OreShura: Volume 1 Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Newly Formed Club is Mayhem

Three days after all the commotion:

Since the first day, Chiwa never came back to my house to eat dinner. How would she solve her own food problems? Eat bentos from the convenience store? Or cooked food from the supermarket? Chihuahua must be craving her favorite kinds of meat.

I was a little...

Because I was… a little bit worried, I sent dinner to her.

Since I figured she would not accept it if I brought it to her in person, I left the lunch book on the front porch bench of her house.

The next morning:

There was a message returned to me, attached to the empty lunch box.

"Not enough meat."

......Even though she trampled my generous heart…

But it she seemed like she had cooled down.

I had begun to think there weren’t any problems anymore. Yet I never expected at lunch break--

"Does Eita know? The new rumors about Chihuahua?"

When was I eating in the classroom, Kaoru began.

"What? Was she called to the staff room again?"

"No... according to the students in class five, they said she was acting very strange."

She was usually kind of weird.

"Specifically, how strange?"

She ran in late for school while biting bread."

"Ah?"

So it was like this?

"Also, when she speaks, she adds "meow" to the ends of all her sentences."

"...To high school students, this was too shocking."

No, even to middle school students, it was also shocking behavior.

Even in anime or games, such a character with such a rough personality “does not exist”—Saeko-san, presumably would say so.

"And she also came to school wearing oversized ribbons like something from a children's cartoon heroine, and chemical makeup like those worn by Kabuki actors. She made the teacher very angry."

Disregarding the ribbon... she put on makeup?

These acts were nothing like the things the old Chiwa would do.

"Does Eita have any idea why she’s acting like this?"

"…Yes."

Of course.

She probably wanted to become "popular," so she tried to take the advice gained from her shoujo magazines.

Yet regardless of how you thought about it, it must have been a huge fuss.

"You should think of something to do, right?"

"Eh, w-why me?"

"Because Eita was the one who caused it?"

"Well......"

I couldn’t deny it.

Kaoru looked calmly around the classroom, then whispered:

"I never thought Eita and Natsukawa would start going also. I was also very surprised."

Masuzu was not in the classroom.

Every lunch break, I never knew where she always ran off to.

"In either case, I think it’s even more important that you deal with Chihuahua properly."

"You talk as if there’s something between Chiwa and me."

Even in middle school, there were people who suspected there was some relationship between the two of us.

However, I thought Kaoru always understood.

Chiwa and I were not in that kind of relationship.

"Regardless of whether or not the two of you have a relationship, in short --"

Kaoru had a serious expression and said:

"According to you, Chihuahua is like family, right?"

"......Well, sure."

Right now my only family was Saeko-san.

But – I guess Chiwa should be considered.

We eat together every day.

If you compared her to Saeko-san who was never at home and always working, perhaps Chiwa was even more like "family."

"It that’s the case, then how can you say this has nothing to do with you?"

"Ah, uh......"

To be frank, I had wanted to forget about this matter, and wait until the wind blew it my way again.

Because if I cared, wouldn’t that make it as if I were popular?

Moreover, this was fundamentally the route to mayhem!

On the surface, everything was indeed like that...... but the fact of the matter was, it wasn’t like that at all.

The relationship between Masuzu and me is "fake." As for Chiwa, she was acting rashly about nothing.

"Well, good luck ,"Eita.""

After eating lunch, Kaoru patted me on the shoulder and left. He seemed to be busy with some work as the Student Council secretary.

Three other secretary girls came to the classroom door to greet him, and the boys in the class even whistled to tease them.

Despite this, Kaoru still looked "indifferent," yet the three girls were as red as apples.

I heard that girls like Kaoru.

Although he wasn’t at the level of Masuzu, Kaoru was still very popular.

Even since middle school, such rumors were unending.

For some reason, no one as ever heard of him going out with anyone…

Does he like anyone?

"......It can’t be Chiwa, right?"

