Volume 2, 3 - The Grass looks Greener Part 1

Volume 2, Chapter 3 – The Grass looks Greener Part 1

A group of people assembled around Yasuo’s seat as soon as lunch break started.

He could tell who had come even without having to raise his head and look.

“Alright, time for lunch.”

“Sorry, I’ll be borrowing this chair.”

“Yasu, you brought lunch from home today, right?”

It was Igarashi, Hino, and Aoto.

Yasuo had already predicted that this would happen when Aoto saw him getting into the taxi with Khalija yesterday. If anything, he wanted to praise them for being able to wait until lunch break.

“If you want to ask about what happened yesterday when I was heading back from school, I’m sorry but it’s not that interesting a story.”

Yasuo started off by saying that, but the curiosity-filled expressions of the three partners-in-crime didn’t change at all.

“That’s okay. Just the fact that you got into a taxi with a beauty who was clinging to your arm is pretty funny, Kenzaki. It’s a good joke.”

“No, you just find pretty much everything funny.”

Although it hurt to hear that, he had to admit that it was a fair observation.

Actually, if a conversation came up about one of these three getting a girlfriend, he would want to find out more details about it as well.

“So? Who was the girl from yesterday, and what happened after that?”

However, it was rare for Aoto look so obviously curious and ask for information so straightforwardly.

When Yasuo mentioned that to him,

“I won’t let you say that you’ve forgotten about how the two of us discussed how hard it is to get a girlfriend. It hasn’t been all that long since we talked about that.”

Now that he mentioned it, Yasuo remembered talking to Aoto about something like that back when Diana had newly come to Japan.

“Just to be clear, she’s not my girlfriend or anything.”

“Then what is she to you? Having her cling to your arm like you were trying to show off.”

“That wasn’t my doing. She was just teasing me.”

“Hey, hang on, Aoto. First, tell us what kind of girl she was.”

It looked like Igarashi was also just as curious as Aoto.

“You’re getting too excited.”

On the other hand, it looked like Hino was trying to maintain a polite distance.

“Oh, that’s right. Rasshi, Hinocchi, listen to this. She was probably older than us. Also, a foreigner. A real beauty.”

“A beautiful, older foreigner!?”

“I think whether she’s beautiful or not is a matter of subjectivity.”

“If she can’t be considered to be beautiful, then no one can. I’ve never seen hair that color.”

“You were in an enclosed space with a beauty like that!?”

“Enclosed space… It was just a taxi, you know.”

“I bet she smelled great!”

“The only smell in there was from the taxi’s seats.”

“Igarashi, that’s disgusting.”

Hino said to Igarashi who was half-screaming.

“If she’s not your girlfriend, then who is she? Someone from a different school?”

“No. Out of your speculations, Aoto, only the part about her being older was correct. She’s a friend of my Dad’s.”

This was a lie that Yasuo had prepared in advance, and was exactly the same thing he had told Shouko about Diana.

Unlike Diana, Khalija had no connection with his father until she came to Japan. However, Yasuo had already decided beforehand that he would use the same explanation for anyone who came from Ante Lande. It was partly the truth, anyways, and Yasuo was not skilled enough to make up different lies for each individual.

“A friend of your Dad’s? I know it’s hard to estimate the age of a foreigner, but she didn’t look that old.”

“I didn’t mean that’s she from the same generation as him. To put it more clearly, she’s currently working in a place where my father used to work in the past. I’m not sure, but it looks like she feels really indebted to him.”

“A foreign office lady… sounds nice.”

“Igarashi, that’s disgusting.”

“So why did she come all the way to school to meet you? Thinking about it, her appearance was really strange for an office lady. She was wearing a tracksuit that looked a lot like the one issued by our school, and was wearing some flashy accessory on her forehead.”

As he thought, that circlet was too conspicuous. However, Yasuo had a response ready for that as well.

“Apparently, she met me once when I was very young. So she kinda treats me like relative or a cousin. Besides, she doesn’t think that linking arms is anything special. As for the thing on her forehead, I asked her what it was, but it seems to be something personal to her. That thing really is quite weird, right?”

This was the first outright lie that he told.

The number of lies was slowly increasing, but this was still within the tolerable limit. Besides, he had also mixed some of his truthful opinions in there, so he was able to say it without sounding awkward.

