I Will Inspire Your Insipid Days - Volume 1 Chapter 0.1

Prologue

With a firm push, I opened the heavy iron door to the rooftop, and a damp gale assaulted me. My hair, grown out long, clung to my face like cobwebs, and the skirt I wore fluttered as if alive. I couldn’t help but squint against the wind. As my vision cleared, I spotted the person I had been searching for.

“Nice to meet you, Tachibana Natsume-san──”

As I spoke, the scene overwhelmed me and I fell silent.

Standing there, bathed in the setting sun’s crimson light, was the figure, alongside a large canvas.

Her skin, reminiscent of a Snow white, lacked any hint of liveliness, stark white. Her hair was as black as a crow’s wet feathers, with strands of blue peeking through. A glimpse of her ear revealed four piercings lined up like cliffs, sparkling under the scarlet sunlight, asserting their presence.

Given the nature of our school, it wasn’t unusual to see students dressed eccentrically, but this was my first encounter with her.

Unfamiliar. The fact that she was unfamiliar spoke volumes about her uniqueness.

Yet, it was not her appearance that captivated me the most but the sight of her facing the canvas. Completely oblivious to my presence, she fervently painted, driven by a blend of obsession and impulse, yet somehow appearing joyous and, paradoxically, lonely. Her allure was indescribable.

Frozen in place, I found myself wanting to continue observing her paint, without having exchanged a single word. Recalling my original purpose, I opened my mouth once more.

“Um… I’m Hanabishi Kanon from the same class. I’ve come to discuss something with you.”

Reacting to my voice, the shadow slowly turned toward me.

Palette and paintbrush in hand, she pivoted toward me as if on hinges, maintaining a forward-leaning posture. Her porcelain doll-like skin became evident. For the first time, her eyes, outlined with white and red eyeshadow, made her look even more artificial. Her small lips formed the vowel “e.”

However, her response was beyond my comprehension.

“Hey, about the garden fountain, don’t you think it’s honestly in the way?”

This was a question that transcended my understanding.

We were on the rooftop of the dormitory. Leaning slightly over the grid-like railing offered a view of the garden within the premises. The “garden fountain” she mentioned was indeed part of the view.

Asked whether it was a nuisance, I had no proper answer.

“Uh, well?”

I had no particular interest, so I couldn’t say much.

Her off-topic reply made me blurt out a foolish sound.

Yet, the female student before me—likely Tachibana Natsume, whom I had been searching for—continued without regard for my reaction, pondering aloud.

“First off, it’s baffling why the dorm has such a massive garden. Who even uses it? Aren’t they bothered by pollen and insects? No, maybe they’re not bothered, and that’s why they use it. So, does that mean when girls scream at bugs, it’s a form of appeal to the opposite sex? What do you think?”

Was that a question directed at me, or did I imagine it? I wished it was my imagination.

Avoiding her gaze, the canvas she had been working on caught my eye.

It depicted a view from the rooftop, including the “garden fountain,” but… the background was solid green, the grass painted purple, and the school building beyond was colored orange. All objects seemed to be drawn inward, as if viewed through a fish-eye lens, warped and distorted.

It was clear she wasn’t simply replicating the view before her, combined with the unique touch of the painting, a faint question arose… Have I seen this style before? Yet, recalling my original purpose, I interjected.

“You are Tachibana-san… right?”

She opened her mouth again, still seated before the canvas.

“Yeah, I’m Tachibana Natsume. I thought that was a given, but was I mistaken? Was your question not just a greeting but a genuine inquiry?”

This exchange made me aware.

She was more problematic than I had anticipated. The disparity between her flamboyant appearance and her actual persona was striking.

Faced with her roundabout questioning, I cautiously continued.

“To be precise, I already had the conviction that you were Tachibana-san, and just wanted to confirm… just in case.”

“Can’t grasp the situation. Conviction?”

“Because I don’t remember seeing you before. I remember the faces and names of all the students.”

I wasn’t exaggerating.

I knew the names and faces of every student at Private Shumonzuka Girls Academy. Yet, I had never seen her before. To be exact, I knew her name but not her face. Thus, by process of elimination, I understood she was the person I was looking for.

Again, her reply was off-topic.

“Do you like high school girls?”

“Why would you conclude that?”

While deflecting her words, I pulled out a file I had brought with me and continued.

“To get straight to the point──Tachibana-san, you’re on the verge of failing.”

“That can’t be, right? I just haven’t been attending school.”

Tachibana-san seemed unfazed by my declaration.

“The principal has said, ‘As long as you submit your work, attendance isn’t mandatory.'”

“I am aware that Tachibana-san is a scholarship student. Attendance is not the issue here.”

In this academy, where special students gather, she received even more exceptional treatment. Despite never having set foot in a classroom since her enrollment, there was something I had to convey.

“The application for the school festival exhibits. You haven’t submitted it yet, have you, Tachibana-san?”

“What’s that? This is the first I’m hearing about it.”

“That’s what the principal referred to as the ‘required work submission’─ it means ‘exhibits for the school festival.'”

“Huh?”

Tachibana-san’s face froze in confusion.

“In this school─Private Shumonzuka Girls Academy, grades are determined solely based on the school festival exhibits. Without an exhibit, there’s no basis for evaluation, and promotion is indisputably off the table.”

As I spoke, a flicker of panic appeared on Tachibana-san’s face.

“Huh? Eh? Wha-, wha-, wha-, ah, wha-”

“Today is the deadline for the application.”

“Wha-, wha-, what does that mean? I won’t be graded?”

Her confusion intensified. Her words became an indistinct murmur, a breathy expression of impulse. A deep anxiety painted her exquisitely crafted features.

To calm her, I pulled out a blank document─the A4 paper she should have received in class─from my bag. As I moved closer, ensuring our faces were clearly visible to each other, her features sharpened.

I had to look away. The reason was simple: I had never encountered someone with more perfect features than myself. I faced another direction, approaching her by the canvas, and extended the A4 paper.

“…This is the application form. If you fill it out, I’ll deliver it to the homeroom teacher myself.”

“O…Okay.”

As she hurriedly accepted it, though clearly flustered,

“Ah.”

Her palette slipped from her arm and flew towards me.

With a silly “plop,” vibrant paint began to stain my clothes and skin.

After a moment of silence, Tachibana-san was the first to act.

She grabbed a nearby rag and began rubbing it against my attire.

“Um, Tachibana-san!”

“Must wipe it off before it dries. Sorry.”

“No, that’s not it! This will only spread the stain further!”

Her intentions were logical.

Except she used a wet rag meant for wiping brushes.

“Ah.”

Realizing her mistake, Tachibana-san’s expression turned increasingly perplexed.

“Uh, um… what to do… I…”

Her confusion and panic were palpable.

While pondering the situation, I sighed and said,

“Don’t worry about it.”

It wasn’t because of that, but I calmly replied. I didn’t want to cause her any more distress than she already was experiencing.

Tachibana-san looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“…You’re not angry?”

“I won’t be angry. I’ve missed the opportunity to be angry.”

“You don’t find me annoying?”

“I don’t. I don’t know much about you yet.”

“…What’s that supposed to mean? Is that even possible? That’s like, you’re practically”

She cracked a smile for the first time.

“Like you’re my savior or something.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“It’s like you’re the tutorial character for my high school life.”

“What are you even talking about!?”

This was the encounter with Tachibana Natsume, the elusive, natural, cynical, truant genius girl.

All I wanted was to live a peaceful student life without defying the absurd fate handed to me, yet this meeting shattered everything.

Why did this situation arise?

I pondered, retracing my memories, trying to make sense of it all.