[Cram School II]

On the rooftop at lunchtime, Nishino faces Gabriella with a serious look on his face. 

On one side, there is Rose with her lunch box.

"I repeat, I've solved your problem."

As soon as they arrived there, Gabriella told Nishino, without waiting for lunch to be served. 

There was no time to sit down for a meal, so the discussion took place in a standing position. All three of them looked at each other nervously. 

"I would like to confirm one thing. The problem is ..." 

"The problem that old lady brought." 

"... I see." 

In recent years, Francisca has been increasingly called an old lady. 

This is because everyone involved is in their teens, and although she is not that old, she is relatively treated as an old lady. She is under no small amount of stress, but the younger people are oblivious to her burden.

"Did you cry at your family?" 

"Is it bad?"

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"No? I was just checking." 

"I see." 

Rose asked her before Nishino did. 

The idea was to make it clear who was responsible, so that Nishino's opinion of Gabriella could be lessened. The idea was to imply that it was her father, and not the girl in front of her, who had contributed to the problems. 

But it didn't seem to have much effect on the two people present. 

"Are your relatives in a higher position than her boss?" 

"Not exactly, but they are similar" 

"...... Okay." 

Some time ago, the break dancing club took part in an outdoor music event. Gabriella's dad rode up to the scene with Francisca. The sight of him is still a vivid memory in Nishino's mind. 

It's not hard to imagine that he might have been the one who made the move. 

"I'm sure she'll report back to you."

"All right."

"Now you can go to school." 

"......"

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Gabriella said, staring into Nishino's eyes. 

Her brightly coloured eyes, set against her pure white skin, caught the Futsumen straight in the face. Nishino couldn't look away from her, caught by her large, beady eyes, which radiated a colour so unlike the Japanese. The light-hearted comments that normally come out like a breath of air are withdrawn. 

Instead, what poured out of his mouth were words of honest gratitude.

"Thank you, it was very helpful." 

"Oh, come on, it's no big deal." 

"Even so, you have saved me a lot of trouble. And there is probably no one else who can do what you do. I'm sure you'll agree that the help I've received has been invaluable."

" ... Oh, right? "

" Oh, yes."

It seems that Nishino was unaware that Gabriella had been working behind his back. This is in contrast to Rose, who knew what was going on from Francisca. In addition to this, the background of the situation naturally led him to express his concern. 

"...... You haven't slept?" 

"Yes, I'm a bit sleepy ......"  

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Looking at her shaggy hair, wrinkled uniform and the dark circles under her eyes, even Nishino, with her poor communication skills, could easily estimate how much trouble the person in front of him had gone through.

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"Then I'll take you home." 

"No, thank you. I'm not that weak." 

"Is that so?" 

"Well, I'm not quite finished yet. I have come to you to make a hasty report, so that I may not do anything prematurely. I shall be away from home for a little longer."

"Is there anything I can do to help? Please tell me anything." 

"I mean, I feel uneasy when you take care of me like this." 

"... I see." 

They are in something of a good mood. 

Of course, from Rose's point of view, it's a disaster. Although she liked the fact that Nishino's safety was ensured, it was not good that it was her romantic rival who did this. She was worried that the virgin would turn his attention to Gabriella. 

The fact that she had confessed to him the night before last also made her nervous. 

In fact, the sight of Gabriella's bedraggled figure was enough to make the Futsumen's heart flutter. In his eyes, she was becoming more attractive than she had been only a few days ago. The virgin is very vulnerable to the favours of the opposite sex. 

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So Rose opens her mouth to at least try to take control of the conversation.

"In that case, why don't we have lunch?" 

She smiled and talked to them.

She holds up the lunch box in his hand. 

"You look like you're hungry, aren't you?"

Knowing that this was not the best time to do so, Rose, like the rest of the group, tried to show concern for Gabriella. If she gets involved in this situation, she may lose not only her reputation but also Nishino's. It was a suggestion that left her feeling resentful. 

"Yes, it's true, I haven't eaten anything since yesterday."

Gabu-chan murmured frankly and stroked her own abdomen with the palm of her hand. Then, just in time, her little belly cooed under her uniform. The chairwoman might have blushed and panicked, but Gabriella didn't seem to mind. 

It's the kind of behavior that Nishino likes. 

Feeling threatened, Rose takes the initiative and speaks up.

"Since the lunch break is short, I'll get ready soon." 

"I understand."

