Translator: RaidenTL
While I was away in the bathroom for a moment, a commotion had broken out in the classroom.
"Hey, Miura."
My friend was looking at Tetsuya's drawing with a sleazy grin.
What was that bastard's name again? I heard it before...
"Huh...? What is it, Watanabe?"
Hearing Tetsuya's reply, I remembered it instantly.
Watanabe Takashi.
"What the hell kind of anime character is that you're drawing?"
"Ah, this isn't an anime character, it's..."
"Whatever. You can draw this character naked, right?"
"Huh...?"
"I'll be back after the next class, so have it drawn by then. Got it?"
It was phrased like a request, but the nuance was a command.
Miyuki was glaring at Takashi, who was swaggering around and bullying Tetsuya, her eyes practically boiling with rage.
Before she could step in, I quickly entered the classroom, and—
Smack—!
I smacked Takashi upside the head with the palm of my hand.
"Oof! Which son of a bitch...?"
Takashi spun around, clutching the back of his head.
When he saw me, his face crumpled.
"Ken...! You did this last time, too. Why are you doing this to me?"
"What do you mean, 'why,' you son of a... ahem... you punk. It's because you're sitting in my seat without permission. Move it."
"You fucking bastard..."
Takashi grumbled with genuine feeling as he got up from the chair.
As if to get revenge for the slap, he kicked the chair away so I couldn't sit down.
I grabbed a handful of his hair as he tried to return to his own classroom.
"Gyaaaah!! Ken!! Ken!!"
His head snapped back, and Takashi started screaming.
This guy's reactions are still as over-the-top as ever.
What a satisfying grip.
"Put the chair back."
"Hey, you fucker...! I'll kill you, for real...! Let go, you hear me?"
"Put it back."
"I'll do it...! I'll do it, you fucking... so just let go... Hnggggh! It hurts! I said it hurts!!"
I tightened my grip on his thick hair, and Takashi shrieked at the top of his lungs, stretching out his arm.
Barely managing to grab the back of the chair, he grunted and groaned as he pulled it back in front of my desk.
Only then did I loosen my grip and say,
"Go mess around in your own class. Don't cause trouble here."
In response, Takashi, who was frantically massaging his scalp, flipped me the bird.
If it were me, my pride would've been so hurt I would've charged him right then and there. What a poser...
I tossed him a snack from my desk drawer, and his expression immediately softened.
Such a simple guy. Almost to the point of being a little dim-witted.
After watching Takashi leave the classroom with a goofy grin, I glanced over at Miura.
Then, I gestured to his notebook with my chin and said in passing,
"Nice drawing."
"Ah, thanks... But I'd appreciate it if you didn't take it."
Wait, this bastard grovels before guys like Takashi, so why is he talking back to me?
Is he surprisingly comfortable around me?
Or is he trying to provoke me, getting ready for a fight?
Or could it be that he senses it instinctively? That I'm after Miyuki.
I want to just smack him one, but I'll hold back.
Building up affection with the people around Miyuki is the most basic of basics for winning her over.
I don't like that the target is Tetsuya, but if it's to atone for the bad karma I've built up, I can stomach this much.
Smacking my gum, I looked up at Miyuki, who was standing between us as always, and said with annoyance,
"You here to lecture me again?"
"Matsuda-kun, why are you so negative?"
"About what?"
"Whenever I approach you, you act like you've seen something you shouldn't have."
"That's because you're always coming over to nag me. Go play mom to Miura over there. What are you looking at?"
I shot a glare at the chubby classmate looking back at us, and he flinched and quickly turned his head forward.
Then, Miyuki called my name, just like she always does.
"Matsuda-kun."
Hearing that low, subdued voice makes me feel like I'm the one being trained.
It's supposed to be the other way around... This is bad.
I put on the weary expression of a teenager tired of his parents' nagging and said,
"I get it. I just have to sit still, right?"
Miyuki gave a satisfied smile at that and soon started chatting with Tetsuya.
A warm, friendly atmosphere.
The temperature is completely different from when she talks to me.
I'm getting jealous. Should I just change my attitude completely?
No. Let's stick to the plan. It's been working perfectly so far.
But hey, Miyuki. I haven't sworn once this whole time. Can't you give me some praise?
Are you not going to acknowledge how hard I'm trying?
This is sad... so sad.
"I've been hearing some strange rumors lately."
Said the school nurse as she leaned over to change my bandages.
Craning my neck to stare at her cleavage, I asked back,
"Like what?"
"That you've been doing a good job cleaning the bathrooms and paying attention in class. I even heard you came in on the weekend?"
"And that's a strange rumor?"
"It's not exactly normal."
When will I ever shake this damn delinquent image?
"All done. Be careful not to get it wet."
"Yes, ma'am."
"And turn your eyes somewhere else."
So she noticed I was staring at her chest.
But what am I supposed to do when they're right there?
Is there anyone on earth who could avoid looking at those jugs?
I'm sure there isn't.
Besides, she knows her own appeal and wears clothes that show off her chest... What a hypocrite.
Maybe I should just go ahead and make her a sub-heroine to conquer.
"You said you told the professor, right?"
"Yeah. How am I supposed to exercise in this condition? I'm not supposed to sweat."
"Then rest here for a bit before you go."
"Got it. But, ma'am. Do you happen to have a boyfriend? Or are you married?"
"I don't think that's any of your business."
Knock, knock.
A knock echoed through the nurse's office in the middle of our conversation.
The nurse called for them to come in, and the door slid open to reveal Miyuki in her gym uniform.
