Butsuriteki ni Koritsu shiteiru Ore no Koukou Seikatsu Volume 2 Chapter 3

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Sometimes The Stalls At A Festival Seem Way Too Expensive That You Just Go To A Convenience Store Instead

Whenever I’m confronted with a festival, I can only think about the summer festival from two years ago when I was in my third year of middle school. I had this good friend that I’d known since elementary school called Kasahara (who I’m no longer friends with), and he said we should go to a festival together. For that, we’d have to ride the train, but it’s a pretty big festival here in the region, held at a certain shrine. That was back when I’d just gotten used to not hurting people with my Drain while riding the train. I was really excited, honestly. Because of my ability, I could only go to festivals alone for the previous two years.

But when I got to where we agreed to meet up, Kasahara was standing there with his girlfriend. Sure, I had a thing or two to say about that in my mind, but I let it slide. I didn’t say he wasn’t allowed to bring her over, and we were all 8 people in total, boys and girls alike. That said, the only person I really talked with regularly was Kasahara, so since he stuck around his girlfriend, I was pretty much all by myself. Once again, that’s my responsibility though. After all, because of my Drain ability, I had to stay at least one meter away from everyone else, thus I was pretty much getting ignored most of the night. Understandable, since Kasahara had to prioritize his girlfriend. Not like he could constantly stick around me when I was already walking one meter behind them.

And so, I was just listening to them having a great old time. Needless to say, I couldn’t just sulk all the time so I did my best to smile along. Then again, they wouldn’t be able to tell what sort of face I was making if they weren’t even looking back at me. Maybe I could’ve just gone home right then and there. But even so, I had a reason to speak up. The Kasahara couple had finished a portion of shaved ice and just threw away the empty container at the side of the shrine path.

“Kasahara, you shouldn’t throw away your stuff.”

I didn’t even know why something so minuscule really rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe because I’ve actually known this guy for years now.

“Oh, don’t worry about the small stuff, Hagure.”

The look in his eyes had changed. He wasn’t looking at me like I was a friend anymore. Probably couldn’t back down because he was with his girlfriend. But since I’d already spoken up, I can’t just get all quiet either.

“I mean, we’re basically visitors here, right? This is the same as randomly throwing away trash in a friend’s house. Doesn’t make much sense that you’d say ‘Oh the festival was fun’ after doing that, no?”

“Who cares about that?!”

I knew I was being stupid. If he really understood that line of reasoning, he wouldn’t be littering in the first place. Even if I argue with him now, it’ll just be annoying to him. The two of us were creating a hostile atmosphere despite this being a festival. The only two people talking were Kasahara and I. The other guys and even his girlfriend were silent. I’d much rather if they voiced their opinions. I’m not telling them to side with me, but any reaction would be appreciated.

“You’re one to talk with your ability! You’re causing way more trouble than me! You’ve already got all the attention as an ability user, and you’re still not satisfied?!”

Needless to say, I was absolutely furious. Maybe I should give him a taste of my ability? Well, there’s no way I would do that. I’m aware of my ability. How could I forget?

“…I got somewhere to be so I’m going home.”

Of course, that was a total lie. On the way home to the train station, the anger sank deeper inside me. Those two are garbage. I hope they get divine punishment. And how does someone as rotten as him even have a girlfriend? What if you get thrown away by him the same way? I hopped on the train, reached the residential district where I lived, and—started crying. Thankfully, the lights of the lamps on the way probably hid my tears. I talked about politeness at a festival and not littering, and yet I was the one without a girlfriend, let alone friends. What’s the right thing to do? Will I get a girlfriend if I litter? No way, right?

If I want to make friends, grades or social rules don’t matter at all. I have to study something completely different. And no school will tell you what that is, and the moment I have to think about studying it, I won’t ever be able to make friends.

And that’s what I told Takawashi and Aika that day. We agreed to meet up and do our homework together, but I had no motivation to work on it, and Aika didn’t bring anything with her. And with the festival being close, we just naturally started talking about it, which led to me telling them. Both of them were outside my Drain range, not because they were disgusted with me, but instead because this is how we have to do it if we want to talk. That said, Shinomiya-san couldn’t make it because she had other duties at home. I know I’m just pushing my image on her, but she seems like she’d get along with her family.

“I won’t tell you to give us a funny story, but other than the festival, what was the point?” Takawashi showed a pouting expression while grabbing the glass full of orange juice.

I’m afraid she’s going to break it.

“What else was I supposed to do? That’s the only story I had with any correlation to a festival. And the memories I had when I was a little kiddo are just fuzzy, too.”

“Well, Aika doesn’t exactly have many good memories from festivals, either…There’s always the risk of her ability activating, and last year, she had to wear a fox mask the whole time. And this ability she had way back since elementary school…”

Why is she sounding like the overpowered ally in a game? I can tell she’s been through plenty of trouble herself. For people with abilities like us, just going to the festival is already a struggle. Well, not for the people with regular abilities, though.

