OreShura: Volume 2 Chapter 1

Chapter 1 Childhood Friend's Love Letter? Is Mayhem?

Eleven o’clock at night, when I finished today’s studying for final exams --

Once again, I unfolded the letter I received after school.

-- I have always liked you.

-- Let’s bind ourselves together again like we did in the distant past.

"Ah..."

I re-read this many times, but I could only sigh.

There was no name of the sender.

And because it was typed on a computer, I could not see the handwriting.

The writer didn’t even specify what she wanted to do.

This was some kind of prank, and I should ignore it – Even though I rationally thought that, I felt, "If that were the case, it wouldn’t have been written like this." If they were trying to see my flustered face from receiving a fake love letter, they would have written, "I looooveeeee Kido-kun! I have always stared at youuuu!" Something along those lines with that effect.

‘’"Let’s bind ourselves together again like we did in the distant past."’’

The implied overtones of this statement made me very concerned.

It exuded so much "seriousness," it was impossible to take as a joke.

"Anyways, why me, aghh?!"

I actually received a love letter, but it’s so abnormal! Is it a mistake?

Speaking of which, this is why I hate "love".

The reason is my parents.

When I was little, they clear said, "Even though their parents strongly opposed it, Dad firmly wanted to marry Mom!" Or "As long as she had Dad and Ei-kun at her side, Mom didn’t need anything else!" But when started middle school, they fought, fought, and fought every day, until at last their relationship as lovers evaporated. If my aunt Saeko-san had not adopted me, I do not know what would have become.

Thus, I was "anti-love".

Romantic comedy is the best! Love is everything! I firmly sing discordantly against these systems of values. I believed in the same values as Natsukawa Masuzu. For this reason, I was chosen to be her "boyfriend."

But regarding the fact that I am “anti-love,” only Masuzu knows.

I couldn’t shout everywhere: "I am anti-love! I reject romantic comedy!"

Plus, if I add as things stand, the letters I received will not disappear.

Plus things to the present, the letters received will not disappear.

"Eghh..."

Who actually wrote this?

♦

The next day during lunch break:

"Hey, Kaoru, there’s something I want to ask you."

"Hmm? What is it that’s so serious?"

My close friend, Asoi Kaoru, tilted his head, puzzled.

As long as there were no Jien-Otsu activities, I would eat lunch with Kaoru in the classroom. Since Masuzu and Chiwa were always playing around with me, I didn’t know how "relaxing" this time could be. I didn’t think there was anything that could surpass a friendship between men, and Kaoru was a good man.

"What do you think, "Let’s bind ourselves together again like we did in the distant past," means?"

"What is that?"

Just after tearing a small piece of butter bread and putting it in his moth, Kaoru wryly smiled. This way of eating made him seem completely like a girl, but it suited him wonderfully. His skin was white, and his appearance was beautiful. If you insisted he was a girl, seven out of ten people would believe it.

"Nothing. When I was practicing the English exam, this was the translated answer to one of the problems. What does it mean?"

Since I couldn’t say it was a love letter, I used this kind of thing to cover it up.

After taking a sip of milk with his straw, he said:

"Generally speaking, it should refer to former friends or ex-girlfriend wants to mend fences."

"Mhm."

I also had the same thought.

But I actually didn’t have any "ex-girlfriends". Give the amount of experience I had as a 15-years-old, how could I have that kind of relationship? If I did, why would I be doing everything I do? I would be the most famous popular person.

"And then there is also Chihuahua."

"Ah? Chiwa?"

"She’s your "childhood friend." From Eita’s perspective, shouldn’t the person who wants to bind themselves together like in the distance past be Chihuahua?"

I was in the middle of picking up grilled salmon from my bento, when I unconsciously stopped moving my chopsticks.

"B-but, Chiwa and I are still talking to each other. "Bind ourselves together like in the distant past," is a weird way to say it, right?

"The only person who can’t understand it is probably Eita?"

Kaoru’s eyes suddenly became mischievous like a child.

"Maybe Chihuahua wants to make the feelings between you and her even better, right?"

"Even if you say that, we still eat dinner together!"

"But --"

Kaoru temporarily came to a halt.

