Don’t Look Back, Megumi Kato [14]

Izumi Yuu felt a small, warm hand press down on his head, burying his face into what could only be described as the graveyard of countless heroes.

A soft scent of milk lingered in his nose.

It was like a witch offering herself as a sacrifice—summoning the slumbering demon lord.

A voice, low and laced with devilish amusement, spoke above him.

“Izumi-kun… you were staring at my chest just now, weren’t you?”

Called out so directly, Yuu felt a wave of suffocation wash over him.

Whether it was from the girl’s blessing… or from the pressure of that question, he wasn’t sure.

[Having been caught red-handed, you grow flustered and furious. In a fit of reckless abandon, you decide to indulge yourself fully in the girl’s chest… and then slowly savor her lower—]

I’m not so far gone that I’d flip out and go off the deep end over this!

Yuu immediately shut down the narrator’s degeneracy.

“…Yeah,” he nodded, offering a vague but honest response.

He had always believed in being straightforward. No need to run from reality.

After all—what guy could really ignore such a magnificent sight?

He sure couldn’t!

“Mm…” Held in Yuu’s arms, Kato Megumi gave a small shiver. A faint blush crept up her flawless face.

She quickly let go and took a small step back, eyeing him with a slightly unreadable expression.

“Phew…” Yuu exhaled deeply, like a blind man returning to the light. For a moment there, he thought he might actually suffocate in her embrace.

“Izumi-kun, you’re surprisingly honest,” Megumi said, voice carrying a strange complexity.

“Facts are facts,” Yuu replied with utmost seriousness, looking her in the eyes. “With a figure like yours, pretending not to notice would just be lying.”

“Is that so…? Izumi-kun really isn’t the type to lie to himself, huh.” Her voice grew even softer. But after hearing Yuu’s sincere (and rather blunt) compliment, her normally calm face flushed with a visible blush.

“Still, hearing that so directly is… a bit much.”

If it were Tomoya-kun, she thought, he’d probably never admit it at all. Whether he peeked or wanted to compliment me, he’d keep it all to himself.

Her eyes flickered slightly, as if a war was playing out behind them.

These past few days, for some reason, Megumi had started subconsciously comparing Izumi Yuu and Aki Tomoya.

And each time, Tomoya fell a bit further in her heart… while Yuu rose a little higher.

“If Kato-san prefers guys who lie or dodge reality, I guess I could reluctantly try playing along,” Yuu said with a teasing grin.

“No need! I already like your personality just the way it is!” Megumi blurted out reflexively.

And then promptly turned red as a tomato.

Oh no oh no oh no! Did she just say something weird?! Was he going to misunderstand?!

“Kato-san, did you just say you like me?” Yuu asked, clearly enjoying her fluster.

Trying to play coy, are we? Watch me reel you in nice and slow.

“I meant your personality! Just your personality!” Megumi stammered, trying to defend herself. Then she spun around and started walking briskly ahead.

“Oh no, we’re gonna be late! Let’s go!”

“Kato-san’s even cuter when she’s embarrassed,” Yuu said, easily catching up with a relaxed smile.

“Are you being serious right now?” Megumi glanced back at him, slightly skeptical.

“Of course.” Yuu met her eyes and nodded.

“Mm… Izumi-kun really is unexpectedly straightforward.” She tilted her head and smiled faintly.

“The most honest and sincere person I’ve ever met.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Yuu smiled as he noticed the affection meter above her head ticking upward.

Sure enough, Megumi’s affection toward him had jumped from 41 to 52.

[Name: Kato Megumi]
[Status: A girl lost in the maze of life, searching her heart for answers.]
[Affection Level: 52 (A close confidante with budding feelings)]

Yep. Nothing speeds things up like a good comparison.

Seeing how quickly her affection was rising, Yuu couldn’t help but smile a little.

If it weren’t for Aki Tomoya being such a wishy-washy mess, Megumi wouldn’t have warmed up to him this fast.

Yuu glanced at the time. Looked like his other objective had also been accomplished.

At this rate, it was only a matter of time before Tomoya and Megumi had a falling-out.

The thought filled him with delight.

Another step closer to saving a poor girl from a scumbag’s clutches!

Another glorious victory for the God of Pure Love!

By the time Yuu and Megumi arrived at the school gates, less than five minutes remained before class.

There were only a handful of students still outside.

And the moment they showed up together, heads began to turn.

After all, Yuu was devastatingly handsome—already the object of many girls’ secret affections.

And Megumi, while often overlooked due to her quiet presence, was undeniably beautiful in her own right.

Seeing them together naturally drew attention.

“Whoa, Izumi-kun and Kato-san came to school together again! Are they dating or something?!”

“I hate to admit it, but they really do look perfect together…”

Whispers bubbled through the crowd—focused squarely on Megumi and Yuu.

“Sorry… I guess I’ve caused you some unnecessary trouble,” Yuu said with a touch of guilt, glancing at Megumi.

“It’s fine… But Izumi-kun, you’re really popular, aren’t you? Hope I’m not the one causing you trouble.” She looked away slightly, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

Megumi wasn’t the kind of person who cared much about gossip… or so she liked to believe.

But for some reason, hearing the others talk about them made her feel both shy and strangely conflicted.

“As long as I didn’t make you uncomfortable, it’s fine,” Yuu said cheerfully. “And I won’t have any trouble—because the person I care about is right here.”

Riiiiing…

The warning bell rang, blending with his words and making the last sentence a little hard to catch.

“Huh?! What did you just say, Izumi-kun?!” Megumi’s heart skipped a beat. She only caught the gist of it. Uncertain, she looked at him.

“Nothing important. We should hurry to class,” Yuu replied smoothly, brushing it off.

“Mm…” Megumi followed him, still feeling unsettled.

Did I just miss something really important? she wondered.

Her emotions swirled in quiet confusion.

No! No way! There's no way Megumi and that guy are a couple! They're just classmates! Just classmates!

A figure hidden beneath a tree near the school gate muttered desperately, watching their backs disappear into the building. He looked like he’d taken a direct hit to the soul—his entire body trembling on the verge of collapse.

[Watching as you toy with the girl’s heart, you sense a hidden gaze burning with jealousy. Knowing your rival is already on the edge, you decide to deliver the final blow: take the girl somewhere private and—]

Seriously? Your brain’s got two settings: horny and coward. You were probably born single and died single too!

Yuu rolled his eyes at the narrator’s usual filth.

So crude. So unnecessary.

Still, even trash had its uses.

At the very least, the narrator’s ramblings confirmed one thing—his plan was working.

Surely, Aki Tomoya was already seething, unable to sit still after seeing him and Megumi come to school together again, surrounded by rumors.

Victory was within reach.

---

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!