The Delinquent Shimizu-san Sitting Next to Me Has Dyed Her Hair Black-Chapter 0Volume 2 .1 - Prologue
Prologue
Shimizu-san’s Evening
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“That guy…”
Lying on my bed in my room, I mumbled to myself.
I was reflecting on the events during today’s lunch break.
It was when I had rejected a confession from a senpai I didn’t know.
I was in a tight spot, but Hondō appeared and helped me without showing any fear of the senpai.
“He said he cares about me and that he can’t take his eyes off me…”
Not just that, Hondō uttered several other things that I can’t easily forget.
『Maybe more than you think, Shimizu-san, I care about you.』 (Volume 1 Epilogue)
『Yeah, you’re kind yet clumsy, and that makes you an irresistible presence to me. I think as long as we’re together, I’ll always find myself looking at Shimizu-san without even realizing it.』 (Volume 1 Chapter 9.4)
I press my pillow onto my face and roll around on the bed, attempting to somehow deal with this overwhelming emotion that I can’t put into words.
After a few dozen seconds, I realized it had no effect, and I stopped my wild behavior.
Having calmed down just a little from earlier, I got off the bed and picked up a bear plushie from my desk.
It’s the only stuffed animal in my room. A prize from a claw machine game when I went to the shopping mall with Hondō.
“How do you think I can, um, make him like me?”
I pose this question to the stuffed animal, even though I know it won’t respond.
What would it take for Hondō to like me?
This is the question I want an answer to the most.
“It’s pointless talking to you about this.”
Certainly, I feel like I’ve gotten emotionally closer to Hondō compared to our first year of high school.
But at this pace, I’ll graduate from high school before becoming his lover.
That’s why I need to make more moves from my side.
But I can’t make a move without hearing about Hondō and Matsuoka’s love talk…
As I pondered this, I heard a voice.
“Don’t worry, bear! If it’s Kei-chan, just one confession will make Daiki-kun head over heels, bear!”
(TN: She’s saying ‘kuma (bear)’ as a sentence ending, I guess she’s pretending to be the bear plushie.)
I quietly set the stuffed animal down and headed straight for the door from which the voice had come.
When I opened it, as expected, Ai was standing there.
“How long have you been listening?”
“Ah, you’re not going to chat with Bear-san anymore, bear(kuma)?”
“If I were about ten years younger, maybe. Answer me properly. Since when have you been listening?”
“From when you were rolling around on the bed, I guess?”
“So you’ve been eavesdropping from the very beginning!”
I slowly brought my right hand closer to Ai’s head.
“Young lady (Ojōsan), what do you intend to do with that hand?”
“If I scoop out that empty brain of yours, maybe I can erase your memory.”
“Seriously, stop it! Kei’s signature mom’s iron claw really hurts! It’ll make a hole in my head!”
It’s rare to see Ai scared.
She seems to have been traumatized by something that happened when she was in elementary school.
“Do you understand what you need to say next?”
“Kei-sama, I deeply apologize for eavesdropping you!”
Ai bows her head vigorously.
She’s so straightforward about it that I can’t bring myself to take any further action.
“There won’t be a next time.”
“Roger!”
“Then, I’m closing the door now.”
I try to close the door as I said so, but Ai stops me.
“What is it? We’ve settled the issue, haven’t we?”
“It’s far from settled! Now that I’ve been forgiven, it’s time to get down to business! Tell me what happened during lunch today!”
“Ah…”
I can’t help but sigh.
Conversations like this tend to drag on.
After that, I had to explain to Ai what happened during lunch in my room.
Ai reacts to every little thing I say, so the conversation takes forever.
“I see-I see. So that’s what happened during lunch…”
“Aren’t you satisfied now? Hurry up and go back to your room.”
“Don’t say it like that, Kei. Even you must admit Daiki-kun looked pretty cool rushing in to save the day.”
“Well, he might have looked cool if he hadn’t been so out of breath when he came around to the back of the gym.”
“Now you’re just being shy, but that’s also another cute point about you.”
With that, Ai crosses her arms and starts thinking.
“What’s wrong? If you have something on your mind, just tell me.”
“Well, I’ve been thinking… maybe there really is a sign of interest.”
“W-what are you suddenly talking about?!”
“Lower your voice. It’s nighttime, so calm down.”
I reflexively cover my mouth.
It feels a bit strange being told to calm down by Ai.
“Sorry…”
“I think Mom and Dad didn’t hear you, though.”
“…So why do you think he’s interested in me?”
