Chapter 32 The Mysterious Classmate
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I am Miyama Yuzuki, a third-year high school student belonging to the Track and Field club. There is a classmate of mine who has captured my interest. We were placed in the same class for the first time this year, our third year. I had known of his name because Manami had told me that his parents had passed away in a traffic accident during our second year, and he was living alone. My first impression of him was simply that he was a tall boy. It was this same boy whom Manami nominated to be the Vice Class Representative.
Manami and I had become fast friends, bonding easily after sitting next to each other in our first year. Even though we were in different classes in our second year, we would go shopping or to karaoke when our schedules aligned, developing a relationship I could truly call a best friendship. It was Manami’s act of nominating him for Vice Class Representative that first piqued my curiosity about him.
I asked Manami why she had nominated him for the position, but she only gave the same answer she had given when she nominated him: that she had known him since middle school. When I suggested that I could have done it, she dismissed me easily, saying, “It would be hard for you because of your club activities, wouldn’t it?” It was true that I was busy until the Inter-High¹, but the Vice Class Representative position was mostly a title with very few duties, so anyone could have done it. It truly seemed as though Manami had deliberately nominated Inamori-kun.
An unexpected opportunity arose for me to interact with Inamori-kun. The mid-term exams had concluded, and when the answer sheets were returned, my score was better than I had anticipated. Yet, the rank that was announced was the lowest I had ever achieved. I had truly tried my best, but everyone around me had simply tried harder. I did not know how I could possibly try harder, and I headed to the club room in a daze.
Suddenly, the second-year student from the Soccer club—the one everyone was whispering about—appeared right in front of me. I do not even want to speak his name. Apparently, he had become a candidate for the ace position, which had gone to his head, and he was going around asking out various girls. He was a truly contemptible man. I had heard that he had even confessed to Manami, who had rejected him by saying, “I already have someone I like.”
”You’re Miyama Yuzuki-san from the Track and Field club, aren’t you? Will you go out with me?”
I was incensed by his arrogant manner of speech.
”You haven’t even introduced yourself, and that is no way to speak to your senior.”
”I’m Yabuta from the Soccer club. Don’t you know me?”
”I’m afraid I don’t know you at all. But I have heard rumours of an arrogant Soccer club member who goes around confessing to lots of girls. And that he gets shot down every single time. Perhaps one might call that being presumptuous. Oh, wait, is that you by any chance?”
I was so irritated that I provoked him with all my might.
”It’s just that no one appreciates how great I am,” he said.
”I also don’t appreciate how great you are. I don’t want to go out with you, so will you please step aside?”
As I tried to walk past him, he suddenly grabbed my hand, and I let out a shriek.
”Hey, what are you doing?”
A voice sounded from behind me. The boy was startled and released my hand. In that instant, Inamori-kun stepped between the boy and me. His tall back was right in front of me. I had not known who it was.
”What happened?”
I looked at his face when he turned around and realised it was Inamori-kun. After I explained the situation, I heard a roar of anger from Inamori-kun—a boy I had always thought was quiet and would never get angry. The other boy ran away as if fleeing.
Some time later, I heard that the boy’s parents had come to complain. However, even though I had been the one who started it, I was not called in or questioned at all. When I asked Inamori-kun about it, he just said, “It’s over.” I did not understand what was over or how it was over, but since Inamori-kun had not been disciplined, I had no choice but to assume the issue had been resolved.
It was around this time that I started to feel an irresistible concern for Inamori-kun. The fact that he did not say anything unnecessary set him apart from the other boys around me.
I would sometimes notice Inamori-kun gazing intently at Manami. Manami also seemed to be aware of Inamori-kun. Manami’s parents had divorced in April, which must have been a shock to Manami, who was a ‘Daddy’s girl’. Yet, she not only quickly returned to her cheerful self but also seemed to have smoothed out her rough edges, making her personality feel gentler. Furthermore, Manami’s aura changed after Golden Week². For some reason, she seemed more womanly. The answer to this mystery soon became clear.
