Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai! Novel 1

by Torako

“……Oh.” Rikka sounded disappointed and covered her head.

  “It’s alright, don’t worry. I’ll definitely carry out this contract.”

  “Of course you shall, you have been contracted.”

  “I got it. Understood. Now let’s get to work solving this general review problem set.”

  “Leave it to me! I’ll do my best!”

  “Oh! That’s the spirit!”

  So our last after school study session regarding math ended.

  After the final bell rung, signaling the end of the day, we left the classroom. Looking outside, you could see the twilight of summer.

  It was silent. Usually she switches over to her made-up stories once we finish, but today she didn’t. The somewhat weary Rikka walked beside me.

  Looking at Rikka, I was also affected by a melancholic feeling. That’s right, we’ve finished our last session. But we still have science sessions to go, so aren’t there more fun times ahead? She looks lonely now. Silently we changed our shoes and headed outside. As it is, once we reached our usual parting place, I opened my mouth and began to talk.

  “Rikka. Give it your best tomorrow! I’ll help you in any way I can. But in return, you have to show me your results!”

  “Yuuta, I don’t have to show them to you. It’s already been decided what I’ll score.”

  “What?!”

  “A perfect 100.” Rikka flashed the Victory sign.

  “I look forward to it.”

  “Watch me.”

  Alright. Later.”

  “See you tomorrow. Bye bye.”

  Like that, we went our ways.

  ◆ ◆ ◆

  That night I passed time like usual in my room. I didn’t have anything to worry about personally with re-tests, but I just couldn’t calm myself down. I laid on my bed and tried to read a mystery novel, but I only got three pages in before I closed it. Why can’t I calm down?

  I guess my training papa and meddling mama blood has made me concerned about Rikka. Nono, I can’t think like that. I have to believe she’ll go and get that perfect score. But why can’t I calm down?

  I took a deep breath…..but that didn’t help.

  Then my favorite ringtone from my cellphone started going off. I instantly pulled it off the charger and checked who it was. Of course I knew from the ringtone that it was Rikka. I looked down and saw on the screen it was †User of the Devilish Truth Stare, Rikka Takanashi †. I also saw that it was midnight. I thought that this was quite a late call as I answered it.

  “It is I.”

  As soon as I pressed the button her voice went into my ear. How she knew when I answered it I don’t know, but this wasn’t her usual voice.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Um….I reached a point where I don’t know what to do.”

  “Hmm? Oh, are you studying?”

  “Yes. I am in the middle of a full review.”

  Should’ve known it. I didn’t think that she would continue studying once she went home. My inner papa and mama were weeping. She doesn’t care for the subject, but she’s still giving it her all. There’s no need for me to worry after all. Why was I concerned in the first place? I don’t know.

  That’s what was going on in my head while I wasn’t saying anything.

  “Oh? So what problems are you having on a ‘full review’?”

  “Let’s see. Problems 5-30 on the sheet you made yesterday.”

  “Nearly all of it?!”

  I should’ve known. Sorry, I’ll take those worries back.

  Not yet. Things are alight. If she tackles these seriously, she’ll be able to do well somehow tomorrow. Getting a 100 might be impossible, but she could pass. It’ll be alright if she doesn’t lie down and we study together. It’s a bit difficult to cram at the last minute for math, but as long as she memorizes the formulas, she should be able to solve the problems easily. It’s alright.

  “Don’t worry, it’s just a short review.”

  “Then let’s get started now! Tell me what you don’t know.”

  “Let’s see…”

  It was 03:00 before our general question and answer review ended.

  “Okay, you should be fine now.”

  “Yes, I’ll be fine. Tomorrow is a day where the Devilish Truth Stare is strong. Thus you need not worry. Hehehe.”

  Rikka sounded a bit sleepy and yawning. Nevertheless, it looks like she’s still in a good mood. Or at least that eye is. As usual, I’m not sure how she knows about these powers it has.

