Vol. 1 Chapter 13: Rival

Posted on August 5, 2022by ynlucca

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.

“Mhm, I forgive you.”

I figured she was probably looking for these words. Her jaw dropped to the floor and her eyes shot open while a drop of sweat, helpless, trailed down her forehead.

“Uh… You, forgive me?”

“Of course. I’m sorry for being rough with you then. Really.”

“No, that’s totally, um, fine. I’ve hurled horrible words at you, Yuta-kun…”

As far as I can tell from her apology, she really didn’t mean any harm when cursing me out. It all stemmed from my reaction anyway. I didn’t yap a word when she began insulting me and just put on a forced smile. There was nothing wrong with interpreting my reactions as acceptance.

This is great. We both realized what we did wrong—her insults and my inability to speak up—and we can talk normally again. I felt rewarded to know my words reached her, and the spiraling negativity I felt for her slowly dissipated.

She also seems to be more out of shape than before, which is understandable. Rather, it’s no wonder; she’s been slandered by countless strangers, both online and in real life. What she went through was far too much for a mere high-schooler. Life’s already given her more than enough.

“I guess I could’ve said something back then, like ‘don’t do it’ or ‘I don’t like it’. Doesn’t that mean we both have a share in the blame?”

“… Okay. Thank you very much.”

She clasped her hands right in front of her chest, looking up at me with a glistening starry night for eyes. Just from that look alone, I know the amount of courage it took for her to come up to me.

“Realizing the knowledge you’ve always had is painful and emotionally hard. Common sense isn’t something you can just change at a whim.”

“Yeah… Sorry for not noticing it earlier.”

“I know what it’s like. I’ve been there.”

She had zero experience with men, which meant obvious things just whizzed past her head. How to make guys happy being one of them. The act of insulting another was imprinted on her, much like a baby bird thinks the first creature it sees is its parent.

Of course, in this day and age, we can obtain any amount of useful information through the Internet. However, while it is useful for math and formulas, it isn’t for etiquette and common sense, both things people just know, and love, a subject complicated and volatile.

Giving a game to someone who doesn’t play any won’t make them happy. In the same sense, there was knowledge she just couldn’t get from her work environment. In this light, it can be said her recognition of patterns and her ability to try and incorporate the opinions around her was the correct way to do things.

Even if you’re lucky enough to realize your mistakes, it was extremely difficult to own up to them and accept you were wrong. I, too, knew deep in my heart that unconditional affirmation of others wasn’t kindness, but I couldn’t immediately deny these pillars that were built in the wells of my mind.

Perhaps she felt my empathy, seeing as her queasiness subsided. She then grabbed my hand while saying something with that calm-as-a-lake voice.

“I, I can’t say I like you now, but I’ll try my best to make sure I’m the only one in your eyes… Can you forgive me?”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to live up to it, but if you’re okay with me, sure.”

“Yay~! Thanks!”

She beamed, radiant as the ever-warming sun. Her smile, that smile, was a genuine expression I haven’t seen in ages. It was the defining factor in my decision to keep supporting her. This authentic Yui is definitely, a billion times cuter than her character.

Yeah, this is good. From now we—

“…Senpai?”

“…Sorry I left you alone.”

My junior’s smile was an erupting expression I haven’t seen in centuries. I had left Kurosaki completely out of the loop and proceeded to talk with Yui as if she didn’t even exist. These daggers-for-glares she shot me were ten times scarier since she was a pretty girl.

“Y’know, do you need to be friends with the maid now that you have me?”

“Junior-chan, um, I wonder if that’s right. Anyway, are you two dating by any chance?” Yui asked Kurosaki.

“No, we’re not together yet, but our hearts are strung together! So—”

“If you’re not dating, then I have a chance! I won’t lose.”

Kurosaki then started to, loudly mind you, claim things like Yui throwing her sense of shame out the window with her big badonkas. To her dismay, the blue-haired girl kept her positive talk until Yui pulled back to my side.

“I’m going home for today! Yuta, could you give me your number?”

“No!” Kurosaki interjected.

“Nah, it’s fine,” I ignored my junior’s yaps.

“Why?!”

Avoiding Kurosaki’s flailing arms, I exchanged contact info with Yui, who left with a spring on her step. All that remained was me, a junior who kept poking my sides with a grumpy expression on her face, and the gazes of outsiders who watched the whole thing unfold.

“I mean, senpai, you used to go to maid cafés right? I would wear the outfit as many times as you want…”

“Oh, I wonder if you’ll really let me see you wear a maid outfit.”

“I told you, didn’t I?! I’m really gonna wear one! Just take a picture when I do!”

You say it like it’s some sort of punishment, but it’s definitely a reward. Her wearing a maid outfit would be jaw-dropping, for sure, but wouldn’t she be a bad maid due to her blond inner hair? At any rate, I’ve been able to tie another loose string from the past. I still have one more person in mind, but I wonder if any progress is even possible.