Youzitsu: To Protect Her Smile (Patreon)

Chapter 5: Being Regarded as a Weirdo

"Luo, aren't you leaving yet? The entrance ceremony is about to start."

Lost in thought, I was counting the leaves of the tall trees outside the window when Ichinose suddenly whispered softly in my ear.

"Oh, sorry, I was lost in thought."

"Hmm, don't you feel left out, with the class being so lively— Oh, by the way, you haven't added my contact information yet, even though we're so close? You didn't even say hi?"

"I don't think I have the ability to come and go like the wind..."

Although I knew Ichinose would be very popular, this kind of behavior was terrifying, something I had never seen before, almost more fanatical than the all-powerful devotees I had encountered before.

Of course, only in terms of fanaticism.

"Well, let's do it now. I'm about to create a class group chat." Ichinose smiled and handed me her phone, and I proceeded without hesitation.

"Also, thank you very much for helping me break the ice with the class."

Breaking the ice with the class? She must be referring to my bold self-introduction.

"I just fulfilled Ichinose's request; it's not a big deal."

"Well, it's still a choice you made. At that time, no one in the class dared to speak up, so it's a good thing you were there."

"Even if I wasn't there, things would have naturally progressed."

Even if you thank me like this, I won't be happy.

"By the way, what's the deal with this energy-saving ideology of yours?"

"I've heard of egoism, hedonism, materialism, and even escapism, but I've never heard of energy-savingism. Is it a new literary belief?"

"It's not that exaggerated. Simply put, it's about avoiding trouble."

"So, it means you don't like doing unnecessary things that waste your energy?"

So strong!

"It's impressive how quickly Ichinose understood that."

"Hey, Luo, can I ask you something?" Ichinose looked at me with curious eyes, making me feel a sense of impending doom.

"I'll be glad to answer."

"Because it's the beginning of the school year, it's inevitable that there will be some trouble. After this, Ichinose may discover my true nature."

"I'm afraid to ask, but what's your true nature like?"

"I guess you'll find out soon enough."

And that's when I realized that someone like Ichinose might not necessarily have only one option: failure. Because from what I see now, she's also an incredibly powerful individual.

"As long as it's not something too private, it should be fine."

"Well then, let me ask a little bit. Um, if someone adheres to energy-savingism, would it be considered troublesome to have a conversation with Luo now?"

"........"

That's a good question.

"I'd say it's somewhere in between. At least, I think it's necessary to talk to others."

"Phew, that's good to hear." Ichinose let out a long sigh of relief.

No, no, no, it's not good at all. Please don't show that "thank goodness, there's still hope" expression. I'm just trying to avoid trouble.

"However, if Luo encounters any trouble later on, feel free to ask for my help."

"If necessary." I nodded, considering it as a response.

"Well then, shall we go? The entrance ceremony is about to start." Ichinose extended her hand, inviting me.

If I hadn't met Ichinose on the public transportation earlier, I would definitely not have engaged in this manner now. There were originally two girls at the entrance of the classroom, if I remember correctly, they should be Chihiro Shiranami and Yume Kobashi. I could tell they wanted to invite Ichinose, but they gave up after noticing my presence.

I hope I haven't unknowingly acquired some strange label.

This made me feel a bit of a headache. Originally, I just wanted to avoid attracting attention, but it seems difficult to do so after getting involved with Ichinose. But there's no other way; for now, I can only handle things as they come.

I sighed heavily and followed Ichinose's steps as we left.

........

The opening ceremony, for most freshmen, is typically seen as a dull and boring routine, but for me, it was actually quite a novel experience.

Well, not many schools make a big deal out of this.

It's always the same, with dignitaries giving speeches, followed by a quick welcome and dismissal.

"It's no different from junior high," Ichinose commented, and I half-heartedly replied with my own thoughts.

"Really? I find it quite refreshing, even though the content is a bit dull."

"Refreshing? How were opening ceremonies held at Luo's previous school?"

"We didn't seem to have an opening ceremony stage...."

"Huh, really?!"

"Yeah, if I'm not mistaken, it was just a few words of welcome, and then we went straight into studying."

