Chapter 86: Short Story 1: Special Art Works – Ah, one page of youth
Koudo Ikusei High school. It's an education facility that has never been seen until now especially set up by Japan, which was lagging behind in the international community, in order to restore its former glory.
This school, founded in order to cultivate excellent young people, has received a lot of interest both at home and abroad.
Due to the facilities being set up far away from the center of the metropolis, it's extremely inconvenient to make contact with the interior of the school. However, in its immense foundation they are so proud of it, occupying an immense area, students can live in the residential area inside the facilities and spend a comfortable life from the moment they enter the school until their graduation. Not to mention the convenience store and the karaoke, cinemas, shopping centers and similar facilities, they all seem like they have formed a street. As a result, they won't feel any inconvenience.
One step further, in order to satisfy the special conditions of the foundation, they guarantee that, after graduation, people can choose to enter any grade school and workplace.
In addition, the school has adopted the S point system. Although they can only be used inside the school, students will receive a huge amount of allowance every month from the school.
Thanks to the school receiving total support from the country, the school fees are exempt. In every possible way.
As a first year male student from Class D who attends this school and receives care from them -- Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
That's me. My day started in front of this elevator.
I rubbed my drowsy and sleepy eyes while I was waiting the elevator.
Although there were two elevators, the situation in the morning were always extremely chaotic. Due to the fact that the girls living in the upper floors would ride it, it wasn't strange that the elevator was already full when it arrived here.
The closing ceremony of the school term in August was already in front of our eyes. This day came especially late. Although the boys who couldn't wait seemed to had ran through the stairs, I didn't want to waste stamina in doing those meaningless things.
I was playing with my phone while I waited and finally, the right elevator arrived.
"...Wuaaa..."
I realized the atmosphere and the 3 dreadful girls riding together inside the elevator. Facing this unexpected assembly, my body became stiff unconsciously.
"Getting in? Or not?"
As if the options of paradise or hell were pressing in to me, the girl who had her finger on the "close" button of the elevator was Horikita Suzune. If she didn't talk she would be a beautiful girl with long black hair, but her personality is extremely terrible. And she is a completely isolated person.
Not only she doesn't become friends with anyone, she also has a negative attitude towards social communication. But she is well versed in both studies and martial arts, she can complete everything alone. In other words, she has no problems in the survival aspect. She is this kind of girl.
"No, I'm getting in... please allow me to get in."
I rode the elevator a bit awkwardly together with my classmates that were already in it.
"Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun. Ah, your hair in the back is sticking up a bit."
"This is the natural hairstyle that is quite popular these days."
"Ahaha, Ayanokouji-kun, you are so funny."
Only she laughed, the other 2 people behind didn't react at all.
More than that, I felt from behind a "what boring thing is this guy talking about?" kind of cold stare.
It was just like that feeling of going to the school's dining hall alone and being excessively self conscious thinking that you were receiving the attention from the surrounding people.
The only one who used a cute smile to answer me acting stupidly was Kushida Kikyo. She has short hair and is rumored to be very popular among the first year students. She's a girl who can treat everybody gently. Her studies and physical skills are also pretty good. She has no aspect to criticize. And her chest is well developed. Bigger than Horikita's. In a game she would be the most necessary existence. Only that, Kushida has also a dark side nobody knows.
Being cheerful and gentle is just Kushida's outer appearance, her other side is very frightening. She was capable of telling Horikita and me "I hate you" with a serious expression, without caring about our feelings. I don't know the specific details.
"G-good morning, Ayanokouji-kun..."
There was also another person. The girl that was in a corner behind those 2 people was Sakura Airi. Although she usually wears fake glasses and is extremely shy with strangers, in middle school she had experience as a magazine idol. The boys who know her true identity evaluate her as a real beauty. But she is also extremely shy with strangers when she is not wearing glasses.
When we arrived at the entrance hall, it inevitably became the state of four people going to school together.
First year students all living in the same dormitory building regardless of gender and using the same road to go to school.
"I've never seen this combination before, it's really a strange group."
Not counting Kushida, Horikita and Sakura usually acted alone, but right now they were going together, so that couldn't be a coincidence.
"I got involved by Kushida-san."
