CH 5

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?

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「I’ll be sitting on the last seat of the last row but what about you, Ms. Aiba?」

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.」

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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.」

My classmates aren’t approaching me. Because of that, we’re not having any contact, so there’s no way to interact with them. For now, I really can’t do anything about this but it’s a bit depressing to think that this could go on for a whole year.

That aside, the clubs are really active, huh. There was only the opening and entrance ceremony and yet they’re practicing today. The new students are observing the clubs though, so it makes sense that they would.

「Aah, Kotone. Do you have any drinks?」

「First time you see me today and that, huh; Kaori. I have some green tea in my thermos, want a drink?」

「Sure. Still, to think that you’d come here Kotone. Want to enter the track and field club?」

「I have work, so don’t be unreasonable. Besides, my morning training is mainly just for building up strength.」

「That’s a shame. I’m pretty sure that you’d land a good time though.」

As Kaori says, while the initial specs were pretty disappointing, Kotone’s body is surprisingly high spec. After building up a certain amount of stamina, I tried going to the batting center and I could even react to a 150 km/h fastball.

Honestly, her reflexes and other specs are better than mine before I died. Frankly, how the heck did she end up as disappointing as she did with these specs?

「Still, why’s the track-and-field stadium this big?」

「Who knows? No one’s ever questioned it before, so I didn’t really think about it. Ah, I need to go, the captain’s calling me.」

I lowered my head to the track member looking our way and left the track and field stadium. Still, the boys and girls are practicing together, huh. They seem to be practicing diligently, but why is there someone staring at me?

I really don’t have any intention of joining a club though.

「Kaori, was she the one from spring break?」

「That’s right. She said that she doesn’t feel like joining a club though.」

「That’s a shame. She has some pretty supple legs, so she would’ve been a good candidate.」

「As usual with the perverted stares. It’s gross, you know?」

「Even boys stare at breasts and legs, don’t they? So I’m not the only pervert!」

「Please don’t admit that you’re a pervert. Besides, she’s Kisaragi Kotone.」

「Hooh, the rumored one, eh. Still, the sight is enough for me!」

「I’ve had enough of this pervert……」

I’m here in the shopping district. I looked for supermarkets and the like first but as expected, it’d be impossible to wade through a sea of housewives wearing a school uniform. If I dove in, it would’ve stretched out my uniform.

With that, I decided to investigate the shopping district and somehow had a run-in with a bag thief which I ended up reflexively kicking down. Then the people there started flocking around me.

「Ooh, Lil Kotone. We’ve got some good fish stocked up, will you have a look?」

「The vegetables are fresh too. Isn’t it about time you’d run out of lettuce?」

「I’ve made new confectionaries, would you like a try?」

However, I know that if I go with the flow, the expenses are gonna skyrocket, so I show an apologetic smile and just pass by. They have a sad expression but I steeled my heart and focused on self-discipline.

Still, I do have to buy the necessary groceries, so I go to the shop and there I’d be recommended this and that, but I only buy what I need. And then for some reason, they’d give me freebies.

「It’s nice that they’re kind and all, but why do they like me so much?」

All I do is politely reply to those that greet me, give some random advice, and occasionally chat with them, but for some reason, I’d be asked to stay longer sometimes. When I say that I need to leave because I have work, they’ll once again have a sad expression on.

Why?

「Lil Kotone is real pretty again today.」(Fishmonger)

「I’d love to have her as my son’s wife. You don’t find dependable children like her these days.」(Greengrocer’s wife)

「I want her as a granddaughter. It’s hard to find a dependable kid who is kind to the elderly, you know?」(Wagashi1 shop owner)

She likely doesn’t know that her casual actions had a favorable impression on other people. It appears that even without the bag thief incident, it was only a matter of time for Kotone to gain their favor.

Now then, time to prepare dinner. The first meal I cooked was a pretty manly haphazard meal but since Ms. Akane is eating too, I thought that I should put some effort into the presentation, so I bought a cookbook.

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I can already cook a variety of things just from my past life memories but even so, there’s a difference when you follow a recipe book or not. And I’ll get sick of my own cooking if I don’t increase my repertoire too.

「Rice, done. Miso soup, done. Grilled fish, done. Pickled vegetables, done. Ohitashi2, done. Yup, everything’s okay.」

Now then, all that’s left is for Ms. Akane to arrive but since there’s nothing else to do, I’ll study as usual. Doing things bit by bit during your free time is proof of diligence. Or rather, Kotone is also high spec in this regard.

With the proper revision, the information stays, and with proper studying, I can comprehend the subject. Information comes in so easily, so why the heck is her grades bad?

It’s because she doesn’t study anyway.

「Sorry, I’m late~!」

「Would you like beer?」

「Yup yup. Man, Kotone really is my wife.」

「Stop spouting nonsense and sit down. Actually, please wash your hands first.」

Ever since Ms. Akane began eating dinner in my room, it’s been a chore for her to get the alcohol from her room, so she started leaving alcohol here. The electricity bill will increase with there being more things in the fridge but since she’s helping with the food expense, I really can’t complain about that.

Still, seeing her drink in front of me makes me want to drink too. It’s troublesome how my memories have this sort of negative side effect.

「Want a sip?」

「Please don’t encourage a minor to drink. Do you have any requests for dinner?」

「I really want to eat meat soon. The not chicken type.」

「Haah, I’ll think about it.」

Beef is really expensive compared to other meats, so I prefer not to buy beef. Still, Ms. Akane probably wants to have some protein in her diet too. When was that last time I ate meat again?

「I want to do a barbecue3 party.」

「Think of how many dinners just doing that would cost? Please be more realistic.」

「Uugh, my wife is so strict.」

Don’t just guzzle your drink after saying that, that’s your 3rd can, you know? Ms. Akane is a generally good person, but occasionally she drinks herself dead drunk and ends up having to stay. It’s really annoying to deal with her then.

She’s the type to be touchy when drunk, you see.

「How was school?」

「Hmmm, as expected, because of the rumors and what I’ve done in the previous year, there’s no one that would interact with me. Though I’ll probably get along with the girl next to me.」

「Make some friends. School life without any friends is just plain boring after all.」

「I know that but I really can’t think of anything else but to just let time solve the issue.」

The only one I can really call a friend is, at present, Kaori alone. Even so, Kaori has her own friend group, so she can’t just take care of me all the time.

「Kotone, you really were beyond saving last year, huh.」

「I have no words for that matter.」

Ms. Akane is probably concerned about me. Well, no one’s going to cook for her if I’m gone, so that’s worrying too. I wonder if she hasn’t considered marriage. I tried to bring up the topic of boyfriends and she glared at me intensely, so I wonder what that’s about.

Come to think of it, I haven’t heard why she’s living in this apartment. I have a hunch that there’s a reason for that but since she doesn’t want to talk, I’m not going to ask.

Now then, I’ll have to study for the proficiency test…… Right after I chase this drunkard out.