Sasaki And Miyano: First Year Students

Translator: humu

“Well, aren’t you a rare one?”

Oh, I just laughed.

No, this line seemed to be also something offensive to say. I thought he belonged to the serious type, but maybe he jokes around more than I thought.

“Really?”

“You wanna hear more? Well, I don’t have that kind of energy today, but when things settle down…”

I chuckled at Kuresawa’s joke.

“I’m gonna be thinking of something else1, so please refrain from saying that.”

“…….Hm?”

Kuresawa raised his eyebrow.

Rather than taking offense, I had a hunch that his reaction was as if he had caught onto something. So I hurriedly waved my hand in panic.

“Oh, no, it’s nothing. But like the nurse said, you should stop by the hospital today just in case.”

It was not uncommon for a person to be able to move around without much pain, but actually had a crack in his bone.

I was told that his internal organs were probably fine, but I was also told by the nurse to be extra careful since he couldn’t conduct a comprehensive examination of Kuresawa in the infirmary.

“Yeah, you’re right. Although it’s a hassle to have to take a break from PE until I recover…….”

“Do you like PE?”

“I’m not very good at it.” Kuresawa said with a frown, “I’m not that good at it, so I don’t want my absence to affect my grades.”

Oh, I nodded. It was a concern typical of Kuresawa, who seemed to have no connection to a lazy attitude.

“Well, it’s almost summer vacation, and even if you can’t do the practical skills, the overall evaluation will be less affected if the theory test for PE is included. I’ll ask the teacher if there’s any way to make it easier for you tomorrow during lunchtime. I think it would be easier to talk about the situation with the disciplinary committee.”

The physical education class was swimming. I had just finished the final exam, but have yet to finish the practical test. The assessment should include the actual swimming.

It was going to be tough for him to attend the class with his injury. I wonder if they would evaluate him for what he had attended for so far.

I was under the impression that if I got in trouble, I’d be suspended from school. However, I had a soft spot for helping victims of violence.

I thought I had taken a clear stance as an ally when I was questioned in the disciplinary room, but I still didn’t feel at ease. 

In high school, each class was much more independent than in junior high. If I didn’t report my situation, it might not even get through to the PE teacher.

“Miyano…… You’re a good guy. I mean it, really, thank you for helping me.”

“No, I’m sorry if I can’t be of help to you.”

If you get your hopes up and it didn’t work out, I may end up getting you in trouble.

When I hurriedly insisted, Kuresawa chuckled, “Don’t apologize.”

* * *

“Hey, Miyano. What’s the opposite of a seme (an attacker)?”

During the lunch break, I was preparing to move class for another lesson when Kuresawa suddenly asked me a question that made me feel as if my heart would stop beating.

“Wait a minute, why are you asking me that question?”

Did you make a mistake? I have no idea. I couldn’t tell.

I felt like I was in too much of a panic to say anything else, so I glanced around our surroundings.

“The fact that you’re flustered by this question means that Miyano, you ……”

“Wait. Let’s talk somewhere quiet.”

I pulled Kuresawa’s arm as he continued to speak as if it was nothing and moved to the corner of the classroom. Everyone was starting to leave, so it was more dangerous to go out into the hallway.

“I’m cool with that.”

“……So, what’s with the sudden question?”

Even though I intentionally kept my voice low, Kuresawa didn’t bother to lower his volume.

“My girlfriend told me that if you know BL, you’ll reply with uke.”

“The opposite of an attacker is…… a defender.”

“That answer sounds like you’re trying to fix things after you got caught off guard.”

I couldn’t even think of an excuse. In general, I think of defender and attacker when asked. Yes, I should. No doubt about it.

I used to be a normal person not too long ago, so I should have known better. Change was scary. It was so tiring to always be conscious of these things. I couldn’t go back to the person I was before I knew about BL.

I liked it and it brought me fun and enjoyment, but that’s about it.

“By the looks of it, it must be true.”

Kurezawa nodded admiringly and urged me to move on, saying that the bell was about to ring.

It was a conversation that took place a few days after the incident.

The culprit remained unknown and the case went unresolved. Other than Kuresawa observing the physical education class, there were no other changes.

Kuresawa and I have been talking a lot, even without the ‘interviews’. I think we were considered to be best friends in class. It was easy to get closer when you’re in the same classroom―― Of course, above all, we had something in common.

BL.

I wasn’t exactly hiding the fact that I liked BL, but I wasn’t exactly talking about it either. So, I was surprised to be exposed. Kurezawa’s girlfriend also liked BL. From the way I reacted during our conversation, he thought that it might be possible (for me to like BL too) and probed me.

“… Kuresawa, your girlfriend is a fujoshi.”

I didn’t have to be told to know that I’m a man. Kuresawa seemed to be unbiased, but to me, it was a hobby which I couldn’t share with anyone, not even those close to me. No matter what I did, I still felt nervous.

I reflexively adopted a stiff attitude, but Kuresawa brushed it off.

“If you want to meet her, I have a condition. You must keep your hands to yourself.”

I could tell he was amused by my astounding response, and I couldn’t help but cringe.

I understood that he was the type of person who liked to observe people’s reactions. 

He was a person with a good personality.

“What are you talking about? I’m obviously not going to come out to someone else’s girlfriend.”

“Hahaha”

Anyway, now that I didn’t have to gloss over the topic anymore, my shoulders relaxed.

As I joked with Kuresawa with a composed expression, it felt like we had been talking for a long time. I was glad that he seemed to be okay with knowing about my hobby that was exposed.

I was worried about the case. I wasn’t sure if we were going to enter summer vacation with no progress on it.

Just as I was about to give up, something happened.

