(WN) Gakuen No Megami-Sama - Volume 01

Chapter 01: The Meeting of The Goddess and The D-
Group Boy
『Memories of the springtime of your life.』
When asked about that topic, how would everyone answer?
Romance? Studies? Or the time they spent with their best

friends?
Well, I'm sure the majority of people would give such

youthful answers.
By the way, I didn't come under any of them.
Romance? I never had any girlfriend, but what's so bad

about that?
Studies? I almost had to repeat the year since I failed to get

enough credits with how I did part-time jobs every day. So
what?
Best friend? In the first place, what is a 'friend'?
Well, that's how it was.
For someone like me, love was impossible. I also didn't

want to experience it. If I got into a relationship, I had to fuss
about someone else, which was too troublesome. I refused to
do that.
It's not me having an inferiority complex, but that's my true

feelings. I really had such a belief.
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Then, for the question about the memories of the
springtime of my life... if I'm forced to answer it, then I could
only say 'part-time job'. I didn't do anything else other than
that.
So naturally, I didn't participate in any club activities. Once

the class was over, I went to work from five in the afternoon.
That was the constant life of me, Tokiwagi Towa.
"I messed up today..."
I looked up at the sky as I waited for the traffic light. The

sunlight of the early summer was awfully dazzling.
"Haa..." I sighed.
If I knew that I would go home faster after the regular test,

I would take an earlier shift. Ahh, how wasteful.
I like part-time jobs.
Of course I realized that it sounds absurd. However, you

would get accomplishments by sparing your time to do it. All
of the hard work always paid off.
To be precise, it's not accomplishments, but compensations

commensurate with labor. But then, it's a WIN-WIN
relationship. It wasn't a sentimental one, but I felt more
comfortable with that.
Some people might say that I should play with my friends

when I was still a student. That I was wasting my youth by
only focusing on doing part-time jobs all the time.
Let me say one thing to those people.

You idiot...
First of all, I was indeed a student. But only some of the

privileged people could afford to live that type of life. They
could live showily, enjoying their days without thinking
anything. Since I belonged to the lowly school caste, C-group
to D-group, it's impossible for me to live like that.
However, I wasn't jealous of such people. I didn't want to

be what the society call as 'normies'.
But then, there were some people who wanted to be 'the

social guy' and looked at other people with envy. What I could
say to them was...
Give up already.
Just that. It was nothing but a pipe dream.
No matter what, the grass is always greener on the other

side.
Just be satisfied with what you have right now.
By the way, I was satisfied with my current situation.

Naturally, I didn't have any desire to go to the top of the
school caste.
Well, this was an absolutely impossible presupposition, but

even if I had the choice to enter the A-group, I would choose
my current life.
I didn't want to lead a life where I couldn't stop caring and

paying attention to other people's needs. Yep.
"...Hm?"
What greeted me was the usual scene... or not. Feeling a

sense of discomfort, I tilted my head in confusion.
Then, as I approached what picked my interest step by

step, the uncomfortable feeling turned into conviction.
"...Wakamiya Rin."
A girl was sitting on the bench, her smooth blonde hair that
reached her waist was fluttering in the wind, swaying. The
sunlight filtered through the trees shone on her, just like a
spotlight.
She looked divine. Huh.
After confirming her identity, my face naturally stiffened.
Why did I have to meet the representative of the people

living a fulfilling life here...
Wakamiya Rin was a student who went to the same school

as me. But our class was different, and we had never spoken
to each other ever since I entered the school. I'm sure she
didn't know about me.
Even so, I knew her. Wakamiya Rin was so famous that no

one in the school didn't know her.
At the school entrance ceremony, she was on the stage as

the freshman representative because she got a perfect score
for the entrance examination. Various clubs also asked for her
help since she was good at sports.
Above all, her appearance and charm would attract the eye
of literally anyone. She had everything, to the point that I
wanted to scream, "This girl is loved by God too much!"
She was accomplished in both literary and physical

activities. She had an attractive face and figure. A girl gifted
with both intelligence and beauty.
She was the epitome of a perfect girl. Everyone would

probably agree on that.
Different from me, she belonged to the SSS-group, living

the most fulfilling life... No, it's more correct to say that she
was the brilliant existence sitting on the top position with no
one as an equal. She was the sole Goddess thriving in social
life.
Why did such a celebrity sit here? This place was

considerably far away from the school... Well, it had nothing
to do with me. After all, the dimension we resided was too
different.
I sighed and passed in front of her.
—Guu...
Just right after I went past her, my ears picked up a faint,

pitiful sound of a growling stomach. Maybe it's just my
imagination...?
—Guuuuu...
"Haa..." This time, Wakamiya-san sighed. Apparently, it's

not my imagination. She then whispered, "Why did I forget
it..."
I could just ignore her and leave. Even so, a pang of guilt
hit me. It wouldn't disappear from the corner of my mind.
Ahh, damn. I guess it can't be helped.
I ran to my part-time job and came back, handing over

what I brought there in front of Wakamiya.
"Umm... What is this?"
"You can know just by looking at it, right? It's baked

potatoes."
Wakamiya glanced at me. Then with a monotonous voice,

she said, "I don't need it."
Sadly, her response was justified. Not to say, I suddenly

handed her food, even though I was a boy who never got
involved with her before.
It's natural that she thought of me as a suspicious guy.

"Does he have any ulterior motive?" "What's this? Poison?"
Such thoughts probably came to her mind.
She looked at me suspiciously. However, she didn't

blatantly show her discomfort. What an adult response. Or
maybe she had gotten used to this interaction...
Well, Wakamiya was a beautiful girl, so I'm sure this was an

everyday occurrence for her.
I put the paper bag filled with baked potatoes next to

where Wakamiya was sitting. As if notifying that she noticed
the food, her stomach growled once again.
Wakamiya pressed her stomach, her ears bright red.
Looking at her, I unconsciously made a wry smile.
"I'll say this first, but I don't need you to thank me. I'm just
a nosy guy, and I don't like pretending that I don't see you
sitting here hungry. Also, I'm going to throw that away too...
And I meet you by chance... Yeah, you only received it by
chance, so you don't have to care about this too much."
"By chance...?"
"Yeah."
"But the baked potatoes are still warm, though?"
"That's also accidental. Just consider yourself lucky. Well,

eat it. If you don't need it, then help me throw that away.
Bye."
"Um!"
I sent a backward glance to Wakamiya who said something

behind me before leaving that place quickly.
From the start, she was someone who lived in a world

different from mine. I didn't need to get involved with her
more than this, and I didn't think I would have any more
opportunities in the future.
But well, helping others occasionally isn't bad. At this time,

I only thought that what I did wasn't that important.
Right, that's what I believed.
Chapter 02: The Goddess' Awaiting
"Another fulfilling day today." I murmured.
After finishing my part-time job, I changed my clothes in

the locker room. A unique smell of oil wafted from my body
and clothes.
I was working a part-time job in a fast-food restaurant you

could find anywhere. The earnings weren't high by any
standards, but it was easy for high school students to get hired
here. That saved me a lot of trouble since I didn't have to do
multiple job interviews.
"Now then, let's go home..."
I stuffed my clothes in my backpack and opened the back

door to go home. And what greeted my eyes was not the
familiar, dreary scenery. Rather, it was a gorgeous view.
"——I have been waiting for you, Tokiwagi-san."
"......"
I couldn't believe what was in front of me. Right after I

went outside the building, I solidified.
This scene was oddly familiar with fans waiting for their
favourite idols to exit at the stage door...
From her statement, I could tell that she was waiting for
me. But honestly, I just wanted to say, "What are you doing
here...?"
I never thought that I would experience 'being waited on' at
this age. I thought this wouldn't happen to me my whole life...
But then, it was actually a scary experience.
Unexpectedly seeing a person the moment I opened the

door shocked the hell out of me.
"Um, you're Tokiwagi-san, a first-year student from class

D, right?"
"You're mistaking me from someone else. Well then..."
Although I was surprised by the fact that she knew my

name, I didn't show it in my expression and tried to pass
through her—
"I'm sorry. but I can't let you go just like that."
She caught my arm...
From Wakamiya's beautiful eyes, I can sense her strong

will. She definitely wouldn't let me escape.
It can't be helped...
I sighed and turned back.
"Did you finally feel like talking to me?"
"You don't look like you're going to let me go."
"I'm glad you understand."
"Then, what do you want?"
My response probably sounded unfriendly and frank.
But I couldn't help it. I could barely stand in front of a girl

who had a completely different aura from me...
Someone never stared at me that intensely. Yeah, the

power of the most popular girl was really scary.
She was really cute. To be honest, it's hard to look straight

at her...
"Before that, could I ask for your name? Since you called
my name before, it would be rude if I mistook your name." A
flat, monotonous voice passed through my ears, similar to
how she spoke during the daytime. "Please tell me your
name."
"Tanaka Tarou."
Of course, it was a false name.
Why would she want to know my name? Several

conjectures passed my mind, making me shudder a little.
Maybe the baked potato I gave to her was rotten, so she
wanted to complain? Or maybe when I glanced at Wakamiya,
she considered it as sexual harassment?
I could only come up with such things. But in the end, both
would be bad for me.
"You're lying."
She easily concluded that my silly false name was a lie. I

probably should give it more thought when I made a
pseudonym...
"Calling someone's name a lie is a bit rude..."
"I have confidence in my memory. I have roughly seen

everyone during the entrance ceremony."
"...Eh, you remembered me at that time?"
Wakamiya had the opportunity to see all of the first-year

students when she went up to the stage and made a speech as
the representative of the freshman...
Realizing that, I was once again reminded that this girl was
too powerful.
"Yes, I'm glad I have the opportunity to see everyone. Even

so, I naturally could make a mistake as a person, so I checked
it just in case. And... I'm not wrong."
"No, no. You're mistaking me for another guy. For real."
I averted my eyes. I couldn't lie if I see her in her beautiful

eyes. Rather, she would see right through me.
I had such a feeling.
"The only people who would talk about the entrance

ceremony as 'at that time' are the first-year students or those
who know that I went up to the stage."
"Ah..."
"While we're on this topic, it's true that you also have the
opportunity to know my name from the list of names pasted
during the entrance ceremony. But it won't make sense since
you won't call that occasion 'at that time'. In the first place,
you won't know my face just from my name."
"I see... You managed to conclude that just from a slip of

my tongue."
"Fufu. That's right. Now then, do you agree on me,

Tokiwagi-san?"
"Yes. I'm Tokiwagi, from D-group for eternity..."
I raised my hands and made a giving up pose. I felt like I

had been completely defeated...
"D-group for eternity? I guess Tokiwagi is in D class, but

saying 'for eternity' is strange, isn't it? We have class shuffle
every year."
"Oh, it's a figurative expression. It doesn't concern Miss

Goddess at all."
"Is that so? Right, before that, I don't like being called
'Goddess'. If you want to call me, please use my personal
name."
"Ah, I'm sorry. Wakamiya-san..."
However, I felt like having others to call her as the

'Goddess' was inevitable. It would naturally slip out of
everyone's mouth. In fact, she could do anything and always
became the center of the conversation... how should I call her
other than 'Goddess'?
"It's true that some people around me call me with that

nickname, but the current me is the result of my effort.
Nobody can do anything without working hard for it.
However, calling me with such a nickname disregards that
aspect of me, and I'm not very happy with that. Especially
since I feel fulfilled with giving everything my all to achieve
something."
"I see."
The words that came out of Wakamiya's mouth were

surprising. I thought she would surely reply to me humbly.
Having someone who possessed everything to deny that

they "weren't like that" or "didn't deserve that praise"
wouldn't persuade anyone. Rather, it would sound unpleasant
to those who didn't have their possession. Yes, it only
sounded like ridicule.
However, Wakamiya confidently declared, "I'm working

hard."
For me, that reply was simply amazing.
I'm sure her hardships were something I couldn't imagine.

Even so, it's a bit interesting that she said that she felt fulfilled
with working hard.
I looked at Wakamiya's face with a wry smile. Her face was
graceful and beautiful. But looking at each other like this
made me feel embarrassed.
"Then, let's get into the main subject. What do you want
from me?"
"Right, to be frank... I want to repay the favor I have

received."
In the quiet town, her clear voice echoed through the back
ally with no other people in sight.
Chapter 03: The Goddess Wants to Repay the Favor
When she said, "I want to repay the favor." those words
also conveyed her determination.
The way she looked at me also appealed, I won't overlook

even the least trouble I have caused.
It's like I was going to be swallowed by those big eyes. And

once they caught me, they wouldn't let me go.
Being watched by such eyes almost made me succumb to

my feelings, urging me to agree with whatever she said.
But—
"No, you don't need to." I said, pretending to be as calm as

I could.
Dissatisfied with my answer, Wakamiya pouted a little and

said curtly, "No, I need to repay you."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. I will repay the favor I have received. Don't you think
this is a matter of course?"
"Well, I know what you're trying to say. But..." I took out

my smartphone and checked the time. It was already half ten.
"For the time being, let's talk as we walk back home. It's weird
to talk here..."
"Why?"
"Hey, just look at the current situation objectively..."
At a dim alley, a young man and a young woman were

facing each other. Not to say, it was already this time of night.
No matter how I thought about it, it wouldn't be good for

us.
Right after Wakamiya noticed what I was trying to say, her

face became flushed. Even her ears turned bright red.
"Strangers will think that we're having rendezvous. It will

bother Wakamiya-san too, right? So let's change our location.
But since it's already late at night, we can just talk on our way
home."
"Talking on our way home? No, you don't have to send me

home."
There was no piercing atmosphere full of wariness from

her. However, she was quietly searching for my aim. Or that's
how I perceived her expression.
...She was watchful in this kind of thing, huh.
But...
"Listen me out, Wakamiya-san. It's already rather late at

night, and it’s dangerous if you're walking alone, right? In the
first place, I think it's quite risky for you to wait in this kind of
unpopular place until now."
"Uhh... I-I forgot about that..."
"Haa. For the time being, please contact your parents. They
might be worried about you."
"Yes. I will do that."
Wakamiya took out her smartphone and contacted her

parents. It would be rude to listen to her conversation, so I
took a little distance from her and waited until she finished.
Occasionally, Wakamiya-san twitched... Her parents
definitely got angry at her.
"I got scolded..."
"As I thought. How should I say this? You're unexpectedly

careless in some places."
"People often told me that..."
"Well, let's go. Once we're already near your house, just tell
me. I'll accompany you until there."
I didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable by thinking

that I was a weird stalker who wanted to know her house.
That's why I said, 'near her house'.
This should make Wakamiya feeling a little more at ease.

Since we're not close at all, it would be hard for her just to
stay with me.
"But how could I trouble you that much? It's quite a

distance from here..."
"Then how are you planning to go home?"
"...On foot." Wakamiya awkwardly answered.
Looking from her expression, she clearly felt apologetic.

Since Wakamiya already said that she was walking home
alone, anyone would definitely tell her that they would send
her home. Perhaps because she knew that, she looked like she
was feeling guilty.
"It'll be troublesome if we're staying here even later than

this... Let's go now."
"Yes..."
Wakamiya followed me from behind, her face still looked

apologetic. She made a little distance from me, but since we
were less than friends, I guess this was only normal.
I walked for a while, receiving Wakamiya's instructions

such as, "Go right after this." "Go left after this."
And when we came near the high-rise large apartment

house built this year's spring, Wakamiya's legs stopped.
"Ah, umm. I can go home on my own from here. I live in

the apartment right there."
"I see."
Wakamiya pointed to the new high-rise apartment house.
To be honest, she didn't have to tell me that she lived in

that apartment. She should be a little more alert to the person
she talked to for the first time today... No matter what, she
was too careless.
And it's surprising that her house was unexpectedly closer

from mine.
By the way, I lived in the rundown apartment block nearby.
I only had to take a short walk to reach there. There, I lived
with my father who didn't come back home very often.
Compared to Wakamiya's high-rise large apartment house,
the difference was like the moon and the dog shit...
"You really have helped me a lot today, I..."
"Ah, it's okay. Don't worry about that. I'm the one who will
feel bad for leaving you like that. So I'm doing it because I
want to."
"Even so, thank you very much for that."
Her voice was clear and beautiful. Even so, this would be
the last time I listened to it.
When such a thought came to my mind, I felt a bit reluctant

to part with her...
"At least, let me repay you—"
"I don't need it." I said, having enough of that. "If you want
to repay me because you're feeling guilty, that's just
unreasonable."
"Eh... I don't have that kind of intention at all..." Wakamiya

replied, hemming and hawing.
I continued, "I told you that it's fine. I'm not demanding
your gratitude at all. I'm not going to ask that too if I have the
chance. Not at all. It's just me being nosy this time. It's my
self-satisfaction. No more, no less."
"Is that so?"

"Yeah. If you still want to thank me, I have received plenty
of things from you. I could spend time with the beauty of the
first grade, the famous Wakamiya. The guys from D-group
will turn insane once they know this, you know? Rather, I
should be the one who pays you additional fees."
"......"
Wakamiya looked on the ground. She looked like she was

stumped on how to react.
I didn't know the true motive of her wanting to repay the

favor this persistently. But since she wanted to repay it today,
to the point of waiting for me until this late of night, she
probably wanted to settle everything.
I didn't think someone would do this much just because

they had a debt. I knew that this would be different for each
person, but I'm sure she had a guilty conscience.
Perhaps, there were also guys who had approached her by

emphasizing the favor they had done to her until now.
Wakamiya's charm stood out from the crowd, so it's easy to
imagine that happening to her. Well, this was just my guess,
though...
So all I could do was assuring her by saying, 'You have

repaid your favor. You don't need to do anything more than
this. Rather, I received too much that I should be the one
paying you back,' then pull myself away from her.
"So how about that? How should I pay you back? But then,
I don't know how much this usually costs, and I'm currently
in a tough spot this month. I can only hand you over what I
currently have with me."
"N-no! You don't have to!"
"Right. Anyway, I got to spend time with a beautiful girl,

and Wakamiya got a meal. From my perspective, I'm honestly
the one who received too much... But you can say that this is
WIN-WIN. No, let's just leave it like that. I don't have enough
money to pay you back."
"WIN-WIN... Um, thank you very much..."
After Wakamiya murmured a little bit apologetically, she

corrected her posture and turned to me
She was smart, so she should've roughly realized what I

wanted to say. But well, that's fine. Let's go with that.
"Me too. Thank you, really," I said, bowing politely to make

it seem like I was thanking her.
Then I smiled and turned my back to her before I briefly

said, "See you." Then I walked in the opposite direction of her
apartment.
I didn't look back at all. After all, our relationship would

only last for today. We had a conversation by chance, and I
sent her near her home by chance.
That's it. I'm sure we would return to another stranger who

talked to each other a little bit. So I didn't have any strange
misunderstandings or expectations.
I said that to myself many times, ended up arriving back

home later than usual.
Chapter 04: The Goddess is Surprisingly Careless
A change suddenly occurred one day.
Even so, it had a sign and a cause. In other words, it wasn't

unexpected, but inevitable.
It was something that wouldn't exist if that didn't happen.
...I should've predicted this.
"Welcome! What would you like to order?"
As usual, I offered my sales smile to serve the customer. It's

weird for me to say this, but I was pretty confident in serving
customers. I only had to plaster a smile and did some acting...
yup.
Truly a great part-time job!
I could finish my work without having to use my emotions

unnecessarily. Handling troublesome customers and doing
annoying tasks were also manageable since I would get paid
for this.
That's why, you wouldn't see even a tiny amount of my

usual listlessness during my part-time job. If I were diligent,
my salary would go up. Working like this was a lot more
meaningful than studying.
Even so... my smile might be a little cramped right now.

No, I'm sure that I didn't have the usual beaming grin, but an
obviously fake smile.
I desperately put up with this situation, ending up unable
to make up anything but such a forced smile.
The cause was——
"Hmm, right... I'll have A-set hamburger, L-size fries, and

lemon tea for my drink, please."
The customer's voice was clear, just like the one I heard
some time ago...
Yes, the person who placed her orders in front of me was

Wakamiya Rin, the Goddess of my school. I just sent her
home yesterday, but this time, she was in the store.
Weird. This situation was too weird.
Did she come by chance? Or did she have any demands?

Did she come here to tell me not to say anything about me
giving charity to her?
I didn't understand. Furthermore, Wakamiya was looking

at her smartphone, not even glancing at me.
Well, I was wearing my part-time job uniform and a hat.

Maybe she only came here to eat normally. She didn’t look
like she had noticed me too.
Phew...
That's right. Wakamiya was just ordering food... I should

stop suspecting people of having ulterior motives.
I was just tired. I didn't have anything to do with her, so

don't mind her... yup.
I took a small breath and adjusted my expression.
"Thank you very much! A-set hamburger, L-size fries, and

lemon tea, right? Is that everything?"
"Yes, that's it."
"I understand. That'll be 550 yen!"
After Wakamiya paid for the food, she took the tray and sat
by the window.
I tried not to look at her as much as possible, but her

position was obvious from the cash register. Even if I didn't
want to see her, she kept entering the field of my vision.
Well, she would go home after she finished eating. Endure,

endure.
—One hour later.
Wakamiya spread her study tools on the desk and started

to do something, entirely focused. That thick book...
mathematics textbook?
As expected, the honor student could study anywhere, eh.

It's impressive.
By any standard, it's hard for me to say that this store's

environment made it easy to study. The music was playing in
the store, and many students were chattering loudly.
For her to be able to concentrate in such a situation proved

that she was talented after all.
—Three hours later.

"I would like to have two donuts and a coffee. The smallest
cup, please."
"I understand. S-size it is! Please choose the taste of the

donut from here."
"Hmm... I'd like it plain. Ah, for both of them."
"That'll be 350 yen."
"Um... can I have milk and two sugar cubes?"
"Yes, right away!"
"Thank you."
—Five hours later.
"Customer, it's time for high school students to go home..."
In the end, Wakamiya was studying until 22:00, the time

limit for high school students to stay in the store. The
manager asked me to notify her that, so I had to call her out...
"Huh? Tokiwagi-san? Right, you're working part-time

here... And it's already this late... Oh no, I did it again!"
"Just what are you doing..."
This already came to my mind yesterday, but she was

unexpectedly careless... Also, she even forgot that I was
working here. Just how thin was my presence, really? It made
me feel a bit sad...
"Please give me a moment to make a call..."
——Deja-vu...
When Wakamiya called her parents again, her body

twitched every time she got scolded.
"I'm sorry... Tokiwagi-san. May I ask you to send me home

again today...?"
Wakamiya said, her eyes teary. Apparently, her parents

scolded her even more sternly than yesterday.
Unable to refuse her, I could only say, "Got it..."
Hey, that expression was a foul play, okay?
Chapter 05: The Goddess Has Everything
"Fwahh~ Towa, you look even more sleepy than usual."
"And look who's currently yawning here."
I looked at Katou Kenichi, my classmate who was sitting in

front of me, stretching his back. You could say that he was my
partner in crime.
Like what he pointed out, unbearable drowsiness was

certainly attacking me. What came in my mind first as the
cause was that recently, I had been going to bed late at night.
If I had to return late from my part-time job, my bedtime

would inevitably get delayed as well. Well, this was
unavoidable.
As a result, I became sleepy at school and couldn't even

concentrate on the class at all.
But well, I rarely listened to the lesson seriously, so I

couldn't really say that anything had changed from the
usual...
However, Kenichi and I had been friends for a long time.

That should be why he said, "more than usual."
By the way, even if I called our relationship to be 'friends',

we got close only because our class were the same from
elementary school to high school. We're not in the
relationship where we would play together or do such things.
We were just stuck with each other.
Not to say, our circles were utterly different. Kenichi was

good looking, and he belonged to the A-group. Having a lot of
topics to talk about, Kenichi was always in the center of his
circle of friends. And for me, I only spoke to Kenichi and... the
teachers. Not to say, that's only when they were scolding me.
Well, Kenichi had many acquaintances since he was a guy

who could communicate with anyone without choosing his
friends. Instead, he was as famous as the Goddess in our
grade.
But it was only natural.
His personality was bright. He was good looking. He was

smart. He was athletic.
Above all, he took good care of other people.
What's with this perfect superman?
There was a saying, "Heaven does not grant people more

than one talent," but I'm sure it was a lie. Rather, heaven gave
him too much!
Anyway, such a person would give me a cheeky grin every

time our eyes met during the lunch break before he
approached me. I didn't know if it was because our
inseparable relationship as an undesirable friend had
deepened that much. His behaviour was a mystery for me.
He didn't have to leave his group to come to me, really...
"Speaking of which, Kenichi, can I ask you something?"

"Hm? Sure. It's rare for Towa to ask me a question."
Kenichi tilted his head, his sleepy face from before

disappeared like a lie. On the contrary, his eyes were shining
brightly.
Why?
"Hmm, well. How's your girlfriend recently?"
"Ohh! So it's a love story!! Great, great!"
"Ah, yeah, yeah. A love story..."
Looking at how Kenichi became even more excited, my

face unconsciously stiffened. He was too close! Too close!!
Probably curious about what Kenichi just said, everyone

around us strained their ears, listening carefully to our
conversation.
...I guess people would care about a talk concerning a good-

looking guy. Even more now since we were talking about his
lover.
But I had a reason why I brought up this topic. I had

something that I wanted to know.
"I'm on good terms with her! We also played together

yesterday!"
"...Did you really play with her yesterday?"
"Huh? Did I say something strange? Ah! If you doubt me,

I'll show you the proof!" Kenichi said.
He took out his smartphone and started playing around
with it while whistling.
"Hmm, where is the picture..."
Did he take so many pictures to the point that yesterday's

photos weren't displayed immediately... After all, the socially-
active guy was different from me. By the way, what's inside
the gallery of my smartphone was just a few images of my
home screens I accidentally screenshot.
"It's this! Here, take a look!"
"Oh, thanks."
I looked at Kenichi's photo.
"Eh... Your girlfriend is Fuji-san...?"
"Yeah! She's so cute in this picture, right? She was so happy

that she made her first strike at bowling~ By the way, this is
the picture of her a few seconds later."
Her big smile turned into an expressionless face as if

nothing had happened. Fujo-san was always such a cool
beauty, huh. She also had an atmosphere that wouldn't let
anyone get close to her.
But this gap... was undoubtedly cute.
"It's like she turns into a different person."
"I know, right? But I like this side of her. By the way, I'm
supposed to delete these photos, so keep it a secret!"
"Okay, okay."
I agreed without thinking much of it.
In the end, it's pointless for me to keep this a secret.

Everyone around us had been listening to us attentively. It's
only a matter of time before this matter reached Fuji-san's
ears.
Pay it no mind... Kenichi.
"Anyway, Kenichi. You should immediately move those

photos to some other place. That's if you want to keep it..."
Feeling guilty for bringing up this matter, I gave him a

piece of advice just in case. I hope he could make it in time...
"Thanks for the advice. But I already save the data on my

computer at home. Don't worry!" Kenichi whispered, then he
grinned.
Ah, so this was a premeditated crime? He purposely told

me to spread a rumor about that.
That way, after Fuji-san heard the rumor, she would think,
"I should erase the data on his smartphone." This handsome
man was smart, eh.
"Kenichi, how long have you been dating with Fuji-san? I

heard that you're dating another person."
"I think around May. It's what we call as the GW Magic!

Also, what you heard are just groundless rumors."
(GW Magic: The magic of Golden Week. Golden Week is a

series of four national holidays that take place within one
week at the end of April to the beginning of May each year in
Japan. By 'magic', Kenichi probably wants to say that "We
started dating during the Golden Week. The Golden Week is
blessing our relationship!")
"Ah, is that so?"
"Yeah, it's not true at all. I'm not dating Wakamiya Rin. But
well, we talk from time to time!"
Yes, this was what I wanted to ask Kenichi.
『Katou Kenichi and Wakamiya Rin are dating.』
This rumor had been passed around for a long time. If this
was the truth, I wanted to explain what happened between
me and her before and apologize.
It would be awful if he found out about it later. Not to say,

it wouldn't be good for me to turn Kenichi from A-group to
my enemy. The worst-case that might happen was making a
needless misunderstanding that I was 'making a move' on her.
But in the end, it was all needless anxiety.
"What is this, Towa~? Are you aiming for Wakamiya~?

