Chapter 40 :To die before one’s work is half done…?

“……Mm.”

“A whole new plan is needed.”

“……But in the end, how am I supposed to do it?”

Xiao Chun Miura pondered for five minutes, but couldn’t come up with any concrete, feasible method.

She was supposed to make Kondo Haruka show her flaws in front of Kanzaki Sou on purpose… but how exactly was she supposed to do that?

Moreover, perhaps because of the experiences she’d had with them over the past few days, Xiao Chun Miura just couldn’t bring herself to “do something that felt bad.”

Her rational mind told her that, whether it was Kondo Haruka, Kanzaki Sou, or any of the other Teachers or Students in the Academy, they were just data in a game world… compared to her own life, it was obvious which side deserved more consideration or priority.

But she just couldn’t fully convince herself.

Xiao Chun Miura always felt—that if she really started acting like a green tea*, something inside her would definitely collapse.

[T/N: ‘green tea’ here refers to ‘green tea btch’, a term used to describe someone who pretends to be innocent and kind while actually manipulative. Not in glossary; left as is.]

This complicated emotion tangled with the occasional sense of reality brought by people like Kondo Haruka, making Xiao Chun Miura’s thoughts muddled.

By the time it was so late she had to leave the Library, she still hadn’t thought of a workable “Plan.”

……It seemed that there was still a long way to go before she could become a true Camellia Lady*.

[*T/N: ‘茶花女’ refers to the character from ‘La Dame aux Camélias’, often used as a metaphor for a tragic, manipulative beauty. Not in glossary; translated contextually.]

What’s more, if she could solve her survival crisis without going that far… then whether she really needed to become a green tea, or if that day would ever come, was still unclear.

Before that, she decided to stay as optimistic as possible.

——After all, putting aside the Sports Day for now, there were still plenty of days left before the Midterm Exams.

With this optimistic thought, Xiao Chun Miura slung her backpack and walked out of the Library under the twilight.

***

“——I ended up thinking of nothing…!”

Xiao Chun Miura flopped onto her Bed, face full of dark lines.

Since that day, when she’d realized her direction should change after seeing Kanzaki Sou’s Favorability towards Kondo Haruka drop…

Time had flown by, and now it was already Saturday of that week.

In this period, Xiao Chun Miura had made zero progress!

“Ughhhhhhhhh…”

After waking up in Bed, she groaned and rolled back and forth, crumpling her Bedding.

……These past few days, apart from the usual Committee Work and normal exchanges with Kanzaki Sou, Xiao Chun Miura hadn’t gained anything special.

Also, she wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination.

But thinking back, she couldn’t help but feel…

That in the past few days, there was a subtle sense of distance in her interactions with Kanzaki Sou.

This was a deduction she made after reflecting on their contact over these days.

Whether it was the frequency of conversations, the introduction of side topics, or the extension of normal discussions…

Kanzaki Sou didn’t seem particularly interested in taking the initiative.

The only time their conversation lasted longer was when Kanzaki Sou asked her about the final version of the Poster she’d edited for him.

After she gave a few simple suggestions, the topic ended.

At the time, Xiao Chun Miura had thought maybe Kanzaki Sou would ask her to help revise it again… or maybe even revise it together?

Not impossible, right?

But it really just ended like that; after listening seriously, Kanzaki Sou put away his computer and paused the conversation.

“……”

……She’d spent all these days thinking about how to deal with Kondo Haruka and hadn’t reached any conclusion.

As a result, she’d completely missed the obvious change in Kanzaki Sou.

Why did she only notice it now?

Xiao Chun Miura couldn’t help but bury her face in the Pillow.

Lying on her Bed, motionless, her mind was filled with questions.

……Why?

If it wasn’t her imagination, Kanzaki Sou really had grown colder towards her.

Tsk.

If only she could see Kanzaki Sou’s Goodwill towards her.

Xiao Chun Miura tossed aside the Pillow and brought up the Goodwill Interface.

