I Don’t Want to Affect You When You Try to Get a Girlfriend Because of Me

After the karaoke incident, during the next day’s lunch break.

On the bench in the first-floor courtyard of the school building, Imaizumi Keita and Yanaimi Anna sat side by side, separated only by a lunch box.

The afternoon sunlight filtered through dense leaves into dappled patches that fell across them.

The atmosphere was no longer as tense or awkward as the first time they ate here together.

“After you got home yesterday,” Imaizumi asked casually as he bit into a little octopus sausage, “did Hakamada Kousuke ask you anything?”

Hearing this, Anna looked up from her rice ball, a proud smile appearing on her face.

“Of course he asked!”

She swallowed her rice, leaning forward slightly like she was showing off an achievement.

“He not only messaged me — he asked me several times again this morning at school. Stuff like ‘what’s going on between you two,’ ‘when did it start,’ things like that.”

“Oh? And what did you tell him?”

Imaizumi watched her with interest.

“Relax!”

Anna patted her chest confidently, looking very dependable.

“I just brushed everything off with ‘ahh, that kind of thing is a girl’s secret!’ I won’t panic from a few questions like before!”

After saying that, Anna suddenly remembered the hugs and whispers Imaizumi had given her in the KTV room yesterday — moments that had made her heart nearly stop.

The lingering fluttering in her chest made her gaze drift away involuntarily.

Trying to hide her unease, she cleared her throat and forced her expression and voice back to neutrality, continuing the previous topic as if they were doing business.

“Anyway, even though I shouldn’t be as scared or conflicted anymore… I think our ‘fake couple’ agreement still needs to continue.”

She made her tone sound as though this was a carefully considered decision, not something driven by her personal desires.

“Of course.”

Imaizumi nodded. He hadn’t drawn enough energy from Anna yet — there was no reason to let this relationship end.

“But don’t worry, Imaizumi.”

Anna thought for a moment, then added something she believed was very considerate.

“I already told Karen and Kousuke to keep our relationship a secret for now. Since we only ‘just started,’ I don’t want it to spread everywhere. I want to keep things low-key first.”

After saying this, she carefully studied his reaction, then added in a tone that pretended not to care:

“That way… even if you… if you meet someone you really like in the future, you won’t be affected by having a ‘fake girlfriend’ like me.”

After she said it, Anna found herself becoming inexplicably nervous.

Imaizumi glanced at her — pretending to be calm, yet gripping her chopsticks so tightly she looked like she might snap them — and couldn’t help but laugh softly.

“Yanaimi.”

“W-what?”

“You think, when I’m with you every day like this,”

He turned his head, meeting her eyes directly, amusement clearly visible in his gaze, “that if I really liked someone else, I’d be able to explain it at all?”

The question was extremely straightforward.

Anna was stunned into silence, her cheeks heating in embarrassment.

She wanted to argue back… but couldn’t find a single logical point.

Yeah… lunch together every day, ‘dates’ after school, all those intimate moments…

No matter how you look at it, this was indistinguishable from an actual couple in love.

If he really liked someone else… wouldn’t she become the textbook definition of a “third wheel”?

Realizing this, she opened her mouth but lowered her head instead, quietly returning to her lunch.

From Imaizumi’s angle, he couldn’t see her small smile lifting ever so slightly.

Deep inside, she quietly exhaled in relief.

…

Lunch break ended, and the afternoon classes proceeded as calmly as always.

For Anna, who had finally let go of her long-held obsession, the occasional displays of affection from the couple in the front row no longer bothered her at all.

And for Imaizumi, the steady stream of “energy refills” kept him mentally sharp and in a very good mood all afternoon.

When the final class bell rang, Imaizumi packed his books into his bag, ready to leave the classroom as usual.

Tok, tok.

Two small tapping sounds came from the window beside him.

He turned his head in confusion, seeing a figure standing in the hallway outside, looking at him through the glass.

It was a petite girl.

Short reddish-brown hair, slightly long bangs covering most of her eyes, giving her a quiet and faintly gloomy aura.

She wore the same school uniform but was nervously twisting the hem of her oversized jacket with her fingers.

“U-umm… y-you’re Imaizumi-kun… right…?”

“And you are?”

Hearing Imaizumi respond made the girl even more nervous. She shrank back slightly, but forced herself to introduce:

“M-my name is Komari… I’m from the Literature Club! Komari Chika!”

“Oh, Komari-san. Did you need something from me?”

Imaizumi stood up, opened the door beside his desk, and walked into the hallway.

Standing face to face, he suddenly realized that with Komari’s height being barely 150 cm, his 178 cm frame looked overwhelmingly tall.

Not wanting to intimidate her, he couldn’t just go back to sit down, so he bent forward slightly to make speaking easier.

Komari shrank back even more when he approached, then stuttered out, “U-um… i-it’s… the Literature…”

Before she could finish, she broke into a fit of coughing from extreme nervousness, her face turning completely red.

“Huh? The Literature Club’s activities? What does that have to do with—”

Imaizumi raised a brow, instantly realizing why she had come.

Right — at the beginning of the school year, he had visited several clubs and casually filled out an application for the Literature Club because it made borrowing books easier.

After that, he never went… and had forgotten completely.

“Komari-san, what about the club activities?”

Seeing her still coughing pitifully, Imaizumi instinctively wanted to help.

But Komari suddenly pulled out her phone, typed frantically, and held the screen up to him.

“Because the student council sent a warning… they said someone in the Literature Club registered but never attended activities.”

She watched his expression carefully. Seeing no signs of annoyance or refusal, she typed another message and showed him.

“So the club president asked all registered members to come to the clubroom after school today to discuss activities.”

I see.

So this was to deal with the student council inspection.

Imaizumi didn’t mind at all — it wouldn’t take long anyway.

“Got it.”

He nodded easily. “Where’s the clubroom? I don’t quite remember…”

“I-it’s… at the very end of the first floor of the west club building…”

“Okay, I’ll go after school.”

Hearing his clear answer, Komari let out a breath like she had completed an impossible mission.

She bowed awkwardly and whispered, “Th-thank you for your time,” before quickly turning and practically running away with short, hurried steps.

Imaizumi watched her flustered figure disappear around the staircase and couldn’t help showing a curious expression.

There’s actually a cute gloomy-shy girl like Komari Chika in the Literature Club?