulder and fell asleep, and his sleeping face was so cute, like a child’s!”

“Wow, that’s so sweet! You’re still as sweet as ever.”

Hiyori is completely absorbed in talking about her new boyfriend.

It’s a sugary-sweet story that makes me feel a bit queasy, but seeing Hiyori so genuinely happy makes me happy too.

Thud!!

Hiyori’s sugary story was interrupted by a very dull sound.

Rin, who had been playing with her smartphone, suddenly slammed her head on the desk with such force that it seemed like the desk might cave in.

“Rin!?”

“Rin, what’s wrong?”

Hiyori and I asked.

After a moment, Rin slowly, slowly lifted her head and said one word.

“Nothing”

“It doesn’t look like nothing...”

I couldn’t help but say what I was thinking.

Because Rin’s behavior was so unlike her.

Her ears, lips, and body were trembling,

And her face was as red as the mark on her forehead from hitting it.