I Want to Have a Girlfriend Too - Chapter 54

Nostalgic reflections… it’s not my fault, you know?

 

“….Sigh.”

 

　Saijouin’s heavy sigh echoes in the student council room.

　After school on the day I received Saijouin’s Christmas invitation, the student council is busy as ever today.

 

　I, too, am currently working for free, ignoring the work-styles reform.

　…Oh, I want to get paid.

　Yasu〇-san… please bless this black student council!

(tn: Censored.)

 

“What’s the matter, Saijouin-chan?”

“Yousuke-san? …No, I just got a headache looking at this.”

 

　Saijouin showed Senpai a file.

 

“Hm? This is a closed file with all students’ reflections.”

 

　Senpai receives the file from Saijouin.

　Wow, the student council keeps such a file.

　I thought the teachers just made us write them and put them in the shredder.

 

“Please take a look inside…sigh.”

 

　Saijouin sighs for the second time.

　Oh, come on, sighing is a way to lose your happiness, lady.

 

“This is―――?! This is amazing… “

 

　Senpai looks inside, surprised, and gives me a glance.

　What’s the matter, Senpai? Why are you looking at me?

 

“What’s wrong? ―――wow… “

 

　Kagurazaka, too, looks at the file Senpai is holding and looks at me in surprise.

　What’s the matter with you? What’s the use of looking at me like that?

 

“What happened?―――Oh my God, Nozomu-kun… You’re amazing!”

 

　Maya-nē looks at the file and turns to me, too.

　Wait, what did I do? I’m really curious.

 

“Hey, why are you looking at me so surprised? “

“Take a look at this.”

 

　Saijouin and Senpai then show me a file.

　I looked into the file, too, and found something I had missed neatly closed.

 

“Oh, isn’t this the reflection I’ve been writing?”

 

　I miss it so much. I don’t remember much since I have been asked to write reflections on various things, but I feel something nostalgic when I look at it like this.

　So much has happened…

 

“Wow, …200 closed files all contain Tokimori-kun’s reflection.”

 

　Wow, I didn’t know I’d been writing that many reflection letters.

　That’s a little surprising.

 

“I’ve never seen a student who has to write so many reflection essays like this……”

 

　Saijouin puts her hand on her forehead.

　Don’t be so shocked.

　Everyone has written at least one reflection letter, right? It’s just that I write more than others.

 

“This one is―――[I’m sorry for playing tag with my classmates in the middle of class――――.] Hey, you didn’t write it seriously, didn’t you?

 

　Maya-nē looks at my reflection and is a little impressed.

　Even I, Maya-nē, write properly when I’m reflecting properly.

 

“Moreover, the teacher’s comments are written on the boy’s reflection―――[To be honest, I’ve never seen anyone play tag in class, but if you are sorry for it, please attend the class properly next time.] “

“…I guess it’s only in this school that people play tag in class.”

 

　Kagurazaka is appalled, but I don’t think that’s true.

　In any school, it’s not unusual for jealous boys to attack you with blunt objects, you know?

 

“Uh, next, ――― [Hey, teacher. I don’t think I’m so bad. I mean, they were the ones who chased me, and I was the victim.] …You don’t seem to be reflecting at all.”

“You’re rather open-minded, aren’t you?”

“I’m sorry. But seriously, I’m only a victim.”

 

　It’s always the same. I just got caught up in it. If it weren’t for those guys, I’d be a super straight-A student, you know?

　Well, even now, I’m still an honor student.

 

“That being said, the teacher’s response to Tokimori-kun is [Hey, Tokimori. Don’t you know the word ‘Kenka ryōseibai?’? That’s why you’re an idiot.].”

“Wait, he knows I’m the victim there, right? Then why did he insult me? “

(tn: Kenka Ryoseibai is one of the legal principles of medieval and early modern Japan. The principle that both parties should be punished equally in a fight regardless of the reason.)

 

　I was surprised at his comment.

　It’s the first time I’ve ever had a teacher write bad things to a student. I mean, he knows I’m a victim, right? If that’s the case, why do you make me write a letter of remorse?

 

“Next up――[ Hey, teacher? Why are you making me do this? Hey, why? Why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why]…scary! …I’m scared, boy.”

“How cornered were you, Nozomu-kun…?”

“I was in so much pain at the time…”

 

　I recall with deep emotion the scene when I wrote that reflection.

　The body is hurt by the boys, and the student guidance room is cold.

　The door was locked from the outside, and we were made to sit on the hard floor instead of chairs while writing our reflections. ――Ah, it was really painful at that time.

 

　What is it? Why are my tears leaking?