“Gure-kun, I haven’t heard the conclusion to your story yet.”

Takawashi leaned forward a bit and placed the glass on the table. It was probably too cold to keep in her hand this whole time.

“That stupid…No, trashy couple, did they break up?”

That’s the conclusion you want to hear? I mean, she’s got a point with the name since it all started with littering.

“Well…I haven’t met them since, but rumors told me that they broke up before the year ended. Since they went to different schools, I doubt they have much to do with each other right now.”

“Perfect,” Takawashi nodded happily.

What is perfect about that?

“The evil will fall. If not, I will make them.”

What are you, God? The god of light counting in Zoroastrianism? There, Aika leaned on the table and reached out with her arms.

“You two, let’s enjoy the festival!”

Oh, she’s probably trying to fix the gloomy mood in the air. Good thing she’s here with Takawashi. If it was just the girl, it’d be all too negative. Of course, the same goes for me, but when you’re a loner, you just get rather negative about a lot of things. We’re the losing side in this world, so it’s natural we’d be pessimistic. However, nothing is gained from just denying everything. Of course, there is also nothing positive about littering, but that’s not something for me to gain anything from.

“And the vice president should be coming to the festival, too, so that’s your chance to get closer to her!”

“That again? I mean, I don’t mind you trying hard, but not if it’s too exhausting.”

It’s been years since she’s started seeing me as an enemy, I don’t really mind the current situation all that much. Neither Elias nor I feel particularly bothered by this. It’s a lot better than just being practically strangers within the same class. Better than randomly running into a classmate you don’t talk to at the store. It’s better than just being ignored.

“Gure-kun, it feels like the air around you changes whenever Drink Girl pops up.”

Takawashi said something odd there. However, it doesn’t seem like she’s particularly poking fun at me. She quickly switches between serious and not serious, so it’s easy to tell. She might have a nasty personality, but she’s not a bad person. Some good people have bad traits.

“I guess it’s just that I don’t feel too bothered even if she goes on the offensive.”

If I’m just going to get ignored, then I’d rather be met with her hostility. That at least shows she recognizes me as a person. And if I’m going to be left out in class, I’d rather have someone like her around. Although it’s hard for me to express that, so I don’t tell her.

“You gain nothing from being so understanding and acting like the minor character, but…It’s very much like you, and I think that’s good.”

I can’t tell if that was supposed to be praise or not. She’s been not making much sense for a while now.

*

“Do I have a yukata?”

“No.”

Right before the festival, when I asked my mother this, she gave me a blunt response. Of course, she doesn’t. I don’t even remember ever wearing one. Loners don’t wear yukatas to enjoy a festival. Maybe I’ll just wear something casual? I did ask if I had one—that is what I thought when someone appeared in my mind. It’s Takawashi Enju. But since she’s not a physical manifestation, let’s call her Imaginary Takawashi. I heard about an angel and devil on your shoulder, but she currently looked like the devil. Then again, that’s her default state, so it looked great on her. Either way, my Imaginary Takawashi said the following:

“You came here with your casual clothes? You’re so boring.”

Ahh, she says the same thing in reality, too! She’d absolutely say that! However, Devil Takawashi was far from done.

“Listen up. The reason you always look so bored and disinterested isn’t because the world itself is boring. It’s all up to you. You watch the world with your bored glasses, so everything looks dull.”

Even the imaginary insults hurt! But then, Imaginary Aika came to the rescue. She wore an angel’s outfit, so she was probably playing the role of the angel.

“Erin, that’s too much! Doesn’t he look pretty cool?”

That’s right, Angel Aika! Get rid of this she-devil!

“Don’t think that anything in this world can be overcome just by calling everyone cool or cute. That’s something you can only say about yourself if you’re absolutely sure of it. It gives birth to a sense of superiority, and you’ll end up with enemies.”

“Wha…But Aika didn’t mean to do any of that!”

Nooo! Angel Aika is being pushed back! You can do it! Fight, Angel Aika! However, Devil Takawashi was far from done as she turned toward me.

“Also, the moment you think of us as angel and devil, you’ve reached unprecedented creepiness levels. Being interesting or not doesn’t even matter anymore.”

Gaaaaaaah! Don’t say that! Not that! I forcefully erased Devil Takawashi from my mind. As a result, Angel Aika also disappeared. Sorry, but this was the only thing I could do! And yet, Imaginary Takawashi’s final words continued to reverberate inside my head. Damn it…It’s like she’s denying my whole existence…! That said, I can agree that my casual outfit is pretty lame. The HRRA is a community made up of isolated people. And now that we are a community, we each have to bring something to the table. To give worth to the group. It’s the basic rule of a community. For example, someone who only brings harm and bad memories to the community would have to get banished immediately. Doesn’t matter if the problem child is having fun. And so, I’m not allowed to be the boring and lame person within our community.

“Then give me money to buy a real cheap one from Sancho.”

