Chapter 68 – Encounter

 

*Arina’s PoV

 

I came to this conclusion.

 

‘Kazawaguchi Kozue-senpai is troubled because a certain male student keeps confessing to her over and over again. To make him give up on trying, she faked her relationship with Sakaki Sui.’

 

That sounded about right. After all, there was no way that guy had enough balls to go out with a senior and besides, he said that he liked me. I repeat, he liked me.

 

When I asked him what was his reply toward Shirona’s confession, he said that he rejected her by saying that he liked me (No, he didn’t). That answer made me slightly (very) happy. 

 

Yikes… It feels hot here…

 

I could feel my face getting hotter by the seconds.

 

The heater was doing a good job it seemed.

 

I decided my next course of action. First, I’m going to find out more about the yandere student who is chasing after Kazawaguchi-senpai. He was probably wandering around the school like a zombie while looking for Kazawaguchi-senpai’s whereabouts. Pity rose from within me after picturing that she had to deal with that kind of situation.

 

Since school ended not too long ago, the yandere should still be around, so I went outside to look for him. 

 

“Huh? You’re still here?”

 

Since I didn’t know the identity of the yandere, I asked the previous dull-looking third year for his help again. He was the same boy who told me the identity of Kazawaguchi-senpai and her friend.

 

“I have another business with you, so I came back.”

 

I briefly interrogated the dull-looking third year student and the name Yudai came up.

 

Yudai was the name of the yandere, he had been infatuated with Kazawaguchi-senpai since back when they were freshmen. The dull-looking third year student gave me this information easily after enough persuasion.

 

“Um… Can you let me go now? You said we’ll never see each other again, but this is the third time…”

“I’m sorry, senpai, this is an emergency, that’s why I asked you for help. I promise that this is the last time… Anyway, can you tell me more about this Yudai-senpai?”

 

He breathed a sigh of relief after hearing my promise. Since I felt sorry for him, I’ll try to uphold that promise and make this instance the last time we’ll ever see each other.

 

“Yudai isn’t really a bad guy. He just has a big crush on Kazawaguchi. I heard he confessed to her at least once a month…”

 

That’s concerning…

 

“Kazawaguchi kept rejecting him, but she never did drastic actions like trying to cut him off her life or anything. Their relationship has been going on like this for almost three years. Since we’re going to graduate in three months, everyone started betting on whether they’ll get together in the end or not.”

“I see.”

“But still, his love is one-sided and it has been lasting for three years. Expecting it to end happily like in dramas is just unreasonable.”

“I can see where you’re coming from.”

 

I ended my conversation with him after he told me everything he wanted me to hear. Well, even if I insisted on persuading him more to get more information, I doubt that he would give me something other than his scream and plead for mercy. I obtained the yandere’s name and picture, so this dull-looking guy is no longer useful for me.

 

I thanked him and left the place.

 

*   *   *

 

The next day.

 

It was snowing. When will this endless hell end?

 

The lunch break will be fun. I planned to find this Yudai person. The recess wouldn’t be enough for us to talk with each other. And besides, if I were to talk with him during recess, I would have to stand outside the classroom, away from the heater. Doing that would shorten my lifespan by half.

 

I shoved my hands into my pockets, buried my face into my scarf and curled up slightly to keep myself warm. Skirts were supposed to be school girls’ best friends, but in winter they brought nothing but dread. What was the school thinking? Did they think that it was humanly possible to ward off the cold with only a pair of tights? If I were the student council president, I would change the school rule and allow girls to wear pants instead. Well, I won’t be the president though, too troublesome.

 

Scarf became a necessity, even when I went to the toilet. The tap water during this season was so cold and it was pure torture to come into contact with it. But still, some girls in the school went bare-legged to school for some reason. Like, how? Why? I don’t understand.

 

“Your scarf makes you stand out, you know?”

 

I was coming out of the toilet when I heard a voice.

 

“My, what a disgusting voice to hear this early in the morning. It reminds me of the wail of a trampled cicada.”

“Is my voice that disgusting? That means my sister is amazing! She’s been hearing my voice without complaining!”

“You should be grateful that your sister is like that.”

“I am! Praise be, Goddess Ugin!”

“…Stay away from me, siscon…”

 

We started our daily routine, but today, my heart beated faster than usual.

 

He was hiding the fact that he was dating Kazawaguchi-senpai and I was pretending that I didn’t know about it. 

 

If he were to find out that I knew about it, things would turn troublesome. Just like the thing that happened between Shirona and him, he would definitely distance himself from me and I didn’t want that. That was why I was doing my best trying not to sound unnatural. 

 

“W-What are your plans for today?”

