Ch.49 Let's Go to School ②
"Whyyyyyyyyy!!!"
When I got home, I was greeted by Sakura tackling me, accompanied by a scream reminiscent of Fujiwara 〇ba.
Continuing her momentum, she approached me, who was on my bottom.
I was literally crying.
"Ah, yeah. Are you talking about me transferring?"
"(Nod nod nod nod nod!)"
She nods so hard it feels like her neck is going to break.
I went back to my room and changed into my usual negligee.
Phew, I feel refreshed.
It had been a while since I had worn a uniform, so it felt quite stiff.
To maintain a neat and tidy appearance, I have to make sure to button the first button up.
Could it be because when I was a child I slept in a bad position and my neck was tight?
I hate tight clothes because I tend to have nightmares.
Feeling liberated, I collapsed onto the bed.
My bed could become another mom to me.
And so the bright red comet, which looked as if it was about to fly through the sky, has gone.
That would make me want to drop a meteorite.
After enjoying the warmth for a few seconds, I stood up and picked up two cartons of coffee milk from the small fridge at my feet, handing one of them to Sakura.
Delicious.
"Is that uniform Kaede's...?"
As I was breathing heavily in ecstasy, Sakura timidly asked me.
She looks so cute holding the carton in both hands.
She was looking at my uniform hanging on a hanger.
The uniform has an elegant design with a white base.
"Yeah, I decided to go to the same school as her."
"Ugh, I thought you went to the same school as me..."
"Well, that was my intention at first."
"Then I'll transfer..."
"As if you can. Do you know how hard it is to enter?"
"Fuguu."
Regardless of our feelings, I feel bad about causing so much trouble to the school and government.
"Sakura, did you want to go to school with me?"
I tried to tease her to change the mood a bit.
"……Yeah"
Oya, I was trying to tease her, but she responded honestly.
I expected her to be red in the face and flustered.
While stroking Sakura's head,
"It was Mitsuki who suggested that high school. She said it wouldn't be good for Sakura to be with me all the time."
"That's not the case at all..."
I don't know about that.
For Sakura, school will at least be somewhat fun, but it's unclear whether it will help her develop social skills.
Since that concert was a step forward for her as a person, we should refrain from dependency.
"...And Aria got convinced by that."
Her cheeks puffed up.
"She does have a point. Besides, academically, that school was a better fit for me."
"Ugh, trying to show off your academic ability... Y-you might get bullied or something."
Ah, is she talking about incurring the jealousy of other female students?
"You think I'm the type to keep quiet?"
I smiled brightly, and Sakura shook her head vigorously, her face turning pale.
Yes, I'm glad you understand.
My policy is to retaliate thoroughly if someone does something to me.
If necessary, I can even provide a large amount of shiny black C (I have a history of this).
"Well, either way, I didn't see any signs of that happening so don't worry."
With that, I reflected on the day.
◇◆◇
"ーMy name is Kisaragi Aria. Although I may look like this, I was born and raised in Japan, so I would be grateful if you could treat me as if I were your neighbor. Thank you."
After putting on a school uniform for the first time in a long while, I respectfully curtsied.
Although it is a prep school, this is still a school attended by normal children.
Knowing that this was different from the wealthy academy I had been attending until six months ago, I gave a polite greeting.
It's my own way of showing respect for myself.
Being born with Tier SSSSSSSSS looks, I thought I should act like a lady to the outside world.
After all, it's a mask I put on.
Is it true that there are live streamers who roleplay not as VTubers, but rather in their private lives?
That's true.
In fact, if I don't do that, I might get discovered.
The thing is, Sakura called me Aria casually, so i have to be careful.
Smile bomb!
Alright, some people fell.
I've also picked out the ones whose looking at my thighs when I curtseyed.
Well, when it comes to my thighs, I'm really proud of them.
I'm proud of my slender, soft and supple curves that are just as beautiful as my upper body.
I can take down both delinquents, who spend their days fighting, and refreshing young men, who dedicate their youth to sports and say, "I want to focus on this right now."
Even in rich schools, it was like that.
Well, obviously, I don't intend to do it proactively.
I have no interest in falling in love with either men or women.
If you want to seduce me, the only option is a hypnotizing uncle...!
If that really happened, would I start calling them "master" (heart) like in the erotic books?
Oops, the old man's soul is coming back.
