Vol. 1 Chapter 18: Contradictory

Translated and Edited by: ynlucca.

Common Honorifics:
-san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal.
-kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people.
-chan: A common suffix among people you’re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it’s cutesy and childlike.
-senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one’s older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club.
-sensei: A suffix and noun that literally means teacher.

It was the morning of the second day of school. Homeroom would begin in a few minutes and most of the students were already in their classrooms, chatting away over laughs.

In the midst of that hustle and bustle—

Ugh, I knew it’d be a bad idea…

Sitting alone at my desk, I remembered what happened last night and became depressed… I knew he’d reject me.

Still, I was worried so I asked him to come home with us. It was no use… I wanted to be with him even if it was just for another moment, even if we didn’t talk at all.

I know I’m being selfish, but that’s how I really feel.

I’m not qualified to be next to him, and I know that, but I still want to be with him. It’s contradictory, but perhaps contradiction is what love is all about anyway.

With these thoughts in mind, I still like him.

… I’m getting embarrassed just thinking about it.

Admitting my feelings made my face warm up a bit. While I changed expressions from depressed to flustered, a girl sitting in front of me spoke out with a smirk, perhaps finding it funny.

“What’s wrong, Haruka-chan?”

“Eh? No, nothing—”

“You were thinking about Aizawa-kun, weren’t you?”

Oh, she got me…

“Ha ha ha! You’re so readable, aren’t you Haruka-chan?”

“N–Natsumi, you’re mean…”

Is it really that obvious just by looking at my face?

Since a while ago, yesterday and today included, I was a bit nervous about being so readable. People guess what I think too easily.

Well, the girl sitting in front of me is Natsumi Hyuga. She’s one of the classmates that invited me out yesterday, and she talked to me a lot after that situation with him.

When Ms. Hoshimiya dropped her off at her house, she turned around and asked me, “Can I be your friend, Sakura-san?” to which I answered, “If you’re okay with me”. After that we quickly became friends, and even started calling each other by our first names¹.

“But… I’m sorry about yesterday. I meddled in a weird way.”

“No, it’s okay, it’s okay!”

“I see… That’s good.”

It wasn’t okay, but I didn’t dare say that. She must’ve understood my feelings because she smiled and nodded at me apologetically.

Then we kept talking with each other until the chime’s ring announced the start of homeroom. Just like yesterday, he entered the class at the same time as the chime. His face was a bit mushed, perhaps from sleepiness… I wondered if he went home after yesterday.

The light in his room wasn’t on last night…

When I arrived home, I thought he was already asleep since his room was dark. Though, from the look on his face, it doesn’t look like he went to bed right away.

I wonder if he was still around after we parted ways…

I kept thinking about whether he was still downtown after we left r not. While the teacher got us home safely, I was still worried about him…

… Oh, by the way, where’s the teacher?

That’s when I noticed something weird. yesterday, Ms. Hiiragi arrived in class early, but today she hadn’t arrived yet. The other students must’ve seen this, too, since they all had confused expressions.

I hope she isn’t suffering from a hangover…

As soon as the class began to buzz, the teacher entered the classroom. However, her face was a bit grim.

“Good morning to you all. I have one thing to tell you before taking attendance… Last night, a violent incident occurred downtown in front of the train station…”

The teacher said, and the classroom burst into noise.

Downtown…? It was after we left, wasn’t it?

Looking around, Natsumi and the others who were there got confused. There was only one person there who wasn’t surprised… Him.

“Well, it’s probably a fight,” the teacher continued. “Listen, boys. Don’t go out late at night, understood?”

“Yes, teacher!” Everyone responded.

“Good!”

She nodded, satisfied. After that, she continued on with the usual.

“Well, I’ll take attendance now… Number 1, Aizawa—”

But no matter how much we waited, there was no reply. Looking over curiously, I saw it was still the same situation as yesterday.

… Everyone in the class probably expected the same thing. That is, the following scene.

The teacher was probably numb at this point, but she opened her mouth and shouted.

“Aizawa!!!”

1 — First names in Japan are regarded as being special. Only people close to you may call you by your first name, be it your family, your friends, or your lover. That’s why there’s a lot of importance when media over there covers that aspect, and it isn’t some sort of wish-washy cliché. It’s just a cultural difference.

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