Don’t Look Back, Megumi Kato [28]

Of course, there aren't that many true coincidences in the world.

Many of the events you believe to be coincidences are actually someone’s deliberate effort.

But even Izumi Yuu, cunning as he was, couldn't possibly control timing that precisely.

When Eriri mentioned she still had urgent club matters to attend to, Yuu dropped the idea of escorting her home. After all, a high-born young lady, the club’s ace artist, and bestselling illustrator like her could easily hail a cab without a blink.

After saying goodbye, Yuu remained in his seat, quietly watching Eriri’s petite and lovely figure vanish into the distance.

[Looking at the girl’s departing figure, a perverted thought flickers through your mind: becoming Tokyo’s notorious stalker! You’ve grown bored with conventional methods and crave the ultimate adrenaline rush that only tailing an oblivious high-class young lady can bring! She's the perfect choice. Follow her to a secluded spot and catch her unaware; you'll see the usually elegant heiress crumble disgracefully in terror, begging for mercy, ready to offer you anything just to survive. You’ll savor the unparalleled thrill and thoroughly enjoy the dignified young miss at your mercy. Of course, you’ll need to prepare a black stocking mask, chloroform-soaked cloth, and sturdy rope—]

Hey, hey, hey! I haven't even tried the conventional methods yet! Stop rewriting my character profile! And isn’t this Tokyo’s busy downtown, not some lawless wasteland? You’re seriously trying to get me dumped into Tokyo Bay, aren’t you?!

Yuu felt his internal narrator was starting to earn a prefix: The Life Speedrun System.

Who says a bad ending isn’t technically a completion?

Follow this cursed narrator’s instructions, and you’ll surely speedrun life!

Still… it does sound pretty exciting.

Seeing Eriri—always elegant and poised—in utter panic and helplessness would indeed have a powerful charm.

If he weren't a law-abiding citizen, this degenerate narrator might have actually persuaded him…

Peh! Peh! Peh!

He quickly spat out these twisted thoughts.

Maybe after hearing so many of these wild suggestions, he was slowly starting to get corrupted.

This was definitely not good!

He must firmly cut ties with this evil inner voice. A Pure Love Warrior must never waver!

He once again reaffirmed his commitment to pure love.

[Cutting ties with your bright and noble narrator? An utterly foolish idea flashes through your head. But just as you’re about to turn impulse into action, you notice something unusual outside the café. Abandoned by that scumbag Aki Tomoya, Kato Megumi sits alone on a bench. This is your perfect chance to swoop in! With just a small display of kindness, you could lure the girl into the nearby love hotel. Of course, she might try to politely refuse—but a firm hand will quickly bring her around...]

Yuu promptly ignored the utterly unreliable part of the narrator’s advice and focused instead on the actual useful detail:

“So Tomoya left Kato-san alone at the mall? Now that sounds exactly like something that scumbag would do. Knowing him, leaving suddenly must mean someone else needed help urgently. But who could’ve pulled him away right now? Eriri just left and clearly has work, so she’s unlikely. That only leaves Kasumigaoka Utaha. I remember Miss Kagurazaka mentioning that Kasumi Utako-sensei’s new volume is almost out—maybe something went wrong there?”

Yuu pondered carefully.

He knew Tomoya’s character quite well. Despite being a scumbag, Tomoya wouldn't abandon Megumi without a reason. Someone must've urgently needed him elsewhere.

The likeliest candidate was definitely Kasumigaoka Utaha.

Right now, Kato Megumi was probably feeling deeply disappointed by Tomoya’s abandonment and could certainly use someone to comfort her.

At times like these, the narrator’s tips really were helpful, giving him access to an almost omniscient viewpoint.

With that in mind, Yuu quickly left the café in search of Megumi.

Despite her usual lack of presence, the narrator’s hint had basically given him a cheat sheet for this open-book test. If he still couldn’t find her, she’d have to be literally invisible.

