Chapter 1: prologue 1

Prologue: Genius is the error in the system Part 1

Translated by 64990022
Edited by Storm, Fen01lalune

 

Blue Outline Prologue: Genius is the error in the system

 

Part 1

 

 

Eye-catching. Stunning. Addictive. Mesmerizing. 

 

I don’t like it. It’s disgusting. It’s the best. It’s the worst. I’m enthralled. 

 

Those were the impressions that people have when they look at a picture by Kashiwazaki Yuri. 

 

Ordinary people’s drawings could only be judged by how good or bad they were, but Yuri’s drawings had an overwhelming lure and charm that reminded everyone of something. No matter if they were highly rated or not, they grasped people’s eyes and hearts, and never let go. 

 

This was why her paintings were so highly regarded, and she had been given the title of “genius” since she was little. 

 

Her specialty was oil painting, but specialty or not, she excelled in all arts. She had been attracting the attention of the industry’s big shots since the first grade, when she started taking painting class. 

 

Wasn’t there a saying “When the light is stronger, the shadows become more intense”? I probably got the saying wrong. But the point was that it was always the ordinary people like me who were in the shadow of the genius. 

 

 ***

 

Since my relationship with Yuri is a childhood friend, our families were also close. Today, we went shopping at a nearby shopping center with our mothers, as Yuri was planning to have a meal at my house this evening. 

 

“It’s a bit crowded around the exhibition hall, isn’t it? The plan was just to take a peek at Sousuke-chan and Yuu-chan’s paintings, but it seems to take a while.”

[TN: “Chan” was used to call a child affectionately, regardless of sex] 

 

The shopping center had a special stage set up for the Mother’s Day event every year. Even though it was called a stage; it was no more than a simple display of pictures of mothers drawn by our local elementary school children, the Maimori Elementary. Our mothers who came to the exhibition were bewildered by the unexpected crowd. 

 

I had predicted this, I knew the exact reason why people were stopping by one after another, accumulating into a crowd. In a small town like this, where most people had no interest in art, there was only one thing that could have attracted this much attention.

 

When we finally got into the exhibition hall and saw Yuri’s drawing, I was struck again by the overwhelming beauty, even though I had already seen it once in the classroom. In a room full of smiling portraits drawn with colored pencils, Yuri’s mother was not smiling benevolently, nor was she trying to be funny with her devil horns. This was different, a masterpiece that could only be achieved by Yuri’s ability to correctly depict the texture of skin and hair of a woman in her early thirties with her excellent observation skills. No doubt, everyone who saw this painting would be reminded of their own mothers, wanting to see and greet them, love them, remembering their anger or resentment, or feeling all kinds of emotions towards their mother, whether good or bad. 

 

However, it was always the audience who fussed of it being a masterpiece or a monstrosity, the artist herself was just enjoying painting the portrait. Looking at the crowd around the painting as if it did not relate to her, Yuri laughed next to me. 

 

“My mom said she wouldn’t be able to come shopping here for a while. She’s just a normal old lady, but she’s enjoying it like a celebrity.” 

 

‘Whose fault did you think it was?’ I thought.

 

I had learned that geniuses who lacked self-awareness could cause havoc to those around them, and I too, would be suffering from her presence for years to come. 

  

***

 

Every citizen of Japan probably associated Hokkaido; Japan’s northernmost island, with extreme cold and snow. The city we lived in, Maimori City, which was located in the central part of Hokkaido with a population of less than 70,000, was no exception to this. The winters were so cold that people of all ages, men and women, were sent out to shovel snow. For ten years I had lived in this town, I could not remember a single time when I had ever enjoyed winter. 

 

“Gee, it’s snowing again!”

 

Spring came late in Hokkaido. 

 

It was not unusual for it to snow during the graduation season, or even the entrance season, and cherry blossoms were out of the question. Sakura bloomed in May here. 

[TN:Elsewhere, Sakura usually blooms in March] 

 

My shoulders slumped as I realized that the new shoes I had gotten as a fourth-grade graduation gift would get soiled on the first day of school, but then gushed over the sight of an old dog sleeping in the shed across the street from us, which somehow reminded me of my father lounging on the kotatsu table. 

 

Next time, I might use that dog as a model for my next drawing. Regaining my vigor, I waved to the sleeping dog and ran out on the snowy road. 

