Volume 1 - CH 3.1

Chapter 3: Reliable Companions and Strategy Meeting

On Monday, when Aoi appeared in the classroom, her classmates were all stunned.

A completely unfamiliar, beautiful black-haired girl had suddenly entered the classroom, so it was no wonder everyone reacted this way.

However, as soon as Izumi called out her name and excitedly hugged her, the classmates immediately recognized her as Aoi.

Ever since that first day of school when Izumi said, "I love you!" to Eishi in the classroom, there had never been such a commotion again.

But let's put that aside; it was natural for everyone to be surprised.

No one could have imagined that the beautiful black-haired girl before them was the same Aoi who used to be a blonde gal.

Seeing Aoi's brand new appearance, the reactions of the classmates varied.

Some students approached Aoi to talk, just like Izumi did. Some male students looked at Aoi from a distance with surprise and a hint of regret, whispering among themselves. There were also classmates who showed no interest in her at all.

Izumi, who was highly trusted by her classmates, took the initiative to talk to Aoi, causing a few students to change their attitudes. However, most of the students still treated Aoi with indifference.

It's true that simply changing her hair color back to black couldn't change everyone's opinion.

Even if they knew about the situation, it would take time to gradually improve it.

That's what I thought in my heart. A few days later, after school on a certain day...

"What do Eishi and Izumi want to drink?"

"I'll have coffee."

"I want tea made with a teapot♪"

"We don't have a teapot at home..."

"In that case, any kind of tea is fine."

I invited Eishi and Izumi to my house.

"I'll be right there, wait a sec."

"Akira, I'll help too."

"Thank you."

I picked a few cups from the kitchen and poured drinks for the four of us.

Together with Aoi, we carried the cups to the living room, and the four of us sat around the table.

"So, what do you want to talk about?"

Izumi asked as she held her cup with both hands.

"I want to discuss Aoi's situation with you both."

Of course, I had already obtained Aoi's consent beforehand.

I had mentioned at the shopping center that I "hoped to find a way to improve Aoi's current situation," which completely caught her off guard.

Before discussing it with these two, I needed to talk to Aoi about it again.

- If it bothers Aoi, I won't meddle in it.

- If it doesn't cause her any trouble, I hope to discuss things with these two.

Upon hearing me out, Aoi nodded.

As Eishi said before, I don't really understand Aoi's true thoughts. I can't peek into her inner world, nor do I have the ability to ask her honest feelings without hurting her.

Even so, I still want to communicate with Aoi in my own way.

If she can accept it, I think this is the best approach.

"As I mentioned before, I want to improve Aoi's situation. To do that, I've also thought about what we can do, and I'd like to hear your opinions."

"Understood, go ahead and tell us."

Eishi readily accepted. Prompted by him, I continued:

"I believe there are two main issues. First, both students and teachers have a negative impression of Aoi. Considering her school life up until now, it's inevitable... but I want everyone to know that she's not just some delinquent gal; she's just an ordinary girl."

I believe that if we can dispel misunderstandings, it might bring Aoi closer to her classmates.

Of course, it's impossible to make everyone accept her. No matter what we do, there will still be people who dislike her, but if we can increase the number of people who understand Aoi, it should be enough.

"I see, it is necessary to let Aoi enjoy the same youth as any other student."

"Exactly, so how can we dispel the misunderstandings is what I want to discuss with you both."

"Yeah, that's the problem."

Izumi made a bitter expression.

"I have an idea and hope Izumi can help."

"Me? What is it?"

"Izumi is the class representative, highly trusted by your classmates, right? If you can take the lead in getting along well with Aoi, perhaps you can somewhat change the impression the other students have of her. Even though you've been getting along well so far, I hope you'll be aware of being a bridge between Aoi and everyone else. But..."

"But what?"

"This approach also carries some risks for you, Izumi. Some people might misunderstand and think that the class representative is getting too friendly with a delinquent student. So, I can't be sure if this will have any negative impact on you."

Izumi would never mind such a thing, and her actions so far have shown that she doesn't care about what others think.

But since I'm asking her for a favor, I think it's important to explain it carefully.

"What? That's not a problem at all."

Izumi immediately nodded with a "you're overthinking it" tone.

"I don't care what others say; I'm just doing what I want to do. I've been talking to Aoi because I want to be good friends with her. I don't want anything to do with people who judge others solely based on appearances without even trying to understand them. Besides..."

Izumi smiled at Aoi.

"We've been good friends for a while now, right, Aoi?♪"

Being told face-to-face that they are good friends made Aoi a little embarrassed as she touched her hair.

"Yeah, we are good friends. Thank you."

"Hehehe♪"

Despite that, Aoi still responded to Izumi with a firm smile.

That's great, Aoi... Now, there's no need to worry.

"But to be honest, I don't think this alone is enough to dispel the misunderstandings about Aoi. Especially with the teachers, I don't believe the same approach as with the students will be effective. So, I'm still thinking about whether there are other better ideas..."

Everyone in the room fell into thought.

"It seems like we'll have to rely on grades."

After a while, Eishi nodded.

"Improving the impression among students, as mentioned by Akira and Izumi, might take time and cooperation. However, if we want to change the teachers' impression, improving her grades should be the simplest way."

I see. Perhaps that could be a good focal point.

For teachers, exam results aren't everything, but they are a significant factor in evaluating students.

No matter how good your conduct is, if your grades are poor, you won't be seen as a top student, and vice versa. Even if your conduct is good, if your grades are not, in a sense, you'll be seen as a problematic student.

From this perspective, Aoi needs to improve both her conduct and grades.

"I wanted to ask, how did Aoi perform in the mid-term exams?"

"Umm..."

In response to my question, Aoi seemed somewhat embarrassed and hesitant in her reply.

