Chapter 9 | Past Story: Cultural Festival with Ria Shiina

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It was after the last cultural festival of my middle school life, while we were cleaning up after the festive commotion.

“Hey? Asahioka, which high school are you going to?”

My classmate, Ria Shiina, asked me that question while we were cleaning up together in the home economics room.

Her beautiful black hair flowed down to her chest, and although her overall vibe was understated, she had well-defined facial features.

Her bright, amber eyes were focused on the dishes that were used at the maid cafe that our class had organized.

My relationship with Shiina started when she transferred to our school in our first year of middle school, and it just so happened that she had moved into an apartment building near the apartment I, Shinse Asahioka, lived in, and our seats were next to each other.

Our relationship deepened with every conversation we had, and now, she’s one of my close friends.

“Hmm… probably Soei High School.”

“Eh, isn’t that a high school with high academic standards? With your grades, Asahioka, are you going to be okay?”

Shiina ruthlessly pointed out my weak spot.

My homeroom teacher had told me just the other day that with my current grades, it was not only hopeless for me to pass, but it was practically impossible.

“The soccer club is a powerhouse, so I don’t have any other option besides Soei High School.”

“I know that… I’m not talking about that.”

“Then what are you talking about?”

“That’s why… isn’t it impossible?”

“You won’t know if it’s impossible until you try it.”

Of course, that was just bravado.

My stupidity, or rather, my extreme dislike for studying, was known throughout the whole grade.

After all, I had only ever gotten the lowest grade in the grade. Which is impressive in a way.

Naturally, no one thought that someone like me would be able to pass.

“Onii-san, please face reality. You’re an idiot in everyone’s eyes, so please act like it.”

Even my younger sister, who was one year younger than me, reprimanded me.

“Asahioka’s, well, that kind of never-give-up side of you, I, I, I like it though…”

Shiina was muttering something quietly.

Recently, she sometimes did this when she was talking to me.

“Eh, what did you say?”

“N-Nothing! It’s nothing!”

“Also, don’t you think that it’s a waste to assume that it’s impossible and not try? You should just do it. If it doesn’t work out, then you just need to think about what to do next. If there was a risk of losing my life if I failed, then I would hesitate, but it’s not like you’re going to die if you fail your exams.”

I stated my opinion quickly. This was a way for me to hide my anxiety.

I had started studying for the exams recently, but the more I studied, the more anxious I became about whether or not I could pass.

“That’s… you might be right, but…”

“Changing the subject, why didn’t you wear a maid outfit for this cultural festival, Shiina?”

“Eh…?”

Since talking about exams gives me a headache, I quickly changed the topic.

“You just stayed behind the scenes and washed dishes with me. While the other girls were excited to be maids, aren’t you going to regret it later?”

There are things that people are suited and not suited for.

Shiina said that she wasn’t suited to be a waitress while wearing a maid outfit, and she was the only girl in the class who didn’t wear a maid outfit.

As a result, Shiina was assigned to the behind-the-scenes work, and during the cultural festival, she and I were washing dishes together the whole time.

Even after the cultural festival ended, my heartless classmates forced the cleaning up on Shiina and me, and they went somewhere else.

They’re probably at the after-party right now.

“You’re saying that you’re not suited for serving customers even though you haven’t tried it. Sure, I think you’re saying that based on your personality, but it’s the last cultural festival of your middle school life, so you should be trying to make memories with your friends, or something like that.”

Of course, I couldn’t force her since she said that she didn’t want to.

That’s why I didn’t say anything, but Shiina has always said that it was impossible for her without even trying, and would give up easily.

Certainly, Shiina’s personality is quiet and withdrawn.

She might not be suited to be a maid who is bright and cheerful.

But, I think that if she narrows her choices because of that kind of personality, she would regret it later on.

Even now, if she hadn’t decided to take the job behind the scenes, she wouldn’t have had to wash dishes with someone like me, and she would have been able to participate in the after-party with everyone.

“…I’m fine with this. Washing dishes with Asahioka is a precious memory for me.”

