Chapter 4
It had been two days since I started cleaning the bathroom.
Miyuki watched me for only that one day.
Although I'd gained a huge boost to her affection, the distance between us was still considerable.
But even so, I cleaned the bathroom very thoroughly.
Even if Miyuki wasn't watching me, word might reach her through a third party that the bathroom had been clean lately.
In the classroom, I continued acting like a delinquent.
Just not during class.
I tried my best to keep up with the professor's lessons.
Just like now. I was sitting through math class while fighting off overwhelming drowsiness.
“All right, who can solve this one...? Hmm...”
The middle-aged professor, who had drawn circles and letters on the blackboard, let his voice trail off.
I flinched when my eyes met his.
Because I thought he was going to ask me to solve it.
Apparently, he found it strange that I was paying attention in class...
“Matsuda-kun, want to give it a try?”
As expected, the professor called on me.
Every gaze immediately turned toward me.
The curiosity in Miyuki's eyes stood out.
I desperately wanted to solve it brilliantly and receive a round of applause, but...
I had absolutely no idea what the thing drawn on the blackboard was supposed to be.
I might have been terrible at studying, but I remembered that I hadn't been this hopeless before possessing this guy...
I'd have to have Miyuki tutor me from now on, but the future looked pitch-black.
I scratched my head vigorously and spoke in a deliberately surly tone.
“I have no idea.”
“I-is that so...? All right. Miss Miyuki, come up and solve it on the blackboard instead.”
Miyuki stood up from her seat with an expression that said, “Of course you don't.”
She skillfully swept the chalk across the board, displaying her elegant handwriting.
She looked kind of cool.
I glanced at Tetsuya and saw him staring at Miyuki as she solved the problem, his eyes shining brightly.
What the hell does a guy who didn't have an ounce of courage and even turned down her confession think he's doing...?
You have no right to look at Miyuki like that.
After class, during the break.
I was about to rest with my arms on my desk when Miyuki approached me with a somewhat friendly stride, and I put on an irritated expression.
“What now?”
“Matsuda-kun.”
“What?”
“If you don't know how to solve something, you should at least pretend to try, or ask the professor. That's how you improve.”
Ignoring her advice, I turned my head toward Tetsuya.
“Miura. Your mom is nagging me even though I haven't done anything wrong. Aren't you going to stop her?”
Tetsuya floundered at my teasing attitude, then glanced at Miyuki and said in a timid, shrinking voice,
“W-what do you mean, Mom...? Miyuki is...”
“It was a joke, asshole. Don't take it so seriously...”
“Matsuda-kun.”
Miyuki cut off the conversation in a stern tone.
I raised both hands somewhat theatrically.
“Ah, all right. I can't even joke around because you're so scary.”
“That's not a joke. You're bullying him.”
“Bullying him? Hey, Miura. Have I bullied you?”
When I spoke to Tetsuya with a deep scowl, Miyuki stepped between us.
“Who would tell you the truth if you talked to him like you were threatening him?”
“What do you want me to do? This is just how I talk.”
“You can be kinder. At least try.”
“My good little Miura, did I happen to hurt your feelings? No? Good. Then could you clean the bathroom for me after class today?”
“Matsuda-kun.”
I learned something after Miyuki's attitude changed so much following the molestation incident.
When I did something she didn't like, she called me by my surname in a low, sunken voice.
She sounded like an older sister or a mother trying to discipline me.
I stopped paying attention to Tetsuya and leaned back in my chair.
Then I deliberately spoke curtly.
“Haa... Are you my mother-in-law or something? Why do you meddle in every little thing?”
“You make me meddle, Matsuda-kun.”
“You never give an inch... Hey, just go. Take your puppy to the school store or something.”
“Puppy?”
“Miura, the one behind you.”
“Haa... If we keep talking, I think I'm going to lose my temper, so I'll stop. You'll clean the bathroom properly today too, right?”
Of course. That's what I should do.
“I can't promise I'll do a good job, but I'll do it.”
“How's your hand?”
“So-so.”
“Be careful not to get it wet.”
With that, Miyuki left with Tetsuya.
They seemed to be heading to the school store, just as I'd thought.