"That sounds intense..."

"I thought everyone was like that."

"Luo's school is indeed special; it would be nice to know the name."

"Sorry, I couldn't remember. Maybe I can look it up after graduation."

"I didn't mean to blame you; I just want to know what kind of school would skip the opening ceremony. But I guess it's not uncommon; I just didn't know."

After the opening ceremony, our class began to form small groups, with almost no one left alone. This made me feel a sense of crisis.

I seemed to have missed a very important, albeit unclear, socializing event, but after confirming with Ichinose, who was walking beside me, I felt reassured.

Is it my perception that's off, or is this class just so laid-back? I tried to greet my neighbor, Kanzaki Ryuji, but he quickly left the area.

....... Hesitation leads to failure. That's really a truth.

"Lup, what are your plans next?"

".......I'm planning to go back to the dorms and check things out."

"Coincidentally, that's my plan too. Shall we go together then?"

Well, let's first figure out what essentials I'm missing for daily life.

I followed the map and arrived at the freshman dormitory building. From the front desk on the ground floor, I received a room key labeled '301' and a handbook outlining the dormitory rules.

There were quite a few students heading towards the dormitory, and while waiting for the elevator with Ichinose, I skimmed through the handbook.

"Oh, the dormitories at this school are co-ed."

Although they were co-ed, the division was still very clear. Boys lived on the lower floors, while girls lived on the upper floors. The handbook also strictly prohibited romantic relationships beyond high school levels.

However, as long as there were no cameras, those things wouldn't be discovered, right?

Just as I was imagining the blissful intimacy between couples, Ichinose asked me a question.

"Luo, what's your room number?"

Is that really a question you can just ask like that?!

Seeing Ichinose's indifferent expression, I couldn't help but wonder whether it was the world that was crazy or if I was too out of touch with reality.

Anyway, should I try answering?

"It's 301, Why do you ask?"

"301, got it. As for the reason, I thought it would be helpful to remember everyone's room numbers so we can help each other out if anything happens."

Ichinose had already thought of this, as expected.

"My room number is 1401. If you encounter any problems, you can come find me."

"I will." It seems this was just a simple question...

"Gas stoves, really?" I noticed the gas stoves in the kitchen layout on the dormitory floor plan and was surprised.

"Yeah... And it seems there are no restrictions on electricity, water, gas, etc., they just ask us to be mindful of conserving resources." Ichinose added incredulously.

I thought there would be deductions from our points for these expenses, but life here seemed even smoother than we imagined.

"It's like living independently."

"Maybe the school wants us to adapt to society." I casually accepted Ichinose's surprise.

With things being this way, everything would be much more convenient.

In no time, it was our turn to take the elevator. After reaching the fourth floor, I bid farewell to Ichinose. Due to personal reasons, our activities would probably not be connected from here on.

After getting off the elevator, I noticed the cameras in the dormitory corridor, covering every angle. Except for damaging or covering them, there was no way to hide my presence.

I used the room key to open the door. The room was about four tatami mats in size, or about 13.3 square meters. It had a separate kitchen with basic cooking utensils. There was a private bathroom but no toiletries provided. Against the left wall was a single bed, there was a window facing the door, and on the right side were a desk, a small sofa, and a wardrobe.

Quite luxurious.

Although I kept reminding myself that this school wasn't as simple as it seemed, I couldn't help but think this way. It made me doubt whether this school could really cultivate outstanding talents.

After confirming that there were no abnormalities in the room, I opened the window to let in some fresh air and calm my turbulent thoughts.

Instead of rushing to confirm what items I needed, I started to think about the information I had gathered so far. The issue of the grade divisions from Class A to D, the substantial monthly funding, and the mysterious competition mechanism of the 'S System.'

For the first question, I could only determine that it had some level of balance. This was inferred from what he told me about the class exchange. However, I had no clue about the latter two questions. From any angle, I couldn't find any evidence that the school could impose significant differences in account point limitations, nor could I find any information about the 'S System.'

