V1ch21: White Recollection
Translator: Soafp
TL: 1 more week for submitting your logo.
It was the winter of my second year of junior high school when I met Mayuki Shirase.
There was no place for me at school.
The students despised me as a stalker and a criminal who attacked a quiet girl. Teachers treated me as a troublemaker who had fallen down the stairs, badly injured himself, and had to be taken to the hospital, bringing the school’s reputation into disrepute.
The only ally I had was my best friend, Renji.
But if I continued to live like this, I might drag my best friend down with me. So, instead of going to class, I repeatedly went to school in the infirmary.
In the infirmary, I studied lightly, ate school lunch with the infirmary teacher, had interviews, and left the school. I didn’t want to see anyone, so I staggered my dismissal times.
Life was boring.
I had done nothing wrong. I did not do anything wrong. But no one believed me. I knew that no matter what I did, no one would believe me.
At that time, I had given up on everything.
I met Shirase on a bench in a park far from my house. It was by chance that I came to this park. I didn’t want to stay at home. My mother was at work, and it was depressing to spend time alone in the park. But if I went to a nearby place, the school kids would find me. That’s why I came here.
As I was sitting on the bench, I heard footsteps approaching.
Despite the fact that there were other benches available, she sat down next to me. Without looking at me, she opened his mouth.
“——I am a runaway delinquent.”
For some reason, she was proud of it.
I thought she looked like an elementary school student, but when I looked next to me, I saw that she was wearing the uniform of Himemiya Jogakuin, a well-known school for young ladies.
“Please say something. I’m a bad girl. That’s why I’m picking up boys from other schools.”
When I ignored her, she looked into my face.
“Ara, you look so gloomy.”
“…….I’m having a bit of a bad day. Leave me alone.”
I had no intention of having a conversation with anyone.
But that girl wouldn’t leave me alone.
“I see. It seems that you are as much in the dark as I am. Let’s have a little chat, then, as we are both gloomy people.”
“……I thought I told you to leave me alone.”
“I’ve heard that the more forceful you are in picking up boys, the more successful you are.”
“It’s a myth.”
“It doesn’t seem to be a myth. Because you fell for it.”
Shirase laughs softly.
Thus began our relationship.
Contrary to her mature appearance, she was forceful. In her own words, I was picked up. That day we chatted on a bench for a while. I was just listening to Shirase’s story.
Although she said she was in pain of darkness, our conversation was just small talk. There was no substance to the conversation, which consisted of junior-high-school study topics and everyday life.
“Just having someone to chat with makes me feel better.”
“…… I see.”
“See you tomorrow.”
As I left, Shirase returned, saying the obvious.
The next day, I came to the park. Shirase came at about the same time and sat down next to me without saying anything. Then we started chatting. I just listened to what she had to say.
Those days went on.
It was a strange relationship.
I waited for Shirase at the park every day. I didn’t make any promises. Still, Shirase came every day.
“Parfait is the best. It is the food of God.”
“I hate ghosts. Horror is an evil thing.”
“I would love to fall in love someday, like in a romance movie.”
It was unimportant information, but it was pleasant to hear. I had always liked to talk to someone, but I hadn’t talked to anyone recently. Just talking to someone, even if it was about something unimportant, made me feel better.
In addition to that, the clunker factor was also healing.
“I lost my phone!”
“……. It’s in your hands.”
“I fell again. There are traps all over the park. I advise you to be careful.”
“There are no traps.”
She seemed firm, but had surprisingly many gaps, and I couldn’t leave her alone.
Shirase’s arrival times varied. Sometimes she came after school, and sometimes she came at a time when she was supposed to be in class. On holidays, she was there from the morning.
We never told each other what was going on. In fact, we didn’t even know each other’s names.
Girls my age who didn’t know me.
I had no place at school or at home, but I felt comfortable next to her. The fact that she talked to me aggressively, that she was slightly clumsy, that she talked to me forcefully but didn’t pry into my affairs, all of these things made me feel comfortable.
