I Went Back to Being a High School Student Again, but I Was Rejected by My Childhood Friend, Whom I Thought Was In Love With Me, So I tried to Suicide With the Most Beautiful Girl In the School. - Chapter 10

Assignment

　A few days have passed since Koyoi expressed her feelings for me.

　During that time, I did not go to the supplementary classes but worked hard at my part-time job.

　Koyoi contacted me once to tell me to study hard, but she never told me to come to the school.

　Anyway, I have a part-time job today.

　When I had finished getting ready and was about to leave my room, I heard a call on my cell phone.　

　I looked at the incoming call screen and saw that it was from Natsuki.

　There is still some time before my part-time job starts, so I answer the phone.

[ Are you studying well? What about your assignments? ]

　It was out of the blue.

“I haven’t done it…”

[ I knew it. ]

　Sighing, she continues to ask me.

[ When is your next day off, part-timer-kun? ]

“My next day off is, uh… this Friday.”

[Then Friday, 1:30 at the family restaurant we went to the other day. Bring your assignment sheets and meet me there. ]

　Natsuki says what she wants to say and hangs up the phone.

　I was a little annoyed that she filled up my schedule without asking if I wanted to… but I guessed she was worried about my lack of studying and couldn’t ignore my situation.

　I wrote down the schedule on my cell phone calendar and went to my part-time job.

* * *

　And then Friday came.

“Hmm, you’re here.”

　When I arrived at the family restaurant, Natsuki was already sitting in her school uniform.

　Naturally, she must have been on her way home from the supplementary class.

“Have you had lunch? “

　Natsuki was eating a bowl of creamy pasta while asking me.

“I already ate.”

　I stop the waitress and ask for a drink bar.

“Well then. I’ll help you with your assignment when I’m done. You should be grateful.”

　Natsuki says to me proudly as she takes a forkful of pasta and puts it in her mouth.

“Yes-yes, thank you very much.”

　I responded appropriately and glanced at her sideways.

　She is a busy student. She should have spent more time on her own study.

　But she is taking time out to help me with my assignments, even though I am a person who skips supplementary classes.

　She is much more good-natured than I thought.

“Why? “

　She asks me, wondering as she has noticed my gaze.

“Do you want more drinks? “

　I look at the glass in front of Natsuki and see only a small amount of light brown liquid left in it.

“Iced tea.”

　She replied curtly.

　I go to the drink bar and pour myself and Natsuki’s drinks into our glasses.

　I hand her the iced tea as I return to my seat.

“Hm, thanks.”

　Then I sip my oolong tea and start to take out my assignments from my bag.

　This was the first time I saw the contents of the assignment in my second life.

　Some of the things I had studied in high school were completely forgotten, but some of them I remembered surprisingly well.

　I looked at the assignments, flipping through them with a sense of nostalgia.

“I’m done.”

　After a while, Natsuki seemed to have finished her lunch.

　She wiped her desk with a hand towel after the waitress took her plate.

“Do your assignments as you see fit, and if you have any questions, just ask me.”

　So I asked her questions without any hesitation.

” …. “

” …. “

“What is this? Are you really ranked 20th in the class? “

“Maybe I’ve been working part-time so much that it slipped off my mind.”

“This is not a laughing matter…”

　Natsuki, who was listening to my questions, looked beyond dumbfounded to seriously worried.

　However, Natsuki’s teaching style was really good.

　I could recall some problems I had forgotten with surprising clarity.

“You learned to do it right after I taught you…”

“Natsuki’s teaching was so good that I remembered it immediately.”

“In the first place, it’s strange that you’re a student, but you’re working part-time so much that you forget what you need to study for the exam.”

　After saying this, Natsuki checked the time on her watch.

　I also checked the time on the wall clock in the store.

　We took a break and studied, but it was already 17:00.

　I was focussing so hard on my study that it seemed like a blink of an eye.

“I’m tired because I’ve been studying all afternoon. That’s it for today. I’ll see you next time.”

“Are you going to help me with my assignment again…? …are your own studies okay? “

“Are you saying that to me? “

　Natsuki gives me a blank look.

　She then continues.

“Don’t worry. I’m not looking after your studies for free.”

