I Will Inspire Your Insipid Days - Volume 1 Chapter 1.1

Thus

“As Kanon also knows, in our 1st year Class A, there’s one student who’s a truant, right?”

“Yeah, I guess. Can’t really see if they exist, but their name’s on the roster.”

“As usual, you’re a complicated one. I’m the homeroom teacher saying so, so they exist.”

In the stark consultation room, the teacher I was facing—Hanabishi Satsuki—began to speak with a grave expression.

Crossing her legs, clad in 40 denier black tights, she gauged my reaction.

“So, I’m asking you.”

Startled by Satsuki-san’s abrupt request, I instinctively pressed a hand to my forehead.

“You’re asking me something without specifying the subject or object.”

“The talk is about going to the room of our truant classmate to collect the application form for the Hougami Festival.”

“Did that make any sense to you?!”

Raising my voice made Satsuki-san gesture for silence with her finger to her lips.

“Don’t be so loud. We wouldn’t want people to think there’s something inappropriate between a teacher and a student.”

“As if I’d let them. Besides, this is a girls’ school.”

“Hey, Kanon. As a teacher, let me tell you something important…”

Satsuki-san took a fan from her boobs, fanning herself as she continued.

“Take this as a divine revelation. ‘An unusual relationship’ doesn’t concern gender.”

“I don’t think ‘divine revelation’ is something a high school teacher should be teaching, you know.”

Divine revelation it is.

In other words, Satsuki-san, plotting to shove some troublesome matter onto me, proclaimed herself a goddess. Trouble beyond measure.

It’s terrifying coming from Satsuki-san, who could very well be described as tyranny personified. Memories of being subjected to terrible things every time we met at family gatherings since childhood resurface.

“The Hougami Festival is a school festival held in July at our school—Shumonzuka Jogakuen. Every student must exhibit some form of work, which is evaluated as their academic grade for the first term. The type of work doesn’t matter: movies, plays, MVs, photo collections, paintings, performances, sculptures… anything goes. Even if you don’t stand on the front stage, as long as your name is credited as a collaborator, it counts towards your evaluation.”

“Thanks for the detailed explanation for no one in particular.”

To me, a student, it’s something I’ve heard countless times.

Still, Satsuki-san went on.

“However, to secure exhibition space and visitor flow, submitting an application is a must. Without submission, naturally, there will be no exhibition at the festival, no chance to take the stage. Hence, you won’t be able to present your work. And if that happens…”

“…Instant failure.”

“Correct. Inevitably, a truant student who hasn’t submitted an application is headed straight for repeating a year.”

“So, the task is for me to personally deliver the application form to that classmate, have them fill out the necessary details on the spot, and then bring it back…”

“Exactly, Kanon, well done.”

“Don’t try to pat my head. It messes up my hair.”

As I swatted her hand away, Satsuki-san sat back down on the sofa and began talking again.

“You sound like a high school girl.”

“It’s not just high school girls who’d dislike that.”

Satsuki-san puffed her cheeks in frustration.

“Our school is special, right? A place where chosen elites who’ve overcome absurdly high hurdles come from all over the country.”

“I still don’t see where this is going.”

“That’s what I mean. Isn’t it cruel to let such talented young women, full of potential, disappear without ever seeing the light of day?”

“Skip the chatter. What’s the real reason?”

I straighten my ruffled bangs with my fingers. After being called to the consultation room after school for presumably important reasons, there must be something significant Satsuki-san is hiding. Having known her since childhood, I can guess to some extent her intentions.

“What do you think happens when a class at Shumonzuka produces a repeating student?”

“What happens?”

Satsuki-san looked me squarely in the eyes and said with a solemn expression,

“The homeroom teacher gets a serious scolding from the principal.”

I thought as much.

“My condolences. Now, if you’ll excuse me─”

As I tried to leave my seat, “fwump!?” My field of vision spun, and immediately after, I landed hard on my butt. It seems I was tripped. Grimacing from the dull pain and humiliation, I glared at Satsuki-san, who looked down on me with an expression of delight.

“Hey, hey, what’s with that cute wrathful face? Feels like a Dépaysement. ‘Cute’ and ‘wrathful’ seem like opposites, don’t they?”

“Don’t try to gain the upper hand while speaking nonsense.”

“You really haven’t changed one bit! Just as cute as when you were a kid!”

“Stop pressing my head. You’ll mess up my hair.”

Just to be clear, this homeroom teacher—Satsuki-san—is my cousin.

In the Hanabishi clan, the names include one of the characters for “wind,” “bird,” or “moon,” which distinguishes whether one is from the main family or a branch family.

I don’t know when it was decided, but it’s a family tradition. As a member of the main Hanabishi family with the character for “wind,” and Satsuki-san from a branch family with “moon,” strictly speaking, I hold a higher position—though due to various circumstances, it’s a bit exceptional.

All because of Satsuki-san’s recklessness.

“Come on, Kanon, please. You’re perfect for this.”

“Don’t cling to me. Don’t beg. Explain why I’m the perfect person for this.”

“Higher resolution of hearsay is better, right?”

Satsuki-san leaned on me like swaying seaweed.

“If it’s Kanon, you’ll be able to remember what kind of person they are immediately.”

