Chapter 51

It’s been a few days since my remedials began, but I’m still living on a deserted island.Even when the printouts were being pa.s.sed from the front, they were oddly careful with me. And they wouldn’t look me in the eyes, either.Am I scary? Everybody, am I really that scary?Are you afraid that I’ll show you h.e.l.l if you displease me?

I don’t mind at all when I’m alone at cram school. I’d be fine with it even now.But to think that I would have to endure being alone at school&h.e.l.lip;Normally at school it’s always lively with my friends and followers around me.But despite being in that very same school, right now I’m alone.I finally know what Sakura-chan meant, that time when Akizawa-kun was home sick from cram school.If you’re alone from the beginning then it doesn’t matter, but if you’re always with somebody else and have them suddenly taken away, it makes you feel really vulnerable and lonely.Hmmm~ At this rate I’m going to start chatting with an imaginary friend, so this is getting quite scary if I do say so myself.Because I don’t really want people to think I’m lonely, I’ve got this‘I’m completely fine’look on my face, with my textbook open in front of me. I’m not ‘lonely’, I’m a ‘loner’. I’m proud, and lofty and aloof.But thanks to that, everybody is too afraid to approach me, so it’s just a vicious circle.I wonder if by the time this ends, I’ll have made even one friend.Because I’m Pivoine as well as the daughter of a powerful family, my appearance is flawless from my curled hair, to my nails, but I’m actually quite a nice girl, you know~ I won’t bully you, you know~ I’m not scary, you know~

I started my diet recently, so I haven’t been eating my favourite foods. Because of that, my heart is a bit weak it seems.Before I began my ‘tanuki stomach removal plan’, I warned Otousama to stop bringing me presents.Lately, he seemed to be bringing a lot of stuff, so although I was wondering what was up, I happily ate it anyway since he went out of his way to get it.I’m just a poor person at heart, so I never leave behind food. Naturally, I appreciated Otousama’s feelings, but I was also thinking about the farmers and workers who would feel hurt if their efforts were thrown into the bin, so I couldn’t bring myself to waste any of it. I enjoyed every last bit.And so I got round.Otousama seemed shocked when I told him to stop, but when I bluntly said that I was getting fat, he replied with,

“Girls are cuter when they’re a little round.”

Naive! If I get fatter, my clothes won’t match me. I’ll get flabbier too, and there’s nothing more disgraceful than having my stomach poke out when I sit down.And to begin with, it’s a defeat for me as a girl. It has nothing to do with the tastes of men.Okaasama was completely supportive of me. And she also said,

“Actually, I’ve been thinking for a while now that you’ve been getting fatter, Reika-san.”

&h.e.l.lip;Please say that sooner.

Okaasama dragged me to a beauty salon, and I had my tummy meat ruthlessly ma.s.saged, and then warmed with infrared rays.The result? Beauty salons cannot help me defeat my flab.Anyway, right now I’ve gone back to my original plan of quietly and steadily exercising with a hula hoop in my room. Lately, I’ve even picked up the skill of spinning a hula hoop while walking. The plan is going well.When school begins after summer break, I shall unveil Kisshouin Reika – The Remake!

*imouto*

*imouto*

*imouto*

During the summer, besides my remedials I also have summer courses at cram school, as well as private lessons with Karin-sensei, so the days are filled with studying.I think I’m studying even more than I did for my middle section entrance exams. I finished all of my holiday homework by halfway through July. Honestly, what a model student I am.As for cram school, I’m happy that I can meet Aoi-chan there.After experiencing days of being lonerised in my remedials, my time with Aoi-chan always soothes me.Speaking of which, Aoi-chan used to be afraid of me too, didn’t she.

“I am actually attending remedials at my school at the moment, but it seems that I am being kept at a distance by my cla.s.smates. Am I truly so loathsome to befriend? Do I seem so malicious to others?”

“Ehh-”

Aoi-chan’s eyes began to swim.

“Umm, rather than loathsome to befriend, maybe it’s more like, you’re so gorgeous and flashy that they’re shy? I don’t think it’s stuff like looking malicious or anything. Yeah.”

“Shy, is it.”

“Mn. You’re a beautiful ojousama, so it doesn’t seem like you’d give normal people the time of day, or maybe I should say that it seems like you’d ignore us even if we spoke to you. Yeah, something like that, I think. But once they get to know you, I’m sure you’ll get along.

“Okay?” she added with a smile.

AOI-CHAAAAAAAN!

“Thank you, Aoi-chan!” I said in the confusion.

She looked a little shocked, but then she immediately smiled again and said,

“Try your best, Reika-chan.”

