Updated some cannon plot holes, so if you see the reviews mention them but can't find them, it means they have been fixed.
Chapter 4: Is it wrong to pick up girls in the library?
Monday. Evening. Public Library.
Library. Such an outdated concept. What year are we living at the moment? Ask anything student who has to write an essay with sources I guarantee that 98.6% of them will be using all online sources. Why needing to go to a library when you have virtually infinite information quite literally at the palm of your hand? But that is not to say library doesn't have its merits. I guess it is more of a familiar factor with old people; but for people like me, a library is just a good place to hang around and do your school works. It is the ambiance of a library that keeps this place still alive. All these books around: all decorations, no matter how much you detest it.
Here I am, at my first job on my own. It is rather pleasant actually, especially when there is no one watching my every move. The place is rather uneventful, no one has actually come to me to ask for anything. Ah this is the best. I actually bought a light novel with me so I can kill my time with it.
But then suddenly.
"Hikio?"
My gaze shots out of the pages and land on a pair of golden locks. No mistake about it.
"Miyu?"
Miura reaches over the desk and pinches my left ear, really hard.
"Ow."
"Like I said. I'm going to hit you if you call me like that?"
It was worth it.
"But that aside, can't believe I'm seeing you here, are working here or something?"
"Obviously, as you can see."
"Hoh? You never strike me as the type of person who would get a job, though."
I crack a bitter smile, you really do think that I'm some sort of NEET, don't you?
"I did this because of you, you know?"
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
"I want to be a competent man to you."
"Eh?" Miura flashes a light blush. "Are you some kind of idiot or something?"
I sign.
"The expenditure we did the other day, happened to burn all of my allowances this month, so my family forced me to get a part-time job." I just decide to tell her the truth; I know this would make me look absolutely uncool but it's not like I am cool to her in to begin with.
"Heh?" Muira suddenly becomes awkward, scratching her chin with her index finger and trying to look away. "Well, if you had told me that in the first place, I could have shared some with you."
"No bother." Miura-san, are you actually a kind person? "I just want you to have a good time, Miyu."
"Wa… that's gross!" She becomes flustered again and pressed her knuckles against my forehead. I would be lying if I said I don't enjoy seeing her like this.
"But in a way, it's kind of good for you. You have a job so you are no longer a NEET now don't you think so?"
Ah, you said it. Besides, technically I was never a NEET to begin with, because I'm still in school you know, that's the "E" in Education.
"What about you? You don't seem like the studious type to me."
"I don't like this either." She sighs. "But test is coming so I have to find a time to study."
"I thought you have group study yesterday."
"Yeah, that didn't work out."
Heh.. is that so? What a surprise.
"I mean, we had fun, but there really was no study being done there."
"Still, you care about studies."
"At least I want to be passable at a commendable grade, or else I can't even look at Hayato."
Ah, it makes sense now.
"Anyway, I shouldn't keep you occupied, I'm going to study."
"Good luck."
"Sure."
Even though you said that you don't want to keep me occupied, there really is nothing to do here. As I'm fetching some photocopies, Sato-san strikes a conversation:
"Is that you your girlfriend, Hikigara-kun?"
"I wouldn't call her that." I make an awkward smile.
"Then you should, you guys seems pretty close."
"Does it look that way to you?"
"Of course."
"I don't know about that. We are just friends."
Even though I'm just trying to cover up, my own words take me aback. 'We are just friends', I don't think I even consider Miura and I as friends, do Yukinoshita and I even friends? She rejects my friends offers two times in a row, are we still actually friends? On the surface, to the eyes of others, we may act like we are friends, but is either of us considered ourselves to be friends? Is this friendship genuine if neither of us acknowledges it? What are friends to her, what are friends to me? What is Miura to me? Friend, acquaintance, partner in crime? She is just a person that happened to require my interest and happened to meet and talked, does it make us friends?
You care too much, Hachiman. It's probably nothing.
