Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai! Novel 1

by Torako

  Rikka looked dumbfounded at the newly drawn “yu” on the back of my hand. Again, many tears began to fall down her face. Her eyes continued to have that sorrow in them.

  ….That’s right, I was once diagnosed with chuunibyou.

  I also know what it means to not have anyone around me. I know how painful that feels. And yet, though I knew this, I didn’t set my attention towards being a compassionate person. I was incapacitated.

  Will this delay her recovery? Who cares? The most important part is having someone around who understands you. One who doesn’t care about the disease.

  After all, I like everything about Rikka. Of course I really like the chuunibyou side of her.

  “So I’ll use my own contracting power to fix what you’re afraid of. Watch as my flames of darkness unlock the final mystery. Agapenikku Over Burst!”

  That’s chuunibyou if I say so myself. I think those lines were quite fitting.

  Once again, I took a deep breath and then continued.

  “And so it is released. I really like you, Rikka. I love you. That’s why I want to spend my life beside you. We’ll always be together! It’ll never end. I vow to be beside you until the end of time. That’s my promise!”

  But this emotion doesn’t come from chuunibyou. It’s from my own confidence. Eternity. It sounds nice, doesn’t it? I’ll definitely make that happen.

  Rikka, still crying, looked up at my face. Gold and black mis-matched eyes looked at me with tears falling like she was someone who just lost a job.

  “Oooo, Yuuta…Yuuta….”

  “Rikka, you’ll never be alone again. Oh, one more thing. Did you know everyone in our class is really sweet? You should let them know about your powers like you told me. Isshiki already knows about them. Kannagi-san knows too. It’d lighten the atmosphere some, wouldn’t it? As for Nibutani, well, I’m sure she’ll join with us one day.”

  “Yea…..Yeah….!”

  “Oh, we still have a science re-test to look forward to. We’ve got some more study sessions planned, don’t we? But that won’t signal the end of them. We’ve got finals coming up. Let’s see if we can raise your score to average! And also…. I’m not that good at English, so I’d appreciate it if you’d tutor me in that.”

  “Yes…..!”

  Rikka was responding positively as she cried.

  “So, you see, we’ll always be together.”

  I walked up to the teary Rikka and began stroking her glossy hair. It was only for a little while, but her tears stopped shortly afterwards. That’s good. I’d like Rikka to always, always be smiling.

  “Yuuta, Yuutaaaa!”

  “Oh, Whoa!”

  Rikka jumped at me like she was a puppy. Shortly afterwards her body collapsed into me and I helped support her. Looking down, I could see her face. That small head looked up at me.

  “Oooh, Yuutaa,……I’m sorry….. I really like, I love you too…..! That’s why I didn’t want you to disappear….I want us to always be togetherrrr!”

  “Yeah. It’ll be alright. My contract and your contract overlap so, like you said, it’s quite strong. Canceling it will be quite difficult.”

  “Ooooh, Yuuta’s making fun of me.”

  “Eh, no, not. That’s not what I meant! I mean it’s the strongest!”

  “Naturally……the Devilish Truth Stare is the strongest!” Crying, smiling, Rikka continued on. “…….Yuuta, Thank you…..Thank you….”

  “Don’t cry, don’t cry. It’ll be alright. I’ll always be here for you.”

  “Will you always be contracted to me…..?

  “Ah, I’ll always be your contractee.”

  I suppose you could say that was a cool way to propose. It’d be embarrassing if I just say “thanks” back, so why not say this?

  “So this means I’ll always be Rikka’s boyfriend.”

  Of course my face reddened. Hers did too.

  “I’m Yuuta’s girlfriend………?”

  “Ye, Yes.”

  “Oh.”

  And then

  I felt a warm sensation on my lips. For a moment I didn’t know what was going on, but…

  “This is proof that the contract is valid.”

  I too broke down crying. I was so happy. The person I liked had the same feelings I did. I was so happy.

  “Th, Thank you, Rikka.”

  After saying that, I could feel the tears coming down my face. These were tears of happiness. They were proof of my happiness in this moment.

  And then for a short while, we stayed close to each other, warming the other’s body.

  ◆ ◆ ◆

  After an extravagantly short time, we began to talk about some things.

  “Yuuta, do you remember asking me previously about why I chose to form a contract with you?”

  “Ah, I remember now. It was really bothering me.”

  It was bothering me right now. After all, if I hadn’t been in a contract with Rikka, we wouldn’t be together right now.

  “Oh, would you like to know? Be warned, there is a possibility you might become disillusioned.”

  “Is that so? It sounds scary, but I have to know. It’s how we met after all. What kind of reason did you have?”

  With a nod, Rikka continued the story.

  “Do you remember the day where the list of students who were able to enroll into this school were posted?”

  “That day? I remember it, but I don’t remember a lot about what happened.”

  It was an awfully cold day. Just before the results were posted, it started to rain. The whole area was flooded with students in uniforms I didn’t know and their parents. If I remember, I was the only one there for me.

  “On that day Yuuta and I met.”

  “Really? Are you serious?!”

  “Serious. On the day the results were posted, I was alone. But you spoke to me.”

