NOVEL NEXT Chapter 39: Promise
--Sakura's POV--
Genius...
Prodigy...
Gifted person...
There were so many words to label a person with highly outstanding skills among their generation. Each era would have a name to shine brightly in a certain field. People used those words to highlight and categorize them as another branch of the species of humanity because ordinary humans didn't have any qualifications to stand together with them. For example, Thomas Edison, the human lightened up humanity. William Shakespeare, the most famous writer in the literature field with his spirit's children still living in this current era with the most known name 'Romeo & Juliet', 'Hamlet', etc...Or, Issac Newton with his signature apple. In the music field, we had many names because each generation would produce an artist with an excellent signature piece.
When people were young, they would think they were the best until they entered a small society called 'school'. Reality began to shape their minds, making them know their positions under the ranking system in that society. There was a saying 'If you aren't smart, then work harder to fill the gap'. However, it was just an excuse, a falsified motivation for ordinary people. If you worked hard, didn't genius also work hard? How could we reduce the gap? It was an unfair competition...Ordinary people would say so. The feelings of 'No matter how much effort you gave in, you got nothing' were unpleasant and unacceptable.
The pressure from a working-hard genius was even scarier than the lazy one.
In universities, you would also find some guests coming to your school to give their speech, but in my eyes, they were there to brainwash and dye a pink color into students' brains. They drew a beautiful cup of cake and told students to do this, do that, making the whole thing easier. After all, it was just a false situation that they had drawn out.
Some fictional products also had this kind of topic as well. I didn't know why the authors were generally obsessed with matching the high-spec one with the ordinary one. Perhaps, it was just a fictional story so anything could happen. Shounen manga was a typical example. The protagonist from an ordinary person could beat the genius with the power of love or family. Excuse me.
Perhaps, those authors couldn't get the high-spec one in their reality so they had to put this dream in their product. The story was similar to Cinderella, but at least, Cinderella was not ordinary because her family tried to bury her best points.
Nevertheless, have you ever put yourself in the shoes of those geniuses? From the point of view of those geniuses, it was just a trivial matter like when you drank water, but the people around them began to praise them and label them with the boardname GPG. They could easily solve the last problematic question in the math test while other students had to crack their brains but find nothing. Why was there such a gap?
Let's be more specific.
In some reincarnation stories, the ordinary protagonist got transmigrated to another world and he spread his common sense to them. As a result, the people in that world looked at him strangely and even praised him as a monster, prodigy, etc...It was just basic knowledge for him but the new world for the people in this world.
Then, what was the definition of genius?
In my previous life, I had been labeled the title 'Genius' since I was a child. An Oujo-sama, who was good at studying, and exercising (when my illness hadn't been found), was treated like an alien by my former people. 'You can do that doesn't mean I'm able to!'. This was the sentence from my former classmates yelling at me, giving me time to think of this problem. For me, weren't those tasks easy? They were just basic knowledge to me. Why did those people make me become a different species? Yet, everything came with a price. I had to carry a burden called 'Terminal Illness'.
I lost the motivation to continue to live on. Just letting my illness eat me away and I was done with it.
Until...
"Kaori-chan..."
I didn't know why I asked my parents to hire a private piano tutor...Maybe this was the field I hadn't touched so I wanted to challenge myself with something new. Furthermore, in the music field, there wouldn't be anyone labeling me with the 'GPG' anymore. After all, music was all depending on the listener's taste. As history has proved, Johann Sebastian Bach, was an ordinary musician in the eyes of his people in his era. Until the 19th century, he was recognized as one of those great composers in human history.
Music could be the best way for me to find something interesting.
And then, I was disappointed...
I had experienced through the 2 tutors and they gave up halfway because they felt they didn't have anything to teach me...Yet, I didn't feel that it was enough. It was like a hole that couldn't be filled no matter what. What did you mean by 'I don't have anything to teach you anymore'? Didn't music have unlimited potential? Didn't they say that the piano has no finish line?
And then, the third application appeared on the top of the document in my butler's hand. To my surprise, the boy was quite young and my doubt rose when I saw his age number.
20...
