Chapter 232.

Chapter 232. Confrontation Before the Valentine’s Day School Dance. (4/4)

“If that was all… I’ll be going now…” Alicia finally opened up her mouth and said that when she thought Jass had given up. There had been a somewhat awkward pause in their conversation as Jass thought over what Alicia told her.

But beyond Alicia’s expectations, Jass grabbed her arm and spoke up right as she tried to walk past him, “... I understand that you’ve got a lot on your plate… but what about during summer and the rest of this year? You don’t have those additional commitments yet, right? In that case, would at least a single date be out of the question?”

“Uh… that’s… my work has me busy these days.”

“If work has you busy now, how would you manage all those extra things next semester?”

“I will have fewer courses to take. I took full course loads in my first and second year. I only need to do the three, year-long, AP courses and one elective.”

Three? So she planned to take AP Calculus as well? I didn’t expect that, but it was definitely the easiest among the three. I guess a criminology degree probably required a calculus course as well. She must have looked into it already and made up her mind.

“Fewer classes to take? How?” Jass seemed oblivious to how the second and third year worked in our high school. He’d probably never really thought about it. The reason the second and third-year students were on the floors above was so we didn’t see just how busy and chaotic the halls were up there between each period. Second and third years typically didn’t come down to the first floor unless it was for P.E. in the gymnasium.

Alicia opened her mouth and started explaining quietly, “You’ll understand better when you have to select your courses for your second year. For first-years, all courses taken in the first semester are the same essential required courses. Math, English, Social Studies, Science, and Physical Education. You also need four elective courses from the list of available first-year courses which you take in your second semester.”

“When first years fill out and submit the form for their desired courses, they list their priority placements on each one they want to take. The school does what it can to meet those requirements and arranges a schedule that works for everyone to the best of their abilities so a full class will mostly be together for the duration of their first year of high school in the courses they want to take the most. But this only works when the options are more limited though. ”

“Though students with better grades are given preferential treatment to get into their priority courses, the system the school makes use of gives first-year students a chance to build close strong relationships and connections with one another in their homeroom class.”

“Sorry, but how does this relate to my original question?” Jass asked as she didn’t see how she was answering his question.

“Well, unlike your first year, in your second year, all that is essential is English, Math, History, and Physical Education. You then need a single second-year elective course. By the second semester in your second year, it is possible to take the third-year essential required courses right away, which only amounts to English, Math, Physical Education, and two third-year electives. To graduate from this school, all you really need is thirty credits. English from your last year in middle school, and first year in high school, both count as two credits. Everything else is one credit.”

Credits we received in our final year of middle school before we attended this high school were transferred over to this high school. The essential and elective course requirements from the high school were basically the same for our final year in middle school. You could think of it as a barrier of entry into this high school. To enroll here, you need to finish that bare minimum in your final year of middle school less one elective course off the first-year high school course requirement.

“If you took an advanced placement course in your middle school, with the way the school has things set up, you could technically take a second-year course in your first year if you make the request with the school. A lot of first years slack off and don’t do that though, they simply go with the flow. They stick around on the first floor not caring about what’s going on above them.”

“Unlike second and third years in this school, first years also don’t have to move around a lot. The teachers go directly to your classes since they’re in close proximity to one another. It reduces traffic in the main hallway on the first floor. Though second years have homeroom classrooms, the classes are much more mixed up depending on the sort of courses students choose to specialize in and we go to the teachers rather than the teachers coming to us.”

“It’s a system to get you more accustomed to what things are really like in university. It also breaks up the status quo and forces you to interact with many more people than just those within your closed-off first-year homeroom class. You’ll still have a few people you’re close with from your first year homeroom getting into the same courses as you, so you won’t feel entirely isolated, but you’ll be forced to interact and build relationships with people outside your bubble of classmates from first-year in the second-year courses you take. By your third year, it becomes even messier because subject specializations can branch out even further.”

Precisely, it was in this exact system designed to maximize social interactions and force us to learn how to create connections with others that I opted to do everything on my own and remain a loner to the bitter end. Perhaps that was a reason why Alicia tried to selflessly befriend everyone, so nobody would become isolated and alone in this sort of system from their first year. To try and force them out of their shell, because she for some reason understood from early on the importance of what the school was trying to teach.

Maybe I was the only idiot who didn’t realize it early on. 

Jass looked like he was finally getting an understanding of how Alicia was able to finish all her courses early. How she could only have AP courses to worry about in her final year. How she would have room for the internship program. All while working a job at the same time.

“Do you get it now? If you also diligently take summer courses, it is possible to finish everything even sooner.”

“Summer courses… that’s right. I forgot all about those. I’ve never taken one before. So you also took summer courses along with an advanced placement course back in middle school?” 

