Vol 6 Chapter 1 (1/2)
I grow tired of hearing your lies
1
To be honest, I had prior knowledge about Kigay Department of Kouto National University Contrary to expectations, it h infore, but if I remember correctly, I heard that name from the mouth of Aoi Mikoko, a classmate of mine from the same department of Meikan Private University, around May this year at the shi+nkyogoku[1]
”Uamine[2]?”
”Wrong! You're pronouncing it like sohterated motion ”No way! Ikkun, you don't know about that faiant ho ceremony!”
”Famous,” I said after a moment of pause with a straw clenched between my lips ”Why would I know about a professor at a different school?”
”She co one of her classes! Third period on Fridays! Right after lunch break!” Mikoko-chan energetically rattled on ”It's a super popular lecture, so it's like baaaaether like potatoes being washed! Soet seats!”
”Huh Third period on Fridays, that would be language study for me Italian Hmm So, what is the name of the class?”
”Hmm?”
”Name of the class”
”Uhhh”
”What is the class about?”
”Hmm?”
”Class, about”
”Uhhh”
”You are just skipping that class!”
”I'!”
””
We were in the McDonalds located near the center of shi+nkyougoku Road We had co by Mikoko-chan to help her with shopping, and I had co with a girl's shopping, and just past noon I had become completely worn out, and so ere in the s next to the table And in the paper bags hat I could only presu Mikoko-chan was apparently surprisingly rich I thought or did not think that itwith her, after all
”But you know, assistant Professor Kigamine is really, really fa to talk about so inconvenient to herself ”And she's really pretty Mikoko-tan admires her!”
”Pretty? Oh, a she?”
I could not tell by the naiven the way Mikoko-chan described the person, I had figured them to be a man, but one also does not usually refer to a man as pretty
”Yup! She teaches while wearing a lab coat Lab coat, a lab coat! I usually don't like science teachers because they're hard in the head, but once you get past a certain point, they're kinda cool Ah, now that we mention it, maybe we can stop by and buy a lab coat since we're out here already Ikkun, where do you think they sell lab coats?”
”I feel like I have seen some at stores that specialize in uniforms also I would think art universities would sell them in bulk in their stores”
”Art stores? Why?”
”Artists usually wear lab coats when they are working with oil That or aprons Because it gets dirty Even science types norht? These are not wedding gowns, after all”
I said as I iined Mikoko-chan in a lab coat
Not bad at all
”Although in that case, you lasses”
”Huh?” Mikoko-chan tilted her head to the side Given her expression, it seemed her intent to buy a lab coat was in jest, unfortunately ”Ikkun, so weird Oh well You're Ikkun because you're weird So, as I was saying are you listening? hello? Ikkun, what're you thinking about?”
”H about To I was not at all thinking that Tomoe-chan would look the best in it while Muimi-chan looks absolutely terrible in it”
”Gosh!+ Ikkun, you're going on about silly stuff again! How vulgar! Like it's not scary if we cross it together, as long as we pick a log bridge!”
””
Ahh it is wonderful to be with a girl who plays the straight-isa and Aikawa-san and most people seem to play the fool, and it exhausts me
”So, e talking about?”
”You were really not listening shock~,” Mikoko-chan doubled over in despair Five seconds later, she revived ”About yesterday! Mikoko-tan ran into Doctor Kigamine in the university lecture hall!”
Mikoko-san said e a tremendous incident
The girl boasted a firm set of vocal chords
”A near-miss!”
”You missed?”
”It wasn't a h!”
”Hht? Does this assistant Professor Kigamine have classes other than on Monday?”
”Dunno Even if she didn't, she probably was just there for so this a big deal ”And then! Because I wasn't paying attention, wham!”
Wham! Mikoko-chan held out both of her palms
” I ran into her”
”Ran into her”
”Yes Doctor Kigamine's files and papers and books spilled all over the hallway Wabam, flutter flutter-”
Mikoko-chan hung her head in shah, if one were to say that it is not at all boring watching her, they would be right
”Huh- so?”
