Kokoro Connect Volume 4: Michi Random (eBook)

Sadanatsu Anda (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2019
318 Seiten
J-Novel Club (Verlag)
978-1-7183-2606-4 (ISBN)

Infos

Valentine's Day has come, and the members of the Cultural Research Club have been embroiled in yet another supernatural phenomenon. But they're old hands at this by now. How hard could it be to enjoy some normal high school romance for once? Never mind that they can hear each other's strongest sentiments at the most inconvenient times, while their inhuman tormentor is taking on a more direct role than ever. The stress of endless abnormal living may be too much for some, while others start to wonder whether their club is even worth continuing - which may be out of their hands as end-of-year club presentations and school politics threaten its very existence! When the place they carved out together is threatened both from without and within, how will they be able to overcome this latest challenge? Everything is on the line in the 4th volume of Sadanatsu Anda's dramedy series.

Textauszug

He knew she couldn’t possibly have read his mind, and yet somehow this (self-proclaimed) apostle of love could see right through him anyway. This was nothing out of the ordinary for her, of course.

“...I mean, yeah, you could say that. But it’s none of your business, so please just stay out of it.” His tone was harsher than she deserved, but he couldn’t help it.

“Today is Valentine’s Day, the most important romantic holiday of the year, and I can’t have you moping around and being a wet blanket.”

“I’m sorry. I’m not doing it on purpose.” If he could’ve controlled it, then he wouldn’t have been so snippy with his friends.

“Is this about Nagase-san?”

Evidently she wasn’t going to butt out anytime soon... so he gave up and nodded. “Yeah.”

“This is just a guess, but... did she turn you down?”

The words hit him square in the chest like a cannonball.

“Yeah,” he replied, hoping it would help his brain hurry up and accept this horrible reality.

Fujishima’s eyes widened in surprise. “No way... Really? From my perspective, things between you seemed to be going rather well.”

“Yeah, well, it’s the truth.”

“I see...”

Fujishima averted her gaze sadly, and Taichi’s heart ached. He was tempted to tell her not to feel bad on his account, but then she looked up—

“IT’S TIME FOR MY BIG COMEBACK!” she shouted triumphantly up at the sky.

For a moment, Taichi’s brain struggled to determine whether this was real life. How could someone so openly rejoice over another person’s heartbreak—No, wait! He’d forgotten the crucial detail that Fujishima was possibly interested in Nagase, too! Crap!

After a moment, she snapped back to her senses. “Oh, right. Forgive me, Yaegashi-kun. I shouldn’t have let myself get so overcome with joy.”

“Just because she rejected me doesn’t mean you automatically win, you know.”

“Oh, don’t be such a sore loser. Pfffft.” Her expression was one of mixed pity and scorn.

“Rrrgh... You witch...!”

“I mean, like, with all the history between you two, who could’ve seen it coming? That’s, like, totally hilarious.”

“Quit kicking me while I’m down, you monster! And why are you suddenly talking like an airheaded bimbo?! What happened to being the stoic intellectual type?!”

“There we go. Looks like that helped cheer you up a bit. I’d forgotten how tiring it is to use all these facial muscles.” Just like that, Fujishima had gone back to her usual composed countenance. She rubbed her shoulder as if to massage her muscles.

“What the hell was that...? You make it sound like...”

Like she’d put on a silly little performance for the express purpose of cheering him up. What’s your deal, Fujishima Maiko?

“Talk about a lucky break! OMG, totally hilarious!”

“Wait, so you really were trying to screw with me?!”

Seriously, what the hell is your deal?!

“Just try to cheer up, would you?” she asked in her usual serious tone. “Obviously I don’t know all the details, but I approve of you trying to make things official before the holiday. That is essentially what happened, yes?”

“...You’re pretty sharp.”

“Have you forgotten? I’m the Goddess of Love.”

Apparently she had been promoted to godhood now. Soon she would be free of this mortal realm altogether.

“I wouldn’t get too hung up on it if I were you. Why not use this opportunity to date Inaba-san instead?”

“Pfffbgh?! Where did that come from?! And how do you know about me and Inaba?!”

When did she figure it all out?! You’ve earned my respect, Goddess!

“I know she has feelings for you, at the very least. I mean, just look at her these days. She’s completely smitten! Frankly, it’s baffling that no one else has noticed!”

Precisely.

If Inaba cared for him that deeply, then that was all the more reason he couldn’t be with her. If he pursued her now, it would look like he was simply settling for his second choice, and she deserved better than that.

“I think it’s fine, personally,” Fujishima continued, and instantly his heart leapt in his throat as he wondered whether she’d read his mind... but such a thing was impossible, of course. “Who cares if you get in a rebound relationship after a rejection? It’s perfectly common to seek consolation after getting your heart broken. The rest of the world will forgive you for it, as will I.”

