CM Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – “No idea. I really don’t.”

Chapter 1, Part 2.1

Novel Title: ひとりじめ (Completely Mine)

Author：椎崎 夕 (Shiizaki You)

Illustrator：小山田 あみ (Oyamada Ami)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 細川 湊 (Hosokawa Minato -MC) & 荻原 浩志 (Ogiwara Koushi -ML)

*Please read at knoxt.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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“How did you get so close to Ogiwara-kun, Hosokawa-kun?”  

It was the afternoon, with only four days remaining in Minato’s four-week teaching practicum, when the question was posed in the staffroom.  

Minato paused his pen over the practicum logbook he was filling out and looked at the only female practicum teacher sitting diagonally across from him at the table.  

The young woman, whose light-colored hair and natural makeup suited her well, was from a different university than Minato and Yumoto. Her friendly smile and approachable personality had quickly earned her the nickname “Mari-chan-sensei” from the students.  

“Who knows? The first spark was probably the photo, I think.”  

“I heard anyone who tried to take a photo of Ogiwara in the past, regardless of gender, was ignored. But you’re different. You two come to school together every morning, often leave together. And even when he doesn’t have a particular reason, he initiates conversations with you. And whenever he’s with you, he smiles in such a carefree way.”  

Her list of facts was accurate, but Minato couldn’t provide any meaningful explanation. He smiled faintly, and seeing his reaction, she let out a sigh.  

“Even the track team advisor hasn’t seen him smile like that. Yumoto-kun, who has been working directly with the track team since day one of the practicum, says the same thing.”  

Yumoto, who was currently coaching the track team, wasn’t around to chime in. Unsure of how to respond, Minato gave a safe reply. “Really? I think he smiles often and seems like a polite kid.”  

“Oh, he’s polite, no doubt about it. He always responds when spoken to. But he never initiates conversations with me or Yumoto-kun. And when I try to approach him, he slips away so smoothly. Could it be that you and Ogiwara-kun knew each other beforehand, Hosokawa-kun?”  

Her mascara-defined eyes gazed at him curiously, prompting a wry smile from Minato. She seemed determined to uncover why Ogiwara had chosen to approach him.  

“Not at all. I didn’t attend this school, and I don’t know anyone here outside of my university or part-time job.”  

“Then why?”  

“No idea. I really don’t.” Minato’s honest response didn’t seem to satisfy her, but he ignored her probing gaze and returned his attention to the practicum logbook.  

With the practicum nearing its end, the three practicum teachers were all busy preparing for their research lessons. Luckily for Minato, his proposed lesson plan had already received approval from his supervising teacher.  

As he quietly worked, the room fell silent. A few minutes later, as he closed the logbook and began tidying up, she asked, “Heading home already?”  

“You’ve got your research lesson tomorrow, right? Are you done preparing?”  

“I’ll review it at home. See you later.”  

“Okay! Take care!”  

She waved him off with a smile, though she still seemed to be struggling with her own lesson plan, judging by how she’d been frowning at her laptop since lunchtime.  

By mid-June, the days were longer. By 8 p.m., the sky was already dark. Exiting the school building, Minato noticed members of the baseball team tidying up the field under the glow of the lights.  

His phone vibrated with a notification. Opening it, he saw an email from a friend. He stopped to read it and quickly typed a reply, only to be interrupted by a voice from the side.  

“Sensei? Good evening. Are you heading home now? You’ll catch the train just after eight, right?”  

“Oh, yeah. That’s right.”  

“I’m taking the same train, so please wait here. I’ll be right back.”  

Before Minato could respond, Ogiwara, dressed in his track uniform, flashed him a rare, radiant smile and dashed off toward the gym. Left speechless, Minato could only watch as other track team members trailed after him in groups, heading in the same direction.  

Since their first conversation a little over two weeks ago, Ogiwara had been initiating contact with Minato daily. Whether on the train in the morning or on the way home, he made an effort to approach. Even during school hours, when they crossed paths, Ogiwara would give him a captivating smile that others rarely saw.  

Ogiwara had recently set a new record at the prefectural track and field competition for the Inter-High and secured a spot in the upcoming regional preliminaries. Despite his athletic success, he had also ranked first in the school-wide proficiency exams held soon after, with a wide margin over the runner-up.  

Why someone like Ogiwara would focus on someone as unassuming as Minato remained a mystery. Deep down, Minato already had an idea of the answer.  

Just as the thought crossed his mind, his phone vibrated again. Recognizing the name of the caller as the friend he’d just replied to, Minato stepped outside the school gate before answering.  

“Minato? I got your email. What’s with that?”  

“Exactly what I wrote. I’m still in my practicum, and the teacher certification exam is next month. I don’t have time right now.”  

“That’s still over a month away. Take a break once in a while. Can’t you spare half a day or at least an evening?”  

“I’d rather not. I’m too busy for that.”  

“Seriously? Are you planning to graduate without even having a single romantic relationship? It’s going to be even harder to meet someone after university, you know.”  

The casual remark wasn’t entirely true, but Minato could tell it was his friend’s way of being considerate. He replied with a self-deprecating tone. “You’ve never had trouble finding someone, Eisuke. You’re doing fine with Yoshiharu, aren’t you?”  

“That’s different. By the way, Yoshiharu said he once saw us drinking together and thought you seemed really sincere. He said he’d like to introduce you to someone.”  

“Eisuke, enough.”  

“He’s three years older, works for a trading company, and isn’t into girls. He’s only had one boyfriend before but broke it off cleanly about six months ago. He’s tired of superficial relationships and wants a serious partner. Doesn’t that sound perfect for you?”  

Minato sighed into the phone.  

“Now’s just not the right time. And as I’ve said before, I’m fine without a partner.”  

“Minato, don’t tell me you’re still hung up on that heartbreak from years ago.”  

“…I’ve got company waiting. Sorry, but I need to go. Let him know I’m not interested. I’ll call you later.”  

Without waiting for a response, Minato hung up and turned off his phone, expecting Eisuke to follow up soon. Stuffing his phone into his bag, he looked up to see Ogiwara jogging toward him from the gym.  

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”  

“It’s fine. I just finished a call. …How’s everything going?”  

“Not bad. My timing’s improving, so I think I’ll hit my stride by the time of the competition.”  

Ogiwara, now dressed in his uniform and carrying both his school bag and sports bag, looked like he had just splashed water over himself. His hair, neatly cropped, was still damp under the evening light.  

“Good work today, Ogiwara.”  

“Thank you. Good night, Ogiwara-senpai!”  

As they spoke, a group of track team members passed by on bicycles, calling out cheerfully to Ogiwara, who responded with a short acknowledgment. The girls giggled happily as they pedaled away.  

It seemed that the curiosity about the intern was something shared by all the students at the school. Hosokawa Minato was already used to the skeptical glances he received when he was with Ogiwara Koushi. While it was true that it made him feel a little uncomfortable, he could understand their perspective and chose to ignore it.

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*Translator’s Note: Just so you guys know… In the past, email was the primary method of communication for many Japanese people, especially during the era of feature phones (flip phones) before smartphones became widespread. -K

Next update: 2026.08.01

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