Sancho is short for Sancho Panza, a general store that offers sweets all the way up to adult goods. There’s a bunch of folks just fooling around there and I don’t exactly like the atmosphere it gives off, but I just have to clench up and deal with it. Most of my monthly allowance just went to buying books at the bookstore near the train station. Because books don’t betray loners. Even if you can’t have a proper conversation with anybody, you can at least enjoy books. Especially now that you actually need to communicate with your team when playing a lot of games.

As a result of my begging, Mom gave me 2000 yen. I wasn’t sure if that would even be enough, but when I went to Sancho, it turned out to be just the right amount. However, that’s when Devil Takawashi once again appeared.

“That obviously is a cheap one you just bought the day before to have one. That’s like acting smug for scoring an average of 50 points in the exams and giving me a smug look. Do you even know the word ‘Pride’?”

Not good…Any average one is going to get me kicked out! That said, I don’t have any sense about what looks good or bad, nor can I afford to buy an expensive one. Maybe I should give up on a yukata…So, I decided to go with a jinbei instead. It looks like someone long in retirement would wear it. Paying 2500 yen is a worthy sacrifice as long as Takawashi doesn’t call me boring. At the very least, I should have been able to avoid that fate. In this capitalistic society, even money can buy you positive feedback. Even such a small glimmer of satisfaction felt great.

At the same time, I saw a group of elementary school boys walking around. They were being aggressively loud, but the announcements within the store were just as loud, so they canceled out each other—Well, maybe not as much. And yet, all I felt was jealousy. I was also like that before I awakened my ability. And since I was never that introverted back then, if not for this ability, I would have probably gotten normal friends, even if I didn’t become a normie. And I might not have ended up like this with Elias. Before I got my ability, I never really went around with Elias much, but when we acted in bigger groups, she was mostly there as well. However in her case, it felt more like she was following me and the other people around. Back then, she never really stood out much.

Only in middle school did she join the student council and start having people obey her orders, so I guess she really changed a bunch compared to back then. Makes sense that she’d immediately join the student council and reach the position of vice president. Either way, the guys running around inside Sancho’s seemed like they were having the time of their lives.

“The festival hasn’t even started yet, and you’d think they were in the middle of it.”

Since I knew nobody would hear me, I just muttered these words into the void. Friends change as much as the seasons. That said, we from the HRRA can’t be walking around like that just yet. Half of it is because we’re one boy and several girls, and the other is that we’re simply not little kids anymore.

*

—Forward! Just move closer!

After returning a book at the library, I went to the toilet, only to find such a positive message glued to the toilet stalls. And since it was that important, they plastered it there twice. Of course, this wasn’t some passionate cheer to make you feel better, but simply not to stand too far away or it’ll spray everywhere. That’s just the law of this world.

“You say that, but I always have to be the one taking a step back.”

I muttered to myself once more. Yet, the general public sees it as admirable if you press forward. Well, the world we live in isn’t as simple. When it comes to older 2D action games, one can only move left or right, but in life, there are even barriers that won’t let you proceed. These thoughts cruised through my mind while I finished my business and left the library. It wasn’t raining or anything, but I just wanted to experience the festival atmosphere with everyone from the HRRA. After all—today is festival day.

Just like when we went to the beach, the first ones standing at the ticket gate were Shinomiya-san and the Chief Maid. Since the festival was held right next to the train station, it was perfectly reasonable to meet up here. Though right now, the two seemed to be in the middle of a discussion. Since I wouldn’t be able to repay them if I interrupted their conversation and forced them to also include me, I just waited for them to finish.

“I see, so the name Hachiouji comes from the eight princes of the Gozu Tenno?”

That Chief Maid sure knows a lot…Where is she even getting all that information from? Either way, Shinomiya-san was wearing a mature black yukata with purple flowers in the shape of thread on them. Since there were a lot of flowers, it wasn’t all that black of an outfit. Not like I know the cost, but it’s gotta be more expensive than my jinbei. By the way, the Chief Maid still wore her regular maid uniform. It seems like she’s going with her regular stance of acting as a maid.

“The name itself was taken from Hachiouji Castle, which was Houjou Ujiteru’s base of operations after the warring kingdoms period. This acted as a middleman for Edo and Kyushu, yes? You really know a lot, Chief Maid. And your skin looks much more white after you’ve shredded.”

She actually shreds her skin?! I kind of want to see that, but at the same time, I really don’t…Either way, I don’t think I’ll be able to forget about this for a while.

“Hahaha! You got sealed after fighting the eight princes? Your jokes are so funny, Chief Maid!”

“Is that really a joke?! It better be, right?!”

That egg creature definitely didn’t fight the gods, right?

“Rest assured, the Chief Maid is a benevolent one, so she would never participate in such a battle.”

I still don’t know if she’s really that benevolent, but there haven’t been any casualties yet, so I think I can believe that. And there’s a bigger problem than that—More silence followed. Shinomiya-san stopped talking with the Chief Maid after all. That said, I can’t drag this out for too long. I have to at least create some sort of conversation. Otherwise, it’ll get awkward again. And I don’t want her to feel awkward!