“Because when I talked about the situation in class, Daiki-kun seemed really worried about you. I don’t think he would have been so worried if he didn’t care about Kei.”
“Hondō was worried about me…”
I touch my cheek, and it feels a little warmer than usual.
“Hehehe…”
When I glance over to the source of the laughter, Ai is grinning at me.
“What? Why are you laughing like that? If you have something to say, spit it out.”
“My little sister, you look so smitten.”
I try to retort, but I pause and think for a moment.
The warmth inside me cools rapidly.
“…That’s not it.”
“Oh? Why the sudden change? You look so sad.”
Do I really look that sad right now?
I can’t tell without checking myself.
“He probably doesn’t see me ‘that’ way. Even if I were to give it the benefit of the doubt and say he was interested in me, it would be a ‘like’ and not ‘love’.”
I don’t understand everything, but I just can’t believe Hondō sees me romantically.
Back then, Hondō told me I was important to him.
Those words were probably true, but I feel like the emotion behind it is more familial love rather than romantic.
While I’m lost in thought, Ai, with a curious expression, meets my gaze.
“What’s wrong with it just being ‘like’?”
“What?”
“After all, it doesn’t change the fact that Daiki-kun views you positively, right? That’s way better than him having no interest in you at all.”
While I stood there stunned, Ai continued to speak.
“I haven’t always liked Yousuke as the opposite gender for a long time. Feelings changing from ‘like’ to ‘love’ towards someone is quite common, you know.”
“Really?”
Guess it’s just how it is, huh?
But indeed, I’ve witnessed the change in Ai’s feelings towards Yousuke.
“Yes, that’s right. So, even if it’s just ‘like’ for now, if you keep working hard, perhaps it can turn into ‘love’?”
“I see…”
Maybe I’ve been too pessimistic.
My relationship with Hondō now, compared to when we were freshmen, has made slight but certain progress.
By the time we graduate high school, we may not be able to become lovers, but we could still have a close relationship…
“Um, Kei-san?”
“W-what is it?”
“Weren’t you just thinking that by the time of graduation, while becoming lovers might be unlikely, you could at least be somewhat closer?”
I was taken aback.
Can my sister read minds when it comes to romantic affairs?
“Is… is that wrong?”
“I wouldn’t say it’s wrong, but it might be risky.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know about now, but I have a feeling that Daiki-kun will be quite popular in college. He’s kind, and if you look closely, he has quite an attractive face.”
“Ugh…”
I’ve tried not to think about it too much, but it’s very possible that others will notice Hondō’s kindness and be attracted to him in the future.
“If you keep up this relaxed attitude, by the time he’s in college, Daiki-kun might just end up dating a lovely girl who comes out of nowhere.”
“Grrr…”
“Glare at me all you want, but it only makes my heart flutter.”
It seems I unconsciously furrowed my brow.
“…what should I do then?”
“Hehehe, you seem troubled, Kei.”
“You’re laughing weirdly again. What is it this time?”
“I’ve thought of a way to close the distance between Kei-san and Daiki-kun in an instant!”
Saying this, Ai suddenly leaned in close to me.
“Too close. Back off a bit.”
I grabbed Ai’s shoulders and pushed her away somewhat forcefully.
“Oh, naughty Kei~”
“Who’s naughty? Just tell me the method quickly.”
“I’d love to tell you… but I can’t reveal it right now.”
“Why not? Stop beating around the bush and just say it.”
Why would she claim to have a good idea and then not share it?
“If I told you now, it’d cut the fun in half.”
“I don’t care about fun. Just tell me right now.”
Right now, my anxiety greatly outweighs my anticipation.
I just want to hear her method.
“Eh~, it’d be a waste to tell you now. Don’t worry! I’ll get Yousuke to help as well, and we’ll approach this with perfect preparation!”
“You’re involving Yousuke too? What are you planning?”
“That’s top secret! But for now, just know that if it’s successful, it’ll make Kei, me, and everyone happy!”
“I hope it really will be okay…”
In the end, Ai never spilled anything and simply returned to her room.
***
“Oh? You went out of the classroom during lunch and that happened?”
On the night of the commotion behind the gymnasium, I was on the phone explaining the situation to Toshiya.
I felt the need to inform Toshiya, who had been worried about me, so I was grateful for his call.
“…Ah, I’m sorry for making you worry.”
“Don’t worry about it. Well, I was indeed worried when Daiki suddenly left the classroom.”
“I was panicked at that moment…”
When I was told Shimizu-san might be in danger, I honestly didn’t have the time to consider my surroundings.
