Wait, Is This Really a Romcom?
Kayama Akari wasn't used to this. Showing tears in front of someone else, let alone a male classmate... it was uncharted territory.
"You okay?"
The two of them, alone in an empty classroom. Sitting at desks facing each other, having a conversation—it was unprecedented. Given her timid nature, she felt like her heart might just leap right out of her throat. And yet, there was something that put her at ease.
"Yeah... thanks, Yamada-kun."
It was thanks to Yamada Jun, who seemed calmer than anyone else. Even in a situation like this, he looked completely unfazed.
'Come to think of it... Yamada-kun has always been a peculiar person, hasn't he...?'
Ever since he helped her with her math assignment, Akari had been secretly intrigued by Jun. Not an interest born of romantic attraction, but a curiosity about what kind of person he really was.
'I mean, just look at how he treats Ishikawa-kun... it’s impossible not to be curious.'
The two of them were quite famous in class, though they were the only ones who didn't seem to know it. Ishikawa was so gentle that everyone felt comfortable approaching him, but Jun was the opposite; he seemed like a nice guy, but he was always buried in his games, so many people couldn't find the opening to talk to him. Plus, both of them were taller than their peers, acted in surprisingly naive ways, and, well... they were famous for a lot of reasons.
"You look a bit better now. You're not going to cry again, are you?"
She nodded. 'He has such a nice voice...'
In class, no one approached Akari because of the rumors. That was why she had developed the habit of observing the class dynamics from her seat in the very back. Among those observations, the relationship between Jun and Ishikawa was truly unique. Jun was always teasing Ishikawa, but Ishikawa would just stick to him like it was nothing.
'I think I finally understand why...'
She had watched from the back as Jun tried to set Ishikawa up with Ruri Mitsune, and after talking to him a little bit just now, it finally clicked. He had a way of making people feel at ease. She could definitely feel her own emotions settling down.
"...Yamada-kun, by the way."
"Yeah, what?"
"Why... did you come to the classroom?"
"Ah, right. Damn it."
Watching him act, she understood to some extent. He seemed to be acting completely normal, as if he didn't care about her background—the whole yakuza business.
'It's amazing that he doesn't even ask... even though he caught me acting...'
The acting practice she had wanted to keep hidden from everyone. He had caught her red-handed, and even told her he’d seen the whole thing, yet unlike her other peers, she felt like Yamada was genuinely considerate of her. Maybe that was why she felt so comfortable around him.
"I came to grab my bag, and one thing led to another."
"...Are you leaving now?"
"Yeah, I guess. I have to go... play some games or something."
"..."
She had been acting for a long time and had seen plenty of people smile with lies on their lips, so she knew how to tell. Akari was confident in her ability to distinguish truth from falsehood.
"Are you going to tell anyone about today?"
"...Not like I have a reason to."
"Not like you have a reason...?"
"You don't want to tell anyone, so why would I?"
"...Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
He seemed sincere. A person who gave you the faith that no matter what secret you shared, he would never tell a soul. That had been Akari's assessment of Jun ever since she started watching him after the semester began.
'...Maybe.'
Yamada lingered by the door as if he were about to head home. Was he going to say goodbye and leave? Akari, shaking off the feeling that he had read her mind, climbed down from her desk. After packing her bag, she looked at Yamada. ...Should I be the one to say goodbye first?
"...You go ahead."
"Ah, okay!"
Her timid personality had created another funny situation, but thanks to that, she was able to leave the classroom where an awkward atmosphere had been lingering. What kind of relationship would she have with Yamada now?
'Am I finally... going to have a friend?'
She had only ever seen people bowing their heads to her, so the joy of potentially having an equal friend made Akari's steps quicken.
"..."
"..."
And then, they exited the main gate and turned right. Akari was preparing to say goodbye to Jun. She kept at it, all the way until they passed the school field.
"Hey, Yamada-kun."
"...Are you going this way too?"
"Yeah... y, yeah."
But something was strange.
