Chapter 321: Good Karma or Bad Karma?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 321: Good Karma or Bad Karma?
No rain, a cool breeze...
The weather today was perfect.
Tweet—! Tweet—!
In the middle of the field, where puddles still dotted the ground, the PE teacher was blowing his whistle. He was trying to stop the boys from playing soccer.
The weather was nice, so there must have been an order from the higher-ups to hold class outside, but to stay off the soccer field.
Seriously, the suits just don't get kids brimming with youthful energy. If they were going to be like that, they should've just sent us to the gym to play basketball.
Having rebelled against the system only in my thoughts, I looked around for Miyuki.
I could see a few girls running laps on the track... she wasn't with them. She was among a group of students chatting in the shade of the stands.
She was laughing cheerfully as she spoke, looking cute.
I considered joining them but decided to just flop down and close my eyes instead. For some reason, I'd been feeling tired a lot lately.
Maybe I was getting lethargic.
The sun felt pretty warm, so I closed my eyes.
A few minutes passed like that, and then a dark shadow fell over the orange-tinted view I saw through my eyelids.
Wondering what it was, I opened my eyes to find Hiyori staring down at me.
“What are you doing here?”
She was looking right down at my face, her long hair almost brushing against my skin. It wasn't touching me, but I could already feel a tickle.
I answered with a bored expression.
“Napping.”
“Isn't it class time?”
“That's why I'm sleeping. What are you doing here?”
“I have PE too, and I saw you sleeping, so I came over.”
I groggily sat up, leaned my back against the stands, and looked at Hiyori, who had moved to my side.
Hiyori in her gym uniform... it really suited her.
Unlike the delinquent types you usually see with one pant leg rolled up to the knee, she had both of hers rolled up just to her ankles, which I especially liked.
Her pale, slender ankles... made me want to lick them.
“How's your cold?”
“I rested all day, so I'm feeling a little better.”
“That's good. But you're still sick, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then stay away from me.”
“Hey! That's so annoying...!”
Watching her grumble and wave her hand at me, I had to stop myself from laughing.
Suppressing the urge, I asked.
“Aren't you supposed to be in class?”
“It's the first day, so the teacher gave us free time since everyone's still a bit awkward.”
“A legitimate reason to skip class is rare. Enjoy it.”
“Enjoy what? Anyway, why are you here all by yourself, senpai? All the other upperclassmen are hanging out with their friends. Are you being bullied? Should I save you?”
“How exactly are you going to save me?”
“I'll give them a piece of my mind.”
If you did that, I might actually become an outcast.
I swallowed the thought and just chuckled instead.
Hiyori smiled brightly back at me, then pointed to the waist-high fence at the far end of the field.
“Do you remember that spot?”
The place with the big tree. It was where I'd found Hiyori on that rainy day.
“I remember.”
“Oh... how?”
“What do you mean, how? It was only a few days ago, of course I remember. By the way, when are you giving me my windbreaker back?”
“It's drying.”
“Is it?”
“Yep.”
I couldn't help but imagine it.
My windbreaker, hanging among Hiyori's clothes—or better yet, between her colorful bras and panties.
I bet it would be letting out screams of joy.
“You're imagining something, aren't you?”
At Hiyori's words, I frowned and shot back, “What kind of weird imagination?”
“Something perverted.”
She's annoyingly sharp.
I scoffed lightly and waved her away.
“If you're going to say weird things, get lost.”
“Did I hit a nerve?”
“Not at all.”
“Your face says you did...”
“I said no.”
“Okay, I'll pretend to believe you.”
The more she acts like this, the more I want to teach her a lesson. She's a virgin, but she acts like a slut. I bet if she actually saw me naked, she'd be too shy to say a word.
I'll bide my time for that day.
“What's with that creepy look on your face?”
Did she read my mind? Hiyori's expression turned suspicious.
I just shrugged and said, “You're the one with a dirty mind, so that's probably what you're seeing.”
The distance between us as we sat side-by-side was ambiguous—you could call it close, or you could call it far.
Was she being mindful of what I said about catching her cold?
No, it seemed more like she was being careful on her own.
I handed a disposable tissue from my pocket to the pouting Hiyori.
“Wipe your runny nose.”
Her eyes widened.
“You carry these around?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
Because of Miyuki. She'd been sneezing lately, probably because of the pollen.