“Your arms position is awkward…”

“…That’s a sexual harassment…”

“How?! I just mentioned it because it seemed suspicious! Why is it a sexual harassment?!”
“…Aren’t you trying to comment about my chest making my arms’ position awkward? Whatever, if I end your life right now…”
“Stop! Police!!”

 

What the hell am I doing?

 

I knew that I had been talking nonsense, but I couldn’t think straight at the moment. My head was on overclock and lost its ability to think.

 

I have to fool him… Focus!…

 

“Anyway, I don’t have any plans for today, so I’m free like every other day, I guess…”

“I-Is that so? …T-Then… Let’s burn the bus stop!”

“…Arina, let’s see a psychiatrist after school.”

“A-Are you an idiot?! You’re the one who should do that, not me, idiot!! Hmph!”

“Look at the mirror. Also, if you’re trying to act like a tsundere, at least say something that makes sense!”

 

I buried my face deeper into my scarf and kept my mouth shut. I’d only make everything worse if I opened my mouth.

 

“But seriously, what’s wrong with you? If something is bothering you, you can tell me. I’ll do my best to help you.”

“…”

“T-Then… Wait a second!”

“?”

“Don’t you hate the cold? Go inside the classroom quickly!”

 

He went into his classroom as he said that.

 

Now what should I do? Should I stay here a bit longer to calm myself down?

 

Nevertheless, I entered my classroom after everything was done.

 

*   *   *

 

Lunch break.

 

Afterwards, I ate my lunch with Shirona and the others, then headed to the third-years’ classroom.

 

Yamagata Yudai.

 

He was a male student that had a crush on Kazawaguchi-senpai. I obtained his identity from the dull-looking third year, now I planned to confirm the information that I received.

 

I looked for some lonely-looking third years and began my questioning.

 

“Do you know this person? His name is Yamagata Yudai.”

 

I presented him a picture as I made a troubled expression. His first response was a lovestruck expression. I almost punched him in the face, but since I needed information about Yudai, I let him off easily.

 

This happened three times with three different people and this was the fourth person. At least, it seemed like I could communicate with this one properly though.

 

“Yudai? Isn’t he in the cafeteria?”

 

I thanked him for the information he provided and immediately went to the cafeteria.

 

I hated going to the cafeteria at lunchtime because it was crowded. There simply wasn’t enough food for everyone, that was why the place was filled to the brim with people trying to win the food for themselves.

 

I backed down to focus on looking for students wearing boy uniforms in the middle of the crowd. Since there were an overwhelming number of girls compared to the boys, the boy uniform stood out.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

Crap!

 

I didn’t notice him creeping up to me. Sakaki Sui was there, standing next to me while looking down at me with a resolute gaze.

 

I was more on the taller side for a girl so I could normally be eye-to-eye with the boys, but this guy was so absurdly tall that I had to look up at him whenever I saw him. I hated it.

 

“W-What do you care?”

“Don’t be shy, m’lady, you only need to mention something, I’ll get them for you! I’ve fought over a hundred battles, bested over a hundred tough adversaries! There’s only a handful of goods I can’t take from those guys!”

“So you aren’t omnipotent.”

“Look, the women’s volleyball and basketball club members are actually cracked! They know me by face, so whenever they see me, they’ll gang up on me! From stomping my feet to kicking me in the nuts, they did everything to bring me down…”

“I’m surprised that you’re still alive…”

“What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger!”

“I see.”

“Anyway, what are you trying to buy?”

 

That question left me dumbfounded. I didn’t come here to buy anything and I wasn’t hungry either, so I left my wallet in my bag.

 

“Nothing.”

“…Then why are you even here?”

“Sightseeing?”

“…Yeah, let’s go to the psychiatrist after school… We don’t want your mom to be worried…”

“W-What the hell are you on about? A-Are you going out with one of those girls?! Die!”

“…Calm down…”

 

We were quarreling like that when,

 

“Oi oi oi oi oi!!”

 

A boy’s voice rose from within the crowds. 

 

Not long after, a boy arrived with two of his fingers outstretched. He was doing Hundred Crack Fist. (T/N: Hokuto no Ken reference)

 

This boy was Yamagata Yudai.

 

“You!”

“Eh? W-What is it?”

 

Yamagata Yudai grabbed Sui by both shoulders and leaned his face closer. I wasn’t into boys’ love, so this didn’t really bother me, but people who were into it would probably try to immortalize this scene. 

 

“It’s you, isn’t it? The second-year who’s going out with Kozue!”

 

Sui’s face turned pale as he looked at me.

 

No, I already know all about it, don’t show me that pathetic face.

 

But since it would be funnier to make him cower in fear, I gave him a very cold stare. Sure enough, his face turned even paler than before.

 

“T-This is… You know… Che Guevara’s thing… T-The Voynich Manuscript…”

 

What the hell is he talking about?

He’s the one who needs to see the psychiatrist. Dummy.