Shiina tightly gripped the dish that she was holding in her hand.

If she liked washing dishes that much, then I should have just let Shiina do it and I should have just played.

“Hmm… well, if Shiina says that she’s okay with it, then that’s fine, but more than that, this might be meddling, but I’m worried if you’ll be able to do well in your new high school.”

“Why?”

“Because, when Shiina had just transferred here, you wouldn’t talk to anyone, and you were always alone, right? Even if I tried to talk to you, you would just ignore me normally.”

“That’s…”

My relationship with Shiina wasn’t good from the start.

Or rather, it was the worst. It was frigid.

“When Shiina spoke to me for the first time, you told me not to talk to you. Man… that made me feel down.”

“Sorry…”

“No, I’m not blaming you. It’s just that, if you’re like that when you enter high school next year, you won’t be able to make any friends.”

“…Hey, conversely, why did Asahioka keep talking to me at that time? I was ignoring you the whole time, and I was acting coldly.”

Shiina turned towards me and made a serious expression.

Her big eyes gazed straight at me.

“Why… I thought that it would be boring to be alone.”

“…That’s it?”

“Yeah…?”

“Haa… I knew it, it was that, right…”

For some reason, Shiina became noticeably depressed.

When I answered Shiina’s questions honestly, she became depressed.

This has been happening a lot lately.

“Or rather, is there any other reason? If a classmate next to you was all alone, then anyone would talk to them, right?”

“That might be the case if it was someone of the same gender… but I think it’s completely different if it’s the opposite gender.”

“Is that so?”

“It is.”

We were in our puberty, so we were sensitive to the differences between men and women.

But I don’t have any of those delicate adolescent emotions.

“…I thought at that time that Asahioka was interested in me, and that’s why you kept talking to me.”

“H-Hah!?”

At Shiina’s sudden statement, my face turned red.

So, that’s what I was like from Shiina’s point of view…

“But I quickly realized that that wasn’t the case. You seemed like you weren’t interested in anything but soccer.”

“W-Well, yeah…”

I was relieved to know that she had cleared up that misunderstanding.

If Shiina had thought that I was interested in her, then I would have just been a completely cringey guy who kept talking to the person he liked.

“But, now I’m disappointed though…”

“Eh, why?”

“…Who knows? I wonder why?”

Shiina muttered in a bad mood and started washing the dishes again.

“Ah… was it because you thought you were beautiful enough to make anyone fall in love at first sight?”

“No.”

“If you wanted to make me fall in love at first sight, then you’d have to be as beautiful as Ryoko-san.”

Ryoko-san is the kind, older sister who lives nearby.

I’ve been taken care of by Ryoko-san since I was in kindergarten.

“…Come to think of it, that older sister became a teacher at Soei High School this year, right?”

Before I knew it, Shiina’s hands, which were washing the dishes, had stopped completely.

“Yeah.”

“Don’t tell me… are you thinking about taking the entrance exams for Soei High School because she’s there? Are you?”

For some reason, Shiina glared at me with a sharp face.

“Well… that’s about half the reason?”

“I knew it! You’re the worst, Asahioka!”

Shiina shouted loudly.

This was the first time I had ever seen the usually quiet Shiina display so much emotion.

But, why is she angry?

“I’ve decided! I’m going to go to Soei High School!”

“Eh, why!?”

Shiina is smarter than me. I don’t want even one more rival.

“Why do you think?”

“It’s to annoy me, right! You thought that it would be good if I failed, right!”

I can’t think of anything else.

I can only think that she’s trying to interfere with my fun school life with Ryoko-san.

“That’s not it! Ugh, Asahioka, you idiot!”

Shiina slammed the dish she was holding onto the desk forcefully, so forcefully that I thought it would break, and then left the home economics room.

“H-Hey, wait! I haven’t finished washing the dishes yet!? Shiina!?”

On this day, for some reason, I incurred Shiina’s anger, and ended up cleaning up by myself.

On top of that, I gained another rival for the entrance exams.

Later, when I complained to my friend, Shō Takanashi, he just told me, “It’s your fault.”

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