Chapter 21The Happiness of Someone Left Behind
"W-Wait... ...Wait, please...!"
"!"
I looked back, I found Inatomi-senpai put a small fist on her chest and stood up, next to her, there was Shinomiya-senpai, looking at her with a surprised face.
And then,
"...Oh, I forgot."
"?? Hey, Senpai? I heard it, you know."
Shinomiya-senpai muttered in a low voice. She accidentally included tsukkomi.
[TL Note: 'Tsukkomi' is when you play the role of a normal guy in a comedy duo.]
Inatomi-senpai looked at Shinomiya-senpai with hateful eyes. And for some reason, it seems like she has something to say to me.
Yeah, well, if Shinomiya-senpai just wanted to nag me, there was no need to bring Inatomi-senpai along. Moreover, she also went around the first-year classrooms looking for me... ...Okay.
"Then, I'll see you later."
"No, no, wait a minute!"
I was caught by Shinomiya-senpai who jumped on me as I tried to get out of the counseling room.
Hehe, I got caught.
But the fact that Shinomiya-senpai caught me instead of trying to stop me is what it is.
"Hey...! You already met her, but why are you trying to leave?!"
"Eh? But Sen~pai~, didn't you close the conversation~?"
[TL Note: He said this in a rather annoying manner.]
"No! The main topic wasn't lecturing you! And, stop talking like that!"
Yeah, I was just joking about leaving the room, so I returned to my seat quietly.
Seeing that, Inatomi-senpai looked relieved.
Honestly, I felt happy that my joke was reciprocated. After all, Shinomiya-senpai isn't the type of person who likes to make jokes.
"The main topic?"
"Yeah. That's why Yuyu is also here."
Looking towards Inatomi-senpai at Shinomiya-senpai's words, I guess she'll be afraid of me again.
"Yuyu was always worried about having rejected your kindness, so she wanted to apologize for it and say thank you."
"Thank you...? But, didn't I really help her?"
"Hmm, don't say that. Just listen to her first."
I stretched my shoulders and turned to Inatomi-senpai again. Seeing her so cute, I did feel recovered, but I was nervous when I felt all eyes were on me.
But still, when I thought that Inatomi-senpai gave me great courage just to say a few words to me, somehow the evil in me disappeared. Yeah, that's indeed good... ...Well, Inatomi-senpai is the kind of person that even if you look at her from afar, you'll become delicate.
"Oh, um, that's... ...at that time... ...I'm sorry for rejecting Sajou-kun's kindness."
"Okay."
"A-And... ...Thank you for offering your help to me, who seemed to be having trouble carrying things...!"
"...Oh, yeah."
Inatomi-senpai squeezed out the courage to say those words. When I replied, she had a bright expression that seemed like she had just made an achievement.
What is this kind of 'creature' called, huh? Is this girl planning to kill me in agony?
...However, I really couldn't think of anything evil to do to her.
"Look, I'll do my best to cure my weakness for boys!"
"..."
...Huh?
There was something that calmed me down. I know that she inevitably hates boys, but what about that statement? I found that the way I looked at Inatomi-senpai did change a lot.
...Sh*t, that's bad, the evil in me almost made me say what I was thinking. Seriously, that's not what I wanted to say.
"...Yeah, that's all."
"Yeah! ...Eh...?"
"Thank you for taking the trouble to say that. If there is a chance for us to meet again, I hope we can get along well then. If that's the case."
"Why suddenly say that...? Oh, well, unless you do something bad again, there won't be a chance like that."
"That's right, then I'll see you someday."
Now let's go back to the classroom. Let's go back and look at Natsukawa from the corner (hobby). The boy who sticks to his beliefs, compromises for it, and continues to enjoy it quietly in the corner. Yeah, that's who I am right now.
Breaking that "normal" shell was enough when I found what I really wanted to do. Until then, I don't care about the efforts of someone I don't know very well.
So please, do as you please.
♦
Two girls were breathing in the outside air while walking out of the doorway. The schoolyard is at the front of the school. If you turn to the left beforehand, you can see the wall, where Wataru stood for a while.
In pursuit of Natsukawa Aika, Wataru entered a private school, Kōetsu High School, a preparatory school with a large gate and a beautiful school flag.
The two girls stood in front of the schoolyard and looked at the large gate from inside.
"Yuyu, it's already summer, huh. It's getting less refreshing outside."
"Yeah, that's right..."
"...Yuyu?"
The two girls who had just met a male kouhai until a while ago. After saying what they wanted to say to Wataru, the lunch break time for Shinomiya Rin and Inatomi Yuyu ─ had almost ended.
"What's with the sudden excitement earlier? You definitely don't get along with boys, huh...? You see, it just so happens that he's a kouhai, who although he's a bit brash, he's not violent."
"Yeah... ...compared to other boys, he must be like that."