  “Sleepy? Shouldn’t you go to bed? If you don’t go to sleep, you won’t be able to remember these formulas. You should go to sleep for a little bit after a late night session.”

  “I am a being from the demon world. There is no need for me to sleep.”

  And yet you yawned as you said that. This is too much. Even demon worlders need to sleep. Maybe you might have a dream if you go now.

  “Well, I think you’ll be fine if you really go to sleep now. Your re-test is after school. They’ll get angry if you fall asleep during classes.”

  “……….yeah.”

  “Then do your best tomorrow! Well, I’ll hope that my prayers make it to you as well.”

  “…..Yuuta’s like that. I’ll go lie down. See you tomorrow. Good night.”

  “Yeah. Night.”

  The phone call ended. Whew, I let out a deep breath.

  “It’s okay. It’ll be fine somehow.” I could let that out now that I was alone.

  I began thinking about what to do tomorrow. Oh, perhaps I could get a gift for passing the long-awaited re-test. First could be that gum she likes. That reminds me, she wasn’t pleading even once for it today. Well, maybe the gum doesn’t signal celebration enough. Maybe a lunch would be better. Ah, cutlet sounds good. Do we have any here? Well, if we don’t something frozen should be fine.

  I was thinking about those kinds of things for about an hour on my bed until I fell asleep.

  Then tomorrow came. The day of her re-test.

  Rikka didn’t come to school.

  Chapter 12: Absolute Absolute

  I noticed something unusual when I arrived at school. Usually I see Rikka’s doll-like presence sitting in front of me reading a book, but this time was a bit different.

  Huh? She’s not here yet? It seemed odd. While we were up late last night, I don’t think she would be the type to sleep in.

  After then, I became very anxious to see Rikka’s figure. As my anxiety grew so did the number of times I checked my watch. Eventually, the bell that sounded for students to go to their classrooms sounded. Rikka was nowhere to be seen.

  What’s going on? Did she escape.....?

  No, it can’t be. Rikka was studying as if her life depended on it yesterday. There’s no way she’d escape after that.

  But what’s going on....My anxiety continued to grow. I was a little bit hesitant to say that she could still be walking to school, but I couldn’t be sure of anything. Things that I wanted to and didn’t want to believe kept going around in my head. This classroom is noisy. Well, I guess if I make a phone call, no one could say I didn’t try. So I called Rikka.

  “………………”

  No reply. What if something happened? There might be a chance she really wouldn’t come today. Damn it, what should I do?

  Well, I’ve only got one thing that I could do. I have to search for her. Wait, I’m already starting to act like her. I don’t care if I miss classes. I stood up alone, and began to leave the classroom.

  “Togashi.”

  Someone called out and stopped me. I turned around and saw Isshiki.

  “What’s going on man? You know classes are about to start.”

  I know that. But I can’t give you an answer. This whole thing has shocked me stiff.

  “Well I don’t really need to ask you what’s going on. I’ve got the gist of what’s happening, but I am a disciplinary council member. I’ve got no choice but to warn you.”

  Definitely a determ
ined guy.

  “Is it Takanashi-san? I can’t think of any other reason why you’d dash out like that. This is the first time I’ve not seen her in the classroom. Is she taking a break or….What happened?”

  “I don’t know. That’s why I’ve got to search for her. Sorry, but trying to stop me is useless.”

  “………Well aren’t you showing off how you climbed up those steps of love. Look, take this.”

  What he tossed over was a key to a bike lock.

  “…..Huh? What’s this?”

  “You don’t know? Discipline isn’t just about checking uniforms if they’re regulation or not. They should protect all order. Didn’t I say that before? Don’t disarrange the pure relationships between guys and girls. If I tried to stop you here, then you’d want to disrupt that order. So for the sake of protecting the guys and girls in our class, I’ll lend you this.”

  ………That’s Isshiki. My best friend.

  “Don’t give me a warning.”

  “Hmm, I know you’ll to go where Takanashi-san is located and do whatever it takes to get there, so I wanted to help you out.”

