Don’t Look Back, Megumi Kato [24]

Eriri’s good mood instantly soured the moment she thought of that hopeless Aki Tomoya.

“Looks like Sawamura-san and Aki-san are pretty close, huh?”

Izumi Yuu crossed one leg over the other, propping his cheek on his hand, and smiled at Eriri.

“Ugh! Who says I’m close to that guy?! I’d never want to be his childhood friend!”

Eriri shot back, clearly irritated.

What kind of childhood friend ignores your safety just to go on dates with other girls?

Yet every time he needs help with his club, he uses the ‘childhood friend’ card to get me to work for free.

He’s just the absolute worst!

The more she thought about Aki Tomoya’s shameless ways, the angrier Eriri got.

“Excuse me, here’s your Napoleon cake and takoyaki.”

A server appeared beside them, carrying two iced Americanos, a Napoleon cake, and a plate of steaming takoyaki.

The takoyaki was still piping hot, clearly fresh from the kitchen.

“Thank you, just put them here,” Yuu said, smiling.

“Huh?! You ordered this, Izumi?”

Eriri stared at Yuu in surprise, one hand covering her grumbling stomach.

“Yeah. I figured you came pretty early, so you probably skipped lunch. I took the liberty of ordering you something to eat.” Yuu replied with a gentle smile.

Hearing that, Eriri’s cheeks reddened a little. Her opinion of Yuu’s thoughtfulness ticked up another notch.

Looking at the takoyaki, Eriri asked curiously, “But why does a café have takoyaki on the menu?”

“Oh, that was a special request from this gentleman here. He said you two looked like such a sweet couple, and asked me to get some takoyaki just for you, because he thought you’d like savory snacks better than sweets,” the server replied with a warm, slightly envious look.

Honestly, Yuu and Eriri sitting together really did look perfect—like they’d stepped straight out of a manga.

Yuu was good-looking, but not in a scrawny way; his arms had a healthy strength, and his tall frame made him stand out anywhere in Tokyo.

And Eriri, with her flawless skin, dazzling blonde twin-tails, and classic half-Japanese features, was a beauty in her own right.

Together, they looked better than most drama leads. It was hard not to envy them—like watching the main characters of a story, while everyone else was just a supporting role.

“Wha—? Sweet couple?!”

Eriri’s pale cheeks instantly turned bright red, practically steaming, as she looked from the server to Yuu in utter shock.

“Absolutely! The two of you really are a perfect match~!” the server said with a knowing smile.

“U-uuuu…”

Eriri’s brain went into overdrive, her mind totally blank.

Did they just get mistaken for a couple?!

So embarrassing!

Eriri had never even dated before, and now people were misunderstanding her relationship with someone else.

But…

She sneaked a glance at Yuu. Being mistaken for a couple with him… actually didn’t seem so bad?

At least it’s better than being mistaken for a couple with Tomoya!

That thought made her a little secretly happy.

Personality and looks—Yuu was miles ahead of Tomoya.

But still, this was so embarrassing!

She’d never even dated before, and now people thought she was out on a date—how mortifying!

And with someone as amazing as Yuu… surely he already had a girlfriend, right?

At that thought, a strange hint of jealousy twisted in Eriri’s chest.

Wait, what am I thinking?! Even if he does, it’s got nothing to do with me!

Eriri’s brain was spinning, but her mind stayed fuzzy and unfocused.

“Um… Did I say something wrong?”

Seeing Eriri’s extreme reaction, the server looked a little worried.

“No, it’s fine. You can go,” Yuu said with a shake of his head and a warm smile.

“Of course. If you need anything else, just call me,” the server replied, obviously relieved as he quickly left, leaving just Eriri and Yuu—Eriri still blushing furiously.

“W-w-wait, what?!”

Eriri sputtered, shocked that Yuu hadn’t corrected the misunderstanding and had just let it go.

Why didn’t he deny it?!

Was he just trying to save face for me, so the server wouldn’t feel awkward?

Realizing that, Eriri couldn’t help but sneak another look at Yuu.

This guy… really is surprisingly considerate.

“Sorry if that caused any misunderstanding, Sawamura-san.”

Yuu tapped the table with his finger, smiling gently at the mortified Eriri.

“But honestly, getting to have a girlfriend like you, even just for a few minutes, is a real honor for me.”

