Chapter 347: A Careless Girl
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 347: A Careless Girl
“A cylinder with radius r, as shown in the diagram... Nope, I'm done.”
The problem made my head spin just looking at it, so I tossed my pen aside.
Miyuki immediately grabbed my arm and whined playfully.
“Whyyy...! Just give it a try. If you think about it, you should be able to solve some of it, right? Are you giving up without even trying?”
“Everyone has their own strengths. It's better to hone what you're good at than to waste time on things you're not.”
“Should we switch to English, then? You did well on the last English test, Matsuda-kun.”
“That was just a fluke.”
“No, it wasn’t. You’ve been getting high scores in English ever since we started tutoring.”
“Just a lot of flukes, then.”
“Are you going to be like this?”
“I don't see why not.”
“If you don't want to study, you can just say so.”
“I was just worried you'd be disappointed.”
At my words, Miyuki’s stern expression melted into one of subtle delight.
The corners of her mouth twitched as she looked at me.
I scratched my cheek, embarrassed, and was about to change the subject when she giggled and beat me to it.
“I’m not disappointed. I have days like that too, so I get it.”
“You have days where you don’t want to study?”
“Yep.”
“Is the world ending?”
“Hey, what are you talking about...! Anyway, let’s just take a break today.”
Accepting Miyuki’s merciful offer, I took the game consoles out of the shopping bag in the corner.
Her eyes widened when she saw them.
“I was wondering what was in there. It was a game console?”
She could have peeked inside the bag whenever I left the room to go to the bathroom or water the flower bed, but she hadn’t. I love how Miyuki respected my privacy, figuring it was something personal.
“I bought it so we could play together. I already made you an account, so you just have to use it.”
“You bought two of them?”
“Yeah. Stop asking silly questions and just take it.”
“When did I ask a silly question?”
“You were just gearing up to nag me.”
“Well, you give me reasons to...”
“Quiet. Lie down here.”
I handed a console to Miyuki and lay down on the mat.
She reluctantly settled in beside me and held the device up.
“What do I do from here? What do I press?”
“Just touch what you see on the bottom screen.”
“Animal Forest?”
“Yep.”
“I pressed it. Now what?”
“Wait for the game screen to load.”
“Okay. Did you turn yours on, Matsuda-kun? Your name is Stupid-Ken? Why’d you make it that? Because you’re a dummy?” Miyuki asked, peeking at my screen.
I’d forgotten to change it. I couldn't bring myself to tell her Hiyori had picked it out.
Not yet... yeah, not yet.
“Yours is Smart-ki.”
“Is that a combination of ‘smart’ and the last part of my name?”
“Yeah.”
“Your naming sense is... pretty bad, huh? But I like Stupid-Ken.”
She likes Stupid-Ken?
I guess she appreciated Hiyori’s naming skills.
The two of them might get along well.
No, they have to get along.
“It’s on. There’s a video playing. Some raccoon is telling me I have to move to a deserted island.”
I thought it would take her a while to get into it, but from the sound of her voice, she was clearly interested.
She must be happy just to be doing something with me.
Relieved, I spent the rest of the night with Miyuki, slowly creating our characters and reading every line of dialogue as we played the game.
* * *
“Miyuki, what’s wrong today? Are you sick?”
The vice president looked worriedly at a sluggish Miyuki. Covering her mouth with her hand, Miyuki let out a cute yawn and replied.
“I'm just tired from setting up a tent, picking fruit... and fishing yesterday...”
“A tent...? Fruit and fishing...? Did you go camping somewhere in the countryside?”
“Do you know Animal Forest?”
“Ah, you were playing that? I hear it’s popular these days.”
“Yeah. Hey, Matsuda-kun, can you help me get ready for the next class?”
Miyuki’s soft voice called to me as she placed a hand on my arm.
I was slouched back in my chair, my upper body draped over the backrest. “What for? Isn’t it P.E.?”
“It is. But we have a practical test today, so the teacher asked us to set up the traffic cones.”
“Really? What do I need to do?”
“Just bring them from the storage shed outside the gym to the field.”
“Now?”
“Yep. Let’s go together.”
“It’s fine. I can handle that myself.”
I gently pushed down on Miyuki’s head as she tried to stand, making her rest, and left the classroom.
As I was heading to the gym, I saw something white and lumpy under the stands on the field.
Wondering what it was, I changed course and went down the high steps of the bleachers.
“Wh-what the...!? Hey...!”
I was so shocked I nearly fainted.
It was Hiyori, passed out on the stands, her eyes rolled back into her head.
For a second, my heart dropped, thinking something terrible had happened to her. But looking closer, I saw she was just sleeping with an eye mask on.
“Son of a... You scared me...”
I barely managed to stop myself from cursing out loud, letting out a sigh of relief, anger, and bewilderment.
But that wasn't the main issue. The problem was the design of her eye mask, which was more shocking than I could have ever imagined.
Where the hell did she even buy an Ahegao eye mask like that?
Did she just pick it without thinking because the iris color was similar to hers?
It was beyond absurd. She bought something that looks just like her, a perfect, wretched match.
For a moment, I thought they were her real eyes.
Not only that, but every time Hiyori breathed, her shirt looked like it was about to burst at the seams from her large chest.
The blanket had slipped all the way down to her hips, revealing her belly button, and her skirt was on the verge of riding up to her waist... Just great.
To top it all off, the blanket she must have been using was crumpled on top of her skirt, a testament to her rough sleeping habits.
If I’d been standing on the other side, I would’ve seen her panties. It was a good thing no one else was around.
