Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818622172789075625/episodes/16818622174022263583
They say that after twelve hours of study in the morning, a person’s physiognomy changes.
Just before 5 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, the long-awaited weekend, I looked in the mirror at home and pulled a face.
Today, Reisa, Nagisa and I are having a party at my house.
The purpose is to empty our heads, play, and refresh ourselves.
However, the party will start in the late afternoon when the girls arrive at my house.
So, it is the nature of diligent students to want to study in the morning when they have free time.
I didn’t think I was stupid enough to study continuously from early in the morning.
I had a slightly pissed-off look in my eyes and dark circles under them.
I was desperate to wash my face and restore my skin to a healthy glow, but it was nothing short of nihilistic.
“No no. It all depends on how you look at it. If you study in the morning, you can enjoy yourself without any worries. In fact, studying in the morning even gives you a buff. Yes.”
I study until the evening, and I can’t accept comments like “What’s the point of studying in the morning?”
While blurting out desperate excuses, I made preparations while waiting for the two of them.
Today, we are going to have a home barbecue as requested by Reisa, so I get out a gas grill and various other things from the cabinet.
I also prepare a few drinks and vegetables, and realize that my decision to have Reisa and Nagisa buy the meat was the right one.
This is a painful expense for the poor.
Even if we had split the cost of the meat, my family budget would have been on fire before payday.
It seemed that they had already gone shopping at the local supermarket, and from the time of the call, it would not be surprising if they arrived at our house by now.
Perhaps it was because I was thinking of this that the intercom rang just as I opened the front door.
When I opened the front door, there were two unfamiliar looking beautiful girls standing there.
“Hello !”
“Hello. I’m sorry to bother you.”
The two girls, a young lady and a beautiful, neat girl, both went up to the house with their shoes neatly lined up.
I was impressed and at the same time I stared at their outfits.
Nagisa was wearing a neat navy blue one-piece dress with a warm-colored cardigan over it, just as I had imagined, while Reisa was wearing a much more casual outfit.
The denim jacket, denim shorts, and boots left outside by the entrance are some very striking items.
Her accessories, such as earrings and necklace, give her a luxurious, ladylike look.
I was impressed by her unexpected attire.
“Hm, are you nervous to see me in my casual clothes for the first time?”
“I’m sorry. I was looking too much.
It was a little unexpected.”
“Well, you can’t go wrong with plain clothes if you’re trying to impress people.”
“I see. Next time I will be a little more adventurous.”
“No no no, Nagisa is fine the way she is ! No matter how many boys’ hearts you play with, you won’t be able to keep up.”
Indeed, when I heard that, I tried to imagine Reisa’s current outfit on Nagisa, but it was so devastating that I would probably faint if I encountered it in real life.
I heard there are various kinds of fashion.
“I know it’s a bit cramped, but come in.”
We have a 2DK layout.
I let her through to the dining room and kitchen, but Reisa clicked her tongue and laughed.
“No, let’s start by looking at Tsukushi’s room. Where’s the album?”
“….Were you serious about that?”
If she came to my house, she said she wanted to look at the album, but apparently she wasn’t kidding.
After the two of them put the meat they bought away in the fridge, I had no choice but to let them through to my room.
“Oh, it’s a real study room.”
“It’s very sophisticated.”
“It’s just empty.”
My room is almost empty except for my study desk and bed.
The only video games in my room are the old ones in the closet, and I don’t have any books in my room because I basically check them out from the library.
I have not collected many books since I was not good at reading in the first place.
I’ve been trying to get into the habit of reading since around junior high school, but it was just a way to improve my grades in Japanese.
“It’s very different from my room. I put video games in there, so it’s easy to get distracted.”
“I understand. I also have manga in my room, so I often read them while studying, and I usually regret it after reading a few books.”
“Hahaha ! I never knew that to be the case with Nagisa! I feel relieved. People who are good at studying are just like other high school students…except for Tsukushi.”
