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Chapter 4 â Reunion With an Old Friend \nVolume 1\n<hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide">\n\n\n
My mother couldnât do anything about my sudden change of attitude.\n
Up until elementary school, I had always been a quiet kid. I studied in silence. No matter how cold or hot the day was, or how sick I was, there was never a day that I didnât go to my desk.\n
It was the same when I was just a junior high school student. Studying was not an easy habit to break.\n
Before I got into trouble, even when I was having a hard time, I didnât tend to hit anyone. Iâd rather cry than do that. In a word, introspective. I was not good at expressing my emotions outwardly and kept them to myself.\n
However, as if I had forgotten about myself, I started to show my emotions more and more.\n
I threw things away. I shouted. Kicking over furniture.\n
Conversations in the house became fewer and fewer.\n
Not only my mother but also Sayaka and my father didnât seem to know how to respond. I didnât reveal my inner thoughts to anyone. It was impossible to put into words such throbbing emotions.\n\n
At school, there were several life guidance sessions.\n
What is with your hair color? Whatâs with your attitude in class? Because of you, the whole school is losing its dignity.\n
I thought to myself, âWho cares? Why should I have to put up with that?â\n
As my attitude got worse, I got into more fights with my classmates. At the junior high school I attended, there were few people like me. They were all young lads who had passed the entrance exams for junior high school. I was often ridiculed from afar. (TN: itâs a private school so there are many boys from big families.)\n
As I continued to live like this, I was told.\n
âIâm suspended.\n
The tone of voice was very clear. It was obvious, of course. Everyone was having a hard time dealing with me.\n
I clicked my tongue and accepted the words.\n\n
It was about the third day after I was suspended from school.\n
âWhatâs wrong, Nao-chan?\n
I stayed in my room, and one day, my mother kneeled down to me.\n
âIf you have something to complain about, tell me.\n
But I ignored her.\n
I figured that no one would ever know how I felt.\n\n\n
One day, I left the house and went to a nearby game center.\n
When I walked in, I heard a lot of noise. The sound of games. The sound of buttons being operated and levers being tilted.\n
I felt that these sounds were canceling out the haze in my head. Thatâs how I felt.\n
I went inside and started to play a game I had found. Itâs not that Iâm good at gaming or anything. I donât even know how to play it. I just moved it up and down and repeatedly punched and kicked without meaning to. At first, I was able to win. But gradually I couldnât, and my frustration grew.\n
What a pain!\n
Numbly, I left the game halfway through and left my seat.\n
I didnât think about wasting a hundred yen or anything like that.\n
I moved to another floor and looked for another game.\n
There were sound games, photo booths, coin-operated games, and UFO catchers. None of them looked interesting.\n
The other customers were quietly playing the games of their choice.\n
I was all alone again, I thought.\n
There was nothing I liked. There was no hope of playing this.\n
No one was paying attention to me. If I wore casual clothes, even my blond hair wouldnât stand out that much.\n
Each of them had a game they wanted to play, and they were passionate about it.\n
I donât have any.\n
I can only walk alone in the hustle and bustle like this.\n
There is no place for me anywhere. âŠâŠ.\n
Iâm the only one floating around. The rest of us seem to be somewhere far away. There is an invisible gap between us, and I am the only one outside of it.\n
Thatâs what I thought.\n
Before I knew it, I was back on the gaming floor. There was no particular reason. It was just too boring and I had nowhere else to go.\n
It was nice to get out of the house for no reason, but there was nothing to be gained.\n\n
Just as I was thinking this, I saw a male student sitting in front of the console I was playing on earlier. I was surprised to see his back.\n
He had red hair.\n
I wondered if he was a junior high school student or a high school student. I guessed he was not that much older than me.\n
At least, he wasnât a student at my middle school. It was a school uniform, but the design was slightly different. In the first place, Iâve never seen anyone with red hair like this.\n
I wondered what this guy was all about. Curious, I walked up to the man.\n
He doesnât even notice that Iâm watching him from behind, but heâs quietly playing.\n
He was better than I was earlier.\n
Eventually, after a break in the game, the guy turned around.\n
ââŠâŠâ\n
As soon as I saw him, I felt a sense of familiarity.\n
His face looked bored. The wrinkles on his brow.\n
Maybe this guy is just like me. I thought so intuitively.\n
The guy said.\n\n
âYouâre the guy from earlier. Thanks to you, I got to play the game for free.â\n
âWhat?â\n\n
Apparently, he started playing as soon as I got up from my seat. I guess thatâs why he was able to play the game without paying for it.\n
He stood up, shoving his hands in his pockets.\n
He was taller than I expected, and when he approached me, he looked down at me.\n\n
âYouâre not very good at gaming, are you?â\n
Seems like he had been watching me play. I replied.\n
âSo?â\n
He snickered at me.\n
âNothing. Iâm just better than you.â\n\n
Whatâs up with this guy? I was annoyed, but I was also dismayed that he had spoken to me just to say that.\n
I looked at his face.\n\n
âYouâre boring.â\n
I couldnât help but let it spill out of my mouth. For a moment, I thought I had made a mistake, but then I quickly thought better of it.\n
âWhat?â\n
âDonât make me repeat it. Whatâs good about being better? Itâs boring.â\n
It didnât matter. To me, everything is boring.\n
I expected him to get angry. I imagined that he was probably a person with such a low boiling point.\n
But he just said quietly, âSure.â\n
âSure, itâs boring. You and I both.â\n
I donât know what he meant, but for some reason, I found myself sympathizing with him.\n\n
âWhatâs your name?â\n
I was taken aback by the sudden question but answered immediately.\n
âOokusu.â\n
He nodded his head and said,\n
âItâs Yamazaki. You donât have to remember me.â\n\n
âŠâŠ That was my first encounter with Yamazaki.\n\n