kscans

Chapter 145 - Segregation

The night after we explored the Green Man dungeon.

With summer break about to end, what was I doing?

'Woooooah! I am the one on top! Aaaah!'

'Not gonna happen, Senpai! I'm the number one ninja, after all!'

"This has nothing to do with being a ninja."

I was in my room playing 'Matsuo Race.' It's a game set in Heian-kyo where you race ox carts, using items on the course and shortcuts to aim for first place.

What's that? The screen looks like a blatant rip-off of 'Mari● Kart'? I have no idea what you're talking about.

"Besides, why are we playing games again today after playing so much yesterday?"

'Yesterday was 'Matsuo Naval Battle' and 'Great Mount Ōe Brawl.' Those are different games, so it doesn't count, doesn't count.'

"That's a bit of a stretch..."

Yesterday was exhausting. I was invited over for dinner, but since I arrived at an awkward time, they made me play games with them until it was time to eat.

Then, after dinner, the moment the dishes were cleared, I was forced into more matches. I almost had to spend the night.

...Though I was pretty shocked when my mom clicked her tongue and called me a 'wimp' the moment I got home. I wish she'd learn from the professor, who kindly said, 'You could have stayed the night, you know?'

Maybe my mom mistakenly thinks I'm dating one of Aira-san's group. But unfortunately for her, that's not the case.

What does she think would happen if something went wrong while I stayed over at their house? I have no desire to end up in prison just yet.

If you keep putting my self-control through a durability test, it's going to break, no matter if it's made of orichalcum.

'Look, you know how they say chicken curry, pork curry, and beef curry are all different foods? It's the same principle, my dear boy.'

"No one says that. It's all just curry."

'And I love that you'll still play along with us while making your witty retorts, Kyouta-kun, ZO☆'

"You're in the perfect position for me to throw some ox dung at you."

'Did I just get rejected in the worst way possible!?'

'Woooooah! Kyouta! Let's build a ninja village together! And with that, I'm taking the lead!!'

"Got another piece of ox dung, so I'm throwing it."

'Nuaaaah!?'

I gracefully sent the two unfortunately beautiful girls into the dirt and smoothly took the lead. It's definitely not because I got flustered by the word 'love,' even as a joke, and attacked her.

No, with Erina-san, there was nothing to get flustered about in the first place. It was just her usual nonsense.

'Curse you, Kyouta-kun! I can't let this grudge go unanswered! Erina-kun, let's team up and trip him up!'

"You have a terrible personality."

'Oh, sorry Senpai. I got the 'Oni Cart,' so I'm going ahead.'

'Erina-kuuuun!? Don't leave me behind, Erina-kuuuun!'

Erina-san's ox cart transformed into an oni's head, knocking aside the other players' carts and shooting up the ranks.

Eh? 'Isn't that effect from Kira●'? Sorry, I'm not very good with foreign languages.

'Wooooah! Reach Kyouta! This feeling of mine!'

"Wouldn't you call that feeling 'murderous intent'?"

'I'm just going to push you off the next jump ramp! I'm not trying to kill you!'

"Can I refuse to accept that feeling?"

'Cash-on-delivery attaaack!'

"That's just plain annoying!"

Erina-san's character threw ox dung at my cart, but since I didn't have a defensive item, I was shot down mid-jump.

By the time I fell and was pulled back up by a chibi Abe no Seimei, I was somewhere in the middle of the pack.

"Ugh, I got passed by so many people."

'Fwahahaha! This is ninjutsu, Kyouta!'

"I don't want any ninjutsu that smells like ox dung."

'Hey, hey, hey. Ohey no ohey. Aren't you forgetting someone?'

"Oh, right, where's Mia-san?"

'Senpai's studying in her room.'

"Doesn't she spend more time there than in the house she's renting...?"

'Don't you forget about meeee! I'm gonna cry!?'

"Shut it, last place."

'Senpai! Let's try to get out of last place first, okay!'

'You two better remember this later! I'm gonna destroy you in a fighting game!'

After that, the three of us ended up fighting for last place. Tripping each other up... it's so pointless!

I let out a small sigh as the race finished.

'By the way, Kyouta-kun. School starts again tomorrow. Are you sure you should be messing around like this?'

"Look who's talking."

'This lovely and sexy mouth, of course?'

"So annoying..."

I can't see your precious mouth through an earring, dammit.

'Kyouta, you wanna see Senpai's mouth? I'll send you a picture of her sleeping with her mouth open later!'

'Why does such a picture exist in this world!?'

'I took it when she fell asleep on the sofa!'

"Excellent work. I'll sell it to Mia-san for a high price later."

'St-st-stop thaaat!'

'You can't sell it. Senpai was taking pictures with me with a camera that looked like a bazooka.'

'Eh?'

"Oh, uh..."

I just don't get Mia-san anymore...

On one hand, I want to put her in the small category of 'sane people,' but I'm reaching my limit of turning a blind eye to her weird side. She is, without a doubt, Aira-san's sister.

Could it be that the only normal ones in the Arisugawa clan are the professor and Eric-san...?

