Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju:Volume3 The Second Question
The Second Question
Please write the diary entry for the first day of the training course.
Himeji Mizuki's Diary:
After getting off at the tram stop, I was overwhelmed by a sudden dizziness. The smell of the trees and the change of scenery, the different of air quality compared to the streets of the city, seemed to prophesied that something good will happen.
Teacher's advice:
It seems the change of environment is a great stimulus. I wish Himeji to have a great time and create some memories that belong only to the second year of your high schooling.
Tsuchiya Kouta's Diary:
After getting off at the tram stop, I felt overwhelmed by dizziness. I wonder what caused it?
Teacher's advice:
It's carsickness.
Yoshii Akihisa's Diary:
At the tram stop, I took in a whiff of the air, it seemed a little sweet, yet sour. A very mysterious smell, and my deep thoughts echoed whether or not it was the speciality of this town.
Teacher's advice:
I am definitely sure if Tsuchiya besides you was not vomiting, you would have a different impression of the air quality of this town.
Noticing the greenery pass the bus window, I finally left the city that I’m so used to staying in, and is heading towards the highlands that give off such a realistic feeling.
“Seems like we’re going to be on this tram for another 2 hours.”
Himeji-san is sitting opposite me as she slips her handphone back into her pocket. She should be checking out the bus directory.
“There’s two hours left, but I don’t want to sleep. What should I do~”
As the space in the bus is small, there’re only so many things we can do. Our handheld games were confiscated, so we couldn’t bring them. There’s unexpectedly so few things that we can do.
I turn around and look at Yuuji, who’s looking outside. also looking rather bored, he yawned.
“Yuuji, got something interesting?”
“Isn’t there a mirror in the toilet? You can look into it until it breaks.”
“Eh, you’re saying that my face looks interesting?”
“Nope, you’re mistaken. I’m saying that your face—really can’t make anyone laugh.”
“What do you mean by you can’t laugh at it!? Is my face so bad that no one can laugh at it!?”
“I’m saying what’s interesting in your guardian spirit.”
“A guardian spirit? You can see those kinds of things, Yuuji?”
“Mm, I can see it. Dyed in blood, messed-up long black hair, that’s a rare guardian spirit you have there.”
“No matter what, anyone who looks like that wouldn’t be protecting me, right?”
That should be well-known as a ghost from behind, right?
“Relax, I’m just half-joking.”
“Ah, what the hell, you scared me.”
“Actually, the hair is coffee in colour.”
“Forget about the colour, that’s not the important thing!”
Though I feel that Yuuji should be joking right from the start, I still find it a bit horrifying. If I’m to listen to him even more, it’ll become a monster talk. But then again, my luck recently has been really bad, maybe it’s some impure thing coming over to haunt me…never mind, let’s just prepare some salt to chase them away.
“Oh, Minami, what are you reading?”
Opposite Yuuji, diagonally in front of me, Minami is reading a book that’s about as large as a notepad. It’s really rare for Minami to read this when she’s not really good in Kanji. Is it something that introduces red rubies?
“Hm? You’re talking about this? It’s a book of psychological tests. I bought it since it costs 100 yen, but I didn’t expect it to be so interesting.”
Psychological tests? Seems like we have something to kill the time off.
“Ohh~ seems interesting. Why don’t you give me a question, Minami?”
“Mm, alright.”
After saying this, Minami flips through a few pages.
“Then let’s start. ‘Please choose someone from the opposite gender that fits the following colours’.”
So, a colour impression? I suppose this is to choose who I find suits the colour the most, right?
“’① Green ② Orange. ③ Blue’
Please say the names of the persons who you find are suitable for the above colours.”
Ooo~ Green, orange and blue, huh?
“Erm—Minami, why are you staring at me so intently? At least let me answer the question first.”
“I, I’m not! Stop yapping and start answering!”
“Hm~…if that’s the case, then ‘Green=>Minami, Orange=>Hideyoshi and Blue=>Himeji-san’, or something like that.”
PLACK—Minami lets out a terrifying sound between her fingers.
“Mi, Minami-san…why must you rip the book right through in half?”
“AND YOU DARE ASK WHY!?”
“Eh?”
“WHY IS MY COLOUR GREEN AND MIZUKI’S BLUE? CARE TO EXPLAIN?”
Wa! Though I don’t know what’s going on, she’s really infuriated! For her to get so angry from just a psychological test, do I have something against tests?
“Eve, even if you ask me why, I…”
Because you’re wearing grassy-green underwear—she’ll throw me out of the bus window if I say this, right?
“I won’t get angry, so just say it.”
“Because your underwear’s grassy-green underwear.”
“SAKAMOTO, OPEN THE WINDOW!”
“YOU’RE THINKING OF THROWING ME OUT RIGHT!? YOU’RE THINKING OF THROWING ME OUT OF THE WINDOW RIGHT!!?”
“Shimada, you can’t just throw trash out of the window.”
“Thanks for stopping Minami, Yuuji, but you just treated me like trash without thinking, right?”
