[Tripartite interview 3]

 

It's after school in the 2A class. The tripartite interview in the school takes an unexpected turn when Francisca appears. The first thing that came out of her mouth was a statement to go overseas to study, which Nishino had not expected. 

"Well, I see. You're aiming to go on to higher education instead of getting a job." 

"Yes, that's right." 

"But from our school to a university overseas......"

Otake sensei changed his mind about this considering the colour of Francisca's skin and hair. If the person in front of him was of the same nationality as she appeared to be, it would be natural for him to think that way, or something.

"Wait a minute, what are you talking about?" 

" Are you interested in university? I heard from Rose."

"Even if so, can't I decide from myself?" 

"Then why don't you consider it as a possibility?"

"Why?"

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"If you want to go to university, you don't have to stay in Japan, do you? The level of education is better there, and they are more flexible in terms of accepting diversity. For an eccentric person like you, it is much more suitable than a local university." 

" ........ "

That being said, Nishino is at a loss for words. If he hadn't had a satisfying youth during his time at high school and wanted to continue to do so after graduation, Francisca's proposal was worth considering. As it turned out, the chairwoman, who was waiting outside the classroom for the interview, was not so happy

The thin door of the classroom could not completely contain the loud conversations that took place. Shimizu was forced to hear that Nishino was likely to go to a university overseas. 

It's a world away from the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, which is where she's headed.

"Why Nishino can go to university overseas? ...... " 

"Studying overseas is great. Is he good at English?" 

"......" 

The chairwoman was unable to reply to her father's question. As he watched her, he wondered what was going through her mind and said something strange. 

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"Why don't you ask him to help you with your english?" 

"Wha..." 

"Schoolwork and cram school are important, but there is also something to be gained by actually speaking to someone close to you. If you speak english with the students in your class on a daily basis, you will naturally learn english, won't you?"

For the chairwoman, it was an act of abstinence. She believes that this is the only thing she can do, even if the world turns upside down. That's why the answer was so flustered.

"Why would I want to be Nishino-kun?"

"What is it? You don't get along with him, do you?" 

" ... That's not the case." 

She remembered the many times in the past when people had been kind to her. She felt uncomfortable to disregard this and dislike him unilaterally. In contrast to Matsuura-san, who had cut off all favours and gratitude, the chairwoman here had at least a human conscience. 

She never ignores people when they talk to her in the classroom. That's why Matsuura-san says that Nishino is under the jurisdiction of the chairwoman.

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"If Chikako doesn't want to say anything, I'll ask him." 

"Wait a minute! You don't have to do that!" 

"Is that so?" 

"My English score in the mid-term test is better than before! At this rate, I'll be able to get the marks I need without having to rely on anyone else! So, Dad, please be a real man!" 

"Okay, Chikako." 

"Jeez......" 

On the other hand, there is someone who is watching the conversation between father and daughter. 

It was Suzuki-kun. 

He was hiding in the corner of the corridor, secretly watching them. Just after his own interview, he saw the girl of his dreams in front of the classroom and couldn't stand still. What he heard was the phrase Nishino. It's the name of a classmate who has been annoying him lately. 

"...... Why does Nishino know Shimizu's parents?" 

Naturally, it is Suzuki-kun who is not amused.

 

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Because he likes the chairwoman. 

He had broken up with his previous girlfriend in order to pursue her. He has not been able to have sex for several months. His frustration was compounded by the fact that Takeuchi, who had also repeatedly approached Rose, was not lacking in sexual partners. 

"He's really pissing me off......." 

Naturally, Suzuki-kun's mouth is full of complaints. Of course, it never reaches anyone's ears. In this way, the tripartite interview of the 2A class passed smoothly, while giving various thoughts to the people who were present. 

◇ ◆ ◇

After the meeting, Nishino went to Kondo Clinic, a dental clinic run by Risa's father. He remembered the place well from his previous visit and was able to get there without checking the map. 

The reason for his visit was to resume his dental treatment, which he had neglected due to his financial situation. He had received a message from Risa in the classroom, so he decided to come as soon as possible. 

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After a complete check-up of the mouth and x-rays, Risa's father came to see Nishino. A display in front of the examination table shows the photos that have just been taken. 

