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Chapter 2: Yuuka Doesn't Like Me
🕑 Added 2025-09-23 00:49:57 +0000 UTCInside the Schale office
I stood before the low humming of the machine, waiting for the black liquid to drip from the pipe until it filled two-thirds of the cup.
I added fresh milk from the refrigerator and a little sugar, stirring it with a rod until it turned a brownish-tan color, a coffee that was invigorating but not too bitter was now ready.
Carrying the two cups of coffee, I returned to the desk and placed one on the left side of Yuuka, who was engrossed in reviewing a report, making it easy for her to reach.
I had noticed a couple of days ago that Yuuka seemed to be left-handed. Right now, she was propping her cheek with her right hand while writing with her left.
"Thanks for your hard work. Be careful, it's hot."
"Ah, thank you, Sensei."
Yuuka glanced up at me for a moment before quickly lowering her head again, her eyes fixed on the paper, likely engrossed in a difficult problem.
After our brief exchange, I sat down in the chair beside her, took a sip of the slightly hot coffee, and continued with my own unfinished work.
My cup and Yuuka's were sitting next to each other. Since Yuuka had bought them both and they only differed in color, they looked a bit like a matching couple's set.
Amidst the simple and tedious paperwork, I still had enough mental space to reminisce about the past two days.
This was my third official day of work.
Thanks to Yuuka's help, I quickly learned how to properly handle the documents. Or perhaps, "recalled" would be a more fitting word than "learned."
Of course, we ran into some minor trouble along the way.
Yuuka served as the treasurer for her club and was skilled at mathematical calculations, so she handled any related work with ease.
But when faced with long, convoluted documents with obscure wording, Yuuka would look flustered and ask for help from a clubmate on a chat app called "MomoTalk."
Borrowing Yuuka's phone, I also received remote tutoring from that student, named Noa, and benefited greatly from it.
In any case, thanks to our efforts, we finally finished all the work before nightfall.
Yuuka, proudly saying "My calculations are perfect," was quite cute at that moment.
That evening, I took an automated helicopter to the General Student Council and personally handed the completed documents to a still-overworking Nanagami Rin.
And then, the tragedy occurred.
I still remember how Rin's weary eyes suddenly lit up. She stood up excitedly, patted my shoulder, praised my dedication, and thanked me for my contribution to Kivotos.
Then she shoved several large stacks of documents from her own desk into my arms.
And she instructed me to finish them all within two days if possible.
Also, that I could just fax the completed documents to her, and that I shouldn't bother... I mean, I didn't need to trouble myself with making the trip.
Even though she added that this was all work Schale was supposed to be responsible for anyway, she was still a bit of a jerk.
That's the situation I'm currently in.
I have to thank Yuuka again.
When I used the newly downloaded MomoTalk to ask for help from the only contact in my list, Yuuka readily agreed to continue serving as Schale's student on duty to help with the official business.
Otherwise, if it were just me, given my current lack of proficiency, I probably would have had to pull an all-nighter.
Sipping my now lukewarm coffee, I felt a warmth spread through my chest.
Yuuka, Yuuka.
What a lovely girl.
Just from her appearance, from her face to her figure, she was an impeccable beauty, exuding an air of youthfulness with every move. Ignoring the halo, it wasn't that Yuuka fit my standard of beauty, but rather that Yuuka was my highest definition of beauty.
More importantly was her inner self. Talented, meticulous, kind-hearted, willing to help me without asking for anything in return, and her attitude when I had questions was gentle and full of patience...
Could a being like this, who embodied all the good things in the world, really be the "monster" I had imagined?
Then, what about the others I haven't gotten to know well?
I suddenly felt that maybe I could do it.
Starting with Yuuka, I could gradually come to see all the students as my own kind.
Even though they had traits I couldn't accept for now... maybe we could understand each other.
By then, in this strange, unfamiliar world, I too might find a place where I could feel at ease.
I don't know what came over me, but I suddenly spoke up:
"Um, Yuuka."
"Hm?"
I swallowed, and instead of backing down and saying it was nothing, I followed the stirring in my heart and asked the question, full of anticipation, in as calm a voice as I could manage:
"I want to know, up until now, what have you thought of me?"
As the last syllable fell, a sense of relief washed over me, but it was quickly followed by a faint wave of anxiety.
After all, Yuuka and I had only known each other for a few days. Was it really okay to ask such a question?
It would seem strange, wouldn't it?
But I didn't regret it.
The busy work could temporarily make me forget my troubles, but it couldn't dispel the loneliness that clung to my heart.
