Nexus Translations

  SS (Short Story) - Ayase's Treasure Riko Ayase woke up to the sound of her alarm. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she got up and slowly left her room. She headed straight to the bathroom, washed her face to force herself awake, and dried her face with a towel before moving to the living room, where she immediately turned on the TV. Since it was a weekend morning and none of the programs interested her, she quickly turned off the TV. She walked to the kitchen and began preparing instant coffee. After boiling the water, she opened a packet of instant coffee and poured it into a mug. With the steaming mug in hand, she sat down on the sofa. "...Hehe." Sipping her coffee, Ayase looked at her smartphone screen and smiled. Displayed on the screen was a photo taken recently when she had hung out with Tachibana and the others. The photo featured Tachibana, Takahashi, Kushibiki, and Ayase. While Takahashi and Kushibiki, being used to taking photos, struck proper poses, Tachibana looked

  Chapter 22 - On the Bus After seeing off the exhausted Kushibiki, Takahashi also got on a different train and went home. Ayase and I were left standing in silence. Despite the bustling crowd at the station, we were like strangers to each other. It was already past seven in the evening. While still early for adults, it was a time we students needed to be careful. There were strange men lurking around, and the darkness made it easier for suspicious individuals to hide. Additionally, staying out too late could get us picked up by the police. So, it was best to head straight home after parting ways. "Shall we go home?" I said. "Yeah," Ayase replied. "Are you taking the train?" I asked. "I'm taking the bus. What about you, Tachibana?" "Same here." "I see." Our simple exchange felt oddly awkward. This was only the second time Ayase and I had been alone together, the first being the incident when we got trapped in the storage r

  Chapter 21 - Bowling High school students have way too much energy, don't they? Think about it. They attend classes from morning until three in the afternoon, and then they play or hang out until the evening. And for those in sports clubs, they push their bodies until it gets dark, without taking any breaks on weekends or holidays. They have too much energy! Why are high school students so full of energy and vitality? It might be because they're in their teens, a prime age for physical activity, and perhaps their activities aren't as tiring as work. Even so, couldn't they take a break or study a bit more? At Ononai, the school I attend, club activities are generally prohibited on weekends. This is part of the school's policy to balance academics and extracurriculars and to prevent an excessive focus on club activities. So why did I start thinking about this? Today is the first day of Golden Week. I made plans to hang out with Takahashi and the others, and the sche

Chapter 20 - Getting Excited? I think the karaoke session is really taking off. Thanks to the sacrifice of the first performer, everyone, including Takahashi, has relaxed and is enjoying singing their favorite songs. Takahashi has a wide range of tastes and is singing various genres. Ayase is mainly choosing J-pop songs, but since it's her first time at karaoke, she’s quite fresh and innocent about it. Kushibiki is the best singer among the four of us. Naturally, since she’s actually a V-streamer named Hoshimiya Azusa. Knowing that she sings well, it feels like Hoshimiya Azusa is performing when I close my eyes! Of course, I got extremely excited imagining Hoshimiya Azusa doing a live performance in my head, but Kushibiki stepped on my foot and brought me back to reality. Damn... when I open my eyes, it’s Kushibiki. When I close my eyes, it’s Hoshimiya Azusa. What a sinful woman. The drink bar offers unlimited drinks for a set fee, so I’ve been going back and forth between the room

  Chapter 19 - Golden Week Golden Week. It refers to a long holiday from April to May. For students, it's about a week-long break, and most of them would be overjoyed, throwing their hands in the air. Some might go on trips, hang out with friends, or just relax alone. For me, Golden Week is just a minor break. If I went out anywhere, it would be crowded and suffocating. I wonder, isn't it stressful to go out and be jostled by such crowds? I think it's better to go sightseeing or have fun on weekdays when there are fewer people, but in Japan, where it's hard to take days off, that's impossible. So, unless there are long holidays like Golden Week, people can't do that. Ugh. When I become an adult, will my eyes also look dead, working late into the night while my boss nags me? Well, my eyes already look dead. Without dreams or goals, just figuring out how to get through the day and enjoy a little break. And those breaks are often consumed by sleep or just lazing ar