"G-getting involved, those words hurt a bit...!"
"What do you mean?"
I sook a proper answer from Sakura since I couldn't grasp the situation.
"This, that, this morning, Kushida-san came to my room to get me... she said she had an important thing to discuss..."
Discuss, although I was waiting for her to continue talking, her volume dropped so low that I couldn't hear her clearly anymore.
"Aren't we going on a trip very soon? That's why I wanted to invite you all to go together."
It seemed that she answered in order to provide assistance to Sakura. I see. After all, going alone while travelling would be very lonely.
The first year students were scheduled to participate in the luxurious cruise trip organized by the school.
I guess Kushida greeted people actively in order to avoid the appearance of isolation inside the class.
"Even so, is it okay to wait in front of other people's door without permission?"
"Yesterday I greeted you when we were returning and you said you were busy so you rejected it... so if it's in the morning then you will have time, right?"
There route between the dormitory and the school is just a few minutes. Even so, in these few minutes they can also discuss things.
Kushida must have realized it so she acted in this way.
"You say trip, but it's just 2 weeks. You say go together, but there are no particular things to do."
"There's no such thing. I've heard that the ship is extremely big and being alone would be lonely. Sakura-san, you should also come and go with my group, ok?"
"I-I'm n-not good at..."
Of course, she also knew about Sakura not being good at interpersonal relationships.
Because of that, Kushida, who could establish a good relationship with anyone, took the initiative and extended her hand towards Sakura.
Only that, just one person was unable to hold that hand.
"Sakura. There are also a lot of people that are easy to handle in Kushida's group. I think it's an opportunity hard to come by."
I slightly covered her by urging Sakura to participate.
"Ayanokouji-kun, you are also going with Sudo-kun and the others, right?"
"Yes. We have already planned some things. After all, going alone would be really lonely."
I was lying. However, if by doing that I could make Sakura's heart feel more relaxed, then it was worth it.
"Although I believe the problem lies in the thought of being alone would be lonely."
I knew it would be like this. Horikita interrupted the conversation without reading the atmosphere.
"Is that so? Isn't everybody going together happier? It's only that, you know?"
"If someone can only keep themselves by staying in the community, then that person's existence is incomplete."
Although Horikita is never interested in other people, she cares about this point a lot.
The situation of this person is not being lonely or isolated, rather considering her arrogance as belief.
"Horikita-san, do you want to go together with us?"
"No."
She immediately rejected Kushida's invitation. Kushida was also used to it and retreated with a smile on her face, but she spoke after that.
"Let's go together, okay?"
"No need..."
In front of the invitation coming from her with a bright smile, Horikita rejected her by turning her back.
"Good morning, Kikyo-chan. Horikita-san and Sakura-san are also here!"
Bang - as if it was pressing against my back, a lively girl appeared on the scene. Long pink hair fluttering in the wind, she was Class B's student Ichinose Honami.
As a result of the addition of a lively girl, Sakura became even more withered and came a bit closer to me. Having difficulties even when interacting with people of the same gender, she sure has it difficult.
"What, what, this is really a rarely seen combination. What are you talking about? Let me join in."
"You see, isn't the 2-week trip coming soon? After all, it's hard to come by, so we were just discussing about where to go. If it's possible, Honami-chan can also come with us."
"Wa, really? I'll go, I'll go!"
Even though these 2 people belong to different classes, it seems like their relationship is on a first name basis.
But then again, this girl called Ichinose is special. In this school, due to the special rules with other classes, even if this school is where everybody is assisting, it still has a huge conspiracy.
That is, it's a system where they conduct a ranking to the students and assign them into different classes according to their "strength".
The excellent students are assigned to Class A, the deficient students are sent to class D. After graduation, the ones receiving care are only Class A, so in practice Class D is insignificant.
However, what's complex here is that academic skills strength. Even though the student's duty is studying, this school doesn't judge the students based on written examination performance. The proof of that is that Horikita, Kushida, and also Sakura's academic skills are by no means low. Although every person has their incomplete parts... me included.
"I also want to chat with Horikita-san and Sakura san a bit more. I'm really looking forward to it."
It looks like Ichinose is really thinking about interacting with students from another class, her face was filled with excitement.