He was even younger than my previous tutor. Their gap could be more than 10 years. At that time, I didn't believe it...Anyway, my previous piano tutors all had their respective achievements at international levels. How could a college student teach me? He was older than me 2 years if I counted at that time.
The butler said something about the candidates in the document and intended to throw those applications into the trash can. However, I stopped him in time and invited Minazuki Haruto to teach me. Maybe he was different...And my bet turned out to be right...
That was the first time I'd ever tasted the feelings of ordinary people. He was too good and even surpassed my previous tutors. He was like the reincarnation of Mozart, the all-round musician...
Why did I compare him to Mozart? His understanding and knowledge of music were all superb. Even when I heard him giving the speech, my head couldn't keep up with him. For instance, if I pressed one or two keys, he could immediately come up with various genres with those unintentional notes that I tried to mess with him.
No matter how weird the notes I requested, he was able to give me some unexpected answers.
Every day between us was to go back and forth with each other. I finally had to admit that person belonged to the GPG category. He deserved the position as my teacher.
Eventually, I understood the feeling of my former classmates 'You can do that doesn't mean I'm able to'. If you gave me two unrelated notes, I had to fold my hand and smash the piano. Yet, my teacher had that ability. This was the feeling of ordinary people...Hah, it seemed refreshing to me, who was treated as a short-lived alien.
As time passed by...
We gradually had a common speech so our relationship got closer and closer than ever. Unknowingly, I couldn't take my eyes off him so my motivation suddenly went up, but soon down like a rollercoaster. I finally knew the feeling in my heart. It yelled his name. The boy with a slender body played musical instruments and his facial features were soft and adorable. I meant he was still a handsome man. I realized why the authors wanted to match those couples in fictional novels like that...The beat of my heart had become a new rhythm. Moreover, it had a name called 'Love'.
I loved him...
Since knowing my own feelings, I had to suppress this ugly desire and think of our future ahead.
If I could cure my illness, I could have the ability to accompany him for the rest of his life. I didn't want him to be a lonely father with our child. Hence, my priority was to cure my illness as soon as possible. He belonged to the GPG people so my former parents wouldn't object me to be with him.
Everything should've gone according to the drawn script in my mind. Yet, I asked a stupid question.
"Haruto-sensei, do you have anyone you like?"
"Ah, yes, it's my childhood friend near my house..."
Pain...it was even more painful than the illness hidden inside my body. His face flushed red and he smiled awkwardly...This was the first time I had seen this expression. My ugly desire wanted to monopolize that expression but it should head toward only me...
"But she doesn't seem to like me but my best friend..."
Maybe, our relationship was close as he didn't even want to hide it in front of me. He must've wanted someone to listen to his sad story about his first love.
His expression went down at the same time as his mood. His facial features were so lively that I found it amusing. He was like an abandoned puppy but I felt happy instead. It meant that I still had a chance. As long as I could cure my illness, I would go back and chase after him.
But outside, I didn't dare to reveal my happy smile toward his sad story, and I had to squeeze my own thigh not to laugh out loud. I had someone investigating his childhood friend, Erika...This girl had her eyes blinded but I felt grateful because she couldn't see his good points. He was indeed an ideal boyfriend, but she chose to abandon him.
Thank you...Let me take care of him. Hehe...only if my illness didn't hold me back.
Why did I say so? Because his best friend had once come to my university to confess his love to me, that guy had such an ambition. However, he was just one of my thousands of suitors chasing me. Yet, I couldn't forget his name because he was the perpetrator, who killed my loved one. Why did I link my love to Mozart? A musician with a short life...My illness hadn't been cured yet, I received the bad news that my loved one had gone...Suicide? Were you all kidding me? I believed that I understood him the best. If I took the second position, no one else could take away the first position including his family.
Then, I decided to investigate by myself despite my health being worse.
1 month...
2 months...
Nothing was found...I desperately found a clue but I knew who the perpetrator was behind his death. However, if there were no evidence, everything was just speech...I knew my loved one wasn't weak and stupid enough to commit suicide. As my teacher, I believed that he could make a comeback.
When I insisted on investigating...
As if the sky had its eyes on him.
A mysterious woman in a hoodie outfit approached me and gave me clues...I even doubted that she was the accomplice. With my family resources, I couldn't even find any evidence left behind but she could...This girl was strange...
