~An Apology~
Important Notice for MOL Burger Customers
We sincerely thank you for your regular patronage.
Due to the blockade in the Strait of Malacca, the transportation of our products will be in disarray for one hour.
The production numbers will be adjusted and provisioned accordingly.
We apologise for the inconvenience and hope for your understanding.
Management
Yuu-1
What makes society tick?
When the question is posed that way, the answer is rather obvious.
Human society is otherwise known as the spirit of mutual cooperation.
Everything in the world, be it the insurance system, infrastructure or even perhaps disaster relief, is built upon a system of mutual aid. If humans only ever grabbed or stole what they wanted, their development as a species would not have been feasible. People have built society by leaning on each other’s shoulders.
So what were Kusaoka-san and I, then? As we waited for the pedestrian lights to change, I c.o.c.ked my head in vague confusion.
The sunset-stained rotary was teeming with commuters. In the heart of our city, there was a giant station terminal, which ran all eight railways, including the private lines, the subways and the JR. Flanked by a flagship department store on one side and the head office of a home electronics emporium on the other, our bustling business district was renowned throughout the country for being built upon the foundations of both the East and West. It was a hive of activity at any given time of the day, from the crack of dawn to the dead of the night.
It was a world run by greedy capitalist logic, totally divorced from the concept of mutual aid.
In the midst of all this, I glanced up at the person beside me. The boy who had followed me, wordlessly responding to my cry for help.
“Kusaoka-san, could you say that we have a cooperative relationship?”
“I’d say that, given the circ.u.mstances, the only thing we have between us is an evil plot…”
“Hm?”
“Oh, nothing.”
“…I see. I am a little worried. I don’t suppose it’s a good feeling to keep on giving to others without expecting anything in return.”
“Don’t worry. I don’t think it’s possible to feel any worse than this.”
“…So you are a little bothered, aren’t you?”
To that, there was no response. With a peculiarly thin smile on his face, Kusaoka-san walked on silently. Had my voice been swallowed by the crowd? No, that couldn’t be it. We were close enough for him to hear me clearly.
I wondered if he disliked me. If I was not the object of consideration, I might have seriously considered that possibility. Nevertheless, in a conversation pertaining to the subtleties of the heart, he had pretended to ignore my voice. That could only mean one thing.
He was no doubt enraptured by my beauty. In all likelihood, he had no wish to suffer the pain of rejection. Oh, men. They come in all shapes and sizes, but every one of them is stubborn as can be.
From the very moment he first called out to me, I somehow knew. Kusaoka-san’s face was that of a young man head over heels in love at first sight. There’s no other way a horrid face like that could belong to a human being.
As a woman blessed with rare intellect and beauty, I have more experience in these matters than most. The number of times someone has asked me out exceeds the number of stars in the sky. Unfortunately, however, I have yet to give my okay to anyone.
Being a beautiful girl has its occasional downsides.
If I sell my face to the opposite s.e.x, I purchase an equal amount of displeasure from my own s.e.x. Given that the market is inherently just, that particular transaction is a matter of fairness in a closed school society. Among the things I have some knowledge of, the capitalist world of love certainly ranks among them.
I merely wish to go out with someone who is my equal, for I am a timid and weak person at heart. Simply the thought of performing an equal transaction with someone far less intelligent and refined than myself fills me with unstoppable shivers. Instead of thoughtlessly and unfairly aiming for someone beyond their reach, I would much prefer it if they raised themselves to my level.
However.
“I have no idea what you think of me, Kusaoka-san, but I am a human being. If I make someone feel bad, I feel bad as well,” I insisted slowly.
Kusaoka-san cast a glance at me, his mouth still closed.
Indeed. At first glance, Chigusa Yuu might seem a tad—well, extremely adorable, but her heart was that of a normal girl’s. Even if his feelings themselves were impossible for me to respond to, I was compelled to ask what the matter was. I am deeply concerned with those human feelings.
One good turn deserves another—that is an inviolable rule.
According to my younger sister, boys are extremely fond of cute girls who ask them for favours. That being the case, Kusaoka-san must have experienced a great thrill from my request. I might have entered these investigations to fulfil my own objective, but he was a total outsider. He was engaged in the pursuit of happiness—a downright hedonist, so to speak.
“Kusaoka-san, wouldn’t you say that I gave more to you, strictly speaking?”
“Huh?” Kusaoka-san blurted out as if he had been caught off-guard.
“However, you needn’t worry yourself over it. I am not the type of person to be concerned about transactions that do not involve cash.”
“…Impressive. I have transactions on my mind all the time, so we have zilch in common.” Apparently deeply moved, Kusaoka-san let out a deep sigh in the very middle of the pedestrian crossing, where the surging crowd of people had started to move. “So what do I have to do to go home?”
“When our intel-gathering investigation is at an end. We were supposed to meet up at the MOL Burger at the end of the—oof!”
One of the people crossing the road must have hit me with their bag. Bam. I felt pressure against my back, causing my knees to buckle involuntarily.
Slowly, gradually, the pain spread throughout my entire body.
“Ouch…”
Everything turned blurry. Tears began to spring unbidden from my eyes. I really am such a crybaby. At times like these, I was keenly aware of my own powerlessness.
There was nothing I could really do, but if I could just see for myself who had hit me—
It happened the moment I attempted to turn around meekly.
“—It’s all right, so just stand up already.”
“Huh?”
“Hurry up and finish so we can go home.”
Wow!
Someone was pulling on my arm and helping me to my feet. A shiver rolled down my spine—he was even stronger than whoever had knocked me over.
The boy who had pulled me so forcibly was the universal female fantasy. Of course, I, being the pinnacle of womanhood, was no exception when it came to such fantasies.
Frantically, I wiped the corners of my eyes with my palms. I ducked my head.
“…Er, um… Thank you very much.”
“You don’t have to bow. I just wanna go home already.”
When I looked up, Kusaoka-san was looking away as if nothing had happened. Peculiarly enough, his curt profile appeared like sparkling neon to me.
“Your points just went up, Haruma-san.”
“What points…?”
“Oh dear, don’t make a girl say it.” I raised a finger.
For all his strength, he was such a shy boy. He merely shrugged in embarra.s.sment. The sheer gap between his appearance and actions was making his points climb even higher!
When my Johannes points are full, I give the other person a fighting chance to have dinner with me. Kusaoka-san really was lucky that I was lengthening his date with such a wonderful girl. I get a free meal out of it too, so I was very happy myself. The point system kills two birds with one stone!
I conceived all these policies in order to make everyone happy, so perhaps I am well suited towards the politician’s trade. If my objective was to save money, then plunging into the world of politics was certainly one option. I would do anything to change j.a.pan, my beloved mother country, into a better place.