I suddenly blurted out what I was thinking in my heart.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.

N-n-n-no.

How could Kaoru like Chiwa?

♦

After that, it soon came to that time of day.

It was the happy time of day Masuzu and I spent time together.

Wow --

I am, so, happy --

Well............

In short, please take a look at this first.

"Hey, Masuzu --"

"I refuse."

She answered immediately.

I haven’t even said anything yet.

""Hey, Masuzu, I can just tell Chiwa that we’re pretending to be lovers?" You were thinking of saying this? "

"Ah… right."

This person was very frightening.

Could she read my mind?

"Kind-hearted Eita was thinking like this, right? I understand. Because Harusaki was acting strangely today, you feel responsible?"

"Sort of."

It seemed that Chiwa’s behavior had even reached the ears of Masuzu.

"What would you do if Harusaki revealed it to everyone? If the fakeness is revealed, the “wall” will be no use."

"I'll tell her she has to keep the secret."

"No. "Listen, this is a secret, but..." or, "While this is a secret, in fact, ah......" Like this one becomes ten, ten becomes one hundred, and the secret is no longer a secret. This is the enemy of all secrets."

"......"

I had nothing to say. She made it very rational.

"Sorry, I was wrong."

"You apologize so much. I like it."

Masuzu smiled slightly.

How many men has this kind of foul smile sent to hell…?

"Then we’ll have to think of some other plan."

"Ah, although we’re limited in capacity, I will help."

Since school ended, many students stared at us from the side of their eyes. Like always, we were very conspicuous.

Although I was inexplicably restless, Masuzu calmly walked plain the sight of many people.

The worlds we lived in were entirely different.

"I'll sort it out – Harusaki is acting like this because she “wants to be popular,” right?"

"Probably."

"Then, does Harusaki have anyone she like?"

"No, I do not think so."

I never heard her mention anyone in either her grade, or any senior she thought was handsome.

"Really?"

Masuzu examined my face carefully.

Her eyes were filled with doubt.

"What benefit do you get by throwing that kind of look at me? Chiwa and I have known each other since we were little, and I’ve never heard her talk about other boys in that way."

"No, I do not mean it in that way."

"Then what do you mean?"

"Nothing?"

Masuzu shrugged:

"Since Eita has no idea, so be it."

"...What, what?"

She was deliberately making it complicated.

"So, "Even though she doesn’t have anyone she likes, she still wants to be popular.""

Masuzu nodded and said:

"That is, in other words, a bitch."

"You can’t call her a bitch!"

This woman...

How could she such call someone else's childhood friend that!

"Basically, as long as Harusaki finds a boyfriend, this thing is settled... is that what you mean?"

"It should be."

Let her find a boyfriend...

It was really hard to imagine the scene.

"We‘ll help her find one."

"What, "help her find," do you mean? Ah..."

She didn’t mean “cook” instant noodles.

I’ll come up with something by tomorrow. Tomorrow, after school, bring Harusaki and look for me."

Masuzu looked very confident.

"Hey, what are you plotting?"

"I’m thinking about it right now. You’ll just have to wait for tomorrow. Ahahhaha."

Masuzu replied while giggling laughter.

......What are you going to do?

♦

Thus, the second day after school--

Bark bark! Bite! Bite bite! Wooof, wooof!"

"Ouch, that hurts! Don’t bite me! Don’t pinch me! Don’t grab me!"

Chiwa had bitten my sleeve with her large mouth.

She also pinched my cheeks, and grasped my arm.

In short, I brought Chiwa to the room Masuzu specified.

"What do you want, meow! Why did you take me to this place, meow! You always leave me alone. Why don’t the two of you go home, meow!"

Masuzu appeared with fearful smile:

"Hahaha, I really don’t know if you are a dog or a cat."

"No, I’m a person..."

I feel a little uneasy.

Was it really okay to bring Chiwa here?

This was the third floor of the school, the east side, where cultural societies generally met. At the southern end, there was a huge five-meter square empty room.

