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Reiko’s Manners

Chapter 68

Treat me to a Ko-Fi to give me more motivation!!!

*****

Partly for piano practice, I returned to the academy. I leisurely commuted in my wheelchair from my apartment to the school.

The apartment was located a three-minute walk from the academy's main gate, so commuting was no issue at all. Initially, Sara-chan had offered to come pick me up, but I declined. I wanted to move at my own pace as part of my rehabilitation.

It's been a while since I was at the academy! Though summer vacation starts in just two days. Today, I wouldn't be attending classes; instead, I was to take my final exams in a separate room. Then, after school, I planned to play the piano. My left hand, freed after so long, was sluggish in its movements. However, there was no pain or numbness, so it would likely return to normal after a short while.

I passed through the academy gates and headed toward the school building. A wave of emotion washed over me as I reflected on everything that had happened since entering this school.

Ah, yes—being tackled from behind by Sakurada Yuria-sama and becoming a 'villainess.'

(How nostalgic... like hell it is!) Right now, all I felt was anger. Unlike Mari-sama's dementia, Sakurada Yuria-sama was suffering from 'chuunibyou' eighth-grader syndrome. I had been far too ignorant of the world back then. But the current me was different. I possessed the ultimate weapon known as a smartphone. Information is power!

Just as I was a short distance from the school building, the lovey-dovey couple of Yuuki Miu-san and Takanashi-sama° came into view. They were walking ridiculously slowly, all over each other. I wanted to slip into the building without them noticing, but I was in a wheelchair. Escape was nearly impossible.

「Good morning, Kujouin-san.」

The first to call out to me was Takanashi-sama°. When he wasn't talking like a delinquent, he actually seemed quite refreshing.

「Good morning.」

When I returned the greeting, Yuuki Miu-san beside him greeted me with a slight delay. Her posture was terrible. It was glaringly obvious that she had been neglecting her etiquette studies. I found myself glaring at Yuuki Miu-san with the strict eyes of a nagging sister-in-law.

「U-Um, you know, if you ever need help with anything, I'll help you out! Just say the word, Kujouin-san.」

She wasn't a bad person. Yes, she was even kind. But I still disliked her. (From here on out, I am Black Reiko!)

「I deeply appreciate your concern. Personally, I am not facing any particular difficulties... You did say I could say anything, did you not? Yuuki-san, you have been slacking on your etiquette lessons, haven't you? Proper etiquette is not something acquired overnight. You ought to make an effort, if only for the sake of your mother and Takanashi-sama° beside you.」

Even I thought I was being terribly mean, but I intended to say what I wanted to say. Just as I readied myself, expecting Yuuki Miu-san to talk back, an even greater enemy appeared!

「Kujouin Reiko! So you really were the villainess after all! You tried to pull off a reincarnation cheat 'zamaa', didn't you? But you failed, so the heroine gets a happy ending while the villainess gets a bad ending. Yuuki-san, do you get it now? This is an otome game world! Because you're the heroine who achieved a happy ending with the capture target Takanashi-sama°, the villainess Kujouin Reiko lost her home and suffered severe injuries. See? Even the timing lines up perfectly!」

Katsuragi-sama hadn't taken any measures against Sakurada Yuria at all! Even after making such a grand declaration. In my heart, I decided to stop adding honorifics to her name. She wasn't a person worth giving one to. As I stood by dumbfounded, Yuuki Miu-san—the one dubbed the 'heroine'—snapped at Sakurada Yuria in a loud voice.

「Sakurada-sama! That's awful! She went through something terrifying and got injured! You called Kujouin-san a dangerous villainess before, but that was completely wrong! Besides, what you're saying doesn't make any sense at all!」

「Sakurada, you're the worst!」

This couple belonged to the short-tempered type easily driven by righteous indignation. I thought the two of them were very alike. Getting tired of the hassle, I tried to move my wheelchair to leave the scene, only for Katsuragi-sama and Shiroyama-sama to make their appearance. The start of today was intense. Far too intense!

「Yuria! Are you still spouting that nonsense?! Didn't I explain to you that this isn't a game world?! Are you an idiot?!」

I tried to leave quickly, leaving matters to Katsuragi-sama. However, Shiroyama-sama stood directly in front of me.

