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Chapter 177: Confessions… So, I Want Them All?
🕑 Added 2025-03-05 13:03:30 +0000 UTC"Well then, Naomi and I will be leaving now."
Standing at the entrance of Shuka High, Shouji Yuko looked at Minami Shouji and spoke in her usual soft tone.
"I've left your winter clothes with your landlord. Make sure to pick them up later, don't forget."
"Got it, Yuko-nee."
Minami nodded before apologizing, "Sorry, Yuko-nee, I should've been the one taking you two to the station."
"You'd better stay here and sort out your own mess, you brat!"
Unlike Yuko's calm demeanor, Shouji Naomi was far more unrestrained.
She easily hooked an arm around Minami's neck and shot a glance at the group of girls waiting for him nearby.
Damn it.
Such great girls...
Normally, meeting just one would be like winning the lottery.
But they all like my little brother?!
From every possible angle—
This was like a pig successfully digging up an entire garden of cabbage!
Naomi shot a sharp look at Minami but didn't say anything more.
And as if sensing Naomi's thoughts, Yuko followed up,
"As for Shouji's romantic situation, Naomi and I won't interfere."
She stood tall, her posture graceful yet firm, as she continued,
"Neither of us have much experience with relationships, but we trust that you'll handle things properly with them."
After all, these were his matters.
Even as his family, it wouldn't be right to meddle too much in his private affairs.
Yuko respected Minami, and this was her way of expressing that.
And hearing her say this—
Minami nodded slightly, "Understood."
Yuko had always been the calm and considerate one, never using her seniority to pressure him.
Unlike the unpredictable and airheaded Naomi, Yuko was the one he respected most among his siblings.
After getting Minami's response, Yuko didn't hesitate any longer.
She politely said goodbye to the girls from "Kessoku Band," "LycoReco," and Shinjo Akane before turning and leaving the school gates.
"Yuko-nee and Naomi-nee are gone, huh?"
Watching the two disappear from sight, Ijichi Nijika let out a small sigh.
Even though they had only spent a short time together, Minami's sisters had been surprisingly easy to like.
Yuko was the perfect example of a traditional, elegant woman—
Gentle, kind, respectful, and never acting superior despite being older.
Even Shinjo Akane, who was normally proud and headstrong, found herself holding some respect for Yuko.
And as for Naomi?
She was a bubbly, outgoing type.
It took less than a few minutes for her to get along perfectly with social butterflies like Kita Ikuyo, Ijichi Nijika, and Nishikagi Chisato.
So now that they were gone—
Nijika actually felt a little reluctant to see them leave.
But more importantly—
She could feel it.
This atmosphere…
So. Awkward.
Yeah.
This was bad.
Most likely because of what happened earlier—
Yamada Ryo's "sudden attack" confession had completely thrown everyone into chaos.
Now, things felt unnaturally stiff.
Nishikagi Chisato was still talking cheerfully, but both Shinjo Akane and Inoue Takina had fallen completely silent.
Clearly, they were regretting their impulsive confessions.
And as for Gotoh Hitori?
She was the same as always—
Too timid to make a move but constantly stealing glances at Minami from under her long bangs.
Meanwhile, Yamada Ryo…
This troublemaker was currently—
Stealing ice cream from Kita Ikuyo's hands.
…She seriously has no idea that she caused all this, huh?
How could she still eat like nothing happened after what she just did?!
Nijika rubbed her temples.
This was supposed to be Shuka High's cultural festival.
They were supposed to be having fun.
But now?
Now it was just awkward silence everywhere.
Nijika sighed.
Whatever.
As long as this idiot over here—
Didn't say anything else to make things worse…
Then maybe they could just move on and enjoy the festival.
Or so she thought.
Until—
"By the way, Minami—
What are we supposed to do about all our confessions?"
"..." Ijichi Nijika.
MENTALLY SCREAMING.
SHE DID IT.
SHE REALLY DID IT.
Nijika clutched her head in despair.
She had known this girl for a long time.
She should have expected this.
Normal people in this situation would wait for the right time.
They'd ask in private when no one else was around.
BUT NO.
Yamada Ryo chose to say it NOW.
In front of EVERYONE.
And worse—
This wasn't just stirring the pot.
This was throwing Minami Shouji into the flames and watching him burn.
And just like that—
All eyes turned toward him.
Shinjo Akane.
Nishikagi Chisato.
Inoue Takina.
Gotoh Hitori.
All of them were waiting for his answer.
And Nijika—
Even though she wasn't involved—
She felt like she was about to have a heart attack just from watching.
She wanted to say something on Minami's behalf.
"You're really just doing whatever you want, huh…"
"It's fine."
"Huh…?"
Before Ijichi Nijika could even finish speaking, Minami Shouji had already cut her off.
She turned toward him with a look of surprise.
Because—she really hadn't expected it.
Minami had intentionally interrupted her.
Logically, if he just stayed silent, this whole situation would have blown over.
But instead—
"Minami-san…"
The ever-gentle Nijika tried to speak up again.
But—
"Keeping quiet won't solve anything."
His voice, steady as always, carried a reassuring calmness.
Just hearing it helped Nijika's uneasy heart settle down.
She hesitated for a moment—then held her tongue.
And then, Minami continued.
