Side Story 2: The Current Situation of Tsukiko Matsuda
**TL Notes: So as not to confuse you all, I made a list of the characters that get mentioned in this chapter that you may have forgotten before. Sumire Matsuda: MC Tsukiko Matsuda: Problem child |
Tsukiko Matsuda's POV
"Hey, Matsuda, if we don't head to the bath soon, it's going to get crowded again."
"Yeah, you're right. Shall we go together?"
It's been almost half a year since I entered this junior high school deep in the mountains. This school where all the students live in dorms is quite different from my previous life, and it can be a bit bewildering at times, but I've been enjoying my daily routine to some extent.
When I first enrolled, I was anxious about the new environment, and I had a bit of a short temper. I even got into an argument with a teacher and was sent to the reflection room. Looking back, I think saying "You're annoying, be quiet" to the teacher was definitely inappropriate, but I never imagined it would result in being locked in what felt like an underground dungeon for the night. It was more like a cell than a real prison, just an empty room about the size of four and a half tatami mats. I had to write several reflection essays there, and it was quite a hassle.
The girl who just called out to me is Mai Sugishita, a classmate who shares the same dorm room with me. However, like me, she was also a reflection room companion, and we didn't know each other initially. Both of us advanced from the elementary division, and it seemed that students who had been sent to the reflection room were labeled as "problem children." As a result, Mai and I were paired up as roommates. I wonder where the school's official stance of placing students with good grades together to help new students adapt to the school went. Well, Mai and I get along well, and we don't have to be formal, so I actually find this situation more enjoyable and comfortable.
The students at this school are generally divided into three categories. The majority are wealthy young ladies from well-to-do families who have attended the elementary division. The next largest group consists of those who originally weren't from the upper class but have acquired wealth and were sent here for the sake of their parents' status, despite lacking a certain refinement. Well, perhaps both the parents and the children see advantages in receiving a higher level of education than elsewhere.
And then there are the very few like me, individuals who were sent here because their parents couldn't handle them and wanted to correct their personalities and lifestyles. We're undoubtedly considered the lowest rung at this school, and we face quite a bit of criticism, but if we complete the assigned tasks and put on a facade, we can go about our days without standing out and are treated as if we're part of the scenery, making it quite easy. It's nearly the end of the first term, and I've already learned to navigate life with these skills.
If I had been able to put on this act back in my hometown, I probably wouldn't have ended up at a school like this. Well, it might have been impossible, or at the very least, I wouldn't have been able to maintain this level of inner calm back there.
We headed to the communal bath with our change of clothes and bath towels. Perhaps because it's an affluent school, the bath here is huge. However, during peak hours, it can get as crowded as a sweet potato washing area, so Mai and I try to finish bathing as early as possible.
"By the way, Matsuda, you've lost weight, haven't you? You were much plumper at first."
As we undressed in the dressing room, Mai, who had already become naked, playfully used her hands to mimic the feeling of my stomach as if it were swelling like a La France pear. It wasn't a joke, I really had put on that much weight for a while after enrolling, so there was nothing to be angry about.
"Is there anyone here who can maintain that figure in this school life?"
I replied with a sigh, and Mai laughed, saying, "You're right." I couldn't help but smile in response to her smile, and with just a single towel, we headed to the bathing area.
This school has strict rules for bathing, and you must first wash your head and body before entering the tub. There are various reasons for this rule, such as not dirtying the water too quickly, but with the number of students using it, it's understandable.
I finished washing my hair, lined up at the shoulder, and thoroughly scrubbed my body with body soap. Looking at my body covered in foam, I could definitely see that I had lost weight. I think I've shed about 10 kilograms, maybe even a little more. The physical education here is at a level that can feel like torture, including activities like an exercise called Orienteering, which felt like a military exercise during Golden Week. Additionally, our daily meals are nutritionally regulated, so overeating is out of the question. Of course, snacking is prohibited too, but there are no shops around the school anyway, as it's surrounded by nothing but trees. So, getting snacks is impossible.
I finished washing myself, and the bathing area was so large it could almost be mistaken for a small pool. Even though it's already summer, I didn't really need to use hot water, but since no one else was there, I decided to soak in the hot water.
As I relaxed in the bath, Mai, who had finished washing her body, approached me, disturbing the water with a splash. "Hey, don't come so forcefully, you're sending waves in my direction!"
As the waves struck my face, and I directed an envious gaze towards her, Mai, who was unperturbed, continued to soak in the water up to her shoulders, exhaling contentedly.
"Matsuda, what are you going to do for the summer vacation?"
With a splash, Mai extended her arms and asked. Currently, my dilemma is just that—whether I should go back to my hometown or not. I've been thinking about returning for a few days because I want to replenish the clothes I can hardly wear anymore due to them not fitting, but I haven't been able to make up my mind.
"Is it about your little sister you mentioned before?"
I remained silent without replying, and surprisingly, Mai delved into the matter. She's not the type to pry into others' affairs too often. I haven't really shared much about my sister, but I did mention that we don't get along and that I definitely won't go back when her visit coincides with mine, so she might be curious.
"Yeah, I'm not sure what to do."
I absentmindedly scooped water with both hands and washed my face. It doesn't clear this vague feeling, and it's a meaningless action, but it's something.
When I was with her in my hometown, I genuinely despised her to the point where I wanted to kill her. That feeling persisted even after my sister left home, and I couldn't manage my frustration properly, leading to a series of problematic actions. No matter how much my parents scolded me, my grandparents scorned me, or my grandmother pitied me, it didn't change. However, since leaving home and coming to this school, I've realized that this inescapable hatred and disgust I feel toward her stems from that family environment. The reason is that being away from them and here at this school, I can objectively examine our relationship to some extent.
But meeting her in person would probably lead to the same cycle, and I have no illusions about reconciliation. I still hate her, and seeing her face would undoubtedly make me want to kill her. Given how unfairly I berated her and vented my frustration when I was there, she couldn't possibly harbor any affection for me either.
The situation of not having parents or relatives is much more comfortable, and I can live both mentally and physically in a much better condition than when I was back in my hometown. So, I want to become independent and live without seeing them as soon as possible. However, I'm just a first-year junior high school student. No matter how I look at it, it's challenging to support myself. At the very least, I have to live in this cage my grandmother prepared for me until I graduate from junior high.
"For now, why don't you ask if your little sister plans to visit? In the worst case, you can have your parents send you some money, and you can come stay at my place. We have a supermarket nearby, so you can even buy some new clothes."
As I was lost in thought, Sugishita casually made this suggestion. My encounter with Sugishita taught me something I hadn't realized back in my hometown. It's that the number of people I'll come into contact with will continue to grow, and when it comes to connections, there will be plenty of options beyond just family. Focusing on relationships that make me frustrated or harbor murderous thoughts toward others would only be detrimental to me. Given that my family was the reason I ended up like this in the first place, I want to make the most of my student years. I'm considering using them as much as I can. Maybe I'll even go to university and live in Tokyo or somewhere, lodging on their dime. Continuing to work there, perhaps the next time I see them will be at one of my parents' funerals or something – that might be interesting. I've accumulated so much frustration, irritation, and disgust toward my parents that I can't contain it anymore.
"Thank you, Sugishita. I'll try contacting my parents for now, anyway. It seems like everyone has to leave the dorm during the Bon Festival period."
"Oh, no problem."
While listening to Sugishita's rather mature-sounding response, I decided that after getting out of the bath, I would call my mother for the first time in a while. I absolutely don't want to talk to my father, so I hope my mother answers the call.
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