I was caught up in her pace, and gradually I was able to talk to her too.
“Did you watch that drama?”
“Yes, it was very interesting.”
“The script is good.”
“The script is certainly fascinating, but it’s interesting because the main character and other characters are likeable. It’s still very shallow.”
The secret relationship lasted for some time.
During that time, there was a lot of activity. Renji and Akazawa came to my house. I am not sure why Akazawa even came to my house, but it was probably because my parents told her to.
I used the answering machine and did not meet anyone.
Once, a girl I did not know came to my house. As I recall, she was a student in the same track team as Aoyama and a good friend of mine. Of course, I did not meet her.
At home, I kept smiling at my mother, who worried about me. She knows that I went to the nurse’s office, but I tried to smile at her and told her that I was fine.
This life definitely wore away at my spirit.
The day came, February 14. The day of Valentine’s Day, as it is commonly called.
“—-I am interested in love.”
Shirase said abruptly.
“Are you not interested?”
“I don’t know”
Akazawa’s face flickered in my mind.
After my first love was over, I wasn’t much for that. I was not popular at school. I was in no mood to fall in love with anyone.
“Well, here, I have something for you.”
Chocolates came out of her bag.
“Thanks.”
“That’s why, let’s be lovers”
“Eh–“
I was extremely flustered by those words that were so easily uttered.
“Do you dislike me?”
“I don’t hate you.”
“Then do you like it?”
“…….Who knows. I don’t even know your name.”
“That is certainly true.”
Shirase thought for a moment.
“Then let’s start getting closer.”
“…… You don’t like me either, the way you talk about me.”
“Yes, to be honest, I am not sure if I like you. But I am interested in love. So, let’s go out to try it out. I hear that some relationships start this way.”
I was interested in love, too. And I didn’t dislike Shirase.
Thus, we became lovers.
“I’m Mayuki Shirase, a sophomore at Himemiya Girls’ Academy.”
“I’m Shota Mukawa, a second-year student at Eastern Junior High School.”
Little did I know that it was the last trap leading to hell.
For the first time in my life, I had a girlfriend.
From that day on I became a little brighter. It was strange to me, but my mood was uplifted.
Talking with Shirase made me feel strange. The content of our conversation was not so different from before, but just talking in a normal way warmed my heart because of our relationship as lovers. Just being close to her made me nervous, and sometimes I felt relieved.
After becoming lovers, Shirase began to complain to me.
“My father is always pushy.”
“The people at school treat me too much like a child.”
“The clothes my mother buys me are all childish.”
It was cute to see her mouth bulging as she complained.
The one who picked on her that day was dissatisfied with her house and school and wanted to be a delinquent. She happened to come to this park and approached me, who was around the same age as her.
“Uhm, Shota-san.”
“What is it?”
“…… No, I just read your name. Perhaps I’m a little jubilant because this is the first time I’ve ever had a boyfriend.”
Then Shirase sat down next to me. With a feverish look on her face, she moved closer to me.
At first, there were no romantic feelings. But my heart gradually changed. After a few days, I began to develop feelings of love.
The reason I suddenly fell in love with her was probably due to the circumstances in which I was placed. At school, I would lightly chat with the health teacher, and at home, I would talk with my mother in an absentminded manner. My spirit was worn out by this life.
Shirase, who was of the same generation as me and did not look at me with a jaundiced eye, was invaluable in that situation.
She had become my spiritual anchor.
“The people at the school are a real pain in the a*s. They don’t believe me when I tell them I have a boyfriend. I’ll bring proof next time.”
“You don’t have to brag.”
“No, I can’t. It is a matter of my dignity.”
“……, your behavior is childish enough.”
“Shut up”
“Psst.”
She stepped on my foot and I fainted in agony.
But the pain was not agony, it was somewhat pleasurable.
After only a few days together, I was almost convinced. I knew that I could make things right with Shirase.
