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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Nekorune
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It had been two days since I started cleaning the bathroom.
Miyuki’s surveillance ended that same day.
Despite having earned maximum affection points, a considerable distance remained between us.
Nevertheless, I diligently cleaned the bathroom.
Even if Miyuki wasn’t watching, she might hear from others that the bathrooms had become much cleaner.
I’ve been keeping my usual, indifferent demeanor in the classroom.
Except during class, that is.
I tried my best to keep up with the professor’s lessons.
And today isn’t any different. I was fighting off drowsiness, trying to focus on the math class.
“So, for this problem, who… hmm…”
The middle-aged professor, having drawn circles and letters on the blackboard, trailed off.
I flinched as our eyes met.
It felt like he was about to call on me.
It must have seemed strange to him, seeing me pay attention in class…
“Matsuda-kun, why don’t you come solve this?”
As expected, the professor pointed at me.
All eyes instantly turned to me.
Miyuki’s curious gaze stood out among them.
Although I desperately wished to solve the problem flawlessly and earn praise…
I had no clue what was scribbled on the blackboard.
I might have been bad at studying, but I didn’t remember being this bad before possessing this body…
The thought of having to learn from Miyuki in the future filled me with dread.
Scratching my head, I said nonchalantly,
“I have absolutely no idea.”
“I-Is that so…? Alright then. Miyuki-san, how about you come to the blackboard and solve it for the class?”
With an ‘As you wish’ look on her face, Miyuki got up from her seat.
She gracefully moved the chalk across the board, her handwriting elegant and impressive.
She looked somewhat cool.
Glancing at Tetsuya, he was staring at Miyuki with sparkling eyes as she solved the problem.
That gutless piece of garbage couldn’t even accept Miyuki’s confession…
You have no right to look at Miyuki like that, you loser.
Then, at break time after class…
Just as I was about to rest my arms on the desk, I saw Miyuki approaching with a rather amicable gait, so I put on an annoyed look on my face.
“What now?”
“Matsuda-kun.”
“What?”
“If you don’t understand, at least try to solve it, or ask the professor. That’s how you improve.”
Ignoring her advice, I turned to Tetsuya.
“Miura. Your mom is nagging at me for no reason, why don’t you do something about it?”
My playful provocation flustered Tetsuya. He glanced at Miyuki and stammered in a timid voice.
“M-Mom…? Miyuki is…”
“I’m just joking, dude. Don’t take it so seriously…”
“Matsuda-kun.”
Miyuki cut off the conversation in a stern tone.
I dramatically raised both hands in surrender.
“Alright, alright. Looks like I can’t even joke around without being scolded.”
“That wasn’t a joke, that was bullying.”
“Bullying? Hey, Miura, am I bullying you?”
I glared at Tetsuya, prompting Miyuki to step between us.
“Who would tell the truth if you’re going to talk to them in such a threatening way?”
“But this is how I talk! What’s the big deal?”
“You can speak in a nicer tone. At least try.”
“Oh, kind-hearted Miura, did I upset you? No? I’m glad to hear that. Then, can I ask you to clean the bathroom for me after class? Pretty please? With a cherry on top?”
“Matsuda-kun…”
As Miyuki’s attitude softened after the groping incident, I became aware of something.
Whenever I did something she disapproved of, she would address me by my last name in a low, steady voice.
Just like an older sister scolding her younger brother, or a mother reprimanding her child.
Ignoring Tetsuya, I leaned back in my chair.
Then, I said curtly on purpose,
“Ha… Are you my mother-in-law or something? Why are you getting yourself so involved in my stuff?
“You’re the one who’s gotten me involved here….”
“You really don’t let any comments get by you, do you? Just go. Go to the cafeteria or something with your puppy.”
“Puppy?”
“Miura, who’s right behind you.”
“Ugh… I’m going to stop talking before I get angry. You’ll clean the bathroom properly today, right?”
Of course, I would.
“Can’t promise I’ll do a good job, but I’ll do it.”
“How’s your hand?”
“Eh, it works.”
“Be careful not to get your bandages wet.”
With those words, Miyuki left with Tetsuya.