Loneliness gnawed at my empty soul, making me desperate for acceptance. Then, I too would have a reason to accept others.
If things go on like this, will I go mad? I didn't know the answer.
I no longer knew what I was thinking. The loss of memory, the lack of knowledge... I couldn't accurately describe my own thoughts and feelings.
Was it confusion? Unease? Or fear?
I didn't know, nor was I in the mood to figure it out.
All I knew was that Yuuka had stopped writing and hadn't said a word.
The silence lasted for who knows how long.
Until the rustling sound of a pen on paper and the clicking of abacus beads started up again.
Along with it came Yuuka's reply, which, to my ears, sounded exceptionally cold:
"Sen-sei~ Please don't ask such... such... silly questions during work hours."
Staring intently at the documents in front of me, I failed to notice that as Yuuka said this, she had used her left hand to pull her purple hair forward, hiding her slightly reddened ears.
I felt a little dejected, but surprisingly, not terribly upset. I just said, "Okay," and threw myself completely into the heavy workload.
Time always flies when you're focused.
When I came to my senses, the work was unknowingly nearing its end.
I turned my head and saw that Yuuka was the same; her calculations were still perfect. And it was only four o'clock in the afternoon.
After tackling the last part with a final burst of energy, I started faxing the documents to the General Student Council's main office while inviting Yuuka:
"Yuuka, you've worked so hard these past few days. Let's have a celebration dinner tonight, my treat. Do you have any fancy restaurants in mind? It's okay even if it makes my wallet bleed, you know?"
For some reason, Yuuka looked troubled.
"Eh? Eehh?"
After letting out a confused sound, Yuuka hesitated for a moment, then shook her head, put on a stern face, and rejected me in a lecturing tone:
"You're an adult, please be more planned with your spending. Fancy restaurants are very expensive. Given your income, you're not at a level where you can just take people to such places, honestly."
So, in the end, our celebration was held at a nearby family restaurant, and we split the bill.
The restaurant's owner and waiters were cats and dogs that could speak human language. I still felt a subtle discomfort about this and was deeply concerned about the quality of the cooking and the dishes. But the result far exceeded my expectations; the food that came out was quite delicious.
On a side note, I also had to listen to Yuuka ramble on about things like "according to my calculations, this restaurant's food is not only delicious but also very cost-effective."
When we parted ways, Yuuka, who had just taken a few steps towards Millennium Science School, suddenly turned back and called out to me.
"Um, about the question you asked this afternoon..."
Because she was standing between two streetlights, a narrow shadow perfectly concealed her face, making it impossible for me to see her expression. Was this also a result of her calculations?
Yuuka took a deep breath and said the rest of what was on her mind:
"I think... you're a pretty useless adult. So, so, if I'm not around..."
As she spoke, her voice grew quieter, and the last half of the sentence was so low that I couldn't hear it at all.
My heart was a mix of emotions. I wanted to walk up to her, but as soon as I took a step, Yuuka seemed to flinch as if startled, took several steps back, and shouted, "I'm sorry!" before fleeing at high speed.
Leaving me alone on the spot, lost in thought, until I finally reached a conclusion:
So, I really am hated after all.
It makes sense. Bothering someone time and time again, saying strange things... it's only natural for someone like me to be disliked.
And to only realize it when it's spelled out to my face... I'm really too dense. I should have noticed from the hesitant look on her face when I invited her.
As for her "I'm sorry," it was probably just because Yuuka is too kind, to the point where she feels guilty for disliking me.
Although I could accept this fact calmly, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
Even Yuuka couldn't give me the acceptance I longed for; even Yuuka, I couldn't see as my own kind.
It's true. The problem is with me. In this world, I am the abnormal one.
...From now on, I shouldn't bother Yuuka to come to Schale anymore.
After making this difficult decision, I reined in my negative emotions, sighed, turned around, and prepared to walk back to Schale.
BOOM——!
A sudden explosion erupted just a few dozen meters in front of me. A searing blast of hot air hit me, and the slightly blinding light in the darkness made me squint. But the next moment, my eyes snapped wide open.
I clearly saw, from within the flames and thick smoke, a graceful silhouette swaying.
Then, a girl wearing a mask walked out of the explosion and appeared before me, the fox ears on her head twitching happily from side to side.
From behind that fox mask came a chilling laugh.
"Hehehe..."
I had seen her before.
In the Schale basement.
At the time, I didn't know her identity, but later, I had specifically looked it up...
One of the Seven Prisoners who escaped from the Federal Correction Bureau, a delinquent student who committed numerous felonies, the Fox of Calamity whose motives and objectives are a mystery...
"Kosaka Wakamo."