Khalija was respectful towards his father and mother, but was a lot more candid with Yasuo and Nodoka. It was also somewhat weird that she never took that circlet off.

As for the part about linking arms… that was actually the most important part, but as long as he kept his will strong it shouldn’t be a problem.

“Uwaah, Kenzaki, you’re kind of…”

“What is it?

“I’m so envious of that sort of situation.”

“I agree with Hino, what’s wrong with you? It’s kinda disgusting.”

“That’s right. Besides, Igarashi, you already have a girlfriend.”

“Eh?”

“Why haven’t I heard of this before!?”

Yasuo and Aoto were surprised by the words that Hino spoke casually.

“Oh? Didn’t I already tell you?”

Seeing that, Igarashi also said that while looking like it was no big deal, which angered Yasuo and Aoto.

“I-In spite of already having a girlfriend, you said all those disgusting things just because I was with a woman?”

“Rasshi has a girlfriend… No, that can’t be, something is definitely wrong here…”

“Hey, Aoto. Is it really that weird that I have a girlfriend?”

“““It’s definitely weird.”””

“You guys!”

Yasuo, Hino, and Aoto’s replies coincided perfectly.

“Actually, how long have you known about that, Hino?”

“Since middle school. You know that Igarashi and I went to the same middle school, right?”

““Since middle school!?””

Yasuo and Aoto were shocked once again.

“Their houses are pretty close, so he and his girlfriend have known each other since kindergarten. I guess you could call them childhood friends?”

““Haaaaa!?””

“What, is it really that surprising?”

““Not at all!””

In spite of the situation, Yasuo couldn’t help that his friendship with Aoto was getting stronger.

“Eh? Don’t tell me, she’s in the same high school as well? Do we know her?”

“No, she goes to a different high school.”

“By the way, she goes to a school with a better track record.”

“Hey, don’t tell them stuff like that.”

“Y-Y-You bastard, you were betraying us right from the start…”

“Aoto, are you really the kind of guy who’s so desperate to meet a woman?”

“I just can’t forgive your betrayal, that’s all!”

They didn’t know how serious the relationship was, but just the fact that Igarashi had a girlfriend was enough to give Aoto and Yasuo a big shock.

“Besides, whether I have a girlfriend or not isn’t what’s important right now. The important question is if Kenzaki is about to enter the springtime of his youth!”

“Hang on, there’s no chance of me ever getting into that kind of relationship with that person. No matter how many times you ask, I can only tell you that she’s an acquaintance of my Dad’s. Besides, I want to hear about your situation, Igarashi.”

“Eeeeh, that’s so boring. I want to hear about other couples, why can’t you just tell me about things like that?”

“This is the laid-back attitude of someone who has already won! Did you hear that, Kenzaki-san!?”

“Aoto, now you’re the one being kind of disgusting.”

“Shut up! Wait, don’t tell me you have a girl that you get along with as well, Hinocchi!?”

“Like I said, I don’t particularly get along well with that person or anything—”

“Be quiet, Yasu. Well, Hinocchi? Am I the only odd man out here?”

Hino thought for a while after hearing Aoto’s desperate question.

“There probably isn’t anyone. I think.”

“Why did you just think about that for a while!? What do you mean, you think!?”

“No, it’s just that a number of girls from the lower classes that I’m friendly with gave me chocolates this year, so I was wondering if I should count them.”

“He’s a winner too!!”

Aoto was knocked out completely.

Hino was a member of the track and field club, and was one of the regulars on the team for short distance running.

“Aoto, you have a lot of younger girls in your club as well, right?”

“Getting into relationships with people in the club will affect our acting! Or at least, that’s what I thought!”

It appeared the enthusiastic Drama Club members had complicated situations.

“Rasshi, let me see.”

“Eh? See what?”

“A photo! Of your girlfriend! You must have at least one, right?”

“Eeh? I don’t wanna, why do I have to show you something like that?”

“Come on, Igarashi, you should have seen this coming.”

“Hino, you’ve already seen her, so isn’t that good enough?”

“Even if it’s okay for me, I don’t think Yasuo and Aoto will have any closure until they see it.”

Yasuo and Aoto nodded strongly.

“Wait a minute. She gets really angry if I casually show her pictures to other people. Let me find one that looks okay…”

Even though he looked unhappy, Igarashi still pulled his slimphone out and started going through his photo albums.

