Episode 6 – My Childhood Friend
I headed to school today wearing my new sneakers again. The leather shoes were left in the closet. It’s been a week since that day. I make sure to wipe my sneakers every time I get home now. It’s become a new routine. As I wipe my sneakers, I feel like I can understand Hime’s feelings a little.
…Or at least I feel like I can, even though I really don’t understand.
It takes 30 minutes to leisurely walk from my house to the academy. I can get there in just under 5 minutes if I run.
I like the morning air. It makes me feel refreshed.
Since it was the rush hour for students commuting to school, the narrow road to school was overflowing with students.
I liked the atmosphere of walking to school. We’re all headed towards the same goal, the academy. It feels like orienteering. It gets me excited.
“Good morning! Miki-chan, did you change your hair? It looks cute!”
“Hehe, you noticed? It’s more mature right?”
“Oh crap, I’m gonna be late for morning practice!”
“Zzz…zzz”
“Hey, did you see that drama yesterday? It was so cool!”
“Ugh…school…”
“That girl from the special class was like–“
Others were having lively conversations I could never mimic. Their minds must work quickly. It’s too difficult for me.
Come to think of it, there was one other change. I stopped my morning jogging routine on the way to school. Instead I switched to running at night.
I don’t need to jog slowly anymore. I don’t need to match Sasami’s pace anymore.
I was very surprised by Sasami’s change in attitude.
I tried hard this past week to understand her feelings, but it was futile. What exactly is affection? Is Shimizu really that charming to her…? I just don’t understand young people’s thoughts. I used to have affections for my childhood friend, Hanazono. But since I reset my emotions, I can’t recall those affections anymore.
In any case, it’s irrelevant now. Both Sasami and Hanazono are strangers to me.
Yes, my heart doesn’t hurt, my mind is as flat as always. But the princess’s words float around in my mind.
–“Make up with her, okay?”
It’s not like we had a fight. We just grew distant and our relationship dissolved.
As I got closer to school, more and more students appeared.
More familiar faces showed up.
But even though I recognize them, we’ve never spoken.
Everyone is in their own groups, while I’m the only loner.
When did I start to feel lonely about this?
It makes my chest tighten.
–Sasaki from my class. Tadokoro-san and Yamada. Kenzaki and Hashii-san, Saito-san and Yamaguchi. Oh, Tanaka…
“Hey! Toudou, you’re here early! I came way too early!”
“Oh, uh, good morning, Tanaka.”
Yawning lazily as she walked, Tanaka called out to me. I tense up at the sudden interaction.
Tanaka came up to me unconcerned about what others may think.
“So, what’s up? I’ve been waiting for you to contact me…When are you gonna take me to that cafe?”
“Oh…”
I pretend to have forgotten. Because I thought if I did that, I could preserve the warm feelings.
Getting closer would increase the potential damage if I got hurt.
Tanaka lightly knocked on my head.
“You totally forgot! Geez! You better get me a juice and some sweets now! I’m looking forward to it! Don’t forget okay?”
For some reason Tanaka feels special to me. Is it because she’s been so kind to me at my part-time job? It must be in my head.
I have to fulfill the promise we made.
“Yeah, I’ll take care of it–I mean, I’ll decide by the next time I work my part-time job. So, uh, could you give me your contact info?”
Just asking for a girl’s contact makes me nervous with fear. What if I phrase it weirdly? What if she finds it creepy? No, Tanaka isn’t that type of girl. It’ll be fine.
“Oh yeah, I guess I don’t have Toudou’s number yet! Let’s exchange! Hehe.”
I opened the messaging app that I rarely use.
I only use it when communicating with Hanazono. When I checked the app, Hanazono’s message caught my eye.
[Tsuyoshi, I just want to talk to you one more time. Please, reply to me.]
I had been ignoring that message.
It’s okay, nothing comes to mind—yet, I felt a sense of guilt for doing something wrong.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you understand how to use it? Well, you know, you can exchange messages by bringing your smartphone closer—”
Tanaka approached me, her entire body moving towards me. Somehow, she smells really nice.
