I belong to the Economics Department at Kyoyo University. The reason I chose economics is because, including my past life, I’ve always admired economics. Whether it’s because it’s strong for employment, or because there’s somehow an image that studying economics is cool. Or maybe it was both.
Either way, what I learned is that the Economics Department is a hardcore science department. There’s no way private liberal arts university students can handle Calculus III, but sadly, the professors are originally economics scholars from science backgrounds, so they think the students entering are science students.
After all, more than half of the lectures are mathematics. I seriously wonder how pure liberal arts students survive.
It’s a mystery, but rather than worrying about others, I need to worry about myself right now.
West Building No. 5, Room 201. The Economics Department is a mammoth department with the most enrolled students. In the first year, classes are often held in large groups, so lectures in large classrooms become inevitable.
When I entered the auditorium-style lecture hall like at the entrance ceremony, I was first overwhelmed by its vastness. Complex lighting fixtures were arranged on the high ceiling, and soft light enveloped the entire hall. In the center of the auditorium, seats arranged in tiers spread out, with long desks lined up at each tier. The wood grain of the desks, though worn, told the story of decades of history.
On the lecture platform, speakers and projectors were installed, and the screen was set up near the ceiling, seemingly looking down at the students.
I wanted to be moved by this class setting that was completely different from high school, but my seat was at the very front. I wanted to get a bird’s eye view from the very back seat, but I gave up because moving around in a wheelchair was difficult.
More importantly──
“Seriously, what am I gonna do……”
My worries never end. Of course, I’m talking about the Four Beauties.
If I say I want to act alone, they’ll fall into darkness, so I absolutely can’t say that even if it kills me. But on the other hand, if I let them do as they please, that creates its own problems. Most recently, the celebration after the entrance ceremony.
We had a really good time doing university student things like secretly buying alcohol and having a drinking party at home.
However, getting them to go back to their rooms afterward was really difficult…….
They proposed bathing assistance and sharing a bed, and my rationality and desires fought within me. In the end, rationality won, and I forcibly sent the four of them back to their rooms.
If that day had been the peak of difficult days, I could look back on it as a good memory, but it’s been like this every day and I can’t rest.
For example, moving between classrooms on campus.
Since you don’t have your own classroom in university, you move classrooms during every break. Even in high school, there were room changes, but it was mostly just moving to the science room for practical subjects or science experiments. Basically, we spent most of our time in our own classroom.
That’s why I took it lightly, but universities have a lot of room changes. Sometimes you have to go outside and change buildings, so for someone in a wheelchair like me, this is hard work. So someone with a free period comes to help.
This is really helpful. I should bow down and show my gratitude. However──
“Could you please stop throwing tantrums already…”
They insist on not wanting to be separated from me, saying they’ll attend classes with me, causing all sorts of scenes. The professors who tried to intervene out of concern ended up having fights picked with them, dealing with hysterics, and Shino even tried to use her authority to get professors fired from the university.
As a result, lectures don’t progress, I’m exposed to curious stares, and my stomach hurts. Being in the front row seat makes it feel even worse.
I can’t make friends either. This is truly troublesome.
If the four of them were acting with malicious intent, I could just reject them and be done with it, but if it’s coming from an overwhelming sense of goodwill and guilt, then there’s nothing I can really say.
“Really, I’m so glad we’re in different departments…”
The only saving grace is that we’re in different departments. Satsuki is in the Law Department, Reine is in Literature, Shuna is in Business Administration, and Shino is in Political Science. Thanks to that, I can at least enjoy time alone during lectures. I never had any interest in studying, but thinking of it as the only time I can be alone brings peace to my heart.
“She said she has something unavoidable to take care of during lunch break. I’ll try to make friends during that time…!”
Having no connections within the department is way too harsh. That was fine in high school, but everything is so different between high school and university that I feel I can’t manage alone. Sadly, university is even harsher on loners who don’t take initiative than high school was.
Thinking this is my last chance, I’m determined to work on making friends.
However—
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“It’s because of those girls that people are avoiding me…”
Just as class ends, the lunch break bell rings. People immediately form a long line streaming out of the classroom.
I’m sitting on the entrance side of the front row. People definitely pass by my face when entering and exiting, but when I try to talk to them, they ignore me and quickly leave. Some people even take the long way around, leaving through the exit at the back of the classroom despite it being out of their way.
My communication skills have already declined from spending three years as a loner in high school, and this treatment really hits hard. There’s almost no one left in the classroom now.
“Still, I’d like to have at least one friend…”
To put it bluntly, I have no choice but to look for fellow introverted loner classmates. Those who failed at their university debut should want friends just like me.
Come on, someone, anyone, please talk to me! I’ll treat you to meals every day if you want!?
“Hey, got a minute?”
It caaaame!
Did my wish get through? Someone called out to me from behind. I haven’t believed in God at all since reincarnating into this world, but just this once, I’ll be grateful.
First impressions are crucial. If the first impression is bad, there’s no way they’ll accept me as a friend. Besides, I’ve already messed up. This is truly a last-stand situation. I need to greet them with the best smile I can muster.
“H-hello… wait… huh?”
When I turned around, there stood Sano Yuuto—a fateful adversary for me, no, for us—and my entire body froze. No, I knew he was in the same department. I was very surprised at the time, but since Sano and I have no direct connection, I didn’t particularly intend to get involved. Still, whenever I noticed him, I would avert my eyes and continue ignoring his existence.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Sano Yuuto.”
“Ah, um, yeah. I’m Iriya Satoshi. Nice to meet you.”
“Haha, we’re classmates, right? You don’t need to use formal speech.”
“Ah, then, I won’t hold back…”
I never thought the person toward whom I hold the most complicated feelings in this world would approach me directly. Emotions I’d been suppressing deep in my chest suddenly well up. To Sano, I’m meeting him for the first time, so I have to maintain my composure. But my heart is pounding, and my right arm, which shouldn’t move, is trembling slightly.
Looking around, as if by arrangement, only Sano and I are in the large lecture hall. Usually there should be a few people remaining to take afternoon classes, but now there’s no one. The space is eerily silent.
“I’m from a minor high school called ○○ High School in ○○ Prefecture, so I don’t have anyone to talk to. I happened to see you here, so I thought I’d say hi.”
It was Sano who broke the silence. He spoke to me with a friendly-looking smile.
No matter how complicated my feelings are, Sano doesn’t know anything. Since he approached me with goodwill, I should respond with sincerity too.
“H-huh. What a coincidence. I’m actually from the same school.”
“Seriously!? Wait, are you a ronin or something?”
“No, I’m a regular current graduate.”
“Seriously… I never thought there’d be another classmate from the same school here~”
There’s no need to hide it, so I told him everything as it is. But since I have to pretend it’s a coincidence, I can’t let my guard down. I can’t let slip what I know too much about.
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