Kokoro Connect:Volume 5 Pentagon++

Pentagon ++

——I failed the entrance exam of the public high school of my choice.

Even though it was supposed to be the best high school around the district, the passing rate for this mock exam was around 80%.

I didn't think that I wasn't good enough. I was just unlucky.

Speaking of which, one of the fellas in my cram class who had far worse performances in school seemed to have been admitted.

Tough luck.

In the end, I enrolled for Yamaboshi Private High School. It was a school with fairly competitive promotion rate; allegedly, its school ethos was supposed to be good as well. That being said, it was bound to be a little upsetting.

It was grey right off the start.

I thought it was quite fitting for me in a sense.

Weren't most people's lives like this too?

...As I was thinking that, a strange, conincidental coincidence coincidentally came forth.

Was it coincidental? Actually, was it predetermined?

Those people I encountered. They gleamed with a certain brightness that irritated me.

So bright it made me feel sick.

I supposed those kind of people did exist after all.

People who gleamed like a fool in this faintly corrupted world.

However, those kind of people were bound to end up like me.

In other words, they would slowly be corrupted. That was how 'normal' supposed to be.

But on rare occasions, there were those who would never be corrupted. I knew that quite well myself.

Those who were born blessed with incredible luck.

Yet I still pondered from time to time.

How would these people end up?

And... Why did I think they were gleaming?

It was unbelievable. It felt puzzling. It felt mysterious. I wanted to know more.

And then perhaps, once I grasped the answer, I could become like that too—— No, not at all.

What nonsense was I thinking?

Of course it wouldn't work out like that.

No way, impossible.

...But I——wanted to know...

...Yes, that was it. I merely wanted to know. Nothing more.

I was definitely not feeling envious or antyhing. Definitely not.

Yes, definitely not.

□■□■□

——I've become high-schooler now. I'm going to change, I thought to myself.

This must be what they would call a debut in high school.

Hmm. Debut. I like the sound of that.

I wasn't exactly trying to become anyone brilliant. I knew where my limit lies after all.

However, even just a little, if there was something or someone that I could look up to, I would be really happy.

A world like those in live dramas.

A world like those in mangas.

Freeing myself from the world I knew.

I wouldn't mind even if I weren't the protagonist of that world. I just wanted to become a resident in its corner.

That being said, I only managed to keep up with such resolve for the first few days of school. Before I realised it, I had returned to the point I used to be.

The surprisingly same, exact point.

Would I stay like this forever?

It might be so. My designated role in the world had long been predetermined.

I knew that very well.

In the end, someone like me should just stay at where I should be.

The world could not change that.

The world could not be changed.

It couldn't be helped. The world is very, very huge after all.

From the world's perspective, I was but a puny, nano-sized grain.

A puny person like me would be forgotten before I even stepped on the stage.

Yet, a person like me, was still able to discover such a scene.

It was dazzling.

I had never thought I would be able to see something so dazzling.

The very thing I sought in my dreams was gleaming right there in front of me.

I was shocked. Astonished. Could it really exist? I would never have thought.

And then, I remembered the dream I was about to give up.

Perhaps I could actually achieve it now——

No no no, no way. Not with me.

I didn't have the right, nor the worth. I couldn't bring myself to destroy that world.

No no, but...

But, if I could...

Ah, impossible, impossible! What was I thinking?

Not with me. No way.

□■□■□

Sounds of tapping and chair creaking interwined rhythmically in the air.

She then picked up a manga. She was probably going to put it down again soon, but she picked it up anyway.

She quickly lifted her head, and looked at the club room door.

"Nagase... Relax."

Yaegashi Taichi said, and Nagase Iori promptly spun her head around.

Her now-long hair streamed through the air, as though each and every smooth strings of her hair were dancing. Taichi felt it would be a perfect shot for a TV advertisement.

"Mwuhat~ Taichi! You made it sound like it like I'm being all fidgety here!"

"...Aren't you? And you bit your tongue just now, didn't you."

"D—Did not."

"Nope, pretty sure you did."

"Taichi is so scary today~! Stop bullying me~!"

Nagase dropped flat on the table and buried her head in her arms.

Her trademark ponytail was no longer to be seen.

The long haired Nagase seemed a lot more mature now, both in appearance and spirit.

However, her cheerful, child-like innocent demeanour had not changed at all. This made Taichi realize once again: That was how Nagase was after all.

"We can't help it Taichi," Aoki said. "After all, we're talking about our first new club member. Not to mention, this is "free-for-all". No questions asked, anyone can come in for a tour."

Aoki, who had his arms crossed behind his head, made a stretch and completely entered relaxed state.

"W—We're still not sure if there's gonna be any new members though!"

Sitting across Aoki, Inaba Himeko responded gingerly.

It is worth mentioning that, Inaba was Taichi's girlfriend, and had been going out with him for over a month.

