Youzitsu: To Protect Her Smile (Patreon)

Chapter 9: You're Beyond Redemption

Kōdo Ikusei High School

Although it's a high school, graduates can directly enter the workforce after graduation, bypassing the value of a university degree. Additionally, they have a 99.9% probability of landing their desired jobs, thanks to the highly advanced facilities and technology used in the school.

Despite being a high school, the institution has a unique system characterized by a high degree of freedom. While there exists a student council as a bridge between the students and the school, there isn't a clear establishment of class leaders such as "class captain" or "sports committee member" among the students. Instead, a prominent leader takes charge.

However, in our class, the presence of such leaders was almost nonexistent. This was due to the class environment. Although we eventually held elections for class leaders, the role of class captain didn't equate to that of a leader; it was more of a symbol of unity.

The reason for electing class leaders was to facilitate mutual assistance among classmates. This proposal was put forward by Ichinose during a class meeting, and everyone agreed to continue the order. As expected, Ichinose was elected as the class captain by everyone, and my close acquaintance, Ryuji Kanzaki, inexplicably became the vice captain.

Perhaps it was because they were captivated by his intellectual gaze.

Throughout the entire election process, I was in a state of nervousness, fearing that I might be mentioned by someone at any moment. Despite the existence of positions like health committee member or lifestyle committee member, I still didn't want to get involved in any relationships.

If I didn't voluntarily take on some responsibilities, it might seem conspicuous. However, these responsibilities didn't include becoming a class leader. Accepting such a position would undoubtedly label me and leave a lasting impression. Those lurking in the shadows should avoid such things at all costs.

During the elections, I noticed Ichinose continuously glancing at me, but I pretended not to see and rested my chin on the desk.

"Do you need me to nominate you for a position?"

"I'm sorry. If I offended you, I apologize."

"...Your apology is quite cheap. Well, considering that you wouldn't take such a contributing activity seriously."

"Hey, this kind of thing should be considered Cooperativeness. In this regard, I'm a level above you, at least a C compared to your D+."

"Neither of us deserves praise for our Cooperativeness skills."

"But I'm curious why your evaluation is one level higher than mine. You seem disconnected from the entire class."

"That's too much. Disconnected? Can't I even get a backhanded compliment like being the 'class clown'? Show me a little respect, at least."

"Sorry, that might be my limit with you."

"How demeaning..."

During the election for sports committee members, Kanzaki and I chatted casually. Because Ichinose was presiding over the proceedings, everyone was engrossed in lively discussions, allowing us to chat freely.

"By the way, do you really have no relationship with Ichinose?"

"You can tell, right? We're just sitting in front and behind each other."

"But I always feel like your conversations are very intimate. Even now. Her eyes have been on you, seeming to hope that you'll take on a role."

"Oh, really?" I pretended to be unaware as I glanced at the podium where Ichinose wasn't looking at me. "I don't think so."

"It seems like your standing in my eyes will drop another level."

"...Why?"

"You lack even the most basic observational skills."

"...But we really don't have a relationship. If anything, I might be the first student Ichinose got to know in this school."

"Okay, I'm not implying anything else. I just thought you might have known each other before."

"If we weren't in the same class, it's impossible for me to have any connection with Ichinose."

"Although the chance is slim, there's still the possibility of Ichinose seeking you out."

What? Wasn't it Ichinose who initiated contact with me? Thinking back to when we first met, it was Ichinose who spoke first…

"In any case, we definitely didn't know each other before," I said, then I once again rested my head on the desk, gazing out at the birds on the branches outside the window. Kanzaki didn't seem to have any intention of arguing, and after a simple "Hmm," the surroundings returned to their usual lively state.

Apart from Kanzaki, during the first two weeks of school, I managed to establish familiar relationships with several people, totaling three. They were Naoto Shiratori, Yoji Takashima, and Kaito Okabe.

None of us actively sought each other out, strictly speaking, we four had absolutely no contact before becoming acquainted. It was thanks to our habit of not rushing to leave after school that made us aware of each other.

It was for this reason that the empty classroom after school often saw our group of five (occasionally including Kanzaki), and I don't know from which day onwards we became familiar with each other.

"How exciting!"

After the class meeting ended, we welcomed the bell signaling freedom for the day. When only the four of us remained in the classroom, Shiratori let out a sigh tinged with longing. As I was solving problems, I was startled by this strange exclamation.

"You're looking forward to tomorrow, right? I'm really excited too!" Takashima stood up enthusiastically, his right hand clenched into a fist, as if he were about to plunge into battle.