  No, I don’t remember that at all. I know that I’d definitely remember talking to a cute girl (especially with an eyepatch and bandages).

  “Sorry, but I don’t remember talking to a girl wearing an eyepatch before entering high school….”

  “I didn’t wear an eyepatch that day. The Devilish Truth Stare was calmed at that time.”

  “What kind of a power is it?!”

  A new fable had already begun here. By calmed down, does she mean her eye wasn’t golden?

  “Huh. Sorry to ask you to tell me, but I really don’t remember anything…..Sorry…..”

  “It was inevitable you wouldn’t remember me. I was in stealth mode, so remembering anything about me would be difficult.”

  “Hearing you say that is a huge relief……So what did I say to you?”

  “On that day, before the results were posted, it began to rain. At that time, I was pleasantly beside Yuuta. Because I was beside you, I could hear you say ‘Let my powers of darkness make me pass!’”

  “Huh?!”

  I said something like that the first time we met? I completely forgot. How could something like that be erased from my memories……

  “Disillusioned?”

  “Not at you, I’m disillusioned with how I acted! How could I say something like that!”

  “After you said that, you did something kind to me. Even though I didn’t bring an umbrella, you lent me yours. When I passed, you congratulated me. Yuuta was the only one to do that. I was happy, very happy.”

  “So it was like that. Sorry for not remembering…”

  I was probably so happy that my powers of darkness flared up….. Quite the embarrassing past I’m carrying around, isn’t it?

  “That’s why I trailed you on the day of the entrance ceremony.”

  “And then you found out about that?!”

  “Yes, that is how I saw you saying that on the rooftop.”

  “And that’s why you started to act like that when you got your test back, right?”

  “That wasn’t acting. I really was ill. The Devilish Truth Stare was rampaging. The one who helped me
through that was you. Ever since I first came to this school, you’ve been helping me.”

  “….That makes me happy somehow. I’m glad to be a sympathizer.”

  “Yes, I think so as well.”

  Rikka nodded with an awfully serious look on her face. I probably nodded back with a shining face just like hers.

  “So, we should get back to school now.”

  “The re-test…..”

  This was the perfectly normal Rikka who disliked school. As for me, this was relaxing.

  “Didn’t you say that you studied a lot?”

  “Yes.”

  We began to get ready to leave. Rikka went into the changing room to replace her blouse since it got wet from her tears. I was nervous. I should have heard the sounds of someone changing clothes, but that was just a hallucination.

  Rikka came out, said “Let’s go,” and sat against my back in the entrance way. When I looked at her pale face, I didn’t see her usual white cloth. The golden color was radiant due to her tears from crying a while ago.

  “Huh, is it alright for you to go outside without your eyepatch?”

  “It is not needed. The power has been sealed, so it is alright.”

  I see huh. If she says it’s alright, then I suppose I’m at peace.

  “Then, shall we go?”

  “Yes.”

  This was the first time we went to school together. Rikka was running at full throttle happiness. The Devilish Truth Stare was not awakened. I don’t think she’ll ever be able to fully stop though. She’ll probably tell me more and more stories from today onward.

  Well, it’s my responsibility to burden them. Nah, it’s my eternal role. I wouldn’t give this to anyone else. I’ll always be by Rikka’s side.

  Final Chapter: She’s Chuunibyou, but…

  When we returned to school after the Rikka Escape Event (my own title), I was the one who got scolded. The disciplinary teacher saw me leaving campus and scolded me. “You skipped classes and left school!” After about an hour of lecturing me, he let me off with forgiveness. Since Rikka was just late to school, she got a lighter treatment. When I told that to Rikka, she smiled.

  In return, she told me about her treatment that day. While I was being lectured, she went to the classroom late. Everyone, including the teacher, was frozen in shock. Well, I was too when I first saw her eye. I sense this is going to become a freezing ability.

  But it looks like our class won’t let this secret slip out. It’s probably blown over like the event at the field trip. Without an eyepatch, mismatched eye colors, and bandages: what kind of dull person would say they were coming from the demon world looking like that? Only this active Evil Eye chuunibyou girl would.

  Oh well. As long as she’s alright and the eye is sealed, then I don’t really have a problem with it. Well, it’s Rikka, so she’ll surely say it’s alright.

  Alright huh? So I’ll have to protect her from anyone who makes fun of her for today. Granted, I don’t think anyone in our class would do that. They might try to make fun of Nibutani, but they’ll get a scary warning from her.

  Incidentally, I asked Isshiki about the disciplinary teacher when I was checking with him about the golden eye thing.

  “He’s just that kind of person. Hell, I’d warn you about that. I’d be mad if you came in late. But why are you sorry about the golden eye? I’d rather caution you against how pretty that eye looks. That demon eye might have some charming powers on it.”

  And so our own discipline guy is a-okay. I’m relieved. He’s the one likely to cause a strife saying it was violating some rule.

  And then after school.

  Our class, good ol’ 1-3, was taking the math re-test. I was waiting in the classroom, as promised, for Rikka after sending her off. I’d pray for her, but she’d find out about ten minutes later when it was graded. Soon the end of the re-test was near.