"Eita has a girlfriend now. Natsukawa-chan is your girlfriend."

"......"

"From Chihuahua's perspective, there’s no way your relationship is the same as before, right?"

This was the blind spot.

Now that I think of it, Chiwa has been very earnestly reading teenage fashion magazines like "Pachi Lemon," "Summertime ☆ Cute Popular ☆ Using Love Letters to get Boyfriends ♪." The kind of magazines that are full of frivolous slogans from start to finish.

Since Chiwa an easily influenced girl, it is completely likely that she was affected by the magazines to act without thinking about her actions.

Yesterday morning, subsequently she came out with that line.

‘’"Will you walk with me to school more often?"’’

Wrong.

Wrongwrongwrong.

W-w-w-w-wait.

Why would Chiwa want to do something like that?

Chiwa d-d-d-d-d-d-didn’t have any r-r-r-r-reason to do that kind of thing.

"What’s wrong? You’ve covered in sweat."

I didn’t have time to answer Kaoru’s question, as I just shoved a fried egg in my mouth.

There was no taste.

I intentionally put a lot of sugar, so it should have been sweet, but it was like chewing sand.

-- I had to confirm it!

Using assumptions to make decisions was a very dangerous, and I certainly was not the main character of a romantic comedy. It would be a disgrace to take the fish bait. I had to cautiously check on Chiwa before I could decide whether she sent the love letter or not.

Then after the confirmation --

"What should I do?! Aaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!"

"Wah, Eita, don’t spit your fried egg out!"

In short!

In short, I wanted to confirm it!

♦

"Hey, Chiwa, the weather today is really nice, hahaha?"

"It’s a really cloudy day?"

-- a sudden mistake already!

After school, I went to the Jien-Otsu club room.

Luckily, Chiwa and I were alone. Masuzu seemed to be busy, and she told me that she would be late. So before that girl gets back, I had to clarify the facts.

"Really? My judgment and everyone else’s logic isn’t the same. In my opinion, if the sky is around 80% cloudy, it’s still good weather."

"Mhm--"

Chiwa disinterestedly muttered a little, and took a huge bite of curry bread. She continued to fix her eyes on the other cabbage-and-sauce pork cutlet sandwich. Recently, she’s been snacking a lot after school. I’ve told her, "Don’t eat both sandwiches", but she replied to me, "If I had a fried-pork-cutlet-and-curry sandwich, I would be fine with eating just one." She was completely like a woman who thought entirely with her stomach. If we let her alone, maybe she would cause a bread industry revolution.

"Ei-kun, how did you suddenly become so distracted?"

"N-no I haven’t? How could I have…"

I lifted up my reference book, and covered my face from her line of sight.

"And Natsukawa? Why isn’t she here? Is she dead?"

"She said she had something to do, and would be late twenty minutes or so."

"......So, for the time being there’s only the two of us."

The dialogue stopped here.

I stole a peek at Chiwa from the shadow of my reference book, and found her with her head lowered bashfully. Half of her curry bread was unfinished; her face seemed very read.

What's going on......?

What was with this posture’s appearance?

Even though urgently wanted to face Chiwa and confirm it all, I couldn’t think of a subtle way to ask about it.

What would I do if I confirmed everything, anyways?

If Chiwa answered, "Yeah, I wrote it," then what should I do?

Would we “start over” and “bind ourselves together again like we did in the distant past?”

This would mean, Chiwa and I --

While I was still hesitating and pondering in this maze, Chiwa was the first to make an action.

Hustle-Hustle. She dragged her folding chair next to mine.

"Hehehe...... ♪"

Did she have some kind of plan? Chiwa pressed her shoulder against my shoulder.

"W-w-w-w-what are you doing?!"

"Ah, Ei-kun, I want to practice a little."

"P-P-practice?"

Chiwa’s hair drifted by, and it had a warm milk-like fragrance, causing my voice to soften.

I always felt this smell was very nostalgic.

"Right, practice. Before I become popular, this is practice for when I get a boyfriend......!"

Chiwa leaned her entire head against my shoulder.

Rubbed it back and forth.

She looked just like a puppy, with her face rubbing my shoulder several times.