“Are you asking for my part-time job money…? “

“No, I’m not.”

　She rests her cheek on the table and continues.

“I don’t know anything about this town. Show me around. “

* * *

　After paying the bill at a family restaurant, she told me to take her to any recommended spot, so I brought her to a place I remembered.

　It was a river where I used to hang out with my friends when we were in elementary school.

“Wow, I didn’t know such a beautiful river existed.”

　It is past five o’clock in the evening. The surroundings are still bright enough.

　The surface of the water, reflecting the sun’s rays, was glittering.

　I hadn’t been to this place for a long time.

“Hey, can we fish here? “

　Natsuki looked at an old man holding a fishing rod.

“This place is famous for catching ayu fish, you know?”

“I want to fish too! “

　Natsuki said with a happy smile on her face.

“I don’t have a fishing rod. Usually, I borrowed one from my friend, and we need a fishing ticket from the fishermen’s cooperative association to do that, so we can’t fish.”

　When I said that clearly, Natsuki looked disappointed and said, “I guess we can’t…”.

“But let’s go into the river.”

　With that, Natsuki took off her socks and shoes and went barefoot into the river.

“It’s so cold! “

　Interestingly, Natsuki is excited and in high spirits.

“You should come over here too! “

　I take off my sandals and get into the river, thinking it’s a hassle.

“Cold!”

　I wondered what made her like that, but for some reason, I was also surprised by the coldness of the river.

　I looked at Natsuki, who was trying to grab a visible ayu fish with her hand in and out of the river, but without any success.

“I feel like it’s hitting my fingertips.”

　She says, frustrated.

　I also try to grab it, but the result is the same as Natsuki’s. I still don’t feel like I can grab it even though I can touch it.

　After a while, Natsuki and I sat down side by side on the rocky river bank, dipping our feet in the river.

“I’ve never eaten ayu fish before. “

” It has a lot of small bones, but it’s delicious when it’s grilled with salt.”

“I see… I’ll try a little harder then.”

　After rolling up her arms sleeves, Natsuki said.

“Don’t do it. I didn’t tell you because there’s no way you could catch it, but you must also have a fishing ticket to catch it by hand here.”

“So it was all for nothing, then! “

　Natsuki looks at me reproachfully.

“That’s how it is.”

　Natsuki’s disappointment made me smile.

　It’s very rare to see her like this since she is always so quiet at school.

“I was born and raised in Tokyo, so this is the first time I’ve done something like this… Could have been pretty fun.”

　Natsuki said, looking at the water with a smile on her face.

　I decided to ask her what was on my mind.

“Why is it that all of a sudden you want to know about this town…? “

“Next year, I’m getting into a university in Tokyo and leaving this sh*thole. Maybe I’ll never come back here.”

　Natsuki said this without any expression of sadness on her face, just saying it plainly.

“I don’t have any good memories of this place. When I grow up and remember this town, I’m sure I’ll only think it was the worst place I’ve ever been to.”

　If she had lived far into the future, she would have been right about that since she would inevitably recall a set of memories from high school when she was bullied.

“But… I don’t know anything about this town. It’s not right for me to say it was a sh*thole when I don’t know anything about it, I guess? I just want to know what this sh*tty countryside has before I say it’s a sh*thole.”

“A sh*thole, huh… It’s normal for people to slam anything irresponsibly without knowing them well, right? “

　Hearing Natsuki’s words, I said so, though I was aghast.

　Irresponsible bad-mouthing of others is a common thing even these days.

“That’s the same as those who speak ill of me without knowing me well. I am a much better person than them…so I won’t do such boring things.”

　Natsuki’s words convinced me.

　It might have been something like her willpower, too.

　I don’t deny or accept her words.

　It didn’t matter if she was right or wrong, but I think it’s hard to live with those kinds of thoughts.

　To me who was silent, Natsuki looked down and muttered.

“But… thanks to you, I might like this place a little bit.”

　Before I knew it, the sun was setting as I looked at her profile.

“Next time, I’ll show you another place.”

　Hearing my words, she glanced at me.

“Okay, thanks.”

　Natsuki murmured softly.

　She looked happy――Natsuki’s cheeks were slightly tinted vermilion in the light of the evening sun.