 

” [I’m sorry, Tokimori… this teacher didn’t mean to push you that hard. Take a good rest today and go see a psychiatrist tomorrow.].

 

　…Now that I remember it, the teacher was strangely kind to me at that time.

　It should have been the teacher who pushed me over the edge.

 

“…Sigh, so, finally, Tokimori-San’s reflection couldn’t be contained any longer.”

“Ah, so that’s why you were sighing.”

 

　Saijouin sighed again for the third time.

　Hey, isn’t that a bit rude?

　I don’t like to write my reflections either, okay?

 

“Tokimori-san, please put this file back on the shelf by yourself.”

“Kay’!”

 

　I take the file from Saijouin and put it back on the shelf.

　Then, I find a similar file on the shelf.

 

“What’s this? “

 

　The file was labeled [Reflections (2)].

　I look inside the file and see that it is ―――

 

[It’s all Tokimori’s fault!]

[That’s right! Because he is the one who is keeping all the happiness to himself!]

[It’s unreasonable, I haven’t killed Tokimori yet, and I have to write a letter of remorse… ]

 

“There are only boys in our class who talks like this…”

 

　There was a reflection letter from our class, which was as packed as mine.

　――I guess they’re writing as many reflection essays as I am.

 

　That’s why I hate idiots.

　They should learn from honor students like me.

 

　I put the file back on the shelf, disgusted by the stupidity of my classmates.

 

* * *

 

“Well, that’s enough for today.”

 

　Saijouin then dismisses everyone.

 

　Ah! I’m finally done!

　Really, working for free is just exhausting.

　I move my body to loosen my stiffness.

 

“Good work!”

“Good work〜! “

 

　Senpai Maya-nē has started to get ready to leave.

 

　Well, I’d better get ready to go home, too.

　I stop my work and close my open computer.

 

“Maya-nē and Kagurazaka, let’s leave quickly… ――――Huh? Where’s Kagurazaka? “

 

　I try to call out to them to go home, but Kagurazaka is nowhere to be found.

　That’s strange, isn’t it? I thought she was there before…

 

“Oh, boy. Kagurazaka-chan said she was going to the staff room and left.”

 

　Senpai said to me as he prepared to leave.

　…staffroom? What could she be doing there?

 

“Thank you, Senpai. ――What do you think, Maya-nē? Should we go home early, or should we wait until Kagurazaka comes? “

“I’m okay with waiting〜! “

 

　Maya-nē agreed as she sat on the sofa.

　…It would be a pity to leave her alone, I thought.

 

　Her bag is here, and I’m sure she’ll come back.

 

　I sat next to Maya-nē and waited for Kagurazaka slowly.

 

* * *

 

(*Alice’s point of view)

 

“Now, that’s all the procedures.”

 

　The homeroom teacher then put the papers on the desk with a thump.

　I was alone in the teacher’s room because I had to go through some procedures.

 

“Thank you very much.”

 

　I say thank you to the teacher.

　At the same time, I felt relieved that the procedure had been successfully completed, and I patted my chest a little.

 

“But Kagurazaka-san――are you sure? “

“What do you mean…? “

 

　I don’t understand what he means, and I can’t help but ask back.

 

“Don’t you have to tell everyone? “

 

　He asked me again, looking worriedly at my face.

　I was glad for his concern, but it made my heart tighten.

 

“I’m fine, sensei.――Thank you for your concern.

 

　I smile weakly, bow to him, and leave the teacher’s office.

　I still wonder,

　I wonder if this is really the right thing to do.

 

　But I didn’t have enough courage to tell everyone.

　Maybe I should tell them.

　I know in my head that it’s the right thing to do.

 

　I go back up the stairs to the student council room.

　When I opened the door, I found Maya Senpai and Tokimori-kun waiting for me.

 

“Oh, welcome back!”

“You’re back early!”

 

　When they saw me, they greeted my return in light tones.

　Seeing the way they were relaxing, they must have been waiting for my return.

 

“Sorry! Thank you for waiting for me! “

 

　I thank them cheerfully.

　Then I hurry to get ready to leave so as not to keep them waiting.

 

“Well, shall we go home?”

“Yes! “

“Let’s go〜.”

 

　Tokimori-kun gives the signal, and we leave the quiet student council room.

　And then we all go home together, laughing and chatting.

 

 

 

 

 

　I am afraid.

　I’m afraid that I’ll break this relationship. That they’ll look at me differently when I’m not able to tell them.

 

　The time will come, but for the life of me, I lack the courage.

　Thus, I entered the winter break without telling everyone, and the long-awaited Christmas Eve arrived.