Chapter 4: Matsuda-kun, You've Changed.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 4: Matsuda-kun, You've Changed.
Two days had passed since I started cleaning the bathrooms.
Miyuki only monitored me for that first day.
Even though I'd gotten a massive boost in her Affection Level, the distance between us was still vast.
Nevertheless, I cleaned the bathrooms meticulously.
Even if Miyuki wasn't watching, she might hear from a third party that the bathrooms had been clean lately.
In the classroom, I kept up my delinquent act.
Except, that is, during class time.
I tried my best to keep up with the professor's lessons.
It was the same now. I was fighting off waves of drowsiness to listen to the math lecture.
"Alright, who wants to solve this problem... hmm..."
The middle-aged professor, who had drawn circles and letters on the blackboard, trailed off.
I flinched when our eyes met.
I had a feeling he was going to ask me to solve it.
He must have found it strange that I was actually paying attention in class...
"Matsuda-kun, would you like to give it a try?"
Just as I expected, the professor called on me.
Immediately, all eyes turned in my direction.
Miyuki's curious gaze stood out.
I desperately wanted to solve it brilliantly and earn a round of applause, but...
I had no idea what the hell was drawn on that blackboard.
I know I'm not a good student, but I don't remember being this bad before I possessed this guy...
I'm supposed to have Miyuki tutor me in the future, but my prospects look bleak.
I scratched my head roughly and said in a defiant tone, "I have no idea."
"I-Is that so...? Alright. Miyuki-san, could you come up and solve it on the board instead?"
With an "I-knew-it" look on her face, Miyuki stood up from her seat.
She skillfully scribbled with the chalk, showing off her elegant handwriting.
She looked kind of cool.
I glanced over at Tetsuya and saw him staring at Miyuki as she solved the problem, his eyes sparkling.
What right does a guy who was too cowardly to even confess have...
You don't have the right to look at Miyuki like that.
During the break after class.
I was about to rest my arms on my desk when Miyuki approached with a somewhat friendly gait. I put on an annoyed expression.
"What now."
"Matsuda-kun."
"What."
"If you don't know the answer, you should at least pretend to try and solve it, or ask the professor for help. That's how you improve."
Ignoring her advice, I turned my head toward Tetsuya.
"Miura. Your mom is nagging me for no reason. Aren't you going to stop her?"
My playful tone made Tetsuya flustered. He glanced at Miyuki and said in a meek voice, "Sh-She's not my mom... Miyuki is..."
"It was a joke, you idiot. Don't take it so seriously..."
"Matsuda-kun."
Miyuki cut off our conversation in a stern tone.
I raised both hands in an exaggerated gesture.
"Alright, alright. Geez, can't even joke around, you're so scary."
"That's not joking, that's bullying."
"Bullying? Hey, Miura. Did I bully you?"
I scowled at Tetsuya, and Miyuki stepped between us.
"Who would tell the truth if you talk to him in such a threatening way?"
"What do you want me to do? This is just how I talk."
"You can be gentle. At least try."
"Our dear, sweet Miura-kun, did I perhaps hurt your feelings? No? That's a relief. In that case, could you do me a favor and clean the bathroom for me after school today?"
"Matsuda-kun."
There was something I'd learned after the pervert incident, as Miyuki's attitude toward me changed.
Whenever I did something she didn't like, she would call me by my last name in a low, deep voice.
Like a mother or an older sister trying to discipline me.
Losing interest in Tetsuya, I leaned back in my chair.
Then I deliberately said bluntly, "Hah... What are you, my mother-in-law? Why do you have to meddle in every little thing?"
"You're the one who makes me meddle."
"You always have to have the last word... Hey, just go. Take your puppy to the school store or something."
"Puppy?"
"Miura, behind you."
"Haaah... I think I'm going to get angry if I talk to you any longer, so I'll stop. You're going to do a good job cleaning the bathroom today, right?"
Of course, I am.
"I can't say I'll do a good job, but I'll do it."
"Is your hand okay?"
"It's fine."
"Be careful not to get water on it."
With that, Miyuki left with Tetsuya.
It seemed they were heading to the school store, just as I'd thought.