”And so I apologized and apologized, but Doctor Kiga to worry that much over”
”Handled like an adult”
”I had already predicted to some certainty that ould collide in this hallway Our crash here was but guidance froreater destiny”
”Handled so strangely”
Or rather, run away
Run away run away run away!
”So I asked What do you mean?”
”It does not see such questions”
What are you, a hero?
”However, by that point, Doctor wasn't looking atup her files, and then she irl and I only have the relationshi+p to collide in this hallway that is destiny That is kar the chosen inevitability, too reat an existence destiny may be, that is still but a mere landmark yet more destiny exists outside the scope of destiny resolutely, and without any sort of opposition effect And then as Aoi Mikoko looked on with a flabbergasted look, Doctor Kigamine turned her back to me and left Chalacha-n, cha, chacha, cha-n Chalalala-n”
””
The peaceful BGM she sounded did not suit the scene
”So, Ikkun, what'd you think?”
”That person is definitely whack”
One cannot underestimate university faculty
Well, what can I say, because after all, educational faculty at universities, are people who had always devoted the (distant look)
”Mmm”
For some reason, Mikoko-san had a displeased expression She puckered her lips, puffed her cheeks, and showed an extremely obvious displeased look It seeht of that person is definitely whack It see reement
” was I supposed to say so like sounds like a cool person?”
”Uhh- gosh!+ Like firing a hundred rocket-style fireworks in quick succession, except under a clear, blue sky!” Mikoko-chan slapped down on the not-particularly-sturdy-looking table in McDonalds ”Sure, you ht think she's just a weird person based on what I said! But she was really cool! The way she moves, or et across in words!”
”Even if you say that”
”You know, as a girl, she just makes you think she's really, really cool! That's what I wanted to say! I just wish you could get what I meant to say!”
”You do not need to be so insistent”
I tried to play it cool by sipping at my drink
”Really, really, certainly, you could tell she's cool! Like, as a girl, the ideal form! Made me want to become someone like her down the line!”
”Cool- well, I know a few cool women as well But, without exceptions they are all tall At the very least, 175 centimeters Mikoko-chan, it is impossible for you”
”H- how cruel!” Mikoko-chan stood fro I fret over! My height, I think about it a lot, absentmindedly! Ikkun's short, too! Not much different from me, too! Abominable, Ikkun! Brute! Repulsive! LikeMillion-dollar s summer, except you're a va!”
”Mikoko-chan, you are the best”
Triple combo
”Ikkun's stupid!”
Mikoko-chan spun around, turning her back to h force to crush ht in front)
Haa
But you know
”The real deal is different, after all”
”Did you say so?”
And so
What pulled me out of my pointless flashback scene and back into reality was a cool, clear voice I stopped staring aze to the source of that voice in front of me
The location was no longer the shi+nkyougoku McDonald's, but instead a certain large domestic hotel located x notches in a different direction, in its first-floor cafe We sat facing each other at a table for four One was myself of course, and the other -- ell, assistant Professor Kigamine Yaku
She was of course not in a lab coat, but rather a navy-colored suit properly adhering to social norether near her nape, and she wore frahtly thick eyebrows, and a beauty spot below her right eye Her front hair was parted toward her right, and I see, even with both of us seated I could discern her height thanks to how she kept her back straightened She may not be as tall as Suzunashi+-san, but she could probably line shoulders with Aikawa-san Mikoko-chan's description of her as cool fit perfectly
However
Even so
It was a shame
Even acknowledging her as beautiful and cool, if I could add but one more word--
”-- you look like you're appraising people”
”Eh? Uh, uh huh,” I hurriedly responded to assistant Professor Kigaize It is like a habit of mine”
”A habit”
”Unfortunately, I have terriblean observant eye, but as a result, or perhaps out of necessity, when I meet someone for the first tiet them entirely”
”I do not mind I had already predicted that you would be someone whose sexual preferences were of that like assistant Professor Kigay and excuse aside, and then she nodded ”I would not call it a habit so much, but I also have a custo else anyways, when I meet someone, I cannot help but think about what that person means to me, and where that person is positioned within h, people do tend to look alike, and it's hard to distinguish between theht?”