As I had thought, they seemed to be headed to the cafeteria.
That damn bastard… I wanted to go to the cafeteria with Miyuki too, but there he was, monopolizing her.
The more I saw them together, the more I wanted to punch something.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
In every dating sim game, there are many events which raise the affection levels.
Among them are important ones like the subway groper incident I resolved a few days ago.
There are also events that yield minimal affection points, or even none at all, but offer fanservice scenes instead.
Right now, I was at the scene of such an event, one that would normally offer a fanservice scene but no actual affection gain.
But things would be different now.
Why? Because I knew Miyuki’s personality well.
Miyuki was the embodiment of a perfect childhood friend and first love.
She was truly well-mannered and kind-hearted.
She was also a woman who wouldn’t turn a blind eye to unfortunate events.
Why was I thinking about this now?
It was because there was a beggar wandering near where Miyuki currently was.
This beggar was missing a leg, so he moved around on a big square trolley, begging for money.
He was notorious for his aggressive begging and for grabbing passersby, threatening to hit them if they didn’t carry him across the street.
He was even famous in this area.
You’d often encounter NPCs like him in certain games.
NPCs who offered a significant boost in times of struggle during gameplay, as long as you were willing to compromise your conscience a little.
In Doki Doki Academy, this beggar was exactly that.
If you gave him a pair of smelly socks, he would share some of the money he earned from begging.
‘I made good use of this guy when I played as Tetsuya.’
Now, I was planning to use this beggar to my advantage.
To put it simply, I was going to pretend to be kind.
I would act somewhat nice to this beggar while making sure Miyuki witnessed it.
Having planned everything in my head, I moved towards the beggar.
I saw him yelling at pedestrians while rattling his trolley.
What would happen if I gave him the socks I was wearing right now?
Would he give me money like in the game?
I contemplated this for a moment before shaking my head.
Matsuda Ken wasn’t short of money.
There was only one thing I wanted from this beggar:
Miyuki’s affection points, and nothing else.
“Hey! Hey!”
The beggar yelled at the pedestrians who were ignoring him.
I pretended to walk past, brushing right by him.
As expected,
“Hey! You over there!”
The beggar called out to me in a booming voice.
I turned my head slightly and replied,
“What do you want?”
Taken aback by my curt response, the beggar’s face contorted in disbelief.
He stared blankly at me for a moment before pulling down the corner of his grime-stained mouth.
“What kind of ill-mannered brat are you…! How old are you, huh!?”
“Twenty.”
“You’re still wet behind the ears…! I’ve lived three and a half times longer than you, kid! Were you raised by wolves or something? I tell you, this generation…!”
He was exactly the same as I remembered, throwing a tantrum like that.
“I demand respect for your elders! You’re going to carry me across that crosswalk right now!”
“Really? Sure, I can do that.”
The beggar’s eyes widened as I readily accepted his command.
“H-Huh…? You will?”
“Yeah. So, should I carry you now?”
“Y-Yeah…? S-Sure… Hurry up. And watch out for my ride.”
Nodding, I crouched in front of the beggar as he stretched out his arms.
After hoisting him onto my back, I grabbed his dilapidated trolley with one hand.
The stench was overwhelming. Between the bathroom cleaning and this guy’s smell, my nose was going to go numb.
“Hmm… I must have misjudged you. You might have a rough tongue, but you’re a good kid at heart. You even have a broad back, perfect for sleeping on. I’m going to catch some shut-eye, so let me know when we get to that crosswalk over there.”
The beggar pointed to a spot far away.
Clicking my tongue in annoyance, I pretended to head towards the crosswalk, but as soon as I heard the beggar’s rhythmic snores coming from my shoulder, I changed directions.
I headed towards where Miyuki was.
It was a quiet street, a little off the bustling main street.
I went near a small mobile phone accessories store in that area with very few pedestrians, and through the clear glass of the store, I spotted Miyuki.
She was choosing keychains with her friends.
As Miyuki squatted down to look at something, her skirt rode up, revealing white panties between her shapely thighs.
Thanks to the taut fabric, I could see every curve.