Well, if you do, then do your best! I will support you!"
"No, no. I'm just curious about the rumor."
"Hmm. By the way, it seems like Wakamiya is single right

now, you know?"
"Is that so. Rather, what's with that weird grinning face...
That’s really not it, so give me a break. Also, it's still good if an
A-group like Kenichi to aim for her, but it's impossible for a
low class like me."
"You're still abasing yourself like that, huh."
"People of the low class has to act like this."
"Haha. Well, regardless, I'm still supporting you, Towa!"
"Yes, yes,"
I bitterly smiled at Kenichi's toothy smile. However, his

smile immediately disappeared the moment he saw
someone's figure.
"...Kenichi, come here for a while."
"Eh, wait!? Kotone!?"
"Have a safe trip~"
I waved to my buddy with the sales smile I had mastered in

my part-time job.
"Traitor~!" Kenichi said with a pitiful voice.
Her girlfriend was dragging him out.
I looked at them, following their figure. However, I

reflexively averted my eyes when I noticed the person
standing by the door.
"...Rin, help me take this idiot away. I'll educate him."
"Kotone-chan, I don't think you can drag him forcefully

like this. You should sincerely talk to him..."
"...For a brat who won't be obedient, violence is also a form
of sincerity."
"No! I'm going to make this photo my heirloom!"
The appearance of my buddy was miserable. However,

when I recalled that his desperation was also an act, I
honestly thought that he was amazing.
I watched the exchange of these three people from the

corner of my eyes. For a moment, I felt like Wakamiya and I
made eye contact...
But that's definitely my imagination.
Chapter 06: The Goddess is a Glutton
After I finished my usual part-time job, I suddenly received

a 'complaint'.
Yes. Customer complaint seeking compensation.
I think any working person would put themselves on guard

when they heard that word.
The current society was very sensitive to customer

complaints so that the term 'Karen' exists.
And someone who worked part-time like me couldn't

escape from those 'complaints'.
I once received a complaint that "the fries are cold". At that

time, I could do nothing but apologize. It was a bitter
memory.
Well, since then, I had been careful, paying close attention

to make sure I wouldn't receive another complaint, so I
couldn't say customer complaints were all bad. It would incite
the growth of the employee. However, this would also depend
on the mentality of the recipient...
"——Tokiwagi-san. Are you listening to me? I'm here to

complain to you, okay?"
Yes. I was getting a complaint from the Goddess.
By the way, Wakamiya wasn't complaining when there was

a cash register between us. She told me that after I went out
of the back door as usual. For her not to interfere with my
part-time job should be proof that she was an earnest person.
I pondered, trying to find out why Wakamiya got angry at

me. When I was on my shift, Wakamiya was...
She ordered a burger set and donuts just as she did the
other day, then she was studying. In other words, she was
acting the same as usual.
Did I do a mistake when I offered her the new products?
But this time, I wasn't feeling particularly awkward

anymore. I believe that my customer service was perfect.
But when I looked back, I noticed that Wakamiya was

already in a bad mood around that time.
And after I finished my part-time job, she caught me right

after I got out of the back door. Since this had happened for a
few days, I didn't get surprised anymore that Wakamiya was
waiting for me the moment I went out.
That means, I didn't anger her when I was working?
I glanced at Wakamiya. Today, she didn't have the

apologetic aura she always had when she asked me to send
her home again. Presently, she was looking at me with a sharp
glare.
I instinctively gulped. No good, I couldn't stop sweating...

This might what a frog felt when it was being stared by a
snake...
"Um, let me get this straight first. Are you complaining

about my service? I don't think I did any mistake for that."
"No."
Apparently, she wanted to complain about something else.

I wracked my brains over and thought again about what did I
do to make her angry.
"Hmm...?"
This was my conclusion. I had no idea.
In the first place, I never had a girlfriend before. No, even

less than that...
For a boy like me who had almost no relationship with

girls, I didn't have the advanced skill of 'sensing a woman's
mind'.
"Do you know what's different about me today?"
"I'm angry, okay. Do you know why?"
Such was the common girl's template dialogue, but...
I don't know how to answer them!!!
I wanted to say that in a loud voice. What's more, I felt like

no matter how I answered, she would tell me that, "You're
wrong". Or that "There's also that, but that's not what I'm
talking about right now."
Well anyway, this was impossible for me. I gave up.

Nothing came to my mind.
"It looks like you don't understand what I'm talking

about..."
"Sorry."
"It can't be helped. Tokiwagi-san, you ignored me after

school, right?"
"Ah... Did you call my name...?"
"Yes. I called you, but you ignored me."
Certainly, I heard a voice calling my name from behind

when I was in a hurry to go to my part-time job... I thought I
heard wrong, but apparently Wakamiya called me.
"I didn't think that someone would call me... I thought I

misheard."
"I called you from a pretty close distance, though..."
Wakamiya glared at me. Her slightly bulging cheeks were

cute. I unconsciously wanted to touch it, but I endured my
impulse.
"Well, I'm not used having someone call me like that. Also,
I don't want to look back and end up being too excessively
self-conscious or create a strange atmosphere."
"But Tokiwagi-san ignored me, leaving me behind on that

spot in a strange atmosphere..."
"Ahh, I'm sorry about that. It's my fault."
I bowed my head. The strange atmosphere after getting

ignored by someone was definitely unbearable.
I understood that because I had experienced it many times.
It didn't really matter, though...
"I think it would have been nice if you responded a little.

You're completely unresponsive that I even thought I called
the wrong person."
"It's rare for other people to call my name. Only Keichi will
call me, but he usually starts talking with 'oi' or 'hey'."
"Uh, I feel like I shouldn't have asked you this."
"You don't have to look that awkward. I'm used to it, so it

has changed into every day's occurrence."
"Do you need a handkerchief?"
"No need. I'm not crying, okay."
"Is that so?" Wakamiya said, putting back her handkerchief

to her bag.
Rather, why would she think that I was crying? I wasn't

that sentimental. If anything, I had a strong mentality.
So it didn't matter to me at all.
My mentality was so strong that I could even shout to the

whole town, "Being alone was the best!!"
But of course I wouldn't do that kind of thing.
"Well, leaving that aside, I'm sorry for ignoring you."
"No, it's doesn't matter anymore. Now that I know the

reason, I'm going to be careful from now on."
"By the way, why did you call me?"
"It's not really important..."
"I see."
I was curious, but she looked like she didn't really want to
talk about it. I decided not to pursue it.
Well, rather than that, I had to tell her something

important. That was the priority.
"Ah, right. Wakamiya-san, here's a piece of advice for you."
"Advice? What is it?"
"Don't talk to me at school."
"Why?"
Not understanding what I mean, Wakamiya tilted her head.
She's really careless, huh... Good grief.
"You don't want to hear rumors of having a relationship

with a guy that you don't like, right? Not to say, I have sent
you near your home many times. It won't be strange for
someone to see us soon."
"I see... You're right..."
"Well, that's it. If you understand, then——"
"——It's fine."
Before I could tell her not to get involved with me in the

future, Wakamiya cut my words. Her glare was sharp,
something close to anger.
"I don't care about the rumors."
"But..."
"The person concerned is saying that she doesn't care, so

that doesn't matter. And..."
"...And?"
"The... the donuts here. I feel lonely when I can't eat them."
"Huh?"
Surprised by Wakamiya's unexpected remark, a weird

voice escaped my mouth. Then, something gradually welled
up within me——
"Pfft."
I couldn't help but laugh. I didn't expect her to feel

reluctant parting with the food. Rather than feeling sad at
how I lost to food, Wakamiya's gluttonous remark hit my spot,
making me unable to stop laughing.
"Y-you don't have to laugh, right!?"
"I don't expect that you'll mention the donuts. Right, I'm
curious about that too since you always order that."
"It can't be helped that I come to like it!"
"Hahaha. I agree with that. Well, if you like the donuts that
much, I can teach you how to deliciously eat the donuts in
this store."
"Really!? Then I'll look forward to it!"
She was really excited. It's almost like her monotonous

voice when we first met was a lie.
"But Wakamiya-san, please be careful about the time so

that I won't have to send you every time, okay? You also don't
like it when your parents are scolding you, right?"
"I will do my best."
"That sounds like what someone will say when they're not
going to do it."
Wakamiya chuckled. "You're right."
Needless to say, I was fascinated by that smile.
This relationship, which I thought would end soon, seemed

like it would still continue.
Chapter 07: The Goddess Drops Bombs
"Tokiwagi-san, are you always working part-time?"
"I guess so."
I answered shortly and took one fries in front of me.

Wakamiya's voice was monotone as usual, but I felt like her
cheeks were slightly more relaxed. She was probably in a
good mood.
However, contrary to such Wakamiya, my heart wasn't

calm.
For some reason, Wakamiya and I sat next to each other...

Everyone around us was staring at us, their gaze almost
blood-thirsty. I could even hear them saying something
similar to a curse.
Haa...
I could only sigh. Why did this happen?
——It all started around an hour after I started my shift.
I was wiping the table and throwing out the trash bags. Up
to that point, nothing had changed from the usual
Yes, up to that point...
"Welco... me..."
One of the waiters energetically greeted the customer, only

to lose his words once he saw the person who just came in.
His mouth was opened wide, completely stunned.
The reason was simple. The Goddess had descended upon

this place. What's more, today was Saturday. Meaning, she
was wearing casual clothes right now.
Her navy dress and white cardigan were plain, but they
suited her so much. She was so pretty, not looking like a high
school student at all. Partly because of that, she attracted the
eyes around her the moment she entered the restaurant.
Among them, there were even some men who looked

bewitched, their eyes filled with hearts. Calling her an angel
would be an understatement.
As expected from the Social Goddess. Her casual clothes

looked exactly like what the popular girls would wear.
Well, everything was still good at that time.
She had come a lot lately, making her so famous that she
became a talk between the staffs. But then, she was only "a
customer".
No one knew that I had been talking to her and sending her
home a lot recently.
It wouldn't be strange if anyone found out about our

connection. Even so, since Wakamiya never talked to me in
the restaurant, the other part-time workers didn't notice
anything at all.
That's why I got careless. Like usual, I thought that

Wakamiya wouldn't talk to me today...
But contrary to my prediction——
"Good morning, Tokiwagi-san. You're working part-time

too today?"
She talked to me.
"......Eh?"
Unable to comprehend what just happened, I couldn't say

anything back to her.
"That's not good. Greeting people is the basic of the basic.

You have to return it if someone greets you. So let's repeat it
once again. Good morning, Tokiwagi-san."
"Oh, good morning..."
I reflexively returned her greetings. After confirming my

reply, Wakamiya smiled in satisfaction.
"It seems like you are working from morning today. Umm,
when will you finish your shift?"
"It's 6 o'clock at the schedule."
"That's perfect. I'm going home around that time too, so

please take care of me as usual..."
"No, no. 6 o'clock is still early, right? You don't need it."
"My parents worry a lot. So..."
"Then it's fine. It's not a big deal too."
"Thank you. Then see you later," Wakamiya said. She then
walked to the seat that recently had become her fixed
position. After I saw her off, I was going to redo the cleaning,
but...
"""Tokiwagi... We're having a meeting for a moment."""
After that, I was taken to the office by my seniors. It's like

they were dragging me away. There, they thoroughly asked
me about Wakamiya. It feels like an interrogation. For some
reason, the manager also participated in midway...
What does she mean by 'as usual'? Is Wakamiya my

girlfriend? What's the Goddess' name?
And things like that...
For the time being, I answered vaguely for the difficult

questions, continued to answer all of their questions until the
seniors calmed down.
They finally released me around an hour later.
At that time, one of my seniors told me that there was

something like a non-aggression pact for Wakamiya. No one
could talk to her. They should be satisfied just by looking at
her.
Apparently, she had been sublimated to such an existence

in my part-time job.
As expected from the Social Goddess. She was the real deal.
Chapter 08: The Goddess is Unexpectedly Pushy
I was resting in the staff's room during my break, but the

manager told me, "Since your friend is here, you should take
a break there." Even if I refused, he only said, "It's fine, it's
fine!" And of course, he forced me out from the staff's room.
The manager's grin was weird. I'm sure that he was reading
too much into things again.
I sighed and headed to Wakamiya's seat as he instructed.

She was sitting in her usual seat, stuffing her cheeks with the
donut.
She ate so happily...
"Huh? Are you on a break, Tokiwagi-san?"
"Yeah."
"Then you can sit next to me if you want to. Ah, I'm sorry.
I'll take away my textbooks."
Wakamiya put her study tool in her bag and pat the empty
seat next to her. It's like she was urging me to just take a seat
already.
The line of sight of the customers towards me became

sharper. Some guys even crushed the cup in their hands.
...Haa.
"I... I might get killed today."

"Umm, should I call the police?"
"I'm going to get killed by all kinds of hatred...."
"Did something happen...?"
"Yeah, well... you can say that. But it's still happening right
now..."
Wakamiya tilted her head. She didn't seem to realize that

she was in the whirlpool of trouble.
"Hey, when you said 'as usual' just now, why did you word
it like that?"
"There's a possibility that it will make misunderstandings if

I say it straightforwardly. That's why I thought I should
sugarcoat it... was it bad?"
"Yeah, you're pouring oil to the fire. It backfired."
"Then I should straightforwardly say that our relationship

had been approved by my parents?"
"Why did it become like that!?"
Approved by her parents!? This was the first time I heard

that...
Also, I wasn't familiar with Wakamiya's parents. I had

never met or talked to them.
If anything, I only ever saw Wakamiya talking with her

parents using her phone out of the corner of my eye.
"That's also bad? You're surprisingly selfish."

"Of course that's bad. First, that's entirely contrary to the
fact, right... Just what has been approved?"
"Hmm, well. My parents recognized you as a harmless

person who regularly sends me home. In other words, they
have approved you."
"Ah, so that's what you mean..."
I didn't know whether I should laugh or cry... Anyway, no

one would understand it like that!
"They can just think of me as a normal acquaintance who

lives nearby, right?"
"I'm not good at lying."
"Considering that, you're really good at making

misunderstandings, huh."
"Tokiwagi-san, did you say something?
"No, it's nothing."
I turned away from her and took a sip of the juice.
Apparently, the part-time workers were looking at us. The

moment their eyes met mine, they immediately retreated.
...Jeez, do your work.
"There's something I have been curious about."
"Hm?"
"You work part-time every weekday, right? Are you also

working on weekends?"
"Yeah, since I have nothing to do. So don't worry, I'm not

only working on the day Wakamiya-san comes here."
Wakamiya sighed. She then said with slight amazement.

"I'm not worried about that at all."
Even so, I think girls have to be careful with boys'

behaviour. Some of them are pretty cunning. There are also
some guys who are very persistent... To be honest, I don't
think she can't be too careful about this matter.
"It's just that... Um, are you alright?"
"Alright with working part-time all the time? I'm fine, you
see. I think I'm pretty resilient."
"No, I'm not worried about that."
Be a bit more worried about me, can't you!
I commented so inwardly.
"What I'm worried about is the regular tests. Since you are
working so much, when are you studying?"
"Study? Even if I do that, it's useless for my future. I don't

need to do that."
"I'm just checking, but how is your last test...?"
"They are all red marks."
Suddenly, I felt something cold running in my back,

making me shiver. Wakamiya was looking at me with
freezingly cold eyes.
...Did I do something? She looked angry...
"I will talk with the manager."
"Huh? Eh, wait, hey!"
After Wakamiya declared that, she stood up from her seat

and went somewhere at a very fast pace.
—After a few minutes.
"Tokiwagi-san, I asked the person in charge of the

permission to change your shifts."
"What are you doing!?"
"This will give you some time to study."
"No, it doesn't mean that I can good marks in the test just
because I have enough time to study! Rather, I haven't
listened to the lesson since I entered school."
"No problem."
"I have many problems with this, okay."
I didn't even remember what the lesson started from.

Saying this myself was pathetic, but... my studies were already
hopeless.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of you."
"It's fine, you don't have to do that..."
"I understand. Then let's give it our all."
"Don't you think the direction of our conversation is too

strange!?"
"It's not strange at all. Tokiwagi-san, you definitely said 'it's

fine' just now."
"I was refusing you..."
"I can't accept that."
Wakamiya wrote "study" in her planner and made a long

arrow from today's date to the day of the test. I could feel my
face and the corner of my mouth twitch.
"Hey... You're not telling me to study every day, right..."
"Of course we're studying every day."
"I'm allergic to studying. I'll die if I do it that much."
"That kind of allergy doesn't exist. You're going to be fine."
"Before that, your grades will drop if you spend your time
to teach someone like me..."
"That's also not a problem. I'm confident in my studies."
That line... One day, I'd like to say it once. But I wouldn't be
able to no matter what. It's just impossible.
"Then, you're going to study with me for a while. I'll make

sure you will get good marks, so please look forward to it."
"You don't have to bother... why me?"

"Since I already find out that you're not taking your studies
seriously, I can't overlook it. Also... this is entirely just me
'being nosy'."
"Being nosy, huh...? I'll ask again, but can I refuse?"
"Of course you can't. If I remember right, your shift ends at

six o'clock today, right? Let's not delay this and start studying
today."
"Today!? At least give me time until the holiday break..."
"I don't accept any objections."
"Seriously..."
Once she had decided, she would persist. When I saw that
side of the Goddess, I could only make a bitter smile.
Chapter 09: The Goddess is Somewhat Off?
After I finished my part-time job, I walked on the road that

I had gotten used to. Today, Wakamiya was walking beside
me with light steps.
I'm sure it's because her parents didn't scold her today.
After all, they always got angry at her for going home late at
night.
Since it's still past six, the clear ultramarine west sky was
dyed with a thin red color. If I took a picture of Wakamiya
with that sky as the background, I might even win a
competition.
This scenery matched Wakamiya so well. I guess it was

something normal for such a picturesque girl.
"The sky is still bright."
"You're right. I think it's beautiful."
An experienced man would probably have said one or two

cheesy lines here to praise Wakamiya.
Even so, I could only reply to her with a short 'yes'. It might
take me decades before I could say something slightly better
in this situation.
But of course, there was a great chance that I wouldn't be

able to say it even after decades. How pitiful...
"By the way, we're walking on the same road as usual, but...
Tokiwagi-san, this is really the way to your house, right?"
"What do you mean?"
"No, I'm wondering if you're trying to send me home so

you can get away from your study."
"Hahaha. No way. My house is also in this way.”
"I didn't know that... Sorry for doubting you."
"Don't worry about it," I answered with an ambiguous

smile However, I was thinking of doing that as my last stand...
I couldn’t do that anymore now. "Hey, Wakamiya-san. You're
really coming to my house?"
"Of course."
"...But I'm a man."
"I know that. I never thought that you're a woman."
"No, no, that's not what I'm trying to say... You're going to a
young man's house... er... don't you think that's dangerous?"
"Ah."
Wakamiya looked like she just noticed the danger of her

actions. Her cheeks became flushed.
"I had forgotten about that..."
"So you finally get it. Then let's cancel this study session
——"
"——It's rude if I don't bring a box of confectioneries when

visiting, right!"
"What? Box of confectioneries?"
"Yes! I'm going to visit Tokiwagi-san's house. You have

always been taking care of me, so it's very rude of me to your
parents not to bring anything!"
"You're worrying about that!? Why!?"
"This is common sense."
"I've never heard of this, though... You don't need to

prepare anything, you know?"
"I'll decide whether I need to do it or not."
She really didn't have to do that. There's no one at home

anyway...
But Wakamiya's eyes were resolute. It's clear that she

wouldn't withdraw. I had been talking to her in the last few
days, but Wakamiya always rushed things recklessly, didn't
she?
After this, Wakamiya forced me to go to a convenience

store. There, she purchased a box of confectioneries.
Convenient store these days sure was handy...
Chapter 10: The Goddess' Visit and The Disastrous
House
Here were the specifications of my apartment.
It was a thirty years old apartment made of wood. The floor

creaked as I walked. The room had no exposure to the sun.
It took around fifteen minutes on foot from the station, and

the floor plan was 1DK. The rent was 60,000 yen.
(Note: In the abbreviation 1DK, D stands for "dining" and

K stands for "kitchen". Basically, this is a two-room
apartment with a kitchen and dining space that is separated
from the other room. 60,000 yen is $560.99. (July 2020))
By the way, the Goddess' residence, that high-rise

condominium visible from my apartment took around five
minutes by bicycle.
...The disparity made me sad.
We finally arrived in front of my apartment. Somehow,

Wakamiya had a nervous look on her face. I guess it's only to
be expected that a high school girl like her would feel nervous
about going to a young man's place... but this Social Goddess
was slightly different from an ordinary girl——
"This is the first time I greet your parents. It makes me

slightly nervous."
"I know you'll say that."
I sighed.
I wonder if Wakamiya didn't feel any hesitation going into

a young man’s apartment? She had to be more careful... I'm
starting to get worried... Just a little bit, though.
"Your house is surprisingly close. Also, it's... umm, it's a

pretty unique house."
"Yeah, it's quite close. You don't have to be so polite, you

know? Compared to Wakamiya's house, it's more like a run-
down building. It's not unique at all."
Wakamiya had a strained smile and began to observe my

house carefully.
Then she tilted her head.
"Tokiwagi-san. Do you live alone?"
"Why did you think so?"
"There's not much lived-in feel here. And I only saw one
umbrella at the entrance."
"Ahh, I see. Close enough. As expected from Wakamiya-

san."
"Thank you."
"But the correct answer is that I live with my father. Well,

he's rarely at home since he has to work, so I actually feel like
I'm living alone. I guess I can say that Wakamiya-san gets it
right."
"So that's it. Then, you have to do the housework by

yourself... as a high school student, it must be tough for you.
That's why you won't have time to study..."
"W-well, yeah..." I replied, but to be honest, I hadn't done

any housework.
Really, none at all. It's the truth, not me being humble.
The only thing I did at home is to 'sleep'. For my meals, I

ate the bread I bought in the nearby convenience store. Most
of the times, I only ate cup noodles at home.
Anyway, I was living an unhealthy life.
However, the Social Goddess didn't know that yet. She

currently had a serious expression. Then she took a small
deep breath before she looked at me as if she had decided
something.
...I have a very bad feeling about this.
"This must be some kind of fate too... Tokiwagi-san, I will

help you as much as I can to make sure you can concentrate
on your studies!"
"No, it's really fine!"
"So it's fine. I understand, leave it to me."
"This again!? You don't need to..."
"I know. I don't have to tell anyone about this anyway."
"You don't get it at all!"
"Let's strike while the iron is hot. Pardon my intrusion."

"Ah, wait a minute!"
I forgot that I could only count the number of people I had

invited to my house with one hand.
That's why it completely didn't pass my mind. That my

home wasn't in the state where I could invite other people to
come in.
"Tokiwagi-san... this... did a burglar come inside?"
After seeing my disastrous house, Wakamiya's eyes

widened. She rubbed them several times. It's clear that the
scene in front of her was unbelievable.
"This is how it always looks like..."
"Er... Tokiwagi-san, it's amazing that you managed to live

in here... I don't even know where I can step."
"But look, my clothes are piling up on the floor here and

there, so you can walk on it, right? It's like a carpeted floor."
"It doesn't work like that."
"Yes..."
"Anyway, let's clean up. We'll postpone other things for

now."
"You don't have to do that."
"No. My pride won't let me ignore this now that I've seen it.
Let's tidy up until you can at least live a normal life here."
"But I didn't buy any garbage bag."

"Don't worry. I have it with me."
"Why did you bring that around!?"
I was stunned at how prepared she was. Ignoring me,

Wakamiya started to clean up.
In the end, we finished cleaning up this house around

21:00.
Chapter 11: Studying with the Social Goddess
I feel more refreshed when the room is clean. The floor,

which I haven't seen for a while, appears for the first time
after a long while.
Hello, my floor. The last time I saw you was probably when
I moved in here.
"Oh, this is delicious."
I take out the cookie from the box of confectioneries that

turned out to be Wakamiya's wasted effort and chew it. Yeah,
I can see myself getting addicted to this taste.
And then, the Goddess sat in front of me, her back straight.
It's been thirty minutes since she had that posture. After
flipping through her textbook, she copied something on her
notebook, preparing for her study.
I also solved each question given by Wakamiya one by

one...
"Ah, that's wrong. First, you have to solve this division."
"Haa..."
Her flat monotonous voice echoed in the small room.
For the first time in my life, a girl was visiting my house,

but I didn't feel excited or happy at all...
When Wakamiya was teaching me, she became a scary

person. She didn't accept any compromise... but well, she was
good at teaching me.
"You shouldn't sigh."
"Ah, is it because a bit our happiness escapes from us every

time we sigh?"
'Sighing will drive away happiness.' It's a very common

saying. Either way, I'm sure I kept sighing because my
happiness kept going away from me...
"It's a superstition. Rather, sighs are good for your health."
"Oh, I didn't know that. Mind telling me more?"
"Right, sighs help bring balance to the body... Ah, but we

don't have to talk about this matter now."
"Tsk."
"Tokiwagi-san, you're not thinking of derailing the

conversation to avoid studying, right?"
"No way. I won't do that!"
"You sound guilty, though. But for the time being, we can
discuss sighs at a later date. It has nothing to do with our
current study."
"Yeah..."
"Then, let's study English. You can't sleep until you

memorized a hundred words today."
I dropped the cookie in my hand.

A demon...? Telling me to memorize a hundred starting
now was the same as giving me a death sentence...
"Hey, why am I studying even though it's already late at

night... Return back my sleeping time..."
"It's just past 22:00, isn't it? You also have to get back the
amount of time you wasted by cleaning the house. You can
sleep later."
"No, no. We can continue the rest tomorrow, right? You

should go home too before it gets any later than this."
A girl was staying in a boy's house even after 22:00 in the

evening. If her parents knew this, they would definitely get
angry.
"It's fine. I will tell them that I'm going to my friend's house
today."
"Isn't that the lie girls usually say when they're staying at
their boyfriend's house?"
"That's also correct in a sense. I'm currently in a boy's

house."
"Wakamiya-san, don't come to a man's house easily. Don't

you think this situation is usually dangerous?"
"Not at all. I don't think it's a problem. I trust Tokiwagi-san.

Also..."
"Hm?"
"I'm confident in my ability to judge character," Wakamiya
answered. She puffed her chest in pride, making me unsure
where I should look.
I'm happy that she trusts me, but... That also means that
she doesn't see me as a man. I don't know what to say to that.
Well, I don't want the atmosphere to be awkward just

because she's getting cautious or conscious of me too much.
"But you're right. Now that I think about it again, I feel like
I'm doing something bold. Um, like going into the house of a
boy of my age..."
"Aren't you too late to realize that..."
"Tokiwagi-san, do you think I am a nympho?"
"Why do you come into that conclusion...?"
"I feel like Tokiwagi-san is looking at me as an 'easy girl

who doesn't hesitate to go to a man's house'."
"No way," I said, drinking the tea Wakamiya brewed. "But

listen, Wakamiya. Man is a silly creature who has two brains,
so... you have to be careful. It will be too late to regret it when
a guy attacks you, you know?"
The most beautiful girl in the school. Divine beauty. The

perfect girl.
It would be unusual for a guy not to feel strange when they

were in the same room with such Wakamiya. She was fine
since it was me this time, but it didn't mean everyone else
would necessarily act like me.
"At that time, I'll admit that I don't have the ability to judge
character. This is also a study for me."
Wakamiya had her hand over her mouth and smiled gently.
I was charmed by her gesture, but I managed to calm down by
pinching my thigh.
"No way, the risk of that study is too high!"
"A person can't live without sacrificing something."
"Deep! But you can't just apply those words in this case,
you know. The damage is usually irreversible."
"Fine, I won't hold back today. Come on, remember these

words."
"Why are you suddenly bringing that up!? The way you
switch the topic is too rough, seriously."
I sighed and began to turn over the Goddess' handmade

vocabulary notebook.
—One hour later.
"I can't do this anymore. I start to forget everything..."
"I see... I guess forcing you to study any more than this will
only backfire... It can't be helped. Then we'll stop here today.
Tokiwagi-san, good work today."
"Ahh~... My head is so hot. It's like I'm going to have a

fever."
I took a sip of the tea while dropping my head on the desk.

This might be the first time I had used my brain this much in
my life...
Next to me, Wakamiya was wearing her jacket to prepare

to go home soon. She didn't waste any of her time doing
nothing. She really had an unusually rapid pace in taking
action, huh...
"It'll be a waste if we leave the remaining sweets like this,

so please store them properly, Tokiwagi-san."
"Got it."
"I will come again next time, so please take care of me."
"Sure, if we have the opportunity. Anyway, thank you for

today."
"No, we should help each other in times of need."
I sent Wakamiya near her house and went straight home

without stopping by anywhere.
The house should have been dreary after we cleaned

everything up, but somehow, I feel like the air is warm.
Chapter 12: The Goddess Comes Uninvited
The morning sunshine faintly entered through the window,

making the dim room slightly brighter.
From outside the window, I could hear the chirping of the

small birds.
In the midst of my drowsiness, I unconsciously moved my

body, responding to the sounds I heard.
"Ow!?"
My pinky bumped the corner of the desk, making me

writhe in pain.
Up until now, I never hurt myself when walking in my

apartment... I guess having clothes scattered on the floor was
safer in a sense.
I turned on the light of the room while enduring the pain.
"It's really clean now..."
It's like watching the before and after of a hoarding house.