From her reaction, I could already guess...

"Except for one subject, all the other subjects were failing. The supplementary classes at that time were really tough..."

"Except for one subject..."

In the living room, all three of us—me, Eishi, and Izumi—exclaimed simultaneously.

Aoi covered her face with both hands, seemingly embarrassed to the point of hiding herself.

I see. Just like when she was misunderstood as my girlfriend at the hair salon or during the incident with the bra a few days ago, she seems to be quite used to making the gesture of covering her face when feeling embarrassed.

"It's okay. Difficulties in studies won't defeat me. Let me teach you!"

Izumi, making a beautiful assist, said confidently to break the awkward atmosphere.

That's right, Izumi's strong point isn't just her energetic personality; she's actually quite smart.

Back in junior high, she always ranked at the top of the class in exams. You don't become a class representative so easily.

"It's not just Izumi and Aoi; it would be nice for everyone to study together. Akira's place is perfect for a study session, and I think organizing one would be fun."

"That's a good idea! A residential study camp sounds like a lot of fun!"

Izumi enthusiastically echoed Eishi's proposal.

"If possible, we can hold it at my house."

"Oh, and there's one more thing..."

Izumi immediately clapped her hands as if she thought of something.

"How about participating in community service activities to leave a good impression on the teachers?"

"Community service activities?"

That's an unexpected suggestion.

"Right. Actually, I have been participating in volunteer activities initiated by the school, but I always struggle to find enough people to help, so it has been a concern for me. Participating in these activities will definitely leave a good impression on the teachers."

Oh, I remember the teachers mentioning this during a class meeting when I first enrolled.

Since I had no interest in it, I only half-listened, but I never expected that Izumi was actually involved in it.

From a long time ago, I've always thought that Izumi is very helpful, and it seems that her kindness extends beyond just her family. Could she have been Florence Nightingale or Mother Teresa in her past life?

"What kind of volunteer activities are there?"

"There are many, such as community cleanup events, visiting nursing homes, or spending time with children at orphanages to help with their studies, and so on. Although there are activities every Sunday, it's optional, so you can choose to participate whenever you're free."

I think participating in school-sponsored community service activities is indeed a good idea.

These are the kind of activities that top students would participate in, so if Aoi joins, it might really surprise the teachers. But if she can interact with the teachers outside of class, I feel it would be a quicker way for them to understand her personality.

"Of course, the prerequisite is that Aoi has an interest in it. I won't force you to participate."

"I don't mind at all. I don't have to work on weekends, so it should be fine. Besides... I'm sure it'll be fun to be with everyone, and I want to join."

"Great! Then let's participate together next time!"

Izumi happily took Aoi's hand and shook it a few times as she said that.

She must be feeling joy from the thought of having more companions.

"So, for now, let's focus on helping dispel the misunderstandings among our classmates, prepare for exams, and participate in the school's community service activities to change the teachers' impressions. Following this approach, is that okay?"

"No problem, let's proceed according to this plan."

To be honest, when I was thinking by myself, I felt lost and didn't know what to do, but now I feel that the four of us working together can definitely find a solution. It's truly incredible.

Having reliable companions is really important.

"Now, what's the other issue?"

Eishi's question brought us back to reality from our joyous mood.

Right, there's another big problem. In fact, this problem is more troublesome.

"The other issue is Aoi's living situation."

In other words, where Aoi will live after I transfer to another school.

"My family can only live here until next March, so we need to ensure that Aoi finds a safe place to live before then. To be honest, I think this problem is quite serious."

"That's right. Even if we have enough money, being minors, we can't rent a place. Recently, places like internet cafes also had strict age restrictions."

"Even if I make friends, it's rare to find someone living alone like me. Izumi and Eishi's families probably wouldn't be convenient to take her in either. Besides, if she lives with someone, she may feel hesitant because of her parents. So, I think we need to find a place where she can settle down."

"You're right~" Izumi responded with a troubled expression, and we all felt overwhelmed.

Once again, I deeply realize the downside of being a student without parents around.

The environment that I, Eishi, and they think is natural, becomes such a severe obstacle once you lose it. If I hadn't met Aoi, I wouldn't have thought about such things at all.

How much anxiety must Aoi be feeling now as she finds herself in this whirlpool? We can hardly imagine.

Perhaps... the smile on her face right now can be described as a miracle.

"The most important thing is that Aoi needs the care of her family."

"That's because she doesn't have family around."

I reflexively responded to Eishi's suggestion, but he held out his hand to stop me from continuing.

"Family doesn't necessarily have to be just parents, right? Aoi, do you have any relatives or grandparents?"

Oh yes, Eishi is right.

Maybe I overcomplicated things and didn't think of this possibility.

I turned my gaze to Aoi, hoping to hear her response. However, she looked gloomy.

"I think I may have relatives, but I haven't been in touch with them... I did meet my grandmother before, but I was very young, so I don't know where her house is."

"You don't even know which city she lives in?"

Aoi gently shook her head.

"At least I know it's not in this city."

"I see..."

All the hope I had faded away in an instant.

In the future, Aoi will face various problems. Even if she doesn't have her parents by her side, as long as she has relatives to rely on, they can act as her guardians. I originally thought there must be a solution if she had that...

No, but...

"Just knowing that your grandmother exists is already progress. Even if you can't remember where she lives now, there might be an opportunity someday to recall it, and it won't hurt to try searching for her."

I said this, not just to Aoi, but also to reassure myself.

Yes, it's still better than having no clue at all.

"Then it's settled. Let's start with the activities to dispel the misunderstandings among our classmates."

"Understood."

"No problem♪"

"Thank you, everyone."

Aoi expressed her gratitude with a smile.

Compared to when she first came here, her expression now looks much calmer.