Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Aia
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 14
Arisu-chan’s POV
It was the March shortly before enrollment.
I was in the car with my father.
We just came from visiting Haruto-kun, who had collapsed due to a cold.
I didn’t want to be apart from him, but I knew it would trouble Haruto-kun even more if I caught it. Because of that, I decided to swallow my desires and went home.
“Otou-sama, thank you very much for putting me and Haruto-kun in the same class.”
“You don’t need to thank me.”
I thanked my father.
Because I knew that he spared no effort to make it happen.
“I’m sorry.”
“…Eh?”
But I was taken aback by his sudden apology.
“Maybe I haven’t been looking at my Arisu properly after all this time.”
“Otou-sama isn’t?”
“It may be right. I was too focused on your talent from an educator’s perspective and missed what was truly important. As a parent, there is no greater shame.”
I realized what he was apologizing for. He was referring to the state of my body.
There wasn’t a single reason for him to feel guilty about it, but it seemed he was still in pain despite that knowledge.
“He’s amazing. But I think it’s enough to conclude the matter with that.”
“I agree. He doesn’t see you as ‘the genius Arisu’ but as ‘a girl’, and I have to respect him for that.”
“Do you approve?”
“Yes. Since it has come to this, make sure to catch him.”
“…Yes.”
Ever since that day, my father has recognized Haruto-kun as my partner. Even though he used to complain about how I was always with Haruto-kun, it has been like this now.
There was only one path left for me to achieve my happiness, and my father realized that. It made me feel very lucky to have him.
The light of the sea passed through the glass windows and shone into my eyes.
As I woke from my doze, I looked next to me; it was… not Haruto-kun, but Kamuro-san.
Her right arm and right leg were hooked on my body. Apparently, I became a bolster sometime in the night.
She really didn’t have to imitate Haruto-kun that far.
Did the ‘Arisu-chan memo’ also include the sleeping position?
I tried to shake out of her grasp but remembered that I stayed up until midnight the day before.
Kamuro-san and I talked when I had trouble sleeping because I slept too much during the day.
I guess it would be bad to wake her.
I laid back down and closed my eyes.
The conversation with Kamuro-san last night echoed in my head.
“Come to think of it, does Sakayanagi not have the desire to graduate as Class A?”
“Not at all.”
“I see. I guess being able to cut off things cleanly is also a good thing.”
Class A… it meant that you needed to have the commitment to stay at the top.
I thought about how I used to be; I couldn’t believe how easily I cast it away.
Back then, I tried so hard trying to prove what being a genius meant, what it was.
If I continued down that path, I would be fighting over Class A leadership right now.
I thought human abilities were fixed from birth.
No matter how much effort an individual puts into something, the result was only because they had excellent DNA, and they wouldn’t be able to achieve anything beyond the ability that was engraved into their DNA.
This way of thinking hasn’t changed much, even now.
However, I was already disappointed in myself.
Someone who couldn’t even achieve an ability set by their genes. It was none other than me.
For example, let’s say a child has 100 points worth of ability in their DNA.
According to my theory, that child would be unable to achieve 120 or 150 points.
On the other hand, however, it was possible that they could only achieve 20 or 50 points.
Just like what happened to me in terms of physical ability.
Hence, as a result of genetic weakness and physical neglect to catch up with others, I was even weaker than those who were inferior. I broke when I had to confront that fact.
That was why I had a dream.
To realize it, I would have to keep Haruto-kun at my side.
There was one thing that still puzzled me, though.
Why was Haruto-kun just an ordinary boy?
His personality aside, there was nothing astounding regarding his ability.
I knew he had a good foundation—he had proven so with his tactics in this deserted island exam, but it was still not enough to call him a genius. Furthermore, I, someone who has watched him for many years, don’t think I made a big mistake in my evaluation.
However, considering his DNA…
Haruto-kun’s father was undoubtedly a genius.
I met him several times. He was a busy person, so he was rarely at his own house. But he was a genius among geniuses, so much so that even I had no hope to stand up against him.
He graduated from the best university in Japan with impressively good grades and worked as a career bureaucrat. After that, he continued to climb his career ladder and was now in the running to be the future vice minister. No one would be able to deny his distinction since he was a person who could move the nation.
But what I could clearly remember from his father were the words ‘Don’t bully Haruto too much.’
As if he knew what I was thinking, he exuded a lot of pressure.
It wasn’t that I chose not to abandon Haruto-kun back then, but because I couldn’t.
I didn’t act until we were nearing middle school graduation mostly because I was afraid of that person.
No doubt, I wouldn’t get off unscathed if I ever tested that person’s wrath.
Haruto-kun, who should have inherited his father’s genes, yet never graduated from the category of an ordinary person, had always made me wonder. Really, I wonder why?
“Unya.”
As I was thinking about that, I was cut off by Kamuro-san’s sleep-talking.
Even so, she slept really comfortably with her mouth wide open.
I took out my terminal and activated the camera.
Click. With the shutter, she woke up.
“Good morning.”
“…You just took a picture, didn’t you?”
“Fufu, it is a cute face, you know?”
“I can’t believe it. What do you want to do with that photo…”
I stood up as I was thinking how much I could sell this photo for.
“I’m hungry. Can I ask you to come with me?”
“Okay, okay.”
Kamuro-san took my hand and we had our late breakfast.
The restaurant was crowded with Class A people.
With how rowdy they were being, like they were off in their own world, it was hard to imagine that they dropped out because they felt unwell.
“That’s the girl who got diarrhea.”
Kamuro-san pointed to a girl. She talked loudly, spewing saliva as she did.
It seemed she had already recovered, judging by how she ate sweets one after another.
She even said something like Thanks to her dropping out, everyone could have fun.
Nobody batted an eye and kept chatting.
Perhaps it was strange coming from me, of all people, but truly… Class A was completely rotten.
It used to be that losing to Class B made the atmosphere heavy and bad.
I guess they no longer cared.
At this rate, they wouldn’t be able to win any exam in the future.
Well, that had nothing to do with me.
“I wish they’d be a little quieter.”
“I agree. At this rate, wouldn’t Class D look tame in comparison?”
I had no intention to stay for long, so I silently ate.
After our meal, Kamuro-san and I stood on the deck of the ship.
While we enjoyed the light breeze, I looked out toward the island and waited for his return.
“I don’t think he will return this early.”
“You never know. But the thought that he might be there…”
I wanted to see Haruto-kun’s face soon. I wanted to embrace him.
…So it seemed I also had such a vulgar desire.
I only need to endure a little bit more.
Author’s Note:
They will finally meet.
As a result of cutting various scenes and switching the order of events, I could finish it earlier, but it also ended up shorter as a result.
I find it easier to write Arisu-chan’s POV than the protagonist.
I also wrote a story about the protagonist’s father, but then I thought who the hell wanted to read that, so I guess it would just be used as setting material.
There wasn’t much value in the story when Arisu-chan wasn’t there.
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