“I…I’m excited for the festival.”

“Absolutely.”

That was the end of it. Shinomiya-san might not look like she minds much, but that could very well just be my wishful thinking. At this rate, it’ll just be a repeat of last time. I have to find another question!

“What kind of…stall do you like the most?”

“That’s a difficult question. I can’t think of anything on the spot…”

“Yeah…I guess the people who always buy grilled corn as a policy are definitely in the minority! Sorry for asking something weird!”

The conversation came to a hard stop again, as we could hear an announcement from within the train station. Some lines seem to have stopped because of an incident or whatever. At the same time, Shinomiya-san and I went quiet, just looking at the ticket gate we wouldn’t even be using for the next few hours. In other words, we’re not even looking at each other. Keeping a safe distance is important enough because of my Drain, but I’d least like to look at each other. This just makes no sense…I’ve never struggled this much to have a conversation with someone. I never had an issue like this with Takawashi, and it was never awkward between me and Aika. I don’t really know all that much about it, but it seems like there is even affinity when it comes to talking. Of course, that’s not because we are on bad terms. Shinomiya-san isn’t the type of person to think less of me just because I’m a loner. She’s a good person through and through.

And yet, our conversation just always comes to a sudden halt. And since I don’t know the reason for that, I can only put it on our affinity. There’s gotta be a bunch more things we could talk about, right? I refuse to believe there isn’t. There must be infinite possibilities, and yet my head feels empty. But suddenly, I remembered what I’d read in the library’s toilet stall.

—Forward!

Isn’t there…anything that’ll let me break out of my shell? Isn’t that because I just can’t keep a conversation going? But that might be another Hagure Narihira who isn’t me. And if I suddenly started acting differently, Takawashi would only put me down and call me creepy. Meaning…I still don’t know how to break through this situation! Sweat dripped from my legs down onto the floor. Granted, August is supposed to be a hot month, but this was just cold sweat. Now that I’d become friends with Aika and managed to talk normally with Takawashi, I was careless. I thought I was better. But I have to accept it…I’m bad at communicating with people. Everything I try just ends up creating more silence. Looking over, Shinomiya-san was facing the Chief Maid. They must be discussing more trivia like earlier. It’s my loss. What did I lose against? What would I have won? I don’t know, but I can just tell I’ve lost—But then, something cold hit my neck.

“Waaaaah?!”

I turned around in shock as I screamed, finding Aika and Takawashi standing there in their yukatas. It didn’t take me long to figure out that the perpetrator this time was Aika, holding a can of juice.

“Hahaha! Evening! Or would ‘Good day’ be more accurate?”

“What was that reaction about, Gure-kun? Oh yeah, because of your Drain, nobody’s ever done that to you. But don’t worry, nobody’s paying attention to you right now.”

Even Takawashi was laughing with all her heart. Damn it…She only laughs at my expense! I pressed my palm on my neck and took a step backward. All to ensure they weren’t standing too close to me. Granted, they were being cautious of it, but I don’t want to tell them to get away from me. It’d make it sound like I’m rejecting them.

“Sorry about that, Narihira-kun. We saw you standing there, but Erin figured it’d be fun to give you a little scare, so Aika did.”

Yeah, well, I had a hunch that this was her idea. I don’t think I would have believed her if Aika said it was her doing.

“You were struggling to talk with her again, right? I love that you never betray my expectations.”

“What’s there to love about that…? Is that how you see other people?” I pretended to glare at Takawashi while thanking her in secret.

That’s why part of me might have been grinning there. I wanted to at least once experience even a mindless prank like that. But of course, it had to be between friends. If some old fart did this, I’d probably have jumped in front of a train. So, since I didn’t have friends for the longest time, I’d been longing for this. Not just because of my Drain. I never had anybody ever who’d do something like this. Sometimes I hear comments like “The greater majority of those who don’t get a partner aren’t even working hard to experience love.” And sure, cases like that might exist. Some guys never even confessed to someone. Surely, if you kept on trying, you’d eventually get an OK. It’s a condition to move forward. However, that kind of idea doesn’t work when it comes to making friends. If you asked someone to be your friend, you’d be met with confusion and bewilderment. It’s not some contract, but something you just naturally become. I called it the “Friend Paradox.”

Just confessing and hoping for the best of it…That’s just now how friendships are formed. You can’t judge the exact moment when you become friends with someone. In fact, getting along with that person leads to that kind of relationship of trust. I’ve been a loner for the longest time, but I guess I’ve finally made it this far. Good job, Takawashi. You are today’s MVP.

“Say, Gure-kun, does your Drain also suck up the taste of that juice?”

“No, it doesn’t. That’d mean all the food I eat loses taste!”

