Chapter 10: Useless and petty.

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Translated and Edited by: luccayn.

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.

Work has still been a bit hectic lately. Sorry for the unstable updates. Still, here’s a big one for you guys!

‘(-u-)

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After school had ended, I walked into the classroom and greeted the bunch gathering around Hareta’s desk with the raise of a hand.

“W-What the—It’s you, Shinji. Don’t give us a scare, dude.”

“Yo. So, what are y’all doing?”

“It’s obvious, ain’t it? I want to embarrass that jerk, Hareta. He’s been getting on my nerves, and I’m sure he’s been on yours too. Wanna join?”

“Hmm, isn’t that a bit petty though?”

“No other way around it. He seems strong, so no can do. But don’t you hate that guy too? How about joining in the fun?”

With another wave, this time of refusal, I sat at the desk next to these three guys, just observing the situation. They shot me glances, but there was no sign of discomfort there. A sign they probably thought I was completely on their side.

Truth be told, I kinda was.

“Shinji, that argument you had the other day was super satisfying, dude. He turned red as a pepper and couldn’t do anything!” One of them said.

“It’s tough to speak your mind on the spot like that. Truly impressive, man. Beating a guy bigger than you just like that,” another one of them commented.

“Stop with the comments. Not a fan,” I cut their praises.

As I did so, one of the three — Yamakawa — began carving letters onto Hareta’s desk with a small knife. The craping of its metal and the erratic cuts echoed oddly pleasantly in the empty classroom. Beside him sat a vase with white flowers, a form of harassment straight out of an old drama.

“Come to think of it, you didn’t get hurt, did you, Shinji? Hmm, could it be he’s actually weak in a real fight?”

“Nah, it still hurts and my mouth is cut. He’s plenty strong, so don’t go buying fights,” I warned.

“Tch. Makes him even more annoying. What’s up with the dude anyways?”

Honestly, what they were doing was weak in terms of where bullying could go. If it were me, I’d fill a bag with lime powder, set it up on the ceiling, and bomb the guy and his surroundings. Or maybe even take a bunch of risqué photos of his harem, creating some sort of creepy-pervy album, and tossing it into his locker.

You know, the kind of bullying that digs into your heart while rallying unrelated people to your side. The kind that’ll make you not want to come to school gain.

…These three are just kind in comparison, heh.

“These girls are dumb, too. Sticking around with a guy like that. Ugh, annoying f*cking bastards.

I couldn’t help but rip into laughter hearing this. A few moments of hearty laughter later, I turned to the guy ripping apart Hareta’s textbooks, though I enjoyed its ripping sounds thoroughly before doing so. “So what, Higashide? You like one of those four girls?”

“Huh? Hell no. I don’t like these stupid b’s at all. I’m dead serious.”

After that guy responded, Hamabe, the last one of the bunch, spoke up as well. “You’re the same as us though, Shinji. We’re all fed up with their uncomfortable attitudes, acting like they’re all the center of class.”

“But, I mean, they were all surprisingly well-behaved today, weren’t they? At least I didn’t find them annoying,” I argued logically.

My retort made them all fall silent. Their anger still simmering, and not boiling over. Since they still hadn’t crossed that threshold yet, there was a certain calmness in their willingness to listen to an outsider like me.

Honestly, if I had been a day late, who knows how things would have turned out? Hats off to Tsukino’s swift response and of asking me to help.

“Hey, hey, Shinji. You’re defending that guy quite a bit. Doesn’t seem like you at all, huh?”

As expected from my buddy, Yamakawa. Sharp as always.

Indeed, it’s easy to get caught if you try anything clumsy. Afraid I might accidentally blurt out something odd without making excuses, I picked up the nearby vase and deliberately answered lazily. As I always have with these three.

…Yeah. These guys are my friends, or rather, introverted guys who got along with me quite well.

“I mean, Hareta’s the guy I verbally beat to a pulp. I almost feel sorry for the dude, seeing him get kicked while he’s on the ground and all,” I went on.

“No. No, you’re not that kinda person. You’re harmless if left alone, but provoking you is like poking a hornet’s nest. Adding insult to injury is more your style,” Yamakawa argued.

Hey, who on earth is spreading these unnecessary, baseless rumors around the school, huh? Who in the world…?

“…Anyway, stop it. It’s not cool,” I disregarded it and concluded my argument.

“Haha, ‘sup with that, Shinji? That joke of yours isn’t funny at all.”

“We’re not stopping with this sorta talk, man. The ball’s already rolling.”

Well, I could understand.

Things like “Don’t hurt innocent people” or “Aren’t you ashamed of doing something cowardly?”—those usual arguments won’t resonate with guys who already hate themselves to hell and back.

How much the oppressed suffer is something people in different positions can never truly understand. The concept of ‘normal’ tends to refer to something slightly above the middle, and I know well that the inferiority complex of those who are not ‘normal’ is unbearable.