“You’re skipping the important part again. Just say it clearly.”

I threw back my words filled with resignation, and Satsuki-san disclosed a shocking truth.

“I’ve never met the truant student myself—Tachibana Natsume, that is.”

I was momentarily at a loss for words.

Is that even possible?

“Never met? Aren’t you the homeroom teacher?”

“Special case, you see. Wasn’t involved in any prior consultations either.”

“But this place is filled with special students already, isn’t it?”

“Not like that. She’s on a different level.”

After a brief pause, Satsuki-san cleared her throat and continued,

“Tachibana Natsume is a scholarship student. Meaning, Shumonzuka personally invited her to enroll.”

“…”

“I know, my face was the same. It’s shocking.”

As Satsuki-san had mentioned, Private Shumonzuka Girls Academy is a special school. A school corporation focused on the arts and entertainment fields, producing a significant number of artists and entertainers, it’s one of the leading creator training schools in the country.

Private Shumonzuka Girls Academy personally offered an invitation?

“The principal personally invited Tachibana Natsume. The dormitory entry procedures were also specially arranged. To put it very simply, she’s treated as a VIP. Treated with utmost respect as a genius among geniuses and a new student at Shumonzuka. Scholarship students are scouted to boost the student level, expected to place high in the Hougami Festival, but surely they’re talents who can clear it without a problem.”

I don’t fully understand adult complexities, but I can tell it’s an abnormal situation.

Private Shumonzuka Girls Academy only allows entry to a select few. It’s a secluded garden of maidens, located at the pinnacle of an imposing hierarchy.

What kind of person could that be? I can’t even imagine.

“If she’s that talented, special treatment should suffice regardless of the application form.”

“Right? That’s the thing. But sadly, that’s the hard part of being a working adult. Special treatment until enrollment, but once enrolled, just another student. The evaluation criteria are the same as for other students. No, there’s a reason to keep the evaluation criteria consistent. Put yourself in my shoes, suddenly burdened with the care of a special treatment kid. Like being involved in a third-party accident.”

“Don’t shift your troubles onto a student and skim off the results like a corrupt teacher.”

“I thought I’d share a bit of the harshness of society with Kanon.”

“Do you even know the meaning of ‘sharing’? It means dividing and giving part of the goods or benefits received from others to friends or acquaintances.”

“You always had a good memory.”

“That’s irrelevant right now.”

As far as I’ve heard, there’s no merit for me, and the context is broken.

“Isn’t it more like ‘dragging down together’?”

“The world is compassionate, as they say.”

“That doesn’t make sense unless I’m on a journey… I have many more complaints, but never mind.”

“I’ll listen. Go ahead, I’ll just tune you out.”

“I thought so, hence I won’t say anything else, you good-for-nothing.”

I sighed deeply and voiced my question.

“The dorms are generally double occupancy, right? That means… that person… Tachibana-san should have a roommate, right? Why go through me?”

“They quit.”

“Excuse me?”

“They quit school, Tachibana Natsume’s roommate. So now she lives alone in a double room.”

“It’s only been two months since enrollment?”

“That’s right. Well, it’s not uncommon in Shumonzuka .”

“I see.”

“You’re not going to ask why?”

“Not really. Everyone has their reasons for attending or leaving school, although─”

After a slight pause, I continued,

“─at least I didn’t enroll in Shumonzuka by choice.”

At my words, Satsuki-san briefly furrowed her brows but quickly returned to her usual tone.

“That’s right. But since the main family decided, there’s nothing I can do.”

“I’m not asking you to do anything, nor do I think it can be changed.”

I asserted with a sigh. What I wanted to point out wasn’t dissatisfaction with the strange customs of the Hanabishi family but Satsuki-san’s actions.

“But still, nominating me as the class representative and using me as a servant is an abuse of authority.”

“I know. Terrible, right?”

“I’m talking to you!?”

“Huh. Surprising.”

“Your sympathy is anything but!”

While lightly dismissing my claims, Satsuki-san took a piece of paper from a file set aside. The fact that my protests had no effect showed an immutable future.

No amount of complaining will change the outcome. I have no choice but to accept everything.

The dorms at Shumonzuka are divided by grade level, so Tachibana-san’s room would be on the same floor. It’s just a simple mission to visit her directly and hand over the documents.

“…I just wanted to graduate peacefully, without any trouble. Why does it come to this…”

“Ahahaha. With that look, peace is a bit much to ask for.”

“I’m well aware I’m playing the perfect high school girl.”

No need to linger in the consultation room any longer. I stood up and headed for the exit.

“Take care, Hanabishi Kanon, a first-year student at Shumonzuka Jogakuen High School.”

I replied with a sigh-filled “yeah, yeah” as I left.

As I was leaving, Satsuki-san muttered,

“You too… hope you can make some friends.”

I stopped and turned around, but Satsuki-san was looking elsewhere with a “whatever” attitude.

Provoked by her insinuating demeanor, a mischievous spirit ignited within me.

“By the way, Satsuki-san. When you crossed your legs earlier, I noticed,”

“Huh? You saw? …Ah, you saw it, huh. Thought you’d turn out to be an adult─”

“Your tights. They’re snagged on the inner thigh. Did you gain a little weight?”