Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/2912051598917319858
I wish there were a law prohibiting Monday’s first period from being a required class.
After my Basic German class ended, I was rubbing my sleepy eyes and getting ready to head to my next class when the guy sitting next to me spoke up. I think his name was Iwami or something like that.
“Hey, Ousaki, I kind of zoned out during that last class… I’ve got something I’d like to ask you about…”
“Sure, what is it?”
“This part here. I’m not really good at grammar, you know.”
When he said that, the part he was asking about was the conjugation of the verb ‘to be’ in English.
“For this part, I think you’ll be fine if you just memorize what’s written here.”
“Memorize, huh… It’s a pain, but I guess I’ve got no choice.”
Seeing Iwami slump his shoulders in disappointment, I chimed in, “Let’s do our best.”
Then Iwami opened his mouth as if he’d just remembered something.
“Hey, actually, I was thinking while you were explaining earlier—do you know German, Ousaki? Your pronunciation when the professor called on you was really good, wasn’t it?”
“Really? Wasn’t it just normal?”
“No, no, you don’t have to be modest. If anything, your pronunciation was even more natural than the professor’s.”
I could tell I couldn’t get out of this one.
I’d been somewhat prepared for this reaction ever since I chose German as my second foreign language, so I decided to just come clean without trying to hide anything.
“I used to live in Germany.”
“No way, seriously!?”
His voice was louder than I expected.
Because of that, a few people nearby turned to look at us.
“Wait, that’s awesome! So does that mean you’re fluent in German?”
“Not exactly fluent. Just enough to get by.”
“No way, ‘getting by’ is pretty impressive, isn’t it?”
“Wait, can Ousaki really speak German!?”
Lured by Iwami’s voice, a few people gathered around me.
Curious stares rained down on me one after another.
“So if I don’t get it, I’ll just ask Ousaki.”
“I wanna ask too—I don’t want to fail a required class.”
“Can we bring stuff into this class? If so, I’d like to bring Ousaki himself.”
This is bad. I’m getting way more attention than I expected.
Before I knew it, a crowd had formed around me, and I was the center of the conversation.
Back in middle and high school, even if I said I could speak German, unlike with English, people would just think, “That’s kinda cool.” But it seems things are different at a university where there are actual German classes.
To avoid looking suspicious, I shifted my gaze to check the reactions around me. It seemed like everyone was responding positively, but I still couldn’t relax.
Memories from my first year of middle school flashed back.
—What’s that? Are you trying to show off that you’re a returnee?
—No wonder your Japanese pronunciation sounded a little off.
—Wait, Ousaki, you’re… out of sync? You’re a bit off the mark here.
It was back when I used to show off what I could do and stood out like a sore thumb in class.
My heart aches just thinking about it—my dark past.
Even now, just remembering it makes it hard to breathe.
Even when I inhale, the oxygen doesn’t seem to get into my body.
Oh no, I’ve gotta do something fast—
“Hey, you there! If you keep talking, you’ll be late for the next class~”
Suddenly, I heard Shino’s voice from above.
It was her usual tone—dry and matter-of-fact.
“Hey, Shino, did you know? That Ousaki-kun can speak German.”
“Tch, he has been found out! I was planning to keep that information all to myself.”
“Shino, that’s so petty.”
“Scatter! All of you! If you want to set up a date with Rintaro, go through me—his childhood friend!”
Jeers flew at Shino, and the number of eyes on me dwindled.
Once I confirmed that, I took a deep breath.
Like when I’d just surfaced from underwater, gasping for the oxygen I’d been missing.
Okay, I’m fine now.
Thinking that, I looked at Shino, and she gave me a quick nod, as if to say, “I get it.” As expected, friends are the best.
“By the way, I’m charging 1,000 yen per person as a booking fee.”
“Shino, don’t go trying to make a business out of me on your own.”
“What’s the big deal? Rintaro makes 300 yen every time he gets a booking, too.”
“You’re skimming off more than half of it, aren’t you!?”
A burst of laughter erupted.
The usual banter, the usual laid-back vibe.
I found myself swept up in the flow centered around Shino, and the awkward atmosphere where I felt like I was being unnervingly put on a pedestal dissipated just enough.
I’m really grateful. I’ll have to treat them to tea later.
“Anyway, don’t ask for favors before exams!”
“Got it, thanks as always!”
“No, I’m skipping Aizawa and going straight to Ousaki!”
“Tch!”
As that back-and-forth continued, the group that had gathered started heading off to their next classes. Only Shino, me, and a few others remained.
“Come on, Rintaro, let’s go to our next class. If we don’t hurry, we’ll end up in the front row.”
“…Ah, yeah, you’re right.”
I stuffed my notebook into my bag and left the classroom with Shino.
Students were streaming down the hallway, moving on just like us, and it seemed like no one was paying any attention to the little commotion from earlier.
“Shino, you really saved me back there. Thanks.”
“No problem♪ Changing the subject, but I’ve been curious about the new Frappuccino~”
“That’s not changing the subject at all!?”
Shino said it was a joke and laughed heartily.
I thought to myself, she didn’t have to make a joke out of it.