“If I knew this was going to happen, I wouldn’t have thought about teasing Yasu…!”

“This is why they say that when you curse someone, you should dig two graves.”

Hearing Aoto’s strangled complaint, Yasuo felt like he was able to get back at him just a little.

“Ah, here we go. It’s from a little while ago, though.”

“……”

Staring at the phone screen, Aoto looked like he was steadily getting more depressed.

“W-What’s wrong?”

Saying that, Yasuo also peeked at the screen, and immediately found out the reason why Aoto reacted that way.

“A girl this cute is your childhood friend and girlfriend? You’ve probably used up your luck for all eternity.”

“I agree wholeheartedly with Kenzaki.”

Hino also nodded as if he understood.

Igarashi’s girlfriend was just that beautiful, a perfect example of a Japanese beauty. Igarashi was standing beside her in the picture with his usual careless grin. It was the very definition of a face that you would want to punch.

“Don’t judge people based on context like that. To me, the term ‘childhood friend’ doesn’t hold any special meaning at all.”

“Aoto’s getting mad. Aoto’s getting mad.”

Aoto’s eyes were overflowing with so much resentment and killing intent that Yasuo was worried for a moment if he would turn into a Shii.

“What year of middle school did you start going out with her?”

“We officially started dating towards the end of our second year. So, it’s been like four years in total, I guess? Well, I already knew her for more than ten years before that, though.”

“Gaah!!”

Aoto’s struggled to stay rational while making an expression like that of a Buddhist priest who was exorcising a demon from someone’s body.

“But we ended up in different high schools because of an oversight, and she’s constantly nagging me asking if I’m cheating on her with another girl. She gets really scary if she’s even a little upset.”

“Gaaaaaah!!”

“So if that foreigner was really Kenzaki’s girlfriend, I wanted some tips on what other couples do when they get into a fight.”

“Like I said, we are not a couple or anything. Besides, if she’s getting upset about whether you’re cheating on her, I guess it just proves that she loves you.”

“Yeah… But I have to agree with Igarashi here. She’s really very scary. It’s easy to tell when Seina-chan is in a bad mood. She usually calls him ‘Iga-chan,’ but when she’s mad she calls him ‘Igarashi-kun’ in this incredibly cold voice.”

“…Oh?”

“Even her cuteness is at a level of being a sin, and she also has a beautiful name like 『Seina』? I can’t tell you how angry I feel right now, but hearing that she calls you ‘Iga-chan’ makes me feel a little better.”

Aoto got even more depressed after hearing what Hino said, but Yasuo was taken off guard.

“So if girls change from calling you by a nickname to your last name, it means they are angry?”

Yasuo remembered that Nodoka had told him the exact same thing the other day as well.

“I guess it’s one of the comparatively easier signs to spot. There are other things you’ll notice as well, if you’re watching from the sidelines. Like how she definitely won’t make eye contact, and not listen to what Igarashi is saying even if she appears to be paying attention.”

“I need to be especially careful when talking about school. Talking about girls Seina doesn’t know is definitely taboo. Seina is attending a municipal school near her house, so she has this weird image in her head that private schools are more classy than municipal school.”

“Roger that, she really loves you, huh!!?”

“Aioi, calm down. Your personality is changing. Besides, at her level it can also be taken as getting easily jealous or being restrictive, so it’s not something to be so jealous about.”

Hino saw that Aoto was on the verge of flipping the table holding his unfinished lunch, so he put his hand on Aoto’s shoulder to calm him down. However, Yasuo was in no state to observe that.

“……Calling me by a nickname… Talking about other girls… her image of a private school…”

These were all things that had happened to him as well, so he felt like his blood pressure was dropping.

“Kenzaki? What’s wrong?”

Igarashi put his slimphone away and noticed that Yasuo had gone pale, but Yasuo was in no condition to listen to him.

Was he just overthinking it?

“No, I mean, surely not.”

『Onii-chan, make sure you don’t get any strange ideas as well, okay?』

His sister’s warning flashed through his mind.

But still.

The circumstances were far too similar.

But still.

Isn’t it being rash to assume that?

But still.

If he’s wrong, the damage would be incalculable.

But still.

There was no way for him to know for sure.

