Lone Harem Meister Chpater 15: Loner’s Past, Middle School
Note: This weeks release was translated by JFantasyBooks.
“I have not TL-ed a JP novel in over 2 years. I am very rusty, and the online dictionaries available give like 3 different options for one word. I had to use context. If you see anything that is hinky, please notify via comment.
Thanks!”
It was the day after I entered junior high.
The day before the entrance ceremony, textbooks were given out all at once. And since they were quite heavy, I had placed them in my locker to hold until I needed them. Only, for some reason when I opened my locker today, they were gone.
“What the… ? Where’d they go?”
Without textbooks, I had no choice but to mention honestly what was going on to the teacher. I went to the staff room to bring up the topic.
“Excuse me, teacher… I don’t have any textbooks.”
“They were handed out to you yesterday, were they not?” A male teacher questioned with a clipped voice. I of course answered back.
“Yes. I had placed them in my locker yesterday, but as soon as I came in this morning, they was gone.”
“They should not be. Are you sure you didn’t just misplace them?”
“I’m sure. I really don’t know what happened!”
“You have no choice now but to buy another set of textbooks out of your own pocket. It is only orientation today, so you won’t need them now, but I will provide you with a list of the textbooks you need and their publishers so you can buy them later.”
“…Thank You.”
I could not do anything, after all, there was no proof there was any criminal activity. So, after school, I bought all the textbooks again out of pocket with the my mother had left behind.
The following day, 6 AM.
“Well, after setting up the washing machine, push here, place the detergent in before closing the lid.” I mumbled as I got things ready.
Once I selected the following cycle, I was ready for breakfast.
“Ah! Ugh… d.a.m.n it, cut myself with this stupid kitchen knife … Bandage, bandage, ah, over there.”
I went to the first aid kit I had, pasted the bandage, and continued on with cooking.
“This is good… Uh… this potato is still hard… ”
I was trying my best to make miso potato soup. Because this was one of my mother’s best dishes, I wanted to place this on the memorial I had of them in the house. My sister loved this miso recipe.
“I can’t cry. I still have to work hard!”
“Okay, Finally done!” After half an hour, the miso soup was done.
I poured it out into three different bowls, situating two of them in front of the alter.
“Mother, Older sister, I tried my best… hope you like it.”
After clasping my hands in a small prayer, I started eating the meal I had prepared. It wasn’t just miso soup I had made, but fried eggs and rice. All in all, everything was quite tasty.
“… I guess it’s time to go to school,” I said out loud. Of course the house was empty. Locking the door, I left. Even if I was cheery and greeted my neighbors, they would only deflect their eyes while the parents of my cla.s.smates would stare.
“I only protected myself … What’s wrong with that?”
Everyday I would think about the same thing; ask the same thing, but I never got an answer. Eventually, I grew used to it.
Just as I was thinking about things, I arrived at my junior high school. I had thought I would spend my time studying, but I w
as wrong.
The cla.s.sroom teacher, giving off an intimidating impression, spoke,
“There was a report this morning; I heard that Tanaka’s mathematics book was ruined. I do not wish to doubt everyone, but the guy who did it should be honest, and raise his hand. Teacher will not get angry.”
Even if you say that, who would raise their hand?
“Teacher… I know the culprit,” A girl named Natsu Kawata raised her hand and said.
“Who?.. Who did it?”
“I saw Kiriyama Yuuki do it.”
“What?…. Kiriyama!”
He called my name with a considerable amount of angst.
“Did you do it?”
“It wasn’t me!!”
“Except there is an eyewitness seeing you at the scene, so just admit it!”
My homeroom teacher strongly reb.u.t.ted. His tone was as if placing me under heavy investigation.
“But it really wasn’t me!”
“You are a murder, so doing this is just as possible, isn’t it?”
A male student in the cla.s.s tried to argue, and paint me as a common criminal. With that word, everyone in the cla.s.s looked to maintain that opinion of me.
“Kiriyama! Come back to the staff room later.”
“I, I…
And at that, the teacher left the cla.s.sroom without letting me say anything. Why will they not believe me? I really did not do it…
“The homeroom teacher is no longer here. Kiriyama! How dare you mess up my textbook!
“The hu… ”
Before everyone’s eyes, Tanaka got up and punched me in the pit of my stomach.
“Haaa… ugh…”
“The homeroom teacher is stupid. He really believed what I said.” I heard him say to himself.
“Guan! Geffen! OOF!”
He beat me over and over. Rather, I focused on holding my body down as to not move.
“Someone…” I called out.
But no one answered my call. Is this my sin?
It was like that every day. I was betrayed by childhood friends, teachers, cla.s.smates… All the students attending school were my enemies.
“Do not get close to him! He’s dirty! You’d best leave him alone!!”
“Will you keep away from me as you will stain my reputation?”
“Naoya …. You and Shana-chan.”
I accepted it, but because we had played together from before until now, it was still a blow to hear it from them.
“Filthy.”
“Why don’t you just die?”
Are you a loner?
Such words were thrown at me every day, and then october came.
I was always being beaten and abused and treated as if I were not there.
Lunch break:“Hey! Go get me something,” one of the cla.s.s leaders ordered.
“I can’t… That would be sneaking out of school… ”
“Ah? … Finished?! Now go to the convenience store and buy me something. Oh, and use your money too.”
“Uh, that’s…”
The boy pressed his face close to my own, and gave me a threatening look.
“You’re quite rich, aren’t you? Do got quite a lot from your mother’s insurance and will, so you can afford to buy things from a convenience store, right?!”
“Uh… Huh… “
For me being beaten a lot was one thing, but this money….
“I have it in my wallet.”
When they took my wallet, I suddenly felt a rush of anger. It was like there had been shackles… but now?
“Give it back!”
“HAaah? p.i.s.s off!” He said as he held it away from me.
I rushed towards him, but he punched me in my face. I did not fall though, and kept at him.
“That is what my mother risked her life to save, return it!”
“What? Are you stupid? I said I’m not gonna return it!”
He hit me again, but I didn’t stop.
“That’s mine, return it!”
And by the time I reached him, all bruised up, I got into his face with a wretched smile.
“Want to die?”
“…”
It was then that everyone in the cla.s.s were stained with fear. I took back the money, put it into my wallet, and went out of the cla.s.sroom.