I pondered aimlessly by the window for a while, but couldn't confirm any useful information. So, I began to check the items I needed to purchase.

Bathing supplies, toiletries, clothing, stationery...

Unexpectedly, there were quite a lot of things to buy.

After confirming and organizing everything, it was already past one in the afternoon, so I left the dormitory and headed towards the convenience store. The prices of items in the convenience store were similar to those outside, and in another sense, it could be said that they were "small but complete."

I quickly placed inexpensive daily necessities such as shampoo into my basket.

"Oh, Luo, we meet again."

"Ah, good afternoon."

As the convenience store doorbell chimed, Ichinose's voice followed behind me. I quickly greeted her.

"Are you also here to buy daily necessities?" Ichinose picked up a basket at the entrance and came over to my side.

"Yeah, I went back to the dorm and realized I needed some things."

"What a coincidence."

Indeed, from any perspective, there seemed to be a bit of a coincidence between me and the girl in front of me. After exchanging greetings, I continued to pick up the items I needed, but I didn't expect Ichinose to be paying attention to what I was buying.

"It seems like Luo always chooses the cheapest items."

"Um, really?"

I subconsciously looked at the prices of the related products nearby and realized that I was indeed doing so.

"Maybe it's because of my previous not-so-wealthy life. I’ve probably subconsciously developed this habit." I recalled my "barren" past, where I had to minimize expenses just to survive.

No matter how small the edible portion, it was still food.

"I see... I also come from a family that's not particularly wealthy." Ichinose nodded, then gave a wry smile. "I'm here because the tuition for this school is completely waived."

A wry smile?

But soon her expression returned to its original warm "Sun-like" appearance.

"But now, it's better to choose something of better quality. After all, we receive a hundred thousand points every month."

"Yeah..." I paused here. This was a wrong move; I shouldn't have revealed what I was thinking.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. I was just agreeing." I quickly recovered and selected the highest-quality toothpaste.

"Right. Although it's a bit more expensive, we also need to ensure quality." Saying so, Ichinose also began to check the items.

After selecting the daily necessities, I wandered over to the instant food section. There were various instant noodles, snacks, and drinks displayed there.

I picked up a packet of instant noodles with the words "UFO" written on it, covered in bright red seasoning. Just looking at it visually conveyed the strong spiciness it contained. Out of physiological instinct, I swallowed saliva.

Although I knew about this type of food, seen everywhere in the streets, I had always been in the stage of "never eaten pork, but have seen pigs run."

Should I buy a box?

Just as I hesitated, Ichinose suddenly appeared from around the corner.

"Luo seems to particularly like these convenient foods."

"Why do you say that?"

"Isn't it true? These things can fill you up and are very convenient. From every aspect, they're very advantageous for someone who believes in energy conservation, right?"

"Listening to you say that, I feel like my behavior is belittling the term 'energy conservation'..." I awkwardly put down the instant noodles in my hand.

"Ah, sorry. I just wanted to say that it's best not to eat too much of these things; they're not very good for your health."

That's basically saying two different things, isn't it?

Listening to Ichinose's reminder, I ultimately decided not to buy the instant noodles, at least not in front of her. Although I didn't know why I was feeling nervous, I decided to hold back for now.

I suppressed my inner despair but couldn't help staring at the spicy wording on the instant noodle packaging.

G cup... (The English for instant noodles is "cup noodles")

It looks very full.

G must stand for Giga, right?

Are they classified by cup sizes like bras?

With this thought in mind, I couldn't help but glance at Ichinose's chest, but she caught my shifting gaze unintentionally, and then she noticed the "G cup" label on the instant noodles.

"Luo... are you thinking about something strange?"

"I— If I said I wasn't. Would you believe me?"

"If you hadn't hesitated, I might have believed you..."

"Sorry, I shouldn't have hesitated."

I reflected on my mistake and then, in accordance with it, looked away and continued to select items, trying to alleviate the awkwardness.

As long as I don't pay attention to Ichinose, the awkward one won't be me. With this thought in mind, I kept moving forward, but it seemed like Ichinose was always following behind me, or at least that was my impression.

