Chapter 207: 206: Takashi, Stop Pretending.

Words : 1402 Updated : Oct 15th, 2025

Umaru stared at him with clear, unmoving eyes. Her gaze was indifferent, emotionless—as if she were looking at a complete stranger. Under such a look, Takashi, already feeling guilty, became even more unsettled. He had no idea when she had started watching him—did she see his intimate moment with Shouko? Surely... the timing couldn't have been that unlucky, right? "W-what's wrong?" Takashi noticed Umaru just staring without speaking. A cold sweat began to form on his forehead. She stared at him for a long time, then silently looked down and began picking up the fallen snacks without saying a word. Takashi sensed something was off, but he still stepped forward. "Let me help you." Just as he bent down, before his hand even touched the snacks, Umaru slapped it away with a sharp "Pa!" Takashi froze. "Don't touch." Her voice was low and slightly hoarse. From her tone, Takashi could feel strong resistance. He withdrew his hand, watching as she picked up her things and walked away. Takashi silently followed her. She seemed to notice, but didn't say anything—just quickened her pace. He sped up slightly as well. Their footsteps chased each other, but the distance remained the same. Neither spoke as they walked in silence for a long time. The atmosphere was extremely awkward. After turning several corners, as they walked straight along the road, a drunken man stumbled toward them from ahead. Even from a distance, Umaru could already smell the alcohol on him. She paused. Just as she was thinking of stepping aside, a figure suddenly appeared next to her. She glanced sideways—it was Takashi. She said nothing, simply lowered her gaze and kept walking. The drunken man was muttering to himself. His eyes lit up when he saw Umaru, but after noticing Takashi walking beside her like a protective knight, he hesitated. Comparing their sizes and builds, his slightly sober brain made the smart decision to give up. Not worth it. After a few more steps, once they were past the drunkard, Umaru stopped and, without even looking at Takashi, said, "Thanks... but could you please stop following me now?" "Can I ask why?" Takashi let out a heavy breath. "If I'm going to die, at least let me know why." That line seemed to set Umaru off. She suddenly turned to him, almost glaring. "Why?" "Kitahara Takashi, you seriously have the nerve to ask me that? You think you've been hiding it well? You thought I didn't know anything?" "Why? Why would you flirt with me when you already have a girlfriend?" "Is it fun playing with me like that? Or was chasing me part of a bet with your friends?" "Were you planning to keep stringing me along forever if I never found out?" Takashi's heart skipped a beat at the beginning. He thought he'd been found out. But hearing the rest, he relaxed again. How could he be two-timing? He smirked lightly: "What girlfriend? Doma-san, I think you've misunderstood. The one I like... is you." He guessed she must've seen him with one of the girls—probably a close "little sister" of his. Ah, that's the downside of living in the same city. Even though Tokyo's huge, the number of girls is overwhelming. Takashi had planned it out: a few in Tokyo, a few in Chiba, a few in Yokohama, a few in Kawasaki. That way, even if the numbers grew, they wouldn't bump into each other. It was a beautiful plan—but reality was cruel. Not to mention the rich ladies in big cities—he rarely even went to Kawasaki or Yokohama. Still, even if Umaru saw him, Takashi wasn't afraid. Just say it's "pure friendship." That mysterious girl? Just a classy little sister with a love for purple. Not a girlfriend. "Kitahara, can you just stop pretending?" "What love? Your so-called 'love' just makes me sick." Umaru couldn't stand the scumbag still pretending. She picked up the bag of snacks and hurled it at him. The moment she raised her hand, Takashi instinctively wanted to dodge—but he held himself back from the max-level reflexes ingrained in him. It wasn't because he was a masochist, but because getting hit here would help his next move. Thud! The bag full of snacks slammed into his face. He took it without flinching. "How can you have someone else in your heart and still tell another girl you like her?" "If you're not in love with me, then who is it?!" Takashi slowly lifted his head and stared at her blankly, expressionless. Seeing his face still devoid of remorse, Umaru's nose twitched as she held back tears. "Last week at the fireworks festival, who was that girl you kissed?" Takashi's expression didn't change, but inside he was cursing. He hadn't expected to get caught at such a crowded festival. "She's just a girl who likes me." "I mean, I don't look bad, right? Isn't it normal for girls to like me?" "As for the kiss, she caught me off guard—I didn't dodge in time." "If you were there, you'd have seen I didn't even move, right?" He spoke so confidently that even he almost believed it. "You think I'll still believe your bullshit?" Umaru's eyes were red as she glared at him. "So... no matter what I say now, you won't believe me?" His face was pale. His smile carried bitterness and helplessness. But his eyes held deep sorrow. 'What are you so sad about? I'm the one who can't eat or sleep these days!' Looking at the grief on Takashi's face, Umaru's eyes reddened even more. No one knew how shattered and hopeless she felt that day when she saw Takashi kissing Narii. She was completely dazed afterward, not even remembering how she got home. For days, all she could think about was the kiss—the scene replaying over and over until it nearly drove her mad. Before Takashi, Umaru had never even thought about love. She liked her peaceful, carefree life. But this boy named Takashi barged into it, disrupting her quiet world. He insisted on calling her every night, chatting every day. She listened to him complain about trivial things, dreamed with him about a vague future, and watched him try to understand manga and novels he never cared about—just for her. Slowly, Umaru began to accept this boy who didn't leave a great first impression. She opened her heart and even began to look forward to those nightly calls. She knew she was falling for him. Maybe not deeply yet, but she would've—soon. But all that excitement, hope, and emotion was shattered at the fireworks festival. He was the one who made the first move—got her close—then struck her down. Sometimes she wondered: if you didn't like me, why come into my life? He was the one who gave her a taste of first love—and also the heartbreak of it. Without Takashi, she never would've been this sad. Every day would've been happy. At that thought, her emotions burst like an unpredicted volcano. Umaru's amber eyes locked onto him: "Kitahara Takashi, I hate you! Do you hear me? I hate you." Above their heads, dark clouds had gathered at some point, blanketing the sky. Raindrops started falling—first one, then two, then three—until it turned into a steady downpour. Takashi's white shirt was quickly soaked, clinging tightly to his body. His eyes were fragile—like a mirror on the verge of shattering, needing just the lightest touch to break. Umaru turned her face away: "If only... I'd never met you in the first place." With those words, she ran off into the night. Takashi stood in the darkness and rain, watching her grow smaller and smaller. The rain-soaked street looked even more desolate now. Once her figure disappeared completely, Takashi finally looked down at the bag of snacks scattered across the ground again. He bent over and quietly picked them up, one by one. ___ Man this feels bad... ___ 20 Advanced Chapters available on p@ tr eon (.) com/HalflingFics Also, please point out my mistakes in the comment, thank you! Don't forget to leave a review too~ Check out the other translations too ___

Chapter 207: 206: Takashi, Stop Pretending.

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