 

I started going to painting classes a while after I started elementary school, so it has been almost five years now. To the surprise of my parents, who were thinking something along the lines of “He might like drawing, but there are tons of other fun stuff to do. He’s going to quit soon”, I’m still obsessed with drawing.

 

I turned at the corner of the dry-cleaning shop and continued straight ahead to a small park. As I was walking past the park like usual, I paused. When I saw my childhood friend leaning against a jungle gym, silently drawing in the powdery snow, I had no choice but to call out to her. 

 

“Yuri, what are you drawing?”

 

She swept her big cat-like eyes across me once, then her gaze immediately returned to her sketchbook. 

 

“Yuki-onna. I’ve been thinking about how a Yuki-onna in April could be a bit too late, and that’s when the image came to me.”

[TN:Yuki-onna, a yokai/demon in Japanese folklore] 

 

“A bit too late… Are you a little irritated that it snowed at the start of the new school year, in your own way?”

 

When I took a peek at her sketchbook, I saw a beautiful perfectly proportioned woman in a kimono smoking a cigarette on a swing. 

[TN:Word “Hattoushin” is used in the original text, Japanese body standard] 

 

People who were not familiar with painting would probably be attracted to the mismatch between the character and the action and found it interesting, but people like me who had learnt a little bit about painting would be astonished by the details of the drawing.  

 

The first thing that amazed me was that it could be depicted as completely natural without any sense of discomfort. If the bones and muscles were not drawn correctly, you would unconsciously notice them. In addition, the shading added by the pencil alone was so accurate that the border between reality and the picture blurred. 

 

It was a rough sketch, drawn in a few minutes on the way to school, and yet it was so good that I could not believe it was drawn by someone my age. 

 

Adults always used the word “genius” to describe Yuri’s drawings, regardless of whether they were praising or criticizing. That’s why I hated that word. I had started going to art classes before Yuri did. I loved to draw as much as Yuri did. But everyone just looked at Yuri.

 

Jealousy had always churn in my chest at times like this. I tried to calm down, letting the cold air into my lungs as I inhaled the powdery snow along with it. 

 

“We have to go to school now. Cut it out, or we’ll be late.”

 

Yuri ignored me as if being late for school was perfectly normal. Troubled, I scratched my head. Whenever she found something she wanted to draw, she would keep working on it until she was satisfied. At this rate, she would be drawing here for the rest of the day. 

 

A part of me wanted to see the finished work as soon as possible, but today was the first day of fifth grade. It was not a good idea for her to be late on the first day of school. She had already been getting a lot of attention from the teachers for her bad attitude. 

 

I decided to use the last resort. 

 

“I’m sure you don’t know this because you missed the spring break animal caretaking duty, but there’s a new transfer student coming to our class today. It’s a girl from Kansai!” 

 

“Really? What’s she like? Come on, let’s go, Sousuke!” 

 

The word “transfer student” was just so rare and just as appealing in this rural town. Her eyes instantly lit up, she then shoved her sketchbook into her school bag and ran off through the snow. I picked up the knit cap she left behind and chased after her, staring at the distant back that carries everything I could ever want. Brimming with curiosity, self-absorbed, free-spirited and genius… Kashiwazaki Yuri was that kind of person. 

 

***

 

Under the attention of the whole class, the girl introduced herself in a muzzy voice like a mosquito, and with a face as red as an apple. 

 

“I’m… Utako Kashii…Nice…to meet you.”

 

Kashii, who had been moving around the country because of her mother’s circumstances, had been in Kansai just until the other day. She was a girl who spoke timidly. When we saw her blush and turn her head down the instant she stood out, we who were filled with the naive impression that she was cheerful and funny just because she came from Kansai were disappointed and lost interest in her in no time. In less than a week, Kashii had become an easy prey for the boys in our class because of her timid nature. 

 

But I suspected that about half of them were guys who were just trying to hit on their crush. Kashii had bangs that covered her eyes, but if you looked closely, you could see that her eyes were big, and her nose was well-defined. Her white skin was as if it was translucent, even though she was short, but that was what made her look like a cute cuddle animal. 

 

I was keeping an eye on those who were making fun of Kashii, but what could I say? I was also one of those who thought she was cute. I felt protective of her, and since I was always around a boisterous girl like Yuri, I had a good reason to be attracted to the more reserved Kashii. 