“Think about it. In real life, social butterflies and geniuses are the ones dominating. In games, though, it’s the unemployed and talented people with plenty of time who come out on top. Don’t try to fulfill your need for approval. Nothing good comes out of it. Just do what you can.”

“You’re the one who told us the reason we can’t stop even though we know it’s shameful, Shinji. You know it.”

…The past.

Specifically, it was during our first year, when we had just entered high school. I had once lent my support to help them stand up.

Yamakawa, who failed to get into a top-tier school despite his hard work. Higashide, who had to quit soccer due to a grave leg injury. And Hamabe, who struggled to find something he truly wanted to do in life.

Each of them ended up nesting under the socially awkward or ‘undesirable’ social clique in ways they didn’t want. They were just like ordinary people, receiving love from their parents in homes with no major issues, and living with undeniable familial love.

Yet, a little misfortune was all it took to twist things around. My own bad experience made me sulk. In the end, however, I realized such bad things happened to everyone, and I stopped wailing in my tragedy.

A reality where they couldn’t even gain pain. The beginning was sharing such stories with them.¹

“I told you all to keep working hard, didn’t I? Even if studying and art might not have meaning by themselves, they might still lead to something good.”

“Yeah, ‘be diligent, don’t let stress build up in your heart’.”

“Still,” one of them chimed in. “Diligence doesn’t only apply to virtuous things. I mean, even yakuza and scammers work hard, too. Maybe they even earn more than normal working citizens.”

“So what? Are you guys the kind of people who, like real scumbags, take from the ones who need the most without a shred of guilt? If you’re selectively seeing only what’s convenient to you, you’re disrespecting both the hard-working citizens and the yakuza,” I argued back.

Hearing my case, the three stopped dead in their tracks, then looked at me with slightly awkward expressions.

“…Stop it, Shinji. We don’t intend on arguing with you.”

“I don’t want to, either. I’m just trying to convince you guys.”

Then, for some reason, Hamabe turned to me while looking down, eyes almost on the floor.

“Hey Shinji, tell me something.”

“What?”

“Is it so wrong to resent someone who has it all? He’s good at studying, good at sports, and to top it off, he’s got a bunch of girls all over him?”

“No, that’s normal. In fact, not feeling at least some resentment like this would be strange.”

“Then that’s fine, isn’t it?! You managed to ‘beat him’, right? I felt great listening to you argue with him! That’s why I also want to teach him a lesson! But… But I don’t have the knowledge or eloquence like you have, Shinji…”

I took a moment to articulate the thoughts that formed in my mind. My heart ached as if it were going to burst. Still, I kept listening.

“This is revenge. We’re just nobodies, trying to deliver the final blow to the jerk who put us down and made us feel like even worse sacks of sh*t. I can’t forgive him for doing that us our—even to other people’s lives, while he’s all giddy on his own.”

“They don’t feel guilty. In fact, that guy and his flock of girls all probably laugh and mock us, calling whatever we feel as paranoia. He’s a monster who ruins the lives of regular people without even realizing it. But even when he doesn’t, tell me, is there a difference between premeditated murder and manslaughter when it comes to the lives lost?”

“No. Dead men tell no tales. The name of the crime depends on the circumstances of the living.”

“Then, we have to exterminate the monster! Not for someone else, but for us to live decently—!”

“You’re all wrong,” I cut them off.

I tapped Hamabe on the shoulder and shook my head.

“…Huh?”

“No, Hamabe. You’re not hopeless. Yamakawa, Higashide, none of you are.”

“What the hell man? That’s creepy,” he cringed.

I also think the same about myself. I’m aware this weird camaraderie is creepy. Four guys gathering in a dimming classroom at dusk—it’s almost laughable. What the hell are we all even doing?

However, even so, there’s something I need to tell these guys.

“Living means you’ll get hurt. It’s unavoidable,” I started. “But just because things didn’t go the way you wanted once, it doesn’t mean you should take the easier route.”

“So, are you letting the ones who hurt you go? Wait, you’re not gonna yap about how revenge doesn’t bring anything, right?”

“Of course not. No other way is better at making you face the future than beating that annoying jerk and shutting his trap, and living on. I absolutely believe revenge is necessary to settle the past.”

“Then—!”

“But this pathetic bullying isn’t revenge.”

They opened their mouths, caught off-guard by my words.

“You won’t feel satisfied until you decisively beat them. So, face them fair and square, and look down on them from the front. Hiding and snickering in the shadows like this will only give them the advantage.”

“B-But we have nothing! No courage or skills to confront him like you did! We can’t win against Hareta no matter what we do! How the hell are we supposed to get back at him then?!”

“Anything is a fight.”

What I suggested was a perfectly ordinary proposal.

