Episode 49 – Even if I could see into the future, I couldn’t predict these things.

Next week is the mid-term test.
Normally, I would not get a red mark if things went as usual. But this time, I have a handicap.

I cannot use my right hand.

This was fatal. I can’t even take notes during class, and because of this, I can’t get the content of the class into my head.
Moreover, I had to take tests with my left hand. I don’t think I’ll be able to take the written test in time.

I asked the teacher about it, and she said that I could take a follow-up test, but I didn’t want to do that.
I don’t want to take the test again, and the supplementary test is more difficult.
For better or worse, my academic ability is average, so there is even a possibility that I will get a red mark in my current condition.

I’m at a standstill.
And yet, teaching some gal to study?
Impossible, impossible. That’s impossible!

So, I’ll just have to……Fufufu

“Fufufufu”
“What’s the matter, Arase? Have you finally lost your mind?”
“Asagiri, I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it? You suddenly decided …”
“I need you to teach how to study.”
“Eh?!

Asagiri showed a wonderfully astonished expression at my request.

“M-me?”
“Yeah. I can’t use my right hand, right? I can’t take notes very well.”
“I’m sorry about that …”
“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant. ……”

Apparently, she felt that she was being blamed for the fact that I was injured while protecting Asagiri. I didn’t mean it that way at all, but the way I said it was wrong.

“Asagiri has pretty good grades, doesn’t she?”
“……How did you know?”
“Kurase told me.”
“When did you …… but I’ll tell you, Nanami is smarter than me, right?”
“Is that so? But I heard that Asagiri ranks higher in the school year, right?”
“That’s because she sometimes forgets to write her name or is off in the answer column,……, so I can’t compete with her on the ground.
“Oh …….”

I can kind of imagine.

“Well, I’ve never gotten a red mark, and I’m not worried about it, but I’m afraid that one day I might make some big mistake. Especially for exams.”
“I know what you mean. Well, anyway, Asagiri is smarter than me, so I want you to teach how to study. If that’s not possible, at least lend me your notebooks! Just like that!”

I bowed my head with my hands together.
I’m sure Asagiri would look proud of herself, but I can’t turn my back on her. I had to assume that at the worst I would be refused.

After a while, when no answer came back. I opened my eyes and looked at Asagiri, who was mumbling something on her own.
……What’s wrong?

“Asagiri?
“……..Well that’s okay, that much”
“I know right. I’m sorry ……, what?”
“I told you, it’s fine! Why are you surprised?”
“Oh, no, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, it took you so long to reply, and I kind of thought you were going to say no. ……”
“That’s because …… (I wouldn’t know what to talk about if it was just the two of us, and I’m sure we’d be getting pretty close if I had to teach you. ……)”

I don’t know what she’s rambling on about, but at least I know she’s OK with it.

“Thank you, that’s great.”
“N-nothing…..! And I was going to lend you at least my notebook even if you hadn’t told me!”
“Oh, really?”
“Because that kind of injury is also my fault. ……”

Asagiri’s expression darkened again. I told her not to worry about it, but I guess that’s impossible.

By the way, in a good way, Asagiri has become more expressive. Her expression changes so often that it was unimaginable before this.

“But why didn’t you ask Nanami for help?”
“No, I asked her, but she kind of turned me down. I heard then that Asagiri’s ranking in the test was better than Nanami’s.”
“…………”
“Asagiri?”

Huh? What’s up with the sudden silence? What’s wrong, did you become grumpy ……?

“Nothing!”

And like some actress, she replied bluntly.

I don’t …… know.
I have no idea what went wrong.

◆

Yesterday, after I contacted Arase, it was decided that he would watch me study. It was almost forced, though.

Since I usually skipped school, I was not allowed to get a red mark even on a test.
Since the climb, I had been trying to go to school.
Of course, it was partly because the teacher nailed me, but it wasn’t the only reason. Recently, I feel less aversion to school.

However, I still get the same looks from people around me, and they don’t talk to me. But I don’t get talked to at all anymore.
Some students now talk to me when we pass each other in the hallways.

Although there were certain students who would mainly talk to me, it certainly lowered the hurdle for me to go to school.

“Fufufuu~n…”

I walked down the hallway humming a tune I usually don’t sing. I usually feel bad when I am called to the staff room, but today was different.

I am now heading to Arase’s classroom to ask him to teach me how to study.

I wonder how I can tease him today.

“You know what? You’re on a roll, aren’t you?”

…… What?
Even though I was walking around in a good mood,…..
I heard a voice with a bad feeling coming and stopped in my tracks.
Curious, I peeked from the corner of the hallway at the direction the voice came from.

It was on the landing a little further up the stairs. There, a group of three girls were surrounding a student. The student surrounded by them was a plain-looking girl with glasses, while the students surrounding her were on the contrary flashy looking.

“Hmmm? Is this bullying?”

I muttered to myself as I peeked at them.

“It’s so boring, isn’t it?”

I didn’t feel very good about it. I am in the same lineage as the children surrounding me. So I myself am often seen or misunderstood as doing such things.
I’ve never actually done it, and I don’t know what it means, so this kind of thing just makes me uncomfortable.

“I’m sure you’ve talked to Nakamura-kun, right?”
“…… what are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb with me! You know that Saki likes Nakamura kun, don’t you?”
“..I don’t know anything about that.”
“Seriously, you’re annoying me. You…”
“Why don’t you leave it at that?”

I couldn’t stand to watch it any longer and unintentionally called out to her from below.
I was about to wave my hand down when one of the girls tried to wave her down, and I knew that violence was not the way to go.

The girls looked at each other and looked uncomfortable at my appearance.
There was a clear irritation on their faces.

For better or worse, my notoriety is useful at times like this.

“…………What do you want, senpai?”
“Nothing. I’m not a fan of violence.”
“I don’t want to hear that from you, though…”
“—ts”
“Let’s go.”

With that, the flamboyant girls left the scene.
They fought back a bit, ruining the mood I was in.

……Now. I’m not sure what to do.

I was wondering if I should talk to the girl with glasses in front of me, but it might be a nuisance to someone like me to talk to her.

“Um, thank you very much.”

I thought so, but unexpectedly she thanked me from the other side. I was surprised to see her face, which didn’t seem to be afraid of me.

“It’s nothing. I just saw you and felt uncomfortable, so I called out to you.”
“I see. I am grateful to you for helping me.”
“Are you not afraid of me, ……?”
“afraid…..?”
“Yes. I don’t know how to say this to myself, but I’m flashy like the girls I just talked about. I have heard nothing but negative things about me.”
“I only judge what I see with my own eyes. At least my current senpai is a nice person since she helped me out.”
“…… Hmm. Well, okay. Be careful not to get tangled up again, okay?”
“I don’t know about that. They are in the same class. As long as I go to school, I might get tangled up with them.”
“You’ve got your eye on the wrong person, haven’t you? Well, if you are happy with me, I will help you if I see you again.”

The girl with glasses bowed her head and left after I told her that.

“Haa, …….”

The girl who bullied that girl, I’ve seen her somewhere before. I’m not sure where it was.

“Well, never mind.”

I got myself together and went to the classroom where Arase was.
Well, how should I tease him today?

With that in mind, I opened the door to her classroom with great force.

“Arase, I’m here! By the way, I’m wearing the underwear I sent you a picture of yesterday.　……, eh?”
“Eh?”
“…… underwear?? Arase… …… what does this mean?”

I thought I was alone in the classroom, but for some reason Asagiri was there with him.