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 8

Summer Vacation

　It is the first day of summer vacation.

　――Even though it is the first day of summer vacation, it is not possible for high school seniors to have fun and play around.

　Today is the first day of supplementary classes, and many of my classmates are probably at school to take them.

　However, I, who had not thought seriously about the college entrance examinations in this second round of my life, decided to get a part-time job at a pizza delivery place in my neighborhood.

　The hourly wage was 790 yen, far below the minimum wage in Tokyo that I know.

　Although I thought the hourly wage was too low to spend my precious time as a high school student, it was quite high for this rural area.

　I had a moped license, and I was delivering pizzas to many places in this hot weather.

　This evening, after finishing my first day of work without any problems, I was in the waiting room, changing my clothes. Then I checked my cell phone and noticed that I had received several text messages.

　The sender was Natsuki, with whom I had exchanged e-mail addresses just the other day by the nostalgic method of infrared communication.

[ Late? ]

[ Feeling unwell? ]

[ Or are you skipping class? ]

[ Don’t ignore me ]

　The very short message conveys her anger.

　It seems that Natsuki has been taking supplementary lessons.

[ Skipping class ]

　I send a text message, and to my surprise, Natsuki calls me within a minute.

　I press the call button and get a response from her saying.

[ What are you skipping school for? ]

　A grumpy voice comes over the phone.

“I was working part-time.”

　She replied, [ What, working part-time? ] she said confusedly.

“Pizza delivery. Do you have a coupon? It’s really cheap.”

[ No, I don’t have a coupon. Or rather, you’re not taking the college entrance exam? ]

“… ah, I’m planning to take the exam.”

[ …have you finished your part-time job today? ]

“Yeah, I finished.

[ Can you come to the family restaurant near the west station now? ]

“I can, but――”

　What do you want? Before I asked her, she continued.

[ Well, be there in 10 minutes. ]

　Natsuki said and hung up the phone.

　I looked at the phone in my hand and let out a sigh.

* * *

“Oh, you’re early.”

　When I arrived at the designated family restaurant, Natsuki was already there in her school uniform, drinking an iced tea.

　I sat down across from her and said

“That’s because you told me to be here in 10 minutes.”

　I complain to her.

　Natsuki, however, dismisses my complaint with a cool face and says

“Why don’t you ask for something? “

　Then she hands me a menu.

　Without looking at it, I order a drink bar.

　Then I get up, pour myself a glass of oolong tea, and return to my seat.

　I take a sip and quench my thirst.

“So? “

　Natsuki asks me what I want to ask.

“That’s my line…”

“Why are you working part-time at this time of the year when you’re planning to take the entrance exam?”

　With a serious expression on her face, Natsuki says to me.

“Oh, so that’s what you mean.”

“Where are you going to go to college?”

　At Natsuki’s words, I told her the name of the university in Tokyo where I had passed the entrance exam in my former world without any problems.

“You seem to be aiming at a pretty high-level college, are your grades good? “

“I think… I’m usually in the top 20.”

　I answered Natsuki’s question, searching my memory.

　I haven’t taken any tests since I came here, so my memory is ten years old.

“What do you mean by [think]? “

　Natsuki asks, wondering what I’m talking about.

“Since I’m not number 1, it’s not a rank I can casually brag about, you know.”

“Ah, I see. Thanks for your explanation.”

　Natsuki responds to my sarcastic words with a cool face.

　She’s been winning first place ever since she moved here.

　Because of this, she is often talked about behind her back, saying that [She looks down on people just because she’s smart], or that [She’s too bossy even though she can only study].

“…are you in need of money? “

　Natsuki asks me with a quiet voice as if it’s something hard to talk about.

“It’s not like that.”

“If that’s the case, you shouldn’t be working part-time. Even with your current level of academic achievement, you’re not in a safe position to pass the entrance exam.”

　I’m not going to study hard anymore.

　And there was a reason I wanted to earn as much money as possible.

“I have something I want…”

　Specifically, a [Stock] in a company that is going to be worth a lot more in the future.

　It’s not something I’m going to keep for myself.

　――I want to leave as much as I can to my parents.

　I don’t think that money will forgive me for my prior unfilial duty.