"I'm afraid I have some bad news. I can't find two of your permanent teeth." 

"You can't find it?" 

" These two baby teeth, here and here, have recently fallen out, haven't they?" 

"Yeah, they fell out this autumn......."

"In some people, the number of permanent teeth is insufficient. This is because the tooth embryo, which is the basis of the permanent tooth, was not produced while you were young, so it did not grow back. And you also lose your baby teeth very late in life." 

" I see." 

Nishino was surprised by the unexpected information given to him. He had thought that the teeth would just grow back on their own.  

"There are many causes, but it is more likely to occur if the mother was poorly nourished when the baby was in her womb, rather than because of the patient's lifestyle. It's a congenital condition, but it's said to affect a few percent of the population."  

"...... If that's the case, it's possible. "

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"Of course, you don't have to worry about it. I'm sure you'll be very happy with the way your teeth turned out. I've been thinking about getting your teeth straightened, but I'm not sure if I want to do that."

"That was a big help." 

"I'm sure you'll be able to explain this to your parents, so let's just have an examination today." 

"Yes, sir."

He has not seen, or even been in contact with his family for several years. It's not as if he's going to call them about his dental treatment. However, on this occasion, he did as Risa's father said and lifted himself up from the examination table. The dentist asked him to go back to the waiting room. After waiting for a while and paying the bill, he left the Kondo clinic.

"Nishino, can I have a word?"

Risa was standing right beside him when he left the clinic. 

She had taken off her school uniform and was dressed in a mini-skirt and T-shirt. The sight was refreshing, and Nishino, excited by the thought of meeting her classmates off campus, responded with another pretentious gesture. 

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"Kondo. What's the problem?" 

"You're still pissing me off, aren't you? Can you come over here for a second?" 

"Oh, yeah, that's fine......." 

At Risa-chan's request, Nishino went along with her. 

They went to the private entrance of the Kondo family house, which was separate from the entrance to the clinic. Not expecting to be invited to their home, Nishino's mood was more excited than ever. The opposite sex invites him to their home. This is a very important event in his youth, as he defines it. 

"This way"

Risa takes off her shoes and proceeds to lead to the futon. Nishino does as he is told and enters the house. Eventually, they are finally ushered into the living room of the Kondo house.

"Go and sit on the sofa. I'll get you something to drink." 

"No, I don't mind." 

"No? Well, I'll just keep talking to you." 

Risa sat on the sofa on the opposite side of the room from where Nishino sat. They were facing each other across a low table.

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"Why did you invite me all the way to your house?"

"I don't want to go into all the details, so I'll just tell you straight away, Nishino has been getting on well with the chairwoman recently, right? You've been getting into it a lot in the classroom, or maybe it's just that the chairwoman has been poking fun at you all the time."

This unexpected question made futsumen feel excited. Because he wants to get to know the chairwoman. He wants to be close friends with her, even if it is extremely unlikely that they will become boyfriend and girlfriend. He wants to be able to keep in touch with her after high school, for example. 

"In the meantime, I'd like to ask you a favour, Nishino-kun."

"But then, you've got a lot of good friends besides me, don't you?"

"I know what you mean, but I can't talk to anyone else about it because of my position."

"...... What do you mean?"

"No one in the classroom would listen to you if you said that, would they?"

"........."

In response to a indirect remark, the futsumen thinks. What do they want from him? 

"Is this something you can't talk about with your friends?"

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"What? You're surprisingly perceptive."

With a smile, Risa continued.

"I like Shimizu. In a sexual way, of course."

"........"

Again, Nishino hesitated to reply to this unexpected declaration. In front of him, Risa started to tell her story. 

"But the chairwoman doesn't seem to be into that kind of thing. So if I were to go for it straight away, I'm sure she's going to get creeped out. So I wanted to find someone else to help me out. "

"...... So that's it."

"But it's obvious that asking a girl in my class to do that would be a disaster, so I've been thinking about it. I think Nishino's position is surprisingly useful, don't you?"

"I can't say I'm very good at the whole love affair thing, but is that okay with you?'

"I'll give you the instructions, but I need your help to create a scene where the chairwoman and I can be together. If I make a direct move, people will inevitably get suspicious, right? But with Nishino in the middle, I can make it seem like a coincidence."

