In the After School Library, A Refined Lady's Romantic Comedy Can't Be Compromised - Chapter 4 - Act 4
Translator: Lilo
Editor: Ryuubii
Chapter 4: Lastly, Creating Memories.
Act 4
There was another person who was concerned, or curious, about me and Kanata-senpai.
Needless to say, it was Takinami Ruika.
“Shizuru, you seem to be getting along very well with Mibu-san yesterday.”
The next day after school, Takinami-senpai came to the library to ask me about the situation, even though there were still a fair number of people using the library. She was wary of her surroundings because of the topic, so she lowered her voice.
“Did you know? She―”
“I know. Rumors that she fought all the time in junior high.”
I Interrupted her words as she tried to worry like Hasumi-senpai yesterday. Why do they always assume the worst? It was not like they saw it themselves, it was just a rumor.
“Eh? That’s right. So you knew about it.”
“But you know,”
I interrupted her once again.
“As you can see, she’s now just a literary girl who comes here every day.”
Looking beyond Takinami-senpai, I saw Kanata-senpai sitting in her usual seat, running her pen into her notebook as usual.
That said, her demeanor was too supernatural to be called a “girl.”
“Besides, you saw it yesterday. She has a very pleasant personality.”
Though it was more of a nuisance.
“Instead of listening to past rumors and such, how about you see her present self?”
“…Alright, I’ll do that.”
Perhaps still having doubts about what I told her, Takinami-senpai accepted my advice in a slightly somber tone of voice.
“As long as you understand.”
I replied briefly and proceeded to operate the browsing system to search for today’s overdue books. But there were no results. It seems that there were no books that were due yesterday. There really were not many people using this library.
Takinami-senpai stared at me as I went about my duties, but then she suddenly opened her mouth.
“Are you mad by any chance, Shizuru?”
“…Not really.”
I replied with my eyes still on the screen.
“It doesn’t seem that way to me… What kind of relationship do you two have?”
“Just a librarian and a student who uses the library.”
Truly simple.
“You call each other by your first names though.”
“It just happened to be that way.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
Said Takinami-senpai.
“Well, whatever. Now I’ll put it in the ‘things you haven’t told me‘ folder instead of the ‘things you’re hiding‘ folder… Come to think of it, you owe me something, don’t you?”
At the unexpected word that came out of nowhere, I looked up from my screen and turned to Takinami-senpai.
“Ah.”
I immediately recalled what she was talking about.
It must have been when she helped me with the matter about Hasumi-senpai. When Hasumi-senpai ran away from home the other day.
“It seems that you and Hasumi have settled things down, so I’m claiming it now. Go on a date with me this weekend. Of course, I won’t take no for an answer.”
“……”
It was true that the mess over the Hasumi family had been settled, and there was no doubt that Takinami-senpai’s help was instrumental. In that sense, I owe her one.
“…Well, I don’t really mind.”
“Thanks for your very reluctant reply. Why not smile a little? It’s a date with me, remember?”
Takinami-senpai looked really displeased.
There was no way I could be happy about a decision that deprived me of a choice.
“It’s just a little weird. Think of my feelings as a man to be forcefully asked by a woman.”
“Think of it simply as being approached by a woman who’s just passionate. If you don’t like it, ask me out yourself. If you say, ‘I won’t take no for an answer.’ I will follow you anywhere.”
“I’ll think about it.”
You can’t ask that of someone who was not suited for love.
“Then, we’ll sort out the details later.”
“Alright.”
When Takinami-senpai finished her talk and I answered her, she headed towards the reading table. I thought she was going to spend the rest of the day studying or reading until closing time, but unusually, today she started operating her smartphone. Well, it was not like she was bothering anyone, so I will just leave her be.
“Sort out the details, huh…?”
I deliberately voiced my words out.
I don’t know much about it, but in this area, unless you were going to a theme park, the usual places to go were Sannomiya or Harborland’s Mosaic. There was a wide range of things to do in both. If that was the case, meeting at Sannomiya was sufficient for both places. There was nothing much to decide.
How about going to one of the largest Starbucks in Japan at Meriken Park?
§§§
And when the bell rang five minutes before 6:00 p.m and Kanata-senpai was the only student left, Takinami-senpai came to the counter once again, as if she had been waiting for it.
“Shizuru, what are we going to do on the weekend?”
Cutting to chase, huh?
“I don’t mind anywhere. You? Have somewhere you wanna go?”
“For me, spending a day with you is enough.”
“Then, Sannomiya is a safe bet. If that’s the case, I’ll stop by a bookstore on the way. I have a book I want to buy.”
Unfortunately, the book I was looking for was not available in the bookstore in Gakuen Toshi.