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At the blonde's request, the silver-haired Lolita quietly complied. There was no protest from the Futsumen. The three of them settled down on the top of the stairwell to share a meal, as usual. 

◇ ◆ ◇

Shortly after putting his seal on the withdrawal form, Nishino decided to continue his high school life. 

He slipped a brown envelope into his bag and took it home with him. 

Naturally, this makes him greedy, a virgin who is hungry for the opposite sex. Just yesterday, I went to the office of a cram school and cancelled his application to the cram school, but now his consciousness has come back to him as something that he cannot resist. Moreover, it is said that even the Chairwoman of Class 2A, Shimizu, goes to the same cram school. 

So today he decided to apply for the school again. Having cancelled his application once, he felt that it would not look good. However, the thought of spending time with the chairwoman and another school's opposite sex, whom he had not yet met, made him think twice about doing so. 

The day before yesterday he had told Gabriella how he felt about her. 

And Rose is watching all of his activities at home. 

"Are you going home today, Nishino-kun?"

"No, I've got a few things to do."

After school in Class 2A, Rose visits Nishino's seat after homeroom. 

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He has a bag in his hand, and he comes home after preparing for his return.

He has a bag in his hand and is ready to go home. 

Gabriella is nowhere to be seen. She left the school as soon as she had eaten lunch, as she had said she still had work to do. I'll be away for a few days, she said as she left.

"Oh? Maybe something else?" 

"I'm thinking of applying for a cram school." 

"Hmm?" 

In response to Rose's question, Nishino answered honestly about his after-school plans. 

His attitude towards her has visibly softened over the last few days of their relationship. 

"In order to be fully prepared for the examinations, it is essential to take advantage of cram schools." 

"That sounds like an excuse to me."

Just last week, he was talking about his part-time job. Now he's talking about going to a cram school. The conversation was overheard by his classmates, who were present, and it was etched in their memories. They don't want to know anything about Nishino's future. 

One of those students was the chairwoman. 

Just yesterday, he told Shimizu that he was cancelling his application for the cram school.

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As a girl who will be attending the same classes as him, she feels complicated in many ways. 

The chairwoman imagined that Nishino-kun was trying to get a hold of her. In fact, she was right to be concerned, as she was more or less aware of the fact that Nishino-kun was a Futsumen. But she chalked it up to paranoia and solemnly prepared to leave. 

"I hear that afterschool is a big part of the education system in Asia. I've heard that many teenage students go to off-campus institutions after they have finished their schooling to prepare for university entrance exams."

"Yes, I have heard that immigrants from the West are often confused. It is true that immigrants from Europe and America are often confused, not because of their own problems but because of their children's problems, and this is sometimes the cause of disputes between couples. "

"If that's the case, maybe I should go there too" 

Rose's voice echoed through the classroom. 

It reached the ears of the chairwoman, who was about to sit up from her chair, two seats away from Nishino's, where the girls were bustling about. Her shoulders shook and her gaze naturally shifted to look at her natural enemy.

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"I think I'm going to be living here for the time being, because of her situation. I'd still like to get a degree at least, so I guess I'll just have to go with the flow. I thought I'd prepare myself for the exams." 

"In the first place, my studies at the cram school were designed to prepare me for the university entrance exams. It's like going to a driving school to get your driver's licence. For a smart person like you, wouldn't it be much more meaningful to learn what you are interested in?"

" Oh? It's nice to be praised by you."

"Well, your life is yours. You can do what you like with it."

Feeling partly responsible, Futsumen gave a small nod. 

He thought it was because of the relationship between himself and Francisca. 

This led to no repercussions and Rose was given a good reason for joining the school.

The chairwoman, who had been listening in, was devastated when she realised that she would have to face her not only on campus but also outside. She took her bag and trudged out of the classroom with a melancholy heart. 

◇ ◆ ◇

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From that day on, Nishino and Rose's studies at the cram school began. 

The cancellation of the application and the subsequent request by the Futsumen was something that the person in charge of the school would normally have disapproved of.

But this was accepted without much resistance from Rose, who visited the office with him. He returned with a new client, and the process was carried out favourably and as quickly as possible. 

On the same day, Nishino and his friends were invited to attend a lecture at the school as part of a free trial. They were shown to a classroom by a member of staff, where they took their seats and were immediately introduced to the teacher. 

The subject was English. 

I stood in front of the whiteboard and the lecturer started lecturing about this and that. 