I became positive and was thinking about my vision for the future. I would go to a remote high school where the guys at school did not go to, and I would go to Himemiya Jogakuin to meet her.
I started to put more effort into my studies.
A week had passed since we became lovers from a state of no romantic feelings.
I was almost dependent on that girl. My mind was so occupied with her that I thought about asking my parents to buy a smart phone to keep in touch with Shirase. I wanted to talk more and be closer to her.
So I went out to the park that day too.
“……”
That day, Shirase did not come.
I waited until the night, but she did not come. We did not exchange contact information with each other. In the first place, I didn’t have a cell phone or a smart phone.
Furthermore, the next day, Shirase came to me as I was waiting on the usual bench. I was worried about an accident or injury, but my fears were allayed.
But something was different from usual. There was a man I didn’t know standing next to her. They approached me with arms crossed in friendship and smiles on their faces.
I froze, not understanding the situation. The man next to her was tall and good-looking, and he was a moon to me, a man with dark glasses at the time.
“This man is my lover.”
“Huh?”
Suddenly, my mind goes blank.
We are supposed to be lovers. We became lovers just last week.
Shirase explains to my puzzled mind.
“Actually, this is my real boyfriend.”
“……”
“I went out with Shota-san only for fun and it was kind of a light joke. I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. It was just a whim. Think of it as a dream and forget about it. Now, I’m going on a date, so please excuse me.”
It was a breakup without any warning.
It was so abrupt that I suspected many possibilities, but Shirase was smiling all the way through. There was no pretense of being threatened or deceived by a handsome man. I could tell from her expression that she wasn’t taking it hard.
“Shall we go?”
With a big smile on her face, which she had never shown me before, she grabbed the handsome man’s arm and walked away in a friendly manner.
All I could do was stare at her back as she walked away.
Leonardo Estanga
March 20, 2022 at 7:19 pmYou have link of the raw?
curz0
March 20, 2022 at 7:20 pmThanks for the chapter! Also, can I vote more than one devil? I hate white as much as red
JExtra
March 20, 2022 at 9:24 pmPretty obvious that wasn’t her actual boyfriend. It’s most likely her helicopter younger brother.
Xilo
March 20, 2022 at 10:15 pmThank you for the chapter
Gatts
March 20, 2022 at 11:04 pmThank you for the chapter !
Leonardo Estanga
March 21, 2022 at 12:19 amYou have link of the raw?
Leonardo Estanga
March 21, 2022 at 12:20 amGood chapter by the way
Soafp
March 21, 2022 at 12:36 amIt’s on the front page
curz0
March 21, 2022 at 12:20 amThanks for the chapter! Also, can I vote more than one devil? I hate white as much as red
Soafp
March 21, 2022 at 12:43 amunfortunately, no
Wilson
March 20, 2022 at 11:47 pmAfter reading the raw i can say that red is the worst and i hope the author doesnt do some lameasspull to make her win.
girokar
March 21, 2022 at 2:09 amKinda wonder if people voting white have read the raws. I’d say at start of the story red is the worst for what did to shota, but white is the worst for what she doesn’t stop doing to him.
JExtra
March 21, 2022 at 2:24 amPretty obvious that wasn’t her actual boyfriend. It’s most likely her helicopter younger brother.
Strawberry Milkshake
March 23, 2022 at 12:20 pmHELICOPTER HELICOPTER~
DarkSilver
March 21, 2022 at 1:50 amWhere is all of them accept nekoda
Xilo
March 21, 2022 at 3:15 amThank you for the chapter
Weil
March 21, 2022 at 3:15 amI have mixed feelings. In terms of other devils we can already see their reasons for their behaviour and even based only on current information it is cleared they not only have regretted their actions, but they try to “amend” them retroactively somewhat.
Red was trying to push Mc to be what she wanted him to be and inadvertently caused him depression. After this other cat girl gave him fake info about the rumour that he is a stalker he stopped associating with her completely which have only furthered their conflict.