That... that fucking bastard... I want to go to the school store with Miyuki too, but he gets her all to himself.
The more I see him, the more I want to punch him.
* * *
Every dating sim has a variety of Affection Level events.
Some are major, like the subway pervert incident I resolved a few days ago.
Others give a small amount of affection, or none at all, but provide a fan service scene.
Right now, I was at the scene of one of those fan service events.
Normally, this event offers nothing but fan service and no affection points, but things are different now.
Why? Because I know Miyuki's personality inside and out.
Miyuki is the perfect childhood-friend-first-love type.
She's proper and incredibly warm-hearted.
She's also the type of girl who can't just ignore someone in an unfortunate situation.
Why am I thinking about this now?
Because a beggar was wandering around nearby where Miyuki was.
This beggar was missing a leg and got around by begging on a square dolly he could rest his torso on.
He had a nasty personality, belligerently demanding money. He was also a psycho who'd grab passersby and threaten to hit them if they didn't carry him across the crosswalk.
He was even famous in this area.
You know how some games have NPCs like this?
An NPC who, when you're struggling, can give you a huge breather if you're willing to sell a bit of your conscience.
In DokiAka, this beggar was exactly that type.
If you gave him one of your smelly socks, he'd give you a portion of the money he'd begged for.
'When I played as Tetsuya, I made great use of this guy.'
Now, I was going to use this beggar.
To put it simply, I was going to pretend to be nice.
I'll act somewhat kind to this beggar, and I'll make sure Miyuki sees it.
With the entire plan mapped out in my head, I moved toward the beggar.
I could see him, making a clattering sound and yelling at pedestrians.
What would happen if I gave him the socks I'm wearing right now?
Would he give me money like in the game?
I considered it for a moment, then shook my head.
Because Matsuda Ken wasn't short on money.
There was only one thing I wanted from this beggar.
Miyuki's Affection Level for me. That was all.
"Hey! Hey!"
The beggar yelled at a pedestrian who was ignoring him.
Pretending to just be passing by, I walked right in front of him.
And then,
"Hey! You there!"
As expected, the beggar called out to me in a loud voice.
I half-turned and looked down at him.
"What."
The beggar's face colored with disbelief, as if he was dumbfounded by my abrupt, informal speech.
He stared up at me blankly for a moment, then pulled down the corners of his grimy mouth.
"Well, look at this disrespectful little punk...! How old are you! Huh!?"
"Twenty."
"You're still wet behind the ears...! I've lived three and a half times longer than you, you brat! You brat with no home training...! What is the world coming to...!"
His explosive anger was just like the beggar I knew.
"I'll hold you accountable for the crime of disrespecting your elders! You will carry me across that crosswalk right now!"
"Oh yeah? I can do that."
When I readily accepted his command, the beggar's eyes widened.
"Huh...? You will?"
"Yeah. I'm gonna pick you up now, okay?"
"Uh, huh...? O-Okay... Hurry up. And grab my ride, too."
I said okay and crouched in front of the beggar, who was holding his arms out.
After hoisting him onto my back, I picked up the worn-out dolly with one hand.
The stench coming off him was no joke. Cleaning the bathrooms, this guy's smell... my nose is going to go numb at this rate.
"Ahem... I must have misunderstood you. Your words are rough, but you're a kind young man. Your back is broad, too, it'd be comfortable to sleep on. I'm going to catch a little shut-eye, so wake me when we cross that crosswalk waaaay over there."
The beggar pointed to a spot far in the distance.
I clicked my tongue and pretended to head that way. But as soon as I heard the beggar's steady breathing from over my shoulder, I turned around.
Then, I headed for Miyuki.
A quiet street, a little ways off from the main thoroughfare.
I went near a small cell phone accessory shop in an area with very little foot traffic and spotted Miyuki through the shop's transparent glass window.
She was picking out keyrings with her friends.
As Miyuki crouched down to look at the items, her skirt slid down, and her snow-white panties were revealed between her lovely thighs.
The taut fabric of her panties revealed every bit of her plump curves.
It looked like if I poked it, my finger would sink in before being bounced back by the elasticity.