Kanzaki Sou’s Goodwill towards Kondo Haruka had risen back to 48.

“——It increased again! Aaaaaaaaaa……”

As usual, every time she checked in the past few days, Kanzaki Sou’s Goodwill towards Kondo Haruka would rise a bit.

So, as usual, Xiao Chun Miura squirmed and screamed.

However, unlike before when she would thrash about helplessly for a while, this time, after rolling for a bit, Xiao Chun Miura suddenly stopped.

“Mm…”

——Kanzaki Sou became colder towards her, but his Goodwill towards Kondo Haruka increased?

Realizing these two things might be related, Xiao Chun Miura couldn’t help but sit up in Bed.

“……Could it be.”

A theory formed in her mind.

Did something happen that day, after the face-off in the Library with Kondo Haruka, where on the way back, Kondo Haruka said something to Kanzaki Sou?

“……Hss!”

Xiao Chun Miura let out a pained cry.

——A supporting character emerges during the development of the main couple’s relationship, causing misunderstandings between them.

…The male lead becomes close to the supporting character for a time, causing the female lead to feel uneasy, even distancing herself from the male lead.

…But inevitably, because they are the main couple, even a supporting character’s interference is just a minor hiccup in their romance; as the one who caused the misunderstanding, the supporting character actually pushes the two leads to open up and confess—after clearing things up, their feelings deepen and they end up together.

Xiao Chun Miura’s eyes widened.

Come on, this kind of plot is practically a staple in galgames—classic and effective!

……No way, could the development between Kanzaki Sou and Kondo Haruka after that day really be the same?

Xiao Chun Miura’s eyebrow twitched as several scenes flashed through her mind——

***

“What are you even mad about, Haruka?”

“You don’t know why I’m mad? You know that girl—”

“You mean Miura-san? What about her?”

“She obviously—you’re such an idiot!”

“No, I don’t understand those things, what’s wrong, Haruka? If you don’t explain, I can’t understand how you feel.”

“——Do I have to say it… I like you, idiot! That Xiao Chun Miura likes you too! I don’t want you to be taken away… Uuuuuuuuu…”

“……Alright, don’t cry, Haruka, sorry, I didn’t realize your feelings.”

“Haruka, I like you too—but I don’t think Miura-san feels that way about me, you’re overthinking it.”

“Eh…? Sou-kun—you, what did you just say?”

“I said I like you too, Haruka.”

“~! Sou-kun!”

“Haha, Haruka, look at you, crying like that.”

“It’s all Sou-kun’s fault~! Meanie!”

***

No no no no no no no no no no no no.

Xiao Chun Miura shook her head vigorously, chasing away the wild thoughts.

There’s no way that could happen—probably.

Not to mention, Kanzaki Sou’s current demeanor was much sharper than the one in her fantasies, and at the very least, he wouldn’t say those kinds of things—

Tsk.

Xiao Chun Miura couldn’t help but click her tongue.

Kanzaki Sou didn’t strike her as someone who would say those words.

But those lines were exactly the kind spoken by veteran male leads in text-based romance games during “clearing misunderstandings and confessing feelings” scenes.

So even if she imagined Kanzaki Sou’s face delivering those lines, it didn’t feel out of place at all.

“Ughhh—”

Xiao Chun Miura shuddered, goosebumps all over.

……No, to be honest, it’s not even strange for this sort of thing to happen.

Otherwise, why else would Goodwill towards Kondo Haruka increase, while towards herself, it decreased?

Kanzaki Sou’s Goodwill dropped because Kondo Haruka was being unreasonable, right?

Now that it’s risen again, it must mean he no longer thinks she was being unreasonable.

And if he doesn’t think she was being unreasonable…

Doesn’t that mean he thinks Kondo Haruka’s hostility towards her is justified?

If he thinks Kondo Haruka’s hostility towards her is justified, then…

——An unprecedented sense of crisis surged through Xiao Chun Miura.