  “What’s this? You’re sounding pretty cool, aren’t you…..”

  It feels like my feminine side has fallen for him. It sounded good when I was saying something like that.

  “Well, that doesn’t mean you’re the only climber of those steps. There’s others out there you know. You’re just the one that’s currently on the grounds. I got to check for safety, but I’ll leave this to you.”

  If my feminine side can comment again, this part wasn’t that cool. But that’s alright, I am a guy. Isshiki’s funny lines did help loosen my stiffness a bit.

  Issihki had urged me on after rambling. “Anyways, stop complaining and get going! Go find Takanashi-san and then bring her back with you. Doesn’t she have a re-test?”

  “Th, Thank you.”

  “Just don’t run in the hallways man.”

  Can’t forget his role as a disciplinary council member, huh? My mental state was saved by his seriousness. I had regained my composure while he was talking.

  I began walking through the school with the speed of someone who was late. When I was about to go down the stairs, I ran into Nana-chan.

  “Oh my, aren’t classes starting soon Togashi-kun?”

  “Sorry Nana-chan, but I’ve got to leave early.”

  Nana-chan had turned her head in confusion, but seemed to understand as she commented. “Hmm, there’s a certain fiery spirit in you that I’ve not seen before! Is there a certain reason? Well, be careful and come back safely!”

  How am I surrounded by so many sweet people? Man, they’ve really helped me out lately.

  “Yes! Thank you very much!”

  After getting by Nana-chan, I made my way towards the bike racks. As soon as I stepped outside, I started running. I had to search for the ladies bike Isshiki usually rides. I was a bit hesitant to get on his beloved bike, but we don’t have any spare time. Though it didn’t have any special characteristics, I was able to find his bike quite quickly.

  Not wanting to scratch it, I pulled it out safely from the racks, and lowered the seat. It was a bit high; he probably didn’t expect to lend it out. Stepping on the pedal, I was able to get over the side and use the power I had saved up earlier.

  This ladies bike flew down the street. It was about half past eight, so there weren’t many people on the sidewalks. There were some late students, but I passed them by. I kept pedaling at max speed. My destination: Rikka’s apartment.

  Wait for me Rikka, I’ll definitely find you.

  I reached Rikka’s apartment pretty quickly. While I was catching my breath, I put Isshiki’s bike away without permission to park it and headed towards Rikka’s room.

  I don’t know if she’s here or not, but I have to knock on her door to at least try.

  “Rikka, are you in there? If you are, please open the door.”

  I called out a few times, but I never got a response. Maybe she’s not here. Where else could she be? Did we miss each other on the street?

  …….Oh well, I can’t look through every nook and cranny here. I began to walk back to Isshiki’s bike when I saw Rikka’s door open.

  “………Yuuta…….?”

  It only opened a little, but I could see Rikka through the opening. Come on, you’ve made me worry so much already. But everything’s alright. She’s here.

  But that face doesn’t look like Rikka at all. This dark, depressed face doesn’t look like she usually does.

  “Oh, you’re here. You’ve made me worry. What’s going on?”

  “………”

  She kept her mouth shut just like on the day of the class trip. I gazed at her vacant eyes. I got the sense that there was something else at play beside she couldn’t get any sleep.

  “Um….Okay. Would it be alright if I came in for a bit?”

  “…….Come in.”

  And the door opened widely so I could head inside.

  As the curtains were shut, the room itself was dark. I could see Rikka wearing her uniform. She had on her usual bandages she wore, but the eyepatch wasn’t attached. Today the Devilish Truth Stare was already shining.

  Is that why she didn’t come to school……?

  I stopped at the front entrance. I couldn’t move any further. It felt like I would be rejected if I went further. Rikka also stayed at the entranceway, but she was constantly looking downward.

  “What’s going on today?”

  “…………”

  No response. All she did was continue to look down.

  “Are you sleepy? If you are, that’s alright. I won’t get mad.”