Remembering what happened yesterday made me feel deeply
moved.
A beautiful girl came to my house, cleaned it, and studied

with me.
It's something that definitely won't happen to me until

now. If this is a dream, please wake me up already.
...Seriously.
I pinched my face as hard as I could.
"Iit rwiwwy hwurts..."
On the mirror reflected my listless appearance with one

side of my cheeks red. My face looked tired like I had no
energy at all.
I washed my face and wiped my face with the tidily folded

towel.
"She even did my laundry... when did she do it?"
Usually, most people wouldn't want to touch the wrinkled

clothes that other people tossed to the ground once taken off.
However, Wakamiya did everything with composure. As I
developed a feeling of respect towards her, I was also
convinced. This was why Wakamiya was so popular.
She was really perfect in everything, be it her personality,

ability to take action, and capability.
"I have to say my thanks next time..."
I stretched my back and looked at the study tools on the

desk.
"I don't want to do it, but I guess it won't hurt..."
Knock knock knock.
As if interrupting my thoughts, I heard the sound of

knocking on the door. I glanced at the clock.
...9 AM. Maybe it's the newspaper salesman?
I scratched my head and opened the door.
"We don't need newspape..."
"Good morning, Tokiwagi-san. The weather is nice, isn't

it?"
No way.
I rubbed my eyes and squinted.
"It looks like the doorbell is broken, so I knocked on the

door. May I enter?"
I was about to fall in love with the smiling Wakamiya, but,
"Why are you here?"
I averted my eyes and asked that question to the Goddess

who was standing straight in front of my door. No way, I
never thought I would see her in casual clothes for two
consecutive days...
I experienced the moment of bliss just by looking at her

appearance in casual clothes... No, focus.
"I already told you I will come 'again'."
"Normally, no one will think that you're going to come

today."
"It's normal for me," Wakamiya answered with a composed

expression.
Certainly, the definition of 'normal' would vary from
person to person. It would be meaningless to argue what was
'normal' here. By the way, it didn't mean I gave up because I
didn't have the confidence to refute Wakamiya. I just didn't
want to spend my energy on something wasteful... that was
the reason I used to convince myself.
"I guess you're free?"
"To be frank, I'm free."
"I see, so you're free."
"Yes. By the way, Tokiwagi-san. Haven't you been bitten by

an insect? Your cheek is slightly red."
"Ahh, this is... don't worry about it."
I couldn't tell her. There's no way I could tell her that I

pinched myself to check whether this was reality or not.
"Then I'll intrude. Have you had your breakfast yet?"
"No, I haven't. I don't have to eat breakfast anyway."
Usually, I ate jelly for breakfast. It only took ten seconds to

eat it to charge my energy, very convenient.
"You have to eat breakfast, okay? It's the source of your

power for the day, and skipping it will be bad for your
health."
"Then I'll eat it later."
"It's already 9 o'clock. If you're delaying it, won't the

breakfast become your lunch?"
"I guess so. Okay, I'll eat this."
I took out the dry bread from the emergency provisions I

found yesterday.
The bread was crunchy and delicious. Just perfect for

filling the stomach.
"Tokiwagi... san?"
"D-did I do something strange...?"
Wakamiya glared at me. She looked angry. I flinched at

that glare.
However, Wakamiya was still elegant even when she was

angry. This looked like something from a picture. As I thought
about such a mundane thing, Wakamiya narrowed her eyes,
staring at me with a piercing look.
"That's not a meal."
"But I don't have anything else I can eat here, you know?"
After cleaning my apartment yesterday, Wakamiya threw

away most of the foods I couldn't eat anymore. The only thing
left was this dry bread.
"Haa. I knew this would happen."
Wakamiya sighed and took out a container from her

slightly larger tote bag.
"What's that?"
"Sandwiches. I made a lot, so please eat it."

"...Are you sure?"
"Yes, please eat as much as you want."
I gulped. My belly growled as if urging me to quickly eat it.
"Thanks. You've been a great help..."
"No, this is just me being a busybody."
"I see."
Forgetting my conscience, I tossed the sandwiches

Wakamiya brought into my mouth.
I smacked my lips at the as I enjoyed the various tastes of

the sandwiches, unable to stop my hands until I finished
eating all of it.
Chapter 13: Apparently, The Goddess Can't Resist
Helping a Hopeless Man
"Thank you for the meal."
"Oh, it's nothing special."
Wakamiya put away the container and wiped the desk with
the cloth she always brought with her.
...In the end, I ate everything. Probably happy with that,

Wakamiya was in a good mood.
After Wakamiya finished cleaning up, she sat straight in

front of me across the desk. Her posture was elegant as usual.
"Now then, let's start our study."
"You really waste no time..."
"Yes. It will be less efficient if we are too idle. Anyway, let's

review what you learned yesterday. You have to master it
thoroughly."
"And when I'm done with that?"
"Then you'll have to commit them to your memory to build

your foundation."
"Okay... I will follow Wakamiya-sensei’s words. That also

sounds like a good plan."
"......"
Wakamiya stared at me with a blank look. Did I say
anything weird?
"Hm? What happened?"
"Err, this may be rude, but... I didn't expect you to

obediently listen to me. Honestly, I'm surprised."
"You're really rude, aren't you? Just what do you think I

am..."
"Someone who never listens to me."
"I guess I can't say that you're completely wrong with that."
Did she think that I was a rude person? Certainly, I was a

perverse guy who didn't listen to what other people say. I
wasn't being very honest with her too...
Ahh, so that's why she was surprised. It made me sad to say

it myself.
"Hey, Wakamiya. What are you going to do while I'm

studying? Are we studying together?"
"No. I'm thinking of preparing for lunch while Tokiwagi-

san is studying... But I won't be able to use this pan unless I
wash it first."
Wakamiya said as she looked at the frying pan, which was

quite dirty. She grimaced.
That frying pan was getting worn out. Probably, I would see
it burning the food even without pouring the oil into the pan.
It was so dusty that I couldn't even remember when I last

used it.
"Sorry... I haven't cooked anything since I started living

here. The frying pan kind of becomes a fossil now."
"Tokiwagi-san's apartment is full of fossils. Unfortunately,

I'm not happy to find any of it."
"Don't praise me. You're making me shy."
"I'm not praising you." Wakamiya puffed her cheeks a bit.

She looked dissatisfied. Even that small gesture drew my
attention.
"I'm grateful with everything you did to me, but

Wakamiya-san... you have your own private life, and you need
time for yourself, right? You can just leave me alone, you
know?"
"I can't do that now that I've known your situation. This is
what I want to do right now. And if Tokiwagi-san continues
living like this, you will become a hopeless man..."
"This might sound strange coming from me, but I'm

already a hopeless man. I have no ability for living. To be
honest, I don't think I can get it back too. I have been living
like this until now, so..."
"That's fine. Leave it to me, I'll make you a decent human."
Wakamiya clenched her fists, her face full of

determination. Just what was behind her stirred up driving
power?
Maybe it was something like, 'I can't just leave a puppy that
was thrown away in the midst of the rain! It would die!'
"Then I'll start preparing. I have to clean this up first,

though."
"Looks like I have a lot of appliances that can't be used

anymore. But then, I don't even know which one still can be
used."
"Please don't worry. I have brought what I think is

necessary."
"Ahh. So that's why you took that travel bag. You're really
prepared."
"I bring frying pan, seasonings, and several ingredients

with me too."
"That's amazing... But hey, you're seriously going to

prepare my lunch?"
"That's my plan, but... you don't need it? If you don't want
me to do this, then I'll stop."
"It's not like I don't want it. Rather, I really want you to."
"Fufufu. Then I'll prepare it. But I'm not confident in my

cooking, so please don't expect too much from me."
"No, I'm sure you will do well."
"Thank you very much. Then I will do my best using all of

my skills. Tokiwagi-san, please study hard."
"Got it."
"Also, I'm going to meal prep for you today, so please eat
properly."
"Are you my Mom!?"
"I will fold the laundry too, so please don't mess them up."
"Why are you going that far!?"
"This is just me being nosy."
"I feel like you're using that excuse just because it's
convenient, though?"
"You're imagining it," Wakamiya answered with her usual

composed expression. Even so, her fine-featured face was
slightly red.
After this, I would continue to study until night. Wakamiya

woke me up when I was getting sleepy and knocked on the
door when I tried to relax in the toilet... She was really
thorough.
However, it goes without saying that the food she cooked

was delicious. The taste permeated in my tired body.
She said that she wasn't confident about cooking... But that
was a lie, right!!
Once again, I witnessed Wakamiya's perfection with my

own eyes.
Chapter 14: The Social Goddess' Wake-up Call
"I never thought I would leave home at this time..."
I muttered to myself as I looked at the time on the screen

of my smartphone.
It was 6:45 in the morning. One hour earlier from when I

usually went to school.
After the incredible weekends, the school started again

from today. To be honest, I didn't like school, so I didn't really
want to go early.
Then why did I leave my apartment this early, you ask?
The reason was simple.
I simply happened to wake up earlier... Well, to be exact, I

was woken up early in the morning.
When I saw 『Wakamiya Rin』 displayed in the incoming

call history on my smartphone, I sighed.
"So this is what people call 'wake-up call'? I didn't expect it

to be such a pain..."
I wanted to spend my morning lazing around in my

blanket. The true supreme bliss.
However, the wake-up call didn't allow me to stay idle.

Another call came, as if she was aiming for the timing I would
try to sleep again.
Her timing was too good at I even thought, "Maybe she's
watching me?"
I almost had no registered contacts on my smartphone.

There were only my father, the manager of my part-time job,
Katou Kenichi who forced me to register his number, and...
Wakamiya Rin.
It couldn't be helped. Most of the D-group members didn't

have a large community to keep in touch. Having the required
minimum was enough.
Well, the limit of the required minimum changed

yesterday, though...
The reason was that I slipped my tongue yesterday.
—Yesterday night.
"Tokiwagi-san, I already made your breakfast for

tomorrow, so please eat them."
"Yeah, thanks."
"Don't worry about it."
"I'll make sure to eat them if I can wake up."
"'Can wake up'? What do you mean?"
"It's literally what I'm saying. I'm not a morning person. I

love my bed too much."
"I see... Tokiwagi-san, please hand me your smartphone."
"What? Do you want to check what's inside? I don't save

anything stra..."
I couldn't finish my words... For now, let's erase my

browser history. Just in case.
"Hmm, this should be it. Wakamiya-san, here."
"Err, yes. Thank you."
Wakamiya looked puzzled, but she didn't make any

comment about my behaviour and typed something on my
smartphone.
"Okay, I'm done. You can have it back."
"Oh... What did you do?"
"You told me that you couldn't wake up in the morning, so

I will give you a wake-up call. That's why I registered my
phone number in your contacts."
"Ehhh... I want to sleep in the morning, though... I can eat

breakfast even if I wake up late..."
I was complaining in my mouth, but I desperately endured,

stopping myself from smiling. For the first time in my life, I
got the contact information of a girl... Of course I would be
happy.
Even so, I shouldn't show it on my face. I got the number of

the Social Goddess who kept meddling in my life... It's not
good to become overly excited or have strange expectations.
"I can't trust Tokiwagi-san's words."
"That's cruel. You don't have to say it so blatantly..."

"Listen, please think about this carefully. What kind of
development do you think will be the most tragic?"
"What?"
"Haa, you really don't understand. It's when you throw

away the food I have prepared without eating it. I
wholeheartedly make all of my hand-made foods. I can't
stand having my efforts wasted. Even my meal prep won't last
for a week..."
It was a possible development.
I wasn't a morning person. And when I overslept, I would

definitely choose not to eat breakfast.
It had always been the case.I made do with jelly and energy
bar. The exact definition of a sloppy way to live.
My habit of eating breakfast had been long dead. I couldn't

even remember the last time I ate a sandwich in the morning.
"I want you to eat what I made. It's my own selfishness."
"Selfishness, huh... I guess we can try?"
"I'm sorry if I sound pushy."
"No, it's me who should be grateful. After all, it probably

won't hurt to try waking up early and eat healthily."
"Fufu. I'm happy to hear that."
And that's how I ended up in this situation.
Well, I couldn't just tell her not to call me because I want to

sleep in the morning. That Goddess had taken care of me so
much that I could no longer refuse her... We just knew each
other for a short period, and yet I had troubled her a lot...
By the way, the pre-made simmered dishes and miso soup

were exquisite. It was clear that she had thought out about
this combination cleverly.
About the seasoning, she mentioned that she used kelp and
soup stock made from flying fish.
Although she seemed to make the taste lighter after taking

consideration of my health, the dishes by no means inferior to
the food served at a restaurant.
"I'm really blessed..."
I rode my bicycle and head to the school. At the

intersection, I was stuck at the traffic light. I absentmindedly
stared at the traffic light until it turned green.
"Tokiwagi-san?"
The clear voice that I had heard early in this morning

pierced my ears.
At that moment, I'm convinced that 'the early bird catches

the worm' probably was something like this.
Chapter 15: Going to the School with the Goddess
"Wakamiya-san, thanks for this morning."
She repeatedly called me to wake me up. It wasn't a

pleasant wake-up call, but I should definitely thank her for
my breakfast.
But why was she here? I thought she went to school by

train. Maybe she actually went by bus?
"No, don't worry about it. I'm just being nosy," she replied
with her usual flat voice. She also had a composed expression.
"Tokiwagi-san, don't you think you have to say something else
other than 'thank you'?
"Hm? Should I make a poem?"
"No. It's a greeting. G-r-e-e-t-i-n-g. What you should say

when you meet another person in the morning. This is the
basic manner, you know?"
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
Standing in front of me, Wakamiya straightened her back.

Her appearance was so dignified, resembling a noble lady of a
certain country.
"Good morning, Tokiwagi-san."
"Yeah, good morning."

Silence flowed between the two of us. But Wakamiya was
smiling. She looked satisfied.
Now then, we had finished exchanging the greetings. So—
"See you later."
Goodbye greetings. After all, we would meet again

somewhere since we didn't talk at school.
I stepped on the pedals of my bicycle to leave.
"Wait a minute."
"Ugh!?"
Wakamiya grabbed the collar of my shirt from behind.

Choked, I cried plaintively.
Don't grab me so suddenly, really. She's scaring the heck

out of me... I looked at Wakamiya to complain.
On the other hand, Wakamiya also looked at me with

dissatisfaction.
"That's dangerous, you know?"
"Tokiwagi-san, don't you think this is too strange? Why are

you going first? Are you dumb?"
Wakamiya stared at me with a slightly amazed look. Rather

than angry, it's like she had a lot of things she wanted to say.
However, her words had a sting in them.
"For me, avoiding to go to the school with a famous person

is the only safest choice..."
"I don't understand your logic." Wakamiya frowned and
pouted. "What you should do is pretty clear already, isn't it?"
"Even if it is, I belong to D-group. I don't get what you are

talking about."
As a response, Wakamiya heaved a big sigh this time. She

looked astounded.
"'We're heading to the same school anyway, so let's go

together.' ...People will normally think like that, right?"
"No, that didn't come to my mind at all."
"...Really?"
"Well, I mean..."
Of course, I didn't think of going with her because I

obviously 'ignored her so I wouldn't stand out', but more than
that...
"Wakamiya-san, you go to the school by train, right?"
I went to school by bicycle, which took around one hour.

Well, if I hurry, I would arrive in around forty minutes... But
to be honest, going by train was a lot faster. That's why most
of the people who went to my school from this area would go
by train.
I could also choose the train, but I decided to go by bicycle

since I could adjust to the routine very quickly. Most
importantly, I could save money...
Besides, I felt down if I stayed in places where there were
many people, such as trains.
"You're right. And?"
"Why do you even ask... If you go by train, then you can't go

with me, can you? Or are you telling me to accompany you to
the station?"
However, if I head to the station from my current location,

I had to go in the opposite direction.
She could also go to school by bus from here...
Which one was it?
'Going with a girl a part of the way is an honor.'
I agree with that, but... making a detour was troublesome.

Still, I wasn't in a hurry, so if she asked to go halfway with
her... I guess I had no choice but to go.
"I feel bad for troubling Tokiwagi-san, so I will go on the

same road."
"No way, the school is pretty far, okay? It will take around
thirty minutes to walk from here!"
"Yes, it's pretty far if we go to school on foot."
Then, Wakamiya smiled like a mischievous kid and sat

sideways on the carrier of my bicycle.
I could feel my heart beating a little faster at her cute

gesture.
"H-hey, are you suggesting that... we ride double?

"Yes. What do you think?"
"No matter what I think... we can't do that, okay? The law is

getting stricter these days... it will be bad if they catch us."
"Fufufu. Tokiwagi-san surprisingly has a serious side, eh.

Of course I don't mean that either." Wakamiya said. Then she
murmured with a slightly disappointed face, "But it will be
nice if we can do that."
Perhaps, she wanted to experience the situation that was

often depicted in a shoujo manga.
The same goes for a man. Having a girlfriend sitting on the

carrier while she circled her hands around the protagonist's
waist and clung on him was every man's dream... It's
impossible not to long for it.
Well, it's impossible now since the law didn't allow it...
"Since we're not planning to do that, can you get off?"
"I feel like Tokiwagi-san will run away once I get off."
"I-I won't do that."
My face twitched.
She completely saw through me. She's sharp...
"I don't want you to push the bicycle while I'm sitting on
the carrier, so let's walk to the school together. I want to try
that."
I could see it in her eyes.... At this point, she wouldn't let

me go.
"Haa... are you fine with that? It will really take a long of
time..."
"Of course. It's me who suggested that. Plus, walking is

good for our health."
"I see... Fine then. Just don't complain when you're tired of
walking."
"I won't. I have considerable stamina."
Wakamiya showed off her thin upper arm. Even after I saw
her white and beautiful arms, I wasn't convinced at all.
Rather, I was worried if it would break because it was so

thin...
But she was good at sports even with this slender body, so
there shouldn't be any problem.
I didn't want to admit it, but... she was probably more

athletic than me. Even if I never saw her doing sports directly,
that's what I could conclude from all of the rumors.
"Before we go, I'll give you this first."
Wakamiya took out a thing covered with a cloth from her

bag and put it on my hands.
It was a little heavy, and the faint smell tickled my nostrils.
"A lunch box?"
"Yes. Please eat it at lunch. You can hand me the lunch box
on our way home from your part-time job."
"Part-time job... you're still coming today?"
"The donuts are delicious. There's no reason for me not to

go."
I didn't think the donut was so fascinating that anyone

would pay frequent visits for that, though.
I sighed.
"Got it... Anyway, let's go now."
"Yes."
After Wakamiya got off the bicycle, she walked beside me.
She was humming as we walked. She seemed to be in a

good mood.
I walked on the same road to school every day. Somehow,

the road that usually looked empty became more colorful
today.
Chapter 16: The Sociable Guy Seems to Know
Something
"Fuu~"
After the mathematics class, I underlined the parts I didn't

understand in today's lesson. Wakamiya told me that she
would review what I underlined at a later date.
"If there's something you don't understand, no matter how

small it is, please underline it. I don't mind a lot of
underlines. Make sure to tell me what parts you don't
understand."
That was the command of Wakamiya Rin, or currently

Wakamiya-sensei. But the regrettable thing was...
"I basically underline everything... I should've studied a

little."
That's right. I only had parts I didn't understand. But since

I didn't study at all after entering high school, so it was
obvious that I didn't know a thing...
"Towa!?"
Someone suddenly slapped my shoulder from behind,

surprising me. Not to say, that guy was shouting at my ears...
After I turned back, I glared at the source of the voice and

complained.
"...Don't surprise me like that. And don't shout at my ears."

"Ahh... yeah. Sorry 'bout that!!"
Kenichi scratched his cheek and smiled carefreely. A good-

looking man sure could pull out any gestures, huh. Look, that
smile on his handsome face could get over 100 points.
"Then? What's wrong?"
"No way, it's me who wants to ask that!"
"Huh?"
I tiled my head. I didn't think I did anything that would

make Kenichi question me, though?
"You were awake during class today, right?"
"Ohh... that?"
I see.
I always slept up until now, so it's justified that he would be

curious. Personally, I didn't really think it was a big deal.
"Are you sick? Or did you received a serious warning to

leave school!?"
"You're really cruel. You're completely wrong. I just woke

up to study."
"Impossible... Maybe this is a sign that foretells a storm..."
Astonished, Kenichi widened his eyes.
What a rude guy.
"Leave me alone. Student's duty is to study, so I'm not
doing anything weird."
"It's all weird. Ahh, I'm so surprised that I'm about to

hyperventilate," Kenichi said. He then drank water and took a
few deep breaths next to me. What an over-reaction... "But
really, what happened? Your complexion also looks better
than before the break..."
"Nothing special... It's the usual."
"Hmmm!? I wonder what's going on... Judging from this

change... is it a woman?"
Probably, the reason my complexion had improved was

that I had been replenishing my nutrition well over the past
two days.
Kenichi stared at me for a moment in a searching look.
This is why I can't deal with an extremely handsome guy... I

had a cold sweat at how Kenichi perfectly had guessed the
reason.
"This is why I won't doubt a thing if someone told me that

popular people are all psychics."
"What? You're saying something weird... Ah, I hit the

mark?"
"I guess you're not right, but you're not wrong. But Kenichi,
it's not as beautiful as you think."
I deceived Kenichi while being a bit vague, but he was

smiling, clearly satisfied.
"Hmm. But something must have happened to improve
your sloppy life, right? No, rather than something, it's
probably someone."
"Yes, yes. Well, I guess so."
"I'm happy for you, really. Someone has changed the man
of unhealthy life, Towa, for the better."
"Sure, whatever."
I snorted and responded to him appropriately.
"My~ So people change when their complexion changes~"
"How rude... Anyway, Kenichi. Did I look that unhealthy?"
"Come on, you just realized? It's a well-known fact."

Kenichi said unreservedly as usual while looking at me with
astonishment.
"I mean, I can't say that Towa is muscular even if it's just as
A flattery. You were sluggish and lifeless before. But I can't
call you unhealthy again now."
"Shut up."
"Hahaha. No need to be so angry! Maybe this is what they

say that there are things that will shine once you polish."
"That applies to basically anyone, though."
There were times when people noticed a thing about them

when another person told them.
So I looked unhealthy... Perhaps Wakamiya was looking at

me that way.
She was very caring. I guess she couldn't turn a blind eye to
my pathetic self that reminded her of an abandoned puppy.
I became even more convinced after talking to Kenichi. But

since I already had such a thought before, I didn't really feel
anything. Yeah, nothing at all...
"Towa, here's a piece of advice for you. I think you can

change even more if you make the same face you have in your
part-time job, you know? Usually, I don't feel any vitality
from you. It's like you're a dead fish."
"This is my face by nature. Anyway, you mean I should

always plaster a smile like when I'm working on my part-time
job?"
"Exactly! Well, I'm not forcing you to do that, but... just a

little."
"Impossible. I'm not earning any money from smiling

anyway."
"Towa, you're a helpless man~..."
I could hear a sigh next to me. Kenichi sounded astonished

again.
I turned away from him and looked out the window. Let's
just ignore this guy and eat the lunch box now. I'm hungry...
"Kenichi, are you so free that you have time to talk to me?
Don't stay here and go eat your lunch already."
"You're as mean as usual... I came here to eat with Towa."
"I'm fine, so please go and eat with your girlfriend."
"Ahhh! Towa, you're really cold."
"I can eat on my own."
I put the lunch box on the desk. Wakamiya made this for
me, but thankfully, the size made it comfortable for men to
use.
This might be another small proof of her attentiveness.

Unconsciously, I smiled.
"Is that... a lunch box!?"
"Yeah."
"Wait, wait. Hmm. Ahh... then let's do that!"
Kenichi suddenly grabbed my arm. And at the same time,

he also took my lunch box.
...I only have a bad feeling about this.
"Let's go! It's unusual for you to bring a lunch box, so we

should eat in the courtyard!"
"No way. I don't want to go to where all the popular people

swarm."
"Come on, just listen to me!"
"H-hey, wait..."
Kenichi pulled my arm and took me out of the classroom. I
didn't want to go along with him, so I tried to pull back,
making it seem like Kenichi was dragging me out.
Wasn't he a bit too strong... Would he really drag me to the

courtyard like this...?
"Okay! We arrived!"
"Haa... My arm hurts."
I could only sigh.
Don't bring me to this den full of A-group people, really.
I glanced over my surroundings, only to find a couple.

Then another couple. Then other good-looking couples...
"Ah..."
The voice that unconsciously came out of my mouth

sounded pretty dumb. However, all I could see in this
courtyard were flocks of the most prominent presence in this
school... It couldn't be helped.
"Tokiwagi... san?"
The light overflowing through the gaps between the trees

illuminated that existence. It was fantastical, as if an angel
had descended.
Well, no wonder.
That's because the Goddess was standing calmly right

there.
Chapter 17: The Goddess and Lunch Box (Part 1)
A large tree grew in the courtyard of the school.
"If you confess under this tree, your love will come true."
That kind of superstition didn't exist here at all.
It was just a big tree that exuded a strong presence in the

courtyard. I could clearly picture the tree being used in the
commercials.
The area around it was a popular place for students to have

their lunch because of the relaxed atmosphere.
However, it was usually couples or a group of friends who

came to this courtyard. All of them belonged in A-group and
B-group.
Meanwhile, there was a conspicuous group of students who

spread their picnic sheet in the shade of trees and had their
lunch.
People around them seemed to be interested in the

members of that group, watching the situation.
Some were curious about the topic of their conversation.

Some couldn't help glancing at them. And some were simply
enchanted.
Well, it's only natural that they would catch attention. The
four members were the School Goddess, the cool beauty and
her boyfriend, and the out-of-place boy.
By the way, the line of sight directed to the out-of-place
boy was frosty,
"What is he doing there?"
"He shouldn't be there, right?"
"Who's that?"
And I couldn't feel any favorable gaze. The only harmless

one was the curious eye.
As a result, I, as the out-of-place man, positively had an

overwhelming stomach pain now. The cause was mostly
mental.
Haa, I honestly want to just fade out immediately...
"It's like I'm exposed to ridicule... I'll curse you, Kenichi."
"Oi, oi. Don't curse me! Isn't it good to be surrounded by

beautiful girls?"
"It's not really something I will celebrate, though."
Fuji-san, who sat in front of Kenichi, flushed in

embarrassment and said, "...Beautiful, you say..." And
Wakamiya, who sat beside her, didn't make any change in her
expression. She ate her lunch in small bites.
"Anyway, let's eat now. You have a lunch box, right?"
"Ahh, well... right."
"Why do you sound so awkward, Towa? You acted like you

wanted to eat that much before!"
"Yeah..."
I stared at the bento at my hands.
Should I eat this now?
I was concerned. I received the lunch box from Wakamiya

this morning, and I hadn't confirmed what's inside until this
moment.
The lunch box was wrapped in this cloth... But was it really
just a lunch box?
You might be wondering what I mean. However, this bento

was prepared by that Wakamiya. My intuition told me that
there was something here.
Since she was considerate, there was a high chance that she
would do something extra.
For example, leaving a memo such as, 'If you eat in this
order, the food will taste better.'
And if there was such a thing, Wakamiya's friend, Fuji,

would notice. "...Isn't this Rin's handwriting?"
Even if Fuji didn't notice, Kenichi had a sharp intuition. He

definitely would realize that something was strange. Then
they would naturally find out about us.
The problem was the degree of people's attention to the

Goddess. Once there were rumors between Wakamiya and
me, it would cause trouble. I had to avoid that no matter
what.
So I hesitated to open it.
...Better yet, should I pretend that I have a stomachache

and go to the bathroom?
"My stomach hurts, so I'll go to the toilet——"
"——Tokiwagi-san, I have some medicine with me, so

please have it. This medicine works fast and is very effective."
"O-oh, thanks..."
Hey, don't block my way out.
"...Right. I have to wash my hands."
"Feel free to use my wet tissue."
"I forgot my drink——”
"We have tea here. Here."
""......""
Silence flowed between Wakamiya and me. Kenichi and

Fuji watched out interactions, clearly taken aback.
However, Kenichi immediately grinned mischievously.
"You two are so in sync~!"
"No, no, you're wrong. It's Wakamiya-san who is fully

prepared."
"Well, that's also true! But... huh? Towa, Wakamiya, you

guys know each other?"
"There's no way I don't know the celebrity who made a
speech as the freshmen representative."
"I'm acquaintanced with him."
"...Rin remembers the faces and names of all first-year

students."
"Eh, really? That's crazy! I can only remember half of it~"
"You're also pretty crazy, though," I commented inwardly.