  As expected, ten minutes later I heard the door open.

  After checking around to ensure it was only her, I went to the front of the room.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Yuuta, look. Look!”

  Bang! Her failing (15 points) answer sheet was spread out in front of me. Across from it, “Another re-test needed” was written. What was the whole “Look! Look!” about?

  “It was an honest mistake.”

  Rikka had a “help me” expression. I gathered up my rebuttal power.

  “There’s no way a 15 is even close to a perfect 100. How is that an honest mistake?”

  “I released the full power of the Devlish Truth Stare after it began, but controlling that power…”

  “Your excuse is well-prepared!”

  As usual, I went into training papa mode. No, I shouldn’t get mad at her.

  “Oh…Sorry about that.”

  Now she was feeling horrible. Maybe I was too strong with my rebuttals. I know for sure she put in a great amount of effort for this.

  “Well, you’ve got another re-test, don’t you? Do your best in studying from here on.”

  “This is just an endless battle.”

  No, re-tests do typically end. I could feel Nana-chan’s trust in me plummeting. Maybe it’s already plummeted. I’ll have to talk with her later about today. Sigh.

  Coming down from the platform, Rikka looked like an angel coming over to me.

  Rikka, Snow crystals.[9]

  Mixed on her usual snow-like face was red, the sign of blushing. Perhaps it was embarrassment over her poor grade.

  The pretty girl in front of me hasn’t recovered from her chuunibyou, but instead has melded me into her world. As for chuunibyou itself, that “evil practice” changed her, just like how snow melts.

  Rikka may forever be infected with chuunibyou. She may make a full recovery. I don’t know which would happen.

  But it won’t affect our relationship. The person I like is still in there. The person I protect is still in there. The person I always want to be with is still in there. It’s just that my important person has fallen ill with chuunibyou.

  But,

  Chuunibyou isn’t a bad thing.

  Sure it might be a disorder that turns people into megalomaniacs.

  People might get the wrong impression and think they’ll live forever.

  Well, for some it might be too late.

  Reality changes for all of them in some shape or form.

  But make no mistake, it’s still present. That’s why chuunibyou is the best!

  Postscript

  It is a pleasure to meet everyone. This is the person who thought the dodgeball left an imprint if you didn’t avoid it, and current chuunibyou patient Torako.

  First I’d like to thank everyone who picked up a copy of this book, Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai! Everyone, I really like you all. No, I love you all! I don’t think I could possibly thank everyone, but I’ll start from the beginning. Though I thought life was a little bit interesting, I was really happy to obtain my chuunibyou soul again. To be honest, this is take two of the postscript. This might be the first take two postscript ever written. YES! I began writing after a certain live show when my excitement was raised, but my excitement went overboard. I’ll leave it to you to imagine what I was thinking!

  To be frank (not holding anything back today), I love Kyoto Animation’s anime works, and so it was a privilege to win the first Kyoto Animation Awards’s Honorary Mention; a magnificent prize. But it was a true honor to hear it would be printed in novel form. That’s too many for a single lifetime. As they made a special website for it, tears kept running down my eyes due to my happiness. I am indebted for all the cute drawings they added. Nozomi-sama’s illustrations are so cute! I’m a huge fan. When I first saw the illustrations for Rikka and Shinka, I was so happy. (I’m embarrassed to admit I cried)

  Now onto how this story came about. I’ve always liked the emotionless characters (though I get a bit uneasy when they start to talk properly) so I thought it would be fun if I began writing a story where one takes c
enter stage. I then added an eyepatch, thought it would be cute, then added bandages too and then changed the eyepatch to fit the chuunibyou standard (of what I could remember from my past) and then the mysterious Rikka was born. The criminal who made her into an emotionless character and yet an idiotic girl was myself. I combined portions of my dark past for both Rikka and Yuuta, so I guess you could say this work is my own dark history notebook. By the time I realized it, it was too late.

  Well, the one thing that I wanted this work to portray to the world is happiness. The other thing is to not leave things undone. It’s summer inside this work and somehow I didn’t include a swimsuit scene! I’m an idiot! I’m sure Rikka would wear some kind of gothic Lolita swimsuit. I’d be greedy to say anymore than that

  Finally, I’d like to give my thanks to the always busy editing staff. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. If they weren’t here, this work would never have been published. And then the illustrations drawn by the busiest person ever, Nozomi-sama, were the best treasure I could get in a lifetime. I am truly thankful for all you’ve done. There’s so many other people involved with this project and I’d like to thank them all too. Finally, a maximum amount of thanks to you, the readers.

  -The absolute cutest hiragana is “yu”

  Torako

  Footnotes

  1. On Japanese phones, there is a way to send information such as phone numbers and e-mail addresses to other phone numbers. Yuuta is sending his information to Rikka in this chapter.

  2. Rikka uses the term “天才” to refer to Yuuta as a genius in line 1. She then uses the same phrasing (tensai) to call him a sugar beet.

  3. A dance popularized by the show Mahoujin Guru Guru by Kita Kita Oyaji. (Niconico link)