  “…….It’s not that.”

  For the first time I heard her voice again. There was no affection in it. It sounded lonely.

  Gradually, the atmosphere grew thick. What should I do……?

  “Are you not looking forward to the re-test?”

  “…….It’s not that.”

  “Do you want to escape?”

  “It’s not that.”

  “Then, what’s going on?”

  Silence engulfed us for a while. I don’t know how long it would hold us. It felt suffocating. Finally, Rikka, still looking down, commented in a small voice.

  “……I don’t know.”

  “Huh? What don’t you know?”

  Silence took over again. Rikka continued to look down as she was pondering the situation. What she was pondering, I don’t know. This is irritating. I might be able to know what she was talking about if she would just say something.

  Then, she commented about what she didn’t know.

  “I don’t know…. I just don’t know…These feelings… Why, why do I have these feelings… Yuuta, …I’m sorry…..I’m so sorry…..”

  Rikka couldn’t look at me while she was apologizing. Her voice was shaking.

  To that shaking voice, I had to ask, “Rikka…..?”

  “What should I do…..”

  She continued for a moment before crying out loud.

  “What….how did…. How did it get like this… I…I don’t know….!”

  To be correct, she shouted out loud. She brought her tiny hands to cover the tears she was crying.

  “I don’t know anything…..! I thought I could go to school, but my legs wouldn’t move….! I don’t know. It’s so scary…. Yes, it’s really…..terrifying!”

  Just like tears kept leaking out of her eyes, she couldn’t stop talking.

  “I thought I could do my best with Yu, Yuuta, and I’d be alright…! I, I thought I’d get a perfect score! But, but! Once this re-test is over, everything is over…. That’s….scary….It’s so scary… I couldn’t leave….!”

  As if they were hiding behind her eyes, Rikka’s tears kept coming. I began thinking of how to reply to her list, one-by-one.

  “I…. inherited this power from my father……. But then….. up until now anyone who knew hated me…. I wanted someone to u
nderstand…..this Devilish Truth Stare….but…but Yuuta was different….only Yuuta would….listen to everything……..not laugh…..and would sympathize!”

  Rikka confessed her past. Bit-by-bit, she stored every one of those emotions until they were this strong.

  “That’s why today….once the re-test is over, and the study sessions are no more… I’ll be alone again….Yuuta won’t…. be my contractee anymore….Yuuta will disappear in front of me…..”

  I don’t think so. There’s no way I’d disappear from Rikka.

  I need to let her know this. Now. Though I couldn’t pick the right words, I had to share these feelings.

  But I couldn’t say anything. My shoulders kept shaking with all my might while she kept crying.

  “Oooh….so…sorry….Yuuta… I said I’d do my best….I said I’d get a perfect score….”

  It’s alright. I won’t get angry at you.

  “I…I….”

  She kept wiping away her tears that wouldn’t end and kept apologizing. There’s nothing for you to apologize for. I would like to say something too, but I couldn’t say anything at all.

  Oh yeah. I should tell her those words, shouldn’t I? I thought I’d do my best, and give her support while I was wrapped up in these emotions. Maybe they would have an effect. I want to be with you, and then I’d tell her that I really like her. I’ve not once said those words to anyone.

  “I’m sorry…. Yuuta, I’m sorry! You saw me study lots, and lots… You saw me when we were together…. You were always so kind to me….!”

  Now that she’s properly communicated her loneliness, it looks like now her tears are stopping.

  I have to say something now. Does she have the same feelings….that I do?

  “Rikka.”

  As I called out to her, I went from the entranceway into the main room. I went straight to her desk and pulled out a pen. Of course,

  “Rikka, look at this. It’s the security fragment! Did you forget what you said? Wasn’t it permanent magic? You know what permanent means? It’ll last forever. It won’t disappear. Though it might get pale, though it might vanish, it’ll still be there. So what are you worried about! I’ll spend my whole life being next to you! No, I want to spend my life being next to you!”