This is it! This feels like summer! Like friendship! Like youth! Well, Takawashi and I strictly aren’t friends, but this counts! That said, Shinomiya-san seemed a bit bewildered, like she couldn’t understand what was going on.

“Um…You’re not doing that because you’re bullying him, but because you’re close, right? You’re just…showing your friendship, right?”

I’ve never heard that word come from someone else’s mouth.

“Friendship?! Hold on! Gure-kun and I aren’t friends!”

“Well, duh! Of course Narihira-kun and Aika are friends!”

And there, the opinions split. Well, it’s exactly what I expected, so I’m fine with that. That said, Takawashi seemed oddly hung up on the “Showing friendship” part, looking down at the ground. At the same time, Aika gave Shinomiya-san a thumbs-up.

“So…Takawashi-san, if you had any bad intentions, you probably should stop doing that to Hagure-kun. He shouldn’t be treated in that kind of way after all,” Shinomiya-san said with a stern expression.

“Say, Shinomiya-san…Did nobody ever tell you that you’re sometimes…missing the point,” said Takawashi with a straightforward expression.

However, this might be the right thing to do. By clearing it up now, it’ll lessen the pain later. Like ripping off a bandaid.

“Ah…I see…Yes…I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Shinomiya-san bowed several times.

I didn’t think this would be the result. It ruined the mood in the air. Even Takawashi had that kind of “What should we do now?” expression, looking at Shinomiya-san. Meanwhile, the Chief Maid stared in our direction, not allowing us to guess what she was thinking. The first one to move was Aika.

“RanRan, you don’t have to apologize for anything! You’re perfectly fine the way you are! Erin isn’t angry at you, either!”

“Is that so…?” Shinomiya-san slowly raised her head.

“That’s absolutely so! Just believe in Aika!”

“Shinomiya-san is just something else. If you went down a YES or NO flowchart for your future job, she’d eventually end up at ‘Comedian’.”

I’ve got trauma about that myself, so don’t continue that thought. Basically, if you get a comedian on that kind of flowchart, you’re going to be a failure at any regular job in a normal society. We did that back in middle school, and I was a philosopher. No idea how to become one. I don’t think they have much use in today’s society. But back on the topic at hand.

“On another note, Gure-kun,” said Takawashi, efficiently changing the topic. “Your clothes are rather bland today. You were trying to play it safe, didn’t you? But you’re still losing.”

Yep, I should have gone with a cheap yukata instead.

“What? No, not at all! You look great, Narihira-kun!” Aika immediately jumped in.

Whenever these two are together, I get the right amount of teasing and reassurance.

“That’s not the issue at hand. I’m saying that his safe choice is more boring than anything.”

“Hold on, Takawashi. Answer me just this one question,” I said and pushed my hand ahead of me, securing my chance to speak. “It looks good on me, right?”

Judging from how she phrased it, there still is a chance left. And so, I have to confirm it. In response, she awkwardly looked at my face and then turned away.

“…I can admit that it doesn’t look bad.”

Holy hell! I know it might just be servile, but I’m incredibly happy!

*

Put simply—it was the absolute best. Of course, my vocabulary is lacking to really express how good it was, but it genuinely felt like I’d become one with the normies. Of course, I wouldn’t be able to tell if I’d reached that territory considering I’ve never been a normie in the first place, but I’m sure this must be close to it. After all, I’m walking around with three high school girls, all wearing yukata. This is a scene straight out of a dream. If after my death there were to be a legend amassing 400 pages, at least ten pages would be filled with just today. Earlier during our previous exchange, it felt too much to handle that I couldn’t even enjoy it, but now I can burn this whole sight into my brain. And although they all wore yukatas, their designs couldn’t be more different.

First of all, Shinomiya-san had black as its base color with purple spots all around. It really helped solidify her noble attitude. Aika’s yukata was a faint yellow with morning glories on it. It didn’t aggressively stick out, but that distinct and energetic feeling really reflected Aika’s personality quite well. Finally, as for Takawashi’s yukata—Whoops, almost lost her. This place is pretty crowded after all, so you have to be careful of people not just walking between you and your group. As a loner, I never really had to be mindful of that before. As a result, we were moving through the crowd at rather high speeds. The reason for that was…me, of course. If we stayed around the same people for too long, my Drain would activate. I needed to stay away from these strangers.

“Ayameike-san, you seem to be carrying something around with you again, but what’s inside it this time?”

“Fireworks. Aika figured that today would be the day for it. What kind of fireworks do you like, Erin?”

“There’s no way we’d be able to do that here near the train station.”

“You’re so strict…If a chance arises, you have to grasp it, right?”

“So what if you took the entrance exams at Tokyo University because…you might as well grasp the chance? You have to study for the exams because you want to get in. And if you want to shoot up some fireworks, then you have to do so at the right places.”

Takawashi and Aika were having that conversation more than 1-meter ahead of me. I could barely pick up their voices while paying attention that I didn’t stick too close to anybody. I gotta say, this is a lot harder than I thought.