"You're going through this fork in the road too?"
"Y, yeah...?"
The way they were going was, how should she put it? It was eerily similar. And what's more...
"Hey, don't tell me..."
"Hm? W, what is it?"
"That place with the ridiculously huge yard...? You know, that two-story mansion-like place."
Yamada Jun wiped the cold sweat from his hand as he asked, "Is that, by any chance, h, hopefully... not your house?"
"...Yeah, how did you know?"
Thwack! Yamada suddenly hit his head. Akari didn't know what the problem was, so she broke into a cold sweat internally.
'So she really is yakuza. Good grief, shit.'
My poker face is about to crack. To think the day would come where I’d be chatting with a yakuza’s daughter. I was the one who told Kiwi-hair not to judge people by their background or appearance...
'Man, I’m scared.'
I don't know about Akari herself, but I have no idea how her father might react. If I make even a single mistake, I might end up as a platter of fresh sashimi by the end of the day. Honestly, I did my absolute best to act normal while we were talking. I had to make sure my tongue didn't end up killing its master.
Eventually, I managed to keep my head together until we finished our walk home... but seriously? 'That mansion is actually her house? For real?'
The massive mansion that stretched out about two blocks from my house—that was Akari's place. Thinking about the tattooed guys in black suits I'd seen coming and going, my knees finally started to buckle. High schoolers don't scare me, but people like that? They're terrifying. Would it have been a little better if I had a status window or something? I don't know.
"The road ahead... it's almost the same."
"Oh? Then, do you live near me, Yamada-kun...?"
"Do you know the house next to the apartment complex?"
"I think I saw it on my way to school...! I don't remember well because I was in a car..."
She goes that distance by car. Ah, so she was the one living in a different world, not Suo-senpai.
"But I didn't see a car when I was going to school?"
"I go... at dawn..."
"Why go at dawn...? Aren't you sleepy?"
"Yeah, I go early to walk around a bit... and, p, practice..."
Practice. I'd been thinking about this for a while. Is it okay for me to just bring up acting with her? I thought it was fine when I was apologizing, but bringing it up in everyday conversation felt like a different issue.
"...Aren't you curious, Yamada?"
"About what, acting...?"
But if she brings it up first, wouldn't it be okay for me to ask a little?
"Only my brother knows that I... act... so I don't know what other people think."
"Then, can I be honest with you...?"
"Yeah, I, I want to hear it once..."
Even before Akari said that, she had been showing signs of curiosity. I’d already decided to answer if I wanted to avoid becoming sashimi, so I decided to open my mouth. And the moment I saw Akari's acting, my answer was already set.
"You seriously slapped the cheeks of professional actors."
"...E, eek?! No! That’s really, truly not the case..."
Don't be shy. You really were at that level. Our Akari is definitely world-class. If anything, this reaction makes me even more curious.
"Why don't you do it in front of others? Isn't acting something you're supposed to do in front of people...?"
"...It's just, if my father finds out... a little..."
"Aha. My bad."
Feeling another stack of 'sashimi' risk piling up, I reminded myself strongly to be careful with my words. I can feel the scale of the heroic tales I'll be thinking about when I go to sleep getting bigger and bigger...
"Th, that's right... acting is something you do in front of others..."
Akari nodded, mulling over my words. I don't know why, but she seemed deeply moved by something.
'Her emotional state is so colorful... it's a bit hard to read.'
It might be worth studying cases like this a little. Stomp, stomp. After that, Akari started walking without a word, lost in 'thought.' Since the depth of her contemplation seemed significant, I matched my pace to hers without saying anything.
We passed a utility pole with a bicycle parked against it, and a field of dandelions unfolded before us. The sight of dandelions, tinged with the orange of the sunset, swaying in the breeze. Suddenly, one thing crossed my mind.
'...Why am I walking in step with her?'
I picked up the pace a little. Then, seeing Akari immediately pick up her pace too, I gave up.