“Huh?!”

Eriri, finally regaining some composure, turned her head away, cheeks still red.

“Don’t think just because someone made a mistake about our relationship that you really qualify as my boyfriend! I’m not like those love-crazed girls—you can’t win me over that easily! But if someone thinks you’re my boyfriend, consider it the greatest honor of your life. You should be grateful!”

After speaking, Eriri snuck another glance at Yuu, then frowned slightly.

Was that too arrogant? What if Yuu actually gets upset…

[Looking at this textbook tsundere, you feel the urge to “fix” her attitude. After all, you don’t have much else to your name, but you do have one thing that could set her straight! No matter how stubborn she is, she couldn’t possibly resist your “iron rod” of justice. Though, maybe you’ll need to spike her coffee first to get her to behave. Or… you could just keep using her secret as leverage…]

Are you seriously back on the blackmail thing again?! Can’t you suggest something aboveboard for once?!

Yuu rolled his eyes at the ever-annoying narrator.

This narrator really had an obsession with Eriri’s secret.

Then again, given Eriri’s personality, it was indeed a useful “tool.”

Too bad—I refuse!

Yuu ignored the rambling narrator and said, smiling, “Sure, sure. Today’s definitely a day to remember. Not only did I get to work with Kashiwagi-sensei, but I also got to experience being Sawamura-san’s boyfriend for three whole minutes. Worth every second.”

“Whew…”

Seeing Yuu still wearing that gentle smile, Eriri let out a breath of relief. This guy was just impossible to dislike—no wonder even Kato Megumi was getting closer to him.

Thinking of Kato, a new thought popped into Eriri’s mind.

Ever since Kato showed up, Aki Tomoya had completely changed—always obsessing over his club, putting all his energy into Kato, and treating Eriri as nothing but a tool for club activities.

For someone used to being adored, this infuriated Eriri.

She was a genius, beautiful illustrator—other boys chased after her like crazy, but Aki Tomoya just used her as a prop. How could he be so blind?!

If I could win over Izumi Yuu before Kato Megumi does, wouldn’t that prove I’m better than her? It’d just mean Tomoya’s an idiot with no taste, right?

Her gaze toward Yuu suddenly grew more intense, as if she was betting everything on him.

“What’s wrong, Sawamura-san?”

Noticing the sudden change in her expression, Yuu raised an eyebrow.

“Why do you look so intense?”

“Grr…”

Just as Eriri was about to answer, her stomach rumbled, and she wished she could crawl under the table.

“Go ahead and eat something first.”

Yuu couldn’t help but laugh at her adorable embarrassment. “We can talk about everything else after you eat.”

“I was just too focused on work, so I got hungry faster than usual!”

Eriri quickly defended herself, but then started eating the takoyaki with elegant ojou-sama manners. “Still… thanks, Izumi-kun. You actually got my favorite takoyaki!! I’ll never forget this favor!”

“It’s not that big a deal—really, no need to make it sound like some great favor.”
Yuu smiled, watching Eriri’s refined, ladylike posture.

You had to admit, even a beautiful girl eating street food could look charming.

Meanwhile, Eriri’s affection kept rising.

[Name: Sawamura Eriri]
[Age: 16]
[Status: Loser dog who has found new purpose in life]
[Affection: 51 (A kindred spirit developing feelings for you)]

Great! If I just keep this up, the big rewards will be within reach!

Yuu felt fired up.

Midoriya, hold onto your hat!

[Looking at the elegant, aristocratic girl before you, a wicked idea stirs in your heart. Now’s the time to cash in on her gratitude—after all, for these prestigious families, reputation means everything, and gratitude is one of their few genuine virtues. If you leverage this debt, you can make the girl yield to you, and three minutes is all it would take to completely shake the foundation of her beliefs! And if you happen to get her pregnant, you’ll even qualify to become the noble family’s live-in son-in-law…]

Hey! Are you underestimating me?! I can last at least thirty minutes, okay! That’s slander! I’ll sue you for defamation! And since when am I some overpowered “Dragon King” son-in-law?!

Hearing the narrator’s nonsense, Yuu grumbled internally.

With my talent, there’s no way I’d be done in just three minutes! Stupid, clueless narrator!

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This is a fan translation of 加藤惠别回头，我是伦也君 by 故人归 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!