“It seems like the same issue persists even in a big town like this, yes? I’ve lived near the mountains for a long time, so finding a place to set off fireworks was practically impossible.”

“Where exactly are you from, then?”

“Would you happen to know of Kawachinagano? It’s a thirty-minute train ride away from Nanba.”

Now it was Takawashi and Shinomiya-san talking with each other. Meanwhile, I was listening to it from behind them. Say, isn’t this…weird? We’re supposed to be a group of four, and yet one guy (me) just gets isolated. With someone who isn’t me, we’re here as a group of four. To anybody else, they’d think the girls were here as a group of three with me being an unrelated loner. I see now. Since I have to keep my distance, I can’t get too close to them. I can’t even walk next to them. Sometimes, I see other groups of four, troubling other people as they pass them. It’d be a lot better if they could split into groups of two. But enough about that, back to my own issue. Three versus one is just not fair. I’m basically just an observant. I can’t even talk to them.

This is exceptionally bad. Very bad. You’re supposed to be having a great and fun time at a festival, just like all the normies. If I can’t even do that, I’m more of a legal guardian than a friend. This is no different from the last summer festival I went to in middle school! I can’t even say I’m here with friends. Let alone girls in yukata. If this counted, then I could be saying that whenever I walk past another girl. I’m not a normie at all. But then, something soft bumped into me. Looking to my side, there was the Chief Maid.

“I see…It’s three versus two…”

“Meow!” The Chief Maid purred.

To me, it sounded like she was saying “I’m your ally.”

“Thank you…Thank you so much, Chief Maid…”

If she had looked like a cutie, I would have chosen her and ran away. But suddenly, the distance between the three girls and me lessened. It seems they were checking out the nearby stalls. I couldn’t line up with them so I just stood next to the stall. Takawashi was looking at the stall for taiyaki.

“Not bad…”

It seems like that line was directed at me.

“Gure-kun, what do you think is the cheapest food at a festival like this? And why is it taiyaki? Takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and even cotton candy all cost a whole bunch, and even candied apples usually lead to the buyer regretting it in the end. Walking around with something so gluey at a festival is like asking for trouble. Like you’re driving down the wrong road. But taiyaki is cheap and easy to eat. Even Aristoteles stated that it is the safest choice in the world.”

“You’re talking too much…Just buy your—”

But there, something forced me to interrupt my sentence. The reason for that was simple. In order to get a better view of all the goods at the stall, Takawashi leaned forward just a bit. What resulted from what was all but expected. A smaller space between her neck and cleavage, shaped like a triangle, opened up and revealed her white skin. And since Takawashi is, despite her flaws, a bona fide beauty, I could only call this sight one word—erotic. Even though it wasn’t revealing anything indecent. It was simply closer to her neck instead of her cleavage. And yet, it gave off this bewitching air.

The color of her yukata only contributed to this issue. She wore a white yukata with blue and purple mixed in there to create flower petal shapes, which were in perfect harmony with her dark hair. It’s all perfectly healthy and modest, yet why does it feel so erotic at the same time…?

“Gure-kun, I keep sensing rather odd stares directed my way.”

Sharp as she is, Takawashi realized immediately, but I absolutely cannot be honest here.

“It’s nothing. Just buy your taiyaki…”

She then proceeded to take out a 150 yen coin and accepted the taiyaki. After that, we continued walking down the festival. The three of them seemed to be discussing the taste, but I couldn’t hear much of that. I was really starting to feel annoyed at this when Aika sent me a LINE message.

‘This being a festival, RanRan said she wants to visit the shrine while we’re here.’

Oh yeah. If we take the small path away from the main street, we’ll immediately reach the shrine.

‘Gotcha,’ I responded.

‘Also, gonna report back to you in case we see the vice president!’

Aika briefly turned around and waved her hand at me. Despite it being late evening, that smile of hers is so dazzling. I really want an actual girlfriend instead of the Chief Maid after all!

‘Take it easy on me, yeah?’

Honestly, I found it weird that Aika was this desperate to help mend my relationship with Elias. I mean, we were never really friends, so there’s no improvement to be found here. We stepped away from the main street and headed down toward the shrine, which also meant fewer people were walking around. Thanks to that, I could hear the girls talking ahead of me.

“It’s rather peaceful today since you’re managing to keep your ability under control, isn’t it, Aika-san?”

“It’s probably that the effect wears off when Aika distances herself from the target. And if push comes to shove, she’ll just wear a fox mask and hide her face.”

“You really brought a mask with you after all…”

Even just watching them talk like that made me feel a lot better. It’s like I’m peeping in on them. That kind of immoral feeling.

“Don’t you agree, Chief Mai—”

Looking over, the Chief Maid turned brown.

“Hey, why are you looking like smoked food?!”

Shinomiya-san must have caught on to this odd situation because she walked back to us.

“Oh, how troublesome. She’s trying to shed her skin! Even though she just did so a few days ago!”