“Doesn’t matter anyway, since you’re not trash, but a scumbag.”
“What now~ I haven’t been treated like this so cruelly in a long time.”
“You should put a scumbag into a waste carriage.”
“And even Yuuji’s treating me like one…”
Why must I be always treated like this!?
Just as I grit my teeth to endure this agony of humanity, Yuuji easily snatches that booklet of psychology (or rather, it was one anyway) from Minami’s hands.
“AH! What are you doing!?”
“Let me see! Green represents ‘friend’, orange represents ‘source of motivation, and blue represents—ohh. I see.”
Yuuji glances at Minami and me a few times before giving a sly look. I’ll go mad everytime he gives such a look.
“Sa, Sakamoto! Return that to me!”
“Sorry sorry. It looked interesting, so I really felt like borrowing it to take a look.”
Minami puffs her cheeks in anger as Yuuji doesn’t look sincere at all when he apologized.
“Speaking of which, does Yuuji want to participate?”
“You’re right. Shimada, can I join in too?”
“Alright alright…but, but I have to make this clear, there wasn’t any significance in that question just now!”
“Okay okay, I got it.”
What was written on that book?
“Can I join in too?”
At this moment, Hideyoshi moves over. He’s sitting together with Muttsulini behind us, seems like he’s bored as well.
“I’m okay with it.”
Minami looks a bit unhappy, seems like she’s a bit jealous of Hideyoshi.
“Well, thanks. Ah, Akihisa, regarding the answer just now…”
“What answer?”
“The question just now was ‘Please choose someone from the opposite gender that fits the following colour’, right? Who did you choose for orange?”
“You, Hideyoshi.”
“…I’m happy to hear that when you mentioned this, but I do feel really troubled by this…”
Hideyoshi lowered his head as he muttered this. What’s going on?
“Speaking of which, is Muttsulini not participating?”
“Looks like he’s asleep. I heard that he did quite a lot of investigations.”
I poke my head out past the back of the chair, Muttsulini is definitely sleeping.
“I guess it’s better not to bother him.”
“You’re right.”
Seeing him sleep like this, it’ll be pitiful if he’s to be called up suddenly.
“Erm, excuse me. Can I join in as well?”
Sitting opposite us, Himeji-san shyly raises her hand.
“Then let’s have everyone play.
I answered for Minami while she still looked unhappy. Besides, she won’t mind Himeji-san joining in as well.
“Oh yeah, Minami, about that ‘opposite gender person that represents blue’, what’s the answer?”
“…I won’t say it, even till I die.”
“How, how did it become like this…”
Himeji-san’s wide eyes look a bit teary. It’s because of those teary eyes that I immediately thought of her the moment I heard blue.
“Ah…never mind, on to the next question.”
Minami sighs and again flips through the torn psychology test booklet. To be able to rip a booklet right down the middle, how strong is Minami anyway?
“’From the numbers ‘1’ to ‘10’, please choose the first two numbers that you thought of.’”
“I’m 5 and 6”
Yuuji said.
“Well, I’m 2 and 7.”
Hideyoshi replied.
“I’m 1 and 4.”
I gave my answer as well.
“Then I’m 3 and 9.”
Himeji-san finally has an answer.
After hearing our comments, Minami slowly flips through a page off the booklet in her hands.
“Let me see. ‘The first number the person thinks of represents how others view the person’. If so—”
“A snarky, cool guy.”-- Yuuji.
“A calm and sensible person.”-- Hideyoshi.
“Go to hell.”-- Me.
“Caring and cautious”-- Himeji-san.
Minami said out the results of this.
“Oh, I see.”
“To be called sensible, I’m rather happy.”
“Erm~ why am I the only getting scolded?”
“So I’m gentle and cautious, huh~”
We all said out our thoughts.
“Next, ‘the second number represents the real personality hidden within you’. So, let me see—”
Similar to what she did just now, Minami pointed at everyone.
“A just and gentle person.”-- Yuuji.
“A very attractive person.”-- Hideyoshi.
“Go and die painfully.”-- Me.
“A strong-willed person.”-- Himeji-san.
She again gives us the answer.
“Hideyoshi is really attractive.”
“Himeji is a strong-willed girl, huh?”
“Erm~ Why am I being the only one scolded even more?”
“Sakamoto-kun really gives a feeling that he’s gentle.”
Our conversation starts to revolve around the psychology test, and everyone continued to have fun.
After that, Minami started to play a few of these psychology test with us.
After a while,
“…(Pats pats).”
“Ah, morning, Muttsulini.”
“You’re awake.”
“…Woke up because I’m hungry.”
“Oh? It’s that time already?”
I pull out the handphone to confirm the time, and the time shown on the screen right now is 1:15pm. Normally, this would be past lunchtime already.
“Perfect timing. Why don’t we have our lunch now?”
“You’re right. We won’t be able to finish dinner if we had lunch too late.”
Food is a really important source of nutrition. I won’t deliberately give any excuse that I ate already this time; that would truly be a waste.
