OreShura: Volume 6 Chapter 0

【Fake boyfriend】 にせ　かれし、ふぇいく

1.A boyfriend used to lie to others, a fake lover.

2.A human puppet for the sole sake of performing monyomonyo on.

(Source: SBCreative magazine “Dictionary of the Art of Bringing out Yourself2)

The more tricks we play, the more stupid little things will foil our plans.

—Eita, Regret of the Soul

Chapter 0: Relationship as fake lovers exposed is mayhem

A memory that I don’t want to recall.

That was a year before this, spring of the third year of middle school.

“You were always lying to me, weren’t you?”

“About that matter, and now about this, every single thing are lies!”

The relationship between parents who had a tensed relationship since year end was worsening. Although there was an unspoken rule that they will control themselves when I was awake, it seems the arguments quickly pick up during the night.

At the start I was still anxious, but I got numb after a while. I always shut myself in my room, listening to music over headphones as to drown their voices.

However, during those lapses when one song stops, it is still possible to hear Dad’s excuses, and Mom’s shouts. Their roles change each day, and looks like today is Mom’s turn to attack. She was shouting against Dad’s dishonesty and cheating.

It really is disheartening. My heart is already cold.

Mom looks really angry at Dad’s lies, but to me, she is not very different. Saying things like “Mom and Dad will always be lovey-dovey!” “Ei-kun is the product of our love!” and so on when I was small, when I look at it now, wasn’t that all a lie?

If it will get exposed immediately, then don’t bother lying.

If you are going to start lying, go through it till the very end.

Once you get exposed, just say earnestly go with“I'm sorry”.

From this ugly argument between the two, I feel I have learned this.

I was supposed to have learned.

—Easier said than done.

The start of the second semester of my first year of high school, I am faced with a serious situation.

♦

After school, the corridor outside the auditorium turns into a mayhem.

“A Fake boyfriend, what does it mean?”

Hime, still sitting on the floor, stared at us. Masuzu and I look back at her, unable to say anything.

This lie that has been skilfully maintained for quite a while—not perfectly, but we managed to deceive Chiwa, Fuyuumi and the rest of the student body that we were lovers, was now exposed to Hime just by “accidentally overhearing”.

“Hey, president, what does it mean?”

Hime asked with a quivering voice, and Masuzu stared at her.

“So you heard us, Akishino-san.”

“Why? Is what Eita-kun’s aunt said true?”

“Of course not, we’re in fact real lovers.”

I look at Masuzu instinctively.

Looks like she plans to cover this up simply again.

“Then what was the ‘fake boyfriend’ thing you were talking about?”

“Hmm, firstly—let’s start from my contact with hyperdimensional thought entity.” Masuzu said with a serious expression.

Hyperdimensional thought entity.

……which one is it…….

“This happened a few days after I started a relationship with Eita-kun. I can feel the presence of a powerful ‘Dragon Aura’, and encountered a hyperdimensional thought entity who calls himself ‘Pillar Man’. He came to warn me ‘Kidou Eita is Burning Fighting Fighter, if you have a relationship with him, you will attract the enmity of the Wyverns and get into trouble’. But even then I could not give up on Eita-kun, and thus the man told the me this: 'If that’s the case, you only need to chant “fake boyfriend” when Hermit Purple of the Wyvern uses illusionary power on you’. And then—just a moment ago, we were under his illusionary power, you should understand this right?”

Ah, I remember.

I remember this is the setting of Hime in the current world, kind of like “Gaia” theory.

A setting that even I almost forgot, Masuzu still remembers it quite clearly. She even managed to slip in some JoJo references.

Looks like Masuzu plans to use Hime’s chuunibyou to her advantage, covering this incident up, a beautiful plan……no, a despicable plan, you can say she got hold of Hime’s weakness.

But—

“Stop it with that nonsense!”

Hime’s shout took Masuzu aback, she could only close her mouth.

Even I got shocked, and almost shouted in surprise.

For Hime, it's a pretty rare occasion to see her shouting, and more importantly—————— This is also the first time.

Even though indirectly, this is the first time Hime called her own imagination “nonsense”.

“……nonsense?”

Masuzu’s taken aback expression disappeared, she smiled.

A smile which looks like a challenge, but also looks like an empty threat.

“Nonsense, what do you mean? Isn’t this what Akishino-san always says? You are the Burning Prin Princess, and the girlfriend of Burning Fighting Fighter Kidou-kun during his past life, right? Isn’t this the ‘truth’ you said over and over, isn't?”