Fortunately, Megumi hadn't yet developed the supernatural skill of blending invisibly into the background.

Following the narrator’s guidance, Yuu soon spotted her, leading up to the moment he invited her out for dinner.

...

In a restaurant at the mall.

Yuu and Megumi sat opposite each other quietly after ordering.

Megumi was clearly surprised Yuu had invited her to dinner. Even though she knew he’d been in the mall and saw him having coffee with Eriri, she never expected he’d notice her or invite her out—yet he had, and this delighted her immensely.

Today had started boring and flat, but now Megumi felt as if she’d suddenly regained her color, as if sunlight had finally reached the most shadowy corners of her heart.

Yuu sat comfortably with his legs crossed, silently observing Megumi.

Unlike her usual school attire, Megumi wore a casual weekend outfit today—a soft pink blouse paired with a white miniskirt and over-the-knee socks. She looked pure yet full of youthful energy.

[Looking at the girl before you, your impulses begin to stir. You can pretend to drop your chopsticks and secretly peek at the charming scenery beneath her skirt. Or better yet, take this chance to verify whether her elementary school diploma is legitimate. Out of modesty and embarrassment, she wouldn't dare make a fuss; she'd have no choice but to let you thoroughly investigate…]

Are you just completely ignoring reality now?!

Yuu had become entirely numb to these outrageous suggestions and brushed them aside internally without a second thought.

Breaking the silence first, Yuu smiled warmly and said, “Your outfit today looks lovely, Kato-san. Even more dazzling than your usual school style.”

“Huh?! Izumi-kun, if you compliment me so directly, it’ll make me embarrassed.”
Though she appeared slightly bashful, Megumi clearly enjoyed the praise. She quickly steadied her excitement and curiously asked, “But what brought you here today, Izumi-kun?”

After speaking, Megumi nervously watched him, recalling the scene she’d witnessed earlier.

She feared he might say something that would disappoint her—either confirming he’d been on a date, or worse, lying about it.

Either possibility would mean trouble. A lie would imply he was hiding something from her deliberately.

“I had some part-time work matters to discuss with a partner,” Yuu answered openly and calmly. “In fact, you might know her, but that’s not particularly important.”

Yuu understood one truth clearly: one lie inevitably leads to another. Besides, there was nothing between him and Eriri that needed hiding, and Megumi might’ve even seen them together herself. Lying would only complicate things further.

“A partner? Ah, I see.”

Megumi was slightly taken aback but didn't probe further, though her curiosity quietly grew.

A part-time job involving Eriri—was it related to art?

Still, more than anything else, Megumi felt happy. Yuu’s openness reassured her he had nothing to hide about his relationship with Eriri.

Though Megumi herself wasn’t sure why this news brought her relief, it did—her heart finally relaxed.

“By the way,” Yuu asked curiously, “didn't you mention going out to gather material with Aki-san today? How come you're alone now? Where did he go?”

He wasn’t simply stirring trouble. Not mentioning anything at all would seem suspiciously calculated, as if he’d known everything beforehand.

Only by asking could his appearance feel natural.

“Ah, Tomoya-kun?” Megumi paused briefly, then said very calmly, “He got a call from Kasumigaoka-senpai and suddenly left.”

Her voice and expression were completely steady, as though she were talking about something entirely unrelated to her.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought up something unpleasant.”

Noting her subdued reaction, Yuu immediately apologized with genuine sincerity.

[Looking at the innocent girl before you, you—a master of manipulating hearts—think confidently: isn’t she basically already in the palm of your hand? With just a few choice words, she’ll open that precious door she’s guarded for sixteen years…]

What I’m doing is honest and gentle guidance! Pure love, don’t you understand pure love?
Yuu internally rolled his eyes at the narrator’s crass insinuations.

Am I the type to exploit someone’s feelings during a vulnerable moment? Absolutely not!

But still… if Megumi herself made an unreasonable request later, should he agree or agree enthusiastically? Truly a delightful dilemma.

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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!