/
Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.
  TN- here's the rest of chapter 1 enjoy and remember to support the original creator by buying his books ^^  on a side note Play Summer Pockets support English VNS visual novel Hype just finished true route. It's like a "best of" Key compilation just like how Dark Souls 3 was basically a celebration of the best parts of the Souls series. 
Chapter 1 Part 5 - 7
I got a drivers’ license at the beginning of summer vacation.
University students can broaden their range of actions if one person in the group has one. Team Kitayama has become one of those groups, we can come and go to neighboring prefectures without worry as much as we like.
Of course, it all still depends on splitting the costs to get gasoline though.
Speaking of which, we returned safely to Sharehouse Kitayama with me as the driver.
“Do you want me to bring brewed tea here in the living room?”
I asked Tsurayuki.
Even on the ride home, he was still going on about the film’s story.
“Oh? That’s great. Don’t mind if I….”
Just a he was about to talk, Tsurayuki’s cellphone rang\n “Hello… Oh it’s just you Mom. Why call?”
Tsurayuki’s words became blunt. It felt cold and indifferent.
Speaking of which, this is the first time he answered a phone call from his family member in front of us. 
“Call again. I’m cutting the line.”
*beep*
He turned of his cellphone.
“Sorry I’ll be going out a while our talk will have to wait for another time.”
“Ah, sure...”
Maybe he didn’t want us to overhear the conversation? Tsurayuki went out with his phone in tow.
“Time for me to get some shut-eye anyhow. I’ll have to do my best first thing in the morning so I’ll take a rest for today.”
Only me and Shinoaki were left in the living room.
“Ah uhmmm….”
For a time there was this unusual tension in the air for no apparent reason.
The sound of the refrigerator’s motor was strangely loud.
“Kyouya-kun, do you have some time right now?”
Shinoaki suddenly asked.
“Yeah, I have no tasks left so…”
There weren’t any particular preparations needed for class, while Kawasegawa was in charge of editing as well so there is no need for me to interfere, there’s also no chores needed to be done around the house. It’s odd that my schedule was completely free.
“Then can you come into my room for a moment?”
“Eh…!?”
That’s a first.
Up to till this point I’ve been only coming over to her room to bring something over or calling her over for food and only for those reasons alone.
She has never called me over to her room so far.
I mean, I have never even been invited by a girl not even once in my life….!
“So y-yeah speaking of going into your room, what will we be doing again?”
My words ran around my mouth as if I was getting overwhelmed by the suddenness of it all.
(What the heck am I saying!? What am I doing, Isn’t that too forward of me?)
My conscience is saying regretful things.
“I want you to see my new illustrations.”
“Eh?”
“I spent a lot of time and effort on it but…it just doesn’t feel right. I don’t know what’s wrong so I’d like you to have a look at it.”
Shinoaki looks up at me shyly.
“Ya told me that you liked my paintings Kyouya-kun, So I was maybe thinking that you should take a look. Don’t you want to?”
I shook my head sideways with all my might.
“I-it’s not like that, Not at all! I want to see it, I really want to see your drawings Shinoaki!”
I expressed all the denial and hope that I could muster inclusive of my guild ridden delusions.
“That’s a relief, come on then let’s go!”
Shinoaki giddily jumped up like a rabbit as she climbed the stairs.
When she disappeared from my sights I reflexively held my hands to my chest.
“Well I’m relieved that I didn’t say anything extra……”
_____________________________\n 
I entered Shinoaki’s room once again, and… well how do I say this, In a word it looks…” 
“Sorry bout the complete mess , I can’t but help to have so many things.”
Well it was as exactly as she says.
“Nah, It’s really fine no need to worry about it.”
Although I said that, I feel a bit nervous being surrounded by delicately balanced buildings of books and art supplies from the front, back, left, and right.
There are a variety of things here.
From scenery to character photobooks, architectural and fashion books, to even a collection of drawings from various illustrators and painters. Her greed in trying to learn a wide range of things without being bound to one topic. I am deeply moved by what makes Shino Akishima become who she is.
“Is this what you wanted to show?”
A file was opened and vivid illustrations spread over the entire screen.
“Wow…..”
It’s winter. On one side is a silver world. The rural is colored a pure white spread in an orderly manner. Perhaps the ice’s season is about to come as a bright blue sky lies in the back of the composition.
“A girl wearing muffler and a coat was throwing a snowball, with her checkered skirt swaying, was about to throw a snowball and stick her tongue out to the front.
“Fukuoka is in Kyushu, but snows sometimes. I remembered that and tried to draw it but…”
I was so absorbed in the picture that it seemed like I could hear Shinoaki’s voice somewhere far away.
Shinoaki’s words.
The charm of Shino Akishima’s paintings was that it seemed like you can hear a “story” when you see it.
The relationships and philosophy’s that you can imagine from a single picture are firmly present in its overwhelming compositional power.
Moreover, it’s not forced on you. It comes naturally as a gentle message to those who see it.
The world of 10 years later, or to be exact, 8 years later I used to go to Shino Akishima’s solo exhibition art events.
I once again stood in front of the picture I’ve went to see oh so may times in the past.
Its strong message just pulls you in without ever letting you go.
Right now the origin of those paintings is right in front of me.
It has the same impact as if you were stepping in a different world.
“Kyouya-kun…?”
Shinoaki looks at my face a little anxiously.
“What’s wrong? You look really serious, is there something that’s worrying about it?”
“Ah… sorry it was nothing.”
I snapped out of myself.
