“It’s more crowded than usual, huh?”
“Yeah, thought so. Maybe Thursdays are just busy?”
“Hard to say. Could be because today’s daily special is fried chicken—it’s popular.”
“Now that you mention it, this cafeteria’s fried food is a hit, right?”
“It’s got a reputation for never missing. Especially the daily special—cheap and good.”
“Huh… Even students here care about cafeteria prices?”
“Obviously. Cheap is always better. What, did you think we’re made of money?”
Guess they assume my family’s loaded. Well, whatever.
Maybe I’ve got it wrong—maybe the “out-of-touch rich kid” trope in fiction is just that: fiction. Even wealthy people buy cheap stuff.
They just also buy expensive things when they want.
“But honestly, our cafeteria’s kinda crazy good, right…?”
“I’d agree. Not that I’ve tried others. But a few years back, a TV crew even came to film here.”
“Wait, here? For the cafeteria?”
“Yep. Back when I was a first-year in middle school. Some daytime show did a feature on school cafés—ours got picked alongside a few university ones.”
“No way…”
“Though since ours isn’t open to the public, it was kinda pointless. Still, Seishinkan’s cafeteria outshines even the university’s, apparently.”
No argument there. Our cafeteria looks premium.
The taste may not have anything to do with the cafeteria decor, but you can tell that they put a lot of effort into it.
When I first saw it, I almost wondered if I’d wandered into a university.
“Top-tier facilities are this school’s trademark.”
“Downside is the huge campus—getting around’s a pain.”
“True. Especially P.E. Between changing, breaks practically vanish.”
That’s why some kids preemptively wear gym clothes to class.
“Girls have it worse. We can’t even change in the classroom.”
“Guys get off easy… Speaking of, ever notice some guys change from one gym outfit to another after P.E.?”
“Most middle school alumni keep spares.”
“You too, Kimiya?”
“Mhm. I visit sports clubs often, so one set wouldn’t cut it.”
“But you always change back into uniform after P.E., don’t you?”
“True—no one scolds us for staying in gym clothes. But rules say uniforms for class.”
“Classic Kimiya, ever the model student…”
I only own one set of gym clothes.
I’m not fond of short sleeves/pants, so I stick to long-sleeved jersey. Hence, I change back too.
The idea of owning multiple sets? Never crossed my mind before enrolling…
“It’s just for show. I’m not that diligent deep down.”
Kimiya smiled. Then added:
“Secretly, I’d love to laze around in gym clothes too.”
“That’s… unexpected.”
“Not really. I’d even wear jersey at home if I could.”
“You like them that much?”
“Love them.”
“…Kinda get it. I’m a fan too.”
“Really? That’s lovely. A fellow enthusiast.”
“Wait, you’re that level?”
“Yep. Ideally, I’d spend weekends in jersey with a towel wrapped around my head.”
“That’s… hard to picture.”
Kimiya in jersey… Does it suit her or not?
With her sporty look, absolutely. But paired with her refined demeanor? Clashes a bit.
Then again, she’d probably rock anything effortlessly—almost unfair.
“Maybe I’ll buy another set…”
I muttered. Kimiya grinned.
“Hehe. You’re adjusting well to this school, Sou san.”
“Think so? …Yeah, maybe.”
Looking back, it was a properly high-school-ish chat.
The kind of trivial, school-specific small talk that’d bore outsiders—yet here I was, sliding into it naturally. Without realizing, I’d adapted to Seishinkan.
Any new environment becomes a normal one after a month.
Maybe that’s how it is after all. Whether it is good or bad is another matter.
—By the time we finished talking, I’d already polished off the daily special.
Kimiya, who finished his meal a little later than I , clasped her hands politely.
“Thanks for the meal.”
I followed suit.
“Thanks for the meal.”
“Oh, Sou san—we never settled that debt.”
“Debt?”
“The café incident. I left abruptly, so—”
“Oh, with Shiranui? Nah, that was my apology anyway.”
I laughed it off, but Kimiya shook her head firmly.
“Unacceptable. I appreciate the thought, but exploiting kindness would disgrace the Kimiya name.”
“W-Whoa, pulling family into it? Stubborn much…”
Hard to refuse when she puts it that way.