 

For Yuri, when it came to Kashii whose personality was completely her opposite, after losing her initial curiosity, Yuri did not seem to be interested in her. However, she would help her out if she ran into her while she was being teased by the boys. 

 

“You guys can only be so cocky in front of girls who look like chihuahuas like this? You guys are so dumb.”

 

“Shut up! …How we treat Kashii is none of your business!” 

 

“Ha! “It’s none of your business!”? Are you saying that how you treat your classmates is none of my business? How sad. Well then, it shouldn’t be any of my business if I am to beat you guys into a pulp. Just think of me as a random street thug or something, after all it’s none of my business .” 

 

“Tsk. Let’s go, you guys!” 

 

There was no way that Yuri would lose in that kind of trivial fight, no matter with her words nor with her physical strength. As a result, Yuri was always protecting Kashii.  

 

The teachers and the parents praised her for her actions, but she was not just acting out of a simple sense of justice, such as “can’t stand bullies bullying the weak”.  

 

It was that she was doing it because she was just bored, or because she was in a bad mood, or for some other self-centered reasons. But to me, what she did was just plain cool. 

 

“Thank you…Kashiwazaki-san.”

 

“I didn’t do it for you, Kashii. You don’t have to thank me.”

 

When Yuri protected Kashii, her face would turn red as she repeatedly thanked Yuri, to which Yuri replied in a bothered tone. My impression of the two of them, or you could say, their relationship, was as simple as that. 

 

Even without the ulterior motive, I could not leave her alone as she became even more isolated from class. Finally, I decided to actively approach Kashii who was reading a book alone in her seat during the lunch break, having failed to make any friends even after Golden Week had passed.  

[TN:Golden week, Japanese holiday around late April-May, usually students should be able to make new friends by this time]  

 

“Kashii, what are you reading?”  

 

Suddenly spoken to. Kashii’s eyes widened and she blushed again, then answered in a small voice. 

 

“Oh, it’s…a book about astronomy.”

 

On the paper were illustrations of stars shining in the night sky and explanations in small letters.  

 

“It looks like a very difficult book. You like them that much?” 

 

“Uh… Yes, I like them very much.” 

 

“Really? I only know the Big Dipper, the Great Triangle of Summer and the major constellations, the famous ones. What do you find interesting about it?” 

You are reading story Blue Outline at novel35.com

 

It was meant to be just a casual question, but Kashii’s large eyes, hidden by her bangs, seemed to sparkle.  

 

“There are different types of stars,” she said, “although they may all look the same. There are stars that shine on their own, planets, and satellites that shine by reflecting the light of stars…No two stars are the same size, nor do they exist at the same distance from Earth. Every star is unique and fascinating…I’m very, very fascinated by them.”

 

It was the first time I have ever seen Kashii speaking so smoothly. More importantly, her smile was much prettier than I could ever imagine. I felt my heartbeat rushing the way I had never felt before.  

 

“So, are you aiming to be an astronomer or something?”

 

“No, I want to be an astronaut because I want to see the stars more closely than anyone else. So, I have to graduate from the most famous university possible, and I have to be able to speak English. There are a lot of things I need to work on.”

 

The chance of becoming an astronaut was very slim. It was a fact that even I know. But that shy Kashii was not intimidated in the slightest and spoke about her dream without hesitation.  

 

It was true that Kashii was very smart. She had never failed to answer a question in class, and the teachers had always praised her for getting perfect scores on tests. 

 

She had already decided on her future dream. She had already done her research on what she needed to do to get there, and she was willing to put in the effort. I was overwhelmed by the amount of passion that radiated from her small body.  

 

“Woww, reading a book about the stars alone at recess… Are you the definition of a literary girl?”  

 

I wanted to savor the admiration for just a little longer, but the moment was gone. Annoyed by the familiar voice, I turned around, eying Yuri who was examining Kashii’s book.  

 

“What are you doing? And don’t just butt into someone else’s conversation, will you?” I said. 

 

“Kashii’s number is next to mine, so this is my seat. So, you’re the one who’s in the way, Sousuke.”

 

I kept silent at Yuri’s sound argument. Kashii tilted her head slightly, looked at Yuri and she then continued. 

