Kenkyo, Kenjitsu o Motto ni Ikite Orimasu

──It appears that for a moment I may have lost myself…
How scary. I hope that was not possession.
Thank goodness I regained my sanity before delving into the world of onmyou and dark magic.

*

*

Now then. If I wanted to look reality in the eyes, then I needed a suitable advisor.
When I left the room for some reason Otousama was standing silently right outside my door. Scary! What was he trying to accomplish by invading outside his daughter’s room like this.

“Did you need something, Otousama?”

“…Reika-chan, did something happen? You can talk to Otousama about it. Otousama would do anything for you, you know? Come! Voice your worries to me!”

“Hah?”

What was all this, all of a sudden? Was he in shock because I rejected those cakes?
I didn’t quite understand but right now I was busy, so sorry, but I rejected him and headed for the living room. The tanuki called “Reika~ Reika~” from behind me. Ugh, that was actually really scary… Wasn’t Otousama the one with worries here?

Okaasama was drinking tea in the living room.

“Reika-san, please be quiet indoors. I heard something like a wild animal.”

“Ah, my apologies.”

So they heard the scream of my soul.

Is that why Otousama was trying to peep on me? In that case sorry. Don’t worry. I just accidentally tapped into my demonic side for a bit.

I saw down besides Okaasama.

“Say, Okaasama. Have I gotten fatter?”

Having thought about it for a while, I realised the only person I could ask in this household was Okaasama. Otousama was sweet on me and he was tubby himself, so no way would he called me fat. Oniisama on the other hand was a gentleman, so he definitely wouldn’t be clear with me either. In the end I could only ask a fellow woman like Okaasama if I wanted it to be given to be straight.

When Okaasama heard my words, her eyes widened. Then after a moment, she nodded quietly. I knew it!

“So you’ve noticed as well, Reika-san…”

“Okaasama! Why did you not tell me earlier!”

Isn’t a parent supposed to be strict sometimes for their children’s sake!?

“I’m sorry. Okaasama just couldn’t say it…”

“Okaamsama…”

I suppose as the mother to a girl at a delicate age, there were just some things hard to say.

“When did you notice, Okaasama?”

“Let’s see. I suppose for one or two months now…”

“I see…”

The other day we went to a hotel lunch buffet at Mao-chan’s request too. I shouldn’t have done something stupid like trying to conquer all of the desserts…

“But you know, Reika-san, I have some terrific news for you!”

Suddenly Okaasama looked really happy as she handed me an envelope.

I looked inside and there was a pamphlet for a detox course, run by the Kaburagi Group’s hotel.

“This is…”

“Remember that fasting course we went on last year? They invited us this year too. But it’s a detox instead this time. Apparently we’ll go to health salons, eat macrobiotic foods, and exercise. So, Reika-san, come with Okaasama?”

“Okaasama…”

…Okaasama, this was premeditated wasn’t it?
While I was getting fat, the reason you didn’t say anything was because you wanted me to go on this course with you, wasn’t it? It’s because you didn’t want to go by yourself, Okaasama!
You fiend! There was a real fiend in this room!

“To be blunt, I do not think I could burn off my fat with such a mild course.”

I was annoyed at Okaasama, so I refused. For her own purposes, she sat by and watched her daughter grow fat.
Okaasama begged me in panic.

“Reika-san! Please, come with me? If you hadn’t been there last year Okaasama wouldn’t have been able to bear it. Please? Please, Reika-san!”

“No.”

I turned my head away.

“Mrs. Kaburagi said she wanted you to come too. She told me during that last party. You’ll come, won’t you, Reika-san?”

“Ehhh~”

Now that she had brought up Kaburagi’s mum there was even more reason to refuse. Okaasama started pointing out stuff in the brochures like ‘developing a body that gains less fat’ and ‘natural-style cooking’ and stuff but I was having none of it.
Irritated by my complete refusal, Okaasama changed her tune.

“Then are you saying you want to be this fat forever, Reika-san! It’s summer! The season where you wear less clothing! Are you going to pass summer with that thick waist of yours!”

“Oww! Okaasama, that hurts!”

Okaasama was pulling at my midsection with both hands. Oww!

“You must come, Reika-san! I won’t accept a refusal!”

She was getting angry at me now!? The victim!? People often said that guilty people would try to hide their sins with anger. Okaasama was the very picture of that.

Having lost to her intensity, I trudged back to my room. I didn’t wanna go…

The spirit of my hatred was still lying around in my room, so I gave it a small pyre as a funeral.

*

*

On Monday morning I was putting my shoes away at school when Ririna came up to me and pointed right at my face.

“Reika-san, you’ve gotten fat!”

A moment later, Minami-kun and companions had taken her away. That idiot came up to me first thing in the morning to say that?

Should I punch her…?

*

The summer holiday was coming soon, so Class Rep and I were collecting the printouts for that. When we headed to the Student Council room, Fellow Stalking Horse was there.

Come to think of it, the summer break would be when the Student Council members passed their roles over, wasn’t it. I guess that made Fellow Stalking Horse the next President after all.

“Kisshouin-san, could you take this half?”

“Okaaay.”

He may have said ‘half’, but the ratio was actually 3 to 2 his way. He might have been a maiden in his heart, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t also a gentleman.
After we made sure we had them all, the two of us were about to leave when Stalking Horse called out to stop me.

“Did you need something?” I asked.

“…I’m sorry for the bias I showed you back then.”

“Pardon?”

What was this?

“Tomoe-senpai also told me off for having preconceived notions of you.”

“Eh-, Tomoe-senpai did!?”

What’s this? What’s about Tomoe-senpai now!? I want to hear it! Tell me about Tomoe-senpai!

“The other day I met with him, and you came up in conversation. That was when he scolded me…”

Ehhh~!? Stalking Horse met with Tomoe-senpai!? Sneaky! I wanted to meet him too!

“If you have any complaints about what I’ve done, I’m willing to hear them.”

“I have no complaints against you in particular, Mizusaki-kun.”

Mm. I just wanted to know how Tomoe-senpai was doing. I have nothing to say to you, Comrade. I suppose if I really had to say something, I’d be telling you to actually do your job as the village vice-chief. Don’t think you can graduate from this village before I do!

Obviously I couldn’t actually say this, so I left the room even as he looked dissatisfied.

“Kisshouin-san, did something happen between you two?”

“Who knows. I cannot say I quite understand it myself… Nothing bad happened though, so pay no mind.”

“That makes sense.”

After that he talked about his love life until we reached the classroom.

“Apparently Honda-san is going to be doing the summer vacation remedials, so I’m thinking about doing them doo.”

I was listening to him talk when a while later Iwamuro-kun came down in the other direction.

“Master! Let me carry those!”

And so even though we were in different classes, he ended up carrying them for me.

“Also, I have something I want your advice on, Master…”

Advice for Iwamuro-kun… I bet it was about avoiding tanning for the summer.

In the hallway with our classrooms I saw Miharu-chan and Nonose-san talking merrily to each other. When Class Rep saw them, he turned into a maiden.

I think the two of them liked the fantasy genre. I overheard them speaking about it a lot. By “mercenary” did that mean they were reading a war novel at the moment?