By the way, I only remember around thirty percent of my
classmates. We were as different as chalk and cheese.
Well, this might be the difference between A-group and D-

group.
"By the way, Tokiwagi-san. Won't you eat your lunch?"
"Uh, I'll eat it..."
"Why are you hesitating~? No need to act so reserved, let's

get along and eat together!"
"...If you don't eat it soon, the lunch break will end."
All three of them rushed me to quickly eat. I had a cold

sweat on my forehead.
Wakamiya would also be troubled if something happened

because of this, right? I don't think she would be happy if
there were strange rumors about us. It's also the same for me.
So we should be on the same side...
That's why, please. Give me a way to escape from here. The

smart and perfect Social Goddess, you should've understood
my signs.
Sense my feelings!
I stared at Wakamiya.
Wakamiya noticed my line of sight and smiled a little. Then

she slightly nodded.
What a relief... Yes, this was the moment my wish came

true——
"I'll open it for you."
"...What?"
"If we think about the efficiency, I can give you an

explanation of the dishes as I open it. That way, we can kill
two birds with one stone."
"Eh, wait!"
I reached out to stop Wakamiya, but she untied the knot of

the cloth before I could do that. Then she opened the navy
blue lunch box.
All I saw were colorful and healthy dishes. Even with a

quick glance, the meat and vegetables were arranged with a
good balance. And the carrots were in the shape of flowers.
Clearly, she also went into the details. The lunch box truly
resembled Wakamiya.
"...Looks delicious."
What reflexively came out of my mouth was my honest

impression. With her usual monotonous voice, Wakamiya
said, "Thank you very much," as a response. Her facial
expression remained the same, but her cheeks were faintly
flushed.
But I was so moved that I forgot something important.
Yes, it was not just Wakamiya and me here...
"...Why is your lunch the same as Rin's?"
Ah.
I forgot about that.
Chapter 18: The Goddess and Lunch Box (Part 2)
My throat was unusually dry. It felt like the water on my

body gradually dried up. Along with panic, my heart beat
faster.
"...Hey, am I wrong?"
"Er...? I think it's normal that lunch boxes can become

similar at times..."
I tried to make an excuse, but I couldn't think of a good

one. This might be how it felt to have other people
'checkmate' me.
"No way! It's not only similar but exactly alike! Not only the
dishes, but the arrangements are the same. And both of your
lunch boxes aren't bought from the convenience store. It's
even more unlikely!"
"Uhh..."
I sighed and looked up at the tree. Somehow, I felt like the

swaying tree was laughing at me, the stupid clown.
Ahh, the wind was comfortable~ The leaves were lush

green~ Hahaha...
"Are you escaping the reality, Tokiwagi-san?"
"Stop being so on point when reading my feelings. Rather,

don't do it."
"It's clear in your face. But why do you have to escape?"
"Hey, look at our current situation before you speak."
"We're having a fun lunch with two other people."
"Haa... I'm suddenly very tired."
"Then you should eat today's ginger pork. It helps to

relieve fatigue."
"I don't mean it like that..."
I sighed at Wakamiya's unwillingness to hide our

relationship. She didn't look upset. Rather, she didn't
understand why I became tired.
And the other two people were intently watching our

interaction. Kenichi's eyes were shining brightly.
"Towa, I have been thinking about this, you know~"
"Hm? What is it...?"
"This sounds corny, but you two are having a matching

lunch box, plus it seems like you are in good terms——"
I started to eat the lunch box, ignoring Kenichi who talked

a bit too much. Yes, I had fully understood the troublesome
development that would appear after this.
"Are you guys dating?"
Kenichi's grinning face made me extremely angry. I

stopped eating and looked at him with a glare.
"No. We're living in the same neighbourhood. That's it."
"We're not dating," Wakamiya also denied in time.

Although it was the truth, she said that without a change in
her facial expression. It made me feel something
indescribable... But then, its better that she denied it curtly
rather than having her hesitating and making things strange.
Some of the other students who were looking at us looked

slightly relieved.
"Hmm. Is that really it?"
"No, I——"
I cleared my throat to stop Wakamiya from talking. "It's

true that Wakamiya is sharing her food out of kindness.
Kenichi... you know my apartment, right?"
"Ah, well..."
"...Kenichi, what is he talking about? Can I know?"
Kenichi glanced at me. It's like he was asking me with his

eyes, "What should I do?"
"It's not really something that I can't tell other people. To

put it simply, I live in a run-down apartment. It's not even
funny anymore. In other words, I don't have money."
"...I see."
Fuji-san looked away awkwardly. But her reaction only

made me awkward too...
"With my explanation, Kenichi and Fuji-san should've

understood, right? You guys are smart after all."
"I don't understand, though?"
"...Me either."
I dropped my shoulders and took a deep breath.
"Wakamiya found out about my situation by chance... yeah,

it accidentally happened, and she couldn't leave me alone.
That's why she took care of me."
"Hmm... I see."
"What's with that face? You don't believe me?"
"How can I say this? Let's say you're right, then I

understand about the lunch box. I also think that you're
pretty similar to a pitiful little animal. So it makes sense that
she wants to feed you."
"Animal... You're really rude... But you're right."
"Then how about your study? Judging from this

development, it's thanks to Wakamiya that Towa suddenly
started studying, right?"
I chewed the omelette. I knew that Kenichi would say that.
"Well, it comes together with the meal, I guess. Now that I

think of it, I can't thank Wakamiya-san enough for her
kindness. This feels like a kind angel is helping a lost pitiful
sheep like me."
"You're twisting it like that, huh."
"Say all you want. I've told you the truth."
"The truth, eh~? I don't believe you."
"It's not like what you all imagined. I'm a pitiful man who is
content with her nosiness. That's it. No more and no less than
that. That's why——"
I took a deep breath.
"Stop making strange suspicions. You're troubling

Wakamiya-san." I said. As an afterthought, I added, "You sure
are persistent."
Kenichi, who had been foolishly smiling for a while

stopped laughing. His expression changed to a serious one.
For some reason, Fuji who sat next to him sighed in

disappointment.
"...Tokiwagi-kun, Rin is——"
—Ding dong, ding dong
The bell rang, interrupting Fuji's words. I took a breath and

cleared up the lunch box.
"Then, that's all for this matter."
"W-wait, Towa! We haven't fini——"
"Just leave it at that. We need to go to the class soon."
"Tokiwagi-san, later——"
I could faintly hear Wakamiya's voice. But I left that place

without looking back.
Her expression, which I saw for a moment, seemed to be

angry...
Was it my imagination?
Chapter 19: The Goddess Looks Like She Wants to
Say Something, but I Avoid Her
How sad. The rumor spread quickly after what happened

at the lunch break.
This should be what they call as 'high school network'.
Fortunately, most of the rumors were that "Tokiwagi is

financially dependent on Wakamiya Rin." They weren't
necessarily wrong.
"Maybe they're actually dating?"
About this rumor... I almost didn't hear any of it. Seems

like my response drowned out all of those kinds of rumors.
Instead, they started to gossip that my personality was the

worst. My reputation kept falling like a stock market crash. It
made me think if I would have to change from the D-group to
the E-group.
But there was something more worrying than that rumor.
After school today, I hurriedly tried to leave school so I

could head straight to the part-time job. Then, I met with
Wakamiya when passing the school gate. She called my name
out, but... I ignored her.
I felt bad for doing that. She had taken care of me, yet I was
being unreasonable towards her.
However, there were many students who were leaving the

school. What's more, the rumor just circulated today.
I had no choice but to treat her coldly like that.
"Thank you for your hard work." I entered from the back
door and greeted the manager.
"Tokiwagi-kun! I'll have to depend on you too today."
"I will do my best for the money."
"Hahaha, you sure are honest~"
The manager operated the computer while laughing. It

seemed like he was checking the shifts of part-time workers.
"You're going to work full shift today, right? Can you finish
at nine o'clock?"
"Ah, manager. I want to talk about that..."
"What is it?"
"Can I leave one hour earlier than the usual?"
The manager slightly widened his eyes. He looked

confused.
"Huh? That's rare. I thought you'll say, 'I'll stay until the
store is closed'... Can I ask why?"
"Err. We're having tests soon, so I want to study at home..."
"I see..."
The manager checked the shifts again. As he pondered, he

frowned, "Hmm. Well, it depends on the customers, but we're
usually not busy on Mondays. And you've always worked
hard, so I don't mind."
"Thank you very much. Then I'll change my clothes!"
"Ah. By the way, it looks like your friend is coming here

again... You can talk to her before work, okay?"
"I understand. Thank you very much. I... I will do so if I

feel like it today."
I left and went to the changing room. Faintly, I heard him

saying, "Hmm? A lovers' quarrel? It's nice to be young~" But I
ignored it.
One hour after starting my part-time job, Wakamiya, who

had been sitting at her usual seat, stood up and lined up at the
cash register. Only one cash register was open at this time on
weekdays. She inevitably lined up at my place.
Wakamiya stared at me. I responded to her with my usual

sales smile.
"May I have your order?"
"Please give me two donuts."
"Thank you very much!"
Wakamiya looked like she wanted to say something. It's

like she knew that she shouldn't disturb my part-time job. But
there's something she wanted to talk about. Or that's how I
perceive it.
However,
"Then, please wait on that side."
As a part-time worker, this was a normal response to the

customer. But I might seem cold to act like that to my
acquaintance.
Wakamiya sighed a little at my words.
And then, Wakamiya never lined up at the cash register

again.
—2 hours later.
"It's hard to give her the lunch box back..." I muttered

while changing my clothes after the part-time job.
It was hard for me to approach her. After all, I was the one
who tried to keep a distance from her. I wanted to wait until
the rumors about us died down, but... that's a bit too much.
I made sure that the Goddess wasn't waiting for me in the

back door.
...Apparently, she hadn't noticed the change of my shift.
I hurriedly ride my bike and ran at full speed on the

familiar road. I guess it was the first time in a week since I
walked down this road. Even though it was only for a week, it
felt really nostalgic...
"Geez. What am I doing?"
This was my escape. Just a self-satisfaction, self-sacrifice.
Yes, I'm just being selfish.
I sighed at the night sky. It was a dark night without any

stars.
It's like the sky was representing my heart.
"...Hm?"
I noticed someone was standing at the entrance of my

apartment, making me strangely uneasy.
It wasn't the landlord.
And as I approached that figure, that uneasiness turned

into a conviction.
"...I've been waiting for you, Tokiwagi-san. I want to

complain to you."
A car passed by us.
Illuminated by the light of that car, I could see the

appearance of the Goddess staring at me with clear eyes.
Chapter 20: The Goddess' Honest Feelings
The summer was approaching, so the night was getting hot

and humid recently.
But I didn't feel hot. Because I was exposed to the freezing

glare from the Goddess in front of me.
"Judging from your expression, it's just as I expected,

huh?"
"As you expected?"
"I expected that Tokiwagi-san, who avoided me, would

finish his part-time job one hour early and immediately go
home."
"What a detailed prediction. But you're completely wrong...

That's not the reason."
"Is that so?"
It's a lie. Her prediction was spot on. Amazing.
"First, may I enter your apartment? If we stay here for

long, the ingredients I bought will rot."
"Sure..."
I replied briefly and invited Wakamiya inside. Then she

started putting the ingredients in the refrigerator.
"...I'll pay you later. I feel bad receiving your help all the
time."
"We can talk about that at a later date. Rather than that,
please sit down," Wakamiya said as she sat down, urging me
to sit as well. Obediently, I sat down, facing Wakamiya.
Wakamiya lowered her eyes and took a sip of her tea. Then
she began to speak slowly and quietly,
"...You know why I am angry, right?"
"Yeah, kind of..."
"Is that so... I have many things I want to say to you.

However, I think I will do that after listening to Tokiwagi-san.
Please tell me what you are thinking. I don't think you will
behave like that for no reason."
"I don't really have anything to say, though..."
"You don't need to worry whether you'll hurt my feelings

or not. Please don't think of escaping from this."
Wakamiya's eyes seemed to complain, "I won't let you

escape until you speak."
So I couldn't run away from this, huh... I took a breath and

decided to tell her.
"Let's... stop talking like this starting today."
"Can I ask why?"
"If Wakamiya gets involved with me more than this, people

will think that we're dating."
"Is that bad?"
Wakamiya tilted her head as if she couldn't make any sense

of my words. Maybe she didn't understand her position and
our situation?
"Yeah, that's bad. High school students at our age love the
topic of romance more than anything. They'll prey on
everyone's compatibility. It's troublesome if they start to
misunderstand and question if we're dating or if we're on
good terms."
"Troublesome... huh?"
"Wakamiya-san had done so many things for me until

now... I can't bother you anymore. So I think you shouldn't
speak to me in public."
Rumors quickly spread, even from our small conversation

in the lunch break. If this continues, everyone would start to
belief on the rumors. Then after it got widely spread, it would
be almost impossible to eliminate them.
I had to do something before that happened. That was my

decision. I chose the best choice.
"I said this before. I don't mind the rumors, you know?"
"If it's just rumors, then maybe you can just ignore it. But
then, you won't like it if people start to ask you directly or act
persistently, right? It's also tiring to fuss about them..."
"You're right. I don't like it if people are being persistent..."
"Right? There's also this. For example, there's A-kun here.

Let's say one hundred people say, 'A-kun is shit'. But one
person doesn't think that he's shit. Even so, it will be reckless
for this person to keep saying that 'A-kun is a good guy' since
they will challenge the masses of a hundred people. It's
impossible to ignore the mayhem of the numbers."
"I see... I guess that also makes sense."
"Yeah, rumors are scary. So we have to cut it off before it's

too late..."
To be honest, I had been depending on Wakamiya's

kindness too much...
I was used to being alone. I thought I liked being alone,

but... unexpectedly, I might have been missing the warmth of
other people.
In fact, the last few days had been fulfilling for me.
That's why...
Before I grew even more spoiled.
Before this feeling became stronger.
Before the misunderstanding accelerated.
Before I became too blissful at her comfort.
I had to cut it off. In order not to regret it later.
"It's a bit disappointing to hear that." Wakamiya muttered,

her voice desolate. Then she left her seat and approached me.
"I don't know how I look in Tokiwagi-san's eyes. If you

distance yourself because you think that I'm a perfect,
unreachable person who is on a different level from you..."
"Huh?" I was puzzled.
Wakamiya clenched her fists.
"I don't like it at all!" Wakamiya protested in an angry tone.

It was truly unexpected since she always talked in a
monotone voice.
Surprised, my body twitched.
"I'm not perfect at all. I'm just an ordinary girl who is on

the same level as Tokiwagi-san. I'm selfish, I care over the
particulars, I impose my decision on others, and I hate what I
hate."
"...!?"
Wakamiya pulled both of my cheeks. Even if I wanted to

say something, I couldn't speak well.
"And I will decide who I'm going to befriend with. I won't

let the evaluation of my surroundings or my reputation
influence that. I genuinely want to see, talk, and be with you.
That's why I'm here."
"......."
"Tokiwagi-san, I won't let you forcefully stay away and

keep a distance from me. I'll say this first. Please don't think
of leaving me and not talking to me for my sake. I don't want
that."
"Nhu, bwuu! (No, but!)"
"Still, if Tokiwagi-san is going to change your attitude..."
"Uh!? W-Wakamiya-san!?!?"
"I will do this in public. At outside, at school, and of course

at your part-time."
Wakamiya wasn't hugging me. Of course, she also didn't try

to kiss me.
She only grabbed my sleeve. She looked at me with

upturned, teary eyes. Like she was asking for my attention.
I'll honestly say this.
The destructive power was impressive. Wakamiya was

usually calm, never bothered with anything.
And now, she showed me this appearance. No, rather than

'showed', it's might be better to say that she 'enchanted' me.
Doing this in public? Then it's the same as giving me a
death sentence!!!
Wakamiya gazed at me while grabbing my sleeve, waiting

for my reply.
"Ahh! Damn it! Okay, I get it. It's my loss, so stop that... If
you do that in front of other people, I... I will die..."
I dropped my shoulders in surrender. My face was hot as if

it was burning.
I glanced at Wakamiya. Her cheeks were bright red, and

she was smiling with satisfaction.
Chapter 21: The Goddess is Still as Pushy as Usual
"I understand. I won't do it in public unless Tokiwagi-san

makes a mistake again."
Wakamiya retracted her tears as soon as I showed my

intention to surrender. Her face turned composed. However,
her cheeks were still slightly flushed. She looked like she was
trying to smooth over her embarrassment.
However, I was really surprised by the Social Goddess'

acting capability. Who would expect that she could show and
retract her tears in an instant?
"...I heard that tears are women's weapons, but aren't you
being too unreasonable?"
"Of course I should fully use my weapons."
"Haa... Wakamiya-san, don't you think you can become an

actress in the future?"
"I'm not interested in becoming one."
"I see."
"And I wasn't acting, though? I was really sad..." Wakamiya

said with a slightly sad bitter smile.
I bowed to her. "...Sorry."
To be honest, I never had anyone being this earnest to me

in my life. I didn't know how it feels to get tied up with other
people as their lovers or friends.
However, I never expected that she would think that, "I

want to be with you." and "I want to talk to you."
This was my first experience.
But if she really felt like that, then how I treated her was
probably the worst. The realization of how thoughtless I had
been brought up a wave of discomfort.
That's why I couldn't stop myself from asking.
"Are you really okay with this? I already did those things to
resolve the rumors and misunderstandings. It will all become
meaningless then..."
"Of course. If you are thinking about me, please continue to

act like usual."
"Haa, I understand."
I reflexively made a wry smile at Wakamiya's definite

answer. Then I sipped the tea that Wakamiya brewed.
"...However, Tokiwagi-san has awfully hurt my feelings in

this matter."
"That's... I'm sorry."
"The crack in my heart is so deep that it made a crevasse."
"A crevasse, you say..."
That's too exaggerating, though?
I wanted to say that, but I couldn't since I was in the wrong
here.
I mean, crevasse was a deep crack, right? And if someone

fell in it, no one would be able to save them. If that's the case,
it would be impossible to restore the shape...
"Human's hearts are very vulnerable. Actually, you have

very, very badly hurt my feelings."
"I'm sorry, okay..."
"It felt like I was being treated as a deflowered girl."
"You shouldn't say something like that!"
Wakamiya would occasionally spit out this kind of remark.

Was she trying to make me laugh? But it didn't look like that.
She said it very seriously, making me uncertain.
"I believe I need to have a change of mood. Do you have

any good idea?"
"Idea, huh..."
I wracked my brain. Changing her mood, relieving her

stress?
For me, it would be playing games, sleeping, or seeing the

money I saved in my bankbook.
But I should go for the safe choice here——
"That's right... If you want to relieve stress, how about

taking a nap?"
"Rejected."
Her response was quick... And her tone was cold.
"Binge shopping?"
"Impossible."
"Comfort eating?"
"Out of the question."
I didn't have any cards in my hands anymore... I had no

idea. Then the most impossible suggestion was...
"Then how about blowing off some steam by playing?"
"Let's do that, Tokiwagi-san."
"What? Eh, me?"
"Tokiwagi-san, please decide the date, time, and place,

okay? I'm looking forward to it."
My mind stopped moving for a while... Playing with

Wakamiya... so a date?
No, no, no! Even if heaven and earth were reversed, that
wouldn't happen.
I tried imagining it. The figure of Wakamiya and me

walking side by side...
It was very out of place that I would definitely look like a

disappointing guy with a rental girlfriend. That would be too
hard for me...
"Hey, wait a minute! Why am I going too? You should play
with Fuji-san and your other friends, right!?"
"That's also a good idea."
I stroked my chest, thankful that the direction of the

conversation had changed. With this, I'm sa——
"But I want to go with Tokiwagi-san this time."
Oh no... I tried to resist a little.
"The test is close..."
"Then let's do it after the test. We can make it like an

appreciation for our hard work in the test."
"My part-time job..."
"You can leave your shift adjustments to me."
Why did she block all of my escape routes? I felt like I

would never be able to win in an argument against her...
"This... this is already settled?"
"Yes. I will stick until the end once I decide."
"I know it..."
I could feel a strong will from Wakamiya's eyes.
She was really stubborn, huh...
"Okay. Now that we've talked, let's start studying."
"Eh, now!?"
Wakamiya stared at me. "You won't be able to pass if you

skip skipping your study."
"But I'm really not in the mood to study now..."
"You can control your mood on your own, can't you?"
"I don't have that kind of advanced technique..."
"Is that so... I'm surprised."
"I'm more surprised at you."
So Wakamiya could control her mood. I tipped my hat for

that fact.
Was there anything that the Social Goddess couldn't do?

Right now, I couldn't find any of her weak points.
"Then, let's try to control it."
"Eh, I have to do it?"
My face stiffened.
"Please don't make such an unconcealed reluctant face.

Let's assume that you are humoring me. Do it."
"...Haa, can't be helped..."
In the end, I followed her lead... Rather, Wakamiya

wouldn't accept my refusion anyway.
"First, raise your fist high."

"Like this?"
I raised my right hand.
"Next, please yell, 'I'm getting exciteeeeed!!'"
"How can you say that with monotone voice..."
"Because I don't need it. Tokiwagi-san, please yell it with

maximum tension."
"Are you being serious? ...After I did that, we'll stop?"
"No, you have to make a big smile."
"Haaa?"
A shrill cry came out of my mouth.
"You don't understand? Make a 'big smile'. Not your usual

business sales smile, but the innocent smile of a young man."
"You suddenly raise the hurdles like that... I can't imagine

it now. It's hard to do."
"You can do it during your part-time job, so I'm sure you

will do just fine."
I could smile during my part-time job because I could get

money by doing that. I didn't want to spend my energy on
something that wouldn't benefit me in any way.
However, I was somewhat indebted to Wakamiya after

today's incident, so... haa. It's hard that I had no choice but to
do it.
"Come on, please do it soon."
"Tsk, I understand."
I took a deep breath.
This was a part-time job. This was a part-time job.
I recited that many times in my heart.
"I'm getting exciteeeeeddddd!!!!!!"
She shouts with a refreshing smile as if she won the

national championship, and with a voice that seems to be
annoying to the neighbor.
By the way, there is no neighbor in this apartment, so there

is no problem...
Not good for my mental health.
I shouted with a very loud voice that would bother the

neighbours, complete with a refreshing smile as if I won the
national championship. By the way, I had no neighbors in this
apartment, so that's not a problem...
It's just not good for my mental health.
"........."
Wakamiya stared at me with a charming smile. She was

just looking at me without saying anything.
Damn it! My face is hot!!
"...Can you say something?"

"Tokiwagi-san. You're cute when you smile."
"I don't need that evaluation."
I sighed and fanned my face with my hand. The feeling of

'burning with shame' should be something like this.
Wakamiya looked at me as if she was studying my face.
"How is it? Do you feel motivated?"
"I think... my face is hot. That's it..."
I fanned myself again with my hand.
"You don't really have to do that, though."
"Hey, what are you trying to do with my sense of shame?"
"But you became refreshed, right?"
"Well, I guess so..."
"Then it's successful. Let's get started now."
"Yes, yes. I understand..."
I sighed and looked up at the ceiling.
But contrary to my listless attitude, my heart was radiant.
Chapter 22: The Goddess Worries Too Much, but Her
Preparations Are Excellent
It was early in the morning.
The song-like chirps of the birds passed through my ears

early in the morning. That "hohoohohoohohoo" (bird sounds)
sounds like the oriental turtle dove.
When I looked out the window, a few stars were shining

faintly like they were going to disappear soon.
I rubbed my sleepy eyes that were tired from studying and

headed to the bathroom. There, I wet my messy bed hair and
combed it without much thought.
"Fwaaahhh..."
Sleepy.
I woke up without waiting for the wake-up call from the

Goddess.
I felt a bit disappointed, but also relieved that I didn't have

to feel the pressure over that call... it was a complicated
feeling.
"This is also thanks to Wakamiya-san."
I looked at my face in the mirror. Then I pinched my right

cheek.
I didn't notice it until Kenichi told me, but he might be

right. My complexion looked better. At least, I didn't look
dead anymore.
"Yesterday... many things happened, huh."
Everything kept changing yesterday. It almost felt like

riding a crazy roller-coaster.
Some bits were tiring, but the other bits were nice.
However, some pent-up feelings kept sticking in my body

at the same time, which made me feel uncomfortable. That's
probably why I couldn't sleep well. Then I woke up early...
"...I really have to thank her."
I picked up my folded shirt from the closet. It had no

wrinkles. I guess Wakamiya had tidied it up.
How should I return Wakamiya's favor back? Free donuts?
No, she valued rules more than anything. There's no way

she would accept that. But then, I couldn't think of any other
good ideas.
—Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz.
When I was thinking about such a thing, my smartphone on

the desk began buzzing. The screen glowed, displaying,
"Social Goddess".
I glanced at the clock before accepting the call.
"So it's already this time..."
She always did the wake-up call at the precise time. Not
missing even a minute. She's just like a sophisticated
machine.
"...Good morning."
"Good morning, Tokiwagi-san."
I heard her clear voice over the phone. The usual

monotonous flat voice.
"You're punctual as usual."
"My principle is to keep my promise."
"How conscientious."
"Rather than that, it's unusual for Tokiwagi-san to wake

up first. Today is the first time that happened. Did something
happen?"
"Well, sometimes I just want to get up before you wake me

up."
"Ohh~" I heard a clapping voice sound and her impressed

voice over my smartphone. Wakamiya sounded surprised.
"I'm the kind of guy who will do things if I have to."
"Fufu. That's a relief.... I'm happy, but I feel lonely."
"What do you mean?"
"Since my task to wake you up in the morning is gone, the

things I look forward to have decreased."
"Looking forward, eh..."

I didn't really understand why she would look forward to
waking me up, but she might already miss the task that she
had determined to do.
"But I just woke up early by chance today, so... I'll have to

rely on you again..."
"Please leave that to me. I will wake you up on time."
As usual, her voice had no intonation. But I could sense a

bit of excitement there.
"Have you eaten breakfast?"
"No, not yet."
"Is that so? If you like, shall we eat together?"
I couldn't see her face now, but this was a bit embarrassing.
I scratched my cheek and replied, "Sure..."
"Then, I'll be there in thirty minutes."
"Okay."
***
After we finished our meal, I looked at Wakamiya who was

washing the dishes. Her slender legs were very beautiful. I
guess I could describe it as elegant legs with no dirty stain at
all.
How could she have excellent proportions even at that

body parts? I couldn't understand. I definitely would believe
her if she said she was a model.
"I'm sorry for the wait. Let's go to school now."
"Yeah... Eh, but we won't make it in time if we walk, you

know?"
The time was around 7 o'clock.
We would be late if we walk from here. In the first place, I

also didn't want to make a girl walk that far.
"It's okay. I'm riding a bicycle today."
"Eh? Is that so? You sure are prepared."
The Social Goddess with a bicycle?
I couldn't imagine her pedalling a bicycle. But I could see

her being the 'Pied Piper of Hamelin' attracting the people
who were going to the city...
Well, let's not overthink it.
"Yes. I thought that I can chase Tokiwagi-san with a bicycle

if you run away."
"I won't. What kind of person do you think I am?"
"Someone who ignored me at the bicycle parking lot and

passed me even after I called him... You are guilty of them."
"...I'm sorry."
Apparently, she unexpectedly held a grudge against me. I

meekly apologized, willing to kneel down if she asked me to.
"Please just don't do that kind of thing anymore. If you do...

I will do what I did yesterday without accepting any of your
argument."
"Anything but that, really..."
I took a deep breath and dropped my shoulder. If she did

that, I would incur the hatred of the guys around me...
"But Wakamiya, about the bicycle... Isn't that a bit hard?"
"Why? I can ride a bicycle."
"No, it's not about that..."
"What do you mean?"
"Come on, as a girl... um, your skirt... you know?"
I averted my eyes from Wakamiya who stared at my face.

Then I heard Wakamiya's chuckle.
"It's alright. There's no problem at all."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Would you like to confirm that?"
"Huh!?"
Immediately after finishing her words, Wakamiya slightly

raised her skirt without any hesitation.
I hurriedly cover my face with my hands.
...It's a secret that I peeked from the slight gap between my

fingers.
And what I could see was——
"...Navy blue shorts..."
"Yes. Is there anything else besides that?"
"Hahaha..."
As expected from the Social Goddess. She had perfectly
considered the exposed skin between the top of her knee-high
socks and the hemline of her skirt.
I was relieved but also disappointed. It's like I lost.
How frustrating.
Chapter 23: The Goddess is Absorbed in What?
After the unusual morning of me biking with a beautiful

girl, Wakamiya and I arrived in front of the classroom.
By the way, the corridor was crowded with students. Some

of them were chatting with their friends. Some of them were
studying for the vocabulary test. Some of them lie their face
down on their desks and sleep.
In the midst of that, the Social Goddess was attracting the

eyes of many. But today, those favorable gazes turning into
one full of envy. Not only that. They were directed at me. I
could also feel angry glares among them.
I know why they were angry.
You might think that I could just solve the problem since I
know the reason.
Right. The easiest solution was to stay away from her.
But I couldn't do that. I understood that it was useless

yesterday. Or rather, she made me understand that. If I tried
to solve the misunderstandings by doing the same thing
today, the Goddess would prevent that. And she would do
yesterday's public execution.
What's scary was that I could see it happening in the

future.
"Tokiwagi-san, what happened?"
"No, nothing. I just think Wakamiya-san sure is having it
hard."
"What do you mean?"
Wakamiya tilted her head, puzzled. I was surprised at her

cute gesture.
"I mean, everyone is looking at us so much, right? It should

be hard for you to receive this kind of attention all the time."
"Hmmm, I guess so. There are times when I'm bothered by

it, but... I don't really care about it that much now."
"Ah, I guess you'll get used to it."
Wakamiya was really famous as I expected. The gaze from

her surroundings focused on her so much that she had gotten
used to all of the attention.
If I was in the same position as her, I was confident that I

would seclude myself. Or maybe even say, 『Your gazes are
scary!』『Don't look at meeeee!!!』...
So I couldn't imagine her hardships to get used to it.
Thinking about this made me feel a bit sad...
"No, I'm not used to it. Having other people making

rumors about me isn't pleasant... There's no one in this world
who won't feel bothered when someone points a finger and
them and whispers something to another person."
"That's true..."
"But when I get absorbed in something else, I surprisingly

don't feel that bothered anymore."
"Ahh, I see. I guess you're right."
Certainly, I didn't mind the noise around me at all when I

concentrated on something. For an athlete, it might be when
they ented the so-called 'zone' during a competition.
Before, Wakamiya told me, "I can control my mood." That

probably meant that her speciality was to adjust her focus.
"In my case, I have been thinking so much recently. So

nothing else enters my mind."
"Hee~ I wonder what makes Wakamiya-san that absorbed?