It began to rain just as my club activities were supposed to start, so we were training indoors when the school broadcast announced that trains were delayed due to heavy rain and that we should immediately stop club activities and go home. I thought that since my journey was only two express stops, even a delay would be manageable, and I continued training. However, a patrolling teacher warned me to go home at once. When I changed my clothes and checked my phone, the trains had been cancelled. I contacted my mother to ask her to pick me up, but she replied that she could not, as my father had taken the car to work and would not be home.
Feeling helpless, I was looking outside from the shoe cupboard area when Manami spoke to me. I told Manami that the trains had stopped and I could not go home.
”Inamori-kun lives nearby, so why don’t we go there for now?”
I wondered why Inamori-kun’s name came up here. Even if I went to the station, it would be crowded with people, and there would be nowhere to take shelter. Waiting for the train to start moving here would only result in me being warned again. Since I was also curious about Inamori-kun, I followed Manami.
The first thing that surprised me at Inamori-kun’s house was how tidy it was for a high school boy living alone. I had expected a boy of my age to have a messy room, so I could only describe it as ‘amazing’. Moreover, I felt a sense of consideration in the way he treated us, and I was increasingly drawn to him.
Yet, there were several points that raised questions in my mind.
Inamori-kun and Manami were incredibly close, a proximity that was unthinkable at school. When he offered to lend Manami a pair of brand-new shorts, she immediately accepted. I had thought Manami was wary of boys, so this was baffling. I mean, who knows what a boy might do with something after it has been worn? What is more, she just left them there.
There were two toothbrushes in the washbasin, for some reason, and he was clearly accustomed to using the kitchen. I could only conclude that there was something going on between the two of them.
I questioned Manami about her relationship with Inamori-kun before going to sleep at her house that night, but she evaded my questions. However, when I said the next day that I wanted to go thank him, she said she would check, and my doubt turned into a conviction.
At Inamori-kun’s house, Inamori-kun told me that he was dating Manami and that she came to his house almost every day to cook dinner, which astounded me.
My budding romance ended in an instant. Since the other party was Manami, I could accept it, but because I had witnessed such a manly side of him, I could not quite feel at ease about it.
—
Summary:
Yuzuki, a third-year high school student, finds herself intrigued by her quiet classmate Inamori-kun after her best friend Manami nominates him for Vice Class Representative. This interest escalates when Inamori-kun defends her from an aggressive sophomore. When a rainstorm strands Yuzuki, Manami brings her to Inamori-kun’s surprisingly tidy home, where Yuzuki notices an undeniable closeness between the two, leading to her discovering that Manami and Inamori-kun are dating, abruptly ending Yuzuki’s nascent feelings.”””
—
Character Insight:
Yuzuki is clearly a perceptive character, capable of noticing subtle changes in Manami’s demeanour and the unusual closeness between her and Inamori-kun. Her initial attraction to Inamori-kun is rooted in his ‘manly’ action of defending her and his difference from the ‘unnecessary’ chatter of other boys. The way she accepts the end of her crush because the rival is her best friend speaks volumes about her priority on her friendship with Manami.”””
—
Behind the Scene:
This chapter serves as a crucial point of view shift, showing the main relationship (Manami and Inamori-kun) through the eyes of an outside, sympathetic observer. It confirms the relationship’s progression from an external perspective, while also quickly resolving a potential love triangle before it can truly start, keeping the focus on the main pair’s pure love story—albeit viewed by someone who briefly developed feelings for one of them. The brief, intense flare-up of Yuzuki’s attraction before its sudden end is designed to underscore Inamori-kun’s appeal.
—
T/L_Note:
¹ Inter-High: The National High School Comprehensive Athletic Meet, which is the biggest high school sports competition in Japan. It’s a major event for high school athletes, which explains Yuzuki’s busy schedule. ↩
² Golden Week: A collection of four public holidays within seven days at the end of April and beginning of May in Japan, often combined with weekends to create a long holiday period. It’s a significant break in the Japanese school and work calendar. ↩
Notes:
• Miyama Yuzuki – A fellow high school ‘idol’ and Nakanishi-san’s close friend. She is seen as a ‘cool beauty’ but is known to be very loyal and passionate toward her friends, suggesting Nakanishi has a strong support network. Reminds mc of Ingrid Bergman. Have biggest chest.
• Yabuta – A second-year student and soccer club ace candidate who is known for his arrogance and harassing girls. He gets humbled by the protagonist.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply