Chapter 3: Event Occurrence
Ayase’s self-introduction was brief and to the point.
Then, Mr. Tanaka conveyed various announcements.
There was no suspicious person information, nor anything that needed to be submitted. The announcements ended quickly.
“The morning homeroom is over, but actually, I forgot to prepare a desk and chair for Ayase… I was supposed to prepare it yesterday, but I was so busy that I forgot… I’m sorry, Ayase!”
Mr. Tanaka apologized to Ayase with his hands together in front of her.
Ayase responded with a wry smile that could be taken as a bitter one, saying it was totally fine, while some classmates threw teasing jeers at the teacher. Of course, it was all in good fun, thanks to Mr. Tanaka’s personality.
“Now, who shall I ask to go get Ayase’s desk and chair?”
Ah, yes, yes. The usual thing.
The scenario where someone has to go get the desk and chair with Ayase because they weren’t prepared.
Wait? Was this how it was supposed to go?
I was a bit confused by this unexpected development, which wasn’t in the manga, but I figured Takahashi would raise his hand or be nominated by the teacher to go. After all, he’s the protagonist.
“Teacher!”
It was Takahashi who energetically raised his hand. See, my prediction was right.
Maybe I’ll just take a nap until the class starts.
“What is it, Takahashi?”
“Tachibana said he’d bring the desk and chair!”
…Huh?
That’s strange. Tachibana, that’s me, isn’t it?
Oh, I see. Maybe it’s another Tachibana? Yeah, that must be it. It has to be.
“Good initiative. Then, Tachibana, could you please go get the desk and chair with Ayase? I was supposed to do it, but I’ve been so tied up that I forgot. Can I count on you?”
Wait, teacher, are you serious? And what about you, Takahashi? Are you out of your mind?
Hey, come on, this is where the protagonist, Takahashi, should step up as the class representative and volunteer, right?
Look, look—Ayase is glaring at me with such disdain.
What is Takahashi thinking?
“Uh, ah… yes.”
The bad Japanese trait of not being able to refuse a request came out.
I want to be someone who can firmly say no, but I don’t have the courage to outright refuse in front of everyone.
Tachibana, the nice guy who easily accepts everything!
Yeah, that’s exactly what a convenient person is. It’s sad…
Oh, no. Tachibana’s dark side is showing… Calm down, me. Don’t let Tachibana consume you. Take a deep breath… Okay, I’m calm.
I stood up, gathering the gazes of the entire class as I walked toward the teacher’s desk.
Ayase, could you please not look at me like I’m trash?
We’ve just met, and I haven’t done anything to offend you, but it’s a negative start right off the bat.
Typical of a disliked side character. Pitiful… me.
Also, the classmates glaring at me as if they want to kill me are really scary.
Is this it? An event with the super beautiful transfer student occurs!
Tachibana… am I the target of jealousy now?
Feeling overwhelmed… I wish someone would take my place.
“The desk and chair are in the storage room next to the gymnasium. Thank you!”
“Ah, yes. Got it. Where was the storage room again?”
“It’s near the gymnasium, so you should find it if you go there.”
“Understood. Then, let’s go.”
“…”
Ayase completely ignored me. The damage to my spirit was significant from that alone.
I’ll have to cast some recovery magic on myself later.
Ayase and I left the classroom, went down the stairs, and headed to the shoe lockers.
We changed into our loafers and headed toward the gymnasium, with Ayase following about ten meters behind me.
Do you dislike me that much?
Isn’t it okay not to be so distant?
My uniform doesn’t smell, and I shouldn’t have body odor. Probably…
Fortunately, we found the gymnasium quickly, and the storage room was nearby.
It looked like a small warehouse, a bit away from the school building.
I unlocked the door with the key I got from the teacher and entered.
“Hurry up and bring the desk and chair.”
“I’ll bring them. It’s dangerous to carry both the desk and chair at once, so just take the chair, please.”
“Ugh. What a hassle. Why do I have to do this with you…”
“If you have a complaint, please tell it to Hiroto Takahashi.”
“…”
Ayase hesitated a bit but then fell silent, seemingly having no intention of talking to me further.