That fucking bastard... I wanted to go to the school store with Miyuki too, but he was monopolizing her.
The more I looked at him, the more my fists itched.
**
Every dating sim has various affection events.
Some of them are important, like the subway molestation incident I'd resolved a few days ago,
while others barely raise affection—or don't raise it at all—and simply show off a service scene.
I was now at the site of an event designed to show one of those service scenes.
Normally, it would have been an event with nothing but a service scene and no affection increase whatsoever, but things were different now.
Why? Because I knew Miyuki's personality well.
Miyuki perfectly fit the childhood-friend first-love archetype.
She was truly demure and had an incredibly warm heart.
She was also the kind of woman who never ignored someone suffering a misfortune.
Why was I thinking about this now?
Because a beggar was wandering around near where Miyuki currently was.
This beggar had only one leg, so he got around on a square handcart that he could rest his stomach on while begging for money.
He was foul-tempered, aggressively demanding money, and crazy enough to grab passersby and threaten to beat them if they didn't carry him across a crosswalk.
He was even famous in this neighborhood.
You know how some games have NPCs like this?
When you're struggling to get through the game, you could sell just a little of your conscience to an NPC who would give you a major lifeline.
In DokiAka, this beggar was one of those NPCs.
If you gave him one smelly sock, he'd hand over some of the money he'd collected while begging.
‘I made very good use of this guy when playing as Tetsuya.’
From now on, I planned to use this beggar.
Simply put, I'd pretend to be kind.
I would treat the beggar somewhat kindly and make Miyuki see me do it.
Once I had worked out the entire plan in my head, I headed toward the beggar.
I spotted him angrily berating passersby as his cart clattered.
What would happen if I gave him one of the socks I was wearing?
Would he give me money like he did in the game?
After mulling it over, I shook my head.
Matsuda Ken wasn't short on money.
There was only one thing I wanted from this beggar.
Miyuki's affection for me. That was all.
“Hey! Hey!”
The beggar shouted at passersby who ignored him.
I pretended to be merely passing by and walked right in front of him.
Then,
“Hey! You there!”
As expected, the beggar called out to me in a booming voice.
I turned my head halfway, looked down at him, and answered.
“What?”
Apparently taken aback by my abrupt informality, the beggar's face filled with disbelief.
After staring up at me blankly for a moment, he pulled down the dirty corners of his mouth.
“Have you ever seen such a disrespectful little brat...? How old are you, huh!?”
“Twenty.”
“Your blood hasn't even dried yet...! I've lived three and a half times as long as you, you brat! A good-for-nothing who wasn't even taught how to behave at home...! What is the world coming to...!”
His furious reaction was exactly like the beggar I knew.
“I shall punish you for failing to respect your elders! Carry me across the crosswalk right now!”
“Really? I can at least do that much.”
When I readily accepted his command, the beggar's eyes widened.
“Huh...? You will?”
“Yeah. Shall I carry you, then?”
“Huh...? W-well, fine... Hurry up. And take care of my vehicle too.”
I said I understood, then crouched down in front of the beggar, who had spread his arms.
I hoisted him onto my back and picked up his beat-up cart in one hand.
The smell coming off him was no joke. Between cleaning bathrooms and this guy's stench, I was starting to think my nose would go numb.
“Hmm... Perhaps I misjudged you. Your speech is rough, but you have a kind heart. And you have such a broad back—it'll be comfortable to sleep on. I'll close my eyes for a moment, so tell me when we've crossed that croooosswalk over there.”
The beggar pointed to a place some distance away.
I clicked my tongue and pretended to head there, but the moment I heard the beggar's regular breathing from over my shoulder, I turned around.
Then I headed toward where Miyuki was.
It was a quiet street a little ways from the busy district.
I went near a small mobile-phone-accessories shop on that sparsely populated street and spotted Miyuki through the shop's transparent glass window.
She was choosing keychains with her friends.
As Miyuki crouched down to look at the merchandise, her skirt slid down, revealing snow-white panties between her attractive thighs.
The taut fabric made every plump curve visible.
It looked like they would sink in if poked, then spring back out from their elasticity.
Seeing it in person sent all the blood rushing to my lower half.