If losing is a complex for them, then all they need to do is find something where they are winning against Hareta. By doing that, they’ll naturally find value in themselves. Even small wins at seemingly insignificant things can fill a person with passion.

Competition has that kind of magic in it. That’s why I told them not to run away from the fight.

“What’s up with that? I don’t get it, and besides, he’s not going to accept competing…”

“He will. I’ll even tell you what bait you can use to make him go against you.”

“B-But, y’know. Maybe we can’t win no matter what we do.”

“You can. It’s okay.”

Before the next words escaped my lips, I recalled something my grandma told me when I was going through a tough time.

“You guys can do it. Just one more step. Just go a little harder.”

…How much time had passed without anything happening in the classroom? I wondered as, eventually, they gently put down the knife and the torn textbooks on the desk, weakly opening their mouths.

“Do you… Do you really think so?”

“Of course, I do,” I nodded.

“Then, no matter how little it is, can we acknowledge a win…?”

“Yeah man, you can,” I nodded again.

“Are you sure? Is it not a lie?”

“I swear I am,” once more, I nodded.

Then, the three all looked at each other and laughed awkwardly. It seemed they finally realized just how absurd and utterly unproductive what they were doing was.

“Haha, I get it now. We were acting like those small-time thugs in light novels. Y’know, the ones who always mess with the protagonist?”

“Hahaha! Yeah, there are characters like that.”

“But these characters are all idiots, aren’t they? Even though they know the protagonist is strong, they still try to fight them in battles where they can use that strength.”

That was the idea, but spun in other words.

If you really want to win against someone, engage in a battle you can win. What they need is more confidence in their lives. If they can gain such confidence, they can realize they’re not just some extras in Hareta’s own youth. That being the case, there’ll be no need for them to step onto the guy’s turf.

Anyhow, while these dudes are all gloomy, they’re not bad-looking. They just have to win at something, find a new hobby, and maybe they’ll even manage to land a girlfriend there.

Probably—No, they can definitely be happy.

“…Yeah, you’re right. Ah, I see now, Shinji. We really can’t compete with you.”

“I tried to hide so you wouldn’t find me, man, but in the end, you spotted me and convinced me to stop.”

“I actually had a feeling that telling you what we were doing would lead to this. We’re pathetic, aren’t we?”

“Yeah, yeah, enough of that. Let’s just try to figure out what to do with his desk and his textbooks now. Here, I’ll help you out,” I sighed.

“Sorry, Shinji. Let’s swap textbooks for now.”

“What about the desk? It’s all scratched up, and I can’t really switch it with mine.”

Hearing that from Higashide, I headed outside the classroom for a moment. Before leaving, I turned around. “I’ll go nab one from an unused classroom. Let’s dump his scratched desk behind the second storage shed or something. Yamakawa, help me out.”

“On it.”

“I’ll come too. Higashide, just wait a moment.”

“Gotcha. I need to get rid of the vase and flowers, too.”

“Hey, if we get caught during the patrol, let’s beat ’em up and run away together. We can push all the blame onto Higashide,” I smirked.

“What?! Don’t mess with me!”

“Haha! Shinji, you’re the worst!”

And so, time after school passed without any issues.

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“Hey, Hareta. Let’s have a match.”

“Huh? What’s up with you guys all of a sudden?”

The next morning, the three of them approached Hareta and challenged him to a match in something.

“You’re just damn annoying, y’know? Acting all cool like you can do anything. But hey, are you just weak after all? I mean, you lost to Shinji.”

“W-What?! Why is that guy’s name popping up all of a sudden?”

Yup, that’s the reaction I expected from him.

“Oh well, you can run if you want. Then we’ll be on top and you’ll be below us, heh. Don’t forget, we’ll count it like that for as long as we’re in high school.”

“Ugh… What the hell is up with these rules?!”

“Haha, if you’re upset, let’s settle it with poker. Hey, Aoyama, you be the dealer,” he told one of the girls.

“Huh?! Why do I have to be the one?!” She answered as such.

“Fine, I’ll do it. Leave the card dealing to me.”

“Ah, Haruna, thanks.”

Unlike the harem incident, the noise from their commotion was strangely pleasant. The fact that someone like Haruna was involved with guys felt somehow refreshing and oddly reassuring.

With such thoughts in mind, I flipped through the pages of the hourglass novel after a long time, and my smartphone vibrated in my pocket. Checking it immediately is probably a curse of modern times, huh?

“Thank you. (…)”

Seeing the little notification icon on my locked screen, I swiped it away without even opening the thing, checking its sender, or reading another word of the lengthy message. The “(…)” symbol indicated it was a huge message, and it made me lose interest.

On another note, the plan is reaching its climax now.

Let’s make sure to witness the moment when that dummy heroine secures the harem protagonist for herself.

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1 — Tried really hard to translate this one, but it’s been hard lol. I try my hardest to make it all cohesive. Oh, but correct me if I’m ever wrong.

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