Skill Kasegi 4

After School

After the next two hours of classes, I was on my way to the staff room with a large stack of notebooks.

The reason why I had to go to the staff room was because I had the misfortune to be appointed as a notebook collector during an unannounced notebook inspection for the sixth period Science class.

The reason why I was appointed was quite simple: I was falling asleep in class.

I had been assigned to collect notes without knowing anything, it seems such are the sanctions for students who fell asleep during class.

”But that was close. Afterall, I didn’t take any note at all.”

This must be another tricks of the teacher.

If you give a warning before, students who don’t usually take notes will rush to their friends to copy them.

I was completely defeated by the teacher who dared to go unannounced in order to prevent that from happening.

Thanks to this, I had to turn in my notes with some parts are filled with gaps — missing.

”Well, it’s my fault for sleeping, so I’ll honestly listen to teacher’s anger…”

Just as I made up my mind, I bumped shoulders with a student who was running down the hallway without looking ahead.

As a result, the notebook fell down the hallway with a clattering sound, and the student who bumped into it said only, “Sorry,” and left the place.

All that was left was the notebooks strewn about the hallway and pure anger.

”Ha, it’s not even my fault, why the heck…?”

That time when I was almost crushed by misery——

”Oh, Asaumi-kun, are you okay? I’ll help you.

When I looked up, I saw Kotoka Tsukinoto, a beautiful girl in my class (according to me).

—–Tsu, Tsukinotoooooo!?

I was so surprised that a voice almost leaked out of my mouth.

No matter how much I rub my eyes, the person in front of me is Tsukinoto herself.

For her to talk to me like this is unbelievable, might that be, today is my lucky day?

The anger I had felt earlier had vanished completely, rather I felt a natural sense of gratitude that I wanted to thank the student who bumped me.

”This is going to the staff room, right? I’ll help you if you want! I feel sorry if Asaumi goes alone…”

”No, no, no, I appreciate the sentiment, but I feel bad for Tsukinoto!”

”I’m totally fine! It’s my intention to help.”

Tsukinoto, what a good girl you are. ……

She’s cute, she’s kind, she’s the best! No, In fact she’s the best so I’m not mistaken.

Cute, kind and also clumsy—I wonder if there is any girl other than Kotoka that has more cute elements than this. [1]

”No, definitely there isn’t any!”

”Whoa! You startled me! What’s wrong with you all of a sudden, were you thinking about something?”

Perhaps it was the height difference, but Kotoka looked at me as if she was peering into my face.

The only way here is to lie and deceive for the right reasons.

I can’t even say that I’ve been thinking a lot about the cute factor of Kotoka—-

”Oh, yeah, um, ……, well, you know, it’s kind of like …….”

Oh man, I’m so much more upset than I thought I would be that I can’t think of anything to say.

After a while of panicking like that, Kotoka smiles lightly and opens her lips.

”I had an image of you as a calm and collected person, but I guess you’re not so calm and collected. I’m glad to see a side of you I didn’t expect to see.”

”D-don’t make fun of me…, I’m just a little nervous because it’s my first time talking to Tsukinoto.”

”I see. Even Asaumi-kun get nervous, huh?”

”Well, yeah….”

Without saying ‘I’m nervous because I’m conscious of Tsukinoto!’, I silently affirmed without saying anything more.

If I open my mouth, I’m sure I’m going to say something unnecessary.

Still, I’m sure it’s not my imagination that I felt the sound of destruction of my “calm and collected” image that she has built up—–

”By the way, Asaumi-kun, you did a great job in the PE class “Spirit Arts”! I was wondering how you could move so agilely. Do you have any tricks?”

”Oh, there’s a trick or two I’m aware of——“

I narrated what seemed like a boring story for girls to her for like forever until we got to the staff room, but Kotoka listened to me with a big smile on her face the whole time.

There are only a few girls who would be happy to join you and laugh at a topic that you could get tired of hearing about, more so in the middle of the day.

