NOVEL WEB Chapter 11: After School
…It’s officially the time after school.
As that guy said earlier, Yuichi quickly left the classroom to head for his club meeting.
“I’m really sorry, but please help me explain and convince Shimada for this plan in my stead.”
“I’m really gonna hate you.”
Those were the last words I exchanged with Yuichi today.
Why do I have to talk to Sei-chan for you right now?
No, I’m insanely happy to be able to talk to Sei-chan alone, but definitely not right now!
Both me and Sei-chan are feeling extremely awkward after what happened yesterday.
Well, Yuichi doesn’t know that, and I’m sure he didn’t mean to offend us at all.
And, it is my fault that things are awkward between us.
Haah… I’m sure Sei-chan will be there waiting on her own.
Feeling a little depressed, I grabbed my stuff and left the classroom.
When I went to the school gate, I found Sei-chan standing there all by herself.
Her silver hair was not very long, but it was beautiful as it swayed and swept around in the wind.
I wondered why I was so fascinated just seeing her standing in front of the school gate.
“Ah… No, I-it’s Hisamura”
Noticing that I was approaching, Sei-chan stammered a little as she said that.
This is the first time I’ve been called by my name since yesterday, but I’m still happy for my name to be called by my favorite heroine.
I’m glad I was named Tsukasa Hisamura in my previous world too.
“Ugh… Is that time okay with you?”
“O-Of course, I’m free then.”
Sei-chan was looking at me but also not. She looked like she was looking behind me.
“We-Well, what’s wrong with Shigemoto”
“Ahh, Yuichi had a club meeting to attend to, so he couldn’t find time after school to meet with you.”
“Haah? He said he wanted to meet me, but was it actually you calling for me?”
“Yuuichi himself wanted to see you.”
“What the hell was he thinking…?”
“I really feel the same way about that.”
“Oh… So that means nowit’s just you and me….?” [TLN: This is in a mutter]
“Hmm? Sei-ch… Shimada, did you say something just now?”
“N-No, It’s nothing”
Dangerous, I almost called her Sei-chan again.
In this world, Hisamura usually calls Sei-chan by her last name.
If this isn’t a dream, then the hurdle for me to call Sei-chan Sei-chan is indeed too high. [ED:this line is right but feels so wrong]
Well, what happened yesterday can’t be helped. I can’t just go back in time.
I hope Sei-chan forgets about it. Well, I guess that isn’t gonna happen.
“S-So, what was Shigemoto talking about? I’m pretty sure it was about those two on Sunday.”
“Yeah, I guess so. Anyways, let’s talk as we walk, It’s not that safe here.”
We were in front of the school gate, and it was still full of students slowly leaving the school.
If a man and a woman were to stop and talk here, they would indeed stand out in many ways.
Even if it was just her. Sei-chan is cute and would easily attract the eyes of nearby bystanders.
“Ok-Okay… Let’s head to a cafe nearby.”
“Eh?”
I didn’t expect to receive such an invitation and couldn’t help but freeze.
“We-Well, It’s going to be a long story, no? It would be difficult to talk about it while standing up. So let’s talk about this calmly… or Is it no good?”
“Of course it’s okay”
I couldn’t help but be formal.
Please don’t look up at me with such eyes and ask me such a question, I’ll do anything you ask.
It’s such a powerful upward glance that I would gladly die even if you said, “I want you dead, is that no good?”
“I-I see. Then, let’s go that way.”.
Sei-chan started walking in the direction of the cafe, and I walked alongside her.
Cou-Could this possibly be? …A AFTER SCHOOL DATE!?
What a lucky guy I am to have an after school date with my favorite character, Sei-chan…
Yuichi, thank you. I’m glad you’re not here.
Me and Sei-chan went to the cafe.
There was an insanely awkward atmosphere on the way.
I think it’s quite common for people to move a short distance in silence, but there’s something different about this atmosphere.
After all, Me and Sei-chan were both feeling a bit awkward.
“Uh, Do you go to cafes often with Fujise?”
“Ah-Ahhh, Yeah. Shiho is usually a little busy with tennis club practice. But she doesn’t have as much practice as Shigemoto’s basketball club, so whenever she doesn’t have practice, we usually drop by a cafe on the way home.”
“Is that so? Shimada’s not a part of any club, right?”
“Hmm… Yeah. On that note, you’re not part of any club too, right?”
“I wanted to take it easy in high school because I had a tough time with the club activities in middle school.”
“Fuu~. That feels like a very Hisamura like answer.”
Sei-chan said that and chuckled.
I’m glad to see that the atmosphere is not as awkward as before.
If I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t have been able to talk about the matter when I got to the café.
By the way, about the club activities, both Hisamura in the original story and I are not in any club for the same exact reason I just said.
I felt close to Tsukasa Hisamura because we were so similar.
Rather It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the character was based off of me. Well, it is an exaggeration though.
Sei-chan is not in any club, but she’s very athletic.
Yuichi Shigemoto, the main character, is also good at all kinds of other sports, not just basketball. But Sei-chan is even better than him.
She’s so athletic that if she were serious about any sport she competed in, she could probably make it to the nationals.
That’s why Sei-chan is constantly being asked to participate in sports-related club activities.
Even in team sports, if Sei-chan is included, she is at the level to get a good placement in the prefectural tournament.
That’s why Sei-chan is often called upon as a helper for every sports club activity and so on.