“Ah, it’s time for lunch, right? If so—”
At this moment, Himeji-san reaches her hand into a bag beside her, searching for something, and I have a bad feeling about this.
“Actually, I made quite a lot of bentos, so it possible…”
The prediction became through! Himeji-san takes out a large bento box!
I’m really grateful for her kind intention, but unfortunately, the food that she makes aren’t just a masterpiece of creativity, it’s a strong poison that can threaten anyone’s life.
“Sorry Himeji, but I did bring my own bento.”
“Sorry, I brought mine as well.”
“…Same here.”
Yuuji, Hideyoshi and Muttsulini all pull out their lunches to prove it, seems like they were completely prepared.
“This is how it is, so Akihisa, please accompany Himeji as you eat your lunch.”
Yuuji reveals an expression of glee over my misfortune. They must have thought that since I’m in poverty, I won’t be able to prepare my own bento.
Hoho, you’re too naïve if you thought that.
“I’m sorry. Actually, I prepared my own bread.”
“Oh my! My hand slipped! (smacks me)”
“…my foot slipped. (steps on it)”
“AHHH! MY BREAD! MY BREAD!”
After Yuuji caused me to drop my bread onto the floor, Muttsulini followed up by stepping on it a few times.
Damn it! Your combination is too perfect! How am I supposed to react?
Even so, I’m not so weak so as to give up even after my bread got stepped on a few times.
“Hahaha, you guys aren’t careful at all. Really, why don’t you treasure food more—”
“—You’re right. Why shouldn’t we treasure food? I finish up this squished bread, so Akihisa, just eat Himeji’s bento.”
““……(staring at each other)””
“Ah sorry Yuuji. My hand slipped so—”
“I’ll grab you to prevent your hand from slipping.”
““……(glaring at each other)””
“Then Akihisa-kun, if you don’t mind—”
Himeji-san shyly brings the bento in front of me. I’m really~really happy, but after seeing the contents of the bento, I can’t even bring myself to start tucking in.
“Ah~ Well, this…”
“Aki, do you want to eat my bento as well?”
Just as I was ready to use my specialty ‘stomachache attack’, Minami unexpectedly gave me an escape route. This is truly a once in a million chance!
“Thanks Minami for sharing! How about everyone open up their bentos? Then we can all share!”
I see Yuuji shoot me a ‘what kind of bastardly idea is this?’ blaming look. Really, this made me feel so good about it.
“Well, well Muttsulini and I will go back to our seats and eat.”
“…(Nods head vigourously).”
Oh, so Hideyoshi and Muttsulini are both intending to escape, huh? Nevermind, my target has only been Sakamoto Yuuji right from the start!
“I don’t need it, besides, I have Akihisa’s bread in my hand.”
Though Yuuji’s face is looking as gentle as ever, his gaze is ever serious.
“Don’t say this, Yuuji…”
“I see, so you want to eat my bento as well! Go ahead, take as much as you want!”
“GUUH!!”
My mouth got stuffed with a lot of things. Yuuji seemed to have stuff my mouth with sandwiches to prevent me from saying anything. Can I even say anything anymore?
I frantically chew on the food to swallow it. Humph! This American-style sandwich is too delicious! Roasted chicken with some special marinade on it.
“(swallows)—that was good!”
A layer of butter was applied on the surface of the toast to prevent moisture, only the leaves of the lettuce was used, the lettuce was used to wrap the tomatoes and chicken to prevent the moisture from oozing out, and there’s a layer of wasabi sauce and mayonnaise on the chicken as well…
“Oi Yuuji, did you make this yourself?”
“…Can’t I?”
How should I say it? The sandwich he made was surprisingly good, really shocked me. This guy really isn’t some amateur at this, he always has his way of doing things.
“Then have some of mine.”
This time, Minami places her bento in front of me. Ooohh, hers is traditional. Deep-fried meat balls, siewmais and asparagus rolls are all lined up nicely in the bento box. She still gave me these even though she was in a bad mood during the psychology test games, really, Minami is gentle! I have to see her from a different viewpoint.
“Then if you don’t mind me.”
Now, what shall I eat? I’m getting puzzled since I haven’t eaten a proper meal for a long time. Oh~ well, then I’ll take the siewmai! Though it’s rude, I still used my hand to pick one up and pop it into my mouth.
“Aki, that, well…I’m trying to summon my courage to say this! Actually, I intended to let you eat that siewmai—”
“Hm? What? (chewing)”
“—because between the 2 siewmais , one of them has wasabi in it.”
“ARE YOU STUPID!?”
SPICY!! I’M GOING TO DIE OF SPICINESS!! MY TONGUE HAS GONE NUMB!!
“Akihisa, you might be lucky in a certain sense.”
Yuuji patted his hand on my shoulder just as I’m going about looking for water.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN I’M LUCKY…ah yes! Since my taste buds are all damaged, maybe I might be able to take Himeji-san’s toxic food! If so, I got to remain in this invincible mode and—
“I’m taking your bento, Himeji-san!”
“Ah, yes. Please have more of it.”
“I’m tucking in—”
