After Class on Monday, Wakana apologized to Kouki in the club room.
"I'm very sorry, Murakami-san, for delaying your confession plan. It was all due to my oversight."
Wakana bowed. If he hadn't been so preoccupied with his own situation with Kitagawa-san, Murakami-san's confession could have happened sooner.
He could have also asked Kitagawa-san for help earlier, understood Sugaya-san's feelings in advance, and completed the confession plan last week.
"It's nothing."
Kouki waved his hand. Actually, Wakana hadn't done anything wrong.
After all, it's normal for things like romance to be full of unexpected changes.
He had also noticed Akira-kun's attention towards Gojo-kun and Kitagawa-san, and probably understood Akira-kun's intentions.
Murakami, who wAkira-kun and Gojo-kun were currently helping could not possibly blame Wakana.
Moreover, it wasn't as if confessing earlier would increase the chances of success.
Nothing could increase the chances of a confession. All his attempts were merely to bolster his courage to confess.
"What's the progress now?"
Akira closed the door of the club room and dsked Wakana. directly
"Kitagawa-san asked Sugaya-san yesterday."
Wakana hesitated for a moment, then continued, "According to Kitagawa-san, Sugaya-san doesn't seem to have any thoughts of being in a relationship for now."
After speaking, he waved his hand, as if retracting his own statement.
"It's not that she has no thoughts of romance, it's just that according to what Kitagawa-san understood…"
"Although Sugaya-san isn't against romance, she hasn't met the right boy, so she hasn't really been looking forward to it."
After Wakana finished speaking, he turned his head and glanced at Kouki beside him.
Kouki's face already held a calm and gentle expression, showing no sign of dejection.
Had he already anticipated it, sure enough?
Wakana murmured to himself, then continued to explain, "Actually, Kitagawa-san even used someone as an example."
"Was it Morita?"
Akira interjected. After all, asking Kitagawa-san to subtly probe Sugaya-san would inevitably involve using someone else to gauge Sugaya-san's attitude towards the boys around her.
Morita, who wasn't in their social circle, was the perfect example.
However, it was an undeniable fact that Sugaya-san and her friends got along well with Morita Kensei.
"Eh! Akira-kun knows?"
"Obviously, I was just guessing. Please continue."
"Oh." Wakana nodded, "According to Kitagawa-san, Sugaya-san very directly rejected the pairing of Morita-kun and Sugaya-san."
"The reason was that the two of them weren't suitable for each other, and she even guessed that Morita-kun wouldn't consider Sugaya-san either…"
At this point, Shiki and Akira couldn't help but look at Kouki beside them.
It was precisely because Morita Kensei and Nowa were close that he had felt a sense of crisis and decided to confess.
Now that he had heard from Sugaya-san that she had absolutely no romantic interest in Morita-kun, would his sense of crisis lessen?
As expected by the two of them, Kouki's face showed a shy expression, seemingly a little embarrassed about his previous assumptions.
"It seems Sugaya-san is quite opinionated!"
Akira commented.
"After all, it's Sugaya-san…"
Kouki couldn't help but think.
"However, it feels like Murakami's matter can't be delayed any longer. After all, a girl like Sugaya-san isn't someone whose heart can be easily won over."
Akira looked at Kouki, who was slightly bowing his head, and instructed him.
"Murakami."
"Hmm."
"Our operation plan is merely supplementary for you. The uutcome of the story is still decided by you."
"Now, do you have the resolve to accept it?"
Kouki looked at Akira in front of him, and upon hearing his words, a different thought suddenly emerged in his mind.
His actions could determine the ultimate direction of the story…
Since he already knew that Sugaya-san wouldn't like Morita, he no longer had a reason for a sense of crisis…
As long as he didn't confess to Sugaya-san, he could still spend his university life with Sugaya-san as classmates…
If his confession was rejected, he might not even be able to be friends with her in the future.
However, Kouki recalled the days he had spent with Sugaya-san over the past month, a joy and happiness he had never experienced in high school.
It was the warmth and satisfaction of seeing the person he loved right before his eyes.
Feeling that kind of direct embrace of his emotions, and accepting his feelings for Murakami, if he were to return to his previous state, even he himself would probably not wish for such a thing to happen.
"Murakami."
"Are you hesitating?"
Akira said straightforwardly, "Since you've probably guessed the answer…"
Kouki raised his face, as if wanting to smile, but the conflicting thoughts in his mind kept surfacing, ultimately revealing only a bitter smile.
"But I've decided I still want to confess. If I were to just gloss over it with an unknown answer, I think my future self would regret it even more."
"So, although Murakami-san doesn't quite fit the phrase, and the situation isn't ideal, I still want to repeat it to Murakami-san."
"There is only one true heroism in the world: to love life idespiteknowing the truth about it."
Yes, since he already knew the outcome, there was nothing to fear anymore.
"Then let's do it tomorrow afternoon."
Kouki said with a smile, looking at Wakana beside him.
"I'll trouble Wakana to ask Kitagawa-san for a favor."
-------------------------------------
June 23rd, Tuesday.
On the rooftop of the school building.
Kouki walked up the stairs to the rooftop alone, pushed open the rusty iron door, and the light blue sky appeared in his sight.
Akira and Shiki had both returned to the club room, not planning to use any tools to monitor Murakami's actions.
For them, failure was to be expected.
Success was a cause for universal joy.
This love operation was ultimately Kouki's own business, and the conclusion was something Murakami should handle.
They didn't even need to be spectators.
Wakana had found Marin early and asked her to trick Nowa into coming to the rooftop.
Listening to the slow footsteps approaching the rooftop door, Kouki couldn't help but brace himself, straightening his entire body.
"Clang."
Nowa pushed open the iron door, looked around, and saw Kouki standing opposite her.
"Eh, Tetsuya, you're here too. Have you seen Marin?"
"Sugaya-san." Kouki mustered his courage, "Actually, I asked Kitagawa-san to bring you here."
Seeing Nowa's gaze formally directed at him, Kouki took a deep breath.
"I have something I want to say to Sugaya-san."
"Can I say it all at once?"