V2Ch24: Red, White and Closet

Posted on June 10, 2022by Soafp

Translator: Soafp

　Suddenly, a cooking showdown broke out.

　I couldn’t quite keep up with the sudden development, but the goddesses seemed to be very motivated. It was quite surprising that they accepted the proposal. Perhaps they are confident in their cooking skills? I don’t know, since I had no chance to see their cooking skills from the first semester until now.

Unfortunately, I have no memories of their cooking skills, even though I tried to compare them with my past. I’ll just have to wait and see when it’s finished.

　After the declaration of the showdown, I went back to my room.

　I was asked not to watch the cooking process and was kicked out of the kitchen.

I was a little dissatisfied because Kanon and Yakumo-kun, who were also judges, were helping, but I was left out of the group. Besides, it would be awkward to stay in the place where those people gather.

　So I went back to my room and started up an app game as usual.

　Until the summer vacation, I had been advocating the unnecessary use of smartphones, but now I had completely changed my mind. It’s easy to connect to the Internet, and it’s wonderful to be able to operate it from the comfort of my bed. I am becoming a body that can’t live without a smartphone. Humans seem to be creatures that change pretty quickly.

　When I heard about this gathering, I wondered what would happen, but it’s easy to just eat the finished dish. Despite all the enthusiasm I had put into it, it was a letdown.

　So far, things are going as Shirase intended. Let’s just leave it at that.

　After playing for a while, I finished my daily quest.

“…I have time”

　I muttered to myself and opened the closet.

Shirase is a very good friend of mine and I’m very happy to have her as a friend. I had planned to give it to her during the day, but I just missed the opportunity.

“Well, maybe later.”

　I was about to put the bag back in the closet again.

　It was then.

　Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

　I was about to answer.

“It’s Shirase. Kanon-san has given me permission to use your room, so please excuse me. I know that Nijitani-san is out, but I called out to you as a matter of etiquette. Incidentally, I would like to add that when I tried to use Kanon-san’s room, she refused me because her room was dirty.”

　After such an explanation, the door opens.

　I couldn’t catch up with the sudden understanding and hid in the closet as soon as I could.

　Shirase enters the room. Akazawa is behind her.

“…… is this Nijitani’s room?”

　Akazawa looks around the room.

“Yes. After we went shopping, Nijitani-san also went out. Kanon-san gave me permission to enter his room.”

　I went out?

　I sorted out the contents in my head.

　It was right after the declaration of the cooking showdown earlier. Each of the goddesses went shopping. Since it was a cooking showdown, it was natural for them to go shopping for ingredients.

　After that, I went outside for a bit. Although I said I went out, I came back immediately after checking the mail. Kanon was in the kitchen preparing the cooking utensils, so she may have heard the front door open and thought I had gone out somewhere.

“So what is it that you want to talk to me about……?”

“Well, first of all, thank you for accepting my invitation.”

“It’s nothing to be thankful for. If you have something to tell me, could you please do it quickly? I haven’t been able to buy anything yet because you suddenly call me up in the middle of shopping. I don’t want to waste my time and lose to those two.”

Akazawa looked blatantly displeased.

From the way she was talking, I guess Shirase stopped her during when she was shopping to talk to her.

And then she borrowed my room.

But what is this situation?

　My childhood friend and my ex-girlfriend are in my room, and I, the owner of the room, am peeping at them from the closet. I don’t know if it’s a novel situation or what, but it makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong.

Akazawa is being salty towards Shirase, but seems to have been curious about what’s inside the room since a while ago and is looking around the room. Akazawa’s gaze goes to the bookshelf and then to the bed. When her gaze is fixed on the bed for a moment, she gulps and clears her throat for some reason.

　It’s no surprise, but Akazawa used to come to my house a lot in the past. But back then when I was poor, I didn’t have a room of my own.

….Shirase, are you going to hold the discussion here?

　Here I finally realized Shirase’s aim. The reason she chose to have a cooking showdown was because it would be easy to call each of them out one by one. If the cooking showdown were to turn into an enjoyable cooking session with all the participants, it would be impossible to talk to them individually.

