Chapter 12: The Eyes Are the Windows to the Soul

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After school, Kitahara had planned to take a look at the club activities, but his young girlfriend was nowhere to be seen...

Gazing at the empty seat, he frowned slightly, somewhat worried that something might have happened to her.

Still, now that she had five hundred thousand yen, she probably would not go through with whatever she had originally intended to do... History would no longer repeat itself, and at least part of her tragic fate had been changed.

For instance, selling herself to that despicable teacher. Kitahara thought that might have been the beginning of her downfall.

But he had already stopped it.

After checking the time, Kitahara got up and went to the infirmary to weigh himself.

He currently weighed one hundred and forty pounds—not fat, though hardly muscular either.

He should probably start exercising.

Kitahara set himself a relatively long-term goal: continue studying while building up his body... If he got into a conflict with someone in the future, he would rely on reason to win, even without the system.

Just as he had with Sakura Rena today.

If Kitahara had not possessed overwhelming physical strength, he would never have been able to teach her a lesson... Physical fitness really was important.

On the way back, Yoshimizu Yuu nudged him. “If you don’t have anywhere to go, how about coming to play baseball with me?”

“Baseball?”

It was a fairly good choice.

The salaries in professional baseball were high. If he could become a professional player, his status and reputation in Japan would rise accordingly. Perhaps he could visit the baseball field sometime and see whether anyone there needed a chance to turn their life around.

Kitahara hesitated before shaking his head. “I’ll think about it.”

Baseball was fine, but it required talent... and he had none. Nor had he ever worked hard at it.

Making a name for himself in that field would be difficult unless he spent system points on his abilities.

“If you really don’t know where to go, then join the swimming club,” Yoshimizu said as they walked. “Our school’s swimming club is one of the best. They’ve won prizes in all sorts of competitions.”

“Swimming? That might not be a bad choice...”

Swimming was excellent exercise and easy on the knees.

His girlfriend was in the swimming club too, so he could ask her for guidance later.

Since he had paid her, it was perfectly reasonable to ask her to be his personal trainer, wasn’t it?

“You’ve finally come around...”

“What?”

Confronted with his friend’s leering smile, Kitahara paused in confusion.

Yoshimizu puffed out his chest and glanced around. Seeing no one nearby, he lowered his voice. “The girls in the swimming club wear swimsuits, you know... Some of them are quite well endowed, and they look incredibly alluring in them!”

“If I hadn’t already joined the baseball club, I’d definitely go take a look.”

“...”

Kitahara was speechless. What his friend had just said seemed to violate the principles of the First Devoted Lover of Tokyo.

Still, he could not help imagining what his delinquent girlfriend, Chikawa, would look like in a swimsuit... The thought was becoming distracting, so he forced himself to stop.

When he returned to the classroom, it happened to be his group’s turn to clean.

Takagi had just finished mopping the floor and was giving it one last inspection. When she saw Kitahara approaching, she puffed out her cheeks. “I finished everything before you even showed up. That’s so unfair...”

“Then I’ll take out the trash.”

“Let’s go together. It’s raining so hard.” Akane Takagi glanced at the drizzle outside and shook her head.

Kitahara looked out the window. Tokyo had four distinct seasons, and in spring, light showers occasionally fell. They were not heavy, but they were persistent enough to be irritating.

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After taking out the trash, the two of them checked the classroom and made sure all the windows were tightly shut before leaving. Near the entrance, Kitahara suddenly remembered something and turned around.

“Let me copy your notes from first-period Japanese class.”

“Why didn’t you write them yourself...?”

“I was studying mathematics.”

The true experts scored their points in the sciences.

Besides, nearly all the better majors required a strong scientific background, so Kitahara devoted most of his time to mathematics and physics.

As for Japanese...

He was waiting for the second custard-filled snack.

Akane Takagi had just removed her shoes and was about to change into her boots.

Hearing him, she sat down on the floor again and rummaged through her schoolbag.

Her feet, clad in white cotton socks, curled slightly. They looked small, and the parts not covered by the socks were especially fair, shining with a soft, snowlike brightness unlike Sakura Rena’s.

Kitahara found himself glancing over several times.

“Besides, Japanese class is so soporific. I didn’t feel like listening.”

“Being lazy is being lazy. Why make excuses... Here.”