The donuts?"
"I-I'm not that much of a glutton! But well... I love the

donuts..."
Wakamiya's face was faintly flushed, a slight

embarrassment crossing her face. Just by looking at that, the
gap from her usual expressionless face also made me
embarrassed...
"Umm, then what else are you absorbed in?"
"Currently, it's about 'how can I improve Tokiwagi-san's

grades'."
"You completely sound like a teacher."
"Other than that are about 'providing a well-balanced

meal.' I'm also interested in 'how to discipline a bad child.'
There are many things I want to learn."
"Hey, why are you looking at me when you said those
things..."
Her eyes were very determined, though... I don't think she

had to be that enthusiastic.
"I promised that you can rely on me for that."
"It's true that I said that, but... you're being serious?"
"Of course."
"You don't have to force yourself to carry out that promise,

okay? I can't study well, and I think it can't be helped that I
can't do what I can't do."
"I naturally have to keep my promise. I will show you that I

can accomplish it no matter what."
Wakamiya clenched her fist in front of her chest, brimming

with motivation.
"Anyway, don't be too eager. I'll try to not to become a bad

student. Only in moderation, though."
"Fufu."
"...Did I say anything that's laughable?"
"Tokiwagi-san said, 'you'll try in moderation.' I thought

that was a little funny."
"Hm?"
"Tokiwagi-san, you often look down on yourself, but you

always properly do the tasks I gave. I can also see your efforts
to understand what you have learned in your notebooks.
That's why I think your hard work is no longer 'in
moderation'."
"...Shut up. That's all is just in moderation..."
"Fufu. I guess we leave it at that."
I looked away and watched the students walking into the

school outside the window. Some of them were running in a
hurry, so it should be almost time the class would start.
"Then I'll enter the classroom now."
Surprised, Wakamiya looked at the clock. Then she sighed.

"Right. It's already time."
"Mhm."
"I will go to my classroom as well. Tokiwagi-san, you

shouldn't sleep during class, alright?"
"I know. See you later."
"Yes. Excuse me."
Wakamiya bowed politely and walked away.
I entered the classroom without seeing her off until the

end.
As soon as I entered, the classroom became silent. Seems

like everyone was peeping at us.
Meanwhile, my bad friend was sitting in my seat with a

grin, like he had been waiting for me.
Chapter 24: The Social Goddess is a Good Advisor
"I guess people will change when women are involved..."
Kenichi, who now regularly came to sit next to me during

the break, murmured so with distant eyes. Since he was a
handsome young man, his 'lost in thought' expression looked
very photogenic. Knowing that made me irritated.
"Why do you come here every lunch? Don't mind me and

get closer to your girlfriend."
I underlined the parts I didn't understand in the previous

class. The Social Goddess' hadn't retracted her order.
Hmm.
The number of lines had decreased from before. It's

certainly because the Goddess was good at teaching people.
"Get closer, huh? I guess we're not lovey-dovey like Towa.

You two are so energetic from the morning."
"Our relationship is not like that."
"Really? But I'm really surprised when I saw Towa and

Wakamiya together this morning! What happened? Tell me,
I'll keep it as a secret. Or you can tell me how did you two
first meet!"
"I don't want to talk with a chatterbox."
"So cruel!"
Kenichi had a wide circle of friends. He had an
overwhelming ability to start something. Even at the same
level as the Social Goddess.
Well, that didn't mean he had a loose tongue. On the

contrary, he was an upright man who keeps his promise.
Still, his 'know-it-all' behavior made me feel like I lost to

him, so I won't tell him that... That's all I got to say.
Besides, I also didn't know the answer.
What made me suddenly get involved with Wakamiya?

Why was she being so nice to me?
She acted like she was driven by a sense of mission, but I'm
still not sure about that.
"But you're together at night, right?"
"What...?"
I made a surprised face to hide my upsetness.
"Well, some people told me that they saw you two walking
together at night."
"Hmm. That's definitely when we went home together by

chance after I finished my part-time job."
"In two consecutive days?"
"...Yeah, two days in a row..."
I averted my eyes from Kenichi.
I didn't expect that we would be seen consecutively...
"Really, just admit it already~"
"There's nothing to admit. At all."
"You don't have to be embarrassed."
"I'm not."
Even if I denied it, I still couldn't wipe off the grin of

Kenichi's face. What a tough battle.
"How stubborn. But to be honest, I'm glad that there's

another person who understands Towa's good points."
"Huh. Anyway, just go somewhere else already. You're

bothering my study."
"To think that I'll hear those words from your mouth... The
power of love is amazing."
"Listen to me! Ugh, stop bringing that topic to everything.

You're acting like a gossipy girl."
I sighed and checked my homework for the next class. By

the way, I already finished doing it yesterday. This would be
the first time I turned my homework since I entered high
school...
"Towa, let's be serious now... What actually happened

yesterday and today? You denied being close to her so much
before, didn't you?" Kenichi asked, his face suddenly turned
serious.
I honestly replied, "I just learned... that I can never win

against a girl."
Yes, man will never win against a girl's tears... Definitely.
"Hmmm. Well, I actually thought that your attitude

yesterday is 'not good', so I'm happy with this change."
"Sorry 'bout that."
"You have to apologize to Wakamiya about what happened

yesterday... no, wait..."
Kenichi put his hand on his chin and started thinking.
I continued my task, watching him from the corner of my

eye.
"Let's prepare a present for her!"
"Huh? Why does it become like that... I already apologized,

okay?"
"You don't get it, Towa~ It's easy to apologize. Men tend to
think, 'I already said sorry, so that should be it, right?' But
that's actually bad!"
I didn't understand what Kenichi wanted to say. It's not

over even after I apologized?
I put my pen on the desk and pondered. "So I have to

prepare something as a reconciliation item?"
"Ahh! You really don't get it, huh~ If you do that, she'll
definitely think, 'You give me this thing to move on from the
problem, right? How insincere!'"
"Haa... Then tell me what should I do. Do you mean I have
to apologize again without giving anything?"
"Ehhh... I'm at fault here. I have to teach you to learn a

woman's mind first, Towa." Kenichi said, exaggeratedly
shrugging his shoulders like an American comedian.
Hey, why would you expect me to understand a woman's

heart... I wasn't that experienced to have that ability.
"The correct answer here is 'secretly prepare something to

thank her.'"
"Not to apologize?"
"Naturally, it's better to give her things as a token of

gratitude than as a apology. Just think about it. Do you think
Wakamiya will accept it if you give her an item after you
declare that it's your reconciliation item?"
"No... I don't think she will..."
Wakamiya and I hadn't known each other for a long time.

However, I could imagine her saying, "I don't need it" if I
gave her something to show my feelings.
Wakamiya wouldn't ask for things as compensation or

reward.
Somehow, I was convinced of that.
Eventually, she would end it with a single phrase, "It's just

me being nosy, don't worry about it."
Then——
"Kenichi, I thought about it, but... I don't think she'll
receive it even if I give it as a token of gratitude, you know?"
With a bold smile, Kenichi looked like he had been waiting

for my answer. "My, Towa! So you get it!!"
"Haa. If you know that, why are we back at the starting

point now? What's the point of our conversation so far...
Ugh."
"Hahaha. Sorry, sorry!"
Kenichi had a carefree and refreshing smile. He's really

handsome...
"But then, it's not completely useless, is it?"
"You're wasting my time... Just tell me the conclusion

already."
"Yes, yes. Towa sure is impatient~"
"Who cares."
I sighed. Return the several seconds I had used to think,

"What should I give to her?"
"Well, well, no need to be angry! I'm not lying when I talk

about 'thank you' and 'prepare things secretly', so the time
you devoted to thinking about the gift isn't wasted."
"Don't read my thoughts so naturally!"
To be honest, I don't think I'm that easy to read...
Ahh, but other than Kenichi, Wakamiya could also predict

my actions...
Maybe I just hadn't noticed that I was simple-minded...?
"For the time being, the conclusion is Wakamiya's birthday.

Give her a present on that day."
"Then say that from the beginning..."
"Is that so? But Towa, if I tell you to prepare a birthday

present, you'll say, 'it's weird if I suddenly gift her things. I
don't need to do that.'"
"I-I won't say that."
"Look, you're stuttering."
I clicked my tongue and rested my chin in my hand.
"But now that you know that you need to convey your
gratitude, you have something to apologize, and you know
when is her birthday... You have to choice but to do it, right?"
"Stop instructing me in a roundabout way..."
"But it's effective for Towa."
"I guess so..."
I sighed again.
Haa, I had been dancing on Kenichi's palm all the time,

hadn't I?
I looked up in resignation and dropped my shoulder.
"Okay, I give up. I don't really know what should I give as a
present... so help me."
"Yeah, leave it to me!" Kenichi said with a toothy laugh,

raising his thumb.
In the end, I spent my whole lunch break getting taught a

lot of things by the handsome guy.
Chapter 25: Knowing the Goddess' Birthday
...I'm at a loss.
Yes, very much so.
I glanced at the beautiful girl who was doing the

housework diligently. She tied her long hair in the back. That
must be the so-called ponytail.
The beautiful nape of her neck almost made me dazed, but

I endured it.
I didn't have a part-time job today, so I went straight home.

But then, Wakamiya followed me as if it was something
normal. Well, I didn't feel like running away anymore, so I
didn't care.
But the gaze of our surroundings was painful...
She told me the reason. That, "You can study a lot today."
Then she started cleaning the room, doing laundry, and
preparing the meals with a practised hand.
I'm really grateful for her hard work.
Yet despite all of that, my head was focusing on resolving a

'matter'. I couldn't think of anything else.
My pen didn't move even though I had to study.
Wakamiya probably found my condition strange since she

came to look into my face.
"Tokiwagi-san, you're absent-minded. Anything in your
mind?"
"Ahh, I'm kind of tired. Maybe it's because I've never

studied before."
I gave her an excuse that instantly came into my mind.
Well, it's not entirely wrong. I'm tired, so it's not a lie.
However, it's also not my current concern...
"It's a bit early, but let's take a break. I'll prepare tea and
sweets now. Please wait for a moment."
"Yeah, thanks..."
I stretched my back and took a deep breath.
Now then, what should I do... I'm glad that Kenichi gave
me a lecture at school.
But...
I didn't know the most important thing. When was

Wakamiya's birthday?
I asked Kenichi about it, but he grinned and said, "I don't
know. You have to do your best here."
Judging from his attitude, I'm sure he knew it. He could

just tell me, what's the big deal...
There were three methods to know her birthday.
One. Honestly ask her, "Wakamiya, when is your

birthday?"
Two. Check her identity card, such as her health insurance

card.
Three. Look at student handbooks or student cards that all

students have.
At first glance, these three methods looked easy to do.

But... asking Wakamiya directly was the last thing I wanted to
do after considering her character... She would find out that I
was preparing her present in advance, then she would most
likely humbly refuse birthday presents.
Then what I needed to do was...
Know her birthday without her finding out my plan. Give

her the present before she can refuse.
I had to complete those two points. Moreover, I had to

make sure Wakamiya wasn't aware of anything. So the first
method was out of the question.
"This is impossible... seriously."
I hung my head at the desk and muttered so.
I should've asked Kenichi for an excellent method...
"Are there any difficult questions?"
I was surprised to hear a voice talking to me from behind,
Wakamiya was tilting her head, confused. Then she placed

the tea and sweets on the desk.
I picked a cookie and threw it into my mouth.
"Hmm. Yeah, kind of. But I already resolved it, so it's

okay."
"Is that so? Please don't refrain from telling me anything if

you don't understand."
"Yeah, I'll do that."
What should I do now...
I could only know Wakamiya's birthday by the second and

the third options.
First of all, for the former method, Wakamiya probably

never carried out her important documents. I'm sure she only
took them out from a safe place when needed. She definitely
has considered the risk of dropping it when carrying it
around.
In that case, I had to see her student handbook. But this

was also difficult.
I think she should be carrying it around, but asking her to

show it to me would be hard.
Besides, I didn't think she would casually show me

anything with her photograph.
The photos used for important documents were usually not

quite good.
I also didn't want other people to see my serious

expression.
By the way, my photograph was gruesome. My eyes were
half-opened at it.
But it was a sealed product for life.
"As I thought, you're weird."
"Wahhh!? Wow!?!?"
I was surprised at Wakamiya who suddenly sat in front of

me. Amid my panic, I hit my knees on the desk with full
power.
It hurts a lot...
"Are you okay? I'm sorry for surprising you..."
Wakamiya approached me again and peeked into my face

with anxiety.
The pain of hitting my knees and the palpitations of my

heart were mixing, making my body strangely hot.
"No, I'm sorry too. I was lost in my thought..."
"...You're not acting normally. Please tell me if there's

anything in your mind."
She put her hand on mine, taking my focus with her bright
eyes. It's like those eyes were saying, "I won't let this go until
you speak."
Haa, I'm weak with these eyes...
I smiled bitterly and sighed.
"It's not anything important, but... do you want to hear it?"
"Of course, Please tell me."
"I don't know how to say this... Well, I just realized that I
don't know anything."
"Don't know anything? About what?"
"Studies and interpersonal relationships. Especially the

latter. There are a lot of things I don't know about Kenichi,
who talks a lot. Then when I think about it, I don't know
anything about my classmates."
"I see, so you're worried about that?"
"Well, it's just me realizing something unimportant."
I looked up and sighed.
Wakamiya gently smiled at me. "I don't think it's

unimportant."
"Really?"
"Tokiwagi-san, you realized that you knew something you

didn't know before, right? I think that's big progress."
"Progress?"
"Yes. If you don't even notice your ignorance, then you

won't be thinking of fixing it. So having consciousness over
your mistakes gives you room for improving yourself."
"I see..."
"Being aware of our weakness makes us think, 'I want to
become like this,' 'I want to know more.' And those thoughts
will lead to your growth."
"I see... Then being able to realize that is good?"
"I think so. Anyway, please take a look at this."
Wakamiya took out her student handbook from her bag

and put it in my hand. The unexpected development made
me so shocked that I wondered, 'Have she seen through my
intentions?"
"A journey of a thousand miles must start with the first

step. For now, please look at my student handbook if you
want to. Ah, but just for a while, okay? I don't want someone
else to see my photo that much."
"Okay... But why should I look at your student handbook?"
"Isn't it necessary? I was thinking of starting training for

you to match a person's name with their face..."
"Ahh, I see. Yeah, I get it."
I vigorously nodded. It might look a little exaggerated.
"Fufufu. Tokiwagi-san, you seem like you're not good at

remembering people's names."
"Well, I guess... so. I honestly don't know more than half of

my classmates."
"Do you know my name?"
"I know Wakamiya's name... It's Rin, right?" I felt

embarrassed to call her name, so I answered curtly.
"Correct. The kanji is as written in the student notebook.

It's easy to mistake '凜 (rin)' with '凛 (rin), so please
remember it."
"Ah, that's why you gave me your student handbook..."
I see.
So the training to match Wakamiya's name and her face is...

to remember her name. Specifically, the kanji.
"But I already know Wakamiya's name. After all, you have

taken care of me this much," I said, looking at the student
handbook I received from Wakamiya. First, I glanced at her
photograph.
Even her ID photograph was well-done... Amazing.
Okay, her birthday was...
I was about to let out a strangled cry when I saw her date of
birth, but I managed to swallow it down.
Are you serious? She didn't fill her date of birth in her
student handbook...
I thought Wakamiya would fill it since she always took

things seriously...
"What happened?"
"No, it's nothing."
I turned over the student handbook to find some kind of

hints. Then I found a date circled on the page with a calendar.
"What is this circle?"
"That's Kotone-chan's birthday."
"Hmmm. I thought it's Wakamiya's."
"That's not true."
"Hee. By the way, when is it?"
Somehow, I ended up directly asking her. I pretended to

look as calm as possible. But inwardly, my heart was
pounding so hard.
"Ummm, it's on this day."
Wakamiya tilted her head and pointed to a date. In

response to that, I answered with a short, "I see."
Then, to disguise my intention, I flipped the student

handbook randomly and muttered, "Hee. You're writing
many things here."
I looked at her photograph once again. I felt like Wakamiya

in the photo was telling me, "You're really bad at hiding
things, aren't you?" I couldn't stop myself from smiling
bitterly.
The real Wakamiya was, for some reason, looking down

with her cheeks flushed. Her shoulders were shaking a little.
"Wakamiya-san, are you okay?"
"...please."
Her voice was always clear and easy to listen to. However, I
couldn't pick up anything from her current mosquito-like
voice at all...
"Huh? Err, I can't hear you..."
"Don't stare at it so much, please!"
Wakamiya picked up her student handbook from me and

quickly put it in her bag. Then she puffed her cheeks, sullen.
She also stared at me, full of complaints.
"Tokiwagi-san is mean."
"...Sorry."
After this, I had to show her my student handbook as a

punishment, and she found out about my trademark 'half-
opened eyes in the ID photo'.
In this way, I managed to get the information I was looking

for after many twists and turns. I even had to show my dark
history to get it...
But this might be the so-called 'lose something to get

something'.
I feel like I gained some wisdom out of all of this.
Chapter 26: Thinking about Gift to the Goddess
Wakamiya politely bowed to me before leaving my

apartment.
I quietly sighed as I sent her off.
Remembering the date of the birth that she pointed in her

student handbook just now, I held my head, not knowing
what to do.
"...Is it right after the test? This is not good..."
If I knew this would happen, I wanted to know her

birthday earlier. But then, I avoided the worst probability.
Her birthday hadn’t passed yet. Let’s be happy with that.
I had broken through the first barrier of 'knowing her date

of birth'.
What's next is... knowing what she wants.
For the time being, I received some advice from Kenichi

about what I should buy.
To summarize it——
Receiving accessories from someone who's not particularly

close to them will only make a girl scared.
They would suspect if the boy had hidden motives. Plus,

girls wouldn't normally wear things they received from an
unfamiliar person.
With that, accessories were NG.
I guess you can give it to someone who has a close

relationship with you, like your lovers...
Also, I wouldn't know how to deal with her reactions if I

gave her bouquets, so it was also NG.
The receiver of the bouquet had to treat the flowers

properly and put it in the vase, which was a lot of work... So I
crossed this idea as well.
By the way, Kenichi recommended giving her small items

like hand cream or body scrub.
But what kind of brand should I choose? I didn't know

anything about that kind of product...
"I guess I have no choice but to ask for the popular guy's
advice..."
I picked up my smartphone and called Kenichi.
At times like this, someone with one-digit number of

contacts like me could quickly find the person I wanted to
call.
It was pretty sad to admit, though...
I didn't have to search for his name. It was displayed when

I opened the app...
"Kenichi, do you have time now?"
"Hey~! I'm happy to receive a phone call from Towa~

Since you're calling me now, that means you couldn't ask
when her birthday is, right? Or maybe you want to ask the
dependable me for advice? Wahhh!!! I'm happy to help you,
my friend!"
His high-tension voice echoed in my head. So noisy.
"...I'll hang up."
"Ah! Wai—"
I pressed the end call button and sighed.
Now then, let's look for information on the internet. After

all, everything was accessible in this internet society.
Bzzz, bzzz. I glanced at my insistently buzzing smartphone.
He would call me again and again if I ignored it, delaying

my investigation.
It couldn't be helped... I'll humor him.
"Don't hang up!"
"You're more annoying than I thought."
"That's cruel! You're the one who called me first..."
"I didn't expect you to be that energetic this late at night..."
"It's fine, isn't it? Anyway, you called me because you need
something from me, right?? Towa, there's no way you will call
me to have a chat."
As usual, the social guy was sharp. I inwardly clicked my

tongue at how he managed to guess my intention.
"Kenichi, Wakamiya's birthday is right after the test..."
"Oh? Oh, oh, oh? So you asked her!"
I was extremely irritated at how Kenichi became excited,

but I endured it. Perhaps blue veins popped out on my
forehead now.
"...I asked her. Can't I?"
"No, no~ You definitely can! Well, Towa is a coward, so I

was sure you wouldn't be able to ask her and cry to me~"
"I'm very sorry to hear you call me a coward. I'll do it when

I have to..."
I managed to know her birthday thanks to the unexpected

windfall, though...
But I didn't have to tell Kenichi about that especially.
"Hmm, I see. I thought you knew it by accident. For

example, maybe you saw it in her student handbook."
"...No way. I knew it because I'm an eloquent speaker..."
At times, Kenichi said something that made me wonder if

he was an esper. Perhaps he was watching us?
"Haha! Either way, you finished the first step! So you want
to ask me about recommendations on brands for the gift?"
"...Haa. Yeah. That's it."
I smiled bitterly over the phone. Kenichi kept guessing

right that I felt like laughing now.
"I'm also not that familiar with those kinds of brands. By
the way, Towa. Based on our conversation during the day,
what are you planning to give to her?"
"Hmm... Mentholatum hand cream."
"You're giving her a health care product!?"
"I shouldn't? I feel like that's a safer choice..."
"Are you serious..."
I tilted my head to Kenichi's amazed voice.
"I see. I have to buy the bigger package so she can use it
longer, right?"
"Wait, wait! You're supposed to give a scented hand cream

since this is a gift to a girl!!"
"Ahh, I see."
I took notes on the paper at hand. So I have to give

something stylish, huh.
"Oh no... I didn't expect you to be this extreme."
"No need to praise me."
"I'm not praising you!!"
I heard a sigh from the phone. But he didn't need to be that

amazed. It couldn't be helped since I didn't know anything
about this. Until now, I had no opportunities to give
presents...
"We need to deal with this problem urgently."
"Huh?"
"Yes! After all, it's girls who can see things from a girl's
perspective! So let's exchange."
"Eh, exchange...?"
"...Hello, Tokiwagi-san? This is Fuji."
A cold voice came out from the phone.
"Um... Why are you in Kenichi's house...?"
"...I'm his girlfriend."
"But it's already late at night, right...?"
"...I'm his girlfriend."
"Ah, yes..."
Seems like she wouldn't answer me. I decided not to

question this anymore for now.
"...I've been listening to your conversation since a while

ago. I understood that you're very bad at this, so write down
what I'm going to say from word to word."
"Ok."
"...Answer me with 'Yes'."
"Yes..."
She's scary. I had cold sweat on my forehead.
Fuji-san was a cool beauty, but I wouldn't last talking to her

for five minutes. As I thought, Kenichi was amazing.
After this, Fuji-san's lecture lasted for thirty minutes.
Chapter 27: The Social Goddess is Giving Me a
Present
On my way home from my part-time job, I walked side-by-

side with Wakamiya on the familiar road.
Since we had been walking home like this for quite some
time, I recently didn't feel a sense of incongruity anymore.
Wakamiya was holding a paper bag for take-out. Inside it

was the new 'mochi donut'.
It was slightly heartwarming to watch her holding the

paper bag very carefully.
Does she like the donut that much...
After buying donuts on a daily basis, Wakamiya almost

collected all of the stamps in the coupon card. She would
receive a stamp every 200 yen purchase at my part-time job.
Just how addicted is she!?
I wanted to say that, but she ordered 'donut and tea' almost
every day, so I should've expected this.
"Tokiwagi-san, do you think you will do well on tomorrow's

test?" Wakamiya asked with a smile, slightly tilting her head.
Surprised by the charm of that gesture, I answered curtly.

"Just so-so."
Perhaps my voice was slightly louder just now.

"Fufu. Then that's good. But please review the material
until the end, okay?"
"Yeah, I know. I've been studying seriously until now, so I

think I'll manage just fine."
This was definitely the most diligent I had been since I

enrolled in high school.
To be precise, I was forced to do it. But I had no complaints

because I had the smart Wakamiya Rin to teach me every day.
Even though I wasn't willing, it was fulfilling.
It wouldn't be strange if I had to pay her the fee to be my

tutor.
"Make sure not to be careless, okay? Studying and taking

tests are different, so it doesn't mean you will be alright just
because you have studied."
"Is that so?"
Studying and taking tests are different, huh? I thought it's a

matter of whether I can solve the questions or not. Seems like
it's not the same for the Social Goddess.
"Yes. This is just my opinion, but I believe 'studying is

when you can make a mistake', and 'test is when you're
showing the result of your hard work'."
As I wracked my brain to understand Wakamiya's words,

Wakamiya continued her words with her usual monotonous
voice.
"Therefore, I have to make sure that I can answer the
questions correctly, being confident that I 'can' do it. And I
throw away the easygoing way of thinking of 'let's just solve it
for now' when I study. To gain a good result, I must gradually
increase the number of answers I can confidently say is
'correct'."
"...I never think like that," Stunned, I could only reply like
that.
But the Social Goddess might be perfect because she could

think like that.
"And I believe it's going to be difficult for Tokiwagi-san to

get perfect marks, so please prioritize only at the questions
and points written in the note I gave to you."
"Hey, hey~ You won't know if I can get perfect marks,

right?"
"Studying is not that easy. It's not something so simple that

you can master overnight. I only taught you for a short period
of time. It's not enough to cover all of the lessons that
Tokiwagi-san ignored."
"Eh... Seriously?"
"It takes twice longer to cover them since you never study."
I dropped my shoulders and hung my head.
So everything I did until now wasn't enough to pay for my

mistakes, huh...
"Haa. I guess you're right. My current goal is to avoid red

marks. Getting the perfect marks is just a mere dream."
"If I remember right, your tests are all in red marks last
time, right?"
"I have the confidence that my marks are the lowest in our
grade."
"...Why do you look so proud?"
Wakamiya sighed and put her hand on her forehead. But

what I said was the truth. It was all in a single digit.
"Umm, you probably know this, but... you will need to take
the supplementary lesson during the summer vacation if you
get a red mark for the second consecutive time. I repeat, it's
during the summer vacation. Do you understand that?"
"...Seriously?"
"Yes. I'm serious."
How astonishing... I held my head.
I didn't expect my forty days of summer vacation to be

destroyed by supplementary classes.
That's impossible for me... Wait. It's surprisingly not that

bad.
There's no way the supplementary classes would restrain

me for the whole day. That means I could work part-time
after that.
But it's a shame that I couldn't earn more money by taking

full shifts.
"...Are you thinking of something bad?"
"N-no, I'm not."
"Your stuttering is suspicious."
Wakamiya stared at me. She was suspecting me.
Even so, we're talking about Wakamiya here. Maybe she

had noticed it.
"Tokiwagi-san, I'll be troubled if you get red marks..."
"Well, you already taught me this much after all. Of course

you will be troubled if your student isn't doing well."
I said with a little self-mockery. Realizing that the way I

worded it might sound mean, I regretted it.
However, Wakamiya didn't seem to be bothered. She

continued to watch me with her clear eyes.
Then she said, "It's summer vacation, you know? Don't you
want to play?"
I want to play. But only to the arcade or something similar

to that.
"Well, I get what you mean... but I was planning on

working part-time most of the time."
Wakamiya chuckled at my answer.
She occasionally showed me that expression, which had the

power to charm people.
It's like magic to make one fall in love with her.
"If you don't mind... how about going to the summer

festival with me?"
"Festival...?
Not finding her suggestion attractive, I stiffened my face at

the word 'festival'.
'Festival' was the event for socially active people. It was a

gathering aimed at a group of friends.
It was uselessly loud. The food in the stall was abnormally

expensive. There were also lottery tickets that you don't know
whether it's possible to win the prize or not.
...I don't want to go at all.
"No good?"
Wakamiya grabbed my sleeve and gazed at me with

upturned eyes.
I gulped. "No, um, err. I'm not good with festivals..."
"Is that so... What a shame."
When I saw Wakamiya clearly become depressed, I felt like

my heart was stabbed with a knife.
"Kotone-chan and Kato-san are going to the festival, so I

want you to come..."
"Eh... Kenichi is also going?"
"Yes. That's why I'm thinking that it'll be nice if Tokiwagi-
san also participates. Plus, I don't want to bother them on
their date..."
"Ahh, I see. So it's like that..."
"Tokiwagi-san—"
"Okay, okay. I'll go."
That sounds just like Wakamiya. Not wanting to bother

them, huh...
Certainly, it wouldn't feel that uncomfortable if the ratio of

men and women was the same.
"Thank you very much. Then I will contact you when the
meeting time is decided."
"Got it. Haa, but I will have to pass the test now, right"
I looked up at the bright starry sky. It was a clear and

beautiful night sky, completely different from my mood.
"Right. I have one proposal to motivate Tokiwagi-san."
"Proposal?"
"How about this? I will give you a 'reward' if you exceed

the average score in the next test."
A reward?
That was a very nice proposal. I suddenly became

motivated.
"A reward? That's... What kind of reward?"
"Well, I can't think of anything right now... Let's just make

it anything that Tokiwagi-san wants."
"Anything..."
Several delusions passed through my mind. I shook my

head to wipe it out.
I repeatedly told myself that that kind of development

wouldn't happen.
"You don't have to restrain yourself. But remember that

you won't get it if you don't pass the test."
"Hm..."
"Come on, please don't hesitate to say it," Wakamiya said,

rushing me to answer.
I picked an answer and opened my mouth.
Let's be manly here.
"C-can I ask for Chinese dishes?"
"Of course you can."
Wakamiya consented, then she walked in front of me with

a hum.
Unable to say anything anymore, I followed her, suffering

from my incompetence.
Chapter 28: Review Meeting with Social Goddess
The regular test before the summer vacation was over, and
I was back in my part-time job routine.
Since today was Sunday, the restaurant was crowded with

customers. Many of my part-time colleagues were working
with a fake smile on their face.
Ignoring them, I was in the middle of my break. In front of

me was Wakamiya, sitting on her regular position with our
test results on the table.
"The reality is ruthless..." I muttered when I saw the

answer sheets of the regular test that I received.
Although my score was better than before, my previous

score was the worst of the lowest one ever.
In other words, my efforts would be questionable if it didn't

improve at all.
For the time being, the result was a progress.
But... I sighed, looking at the test result.
Well, I once again learned that the human brain wouldn't

be able to cause a miracle so easily.
"For now, it's good that you don't get red marks anymore."
I glanced at the source of that clear voice.
The Social Goddess ate the donut with a blissful
expression.
She also arranged her test result and notes on the table.
From there, I could only see a row of one hundred points.
...So this was the difference between the Social Goddess

and the underclass, huh.
"I'm sorry for getting such low marks even after you
already spared your time to teach me..."
"That's not true. Tokiwagi-san, I think you have done your

best."
"So this is the result of my best effort..."
An on-parade with barely passable scores. It was far below

the promised score for me to get a reward.
But by avoiding red marks, I could spend my summer

vacation without supplementary classes. This was quite
enough for now.
"Tokiwagi-san, you hadn't studied until now and was in the

state of ‘zero'. It's not bad to go up to ‘one' from there. At least
you took one step further."
"That's right, but..."
"And I declared that I will improve your test result

confidently, but I couldn't make you achieve good results. It's
me who should take responsibility."
I hurriedly stopped Wakamiya, who bowed her head and
apologized.
The surrounding customers also had a suspicious face

when they saw a beautiful girl bowing her head.
"Um, Wakamiya-san. You're not wrong at all. The way you

taught me is easier to understand than the teacher in class, it's
helpful. It's me who can't make use of that. Wakamiya-san
doesn't have to take responsibility at all."
"No, I'll take responsibility."
"No, I will."
"I will."
Why were we pushing responsibility to each other...
Moreover, Wakamiya refused to accept me taking fault.
How stubborn.
Even so, Wakamiya who argued with a slight pout was a

little cute.
"Let's leave aside who's taking the responsibility for now.