Ugh…I kind of want to see it, but I really don’t want to either!

“This will take a bit of time. I’ll help her, so the rest of you can go ahead to the shrine!”

To think I’d get to hear such a death flag being raised at a festival no less! While the majority of festival visitors didn’t even know, we were dealing with a bit of chaos. And that wasn’t the end of it, either.

‘Spotted the vice president!’

It’s really not that big of a deal, but it seems like Aika spotted Elias in the crowd.

‘Leave this to us and see the vice president!’

Again, enough of the death flags! That said, looking over at the shrine, I did see a familiar small stature. She must have done her round of the festival already because she was munching on her takoyaki. Guess I’ll say hello. Can’t let Aika’s good will go to waste.

“H-Hey there…” I called out to her from more than 2 meters away.

“Huh?! Oh, why do I have to run into you again…!”

She really was not happy to see me. At this point, I find it hard to believe that we could ever mend this relationship.

“I’m gonna be frank here because it’s you, but I really didn’t want to see you until the second term starts…”

That makes no sense. Are you just insulting me now because it’s me?

“Didn’t I tell you back in Kamakura? I’m incredibly jealous of you right now. So why do I even have to meet you at the festival?”

Even a loner like me can tell that something’s different from before. She was clearly feeling awkward with me around. If I just said “See you again in September,” that’d be the end of it. No way we’d walk around the festival together. We’re no friends like that. Elias sighed to herself and looked at me. See, she’s already tired of it.

“I’ve gotta go to Keiou Hachiouji station, so…wanna come along?”

…Huh? I thought this was supposed to be goodbye…? Ah, she’s going home and she’s saying I should tag along? Well, I can’t exactly tell her I came here with everyone from the HRRA, so…

“Got it,” I said.

*

Walking next to each other while keeping 1 meter apart is just not possible. If you try that, you’ll create a path between each other. Hence, Elias took the lead while I walked after her like a little puppy. That feeling was even worse since sometimes, she’d turn around to look at me.

“Your yukata sure looks childish.”

The yukata she wore was awfully pink, reminding me of one that a child would use.

“Shut up, stupid jinbei.”

She clapped back at me immediately. But I deserved that one.

“But it looks good on you. You look cute.”

I meant to praise her, but instead went straight for the kill. That was not good at all…Elias responded by stopping in her tracks. She then looked at me with a bashful glimmer in her eyes.

“Thanks. Your clothes make you look like a sub-cultured university student who doesn’t know any better.”

“I did try to praise you, so can’t you do the same for me?”

Yet, Elias ignored my words and just turned away.

“Saying goodbye to you right here right now would feel like I’m running away from you, see. I wanted to settle my debt with what I said at the beach, but we immediately ran into each other again here…This is just getting painful. Well…There was something I didn’t tell you back then…”

And yet, she didn’t seem relieved at all that we ran into each other. Nothing about this was fun or entertaining. It felt more like a political negotiation. Maybe she also forced herself to just play along when we met in Kamakura? In a sense, things ended way too smoothly back then. But seeing her restless like she is now, this is probably who she really is.

“Why can’t you just run then?” I asked with a surprisingly loud voice.

“Because that would spell my absolute defeat. I don’t want to lose to you. Especially not after what happened during this year’s first term.”

She seemed frustrated, possibly even annoyed at herself. She might have a few issues, but she always strives to be better and is more strict toward herself than anybody else. She’s always been like that.

“Just what did I do to you?”

All I remember is her flicking bottle caps at me.

“Yeah, well…Of course you don’t get it,” Elias said with a weak voice.

You forgot that I’ve got pretty good grades. So do you, of course.

“At the commendation ceremony, you defeated all those guys with your Drain, right? That is exactly what I’ve always wanted,” Elias stopped and looked at me.

I wondered if that was the reason, but that doesn’t mean I can just accept it.

“That doesn’t make any sense. You talked about this before like everything got rounded up nicely.”

“This and that are different.”

We stood face-to-face in a small street away from the festival, which made her look even smaller than in the classroom.

“You defeated them with your ability. Sure, you got knocked out in the end, but you stopped all those brainwashed students. That’s worthy of praise. And it’s exactly the kind of ability I desire. You were…cool, yeah.”

She pouted while glaring at me. The two meters between us felt shorter than ever. I think this kind of distance just defines our relationship, and I don’t consider it too far apart. I somewhat understood Elias’ feelings, but at the same time, I didn’t. Logic dictates that I do, but after suffering so much because of my Drain ability, I only see it as a liability and I’d rather trade it off for anything else. As such, I can’t close the distance between us, nor can I resolve this dispute.

“Were you just praying at the shrine to get a stronger ability or something?”

“…I have sharp bastards like you.”

Right on the mark? Seriously?

“If I could become someone special, I’d be willing to endure all the solitude that came with it. In fact, I would probably come to love being alone. Yet, why did it have to be you who got that power…”

Her desire to become something special crossed the boundary of being normal. I remembered the student council election that took place last year during our second term. The one where she was chosen as the vice president. A first-year student can be chosen as the student council president, but this role generally goes to someone in the second year. Elias probably knew about this, which is why she made do with the vice president.

