Chapter 51

It has been a few days since I started attending the remedial classes, but my life on the deserted island remains unchanged.

When the handouts are passed around from the front row, I am treated with an oddly considerate attitude. Moreover, no one will meet my eyes.

Are they afraid of me? Is everyone that afraid of me?

Are they afraid that if they upset me, they will be in for a rough time?

At the cram school, I was alone and it didn’t bother me at all. I’m fine even now.

But I never thought being alone at school would be so hard…

In my usual school life, there are always friends and followers around me, making it lively.

Yet now, even though I’m at the same school, I’m all alone.

It was only recently that I understood how Sakura felt when she said being alone was lonely when Aizawa-kun skipped the cram school.

I’m fine if I’m alone from the start, but when someone is always around and then suddenly disappears, it feels lonely.

Hmm, if this continues, I might start talking to my imaginary friends, which is scary even to me.

To avoid being seen as lonely, I try to look composed and read a textbook. I’m not “lonely,” but “aloof,” and I’m trying hard to project that air.

However, this has led to a vicious cycle where people are even less likely to approach me.

By the time the remedial classes end, will I have made at least one friend?

I’m Pivoine, and my family has power, and I have curly hair and well-maintained nails, but I’m actually a pretty good person. I won’t bully anyone. I’m not scary.

Recently, I started a diet and can’t eat what I like, so my heart is feeling weak.

As part of my plan to get out of the otter phase, I issued a ban on souvenirs to my father.

Lately, my father has been buying a lot of sweets. I wondered what was going on, but since he bought them, I happily ate them.

I have a poor person’s nature, so I can’t leave anything that’s been given to me. Of course, I respect my father’s feelings, but I also think about the craftsmen and farmers who would be hurt if they knew their products were thrown away uneaten. So I gratefully accept them.

Thus, I gained weight.

My father was shocked by my refusal, and when I honestly said I was fat, he said, “Girls look cuter when they’re a little chubby.”

That’s sweet! But getting fat makes clothes not fit well. They get tight and look unattractive when you sit down.

And among girls, getting fat means losing. The male perspective doesn’t matter.

My mother became my full supporter and said, “I’ve felt that Rika has been getting fat recently.” …Why didn’t you say it earlier?

I was taken to an esthetic salon by my mother, where my waist was ruthlessly massaged, stimulated by machines, and warmed by infrared light.

Conclusion: The esthetic salon can’t beat my excess fat.

Now, I’ve returned to my初心 and am diligently hula hooping in my room every day. Recently, I’ve even mastered the technique of hula hooping while walking. It’s going well.

I’ll show the new and improved Rika when school resumes after the summer break!

The summer break is filled with remedial classes, the cram school’s summer program, and private tutoring by Hana梨 sensei, so it’s all about studying.

I feel like I’m studying more than during the internal exam period last year. I finished all my homework by mid-July. What a model life.

I’m happy to see Aoi in the summer program.

For me, who is being avoided by other students in the remedial classes, Aoi is a source of comfort at the cram school.

By the way, Aoi was also afraid of me at first.

“I’m currently attending the school’s remedial classes, but the other students are keeping their distance. Am I that hard to approach? Do I look mean?”

“Eh?”

Aoi’s eyes darted around.

“Well, not hard to approach, but Rika is so dazzling that it makes people feel intimidated. I don’t think you look mean or anything. Yeah.”

“Intimidated, huh.”

“Yeah. Rika is so beautiful and ladylike that it seems like ordinary people wouldn’t be given the time of day, or that they would be ignored if they tried to talk to you. But if people got to know the real Rika, I’m sure they would become friends.”

Aoi smiled.

Aoi!

“Thank you, Aoi!”

I took the opportunity to call her by her first name amidst the confusion.

Aoi looked a bit surprised but quickly smiled and said, “Good luck, Rika.”

I felt a surge of motivation. I’ll do my best, me!

Today, my parents are out, so my brother is picking me up from the cram school for a meal out.

When I told Aoi about it, she said, “That handsome brother of yours. I’m so jealous.”

My brother has picked me up a few times by car, and Aoi has met him.

Since then, she often says, “I’m so jealous of that handsome brother.”

I remember Aoi mentioning that she has two older brothers. When I asked what they were like, she muttered, “...Muscles and otaku,” and looked away.

I sensed that she didn’t want to talk about it, so I haven’t asked about her brothers since, but I really want to know. What does “muscles and otaku” mean?

After the cram school, my brother and I went to a reserved ethnic French restaurant.

Excessive dieting is bad for the body, so I eat my main dishes properly and only avoid sweets.

But giving up sweets is quite a hardship for me.

Even when I look at the menu, my eyes are drawn to the sweets. But I must endure.

If I eat here, I’ll be an otter for life.

“Is the remedial class tough?”

My brother asked.

“It’s not too bad once you get used to it. Besides the summer homework, there are daily assignments for the remedial class, which can be a bit challenging.”

“I see. I’ve noticed you’ve been losing weight recently, so I was worried it might be because of the remedial class.”

“Eh, I’ve lost weight?!”

Is the diet working! I haven’t stepped on the scale because I’m scared, but I’ve noticed my dimples, which were almost gone, are coming back. Maybe I’m back to normal?

If that’s the case, maybe I can order dessert…

“If you’re pushing yourself too hard, it’s okay to take a break from the cram school.”

“I’m really fine. It’s thanks to giving up sweets and doing stretches every night. And hula hooping. Remember, brother, you saw me hula hooping in my room the other day?”

“Ah, that...”

The other day, when my brother came to my room, I was in the middle of a hula hooping record attempt, so I just kept going.

“Let’s put the hula hooping aside. Rika, I heard you have a crush?”

“Eh?!”

I was caught off guard and almost stopped breathing.

“How did you know? Ah! Could it be Imari-sama?!”

“Yes.”

“Eh, I asked Imari-sama to keep it a secret!”

“You told Imari, so that’s why.”

I thought Imari-sama would give good advice, and it was a good time since he was visiting.

“So, who is it?”

“Eh...”

“You can talk to Imari but not to me...”

My brother looked sad.

“No, that’s not true! It’s the middle school student council president!”

I confessed.

“Student council president. Hmm, what’s he like?”

“He’s someone who fits the role of ‘Oh, great goddess of fate.’ But I haven’t really talked to him much. I just watch him from afar.”

“Someone who fits that role... Is he dangerous?”

“No way. He’s very proactive and cool. And as the student council president, he has great leadership.”

“Hmm.”

Since the summer break started, I haven’t seen Romeo-senpai. I miss him.

“By the way, you were practicing making cookies to give to the student council president, right?”

“Yes, but Imari-sama advised me to stop, so I didn’t end up giving them.”

Yeah. Thinking about it, if a senior suddenly received homemade cookies from an unknown junior, they might be surprised.

I’m glad I followed Imari-sama’s advice.

“By the way, brother, when is Imari-sama coming to visit next? I received a beautiful glass bead from Imari-sama as a souvenir from Nagasaki, remember? It’s so cute, and I want to thank him again.”

When Imari-sama visited his relatives in Nagasaki, he brought me a beautiful glass bead.

It sparkles when held up to the light and makes a popping sound when blown, which is very cute. It just doesn’t sound like “poppin” to me.

Imari-sama really knows what girls like.

“I think Imari is busy and won’t be able to come for a while.”

My brother smiled.

That’s a shame.