Chapter 55: I Want to Awaken an Other-Exclusion Talent — Step 5: A New Reaction After the Re-Challenge

The next day, I decided to greet a friend near him one more time. Like yesterday—keeping it as natural as possible.

But not just that. I decided I’d use that flow to re-challenge him with a greeting too.

If he’s noticing me even while he’s studying now, then no matter what—studying or not—he’s bound to respond to me.

And if he still doesn’t respond, then I can just restart the strategy where I greet him by standing up while he’s studying. That’s right—he’s waiting. For my greeting. Even if I’m wrong. Even if I’m just full of myself. I don’t care.

There was even the slightest reaction. Ignoring that and moving on to someone else doesn’t feel right.

Hang in there, me!

“Morning—!”

First, I greet my friend.

Alright—what’s he like?

When I glance over at him, he looks like he’s showing no reaction today. I don’t see his shoulder twitch like yesterday. But I didn’t miss it. Look—his pencil has stopped.

Sure, it could’ve stopped because the problem was too hard.

But stopping at this timing still makes you think there’s a chance, doesn’t it? People really do interpret things selfishly… yeah. Humans. It’s fine, it’s fine. I tell myself, He reacted to my voice, and I move into action.

“Morning to you too, Wada.”

I said it—I said it! Alright, how do you react?

Yeah, the point this time is to make it feel like an afterthought. It’d be weird to suddenly greet him after a gap, and more than anything, if it’s “just while I’m at it,” my heart can kind of endure it too, like—See? I only said it in passing.

Sorry for being sneaky. But for me, this is still a gamble. Forgive me.

Then he stopped his studying hand dead still and turned his face toward me.

Huh? His gaze feels softer than before—or at least, he doesn’t look like he’s glaring.

If anything, he looks surprised… and kind of confused.

And then he said this.

“…Yeah.”

That’s it. After saying that, he immediately lowered his face and went right back to studying.

Huh? What? He said “…Yeah”? What was that? That’s a totally different reaction than before! He was definitely waiting for my greeting, right? And then when I suddenly said it, he didn’t know how to respond, right?

If it weren’t that, he definitely would’ve hit me with “Don’t interrupt my studying” again.

What is that “…Yeah.” That’s ridiculously adorable.

Yeah. Definitely. Absolutely.

Man, I’m so glad I didn’t give up.

He really did have talent. His bud was just harder than the others until now.

Alright. My path from here is set. First, I’ll keep greeting him from now on. There’s no reason to stop anymore. He’s waiting, and it’s not good to make him wait too long.

And then I want to start adding a little yandere spice, little by little. If I’m just greeting him, it’ll turn into nothing but making friends. Well, that’s fine too, but my goal is to awaken his talent. I can’t mix up the purpose.

Also, I’m curious about the factor that made his talent such a rock-hard bud. Finding that factor feels like it might be the one and only path to awakening his talent.

Chapter 56: I Want to Awaken an Other-Exclusion Talent — Step 6: Laying Groundwork for the Awakening

From the day he gave me a response, I greeted him the same way every day. I’d greet my friends first, then him, and I’d say it even if he was studying. I kept repeating that.

It’s not like I get a good reaction from him every time. But now, even if I take a few prickly words from him, I’ve got enough breathing room to go, Oh, there you go again.

It felt like our relationship was wobbling somewhere between acquaintances and friends.

If I greet him, it’s not like he fully returns it, but I can get some kind of reaction out of him. But other than that, I still don’t have the courage to talk to him, and he doesn’t react to me either.

It feels like he needs friends. It’s not bad to be absorbed in studying, and it’s probably a student’s main job. But with him, it’s like studying is his only purpose in life—like if he doesn’t do it, he won’t be allowed to exist. I can even feel that kind of pressure from him.

I want to tell him that’s not true. And I want to support him so he can bring out his charm to the fullest.

That day was the day of the three-way conference.

Ugh. Those conferences are depressing—your report card gets handed back, and it’s also a place where you have to hear your teacher’s evaluation of you.

And just being with your parent is awkward, too. Is that what they call puberty? I can look at my friends’ awkwardness objectively, but not my own.

Yeah, yeah. Still at that age where you get embarrassed easily.

I waited for my mom in the chairs in front of the classroom.

I’d been in the library until the conference, but after this, should I go home? Or should I wait for Yamashita and hang out? I was thinking about all sorts of things.

And then,

“So that’s why there’s no point in going anywhere but the University of Tokyo!”

I heard a shrill, hysterical voice.

Huh? What?

Startled, I looked around for where it came from. Apparently, it was one of the parents from my class.

Who the hell is it—someone before me. That scared me.

I checked the order sheet. Um, the person right before me is… wait…

The slot before me is blank, and the one before that was Wada.

Huh? Then does that mean that voice was Wada’s mom?

After that, the voice didn’t stop.

I couldn’t hear the teacher at all, but Wada’s mother’s shrill voice kept echoing—filling not just the classroom, but ringing down the hallway too.

Of course, I couldn’t hear Wada’s voice either. The only thing echoing was his mother’s voice.

What? What is this?

Several tens of minutes later,

“Well then, I’ll be counting on you going forward.”

With that final line—like a parting shot—the voice finally stopped. Wada’s mother, who must’ve had enough to say to fill in the blank slot before my turn, came out looking satisfied… and yet somehow still like she hadn’t said enough.

And she kept going on and on at Wada about something.

I looked at Wada’s face as he came out.

He looked like he’d shrunk down a size—frail, and so weak it felt like he might disappear if you blew on him.

Hey… why are you making that face? Where did your usual cocky self go?

When Wada saw my face, his expression jolted like he’d been caught off guard—like he was embarrassed, and also hurt.

And then he hurried away from there with his mother.

That’s not it. I wasn’t trying to become friends with you and awaken your talent because I wanted to make you wear a face like that.

I’m just worried about you. I’m interested in you. And I want you to smile.

I took off running.