Chapter 140At Least One Word
"Well... ...You're Natsukawa-san, aren't you? Please forgive them, okay."
"Oh, it's okay..."
Just as I was blaming myself for my nonsense just now, a second-year senpai like Inoue-senpai picked up the files containing the documents while apologizing. There was a look of regret on her face as if she was apologizing. I feel that she's too similar to Inoue-senpai up to this point...
"Well, as expected... ...you know...!"
As if she had read my mind, she turned her face away while saying it in a low voice. In her opinion, it probably doesn't matter whether I can't hear her or not, and since she had already picked up most of the pile of things, she returned to her seat. Takeuchi-senpai — I hadn't had contact with her at all due to our seats being far apart, but I certainly remembered her name when I saw the nametag on her chest.
The current situation is not very good... ...it's similar to my family's situation back then—. Just as I was remembering something that nostalgic like that in a bad way, the door that I thought would never open anymore suddenly opened right behind me.
"...Oh... ...Sasaki, -kun?"
"Y-Yeah..."
The person who appeared with the most awkward facial expression was Sasaki-kun. I guess he's going to the Soccer Club with Inoue-senpai and her friend. Sasaki-kun put his luggage back where he left it, looked at the pile of files and documents in front of me, looked around, then approached Takeuchi-senpai who had just entered, bowed his head, and took his share.
"Um... ...What about your club activity?"
"...I quit."
"Eh...!? "You're out!"?"
"N-No... ...that's not what I meant."
"Oh... ...Okay."
"He quit.". That doesn't mean that he quit the club activity, but it means that he stopped following Inoue-senpai and her friend to the Soccer Club and stopped leaving the Cultural Festival Executive Committee. He told me so with a regretful tone. Although I was somewhat disappointed that Inoue-senpai and her friend didn't come back, I was somewhat relieved that Sasaki-kun was still the usual Sasaki-kun, though.
"Hey, Natsukawa. What do you think of Sajou?"
"Heh...!?"
It just happened all of a sudden. Although he had made progress in his work, he was so depressed that I thought he might not say much again today. However, a bomb was suddenly thrown there. I couldn't help but let out my voice a little too loudly and lowered my head as the people around me looked at me.
W-Wait a minute... ...Why is Sasaki-kun asking me that kind of thing?
"Um... ...Eh?"
"...I'm sorry... ...It's nothing, though. Never mind."
"Eh...?"
Without looking at me at all, Sasaki-kun's face lowered even more and turned his head toward the documents and he began to concentrate on his work. I don't know, I don't know what happened, but he looked very depressed. I think it would be best if I just left him at that today. I'll try not to talk to him too much.
"—...Just now, Sajou was in front of the classroom, there."
"Eh!?"
This time, I made my voice even louder. It also drew the attention of the people around me to me even more. I could no longer lower my head, so I couldn't help but back away. I tried to narrow my eyes at Sasaki-kun, curious about what he had just said out of the blue, but I stopped, thinking that it was impossible for Sasaki-kun could know about the awkwardness between me and Wataru.
No, but, why...?
I looked at Sasaki-kun to confirm what was going on, but he kept his gaze lowered to his document and didn't say another word. It was as if he refused to talk to me any further. I could feel his strong feelings from his slightly hunched posture.
"..."
I don't know why, but right now I was getting angry. Even though Inoue-senpai and her friend are forcing me to do their work and get out of there, all I can feel is a feeling of emptiness and resignation... ...For some reason, there is something strong and unreasonable inside me right now that makes me feel very uncomfortable.
"Did Wataru..., did he say anything to you?"
"Eh...? No, it's not wrong if you say that he said something to me, though... ...Eh, Natsukawa, -san?"
"..."
Sasaki-kun, who tried not to talk to me anymore for so long, looked at me as if he was surprised. I thought he had maintained his demeanor and facial expression, but I was surprised at how strange the quiet voice he let out was. I did realize that I was being selfish, but I tried to remain silent as if to say that I would return the favor.
—Why it's only to Sasaki-kun...?
Although there was an awkward situation, I couldn't understand why he just walked by even though he was right in front of the classroom. Moreover, he even just wanted to talk to Sasaki-kun... ...If that's the case, wouldn't it be great if he could at least show his face to me and greet me... ...Even though he has helped me next to me before...
"N-Natsukawa...?"
"Huh...?"
