[Warning 15+]
Interlude 4A Break from the Usual
─A conversation among some classmates after the Cultural Festival.
"It seems like… …once it was over, it really felt like it was all about Mei, didn't it?"
"Whether it was the food stalls or the plays, everything became a topic of conversation because of Mei…"
"As for that Best Performance Award, it didn't really resonate with me… …Everything went according to someone else's instructions, and before we knew it, the Event was over."
"…Honestly, were we even really needed here?"
"I thought, 'Isn't it true that Mei can handle everything on her own without us having to bother?'"
"Besides, we weren't even consulted. We were just forced to accept the decision Mei had already made."
"So basically, 'There's nothing to discuss with the people below us,' right? Like, 'Even if we said something, they wouldn't understand anyway, would they?'"
"In that case, Mei might as well have just handled it herself from the start. It's totally ridiculous."
"I don't know why… …but suddenly I just don't care anymore."
"Yeah, I guess so. For some reason, whenever I'm with Kiyosato, all that happens are things that wear me out."
"In that case, maybe we should just stay away from Kiyosato, right? Besides, she probably won't even bother with us even if we ignore her."
"That's true. Kiyosato seems really laid-back even when she's alone. She really is out of the ordinary."
"Kiyosato is different from us—she's out of the ordinary—and that's okay, isn't it?"
◆
—A conversation among some classmates while they were packing up their things.
"By the way, why is Mei always so calm, though?"
"When Matsubara fainted, Mei was the only one who acted like nothing was wrong..."
"Isn't that a little cold? We'd been fighting together up until that point—it's impossible to just switch gears like that. Usually, though..."
"...Besides, right after that, Mei just casually became the Lead."
"Maybe Mei actually wanted it, right? Like, 'Wow, perfect timing—I'm so lucky,' or something like that."
"For some reason, Mei even knew her lines by heart. It's possible."
"Or, maybe… …Mei is the one forcing Mattsun to work that hard, too."
"It's true… …it's possible that Mei is taking advantage of Mattsun's position to pile that heavy workload onto her."
"Oh, it seems impossible to go that far… …but then again, it doesn't seem impossible either. After all, this is Mei."
"Mei really is out of the ordinary."
"Mei really is always so perceptive, y'know. Sometimes it even gives me goosebumps."
"Actually, aren't we all being controlled by Mei?"
"Wow, that's really bad. It feels like, 'We're not your toys, y'know.'"
"Mei is crazy. If that's the case, I don't want to go near her anymore."
◆
─At a nearby café, a conversation among some classmates.
"Seriously, what was that public confession all about…! Oh my gosh, this is really, really bad…!"
"Why did Zomu-kun do something like that…?"
"Wait, wasn't there a rumor before about a huge fight? Zomu-kun must be trying to beat Oomori."
"And Mei, too! In a situation that bad, she didn't need to go out of her way to be the Female Lead!"
"Anyone could have guessed it would turn out like that, under normal circumstances, though."
"It feels like Mei was asked out on a date, doesn’t it? And then Zomu-kun got rejected like that—I really don't get it at all."
"Maybe Mei wants to be the Leading Lady in a tragedy? Like, 'I've been humiliated, poor me,' or something."
"Or maybe Mei actually feels burdened by being so popular? Maybe she just wants to boost her own status?"
"But Mei knows how we feel…! That's so cruel…!"
"Besides, Mei's mixing personal matters with work way too much. It's like, 'Why does she have to be so enthusiastic and ruin the mood?'"
"That's really unacceptable, isn't it? We're getting dragged into this, too, y'know."
"…Oh, never mind. We should just ignore it, right? It's clearly Mei's own fault, isn't it?"
"I agree. Actually, I've suspected for a while that there's something off about Mei."
"Me too, me too. I mean, how could Mei keep acting so nice all the time?"
"There's definitely something behind it. Don’t you guys feel that way? Girls like that are usually like that, aren't they?"
"Seriously, Mei should just go somewhere else…"
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
RP: Angga Kun
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