“I can imagine. But both you and Shimizu-san came back unharmed during lunch break, so that was a relief.”
“True. But I wonder if Shimizu-san is really okay…”
“You mean because of those harsh words from that senpai?”
“Yes…”
Even though senpai did apologize in the end, he had said some terrible things to Shimizu-san.
I hope Shimizu-san wasn’t too affected by it.
“I’m just speculating here, but I think she’s fine.”
“Why do you think so?”
“Because when that senpai spoke heartlessly, Daiki defended her, right? You told her that what was said wasn’t true. I believe that words filled with genuine emotion from someone who’s always by her side, like Daiki, will resonate more with Shimizu-san than the careless insults from a stranger.”
“Do you think so?”
“At least that’s what I believe. Maybe Daiki should continue to interact with Shimizu-san as usual from tomorrow. From the outside, Shimizu-san seems a bit happier when talking with Daiki. So I think she would appreciate that.”
“Got it, I’ll try that. Thanks, Toshiya.”
“No problem, that’s what friends are for.”
Though Toshiya often jests around, when I speak seriously, Toshiya reciprocates with the same sincerity.
I’m genuinely glad to have Toshiya as a friend.
As our conversation settled, I remembered something else I wanted to ask.
“Toshiya, there’s a bit more I want to talk about. Is that okay?”
“What is it? Just go ahead and tell me.”
“When Shimizu-san thanked me behind the gymnasium, I thought she looked really cute”
“Uh-huh. And?”
“That kind of cuteness… I mean, it’s not like I never found Shimizu-san cute before, but… I can’t quite put it into words, but the way I perceived her cuteness this time was different from before.”
It’s frustrating not being able to put my feelings into words.
This is the first time I’ve been unable to convey what I feel.
“Ah, I see-I see.”
“Do you understand what I’m trying to say, Toshiya?”
“Hmm…”
All I could hear was Toshiya’s pondering hum from the smartphone.
“I guess you don’t get it either.”
“No, that’s not what I’m thinking about right now…”
“What do you mean?”
I wonder what Toshiya is thinking about.
“How should I put this… I have a rough idea about what Daiki’s feelings for Shimizu-san are.”
“Really? Then tell——”
“But I feel like it’s not right for me to just tell you directly.”
“Oh, why?”
“Ah, it’s not like I’m trying to be malicious or anything, okay?”
“Then why?”
“That’s what I’m trying to think. I’ve been pondering how to explain it since earlier… It’s kind of difficult. My explanation might be a bit hard to grasp, is that okay?”
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
“Thanks. To get straight to the point, I think the reason Daiki found Shimizu-san cute during lunch break is because a new feeling for her sprouted within Daiki.”
“Feeling?”
“Yes, and I want Daiki himself to recognize that feeling towards Shimizu-san.”
“You mentioned this earlier, but why don’t you just tell me directly?”
“I believe there’s meaning in confronting and understanding that emotion by yourself.”
Toshiya’s voice was unwavering as he spoke these words.
“So you’re saying I should think about it more myself?”
“That’s a simple way of putting it.”
“Will I understand it if I take the time?”
“Hmm, who knows?”
“Toshiya!?”
I unintentionally raised my voice.
I had hoped he would assure me with a definitive answer.
“Sorry-sorry. In the end, whether you accept my answer is ultimately up to you.”
“Well, that might be true.”
“But don’t worry. It might take some time, but I’m sure you’ll eventually be able to put your feelings for Shimizu-san into words.”
“Toshiya…”
I’m not yet confident that I can put my feelings for Shimizu-san into words right now, but if Toshiya says so, maybe I’ll be able to do it someday.
“I’ve decided, I’ll think about it again on my own.”
“Alright, and if you’re troubled, I’ll be here to listen. Don’t hesitate to reach out.”
“Yeah. Thanks, Toshiya.”
I didn’t find a solution immediately, but I’m glad I talked to Toshiya about this.
As I was thinking this, I heard Toshiya’s voice again.
“Oh, there’s one more reason I can’t tell Daiki.”
“What is it?”
“In the off chance that my guess is wrong, there’s a certain group that might beat me up.”
“What are you talking about!?”
I was dying to know, but Toshiya stubbornly refused to give me any more details.
***
TN: Just like in Volume 1, there’s something like a segment of illustration at the end of the book. For example, Kei Shimizu and Ai Shimizu on the sea (It’s not in the actual Chapter, but I posted it on Volume 1 Chapter 9.1).
It’s the same for this Volume, so I’ll scatter those illus throughout the releases.
***
TL: Hiraeth
