Confession?

The next day, after school.

Sunlight filtered through the trees beside the track, casting dappled shadows as a figure sat on a bench nearby.

"Onizuka, you're here?"

"Yeah, Ichinose. I still owed you a favor from last time, after all."

The two of them met on a bench by the track.

"I wonder, Ichinose, what did you want to see me about?"

Ichinose looked visibly awkward as she slowly began to speak:

"Actually, it's about a confession..."

Huh?????

For a moment, Onizuka wondered if he was failing to keep up with the pace of today's youth. Why on earth was she talking to him about a confession?

He didn't consider his relationship with Ichinose close enough to discuss such topics; after all, this was only their second time meeting.

"Ichinose, this... why ask me?"

Seeing the confusion on Onizuka's face, Ichinose explained:

"The person who wants to confess to me is a bit special, and they're actually from my own class."

"I couldn't think of anyone to ask for advice, and after thinking it over, I figured you were both unrelated to her and quite reliable..."

There was a hint of pleading and helplessness in Ichinose's tone.

"What about Kushida? You seem to have a good relationship with her, don't you?"

Hearing Onizuka say this, Ichinose seemed even more troubled, her brows knitting together slightly.

"How should I put this... although it's not very nice to speak ill of others behind their backs, I just feel that Kushida isn't very reliable..."

What a sharp sixth sense.

Most people would only perceive Kushida's unnatural, almost pathological friendliness. To see through her true nature based on nothing but intuition, without relying on observation, she truly lived up to being the leader of Class B.

Seeming to feel the conversation drifting too far off track, Ichinose pulled it directly back to the main point.

"Let's get back to business, Onizuka."

"In short, this classmate is going to confess to me, and I'm very troubled. I don't know what to do..."

Hearing her say this, Onizuka understood immediately. Wasn't this something that could be explained in a single sentence?

"Um, I'd like to ask, what is your attitude toward her? Do you want to accept her confession or not?"

"I don't... she... in any case, it's absolutely impossible!"

Wow, what a decisive answer! Onizuka couldn't help but offer a silent prayer for that poor soul.

"Then why don't you just reject her directly? Why be so troubled?"

"Eh? Is that okay? Won't it make her too sad? I actually wanted to ask you to pretend to be my boyfriend so she would give up..."

Onizuka couldn't accept that for a moment.

"Ichinose... I won't agree to that. Doing something like that would be the greatest insult to your classmate."

"You just need to tell her your true feelings. Not everything in life gets a positive answer, but I'm sure she made up her mind before she even decided to do this."

"No matter the outcome, she'll be able to accept it!"

Hearing Onizuka say this, Ichinose fell silent for a while, as if carefully considering his words.

She then lifted her head, clenched her fists, and gave herself a little pep talk.

"Alright, I understand. But please wait here for a moment; I'll be right back."

"Eh? Right here nearby? The confession?"

Now it was Onizuka's turn to be surprised. Was this world really just one giant, poorly managed stage play? Was it really that casual?

Without receiving a response, Ichinose had already walked behind the school building near the track, out of earshot.

Not long after, he saw a girl suddenly run out from behind the school building, crying.

A girl...

Eh, eh, eh????

You've got to be kidding me? Had Ichinose's charm reached such a level? Were even girls unable to resist her appeal?

However, thinking about it carefully, it wasn't entirely unreasonable.

Ichinose usually projected the image of a gentle and cute older sister, and especially in the super-harmonious environment of Class B, it was only natural that she would be adored by these girls.

Shortly after, Onizuka saw Ichinose walk out from behind the school building as well.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Onizuka."

"Thank you for your advice. After I told her my thoughts, that girl accepted it quite strongly. We can still be friends in the future."

Quite strongly, indeed... she only ran off crying for a good eight hundred meters...

"It's fine. By the way, I only just realized that the person who wanted to confess to you was a girl."

Hearing Onizuka say this, Ichinose was actually a bit surprised. She tilted her head slightly, asking with an innocent expression:

"Did I never mention that to you?"

Onizuka didn't move, staring straight into Ichinose's eyes, while Ichinose maintained her posture from just a moment ago.

The two of them stood there in a standoff...

It didn't take long before Ichinose guiltily looked away.

"Alright, alright, I admit that I intentionally blurred that detail, but please keep this a secret, Onizuka-kun. I don't want this to become a burden for her."

"That goes without saying." Onizuka blinked his dry eyes and asked:

"By the way, Ichinose-san, why did you ask me to stay behind?"