”Uh huh”
”All of the distinguished from others like they've learned to find co ned their unique na that they've laid themselves at the feet of destiny, or perhaps accepted it fufufu”
For aa joke, but it see to herself In that case, she was nota joke, but rather that was her true color
”Well then”
assistant Professor Kiga lasers through me Her lips were curled in a smile, but her smile seemed filled more with intimidation, and her expression hinted less friendliness and more wariness
”While you are currently in thecalled a break As such, there does not exist such a thing as idle tiht to the point”
”Yes”
Incidentally, today is the first of August As assistant Professor Kigamine iinningsu way While it was true that I was not particularly busy, that did notlazy, and I have a couple problems of my own For exarettably, it seemed Kokoromi-sensei's treatment went above and beyond satisfactory, so while I would still have scars, I was told it would heal with no lingering effects, but still, it was too early forto watch over Hied to score in the red for every single sean acco routines (which are pretty rough), or, well, and so on and so forth Anyways, Iaround To the point where I could have been excused if I had ignored the call-out by a professor of a class I do not even take
I should also mention that I was told to amine showed up at 3:15 I was tempted to ask if she mistook this for one of her classes
” would you et to the point?”
” what is it?”
Perhaps because she was displeased by being sidestepped, assistant Professor Kigamine scrunched her brows just a bit She seems to be just as obsessive-compulsive and difficult as she looks
”Where did you find out my cell phone number? I am an extremely closed-off person, so I hardly ever tell anyone my phone number”
”-- I had already predicted you would find that suspicious However, that,” she shrugged ”Can be done in a great s in this world that cannot be found if you wish to search Or perhaps I should say there cannot be”
”I want to kno, specifically”
This was so I wanted clarified As for why, that was one of the reasons -- or rather, the only reason that I agreed to meet her A phone call to a phone nuh life to leave that mystery be
”There is nothing to be gained by knowing Nothing,” assistant Professor Kigamine continued to parry my question ”There are many ways You too could i that, can't you? So, there is nothing to be gained Nothing i i, is that I,that does not pick and choose oal I wanted to know your phone nuh?”
””
Enough
In a way, she had told h
More than enough
”It is well to be wary of me, in fact it is a reaction I would recommend myself The people that say simply that you should trust other people have it easy However, when it come out After all, you came here to do that, did you not?”
” indeed”
I decided to take a step back I thought this was the type of person that is annoying if you dig too deep Annoying, I say, but I felt like I had already stepped into her realm of annoyance, but still Well, that is true, that when it co, indeed, it would not be too late to do after hearing her story
”It appears you coment I had already predicted that you are that type of understanding person”
”So, your point what is it you want?”
”Direct to the point,” assistant Professor Kigalasses”
” huh?”
It was far too direct
I braced myself
Whether she recognized a smile
”Do you believe in what is called destiny?”
””
There it was
There it was there it was there it was Ever since I recalled s I felt! Thethis situation! I thought, in the back ofup this sort of topic, but!
Destiny, ahh, destiny!
What a grandiose theme
Second only to love
”D, destiny you say”
”H to say ere lovers in a past life or anything of that sort, so rest assured I si that can be called destiny”
”Uh huh well, let ht otherhen you erated word as destiny, but if you were to rephrase that as inevitability or kar what you sow, poetic justice In other words the apple will fall, rain will fall, the sun will be bright, the night will be dark, so sad will make you cry--”
”The living will die,” assistant Professor Kigamine smirked ”I had already predicted you would have that sort of opinion”
” if you say so”
Karma
Come to think of it, I do not re like mistaken karma Nohat ever did I say that for
”Is so on your mind?”
”Oh, I a So, as it? So about karma?”
