Chapter 38 End

After school, Keita and I were lounging at a local fast-food joint, casually chatting while snacking on fries.

“Still, I can’t believe you actually ended up dating the school’s number one princess.”

“Honestly, I never thought things would turn out this way either.”

Keita spoke with clear surprise as he tossed a fry into his mouth. I glanced at him, gave a wry smile, and took a sip of my cola.

But really, it’s still hard to believe.

Even after experiencing the worst—being dumped by Misaki and having Tachibana steal her away—I somehow ended up meeting Rinka, the school’s number one princess, in an online game… and now we’re dating in real life.

“Right? I knew I had an eye for these things. The Princess taking an interest in Kazuya—it’s gotta be fate!”

“You’re exaggerating…”

I sighed as I reached for another fry, but Keita suddenly gave me a serious look.

“But aren’t you glad you didn’t give up and kept pushing forward? Ever since the finals, even the way people talk about you has changed.”

After achieving those results, the number of students badmouthing my relationship with Rinka had dropped significantly.

In fact, I even started hearing people say we suited each other.

“Yeah… I really am glad. Thanks, Keita…”

“Of course! Now it’s your turn to help me find a girlfriend.”

“You serious? No way…”

As we exchanged our usual banter, my phone suddenly vibrated. When I looked at the screen, I saw a message from Rinka.

[When are you coming home?]

That short message made my heart skip a beat.

Keita peeked at my phone and smirked.

“Oh, come on, your girlfriend’s waiting for you at home, isn’t she? Stop lazing around here and get going.”

“Yeah… You’re right. See you tomorrow!”

I hurried out of the fast-food place and dashed toward the apartment where Rinka was waiting.

As soon as I stepped into the apartment, a delicious aroma filled the air.

“Welcome home!”

Rinka peeked out from the kitchen, wearing an apron. Her smile was so natural that warmth spread deep in my chest.

“I’m home.”

Ever since we confessed our feelings, Rinka had been coming over frequently to cook me dinner.

At this point, we were spending so much time together that it almost felt like we were living together.

“What were you up to just now?”

“Sorry, I was eating fries with Keita…”

When I answered, Rinka puffed out her cheeks in slight annoyance.

“You’re still gonna have room for my cooking, right?”

“Of course, Rinka’s cooking is in a league of its own.”

“Geez… If you don’t finish everything, I won’t forgive you, okay?”

The table was set with a delicious-looking dinner. As we sat down and started eating, I felt an urge to voice the feelings that had been welling up inside me.

“…Hey, Rinka.”

“Hm?”

“I just wanted to say this again. Thank you for saving me. If you hadn’t been there back then, I don’t know what would’ve happened to me.”

At my honest words, Rinka looked slightly surprised, but she quickly broke into a smile.

“You’re welcome. I’m really glad I was able to save you, Kazuya-kun.”

“Rinka…”

Then, with a playful glint in her eyes, she added.

“But you know… You’ve made it impossible for me to live without you. You’ll have to take responsibility for that for the rest of your life, okay~?”

Her beaming smile as she said that left me completely mesmerized.

“…That’s fine by me. Not a problem at all.”

Those words came out naturally, and Rinka smiled in satisfaction. The air between us felt… special, somehow.

I never imagined that she would become such an important part of my life, but now, it’s clearer than ever—Rinka is someone I can never let go of.

The End.

tl: Thank you for reading until the end. I appreciate all your support! Sorry for any translation mistakes.