Hime stared at Masuzu fiercely.

Her eyes showed fear……and, a very obvious “anger”.

Masuzu stared at her eyes calmly, and said, “Then…… That I’m Eita-kun’s ‘girlfriend’ is also the truth, let’s not talk about Harusaki-san and Fuyuumi-san, but you, the ‘ex-girlfriend’ should understand, right?”

It would appear that Masuzu is offering a deal to Hime.

—I always pretended not to see through you lies.

—So, would you pretend not to see through mine as well?

This is not unreasonable, after all at least Masuzu has never look down on Hime’s chuunibyou behavior by questioning “isn’t this just your imagination?”

But, is looking at Hime’s chuunibyou and our fake relationship as the same a good thing?

I don’t think so, and Hime seems to think the same.

“……I never thought President was like this……”

Hime muttered while looking at Masuzu with red eyes.

“No, I’ve always been, from top to toe, this kind of woman.”

Masuzu took her phone out of her pocket.

She showed Hime her “乙” phonestrap to Hime, who was still sitting on the floor.

“It is as you said, Akishino-san. We are all partners. We are all comrades who like Eita-kun, we are all friends. Isn't that right?”

I pondered about Masuzu’s words.

All comrades that like me and get along? What was that?

Hime said this kind of things before? Was it when I’m not there?

Hime stared at the “乙” phonestrap, biting her lips in silence, it seems like there is a storm inside her heart. Finally, her facial expression disappeared.

The heat went down—this maybe is the way to describe it. Even though she went back to her usual expressionless face, her eyes are still red.

“……mission acknowledged, returning to every day mode.”

“Heh?” I exclaimed.

“That's exactly it, Himeka Sei Heavensrain.”

Masuzu was only helping Hime with her words…..her expression looks to me like she’s enduring pain.

……what is this.

What are they doing? This tensed atmosphere.

I think raging is better than this. Hime questioning, Masuzu retorting, and other students and teachers running and turning this into a battlefield would be better.

But, the reality is:

“Here, grab this.”

Masuzu extended her hand towards Hime who wanted to stand up.

“Thank you, President.”

Hime said unnaturally.

“Let’s go back to the club room, Harusaki-san and Fuyuumi-san must be worried.”

“Please hold on for a while, I’ve something to do.”

“Something?”

Hime walked the opposite direction from the club room, there was the toilet, she originally intended to use the toilet when she walked out of the club room, and unintentionally overheard us.

Masuzu confirmed that Hime disappeared at the corner———— She suddenly throw herself to me in a hug

“NUWAAAAN WHAT SHOULD WE DOOOOOOOOOOO!”

She rested her head on my chest with teary eyes, This is a "completely devastated" mode. Furthermore, the school’s most beautiful girl should not say something like “Nuwaaaaan”.

“What should we do, what should we do Eita? AAAAAAHHH”

“Hey, calm down.”

“It’s outttttn! It's finally outtttttn! Aaaa, Akishino-san, who will she tell? Maybe she will talk it over with her master Fuyuumi-san? Her relationship with Mana has recently been quite good right? Will she tell Harusaki-san too? Nooo, no, no, no, no, no, if Harusaki Chiwa learns this, then this everything will be over!”

“Ca · lm · do · wn!”

I gripped Masuzu’s shoulder, and looked at her face with my forehead against her.

“You saw how Hime acted right? It looks as if she won’t tell anybody soon right? Hime is not someone who will just give other people’s secrets away".

“……really?”

Masuzu tilted her head slightly while sulking a little. I cannot let myself be fooled by this cute move.

“Speaking of that, what is with your way of covering this up? Wasn’t it a bit too much?”

“Hmph! And what's with that?

Masuzu covered her face slightly with her left hand, and raised her right shoulder, and said with her usual pose

“I—am someone who would do anything to be your girlfriend!”

“……uoo”

Although I accidentally made an embarrassed look, but I’m not happy at all……

“I do understand. That I am a detestable woman.”

Masuzu’s voice suddenly dropped, and wiped her tears with her fingertips.

“Using Akishino-san’s imagination to cover my lies, to be honest this is the worst. I myself know that too. But I don’t want it to be like this! I don’t want to ruin my 'relationship'Fake with you because of something like this!”

“I told you to calm down……”

You get jumped so easily because of the guilt you feel towards Hime. Pretending to be cold and talking such lies without hesitation, and hurting yourself in the process, it makes people speechless.