”Fufufu Yes, cause and effect -- in other words what is obvious What is natural, what is natural, naaaaatuuuuuuraaaaaal This is a case where I would not mind if you were to pull out the quote God does not play with dice While we are capable of affecting the s like the greater current nobody can change the flohile being alive to incapable of dying”
””
”nobody”
The way she spoke sounded like she was persuading herselfto me It see the obsessive-compulsive, did not take any heed to the existence of others While it would be hypocritical ofabout that trait, I still found it difficult to accept, having been called out here by the person in question
”I understand it was rude, but I investigated your background”
Suddenly, assistant Professor Kigamine seemed to make a declaration
And then she curled her lips, seely pleased
”Interesting Your background is truly interesting”
””
Background that word alone indicated nothing about howthat far, was certainly on a different level than looking up isa would have favorablyHalf-assed infor abilities would sie However, how about this person? Isubjectively, but from my experience thus far, this sort of person is extreo so far as to say the snake knows the snake's path best, but
”It is already impressive for you to have been affiliated with the ER3 Syste was the records you left behind To be honest, it is impossible for ram and leave yourself in the care of such an outward, northern island, and in a common university at that”
”You know about the ER Program”
Well, not that it is particularly hard to find that out, given that I had beenyou can really do to hide that you had studied abroad That hy, although my problems preceded that, the ER3 brand nalory
”However, I would iine the records I left behind are untrue When I was over there, I was buddies with one Ookoro[3] I simply could not keep up in their system and turned tail and came home I am a drop-out A drop-out Part of it may have been homesickness But anyways, the person I was buddies as incredible, and I think our doings may have been”
”And then -- even after you returned to japan, you had a hand in a lot of things A lot, a lot Aaaaaa loooooooot”
assistant Professor Kiga me I would prefer if she listened to people even just a tiny bit
”For example, this May Several students at the Rokumeikan Private University, which you attend, passed away And not because of an accident or so, but as victims of murder”
””
”Murder Murder Murrrrdurrr Along hat can only be described as a terrifying mass-murder case that occurred at the saards to both cases, like an esteemed detective that shows up in a traditional, stereotypicalthem swiftly and skillfully, was none other than, you”
”H In fact it is so wrong I cannot even begin to i could have come forth”
But the assistant Professor did not stop at my denial, as expected
”Other ru you do not stop at a mere few And not just li quite the rounds Well, of course, s or exaggerations -- but it is enough for me that you are a person that causes such nuerations”
””
”You are, interesting”
assistant Professor Kigamine shut her eyes
”You are truly, interesting”
”Uh huh”
She even said it twice
”You are, truly interesting”
”You do not need to say it three times”
” you know I cannot forgive this”
”Huh?”
Cannot forgive?
”What can you not forgive?”
”That a hu as you has no relation whatsoever to ivable I want you to have some sort of relevancy in my life”
”Uh, uh huh”
Wow
I have been given many evaluations by many different sorts of people, but this was the first time someone had ever been so blunt with o, by Kunagisa's big brother, by Kunagisa Nao-san, albeit nuanced in a co similar However, even so, I must admit it feels different to be told this by a lady rather than a man
”And yet, when I took a look, you were not registered for , it did not feel as though you would register even after this year At this rate, despite being on the saa even close to brushi+ng paths, leave this campus No, in your case, you live a lifestyle that would notif you were to drop out at the start of next year After all, you do not seem particularly passionate about classes, anyways I couldn't stand for this I will not acknowledge such destiny”
”Will not acknowledge”
”Destiny exists However, that destiny is one that you create for yourself That is why I called out to meet you today”
”I see”
I understand what she is trying to say, but how should I put it, she expresses it with such extravagance If she were to say it normally instead of in such a bizarre way, it would sound a bit more bizarre, I think
”Well, I agree that I skip out on classes a bit, but I do not kno to reply to this so suddenly to be honest, I can only answer that you are overesti around ed into problems quite often”
”It isyou or not”
” is that so”
This person really does not listen to others
Feels pointless to say anything
”You are interesting, but I , if I may say so myself From that perspective, I do not think it a bad deal for you to become acquainted with me, either How does that sound?”
”How does that sound”
”And in that vein, with regards to a certain allotted period of time, I would like for you to assist me in my research I would be thrilled if you could consider it a part-time job over the summer”
” a part-time job”
”Yes, a part-time job A part-time job A paaaaaart, tiiiiiime, job What a convenient phrase Like well, that aside, I will pay you a worthy sum, of course How about, 200 dollars a day?”
” how many days?”
