I (30), Who Works for a Black Company and Died While Regretting My Gloomy Life, Started Over From High School!
Chapter 127: The Day We Feel Autumn

I, Niihama Shinichiro, sat at my desk in the classroom, feeling a bit nervous.

Currently, it was the fifth period of classes, and once this was over, I would just have to attend the final homeroom session and then head home.

For everyone else in the classroom, it was just another ordinary day, no different from yesterday.

But for me, it was different. It was an extremely important day, one that only comes around once a year.

(Finally, the day has arrived… I’m really glad I managed to gather information before it passed…)

I had been preparing for this day ever since I learned about it. The part-time job I’d been doing recently was all for this day.

I stole a glance at Haruka’s seat. The hardworking noble daughter was attentively listening to the lecture, her hand moving busily to take notes.

She had always been a diligent girl, but lately, it seemed like she was taking her studies even more seriously, probably because she had started thinking seriously about her future. The study-dodging duo of Fudehashi and Kazamihara, who used to be carefree, now seemed to be in agony, muttering, “It’s blinding…! The ideal image of a second-year high school student is too bright!”

(She’s really diligent… Despite being a cute and wealthy princess, she never flaunts it, always seeing people for who they are…)

As I looked at the profile of the hardworking girl, my face unconsciously softened. Anyone who worked hard seemed admirable, but if it was someone you liked, it felt even more precious.

(Autumn has already deepened quite a bit… The cold season will be here soon…)

When I looked towards the window, the trees were all dyed in autumn colors, and the ground was covered with a carpet of fallen leaves in shades of yellow and red.

This brief autumn would soon transform into winter in just a few weeks.

Since I arrived in this second-round world, I was once again approaching a turning point. As I gazed at the landscape, which foreshadowed the onset of winter, sentimental thoughts filled my mind.

(Ah, jeez! Where did Haruka go!?)

After school, in the corridor of the school building, I searched for my crush.

Originally, I had planned to talk to her as soon as the final homeroom session ended, but while I was exchanging a few words with Ginji, Haruka’s figure disappeared from my sight.

I hurried to the entrance of the school building, but seeing that Haruka’s indoor shoes were still there, I realized she was still inside. So, here I was, searching high and low…

“Hehehe, you look troubled, Niihama-kun. You’re like a puppy frantically looking for its owner. It’s quite amusing to watch,”

“Ahaha, you’re really in a rush! Well, it’s a day that must not be missed for Niihama-kun, so I get it!”

When I turned around at the familiar voices, there stood Fudehashi and Kazamihara. They both wore sly, mischievous smiles.

“Well, I can understand that anxiety. Shall we help you out a bit? You’re looking for Haruka because you have something important to discuss with her today, right?”

“H-How did you know!?”

“Of course we know, we’re Haruka’s friends! We naturally know what today means, and given the timing, we figured Niihama-kun wouldn’t just sit still!”

“Guh…”

Seeing that my actions had been predicted so accurately, Fujihashi and Kazamihara burst into laughter.

“Well, we came to offer some information. Haruka is in the staff room for a question related to class. She should be coming out soon.”

“Phew, thank you so much! I really appreciate it!”

I said and immediately turned on my heel. I wanted to address the fact that they seemed to be grinning throughout, but the information was genuinely appreciated.

After all, today was a day I didn’t want to pass by without meeting her…!

“Niihama-kun, do your best!”

The voice of Fujihashi reached me as I rushed down the hallway.

“And you know, if you approach Haruka on this special day, she’ll definitely be overjoyed! It’s because the way your heart dances will be completely different from what family or friends can make her feel! So, I’m pretty sure Niihama-kun already has some confidence there, right?”

“Ah, yeah…!”

Their voices echoed from behind, a mix of cheering and encouragement.

To Shijouin Haruka, I was closer than anyone else had ever been.

So, in many ways, the lively girls were giving me a gentle push.

