NTR Kousuke

Chapter 44

The third week of October, the time limit for the diet was approaching next week.

56→53kg, 3kg left until the goal.

It's painful.

My limit, truly my limit...

What supports me is my tenacity.

Everyone's expectations, a battle with myself, concrete numbers, and the desire to show them!

At the same time, there are also many negative factors like "Isn't this good enough?", "My body is so tired!", "Stress is at its limit!", "I hate this life!", and "The top clique is scary!".

Every day, I rely on Kousuke-kun, acting spoiled, sulking, getting angry, lashing out, and even crying.

Kousuke-kun accepts all of it. Always, gently, sincerely, straightforwardly, and faithfully, no matter what.

That's why I can keep going! Kousuke-kun supports and encourages me when I'm exhausted.

Kousuke-kun! Kousuke-kun!

I announced—or rather, declared—that there's something I want to tell Kousuke-kun on the second day of the two-day culture festival!

No, I told him myself to push myself, to cut off my escape route.

It's practically a confession, isn't it...?

At the beginning of summer vacation, by the school building, I impulsively confessed to Kuzu-kun, who I'd admired since middle school, and it was a huge failure! After seeing that, Kousuke-kun and I spent the summer vacation immersed in dieting, and I confessed again to Kousuke-kun, who supported me through all of it.

...No, it's already as good as done, isn't it?

Kousuke-kun has also started calling me Yukari-san.

Even though I just failed spectacularly during summer vacation, these feelings are real!

I'll complete the diet,

finish the documentary perfectly,

and regardless of the outcome, I'll let them see the perfected me at the beauty contest!

After they see me, if I can muster the courage, I'll tell him right there, right then... and if Kousuke-kun and I can become boyfriend and girlfriend!

☆ ☆ ☆

And the diet deadline approached day by day.

I used to be overweight and the type of girl who was easily swayed.

I want to change that! That's all.

I'm living desperately, frantically, thinking only of that.

Focusing only on the center, cutting off the edges of my vision! Straight ahead!

My body and mind are both full!

What helps me is a group from Class 2.

One of them is the film club led by Kousuke-kun and Captain Tanaka.

The other is the top clique girls led by Osada-san from Class 6.

The former, needless to say, are the initiators of the diet project they proposed.

They are filming a documentary, and that documentary will be screened in the gymnasium as the film club's presentation on the first day of the culture festival. It will also be shown endlessly in the clubroom for two days as the film club's activity presentation.

The latter are my classmates, and they are currently secretly backing me up.

Not only do they hide my presence so I don't stand out, but they also support my diet and take various measures to keep me inconspicuous.

Of course, I am expected to contribute to promoting and attracting customers to the class's maid café through the documentary and my participation in the beauty contest.

Honestly, the diet is so hard that I'm completely exempt from preparing for and helping with the class's maid café, and since Osada-san and her group are taking over the diet support, I can concentrate on my diet without being bothered by anything during the time I'm in class.

At first, I was only anxious about being suddenly transferred to the top clique.

But now, I understand that it's Osada-san's consideration.

It's actually very difficult to make one person inconspicuous.

They made me wait in an empty classroom, or when I was in the classroom, they kept me near Osada-san's prominent group to make me inconspicuous, and they prevented anyone from flirting with me.

I thanked Osada-san for her diet support, using polite language because she's scary.

Even now, I'm asking her for protein milk... the one sold in the vending machine.

Osada: "I don't consider you a friend, Yukaricchi. But you're useful to the class, so I'm just treating you accordingly. You don't have to worry about it. I've seen you working hard, you know?"

"Yes!"

I'm a little scared of Osada-san's intimidating aura, so I speak to her using polite language.

Seeing that, Osada-san gives a wry smile,

Osada: "No, it's true, you know? If you don't win the beauty contest... well, to put it bluntly, if you're not useful, you'll lose your place, you know?"

"Gah!"

Last week, it might be rude to call them the second-tier, but I saw the second-tier girls and below protesting to Osada-san several times, saying, "She's slacking off on culture festival preparations!" and "She's getting special treatment!"

Osada: "Huh? I evaluate Yukaricchi. If that's the case, why don't you guys enter the beauty contest? Raise your profile at the culture festival? Can you contribute more to attracting customers to the class's maid café than Yukaricchi?"

Osada-san silenced them with her intimidation, and she re-announced to the class that my presence should not be divulged.

With that, the class's perception changed.

Yukari Tomonaga is a top clique girl. That became widely known, and within the class, she settled into a position of certain respect? Or rather, being kept at a distance.

If you say it's easy, it's easy; if you say it's suffocating, it's a suffocating environment.

Still, when I'm really struggling, classmates buy me drinks, or I can piggyback on Osada-san's errands to get something bought for me, which is incredibly easy and makes me rely on them... No, that's not good, I know...

That's why,

I timidly propose to Osada-san,

"Of course, this time, I will do my best! With all my might! I will definitely contribute to the class! ...So..."

Osada-san prompts me to continue, saying, "What?"

"If I can contribute, which would be a truly honorable position, after I contribute, could I please return to my original plain, corner-dwelling position instead of staying in the top clique?"

Osada-san received the protein milk someone had run to buy and handed it to me.

Osada-san said with a laugh, looking amused yet somewhat pitiful,

Osada: "You want to go back? But I wonder... Is there a place for you there?"

??

!!

The protein milk she handed me.

It was Osada-san who handed it to me...

The one who handed it to Osada-san was...

From this third-floor classroom in the school building, the vending machine selling protein milk at the school store is the farthest vending machine, next to the gymnasium. They bought it so quickly...

Two pairs of eyes, breathless, stared at me.

"...。"

The ones who ran to buy my protein milk were... my two best friends.

The two important people I always talked about dramas and manga with in the corner of the classroom.

Those two were glaring at me with angry eyes.

Come to think of it... I haven't used LINE for a while, and I'm isolated in the classroom...!

I finally understood! Quickly!

"I! I'm sorry!"

Friend: "Excuse me!"

Friend: "Was the flavor different?!"

Their tone was polite, but it clearly conveyed, "Don't get involved with us anymore!"

Osada-san smirked,

Osada: "That's right, you know? They're Yukaricchi's exclusive two, so you shouldn't overwork them, okay? To say it again, do you want to go back?"

Me, me,

Osada: "Isn't there no place for you to go back to anymore? It's alright, we're here for you, Yukaricchi, you know?"

Osada-san patted my shoulder and said one word before leaving,

Osada: "There's only us left now. I protect my comrades, absolutely. Do your best, okay?"

My escape route was cut off.