New chapter of Ordinary Person is out! (1/3 chapters)

 

 

Chapter 50

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

After wrapping up my mentally exhausting lunch, I returned to the classroom. This time, it was Haruka-kun, wearing a deeply troubled expression, waiting for me.

My excited mood for the upcoming Golden Week has been plummeting since this morning and shows no signs of stopping… I really don’t need any more trouble right now.

“Kouta-kun, could I have a little of your time after school?” (Haruka)

Hey? Can I say no? No, I can’t, right? Haa…

“Sure. Is that family restaurant nearby, okay? You can use ‘yen’ there.” (Kouta)

“Ah… if possible, somewhere with no people would be better.” (Haruka)

At that moment, the classroom was suddenly filled with a strong aura of fujoshi corruption. Or so it felt.

Those girls… There they are, the girls looking this way with glittering eyes. Kikuchi-san! Don’t just look exasperated, stop your friends!

*Sigh*

“Fine, we can talk at my apartment. It’s pretty close.” (Kouta)

“Thanks, I appreciate it.” (Haruka)

Kikuchi-san! The rotting stench, the rotting stench! Those people are already beyond saving! They’ve gone rotten! But still, stop them!? I’m getting goosebumps over here!

The lesson content went in one ear and out the other, leaving no trace in my mind.

This is the first time I’ve ever felt this way, not looking forward to after school.

Today was supposed to be a break from dungeon stuff so we could talk about our Golden Week plans and goals. That ended up getting scrapped too.

With heavy steps, I headed toward my apartment with Haruka-kun.

“Come in.” (Kouta)

“Excuse me for intruding.” (Haruka)

“Nah, no one else is here. I live alone.” (Kouta)

“Really? Isn’t that tough?” (Haruka)

“Taking out the trash and doing laundry are kind of a pain. But aside from that, it’s manageable. There’s a coin laundry on the first floor, so it’s not that bad.” (Kouta)

I poured some tea from a 2-liter bottle and served it, then started talking about our dungeon explorations with Mutou and the others, while waiting for Haruka-kun to calm down and start talking.

Honestly, I’m not really good at this kind of considerate stuff. But since there are a lot of girls in our party, I’ve been getting more chances to be mindful of things. Restrooms, monthly issues, and other things that are really hard for a guy like me to sense. It’s because of that… or maybe thanks to that, I feel like I’ve become more sensitive to how people take care of each other lately.

Once you start noticing, you feel like you have to do the same. It’s actually pretty exhausting. Compared to that, going into a dungeon and smacking goblins around is way easier. Once this is over, maybe I’ll go swing by there.

No good, my focus is slipping. But I just can’t handle the tension that Haruka-kun is giving off.

“Haruka-kun…” (Kouta)

“The truth is…” (Haruka)

Oh, he’s finally ready to talk? If this turns out to be about romance or something, I might cry.

“Yeah?” (Kouta)

“A skill manifested.” (Haruka)

Alright! First hurdle cleared! This is still within expectations!

“I see. Congrats.” (Kouta)

“Huh? Ah, yeah, thanks!” (Haruka)

Yeah, you don’t have to get all shy there! You don’t have to blush, either! That happy smile… go flash that at one of the girls in class, they’ll love it! I don’t need it though!

Alright, let’s move on with the conversation.

“Have you already looked into what kind of skill it is?” (Kouta)

“…That’s the thing. I’m still in the middle of figuring it out.” (Haruka)

So, it’s a skill with a lot of variables to investigate. If it’s a martial art skill, you’ve gotta hit a monster with it. Same with offensive magic. Once you try them, you get a general idea. It’s not like a game where it tells you “does X% of normal damage” or anything. That’s just how attack skills are. But if it’s a special-type skill like Appraisal, then that’s way beyond what we as students, just individuals can handle.

It’s like that special alchemy-type skill that adjusted Sofia’s armor… I’ve got no clue who figured out how to use it or how. But Haruka-kun said he’s in the middle of figuring it out. Which means it’s something you can research online to some degree, and then you need to test the effects… yeah, it’s probably a support-type skill.

Haruka-kun doesn’t want others to find out about it. Which means… that’s probably correct. A wise decision. But still, I don’t understand why he came to me about it. Is he unsure of how to research it? Or he can’t think of a way to test it?

Guess I’ll have to ask him directly. But still… is this really something I should be stepping into? Knowing someone’s secret skill carries a lot of weight.

 

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(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)