“Yes, after my first year in high school I completed two summer courses which put me ahead. The length of class time is double and it’s completed in only two months.”

I see, so she’d been working quite hard for quite some time now. Suddenly I felt an extreme sense of anxiety on her behalf when I thought about what her third-year schedule would look like. The fact that she was also a social butterfly only served to make my stomach turn. She’s a freak of nature. Superhuman, even. Is this what a workaholic is like? 

How the hell does she have so much energy? Well, I guess she hasn’t actually experienced the true horrors of AP yet. Chemistry and calculus weren’t a big deal, but biology… may god have mercy on this pitiful girl's soul. Your life would be so much easier without that one. I thought to warn her and get her to forget about that course. No… I couldn’t stop her. I’m sure it was a subject important for forensics.

Courses at the high school level all looked like a joke after you finished university-level courses. If I were to make an analogy for it, It was the difference between playing a Pokémon game and a Souls game.

“Haaaaaah. I see. So it really was impossible after all.”

“I’m very sorry. I’m just too busy for a serious relationship.”

“But if summer courses take only two months… don’t you have two months where you don’t have school?”

“Huh? Uh… yeah… if you put it that way… I do have at least those two months.”

“Meaning at least one date should be possible.” Jass really didn’t give up.

Alicia likely hadn’t dealt with such a persistent guy before. He was truly grasping at any straw he could.

“I’m still busy with other things. I’ve got a lot of friends… I want to spend summer with… on the days I’m not working… and other stuff to do…”

It was obvious Alicia felt more and more guilty. She’d gone to great lengths to explain so much and shot him down more than three times already, but he still didn’t back off. 

“Alicia, if it really is for the reasons you’ve listed. I understand. However, is it too much to at least slow dance to one song at the school dance today with me?”

‘What’s with this guy? Why’s he so persistent? I’ve already got a boyfriend! That’s the biggest reason I can’t accept any of this, but I can’t say it!’ I’m sure she had such thoughts.

“Sorry… I… can’t.” She looked away to the side.

“Is there a reason why you can’t accept even this little request?”

“There is.”

“Is there someone you already like?”

“Huh? Haven’t you been listening to what I said? I don’t have time for a relationship with anyone.”

“You say that, but is that really true? With how persistent I’ve been, isn’t it a bit strange you’d still be so opposed to simply slow dancing with someone if there wasn’t someone you liked? Alicia, you like someone, don’t you? You don’t want that person to get the wrong idea. I’m sure of it.”

“What? No. There’s nobody… I… like…”

“Is that person forcing you to keep it a secret? Or… are you in a relationship with them where you can’t reveal it? Is that person using you? Maybe even blackmailing you.”

“Huh? What? No way, no way! He’s not like that at all!” She waved her hands from side to side in a panic before she suddenly realized what she said and covered her mouth.

“He’s not like that? Meaning… there is someone you like or are in a relationship with?”

“Ugh… uh… heheh…” Realizing she couldn’t hide it she awkwardly scratched the side of her cheek and said with a strained tone, “I’m really sorry… I just… don’t want to cause trouble for that person no matter what.”

“I understand.”

“You do? Haaaaaaah… sorry.” She lowered her head looking a bit exhausted. She took a step forward to walk past him but suddenly stopped in place as Jass turned toward her and grabbed her arm.

“I understand that whoever that guy is, he doesn’t deserve you at all if it would be troubling for him if people knew you even liked someone. They’re definitely not a good match for you.”

Ohhhhh, it’s getting juicy. Now this is youth. Wait, she’s my girlfriend, I shouldn’t be marveling over this idiot’s boldness. But still, I had to admit, he’d cornered her pretty well. 

I’d give the delivery of his line a solid nine out of ten. Why it wasn’t a ten, it was naturally because the target was my girlfriend. I’d be able to support him wholeheartedly if it wasn’t. Damn, why’d it have to be her?

“What?”

Rosa was just about to jump out from around the corner but I grabbed her arm to hold her back right as someone walked down the stairs from the third floor and passed in front of us. He rounded the corner and appeared directly between Alicia and Jass.

He suddenly grabbed Jass’s hand and said politely, “I’m very sorry, the person whom she’s unable to reveal her relationship with is me.”

When that bombshell line was dropped out of nowhere, my eyes opened wide in shock. 

The people in the hallway and the nearby classroom looked on in disbelief.

Rosa’s thirst for blood rose to the sky. She was ready to lunge out and kill.

The identity of this person, I could already imagine based upon the description I received from the goth girl.

Short blond hair.

Green eyes. 

Four inches taller than me.

There was no doubt in my mind. 

This person was...

The Student Council President.