Takagi handed him her notebook, only to discover that he was not taking it. His gaze had drifted toward her feet.

She pressed her lips together, growing annoyed.

“You’re disgusting.”

...

Takagi lived in Bunkyo Ward, near Ochanomizu, about three stops from the school.

The two boarded the train.

Akane Takagi was still sulking over what had just happened, her cheeks puffed out as she sat in silence.

“Don’t be angry. I’ll show you mine as an apology,” Kitahara suggested.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Takagi was both amused and exasperated. She lightly punched him. “I don’t want to see it.”

“You don’t like it?”

“Of course not!”

The fact that she was willing to answer him meant that her anger had already faded.

Takagi became angry quickly and calmed down just as quickly. She was still very cute.

At the next station, more passengers crowded aboard. Takagi pulled Kitahara into a corner and took out her phone.

“I joined the class group today, and a lot of boys added me... Do you know them?”

“I don’t. Why?”

Kitahara glanced at the screen. Yoshimizu Yuu was not there, nor was the girlfriend he had met that afternoon. One familiar name did appear, however—the boy who had tried and failed to approach Takagi earlier, then started chatting with Kitahara instead.

He had claimed to like curvy girls and to spend his free time fooling around, so Kitahara had privately nicknamed him “Captain Flyer.”

Unexpectedly, Captain Flyer claimed to like one type of girl while secretly adding sweet little Takagi.

Were all men this hypocritical?

“You don’t know them? Then never mind...”

Takagi lowered her head. “I’m not very good at chatting. Even if I add someone, I never know what to say. They’ll probably think I’m boring.”

“I doubt that’s what they care about...”

“Huh?”

Takagi looked at him with an innocent expression.

Kitahara had never been associated with innocence, so he turned his gaze away. “In any case, don’t bother with them. Once you get to know them and decide they seem decent, you can add them back later.”

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“I’ll listen to you.”

In front of a veteran of human relationships, Takagi behaved with considerable respect. Yet her bright, almond-shaped eyes occasionally swept over him in a way that seemed to convey something less respectful.

Kitahara had barely ever initiated a conversation with her since adding her contact...

That was rather strange, wasn’t it?

They were friends, after all... Perhaps he should try chatting with her that evening.

It was not as though he was busy.

After five or six minutes of silence, a mechanical announcement sounded over the train’s speakers, declaring that they were approaching the next station.

Akane Takagi casually remarked, “I’m almost at my stop...”

“Oh.”

“Don’t you have anything to say...?”

Kitahara looked at her strangely. What was he supposed to say? See you tomorrow? Bye? Those were things children said in middle school. Wasn’t it a little childish to keep using them in high school?

He glanced at the dark sky. The rain was still pouring, and he suddenly understood.

“Be careful on your way home. This rain doesn’t look like it’ll stop anytime soon.”

Friendship also needed a little concern to keep it running smoothly...

There was no obvious expression on Akane Takagi’s face. She merely gave him a wistful look, then hesitated, apparently too embarrassed to say anything herself.

Passengers boarded the train.

High school students were usually dismissed at three-thirty in the afternoon, so under normal circumstances, the trains were not crowded.

Or at least, they were not supposed to be.

Today was clearly an exception. Perhaps it was because of the drizzle outside, or perhaps because a nearby activity had just ended. Whatever the reason, a large crowd suddenly poured into the carriage and filled it in an instant.

Kitahara and Takagi were pressed closely together.

Because they were standing in a corner, no one paid much attention to them.

The two involved, however, were both in a state of confusion.

So close...

With every breath, Kitahara caught the fragrance of Takagi’s hair. Her scent was unique—light and pure, like an orchid, yet exceptionally pleasant.

His gaze wandered upward, then downward, until it accidentally met hers.

Her dark, shining eyes glimmered brilliantly. The girl’s clear, pure gaze left Kitahara staring blankly for a moment.

The eyes were windows to the soul.

What was she thinking now?

Kitahara had touched her leg again just now. Should she find an opportunity to get angry with him?

Never mind...

In any case...

After holding his gaze for a while, Takagi looked away and lowered her face, visibly uncomfortable.

Kitahara turned his eyes aside as well.

The train bell rang. Takagi stepped off the train and raised a hand in a small wave.

“See you tomorrow.”

“Yeah. See you tomorrow.”

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