Classic Kimiya, I marveled—albeit at a completely irrelevant tangent.
“Anything you’d like me to do?”
Suddenly, Kimiya tilted her head up at me.
“Name anything. Anything at all.”
As I expected, my face started to blush at this.
I knew she was teasing, yet my heart still lurched.
“A-Anything’s reckless coming from a Kimiya!”
“True. Which is why I’d only say it to you.”
“Guh—”
From day one, Kimiya’s been oddly lenient with me.
If I were a middle schooler, I’d’ve assumed she fell for me at first sight. But my high schooler self knows better.
—There’s a reason behind Kimiya Natsuki’s behavior.
Truth is, I’ve wondered if we’ve met before.
Since learning her name at enrollment, I’ve toyed with the idea.
—A girl named Natsuki I met once in elementary school.
All I recall is her name and that she was wealthy.
Could it be…? But her attitude toward me now is too different. Plus, Natsuki isn’t a rare name here.
I’ve no plans to ask.
That girl wouldn’t remember a discarded relic like past-me anyway.
“…Well.”
Again, I chose not to probe.
I didn’t pick this school hoping for a dramatic reunion. Relationships thrive on calculation, not fate.
“Actually, there is something.”
“Yes?”
As Kimiya tilted her head, I continued:
“Shiranui and I are forming a drama unit.”
” ──────── “
” We’re recruiting, but I’ve got no connections. Only three members so far—including Oshimi-senpai. Wanna help?”
“……………I see.”
“Yeah. Not asking you to join—I get there’s history between you two. Just some support… Maybe?”
“Understood.”
Kimiya nodded, smiling. Same as ever.
“I’ll think about it.”
“Thanks. Huge help.”
I knew it wasn’t a yes.
But for now, that was enough.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.GITHUB.IO
2
Lately, after school, I’d mostly been with Shiranui.
No formal arrangement—just drifting to the lodge, where she’d usually be. It was comfy, so I’d tag along.
But today, the lodge was locked.
Seems she’s absent. Deciding to visit the second club building instead (I had been avoiding it since that incident), I headed over.
Ten days since my last visit. Knocking on the Literature Club door, I waited until it creaked open.
“Welcome, Kageyuki-san.”
Minase greeted me with her usual inscrutable expression—
then, inexplicably, flashed a double peace sign.
“Yeeeah! It’s your gal, Minase Natsuki—stoic genius beauty erotica author!”
“I— What do I even say to that…?”
“Oops, sorry. The ‘stoic’ part’s a lie.”
“That’s the truest bit!”
“Truer than ‘genius beauty’?”
“…Well, I won’t deny that either.”
“Thanks. Love how easy you are to mess with, Kageyuki-san.”
“This girl…”
I glared, but Minase remained unfazed.
Guess I walked into that one.
“Anyway, Minase. Keeping my promise to visit.”
“Yep. Waited with bated breath.”
“That’s ‘baited’—wait, no, ‘bated’ is right. But still weird.”
“Bleh.”
“…Am I not welcome here?”
Why is Minase sticking her tongue out like that? What on earth is she trying to say?
“Lelolelolelolelo~”
“Scary scary scary scary~”
I wish she wouldn’t suddenly start flicking her tongue around so wildly.
“Hey, can I lick your face?”
“Absolutely not??”
“Fine, I’ll settle for your shoes.”
“I don’t get Minase’s energy at all…”
“You weren’t coming around, so I thought I’d try cheering you up.”
“Well, sorry about that—but no, it’s fine! You don’t have to lick anything! And don’t kneel!!”
“Mm~”
And just like that, Minase backed off.
She’s the type to do weird things with a straight face, but she knows when to quit—which is probably why I keep humoring her…
“—So, Kageyuki-san isn’t the type to get excited over a girl’s tongue, huh.”
“Were you just checking my fetishes right now!?”
She’s way too sharp… I wish she’d let her guard down a little after school.
That was close. If she’d noticed how my eyes were almost drawn to the way her tongue moved, I’d never recover. Damn you, Minase…
Her usual eccentricity had somehow looped back around to being comforting, and with that thought, I stepped into the clubroom.—And there it was.
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