Author note: Because there is no influence to the main story even if you didn't read this chat, therefore I recommend to skip this for those who don't like small talk( `・ω・´) Written in Kaede's viewpoint
I was a very common girl. Exercise isn’t my strong point and I’m not a genius either, I'm practically just anobody. I´m a common and ordinary girl with not talent or whatsoever.
I was such a girl who can be found anywhere if they looked around.
When I was small, I was shy. Because I had such a character, I couldn't speak to girls not to mention to the boys of my age, so there was no one who I could hug or call a friend.
That shy me started to depend on that child.
―――― That child was Saginomiya Iori, my childhood friend.
My mother and Iori's mother were an acquaintance and our houses were close. That's how I meet a boy who was a year younger than me.
At first, it was scary. Though I wasn't able to talk with a girl directly, I couldn't talk with a boy either. Anyway, my timid attitude would become hated by this child right?
I met Iori for the first time while thinking of such a thing...... no, my mother who was unable to overlook me about being alone introduced me by force.
This boy has the same atmosphere as me as I checked so far. However, it’s not like I was charmed by him at first sight, no, not at all.
This boy's face was more beautiful than any boy that I have seen so far. This is what I thought of Iori.
My first utterance which I said to my Iori who held such impression was that I wanted to go home quickly. My mother who wanted to meet her close friend today heard that I said that I wanted to go home in the next moment when they met each other after they made an appointment. Iori's impression of me would be worst right?
My mother and Iori's mother heard my words and both smiled wryly and even when my words were heard, my mother didn't return home and I just played with Iori.
Iori spoke to me without getting tired of me who hardly began to talk many times. Because I didn't saw my face in the mirror, I wasn't able to know it, but I thought that I probably made a sullen face.
Shall we do that? Shall we do this? Iori invited me many times while smiling all the time.
Frankly speaking, it was weird. When a girl or a boy who have spoken to me so far sees my attitude that I always show to Iori, they would leave and go somewhere else so I started to play alone.
However, on the other hand, Iori paid attention to me without getting tired while smiling all the time. All of the acts that Iori made were strange to me.
――――― I was very gloomy.
Contrary to my feelings, it made my mother very happy. It might be because I, who was always alone was now playing happily with Iori.
My mother who misunderstood it and let me meet Iori almost every day. And I met Iori almost every day and we talked and played various games.
My mother, who misunderstood it would let me visit Iori house almost every day. We talk all the time and played various games together.
I, who had a shy character, was often alone and made my mother worry about me all the time. Therefore, when my mother saw me with a joyful smile some of her worries fade away and bought a smile to her face. After that, I didn't reject meeting with Iori anymore.
Such days continued for more than two years.
I wondered when it was, that I haven’t thought that Iori wasn't gloomy anymore. When did I stop thinking that he's weird? When did I cease to make a sullen face in front of Iori and when was it that I laughed way more often than looking sad?
I´m a year older than Iori and I sometimes try to act as his elder sister and spend a harmonious time with Iori. Before I've realized it.
Time passed―――
Isekai Shoukan Chat 1 Kaede Mochizuki part 2
The chat has a short basic (´ ω `)
If someone asks, what kind of relationship did I have with Iori? I wouldn't waver at all and would give them a straight answer. The response that I will give is that I'm not his friend, nor his childhood friend.
―――――He is my family.
I, with Iori, I thought that our relationship would continue forever.
Actually, it continued for a long time. At the time of elementary school, I played with Iori every time after class and ate a meal together. Of course, we also went and left school together.
As long as Iori was there, it was fun to do everything and I thought that if I waited for Iori for at least a year until he comes to my junior high so we can spend time together like in elementary school
I went to the junior high school closest to my house. Not to mention the reason is that it was close to my house.
When I became a second grader, Iori went to the same junior high school. We would often come and go to school together, and I often tend to go out to Iori's classroom.
Being with Iori, it was the happiest days of my life...... It was valuable.
One day in May when Iori entered junior high school and about one month had passed, I went to Iori´s classroom as usual
“Umm...... Mochizuki-senpai? There is something I'd like you to ask a little."
“......Hmm? ......Why do you know my name?"
Someone suddenly talked to me from behind and I looked back over my shoulder. I didn't know her name, but I knew her face. This person was certainly the popular girl in Iori's class. What does she want to ask me?
"Why do I know? Why, because Mochizuki-senpai is famous......... for the fact that you haunt Saginomiya-san one-sidedly"
“.........Eh?”
I couldn't understand the meaning of that.
"No, eh? No I mean, that kind of meaning you know...... I wanted to ask but...... is Mochizuki-senpai going out with Saginomiya-san?"
"...... I'm not going out with him"
My mother is friends with Iori´s mother and they get along really well like sisters, although I said that I'm not going out with him...... I.
"Ah, as I expected. Well, Saginomiya-san and Mochizuki-senpai doesn't match together. Ah, If you're not dating, you should stop coming to our classroom in future. I'd think Saginomiya-san is gloomy"
I thought of Iori in the old days and he's quite personable, on the other hand, I'm maybe cute, but the girl who’s speaking to me seemed prettier than me in appearance. Therefore, when she said that I wasn't a good match with Iori.
“...... Iori, such a thing......"
