The Strategy To Win Kazumi-san Begins!

That night, we stayed up late talking about our “future strategy,” but partly because we were drunk, no good ideas came to us.

Ishida ended up staying over at my place, and when morning came, the two of us went to the university together.

Even during classes, we kept trying to think of a plan, but in the end, we couldn’t come up with anything.

When the first period ended, I spoke up.

“No matter how much the two of us talk it over, we’re not going to get any good ideas. Why don’t we consult Toko-san?”

“True. Toko-senpai might be able to think of something.”

Since Ishida agreed, I immediately sent her a message.

Toko-san’s reply came right away, and we arranged to meet up at the school cafeteria during lunch.

When the second period ended and we headed to the cafeteria, Toko-san was already sitting at a table.

Once we had each grabbed our food and sat down, she went straight to the point.

“So, you wanted to ask about Kazumi? What exactly do you want to know?”

“Like Kazumi-san’s preference in men, or if younger guys are completely out of the question for her.”

Toko-san looked back and forth between me and Ishida.

“You’re asking all of a sudden. Did something happen?”

“Ishida confessed to Kazumi-san during yesterday’s double date.”

“Wait, that happened yesterday?”

Toko-san didn’t seem to know either. Her eyes went wide.

“You didn’t hear about it from Kazumi-san?”

“No, Kazumi seemed completely her usual self.”

Hearing that, Ishida slumped his shoulders.

“Well, I guess to Kazumi-san, someone like me isn’t even worth bringing up.”

“I-I don’t think that’s the case…” Toko-san flusteredly tried to smooth things over. “So, Ishida-kun, when and how did you tell her?”

“I confessed inside the Ferris wheel at the very end. At first, we were just talking about things like job hunting, but then Kazumi-san said, ‘I feel so unburdened today. Let’s keep hanging out, junior.’ So I told her, ‘I don’t want to go out with you as a junior, but as a man.’”

“That sounds just like you, Ishida-kun—a straightforward, manly confession.” Toko-san spoke with a contemplative air.

“But I got dumped anyway.”

“Toko-san, what do you think Ishida did wrong?”

When I asked, Toko-san’s expression grew even more troubled.

“I don’t think he did anything wrong. Ishida-kun conveyed his feelings clearly and head-on… If I had to say anything, it’s just that the timing was bad…”

“Would she have said yes if the timing were different?”

“Would she have accepted if it were a different timing?”

Me and Ishida said the exact same thing at the exact same time.

“I’m sorry, I phrased that poorly. What I mean is that right now, no matter who says what to Kazumi, it’s just not going to work.”

“No matter who says what?”

As I echoed her words in disbelief, Toko-san nodded and looked me in the eye. Her gaze seemed to ask, ‘How much do you actually know about Kazumi’s situation?’

“Yesterday, I filled Ishida in on everything regarding Kazumi-san’s situation.”

Toko-san’s eyes turned reproachful.

“Without consulting me first?”

“I’m sorry.”

Ishida immediately stepped in to defend me.

“I practically forced Yuu to tell me. I told him to spill everything he knew about Kazumi-san.”

Toko-san let out a long sigh.

“Well, it can’t be helped. Honestly, I’ve been thinking that we’d have to tell Ishida-kun eventually anyway.”

“So, why is it that no matter what anyone says to Kazumi-san right now, it’s no use?” Ishida pressed for her to continue.

“Because Kazumi herself is completely fixated on her own way of thinking. She’s stuck on the idea that ‘I can’t abandon my current boyfriend.’ I think it’s become a fixed mindset for her.”

“Why is she so stubborn about that?”

“For one thing, if she admits right now that ‘my current boyfriend isn’t worth dating,’ it means everything she’s done for him up until now would be a complete waste. Admitting your own mistake—especially one you’ve kept up for years—is a very difficult thing to do.”

For a split second, a shadow cast over Toko-san’s face.

I wondered what that was about, but now was not the time to bring it up.

“I don’t think Kazumi-san is the type of person to be stubborn over something so meaningless, though.”

“Kazumi is incredibly stubborn, especially when it comes to romance. Plus, she actually holds some pretty old-fashioned values. She thinks along the lines of, ‘A woman should devote herself to one man and support him when he’s struggling.’”

“But in this day and age, she must know that’s not always the right path, right?”

“Understanding something intellectually is different from having it ingrained in the depths of your heart. Everyone has something like that, don’t they?”

I fell silent.

She was right; everyone has something like that.

Ishida spoke up.

“You said ‘for one thing.’ What’s the other reason?”

“I mentioned this to Yuu-kun too, but Kazumi is incredibly compassionate. If she breaks up with him now, that guy probably won’t even be able to manage daily survival. Kazumi just can’t bring herself to abandon him like that.”

“Are Kazumi-san’s feelings for her boyfriend really that strong?”

A profound frustration seeped into Ishida’s voice.

“That’s only true ‘up until now.’ I’m sure even Kazumi will wake up to reality eventually. But if someone like me pushes her too hard on it, she’ll just push back, and it’ll have the opposite effect. That’s why, if a reliable guy like you, Ishida-kun, stays gently by her side while keeping things fun and positive… I’m sure her heart will eventually change.”

“But that means Ishida has to constantly stay by her side, not knowing when Kazumi-san will finally look his way, right?”

Won’t that be incredibly painful for Ishida?

Toko-san must have read the unspoken concern in my words.

She looked at Ishida, her eyes practically pleading.

“Ishida-kun, please don’t grow to dislike Kazumi. I think deep down, Kazumi likes you too. There is definitely a place for you in her heart. After all, she looks genuinely happy whenever she’s with you. So…”

“It’s alright, Toko-senpai.” Ishida replied with a smile. “I love Kazumi-san. Hearing all this just made me love her even more. So unless Kazumi-san genuinely finds me a nuisance, I’m going to keep on loving her!”

Watching Ishida declare that so powerfully, I thought to myself once again:

I’m really glad I’m friends with this guy.

“Thank you, Ishida-kun.” Toko-san looked immensely relieved.

“But from here on out, what should I concretely do when interacting with Kazumi-san?”

Toko-san couldn’t offer an immediate answer to that either.

“Concretely… huh. Well, like I said, changing Kazumi’s feelings overnight is impossible… so I think the only way is to just keep interacting with her normally, like you always have. We just have to gradually close the distance between you two.”

“Is that really going to be enough? Kazumi-san is literally suffering violence and having her money taken by that man.”

At my words, Toko-san’s expression grew even heavier.

“I want to do something about it as quickly as possible too… but the more we try to force it, the more Kazumi will close off her heart. Right now…”

“It’s fine. I’ve decided not to rush things,” Ishida said resolutely. “Making a scene right now isn’t going to fix anything anyway, right? In that case, I just have to settle in and wait patiently. If the time comes where Kazumi-san wants to rely on me, she can rely on me.”

Toko-san nodded, a look of quiet frustration on her face.

“You’re right, that’s really all we can do for now. I’m sorry.”

Finally, I spoke up.

“Instead of just waiting, why don’t the four of us try to spend as much time together as possible? We can create excuses to be around Kazumi-san after classes end. That way, she’ll have less time to see her boyfriend, and it’ll bring her closer to Ishida. It kills two birds with one stone.”

Both of them agreed with my suggestion.

Even if it felt painstakingly slow, a passive approach like this was the only option we could take right now.