Episode 18: Sharing Secrets I managed to have a conversation with Kushibiki. I even got my smartphone back, but an unnecessary remark from me angered her, and I was forced to leave. I meant it as a compliment, but maybe it was too blunt? I prefer the genuine Kushibiki over the cutesy one. She seems more human that way. Well, I got to talk to her and got my phone back. The rumors haven’t been resolved at all, but that’s okay. Now it’ll be interesting to see how Kushibiki acts. The next day. There are three days left until Golden Week. Perhaps because we’re about to have a week off, the classroom was unusually lively. I could hear bits of conversation about where to go and plans to stay overnight. For someone like me who doesn’t mind spending time alone, it’s the perfect break. I’ll clean my room, organize my manga and books. I’ll catch up on games I’ve accumulated and go on a shopping spree for manga and light novels. My Golden Week is already filled with solo plans. Sorry about that. A

Episode 17: I’ve Left My Pride Behind! “Thank you! I’m going to frame this and make it my family heirloom!” “You don’t need to go that far! Are you an idiot!?” “I’m fine with being an idiot! Ahh, Azuchi’s autograph. The one and only in the world, written just for me. Muhahaha! Duhuhuhu!!!” “Ew, gross!? Don’t get happy like some creepy old-school otaku! Ugh… I’m starting to feel sick…” Kushibiki is so harsh. Otaku, you see, are people who pursue their hobbies to the extreme and enjoy them. It’s outdated to dismiss such people as creepy and discriminate against them. What’s wrong with saying you like what you like! I think it’s much more radiant to have things and hobbies you love than to spend your days in nothingness. Kushibiki just doesn’t understand yet… Uh, excuse me, Kushibiki? You shouldn’t look at me with such disgust, as if you’re looking at trash—ahaha! “Who would have thought that Azuchi herself would be so close by? What a lucky man I am…” Even though I’m influenced by Tachib

Chapter 16 - Counterattack The next day, I left home more than an hour early and headed to school. It wasn’t because I’d gone crazy or suddenly become serious. It was all because of what happened yesterday. The dopamine rush hadn’t stopped, and I hadn’t slept a wink. I couldn’t stay put, so I decided to go to school and calm down. However, the lack of sleep had consequences. Dark circles formed under my eyes, and I felt both tired and nauseous—a double whammy. My overall condition was terrible. School, classes, and tests were all irrelevant. I needed to return Kushibiki’s planner as soon as possible and find out the truth. I’ve made it to school. Despite pedaling my bike with all my might, I’m surprisingly not worn out and feel quite lively. The classroom was empty. I sat in my seat, fiddled with my phone, and wandered around the room. As time passed, classmates started showing up, but Kushibiki was still absent even after the start of homeroom. “Um, Kushibiki is absent due to illness.

Chapter 15 - The unimpressive Attacker Should I resist like in a Hollywood movie? It seems I have no choice. There’s no guarantee it will work out as well as in the movies, but it’s better than getting zapped by a stun gun without putting up a fight. I immediately take action. I quickly turn around and aim for the stun gun she’s holding. I grab her right hand, the one with the stun gun, and flail it wildly, managing to knock the stun gun away. She must not have expected me to resist, as she’s caught off guard. I press the attack, pushing her down and reversing our positions. Checkmate. What an anticlimactic end. If this were a movie, there would be a twist or sudden development from here. But there’s no such dramatic turnaround like in fiction. I rip off the mask and knit cap hiding her face. There was some resistance, but being on top means I have the advantage. The mask and knit cap come off, revealing her face… “Kushibiki…? Why are you?” Kushibiki, deciding that further resistance w