"I won't be together with all of you."
"Eh, is it like that...? Do you already have plans?"
"No, I'm just not interested."
Even if the other person was Ichinose, Horikita's attitude didn't change. Rather, her rejection was even stronger.
"Ahaha, I see. It really feels like Horikita-san's style. Then if it's possible, if you have time during the trip, don't forget about contacting me. Back then I already wanted to give you my e-mail address."
She was different from Kushida, Ichinose didn't stick to her and immediately retreated. Ichinose took out a memo from her bag and wrote down her e-mail address and handed it to the two people. Sakura, who usually never gets someone to hand over their contact info, was unable to take her eyes off that piece of paper.
"You are really a good person. Isn't it better just to ignore people like me alone?"
"Ignore? It feels like this way of speaking is not suitable for students that want to enjoy youth."
"Don't worry. I don't intend to enjoy youth. In addition, compared to spending a boring time chatting with me, isn't choosing to ignore me a more effective way of time management?"
"It's precisely this. Every time Horikita-san gives me the cold shoulder, it causes people to have no other alternative."
"Haha. Horikita-san is indeed a bit arrogant, but this isn't a bad thing. Although Horikita-san, you have said you don't need youth, but I believe you can't be sure of that. Horikita-san might not want to enjoy youth, but at this very moment, this is youth."
Horikita listened to Ichinose's words in silence.
On the other hand, Sakura, who basically didn't speak and I didn't know whether she had listened to her words, was murmuring softly.
"At this very moment... this is youth..."
Someone who doesn't have many friends has no chance with youth. I guess she was thinking that.
The girl who believed she didn't need it and the girl who thought she had no chance with youth. Even if both of them had different reasons, the conclusion they reached must be similar. Ichinose grabbed Kushida's shoulder and closed the distance with Horikita.
"Right now I'm here, Kikyo-chan is here, Sakura-san is here too. And Horikita-san is also here. Chatting about meaningless things while going to school. In the future we will definitely think this is youth.
"Trying to negate the future events... that won't do. That's something not even god can do."
Horikita stopped refuting Ichinose. Or I should I say she gave up.
Whether it was related or not to her expectations, if youth itself is to be enjoyed, then it couldn't be denied.
Even though I'm the same as Horikita, still not being able to understand the meaning of youth, but I felt I understood it to some extent. The scene in front of my eyes at this moment has to be one page of youth.
How should I put it? I was actually in such an incredible scene.
Looking at it, this was an incredible scene of a boy placed in between four girls. My existence was even more conspicuous than the red ranger in a sentai squad.
"... Really, so behind the times."
Thinking that I shouldn't be there, I stood there quietly.
I felt to some extent that these four people in a not so distant future will become very good friends.
If it will be like that, I can't disturb them now.
Even though I was thinking like this...
Kushida realized I was standing in the original place. This action was transmitted to the remaining 3 people, everybody stopped their footsteps and turned their bodies to look at me.
"What's going on? Ayanokouji-kun. Did you forget to bring something?"
"Eh? Ah, no..."
"We don't have classes today. There shouldn't be any particular thing we need to use."
"Are you... not feeling well...?"
"If I had to say, you've been absent-minded since the beginning, pull yourself together."
Each of the class D girls used their own way to show their worries and talked to me.
Seeing this situation, Ichinose, looking satisfied, showed an even more glittering smile.
"May sickness? Or do you feel excluded?"
"...."
"Ah, did get it right? It's nothing, Ayanokouji-ku vou are also a page of our vouth."
Saying this, she ran towards me, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me softly.
I was planning to stand there and yet I got dragged by Ichinose easily as if I was lacking strength.
"It's okay, it's okay, if you don't hurry up we'll just leave you here~"
Perhaps I inadvertently stepped into that youth. But the distance to the moment I can get the answer is still remote. One year? Two years?
Or maybe the moment I graduate from this school? It was hard to say right now.
However, the day can clearly feel that this kind of time is a precious and irreplaceable thing, will definitely come.
This premonition -was sprouting in the depths of my heart.
(This short story happens between Vol 2 and Vol 3. It's a pity that they scrapped all the Ichinose lines and the five of them walking together, sing it was a beautiful scene).
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