Blue simply stpped talking with him, becuase she didn’t want to be scrutinised publicly. She has failed as his “best friend” however I think the stairs thing was probably an accident. It has been heavily implied that blue was a runner, but she has stopped running some time after the incident so she probably simply run into him and accidently pushed him down the stairs.
Black is similar to blue, her fault was not clearing misunderstanding because she didn’t want to stand out. To her credit she didn;t really have nearly as strong connection with Mc as red and blue so it’s “fine” .
White so far seems the only one whose actions were deliberate in causing Mc harm in the sense that she didn;t abstain from doing the right thing, but actively did the evil thing. Of course there could be more going on since she seems to be person who can easily deceive people, which means she might have been in some kind of distress that is yet to be foreshadowed.
Archer
March 21, 2022 at 2:23 amVoted for red. But, it was a hard choice. White is probably the most evil, but red probably did the most damage.
Gatts
March 21, 2022 at 4:04 amThank you for the chapter !
Omnefarious
March 21, 2022 at 4:11 amBeing hurt by the people closet to you cuts the deepest, hence why I would rank Red as the worst.
They knew each other since childhood (so seemingly the longest), he protected and helped her find acceptance, and how does she repay him? Love? Friendship? Decency? Nope. Instead, she gets an inflated ego, puts distance between them, MOCKS him, and even drives a wedge between him and their other friend, Renji. In turn, this leads to false, malacious rumors spreading and Shota becoming isolated, while she either didn’t care (at the time) or was too far up her own @$$ to notice.
Blue, is second only because she isn’t as close to Shota as Red, and was not the catalyst for what happened, like Akazawa was. Even so, abandoning your best friend in their time of need when they seemingly have no one else isn’t a recipe for likability. That, AND causing said friend serious bodily harm, whether out of spite or carelessness, has Blue nipping at Red’s heels in second for me.
It’s tough to place Black and White. Black seems like lesser a cross between Red and Blue (bad rumors and abandonment), dampened somewhat by the fact that they knew each other for less time than the other two. Black also seems to have some baggage (family and Stalker-senpai) that prevented her from seeing anyone else’s pain but her own; however, she still owes Shota one hell of a groveling apology and expression of gratitude, at the very least.
White, meanwhile, seems to be legitimately self-centered and toxic. She gives off the impression of someone who uses other for whatever selfish whim or desire she has, with little to no regard for their feelings/well-being. I’d rank her third worst at the moment. Guess we’ll see if she climbs the ranks as the story continues to unfold.
Wilson
March 21, 2022 at 4:47 amAfter reading the raw i can say that red is the worst and i hope the author doesnt do some lameasspull to make her win.
DarkSilver
March 21, 2022 at 6:50 amWhere is all of them accept nekoda
Archer
March 21, 2022 at 7:23 amVoted for red. But, it was a hard choice. White is probably the most evil, but red probably did the most damage.
Issei Hyoudo
March 21, 2022 at 11:23 amOne thing that I hope for is that the girl that mc will end up with is not amongst this colored b*****s
Cultured Gentleman
March 21, 2022 at 2:19 pmFor me, white is the worst by far, then red, then blue and then black. Honestly I really hope that white doesn’t get any redemption.
Issei Hyoudo
March 21, 2022 at 4:23 pmOne thing that I hope for is that the girl that mc will end up with is not amongst this colored b*****s
Cultured Gentleman
March 21, 2022 at 7:19 pmFor me, white is the worst by far, then red, then blue and then black. Honestly I really hope that white doesn’t get any redemption.
Psuni
March 21, 2022 at 8:10 pmAs much as I don’t like any of them, White and Red are definitely big contenders for most hated. Black is relatively “safe” since she doesn’t appear to go out of her way to cause harm to MC. Blue is currently just a stick in the water with how she acted to retain her reputation from being bad from being associated with MC.