I... I didn't think of it that way though because Iori is very gentle, and he didn't seem to mind....
“Haa...... Mochizuki-senpai? Though you don’t seem to notice it but, Saginomiya-san in the class...... no, he was isolated from the boys you know?"
“Iori.... is isolated?"
I, who heard that Iori was alone greatly opened my eyes wide in wonder.
"Please try to think a little...... Break time, Lunch, you stick all the time to him and even walk together home. That's why he is isolated......Well, Saginomiya-san has a gentle character with that face, so there are girls who would try to talk to him......”
The girl who called out to me from behind said so and smiled wryly.
“...... But Iori such a thing never......”
I couldn't say anything. Even if I did wanted to respond my voice wouldn't come out.
"Well, Saginomiya-san is gentle, does senpai at least understand that? Oh, I will have to return to my classroom soon and I understood that Mochizuki-senpai isn't dating Saginomiya-san"
The girl said that to me and left, ah..... She seemed to remember something, turned around, approaches me again and whispered.
“Because there is a person thinking that senpai following Saginomiya-san is obstructive, so please be careful"
After she whispered such a significant thing in a low voice near my ear, she left again.
I was speechless, she explained it to me in various ways and I lost my enthusiasm today, so I stopped going to Iori's classroom.
"I have to talk and ask Iori later......”
I returned to my classroom while muttering.
Isekai Shoukan Chat 1 part 3
I left school with Iori as usual. At that time, I asked Iori, If I was annoying to him, gloomy, and If I was being obstructive. I asked him with such unfair words.
I didn't want to be rejected by Iori. Therefore I...... I used unfair and biased words.
Iori responded with a smile, "It's my everyday pleasure that Kaede comes to my classroom and I never thought of you as a nuisance."
Without the countenance of forcing a fake smile which would have been a problem nor a slight hesitation. I was happy and thought that I don't need to be separated from Iori, It's fine if everything stays the same.
One month after that conversation happened, I was called by several girls to a classroom after school. The girls who called out to me were from different grades. One of them was in the same grade as me, while the other two were an upperclassman and an underclassman.
At the same time as I arrived at the appointed classroom, one of the girls who called me opened her mouth.
"Hey, Mochizuki-san. Can you stop following Saginomiya-san?"
"Follow? Iori said that he was having a great time being with me. For someone who knows nothing about it shouldn't say something like that."
I tried to deny her words though I got irritated a little.
"....Then did you hear him say that you're a pain to deal with or a troublemaker or gloomy? It's not like Saginomiya-san would say and admit that you're a disturbance to him."
The one who responded was a different girl this time and her facial expression was awfully disgusted.
“......No, he didn't, but why?“
I answered the question with another question.
"....Somehow you're getting on my nerves, were you always this irritating? Even if I'm not Saginomiya-san I can tell that he hates you and he doesn't even need to admit it. Just for your information, I will say this. You're pitiful!" A different girl joins the conversation by storming in with a loud voice.
“............”
'I'm not following him.' Is what I wanted to say, however, since I'm always heading to the place where Iori is. You can assume that I am following him everywhere.... no, Iori said that it was fun being with me.
Because whether such a thing was considered to be a good feedback. I merely remained standing in silence without uttering a single word.
"Hah, can't even answer back? So, she fell silent.... well good. I'll say this one more time Mochizuki-senpai, listen to me loud and clear, you're an eyesore. So why don't you just stop following Saginomiya-san, do we have an agreement?"
Firstly the girl who issued words is cold-blooded while paying more attention, she said it in a dark way. And the girl who issued words to me continued talking.
The girl who issued those words to me in a dark and cold-blooded way. She continued talking.
"Do you know that there are a lot of kids and classmates who wants to become friends with Saginomiya-san? However, every time, whenever you're always close to him, it hinders others from approaching. Although I thought that you were his lover, though that isn't an issue anymore... do you know what they call you? Well, I doubt that you'll know anyway since you're alone even in your class..... Huhuhuu, yes, it does describe your actions very well to the extent that, I'd like to praise the person who suggested that."
"They call you a stalker. Saginomiya-san's stalker."
“......Stalker?”
"That's right, everyone can tell that you are just a stalker and you didn't even know about it. Were you not isolated in your class? Moreover, your presence is thin and your appearance only adds up to you as an ordinary dark woman without getting tired of the cool boy whose gentle to anyone impartially. You stick to him every day like glue, doesn't the word stalker fits you perfectly?" The girls burst out of laughter.
“N-No, I being with Iori"
It was hard to talk after hearing that statement, I couldn't even talk, the words wouldn't come out of my mouth. Before I could even finish talking, I was interrupted.
"Well, you get the point right? That's all of the things that we wanted to say. So stalker-san can you stop stalking Saginomiya-san?"
The girls who said so have parted from me, should I return soon too? And I decided to get some distance from Iori.
However, a week after the incident, Iori asked me. "Why didn't you come and visit me anymore? Did I.... did I do something wrong?" with an expression describing his loneliness.
I was very happy when he said that he was lonely. I couldn't say the reason as for to why I didn't come anymore. So as always, I went to Iori's classroom again and invited him to have lunch together.
And on the next day when I removed the distance between me and Iori――――――the dampish bullying started.