　Still, if I can leave something to them…it’s only money.

　I must be a shallow person if I can only think of such a thing.

　Hearing what I said, Natsuki looked disappointed and let out a big sigh.

　I turn to her and say

“Sorry for worrying you.”

“Yes, you should be. It was my loss to worry about you. But I might feel a little better if this was the case… If there’s something you want, it means you don’t want to die right now.”

　Natsuki says calmly, and then she looks startled.

“No, I’m not worried about you.”

　She says, her face turning red and staring at me.

“Which is it?”

　I chuckle and say.

“I don’t know.”

　She replied, turning her face away from me.

　Then she let out a sigh again, looked me straight in the eyes, and said in a calm voice as if admonishing me.

“…I don’t know what’s going on, but if you keep working part-time and fail to get into your first choice, you’ll regret it the most. So study hard, okay? “

　Natsuki had a good point.

　But I had never thought that I, a 28-year-old, would be advised something so obvious by a high school girl…

“Yes, I will do that.”

　Considering her expression, I guess she didn’t believe my words, but she didn’t say anything more.

* * *

　After that, for about an hour, Natsuki and I made harmless small talk like normal high school students.

　We talked about her favorite singers and entertainers.

　She also told me that she has decided never to watch DVDs of dramas and variety shows that started in April or later until she passes the entrance exam, just for good luck.

　Talking with her was a nostalgic memory for me, and I felt rejuvenated.

　I thought it was surprising.

　I was surprised that Natsuki, who took her own life in the original world without talking to me properly, could talk and laugh like such a normal high school girl.

　Talking like this, I find it hard to believe that she committed suicide before graduating from high school.

“….Why are you staring at me? “

　As she is talking, I stare at her face, forgetting to give her a reply.

　Natsuki frowns suspiciously and turns to me, asking.

“No… it’s getting dark soon, are you okay with the time? “

　I asked, and she looked down at the wristwatch on her left hand.

“I’m almost late! “

　Natsuki looked at me in surprise and then glared at me for some reason.

“What? It’s not like I enjoyed talking with you so much that I lost track of time. “

　This stinginess, like a cheap tsundere, made me smile.

“I don’t think so.”

　I say with a smile, and Natsuki looks away from me, takes the slip, and stands up.

　I follow her, and we both pay the bill and leave the family restaurant.

　As I pull out my bicycle from the parking lot, she opens her mouth.

“Hey, is your house close to the station? “

“About 15 minutes by bicycle.”

“What’s the direction? “

　To Natsuki’s question, I tell her the approximate location of my house.

　Then she said in surprise.

“What? It’s pretty close to my house. “

　She explained the location of her house.

　It seems to be about halfway between my house and the station.

　This was also information that was completely unknown to me in the original world.

“I’ll walk you home.”

　I said, and Natsuki said, [Well, excuse me.] and sat down on the back of my bicycle.

　I was going to walk normally, but I guessed she wanted me to pedal the bike.

“It’s against the traffic law to have two people on the bike.”

“I hope they don’t find out.”

　Natsuki says to me as if she doesn’t care. It seems that she does not want to get off the bike.

　I decide that it’s too much trouble to argue with her, so I pedal my bike quietly.

“Hang in there, work hard!”

　Natsuki was saying happily, but I just gave her a simple response by saying, [Yes-yes]

　A few minutes later, we stopped at a red light at an intersection.

　When we stopped at a red light at an intersection, she got off the back of the bike and said

“Oh, I live near here. Thanks for the ride.”

“Be careful on your way home.”

　I said, and she nodded, [Yeah] and waved her hands.

“Okay, I’ll see you later.”

　Then started walking in a different direction than I was going.

“…see you later, huh?”

　It’s summer vacation now, and I don’t have any supplementary classes scheduled.

　Thinking that the next time I would see her would be in the second semester, I pedaled my bicycle again when I saw that the light was green.

　A few minutes later, I arrived home.

“I’m home.”

　I said to my mother, who was preparing dinner, and then I went to my room.

　When I opened the door of my room, I found an unexpected person…

“Oh, you’re finally home!”

　I see Koyoi, who is lying on my bed reading a manga for some reason.