Seeing this in person made the blood rush to my lower body.
That bastard Tetsuya must be around here somewhere... Poor thing.
Unlike the original event, you won't get to see Miyuki like that.
Why? Because a commotion is about to start.
"Hey, old man. We're here."
I set down the dolly and shook my upper body to wake the beggar. He looked around, then smacked me on the head with a loud thwack! I yelled out.
"Ah, fuck! Why the hell did you hit me!"
"You brat! When did I ask you to bring me here! I just said to cross the crosswalk!"
Yeah, you did.
"What are you talking about? You definitely told me to take you to a quiet street!"
"Are young people these days deaf...? Utterly useless... Tsk... How am I supposed to beg here where there's no one around? My earnings for today have been cut in half because of you, so take responsibility!"
"Why should I take responsibility for that!? You should've spoken clearly instead of mumbling in the first place! Just get off!"
At the sudden commotion, the few people around turned to look.
The same went for the cell phone shop, which had its door open for business.
The customers inside stared at me arguing with the beggar.
Including Miyuki, of course.
I carefully but irritably set the beggar down and placed him on his dolly.
Then I waved my hands as if shooing away an annoying fly.
"I did my part, so get lost now."
"G-Get lost...? You braaaat!! Have you no respect for your elders!?"
"Aren't you being a bit much, old man? I worked hard to bring you all the way here, and you can't even say thank you, you just get angry?"
"That's because you didn't listen to what I said!"
"Ah, jeez... Fucking persistent, aren't you? Is this what you want? Take it and get lost."
I pulled a thousand-yen bill from my wallet and held it out. The beggar, who had been screaming, snapped his mouth shut.
His expression changed in an instant. He snatched the bill and went on his way, humming.
Watching him drag the dolly with a clatter, using his hands to push off the ground, I felt a little pissed off, even though this was all part of my plan.
I watched him go and let out a deep sigh, muttering, "Just my luck..."
"Matsuda-kun."
Miyuki's lovely voice called my name.
I turned around with a surprised look.
"Hanazawa? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be studying? Finals are just around the corner."
"I just came out to clear my head for a bit. What about you?"
"You don't need to know."
When I mumbled vaguely in a listless tone, Miyuki's eyes curved into crescents.
"Actually, I heard everything. He was just playing a prank, right? He's famous for being a prankster. I guess you didn't know, Matsuda-kun?"
"Why are you being so formal with that beggar bastard..."
"Matsuda-kun. He's much older than you. You shouldn't talk like that. You swore at him earlier, too, didn't you? It was really unpleasant to see."
"Hah... There goes the mother-in-law again."
"If you keep talking like that, people won't try to understand your true intentions. Look around. You not only helped him with his request but even gave him money, yet the way people are looking at you is so cold. They've become prejudiced against you because of your aggressive attitude."
I looked around and, just as Miyuki said, a few people were staring at me coldly.
They were probably annoyed that I was causing a scene as it was getting dark.
I scratched my head roughly, pretending to be embarrassed.
"I don't care."
"If you really didn't care, you wouldn't have been glancing around, conscious of what other people were thinking. Am I wrong?"
"...What is it you want to say to me?"
"Try to cut back on the swearing from now on. And fix your habit of getting angry so easily."
You've told me again? Alright.
From now on, I'll slowly be reborn as a new person.
On the outside, I'll act prickly and pretend I don't want to listen to you.
But I'll show you with my actions.
So as you watch me gradually change, I hope you'll realize that I've taken your advice to heart.
And I hope you find some enjoyment in rehabilitating me.
"First at the academy, and now here... Do you have some kind of disease where you get thorns in your mouth if you don't meddle? Must be nice being such a busybody."
"Matsuda-kun."
Miyuki called my name in that usual stern tone.
I fell silent for a moment, pretending to be shaken, then turned my back to her.
"...I'm leaving. I stink, so I'm gonna go take a shower. Can't believe I ran into such a weirdo... What a shitty day... Dammit..."
I deliberately grumbled in an exaggerated way as I walked past Miyuki.
Of course, there wasn't a single curse word in my grumbling.