From that point of view, I really thought that the schoolgirl named Kotoka Tsukinoto had a clear heart, and from the middle of the day she looked like an angel with a pure white aura.

”Excuse me, is Odagiri-sensei here?”

I opened the door to the staff room and checked with the nearby teacher to see if Ms. Ruriko Odagiri, the teacher in charge of “Science” was in the room.

Then a teacher called Odagiri-sensei with sound that echoes to the back of the room, the called teacher come all the way here while replying with a light voice saying “Ye~s”.

”Class A’s notebook right! Thanks for collecting the notebooks, Thanks~”

”No problem, it’s not that big of a job.”

Ruriko Odagiri— a “science” teacher who wears a white lab coat and has light blue hair in a ponytail, and whose calm atmosphere is very popular among male students.

Well, she herself doesn’t seem to know anything about it.

”Oh, you helped too, Tsukinoto? Thanks for coming all this way.”

”No, no, if you need my help, feel free to ask me anytime.”

We bowed lightly to Odagiri-sensei and left the staff room.

Now that I’ve completed all the things I need to do after school, my happy talk time with Kotoka is over.

I was filled with a sense of regret, but I thought It was similar to being been given a good dream, so at the end, let’s part and say goodbye cheerfully.

Pushing down my disappointment, I speak to Kotoka in a cheerful voice.

”Thanks for today, Tsukinoto! I’m helped. Be careful on the way——.”

”Wait, wait a moment….!”

As I was about to say goodbye, I was interrupted by Kotoka, who had a thoughtful expression on her face.

I wondered what was wrong with her face, but when I looked at her, I noticed that her cheeks had turned slightly red.

I wonder if that was because the setting sun, or there is another reason—–

”Tsukinoto……?”

I was enticed by Kotoka’s too nervous expression, and it seems that I if she didn’t squeeze it out, her voice won’t come out.

So I called out her name in a slightly hushed voice, but there was no response.

What the hell is wrong with Kotoka?

I wondered if I had done something without knowing it, but I thought about it in my head, but I didn’t remember anything at all.

”Oh, um! That ……!”

As if the decision to speak had been made in her mind, Kotoka, who had been silent until now, spoke her thoughts while turning red to the tips of her ears.

”I, I-I-If you want, will you go home with me?”

”…… huh?”

For a moment, I didn’t understand what was said.

willyugohomwitme? Is that some kind of local greeting?

But it’s not natural to use a greeting that you don’t even know if it will work. Is it possible that the intonation is different?

I changed my intonation and started to chant the words that Kotoka had released again: ——

—— willyugohomwitme …… willyugo home with me ……Will you go home with me? …… What?

From the basic words to the detailed words I had in my head, the words Kotoka said matched perfectly without a hitch.

Might that be Kotoka likes me? …… Wait, wait. Let’s take a moment to calm down.

Be calm and collected, “upset” should have been words that I had no connection with—— but I couldn’t hide my upset at all.

”W, w-w-why with me!?”

”Um, even if you say why, it’s ……… eh, sorry! Forget about earlieeeer!!!!”

”Ah, Tsukinoto!”

Kotoka, her face dyed bright red, runs past me at full speed in the opposite direction I’m walking.

I was left alone in the middle of the hallway, crushed by regret.

Why didn’t I just accept the offer?

I wonder why I said something unnecessary.

Because of the confusion and unable make a calm decision, I threw away a second chance with my own hands.

Maybe we could have gone home together. ——

”—— Oh, Come to think of it, I promised to go home with Hiyomi……”

Either way, I didn’t get to go home together with Kotoka today.

Just thinking about it made my sinking heart feel a little lighter.

I went back to get my bag, which I had left in the class, and immediately headed for the school gate where Hiyomi was waiting.

Then there was a crowd of men in front of the school gate.

The girl in the middle of the crowd is the very girl who made an appointment with me earlier this morning——

—–Well, it’s always the same scene……

Ever since she was a little girl, Hiyomi has often been picked on by men, and I’ve always gotten rid of them.

