Leave a comment

After getting the approval, spring break elapsed without anything of note happening in particular. I trained early in the morning, fed Ms. Akane, and went to the library during the weekends to review; the break was pretty fulfilling.

I’ve had a run with several schoolmates but none of them seemed to recognize me as Kotone, so they didn’t take notice of me. Am I really that unrecognizable? Probably, I guess.

「Hm~m, guess I was a bit early.」

I checked the classroom assignment and headed to my classroom, but it was empty. I saw a few students here and there, so I didn’t think that it was still that early but I guess they were club people doing morning training. If I’m right, we should be able to choose our seats.

I sat on the last seat next to the window and read a book I borrowed from the library. By the way, it’s a mystery novel. As time passed by, gradually more students arrived.
However, the seat next to me was left unoccupied.

「Can I sit next to you?」
「I don’t mind at all. My name is Kisaragi Kotone.」
「…… Excuse me, my friend is calling me.」

Regardless of gender, this was the reaction. I had the worst image at school, so I understand the feeling but gradually the classroom is filled with hushed gossiping about me. Still, I can imagine that none of them are talking favorably.

I wonder who’s the poor kid that’s going to be forced to sit next to me.

「Ah, umm. My name is Aiba Miyako, I’ll be sitting next to you. P-pleased to meet you.」
「Kisaragi Kotone. Pleased to meet you.」

At this point, I’m already fed up with this situation, so I ended up being pretty curt. And observing the student next to me, it’s a timid-looking girl that’d suit a braid and glasses look. Yeah, a class chairman.

Seeing how she’s absolutely afraid of me is sad but I guess it can’t be helped. For now, I’ll go with the “let sleeping dogs lie”¹ plan. As long as no one starts something with me, I’ll assert myself as harmless.

「Ooh, the mood here’s as bad as expected. Nothing’s going to start from worrying too much, you hear?」

The homeroom teacher is Mr. Kondou again, huh. Rather, teach, you’re pretty gutsy. If it was the former Kotone, that would’ve been taboo. As I showed Teacher Kondou a strained smile, he smiled back at me. He’s probably planning on helping me out. However, even that wouldn’t help to change Kotone’s public image quickly.

「We’ll only have the opening and entrance ceremony today. Also, it’s no longer spring break, so start thinking about the proficiency tests. Now then, head to the auditorium.」

Which reminds me, there’ll be an exam around the end of April done as a review for the previous school year, right. I’ve been reviewing at home and at the library, so there shouldn’t be any issues but I shouldn’t be overconfident.

And as I was busy pondering that, most of my classmates have already left. I guess I’ll go now.

「You’re not going, Ms. Kisaragi?」
「If I went to the front, the class atmosphere would just stay as bad as it is. I was just thinking of going a little later.」

Somehow, I feel like Ms. Aiba is monitoring me. Like, she hasn’t moved since I sat down, and now she’s following me when I leave my seat. Did Teacher Kondou talk her into something? She does look like she has a strong sense of responsibility.

All that needs changing is this scared state she’s in. The looks from the guy sitting in front of me are pretty intense, you know?

「I’ll be sitting on the last seat of the last row but what about you, Ms. Aiba?」
「I’m fine with being next to you, Ms. Kisaragi.」
「It’s pretty tough, isn’t it? Being having to watch me?」
「It really is…… ah.²」

Ya bit the bait. I knew it, Teacher Kondou freaking set this up. In other words, she’s going to act as a mediator between me and the other classmates. Directly talking to me is still too early at this stage.

That’s why someone has to be a sacrificial lamb to play that role.

「Geez, really, that Teacher Kondou.」
「Au, um, Teacher Kondou was just considering everyone’s situation and yours, Ms. Kisaragi!」
「I understand that. Are you perhaps thinking that I might do something terrible to the teacher?」
「Eh, um, uh…」
「I won’t, so please don’t worry. Besides, what good would harassing a teacher do? At worst, I could get expelled.」

Really, the issue here is that the first assumption is that I’d retaliate. Well, Kotone would’ve had done that, so this is her own fault, but with me right now, I wouldn’t hurt anyone. I’m fully prepared to accept a certain amount of malice.

After all, that malice is something that Kotone, and I, have the responsibility to accept.

「It’s just as Teacher Kondou said. Ms. Kisaragi is trying to change.」
「When did that conversation even happen? I only spoke to Teacher Kondou two times during the spring break.」
「I had some matters to discuss with Teacher Kondou during the summer break as well. That time, he asked me a favor and told me the classroom assignment in advance.」
「Uwah, that’s an abuse of authority. That aside, what sort of potential is Teacher Kondou seeing from me to warrant this?」
「Ms. Kisaragi, you’re not self-conscious enough. You’re so different from before that you’re practically a different person, you know?」

Aah, Ms. Aiba loosened up now. Girls seem to let their guard down quicker these days, don’t they?³ Still, people keep saying that I’m a different person every time. True, I’m completely different on the inside, but is it that different?

Kotone, if you’ve just been a bit more decent, you would’ve been popular too, you know?

「Incidentally, would you mind if I hear your impression of me before and now?」
「Before, you were an annoying b̲i̲t̲c̲h̲.⁴ Now, you’re a cool and dignified young lady.」

Oi, the previous assessment is valid and all but what’s with the current one. Wait no, don’t you all nod and agree with her! While, yeah, it might be true that I look that way without makeup, I’ve got no interest in girl’s love!⁵

And as of now, I’m not thinking of going out with men too. Aah, recalling the past is giving me goosebumps.⁶

「The ceremony is about to start, so let’s quiet down.」
「You’re running, huh……」

Of course I would! Why are you trying to bait me into questioning the latter assessment!?

「I wonder who that big sister is.」
「I don’t ever recall seeing someone such as her before.」
「How dreamy…」
「But she’s so dignified, it’s hard to speak to her.」
「Let us simply view her from afar. Nevertheless, she’s so dreamy.」

It goes without saying that a chill ran through Kotone’s spine but as the gossiping female students heard that the person was Kotone, voices of disappointment broke out.

Come to think of it, I haven’t explained anything about the school. It’s called Wamyou⁷ Private Academy. It’s a large high school campus that has 12 classes and 360 students per school year. How large is it? Well, you could probably imagine the area size if I say that each club has its own training ground prepared for them.

The classroom building is big enough on its own but for some particular classes, moving to a different building will be necessary. Since it’s a different building, that means longer travel distance and, with the inclusion of the club building, this different building makes for three buildings already.

It’s extremely big, I don’t even know how many Tokyo domes the academy can fit. Though this does have merits for me.

「The library room’s just a plain whole library in scale.」

It’s called the Library Room but it’s basically a whole building, so it should be called just a library, really. Well, it doesn’t seem to be open yet, I can’t borrow books right now but I’ll likely become a regular here eventually. Incidentally, I’m currently having a look around the campus.

Relying only on Kotone’s memories, I wouldn’t know anything other than the main buildings, so I need to memorize other places and fill in the details. Mainly to find places where I can eat lunch or somewhere I can relax by myself.

「While I expected this, the people really hate me.」

1. Lyly: Original idiom: God undisturbed curse you not
2. Lyly: Slip of the tongue, lol
3. Lyly: Maybe it’s because you’re a girl yourself?
4. Lyly: Witch, Evil woman, wicked woman, villainess, I don’t know what else to replace it with. But she probably was one anyway
5. Lyly: Sad Lyly noises
6. Lyly: So men wanted to go out with you in the past?
7. Lyly: 和名 = Literally means Japanese Name
   Can be either read as Wamei or Wamyou, so this might be wrong since there aren’t any Ruby characters describing the kanji