I imagined them bouncing back with a satisfying snap after being poked.
I felt my blood rushing to my lower half at this sight.
Tetsuya must be somewhere around here too… That lucky bastard.
Unlike the original event, he wouldn’t get to see this side of Miyuki.
You know why? Because things were about to get loud.
“Old man. We’re here.”
I put the trolley down and shook the beggar awake, only to get smacked on the head as he jolted upright.
“Ow! What the hell, old man?!”
“You brat! When did I ask you to bring me here?! I just wanted to cross the street!”
Right. That’s what you said.
“What are you talking about? You clearly asked me to bring you to a quiet place!”
“Is this how young people are these days…? Deaf as a doorknob…? Useless… Ugh… Tsk tsk… How am I supposed to beg for money in a deserted place like this? You cost me half my earnings today, you’re paying for this!”
“Why should I pay for it!? You should have spoken clearly in the first place! Now get off!”
The sudden commotion drew the attention of the few people nearby.
This included the phone accessories store, which had its doors wide open.
The customers inside, including Miyuki, turned to look at me arguing with the beggar.
I carefully, albeit impatiently, helped the disgruntled beggar off my back and settled him back onto his trolley.
Then, I waved my hand dismissively.
“I did what you asked, now get lost.”
“G-Get lost…? You ungrateful little…! Don’t you have any respect for your elders?!”
“Shouldn’t you be the one showing some gratitude? I went out of my way to bring you here, and this is how you repay me?”
“Well, that’s because you didn’t listen to me properly!”
“Ugh… You’re so clingy. Here, is this what you want? Now leave me alone.”
I took out a thousand-yen bill from my wallet and held it out. The beggar, who had been yelling at the top of his lungs, instantly went silent.
His expression softened in a heartbeat as he snatched the bill from my hand and rattled away, humming a cheerful tune.
Watching him disappear into the distance, pushing his trolley with his hand, I felt a pang of guilt despite having orchestrated the whole thing.
Letting out a sigh as I watched him go, I muttered to myself,
“What bad luck…”
“Matsuda-kun.”
Miyuki’s lovely voice called out to me.
I turned around with a surprised look.
“Hanazawa? What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be studying? Finals are just around the corner.”
“I just came out for a bit of fresh air. What about you?”
“None of your business.”
I brushed her off halfheartedly, and Miyuki’s eyes narrowed.
“Actually, I heard everything. He was just messing with you, you know? That gentleman is famous for his mischievous personality. Didn’t you know?”
“Why are you calling that old beggar a ‘gentleman’…?
“Matsuda-kun, he’s much older than you. You shouldn’t talk about him like that. And you were cursing at him earlier too? That wasn’t very nice of you.”
“Ha… You really are like a mother-in-law.”
“If you keep talking like that, people won’t even try to understand you. Look around. You went out of your way to help him, even gave him money, but people are still looking at you coldly. Because of your aggressive attitude, it gives others a bad opinion of you.”
Looking around, I noticed that several people were indeed giving me frosty glares, just like Miyuki said.
They must have been annoyed by the commotion I caused at this hour.
Scratching my head awkwardly, I said,
“I don’t care.”
“If you really didn’t care, you wouldn’t be so conscious of how people see you. Am I wrong?”
“…”
“What are you trying to say?”
“From now on, work on reducing your swearing. Also work on your anger issues.”
You’re asking me that again? Alright, alright.
I’ll slowly start becoming a new person.
On the outside, I might act annoyed and pretend not to care about what you say.
But I’ll show you through my actions.
So please, as you witness me changing little by little, I want you to know that I cherish your words in my heart.
Take pleasure in reforming me.
“Both back at the academy and now… Do you have some kind of disease where you have to meddle in other people’s business? You must love sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”
“Matsuda-kun.”
Miyuki called my name in that same stern tone.
After a moment of feigned hesitation, I turned my back on her.
“…I’m outta here. I need to go wash this stench off me. What a weird geezer… Talk about a rough day… Geez…”
I grumbled dramatically as I walked past Miyuki.
Of course, my grumbling was completely devoid of any curses.
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She must feel proud of herself.