"But then, the important part is......,,,"

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"If you can create the opportunity, I'll do the rest myself!" 

" ... I see." 

Risa was a girl full of energy.

For Nishino, who is also in love, her cheerful attitude is a source of encouragement. Furthermore, she is the leader of the girls group in Class 2A. 

"Will you support me and my love for the chairwoman? " 

"...... All right." 

Above all, supporting the love of a classmate is a very youthful activity for him. In other words, from a futsumen point of view, Risa's advice was definitely a good idea. Cupid Nishino was born.

◇ ◆ ◇

After leaving Kondo's house, Nishino walked straight back to his house. He opened the front door with the key in his hand, took off his shoes and walked to his room. When Kurogal lived there, he used to go straight to the living room with his bag, a habit he had recently lost. 

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"Oh, welcome back." 

" ........... " 

 Just as he was about to pass the first floor, she heard a voice behind him. It was Rose. 

In the past, Nishino would have ignored her and gone to his room on the third floor. But these days, he felt guilty about her. In addition to saving his pet's life, he almost killed her because of a misunderstanding, so it is difficult to treat her unkindly. 

"...... What do you want?" 

" We live in the same house, so at least we say hello when we see each other." 

"......"

"I've made dinner, would you like to join me?" 

"Did you prepare it for two? " 

"One for one, two for two, it's not so different. "

As her words suggest, she is wearing an apron over her casual clothes. The smell comes from the dining room across the corridor. He hasn't eaten since lunch, so his appetite is big. But if he had been the same person he was last week, he would have gone back to his room. 

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He must have been cynical enough to say that he didn't want to eat at the same table as a slut. In fact, he almost opened his mouth at that moment. But the woman in front of him was a virgin. This disturbed Nishino's thinking. He begins to think that if she has saved his pet's life, he should at least be reasonable. He doesn't realise that saving his hamster is an excuse to share a meal with his business rival. 

"...... Let's eat." 

"Really? Then I'll wait for you in the dining room. " 

"All right."

After seeing off Rose, the futsumen went to his room. The devastated room is completely restored after a few days. On top of a coloured box, in a new cage, a pet hamster can be seen. It seems that he is also eating and crunching food.

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Looking at him with satisfaction, Nishino quickly changes his clothes. He takes off his uniform and dresses roughly in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. After leaving his room, he washed his hands at the sink on the third floor facing the corridor. He then walked down the stairs to the ground floor. He walks down the hallway, through the living room and into the dining room, where he finds Rose. On the table, in front of the steamy food, sits a well-behaved person. 

"...... You weren't expecting me, were you?" 

"You just came back at the right time." 

".........." 

There was no sign that the food had been touched. 

The ice in the glass was barely melted, and the steam rising from the cups of soup suggested that it had not long been poured from the pot. There were two servings of it, including one for her. No doubt it was prepared while Nishino was changing his clothes. 

"Let's eat, shall we?"

"Ah....."

When asked, Nishino sat down in a chair and picked up his chopsticks. The futsumen had eaten Rose's cooking many times in the past. He knew what it tasted like. However, the food he had eaten today seemed to have a different overall flavour than before. 

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He received a more vivid sensation of stimulation on the tip of his tongue. He doesn't think that this is due to a change in his perception of the other person.  

"..... Have you changed the seasoning?" 

"No? Maybe it's not to your taste?" 

"No, it's not like that." 

"That's good." 

After checking that Nishino has started to move his chopsticks, Rose also starts to eat. There's no real conversation going on. A few days ago, he and the kurogal were constantly chatting at the table, but today there is little to be seen. The virgin and the virgin face each other and eat their meals in silence. The conversation is mostly a one-way thing, with Rose talking to Nishino. 

"Do you want me to put on some music?" 

"Whatever you like. " 

"But we don't have any speakers in here."

" ... That's right" 

"How about shopping this weekend ?"

"...... "

This is a date invitation.

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In the past, he would have said something along the lines of, You don't need to go to the shop, you can get it via mail order. But it is also difficult for him to give something back, as he feels he owes a lot. He is more or less distressed. What should he do? The only thing that saves his day is the sound of a door slamming. 