Even worse, one of her arms was wedged tightly in the stand. It was going to be incredibly numb when she woke up.
“This is driving me crazy...”
She’s acting like this is her own house.
The sight of her sprawled out sleeping, complete with a portable pillow... I don't know whether to call her carefree or just completely defenseless...
Still, I had to give her credit for buttoning up her shirt all the way. And that ahoge sticking straight up from the crown of her head was cute.
I reached a hand over the face of Hiyori, who had clearly thrown all caution to the wind, and flicked her forehead—lightly, but hard enough for her to feel the dull thud.
Thwack.
“Nngh...?”
Hiyori let out a sleepy groan, lifted her head slightly, and then slowly pushed her upper body up.
She looked as listless as a zombie.
She was looking around blankly right in front of me. I poked her shoulder and spoke.
“What are you doing passed out here?”
“...Senpai...?”
I thought she’d be startled, but her flat reaction was a little disappointing.
“Yeah.”
“I can’t see... Senpai... something’s wrong with my eyes...”
“Take off the eye mask.”
“Ah...”
Hiyori let out a short, dopey sound and took off the eye mask.
She turned toward me and was about to rub her drowsy eyes.
I grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand down.
“Your hands are dirty. Go wash them at the sinks over there and splash some water on your face. And your clothes... do something about them.”
“What’s wrong with my clothes... Oh...?”
A light blush spread across Hiyori’s face as she looked down at herself.
She hurriedly straightened her clothes and pulled her skirt down.
She was clearly aware of how exposed she’d been.
So you do know what shame is.
Then again, she was practically half-naked. It would be strange if even someone as open as her didn’t feel embarrassed.
“My arm’s asleep...” Hiyori whined weakly as she adjusted her skirt.
I clicked my tongue and said, “You’re a grown girl, what are you doing with your belly button and thighs all exposed?”
“What can I do? This is just how I sleep...”
“Right... well... I guess it’s not something you can fix easily. But where did you buy that eye mask?”
“This...? I bought it yesterday when I was out shopping with my friends... It’s cute, right?”
“Did your friends say anything when you bought it?”
“I bought it alone after we split up... Why? What’s wrong with it?”
“It’s not what’s wrong with it... Never mind. You picked it because it looks like your eye color, right?”
“Yes.”
“Do you even know what kind of eye mask that is... Forget it. It suits you.”
“Thanks. Oh, my blanket got dirty...”
Hiyori bent over to pick up the blanket that had fallen to the level below, then shook it out vigorously.
I shook my head, picked up her pillow, and placed it on her lap.
“Try to be a little more modest.”
“No lecturing.”
“Whatever. Did you have P.E.?”
“Yep.”
Hiding out and sleeping during P.E. class—she was just like me.
“You could have at least changed into your gym clothes... It’s a miracle you didn’t get caught.”
“I told you, no lecturing.”
“Just go wash your hands.”
“Kay... Hold this for me.”
She handed me the blanket and shuffled unsteadily toward the sinks. I was dumbfounded.
I knew she was an unpredictable person who bounced all over the place, but even though she had some sense of chastity, I never imagined she’d be so unguarded as to sleep like this was her own home.
It seemed academy life was more comfortable for her than I’d thought.
After washing her hands and quickly splashing her face, Hiyori came back over and made an audacious request.
“The storage room you told me about is too dusty to relax in. Can’t you clean it for me?”
Whoa. Who does she think she is, the queen bee?
“No.”
“Then should we clean it together? It’s a shared space.”
“I don’t use it.”
“Why?”
“Because I know plenty of other spots.”
“Don’t be stingy and keep them to yourself. Tell me too, okay?”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Aw, come on, tell me...! Tell me! Tell me...!!”
She suddenly started throwing a tantrum, and it was seriously bewildering.
I froze for a moment, then, thinking the first-year P.E. teacher might see us if this kept up, I bent my middle finger, brought it to her forehead, and gave her a flick to shut her up.
Thwack-!
“Aah! Ow, why’d you hit me...! That really hurts...!”
Hiyori clutched her forehead, rubbing the spot as she winced in pain.
I scoffed at her.
“It hurts because I meant for it to hurt. Show some decorum.”
“You know, people don’t like it when a conservative person is also violent...”
“Like I care. Let me see.”
Hiyori mumbled a small “Jeez...” and moved her hand.
A bright red spot was blooming right in the center of her forehead.
Her skin is really sensitive. Is it going to swell up?
If it does, I guess I’ll have to lick it for her.
“It suits you. I’m leaving.”
As I stood up to leave, Hiyori asked in a sulky tone, “Where are you going?”
“To clean up the gym. And don’t sleep here anymore.”
“I don’t want to. I’m going to sleep here again.”
“Then at least sleep properly. Don’t expose your stomach and legs like before.”
“Fine...”
The way she slumped her shoulders, pretending to be dejected, didn’t stir an ounce of sympathy in me.
How many people had fallen for that act and given her everything she wanted? It wouldn’t work on me.
Still, it felt a little sad to part ways just like this.
Since I’d already flicked her forehead, I wanted to create some kind of special memory...
As I was thinking, I saw Hiyori’s messy, just-woken-up hair and grinned.
I reached out, placed my hand on the crown of her head—so small it fit in my palm—and started ruffling her hair wildly.
With every movement of my hand, Hiyori’s face followed pliantly.
After tormenting her hair to my satisfaction while she silently accepted my touch, I looked down at her now-disheveled locks and said, “I’m really going now.”
After that, I fought back the strong urge to look back as I walked away from Hiyori and headed for the gym.