“Hey, don’t talk about me like I’m a monster.”
Rude.
Well, I guess I was weird for studying for 12 hours since the morning, but that doesn’t mean I’m happy to be used as the punchline.
Still, I was certainly a little surprised by Nagisa’s story.
It seemed like she was concentrating infinitely on her studies at home.
Thinking about it, I don’t know much about Nagisa.
Nagisa staring at the notebooks lined up on the shelves of her study desk, and Reisa wandering around the room.
Reisa seemed to have found what she was looking for in no time at all.
She seems to have spotted an album on the top shelf of the dresser and holds it up, letting out a laugh.
“Yay ! I’ve discovered Tsukushi’s weakness !”
“What weakness? I mean, I don’t mind you’re looking at it. There’s nothing weird in it.”
“Oh, really? Well, I’ll be glad to take a look at it.”
“Please.”
After a somewhat strange and awe-inspiring exchange, Reisa sat down and opened the album on the floor.
This is an album containing photos from her elementary school days.
Nagisa also crouches down next to Reisa, perhaps curious.
“Ew ! This is Tsukushi ! Your eyes are so squeaky clean !”
“It’s true ! Unlike his usual hawk-like eyes, this one is also nice.”
“Is that a compliment?”
What exactly are hawk-like eyes?
I feel like I was just told that I have a mean look in my eyes, and I’m not satisfied with that.
In fact, I look quite mean, but it all depends on how you look at it.
“This one’s having a field day.”
“Running with the baton…! So cute.”
“The guy who is eating an onigiri (rice ball) and making a peace with it is pretty good, too.
“Hmm, Edano san’s old appearance is more adorable than I thought it would be, which makes me smile.”
“Thank you very much.”
As I was being told this, I couldn’t stop my excitement.
The mysterious tension of having two girls from my class look at photos from the past, the uncomfortable feeling of being praised, and the intense embarrassment at my own not-so-fulfilled self.
I’m a mess, with my emotions going back and forth.
As I was thinking this, Reisa pointed at a certain person’s face and laughed.
“This one is cute too ! There are lots of pictures with Tsukushi !”
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she? They seem to get along well.”
“……That’s my childhood friend, Kako.”
“Ah.”
Reisa freezes as I answer awkwardly, and Nagisa turns away.
Since the breakup is still on bad terms, it’s hard to talk about her.
Since elementary school, Kako and I have been together basically all the time, so of course she interferes with me even with memories such as these albums.
Reisa pointed to a picture to lighten the mood.
“B-but, Tsukushi looks like he’s having a lot of fun in this photo.”
“That was when I was in the first grade and we dug up potatoes. That brings back memories.”
When I was in the first grade of elementary school, we went digging for potatoes as a field trip.
The two of us were playing together, as you can see in the picture.
However, now that I think back on it, something was wrong from that time.
In the photo, you can see me looking satisfied and Kako smiling closely at me.
But if I remember correctly, I was being harassed by Kako for the rest of my life that day.
It was a child’s prank, but knowing her these days, I no longer believe that there was a glimpse of her from back then.
After every time she harassed me, she would hug me with tears in hiereyes and say, ‘I love Tsukushi !’
In fact, unlike now, back then she would stop if I really didn’t like it, and I guess it was just a light joke to her.
But now it’s not funny anymore.
Recently, my feelings toward Kako have been shifting from anger to pity, probably because of her test scores and satisfaction with my daily life.
But when I saw this, I still shook my head.
She deserved it.
I sincerely hope that she will learn from this painful experience.
“Oh, there’s something weird in this photo of the ocean.”
“…..Awawa.”
“Hm? ……Ah.”
That’s what I was thinking, but the ridiculous photo of my underwear slipping out of my sight made it all the more distracting.
Needless to say, it took me a long time to calm down Reisa, who was giggling, and Nagisa, who was blushing.
I resented my mother for a while for accidentally mixing these photos.
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