Anyway, Aoi-chan advised me that rather than awkwardly complimenting them, it would be better to try greeting them first.Basically, if I keep greeting them each day, perhaps they’ll feel closer to me.

She said stuff like,

“I’m sure they’ll be happy to be greeted by a person like you, Reika-chan,”

so I’m totally happy right now. Try your best, me!

*imouto*

*imouto*

Today my parents are out, so Oniisama is picking me up from cram school, and then we’re going out to have dinner.When I told Aoi-chan about it, she said

“What a wonderful Oniisan. How nice~”

Oniisama has come to pick me up a few times already, so Aoi-chan has met him too.Ever since, she often says “I’m jealous that you have such a wonderful Oniisan.”Apparently she has two older brothers as well, but in the past when I asked her about what they were like, she only muttered “&h.e.l.lip;Muscles, and otaku,” before averting her eyes.The atmosphere that she gave off made me reluctant to press further, but I actually still want to know so badly. What exactly does she mean by ‘muscles, and otaku’?

Anyway, after Oniisama picked me up, we went and ate at an ethnic French restaurant.An excessive diet is bad for the body, so I’ve been making sure to eat properly, and to just cut down on sweet things.But you know, cutting down on sweet foods is really hard for a person like me~When I looked at the menu, my eyes kept getting drawn to them. But I’ll endure.If I eat it, I’ll be a baby tanuki for life.

“Are you, having trouble with remedials?” asked Oniisama.

“Once I grew used to it, they were fine. Although, having both homework a.s.signed for the holiday, as well as homework for each day of remedials, might be a little difficult.”

“I see. You’re thinner than usual, so I was worried that it might have been the remedials.”

“Eh-, I have gotten thinner!?”

So the effects of the diet are&h.e.l.lip;! I’ve been too afraid to use the scales, but when I smile in the mirror, I see my dimples have returned, so could this mean that I’ve gone back to normal?Then maybe it’d be fine to order dessert&h.e.l.lip;

“If you’re overdoing things, then you can take a break from cram school, okay?”

“I truly am fine. This is thanks to cutting down on sweets, and doing stretches every night. Ah, and the hula hoop as well. You saw me with it the other day, did you not?”

“Ahh,that, huh&h.e.l.lip;”

The other day, Oniisama visited my room while I was in the middle of challenging my record, so he knew what I was talking about.”

“Well, leaving the hula hoop aside, Reika, I heard that you have somebody you like now?”

“EHH!”

The sudden change in subject caused my heart to stop.

“Why so suddenly&h.e.l.lip; Ah-! Could it have been Imari-sama!?”

“Yeah.”

“Ehhh~! Even though he promised to keep it a secret from youu&h.e.l.lip;”

“It’s your fault for talking to someone likehimabout it.”

It’s because I thought that Imari-sama would be able to give me some good advice. And he even came to our house at just the right time.

“Well, who is it?”

“Eh~&h.e.l.lip;”

“So you can tell Imari, but not me&h.e.l.lip;”

Oniisama’s expression turned sorrowful.

“That is not the case at all! It is the Student Council President of the middle school section!”

I immediately confessed.

“The Student Council President. Hmm~ What kind of kid is he?”

“He is a person who well suits Orff’s O Fortuna. But I have scarcely had the chance to talk to him. I simply watch him from afar.”

“Suiting that song is&h.e.l.lip; Isn’t he pretty dangerous then?”

“Goodness, no. He is a very dynamic and cool person. As the Student Council President, he has leadership as well.”

“Hmm.”

I haven’t seen Romeo-senpai ever since summer break began. How lonely.

“That cookie practice was to give him some handmade sweets, right?”

“Yes, but Imari-sama advised that I did not, and so in the end I never did.”

Yeah. Thinking about it, if some strange undercla.s.sman suddenly gave you some kookies, you might really be surprised, huh.Thank goodness I listened to Imari-sama.

“Oh yes, that reminds me, Oniisama. Will Imari-sama be coming over to play soon? Last time I received a wonderful biidoro gla.s.s toy from Nagasaki from him, remember? It is terribly cute, and I have grown quite fond of it, so I wish to thank him again.”

A biidoro toy from Nagasaki.

He bought it for me when he went to visit relatives there, and it’s really pretty and colourful.When the light shines through it, it sparkles, and when you blow on it it makes cutepakkin pakkinsounds. Only, it’s supposed to be makingpoppinsounds instead, so why&h.e.l.lip;?But geez, Imari-sama really knows what girls like, doesn’t he.

“Imari is busy, so I doubt he’ll be coming over for a while.”

Oniisama gave me a bright smile.

Well that’s a shame&h.e.l.lip;