Even so, he couldn’t stop his imagination. About how Shouko felt.

『Also, in the one in a million chance that Tatewaki-san likes you, it might be a good idea clear up the misunderstanding.』

“Tch!”

His cheeks were getting red in spite of himself. Thinking like that was the height of stupidity.

He had thought about something outrageous because of what Igarashi had said. If he carelessly asked Shouko something like this, Nodoka wouldn’t let him forget about it for the rest of his life.

Firstly, he had nothing that would make him attractive to a girl.

He couldn’t even properly complete his duty as a student, couldn’t keep his promise, and his physical ability, intelligence, and looks were all only average.

The premise itself is flawed.

So there’s no way it was possible.

But since the idea was already in his head…

“How should I interact with her from now on… things are already complicated enough right now.”

He had no confidence that he would manage to stay calm the next time he saw Shouko.

“Ah, geez, both Aioi and Kenzaki are in a strange mood because you had to go and brag, Igarashi.”

“Eh? It’s my fault!? When did I brag about anything? By the way, wasn’t teasing Kenzaki the original plan?”

Igarashi, who was incapable of reading the mood, looked confused as looked in turn at Yasuo and Aoto who were deep in thought for different reasons.

At that moment, the slimphone in Yasuo’s pocket vibrated.

Taking it out, he saw that he had a notification from an unknown number in the standard messaging application provided by his carrier, a service that was hardly ever used these days.

“What is this?”

Yasuo had antivirus software installed on his slimphone, so he opened the message without thinking too deeply about it. What he saw written there was something completely unexpected.

“Greetings it feels strange to send you such a message after all this time. This is Dianaz. Madoka bought a slimphone for me so please save the number if you would like. i will be coming to pick you up after school today, so please do not worry.”

Seeing the missing 『e』 in her name and the use of the lowercase 『i』 to refer to herself, Yasuo smiled wryly as he imagined Diana’s face scrunched up in concentration as she struggled to input the unfamiliar text into a digital device.

The reason why she used so few kanji characters in her text was probably either because she was not familiar with the device yet, or she hadn’t learned to read that many kanji in spite of being able to speak the language.

In any case, it was a good idea to be able to connect with Diana via slimphone for safety purposes.

Not to mention, increasing the number of girls in his phone address book who are not family members was more than enough reason to be happy.

“…? She’s going to come to pick me up?”

However, Yasuo immediately thought of something that made him go pale.

He immediately replied,

“No, it’s fine. You can keep guarding me from far away as usual.”

However, no matter how long he waited, he didn’t receive a reply. And then,

“Ah, Yasuo! Did you have a good day? I’ve been waiting for you.”

In plain view of Aoto, Igarashi, and Hino, Diana was standing at the main gate next to a taxi.

Yasuo felt dizzy and was too scared to turn around to look at his friends.

“I’m sorry. I saw your message, but since I only just started using the phone, I didn’t know how to reply.”

Aoto was probably turning into a true demon at this point.

“W-Well then, I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

“Please excuse us.”

“Y-You don’t need to talk to these guys!”

“Eh? Ah, my apologies—!”

Yasuo pushed Diana, who kept talking to Aoto and the others, into the taxi, and closed the automatic door by hand.

“Excuse me, please take us to the Western Exit of Tokorozawa Station!”

Yasuo’s voice rose to a near scream as he told the driver his destination and asked him to start moving.

Aoto and the others watched the reality unfolding in front of them as if it was a waking dream, but eventually, Hino asked Aoto,

“Is that the girl?”

“No. It’s a different girl. Completely different. It’s a different girl from yesterday!!”

“Oh? But going home two days in a row by taxi, I’m more curious as to the reason behind that.”

“Damn, she was totally cute! Woah!”

“I now understand exactly why he failed his tests. Yasu, you’re no longer my friend! I hope you fail all your make-up tests!”

“Remember what we spoke about earlier regarding curses and graves, Aioi. You shouldn’t think about it so hard, just go make a girlfriend.”

“I hate the phrase ‘make a girlfriend’ more than anything! Are they sold as a model kit somewhere!? Goddammit!”

“Having a girl like that asking about how his day went, and saying she waited for him…”

“If you say that again, Seina-chan is going to get mad, Igarashi.”

Of course, none of the complaints from his friends reached Yasuo.

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