By the way, that smile I just gave you was just a greeting, so please forgive me.
"Kisaragi-san."
"Yes"
"Eh, ah, yes."
Kaede and I reacted to the teacher's voice.
"Ah, sorry. I meant Kaede. You're Aria's cousin, right? Can I leave Aria in your care?"
Eh?! Everyone looked at Kaede with a confused look.
In reality, I'm more like her aunt... but in terms of blood relationship, she's a complete stranger.
Anyway, spiritually I am Kaede's aunt or uncle, but to avoid confusion, we have settled on just being cousins on paper. Kaede glances at the empty seat next to her.
"Understood"
Without caring about the stares of those around her, Kaede agreed with dignity.
Yep, this kind of unfazedness is just like Shin-nii.
The teacher looked in my direction as if to urge me on, so I returned a slight nod and headed for the seat next to Kaede.
I miss the feeling of having that gaze all to myself.
But it's the contents that matter.
It's like, "Don't worry about it."
"ー It's been half a year, Kaede. I look forward to working with you."
After sitting down, I decided to speak frankly to Kaede.
This shows that this is the tone of voice that I will use when I become more intimate with someone.
Well, even so, it's just the tone of voice.
I'll be doing a proper innocent role-play.
"Yeah. I'm surprised we're going to the same school."
"Did you think if I were going to go, it would be the same school as Sakura?"
"Yes, because you two are--"
I put my index finger to my lips and winked.
With just that, Kaede understood my intention and kept quiet.
"Thank you"
"I was careless."
"Fufu, what a good girl."
"I don't know what you're talking about"
As Kaede turned away, I chuckled.
Maybe the inability to be honest about her strong desire for approval is something she inherited from the Kisaragi family.
Homeroom ended and there was a short five-minute break.
Even during the short ten-minute breaks between classes, the crowds of students were enormous.
"Where did you go to school before, Kisaragi-san?"
"It's Kouou Academy."
"Wow, that was definitely a place rich people frequented. That makes sense."
"It has a nice atmosphere."
"Hey hey, Kisaragi-chan, what's your favorite food?"
"I think it's a white peach roll cake? I can't stop eating it with tea. I know that's bad for me, though."
"Wow!"
"Even someone like Kisaragi-san can get loose."
"I can sense a kinship~"
Actually, I'd rather have ramen or hamburger.
For drinks, the only option is regular commercially available coffee milk.
Banana milk and strawberry milk are also okay.
The key is that it contains milk.
However, milk only isn't really an option.
"So what about your hobbies?"
"A little bit about music. Nothing more than an amateur, though."
That's a lie, I'm a professional and I'm very confident.
"This one sounds good too. I'd like to listen to Kisaragi-san's singing voice."
Search it on the streaming site.
It's easily over a billion views.
I've become too strong.
"Kisaragi-san," "Kisaragi-san," "Aria-chan"... it's all so amazing.
Moreover, since students come from other classes and grades, the numbers are only increasing.
So, this kind of scene really does exist.
The hallways are full of people.
I thought it only happened in 2D.
Hey, this is the fourth time I've answered this question!
When I was thinking with a wry smile that at this rate lunch break was going to be a pain, Kaede intercepted the crowd.
"Aria, what about lunch?"
"I have a bento."
"Eh? Could it be Kisaragi-san's homemade?"
As soon as I took out my bento, wrapped in a cloth, from my bag, my other classmates immediately showed signs of interest.
"Yes, it's handmade."
My mother's, that is.
It's been about 30 years since I last had a bento frim my mother.
To be honest, I'm really looking forward to it.
"Let's go. If we keep dealing with them, we won't have time to eat."
Kaede said it as if to seize the opportunity first. What a way to say it.
Then she looked around at our classmates who had approached me.
"Shouldn't you guys be a bit more considerate? You've been bombarding her with questions."
Hearing Kaede's words, several people looked embarrassed, and some even showed unpleasant reactions.
"Oh, sorry, Class rep. You're right."
"I'm sorry too, Kisaragi-san."
"We were a little excited."
"Tch, what's with that arrogant attitude?"
"Such a good girl as always. Ugh."
Wow.
Wait, so Kaede is the class president.
"I'm sorry too, Aria. I'm sure everyone is still recovering from the effects of "him" being gone."
Him?
Suddenly, everyone's expressions darkened, as if they were attending a funeral.
…Maybe it’s best not to touch it now.
