We Talked a Bit
「Azusa-chan, is anything going on at school?」
After eating the omurice that had been left since last night and had settled into the sofa for an after-meal break, Asahina-san abruptly asked me such.
While thinking back that I hadn’t really talked about school with her, I inadvertently convince myself why, as I struggle to find a topic to talk about.
—Day by day, I’m all by myself.
Even if I respond as such, Asahina-san would be troubled with how to respond. I can envision Asahina-san saying “I, I see…”, and I start to feel a bit apologetic.
「… …Nothing, particularly special」
「You took quite a bit of time to respond though?」
「I was pondering as to whether there was anything, but in the end, I couldn’t think of anything」
In my own way, I did my best to come up with something that would fit the conversation.
However, without being able to come up with anything interesting to talk about, I simply gave up.
「Hm-, are your classes fun?」
「Depends on the teacher」
「Certainly. I wanted to have the fun professor teach all of the classes… When I was a student, I remember thinking things like that」
That’d be too big a burden for a single teacher.
…Well, certainly, every day would be interesting like that.
「Which class is your favorite?」
「…I wonder. Maybe English?」
「Usually students would go with PE or home economics. I thought you’d say something aside from the five core subjects, so it’s a bit surprising. Are you good at English, Azusa-chan?」
「If I had to say, I lean more towards liberal arts, though I don’t particularly like it. If I had to say, the professor…」
「The professor is interesting? What are they like?」
They understand my aversion to people.
What happened with my family, the stalker incident, my treatment at school. Everything from the past accumulated and, before I knew it, I was unconsciously trying to avoid interacting with other people.
Asahina-san also understands my past.
Seeing me talk about “other people”, it seems like that caught Asahina-san’s attention. She excitedly comes closer, her eyes sparkling as she urges me to speak.
「He’s this super old man. When we’re in the listening part of class, he’ll mumble and drone on, making it impossible to make out what he’s saying, but listening to it is fun」
「That was completely different from what I was expecting…」
Sorry. Still, it really is funny.
He’s so frail that a nudge would cause him to fall over, and his persistent trembling brings it about, just by watching him.
「T-then, how about… friends?」
「I still haven’t made even a single one. Even though its still just spring of my junior year, I don’t think I’ll be able to make any friends… Somehow, it seems like there are strange rumors spreading throughout the student body」
「Rumors? What sort?」
Asahina-san’s atmosphere stiffens up.
Her clear eyes seem as though they can see through me, and I can somewhat sense a low pitched grumble mixed in.
「Stuff like I’m seducing the male students, or that my having recently become a bit luxurious is due to compensated dating. And so on and so forth. Just completely groundless stories」
「What’s with that? Isn’t that just cruel, saying such things without even knowing you, Azusa-chan!」
Sure enough, Asahina-san raised her voice and got angry for my sake.
While trying to calm her down, I tell her that I don’t particularly care about it.
「Since the stalker case, many male students gathered around me. Perhaps they were expecting something, by trying to soothe my wounded heart」
「What disgusting men」
Expressing such strait disdain, I give a wry smile.
「Even so, having someone by my side did, in fact, allow me some relief. That’s why I didn’t strongly refuse them and had them around. Well… after a bit, they might have realized that I didn’t hold any romantic feelings toward them, causing them to lose interest in me」
Rather, thinking that those boys who were aiming for that “chance” would later complain about me behind my back is slightly saddening.
Now, I don’t particularly mind, but at that time… I was certainly hurt.
「Do you remember those brats’ names and faces? I’ll crush them all」
She says so with a bright tone, which makes it unnecessarily frightening.
「I’ve already forgotten. I don’t care about what happens with them. And, Asahina-san, please don’t do dangerous things for the likes of me」
「Nng…」
Even if you show me such an unsatisfied look, I won’t give you permission.
A single word from me having the power to ruin several people, or such is just outright scary.
「However, compensated dating… I don’t want them to put my tribute to you together with such a vulgar act」
「I was on the cusp of doing so, so I can’t really complain. Perhaps deriving from the rumors, I was called a woman that would shake her hips for money, and I did indeed receive requests for that from several male students」
Being called out to after school, then suddenly being confronted with money seriously surprised me.
I did refuse, though.
「…Their names and faces」
「I won’t tell you」
Come on, drop that smile, alright?
「Hah, I don’t care about what sort of rumors are floating around about me. I’ve already given up on making even a single friend, and a part of this is my own fault, so that only leaves me to give up」
「Azusa-chan, are you really okay with that? Isn’t it sad to just give up?」
「No, I’m fine with it」
Living alone, without anyone ever extending me a hand— I probably couldn’t have dealt with it.
But, now is different.
There is someone who reached out to me. Someone who adores me. Someone who protects me. Someone who calls out to me. Even if that wasn’t a friend, what I wished for hasn’t changed.
「Asahina-san is with me. Just that, is enough for me」
(TL note: Some heavy topics came up in this chapter~… If some of this chapter seem odd, that’s because you can emit the subject from a sentence (and only imply who the subject is), which makes reading and comprehending it tricky. (Hopefully) I got most of the subjects correct, but there are some that I’m not confident about…
Anyway, don’t forget to go and support the author~!
There’s still more to this Thanksgiving batch release, so stay tuned for more~!)
Souzoukai Imagination 
thanks for the chapter
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