The sky goes dark and here I am finding leisure in my light novel, the night is surprisingly silent, not a bad start for a job. Suddenly, a familiar voice approaches me again.
"Hikio."
"Miyu."
"Go die in a fire!" She leans forward and presses her finger knuckles against my forehead again.
"Shh… please, this is a library." I say while massaging my forehead, try to look away from her.
Not that I care, but your poppy fragrance is kind of all over the place, and I see that you don't seem to mind letting your top buttons staying unbuttoned.
It's pink, again. You really like pink, huh, Miyu?
Realizes that she can't be loud, she delivers her disdain with the most glaring eyes I have ever seen. If looks could kill, I would certainly be dead.
"Anyway," Miura says, "are you busy at the moment?"
"Not really."
"That's great. I got stuck at this problem, just wondering if you know something about it,"
"It's Japanese, right? If that is the case it would be easy."
"Right here."
"Ah, you got the tense all wrong, and in this sentence, the proper Kanji should be this…"
I explained what I know of the problem to her.
"Ah, that makes sense now. Thanks, Hikio."
"No problem, Miyu."
Another knuckle to the forehead.
"Watch yourself."
She goes away again. Shortly after, she comes back with her school bags. Just as I think she is leaving, she promptly sits at a table closest to me. We exchange looks for a second, then she pulls out her phone and starts texting.
My phone vibrates.
Miura: [Ur not really busy right?]
[Not at all]
Miura: [I still have sum questions, is it ok if I ask u?]
[Sure thing]
Miura: [Thks]
[No prob]
We exchange looks again, this time she gave me a mischievous smile. What a troublesome girl.
If they are short questions she just shoots me a mail and sometimes with pictures, if they are long questions will come and talk to me. The system works surprisingly well, I'm able to appear working while helping her out at the same time; it's almost like we are in an actual study section together.
"Hikio, could it be that you are actually smart?"
"Of course I am."
"That's not how you respond to a compliment you know?"
Humility is just another form of self-gratification; it is just another way to blend in with the society so that you don't stand out. A loner like me needs no such thing.
"Huh?! What kind of logic is that? You really are rotten."
The real kind, of course.
And thus, the clock strikes at 10 and it's time to close down and go home. Surprisingly, even Miura is still here.
"I never thought that you would stay this late. You really do pay attention to your studies huh?"
"Yeah.." Muira awkwardly smiles, scratching her chin. "I wonder how much of that I actually spend studying."
Ah, it makes sense now. The seven deadly sins? No, procrastination is probably the worst sin that human ever commits. Just wonder, how far humanity can go if procrastination never exists? We would probably start colonising Venus at the moment.
"Anyway, thank you for your help, Hikio. This is much better than yesterday, I mean in terms of studying."
"Anything for you, Miyu."
This time, she goes back to ear pinching.
"Gross, gross, gross!"
I'm unable to say anything as I'm trying to soothe my ear.
"Hm! Goodbye!"
"Wait."
"Hm?
"It's getting late, I'll walk home with you."
Miura stares at me with eyes of almost bewilderment, but quickly averts her gaze.
"I guess it's fine."
"Just wait for me at the front gate."
"Ok."
And so as we are walking through the flickering light of the street,
"I guess you can be reliable at times, Hikio."
"I see."
"Uhm."
"What can I say, I'm in the Service Club. Helping people is kind of what I do."
"That's not really the case, isn't it? I don't really like the ways you do things."
I wonder how many people have told me the same thing before.
"They have a point. I mean look at what you made me do on the camping trip."
"What? You don't like it?"
"Of course not, idiot! And also what you did in the Cultural Festival, too."
"Well, sorry for that."
Miura sighs.
"Well, it doesn't matter now. What matters is what's ahead. Uhm, things seem to go in the right the direction right now."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you of course. Don't get me wrong, you are still very rotten, but at least you are getting better."
Jeez, thank for the compliment, Miura-san.
"Also you got a job, too. That could be a bonus point, and it may even fix that rotten personality of yours."