My memory about her had been blurred over time...The only thing that I remembered was her name...Hyouri...What did she look like? How was her voice? She was strange but her request at that time made me feel weird.
"Thank you for what you have done, if you have some requests, please speak straight to me"
"Then, if you have your next life, please help me take care of a white-haired girl"
"What!?"
And then, she just disappeared without looking back. At first, I didn't understand her sentence...I thought it was just her nonsense to refuse my gratitude politely. I didn't take it seriously either.
Time flew halfway as I was 20 years old. He was also 20 years old...We were the same age...And then, I reached 24 but he was still 20 years old...He was just forever at the age of 20.
My illness also started to run rampant as my family was helpless against it. With a short time left, I helped my family business by using my so-called 'Genius' to code and create new software while enjoying the brand new Yuri game, which was made to commemorate him.
It led to my reincarnation now.
Eventually, I remembered that girl's last sentence...Perhaps, she was the people who belonged to my current world.
I also didn't expect to have an afterlife and be transmigrated as the Yuri protagonist. Sorry, I was straight!!!
It couldn't be helped...After all, I had a promise with her...Being a knight hiding in the dark was to protect Suiri from the bad ending. It must be the mission of the hoodie girl.
Honestly...
She didn't need to request me because I wouldn't let the same thing happen twice. This was my previous determination. I would continue to keep it. Besides...
Getting free from my old illness was too good!!
As for my partner in this current world, I didn't know...If I married someone, was it considered a betrayal? Besides that I was straight...
I was straight!
I was straight!
What was important needed to be repeated 3 times. My sensei had taught me like that with this hilarious sentence. I missed you...
"..."
After protecting Suiri from the bad ending, what would I do? The person I once loved was Minazuki Haruto, not Hoshiyuki Suiri. What a headache.
After recalling my past life, I was helpless and even powerless. My tears had unknowingly dropped as I reminisced about his gentle smile.
"..."
Suddenly, his face was strangely replaced with Suiri's image profile and I felt something wrong...
So...
I pointed my finger at my newborn little brother.
"No, Don't do that, don't bend me!!!"
As a result, my pants had become a tent...
"..."
Were all the boys in my previous life like that? Did my teacher's little brother have such a reaction toward me? Maybe no...Because he was indeed a music maniac. His eyes never laid on my body but my eyes. He wanted me to understand how wonderful music was...Geez~
Considering my appearance in my past life, I wasn't bad and I could be said to be a sickly beauty. Although I was reincarnated with the same gender, just giving this useless stick was enough to help me understand the almost psychological thinking process of boys in general. I understood why we couldn't erase rapists from society. It was just that those men couldn't hold back their pervertedness and let sperm swim freely in their heads.
Oh my, adolescence...
I was a scumbag, wasn't I? Despite holding sensei in my heart, my little brother wanted me to think of another woman. How could men in my previous life calm down their little brothers? Of course, it didn't seem down no matter what I said.
"Sakura, who are you talking to? Prepare yourself and go to Hoshiyuki's mansion"
My sister knocked on the door and spoke to me.
After those peaceful days of New Year, it was time for the plot of this game to start soon. As for the subtle change like Suiri was into the Rock Genre, I needed to observe further. The common point about them was their unique musical taste while the character Suiri was designed to have an opposite personality against my teacher. Kuudere...Her personality was warm inside but cold outside. A typical design was reused to match the taste of players in my previous world. Even though I said she was designed according to my sensei, profit was still something...
After all, in my opinion, his original personality would be the female protagonist in the Otome game. Cheerful, naive, adorable, and kind...I knew those words couldn't be used to describe a man but my teacher was just like that. I even doubted why he hadn't become a comedian instead.
Let's ignore this problem for now.
"Yes, wait for me"
I yelled to reply to my new sister. It was strange to have a sibling. In my previous life, I was the only sole daughter of the Natsuhana family. Perhaps, my former parents loved me too much so they decided not to have more children. After all, when my illness broke out, they used every last saving straw to hold my life. I felt guilty toward them but...letting everything go was the only way to free me. A world without him was colorless. I was forever at the age of 24 and he was still smiling naively at the age of 20.
