Chapter 7 - Nonchalant
"Nonchalantly ignore any minor details" is my, Ichijou Jun's, youth philosophy.
I take pride in the fact that the time I spend at school is so repetitive.
For example, if there is free time on the way to school or during lunch break, I will spend it on studying without exception.
That is to say, combined with school lessons, all of my human potential is being spent on the scholarly ability. Imagine some country at war period with almost 100% of its national economy invested in munitions, my time distribution has the same logic. The only exception is gaming time on off days.
Pour your heart into the battle, pour your heart into hensachi.1
Whoa, what kind of a war-like slogan is this?
In some sense, bookworms of this world are the most muscle-brained people. It is generally accepted that bookworms are smart, but is it not actually the opposite?
However, such a regretful everyday life is actually carefree from the bookworm's point of view.
Anyhow, I'm bound by the result, will I prevail over the tests or lose. Only this.
I don't care what others think of me as long as I get the results. All the ridicule that I can hear during lunch break can be ignored. If I skip school festival preparations like last year, just how much more animosity will I earn?
Yet, one Friday evening…
Sigh…
I was absentmindedly sitting on the sofa even though I was supposed to be carefree.
Tomorrow… is the shopping day for the school trip.
Although it was okay to just go to a nearby supermarket, I'm now some sort of great gofer for class queen named Baggage Guy. And I even said I would go alone if she just gave me a memo with a list of ingredients for paella. Moreover, I have to deliberately come to the station entrance.
Also, I had one more concern that got stuck in my head and wouldn't go away.
Is tomorrow actually a date or not?
It is such a big problem, that my brain council opened an urgent meeting.
"Is tomorrow's shopping a date or not?" on the agenda. Cute dwarfs with curly wigs from 18th century's Europe were unfolding a heated discussion in the parliament building inside my head.
Suppose that it is a date. What should I wear?
But isn't it something that good friends do?
First of all, what is a date?
Is it a date when a boy and a girl meet at an appointed time? Or is a date only when the partner says so?
Is it a safe? Or out? Or fault? Or dive?
Eei, what is the scientific definition of date? Let's search for it in the dictionary for a bit. Ah, I've started losing my mind. Calm down.
…Well.
My partner is that blonde girl, who thinks God knows what.
By the way, she is also frivolous and famous.
She probably knows of the rumors herself. As she doesn't get angry at being called a bitch, perhaps some part of the rumors is true. She always makes fun of me calling me virgin, but if it turns out that she is a maiden, I can later use it as a material for jokes.
I remember how once, some of my classmates had a chat like this:
– Well then, what do you think of Tachibana? She is cute, has a fine chest and nice personality.
– I heard she has a working middle-aged boyfriend. We have no chances.
– Really? I heard she dates Takase from class C.
– She probably eats any guy she takes interest in. Sounds good.
Haa…
It's not that I think anything of it.
Every woman born as a beauty is surely like that.
Well, I don't know if I will be a virgin forever. The so called "Eternal Virgin Emperor". It sounds so cool, just like a title in Japanese chess world. Such a contrast of name and meaning.
– …ki!
Hah, everything is just so troublesome.
It would be so good if the school trip was cancelled due to the bad weather.
– Aniki!
I… was so spaced out, that I haven't noticed anything until my little sister pulled my cheek. Fue? Unintentionally, a miserable cry left my mouth. Grand failure.
– My miserable face. What happened?
Seemingly, Keyaki was honestly worried about me as she looked at my face.
At that time, aunt Arika has finished dish-washing. Wiping off her hands, she came from the kitchen.
– Come on, Keyaki-chan. You're his little sister, you have to sense some things.
– Mm? Sense?
– When a boy suddenly starts to space out one day, it is so obvious that there is now a girl he likes, right? What kind of girl is she? Tell me, tell me!
Romcom shoujo manga artist, wild as always. She looks very excited.
On the other side, Keyaki was intently observing me.
She even added a jiii~ sound to her stare and glared at me with squinted eyes. So scary.
– Mating season. Turns out my brother is a monkey, huh? It was an eye-opener.
– Ha!? Lies! Don't take seriously everything Aunt says!
– Let me ask then, Jun-kun. Are you staying home tomorrow? Or do you plan to go outside?
Ugh, she precisely stabbed right at my weak point.
– …I was planning to go to game center with friends from middle high.
– Foolish brother. That is not an explanation for your spacing out. You were more troubled than that.
– Gununu…
Keyaki saw through the main point of my lie. With that, she snorted and turned away.
However, seeing my situation, my aunt became happy saying "Oh my". Then she took out a bill from her purse and gave it to me.
Eh? 20,000 yen!? Is she and idiot!
– No, no, there is no way I can take it. Not like this.
– Taking a girl out costs money. You can pay when you start working.
– No, it's not like that… I am truly going to have fun with friends.
– In that case, you can return the money when you come back. But if you end up using them… If it is a date, I expect so much from you! Oh you, naughty boy!!
Aunt Arika punched me in the shoulder with a bang. It hurts, you hear?
– Ah. You should definitely go buy a condom in the convenience store. Things like that, you have to do them properly.
It is absolutely not a date, shit.
Just because I have a duty to go shopping, now everyone is misunderstanding.
Brain parliament, voting concluded. "Tomorrow is not a date".
That is why, there is no need to think about what clothes to wear. This is so uncommon. I absolutely need to become nonchalant again. I should try to go with nonchalant clothes.
Alright, I'm a damn genius. Tomorrow, I'll go wearing track suit. I'll do just that.
Hensachi is the ranking of Japanese universities based on percentile admission of students. The less the share of admitted students is, the higher the ranking of university. . Basically, his goal is to be better than almost everyone.