I regained my senses as I heard Sasaki-kun's voice which made me put on a pale-looking face. I think I furrowed my brow without moving my hands. And I stared at Sasaki-kun. From Sasaki-kun's point of view, he must have thought that I was staring at him. I did try to apologize, but I thought that would also be considered weird, so I just turned my face away.
I suddenly asked myself a question. Should I take offense to what he did? Wataru has nothing to do with the Cultural Festival Executive Committee... ...So, there's nothing strange about Wataru just walking past this classroom by chance. It would be unreasonable for me to feel dissatisfied that he didn't stop by to help me. Or rather, that's not the point. There's nothing for me to think about here.
But then, shouldn't he just pass by without talking to Sasaki-kun? But he only spoke to Sasaki-kun in a good manner.
"Hmm...!"
I could only scream and be very angry at the same time. After all, if he had come this far, I thought it would be nice if he could at least say a few words to me. After all, we've known each other since middle school. He's known me longer than Sasaki-kun, whom he's only known since high school. Yeah, we should have known each other longer.
If I shook my head it would be shown — so, I calmed myself down by rubbing my cheeks with my hands. In this kind of situation, the only way to relieve my pent-up anger was to use my hand to move my pen wholeheartedly.
♦
"As I announced last weekend, today we're going to take a break from doing our work for a while and use that time to have a meeting."
It was Monday, and preparations for the Cultural Festival had begun in our classroom as well. Today's Cultural Festival Executive Committee Meeting was different from usual.
The President of the Cultural Festival Executive Committee, Hasegawa-senpai, was leading this meeting in front of everyone. This is indeed an activity that seems impossible to carry out, and I think that there will come a time when we will discuss these kinds of things, but seeing this unusual scene in the classroom, makes me feel that this is not a meeting in a bad sense at all.
If you look to the left, Inoue-senpai and Ogawa-senpai are sitting there. I thought they wouldn't come anymore due to my mistake, but it seems that all my worries were unfounded. I felt somewhat relieved that they turned out to be nice people.
—This was the only time I was able to think calmly for the first time.
"Then, the Student Council will now talk to us about the structure of the Cultural Festival Executive Committee for the future. You guys could continue, please."
"I'm a Temporary Assistant to the Student Council Officers, I'm a second-year student, and my name is Ishiguro. I look forward to working with you guys."
Two boys were standing next to Hasegawa-senpai. The color of their ties indicated that they were a second-year student and a first-year student. I think that senpai is named Ishiguro-senpai. I thought it was a very stand-out name, but that wasn't the point. What made me couldn't help but stare at them was the presence of that boy, standing next to him, who was from the same class as me.
"I'm also a Temporary Assistant to the Student Council Officers, — or rather I'm his assistant. I'm a first-year student, my name is Sajou. I look forward to working with you guys."
The boy who bowed his head in front of me was a familiar boy to me. After all, until this moment, I had been staring at the back of his hair during class. I kept looking at him, wondering why his hair color turned a strange light brown color whenever it was exposed to the sun.
When that kind of boy — Wataru appeared, I couldn't help but turn to face Sasaki-kun.
"You're also an assistant, aren't you...? ...Why do you even refer to it as an assistant of an assistant?"
"It would be scary if we wouldn't be on the same level. Young man, when you're in a position in charge, it hurts."
"...I won't let you take it easy."
"...Okay."
They were having a conversation that I wasn't sure if it was intelligent or not. How could he have such a natural conversation? I don't think it's been that long since I've seen him have such a natural conversation. I felt happy that more of my "allies" were now in the same room as me. However, there were too many questions I wanted to ask.
"—Well. As you can see from the items that have been set up in this classroom, you will be required to use these laptops to do all your work from now on. Therefore, today's material is about the background of the change in organizational structure. We will talk about the situation that led to this, the current state of the Cultural Festival Executive Committee, and the future organizational structure."
I'm good at listening to other people's explanations. While memorizing what Hasegawa-senpai said, I squinted at the boy standing two steps next to her, blatantly trying not to make eye contact with me.
—Although you were able to say a few words earlier...
I kept that kind of grievance in my heart.
TL Note: Trivia: This chapter was released in 2020, and it's the first time when the Author tried to promote the release of the Light Novel Volume 1. I think it's a good opportunity for me to promote the Official English of the Light Novel Volume 1, it's not out yet, but you could purchase it on pre-sale by clicking here:
https://www.monogatari-novels.com/the-dreaming-boy-is-a-realist-vol-1/
You could support the author and the illustrator by purchasing this physical and digital version Official English version of the Light Novel Volume 1.
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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