From Toxic Classmate to Girlfriend Goals

Chapter 3

“What?” Naoya blinked in surprise.

Her lips curled in a fearless smile. “I get what you’re trying to say, but do you seriously expect me to just roll over and take it? Fat chance!”

She wasn’t giving him any ground. In fact, she appeared to be getting more confident by the second. She continued, relentless. “I don’t care how much you can read me! I’m not scared! And there’s no way I’ll get hurt by you, either. I’m gonna cling to you like a barnacle and make you like me! Not that I’ll like you back or anything!”

“Don’t lie! You’re head over heels for me, aren’t you?!” Naoya recklessly stated. It didn’t seem like she wasn’t going to give up on him any time soon. Naoya could tell that she was serious, and it made him uncharacteristically shrink back under her intense pressure. “Hah... Why are you like this? You could have any man you wanted.”

“I’m pretty much throwing myself at you, and you’re telling me to chase after other guys? Talk about bad manners, Sasahara,” Koyuki sighed. “Plus, I did say you’re a weirdo, but I guess this makes me one, too.”

“What makes you say that?”

“You’ve heard it, right? What everyone calls me? ‘The Queen of Thorns.’”

“Well, I’ve heard some rumors, yeah.”

“Exactly. I guess I’m so perfect that people find it hard to approach me. Whatever. I’m sure part of it is because those losers are just jealous,” she said with a huff.

“Sigh...”

She was 60 percent serious and 30 percent putting on airs—the remainder was self-directed shame. She didn’t need to act so steadfast like this.

Naoya ignored Koyuki’s rambling until she stopped, cleared her throat, and thrust her chest out.

“But yeah, that’s the deal,” she stated. “I need someone who’s just as much of a weirdo as me. You barely, just barely, make the cut, so I guess I’ll test you out and see if you can get a passing grade. You’re welcome.”

Her eyes narrowed, and she licked her lips. Her small tongue was a light red color and brought images of a man-eating spider to Naoya’s mind. “I will make you fall for me. And you’re gonna end up being the one to confess to me. Hehe... Making a composed guy like you fall at my feet is gonna be quite the sight.”

“Eh, um...” Naoya stuttered and broke eye contact with her. It wasn’t that he was being cowed by her evil empress act. Really. Seriously. It was because he was able to read her true intentions behind the façade she’d put up.

She wanted to be with him. She wanted to know all of his likes and dislikes. She wanted to walk to school with him and then go out together on their days off. She wanted to go on a date to an amusement park and many other places, too.