"Y-y-you, don’t misunderstand! This is just a "club activity!""

"W-ww-w-wuah! Club activity? This is a club activity?!"

In the beginning Chiwa was a little shy, but gradually she began to rub closer and faster, so much so that her voice comfortably sighed an “ahhh” sound. She was really like a puppy.

"Ei-kun, do you remember?"

"W-what?"

"In the past, I used to always fall asleep like this."

"R-really?"

"My mom and dad would always come home late, so Ei-kun would stay with me and play in the park until it got dark. Then we would always sleep on the bench like this, until someone came to pick us up, remember?"

"...I remember."

Chiwa’s smell.

It was impossible for me to forget.

"Really?"

Chiwa smiled.

"So it’s not just me who remembers, that's great."

Chiwa muttered to herself, again began to “rub back and forth” and “hum.”

At each stroke, her fragrant hair brushed by my cheek.

Sigh.

Chihuahua was really comfortable......

--Wait, this isn’t right!

This was a good opportunity.

After all of the trouble, we were talking about the past, right? This was the perfect time to ask! "Were-you-the-one-who-wrote-that-letter?" is only eight words. I’ll count to three and firmly say it!

Okay, come on!

3.

2.

1.

"Were you the won hoot rote sat ladder?"

Wuuaaaaahhhhhh! Why did I say it in the Nagoya dialect? Aaaaahhhhhh!

"What’s wrong, Ei-kun? What did you just say?"

"N-N-N-n-n-n-nothing!"

"I thought I heard "the sealed play", the letter?"

"N-no! What are you talking about? The sealed play! I as talking about the musical! Musicals made from sign language are rare in the world, so I’m really looking forward to it!"

Just as I felt like this excuse was about to explode --

"Knock-knock! Is there anyone there~? ♪"

Accompanied with this voice, an outstretched hand pressed Chiwa’s face harshly down to the table.

"Wuuh!"

This hand specifically and very thoughtfully used the half-eaten curry bread as padding below. Thanks to this action, Chiwa’s face was forced into the predicament of tasting her favorite curry bread.

There was only one person in the world who could defeat Chiwa with such beautiful technique.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Eita-kun! ♪ Your cute girlfriend is back~!"

Natsukawa Masuzu.

She came back earlier than I expected…

"Whua! You’re already finished with your business?"

"Yes, I just went to the staff room to get some things."

Then Masuzu looked all around her.

"Harusaki-chan? Why isn’t she here? Is she dead?"

"She's under your hand!"

Chiwa snapped and stood up, her face entirely covered with curry.

"My bad, I didn’t notice. I thought that was a fishy thieving cat, or rather, "a fishy thieving Chihuahua.""

"Who are you calling fishy and thieving?!"

"For taking advantage when the girlfriend isn’t around and snuggling with Eita-kun, you’re ruining the reputation of all of Japan’s childhood friends, Harusaki-chan."

I didn’t know when Chiwa suddenly became the representative of all of Japan’s childhood friends.

"N-n-no, this is a club activity! We’re practicing for when I get a boyfriend!"

"You’re a hundred years too early."

Masuzu hit the mark with her straight talk.

"I said it before, right? If you want to be popular, you have to finish reading this."

Masuzu put the cardboard boxes by her feet on the table, and happily opened the boxes.

The cardboard boxes had some mail-order company logo printed on it.

What she pulled out from the inside of the box --

"JOJO?"

It was what Masuzu considered the Bible of shonen manga: the first volume edition of “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures.” There was already more than 70 volumes already published, but the box only seemed to contain the first 12 volumes.

"This is reference material for the “Society for Bringing Out Your Maiden Self” that I purchased with my own private expenses. This set of manga is for Haruhaha-chan to read, so she can carefully study what attractive people look like."

As Chiwa wiped curry off the side of her face with tissue paper, she said:

"If it’s "JOJO", didn’t I already read it when I played guitar on stage last time?! "

"You only read the fourth part, right? That’s unacceptable. You must start from the first part and read onwards. According to a NASA study, it has clearly shown that 87% of girls who have boyfriends have read JoJo starting from the first episode to the end."

