Kenkyo, Kenjitsu o Motto ni Ikite Orimasu Chapter 18

In Japan, texting isn’t done via sms phone numbers. It’s done by email. Hence exchanging addresses is sort of like exchanging mobile numbers, except that you aren’t given their call number, only their text ‘number’ so to say.

Akizawa-kun’s innocent smile awaited me at cram school.

Compared to that black duo, Akizawa-kun’s smile is like a polar opposite. Aah, he’s so soothing…

“What’s wrong, Kisshouin-san? You seem kind of tired.”

“Yes, well, various things happened, you see.”

Right. Various things.

I was supposed to be living in a way that bothered Emperor as little as possible, but to think that I would be nominated as gopher. What the heck are you doing, me?

“I see. Are you okay?”

No, I’m not okay at all. But I can’t get the untainted Akizawa-kun wrapped up in it.

“If I fail my mission, please pray for my well-being in the afterlife…”

“Huh?”

To begin with, even if I asked Aira-sama the questions that Emperor gave me, would she even answer? Aira-sama treats me more closely than others, but would she go as far as to answer questions like that? But if she won’t answer, then what the heck will happen to me? Will I be yelled at and called a useless gopher? Well, if it’s just that much, I don’t really care. Being the woman hated by Kaburagi Masaya would leave me in a precarious position at school though. Or rather, I was designated as spy in front of all the kids who were in the salon at the time, so won’t they all know that I’m a gopher now? …The day that my in-school position falls might be sooner than expected. Aahh, the bad possibilities keep on growing.

“Hey, Kisshouin-san. Wanna eat these?”

“Eh-”

Akizawa-kun took out individually-wrapped financiers.

“My mum gave me these in case I got hungry. Eating sweet things might improve your mood.”

After saying those words, Akizawa-kun smiled at me.

A-, AKIZAWA-KUUUUUUUUUUUUN!!

What a good kid. You’re an angel! It’s like heaven and earth when compared to those two. I’m so glad that I became your friend!

“Thanks, Akizawa-kun!”

After eating his financiers, I really did feel better. I even thought that it might be okay to share my treasured kinakomochi flavoured Tirolian chocolates with him.

*imouto*

*imouto*

And so finally, the day of English school arrived. Ever since that day, I’ve been avoiding the salon. But today, the moment that I stepped out of the classroom to leave school, I found Emperor standing in the hallway giving me a ‘You get it, right…?’ look with his eyes, so as the spy that I was, I replied ‘Yes, of course!’ with my eyes as well, and immediately headed to the shoe rack. Honestly, now that it’s come to this, I have no choice but to keep my head down and play the gopher.

After my English class finished, I waited anxiously for Aira-sama’s arrival. I already let my chauffeur know to come a little later, so things were fine in regards to when I’d be leaving, but the problem was what time Aira-sama would be coming. If she came just as class started, then we wouldn’t have any time to talk. As you’d expect, I wouldn’t be able to just wait here until her classes finished. Please, Aira-sama. Come quickly.

Perhaps the heavens were on my side, because Aira-sama appeared almost right afterwards.

“Aira-sama!”

“My, it’s Reika-san. Gokigen’yoh.”

Aah, Aira-sama, thank goodnesss…

“Um, the truth is, there is in fact something I wish to ask you, Aira-sa

ma!”

“Hm? Ask me?”

I didn’t want anybody else to hear, so we ended up chatting on the landing of the staircase.

“The truth is, it is about Yurie-sama.”

“Yurie?”

Aira-sama’s expression turned puzzled.

“Y-, Yes. Um, just how angry at Kaburagi-sama is Yurie-sama? And when is it that she intends on forgiving him?”

There wasn’t any time so I just cut right to the chase, but Aira-sama’s expression turned more and more suspicious.

“And why would you want to know about Yurie and Masaya, Reika-san? Enough that you came out of your way to ask me.”

Well yeah, that is pretty suspicious. When I’m not close to Kaburagi at all, I went and stuck my nose in their business, so Aira-sama’s reaction was natural. I wonder if I seem like some nosy onlooker to her.

“I don’t know why you’re asking, but if you’re prying into this on a whim, you’ll make Masaya angry, you know?”

I’ve already made him angry. And I’m doing this at Kaburagi Masaya’s direction. Should I just try telling her the truth? But if I do, there’s no way she would give information to Stalker Kaburagi’s underling. Mm~mm…

Seeing me fall silent as I agonised over it, Aira-sama narrowed her eyes.

“Could it be that Masaya said something to you?”

Goodness! How did you know! Could it be that Aira-sama can read minds just like Emperor!?

“Em, umm…”

But should I just come clean? Or should I struggle to keep up my act?

“Ah, mn. Got it. It’s probably just Masaya telling you to ask about Yurie, right?”

That’s exactly it! You’re amazing, Aira-sama. How did you see through everything!?

“Looks like he hasn’t reflected at all. I wonder if he even understands why Yurie was angry. You can just ignore what Masaya has to say, or so I’d like to say, but you’re in a spot where you can’t do that, right?”

“Yes. Exactly right.”

I nodded up and down.

“Alright. I’ll ask Yurie for you. As for how angry she is, tell him that threatening unwilling people and working them hard for his own matters like this will just get her even angrier.”

“That is…”

…definitely not something a coward like me could say.

“Huhu, but my class is about to start, and I’ll only be able to ask Yurie after I come home, so… Naturally, next week’s English tutorial would be too late, right?”

“I cannot say for certain, but probably…”

Given that he couldn’t even wait until ‘the day after next’ I can’t imagine that he’d be able to wait until ‘next week’.

“Got it. Then, Reika-san, do you have a mobile?”

I don’t have many chances to use it, but it has a GPS with it, so it’s more like a crime deterrent. That’s why when I go to the convenience store during cram school, I naturally leave it in the classroom for alibi purposes.

“Well then, let’s exchange addresses. Once I have a talk with Yurie, I’ll send you an email.”

“Can we really!?”

Oohhh, to think that I would get Aira-sama’s address!

The truth is, Aira-sama sports an androgenous short haircut, so around here, she’s even more popular than the boys are. There are plenty of girls who seem like they’re even in love with Aira-sama, and some of them have bewitching fantasies about the beautiful princess Yurie-sama and her gallant knight Aira-sama.

…And I’m also one of the girls who secretly admire Aira-sama! That’s right! The one that I admire isn’t Emperor. It’s the Peony Knight, Aira-sama! So don’t get so cocky, you damned tyrant duo!

Or so I was thinking, but there’s no way a coward like me could ever say it to their faces, so it’s more like the rant of a loser but… Anyway, that doesn’t matter. For now, it looks like I’ve been able to follow my directives. After all, it looks like Aira-sama is going to help me out because she understands my circumstances. What’s more, I even gained her email address as an unexpected reward, so I’m feeling completely pleased right now. Now then, shall I go home? Today Oniisama is going to be late due to prep studies isn’t he. Tsk~ That’s no fun. I wonder if he’ll make time for me tomorrow. Lala, la~

*imouto*

*imouto*

Watching me walking out of the English class elated with my worries gone, was a boy in front of a black car, standing with his arms folded. Kaburagi Masaya.

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Chapter end