「Kujouin Reiko. Let me hear you play the piano.」

Was Shiroyama-sama a broken doll? He basically said the exact same thing over and over. He could probably speak fluently in German. Well, that didn't matter°.

The real problem was that there wasn't a single sane person here.

「Shiroyama-sama, I wish to head to my classroom now. I have exams today as well. So if you will excuse me.」

Just as I attempted to move away from the noisy group, a wonderful scent drifted toward me on a breeze from behind. It was Sara-chan's scent! I turned around. There stood Sara-chan and Sou-kun.

「Sara-chan!」

「Rei-chan, what in the world is going on here?」

I gave a brief explanation.

「I certainly cannot overlook this!」

「Yeah, I'll crush Sakurada Online immediately.」

「Thank you, Sara-chan, Sou-kun. However, the employees of Sakurada Online have nothing to do with this, so please do not crush the company. At any rate, I simply wish to have nothing more to do with her in the future. That is why I want to leave this place as quickly as possible.」

When I said that, Sou-kun pushed my wheelchair for me.

「Thank you very much, Sou-kun.」

I looked up and thanked Sou-kun, but he said nothing. Backlit as he was, I couldn't see his expression clearly.

(Was he angry at Sakurada Yuria? Or was he angry at Katsuragi-sama?)

「Younger Hongo, your face is red.」

The one who pointed that out was Shiroyama-sama. Though it was still morning, the possibility of heatstroke was quite real.

「Sou-kun, you don't need to push my wheelchair, so let us go to the infirmary right away. If you take heatstroke lightly, it can be fatal!」

「Rei-chan, Soujuu is perfectly fine.」

「In any case, let us head to the infirmary and have the doctor examine him. If nothing is wrong, then all the better.」

I persuaded the two grumbling siblings and decided to go to the infirmary. The noisy group with Sakurada Yuria was left behind. Katsuragi-sama would surely handle it somehow.

「Seriously, it's nothing...」

「Sou-kun, are you not forcing yourself? Your face is still red, after all.」

When I looked at Sou-kun's face after entering the school building, it was indeed red.

「I know why!」

Shiroyama-sama had somehow tagged along with us. (What could he possibly know?) Shiroyama-sama suffered from a severe lack of words.

「Shiroyama-sama, shouldn't you be with Katsuragi-sama?」

「I hate noise.」

It certainly was noisy back there.

「So then, what is it that you know?」

Shiroyama-sama answered with a smile.

「Because Kujouin Reiko is making a naughty face!」

I was rendered speechless. Describing someone's face as 'naughty' was beyond rude. At the very least, I wished he would say I possessed 'sensuality'... Speaking of sensuality—Comrade Yoshio. Just thinking about him made my entire body flush hot. Summer was about to begin in earnest; would I be all right? (Could one contract heatstroke from psychological causes? If that were possible, it would be terrible!)

「Shiroyama-sama, please do not embarrass Rei-chan so. Rei-chan's face is even redder than Soujuu's now.」

「Sara-chan, please stop. It is embarrassing.」

I covered my face with my hands. (Ah, Comrade Yoshio, Comrade Yoshio! My mind is completely filled with Comrade Yoshio!)

「Kujouin Reiko is naughty.」

Shiroyama-sama chimed in yet again. I truly thought he should study Japanese properly.

「It is true that Rei-chan looks captivating, even from my perspective as a woman. The power of love is truly grand.」

「Sara, what is that supposed to mean?!」

「It means what it means. Too bad for you, Soujuu. But I shall not reveal anything more. Just please do not stand in her way. I am on Rei-chan's side, after all.」

At any rate, we decided to take Sou-kun to the infirmary. His face, which had been red just a moment ago, was now pale. (Perhaps it was some other illness.)

Since Sou-kun said my presence wasn't necessary, I headed straight to my classroom. If it were an illness, it might involve delicate matters, so I quietly complied. However, finding it strange that Sara-chan wasn't accompanying him either, I decided to ask.

「Sara-chan, is it fine for you not to stay with Sou-kun?」

「There is no medicine for the affliction Soujuu suffers from.」

「Is that so... I hope he recovers soon.」

I prayed for Sou-kun's condition to improve.

*****

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