 

“D-definition of literacy girl…? Anyway, I really like astronomy. There might be a difference in brightness, but no matter the star, it still shines…I am plain, I have nothing I could proudly show others,…But this…I guess it’s something I’ve always wanted, what I’ve always yearned for.” 

 

I was surprised to see Kashii trying to continue the conversation on her own, it’s as if she could be more assertive when talking about astronomy. She was talking about the wonders of the stars, and yet she seemed lonely when she said she was attracted to shiny things. That particular contradiction bothered me.  

 

“Hmm…By the way, since when did you become this shy? Has it always been this way?” 

 

I couldn’t be sure if Yuri was listening to Kashii or not, but she was staring at Kashii’s face, making her blush even more than usual. 

 

“I’ve been like this for about a year now…Whenever I get nervous or just even get talked to, I immediately blush and can’t speak well, which I’m sure troubles people around me.”

 

As I was thinking, ‘That sounds bothersome’, Yuri suddenly sat down next to Kashii.  

  

 

“Hey, are you interested in changing yourself? Wanna stick with me?” 

 

“Uh?” 

 

Kashii’s eyes seemed to welled up with fright as Yuri began to pester her like a yakuza exploiting profit from an unfair business deal. It surely was a nightmare for Kashii, but there was no way that the unobservant Yuri could have noticed what Kashii was going through. 

 

“Y-yes! Kashiwazaki-san, please!”

 

Yet, while I was thinking about how to divert Yuri’s attention, Kashii bowed her head low. It was as if I had witnessed someone being scammed in front of my eyes, and somehow, I had to feel guilty about it.  

 

“No, no, Kashii, you need to calm down. I’m sure you’re thinking that being with Yuri, who is the polar opposite of you, might have influenced you to change, but it’s only going to stress you out and make you exhausted.”

 

“It’s okay! I think that Kashiwazaki-san is a very amazing person who is not afraid to be in front of people, is self-assured and confident…I admire her because she naturally does things that I cannot do. The “She’s so impressive” kind of feeling. So, I’ll follow you Kashiwazaki-san!” 

 

I wasn’t sure I understood the reasons behind that look of complete trust that Kashii showed to Yuri, despite the explanation she gave me. After the contract between the two of them was sealed, Yuri showed a broad smile. 

 

Then, the three of us started to hang out together. From that day on, I had decided to protect Kashii from being alone again.  

 

After school, we would hang out in the classroom, in the park near the school, or played games at one of our houses. Whatever our activity was, they did not seem to concern Kashii. Even on days when there was nothing to do, we would just zone out, or when Yuri and I were focused on painting, Kashii always seemed to have enjoyed it.  

 

We spent time together except on Fridays when Yuri and I had art classes. Day by day, we grew closer. Kashii, who was from a single mother family, could not seem to disobey her strict mother and would always leave before six no matter where we were playing. I didn’t think it was just my imagination that Kashii seemed happy to be with us.  

 

And I found myself becoming more and more attracted to Kashii as the days went on. 

 

***

 

The short summer was gone, the way we called each other’s names had changed, and the long-sleeved season came in a flash. She was still blushing and frightened when she talked to others. However, in front of me and Yuri, she could talk normally, showing a cute smile on her face from time to time.  

 

In contrast to Utako’s growth, Yuri was still as self-centered as ever, even though she had grown taller and her birthday had come and gone. As soon as the party was over, she came over to me and shoved a broom in my face.  

 

“Sosuke, take over the cleaning duty. I have to do something today.” 

 

And before I could complain, Yuri fled the classroom like a loose hare.  

 

I thought about leaving without complying to what she asked me to, but I could not ignore it if she would be in trouble because I left. As I was putting my school bag back down again, Utako tapped me on the shoulder.  

 

“I’ll help you. I’ll go bring the broom.”

 

We usually hang out with Yuri, so my opportunity to be alone with Utako was rare. Recalling the proverb, “Turn misfortune into fortune,” I decided to finish cleaning with determination.  

 

“Thank you. You saved me.” 

 

“It’s nothing. If anything, thank you for always helping me out. I’m glad I could be of help.” 

 

I was going to take my time and indulge in the moment when I realized that I had left my pencil case in the arts and crafts room where I had my last class of the day. After apologizing and asking for permission to stop by, Utako and I headed for the arts and crafts room.  