'Ahem! To get back on topic, how are you doing with your school preparations?'

"Well, thanks to you guys, all my homework is done, and I'm packed, but..."

'The morning after summer break... when everyone starts turning in homework you've never heard of...'

"Stop it!?"

Don't spring a story more terrifying than any ghost story on me like that. I feel like I'm going to cry just imagining it.

Feeling anxious, I put down the game console to check the contents of my bag. I don't have any forgotten items or unfinished homework, right...?

'Huh? That kind of thing doesn't happen if you do your homework with your classmates, does it?'

"Why would you say something like that...?"

'Please stop, Erina-kun. That technique is super effective on me.'

'Uh, um? Sorry?'

I let out what I felt was a very deep sigh.

"Well, the thing I'm most anxious about after the break is the classroom itself..."

'I'm sure it's been fixed properly. At least, I don't think it'll suddenly collapse or anything.'

"No, I'm not talking about the building."

Our school building was wrecked because of the demons, but I was honestly surprised they managed to get it ready for classes to resume in just a month.

I heard there are still some classrooms off-limits to students, but apparently, there's no problem with normal use. My mom told me that's what she heard at the parent-teacher information session the other day.

"It's more like, um..."

'You're worried people will be put off by your 'I'm so OP!' moment before the break, right?'

"I sense a bit of a sting in your wording, but that's basically it. Go break a leg."

'Break what!?'

I finished checking my bag's contents and zipped it up tight.

'Eh? But Kyouta, you saved a lot of people. You're a hero, right? I think you'll be thanked, if anything.'

"Does the world really work out that conveniently...?"

If anything, I feel like I'll be treated like a hazardous object.

If there's a being in the classroom who can shatter a reinforced concrete wall with their bare hands, people would normally do everything they could to avoid them.

At least, that's what I would do. I'd keep my distance and never make eye contact, out of fear that I might die if I caught their attention.

'Hmm. Well, there was the 'Turohorse Incident,' so it's undeniable that the rift between non-Awakened and Awakened has deepened.'

"Right?"

That group really caused a lot of trouble.

Thanks to Yamashita-san's group, we avoided the worst of it, but I think the ideas of 'stupid non-Awakened' and 'savage Awakened' have been planted in the back of everyone's minds.

Awakened Persons look down on the non-Awakened, and the non-Awakened fear the Awakened... and that fear was starting to turn into hostility.

It wouldn't be surprising if a second or third 'Turohorse' were to appear. In fact, for all I know, they might have already shown up.

I hope the government and the 'Walkers' continue to do their best.

But I digress. Right now, I'm more worried about my classroom than society.

'Aren't you overthinking it? Maybe everyone will be surprisingly accepting.'

"You think so?"

'Because, you know, people's emotions run out of gas eventually, right? If you don't keep supplying fuel, it's impossible to keep thinking about one thing forever.'

Well, it's true that people are creatures of habit and creatures who forget...

'So, maybe the people who thought you were scary have already forgotten about it over the summer break?'

"I hope so..."

'Well! Once the fear is gone, they might just switch to persecution, though!'

"Does this pathetic college girl get some kind of sick pleasure from making people anxious...?!"

'Indeed! Stealing a high schooler's youthful innocence. There is no greater delicacy!'

—Ksssh.

"Hold on. How many of those have you had?"

'Do you remember how many slices of bread you've eaten in your life? By the way, there are exactly twenty empty cans at my feet right now!'

"Erina-san."

'I'll go get Grandma!'

'WAIIT!?'

But, well. I won't know the result until I actually go to school. It's true that moping around in my room won't solve anything.

...Though I'd rather not go and have a bad experience. To be honest, I don't want to go to school anymore. I want to make a living solely as an adventurer.

But I don't want to worry my parents, and more importantly, you never know what might happen in this world. If I don't at least graduate high school, my future will be bleak if the adventurer profession disappears.

I'm not asking for something as lofty as making friends in my class, but I'd at least like to have a quiet school life...

'Oh, by the way, Kyouta!'

"Yes?"

'The number of students has gone down quite a bit, huh.'

"Well, yeah."

My class and Erina-san's somehow managed to have everyone survive, but there were people whose parents died.

More than that, looking at the school as a whole, not a few students were killed by the demons. On top of that, my mom told me many people transferred and moved away due to trauma.

Well, even before the trauma, it's natural that a good number of people wouldn't want to live in this city, with a 'C-Rank Dungeon' relatively nearby.

'So, they're reorganizing the classes! It'd be great if we could be in the same class!'

"Ehh..."

'You sound unhappy about that!?'

I like Erina-san, but being in the same class as her seems like it would lead to the exact opposite of a peaceful, quiet school life.

Besides, wasn't she feared by her classmates other than Busujima-san's group? Like a 'tiger who doesn't follow human logic.'

It might sound bad to say this, but I was worried I'd end up being feared more than necessary too.


The next day.

"We're in the same class starting today! Nice to be with you, Kyouta!"

How did it come to this?

In a classroom with only four people, including myself, I gently covered my face.

You don't have to be that scared of us...!