'She's walking with me even while she's thinking? Good grief, God is really trying hard to kill me.'
I didn't know what would happen if the sashimi stack got any higher, so I was just walking calmly in silence. Then, buzz- buzz-
'...It’s either Suo-senpai or Ishikawa.'
I tried to take out my phone when I got a text notification. Judging by the speed of the vibration in my pocket, it was probably Ishikawa wanting to play games. But then.
"Hey, Yamada-kun..."
Akari's sudden question. With my hand still in my pocket, I couldn't take out my phone. For now, I nodded and answered.
"Yamada-kun... do you have a lot of... t, time... or something...?"
I am a 'Time Gates' (someone with nothing but time).
"I do, why...?"
"That is... maybe, that... over there..."
Akari was stammering. An aura of her trying to ask something serious was unfolding, so I slowed my pace for a moment. Then, the breeze swayed Akari's bangs a little.
"Hey, so..."
'Is this really something to be this shy about? What could it possibly be...'
I got anxious because Akari was so hesitant that it was becoming a little scary. But even so, she clenched her fists tight and parted her lips as if trying to force herself to find the courage.
'...'
"A, after school...! W, with me...!"
"..."
"With me...! So..."
Akari couldn't get the words out for a long time. I had a hunch, so I asked just in case.
"Acting, related... that kind of... talk?"
"!!"
As expected. Akari's face turned bright red. It was the first time I'd seen someone turn that red in an instant; I guess actors really are different. Akari started pouring out her words quickly.
"Ac, acting... every day, alone... so, since I do it alone... I don't think I'm improving..."
Akari was trembling as she spoke. But maybe it was because I had the experience of understanding everything Ishikawa said back when he was going through his middle-school-syndrome phase?
"...You want me to stay after school and help you, right?"
"Ye, yeah...! I, I thought it would be helpful if you could watch and tell me how it is..."
I did have plenty of time after school. But thinking about it as time to play games felt a bit disappointing. And thinking of it as the price for my life, to avoid becoming sashimi, I felt like I had to do it.
'But I don't know much about acting.'
For now, let's try to guide her with a tone that sounds like I'm going to refuse. I could just say something like, "I have these problems, so wouldn't it be a bad fit?" Where...
"I have the time, but..."
"R, really!? You, you have time...!"
"...?"
"Then... even a little is fine... okay?"
Good grief, is yakuza-style persuasion different? It looked like she misunderstood my first sentence as an affirmation. Still, to think this would proceed so quickly. I felt like my soul was leaving my body. I didn't know she'd be this happy, so I thought about it for a moment. Hmm. Honestly, I decided there wasn't really a reason to refuse.
"...Sure, why not. Just once."
It was true that I wanted to see acting like that, even if just a little. And watching her act might help me improve my ability to see auras a bit more.
"Th, thank you... Yamada-kun."
Don't mention it, I'm the one getting more out of this. Akari's aura started to run wild with the color of joy. I couldn't help but think that such a smile on someone who looked so cold was basically a foul.
'Is that all she wanted to say?'
Then now. Buzz- buzz-
"Just a second."
I think I can finally pay attention to the notification that had been ringing since earlier. What on earth, why is it buzzing like that? Thinking it was Ishikawa, I took my phone out of my pocket. I took it... out. Huh.
"...?"
It was Suo-senpai... right? Why are there so many texts?
You take good photos. You take... good photos. Wait a minute, isn't that the dandelion field we just passed...? And the time is...
"..."
Uh, um. So. This green-haired back of the head looks similar to Akari-nim next to me. It doesn't feel like it's just my imagination...
"...Hey, Yamada-kun."
Why are you calling me all of a sudden?
"...Yeah. Why."
I tried to maintain my composure as I answered. Akari said in a trembling voice,
"There's an incredibly pretty person behind us... I think she's a model, she's really tall..."
Gulp. Below the 'read' notification, Suo-senpai's text flew in.
"............"
...So. Ishikawa. This is a romcom, right? The genre seems a bit off...