An after school affair with an unattainable flower - Chapter 2 (Osmanthus): Part 2

With that, I left the classroom while being forced to follow her lead as the sun had set and it was getting dark outside.

ーーThis is bad, what should I talk about?

I’m not very good at socializing, and I didn’t have a topic that I could bring up in a conversation with someone who was “different” from myself.

And so, as a given, I just walked beside her in silence. Until,

“Say, what’s your favorite food?”

And in that silence, all of a sudden she asked me.

“Eh, favorite –food?”

“Yeap, your favorite food. I don’t know anything about Shiranui-kun. That is why, I thought to start by asking for your favourite food.”

I want to ask you one by one.

and So it continued.

“My favorite food huh, I guess Kinpira?”

(ED/N: Kinpira is a Japanese cooking style that can be summarized as a technique of sauté and simmer)

“Kinpira! Fufu, quite a bitter one ne~.”

“And what about you, Takamine-san? What’s your favorite food?”

“Humm, maybe a hamburger.”

“Unexpected.”

“Why?”

“How should I say this, I can’t believe your favourite food is similar to a common person’s food. I mean, Takamine-san looks like she would eat Foie gras on a regular basis.”

(ED/N: Foie gras is a specialty French dish made of the liver of a duck or goose. Does a duck taste that good?)

“What is that, fufu. Are you saying that I look like a rich young lady from somewhere?”

“At least I thought so until now.”

“I’m sorry for letting you down. My house is a very ordinary one, you know? I apologise for not meeting your expectations.”

“Truly, if I was someone who wanted to be friends with you for money, I’d be really disappointed right now.”

“Ahaha, what is that? You’re such an interesting boy, Shiranui-kun… Then here’s the second question. What do you do on your days off?”

“On holidays, It’s either I read or write books I guess, or maybe go on shopping with my younger sister If I have to say.”

“So you have a younger sister?”

“Yeap, just one. Don’t you have a sibling or something, Mr. Takamine?”

“Un, I’m the only child. That’s why I’m pretty envious of people who have siblings.”

“So, are you envious?”

“Un! After all, it’s definitely more fun to live with siblings.”

“It can become quite difficult at times though, you see.”

Ayane basically listens to what I say, but at times she becomes really selfish and sometimes even swayed by things I don’t really understand a bit about. Just remembering them made me chuckle.

“What kind of girl is your younger sister?”

“She’s a kind girl. Although, there are times when she becomes suddenly selfish… Ah, I will be turning right here, but what about Takamine-san?”

“I will be going straight. So this is where we separate ehh.”

“I see. See you later then~ Takamine-san.”

“Wait. Just one last question.”

“Nnn?”

“Does Shiranui-kun write over there every single day?”

“Eh?… A~h kind of.”

“I see! Then, see you later, Shiranui-kun.”

“Yeap, see you later.”

I shared a Goodbye gesture at the fork dividing the road.

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Also, even though I said that, taking into account the time it took to talk again after the previous encounter and the encounter preceding that, I was on the thought that this time as well, I wouldn’t be able to talk to her for a considerable time.

“Say, what kind of novel are you writing next?”

But it never occurred to me that she would come and see me the very next day after school.

Even though the final exams were in plain sight and were still approaching earnestly. She approached me after school, smiling and had the notebook I lent her just yesterday  in her hands.

That too, while saying her impressions that, “So interesting” out loud.

“I’m thinking of writing a long one for the next time.”

“long?”

“It’s a fantasy. I’m thinking of writing something that one notebook isn’t enough for.”

When I declared that, she made a rather strange expression.

“Shiranui-kun, what you wrote the other day was a love story, right? Isn’t the genre completely different?”

“Hmm, to be honest, I don’t know what genre I’m suitable for. So for now I’m writing various genres and looking for the type of novels that would really suit me.”

“If that is so!”

“?”

“Then Shiranui-kun is a good romance writer! I read it yesterday as well and it was so interesting. You made me, who doesn’t even read story books that often, drawn to it like that. I am sure of it.”

Well, it’s true that I like romance novels.

“So a love story huh… Then I will try to write something putting my whole spirit into it .”

“But before that, we have the final exam before us.”

She chuckled softly as she said that.

“Don’t remind me of unpleasant things, Takamine-san.”

“If you study regularly, you shouldn’t have any problems, don’t you think so too? Shiranui-kun~, are you really~ studying hard~?”

“As if. I usually do nothing more than writing nonsense.”

“Gohon~, then I have an offer for you…”

“?”

I wonder what it is

“Would you like me to teach you after school until the final exam?”

“It’s a really great deal for me, but why all of a sudden?”

“It’s a thank you for showing me these interesting stories. Shiranui-kun, since you seem to be not that good at studies, I thought that maybe it would be a nice way to thank you if I helped you with that.”

“Even though I don’t need a thank you.”

“U~unn, I want to thank you. Is it a No… perhaps?”

A gesture of tilting their head with an upturned look that would definitely not suit a normal person, she was able to perfectly enact that in a cute way.

“N–no, it’s not at all a no! It’s more to the point that I’d like to ask you personally for it.”

“Is that so? That’s great then. … Then from today until the final exam, I’ll teach you everything firmly!”

“Eh, To–to—, from today!?”

“Isn’t that a given! Since we must strike the Iron while it’s hot!”

“Isn’t that proverb misused here?”

“Don’t complain! Now~ let’s do it!”

Takamine-san, why do you look so fiery…

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“Haaah, I feel so tired…”

After Mr. Takamine taught me firmly and seriously, exactly as she said, I came home completely drained and exhausted.

“Welcome back, Onii-chan”

“I’m back”

When I entered my room, my little sister Ayane was relaxing on my bed just like usual.

“I’m sorry Ayane, I’m a little tired, so I’d like to take a quick nap until dinner. Would you mind opening up the bed for me?”

“Hue? I mean, it’s okay, but Onii-chan, are you really okay? To be so tired that you want to take a quick nap, don’t tell me…”

[Tl notes: Japanese ethics — workers are not punished if they want to take a quick nap amidst their work. for them, it shows how arduously they are working]

“I’m fine… I’m fine. I’m really fine. So, can you wake me up when it’s time for dinner?”

“Un, I understand… Good night Onii-chan.”

Ayane got off the bed with a worried look on her face while passing by, as I jumped into the bed instead. It was at that time—–

“…… you stink of…”

Ayane seemed to say something, but I fell asleep as easily as a kitchen knife slicing through the tofu. Because of that, not only was I unable to wake up for dinner, moreover I went to sleep until morning.

END OF CHAPTER 2: OSMANTHUS