When I turned on the light switch that seemed to be near the entrance, the storage room lit up, revealing its contents.
Mountains of cardboard boxes, signs that seemed to be used for the cultural festival, and various other items were haphazardly placed. It was called a storage room, but it was more like a junk room.
The desk and chair… were in the back.
“This place smells dusty. I’ll wait here.”
“You could help out a little.”
“No way. My new uniform will get dirty.”
“A little dirt won’t hurt. Stop being so selfish and help out. Do you want to stay in this dusty place forever?”
“…Tch.”
She clicked her tongue. I heard it loud and clear!
Seriously. The Ayase I know isn’t supposed to be this harsh.
Could this be Ayase’s true nature… No, that can’t be right.
I looked again at the desk and chair we were after.
They were surrounded by supplies and cardboard boxes, but that shouldn’t be a problem.
They were a bit dusty but in good condition and clean.
“Ayase, I found what we’re looking for. Can you help me out?”
“I already told you no. I’ll stay here.”
“Please, just listen to me. How many badges do I need for you to listen?”
“What? Don’t compare me to a monster that can be carried around. You’re really the worst.”
Wow, that’s harsh! If I were a masochist, I’d be in heaven right now.
Despite her complaints, Ayase entered the storage room and reluctantly came over.
“Here are the desk and chair. Can you pull them out?”
“Wait… they’re covered in dust. This is the worst.”
“We can wipe them off later. So, I’ll hold this down, and you pull, please.”
“Ugh… fine.”
I pushed aside a mountain of cardboard and unidentified wooden materials, managing to keep a path clear so we could get the desk and chair out.
Ayase came close enough to touch me and started pulling out the desk and chair.
However, as the support of the desk and chair was removed, the supplies piled up near the ceiling began to collapse like an avalanche.
With crushing sounds and loud thuds, all sorts of things collided and came tumbling down on us.
“Kyaa!?”
I immediately pushed Ayase out of the way.
As I pushed her, a pleasant scent tickled my nostrils.
Was it the smell of shampoo, conditioner, or fabric softener? I couldn’t tell.
Why am I worried about such things at a time like this?
Ayase fell on her bottom after being pushed by me, but she was safe from the avalanche. Naturally, I couldn’t escape and was caught in the avalanche of items.
Fortunately, only my legs were buried, and I was lucky to avoid any serious injuries.
Dust and debris danced all around us. Ayase and I covered our mouths with our hands and coughed.
“Damn it… I can’t move my legs. Ayase, go get help.”
“O-okay.”
Ayase tried to open the door, pushing aside the supplies that had flowed in, but it wouldn’t budge.
“It won’t open. We might have to clear away this trash.”
“Seriously? Then, since my legs are trapped and I can’t move, can you clear some of it away?”
“Okay.”
Ayase cleared the items off my legs, and I managed to free myself.
We cleared away enough debris to try opening the door, but it wouldn’t move at all.
“Could it be that something broke from the impact earlier?”
“Are we… trapped in here?”
“Yeah. But if someone realizes we haven’t come back, they’ll come to help us—”
That’s when I realized something.
In today's modern age, not having a digital device that you have to usually carry at all times, can be quite inconvenience in your daily life.
That’s right, I reflexively left my smartphone in my desk after Takahashi peeked at its screen.
“Hey, Ayase. Do you have your smartphone?”
“Smartphone? I have it—oh.”
I have a terrible feeling. Ayase’s guilty face is so cute that I can’t help but forgive her!
“What is it? My smartphone is in my bag. I left my bag with the teacher before coming here, so I don’t have it now. What about you?”
“Unfortunately, my smartphone is in my desk.”
“What? So what do we do? Just sit here and wait quietly?”
“It looks like that’s the case. We’ll have to wait quietly until someone notices we’re not back and comes to help us.”
“Ugh… this is really the worst. Sigh…”
Ayase folded her knees on the spot and curled up.
I also brushed the dust off the desk with my hand, sat on it, and sighed.
You know, aren’t events like this supposed to happen between the protagonist and the heroine?
Why am I with Ayase… hey, hey.
???
ReplyDeleteWhat is wrong with this bitch?