[Warning 15+]
Interlude 3Detachment from Everyday Life
─A casual conversation during the Cultural Festival Preparations.
"Mei is... ...eh, she's a little too kind, isn't she?"
"Huh? Isn't that a good thing?"
"Yeah, I guess so. But, for some reason, when Mei's that kind, I start wondering, 'Is there some hidden motive behind it?'"
"Well, sometimes I also feel like, 'Wow, Mei is just too much like an angel…'"
"Besides, being too forgiving of that failure is a bit strange, isn't it?"
"Oh, I feel the same way. Why isn't Mei upset at all, I wonder?"
"I guess we just want Mei to know how hard it is for us."
"Just hiding money problems like that—that's not exactly considerate..."
"Mei does make her own decisions all the time. Well, but basically she isn't wrong, so it's okay."
"It feels like everything is in Mei's hands, doesn't it?"
"Hey, don't say that. It's true that Mei has been working really hard."
"…Actually, I'm a little disappointed. Yeah, I guess I'm just not cut out to be a leader, am I? To be honest, it's really tough… …but I wish Mei would trust me more."
"I feel the opposite, actually… …I don't know why, but my expectations are so high that sometimes I just want to run away…"
"But if you're having trouble, Mei will definitely help you, right? If you can't do it, just say you can't, right?"
"That's true. Even if we leave everything up to her, Mei can still handle it. Geniuses really are extraordinary."
"I've felt this way for a long time... ...Kiyosato really is different from us; She is just an extraordinary person."
◆
─A casual conversation among a group of girls.
"Hey, I've got news! I heard from a kid in Class 3-B that Mei and co's group are in a total mess right now!"
"Huh, a total mess? A total mess—is this about romance!?"
"There's a rumor going around—apparently Mitaka and Ōmori are fighting over Mei!"
"No way!? Wow, so it's true after all!"
"Yeah, of course. After all, it's Mei, right? Boys are bound to be instantly drawn to her."
"Apparently, when Mei was having trouble with a girl from the next class, those two immediately came to her rescue like heroes!"
"Oh, like a Princess being protected by handsome boys? So being a pretty girl is nice, huh? Seriously."
"…Huh, if that's really the case, we're in for a lot of trouble. But Mei already said she doesn't have that kind of relationship with either of them."
"Exactly. In the end, Mei got a big head because those two handsome boys were fawning over her."
"Could it be that Mei wants to run away secretly without telling us…!"
"Oh, maybe you guys feel that way because you're fans of Mitaka-kun. But Mei definitely wouldn't do something like that, right?"
"But, didn't they say Mei recently went to the pool with them? Isn't that a little suspicious?"
"Oh, yeah, come to think of it… …we girls would never go to the pool with boys we don't like."
"In that case, it looks like only Shinagawa is left out. I feel kind of bad for her."
"But hasn't Miharu-chan been close with Ōmori for a long time? She's not like that with any of the other boys at all."
"They often read books together at the library, don't they? There was even a rumor back then that they were dating."
"Wow, that makes things really complicated! A love triangle? Or a love quadrangle?"
"In front of others, they seem like a really close-knit group. But behind the scenes, it turns out their relationships are pretty complicated, huh."
"It is kind of disappointing. It seems like they're just pretending to be close on the surface."
"Well, mixed groups of boys and girls are usually like that, aren't they?"
◆
─In front of the classroom after school.
"S-Sorry! I'm heading home first!"
"Huh? Me─"
"Eh?"
"─Wow, Mei is running so seriously… I don't think she’s even aware we're here."
"…"
"By the way, what about the snacks… …The ice cream didn't turn out right, did it?"
"…This might be the first time I've seen Mei look that desperate."
"Huh, really…? To go that far for Miharu-chan—what exactly happened in class─?"
"…Ōmori, you?"
"Huh? …Wait, hold on a second."
"…Could it be…?"
"You've been passed, haven't you…?"
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
RP: Angga Kun
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