As it turned out, this tactic had absolutely no effect.

It seemed like I had to apologize after all. Realizing this, I took a deep breath.

"Sorry, I wasn't intentionally looking at Ichinose's chest—"

"Wait–! what are you suddenly saying?" Ichinose hurriedly covered my mouth, stopping me from speaking.

"Don't say things like that randomly."

What does she mean? Do I need to apologize privately? Is this some sort of campus bullying where I have to kneel down and lick her feet or something?

"I don't have any intention of pursuing this, so please don't say such things randomly, Luo. You might be seen as a pervert."

"Uh, so Ichinose doesn't intend to pursue this?"

"Of course not."

Oh no, am I just battling it out with thin air? This is so embarrassing.

"Is there something else you want to talk to me about since you've been following me around?"

In this small convenience store, there was no escape, so I decided to confront her.

"Oh, is that why you've been following me? Actually, I don't have anything specific in mind. I just wanted to be with a companion, because it's a bit boring to be alone."

Ah, so this is the "I just want to go back with you" approach, right? But "I just want to be alone with you for a while" is also okay.

"And also, I was a bit curious about what normal people buy in convenience stores." Ichinose added with a smile, completely shattering my fantasy of some romantic encounter.

I guess I was just being presumptuous.

"Are you implying that you're not a normal person?"

"What, like a superpowered individual or something? If that's true, that would be super cool!"

"Um, well, sort of. After all, my family is really poor, so I rarely come to convenience stores, and even when I do, it's just to buy necessities." She had a slight smile before, but now she completely hid that emotion.

"If it's bothering you, I apologize for what others might buy," Ichinose said, bowing slightly to me.

"It's not really a bother. If you want to keep looking, go ahead, but I don't think I'll buy anything else," I replied, with a hint of apology in my smile.

Her explanation just now made me think even more highly of her "good-natured" level. She simply wanted to see what I would buy, but at the same time, she offered advice when I hesitated. Clearly, she wasn't just a passive observer.

With a clear understanding of the situation, I continued to browse the other sections of the convenience store. Eventually, I came across an interesting wooden panel.

[Free Area]

The items placed on this counter were scattered in a disorderly manner, like beggars abandoned by the roadside on a rainy day. However, beggars are abandoned because they offer little value, which wasn't the case with these items. They had intact expiration dates, just like the rest of the items on the shelves.

"Oh, this is..." My actions completely caught Ichinose's attention, and she joined me in inspecting the miscellaneous items.

"Are these really free?" Ichinose exclaimed in disbelief.

"But it seems there are restrictions," I pointed out the sign next to it that read [Up to three items per month].

"Restrictions? That's different from the free meals in the cafeteria."

"The cafeteria also has free meals?" I realized I hadn't even had lunch yet.

"Haven't you had lunch at the cafeteria?"

"No, I haven't had the chance yet." I replied, feeling hungry now due to wasting so much time pondering those questions.

"The cafeteria offers a free set meal called the [Mountain Vegetable Set Meal], made up of mountain vegetables. Eating that meal every day might not provide enough nutrition. But unlike here, there's no limit to the free meals in the cafeteria."

"But why does the school have a [Free Area] here? It's unlikely that students would run out of points."

"It's not necessarily true. Hedonists might spend their points recklessly in pursuit of pleasure without considering the consequences. Such people do exist," I countered.

"If that's the case, the school seems to be overly indulgent towards students," I shrugged, refraining from acting rashly due to the limit of three items.

"But since they're all mountain vegetables, I doubt many people would go for the free meal," I remarked as I walked towards the checkout counter, engaging in conversation with Ichinose.

"Actually, the free meal is quite popular, or I should say it's the most popular item for lunch today?" she explained uncertainly.

"Huh?"

"Because everyone seemed curious, so they all tried it out."

"...Including you, Ichinose?"

"Yeah."

"How was it?"

"Pretty average, it felt like they didn't even put any salt. If you ate it long-term, you might see through the illusions of life... or maybe it just didn't suit my taste. Anyway, I couldn't finish it."

Curiosity is unexpectedly strong in some cases.