NASA is really impressive --

I thought they only launched rockets.

Like she was handling a treasure, Masuzu started to line up JoJo on the steel bookshelf.

"You bought this specifically for the club? Couldn’t you just bring a set from home?"

"No! My JOJO only belongs only to me, just like how everyone can have only one STAND power . One person can only have one set of JOJO."

Like always, she continues to babble on about JOJOJOJO.

How much does she really like JOJO? Even though I also like the series, I definitely lose to her in affection.

After lining up all twelve volumes, Masuzu sighed as she stared at the remaining empty space on the bookshelf:

"My allowance has been used up, but if we actually received money from the club, we could buy an entire set."

"There’s nothing we can do about that."

The “Society for Bringing Out Your Maiden Self” only had three members “in good standing.”

Because we weren’t an official “club,” we couldn’t receive any support from the school. The fact that we already had a clubroom was a big special exception from the rules.

Strange? But...

"Masuzu, weren’t you born as a rich and powerful ojou-sama?"

"What are you talking about?"

Masuzu bluntly frown.

"Nothing really. In the past, there was a rumor in the class that you were a “rich ojou-sama,” or “world-class,” so I thought you must have had a lot of pocket money."

"I’ve heard those rumors too --"

Chiwa raised her hand.

Masuzu turned away her line of sight.

"Hmph, is there really an entire biographical book on me?"

"Is it inconsistent with the facts?"

"Ah, forget it."

Still avoiding direct eye contact with us, Masuzu coldly spoke.

"Let’s just say my allowance money isn’t actually that much."

"I see."

Though it made sense, since rumors have always been unreliable.

Masuzu always was very classy, and moreover she had returned from going up overseas, so people developed the stereotype that she must be “Miss King of Monopoly.” That kind of first impression.

"So you’re saying, because the school doesn’t recognize us as an official club, it’s very difficult to purchase an entire set of JoJo?"

When I brought to topic back to JoJo, Masuzu very happily squeezed her eyes:

"As long as we collect five members, I’ve heard that the school can recognize us an official club."

"So we need two more people?"

Forget it. That was impossible.

I can’t imagine anyone, asides from Chiwa, who would be interested enough in this kind of club to join.

"Now that you bring it up, I was recently scolded by a disciplinary committee member."

Chiwa ate her flattened curry bread as she spoke:

"The person said that when I brought a guitar to school, it was in violation of school rules! I was harshly taught a lesson in the disciplinary room, even though I obviously didn’t bring a guitar! Only the box!"

"Ah, that is most unfortunate."

I spoke as I nodded, but I silently praised the disciplinary committee members in my heart. At that time, I had wondered what I should do if Chiwa continued to walk around with an (empty) guitar case.

"I was also scolded before. For example, "Do not hold strange activities that disrupt the discipline", or "perform specific conspicuous activities.” Basically, it looks like our club is being watched."

Masuzu shrugged.

Our school’s disciplinary committee members were known for their valiant power, and their strong influence on “student government.” They express the opinion that problems should be solved a complaint can arise. Against this enthusiasm and activism, even the student union has conceded defeat.

If that group was serious, our club kind of club could be immediately dissolved.

Even the powerful Masuzu would only be able to obediently submit.

"So, today's topic of discussion is --"

Masuzu stood up, and wrote several large characters on the whiteboard:

“Defeated the disciplinary committee!”

I revolted at the preface.

Masuzu couldn’t be that kind of crazy person.

"That’s absolutely impossible!"

I stood up, and rapidly erased the text on the whiteboard.

Masuzu had a very sour expression, and her cheeks inflated.

"Why? If you don’t try, how can you know?"

"Impossible is impossible! How can we oppose the disciplinary committee? It’s impossible to win!"

"Then what should we do? Don’t tell me you just want to sit and wait for death, as they abolish our club?"

"If that’s the case, try increasing the number of members we have, and see how that goes?"

Chiwa suggested from the sidelines.

"Isn’t an increase in membership the best result? If we get two more members, we can upgrade to an official club, and receive funding for club activities. We’d kill two birds with one stone?"

"That idea is really great, Harusaki-chan!"