Following Kaede's lead, we arrived at an empty classroom at the end of the same floor.
I heard that this is the classroom used when students are sorted according to their academic ability for math or English classes.
We sat facing each other at the edge of the hall and munched away at our lunch boxes.
Hmm? Something's different from how I remember... Ah, I see.
I'm a woman now.
Of course the menu and presentation will be different from when I was a man.
It's stylish.
First, I take a sip of tea and then take a bite.
Delicious!
The bentos my mom makes are something else after all.
Personally, I like cold rolled omelets.
The taste changes over time.
"Half a day has passed, are you okay?"
Kaede said while holding a sandwich in a Tupperware container.
Munch munch, gulp.
"Yeah. I thought it would be more tense because it's a prep school, so I was pleasantly surprised."
"That doesn't mean there aren't any conspicuous people out there."
"Like Kaede?"
"...I won't deny it."
When I said it jokingly, she frowned slightly but agreed.
"A student's duty is to study."
"But it's also a place to foster communication."
Since our previous conversation made the future seem a bit uncertain, I'll give you some proper advice.
I don't think Shin-nii would be able to give that kind of advice.
"Many people mistakenly believe that getting into a good university and getting a job at a major company is the goal, but academic ability is actually the ability to get to the starting line."
It's the same with people who want ti become athlete.
Just because you've achieved your dream doesn't mean it's over.
Because life after you achieve your dreams is much longer.
"And communication skills are the power to get you off the starting line. After all, once you enter the workforce, you're faced with a lot of questions that have no answers. Sales and negotiations with clients are prime examples of this."
The ability to read other people's intentions can't be acquired through study.
The same is true of people who have diligently studied hard, as they are more likely to end up working for black companies.
Those kinds of people blindly trust the label of a company and don't even do proper research.
Because they were not able to develop the ability to think flexibly, the option of changing jobs did not occur to them until the very last moment.
"You know a lot about this."
I felt like she's looking at me a little differently now.
"This is my third time in life. I've had the chance to talk to a lot of different people."
"...I'll keep that in mind."
"Mmhmm. I'm glad I could be of some help."
"How can I put it, you know, you seem more like a teacher than the teachers here."
“I hate to say it, but the majority of teachers probably don’t know what it’s like to live in the rough seas of society. … When I came up against a scumbag customer, how many times have I wanted to kill them…!!”
"…………"
"Oops, excuse me."
I glanced at Kaede who looked shocked and cleared my throat.
I am back to normal!
Well, the teacher, in turn, has their mental health worn down by dealing with brats.
Both are hellish and hard work.
"By the way, who was that 'him' you mentioned earlier?"
"What about 'him'?"
"Well, it seems like everyone was worried about something. Was it something I shouldn't have asked?"
Maybe he died.
If that's the case, I'm sorry.
"Don't worry, Aria, you're just imagining things. It's just a transfer."
"Oh, I see."
That's good, I thought, relieved.
"He was such a popular guy."
"Maybe you've heard of him too.
ー That "Yamada"-kun."
"ー ! ...I see, he was at this school."
My eyes widened to the unexpected name.
I was so shocked that I almost forgot to breathe.
This feeling... Is itfear?
Am I shaking? Me?
"So you knew about it after all. I wonder if he was famous at Kouou Academy too?"
"That's true. I'm sure there were many students who suffered under his control. 'The Neru-Neru-Neru-Rar of the Dawn,' 'Prince Timey,' 'Yamander Z,' 'The General of Takenoko Village,' 'The Assassin of Kinoko Mountain,' 'Emperor Alfort,' 'Mosaic Eraser,' 'Three Size Catch Eye,' 'The Leader of the Usushio Gang...'"
"A few of his thousand nicknames."
Those words had me holding my breath, though...
◇◆◇
"Should we consider our missed encounter a blessing or a curse? It is up to future generations to decide."
Returning from my reminiscence, I was thinking seriously.
When I was at Kouou Academy, he was way above me.
But I'm sure I can fight on equal terms or better now.
"......!"
Then, I notices that Sakura's body is trembling.
"What's wrong, Sakura?"
Looking into her face, Sakura suddenly stood up with a bang,
"ーLike I said! Who! Who is Yamada?!"
Sakura's scream rang out.
――――――――――
Author's note :
I'll do it properly next time.
So... Goodbye, Yamada.