I should have accompanied him in the underworld...
Why did God give me a second life!?
Was it to linger in his shadow, Hoshiyuki Suiri? I hated using innocent people as a substitute for my selfishness and hurt them...
"..."
Geez~
I couldn't go out with a mobile tent between my legs like this. Even though I had worn specially designed panties, I could still see the bulge hindering me.
What!? Were you curious about the size? Sorry for disappointing you. It was a secret until the author added R18 chapters in the future.
What was I thinking about?
Fortunately, my little brother had calmed down, and the pain had subsided slightly. No wonder women in H manga said that a boy being too stiff would feel a huge pain.
Uwa, I was exposed to the readers...Honestly, I admitted I had read H manga as I was curious about the process of making a baby. It couldn't be helped when I did much research when I realized my feelings for my sensei. However, I had to act pure in front of him and tried some tricks to lure him in but he was an idiot when he was in love with his childhood friend. Wasn't he too loyal? I was jealous of an ordinary woman with nothing special, except for her not-too-good looks. I blamed him for his blinded eyes.
Soon, I took my luggage with my new outfit which was recently at the top of a famous fashionable magazine. My fashionable taste was quite good so my eyes weren't that bad. My appearance in this life wasn't inferior but it tended to the lewd way. The outsiders would have wronged this appearance if it weren't for my temperament and atmosphere. Thanks to being a F*tanari, my face didn't get much feminine.
I had to blame the designer of Sakura.
"Wow~Sakura-chan has such good taste. You have worked hard. Let your sister hug you~"
My sister said so and clung to me. Having someone to talk to at home was comfortable. Even though my sister was annoying sometimes, it wasn't bad to have someone accompanying me and willing to listen to my problems.
"Do I look fine?"
I asked and turned to let her see my outfit.
"Yes, you look good...Gorgeous and handsome, hehe~"
She patted my head but it was too much force. My outfit was a standard Japanese fashionable street style. A simple green sweater was covered with the same color mid-length trench coat, while my below was dressed with a long navy fluffy skirt outside. The white rope was tied around the waist to lighten the dark color of my outfit. My hair was just some typical ponytail like the banner of this game. This hairstyle had been together with players in my previous world.
"Stop!"
"Momoko-nee...Geez~, it took 15 minutes to make it"
I complained to her.
"Hehe~Sorry"
"Ah~Your love finally come true. Are you happy, Saku-tan?"
She smiled while making a teasing gesture. She put her index finger near her mouth while bending forward to me.
"Yes, Yes, I'm happy, but what's with this new nickname?"
Sorry, sister. Although I had followed Suiri since I came to this world, it was simply the promise between me and Hyouri. She seemed to misunderstand my behavior when she thought I was in love with Suiri. With the arrangement of the plot, I could easily approach Suiri through the flow but it was a double-edged sword. Everyone thought I was in love with the character Suiri but it was the only way to protect her from the bad ending.
In the original game, Sakura shouldn't have known the name of Hoshiyuki Suiri and musical knowledge. Because there would be a teaching event between Sakura and Suiri, Sakura was taught privately by the main Heroine.
I should act dumb in front of her to maintain the content.
After 3 years of the plot, when she safely settled down and chose any former heroine, I would retreat and take care of the rest of my family affairs.
"Oh, I heard that Gyaru often addresses others with the suffix 'tan'"
She explained while mimicking Gyaru's behavior.
It looked stupid but...
Don't look at how my sister has a relaxing face and jokes like this.
She was the monster of this family and even smarter than me. A true GPG person...I heard that outsiders said that our family was all brain monsters. My sister was no exception...Her career in music or something was just to find fun.
"Geez~, I'm going...I hate going late"
I urged her to stop this stupid act.
"Guh, my sister is finally able to meet her crush~She doesn't need me as her sister anymore~She has become a simp..."
*Bang*
I immediately closed the door and jailed her in my room before she spitted nonsense in her self-drama.
I was straight...Mentally...There was no way that I would fall in love with a 2D character. I wouldn't betray my sensei in my heart. I had regretted in my past life why I left him to go abroad so...This time I would stay with her until the villain of the game could be eradicated cleanly.
Hyouri, I wouldn't let you down.