"How about it, are you interested in performing a traditional ceremony?" Shiratori's eyes gleamed as he looked at us.

"This doesn’t need to be asked at all. The answer is obvious," Okabe said disdainfully. "Apart from Ichinose, do you have any other candidates?"

What's so special about tomorrow......

Damn it, how many messages did I miss while I was distracted, even the last club briefing was like this.

"At least the tradition should be continued. There are several evenly matched opponents, right, Luo Mu?"

"...Can I ask some questions before that?" After much hesitation, I decided to ask.

"What is it?" Shiratori asked.

"What did you mean by 'looking forward to tomorrow'?"

"......"

"Did I say something wrong?"

I nervously endured the death stares from the three, realizing it had been a while since I had encountered such deep-seated disdain from others. Was this what he meant by the lack of something in me? This inability to connect with male thoughts.

Could it be that man really can speak through their mind? Is that some kind of terrifying thing, like a global network?!

"Tomorrow is swimming class," Okabe coughed lightly, giving me a small hint.

".......So, what exactly is this tradition?"

However, they looked at me with a combination of 'I knew it' and 'this guy is beyond help.' Then, they bluntly stated their thoughts.

"Luo Mu, you're beyond help."

"Yes, you're completely hopeless, you'd better start over from scratch."

No, no, no, please don't deny my existence! Give me some time, I'll definitely connect to your shared network!

"Is it really that bad......"

"Of course, you're seriously ill. Don't you realize the charm of swimming class?"

"........Maybe I do?"

Tell me, which type of network interface are you guys? Is it RJ-45, RJ-11, SC fiber optic interface, FDDI interface, AUI interface, BNC interface, Console interface, or something else?

"No, you don't! It seems you still don't have a clear understanding of swimming class at this school, so let me explain it to you!"

"Swimming is a sport that uses the buoyancy of water to allow the body to glide in a relaxed state, using continuous rhythmic movements. Because this activity engages all the muscles in your body, you'll feel unusually tired after swimming. Therefore, to continue swimming, humans try to reduce their resistance in the water as much as possible."

Such a detailed explanation! Although I didn't understand it, I was deeply impressed.

"Your expression still seems a bit confused, so let me remind you again. Everything I just said was basically nonsense. The key point is that we try to reduce our resistance in the water as much as possible. If I say it like this, and you think about your past experiences, Luo Mu should understand, right?"

Takashima rubbed his eyes and smiled mysteriously.

No, I still don't understand, so please explain it more clearly.

Shiratori noticed my confusion. "You really haven't understood, have you?"

"I've been found out......."

"It shouldn't be like this. How could Luo Mu not understand? Is Luo Mu really that bad? This shouldn't be— Ah, I know!" Shiratori's bright eyes sparkled with wisdom.

"I forgot to mention one thing to you, and that is that swimming classes at this school are co-ed. Now everything makes sense."

.........Is the focus on gender then? Could it be—

"Yes, exactly! In other words, we'll be able to see Ichinose, Shiranami, Amikura... the girls in their swimsuits, and— their exposed skin!"

"Most importantly, we'll be able to see—breasts! Hahaha—"

"........." Can you really say such things proudly?

"So now it's time to perfect the rankings."

"Rankings?"

"The breast rankings, don't you know?" Shiratori looked at me in confusion, and Okabe chimed in.

"Come to think of it, I don't remember seeing Luo Mu send any messages in the boys' group."

"Maybe he wasn't invited."

"But I remember we added all the boys in the class to the group."

"But I really didn't see Luo Mu in that group."

"I see, I'll take care of it now."

"........."

Although it's supposed to be a good thing, why does it feel like there's a hint of inexplicable sadness?

"Okay, now that we're all in it, remember to check it out on your way back, Luo Mu."

"Oh, uh-huh."

It seems like normal boys are completely dominated by hormones now. Looks like I need to change my thought process. What kind of bet involves 'who swims the fastest', 'who has the best figure', etc.? It's completely off track from what I studied.

"But how do you guys evaluate these things? Just looking directly at it may not be accurate, right?"

"It seems you're not completely beyond help, as you've discovered the key point of the problem. You can rest assured that we have professionals among us."

"Professionals..."

"Of course, after all, our more than ten years of life experience are not in vain.”

Is life experience supposed to be used in such a strange way? They've got it all wrong. What kind of career can you pursue with such experience in society?

Professional body measurer? Tailor?

With these complicated thoughts in mind, I continued until we parted ways. On the way back to the dormitory, I suddenly realized something.

If normal boys at this age are thinking about such things, then do girls think the same way?