I’m sure Hiyomi thinks I’m going to do something about it, like I always do, and she’s looking blankly into the distance, even though she’s being picked on.

It’s as if the pick-up crowd is invisible.——

——Even so, it’s amazing that she doesn’t budge at all. Also, they’re quite amazing, picking up girls in the school.

In time, some of the teachers would arrive on the scene.

But why should I have to waste my precious time to wait?

The next thing I knew, I was approaching the crowds that flocked to Hiyomi.

Then, Hiyomi noticed me and came up to me, cutting through the crowd.

Seriously, she’s really unconcerned.

”I’ve been waiting, Nii-san! Let’s hurry go on a date!”

”Rather than a date, isn’t it just a shopping trip….”

”Isn’t that called a date?”

”Well, maybe it is called a date. ……”

So, as I was about to pass through the school gate while having the usual brother-sister talk, as expected, a group of pick-up people blocked my way.

As expected, it would turn this way.

”Hey, man, you think you can get away with snatching people’s women for free?”

The man who seems to be the main suspect approaches my face as if intimidating me, but what? Is he trying to intimidate you with that? Honestly, I’m not scared at all. ……

Rather than that, I wanted to make sure of one thing.

”Hiyomi, is this your man? Onii-chan can’t allow his cute little sister to date a yankee.” [2]

”Again with that~ of course not! I’m all about Nii-san!”

Hiyomi laughs and replies as if saying “It’s a joke right~”

”So she said, by any chance, aren’t you guys just picking up girls? Don’t go any further, it’s unsightly.”

I thought I said it quite gently so as not to hurt the pride of the rejected pick-up people, but for some reason they opened their mouths agitatedly, pointing at us.

”You guys are either a brocon or a siscon! I’m talking about which one is more disgusting!”

”You don’t know that blood siblings can’t get married, do you?”

I had suspicion that in order to be heard by the students leaving school, the pick-up people utter their abusive words in a loud voice.

Did I ever tell these guys that Hiyomi and I are blood-related siblings?

They must have assumed that we’re blood-related siblings because we had the same hair color.

If that’s the case, then these guys who can only speak with uncertain information are as genuine idiots as they appear to be.

Well, we’re actually siblings, though.

Normally, It’s not worth arguing with their speculation, but their persistent involvement is honestly annoying.

So I let out one big sigh and told them while giving a pitiful look.

”I can’t believe you can only look at siblings like that, You guys must have grown up in an environment without any love… poor thing… It’s okay, I’m sure even a girl will be able to love you guys… That is, if such girl exists.”

Oh no, I couldn’t hold in my laughter any longer, so I felt like I was really agitating towards the last part.

But, well, I didn’t say anything wrong, so I guess it’s nothing to worry about.

Then the pick-up people twitched the corners of their eyes and stared at me with an even more insane look in his eyes.

Well, of course things would turn out like this.

”Aah? What the hell this crazy siscon blabbering about? I’ll kill you.”

”Kill me? I don’t really care if you try to kill me, but I don’t think you can ever kill me, though?”

”You siscon basta**! I’ll really kill you!”

With that enthusiasm, the pick-up people at the front do his best to hit me——but, it’s too late.

I’m sure it’s partly because I’ve used “Physical Enhancement”, but it looked about a quarter slower than Kanato’s movements.

Is it because, unlike the gymnasium, there are no restrictions placed on the Life Core?

However, it seems that side also using the Life Core to do something to his body…. but I don’t know what’s that.

”Hiyomi, stay close to me, OK?”

”Ye~s”

Hiyomi replied in a sloppy voice.

She’s in a state where she didn’t care about them anymore and wanted to go shopping as soon as possible.

Then there would be no need to hold back.

The next thing I know, I’ve caught the enemy as they come punching me. I grab his arm and tried to throw him off——

”Ha! You’re moving too slow! Now die!”

Immediately, the man embodied flames from his entire body, showering me mercilessly.