As Rin said, Sajou Wataru was indeed a kouhai. At first, Yuyu was worried whether she would apologize to Wataru or not, but when she heard that Wataru was a kouhai, she decided to apologize to Wataru. After she had actually met Wataru, and had started small talk with Rin, the President of the Disciplinary Committee, she thought that Wataru was not a bad person.
"But... ...I probably said something that made him angry..."
"What? Something that made him angry?"
Rin confirmed Yuyu's words, furrowing her brow and putting on a doubtful face, Yuyu's words seemed strange as she did not feel any discomfort at the time.
"I don't think you said anything strange back then, and I don't think Sajou-kun was angry either..."
"Yeah, that's right. It probably seems that way to Rin-san."
"Hmm...?"
Yuyu continued to stare at her as much as possible, trying to suppress her weakness for boys and have a sincere attitude towards a kouhai. That's why Yuyu didn't think that Wataru would forgive her and accept her gratitude in that atmosphere.
"I don't know how to say it, though... ...you see, Sajou-kun... ...he's looking at me very boring."
"What...? Did he?"
Yuyu was never afraid to say harsh words, on the contrary, by taking such a stance, she could be forgiven when she talked to boys with minimal communication.
However, Yuyu felt very cold to be looked at with such eyes immediately after she said positive words.
"Oh, well... ...I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding on my part. After all, he is on good terms with Rin-san."
"That's right."
Rin thought, 'After all, it's just 'Yuyu's perspective'. She doesn't think that Sajou Wataru is bored. After all, she was the one who asked Wataru to listen to her concerns and figure out how to fix them. She was happy with the results, so she thought that he must not be a bad person.
However, the words of Yuyu, who was missing herself, told Rin that she couldn't just stand on the sidelines and do nothing.
"Yuyu, everything ~ will ~ be fine. Besides, you're cute."
"Wh-What is it?"
Rin hugged Yuyu from behind and petted her. She applied the new method she had learned recently after realizing that she was the one with the higher position. She thought so, she just needed to give encouragement and then leave the rest to her friends whom she could rely on.
After some time, Yuyu put a smile on her face.
♦
Let's start from small things.
Like what those old men said, I think what I should look for is a girl who has similar qualities to me.
I've wasted my time trying to reach out to those who are too sour and sweet for my heart.
I don't think it's wrong, though, it's just that I'm ready for what's coming.
Yeah... ...I'm sure... ...I'm still trying to reach for something that seems reachable but isn't.
"...Oh! Sajocchi, Sajocchi!"
"...?"
As I entered the classroom, Ashida, who was watching me, called out to me in a low voice... ...I really didn't know what she wanted, but I would listen to her.
"There, look at that...!"
"? ...What's that...?!"
"Fufu... ...Well done, Natsukawa."
"Why do you sound like her father? ...Oh, there's also 'Zackey'."
[TL Note: 'Zackey' is a snack food in Japan. It's a chocolate wafer.]
"Yamazaki, I'll kill you."
"Hey, Sajocchi, you're in no position to complain about it."
Ugh... ...I said something about that. Even Yamazaki, who is in front of a lot of girls and isn't smart enough, won't cause the weird imitation that the boys from the Basketball Club like (*Prejudice). So, let's ignore him this time. After all, the important thing right now is 'Natsukawa's Great Production Strategy'...!
Yeah, to be honest, I didn't really do anything...
"By the way, Ashida. Aren't you going to have lunch with Natsukawa?"
"Yeah, I was planning to do it. I'm waiting for the right time, I've already sent her a signal through eye contact, so for now, it's fine!"
"Hoho... ...I see."
Natsukawa's face with dumbfounded eyes appeared in my mind. I think it would be better for Ashida to always stay by Natsukawa's side... ...That way, it would be easier for the people around her to talk to her.
...But, it was exactly as I expected. Natsukawa looked good in the midst of people. Honestly, she shouldn't care about me, who is 'normal' in every way, in the first place...
"Why don't you join them in asking her too, Ashida? Just leave the household matters to me."
"What are you taking care of...?"
Ashida attacked the students around Natsukawa. Then everyone, including Natsukawa herself, laughed and the classroom was filled with peace... ...What a blissful atmosphere for me, the producer. I felt like I could eat two bowls of (normal) rice.
Look from the corner, and it can be seen as the background of the peaceful classroom. Even the bland sweet buns, which were leftovers from the cafeteria, also tasted much better... ...Yeah, that's right, I was eating lunch.
Even I thought, the corner of the place where Natsukawa was, I could see that area which was slightly glittering and looked very soft. Seeing that scene, I thought, 'Just like I felt uncomfortable when I was next to Big Sis and her surroundings. I'd feel uncomfortable too, if I stood there...? But the Natsukawa I see right now is what I want.'
...Looking at her from a distance, I felt like a nail on the tip of my heart was being chipped away.
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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