“Anyways, you should return to the clubroom first.”

I patted Masuzu on the back, and tried my best to speak with a calm tone.

“We cannot stay here anymore, who knows if the cultural society members show up. If we are seen like that, then this will really be over for us.”

Masuzu looked like she was a child who received orders to stay at home and guard it.

“How about you, Eita-kun? Where will you go?”

“Toilet.”

“Going with Akishino-san? How shameless!”

“It’s the men’s toilet!”

I originally wanted to go to the toilet, it’s Masuzu who chased after me, so this is not a lie.

Masuzu left while looking back a lot, after she disappeared from sight, I went to the men’s toilet. Finished my business quickly, I immediately returned to the clubroom—

—someone has not returned.

I waited outside the ladies’ toilet while looking out for other students nervously, but I have to wait.

Fortunately, I only waited a few minutes for her. That’s great, looks like I didn’t miss her, and I quickly scanned to see for other students.

“Ei…ta……?”

A red-eyed Hime stood there dumbfounded.

“Hime, for having lied to you for so long, I’m really sorry!”

On behalf of me and my “girlfriend” who can’t be honest, I bowed deeply in apology.

Hime rubbed her eyes nervously.

“Why is Eita apologizing?”

“Because Masuzu was troubled by the constant confessing from so many guys, she wanted to find a fake boyfriend to stop this situation, and I’m the accomplice, so I’m also to blame.”

“I don’t understand what’s Eita trying to say.”

Hime blinked a few times, then said with her usual calmed look.

“Natsukawa-kaichou is Eita’s girlfriend in this world; and I’m— Eita’s girlfriend in his previous lifeEx girlfriend. Contacting Eita who has not fully recovered his past memories, completely awakening him, and battling the Wyverns is my mission.”

“Hey, Hime, listen to me, just now what Masuzu said is—“

“It's not like that!”

She was so loud it startled me.

She lowered her head, her fringe covering her expression, and her small shoulders were shivering.

“I’m Burning Prin Princess, Himeka Sei Heavensrain. Created through the Hyperdimensional Thought Entity, the Battle Earthnoid Bio Matrix Earthnoid Device.”

“You said Earthnoid twice.”

“Tai Earsunoid! Baio! Maturikusu! Devaisu!”

This is bad, she is getting angry, the “Villager A” setting is also gone.

Just like I fear ruining my fake relationship with Masuzu, it looks like Hime is also afraid of something.

Afraid that the atmosphere of the “Jien-otsu” will be ruined? Or afraid that her chuunibyou imagination will be ruined? Or both?

“…..I understand.”

I nodded while patting her head.

“I’m sorry, Hime.”

“You have no reason to apologize.”

Hime said softly, still avoiding eye contact with me.

Although just a bit, she closed her eyes looking comfortable. This is salvation for me already.

♦

Although I went back to the clubroom with Hime, there wasn’t any club activity today.

Originally we wanted to discuss the performance for the school festival, but the president Masuzu wasn’t paying attention, ergo the discussion about it couldn’t be held. In the middle Fuyuumi left for her hall monitor activities, Chiwa’s friend also phoned her, so we ended without deciding on anything.

“There are still two months till the school festival, we don’t need to rush, let’s do it slowly.”

Masuzu said this after the school bell rang—but can we attend the school festival in this condition?

On the surface the Jien-otsu is the same as the first semester and the summer holidays, but the amount of landmines has increased. Hime discovering our lie is the largest mine, and when it explodes, it will start a chain reaction with the remaining hidden mines, completely burning down my high school life.

I had no choice but to be more wary than usual, continuing my relationship with Masuzu carefully. While hating love from the bottom of my heart, I have to continue to fake a relationship with this similarly anti-love woman.

But—I also find myself thinking, will Hime expose this to everybody, and trigger all the landmines altogether? Because I don’t have the courage to do this, if I can get Hime to do this it would be much easier.

This way, I don’t need to lie to anyone anymore.

To Kaoru, Fuyuumi, or Saeko-san.

And also—to Chiwa.

“What's wrong, Ei-kun? Is something on my face?

Chiwa, who was locking the windows, titled her head and smiled.

“……oh, the chips you ate just now is sticked to your face.”

“Fue? No!”

While looking at Chiwa wiping her mouth embarrassingly, I’m thinking of something so lowly.

I find myself tired of lying.

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