NOVEL NEXT chapter 44
44
Chapter 5: The Girl in the Birdcage 1, Starting Middle School
The six years of elementary school flew by in the blink of an eye.
In my previous life, those six years felt long, but my heart is about thirty years old.
Six years passed like an arrow in flight.
However, the main story starts in three years.
But there are too few episodes related to the original work, and I’m becoming somewhat estranged from Tsugaru Madoka.
Emi is a friend I can squabble with, and Risa mediates that, so the original character trio is complete.
“Next time, next time, I want to be in the same class as Hideyoshi-kun!”
“No, Hideyoshi is in the same class as me.”
“Brother, you’ve always been in the same class… I’ve never been in the same class as Akechi-kun!”
The three of them argue over who will be in the same class as me.
I feel like telling them to do whatever they want.
Why do they care so much about being in the same class when we meet almost every day…?
“Akechi-kun. Please pull yourself together. There’s a high chance that original characters will increase from middle school!”
“I know, but… why is Tsugaru here too?”
Becoming distant, her mere presence makes the atmosphere uncomfortable.
I feel out of place.
“It’s because we go to the same school.”
“That makes sense… By the way, are you going to join any clubs?”
“How could I possibly join a club while playing a role that destroys the original work…? You’re prohibited from joining clubs too, Akechi.”
“What? I can’t?”
The sudden ban on club activities was declared.
“Were you planning on joining a club!? How carefree! What club were you thinking of joining?”
“Well, you know, there’s always a chance they might force us to join one! I was thinking maybe kendo.”
“Kendo…?”
“Huh? What’s with that reaction…?”
Tsugaru freezes for a moment, looking at me, then quickly starts moving again.
“You have quite a good hobby. But Akechi, you seem weak at kendo. If joining a club is mandatory, you should choose one that doesn’t take up much time.”
“Weak at kendo… that’s harsh…”
It feels like my only talent has been denied…
I’ve never held a bamboo sword since being reborn as Hideyori, but I think I can move fairly well.
I’ve been training my body, after all.
“I’ve never seen Hideyori do kendo before.”
“That’s right, that’s right. Please don’t try to act cool.”
Emi joins the conversation, criticizing kendo.
It’s boring, I’ve given up on the path of kendo anyway… I’m not serious about pursuing it.
“Hideyori, maybe you should join the Magic Club?”
“Akechi in the Magic Club? I can’t picture that at all… It’s unrelated, but I was surprised when you suddenly mentioned ‘Magic Club.'”
“So no foreign words, then.”
While poking fun at Tsugaru, I ponder over which club to choose or whether to opt out altogether.
“Pfft, Hideyori is good at magic tricks! If Hideyori joins the Magic Club, I’ll join too.”
“Eh? Akechi, you’re good at magic tricks…?”
“He’s a genius!”
“Don’t raise the bar so high! Emi’s expectations are too great!”
“He’s just that cool!”
Emi seemed like a tyrant, forcing a ‘yes’ if she believed it to be so.
“Alright, alright, lovey-dovey,” Tsugaru said with a disinterested tone.
“But you do have good taste. Aizawa doing magic tricks? That’s like upgrading from a microbe’s worth to a hamster’s level.”
“Is that… a compliment?”
“Of course, it is. Hamsters are cute, after all.”
It was hard to tell if he was serious, as he said it with his usual expressionless face.
I feel like I have thorns or something…
“I want more people to know about Hideyori’s charm. ‘My Hideyori is such an amazing person!’ I want to brag about that. So, I’m raising the bar.”
“That’s… overly meddlesome…”
“But I understand Emi’s feelings, wanting her favorite person’s charm to be recognized by everyone.”
“To hear that from Tsugaru, who’s anti-romance…”
“I’m not anti-romance. I’ve just had someone I’ve liked for a long time, so I’m not interested in boys my age. Including Aizawa and Jumonji.”
The two, who had known each other for three years, had gradually started calling each other by their first names.
Was it a coincidence that it followed the original work, or was it the character Tsugaru En’s disinterest in boys that highlighted the game’s compelling force?
“What’s your ideal type, En?”
“Someone strong in kendo, skilled at magic, with a resilient core who can stand up and stay positive even after a setback. Someone who, I thought, was only conscious of me, but turns out we’re both aware of each other, and who would rush me to the nurse’s office with kindness if I ever fell!”
“Isn’t that ideal a bit too specific?”
“Normally, wouldn’t you rush to a hospital rather than a nurse’s office?”
Tsugaru’s ideal person was collectively critiqued by me and Emi.
What kind of person is that, I wonder to myself.
“Ah, stop it! No more weird interjections!”
“Your fantasy scenarios are too detailed.”
“Shut up! It’s unrelated, but I was surprised when the term ‘fantasy scenario’ suddenly came up.”
“So, no foreign words then.”
“Why does Hideyori always make that comment?”
“It’s a habit…”
It reminded me of a situation from a past life when I used to retort to Mr. Kurisu, and I ended up responding the same way.
“Hideyori is quite popular, huh?”
“I wonder if that’s really considered being popular…”
The siblings seemed to get along well.