I’ve also been asked to join various clubs because I also do pretty well in such activities.
Something about this kind of athleticism, it’s like a setting for a manga.
Is there anyone like that in the real world? Someone who helps out in various club activities, gets results, and is constantly asked to join a club.
I’ve only seen it in the world of manga.
“Aren’t you going to join a club, Shimada? You’ve been invited to a lot of clubs, right?”
“I appreciate it, but like Hisamura, I prefer to take it easy after school. I’m not that passionate about sports, either.”
“Well that’s a very Shimada like answer.”
She’s very athletic and cool, but she’s also kind and friendly.
“Haah… I like her so much…”
“Wah!? What did you just say…?”
“Eh…? Ah no… It’s nothing”
“No, but just now-… A-Alright.”
Sei-chan tried to question me, but stopped midway and flushed red instead.
Perhaps she realized that questioning me would only hurt us both.
But that was a bit careless of me. I was thinking that I was reading a manga and said, “Hah, how precious” to myself.
I’d better be careful. This world is already my reality now.
I was talking like this with Sei-chan, but it felt too much like it was a dream and I forgot about it for a moment.
After that, Sei-chan and I walked in silence, not looking at each other until we reached the cafe.
The café that Sei-chan and Fujise always go to is Moon Bucks, a famous chain store often found in front of a train station.
Well, this is the world of manga, and the café is a play on the name of a real world café. [ED: In this case it’s probably Starbucks]
The menu item they serve is called “Francino” which is almost the same as the one served in cafes in the real world. [ED:Frachhino? Dead-san please help i don’t actually have starbucks here]
We entered the store and gave our orders to the waitress.
“I’ll have a Drip Coffee Tall. What about you Shimada?”
“I’ll take a grande of… vanilla crème francino, change the syrup to white mocha syrup, and add more caramel sauce and whipped cream, please.”
What kind of spell is that?
Her order was 3 to 4 times longer than mine??
The waitress seemed used to it and said, “Okay…” and started making it.
I’m not even sure if what I just ordered is even a drink anymore.
“Do you come to ‘Moon bucks’ often, Shimada?”
“Yeah. I come here with Shiho most of the time, but sometimes I come out to buy some for myself on my days off or something.”
“Oh… So you like it?”
I didn’t know about that, even the original story hasn’t released that information yet.
I don’t know if it’s the same as the original, but I was able to see a new side of Sei-chan.
“We-Well, does it not suit me? I do have a sweet tooth after all.”
“No, I think it’s totally fine. I think you’re cute and precious…”
“Is-Is that so, Thank you”
Sei-chan is portrayed as a calm and cool character in the story, but she’s still a normal high school girl, so what’s wrong with liking sweet things?
I misspoke for a moment, but I do actually think she’s cute and precious.
My drip coffee came out right away, and Sei-chan’s something,something Francino came out a little while later.
It’s bigger than my coffee, and it’s got so much cream and stuff, it’s more of a desert than a drink.
Then, Sei-chan and I sat down facing each other on the two seats.
I put milk and sugar in it and drink it. Yep, it tastes like normal coffee. So delicious.
When Sei put the straw in her mouth and began drinking hers, the corners of her mouth lifted a little, as if it was very tasty, and she looked really happy.
Ah, to be able to see my favorite heroine’s smiling face so close to me, how happy am I?
“Is it good? Sei-chan.”
“Hmm?”
“Oh shit! I called her Sei-chan”
Her eyes widened in response to my words, and she choked a little, perhaps she inhaled it all at once by accident.
“Shi-Shimada, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, or rather Hisamura, why are you calling me like that?” [TLN: OOF]
Sei-chan said after calming down.
That’s right, I’m sure she’ll ask.
“That… well, that’s what I’ve been calling you in my mind for ages.”
“Rea-Really?”
“Yeah, so when I confessed yesterday, it was kind of a spur-of-the-moment kinda thing…”
When I talked about yesterday’s confession, Sei-chan blushed even more.
“O-Oh yea-yeah”
“I’m sorry, I’ll call you Shimada from now on.”
“I don’t mind that, I really don’t mind it at all.”
“Eh? Are you sure?”
“Ah-Ahh yeah but you know, It’s embarrassing. So only do it only when we’re both alone.”
Sei-chan said this while looking away and looking embarrassed.
Eh? But that’s… EH!?
“Is that a roundabout way of approving my confession?”
“Wha-What? H-how did you reach that conclusion.”
“Because you said it was okay for me to call you Sei-chan whenever we’re alone.”
“N-No! I only gave you permission to call me by my name, I haven’t agreed to your confession!”
“I-I got it, don’t be mad. I’m sorry.”
It was indeed depressing to be rejected to such an extent.
The fact that she is so adamant about denying it… suggests that the answer to yesterday’s confession has been decided.
Perhaps because I was so blatantly depressed, Sei-chan said, “Ah-” and started to speak in a hurry.
“I’m sorry, Hisamura. I didn’t actually reject your confession, rather… I haven’t decided on a response yet. But, you know, I’m considering it positively for now…”
“Eh?”
“Th-That’s enough of this talk”
“No, But-”
“You can call me Sei-chan when we’re alone. DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?”
“Ye-Yes, I understand!”
And so I was given permission to call her Sei-chan whenever we were alone.
Sei-chan said some remarks that made me curious and happy. But I couldn’t just go and ask her the meaning of what she said.