Masuzu praised Chiwa, which was a very rare occurrence.

"I really did not expect there to be a brain in your head!"

And just as I thought it was praise, it immediately turned into derogatory insults. This woman must have been really busy doing both at the same time.

"Hmph, then what did you think was in my head?"

"A vehicle pilot."

"Eh!? -- I was being manipulated this entire time --?

Blue veins shot out on Chiwa’s temples, as if a pilot driver had pressed down on a button. Chihuahua’s mechanical structure really was amazing.

"Overall, I think this is a good idea, and this way good-for-nothing wimpy Eita-kun has no objections?"

"Sure."

I felt that if they wanted that, they could do whatever they wanted. With the semester about to end, and during the period when life goes up and down, it was impossible to find new members; and as for being called a good-for-nothing wimp, I’ll pretend I never heard it.

"So what are our specific plans? Marketing activities?"

"Should I go talk to my classmates in the go-home club?"

"No, that doesn’t work."

Masuzu shook her head.

""The club that begs for members to join," this kind of weak spirit is not enough. If we cannot make people say, "If you do not let me join your club, I will commit seppuku!" We wouldn’t be able to call ourselves remarkable young maidens."

"......"

From a very long time ago, I thought that this girl’s “young maiden fantasy" absolutely deviated from the norm.

"In short, as long as we can demonstrate our special charm to the school to attract people, we will be fine."

"So specifically what will we do?"

"Theme song."

"Ah?" Chiwa and I simultaneously voiced.

"We will create a theme song for the “Society for Bringing Out Your Maiden Self”"

Masuzu faced the dazed two of us and winked:

"The power of songs should not be underestimated. It can end wars, cause the enemy to reform and start afresh, overthrow the ultimate devil king – transcend the boundaries language and international borders, even beyond the ethnic divide and propogate strength. This is the song."

"I know."

"In addition, the so-called song is "symbolic." Asides from national anthems, school songs, and club songs, and including the theme songs of anime or TV soap operas, as soon as one hears a particular song, they will think of that magnum opus’s contents and façade."

As always, it was meaningless but persuasive speech.

If it works, I have no comment.

"Having a theme song is very good, but can you compose it? "

"Me? Of course not."

Masuzu looked at me with eyes that seemed to say, ‘’This pighead Masuzu still hasn’t woken up?’’ …is it that method again?

"Harusaki-chan, do you have any experience composing?"

"Why would I?"

"Then, Eita-kun."

"Impossible."

Masuzu sighed and shrugged her shoulders:

"You’re such a group of useless people."

"You don’t have the qualifications to say that about others!"

"But I have first-class qualifications as an altrustic architect who persuades people."

"Don’t make up strange national qualifications."

"Then we will attract a new member who can compose a theme song, then!"

"But we wanted to write a theme song so we could attract new members!"

The composition of a song was thus delayed, and we first tried to make lyrics.

Because the lyrics were meant to grab a maiden’s heart, I was not responsible for anything. With the final exam as my priority, my goal was to reach the local National University School of Medicine recommended qualifications. With that kind of rank, I couldn’t regularly let my test scores slide.

"Even so, can the two of you really write poetry?"

"Well, I kind of like it?"

"As a maiden, I’ve written a poem or two."

"Eh...?"

Never mind Masuzu, but even Chiwa could write poetry. It was frankly really surprising.

Now that you mention it, I’ve always felt that the love letter had been written with a very poetic flavor.

♦

After the end of club activities --

I left earlier than the two of them, and arrived at the shoe cupboards first. Waiting for me there was another familiar pink envelope.

I checked that there were no shadows of people around me, and my trembling hands opened the envelope.

-- Ah, please notice "my true feelings" soon. 

--No matter the era, even as the river slips by, only our bindings together can never be shaken. 

I think that this time, there was a little more poetic charm than the last.

But because Chiwa should have still been in the clubroom, did that mean the person who put this letter in was in fact someone else?

No, that was not necessarily so.

Ever since the morning, I hadn’t been near my shoe cupboard, so there were opportunities at many times to slip in the letter.

Even so, this letter was the same as before. There were no specific details.

What was I supposed to expect?

---

Notes

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