***

It was lunch break the following week.

In the back of the school building, where the first-year classrooms were at, there was a commotion going on.

I heard a piercing cry and the dull sound of something hitting against another. When I peeked out the window after hearing such noise, the only person there was Sasaki-senpai.

There was not much I could do when I saw him crouched down while holding his stomach in pain. “If the school catches me fighting, I’m gonna need to write a letter of reflection.”

Thus, he wanted to hide it from Hirano-senpai. I was afraid to call for help. All I could do was to give him an adhesive bandage that Kuresawa had with him.

Could it be because of what happened the other day? I thought about it briefly, but judging from Sasaki-senpai’s words, it seemed that he got into fights often.

I couldn’t be insistent and meddle with his affairs, so all I could do was to remind him to visit the infirmary later.

Sasaki-senpai, who was probably hurting from his injuries, made some weird jokes about me being cute and wanting to go out with me. I wondered if he’s actually a frivolous person. But I’m a guy and didn’t believe that such a BL-only situation would happen to me.

While wondering what that was all about, I left the place when I heard my homeroom teacher calling me back to class. 

***

It was the next day when I found out the truth of the matter.

It was after Hirano-senpai had explained the situation to me in the disciplinary room.

After meeting Sasaki-senpai, he returned to the classroom. Hirano-senpai asked him about his injuries and Sasaki-senpai told him that he had been attacked by a group of people. After school, even though it was not a committee meeting day, another round of questioning was immediately scheduled to take place.

The people who attacked Sasaki-senpai were the same people who assaulted Kuresawa. Sasaki-senpai didn’t lay a hand on them at all and was left to be beaten. The previous time and this time too.

In other words, Sasaki-senpai took the brunt of the retaliation.

As I listened to Hirano-senpai’s explanation, I was stunned.

Why did I assume that it was a fight? Sasaki-senpai was kind enough to try to stop the assault as he walked by. He had a calm demeanor and was far from being short-tempered.

In the incident where Kuresawa was attacked by the assailant who was not found yet, Sasaki-senpai, who intervened then, had been unilaterally injured. How could I have not noticed that?

I should have forced him to go to the infirmary instead of just mentioning it casually.

Why did they fight so often, I wondered.

While I was brooding over it, the discussion went on.

Hirano-senpai, a friend of Sasaki-senpai and also a member of the disciplinary committee, was working hard to identify the culprit. But even Hanzawa-senpai, the vice-chairman who always seemed to be in a good mood and had a laid-back attitude, seemed to be very angry about the incident.

Some of their frustration seemed to be due to Sasaki-senpai’s attempt to cover up the one-sided assault by brushing it off as a “fight”.

Hirano-senpai’s comment about him was, “He’s such a pain in the ass.” It hurts when I think of Sasaki-senpai who intended to let the assault go by unnoticed if he wasn’t questioned.

――Why was that?

***

Yesterday’s committee activities were naturally devoted to the case.

I was assigned to go around looking for witnesses during my lunch break today.

The position where we had lunch was generally fixed, so we would solicit information from witnesses from groups eating on nearby benches or from students walking in the vicinity at around the same time. The investigation had narrowed down to the fact that he was a first year student. This time, Sasaki-senpai had remembered most of the assailant’s features, so our task was almost like solidifying circumstantial evidence.

And as a witness to the previous incident, Kuresawa was called in again. It was for the purpose of ascertaining the incident.

The fact that Kuresawa had obtained a medical certificate for his injuries would also work in his favor.

“Miyano. Did you know that Sasaki-senpai was attacked?”

Kuresawa asked me in a whisper as I entered the classroom after lunch break.

I gave a small nod.

“……Yeah. I’m sure Kuresawa has been notified, but I want you to drop by the disciplinary room again after school today.”

At lunchtime two days ago, I knew that Sasaki-senpai was injured, but I didn’t tell Kuresawa what had happened.

At that time, I only asked Kuresawa if he had any bandages, saying that someone I knew was a little injured. I didn’t tell him that the “a little injured” person was sitting behind the school building.

“Oh. I heard about it. It’s…… my fault.”

“It’s not Kuresawa’s fault.”

As I was saying this, I thought about Sasaki-senpai.

A reliable back that protects his juniors. He was blessed with a great physique, but had a seriousness that never let himself be taken advantage of or took advantage of others. 

And yet, I wondered if he was being indifferent to himself, or if Hirano-senpai was right and he was just being troublesome.

――I couldn’t understand that man.

Even right after the beating, he was laughing at me, asking me to go out with him. I didn’t know why. He looked like he was having fun, so I just assumed that it was no big deal.

“Why is Miyano looking so down?”

Was it written on my face?

“……I was near the scene and I even talked to senpai at the time. But I didn’t notice it, and today, Hirano-senpai told me about it……. If I had noticed it then, I could have called the teacher right away and found the culprit. But…”

When I recalled it, I almost choked on my breath with regret.

“How was senpai at that time?”

“How? He was laughing…… normally.”

“Then he probably didn’t want to make it a big deal and be treated so seriously. Perhaps he didn’t want to show others that side of him as a senior.”

“Yeah, but…”

“Case closed, right?”

I nodded at Kuresawa’s words. That’s right. Nothing would change if you keep wallowing in regrets.

If this continued, something might happen to Kuresawa, and I didn’t want to keep relying on him. As a member of the disciplinary committee, there were things I could do.

ーー Sasaki-senpai.

He smiled happily.

I want him to keep smiling.

Even though I didn’t know him well yet, I wished that much for him.

ーーDo you want to go out with me?

It was still too soon for me to know that he wasn’t kidding when he spoke of such words.
T/N: alrighty, see you all in chapter 3!