Wakamiya-san, why are you looking at your test results? No
way, do you have to take a remedy?"
I pointed to Wakamiya's test results to change the topic.

She had been writing something in her notebook for quite
some time...
"You're wrong."
"What about your test result? From what I can see from
here, they're all full marks."
"Yes, I get a perfect score in everything. I managed to keep

the lead."
"Oh, congratulations!"
"Thank you very much."
Perfect score in everything... How could she achieve that?
By the way, Kenichi got the second rank in the previous

semester.
Well, we're talking about Kenichi here. I'm sure he took the
second rank again.
"So what are you writing in your notebook? You don't need
to see your test results either, right?"
"I'm doing the teacher's tendency analysis."
"What?"
"This notebook summarizes the tendencies of the teachers

who are making the tests this time, the source of the
questions, and so on."
"Hahaha... You're amazing. For real."
Even after the test ended, most students wanted to be free.

And among them, this girl was preparing for the next test.
This might be why Wakamiya was the honor student.
I was honestly impressed with her effort...

I couldn't do that.
"But... now that the test ends, the study season is over,
right? Knowing that makes me feel a little lonely."
I muttered what I was thinking until now. However, it

might have been a little too loud.
But I also wanted to complain. I hate studying and I don't

want to do it.
However, saying that I hated studying with her would be a

lie.
There's no doubt those times had been the most fulfilling

for me until now...
But now that the test was over, I could never experience
those days anymore.
"Hm? Why do you sound like it's all over?"
Wakamiya tilted her head, her expression saying, ‘What are

you saying?'
I also tilted my head, confused. "...It's not over yet?"
"No. I'm making notes for that."
"Eh, really...?"
"This time we didn't have enough time. So I came up with

the idea of making predictions for next test's questions. As
long as you're prepared, you don't have to worry."
So she took the trouble to write that notebook for me? I

couldn't hide my surprise at the Social Goddess' hard work.
"Plus, I'm not satisfied with the results this time. I believe
there are more things I can and I need to do to improve. I
have promised. 'I will make you get good points.'"
"No, it's my head that needs to be improved... eh? Huh?

What do you mean??"
"I haven't kept my promise yet," Wakamiya said. "That's

why, I'll continue teaching you."
In spite of myself, I was happy to hear that. It's like the

clouding fog in my heart was clearing up.
At the same time, the feeling of relief that this relationship

would continue enveloped my heart.
However, I didn't show it in my face at all. I didn't want to

show it as well.
Therefore, I answered shortly, "I see."
"Anyway, I'll be under your care again for a while."
"Are you okay with this? You'll lose your free time if you
keep sparing your time for me."
"There's no problem."
"Maybe your marks will drop."
"It won't drop."
"But there's a chance that——"
"——My test results prove that that chance is nonexistent,
right?"
Wakamiya lined her answer sheets in front of me. They

were all full marks.
Maybe people would feel unpleasant if faced with this

situation, but I didn't.
Because I knew she showed me this as a proof to convince

me.
"If you're not satisfied with this, I will show you my grades
when I was in junior high school."
"You brought it here!?"
"Of course."
With how the Social Goddess completely blocked my

escape route, I could only smile bitterly at her.
Chapter 29: The Social Goddess' Gift
A few days had passed since the test. This day finally
came...
Yes, 'this day'...
I felt like I was about to vomit anytime soon due to the new
sensations and feelings I had never experienced before.
My stomach hurts, and I also have nausea.
And the Social Goddess was staring at me, worried. She

was holding a stomach medicine-like thing in her hand.
Why was I in this state, you ask?
The answer was simple——
Because today was 'Wakamiya Rin's birthday.'
I chose the gift based on that famous guy rascal, Kenichi,

and Fuji-san's advice, so I wasn't worried about that. What
made me nervous was handing it to her.
I'm sure my face was stiffened right now.
As usual, Wakamiya came to my house after I'm done with

my part-time job. I could give it to her at this spot.
But...
When should I hand it to her? At what timing? In the first
place, do I have to give it personally?
Those thoughts circulated in my head, bothering me.
"Tokiwagi-san, you look pale. Should I make you porridge?

Or do you want to have some medicine..."
"I'm fine. Don't worry."
Wakamiya stared at me. She probably doubted my words.
Unable to continue maintaining eye contact with her, I

turned away.
Judging from her current behavior, she probably hadn't

noticed my gift.
Most people would feel a bit conscious on their special day,

but... Wakamiya didn't look like she was expecting anything at
all.
I recalled what Kenichi told me before. 'Surprising her is

important.'
...Would I succeed now?
I cleared my throat to bring up the main subject.
"...Wakamiya-san, can I have a little of your time? I have

something important to say."
"Something important...?
The Social Goddess, who always sat in an elegant posture,

straightened her back. Then she repositioned her seat in front
of me.
If she wore a kimono, she would look like a noble lady of a
wealthy family.
I exhaled.
Then I stood up abruptly, grabbed the paper bag I hid, held

it out in front of Wakamiya, and placed it on her lap.
Wakamiya tilted her head in confusion. She didn't try to

take it.
People would generally guess that the paper bag was a

birthday gift, but she looked like she hadn't realized that yet.
"...I'll give you that."
I wish I could say decent lines, or simply tell her, "It's my

gift to you." But those words never came out of my throat.
Instead, I sounded sullen.
"Um, what is this?"
"A gift... Uh, it's your birthday, right?"
"Yes... That's right... Err, thank you very much..."
Wakamiya, who always had a flat and monotone voice,

spoke in a faltering way. How rare.
Looking at her, I also became confused.
She was the Social Goddess. Naturally, she should've

received a lot of gifts.
Wakamiya only stared blankly at the paper bag for a while,

so I said, "Uhh, you know. I'm grateful for your help every
day, so I want to repay you. It happened to coincide with your
birthday, so... Well, you might find it troublesome, but take
it... No. Let me force you to take it."
Wakamiya chuckled, her cheeks flushed. Then she held the

gift with great care.
I was relieved when I saw that figure. Apparently, the

surprise was a success.
I clenched my fist, happy. But of course, I made sure

Wakamiya wouldn't see it.
"Tokiwagi-san started talking with a serious look, so I was

sure..."
"Hm...?"
"I thought you were going to confess to me."
I coughed, then I drank the cup of tea on the table in one

gulp.
After that, I denied it with exaggerated gestures. "You're

wrong! It's a misunderstanding! I'm not confessing at all!!"
"Is that so..."
Wakamiya clearly became depressed at my response. That

only made me even more restless.
"Umm... I don't know what to say if you have that kind of

reaction..."
"......"
Wakamiya dropped her head in silence.
Cold sweat flowed from my forehead.
"I mean! How can I say this... We are too mismatched, so I

don't think I can go out with Wakmaiya. It's not like I don't
want to date Wakamiya. Instead, it's me who is lacking——"
Wakamiya's finger touched my mouth, stopping my

panicked explanation.
And when our eyes met, she only said, "Calm down,
Tokiwagi-san. It's a joke."
I clicked my tongue and turned away, sulking.
When I glanced at Wakamiya from the corner of my eye,

she smiled with a gentle look.
"Still, I was surprised."
"Oh... I don't look like I'm going to give a gift, right? Is it

that unexpected?"
"No, I'm more surprised that you 'remember' my birthday."
"You're so rude."
But in fact, this wouldn't have been possible without

Kenichi's advice. I would back away from doing anything.
Usually, I didn't pay any mind to birthdays too. I didn't
consider other people's feelings, and I didn't have enough
experience with the girls...
I had to thank Kenichi. For real...
"Tokiwagi-san, can I open it?"
"Sure... But don't expect too much. It's nothing special."
Wakamiya chuckled again, then she took the box in the

paper bag out, carefully opened the wrapping paper, and
untied the ribbon.
I held my breath, waiting for her reaction. The strange

tension fueled my anxiety.
"Is this... a cat stuffed doll?" Kamiya said, carefully lifting

the stuffed doll with both hands. She blinked her round eyes
in surprise.
"Yeah... That character is pretty popular, right? It's trendy...

Wakamiya probably isn't interested in something like that,
but I think it's not bad to follow the trend once in a while."
Yes, this was Fuji-san's advice.
In this area, there was an amusement park that everyone

had visited at least once. And that cat stuffed doll was sold
only at that amusement park. Presently, it was popular for the
students to carry that around.
It would be awfully embarrassing to enter that amusement

park alone to buy that, so I asked Kenichi and Fuji-san to buy
it for me, owing them one point.
I felt like Kenichi would ask for something big to repay this
favor in the future, but I couldn't solve this problem without
making some sacrifice.
However, I was worried. Maybe Wakamiya would feel

disgusted when a young man gave her this cute stuffed doll.
As I waited and saw how things go, she raised the stuffed
doll high, staring at its face.
"Wakamiya-san? You can throw it away if you don't like it.

I also don't mind if it becomes a fossil at the bottom of your
closet. You can also return it to me."
I couldn't bear the silence and joked with waving hands.
In response, Wakamiya hurriedly hugged the stuffed doll

tight. She looked like a child who didn't want anyone to take
away her favorite toys. Then she looked at me with a blaming
gaze. "I won't hand you this doll!"
"O-oh. Okay. I'm glad if you like it," I said with a strained
smile, surprised at Wakamiya's somewhat strong tone.
At this moment, the stuffed doll was promoted into

Wakamiya's favorite.
Wakamiya held the doll carefully, gazing at it with a gentle

look. Her innocent expression was different from the usual. It
was so cute that any men who saw her like this most likely
wouldn't able to take their eyes off her.
I was attracted to that. It's like I would forget the time,

charmed with her.
When she made that kind of face, I became strangely

conscious. My heart was beating fast like a raging wave. My
face was so hot that I felt like it would burn...
I inwardly cursed, 'That should be a foul, right... Damn it..."

But......
I was happy that she liked it. That was my honest feeling.
"Tokiwagi-san."
"Hm? What?"
"Thank you very much."
"Oh..."
I scratched my cheeks.
It goes without saying that I couldn't easily forget the smile

on Wakamiya's face at this moment from my mind.
Chapter 30: The Socially Active Guy's Visit
Thinking that it was Wakamiya's morning call, I answered

the ringing phone. But what I heard was an excited, irritating
voice. "Good morninggg!!!"
I had an urge to throw my phone, but I was too sleepy to do

that.
Having him woke me up in the morning was the worst.
"...Why are you calling me so early in the morning?"
I complained to my stinky friend, who was also the person

at the other end of the line.
"——Hey, hey~ It's nine o'clock in the morning, you know?

It's time to wake up~!"
"Ah?"
The moment I heard 'nine o'clock', my mind cleared up. At

the same time, cold sweat broke out on my forehead.
I hurriedly looked at my shift schedule.
"What...? I'm on a break. How rare..."
When I saw the word 'REST' in the shift table, I sighed in

relief.
I worked part-time every day without taking a break, but

sometimes, the manager didn't allow me to take more shifts
and told me, "Please rest."
I never panicked like this since I always remembered the

date.
But yesterday...
Yeah. Yesterday was the most nervous I had been in my

life, so I couldn't afford to remember my schedule at all.
I even forgot my part-time job break... That's really serious.
"Oi, hey! Don't leave me hanging here~"
'Oi, hey! Don't leave me hanging here~'
For some reason, the unpleasant voice I heard from the

phone echoed.
I was puzzled at that phenomenon.
Maybe there's a problem with my smartphone. If so,

repairing it would be troublesome...
—Bang, bang, bang!
I could hear the sound of knocking on the door. But

Wakamiya or the delivery men would never knock like that.
Then——
"...Kenichi. Do you want me to open the door?"
"Yeah! Please!"
"Yeah! Please!"
I sighed at the voice I heard through the phone and the
door, then I opened the front door.
When I opened it, a good looking man with a refreshing

man stood in front of me.
He had a cleaning kit and a garbage bag in his hand. The

purpose of his visit was clear.
"...Why are you here?"
"Hey, hey~ Towa's house is dirty, right? When we chatted

before, I thought that I should clean it for you soon! You can
even thank me, you know?"
"Don't come without telling me anything. Not to say, on

this early Sunday morning..."
"If I told you I would come, I can't see Towa's treasured

collections, can I? I want to know your type."
"I don't have that kind of collection... What's your real

intention?"
"I want to at least try pranking someone once in this

lifetime."
"You're such a nuisance..."
I had a bitter smile at the laughing Kenichi.
I know that he came because he was worried about me—

someone who 'used to be' a failure in managing my life.
Kenichi regularly came to my house as well, so he was

actually caring... I couldn't seem to get rid of him, even
though I was an inconsiderate person, keep twisting away
from him.
In that sense, he was the same type as Wakamiya, who was

stuck to his principles.
This must be the reason why many people surrounded

Kenichi. Not only his appearance was good, but he also had a
good personality.
...But he's a bit too nosy.
"Then, I'll come in~"
"...Just do as you like. You won't find anything, though."
"No way~ Towa's apartment is a trash house, there's no

way I won't find anything... huh?"
Kenichi solidified after taking a few steps from the front

door. He opened his mouth wide like a fool, dropping the
cleaning kit he carried on the floor.
"What is thiiiiis!?!?" Kenichi screamed.
If he kept being that loud, he would bother the neighbors.
I guess I had no neighbors...
"...Your reaction is too much. Is it that surprising?"
"It is!! What is this!? Your apartment is so clean!"
"Are you saying that my apartment is always dirty?"
"It looked like a burglar came inside every time I came, you
know. Of course I'm surprised that it's now so clean! This is
like a fairy godmother remodeled your apartment into a
comfortable place to live!!"
"It's all thanks to a master's technique."
Kenichi looked around with sparkling eyes. He looked like

a child who found something interesting.
Ignoring Kenichi, I picked up the nicely folded laundry and

took off my sleepwear.
"...This is crazy. I can only think of one person who can do

this..."
"Hmm. I see," I muttered with disinterest. Then I poured

tea into a cup and offered it to Kenichi. "Anyway, drink this
and calm down."
Kenichi looked at the cup, shocked. Then he breathed a

small sigh and whispered, "My role has disappeared now..."
His expression looked a little lonely, but I could also see

happiness in it.
"Well, forget about it. I won't pursue it deeply."
"What's with that? You sound like you know everything."
"Hahaha. Anyway, tell me about it~"
"Hm?"
"Did it go well? Yesterday."
I averted my eyes and shortly answered, "Yeah, thanks to

you."
Remembering what happened yesterday made my face

turn a little hot.
"That's great!" Kenichi had a carefree smile.
By the way, I mimicked this handsome smile to look

amiable in my part-time job. Of course, this was a secret to
Kenichi.
"But hey~ Since we don't have to clean up anymore, I don't

have anything else to do today."
"Just go home."
"So cruel! ...Then, let's make a plan for the summer

vacation!"
Kenichi took out his pocketbook from his bag, flipped it

over, and opened the 'July' page.
From what I could see, his pocketbook was filled with

plans.
"A plan? I want to work part-time during summer vacation.

I'll pass."
"No way, hey!! It's the summer in our first year of high
school, you know!?"
"Yeah, the summer when I can earn a lot of mo——"
—Knock, knock, knock
I could hear the sound of a knocking door from where we

sat. Unlike Kenichi's previous banging, it was elegant.
And at the same time, my smartphone started to vibrate.
What bad timing.
"You're not answering the door?" Kenichi asked, but the

corner of his mouth was slightly raised.
"...It's probably the newspaper salesperson."
"What about that call?"
"I can call them back later."
I had no choice but to ignore her. Let's call her to apologize

later.
"——The door is open, so I'll intrude... Ah."
Three people were looking at each other.
Kenichi smiled with a grin, then he raised his hand and

greeted, "Oh! Wakamiya."
The Social Goddess bowed politely to answer him.
"Give me a break..."
I held my head, hanging it on the desk.
Chapter 31: Goddess
Presently... this small room became a little cramped with

three people inside it.
And the atmosphere was very awkward... or that’s how it

should be. Kenichi and Wakamiya didn’t particularly seem to
mind.
Their behavior was as natural as usual.
"Good morning, Tokiwagi-san. Katou-san too."
"Hey! Wow~ I don't expect this to happen. It didn't even

pass my mind.
"Katou-san, why are you here?"
"I was thinking of cleaning Towa's house! But it seems like

he doesn't need me anymore. Right, Wakamiya?"
"Fufu. So it's like that."
They casually had a small talk like this. I could only sigh.
Haa... I didn't want to tell Kenichi about this no matter

what. But now he found out about it...
"Wakamiya-san. Could you please say a word before you

come to my apartment..."
"Should I? I thought I don't have to contact you since I

come here frequently——"
"——Wait, wait!"
I hurriedly close Wakamiya's mouth. I could immediately

feel Wakamiya's mouth on my skin, but my mind couldn't
afford to linger on it.
Yes, it's already late...
"Hoo. You come here frequently, huh~" Kenichi said with a

grin on his face.
Wakamiya, whose mouth was blocked, mumbled

something. It was kind of ticklish.
I took a deep breath and let go of my hand from her mouth.
"...Tokiwagi-san?"
Wakamiya looked at me with blaming eyes, her cheeks red.
I glanced at Kenichi to ask for help, but he was still

grinning as usual. It's clear that he wasn't willing to help me.
"I think suddenly blocking a girl's mouth is too much... Do

you have any excuse?"
"...I'm sorry. I lack delicacy."
I dropped my shoulders and looked up at the old ceiling of

my apartment.
I think Wakamiya should be a little more concerned about

her slip of the tongue... It would be bad if someone knew
about her coming to my apartment, right...? Didn't she feel
embarrassed?
No, huh?
But normal girls would be embarrassed, wouldn't they...
"Speaking of which, Tokiwagi-san. Have you eaten

breakfast?"
"...Not yet."
"You have to eat it, you know? Breakfast is the source of

energy for the day."
"Yes, yes. I know."
"If you know that, please look at your living over again.
Then, I'll borrow your kitchen. I'll make something simple.
Are you okay with that?"
"Sure, use whatever you like."
Wakamiya took the frying pan and ingredients, clearly

familiar with the location. Then she started preparing the
food.
Kenichi looked at that scene full of admiration, nodding.

Then he approached me and whispered, "She's going to be a
good wife, isn't she?"
He sounds just like an old man.
I lightly cleared my throat and hushed him away to show

my annoyance. "Dunno. ...Well, she's indeed good at taking
care of people. I also acknowledge her cooking skills."
"Hoho~ And she gets things done efficiently, right? It's

almost like she does it every day."
"Hee, as expected from Wakamiya-san..."
"Your apartment is also spotless. I don't think she comes

here only for a few times~"
"Hmmm..."
"Don't ‘hmmm' me! Admit it already."
I turned my eyes away from Kenichi's glare and glanced at

Wakamiya.
Wakamiya noticed my line of sight, and faintly smiled.
That expression of her was charming, but it had the

opposite effect now.
That's right. After Kenichi saw us staring at each other, he

had an innocent face, like he just found a love affair.
"Give me a break..."
"Hey, hey~ you can't make an excuse about this, okay?

Then, what happened here?"
"What, you ask... Just as you can see, she's feeding a lost
puppy, who is me."
"Hm? Then both of you are not dating?"
I sighed at his misguided question. The misunderstanding

was too severe, for real.
"We're not. It's impossible... We live in different

dimensions."
"You're telling me that you are not dating her when both of
you are this close...?"
"I don't know what we look like, but we're not in such a
relationship."
"Seriously...? Unbelievable."
Kenichi opened his mouth wide like a crocodile, shocked.

He's ruining his handsome face with that ridiculously stupid
look now.
"I'm going to finish soon. Katou-san, do you also want to

eat?"
"Oh, thanks! I'll also take Towa's leftovers~"
"Fufu. I made a lot, so please eat them."
Wakamiya put the dish on a plate and served it in front of

us.
Kenichi, who saw it, exclaimed in admiration.
The dishes were french toasts, ham eggs, salad, and warm
soup.
No matter how I thought about it, none of them could be

considered ‘simple'.
On the contrary, they were a well-balanced meal.
"Towa, this is amazing!"
"Shut up. Just eat it quickly..."
I sighed at Kenichi, who was excited, and reached for the
food.
However, Wakamiya stopped my hand.
"Don't you have something you have to say before eating?"
"...I know. Um... thank you for the meal."
"Yes. Please eat as you like."
I absentmindedly put the food into my mouth and chewed

it.
Kenichi ate and laughed, saying, "There's no way Kotone

can make this!"
It might be interesting to say this to Fuji-san when I met

her next time. Well, that would be my small revenge for him.
Three people sat in this small apartment.
But for some reason, it didn't feel as cramped anymore.
Chapter 32: The Popular Guys, Food Porn, and Gap
I could feel the strained atmosphere tingling on my skin.
This should be the so-called sense of tension. I watched

Kenichi, holding my breath.
I only had regrets for creating this situation. Why did we

end up like this, I wonder...
"...Explain what you mean. What is this?"
"Um, Kotone... It's just as you see..."
Kenichi listened to the freezing voice from the phone.

Kenichi was tall, but now he looked small like a dwarf.
"...This is betrayal. Pay this back by dying a thousand

times."
I even trembled at her angry voice. Wakamiya didn't seem

to be bothered at all, tidying the tableware with a hum. She
was in a good mood like a child. When I saw her like that, my
face unconsciously relaxed.
Kenichi stared at me with a blaming look. Well, I guess this

was kind of my fault, so I understand why he glared at me like
that...
"Hey, hey. You don't have to go that far, right! Do you need
to be that angry?"
"...Kenichi, you don't understand the serious crime you've

done, huh."
"I only sent you a photo, right? There's nothing you should
get mad abo... ah."
Kenichi realized that he made a slip of the tongue and

made a stupid voice. His face distorted as he muttered, "Oh
no."
"I want to eat Rin's food too!"
Fuji-san sounded like a whining kid, utterly different from

her usual calm self.
Kenichi glared at me with a bitter smile again.
By the way, it's me who took a picture of Wakamiya's

cooking with Kenichi's smartphone and sent it to Fuji-san. I
added a message that said, "Kenichi ate more food than Fuji-
san..."
As a result, she replied angrily, "...I won't forgive him for

sending me food porn when I'm on a diet."
No matter how I thought of it, this was responsibility. I

never thought that my small revenge would become this
serious. My heart hurt since my plan had gone wrong.
"But you don't have to get angry about food."
"Kenichi, you don't understand! Rin's food is so delicious!!

Eating it secretly without me... Not to say, it's my favorite
french toast!!!"
"I'm not the only one who ate it..."
"It's fine if Tokiwagi-san ate it... Kenichi is not allowed."
"Eh..."
Why is she okay if it's me...? Also, it turns out Fuji-san likes
french toast.
Kenichi looked at me to ask for help, so I looked at

Wakamiya to hand over the baton. Wakamiya noticed my line
of sight and laughed a little. Then she went closer to Kenichi's
smartphone.
And Wakamiya, who dispatched a ship to help him, said

——
"Kotone-chan, should I make it for you if you want to eat

it? We still have the ingredients here."
It's the perfect response.
"...Really?"
"Of course. But it'll become your lunch. Are you sure about
that?"
"Yay! Rin, I love you!"
Then she hung up.
The last voice was so cute that I wondered if it was Fuji for
a moment... Let's pretend I didn't hear it to honor Fuji-san.
By the way, it means Wakamiya would be here at noon...

Well, I'm grateful for that.
I glanced at Kenichi, who was left out in the cold. He was

shaking, banging on the desk.
"Kenichi, I'm sorry... I got ahead of myself."
I bowed my head to Kenichi. I butted into the affairs of a

dating couple and caused them to quarrel. Even if it didn't
turn into a severe fight, what I did was the worst.
Kenichi grabbed my shoulder.
I reflexively stiffened, preparing my body to the impact I

expected to come.
"Towa, you're the best!" Those unexpected words made me

dumbfounded. "Really~ Thanks to you, I could see Kotone's
rare side. I can't thank you enough! She usually doesn't show
it to anyone because she's too shy~"
"Eh? But... Weren't you quarreling?"
"Hm? We're not, though? We don't think much about

something like that. Rather, it's kind of charming. That's why
Kotone and my relationship won't crumble."
"Kenichi, you're cool."
How handsome. Be it his personality or his appearance.

Together with his confidence to say that.
He's really cool. To be honest, I was envious of him. But

wishing for impossible things was useless...
However, Kenichi was really irritating when he raised his

thumb and said, "Gap moe is the best!"
He also smiled pleasantly all the time, so annoying...