The teacher was a woman who looked to be about 30 years old. 

"The word order is different here, so the Japanese particles are treated differently."  

She has a bust that would put her on a par with Francisca. The same can be said of her hips, which can be seen through her suit skirt, she possesses a very attractive body. She also has an excellent face, with a serious appearance, and her hair is pulled back in a cinquefoil bun. 

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There are about twenty students in the room. Everyone is listening intently to the lesson. 

"By the way, there are no particles in modern English. However, in the past there was an equivalent grammar. The reason for this is the relationship between word order and particles, which is also related to Japanese grammar, which is not concerned with word order. ......"

But even so, Rose's appearance was still noticed, and glances were cast at her. As a beautiful Lolita, she has been attracting the attention of the students since the beginning of the class. 

This was especially the case with the boys. Although she was sitting at the back of the class, we could see her occasionally looking back from her seat in front of us. Some of them even exchanged whispered words with her.

"...... For these reasons, the Japanese language is able to handle word order freely by using particles. These expressions are also used in the novels and comics you usually read, and the case particles in particular increase the freedom of the sentence ...... Oh, so this is a Japanese lesson!"

Her presence also helped to draw attention to Nishino. The two are sitting next to each other on the desk, side by side. And it's not just any Futumen. He's an odd-eyed Futsumen. 

The clear blue eyes of the girl do not suit him at all. 

The students in the room naturally have questions. 

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"These will never appear in exams, but they will help you to understand the background of the English language, so keep them in mind. Native English speakers place far more importance on word order than we do as native Japanese speakers!"

And this was no exception for the teacher in charge of the class. 

As she stood on the podium, she too seemed to be concerned about their presence. She was looking around the classroom to see how the students were reacting to the lesson, but she was also watching Nishino and his friends. She has been informed in advance that they are visitors to the class. 

"Native English speakers are itching to think that when the subject comes, the verb comes, and then the object comes. It's a bit extreme, but that's how much importance we put on word order. So if you get it wrong, they're in trouble!"

So she decided to take a step forward with a new visitor to the classroom today. She decided to ask them to solve a simple problem. The idea was to make them feel a little better about coming to the school. 

"Some of you may already understand this, but with that background, it's definitely worth your while to learn grammar. If you're learning English, word order is the only thing you can't get wrong. It changes the meaning of the sentence from the very beginning!"

As she rambles on, the teacher looks for the right moment. 

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"This is also related to the accuracy of speech production by artificial intelligence, and is the reason why word order languages are said to be superior to particle languages. So, without further ado, I'm going to ask someone to translate the text I wrote on the whiteboard into Japanese......"

Her attention turned to Rose. Nishino, who appeared to be a normal-looking student, was dismissed on the grounds that her academic performance might be as poor as his face. On the other hand, her appearance reminded us of her Western origins, and she seemed to fit in well with the English class. 

"There is a child in the classroom today on a trial visit. I would like you to join the class so that you can get used to the atmosphere. If you are a student with nice blonde hair, can you translate this text into Japanese for me?"

"...... Me?"

Rose is puzzled, not expecting to be told what to answer. 

The lecturer tries to be calm. 

"How do you like it? If you don't understand something, please tell us what you don't understand. There may be other students who don't understand the same thing, so let's work together to understand each other better!"

She smiled gently from the podium. 

She understood her intentions and solemnly gave her answer.  

"Humans have the ability to communicate through language...... Is that right?

"Yes, that's right. Thank you."

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She nodded at the solution and turned to the whiteboard, pen in hand. 

She then wrote the text that Rose had translated underneath the English text.

"This sentence asks about the use of infinitives. The second half of the sentence, from to onwards, is used as an adjective and modifies the ability. Remember that the exam often asks about the form of the verb, so the verb should be in its original form. You can also rewrite this sentence using it as the subject......"

The lesson goes on smoothly. There were no problems of any kind. 

On the other hand, Nishino's attention is not on the lecture, but on the students in the same classroom. 

In particular, he was drawn to the female students. 

During the breaks between classes, or when he goes home after class, he is always looking for someone to talk to. There are more than twenty students studying in the same classroom. Half of them are girls. It's the time of day when they go home from school, so there's a good selection of girls in their school uniforms. 

For Nishino, the sight of so many girls of the opposite sex, unaffected by his bad reputation on campus, was nothing more than a hunting ground. Apart from Rose, the only person in the same place who wore the uniform of the school he attended was the chairwoman. 