“But—”

“It’s fine. Love is transient, you know. As long as you both have feelings for each other—or, more accurately in this case, as long as you respect her feelings and make an effort to reciprocate, it’s hardly a crime.”

“That doesn’t sound like something an ‘apostle of love’ would say.”

“Sure it is. I believe in the right to love freely. Naturally, this doesn’t mean I think it’s okay to cheat or anything like that. But doesn’t it feel kind of silly to get all uptight about it? I mean, just my personal opinion, obviously.”

But then—

[Alright, now when do I give him this chocolate...?]

It was the voice of Inaba Himeko, who was most certainly not present on the roof with them. He could feel her anxious excitement... Then he realized something critical: He’d meant to tell her not to get him a gift, as he didn’t intend to accept it, but it had completely slipped his mind. Granted, this was less of a casual memory lapse and more of a critical brain shutdown after his envisioned confession scenario had gone so entirely off the rails.

“Besides, I’d say it’s worth it just for the experience. I know I tend to play the part of your mentor, but really we’re both just teenagers. None of us really know what ‘love’ is. All we can do is experiment, screw up, and learn from our mistakes.” She smiled slightly, and in that moment, she was neither a guru nor an apostle nor a goddess—just a normal girl. Somehow it was easy to forget that. “Anyway, once you feel you’ve gotten over Nagase-san, I think it’s safe to go ahead and hook up with Inaba-san.”

“No way. That’s just...”

Inexcusable. Disrespectful. Messed up.

“And then once you’re all lovey-dovey with Inaba-san, I shall lay claim to Nagase-san myself.”

“So that’s what you’re after!”

As usual, she was utterly unpredictable. Still, she had made an effort to have a serious conversation with him, and the fact of the matter was, it helped him cheer up considerably.

□■□■□

With Fujishima’s help, Taichi had managed to regain his composure... Well, not all of it, but enough to go to the clubroom, at least. This was no time to be wallowing in misery. After all, they’d all vowed not to cause any drama. If they were going to get out of this unscathed, then that obviously included him. Now, with Fujishima’s meaningful lesson engraved deep in his chest, he summoned the last dregs of his courage to get him all the way to the clubroom.

But as it turned out, reality was a merciless beast. Of all the times to throw a wrench into their normal lives, it just had to be during a supernatural phenomenon.

Scene: Rec Hall Room 401.

Club president Nagase Iori and vice president Inaba Himeko recounted to their fellow clubmates a message from Gotou Ryuuzen, advisor to Class 1-C and supervisor for the Cultural Research Club.

“And then at the end he was like ‘Sorry to rain on your V-Day parade... Well, I guess it’s not that big of a deal. You’ll just be getting a new advisor, that’s all. Anyway, just a heads up!’ ” Nagase explained in her best Gotou impression.

Willing his mind to stay perfectly blank, Taichi focused on the words themselves. Not the fact that it was Nagase doing the talking. It’s not her, it’s just a recording... just a robot voice...

“ ‘Just a heads up’ my ass! This is a matter of life and death, damn it!” Inaba roared, slamming her fist on the table. On the outside she looked the part of an ice queen, but on the inside she was a veritable inferno of rage.

“Like whoa, Inaba, calm down,” Kiriyama Yui chided. “It’s not Gossan’s fault. He has no idea how serious this is for us.” She paused there to tuck a strand of long, reddish-brown hair behind her ear. “Also... ‘Cook him alive’? Maybe chill out with those violent fantasies.”

Apparently Inaba had inadvertently Transmitted something to Kiriyama. Inaba’s expression hardened for a moment; then her lip curled in a smirk.

“Hmph. He deserves it.”

Kiriyama smiled, relieved to hear the usual venom in Inaba’s voice. The Sentiment Transmission didn’t matter. They were beyond over it.

“So, what do we do?” asked Aoki Yoshifumi, swaying his tall frame from side to side, making his wavy locks bounce with the motions.

Taichi had been laser-focused on the words themselves, so he had all the details memorized.

According to Gotou, he was lined up to get a promotion at the start of the next school year—and this new...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 1.3.2019
• Reihe/Serie: Kokoro Connect
• Reihe/Serie: Kokoro Connect
• Illustrationen: Shiromizakana
• Übersetzer: Molly Lee
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Fantasy / Science Fiction ► Fantasy
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Romane / Erzählungen
• Schlagworte: body-swap • Comedy • Drama • Friendship • Paranormal • Psychological • Slice of Life
• ISBN-10: 1-7183-2606-8 / 1718326068
• ISBN-13: 978-1-7183-2606-4 / 9781718326064