“If you don't want it, fine.”
“Who said I didn't? Thanks.”
Hiyori snatched the tissue from my hand and wiped the spot under her nose.
I thought she'd be embarrassed if I pointed out her runny nose, but she just wiped it openly.
She must have learned it from a young age.
That she can act like this without it affecting anyone's opinion of her in the slightest.
True, even if Hiyori blew her nose right here, or even picked it, no one would find it off-putting. They'd probably find it charmingly down-to-earth.
That's just how lookism works, isn't it?
But it seems Miyuki hasn't noticed me having a friendly chat with Hiyori. Is this some kind of harem protagonist debuff? From my perspective, it would be better if Miyuki saw this...
“I should get going now. Here, take this...”
She tried to hand me the tissue she'd just used.
I recoiled, my face scrunching up in disgust.
“Hey, you... Throw that away yourself.”
“But there's still plenty of usable space left.”
“Come on...”
“Alrighty.”
My dear Hiyori... what am I going to do with you, being so unladylike?
I'm so worried. I guess I'll have to be the one to set her straight.
* * *
“Um... ma'am. Could I have a little more, please?”
A student asked the nutritionist who had just served him a sausage side dish.
The nutritionist agreed and added more to his tray, and the student politely thanked her.
“Thank you.”
It was a truly heartwarming scene. That is, until one of the tough-looking guys in the group behind him sneered.
“Don't they feed you at home?”
‘Huh?’
The moment I heard that, I couldn't help but flinch at the scene of déjà vu flashing through my mind. An event from when I played DokiAka was unfolding right before my eyes.
It was a random event that would trigger in the cafeteria when playing as Tetsuya. Why was it happening to me, right now?
There's no one around to gain Affection Level with... Miyuki is far away... Surely this doesn't mean I'm turning into Tetsuya, right?
I'm getting anxious. My heart is racing. Am I being punished? For acting so pathetic lately?
If that's the case, I'd better handle this my own way.
Back then, I chose the option to call the nearby Student Council... but not this time.
Having made my decision, I kicked the calf of the student who'd just sworn, rather hard.
Thwack.
He let out a grunt and whipped his head around.
“Which...”
His face was menacing, as if he was about to lunge at me, but after seeing my size and the 2nd Year tag on my chest, his aggression subsided a notch.
“Why'd you hit me?”
So he was a first-year. This was a little different from the event I knew. For some reason, I had a feeling this had something to do with Hiyori... No, it was more than a feeling; I was almost certain.
“Hey.”
“...What.”
“What class are you in?”
“Why do you care?”
“You're in Class 1-C, aren't you?”
The student flinched.
So I was right. Was he one of the students who'd gotten close to Hiyori?
If so, I'd have to lecture her.
“Give me your side dish.”
At my words, his mouth fell slightly open as he asked, “What...?”
“I said, give me your side dish.”
“What are you talking...”
While the dazed punk was still holding his tray, I used my spoon to swipe all the sausages off it and said, “Now, get lost.”
“.....”
Even though I was being so blatant, he showed no sign of fighting back.
A classic case of someone who's tough on the weak and weak to the tough. Kind of like Tetsuya.
No, wait. Is that too harsh an insult?
The Class C student and his friends shot daggers at me with their eyes as they walked away.
I ignored them and approached the bullied student, who was just standing there blankly. I asked in a friendly tone, “Want some sausage?”
“...Huh?”
Then, I dumped all the sausages I'd just taken onto his tray.
“Eat up.”
“Ah, um...”
He glanced at the backs of the group that had left, his expression torn between wanting to thank me and being afraid to. They were probably in the same class.
“Are you in Class C, too?”
“Huh? Ah, yes...!”
In that case, I'll have to stop by Class C before lunch is over.
I have a feeling something good might happen.
Like, say, a small boost in Hiyori's Affection Level for me... Wouldn't hurt to hope for something like that, right?
“Got it. You can go.”
“Yes... um... thank you...”
After the student gave a timid bow and left, my eyes met the nutritionist's.
She had a complicated expression, as if she couldn't decide whether to praise me or not.
I gave her a grin and held out my tray.
“Lots of sausage, please.”
“O-Okay...”
It's Miyuki's favorite side dish, so I have to get plenty.