In that one frightening moment, his plan to take Hiyomi away is seen through.

Thanks to the “spirits absorption” beforehand, I was able to avoid being burned, and through “Physical Enhancement” I was able to effortlessly grab his naked arm and throw it towards the pick-up crowd.

He let out a cry of pain from the excruciating pain. The man raised his anger to the highest level, looked at me with hatred and said,

”Fu*k! Don’t look down on me, Kora! Fight fair and square!”

”What? I was taking it seriously, but you’re the one who lost, no matter how you look at it. Blaming others for your loss is not praiseworthy~”

”Not praiseworthy~”

For some reason, Lady Hiyomi repeats what I said. [3]

Perhaps this foolishness upset them, but the pickup group, as if to avenge the man who had been hit, began firing a barrage of various attribute bullets at us–of course they use the “Life Core”.

Don’t these people ever learn?

I just stood there and nullified all the random attacks with “Spirit Absorption”.

And then, from there——

”Koraa! I got a report from a student, what the hell are you guys doing!”

As soon as Tayama-sensei, my homeroom teacher, came running up here with an angry look, the pick-up people stopped their attacks and ran away in a panic, as if fleeing from a demon.

If you’re that afraid of teachers, why did you pick up girls on school?

”Are you okay? Asaumi……–though I’m sure you’ll be fine!”

Please don’t say anything without checking the condition of the students…..

Well, the truth is that I’m unharmed, so Tayama-sensei is right.

”More importantly, I got a report that those guys are picking up a school girl, could that girl be the victim?”

”Yes, that’s right. This is my sister, Hiyomi.”

”Um, my name is Hiyomi Asaumi. Thank you for always taking care of my brother.”

Hiyomi looks nervous and bows to him.

Apparently, she was more nervous talking to Tayama-sensei than being picked up by the pick-up people.

”You’re a good well-mannered girl! Why don’t you learn a little from her, Asaumi?”

”I, I’m also able speak polite like that…… For that matter, am I going to be punished now?” (Shinya)

It was only natural that I should be punished for acting to such extent in the school area.

But when Tayama-sensei heard what I said, he just made a dumb face and didn’t take me to the student guidance room.

On the contrary, he stood there in a daze.

”S-sensei? Is something wrong?”

”O, oh, I’m sorry, I was just taken aback by how foolish your statement are.”

”I don’t think I said anything that ridiculous…. Does that mean you’re not going to punish me?”

”Of course not, after all—–“

Tayama-sensei spelled out the words while giving Hiyomi the most refreshing smile I had ever seen.

”——As a brother, you fought to protect your sister, didn’t you? If so, is there anything to complain about?”

It’s true that I chose to fight to protect Hiyomi without hesitation, but I still disrupted the order of the school.

I’d like to atone for my sins in some way, but if I can’t be punished, then I guess I’ll just have to be grateful.

Suppressing the contradiction that was brewing inside me, I decided to accept the teacher’s words with gratitude.

”Thank you, Sensei. I have to go with Hiyomi now, so if you’ll excuse me.”

”Oh, you’re free to do whatever you want after school, but just don’t get in trouble, okay?”

”I understand, then we’ll take our leave.” [4]

I bowed lightly to Tayama-sensei, and Hiyomi also bowed as if she was imitating me.

Then, with Tayama-sensei watching over us, we stepped out into the orange-tinted city.

Author’s Note :

–

Translator’s Note :

[1] Her full name is Kotoka Tsukinoto — and as you can guess, Tsukinoto is her family name. The MC’s monologue sometimes uses her given name, but when he speaks, he always uses the family name.

[2] yankee is something like a delinquent, it has quite a bad image. Also onii-chan is big brother or elder brother if you want…

[3] Original text is Hiyomi-jou. Well, I think it’s equivalent to Lady Hiyomi

[4] It’s hard to show this but Shinya has been speaking politely (typically ends with desu or masu) since he was urged by the teacher to do so. (Usually he speaks normally, without -desu or -masu, but not to the point of rude.)