"Katou-san. I have been thinking about this, but does
Kotone-chan know Tokiwagi-san's apartment?"
"Ah... She definitely doesn't..."
After this, Kenichi received a phone from Fuji, who was

lost, and he rushed out to pick her up.
Chapter 33: A Warning from Getting Addicted to the
Social Goddess' Cheeks
The small apartment was getting even more cramped.
Fuji-san, whose eyes were slightly red, joined us. Right

now, my apartment was filled with the people standing at the
top of the school caste and a person tagging along with them.
Naturally, the person tagging along was me...
By the way, Fuji was sticking right next to Kenichi, being

lovey-dovey right in front of me. Looking at them made me
feel slightly awkward. I couldn't bear to see them directly.
I kept switching between looking at the ceiling and at

Wakamiya, who stood next to me for some reason. To be
exact, I was restless.
I definitely looked like a suspicious man now.
The situation didn't change during lunch. I wanted them to

at least consider my feelings.
This is why I can't stand a couple between socially-active

people...
I could only sigh.
"Since we're already full, let's make plans for summer at

once! Right, Towa!"
"Hm? Why?"
I was confused with Kenichi's proposal that came out of
nowhere.
"...You haven't heard about it from Rin?"
"I already told him."
I pressed my temple and looked over my memory. That

means...
"...Are you talking about the summer festival?"
"Yes, yes! So you remember it, Towa! I thought you had

forgotten it~"
"I will at least remember my promise. But I still think that

you guys are pranking me or joking with me."
"You're so servile~"
Kenichi looked at me warmly like I was a pitiful person. To

add that, Fuji sighed.
Ugh. I feel like they're making fun of me...
"Then, where is the summer festival Kenichi and everyone

planned to go? I come to match the number of people, but I'll
go since I have promised."
"Match the number of people? I'm just——"
"...Kenichi."
Fuji pulled Kenichi's sleeve and complained to Kenichi

with dissatisfied eyes. Then Kenichi looked like he realized
something and scratched his cheek, awkward.
"Ah~ Sorry, Towa. We made you accompany us."
"...Sorry, Tokiwagi-kun."
"Um... I don't mind."
I was confused at their weird panicked attitude. I glanced

at Wakamiya, but she only smiled back.
Just what is happening here?
"Anyway, the summer festival is held at the beginning of

August. Make sure not to take a shift in your part-time job,
okay?"
"I know."
"I'll remind you first. You can't say that you can't come
because your manager asks you to work or anything like that,
okay?"
"......I won't do that kind of thing."
"Tokiwagi-san? There's a strange pause, though?"
I turned away from Wakamiya, who looked at me with

suspicious eyes. They kept guessing my thoughts like it was
nothing...
I sighed and wholeheartedly promised. "I won't do that. I

swear."
"Well, if Towa breaks the promise... I'll leave the rest to

Wakamiya."
"...I'm fine with that."

"Seriously? Then I'll have to go... I don't know what she'll
ask after all."
"Tokiwagi-san, what do you think of me...?"
Wakamiya puffed her cheeks and turned away from me in

a huff. That gesture shook my heart, and the urge to touch
those soft cheeks swelled up to me.
Immediately after that, I felt a gaze at me. I hastily

withdrew my hand.
The couple who were sitting across the desk was watching
us.
"...No. I thought there's something there, so..."
""Hmm...""
I quickly made excuses, but their expression clearly

showed that they didn't believe me at all. I sighed.
I made a mistake...
I had shown them something I didn't want to show.
"What's wrong, Tokiwagi-san?"
"Nothing... Huh? What are you doing, Wakamiya-san?"
When I realized it, Wakamiya approached me. If she got

any closer than this, she might hear my pounding heart.
I could smell a sweet smell different from perfume from

Wakamiya, causing me to throb even more.
"You're stretching your hand to my cheeks because you
want to touch them, right? Um... Then... If you want, then
sure."
With her cheeks flushed, Wakamiya said so in

embarrassment. I gulped. Then she brought her cheeks closer
to me so that I could easily touch them.
"Er... Seriously?"
"Yes... It's not like it'll shrink..."
"But... Um, I can't just..."
"If you refuse me, I'll feel hurt, you know?"
"Then... I'll do as you say."
I touched her cheek with my index finger.
Soft and elastic skin. I poked it several times to check the

feel. Occasionally, Wakamiya whimpered amorously. And my
heart skipped a beat every time she did that.
No good... This is addictive..."
"How was it?"
"...It's quite amazing."
I didn't even understand what I said to her. I fanned my

face with my hand and gulped the cold tea at once. Still, the
heat of my body didn't disappear at al.
"My~ Just what have you shown to us?"
"...I'm embarrassed just by looking at this."
"Shut up..."
I cursed with a small voice.
***
——Around the evening
Kenichi and Fuji went home, and the small room finally
felt wider. Usually, I would be happier having more space,
but... I wasn't quite satisfied with this for some reason.
In the end, we hadn't decided on our schedule for the

summer. Other than the summer festival, Kenichi only said,
"Let's go eat something later."
In other words, it was postponed. To be precise, it's the

same as 'We have no plans.'
Well, I could do my part-time job if they had no plans, so

I'm okay with that. But with such a strange enthusiasm, I
would become a working student at this point...
"It's quiet."
"...They're annoying. I'm glad they're gone, at least."
"Fufu. But your face looks lonely."
"...No. I'm just appreciating the quietness of this room...

There's nothing else."
"Is that so?" Wakamiya muttered with a smile. Her clear

eyes that seemed to be able to see through everything gently
stare at me. If I kept looking at those eyes, she might read my
heart.
I looked up at the ceiling and sighed.
"They already go home... Wakamiya-san, how about you?"
"I have to prepare dinner soon, so I'm not going to go home

before that."
"Your service is so good that I feel apologetic..."
"Please don't worry about it. I'm just nosy."
"I see..."
'Just being nosy.' Every time I asked about this matter to

Wakamiya, she would always answer that.
It all started with me, but this had reached the level where
I could no longer repay her.
She had been helping me from morning until night. Was

there anything I could do to her?
However, I could see that my debt, or 'favor' to her, would

swell before I could repay her.
It accumulated at a swift pace.
Let's ask Kenichi again later...
"Right. I have something I want to do with Tokiwagi-san

today."
"Something you want to do?"
"Yes. So can I have a little of your time after dinner?"
"Well... I don't mind."
"Thank you very much. Then I'll tell you at that time. By
the way, we're also going to study. Please prepare yourself."
"Are you serious...?"
My body showed rejection to study, but when I looked at

Wakamiya, she was cooking in a good mood. My mouth
naturally curved up.
"I guess it won't hurt."
I rest my chin on my hand and absentmindedly gazed at

her until the food was ready.
Chapter 34: The Social Goddess' Errand (Part 1)
"Wakamiya-san. Why are you so good at cooking?"
As I stuffed the dessert served after dinner into my mouth,

I asked the question that popped up in my mind.
Today's dinner was fish, stewed food, and miso soup. Other
than that was boiled vegetables seasoned with blended soy
sauce; a very healthy lineup.
Yesterday, the main dish was meat. And the day before
yesterday was fish. Most of the time, meat and fish came out
as the main dish in turn.
Wakamiya-san had been cooking for me since I got

involved with her, but she never made the same menu until
now. I knew that she would eventually have to make the same
dish, but making this many dishes was too impressive.
Not to say, she was still a high school student and didn't
study in a cooking school...
Ah. By that way, I was paying for the ingredients properly.

I wasn't that much of a leecher, okay... I didn't want to be a
kept man too...
"I'm practicing my cooking for my future."
"Ohh. Are you aiming to be a chef?"
"No, I don't mean that. It's just something I will have to

learn..."
"Hmm."
Wakamiya averted her eyes; her cheeks dyed red.
I didn't understand why she was fidgeting... but if she

didn't want to answer it, I wouldn't force her to do that.
"By the way, when did you start practicing?"
"When I'm in elementary school. I think it's around the

fifth grade. But I don't seriously practice. It's more like a
hobby for me."
"This should be the example of 'the importance of

continuity', huh. After eating Wakamiya-san's food, I seriously
lost interest in eating out. I think you'll become successful if
you open a restaurant."
"Fufu, thank you very much. I guess I can consider opening

a restaurant if you said it like that. But starting a business is
hard, isn't it? After all, it's not just about cooking."
I had a bitter smile at Wakamiya's realistic view.
After eating the dessert, I put the plate on the desk. Then I
looked straight at Wakamiya, who was sitting across me.
"Then, what do you want to say to me?"
"Let's make a schedule."
"You could say that when Kenichi and Fuji-san were here,
right...?"
Wakamiya slightly puffed her cheeks to my words. "It'll be

meaningless."
"Huh? Meaningless?"
"Never mind! Well, Tokiwagi-san is helpless... Please take a

look at this," Wakamiya said, then he took out something
from the bag. I had that thing on my side until a few days ago.
Ahh, I see. That's why her bag was bigger than usual.
"Er... That's the doll I gave to you, right?"
"Yes! This is that cat!"
The cat stuffed doll was tightly held in Wakamiya's chest.

Wakamiya looked down at the cat in her arms; her eyes cast
down a bit.
Her affectionate expression took my breath.
The cat was leaning into her cleavage... Any boy who saw
this scene would say, "Hey cat, exchange your position with
me."
I had such a feeling.
But I made sure not to show it in my face...
"What happened? I'll replace it if it's defective."
"No! And even if it's defective... I won't let you replace it.
This is the first time you bought something for me..."
"W-well, it's not that much of a big deal..."
Then, why would she bring it here? I didn't understand.
She was taking good care of it, so I don't think she wanted
to complain to me.
"When are we going?"
"...To where?"
"This cat's home!"
"Ah, the place that's full of socially active people, huh..."
"Um... From Tokiwagi-san's present, I thought that you're

also inviting me to go there. Am I wrong?"
"No, it doesn't have that kind of deep meaning..."
Wakamiya's expression became stiff in the blink of an eye.

Then she dropped her shoulders and her knees.
"......So I'm wrong? I made a hasty judgment... This is very

embarrassing..."
What should I do with this development...
Should I invite her or not?
Should I wait or not?
I don't know. I didn't expect this to happen. Even if we

went there... going in a pair was a bit too...
What would Kenichi do if he was faced with this situation?
The face of my grinning stinky friend came in my mind. I

looked at where Kenichi sat a few hours ago... huh?
That's Kenichi's handbook. I couldn't bear the

awkwardness and reached for his handbook.
When I opened the handbook, two sheets of paper

fluttered down from inside. A short sentence was written on a
sticky note, "You're very helpless."
I sighed and crumpled the sticky note. I bit the lower lip
and looked at the papers again.
"Um, Wakamiya-san. This is a bit too sudden, but..."
"...What is it?"
Wakamiya gently stroked the cat. She looked cute, but I

just wanted to disappear now.
"When I was cleaning up, I found these tickets. The

deadline was this month. Well~ How wasteful! I can't use
them all since there are two of them!"
Wakamiya widened her eyes at the tickets at my hand.
"Oh! And by chance, this ticket is for the place we just

talked about!! How can there be such a coincidence~ But
what should I do now? I don't have anyone to invite, so I'll
have to go alone..."
I put my hand on my forehead and made a big reaction like

I was in trouble.
Just like a clown. But I didn't care if she thought that I was
a clown now.
Wakamiya chuckled and rubbed her eyes. She desperately

held back her laughter.
"If you don't mind... may I go with you?"
"Oh, seriously!? I'm grateful to hear that~"
"And you don't have to force yourself to do that character,

you know?"
"Haa... Shut up."
I overdid my exaggeration... But there's no helping it. The

only way to hide my embarrassment was to become cheerful
forcibly.
I had to overwrite my emotions... or else I would die from

the shame.
"This is a promise, okay? I won't be happy if you forget it,

understand?"
"I won't forget. I'm not that ungrateful."
"Ungrateful?"
"No, I'm just talking to myself..."
I sipped the tea and sighed.
Chapter 35: The Social Goddess' Errand (Part 2)
"Wakamiya-san, is this what you want to say to me?"
"No, I was just confirming that matter with you..."
"Um... I'm sorry."
Recalling the previous misunderstanding, Wakamiya

laughed bitterly.
"Then what is it? Don't tell me... the punch line is that
we're going to study right now?"
"It's more like a suggestion than a discussion, though. Ah,

but we're still going to study."
"...Suggestion? And we're going to study... Are you

serious...?"
I sighed, but I actually felt happy. It's nice having

Wakamiya watch my study. But more than that, spending
time with her had been a bit fun these days.
Well, just a bit...
"First of all, I want to tell you what I think about Tokiwagi-

san before I make this propose."
"Hm?"
I glanced at her. Wakamiya was sipping her tea, her eyes

downcast. As usual, she was sitting in a beautiful posture.
"I think Tokiwagi-san is unfriendly."
"Wow, you immediately get to the point... Yeah, you're

right."
Wakamiya pointed out without choosing her words,

piercing straight through my heart. Even I realized that...
It might have been better if I could be half as friendly as

when I did my part-time job, but it's not that easy. If I had to
act like I was serving a customer at school... maybe I would
have one or two friends. But acting all the time was too tiring,
so it's impossible.
"That's why I came up with this."
"What is it?"
"What's your bad points, and how can I make you able to
pull out a normal conversation... But I might be too nosy."
"Maybe I shouldn't say this, but I believe my corrupted

core is already deep-rooted within me, you know? I don't
think we can change it overnight."
"I agree."
Having her easily affirming my words made me a little sad.

I guess it's better than having her conceal her thoughts with
beautiful words...
"So I wish we can fix it over time."
"Haa. It'll take a long time, won't it..."
"I think you should at least make an effort so you won't

cause any problems when you get employed. If you won't,
hunting for a job after graduation will be difficult."
"Isn't it too early to think about that!?"
"But you want to find a good job, right?"
"And I'm still in the first year of my high school life..."
"I believe planning is important. You will be able to see

what you should do from now on."
"You sure are philosophical..."
Planning for the future in the first year of high school...

Typically, no one would seriously do that, right? Some people
gave it a thought, but it's mostly something uncertain like, "I
want to be this~" "I want to have that~"
Well, that might be what separated Wakamiya from most of

the people and made her perfect. I couldn't even see what
tomorrow would bring...
"Wakamiya-san, since you are looking far ahead into the

future... do you have life plans?"
"That's right. I have hopes and desires, you know?"
"Ohh. Can you tell me? Just as a reference."
"It's a secret."
"Just a little..."
"It's a secret."
"You're not even giving me a chance..."
Her eyes strongly appealed that she wouldn't tell me.
I sighed and shrugged.
When she's acting like this, I knew that it's impossible to

have her yield.
"Tokiwagi-san is unfriendly, has no interpersonal skills,

and completely blunt."
"That's kind of cruel."
"That's the fact, right?"
"Well, that's right."
"But you have some good points..." Wakamiya muttered.
Her voice was loud enough for me to hear, but I pretended

like I didn't.
Don't praise me. I'm not used to it...
I snort moodily.
"So I would like to get rid of Tokiwagi-san's unfriendliness.

You always act like you want to keep a distance from
everyone."
"Getting rid of it, you say... It's impossible. The nature of a

person won't change that easily."
"That's not true at all."
"No way. As long as there's no big impact, human values
and nature won't change, okay? Doing it slowly and secretly
won't make any effect."
"Fufu. I know that Tokiwagi-san would say that. So having

an impact is important, isn't it?"
"U-uh... Yeah."
"I have a suggestion here. How about calling each other by

the first name from now on?"
"Eh..."
I lost my words at her unexpected suggestion. My head was

confused, and 'why's filled my head, causing me not to piece
my thoughts together.
"I think calling other people by their first name removes

the barrier between people. I propose this as the first step."
"T-that makes sense, but..."
Wakamiya didn't wait for me to finish my words and took a

small deep breath. She then said, "Then, I'll call you first."
She stared straight at me and smiled. That charming smile

made my heart throb.
"...Towa-kun."
Wakamiya, who was always dignified, whispered my name

in a soft, quiet voice. Her face looked unconfident. I could feel
the pounding of my heart and my pulse getting faster.
"Then, it's your turn..."

"No... It's too hard..."
"Do it."
There's nowhere to escape anywhere. I inwardly clicked

my tongue.
"Um... Rin."
"Yes..."
Her reply was not her usual clear voice, but a weak
mosquito-like voice. She was slightly trembling like she was
enduring something.
"".........""
Silence filled the room.
I glanced at Rin. But when our eyes met, we turned away

from each other. Then when I slightly raised my face again,
our eyes met again. Then we quickly turned away again.
My face was hot.
Rin's face was red, like a boiled octopus. I'm sure my face
was also bright red in her eyes. I knew that much, even
without looking at the mirror.
Calm down, me.
I took a deep breath over and over again.
"H-hey. Calling each other by first name... Can we do it

when we're alone?"
"...Why?" Wakamiya asked, sounding slightly sad.
She then put her hands on my lap and looked up at my

face. Her clear, teary eyes caught me, not letting me go. As if I
would be sucked in just by looking at them.
I turned my face away from Rin and dropped my gaze on

the floor.
"No, um. Doing it right away is difficult... It's so

embarrassing that I want to die. So... How about making this a
secret between us?"
"Secret... A secret, huh?" Rin put her finger on her mouth

and pondered for a while. "Okay. Then we won't call each
other by our first name outside."
"...Yeah. Don't let it slip when we're outside. You definitely

can't, okay?"
"You don't believe me?"
"No. I'm just making sure."
"I understand. Because it's a 'secret between us', right?"
I heard a strange implication in the secret part... but

whatever.
Rin chuckled and smiled happily.
"Yeah... sure." I replied casually.
I might sound unfriendly, but it couldn't be helped. I

couldn't bear looking at her face any more than this...
After that, I pretended to change my position and looked
away to escape her smile.
Chapter 36: An Image Change to Adjust with the
Popular Guys
Today, the day before the date, I was preparing for

tomorrow. There, I noticed an unexpected problem...
"I don't have any clothes that are not a jersey…"
This was the jersey I wore when I went to my part-time job.

That was the jersey I wore when I went for a short walk.
Yes. I realized that I didn't have decent clothes. Wearing a

jersey on a date with Rin would be too painful… I knew that
much.
And I couldn't afford to make her lose face by walking with

a dowdy man wearing a jersey.
So I went to buy new clothes, but...
"I don't get it..."
I picked up the clothes in front of me, spread them out, and

fit them to my body. Then I stared at myself in front of the
full-length mirror.
I still didn't get it even after looking at it many times... Did

this suit me? Or maybe not?
"Which one should I buy... Ugh."
I held one shirt and checked the price tag. It said ‘3000
yen', but I wasn't sure whether it was expensive or not.
Moreover, the clerk kept trying to talk to me... I want them
to let me choose on my own in peace.
But then I couldn't choose it...
If I knew this would happen, I should have bought one or

two fashionable clothes and checked the magazines.
By the way, Rin didn't go with me today. She would

definitely become a good adviser, but having to wear the
clothes she chose for me tomorrow made me feel
embarrassed.
So I had to choose this alone. This was my only chance!
"Haa..."
I tried to be enthusiastic, but I could only sigh.
"Huh? Towa, what are you doing?"
"You're mistaking me for somebody else."
I turned my back on the familiar voice and left quickly——
"Hey! Don't run away!"
He grabbed my shoulder. My escape failed. Also, his grip

was strong, for real...
So this was the power of the perfect popular man, huh...
"Eh? Wakamiya is not with you today?"
"Yeah. In the first place, it's not like I'm always with Ri...
Wakamiya-san. I have something to do right now."
"Hmm."
"Kenichi and Fuji-san are on a date, right? Don't worry

about me and go have fun."
"It's not like we're on a date every time you see us

together."
"...Yeah. Um, we... we are often together on weekends..."
A couple fashionable enough that it wouldn't be surprising

if they got interviewed in the city.
Oh, they're too gorgeous...
And I was the suspicious man in a jersey looking for

clothes.
This should be what people call social polarization.
"...Tokiwagi-kun, what are you doing?"
"As you can see, I'm choosing clothes."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah..."
They fixedly stared at me from my head to my toe. Then

they dropped their shoulders in disappointment.
"Kotone, I got something to do now."
"...Kenichi. Me too."
"What's with both of you..."

Kenichi and Fuji made a noble face. They looked like they
had decided on something. After glancing at each other, they
nodded.
Just what were they planning?
"...I'll prepare at home. When you're done, let's meet up

later."
"Okay!"
Fuji left Kenichi and ran away. She sure was fast.
"Now then, I'll help you choose clothes~ What do you think
is important in fashion?"
"Shirts... Pants? Something like that?"
"You don't get it~ First of all, it's your feet. Your feet!"
"Do you mean shoes? Sneakers should be fine, right? Since

it's summer, then it's sandals."
"Eh..."
"Why are you looking at me like I'm something terrifying..."
"By the way, what are your sandals?"
"Flip-flops?"
Kenichi opened his mouth wide and stopped moving as if

he had turned into a stone.
"Are you okay?" I waved my hand in front of his face. "He's

dead... Well, it's his retribution. The wish of all men with
unrequited love has finally come true, huh?"
"I'm not dead!!"
"Oh. What a shame."
"Anyway, I already understand the situation. Sorry, my

bad... I completely forgot that your hopelessness is out of the
ordinary."
"You're so mean... But I can't deny it."
In fact, I also knew that I was poorly dressed. I never

thought that I would go out with someone, so I didn't prepare
anything...
"Towa, how much is your budget today?"
"Kind of decent. I'm working part-time, so I have some

savings. ...Right, Kenichi."
"Hm? What's wrong?"
"Thank you for helping me before... And today too..."
"Haha, I don't understand what you are talking about.

Come on, let's go quickly!"
After this, we continued selecting clothes until evening.

Kenichi coordinated everything. He forced me to try on many
times, seemingly unsatisfied. When I saw myself in the
mirror, I was reminded of a dress-up doll.
***
"Hey, Kenichi. Why am I here?"

"Why are you asking that? Everyone who comes here has
the same purpose, don't they?"
"...Tokiwagi-kun, be quiet. You're distracting me."
"Yes..."
I could hear the sound of scissors passing through my

head. And every time it went by, my hair separated from my
head and scattered on the floor.
"...I need to trim this."
"It's great that Kotone's family opens a beauty salon!

Thanks for lending us this place."
Fuji's hand that held the scissors stopped. This was because
Kenichi was stroking her head.
Fuji squinted her eyes like it was ticklish, but her cheeks
were flushed. Even if she pursed her lips, she looked happy.
"Hey, both of you. Can you please not flirt behind me? Do
it when you're alone."
""That's our line.""
"You're even in sync. And I have no memory of flirting with

anyone..."
"This unsociable guy should go to hell for once." "...You

should be stepped on by a horse and die."
"You two are really close..."
They even denounced me at the same time. Maybe couples

would synchronize this well?
Wait, when did these two starts dating anyway? Looking at

how close they were, maybe they had been dating for a long
time.
"...Tokiwagi-kun. Don't you go to a barber to cut your hair?

The cut is unbalanced... Too sloppy... Especially on the tip of
your hair."
"I cut it appropriately as I look in the mirror. I'm an

amateur, so I'm not very good at it. Please overlook my
mistakes."
"...What did you use to cut it?"
"Of course it's scissors, right? You can buy it anywhere."
""Haa...""
"Why are both of you sighing!?"
"Kotone, have you understood Towa's helplessness?"
"...Yeah, this is serious."
"What's with those lukewarm eyes..."
They were staring at me with a look full of disappointment.
But it couldn't be helped, okay? I didn't like it when the

hairdresser and barber started a conversation with me...
"...Ah, Kenichi. Bring that here."
"Oh, this, right! I knew you would say that, so I already put
it there~"
"...You're right. Fufu, as expected from Kenichi."
"That's because I can read Kotone's mind!"
"...Me too."
The couple was staring at each other with blushing cheeks.

It might have been a romantic atmosphere without me.
".............Go explode somewhere," I mumbled with a sigh

and closed my eyes.
Let's keep waiting quietly until this ends... I also couldn't

bear to see them flirting like that. I felt embarrassed watching
them.
"Hey, Towa. You can close your eyes, but listen to me."
"What is it now?"
"Have fun tomorrow."
Feeling embarrassed that he knew about our plans, I acted

coldly to Kenichi and muttered, "Noisy..."
Chapter 37: First Date with the Social Goddess (Part
1)
What spread in front of me was a crowd of people forming

a long line. I was overwhelmed by the large number.
Even though it was still eight o’clock in the morning, the

sun was high and the weather was hot. The summer shine
shone brightly, burning my skin.
Well, it's not just because the temperature that my body

was hot...
"Towa-kun, it's crowded... I didn't think there would be so

many people."
"Same." I replied shortly and fanned my face with my

hand. "It's hot."
The social goddess next to me was holding a stuffed doll

cat, humming. She looked like she was in a good mood.
And she was like an adult today.
Rin was usually mature and calm, but she was fifty percent
more attractive due to the effect of makeup. Her fit and flare
knitted skirts was also perfect. The combination of black and
lavender was elegant, and she looked like a noble lady of a
certain country. It also made her appear divine.
Such Rin was waiting for the entrance line in a good mood,
a smile plastered on her face. She didn't get lost in the crowd.
Rather, she was standing out.
As if proofing that, every man passing by her had their eyes
magnetized towards her. Some of them became tranced, as if
they were fascinated.
Well, the men who went with their girlfriends had their
ears pulled and taken away, though... It's not hard to imagine
what happened to them after this.
...I'll pray for their wellbeing.
Anyway, because of this, being next to Rin made me feel

ashamed.
Fortunately, I was glad that I didn't hear anyone telling me

to get lost... This was probably due to Kenichi's couple. They
helped me with clothes, hairstyles... and many other things.
Doing just as they said made me feel miserable, though...
With that in mind, I glanced at Rin. Our gaze met, causing

my heart to skip a beat. It seemed like Rin was curious about
my hair.
"What is it?"
"Um, did you cut your hair?"
"Hee. So you noticed it."
"Um... It looks great."
"I just cut it because it's getting long."
"Fufu. I see. I also didn't know that you had that kind of
clothes."
The clothes...? Ah, she helped me clean up, so she knew

what I had, huh? Did that mean she found out that I bought
new clothes?
When I realized that, my face became hot.
"...Is it strange?"
"No, not at all. Rather..."
"Hm?"
"It's cool on you..."
"O-oh. I didn't expect anyone to say that to me... Er,

thanks..."
"No... I just said what I thought."
Rin blushed, burying her face in the cat to hide it.

However, only her face was hidden. Her bright red ears
weren't.
Even I got embarrassed... I didn't think she would honestly

compliment me...
An indescribable air flowed between Rin and me until we

entered the park.
It's really awkward...
***
Around noon, after riding some attractions, Rin and I were

discussing where to go next by the side of the road.
We went to cute fairy-tail theme thrill rides. By the way,

this was the first time I rode something like that. Unlike Rin
who didn't even twitch, I thought my heart would pop out.
To be honest, I didn't want to ride them anymore. But if

Rin told me to go, I would...
The previous ride was cute. There was this cat too."
Rin showed me her cat, sticking it out. Her being excited

was cute.
"I was so happy with the previous ride that I didn't act my
age. How embarrassing."
"You did? I feel like you were acting like usual, though."
"That's not true! I think I was very exhilarated!"
And yet, I could see much change from her usual self. It's
true that she smiled more today, but I couldn't really tell since
her voice was still monotonous... Oh well.
"Towa-kun, look at that. A lot of people are gathering

there. What is that?"
"Oh, that's..."
"I recalled the amusement park map and events I

memorized yesterday. Speaking of daytime events——
"It's a parade. If I remember right, this amusement holds it

during day and night."
"I didn't know that. Um, Towa-kun. You know a lot about
this, huh?"
"Hmm, I just happened to know it."
Because that's the only thing I memorized. I didn't know

anything about the anecdotes of the characters in this
amusement park.
"Maybe you've been here before? ...With a girl?"
"Are you stupid! That's impossible. I'm just repeating what

Kenichi told me."
As I waved my hand, I denied vehemently. Rin only stared

at me.
I wouldn't admit that I searched the schedule yesterday no

matter what. That's too uncool... It would make me look like I
was looking forward to today.
"Dear visitor, the parade will start at eleven o'clock——"
The broadcast in the amusement park echoed around

through speakers.
And, in response, a large number of people began to move

toward the parade. I thought we could be fine since we stood
in the corner, but I slightly flinched at the wave of people. It
was a lot more than I expected.
A group was trying to take a position in the front line,

moving to our spot. They didn't see the road since they were
talking to their friends.
And they were about to bump onto Rin——
However, I pulled Rin's arm towards me just before that.
But this was definitely my fault... Rin lost her balance
because I pulled her so suddenly, bumping into my chest.
A sweet, soft scent different from her perfume was pungent

in my nose.
Despite her bumping into me rather vigorously, I didn't

feel any pain. On the contrary, it felt soft like a feather.
"...Towa-kun?"
Rin looked up at me with a smile.
What a relief... She wasn't angry.
The word 'sexual harassment' came to my mind for a

moment, but she didn't seem to mind... maybe.
"...I'm sorry. I was watching the crowd absentmindedly...