(Ah, that’s right… I’ll do my best.)

I kept going without stopping my hurried steps, taking Fudehashi’s words to heart.

I’ve been working hard for my youth’s comeback. But from here on, I have to work even harder.

When I arrived in front of the staff room, Haruka cheerfully exclaimed, “Excuse me!” and came out. It seemed she had finished asking the teacher her question.

“Haruka!”

“Huh? Oh, Shinichiro-kun!”

When I called out to her, Haruka turned around and showed a bright smile. Every single time, this girl’s smile was so charming, it stole my breath.

“Ah, I-I accidentally said your name… It’s prohibited in the school premises, right?”

“Well, I called out your name first… and it’s not particularly prohibited during part-time work, so it’s hard to switch back.”

Fortunately, there were no students around, but if I were caught, it would be bad. Due to Haruka’s popularity, news would spread like wildfire among the entire student body, and the boys who were fans of Haruka would start approaching me one after another.

“Well, yeah… But I still want to call you Shinichiro-kun whenever it’s allowed.”

With that one sentence, Haruka wove sincere words that made my heart race.

“Because, it’s like proof that our relationship has become very close… And above all, when we call each other by name like this, my heart gets all warm and happy.”

With a smile as natural as looking at a beautiful flower, Shijouin Haruka, this girl, spoke those words.

I’ve heard countless times her unintentional, killer lines for guys, but I still hadn’t developed any immunity. Once again, my heart was pierced accurately.

Ah, seriously… I can’t help but get all fluttery every single time…!

“By the way, what happened? You seemed in a hurry…?”

“Ah, no… I wasn’t exactly in a hurry. I was looking for you, Haruka. Uh, you see…”

There, I stumbled over my words, and Haruka looked at me with a puzzled expression.

Come to think of it, I was always like this. No matter how hard I tried to act bright and cheerful, using my past regrets as a springboard to be more energetic, I always felt my heart shrink in fear of getting hurt, rooted in my original gloomy otaku nature.

Like a shoujo manga hero, I could never become a true extrovert.

Well, it’s fine. Even so… in this lifetime, I’ll reach out for what I want. Even if it’s a bit awkward, as long as I can follow through with my actions, it’s good enough.

“So, um… If you don’t have any special plans today, would you like to walk home with me?”

“Huh…”

There were many occasions when I walked home with Haruka. When we both stayed late for library committee work or study sessions after school – an unspoken rule had formed between us.

But to propose walking home together for no particular reason, this might actually be the first time.

That’s why, even though I was nervous, I mustered up the courage to make the invitation…

“Y-Yes! Of course, that’s fine! It’s been a while, so I’m really happy!”

It seemed my worries were unfounded. Haruka’s eyes sparkled, and she agreed with enthusiasm.

Recently, we spent a lot of time together during our part-time job, but whenever I suggested walking home from school, she would show her joy openly – her reaction like this made my heart dance.

“Uh, well… Shinichiro-kun, you seem to be breathing heavily… Could it be you’ve been looking for me all this time…?”

“Ah, yes. I really wanted to walk home together today. For some reason, Kazamihara and Fudehashi gave me information about where you were, and it helped.”

“I-Is that so… You were looking for me…”

Haruka seemed to be a bit shy as she pondered this fact, looking very satisfied.

As if it were something very delightful.

“Well then, shall we go? We both don’t have work today, so we can take it easy on the way.”

“Hahaha, that’s true. If we have evening shifts, we tend to get a bit anxious on the way home, right?”

While not as intense as in the beginning, there was always a pounding heart and tension when walking home with the girl I liked.

However, I concealed my feelings of nervousness under an adult-like composure and escorted her as calmly as always.

On this special day, I really wanted to be alone with Haruka.

(TLN) Bonus Chapter 5/5! There! We did it! Whew! How ruthless would it be to just leave this as the cliffhanger until tomorrow? Hahaha! See y’all next week!