It was the sound of the front door being opened and closed from downstairs. 

"..........Francisca ?" 

"She really is a helpless woman, isn't she?"

In response to Nishino's comment, Rose said with a hint of annoyance. There was a light bang and the sound of someone coming up the stairs. They stopped their chopsticks and turned their attention to the corridor. The door to the living room and dining room slammed open as he and she turned their attention to it. 

Gabriella emerges from downstairs. 

"I'm home!" 

She stepped into the room without hesitation. She was wearing her school uniform and had her school bag in her hand. She sat down on a chair in the dining room, as if it were a natural thing to do. Her position is next to the futsumen and diagonally in front of Rose. 

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"Wait a minute" 

Without pause, the former shouted out. She thrust her hands on the table and raised spontaneously from her chair. A piece of food flew out of her mouth as she spoke and landed on Nishino's cup of soup in front of her. Fortunately or unfortunately, he doesn't seem to notice. 

"Why are you just walking in here? You didn't break down the front door, did you? I don't mean to be rude to you, despite the fact that she seems to be paying a lot of attention to you."

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"Didn't you hear, sister?  "

"......What is it?"

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"Today I will also be living in this house!" 

"Wha..." 

 Rose's face twitched in response to Gabu-chan's casual comment. Naturally, the question leaked out of Nishino's mouth. 

"The person who rents the room on the ground floor that Francisca was complaining about is ......" 

"Yes, I rented a Japanese room on the ground floor." 

".........I see." 

"I've never lived in a tatami room before, so I'm really looking forward to it!" 

With a smile, Gabriella told him. It seems that she is genuinely happy. He looked particularly happy compared to what we usually see in the classroom at school. She had a big smile on her face. She is just as fast-paced as Rose.

"It looks like a delicious meal. Can I have some too?"

"........"

He was a futsumen who could not find the right words to say. 

◇ ◆ ◇

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While Nishino is chatting with Rose and Gabu-chan, this is Takeuchi's residence. In his room, Takeuchi-kun was investigating his own body as he did the other day. 

"The toxicity, it's getting lower......." 

In his hand he held a lone rat. On his back is the saliva of takeuchi-kun, which makes his fur shiny and glossy. The day before yesterday it had dissolved not only the fur but even the skin, but today it has only dissolved the tips of the hairs a little. The rats were also squeaking. As he said, the toxicity seems to have decreased. 

" ....... "

Having confirmed the rat's survival, he turns his attention to other bodily fluids. Using the syringe at his disposal, he soaks up another liquid from one of the many test tubes on his desk and drops it on the rat.

As his family runs a hospital, he has no lack of tools for this kind of work. Then, with a swooshing sound, the hair and skin start to dissolve. The rat starts to squirm from the pain. However, this only happens for a short time. The wound seemed to have been poisoned, and it began to twitch and convulse, but within minutes it had stopped moving.

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The tail, which had been stretched out, slumped down. 

It seems to have died. 

"...... When I'm excited, it's as bad as always." 

Since last week, Takeuchi has been doing the same thing over and over again. Thanks to this, he seemed to be getting used to it. 

"......"

After a few days of absence from club activities, the handsome man was beginning to feel the pressure of his surroundings. He is desperate to get back to his normal life somehow. He can't just go to the doctor, he has to go it alone. Crying out to his parents was the last thing he wanted to do, as he was very independent. 

"Maybe if I try a bit harder, I can control it....."

He looks at the pile of stuck rats and thinks to himself. His posture at his desk is more relaxed than on the first day when he melted Rose's hand. This mental change may be related to the toxicity of the fluid. With this in mind, he repeated his experiments with the rats.

"If I can't take part in club activities or PE, I shouldn't be talking about it."

The lifeless rats are placed in a cooler for disposal. The data is entered into the computer. The results of the experiment, which had been going on for several days, were quite extensive. Each record is carefully accompanied by a photograph of the poisoned area.

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The amount of work involved is enormous and compares unfavourably with the homework given at school or cram school. The page after page of the record book is gradually added. Looking at the screen, Takeuchi says to no one in particular.

"...... A doctor"

The experiment was repeated endlessly until the sky began to turn white. 

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