　Then I can’t leave, can I?

I decided to watch closely, holding my breath.

“Then, I’ll go straight to the point. You remember Shota Mukawa, don’t you? Let me ask you what you think of him, Akazawa-san.”

“……”

Oi, oi what the hell is that girl asking?

It wasn’t in the discussion to ask that question, was it?

　My hands were sweating.

　I wanted to hear the answer myself. Yuuhi Akazawa is my first love. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious.

　I feel like a defendant waiting for the verdict.

“….That person, who’s that?”

　Eh?

　Seriously? I knew she hated me, but I didn’t think it was at the level of erasing my existence. That’s too much, no matter how much you want to say.

“Eh, that …… is your childhood friend.”

“…….”

“You really don’t remember?”

　Shirase, who asked the question, sounded puzzled.

　I unintentionally wanted to jump out of the closet and tell the person in question that it was me. But I can’t do that. I had to hold back my feelings.

“I forgot about it, so it can’t be helped.”

“Uhm….”

“So, is that it?”

“No, please wait.”

“What is it this time?”

“What do you think of Nijitani-san, then?”

Moving on to the main topic.

　To be honest, my mental health was already in shambles.

“….Like”

Heh?

“…… you mean you like him as a man?”

“Yes, I do.”

“W-what is the reason?”

　Shirase asked, and she was very eager to know.

“The reason?　Because everything about him is wonderful, of course. He has a super handsome face and is very kind. He’s also very athletic, and he’s always working hard in his studies. Whenever I’m in trouble, he always dashingly appears and helps me out, like a real prince. There is no one else like him. There’s no reason not to fall in love with him. I mean, I love him!”

　What the hell.

On the level of my Mukawa days, I’m on the level of erasing my existence, and now I’m a prince?

　…… I mean, to this point, I’m wondering what I did in the past. I remember being mistreated, but I don’t know how much I can think back and see why I’ve been so humiliated.

No, no, but this evaluation of me now is too high. The only time I spent with Akazawa as Shota Nijitani was during the first semester and the summer festival the other day. I wonder when did her evaluation of me go up to that level?

The kindness and helpfulness are probably Nekoda-related events, and as for athletics, I have always been good at it. I’m certainly doing my best in my studies, but–

“I-I see”

　Shirase was also astonished at this.

　She must have been surprised. A goddess who had never had a boyfriend and never talked about her love life, was saying things like “I love him” without hiding it.

　Well, I was the most surprised.

“Is that all you have to say?”

“Wait a minute. Lastly, ……can you tell me why the goddesses are hating each other so much?”

“……”

“I was surprised. I had never had any conversation with him before, but all of a sudden I was confronted by a fiercely combative attitude. I thought that Mukawa-san was the most likely reason for this. But from what you just said, it seems that wasn’t the case.”

“…………”

“I would like to be friends with Akazawa-san. If you know the reason, let me know.”

In the meeting where the problem arose, Renji was pissed off, according to her.

　I thought, like Shirase, that maybe this is happening because of Mukawa’s involvement, but I guess not. Akazawa doesn’t seem to remember me in the past, so I don’t think I was the cause of the trouble.

Then, was it over Renji?

　But Akazawa made it clear that he likes me.

　I have no idea. It is said that a woman’s heart is like the autumn sky, and I wonder if there is a deeper reason that men can’t understand.

　Akazawa let out a big breath.

“……. I don’t have any particular reason. Goddesses have a nice title, so I thought I’d go for it again next year. Maybe that’s the reason we hate each other.”

Is that it? She was just obsessed with her status as a goddess, huh?

“Uhm, in that case, I think it would be better to play fair and square. I think that would be more like a goddess. If you would like, would you make up with me or become my friend?”

　Shirase said seriously.

　After a moment of silence.

“I understand. White…..no, not like this, I will be friends with Shirase-san.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

　Then Shirase and Akazawa shook hands in my room.

　Did they understand each other?

　But I couldn’t congratulate them because the conversation was too shocking in many ways. I was stunned in the closet until they left.