The inside was completely empty, except for a table and chairs. One corner was covered with four tatami mats, which looked like traditional Japanese-style tatami seats, but really weird.

Masuzu was kneeling upright on a tatami in the corner.

Somehow, in front of her was a set of four calligraphy treaures.

"Welcome, Harusaki Chiwa."

When and where did she change her clothes? Masuzu was wearing a red kimono which was decorated with bright eye-catching embroidery. Her silvery hair was tied up, exposing her delicate neck. This outfit truly revealed her sexiness, and the kimono was very well suited. Even I, who was always around Masuzu, wanted to let out a sigh of admiration. If other boys saw her, the number of Masuzu’s fans would surely increase.

"What’s going on, meow? I'm busy meow --"

"Today, in order to persuade Harusaki join our club", we brought you here."

"Club?"

Chiwa and I asked with one voice.

"Hey, you’ve never told me this! Masuzu, what’s going on?"

"Aren’t you in the go-home club meow? What club are you talking about, meow!"

"I heard Harusaki was recently trying hard to become popular with the boys. It is said that you’ve been sounding like a cat in estrus, because it was part of your strategy to become more popular."

"Who are you calling a female cat, meow!"

"It looks like it didn’t have much of an effect."

"T-the effects will slowly begin to appear, meow!"

In my opinion, even if a thousand years passed, the effects would not appear.

"Harusaki."

Masuzu coldly started at Chiwa.

"Please admit it."

"W-what.....? meow."

"You’re short, with a baby face, and your upper and lower body is tiny… in short, you have the appearance of a child."

"You’ve said too much. Meow!"

"Your brain has the maturity of a childish adult toy."

"I understand what you mean, meow!"

"In short, regardless of your appearance or behavior, you are simply are too naïve. If you go on like this, even after a million years, you won’t be able find a boyfriend, never mind becoming popular. In the end, it’s just a dream!"

"So what? Weow!"

"Although it makes me a little embarrassed to say this..."

Coughing, Masuzu cleared her throat.

"I am very popular."

"......"

"I am popular, and so much so to the extent I can’t stand it. I’m even tired of it, but there’s no way for me to stop attracting boys. "

Chiwa was so surprised that she forgot to be angry. She was just dumbstruck, with her mouth open.

"Nevertheless, I wasn’t always like this."

"Huh...?"

I couldn’t help mumbling.

Masuzu also went through an unpopular phase?

"I also tried and was defeated by various attempts and efforts… Anyways, the most important thing that led to my success was the presence of “this.”

Masuzu spoke as she pulled from the schoolbag next to her a B5-size notebook.

That was strange?

Why did I feel like the cover looked familiar?

Particularly, that patch of stains...... was this déjà vu?

I remembered the time I overturned a cola drink, and caused a stain--

Hahaha.

Ahhahahahaaahhhghhhhhhhhahhhhh.

"Hey, Masuzu, aaaaaggghahhhhhhahhhhhhhahhhhhhhhhhhh."

"Thanks to this notebook, I became popular."

"What are you thinking of doing… ahahahahahaaghhhhhhhahhghhhhhhhhhhhh."

"Ei-kun, you’re noisy! What were you saying? Did this notebook really help you?"

Because she was so excited, Chiwa forgot to add a “meow” at the end of her sentence. She leaned out and stared at the cover the notebook… almost as if she had been completely seduced by an exaggerated advertising campaign that swindled people.

"This notebook was something my “first love” gave me as a souvenir. How to be an attractive person? How do you attract the opposite sex? He recorded all of these doctrines under the appearance of a diary. Our club will use this notebook as our textbook, for the research and study of how to become popular."

"W-what happened to your first love?"

"In March of this year, he left a message that said: ‘The war starts today!’ Then he went out to the convenience store… and never came back."

Masuzu covered her face with her kimono sleeves and sniffled as if crying.

Was this person an idiot?

