CH ss - 24

SS 24: The Couple Discussing Future Plans

Translated by: chocolalaEdited by: Seiryuu

“I’m late, sorry for waiting. The academic counseling took more time than I had expected.”

In the literature clubroom as usual. Yuzu, who came thirty minutes later than me, muttered her apology.

“Well, it’s in the order of our attendance number, so there’s no helping it.”

My family name starts with ‘I’, so I always benefited during things like this.

“But really, even if they ask us about our future plans, we’re still in autumn of our first year, I can’t figure it out yet.”

“True dat.” I nodded as I handed the game controller to Yuzu, sitting beside me.

“Yamato-kun, what are you going to do after graduation?”

“Hm? Well, ordinarily going to university, I guess. It’s not like I have things I want to do.”

“Oooh… I thought you’ll be having a dream of entering a game company.”

Yuzu looked at me in astonishment.

“Wanting to play games and wanting to create are two completely different desires. I want to keep being a player for the rest of my life.”

“It’s like that? You have something you like, don’t you want to do a job that is related to it?” Yuzu tilted her head, seeming not convinced.

“It’s just like that. For example, a guy who likes women so much, he only likes to play around with girls, not necessarily that he wants to become a woman, right?”

“That example is quite understandable, but not really so… Well, I understand what you’re trying to say, Yamato-kun.” Yuzu nodded in affirmation.

I think it’s one of her virtues that she’s so obedient in these situations.

“Now we’re at this topic, Yuzu, is there anything you want to be in the future?”

“A cute bride!”

“I see. I hope you find a good husband.”

“Hey you, my boyfriend!”

I had incurred her displeasure when I brushed over her usual delusion.

“Is there any problem?”

“There is! You should’ve been more excited, thinking along the lines of ‘Is she thinking about me that much…?’, you know!”

“To be thinking like that while still in the first year of high school, I can only think of you as a ‘heavy’1 girl, okay? I guess, when you reach a marriageable age, you’re the type that reads bridal magazines in front of your boyfriend. You know what, such a thing is like landmines for the guys.”

“I won’t! I only said that as a joke, yet you…”

She was the one who went off topic, and then sulked by herself—what a self-indulgent woman.

“So, what is it you want to do?”

When I forcefully brought the topic back to where it had been, Yuzu came on board this time.

“I’d go to the university like most people. Thankfully, I’m smart. Oh, my mistake, I am ALSO smart.”

“You’re never going to compromise on your self-promoting phrases, are you…?”

“But, if we’re both going to the university, it’ll be nice if we can go to the same university.”

As she was thinking about our future, her expression relaxed. Unfortunately, I doubt it would as she hoped.

“Well, I don’t think that’s possible. You and I have different grades, and the schools we want to go to will have different rankings.”

I wouldn’t say I’m dumb either, but my grades are in the middle of the pack at best. Although Yuzu was a bit of a narcissist, she had the ability to match it and was a brilliant student who maintained a single-digit ranking in her regular exams. Naturally, the school we would like to attend will be different.

However, Yuzu did not become unhappy with me, but rather laughed at me when I blatantly put a damper on her.

“That may be true in the current situation, but that’s something you can manage depending on your efforts, right? Then it’ll be fine.”

“You say it like it’s so easy… First of all, it’s not like I’m thinking of going to the same university as you.” I flatly refused and this time, Yuzu made an unhappy face.

“Eh, why? If you go to the same university as me, there’ll be a lot of good things.”

“Oh? Like what?”

To my question, Yuzu explained like a salesman, “Merit number one: first and foremost, you get to live the campus life with your lovely girlfriend!”

“I doubt we’ll still be dating by that point of time.”

We were after all a fake couple. Naturally, there was a deadline.

“That’s where Yamato-kun should make an effort for us to be a real couple by the time we graduate.”

“Why is it assumed that I want to make you fall for me?”

I retorted with an astonished face as she went on talking about her mysterious theory, but for some reason, she wore a smug face.

“That’s because compared to anyone else in the whole world, Yamato-kun loves me the most.”

“If that’s the case, it must mean other people in the whole world don’t even feel a shred of love towards you. I don’t even want to go to the same university as you.”

I coldly looked at her, but as expected, it had no effect on Yuzu, who had complete confidence in herself and absolute self-love.

“Ah, I got it. Maybe you’re going for the Romeo and Juliet effect? The more obstacles there are between the two of us, the more our love burns. That’s why you’re going to a different university.”

“You understood nothing. Even at this moment, there’s too big an obstacle standing in the way of us being able to communicate at all.”

And nothing even burned due to this obstacle. If there was anything, it just sat there freezing cold.

“Mmm… Then, merit number two: you can prevent playboys from getting close to me. So, it’ll spare you from getting jealous, this certainly works.” Yuzu brought out a new persuasive material. But, that too was not appealing to me.

“Isn’t that more of a benefit to you?”

“Well, I don’t deny that there is such a thing.” She admitted it so openly, really, this girl.

“But that also means I wouldn’t get any girls coming close to me either…” As soon as I said that, Yuzu tilted her head, puzzled.

“That’s a default, so think about it, there’s no demerit for you, Yamato-kun, is there?”

“I couldn’t deny that fact!”

I felt hurt a bit. The truth is a knife, it has no mercy on people.

“Hey, those things aside, let’s aim to go to the same university!”

While I felt a bit down on myself, Yuzu had lost patience at long last, and even threw away the explanation of the merits as she pulled the hem of my clothes.

“Smart people are cool, you know? And it’s so cool when someone works hard for his girlfriend’s sake. If Yamato-kun works hard for me, I might fall in love with you.” Yuzu persistently tugged the hem of my clothes as she made an aggressive pitch.

“You know what…”

“You don’t want to be together with me that much?” Yuzu muttered in a whisper.

Her voice was different from before, it sounded forlorn, with a hint of anxiety.

...Aah, geez. When she made this face, there was nothing I could do to resist.

“Haaaa… I got it. I also want to be with Yuzu, so I’ll work hard at studying.”

“Really?!” Yuzu’s brightened up in a flash.

“Really. In exchange, you better teach me what I need to learn.”

“Leave it to me! I can’t disregard Yamato-kun’s love for me! As you can see, I’m a very capable girlfriend!”

“Yes, yes, thank you very much. Then today, should we quit playing games and do some studying?”

“Yup! Fufufu, the thought of me, who is already so pretty, even getting the tutoring ability makes me fear for my potential!” Yuzu started to blatantly get carried away.

“Well, as a boyfriend, I’m really looking forward to that.”

I released a sigh, but seeing Yuzu like this, I felt like it was not that bad.

chocolala: omg, I wonder if this series will continue until they go to the university?? It must be so cute!

Footnotes

Heavy as in putting so much (expectations etc) in the relationship, opposite to casual