Chapter 11: Dora-Yukino: What Is He Talking About?
[Time slipped by, drop by drop. Your life these past few days has been very pleasant. Although it somewhat goes against your previous mindset of focusing solely on studying, you feel that this isn't bad either. Moreover, your current learning ability isn't poor. Even if you can't get into prestigious schools like Tokyo U in the future, you likely won't end up too badly off.]
"…"
[In this way, your future has at least some guarantee. However, you still feel a faint reluctance in your heart because you know the cruelty of social stratification.]
[If you don't work hard during your student days, you will have to pay a hundredfold in toil once you enter society. It is common to suffer insults without getting what you want. However, you haven't determined which path you want to take in the future yet. A politician? A bestselling author? A rich business tycoon? And what kind of tycoon...]
[You decide to make all decisions after the Cultural Festival ends.]
"I knew it."
Haruka looked at the wavering version of himself on the simulation screen with a face full of disdain.
In his opinion, giving up on future plans for the sake of a mere two months of emotion was simply sacrificing the greater good for minor gains!
Stupid!
Incredibly foolish!
I absolutely refuse to admit that person is me!
However, it was a simulation after all. If doing so improved the evaluation, then it was a good thing and acceptable. But in reality, he must take this as a warning and absolutely not fall into the vortex of emotions.
"I can roughly guess what 'I' am going to do next. I hope it's useful."
[During this time, you are also teaching yourself more advanced sign language. You have outstanding talent in sign language; relevant memories often pop up abruptly. Otherwise, you couldn't have acted as the bridge of communication between Yukino Yukinoshita and Shoko Nishimiya before. You believe this is your belated cheat system, although this thing seems a bit useless.]
'It seems the 'me' in the simulation doesn't have the Simulator and doesn't know of its existence. And the rewards obtained in reality appear in the simulation in other ways. That makes sense; otherwise, it would be a paradox.'
Haruka thought to himself.
[Your previous sign language level, which seemed almost like a talent, was only sufficient for daily communication. For what you plan to do at the upcoming Cultural Festival, you need deeper study. At the same time, you also need to train your singing voice.]
[You encountered difficulties because you have never sung before. You have absolutely no technique to speak of, and combining it with sign language is even more nonsensical.]
[When in trouble, find Dora-Yukino. This has become a habit you've formed over the past two months.]
[Whether it's helping take care of Shoko Nishimiya or providing advice for the future, Yukino can always give an answer.]
???
Inside the Service Club.
Yukino Yukinoshita looked at Haruka with question marks practically floating above her head.
Honestly, she was just reading her book when Haruka Kasugano, who had always been focused on his studies, suddenly rushed in and gave her a "surprise."
He said he wanted to learn to sing. nothing too difficult, just the basics—the kind that could be coordinated with sign language.
Then go learn it!
Why come to me?!
Do I look omniscient and omnipotent to you?
Yukino Yukinoshita sighed helplessly.
"Kasugano-kun, do you know what you look like right now?"
"What?"
"A giant infant."
For the first time, Yukino Yukinoshita revealed her sharp tongue in front of Haruka.
"Aren't you very motivated? You didn't come to me for something difficult like sign language; you secretly learned it yourself. Now you want to learn to sing in coordination with sign language, and you come to me? have you tried it yourself?"
"This shouldn't be harder than sign language, right? I can roughly guess a little of what you want to do. Just one song. With your talent, it shouldn't be difficult. Or could it be that your learning ability has degenerated recently? Or have you become depraved?"
She couldn't be blamed for saying this.
Haruka had always given her a very good impression—someone self-disciplined, self-improving, motivated in studies, talented, and organized.
Aside from not having much emotional fluctuation and being a bit indifferent, he basically had no major flaws. (Haruka hadn't exposed his utilitarian side, or perhaps the "simulation Haruka" had diluted it recently.)
And yet, this very person had been coming to find her more and more frequently lately.
This wasn't a good phenomenon.
It wasn't like his usual style.
That was why she spoke up, hoping to wake him up.
Haruka frowned. He actually didn't feel that way.
Once people were familiar with each other, wasn't it normal to help each other?
Reasonably borrowing the strength of others was also a form of wisdom.
Of course, Haruka wouldn't be so superficial as to think Yukino just didn't want to help.
In his view, Yukino must have subconsciously viewed him as a "petitioner" coming to the Service Club for aid, rather than a friend with whom she could exchange mutual assistance.
For someone seeking help, naturally, it is better to teach him to fish than to give him a fish. But for friends, isn't mutual help normal?
Haruka felt a bit disappointed in his heart.
It seemed Yukino didn't truly see him as a friend. It made sense; in this society, which was even colder than his previous life, how could true friends be made so easily? It was just an illusion brought about by this period of time.
With the cold cognition brought from his previous life, he should have realized this sooner. It seemed she was right; he really had become a bit depraved recently.
"I just thought we could help each other. But you made a good point. I really haven't distinguished the distance between us clearly lately. I've been a bit slack on the path of independence. That's not like me."
"Thanks for the reminder."
After thanking her, Haruka walked out of the Service Club.
Behind him.
Yukino Yukinoshita watched his retreating back, her brows slightly furrowed.
She felt that what he just said was a bit strange.
Distinguish the distance?
Slack?
Wait, I didn't say I wouldn't help him, right? Why did he just walk away on his own?
Did I hurt his pride?
Yukino frowned, deciding to go find him after a while.
The isolated Yukino couldn't see certain things clearly...
***
[After recognizing the relationship between you and Yukino, the 'youthful school life' version of you seemed to regain some 'rationality.' You became increasingly hardworking.]
[With only seven days left until the Cultural Festival, you finally perfectly combined the song with sign language.]
"Phew, finally done."
After completing the entire set of movements and the song, Haruka lay flat on his bed.
Sign language was essentially another language, but to accommodate deaf people, it was simplified to a certain extent, so the difficulty wasn't relatively too high.
But combining it with a song and doing it well causing the difficulty to skyrocket.
If it weren't for Shoko Nishimiya, how stupid would he have to be to do this?
And as for Shoko Nishimiya—if not for her gentleness, companionship, and that heartbreakingly sensible and obedient nature she had shown all this time, he wouldn't have done these things for her either.
This had to be done.
Because although Shoko Nishimiya's inferiority complex seemed to have been dispelled by him, Yukino, and Miura through their interactions during this period, in reality, it wasn't so simple. An inferiority complex that had followed her like a shadow from childhood to adulthood wouldn't disappear that easily; it was merely covered by a surface layer.
He was doing this to try and give Shoko Nishimiya some courage, to tell her that there were people behind her supporting her.
Moreover, from a psychological perspective, the shock brought about by such an impact in front of a large crowd would certainly not be small. Afterward, there should be more or less some change.
Of course.
Success or failure was up to fate.
If it didn't work, there was nothing he could do. Nothing was ever guaranteed.
Anyway, he had done what he should do.
Haruka thought for a while longer, and finally fell into a deep sleep on the bed.
...
[7 days until the Cultural Festival.]
***
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