Who would actually believe this obviously vain and rotten story, and then cry--

"Ah, ah, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to ask! I’m really sorry!"

"......"

Well, that was, ah, Chihuahua.

You were so thickheaded I couldn’t hate you.

"If there was some unpopular and suffering in front of him – ‘I have to save them’ –he would surely say. Even more so, since you are Eita’s childhood friend. I couldn’t just sit idly by, so I created this club."

"Eeehhhh?"

Chiwa timidly recoiled backwards.

"I’m begging you, Harusaki. Please let a girl like me help you become popular!"

Masuzu’s expression looked very realistic despite the acting, and she stared pleadingly at Chiwa.

Chiwa looked away:

"I-I already understand your reasons, but ever since you said, ‘I’m begging you,’ …I suddenly had another thought!"

Mhm, that was well spoken.

To a person just listening, they would have found something very fishy. After all, everything developed way too quickly.

I seems like Chiwa wasn’t as stupid to that extent.

What, you want to run away?"

The fake crying suddenly stopped.

A provocative smile surfaced on Masuzu’s face.

"I-I wasn’t going to run! This and that are two totally different things --"

"If you want to win, you have to resort to any means, right?"

"R-right!"

"If you cling to your boring self-esteem, then fail, it’s very humiliating, right?"

"......"

Chiwa bit her lip, and lowered her head.

Damn…

These kinds of questions that emphasized the spirit, and preserving way of life… for Chiwa, who was sporty down to every corner of bone marrow and brain tissue, considered the “sporty blood type” …this was an extremely effective tactic.

"Hey, Chiwa don’t think about it so seriously, okay? Just keep working hard like you did in the past…."

"Right--"

Masuzu interrupted me:

"Eita will also join the group as an advisor. If Harusaki doesn’t join, it will just be the two of us alone at club activities – this doesn’t matter to you?"

Chiwa’s eyes immediately fired up, “Boom!”

"I want to participate! And it’s not because you convinced me!"

"H-hey, Chiwa......"

"What, Ei-kun? Did you really want to be alone with this person so much?!"

"......"

According to our school rules, new clubs needed to have at least five members.

To keep a club from disbanding, they should also have at least three members.

In others, it was impossible that “Masuzu and I would be alone in club activities.”

But by now, however, I couldn’t open my mouth against Chiwa’s burning and raging eagerness.

...I don’t care, you guys can do whatever you like.

"So it’s decided then, hehe. The club activities seems like they’ll be very interesting."

Clap! Masuzu clapped her hands, while smiling.

"And then what? Can we use this as the clubroom? And what’s the name of the club?"

Masuzu picked up the brush next to her in response to Chiwa.

She smoothly wrote on the white hanging scroll several fluent words.

The text she wrote --

"Young Maiden’s Self-Performance Club"

It was really like Masuzu’s style. I thought the name had a particularly noble style, with a very sociable feeling.

"It’s a really good name!"

Chiwa’s eyes light up when she spoke.

Well, if she likes it, it’s just fine.

-- Just when I was thinking this, Masuzu whispered to me:

"Abbreviated, it becomes “Jienotsu Club”

Omitted it turned into a" self-speech B (Note: "B female" girls in Japanese, it is referred to as "self-speech B", which means for self-guided and acted in the behavior indicates consolation, mainly used in irony.) "♪"

She was definitely a real, genuine --

Demon.

---

From the "Young Maiden’s Self-Performance Club” application form:

Aspirations of each member:

Masuzu: In order to improve myself, and familiarize myself with Hanesuke High School’s temperament.

Instructor: Good luck at becoming a young maiden.

Chiwa: I absolutely, absolutely have to become more popular than Natsukawa!

Instructor: You should give up on the hatred first.

Eita: Let me say a few things. Survival is difficult. I hope to save the lives of others. I will never give up. Ah--!

Instructor: I could see the enthusiasm of Kido-kun in that last "Ah--!" Good luck!

Notes

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