In contrast to dating on campus, where you always have to start from a negative, here you are guaranteed to start from scratch. This is the first time in his life that he has had to start from scratch. 

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"... OK"

After a while, his target was the girl in pigtails sitting diagonally in front of him. 

The virgin had caught his prey for the day.

Naturally, the lecturer could see that he was in high spirits. 

When someone is distracted from the lecture, she can't help but notice it. Especially if it is with someone who has been informed in advance that it is a trial run. He is sitting right next to Rose, who is also in a prominent position. 

It's not a good time to be a teacher. 

Can't he concentrate a little more on the class? 

Also, as a woman, I found it unpleasant to see Nishino focusing so much on the female students. What was the point of visiting the school? Doesn't he feel sorry for the blonde girl sitting next to him in the first place? 

She looked at the uncomfortable man and felt a pang in her chest. 

Perhaps that's why, in her mind, she was feeling a little mean to Nishino, or, if she was conscious of it, she was trying to teach the students a lesson. The lecturer, who had appointed Rose with an easy question in the previous questioning, now went to Futsumen with a rather difficult question. 

"...... So, let's see if someone can solve this problem"

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She knew that it would be difficult for her class to answer the question, but her mouth was still moving. I'm hoping that this will calm him down a bit, she says, her gaze still fixed on the Futsumen. 

"So what about you? You're here on a trial visit." 

"M, Me?" 

"Please come forward and write the English translation of this sentence on the whiteboard." 

The Futsumen was surprised by the sudden request. 

He hadn't expected to be approached by anyone other than Rose herself. He had been paying attention to the girl with the pigtails in front of him, and he felt like he had been blamed for his poor appearance. He never dreamed that he had been called out on this point. 

And while his surprise at the unexpected appointment was short-lived, his sex-starved brain immediately thought of an opportunity to take advantage of it. It's a great opportunity to make the most of it. 

This is a great opportunity for you to show the opposite sex how good you are at solving problems. 

It's a shallow strategy to show that you can study. It is such a shallow strategy.

"Oh, I understand." 

Nodding deeply, Nishino stood up.

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He walks among the students and picks up a pen in front of the whiteboard in front of the teacher. There is no hint of embarrassment in his behaviour. It's not an amusing reaction for the teacher who appointed him. 

She had expected him to be a little more flustered, and his answers were in flowing writing. 

It had been more than ten years since the subject had been dropped from the compulsory curriculum. More than half of the students present at the school were not able to read the English written by the Futsumen. It is said that the number of young people who cannot write or read written English is increasing even abroad. 

In order to appeal to the girl with pigtails, Nishino was still very excited about this. 

"What do you think?" 

"Eh, oh ..." 

Nishino turns to the teacher after completing his writing. 

She hadn't expected the question to be so easy to solve, and the unexpected italicised sequence of letters had caught her completely off guard. She felt embarrassed that her mischievousness had been exposed. 

She hadn't touched the written form for a while, not since she had read and written it at university. She couldn't tell the difference between right and wrong at a glance. It was a humiliating experience for her as a teacher. 

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Then the Futsumen looked back at the line of desks and continued with his words.

"As the lecturer showed earlier, the key to this question is how to deal with case particles in Japanese. There are probably other ways to write them, but in the English sentence we have presented here, ......"

Without being told to do so, he began to explain his own writing. 

He doesn't care about the teacher's mental state, which is severely depressed. 

His gaze travels to all the students in the classroom.

He is a man who is always trying to appeal to the girl with pigtails. 

"...... It is also possible to rewrite a sentence in this way. In this case, you need to be careful about tenses, as you will be using indirect speech. If you are communicating orally, the other person will be able to see the colour of your skin and correct any mistakes. However, this is not the case in writing." 

Nishino's expression tightens as he continues his lecture. 

He talks in what he thinks is a cool way. 

"Nowadays, when most of our communication is done through messaging apps and emails, it is very important to use grammar correctly. In this sense, I was very impressed with the lectures given by the teachers here!"

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The lecturer was also a good-looking woman. 

He seemed to think that since he was going to be staying with her for a while, he should make a good impression on her. However, the first impression of Nishino from her was clearly decided when he said this and that. 

He is a troublesome student, she said. 

He's a Futsumen who got carried away with his attempts at approaching the opposite sex. 

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