At the end of that hectic presentation event —as well as <Heartseed>'s "Sentiment Transmission", which ended around the same time— Taichi and Inaba began their relationship as lovers.

As everyone were welcoming a brand new spring, Taichi and Inaba welcomed their own new spring as well.

"You don't want new members, Inaba-chan? Didn't you say you wanted new members yesterday?"

"Well, I did say that... But, if we get one of those loli-face, or cute looking girls, then..."

"...then?"

Aoki inquired, a curious Taichi listened in as well.

"...Wouldn't Taichi, the lolicon and siscon, go after them?!"

She's worrying over something perculiar again.

Ever since she and Taichi started going out, Inaba was infected by an odd disease (In Nagase's word: The Dereban Syndrome.) It had been cooling down lately, but there would still be situations like this from time to time.

"Stop worrying yourself like that. And... allow me to clarify that I am neither a lolicon nor a siscon!"

This is important. No matter how misunderstood, never mistake me for a lolicon. And although I would do anything for my no doubt the ever so adorable sister... I am definitely not a siscon!

"R—Really?"

Inaba stared at Taichi.

Her semi-long straight, black hair slanted. Her eyebrows pushed together nervously, along with her long eyelashes and attractive facial features, gave her a mature, beautiful aura.

And she seemed to be looking prettier by the day.

However, Taichi couldn't really bring himself to say that out loud quite yet.

"Of course. I mean... I'm starting to prefer the 'mature beauty' type lately... Whenever I see them I'd be like 'That's very cute,' and that confident smile, too, it's... In other words... Inaba is... Er..."

It was certainly an embarrassing situation. Taichi still could not bring himself to look straight at Inaba's face.

"Heya——!" "Wugh——?!"

Someone grabbed his head and forcefully spun his face leftward...

...Towards Inaba's face.

"Why~ Now~ Stop shying away like a little girl, Taichi-kun! Man up, say it in her face!"

The owner of the voice ringing from behind his head was of course, none other than Nagase.

When Taichi and Inaba first started going out, Taichi used to worry that "It might get awkward between them, even for Nagase." However, Nagase's response was "Screw that! Too much hassle!" And they had soon returned to a normal relationship.

So much had happened between them, which was why Taichi was truly grateful that Nagase was willing to remain good friends with him.

...That being said, Taichi wasn't quite sure what he should do right now.

"W—What you mean 'Man up'?! Ack lemme go!" "C'mon! Stop moving your head around. Look at her in the eyes and say it properly!"

Approximately 50 centimeters before him, Inaba was sparkling like a star.

Each time Inaba sparkled, Taichi's heart too, would spike a little.

"What am I suppose to... No, I mean..."

Why am I still hesitating? Quit running away, Taichi prompted himself.

He knew very well what he wanted to say.

"It's alright. I... think Inaba is the prettiest."

Comments like "——Whistle~ Nobody asked you to be that straightforward you know..." followed in the background.

Inaba, on the other hand, seemed surprised. Her eyes widened briefly, and then Inaba beamed innocently as if a little girl who had received lots and lots of sweets.

"......Mnh ❤"

——Dokun

Taichi was not sure of why, but he felt his heart started racing uncontrollably.

"Gwah?! This is the destructive power of witnessing 'Dereban' at point-blank...! I can feel the advent of Renaissance within me, wishing Fujishima-san doing all kinds of things to me....!"

Nagase had completely lost it.

"Umm, can you let go of my head now?"

"We'll worry about that later! Comrade Aoki! Is it done?!"

"Yes it is, Comrade Iori-chan! I have recorded the entire scene just now on my phone!"

"Wha— Didn't I say not to do that again before?!"

Taichi protested, but the voice behind him replied:

"Shut up~ Taichi! We've been watching you two being all lovey dovey and going all mushy and cuddly every single day! Where are we going to vent our frustration if you don't let us tease you!"

"It's alright Taichi. After a bit of editing, we'll make it into you two's personal 'Love Diary' and send it to you for present~"

"It is NOT alright, Aoki! Lemme go already Nagase! Ack, Inaba say something!"

"Oh~ Stop it already~ Lovey-dovey~ And love diary too~ It's not like that~"

Gah, it's no use! Inaba is completely fired up!

Taichi lamented. There wasn't another sane person left in the room.

"K—Kiriyama! Where is she?! The one who said she'd bring us a new member!"

Taichi called out for his last shred of hope.

Then, amongst the light, Aoki nodded fondly and went "Mmm."

"What's wrong, Aoki?"

"Hm? Oh, I was just thinking 'Taichi has finally gotten into form——' in my head."

"Gotten into form?"

"Well, isn't that because Taichi's been really stubborn today~? Or should I say, the most stubborn one?"

Stubborn? Me?

As Taichi was still trying to comprehend their statements, the club room door swung open.

They're finally here, Taichi thought and looked.

At that same moment, Taichi recalled how all of this started yesterday.

□■□■□

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