chapter02 · 025-ep22

Episode 22: High School Friends, and Middle School Friends

From the next day on, regular classes began.

Don't high school classes move way too fast compared to middle school?

First period math, and the teacher opened with "we'll finish this unit in three days." Three days?! Middle school spent three weeks on that stuff.

English was the same — four words I didn't know on page one of the textbook. Page ONE. All we'd done was open the cover.

By lunch break, the whole class was a little wilted. Probably everyone thinking the same thing.

"This is bad, right?"

That was the first thing out of Yano's mouth.

"It's bad. What even is 'three days'?"

"Is high school always this fast? Nobody told me."

"Nobody told me either. They should've put it in the enrollment guide."

"Horiguchi-kun, what about you?"

"...I lost consciousness partway through math..."

Horiguchi in the front seat stayed face-down on his desk. He was so nervous yesterday, and now, one day in, he's talking plenty.

"Ichinose, you hitting the school store?"

"I'm in, I'm in. What do they have?"

"No idea. We'll find out when we get there!"

Lunch ended up being eaten toward the back of the classroom.

Me, Yano, and Horiguchi — then the girl I helped carry textbooks yesterday came over with "mind if I join?" and we were four. Her name was Nishino. Then the two from the back row pulled their desks over too, and we were six.

I was thinking "not bad for day one" — and by day two it's already doubled.

"Ichinose-kun, that's all the bread you got?"

"This was all the school store had left."

"What is it?"

"Probably a croquette bun."

"PROBABLY?!"

Nishino laughed.

High school lunch isn't like middle school's lunch service — everyone does their own thing. Some bring bento, some buy from the school store. Yano's got two sweet buns and a jelly drink, which by any measure is not enough.

"Yano, is that gonna cut it?"

"No."

"Then go buy more."

"Standing in line is a pain."

"Don't sacrifice your lunch to a line."

Conversations with zero content — but honestly, I think this stuff might be what matters most.

Back then, this was when I'd be off doing something else. Writing lore in a notebook, staring out the window, murmuring 'the time draws near.' Ask the current me what exactly was drawing near and I've got nothing for you. It was fun in its own way, but there's no question the present is healthier.

Around when I finished the croquette-ish thing, my phone buzzed. The middle school group.

Miyake: "Oi."

Miyake: "Entrance ceremony's over, right?"

Miyake: "The promise."

Osawa: "You remember it?"

Osawa: "The one where we dive as five."

Like I could forget. It's been sitting in the back of my head this whole three weeks.

After the entrance ceremony, the five of us dive. That's the promise we made at the end of March, on the way home from Kanayama.

Back then I was Lv 1 and couldn't even swing a borrowed sword properly. Now I'm Lv 69, D-rank, and appearing in a half-a-million-view video. What does it TAKE for three weeks to go like this. No — wait, I know exactly what it took.

Yamabuki: "How's Saturday?"

Fujidou: "I'm free Saturday."

Osawa: "Me too."

Miyake: "I'm in."

I just left it on read and thought about my answer.

I want to go. If it means diving with those guys again, obviously I'm thrilled. But there are two problems.

One: Kanayama dungeon is closed. My fault.

Two: if we dive as five, I can't become the King.

No, wait. I'm Lv 69.

Even in base form my STR is near 50, and I've got three years of middle-school body control under my belt. I can call Nameless too. One line — I do have to chant it. Yeah. Plain and simply, I'm strong.

If there's a problem, it's that from their perspective I'd be unnaturally TOO strong. ...Wait, no. That IS the biggest problem.

"Ichinose-kun, you're making a scary face."

Yano peered in at me.

"I am not."

"You are. Girlfriend?"

"Sadly, no. Middle school friends."

"Ohhh, that's it!"

And just like that, Yano's interest evaporated in one second. You're an open book, you know that?

"We're talking about diving Saturday."

"Huh? You dive? Didn't you say 'rarely'?"

"That 'rarely' happens to be coming around this Saturday."

"'Rarely' takes reservations?! Where at?"

"That part's still up in the air."

My phone buzzed again.

Fujidou: "Kanayama's closed, so it'll be somewhere else."

Fujidou: "Closest F-ranks are the harbor side or Moriyama."

Miyake: "Either's fine."

Osawa: "Your call."

Yamabuki: "Whatever you decide."

Fujidou: "Then Moriyama."

That was fast. Everything's fast with Fujidou around. I fired back my reply right away too.

Saku: "I'm in."

Saku: "Saturday, Moriyama. Don't be late."

Sent, and I flipped my phone face-down. For the first time in a while, all five of us get to dive. Even I can feel the grin creeping onto my face. The mountain of problems — I'll leave it parked over there for now.

"Hey, Ichinose-kun!"

"Hm?"

"You free after this? We were talking about going to karaoke, all of us."

Yano leaned on my desk. The back-row two, Nishino, and Horiguchi were all looking over and nodding. Day two of high school and that's already on the table?

"Huh — today?"

"Today, today. Strike while the iron's hot!"

"That iron is way too hot."

"It's a mixer! A bonding mixer. You in? Or out?"

I'm in. So, SO in.

"I'm in. Absolutely in."

"Yesss!"

Yano threw both hands up and Nishino laughed. Horiguchi's "I'll go too" was quiet.

Diving with my middle school friends Saturday, karaoke with my high school friends today. This is probably exactly the high school life I used to imagine.

If only the Job column didn't say Chuunibyou, this would honestly be perfect...