Chapter 22: 10

Chapter 10 : She’s Starting to Promise.

More than a week had passed since Shoichi and Amiru visited Yui.

During that time, Shoichi taught Amiru well in her studies, and Amiru took care of Shoichi enthusiastically.

Nothing had changed since the two of them decided to cooperate with each other.

However, change was coming, albeit gradually.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○

“Yo, Kashima. How about we all play catch once in a while?”

Lunch break. As Shoichi was compiling his notes preparing for class, a voice called out to him from behind.

When he turned around, Yagi Kensuke was standing there. Several other classmates were also there.

“Play catch?”

“Yeah, studying is good and all, but it’s fun to get out and play once in a while, you know? It’s nice, right?”

“Well, okay.”

“I see, maybe I shouldn’t have asked… You want to?!”

Yagi’s eyes widened as he stared at Shoichi, who closed his notebook and got up from his seat.

Shoichi tilted his head. “What’s the matter? You’re the one who invited me.”

“I know, but I figured you’d say no since you’re usually so busy studying or reading about kappa and snowmen.”

“It’s true that I’m busy, but… Well, I just thought socializing wasn’t so bad either,” Shoichi said and stretched out. He then tapped Yagi on the shoulder and said, “Let’s go.”

“Ah, yeah.”

Yagi nodded and turned to leave the classroom with his classmates. At that moment, Shoichi gripped his shoulder firmly.

“Ah, well, before we get into that, there’s one thing I need to tell you.”

“What?”

“Listen… Kappa is a youkai, snowmen is a UMA! The places where they were sighted are totally different, and they have different histories to begin with! Don’t just randomly lump them together, you hear me, Hirano!”

“I-I got it, I got it, your face is too close… And I’ve said this before, I’m Yagi! You’re further away than before. Oii!”

While they were ranting and raving like this, Shoichi and his classmates went outside.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Amiru stared blankly as the boys headed off to play catch.

No, actually, she was only looking at one person. For some reason, she sighed.

Then, her friend, who was talking with her, raised an eyebrow and asked, “What’s wrong, Amiru? You’re sighing.”

“Ah, it’s nothing. It’s nothing, I tell you.”

“Seriously~? But you were looking at that skinny Kashima, weren’t you?”

“Are you being harassed in any way? My relative is a lawyer, so maybe you can talk to them?”

“Ahaha, it’s not like that. It’s just that I’m a little…”

Mea, standing next to her, who guessed a feeling she didn’t quite understand herself. “You’re lonely, right? You feel like Kashima is taken away by the boys.”

“Ah, that’s how it feels, I guess. I can’t have Sho-chan all to myself, can I?” The honest Amiru spoke honestly about her feelings.

A shudder ran through the group of friends.

“This is bad, isn’t it? The earnest Amiru has fallen?”

“Maybe so. Well, it’s Amiru we’re talking about, so she might not even realize how she herself feels…”

“But it’s only a matter of time… Ehh, what’s wrong, Mea? You’re taking out a scissor?”

“Yeah, I’m going to get rid of some filth. I can’t let him stain the innocent Amiru.”

“What are you talking about with your bright smile?! Wait, calm down! Put the murder weapon away!”

“Stop, stop! It’s a bad idea to kill him! I can’t go with that! I mean, I’ve always thought you were too overprotective when it comes to Amiru!”

Seeing her friends making a lot of noise, Amiru said, “?” tilting her head, but then she looked at the clock and mumbled something vague.

“Ahh~, I can’t wait for school to end… That way, I can take care of him.”

Her voice was filled with more than just a caretaker’s sentiment.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Accepting the slight change, Shoichi and Amiru’s daily life continued.

During that time, they frequently visited the hospital where Yui was hospitalized and consulted with the doctors many times.

“We can’t provide new means right away, but we will do everything we can. Please bear with us.”

Nodding to the doctor’s words and actively speaking up where they could, the two of them earnestly hoped for Yui’s recovery.

Amiru had also come to be able to face Yui head-on and spend time happily as a parent and child. Both of them were concerned about the future, but they still managed to laugh with each other.

For now, there was nothing more that could be hoped for in the current situation.

Everything should be going well.

–It was supposed to.

However, after a few more weeks passed, an absurd incident awaited them both.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○

“Eh, ehh~, ehhhhhhh~?”

Amiru’s eyes widened as she raised her voice in a wild frenzy.

Most of the students had gone home, and the classroom was quiet. This was when she saw Shoichi’s desk.

To be more precise, it was an exclamation at the sight of the numerous answer sheets on his desk.

There, lined up on the desk, were the answer sheets for the mid-term test that had just been given.

“There’s seventy, seventy five… and also sixty eight points.”

Shoichi mumbled absentmindedly. Amiru turned pale and looked at the answer sheets again. If this were her own score, then kudos to her. For her, who had never scored more than 40 points, this would be an unprecedented accomplishment. Regrettably however, these belonged to someone else.

“Why is Sho-chan’s score dropping…?”

“I don’t know… Ah, I had never gotten less than 80 points. This is my lowest score, I didn’t think it would go down to 68.”

“Still, that’s more than 10 points higher than my highest score this time around…”

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Muttering with a complicated expression, Amiru tilted her head and pondered.

Why did Shoichi’s grades drop? She could only think of one thing.

“Sho-chan, I’m sorry!”

“Uwaa, why! Don’t get down on your knees all of a sudden, it’s embarrassing, everyone can see!”

“But, but, it’s definitely my fault that Sho-chan’s score dropped! I think that teaching me has probably caused Sho-chan’s studies to have fizzled out!”

