Jaku-chara Tomozaki-kun

TL: learning2tl

TLC: Kagefij

ED: Fractal

Silence. Konno Erika didn't say a word. Her group of followers simply waited to see how she would respond. Nakamura was staring at me, his surprised expression frozen in place. His followers shuffled around uncomfortably. As for Hinami, her eyes were slightly moist. Oioi, are you serious? As expected of an actor. She's amazing.

The first person to make a move in this situation was Konno Erika.

「……Gross, what is he saying?」

With that command acting as a signal, her group of followers came back to life.

「It really is gross.」

「Why so serious? It’s just a game.」

「Reaally gross.」

Ahh, it's no good. I see, so this is the『mood』. Now, due to Konno Erika's words,『Getting serious and talking about something』has been established as something negative. I understood this from experience.

This is is as far as I can go. I've run out of bullets. I'll be leaving the rest to you, Hinami. I can only do so much.

You should be able to handle it better.

Hinami and I exchanged looks. She laughed softly and nodded. Then, facing forwards, she opened her mouth.

「Ehhー, I don't think it's bad to be serious about these types of things.」

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And so a cheerful, amiable voice resounded in the room.

──No. A cheerful, amiable, but slightly frightened voice.

Wait. A frightened voice?

「……Ha? Yuzu? What do you mean?」

Konno Erika's eyes turn to face Izumi. Eh!? I-Izumi!?

Shifting my gaze to the person standing next to Izumi, I found Hinami still there her mouth still wide open, having lost her opportunity to speak.

「N-no, like, how should I say this? Look, don't you think it's a bit like that? You know, that feeling of youth that boys have, or something……」

「Heeh? Does this mean that instead of siding with me you're siding with Tomozaki?」

Izumi's shoulders jumped visibly.

「I-It’s not like that! Or rather, you know, recently, I’ve also started trying out, what’s it’s called, AtaFami? It’s actually a very deep game! Erika, you should try it out too! Come on!」

「Ha? What? Are you changing the subject?」

「I……I'm not changing anythinnng～! I mean look, the subject was AtaFami right? Right? I mean really, that small jump thing is a lot harder than it seems! It's difficult to get right even you're trying! Ah, though I have gotten a bit better at it recentlyー」

「……Haaa?」

Painfully going nowhere. We're talking about Izumi, the mood reader. There was no way that she hadn't realized this herself.

「Alsoー! The powerful skills come out slow, seeー, and it's pretty difficult to make them hit! Ah, but I found out something! They work if you use them right after a skill that comes out faster! I think that's called a combo!? ……Wait, of course it is! Ahahaー……」

Which meant that even though it hurt, she was enduring. Pressing forward through sheer willpower. However, looking just at her outward appearance, it was clear that she wasn’t faring well. Due to the feeling of discomfort Izumi emitted along with her inexplicable desperation and single-mindedness, the situation was getting all jumbled up. The focus was becoming more and more unclear.

「Anyway! That's why I think it's actually difficult to use Found well! Ahhhh, it looks like I still have a lonnng way to go～. Oh, but I think Foxy is even more difficult, since the falls are so fast! It's so easy to fall off the stage by accident, you knowー. AtaFami really is difficult. But I'm trying to improve! The reason is a secret though… just kidding! Ahaha……」

Everyone present in their room had their gaze fixed on Izumi. For someone like Izumi, someone who cared about other people's opinions of her, it had to be a fairly harsh situation.

「The other characters too, for example……」

Hinami tried to take a single step forward, clearly unable to remain on the sidelines any longer. However, before she was able to accomplish this, Konno Erika placed her hand on Izumi’s shoulder.

「Izumi, that's enough. It's gotten kinda boring.」She then turned to her followers.「Guys, let's go.」

With the exception of Izumi, the Konno Army Corps left the room. Taking advantage of the timing, Nakamura's group quickly followed suit.

The door slammed shut and was followed by a moment of silence. Then in the next moment, Izumi sank down to her knees.

「……I was so scared……!」

Then, sniffling, she began to cry. Seriously?

Nakamura walked towards her.

「Idiot, what were you forcing yourself for. You're not even that type of person.」

「But……but……!」

Nakamura placed his hands on Izumi's shoulders. Hey. Don't touch my disciple. Ah, but it seems like these two like each other so maybe it's fine. I suppose I don't really mind it.

「It's okay, don't say anything. You've worked hard.」

「Uuu……! Shuuji～～～～!」

「Come on, it's okay. You don't want to show a face like this to everyone, do you?」

Nakamura held out a hand to Izumi.

「I-it's okay, I'm fine……!」

Saying that, Izumi vigorously wiped away her tears using her sleeves and, after remaking a crisp facial expression, got up on her own feet. The two of them then left the room side-by-si……well, just before that, Nakamura glanced at me sharply. He then whispered something so quietly the echoes never left his mouth. Words which should not have travelled further than his immediate vicinity, I somehow heard crystal clear. And the determination that dwelled inside them was, as far as I could tell, the real deal.

「I'll win next time.」

Then, with Izumi by his side, he left the room.

Uhhhh──…?

「……The hell was that?」

「……As if I would know.」

In a manner atypical for her, Hinami just stood there with a blank, defenseless expression.

Then, as I looked at that face while vacantly reflecting on the event that had just transpired, I realized something.

「Ahh, that reminds me.」

「……What?」

「This time.」

I consciously employed the same cynical tone that Hinami would often use.

「This time, you didn't do a thing.」

For the first time since meeting Hinami, I witnessed a look of pure shock on her face.

Translator Notes:

We’re almost at the end.