"Heh. My sister said the same thing."
"Sister? Oh yeah you mean the one at the camp."
"Yeah."
"Heh.. I have one, too."
"Tough luck." I scoff.
"I know, isn't it? Mo, litter sisters are such a pain!"
"I know, right?!" First time I ever agree on anything with her.
"They think you owe them something, they always expect you to do things for them."
"Couldn't agree more."
"They barge into you room and use your stuff like they're theirs."
"Totally."
"And sometimes they're like, freaking weird or something!"
"I can see that."
"Seriously, stop being so giddy and get off my back, I don't want your skinship!"
"Yeah, it's pretty annoying."
Suddenly Miura glares at me with a disgusted look.
"What?" I asked.
"I mean it's ok if it's between sisters, but don't tell me those things happen to you, too."
"Eh? Isn't it normal for all types of siblings?"
"Of course not! Kimo! (Gross)"
"I'm pretty sure it's normal." I'm desperately trying to defend my name.
"Good grief, just as I thought you are getting better but now you have to reveal that you a siscon!"
"I'm not a siscon!"
"Siscon!"
"Not!"
"Your totally are!"
How am I supposed to get out of this situation? Ah, I just have to convince her that I don't like younger girls.
"I'm telling you I'm not."
"Prove it then!"
"Well, for one thing I think you're a real beauty."
"Huh?!#$^" Strike! I get her to fluster for a second. "Idiot! Gross! Who the hell do you think you are?!"
Holy shit that was embarrassing, I need to recoup my coolness.
"You are a million years too early to just be able to hit on me, watch yourself!"
Come on, Muira-san, that rejection is way too weak, needs a little bit more spice and wittiness.
"I- yeah, I was just practicing for Yukinoshita like you asked before."
"Huh? Uh, yeah, right, Yukinoshita. Either way, it's still terrible!" With her arms folded in front of her chest, Miura pouts and looks away from me.
"Are you sure it's not ok?"
"It's disgusting!"
Haizz… yes, Your Highness.
"Baka."
Miura stops.
"It's fine from here." She says.
"Sure?"
"I'm fine."
"Wouldn't stop you then."
"Well then, I mean, I should thank you for walking me here, right? And also with the school works." She plays with her golden locks as her eyes dart to and away from me.
"You're welcome."
"Ok then. Good night Hikio, see you tomorrow." She waves her hand awkwardly, almost like that one time from Yukinoshita.
"N-night."
Did I just see it wrong? Am I not dreaming at the very moment? Is that a smile? A smile so faint like that of Mona Lisa, and I simply did not have enough time to see through it, and it's dark. No, I'm sure that it's faint because it is dark. Normally I wouldn't give too much thought about her, but a smiling Miura is actually quite a darling spectacle.
As I walk back, my thoughts wonder about the meaning of friendship, the meaning of my friendship with Miura. Is it still really friendship? Hardly can anyone listen to our conversation and think that it is a friendly conversation. Always bickering, always berating, always disagreements, those are the colours of our relationship, not a single bit friendly about it.
And yet…
I hate nice girls.
They go around smiling and being friendly to everyone, unintentionally shot down the hearts of naïve boys that were once me. A nice girl to you will be nice to everyone, only I took that kindness selfishly, and let it betray myself. That kindness is, at worst, nothing but a façade, a path to self-satisfaction, moral masturbation, a way to blend in with the society.
But Miura is none of that.
She is crude, she is terrible, she doesn't sugar-coat, she insults, she berates. Everything is said to me is terrible, the kind of stuff that would make you hate a person. But she just acts like it, without a care; she doesn't play the nice game. Even if she just acts that way because she doesn't care about me, even if she acts that way just because she doesn't feel the need to put up a face for low lives like me, even so…
It's the same as Yukinoshita, and that is why…
"I don't really hate that part about you."
The night was chilling, the moon was neither crescent nor full, and it also doesn't really shine that brightly.