“It’s ‘neglect.’ What’s up with the pairing of those words… I wonder if this is okay. I’ve seen this problem in Japan. I’ll have to check back on this later.” (T/N: A word play I think. Amiru said osoro, and Shoichi corrected her saying orosoka.)

“Ueee? Ehh~~… Wait not this. I’m really sorry! If it weren’t for my studies, you could have studied a lot more!”

Amiru, who had a mischievous smile on her face, immediately bowed deeply once more.

Shoichi, however, waved his hand as if it was nothing. “No, it’s fine, it’s fine. More importantly, what about you? Did you achieve your goals?”

Goals. Her goal was to get at least 50 points in all subjects.

Amiru, while checking her answer sheet again, nodded her head. “Ye-Yeah. I somehow managed to score more than 50 points in all subjects.”

“I see. Then I guess we’ve passed the first hurdle. I’ll convert your score increase into points for me.”

When Shoichi opened his notebook with a look of satisfaction, Amiru’s eyebrows lowered in concern. Normally, Amiru would be happy to know that she could do some housework as Shoichi’s points increased, but she didn’t seem to be happy about it.

Therefore, she asked timidly. “Um, Sho-chan… Aren’t you angry?”

“Angry? Why? I was supposed to teach you, but I was also studying myself. If I fail to accomplish that, then that’s my fault, not yours.”

“B-But…”

“It’s fine. I can still make up for this much in the future. Besides, that’s the extent of what I can get from studying at school. I know I have to study more important things.”

“Important things?”

Amiru tried her best to act cheerful even though she feared her mother’s death.

The other students must also be living with their own troubles and suffering.

Shoichi was beginning to realize that it was important to face and understand them. To acquire flexible thinking, it was also important to learn about different people. By broadening his horizons, there was surely something to be gained.

Well, I guess socializing is part of learning.

That’s why–He found himself muttering, “I want to be able to understand other people properly. To do that, I need to understand you first.”

“Eh?”

“Because right now, you’re an unexplainable mass of incomprehensibility… No, if you ask me, I’m not even sure if I would have understood you when you were a little girl. Anyway, I will learn to understand you properly now. And then, I’d be able to teach you more efficiently.”

“But how will you understand?”

“Well, I’ll stay with you for now. I’ll stay with you until I understand.”

Amiru seemed to be fiddling with these words in her head, but eventually her eyes blinked and she said, “Eh, is that…a proposal?”

“Why?! Why would you think that?!”

“Because, you said we’d be together forever and ever!” (T/N: She said because twice, but that’s kinda weird in English.)

“I didn’t say forever, just until I can understand you! But well, it might take me a lifetime to understand you…”

“…I knew it, it’s a proposal.”

“Why do you think that?! Really… If you keep talking nonsense, my patience will run out.”

“Ahaha, just kidding, just kidding.”

In a panic, Amiru laughed and grabbed Shoichi’s hand and shook it. She seemed to think she was fooling him.

Shoichi was already beginning to feel frustrated with trying to understand her, but still, he let out a small breath in his chest.

Still, I have to stay with this girl… Auntie also told me to take care of her. At the very least, it’s my responsibility to support Amiru. Shoichi thought so and secretly vowed to stay by Amiru’s side from now on.

—Well, I’m not going to tell this girl this embarrassing thing, though. Besides, it’s also true that I want to understand Amiru. This girl is more mysterious than a youkai, and quite a worthwhile subject to study.

At that moment, said Amiru took her hand away from Shoichi and stretched out with a hmm.

“Then, Sho-chan. If you want to understand me, you have to understand my friends too, don’t you think?”

“Y-Yeah… I’m planning to be more active with our classmates compared to before.”

“Then it’s settled! I’m going to meet with Mea-chan and the others at the launch now, we’re talking about going out and doing karaoke! Sho-chan, come too!”

“What?!!”

“Ahaha, it’s been a while since Sho-chan sang, I’m looking forward to it~.”

“N-No, wait a minute. That’s too hard to overcome out of the blue! I’ve never even gone out with my male classmates!”

“It’s all right, only girls are coming. Sho-chan, just relax yourself…”

“That would be the hardest thing to do!”

With greasy sweat all over his face, Shoichi refused, but Amiru was forceful.

Frustratingly, she had more pulling power. Shoichi once again reminded himself that he needed to work on his body as well.

Damn it, this Amiru… When we get home today, I’m going to give you a serious lesson. I’m going to thoroughly wash out any of your mistakes on the test and give you a good scrubbing.

He promised himself that he would do this, and at that moment–

Amiru secretly whispered to him.

“Sho-chan, what do you want for dinner tonight?”

“What?”

“If Sho-chan gets along with everyone at today’s karaoke… I’ll make anything Sho-chan likes as a reward!”

“You…”

Suddenly she was in mother mode. This girl, really, was hard to understand.

Shoichi turned away, shrugging his shoulders. “Whatever is fine, just make sure it’s adequate. Even cup noodles will do.”

“Mou, you’re saying that on purpose, Sho-chan! That kind of thing is bad for you!”

“No, logically, since it can be consumed as food, some nutrition must be present there. As long as you supplement it with the right balance, it’s a fine meal.”

“No! A proper meal is nourishment for the soul! With that being said, I’m going to stick to mainly green peppers today, which Sho-chan tends to be deficient in!”

“You! That’s not fair! Fine, I’ll think it over!”

While exchanging such banter, they noisily left the classroom.

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