Volume 3 Chapter 3.4 - A Woman in Love Tells Lies
A Woman in Love Tells Lies 4
‘I’m better than him,’ some confident ones emerged, but the excuse of already having a lover was extremely effective.
The lukewarm gaze of our classmates seemed 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 came to my side. We were together in the classroom and during breaks, reinforcing the impression of a class-approved couple.
As we spent more time together, Akira’s reactions softened.
Her hypersensitive and aggressive responses decreased, and the thorns in her words began to fall away.
Interestingly, as Akira became 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 become the class leader, directed the preparations with precision, focusing on those who were free after school to help with the decorations.
As members of the going-home club, Akira and I stayed behind to help, and thanks to Mayuzumi-san’s deliberate arrangements, we often ended up working together.