The Queen’s Entrance
Takeshita was saying such bizarre things that I couldn’t help but let slip some harsh words.
I shouldn’t talk like that to a girl.
I let out a sigh, trying to calm myself down.
“For now, I’ll help you with your studies. That’s fine, right?”
“…R-Really? Is that okay?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself. It’s fine.”
I nodded, exasperated.
“Just imagine you’re on the Titanic. A luxury liner, yeah?”
“It sinks in the end, though.”
Takeshita’s expression turned uneasy.
“Don’t say stuff that makes me anxious all of a sudden…”
“Sorry, sorry. I was just trying to lighten the mood with a joke.”
And, well, I also wanted to put an end to this unproductive conversation.
“Thank you so much. Having you teach me, Yamamoto-kun, is like having a hundred people’s worth of help!”
“You got that right. I might not look it, but I’m pretty good at teaching others.”
Back in high school, when I studied with Kasahara, she’d say things like, “Wow, my boyfriend’s such a great teacher! The only flaw is he doesn’t know how to be humble!”
Even recently, when I was helping Hayashi with her bookkeeping exam prep, she said, “You’re so good at teaching, so why can’t you understand how people feel?”
Anyway!
The people around me rate my study-teaching skills pretty highly!
Everything else about me, though? Total disaster.
“…Oh, by the way, that girl earlier.”
Takeshita muttered, as if suddenly remembering something.
“That was… Kasahara-san, right?”
“Yeah, that’s her. You know her well, huh?”
“Of course I do… If she entered our university’s beauty pageant, she’d win hands-down! The guys in our club are always talking about how there’s this super cute girl in our year.”
“…Huh.”
For some reason, I didn’t find that topic particularly amusing.
“Hey, Yamamoto-kun?”
“What?”
“What’s your relationship with her?”
I was at a loss for words.
Seeing my reaction, Takeshita seemed to pick up on something instinctively.
“No way, are you two dating?”
“No.”
My answer was immediate.
At least, not now…
Damn it.
Why am I thinking about the past like this?
“Ehh…”
Takeshita, now with a noticeably brighter expression, peered at my face.
“What?”
“So why were you two together earlier?”
…Come to think of it, Hayashi makes that same face when she’s prying into my love life. It’s the kind of mischievous, scheming look I’d rather not see.
“We went to the same high school. That’s all.”
“Hmm…”
Takeshita didn’t seem entirely satisfied, but maybe she thought it wasn’t an impossible story, so she didn’t press further.
Or maybe she decided that the idea of me and her being a couple was less plausible than my explanation.
“Hey, Yamamoto-kun.”
“What?”
“Do you have a girlfriend right now?”
“Do you think I do?”
Do we really need to have this conversation?
I thought about saying that but held back, worried it might lead to another misunderstanding.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if you did.”
“I don’t. I really don’t.”
“…Oh, I see.”
…Now that I think about it, talking about romance with someone of the opposite sex who I’m not even close to feels kind of weird.
It’s even a bit awkward.
Can’t the lecture start already?
I glanced at the clock, but there was still plenty of time.
“Hey, Yamamoto-kun?”
“What now?”
“You’re lying, aren’t you?”
“I’m not.”
I let out another sigh.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“Yup!”
With a captivating smile, Takeshita started saying strange things again.
I answered immediately, but she clearly didn’t believe me.
If I say I won’t teach her, she’ll sulk.
If I say I will teach her, she gets flustered.
And when it comes to talking about romance, she looks the happiest she’s been all day.
She’s a girl with some intense emotional swings.
Maybe it’s because she’s been through some tough times.
She gets excited over the smallest bit of happiness and finds joy in finding reasons to tease others.
If that’s the case, she’s kind of a cheerful person, isn’t she?
But still… I can’t help but feel a bit sorry for her, given how rough her life seems to have been. Maybe I’ll play along and act a bit like a clown for her sake.
…At the same time, though, I can’t shake this bad feeling.
The girl in front of me seems like the embodiment of misfortune.
If someone like her gets a tiny taste of happiness…
Doesn’t that mean a massive wave of misfortune is about to come crashing down?
That’s the kind of bad feeling I’m getting…
With a creak, the lecture room door opened with a slightly dull sound.
There was still time before the lecture, but it seemed other students were starting to arrive.
“…Oh, there you are.”
That voice sounded familiar.
It was a voice I’d been hearing almost every day lately.
Sitting in the front row near the podium, with Takeshita next to me.
When my eyes met the girl standing at the door, she was smiling at first.
But her expression quickly turned cold as she looked at me.
“Yamamoto, you forgot your lunch, didn’t you?”
The girl said.
For some reason, her voice was icy.
I couldn’t find the words to respond.
The girl walking toward me had an intimidating presence that left no room for argument.
“…So?”
The girl smiled.
“Who’s that girl?”
For some reason, Takeshita, sitting next to me, looked like she was on the verge of tears.
Watching the heroine makes me wonder what a “queen” even is.
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