Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.
Chapter 5 – To Move Forward\nVolume 2\n<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide">\nFujisaki and I were walking down the hallway side by side.\n
A large number of printouts were in our hands. I have more than she does, but Fujisaki also has a lot in her hands. If it was just one sheet per person in the class, there would be no problem. However, since we had to hand out several sheets per person, both Fujisaki and I had to carry so much that our center of gravity was tilted backward.\n
This was a request from our political economy teacher. Although he is not as much as Shiroyama-sensei, he mistakenly thinks that he can freely use the class committee members. After hearing about it through another teacher, we went to the staff room and pondered over the pile of materials there.\n\n
“I think this is getting a little tough.”\n
“Sorry …I wish I could have carried it all by myself.”\n
“Oh, no! You don’t have to worry about that! I’ll never leave it to Ookusu-kun alone.”\n\n
Maybe it was because she said that, but the print held in Fujisaki’s arms was about to collapse. I went around in front of Fujisaki and supported the print with my shoulder.\n\n
“Watch out!”\n
“I-I’m sorry…”\n\n
Fujisaki held the top of the printouts\n
To tell the truth, Fujisaki had been acting suspiciously since a while ago. Her voice was a little higher than usual. Sometimes she seemed to nearly trip over herself, and her eyes swam from place to place.\n
Maybe it’s my fault.\n
After all, I haven’t been able to give a response until now. I think that’s why Fujisaki is feeling so nervous, wondering when I’m going to answer. At some point, I’m sure to do it, but I haven’t been able to organize my feelings.\n\n
“He didn’t have to leave it to the two of us. If I had known there were so many, I would have asked the other students to help.”\n
“That teacher is not that considerate. Probably he just thought, ‘I can’t carry the prints by myself, I’ll just ask those two to do it for me.'”\n\n
He’s a good teacher. He’s passionate about education, and that’s why he makes such a large number of handouts.\n
The only thing we need is for him to be a little more considerate of us.\n\n
“Have you seen the contents of this?”\n
“No. I haven’t seen it.”\n
“I skimmed it earlier, but it looked like a copy of another reference book. It looked difficult, so I don’t think many people would look at it if we handed it out.”\n
“Ehh… I see.”\n\n
That teacher is a bit of a nerd and can get overheated in class, ignoring the reactions of the students. It is not uncommon for him to ramble on by himself and end up talking about things that have nothing to do with the main topic.\n
Many students don’t want to listen intently because it won’t help them much on the test. The stories themselves are interesting, but they are too long.\n\n
“Are you okay, Ookusu-kun? My arm is getting tired.”\n
“Don’t worry. I can handle it this much at least.”\n
“Okay…”\n\n
Silence. I couldn’t walk quickly because of the heavy printouts. I thought about what to say next, but nothing came to mind.\n
Normally, I would be able to talk about anything without thinking about it. That’s how easy it is to get along with Fujisaki.\n
But right now, I’m having a hard time dealing with her.\n
Fujisaki seems to feel the same way. She was thinking about what to say but didn’t seem to be able to think of anything right away. For a while, the silence continued.\n
There was still a little more time before class. A group of students enjoying a normal break time walked past us.\n\n
“Um…”\n\n
Fujisaki was the one who broke the silence. When I replied, what? Fujisaki looked very uncomfortable.\n\n
“What were you and Enami-san talking about in the cafeteria?”\n\n
I was at a loss for words.\n
At that time, quite a few students had witnessed the scene. It was only natural that Fujisaki would hear about it.\n\n
“…That’s…”\n
“I’m sorry I asked you such a weird question.”\n
“No…”\n\n
If Sayaka saw me in my current situation, she would be furious with me.\n\n
“You can’t answer after all?”\n\n
I wasn’t sure what to do. I can’t tell her everything, but maybe I should tell her at least a little. However, as it is a very sensitive issue, discretion is required.\n
Fujisaki had an anxious look on her face. That’s when I made up my mind.\n\n
“…I’ve been asked to do a favor.”\n\n
I said. In my mind, I apologized to Enami-san.\n\n
“I can’t go into detail about it. But it’s a pretty serious matter. I feel like I’m involved in it in a way that I don’t really understand, so I can’t say that I’m that deep into it.”\n
“Okay.”\n
“I was having a talk with Enami-san about it. She said it’s okay now.”\n
“I…I see…”\n\n
I looked straight into Fujisaki’s eyes to show that I wasn’t lying. Maybe I should have told her earlier if this was the extent of the information.\n\n
“So it’s not like there’s any deep agenda or anything. I don’t think I’ll be working with Enami-san and Nishikawa like this much longer.”\n
“Can I ask you one question?”\n
“Yeah, sure.”\n\n
Fujisaki’s foot stopped, and so did mine. After a short pause, Fujisaki asked.\n\n
“If it’s such an important issue, why did Enami-san ask Ookusu-kun to help with it?”\n\n
I couldn’t answer. Because I didn’t understand the reason myself.\n