Red is just far off worse as she was a childhood friend of MC and Renji, and due to her twisted ideal to shape MC into a man she likes, she ends up destroying the relationship of the three and loses out.
As for White right now? She sounds like an deliberate b***h. I don’t know what issues she has other than the whole arranged marriage shenanigan but she would clearly be the highest threat to MC at this time.
I know the LN is gonna revolve around the MC being re-associated with them but God help us all if he actually hooks up with them at the end. It’ll actually sour my mood since it throws out the idea of him attempting to avoid them at all costs. Hope we get to see Renji at least since it sounds like he’s at least the most decent character during the chapters with Red.
Pukk
March 21, 2022 at 9:18 pmAfter reading what happened with white, I can say that my personal ranking is Red, Blue, White, Black.
Red is stupid and detestable for her childish actions, she started the avalanche that destroyed Shota for impatience and insecurity (probably because she misunderstood the relationship between Shota and Blu?) she probably destroyed every chance to reach her purpose and she is aware of this, so in the end I’ve the feeling she now really is dating Renji, of which we haven’t had any news yet (is he the male god?), which would make everything even more patheticin in my opinion.
Blue is pathetic because she probably was influenced by the rumors and the judgment of other people around her, it is (in my opinion) because of pressure and fear she preferred to protect herself rather than her friend, probably because being the rumor coming from Red the school idol (this was probably discovered later from the others girls) she thought of not having enough strength to deny them.
I also think the acsident on the stairs was a deliberate act, probably to show the other members of her group (the Athletics club i think) she had no bond with Shota so to protect herself from other rumors to spread.
White is at first glance a spoiled egoist, but I hypothesize she acted to defend herself and for self-preservation given the consecution of the events, probably while the relationship with Sota was starting to develop, the rumors about Shota must have reached her family (let’s not forget that she is an Ojou-sama) perhaps through his brother.
So at that time she must have believed that the rumors about Shota being a stalker and a molestator must have been true, convinced by her family which at the time was putting her under a lot of pressure, and to protect herself she put on the play whit the brother (almost certainly).
I think only later she had find out the truth, probably when black finally tried actively to dispel the rumors, even though it was too late (probably White hates Black because she blame her for loosing too much time to do something).
Black in my opinion is the pitiful one, she is a trautatised girl, whit some very deep emotiolal scars, to me her only real fault is to have trusted some random girl she don’t ever knowed out of solitude and the need to rely on someone. If I really have to blameher for anything, it is that she had take too long to understand and spent too little effort to clarify things, if things went like I think (There is the possibility that at the beginning she was also influenced by the rumors from Red).
In the end i think we can distinguish the girls in two groups:
1- Red and Blue (The two i really dislike) actively wounded Shota in body and spirit even though they
knew him very well, and were supposed to have a profound relationship of trust and friendship with him.
2- White and Black can be blamed a little less (if things are in the way I think, at least Black, and White if
we remain in the field of logic) because their relationship with Shota was weak and they had no
real reason to give him any trust.
As you can see there are sufficient reasons for the girls to hate each other, and for Shotta to stay away from each of them (… if he wasn’t an idiot!), anyway, take what I wrote for what it is, hypotheses and speculations, I don’t read the raws so I could be completely wrong.
Diana Kurosawa
March 24, 2022 at 8:12 amIdk what to feel about this~
I’m still surprised Shota didn’t have any gynophobia~
I’d forcefully kiss them with the wall, tbh~
xeredge
April 8, 2022 at 7:27 pmThere is literally no way you can redeem that what the f**k.
SMR
May 4, 2022 at 11:03 pmOkay, so in the case of red and blue it was heavily implied that Mc has serious missunderstanding about what happened, while in Black’s case there circumstances out of thir control.
But in White’s case there is no missunderstanding at all, she is a b!tch.
dark_lector
May 28, 2023 at 2:42 amAnd this stupid MC after all this, he decide help her… after all what the girls do this MC, after all sh*t.. the MC is still stupide little boy, this novel it’s a joke