“Isn’t being the vice president special enough for you? What else would you want?”

It didn’t seem like Elias intended to keep walking. We just stood in the middle of the road, facing each other. The other visitors walked past us. They probably think we’re in the middle of a lovers’ quarrel right now. Sadly, it’s nothing so sweet. The telephone pole next to me seemed almost eerie. Like it would collapse right in front of me.

“I did feel that way when I applied as a candidate. But do all people from Tokyo University think they’re special? Do all people in bureaucracy consider themselves special? Does every baseball player think they’re someone special?”

“At the very least, your answer is going to be a big fat NO, right?”

“I mean, there are so many people who attend or graduated from Tokyo University. There are so many active people working in the bureaucracy. There is nobody who is truly special. You have to fight to be special. And if you aren’t gifted that way, you can fight for it or pray for it, it’s all pointless…” Elias seemed to try to swallow her feelings because she grasped her hands together. “You’ll just be a cog in the wheel.”

Tears started building up in her eyes.

“Everyone says I’ve got a bright future ahead of me. My grades aren’t bad, I could use my cleverness to my advantage, and objectively speaking, I think it’s going good for me. And yet…it just doesn’t feel real. It doesn’t feel as if I’m doing anything because I worked for it. Like life has just been a rollercoaster that is pushing me forward.”

Elias narrowed her eyes. For that reason, a singular tear fell to the ground.

“And even if I’m blessed like that, it doesn’t feel like I’m really alive,” Elias said and sighed like she suffered from a curse. “And that’s why I’m jealous of you. I thought you were just some random nobody, but you got pretty strong.”

Don’t treat me like some pebble on the side of the road. I don’t think I’d see this kind of expression from Elias if we were at school. I’m sure there was a meaning to our meeting here. I could have just stayed quiet there, but I decided to play the role of the villain. Not like she could resent me more than she already does. And hearing it from someone comparable to being her childhood friend, it might hit home harder, too.

“You’re just aching to become a delinquent, right?”

Really, I wish that’s all I had to worry about.

“As expected of my life-long enemy.”

What she’s worried about…What’s plaguing her…It’s laughable. In the eyes of society, she’s strong enough. She’s got all the bragging right. Don’t look like you’re unfortunate. However, if that is how she feels…If that’s her misfortune, then there’s nothing I could say about that. At the very least, I don’t have the golden ticket to resolve this mess. Point and case, after that conversation cut off, we basically walked toward the train station in silence.

“I feel like I’m getting worse and worse as a human being the longer I talk with you.”

“Doesn’t that just show you’ve always been an awful person?”

“You don’t have to reaffirm it, okay?!”

Elias seemed pouty and just stomped inside the train station without waving her hand. She then did a half-turn in my direction.

“…Did you come here with your bicycle?”

Our houses are both relatively close to her, so we could afford to use either.

“With my ability and all. Though I guess you had no other choice but to choose the train, huh?” I said.

“That’s true. And we’ve got nothing else to say, so I guess this works just fine,” she commented and walked toward the end of the arriving train, stepping inside.

What does it mean to be friends? To be able to spend time together even if nothing is being spoken? If so, then Elias and I aren’t friends. When I walked back to the shrine, Aika sent me a line message that said “How did it go?” with an emoticon of a character that had a worried look in its eyes.

‘Could be better,’ I responded. That’s all I could say. Why did Elias create this kind of problem that seems unsolvable? Well, I’m not her, so there’s no way for me to tell. I can only fight my own issues. I can’t just be someone else like it’s a character selection. Seriously, life’s just a shitty game, right? I returned to the girls and the Chief Maid (who looked a lot more white than before). Every café was as crowded as the last, so we took a break at a hamburger shop near the train station. Aika herself seemed to be satisfied with the festival, but Shinomiya-san seemed exhausted. Takawashi had her all-time sour expression which made it hard to tell, but I guess she would be happy on the inside. We’re living the summer break of our dreams, after all.

“That vice president sure keeps up a strong guard. Even though she talks normally with Aika,” she said and showed a pondering expression.

I’m happy she feels this way, but this is just too difficult.

“She’s just not comfortable with me. It’s like we play Rock, Paper, Scissors, and we both just keep using scissors. Well, at least we tried, right?”

Not to mention that the HRRA’s big event was still around the corner.

“Next up is the trip, right? We’re all going to stay at Shinomiya-san’s private villa! And of course, Aika’s already cooked up another plan,” she said with sparkling eyes.

Seeing that, I could feel the warmth return to me. Staying over somewhere with a group of friends…I’m climbing the stairs to friendship!

“Yes, please leave it to me,” Shinomiya-san smiled, but it looked rather lacking in energy.

Meanwhile, the Chief Maid stood next to her as usual.