Shinoaki says that there were some parts in the painting that look off. But I really had no clue.
“Hmmmm….”
I grimaced in front of the monitor as I was figuring it out.
I opened my eyes wide and closed it, I looked from different angles.
Is it perhaps the composition, is it the color, or maybe it’s even….”
Shinoaki is looking at my facial expressions.
“Ah….”
She grasped the pen as if she has noticed something
“Did you figure it out….?”
Without answering my question, Shinoaki let’s her pen glide quietly.
While I was regretting my interjection, I looked onto the screen.”
It was my first time seeing her drawing at such a close distance. Her pen moved non-stop. The lines that I thought were good enough were repeatedly being erased and overwritten in a cycle, with the newly born lines being being drawn better than the last..
( Is this what a God looks like…..?)
After a while, I’m strangely convinced that a Muse* appeared before me. I mean, what do you even call an existence that creates things from a state of nothing except a God?
(TN- the literal translation would have been God Artist and since Muses are a somewhat famous concept of goddesses of the arts why not.)
“…I did it.”
*fuu*
She took a break and the pen was placed on the desk. The sound of the pen rolled in the quiet room. The thing Shinoaki was fixing is the look of the girl. The girl’s face who was previously smiling with her tongue out  was turned into someone with closed eyes who was laughing happily with her mouth wide.
“Incredible…”
The picture from before which I thought of as perfection was now already a thing of the past. Seeing it this way, the facial expression in the previous one looks a little unnatural with the pose.
“That’s really amazing! I feel like the change in expression made it a whole lot better”
“You mean it? That makes me happy~”
Shinoaki lightly clapped hands in her joy
“When I saw Kyouya-kun’s troubled face changing, I thought of the facial expression as the only one that stands out”
-----She somehow reached that conclusion from just that…….
“I still haven’t reached the level that I want to draw with though”
She stood up from the chair and headed for the mountain of books near the entrance, sitting down in front of it.
“Look at this Kyouya-kun”
She held out a photo book.
I moved to Shinoaki’s side as I was told that. It was a photos based on the theme of combining people with scenery. Each one was just a casual scene from everyday life.
However, I felt that a story was infinitely welling up from there.
“I see where your coming from Shinoaki. There are so many things overflowing from these photos.”
Shinoaki nods.
“Someday I want to be able to do these with illustrations too, but I haven’t caught up with it at all.”
“Well that would require a lot of life experience won’t it?”
“Just stepping closer to it would require an incredible amount of time...”
Being told that by a 18 year old, as someone who was actually a 28 year old I can’t say anything back. However I can tell her one thing.
“You’ll be able to draw like that someday. You only need to keep at it.”
“I wonder...”
“Yes, I’m sure of it.”
…..That’s why never stop drawing, that’s the one thing that I desire.
It may only be a fan’s selfish wish but as long as she can draw with hope.
“Then if that’s what Kyouya-kun says, I’ll do just that.-”
Shinoaki laughs happily.
“As I thought, not seeing this book after a long time would really make me  want to see it.”
She says in earnest as she holds the photobook.
“Im moving here.’
“Ah, wait a minute, Shinoaki?”
Shinoaki moved in front of me and leaned back on my body.
“Hrm-, I’ll be using Kyouya-kun as a chair ok~”
She talks in a relaxed tone while opening the photobook happily in that position.
“This is….”
I can’t do anything. I feel the heat of Shinoaki’s back along the chest and abdomen area, the scent of shampoo wafts slowly and tickles my nose. If I wanted to do it, I could actually wrap my hands around Shinoaki’s body. She is that defensless right now.
“I’m looking forward to the school festival~. Kyouya-kun let’s take a look around when we have a chance”
“Uh Yeah! That’s right, of course….”
I answered while looking high above, but of course my heart right now wasn’t into the school festival at all. For the time being I kept concentrating so the thing between my legs won’t cause a problem.
“Uhh……”
What was this called again? Torture? Seduction? Am I being seduced right now?
Impossible, since I’m talking about Shinoaki she only thinks of it as like siblings playing with each other. This defenselessness is painful for me.
“Shi-Shino..”
I moved both my trembling hands towards Shinoaki’s body as I call her name out in a faint voice.
(Let’s start with gently putting her body aside for now.)
I’ll challenge this step by step. I steel my resolve and at that time the silence was suddenly broken
*knock knock knock*
“Ah”
“Eh”
And with the sudden knocking of the door.
“Shinoaki your mail was mistakenly sent to me so I have it right now…”
It was Nanako’s bright voice.
“Huh?”
The door was opened without waiting for a reply. Nanako just stood there as she saw us in close contact. I set my eyes wide open while Shinoaki was nonchalantly sitting. 
Nanako however…
“Ah Ahahaha…. I would have been glad if you had only told me earlier.”
“This isn’t what it looks like Nanako.”
Nanako nodded many times with her arms crossed without paying attention to my excuses.
“I see, so Kyouya was like that huh, yup yup, It is what it is-“
And just when she expressed an obstinate grin.
 “Sorry for intruding-!!”
She turned around and ran down the flight of stairs.
“I-it’s a misunderstanding Nanako we didn’t even go there!”\n “Thanks for bringing it to me Nanako~”
“Shinoaki why are you so calm!?”
---------
I think the later assigned work was made interesting as a result of the meaningful repeated conflicts. As an individual I have friends who I respect, A caring girl who was by my side, and days that were ever more fulfilling.
While enjoying this event as a small mishap, I lead on a peaceful student life.
── or at least I was supposed to.Â