“Alright, it’s time to go home.”
Just as Takinami-senpai said this, the door to the library opened.
Is it a hurry to check out or return? Either way, the room will be closed in less than five minutes. We need to rush.
Or so I thought. But, it was Hasumi-senpai standing there. She was slightly out of breath.
“Is-is it true you have a date planned?!”
“……”
It was neither someone loaning nor returning a book.
I looked at Takinami-senpai for an explanation. If Hasumi-senpai has been informed of the matter we just decided, she was the only one who can be the culprit.
“I mean, it’s my first date after all. I just have to tell someone, you get it?”
“Of all people, why Hasumi-senpai…?”
If you wanted someone to talk about it to, Takajou-senpai was the perfect candidate. She would often misunderstand the relationship between me and Takinami-senpai, but in fact, she clearly understands it correctly.
“What’s with you out of breath?… Curious much?”
Takinami-senpai said provokingly to Hasumi-senpai.
It seems that she was messaging Hasumi-senpai earlier when she was operating her smartphone.
“Huh?! Why should I care? No, nevermind that! I came to tell you to go on a date like a high school student.”
I looked at Takinami-senpai again. I couldn’t understand what she was saying. What did she mean by “a date like a highschool student.”
“You mean if Shizuru doesn’t come home that day?”
“Why would you message me that?!”
What on earth did she send?
“I thought it would be best to tell his sister.”
“I’m telling you to not message me unlikely things.”
Hasumi-senpai was standing next to me, murmuring in dismay. Her reaction was natural.
“I mean, if you’re gonna ask what’s the reason, I can’t really answer that…”
She said as scratched her head.
I would think the same thing. If you look for it, maybe there was a reason to forbid it, or maybe there was nothing at all. However, I would like my friends around me to have relationships befitting of a high school student.
“Oh, it’s not unlikely. I think I hold sufficient knowledge and I consider this the place to settle it.”
“S-settle…?”
“Of course, settling scores from top to bottom, inside and out.”
The next moment, Hasumi-senpai was holding my collar.
“P-please tell your complaints to Takinami-senpai instead of me.”
Why would she get mad at me? And why does Takinami-senpai say things that agitate Hasumi-senpai so much since earlier?
And there I heard a faint laugh.
It was not Takinami-senpai, nor Hasumi-senpai―Turning around, it was Kanata-senpai.
“Mibu-san?”
“I’m sorry. You guys seem to be having fun after all. Shizuru, a bloodbath for real this time?”
“…Is that what it looks like?”
Does this person have some special expectation on bloodbath? Even if it was, why would you look forward to seeing it?
“I know Takinami goes here every day, but I never expected Hasumi.”
“Me? What do you mean?”
Hasumi-senpai tilted her head.
However, with her by my side, Kanata-senpai turned her eyes toward me.
“You’re surprisingly popular, huh?”
“Not really.”
“You’re kidding?! Me with this guy?!”
Immediately after, Hasumi-senpai understood what Kanata-senpai was trying to say, and she then shouted. Hasumi-senpai was pointing at me.
Then, a moment after.
“Even I would be hurt by that, you know?”
“You too. Why are you denying it so straightforward? Do you really hate the idea of me liking you?”
We looked at each other with a straight face.
“Since we’re already on the topic, I’d like to go on a date too, if that’s all right. Oh, I’m fine going after Takinami and Hasumi.”
“Well, I’d happil… Ugh.”
This time, Takinami-senpai grabbed me by the collar.
“You…”
“You’ve got some nerve to cheat in front of me.”
Even Hasumi-senpai came up to me. I was being questioned by the two upperclassmen. The situation was really starting to look like a bloodbath.
Looking at Kanata-senpai from between Takinami-senpai and Hasumi-senpai, she had her hand over her mouth and was laughing without letting out a sound. Unbelievable. To begin with, she knew my relation with Hasumi-senpai, there was no way she would misunderstand anything.
And then the main bell rang at 6 p.m.
“……”
For some reason, the place was at a standstill. No one opened their mouths, and Takinami-senpai remained clutching me by the collar.
“Alright, I’ll be going ahead first.”
We waited for the chime to finish ringing―Kanata-senpai was the first one to speak out. She poured in all the energy she had and was the first to leave the library.
“Alright, then, I’ll be closing the library. Can you two leave the room?”
“Eh, ah…”
“W-wait…”
I saw Kanata-senpai dashing out of the library, and I took advantage of their stunned state to escape from Takinami-senpai’s hands and forcefully pushed them both out of the library.
I then lock the door from the inside.
“Hey, open up!”
“Open up. We’re not done talking!”
It was a siege.
It seems like today I would have to rearrange the bookshelves, which I don’t usually do, before leaving.