A gentle scent… it’s calming…
“Hey, are you sleeping or what!? Okay, this should be fine! Uh? Isn’t that Hanazono-san?”
Tanaka slowly moves away from me. I felt a slight reluctance for a moment.
I follow Tanaka’s gaze.
Hanazono was walking on the road across from us, on the other side of the commuting path. She looked pale. Her walking pace was slower than usual. It worries me whether she’s eating properly. It worries me if she’s gotten sick. It worries me if she’s injured.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
–Hanazono, why are you alone this morning? You always walked to school with your friends before right?
I stopped in my tracks.
“Welp, I’ll go on ahead! Toudou’s gonna go see Hanazono-san!”
“But, I don’t have to–“
“Just go, go!”
Tanaka looked at me gently with a smile. Like a mother. –Since I don’t have a mother, I can only imagine. I thought all adults were cold.
Tanaka pushed hard against my back.
My feet started moving towards Hanazono on their own.
“See ya Toudou! Let’s talk again! Hehe, you’ll treat me to karaoke too!”
Tanaka hummed a trendy song as she left.
… she’s a very good singer?
I crossed the road to the other sidewalk and came face to face with Hanazono.
We both met unexpectedly.
Hanazono had a complicated expression. Happy, sad…regretful…
She started to say something but closed her mouth. I didn’t say anything either.
–Hey Hanazono, why are you alone? Isn’t it lonely by yourself?
I’m worried but…I don’t have affections for her anymore–so it shouldn’t matter.
…That’s no good. That’s why I’m still a child. My affections may be gone but…I can’t erase our history completely.
Hime’s words left a small crack in the shell around my heart.
I can still feel the sensation of Tanaka’s push against my back. I’ll take a step forward.
Hanazono and I naturally turned into the side road off the main commuting path.
It’s a detour from the direct route to school, so there are fewer students walking here. It’s a road Hanazono and I used to walk down a lot together.
“What, do you hate me now…”
“It’s not that I hate you. …I just reset my emotions. Why are you alone this morning, Hanazono?”
No, that’s not what I wanted to say. I called out because you looked lonely.
I was worried. That’s why I said something.
Why won’t the right words come out?
“It’s…it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it…” Then she said, “Ah, sorry. I just can’t be honest can I…Even though I know how awkward you are. sigh…I really am hopeless.”
“It’s my fault–“
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
There’s really rude comment about how I translate this novel, because of that the next update which scheduled to be out by next week will be delayed until who knows when. I do English translation mainly for fun and that comment definitely made me having less fun translating this novel.
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
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Lashing out at the readers who appreciate you because one reader left you a comment you didn’t like isn’t very mature.
Going as far as to “punish” all your readers by stating you’re cancelling a release only looks petty and is never going to generate fun feelings for your readers, or for yourself.
I actually didn’t have a problem with your schedule, the way you operated, or your website. Now, despite enjoying your translations I’ll be moving on to reading at other sites now.
I’m hoping you find this comment constructive and use this feedback to improve in the future. Best of luck.
I wouldn’t read a light novel aimed to teenagers if I already a mature person to begin with. And now because of your comment, One more day will be added to the delay lol
Good news is, other novels will get faster release because of this delays
Joking aside, the reason of “delayed to who knows when” because there isn’t any fixed schedule to begin with.
Criticism accepted. And good luck to you too.
The Novel got Me hook up to it. Can’t wait for the next Chapter to be released. What I want to know is what the deal with That Chick than help Him buy His Sneakers? What kind of past He had with Her? Also, that Chick Tanaka gives Me The Big Sis vibes. And Hanazono need to get Her priorities straight if She want to regain The trust of The MC before Some other Chick end up taking Him away from Her.
On top of Hanazono not being honest and being hopeless, She still want to shift the blame on Toudo by calling Him awkward? Her being fickle is what He decided to erase his feelings and emotions to Her. Now, She have to start Her relation with Toudo all over again from square one.