"Actually, even if Ryo hadn't brought it up, I would have."
Because no matter what—
This was a situation where four different girls had confessed to him.
(Well, technically, Gotoh Hitori was too terrified to say anything at all.)
So there was no way Minami could just laugh it off and pretend it didn't happen.
That would be disrespectful to Yamada Ryo, Nishikagi Chisato, Inoue Takina, and Shinjo Akane.
But—
"Before we go any further, there's one thing I need to clarify first."
His words piqued everyone's curiosity.
Then—
"How many of you only ended up confessing because Ryo said it first and left you no way out?"
This time, Minami's tone changed slightly.
His usually composed face showed a hint of helpless resignation.
Because the truth was—
Yamada Ryo was a one-track-minded, airheaded idiot who could blurt out outrageous things with a perfectly straight face.
And this time—
She had outdone herself.
With one reckless sentence, she had managed to drag three other girls down with her.
"Huh?"
Mouth full of Kita Ikuyo's leftover ice cream, Yamada Ryo looked up blankly.
Her expression was so pure and innocent that it perfectly embodied the word "clueless."
And yet—
Her words had already turned three girls' faces bright red.
The moment Minami asked that question—
They felt the sting of what had just happened.
Because the truth was—
They had totally fallen into Ryo's trap.
This woman was like a guided missile, hitting the target with perfect accuracy.
"Alright, then let's get back to the confessions."
Minami didn't shy away from the topic.
He turned to Shinjo Akane.
"Akane—if I had accepted your confession, what would you have done next?"
"Huh—?!"
She clearly hadn't expected the question to turn on her so suddenly.
Her soft pink lips parted slightly, and she struggled to find an answer.
After a long moment, her face turning a deeper shade of red, she finally whispered—
"…I don't know."
Because honestly—
She hadn't even planned to confess today.
She had been waiting for the right moment, when she was 90% sure of success.
But then Ryo threw out her confession like a bomb—
And before she knew it, she had panicked and followed along.
Minami turned to Nishikagi Chisato and Inoue Takina.
The golden-haired girl and the black-haired girl immediately avoided his gaze.
It was just like that moment in middle school—
When a boy would confess to a girl, and the entire class would start chanting:
"Say yes! Say yes!"
This wasn't real confessions—
It was just being a "slave to the atmosphere."
Because earlier—
Akane had confessed.
And then, they had thought:
"If she confessed, then I have to confess too."
Minami's eyes stayed calm as he asked—
"How many of you were thinking that way?"
"..."
Chisato.
Takina.
Akane.
All three slowly raised their hands.
"..."
Minami sighed deeply.
"B-But it's not like my feelings for you aren't real!"
Chisato pouted.
Of course—her feelings for Minami were real.
"I'm not denying your feelings, Chisato."
His voice softened slightly.
"But just like you take your feelings for me seriously—
I have to take your feelings for me seriously too."
There was a pause.
Then, he continued—
"To me, confessions aren't a joke. They're not something you can just laugh off and forget.
And they're definitely not something you should say just because you got caught up in the moment."
"Because if you confess to someone seriously—
Then I also have to take it seriously."
"..."
Chisato closed her mouth.
Because in Minami's words—
She had felt something sincere.
She had thrown herself into this sudden love battle, willing to give everything for Minami.
And in return—
He wasn't going to dismiss her feelings just because she had been caught up in the moment.
He had to think seriously about it.
Loving someone—
And choosing to be with them—
Was never something that should be taken lightly.
Minami might not have been the most proper person in the world—
But he respected the people who cared about him.
Today—
All of this had happened just because of one impulsive sentence from Ryo.
It had been nothing but a whirlwind of emotions, leading to a chain reaction of rushed confessions.
"That's… actually really rude."
Takina, who had been quiet the whole time, finally whispered under her breath.
Because the truth was—
They had only been thinking about themselves.
They hadn't considered how Minami would feel about this.
That realization hit hard.
Even Chisato, who was normally so carefree, fell into deep thought.
Akane, too, just silently gazed at Minami with those crimson eyes of hers.
They were all reconsidering.
This wasn't just about competing with other girls.
It was about—
"How do I truly be with Minami— Not because of a moment's impulse, but because we want to share a future together?"
That was the real question.
And even Ryo—
Had finally stopped eating Kita's ice cream.
Instead, she had bought a plate of takoyaki and was stuffing her mouth with it.
"…She seriously just keeps eating, huh."
Minami shook his head.
And as he thought about it—
He knew he had to find a way to properly handle their feelings.
But the more he thought—
The more one particular thought crept into his mind.
"Wait… should I just… take all of them?" …Hm.
Minami stared into the distance.
Then, he turned his eyes toward Gotoh Hitori.
She sat there, watching him—
Her light blue eyes filled with emotion.
Hitori…
Minami exhaled.
He hadn't expected that in the middle of all this chaos—
She would be the only one who had kept completely quiet.
Did she have some hidden wisdom from being socially anxious?
With that thought, Minami reached out and patted her head.
"You've been seriously thinking about it, haven't you, Hitori?"
"Eh...?"
Uh—
Hitori Gotoh's mouth parted slightly, her wide eyes staring blankly at Minami Shouji.
She couldn't say it.
Because she was too scared to stand up and confess—
She just couldn't say it!