 

Either the sixth graders who were in charge of cleaning the room forgot to clean up or they were too lazy to do it, for my pencil case was not handed into the staff room and was left on the desk where I sat. 

 

“There it was. I’m sorry, Utako. Let’s go home–”

 

She remained motionless as she stared, and what lay ahead of her gaze was a scribble on the desk. I almost fell in love with the way she stared  intensely with her clear eyes.  

 

I breathed out quietly and called out to her, careful not to let her know about the dark feelings–the envy–inside me. 

 

“Amazing, isn’t it?…This was drawn by Yuri.”

 

I don’t exactly remember her sitting here, but from the scribble, I just know that she did. I guess she just half listened to the class and drew it out of boredom and forgot to erase it before she left.  

 

Realistic styled lion fused with Yuri’s fantastic imagination by remarkable precision and balance. The life she breathed into the lion’s lone mane, majestic yet supple… I felt a mixture of pride in Yuri’s talent and jealousy. Jealous that I could not capture Utako like she did.  

 

There was beauty and skill in Yuri’s drawing, obvious even to an untrained eye. In addition, she was good at drawing pictures that only she could draw. She had Jackson Pollock’s abstraction, abstraction with no limits in interpretation, even though it might seem that anyone can draw them at first glance. She was flawless, difficulty could not stop her from drawing as she desired. 

 

That’s why her drawings, even if they were still in progress, had an uniqueness, a trademark that made them instantly recognizable as being drawn by Yuri. I still remembered the comment of one of the judges of a competition, who said that this was the most impressive and advantageous thing about Yuri.  

 

“Even if it’s that good. To her, it was merely a scribble…unlike me. She’s just that talented.” 

 

While Yuri’s drawing expressed her personality and charm at first glance, I wonder how my art looked to others. It would probably be just elementary school level, and probably just as unoriginal. 

 

There are many artists who boldly drew without caring about what other people thought, drawing what they wanted to draw. However, I had no such confidence in myself, and I could not be that creative. I put my heart and soul into each piece of work I drew. If someone praised my work, I would be happy to the brink of tears. Meanwhile, I would also be devastated if I were to be criticized. 

 

If I could gain that confidence, I might be able to build a solid foundation for my creativity. Unshaken by anything, but I had not reached that point yet. That’s why it was so frustrating.  

 

“Do you know what a variable star is?”

 

“No, I don’t know about it.”

 

Seeing that I could not grasp the point of the sudden question about stars, she looked me in the eye and began to explain about it in detail.

 

“There are many reasons for this, but the famous star Mira changes its brightness by repeatedly expanding and contracting itself.”

 

A variable star… I wondered if I were one of those dull stars now, and could one day become a star emitting light bright enough to attract everyone’s attention. Noticing my own naïveness in the thought, I quickly hid it with a wry smile. 

 

“I think the picture you drew… It really does reflect who you are.” 

 

“Huh? Reflect who I am?”  

 

I couldn’t help but ask her back, but she slowly said in a calm voice.  

 

“I can sense your soul…your character through your pictures. I think you are serious, hardworking, sincere, and…charming. I like the pictures you draw.” 

 

I felt each of her words sank in. And at this moment, I learned the irresistibility of the feeling called love, along with its wildness and its irreplaceability. 

[TN:I got a native Japanese teacher to read the original text and she said the grammar was wrong, lol] 

 

I used to think that falling in love with a delinquent who was kind to abandoned cats, or with the hidden beauty who came to school first to water the flower beds portrayed in a lot of mangas were simple-minded. But now that I had learned firsthand that there was no way to resist the tsunami of feeling of love that unexpectedly rages uncontrollably through your heart, you just had to be swept away by it. 

 

She got me. I was completely taken. What she just said was a clean hit. 

 

All this time, overshadowed by envy lay a bright innocent hope. 

 

Hope that I could meet someone who would understand me. 

 

“Oh… Did I say something weird?”

 

“No, you didn’t say anything weird… Just, your words made me very happy.”

 

At this moment, it was as if every cell in my body was paralyzed, all but my fluttering heart. I didn’t even know what expression I had on my face. While Utako tilted her head questioningly, my unsure feelings for her became clear.  

 

In the arts and crafts room after school, while staring at Yuri’s scribble, I had fallen in love with Utako.

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