Her chest, which couldn't be hidden even by the baggy gym clothes, and her pale white shins visible below her shorts...
I want to run over and lick them right now.
"Hello, ma'am."
The school nurse greeted the politely bowing Miyuki with a smile.
"Hanazawa? What's wrong?"
"Ah, it's gym class... Matsuda-kun wasn't there, so I was looking for him... I thought he might be here, and he is."
The school nurse tilted her head.
"Isn't Matsuda-kun resting here? He told me he was allowed to skip gym class."
"Huh...? Is that right?"
"Yep. Ask him yourself."
I didn't expect Miyuki to come looking for me... This is an unexpected event.
Has she decided to start caring about me now?
Does she think I can be reformed?
Miyuki strode over to me on her long legs and asked,
"Did you talk to the professor?"
"Yeah."
"When?"
"Right during the break after the last class. The professor said it was fine."
"Oh, really...? I didn't know...?"
"Don't tell me you came to catch me skipping class?"
"Not to catch you... It would be more accurate to say I came to guide you..."
She's so pretty when she scratches her head in embarrassment.
I wiped the tip of my nose with my hand and waved her away.
"My conscience is clear, so you can go now."
"No... I mean, I'm going, but... I just can't believe that you actually spoke to the professor yourself, Matsuda-kun...?"
"If you think I'm lying, go ahead and call him to check."
"No... I'll believe you. And, Matsuda-kun."
"What."
"You seem to be changing a lot lately."
Those were the words I'd been wanting to hear.
It feels good. But not good enough to send me over the moon.
Maybe it was because I had just compared the distance between me and Tetsuya again.
But let's not worry. In terms of the situation itself, you could say things are going very smoothly.
"Changing? Me?"
"Yeah. You haven't been swearing lately, and you're doing your assigned tasks diligently. The guys were saying they like how clean the bathroom is. But..."
"But?"
"I'd like it if you could... refrain from violence. Seeing you grab Watanabe Takashi's hair like that earlier... it wasn't a good look. I'll make an exception for the pervert incident... It was extreme, but I was really grateful."
Miyuki's words, telling me not to use violence, could be a huge help to me later on.
I used to hang out with the delinquent students, the ones they call 'Yankees' in Japan.
And they were playing a childish yakuza game within the academy.
You know the type. They make a club, call the members inside their 'family'...
They frequently get into gang fights if they have a problem with students from other academies, and if someone tries to leave the club, they'll do whatever it takes to stop them.
And while I wasn't the top dog of that club, I was in a position where I was respected by the guys in it.
This was an excellent weapon I could use later.
If I start to distance myself from the guys I was close with and hang out with the model students, they'll eventually voice their complaints to me.
I'll face that complaint head-on, and when they ask why I'm not hanging out with them anymore, I'll say that playing delinquent isn't fun anymore...
Enraged by this, they'll beat me to a pulp, and I won't even fight back...
And then, as I'm lying on the rooftop, bleeding, Miyuki will approach, having heard the rumors.
Seeing my battered state, she'll ask why I just stood there and took it.
And that's when I'll look at Miyuki with melancholic eyes and answer.
'You told me not to fight.'
After that, the image of me groaning as I get up and limp off the rooftop...
That's a super-sized affection boost right there, you know?
'Is this too much of a fantasy?'
Of course, there was no guarantee the situation would unfold exactly as I wanted.
It was also a mystery how the guys from that club would react to me.
So for now, let's just focus on raising Miyuki's affection level even more.
If something similar to what I just imagined ever happens, I'll use it carefully then.
I shrugged and refuted Miyuki's point.
"Shouldn't you be praising me instead? I thought you hated Takashi."
"I do. I hate him. But he's your close friend, isn't he? I was just giving advice from an objective standpoint."
"If I hadn't chased him off, Miura would have kept getting bullied."
"No, that's not true. I was about to step in and stop him."
"You think you could have stopped Takashi, the guy who sexually harasses you whenever you talk to him?"
"Well, no, but... I could have just called the professor..."
I worry about how our Miyuki is going to survive in this cruel world with that gentle personality of hers.
"It's obvious what would have happened in the time it took you to go get the professor. You know what kind of guy Takashi is."
"... I guess that's true."
"See? You honestly thought it served him right, didn't you?"
"Matsuda-kun, do you hang out with Watanabe Takashi because you like him?"
She's changing the subject.
She must have found it refreshing to see Takashi get what he deserved.
I can read her like a book.
"He's an idiot, so he's easy to use."
"Like you?"
"....."
Miyuki has a habit of landing a punch without any warning.
It's probably proof that she's gotten more comfortable around me, but it's still flustering.
Miyuki giggled at my dumbfounded expression and continued.
"I'm kidding. Thanks for helping Tetsuya-kun today. I hope you'll stop bullying him and the two of you can get along."
I have no intention of doing that.
No, wait. If getting along with Tetsuya means my relationship with you will improve... maybe I can at least act the part?
"Do I really have to?"
"Yes. You've bullied him until now, so if you approach him with a sincere apology for that, Tetsuya-kun will forgive you. He's a kind person."
"Don't wanna."
"I believe the changing Matsuda-kun will do it. Class is about to start, so I'm going to go. Rest well, and don't skip the next class."
After delivering her notice, Miyuki scurried out of the nurse's office.
Grumbling to myself, I lay down on the bed and pulled the curtain halfway.
Then I spoke to the school nurse.
"Ma'am, I'm thirsty."
"Go get some water from the dispenser yourself."
But I want to drink the milk-flavored medicine that comes from your healing pouches...
Swallowing those last words, I closed my eyes.