“Hey, am I okay? I’m not standing out in a bad way, am I?”
“No way! You made a good impression, actually.”
“Well, if that’s the case—”
“Rintaro, you really do worry about that kind of thing, don’t you?”
“Well, of course I do.”
Right after I started middle school, I once asked a question in Japanese class about something that had been on my mind. I’d just meant to ask about something I didn’t understand.
After all, raising your hand and asking a question when something caught your attention was normal back home.
But during the break afterward, they teased me, asking, “Trying to show off that you’re a returnee?” and laughed at me.
That was when I first realized that even if I thought I was acting normally, some things just aren’t normal in this classroom.
That’s why, even now, I still brace myself a little whenever I’m in the spotlight.
I can’t help but worry that I’ll end up standing out in a weird way again.
“It’s fine, Rintaro-kun. You’re just a regular college student.”
“You’re being too blunt.”
Once again, I was saved by Shino’s concern, disguised as bluntness.
She really is a friend who’s too good for me.
★ ☆ ★
“So, Shino. What’s the real deal?”
Lunchtime.
I’d secured a seat in the cafeteria and just started eating a set meal I’d picked at random when the girl sitting directly across from me blurted that out.
“What do you mean, ‘what’s the real deal’?”
I, Shino Aizawa, asked back, taking a big bite of the fried horse mackerel in my set meal.
Then, the girl sitting next to me leaned in with a smirk.
“It’s obviously about Ousaki-kun!”
“Oh, is something wrong with Rintaro?”
“No, not that anything’s wrong. Shino, you and Ousaki-kun are close, aren’t you?”
“Well, we’ve been together since middle school.”
“You’re not dating?”
I almost spit out my fried mackerel.
I took a moment to catch my breath while chewing slowly, then answered as if nothing had happened.
“Nope, nope. We’re just stuck with each other.”
“But you two are pretty close, aren’t you?”
“Well, we do get along pretty well. Oh, as friends, that is.”
Right. Since we’d been surrounded by pretty much the same group of people through middle and high school, I hadn’t been asked about it in a while and had almost forgotten, but to the outside world, Rintaro and I definitely seemed pretty close.
“Hmm, so! What’s your type, Shino?”
“Me? Just the usual. Nothing special.”
“There it is—the most untrustworthy answer ever.”
I’d made a friend I could get along with, but it was still too early to let her get that personal.
Even if that weren’t the case, I have no intention of revealing these feelings to anyone but him.
So, giving a serious answer here is a no-go.
As usual, I’ll joke around, tease him, and throw him off the scent to steer the conversation to something else.
“When a girl says ‘normal,’ it’s usually not normal, right?”
“No, no, that’s not true. To me, a ‘normal’ partner is someone with an approachable yet clean-cut vibe, like Gen Hoshi—someone who works out regularly, went to a top-tier university, isn’t exhausting to talk to, and makes me feel at ease when we’re together.”
“What’s so normal about that?”
“That’s exactly the type of woman who gets hated the most in the marriage market—the one who’s oblivious to her own unrealistically high standards.”
Everyone chuckled at my joking reply.
Of course, they probably took it as a joke, but I didn’t exactly lie.
Looks, personality, academic ability, future potential.
There are plenty of people who meet just one of the criteria I listed.
But naturally, the more criteria you add, the fewer people there are who meet them all.
Anyone who meets all the criteria I mentioned is, no matter how you look at it, not ordinary.
And that person is Rintaro
He can do anything.
…That might sound like an exaggeration, but in reality, he handles just about everything with ease.
He’s good at studying and good at sports. He’s easy to get along with and can read the room. If someone is in trouble, he’ll end up helping them even if he makes a face like it’s a hassle.
This isn’t normal at all.
But Rintaro himself genuinely believes that this is normal.
His definition of “normal” is incredibly far removed from what society generally considers normal.
—Rintaro, that’s not normal.
It’s easy to say that, but it would mean denying the things Rintaro values most, so I’ve refrained from pointing it out until now.
Whenever Rintaro messed up his adjustments and was about to stand out like he did today, I’ve always been the one to cover for him.
Thanks to that, Rintaro entered college still clinging to his twisted version of “normal.”
All that’s left is to wait a little longer for him to settle into college life, then instill in him the idea that “it’s normal for a college student to have a girlfriend,” and finally get him to confess to me—the person he feels most comfortable being with.
The plan is perfect.
Or so I thought.
“Hey, Shino, introduce me to Ousaki-kun sometime.”
“Ehh, don’t do it. Rintaro can definitely snag a better girl!”
Since starting college, Rintaro has been standing out more than I expected.
His social circle has expanded, and the wrong kind of people might start swarming around him.
And besides—
—Ah, I got this. From an acquaintance… or rather, a childhood friend?
The existence of that childhood friend who gave him this bracelet.
I have a feeling there’s a girl getting close to my Rintaro behind my back.
“Hey, let’s go.”
Class was about to start, so I stood up.
At that very moment, I made up my mind.
I’m going to make Rintaro mine.
Before some other woman swoops in and snatches him away.
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