That bastard Tetsuya had to be somewhere around here too... Poor guy.
Unlike in the original event, you wouldn't get to see Miyuki in that state.
Why? Because a commotion was about to break out.
“Old man. We're here.”
After setting down the cart and waking the beggar by jostling his upper body, I shouted when he looked around and smacked me hard enough to make my head go crack.
“Ah, fuck! Why the hell did you hit me!”
“You brat! When did I ever tell you to bring me here!? I only told you to cross the crosswalk!”
Yeah. He had.
“What are you talking about? You clearly told me to bring you to a quiet street!”
“Are young people these days even worse at understanding words...? You're completely useless... Tsk, tsk... How am I supposed to beg for money in a place with no people? My earnings today have been cut in half because of you, so take responsibility!”
“Why the hell should I take responsibility for that!? You should've spoken clearly instead of mumbling! Now get down!”
The sudden commotion drew the attention of the few people nearby.
The mobile-phone shop, which had been doing business with its doors open, was no exception.
The customers inside stared at me arguing with the beggar.
Miyuki was among them, of course.
I lowered the beggar irritably but carefully and placed him on the cart.
Then I waved my hands as if shooing away an annoying fly.
“I've done everything I had to do, so get lost.”
“G-get lost...? You brat!! Don't you know anything about respecting your elders!?”
“Aren't you being a little unreasonable? I carried you all the way here, and instead of thanking me, you're getting angry?”
“That's because you didn't listen to me properly!”
“Oh, come on... You're so damn persistent. This is what you want, right? Take it and go away.”
When I pulled a thousand-won bill from my wallet and held it out, the beggar, who had been shrieking, clamped his mouth shut.
His expression relaxed in an instant. He snatched the bill from my hand and wheeled himself away, humming.
Watching him drag the cart along with his hands braced against the ground irritated me a little, even though this had been my plan.
I watched him go and let out a deep sigh before muttering,
“Just my luck...”
“Matsuda-kun.”
It was Miyuki's lovely voice calling my name.
I turned around with a startled look on my face.
“Hanazawa? What the hell? Why are you here? Don't you have studying to do? Finals are right around the corner.”
“I came out to clear my head for a moment. What are you doing here?”
“You don't need to know.”
I mumbled a vague answer in a dispirited tone, and the corners of Miyuki's eyes curved into crescents.
“Actually, I heard the whole story. That gentleman was playing a prank, right? He's famous for his mischievous personality, but I guess you didn't know, Matsuda-kun?”
“What do you mean, that gentleman? He's a fucking beggar...”
“Matsuda-kun. He's much older than you, so he's your elder. You shouldn't talk about him like that. You swore at him earlier too, didn't you? It was really unpleasant to watch.”
“Haa... The mother-in-law is here.”
“If you keep talking like that, people won't try to understand your true feelings. Look around. Even though you did him a favor and gave him money, everyone is looking at you coldly. Your aggressive attitude has made them prejudge you.”
I looked around, and just as Miyuki had said, several people were staring at me coldly.
Apparently, they hadn't liked me making a commotion at this late hour.
I scratched my head as if embarrassed and said,
“I don't care.”
“If you really didn't care, you wouldn't be looking around and worrying about what people think. Am I wrong?”
“.... What are you trying to say?”
“Try to cut back on swearing from now on. And break your habit of getting angry first.”
You're telling me that again, huh? Fine.
From now on, I'll gradually be reborn as a new person.
Outwardly, I'll keep acting prickly and pretending I don't want to listen to you.
But I'll show you through my actions.
So as you watch me gradually change, I want you to realize that I'm taking your advice to heart.
I want you to start enjoying reforming me.
“Just like at the Academy earlier, and now too... Do you have some kind of condition that makes your mouth itch if you can't meddle? Must be nice, being so meddlesome.”
“Matsuda-kun.”
Miyuki called me in that same stern tone.
I pretended to waver for a moment, then turned around and showed her my back.
“.... I'm leaving. I stink, so I'm going to take a shower. I've run into all sorts of weirdos... What a rotten day... Darn...”
I deliberately grumbled in an exaggerated manner as I passed Miyuki.
Of course, there wasn't a single swear word in those complaints.