Um, did I hurt you?"
"No, not at all. I'm sorry for pulling you suddenly... Rin, I
didn't hurt you too, right?"
"I'm fine. Rather, thank you for preventing me from falling

down."
"Uh, yeah... Thanks."
Rin chuckled at that. She should be able to take a distance

from me now, she wouldn't.
"Rin, can you move away..."
"There are still too many people, so it's dangerous..." She

looked up at me, acting spoiled. "Can we stay like this a little
longer?"
"Sure..."
Unexpectedly, I ended up lending my chest to her. Looking

at those upturned eyes at a close distance made me unable to
calm down at all.
I never had any experience with girls. Therefore, this sense

of distance was bad for my heart. Not to say, the girl sticking
on me right now was a very beautiful girl. This was really
bad...
We weren't dating, but I didn't think this was proper.
Rin didn't seem to be aware of our position. She was

waiting for people to pass by with her usual calm expression.
Well, if you were a beautiful girl who was favored by many

guys like Rin, you might not be upset by this.
It's embarrassing that I was the one who was conscious of

this...
The parade began and the crowd of people began to stop

moving. Rin, who saw that, moved away and stood next to me.
"Let's go there."
"Yeah, sure."
I reflexively had a bitter smile at how Rin was acting as

usual. Turns out I was the only one who was nervous.
Her long hair fluttered in the wind. Was it my imagination

when I saw a glimpse of her red ears at that time?
2)
After some time had passed since the excited visitors tried
to get a good spot to see the parade, the crowd started to calm
down.
Even so, it's only if we compared it with the previous chaos.

For me, this was still crowded.
Looking around, some people were plowing through the

crowd to reach the attractions and some were quarreling over
the line. I could even see a couple arguing over something in
the midst of all of this.
"...This sure is a picture of hell."
I sighed and drank the amusement park's special fizzy

drinks, resting my elbows on the table. If I had to compare
this place to the disaster over there, we sure had it peace
here...
Rin, who sat in front of me, had a bitter smile as she looked
around.
"Why do that couple have a fight even though they're

coming to this place to have fun? It'll be nice if everyone can
enjoy themselves."
"Maybe they're arguing because they can't get into the

mood? Both of them insist on their opinion and won't
concede, so they start to fight before they know it."
"But I think once they're having fun, they will be able to
forget their troubles..."
Rin watched the fighting couple with a sad face. When the
woman slapped the man in the cheek, Rin's shoulders
jumped. That made her look like a frightened rabbit, which
was a little cute... Of course I wouldn't say it to her.
"I don't think they can do that."
"Why?"
"Normally, working adults and students will be looking

forward to coming to this kind of special place during their
holidays, right? They'll want to vent their pent-up anger
here."
"That makes sense, but... Rather than that, why don't they
avoid causing trouble since they want to have fun?"
"Well, I understand what you want to say, Rin. I don't think

anyone will fight if they have the same mindset as you.
Unfortunately, the truth isn't that simple."
"Hmm. I wonder why... It's difficult."
"In short, it's because they feel like they deserve to have
fun the most. That's why they think about themselves first
and can't see the people around them. And the result is they
will have a conflict without thinking."
"I see... So that's the reason. I guess it's natural that

everyone wants to have fun."
"That's right. Well, in the end, we'll prioritize ourselves the

most. We'll want to blow off some steam without thinking
about troubles in life, so we won't care much about other
people anymore."
I shrugged my shoulders, picked the sausage I bought, and

chewed it. The sausage, which was dipped in a special spicy
sauce, was a popular snack in this amusement park.
Yeah, it's delicious. This dripping gravy is pretty good...
Rin chuckled as she watched me.
"Did I do anything strange?" I made a face and looked at

her with dissatisfaction.
Rin chuckled again when our eyes met. "No. I'm just
surprised that you unexpectedly watch your surroundings
that much."
"What... Most people normally watch their surroundings,

don't they?"
"Is that so? I thought Towa-kun is the kind of person who's

not interested in the people around you."
"Ah, I see. Well, I'm not really interested, but I'll have to
look around to defend myself, right? It'll be troublesome if I
get caught in trouble and don't know how to avoid it."
Before anything could happen, I should avoid it in advance.

After all, peace was the greatest state in history...
However, my life had recently become stormy in a sense.

Even if I tried to avoid troubles, an unreasonable existence
broke through my efforts with brute force... But I was also
grateful with that.
"I wonder if they can make up."
"Make up? That couple?"
I turned my gaze to the couple who was still arguing. Well,

the man just took a beautiful slap on his face...
"Yes. I hope this quarrel will start a firm relationship

between them."
"I'm not sure about that. But then, it seems that there are
quite a few things that can lead to separation when going on a
date in this kind of place."
"I-I never heard of that... Please tell me in detail!"
I didn't know why she was so surprised, but Rin widened

her eyes and blinked them many times. Then she stared at
me.
Overwhelmed by her gaze, I could only give an awkward

reply. "S-sure."
Rin was nice, so she most likely didn't want that couple to
break up. That's probably why she wanted to know more
about this.
"You see, it's inevitable that we'll have to wait in the line at
an amusement park, right? That's why, anyone can't help but
notice the unpleasant sides of their lover."
"Unpleasant sides...?"
"Yeah... For example, their lover may start to get frustrated

in the waiting line. The silence continues, causing the
atmosphere to be awkward. And after that, they end up
looking at their smartphone all the time without paying
attention to each other... It's probably something like that?"
"I see. If something like that happens on a date... I agree.

It's pretty heart crushing."
Rin looked at the couple again. However, they were no

longer there. Instead, what we saw was the back of the
fighting couple walking hand in hand at a distance.
Noticing that, Rin muttered, "What a relief." She then

smiled gently.
That benevolent look fascinated me, and I looked at Rin's

face as if I had forgotten the time. Rin also noticed my gaze
and turned to me, so I coughed and hurriedly turned away.
"Towa-kun. About what we talked before..."
"Hm? About breaking up?"
"Yes. I don't think we have to worry about it."
"Um... What are you talking about?"
"I think something like that won't ever happen between

Towa-kun and me."
I spewed the juice I was drinking and coughed.
Rin stared at me worriedly and asked, "Are you okay?" She

then offered a clean handkerchief with her right hand.
"I'm fine. I just choked a bit..."

I didn't want to get her handkerchief dirty, so I extended
my hand to refuse. However, Rin lightly pressed her
handkerchief against my face and wiped my face, ignoring my
hand.
"Fufu. Towa-kun, you have sauce on your cheek."
"...I know. I was going to wipe it later..."
It was a painful excuse. I feel like she was treating me as a

kid... And I couldn't even honestly thank her, how
embarrassing...
"Is that so? Why would you have to do it later, though?"
"It doesn't really bother me."
"I see. Then, how about this?" Rin said, and gently wiped
the edge of my mouth with her handkerchief. Surprised, I
froze. "Now it's all clean. Towa-kun, you didn't notice that,
right?"
Seeing Rin with an innocent look of a mischievous child, I

could only raise both hands and surrender. "You got me..."
3)
The sky reflected on my eyes was hollow, dim. My visibility

was hazy, as if it was foggy.
"...Oh no."
I leaned against the back of a bench and put a plastic bottle

on my forehead. The bottle had warmed, no different from
room temperature.
It wouldn't really make any effect, but I hope I could

distract my mind with it, even if just a little.
The amusement park Rin and I visited was very large. It's
impossible to experience all the attractions in one day. If we
wanted to enjoy everything, we would have to stop for the
night here.
Moreover, it's summer vacation now. As a matter of course,

popular attractions were extremely crowded, making it hard
for us to reach our destination.
Well, we still could play to some extent by devising our

time.
It's all good at that point.
However, the harmful effects of avoiding people had

occurred here.
"Towa-kun. Are you okay?"

"...I'm sorry." I could only apologize. Then I glared at the
roots of all the evils in front of me. "...It's really embarrassing
to get sick in the crowd. There are too many people, for real."
Yes, I got sick because of the crowd. I usually didn't get into
a crowd that much. I only get involved with people in my
part-time job, and I never dealt with a large number of
people.
That's why I wasn't used to a place like this. An amusement

park filled with people.
And then I got dizzy. It's completely shameful.
"Towa-kun, you told me you feel sick because there's too

many people, but… I think it's because we spinned the coffee
cup rides too much."
"Well, that makes sense... But that's——" because Rin asked

me how many times it could spin. But I swallowed those
words.
I'm responsible for spinning it. This all happened because

of my choice. I was at fault for getting ahead of myself...
I desperately endured the unpleasant sensation of wanting

to vomit. I couldn't afford to disgrace myself even more than
this.
Rin was rubbing my back, watching my condition. I could

see a plastic bag on her back, but... let's pretend I didn't see it.
I didn't want to think about what she was preparing for.
"...Rin, you look completely fine."
"My head is slightly spinning, but it's not a big deal."
"...As expected, huh."
She didn't show any crack even after we came this far.
Did she have anything she's not good at? I couldn't imagine
it at all. She most likely would do anything with a cool face.
"Shouldn't you lie down?"
"...No, I'll pass. There are a lot of people in front of the

attractions... I don't want them to see me with strange eyes."
Occasionally, you would find some people lying down and

sleeping in the public. Especially in this kind of amusement
park. They spread a picnic blanket and rest there to wait for
the parade, not caring about the passersby around them.
But I didn't have the courage to do that in the midst of the

crowd. I would definitely die with shame.
"I see... If so, can you walk a little?"
"Oh, yeah..."
When I nodded, Rin smiled and gently held my hand.

Usually, I would be nervous, but I didn't really feel anything
now since I was unwell.
Rin pulled my hand and walked slowly, taking my

condition into consideration. I followed her with unsteady
steps, letting her guide me without knowing the destination.
After a while, we reached a river area with almost no

attractions. It was a very quiet place, and I could only see
some ships that operated regularly and a few people. Most
people didn't bother to line up here since it took a long time
until the ship returned.
Rin stopped at a bench in that area and sat before me. She
then tilted her head a bit and said without confidence, "Um. If
you don't mind, please lie down here...?"
Rin tapped her thighs, like she was urging me to sleep.
"Uh... Are you telling me to sleep there?"
"Yes. Fortunately, there's almost no people here. The bench

is also big enough to lie down."
"...But..."
"You don't have to be reserved with me, so please use my

lap. But... I'm sorry if it's hard to sleep..."
I looked at Rin's slender thighs.
"You won't charge me later, right...?"
"I won't. Come on, just lie down already."
Rin pulled my arm a little forcibly, not giving me time to be

hesitant. She then put my head on her lap.
It's soft...
No, I wasn't saying that she was fat. Rather, she was thin,
and I even had an unscrupulous thought that it would hurt to
sleep on her lap.
Even so, Rin's knee pillow felt better than anything I had
ever experienced.
My blurred vision suddenly cleared up, and my dizziness

disappeared. Instead, my heart palpitations were so intense
that my face was getting hot.
"You can sleep a little, you know? Even if you think you're
feeling better, please take a rest. We still have a long time
today."
"...Then I'll... take your offer..."
"Fufu. Please do so."
I was thinking of getting up since I didn't feel dizzy

anymore, but Rin took the initiative to block my path again... I
sighed.
Looking up, Rin's face was as gentle as a smiling angel. I

covered my eyes with my arms and tried to hide my face as
much as possible.
I wanted to hide, even if just a little.
"Tell me if your leg hurts."
"I understand. Towa-kun, you should also tell me if you

have trouble sleeping, okay?"
"...Sure."
I looked up at the reddening sky from the gap of my arms.

Could the color of the sky hide the redness of my face?
In the end, we stayed in that position for around an hour.
4)
"It's getting dark..."
When I looked up at the sky, the searchlights from the

attractions were shining bright, cutting through the darkness
of ultramarine night sky.
The visitors' stratum changed at night. Only a few families

who came during the day stayed until now. Instead, the
number of lovey-dovey couples had increased.
As a proof of that, I could hear the amorous voices of

couples in places with little to no passerbys...
Our previous spot was probably where couples usually flirt

in this amusement park.
I would like to tell them to think about where they were,

but it’s difficult to stop the excitement of young couples.
Most of them didn't even care if anyone were watching

them. Some of the bad guys would even blame the passerby,
saying, "What? This is a good spot, so don't disturb us."
I wonder if they had completely disregarded the

awkwardness they gave to their surroundings...
Love sure was blind...
But then, I could also think that bothering their private

time was tactless.
Unfortunately, I had no right to blame them now. I couldn't
deny that it might end up becoming a boomerang. If I saw any
couples doing stuff, I should pretend not to see it...
"Are you feeling better?"
"Yeah."
"Um, you shouldn't force yourself, okay? I'll lend you my

lap again if you want."
Rin tapped her thighs, telling me that I could borrow it

anytime.
"It's fine... My mind can't take any more than that."
"Mind... I see. So it's hard to sleep on my lap. I'm sorry..."
"No, it's not! Rather, sleeping on your lap is the be...

anyway, you don't have to worry about that. Thank you,
really."
"Then it's fine..." Rin said, her expression puzzled.
It's true that her knee pillow was the best. I had no
complaints. Rather, I felt guilty that I didn't pay her.
However, the problem was that she did it to me in that

place. Although there was almost no one there, it didn't mean
no one went there.
Naturally, some people passed by us... And when they

turned their gaze toward us, they seemed like they wanted to
say, "Uwahhh..."
Especially when a mother told her children not to look at

us. Those words pierced straight through me.
Well, Rin didn't seem to care, though...
"By the way, the night parade is going to start soon, so we

can't rest now. I've recovered more than enough."
"But you really shouldn't push yourself. Even if we can't

see it this time, we can come again here next time."
"Well, let's do that if we can't see the parade."
Rin smiled at me and clung to my arm. I knew that it

couldn't be helped since there were a lot of people, but... isn't
she a little too sticky?
Music rang in the park, and a vehicle decorated with

illuminations appeared in the distance, which we could
faintly see from our current position.
"Towa-kun, look! It's starting!"
Rin pointed her finger at the light and jumped like a child
trying to see the parade. It seemed like she couldn't wait for
the parade that gradually approached us.
Fascinated by that unusual gap, I stared at Rin... However,

I lightly pinched my cheek and immediately turned my gaze
toward the parade.
This amusement park parade was called ‘Light Parade',

very popular with men and women of all ages.
Rumor had it that fans with an annual passport would

come to the park every day just for the parade.
As if proving the rumor, the parade that came nearby was
so beautiful and fantastic that I wanted to see it again and
again.
Dancers and characters lit up with lights of various colors.

Each of their movements were polished. I couldn't take my
eyes off it.
"...It's beautiful." Rin muttered with an entranced

expression. The Light Parade as the background matched her
so much that a picture of this moment would certainly sell.
Since I was staring dazedly at her, I was completely off

guard.
People who wanted to see the parade up close forced their

way between Rin and me. I almost lost sight of Rin for a
moment due to the sudden push.
"Rin!"
I reached for Rin, who was about to get swallowed in the

crowd. I managed to grab her eyes, but Rin widened her eyes.
"Towa... kun?"
"Ah! Sorry, I reflexively grabbed you..."
I hurriedly released her hand.
I did it now... Even though I did it out of panic, any women

would be surprised if a man suddenly grabbed them.
Maybe she didn't like it.
Since I wasn't her lover, she should be hating it.

"...Right. It's getting even more crowded, so let's go home.
Um, I'm really sorry for surprising you just now..."
I turned my back and told Rin so.
I knew I had to look into her eyes when apologizing, but I

couldn't do it.
She had been kind to me in lots of different ways, even if I

was basically no one. I didn't know the reason, but I knew I
wouldn't be able to understand a perfect person's mind.
That's why, if I turned around and looked at her... I would

notice that she didn't like me. And that our fun time was
finally over.
And I couldn't bear to see that.
I took a step forward. However, I couldn't take another

step.
A slight weight I felt on my back kept me from going

forward.
"Please wait a moment."
Rin's clear voice entered my ears, despite the hustle and

bustle of the crowds.
I turned my body a bit, and when I looked behind, Rin was

holding the hem of my shirt.
"...Rin?"
"It seems like you are misunderstanding something, so I'll

say this. I don't hate it. I'm just surprised. Um... I never had a
man holding my hands tightly like that..."
"Is that so..."
I quietly stroked my chest, relieved that I wasn't disliked

for the time being.
"Towa-kun, can I ask for something...?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"Your hand... It'll be bad if we lose sight of each other... Can

I hold your hand?"
Her voice in the last sentence was so quiet that I almost

couldn't catch it. But she was looking up at me with upturned
eyes.
"Well, you're right... Then, if you're fine with me..."
"Thank you very much..."
I gently held her outstretched hand. Rin's hand in mine

was more slender and smaller than I had imagined.
"I... I want to come again. To this place."
"Yeah. That'll be nice..."
I only stared at the light passing in front of me. Every time

it passed one by one, loneliness began to rise. I wished this
moment would last forever, but I wouldn't tell it to anyone.
This is... my only secret.
Chapter 41: First Date with the Social Goddess (Last
Part)
At the end of the parade, the cheerful music that rang out a
while ago disappeared. Instead, a calming music was playing
in the park.
It marked the end of this amusement park's events, the

time to enjoy a dreamlike atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Rin and I walked side by side. We also already

let go of each other's hands for some time.
I opened and closed my hands repeatedly, restless. Then I

touched my rugged palm like when I touched a dog's paws,
lamenting on the sensation of my lonely hand.
Girl's hand sure was soft...
That was my honest impression.
However, when I thought back about that——
'Holding hands with a girl' with that atmosphere...

remembering it made my face hot. I'm sure it's bright red
now.
I took a deep breath to calm my mind.
Yes, since I held hands with her, the thumping of my chest

hadn't recovered.
"What's wrong? Are you injured somewhere..."

Rin looked at me worriedly, perhaps noticing that I was
acting weirdly. I immediately shook my head and told her I'm
fine.
Rin tilted her head. Her expression was a little lonely.
"...There were so many people here before. But now it's

almost empty."
"Well, it's closing time soon. But I think quite a few visitors
are staying in lodging since it's summer vacation."
"Staying in lodging... So that's possible."
"Hey, it's too expensive for high school students, okay? And
we can do it in the future. For now, we should enjoy ourselves
to the fullest."
"Is that so? I think staying in lodging is going to be fun."
"Haa. Don't bite off more than you can chew."
Enjoy this moment as much as we could. That was a lot

easier. We didn't have to overdo it.
"Even so, today was fun. It might be the most enjoyable day
in my life."
"Aren't you exaggerating it?"
"That's not true. I've never come to this kind of place. It's
very fun—"
Rin's legs stopped when she saw the couple in front of us.
They were hugging, kissing each other passionately.
Even if none of us brought this matter up, it would
definitely turn awkward. I sighed and turned back to change
our party.
Rin was staring at me. She was probably thinking of the

same thing.
Her face was bright red, embarrassed after directly

watching the couple flirting.
"".........""
With subtle awkwardness and embarrassment, both of us

stared silently at each other. Rin grabbed my hand, leaning on
me.
Should I say something?
I don't know.
About myself, and about Rin...
At least I knew that she didn't hate me. I wasn't that

stupid...
However, I shouldn't act unless I was sure. I shouldn't

think of her affection as deep love...
However, I was at loss and became dull. I lost my

sensibility with Rin's sense of distance.
Damn... I couldn't organize my emotions. My head was

filled with doubts.
Stupid! I should think normally...
This was not fiction. No dramatic development and happy
ending would happen like those dramas.
That's why, there's no way that someone from an SSS-

group would fall in love with someone at the bottom of the
social ranking.
Looking back, I couldn't find anything that would make her

like me romantically. Rather, there's nothing at all.
This strange relationship was too sudden. I had never

talked to her before that day.
Yes... So stop dreaming, me!
Don't forget... the most scary thing was 'misunderstanding'.
The fact that I could stay near her was enough. I had no
choice but to be satisfied with that...
And if I couldn't stay satisfied with that...
I hope our current relationship will continue as long as

possible.
I should have that mindset. That's why I shouldn't wish for

anything more than this.
I sighed and looked up at the starless, pitch-black sky.

Then I closed my eyes a little and fixed my expression.
"Rin, let's come here again."
"Of course."
Rin frowned for a moment, but she immediately replied

with a smile, her voice clear as usual.
That smile burned into my memory and pierced my heart.
***
We had a casual conversation when we went home by train,

then I sent Rin to her apartment. From time to time, she
glanced at me to study my face, so I tried to smile at her.
But every time I did that, I felt 'painful.'
I probably became a bit absentminded after thinking and

worrying about these things.
I didn't even realize that Rin, who I thought had entered

the building, stood in front of me until she called my name
out.
"...W-what happened, Rin?"
Surprised at her appearance, I flinched.
Yet she was staring at me with clear eyes. Her line of sight
was sharp... and a little scary.
"I knew it. You are strange..."
"...What?"
"Towa-kun, your smile is strange."
"Aren't you too heartless?"
I smiled bitterly. However, I also felt a prick on my heart at

the same time.
"I'm not. Towa-kun, you always make that smile during
your part-time job. Especially when you are making a
distance from other people..."
"........."
No words came out of my mouth. Because she caught me

off so accurately.
"I can see that you're faking your expression. And I know
that Towa-kun is a blunt and unfriendly person who won't
smile without any reason."
"That's..."
I couldn't find my words well. Not even a quibble came on

my mind.
"So I have decided."
"Decided...?"
"Yes, to prepare myself." Then Rin took a deep breath.

"This probably means I was too lenient."
"Lenient."
"To be honest, it's embarrassing... I've found out that half-

hearted things aren't enough to destroy the stronghold. So I
shall prepare myself."
I didn't understand what she was talking about. But it

definitely had something to do with me. That 'something' was
big enough to make her 'prepare'.
But I didn't have any idea. I didn't know when, what, and
the thing she had decided on.
Ignoring my confusion, Rin continued,
"This is my declaration of war. However, I'm sure Towa-

kun doesn't understand my words right now..."
"...Sorry."
"That's fine. I'll make you understand that no matter how

much you try to twist it, you can only reach one answer." Rin
pointed her index finger at me and declared dignifiedly. Then
she put that finger on her lips and said, "So you should be
prepared too, okay?"
A warm breeze blew between Rin and me, as if changing

the atmosphere. It was a signal that announced the real
beginning.
Somehow, I had such a feeling.
Chapter 42: This is the Real Beginning (Side Story)
It's a trivial matter that no one notices.
It has begun the moment I realize when and where it

happens.
Now that it has started, it's too late now. It flows just like a
river.
I might have been happy if I didn’t notice it. I might feel

better if I could stop it.
But I can't stop it right away.
Once it has flowed, no one can go against it.
But as it goes by, it gets bigger. But I'm sure it'll get
drowned into the sea if I don't do something about it.
And it'll be too late once that happens.
Because it's impossible to find what has drowned into the

sea. It will only leave scratches at the end, eventually
disappearing into oblivion...
If I can stop the flow in the middle...
Then that will mark a new beginning.
So no one notices it. When it ends, and when it starts. It

will continue to smolder.
***
"...That was interesting. But I can't understand what is the

implication. It bothers me."
But I spoke to myself, holding down my stomach. Then I

reflexively chuckled.
"Talking about the beginning, it happened at that time,

huh."
On that day, I forgot my wallet and my house key. It's the

first time that happened to me.
Even if I wanted to kill some time, I had no money to go

anywhere. I didn't want to stay in school since many people
gathered there.
At that time, a boy from the same school gave me potatoes.

He told me he was giving me something he would throw
away. Yet despite all of that talk, the potatoes were still warm.
That realization made me almost laugh.
No matter how I looked at it, he must have bought it for

me.
However, I was suspicious of him at that time. All I thought

was, "Ah, this happened again."
And I wondered if he would demand something in return

of this. I experienced that before...
Someone offered to help me carry a load at school, then he

persistently pressed me to exchange contacts with him ever
since.
That was just one of the examples. Many other men
approached me with hidden intentions. I didn't want to
remember them...
So I was sure he was one of them...
That's why I wanted to cut off my future worries. And I

waited for him. If I was indebted at him, I should repay the
favor as soon as possible.
But he refused. On the contrary, he sent me home since it

was late at night.
That time, I gave him a chance to make me indebted to him

on purpose. But the result was the same. He didn't ask for
anything.
How strange... I couldn't understand his thoughts. Maybe

he was aiming for something big? I felt a little scared of that
possibility.
So I decided to go to his part-time job.
That way, I should be able to get a glimpse of his

personality. Fortunately, it was far from school, and also a
good place to study... Plus, the donuts were delicious.
But my father got angry every time I went home late at

night. It was scary.
So I told him, "Don't worry. Tokiwagi-san always sends me

back."
Father frowned, but he said, "Bring him here someday." He

then opened his newspaper so I couldn't see his face
anymore.
At that time, Mother was grinning behind me... I wonder

why? I still wasn't sure of the reason until now.
However, they hadn't said anything since then. It probably

meant my parents had approved of him. But Towa-kun was
surprised when I told him that...
After that, he sent me every time he had a part-time job.

And yet... there was no change.
At this point... I lost a little confidence. Maybe I wasn't that

attractive?
So I went to his home. I tried to show my cooking skills and

tried to catch him off guard. My face would turn red in
embarrassment every time I remembered how I did
something bold that day.
Even though I acted with such courage... he still never

asked for a reward.
So from that day, I tried to approach him by doing this and

that.
Did I get closer to him? Have I shown him about me? What
does he think about me?
And when I realized it, I was following him every day. My

suspicions had changed before I knew it, and I was focused on
him.
I couldn't forget that feeling when I realized that. The hazy

that annoyed me cleared up, and my face became hot at the
same time.
But there were also times when I was sad. He tried to keep
a distance from me...
But I know.
He's really a kind person. He's just more unfriendly and

blunt than other people. I knew that since I had been with
him every day. That's why he should have a reason to put up a
wall between us so I wouldn't come near him...
So I would never leave him alone. No matter what he did...
I'm waiting for him to tell me the reason.
"Oh, I see. So it's like that... Now I understand the meaning

of this poem..."
I realized it by looking back on my recent self.
"This was a love poem, eh."
Fufu, it might be perfect for me now.
I closed the book and looked up at the ceiling. I fanned my

hot face again with my hands.
What is he thinking right now? What does he think of me?

Is it possible that he likes somebody else?
Even if I thought about it, I couldn't come to a conclusion.

But I had decided on what to do.
"I'll make you fall in love with me!"
Credits
Source/Translator(s):
isotls.com
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(WN) Gakuen No Megami-Sama - Volume 01

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(WN) Gakuen No Megami-Sama - Volume 01

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Chapter 01: The Meeting of The Goddess and The D-

『Memories of the springtime of your life.』

When asked about that topic, how would everyone answer?

Romance? Studies? Or the time they spent with their best

Well, I'm sure the majority of people would give such

By the way, I didn't come under any of them.

Romance? I never had any girlfriend, but what's so bad

Studies? I almost had to repeat the year since I failed to get

Best friend? In the first place, what is a 'friend'?

Well, that's how it was.

For someone like me, love was impossible. I also didn't

It's not me having an inferiority complex, but that's my true

So naturally, I didn't participate in any club activities. Once

"I messed up today..."

I looked up at the sky as I waited for the traffic light. The

If I knew that I would go home faster after the regular test,

I like part-time jobs.

Of course I realized that it sounds absurd. However, you

To be precise, it's not accomplishments, but compensations

Some people might say that I should play with my friends

Let me say one thing to those people.

First of all, I was indeed a student. But only some of the

However, I wasn't jealous of such people. I didn't want to

But then, there were some people who wanted to be 'the

Just that. It was nothing but a pipe dream.

No matter what, the grass is always greener on the other

Just be satisfied with what you have right now.

By the way, I was satisfied with my current situation.

Well, this was an absolutely impossible presupposition, but

I didn't want to lead a life where I couldn't stop caring and

What greeted me was the usual scene... or not. Feeling a

Then, as I approached what picked my interest step by

She looked divine. Huh.

After confirming her identity, my face naturally stiffened.

Why did I have to meet the representative of the people

Wakamiya Rin was a student who went to the same school

Even so, I knew her. Wakamiya Rin was so famous that no

At the school entrance ceremony, she was on the stage as

She was accomplished in both literary and physical

She was the epitome of a perfect girl. Everyone would

Different from me, she belonged to the SSS-group, living

Why did such a celebrity sit here? This place was

I sighed and passed in front of her.

Just right after I went past her, my ears picked up a faint,

"Haa..." This time, Wakamiya-san sighed. Apparently, it's

Ahh, damn. I guess it can't be helped.

I ran to my part-time job and came back, handing over

"Umm... What is this?"

"You can know just by looking at it, right? It's baked

Wakamiya glanced at me. Then with a monotonous voice,

Sadly, her response was justified. Not to say, I suddenly

It's natural that she thought of me as a suspicious guy.

She looked at me suspiciously. However, she didn't

Well, Wakamiya was a beautiful girl, so I'm sure this was an

I put the paper bag filled with baked potatoes next to

"But the baked potatoes are still warm, though?"

"That's also accidental. Just consider yourself lucky. Well,

I sent a backward glance to Wakamiya who said something

From the start, she was someone who lived in a world

But well, helping others occasionally isn't bad. At this time,

Right, that's what I believed.

"Another fulfilling day today." I murmured.

After finishing my part-time job, I changed my clothes in