| Author: Hidsuki Shihou | Original Source: Syosetu | Word Count: 3205 characters |
| Translator: PunishedLyly | English Source: Re:Library | Word Count: 1658 words |
| Editor(s): Fire | ||
I feel like I’m hearing Lady Kotone instead of Ms. Kotone for some reason.1 We should be the same age, so why? Well, Kotori’s appearance does fit it. She looks really young after all.
「Understood, Kotori.」
「Yes, Ms. Kotone. Then, I’ll see you soon. Absolutely!」
Ahh, my peaceful lunch break has reached its end, huh.2 That’s right, I should read a book as long as no one’s talking to me. With that, I might be able to avoid some flags from activating. What kind of flag it is, I’m not going to think about it. Why did it end up like this……
Now then, with today’s classes finished, it’s time to go home. Since today’s part of the test prep period, club activities should be suspended and Kaori’s probably busy studying too, so I’ll just go straight home without swinging by the cafe. Rather, I’m mentally exhausted from lunch. I guess I’ll have a quiet read at home.
「Kotone, help!」
Thanks to Kaori’s entrance, my relaxed thoughts have been blown away. I’ve told her to avoid interacting with me at school as much as possible, but why does she absolutely ignore that?
「What would it be?」
「Your speech.」
「We’re in the academy, so please let it slide.」
If I talk with my casual speech and tone, it might just give birth to a third rumor, so please seriously don’t. I’m gonna get called boss lady instead of big sister at this rate.
「So, what is it?」
「Help me study!」
「Do you know my grades last year?」
「Nope. But you’re like a capable older sister at present, so it should be okay, I think.」
「Ah, I think so too. 」
「Ms. Aiba, please don’t pile on me. You know my grades, correct?」
「Yeah. You haven’t gotten red marks, it’s still terrible. Source, Teacher Kondou.」
Oi, teach. What are you leaking personal information for? Well, just as Aiba said, it’s easier to count Kotone’s grades from the bottom up. I don’t know how it’d be now though. After all, I don’t know the higher grades.
And yet Kaori’s asking me to teach her, so I suppose my current image left more of an impression on her.
「Geez, that teacher. You too Kaori, don’t expect too much from me. You can ask your other friends, you know.」
「Well, everyone’s about the same as me in that regard, so studying together wouldn’t really go anywhere.」
You mean you’ll all give up when you hit a roadblock and just start playing, huh. In that case, you’d probably just regret holding a study meeting. Geez, I’m not good at teaching people though.
「Good grief, I don’t think you should expect much from me, though.」
「Ehh, but the notes Ms. Kisaragi writes are really detailed and tidy, so I thought that you’re good at studying.」
「Ms. Aiba, please stop peeking into other people’s notebooks.」
「Actually, I want a copy!」
「Okay, okay. I’ll lend you my notes later, please return them within the day.」
「Yay~!」
Glad to see you happy. Rather, stop looking at my notes so interestedly. This is just a compilation of interesting things I wrote in the corner of my notebook while paying attention in class though.
That’s why I have my class-use notes and compilation-use notes. I’ve decided to do it seriously, so I need to be this thorough.
「Now then Kaori, shall we go?」
「Alright~! Then let’s do this in your room. Mine has a lot of distractions, you see.3」
「I don’t particularly mind. Still, I don’t have snacks at my place, so please prepare those on your end. Consider it a service fee.」
「Ah, then I’d like to join in too! I’m curious about Ms. Kisaragi’s room.」
「Ms. Aiba. Are you really sure? About associating with me and so?」
「I’ve been sitting next to you, so I know that you’re different from what the rumors say. Honestly, I think you’re a great person, so building up relations with you right now shouldn’t be fruitless.」
「Since you’re resolved, then sure. Are you fine with that too, Kaori?」
「I don’t really mind. Me being your only friend is a bit, you know?」
「I don’t particularly mind that though.」
「Phonebook.」
True, with how happy I was just from having more people registered on my phonebook, I don’t really sound any convincing, huh. A lot of things have changed in the past month, so I should be making good progress but things are going so smoothly that it’s somewhat unnerving.
Besides, the fact that the cronies who kept me company last year haven’t made contact yet is really ominous.4 I guess I really shouldn’t let my guard down yet.
「Then let’s drop by the convenience store before heading to your place.」
「Convenience store is such a luxury.」
「It’s not your money that’s going to be spent, so it’s fine. Come on, let’s go now.」
Come to think of it, this’ll be the first time I invite people other than Ms. Akane. I clean up regularly, so it shouldn’t be messy but I can’t really do anything about the lack of stuff. I do have cups and stuff from my starting equipment, so there should be no problem serving tea. Well then, time to go.
And so we’re standing right in front of the apartment complex, but the two are frozen stiff. Well yeah, normally you don’t really live in this kind of extravagant apartment and you don’t get to enter it either. Still, staying like this is a waste of time, so just go in.
「C’mon, let’s go.」
「Kotone, you’re on your normal speech, is that okay? Also, do you seriously live alone in this place?」
「We’re all friends here, so it’s no problem. And this place is basically run by my parents, so take the hint.」
「I was expecting a wealthy family mansion, but I never would have thought that you live alone.」
「Now that you mentioned it, I haven’t actually told you about that, huh. Well, I’m not living a luxurious life alone though.」
Actually, I’m living the common life focused on budgeting, you know? I’m in a “Luxury? What’s that, something tasty?” lifestyle right now, but luxury probably is tasty, actually.
So, leading the two, we arrived at my room. Seeing the interior, the two are left speechless once more. It’s pointlessly wide, you know? The room.
「「Nonono, this obviously isn’t a room for living alone!?」」
「I thought that too. Well, the rent is free, so I’m gladly making use of it.」
「As expected of rich people. They really have a different thought process compared to us common folk.」
「Ms. Kaori. I feel the same way too.」
「Yeah yeah, enough about that, put those snacks we bought on the living room table. I’ll get some drinks, what do you want?」
「Hm~n, coffee.」
「Same!」
It’s not going to be the expensive stuff the two are probably expecting though. I don’t have anything other than instant, after all. Both my green tea and black tea are supermarket stuff too, but I don’t dilute them. If I do that, I might as well just drink water.
「Ah, it’s normal.」
「Actually, it is normal.」
「Normal is enough. C’mon, let’s start studying already. Though all I can do is teach you on the problems you don’t get.」
「That’s good enough for me. Then, why don’t we focus on reviewing the stuff we’re bad at instead of going through the whole book, Ms. Aiba?」
「That’s good for me too. Now, let’s do our best~!」
Group study, start. Since I study regularly every day, I don’t necessarily have anything to focus on, so I committed myself to help the two. Though another reason is that I still need to prepare dinner later, so I won’t have much time to help them then.
And so, the fact that our group study was going to continue until the day before the test was something I didn’t expect at all. They said that the way I teach is easy to understand and it really helps them progress, it seems. Well, that’s good then.
「Really, my grades went up thanks to you Kotone, you really saved me. If my grades were the same as before, I probably would’ve gotten my allowance cut.」
「Your grades were bad enough to have those two give that ultimatum, huh. Still, I’m glad for you.」
「My grades also went up thanks to our review and Ms. Kisaragi’s notes, thanks a lot!」
The test passed by with no issues and today, the results were released. And so, why are we gathering at my seat? Ahh, I made some careless mistakes on mine, that lost me a few points.
Rather, even with that, I’m in 5th place. How tight is the competition up there? They even got full marks.
「Rather, Ms. Kisaragi. Your grades got so high, wouldn’t people start saying stuff about it?」
「Let them say what they want. In actuality, there isn’t any way that I would do something so easy to expose like bribing the teachers.」
「Still, new rumors related to you started popping up again. Like that you’ve started harassing people again and so.」
I ain’t done nothing. I practically just read during my free time and at lunch, I eat where there aren’t any people around. And I’ve been with Kotori lately, so I have a proper alibi. As for the afterschool period, I’ve been together with Kaori and Ms. Aiba.
Still, why the heck are problems happening when I’m not even doing anything? Rumors are rumors, but just being related to Kotome adds to the credibility, huh. Her credibility is high, just in the wrong way. For now, I guess I’ll wait and see.
