My deskmate is actually my yandere reader.

What aspects are you concerned about?

Is it because he is the author of "The Abyss of Youth" that he cares?

Yes, that's the only reason, isn't it?

What else could this mediocre man possibly have to attract Shiraishi Chirei?

If we're talking about gentleness, it's her;

She is considerate;

She is beautiful;

She is proud and powerful...

It has always been Shiraishi Chiren who has helped her.

She herself had nothing special about her, except that she had created a light novel that interested her.

'Ha ha……'

Kurose Izumi gave a self-deprecating laugh to herself, her expression suddenly turning bitter.

"Kurose".

Suddenly, Shiraishi Chiren's voice entered my ears.

Then, Izumi Kurose felt a slightly cool touch on her hand.

He stared in astonishment at Shiraishi Chiren, who was holding his hand, and at the clear, bright eyes that were filled with glistening tears.

"Don't look down on yourself like that. Otherwise, wouldn't it be pathetic for me, someone who cares about you and feels special towards you?"

Shiraishi Chiren forced a smile, but glistening tears streamed down her beautiful face, evoking a poignant and sorrowful feeling.

Seeing this, Izumi Kurose didn't know where the courage came from, but she reached out and wiped away her tears.

"……Feel sorry."

He didn't know what to say and felt powerless with words, so all he could offer was this insignificant apology.

"Kurose, I want you to live up to my expectations." Shiraishi Chiren sobbed softly, tears streaming down her face.

Kurose Izumi didn't speak, but patiently wiped away her tears.

"Are you an idiot?"

"Have more confidence!"

"Do you become whatever others say?"

"Honestly, I never want to talk to you again!"

……

Listening to Shiraishi Chire's complaints and scolding, for some reason, Kurose Izumi felt at ease and had a sense of enlightenment.

"As expected, I do like you, Shiraishi..."

These words were not said in my heart, but spoken openly and honestly.

At this moment, Kurose Izumi did not feel embarrassed and her expression was very open, but her heart was pounding.

It takes a lot of courage to say those words, because everything will change after that.

His relationship with Shiraishi Chiren was beyond repair.

"Kuro-Kurose, what did you say?"

Shiraishi Chiren suddenly stopped complaining, looked up, and stared at Kurose Izumi in disbelief.

'Finally, you've said those words, Eternal Teacher…'

Everything that just happened, from the words to the tears, was a facade.

Of course, there were also some truthful things to say.

She genuinely disliked anyone belittling Kurose Izumi, and didn't want him to doubt himself or feel inferior.

"I……"

Kurose Izumi pursed her thin lips, took a deep breath, and said, word by word, "Shiraishi, I like you."

"...It's...it's the kind of liking that friends have, isn't it?" Shiraishi Chiren's voice trembled, and her fair face began to turn red.

"No, not friends. It's the kind of relationship where I see you as a woman."

Kurose Izumi didn't want to give up halfway, because that would feel too unmanly, and he would even hesitate to express his feelings.

If you like something, you like it; you can't hide it.

Although I'll probably be rejected...

"Men, men and women?!" Shiraishi Chiren panicked instantly. "This...this, which..."

"If you don't like it, just say no, it's okay." Kurose Izumi smiled indifferently. "It's strange that you suddenly said you like me. Our relationship has only been going well for a week. It must be very troubling for you to say you like me now, right?"

"Actually, I—"

Shiraishi Chiren lowered her head, stammering as she tried to say something, but was suddenly interrupted:

"Boom."

Outside the teaching building, the school bell rang, signaling the end of the break.

Upon hearing the bell, Kurose Izumi suddenly panicked.

At the same time, I also felt a sense of relief.

"Shall we go back?"

He scratched his head, then hurriedly walked out of the classroom, leaving Shiraishi Chiren standing there in a daze.

Chizuru Shiraishi stared blankly as Izumi Kurose left through the door. It took her a long while to recover, and then she said angrily:

"They've overdone it!"

After she finished speaking, she gave a gentle smile.

'But... it's better to bring this up later, right?'

"Hmm, I need to learn how to interact with people..."

69. I'll add an extra chapter as an apology for my complaints.

'Damn, what have I been doing?!'

Kurose Izumi hurriedly ran down the corridor after leaving the music room, her heart filled with frustration.

Even though you've already broken through that barrier, why do you immediately chicken out when the school bell rings?

Wouldn't this just make things even more troublesome and difficult for Shiraishi Chiren?!

You promised not to give up halfway, so why did you chicken out?!

And so, feeling utterly dejected, Kurose Izumi returned to the classroom and, amidst the strange looks from everyone in the class, plopped down in her seat.

A short while later, Shiraishi Chiren also slowly walked in from the classroom door, her complexion having returned to normal.

After she sat down, Kurose Izumi could only awkwardly turn her head away to look at the white clouds drifting outside the window and the cherry blossoms blooming brilliantly in the schoolyard.

The two didn't exchange a single word during the entire class, and they didn't even make eye contact!

However, no matter how much you try to avoid it, it's useless.

When get out of class ended and school was over, the students gradually left, but Izumi Kurose remained seated, pretending to be oblivious, and showed no intention of getting up.

He didn't know what expression to wear when facing Shiraishi Chiren, nor what to say to gloss over what had just happened.

Shiraishi Chiren looked at him with a smile and said softly, "Kurose, let's go to the club together."

Upon hearing this, Kurose Izumi trembled slightly—startled by Shiraishi Chiren's sudden words.

Then, he nodded slightly, picked up his schoolbag, and left the classroom with Shiraishi Chiren.

On their way to the club building, the two seemed to be deliberately avoiding what had happened in the music room.

This made Kurose Izumi feel both relieved and disappointed.

As for Shiraishi Chiren, she thought there was no rush, since she would have plenty of time and opportunities to bring it up again.

They're already living together. Isn't dating something that can be easily initiated?

After walking through the elevated corridor, the two went up to the fifth floor and arrived at the classroom with the words "Animal Research Department" on it.

Inari Yuki was already standing blankly at the door with her schoolbag in hand, looking down at her toes.

Hearing footsteps coming from the corridor, she looked up suddenly like a rabbit, her eyes lighting up instantly.

"Kurose, Shiraishi-senpai! Hehe, you've finally arrived."

"Ah."

The two nodded slightly, as if to say hello.

Then, Shiraishi Chiren took out the key, unlocked the door, and pushed it open.

The Animal Research Department, after tidying up during the lunch break, is now much cleaner and more organized.

"Then let's start setting up."

Under Shiraishi Chiren's direction, the three of them arranged the furniture such as tables, chairs, bookshelves, and cabinets in an orderly manner.

This activity room is quite large. The layout is roughly a birch table, 1.5m long and 1m wide, placed by the window, with four chairs arranged on either side.

The bookshelves and cabinets were placed against the opposite wall.

The cabinet will be used to store tea sets later.

Tea tasting is also one of the club's activities.

The remaining tables and chairs were placed in the other corner for future use.

……