”A week, continuously”
One week in other words, an influx of 1,400 dollars
Hmatic, realistic twist 1,400, for one week, is not too bad I had at soe of quite a sunificant amount of it on Hime-chan's acade e, poor student, and as a result I could only look upon the offered surateful eye
But, however
” assisting your research while I cannot say that I had never partaken in such activities abroad experi, I a type”
”I had already predicted that you would gently turn down amine ”However, as I have come this far, I will not simply nod and stand down It would not be too late to respond after hearing a bit more, would it?”
”Or rather, assistant Professor Kigamine That sort of specialized research already has its own allocated staff, does it not? I cannot iine you would be allowed to hire an outsider like myself merely because you want to become acquainted”
”Merely because I want to become acquainted merely Merely merely merely Meeeeeere, lyyyy Fufu, you make it sound so pleasant”
”Is it pleasant?”
”In any case, my research has no staff I request assistance every now and then, but in general I alone well, no To be precise, there is always one more helper at all ti staff”
”One?”
It was said with a ful emphasis
It bothered me
”That aside, I understand fully your concerns, but in this case, more than experiher level, confir, I prefer for an outsider, a non-specialist in this field to be giving me a hand In other words, what I want is not staff but a monitor”
”Monitor ah, I see”
Confir of the relatively high pay She is no longer in the position of caring about the reh relevant to just a sliver of university research, there exist reatly I had seen plenty exa my stay at the ER3
”It will be froust 21st to Sunday the 28th By that time, the cast on your left arm should be off, and you should be fully healed, correct? I do not intend for you to be perfor inside Takatsu University is what I would like to say, but pardonto my soawa, climb over one or two mountains, and then at the foothills or just about It should be fro, but I would like for you to understand that the ending time may very well be extended There are no buses nor trains from town, so if you could drive a car Do you have a car? OK Then of course, I shall pay for fuel A little over twenty for each day, round-trip And then, you ht soht”
”Ah, ait”
All of a sudden, she began speaking under the pre sucked into her pace during the conversation, but rather that she was the ”nored other people There is nothingup with a self-centered intellectual
”To date, I have generally gone with the direction of turning down such offers I ize”
” such offers?”
”Yes Picking up from our earlier conversation, the May incident I refer to that when I say I have gone through so with people”
I was not being coated to explain in detail
”So you are being wary if I understand?”
”Frankly”
”Does the title, assistant Professor, Takatsu University Huical Studies not provide any insurance?”
”I am not very comfortable with titles”
Especially because a lot happened last month
”H for a bit ”Stubborn assertive, for a youngster these days Even though you look timid”
”Well, thank you”
Hey, wait
She just casually insulted me
”I understand”
”I am sorry”
”So you are asking for higher pay”
””
I am not
I am not, at all
”How about 300 a day?”
”Woah”
The total went over 2000
Way too te
At thea part-ti Hi Aikawa-san with her job every so often The tutoring made for a decent income, but if I were to really break even, I would have to tutor way ood money, but it was alith my life on the line
Hmm
This orth pondering
”300 a day is still low, you say”
”Ah, um, that was not what I meant”
”I do not sters who do not undersell theamine chuckled like a villain ”Then, allow me to unveilyour cost performance into account”
”500”
Would mean, a total payment of 3,500
How many hundreds is 3,500?
At that point, wariness takes over I do not wish to believe happenings like the Shadou Kyouichirou Research Facility last al experiments
However
Despite that, this was sufficient to amine required me I do not understand why, but this assistant Professor Kigamine was quite infatuated with me Hmmmm that said, I feel like er by the day Although if soree
”It is still difficult for”However, I have begun to think it would be alright to respond after learning more details”
”Is that so Then”
assistant Professor Kiga that she had placed on the seat next to her, and handed it to htly, and it seemed it would be difficult to open it on the spot
”Please take a look over these papers It is a rough outline, but it explains what my research entails, and what I would like for you to help ”
”What is it?”
”If you could gather a fewmonitors I would prefer for monitors for this cycle to be coather people Surely you have a few friends who you can trust?”
” guah”
I winced
H how could she say that? This person T that That was the one thing that could not be used with regards to a person like myself In other words, it was taboo Friends who I can trust that that
”I will pay them individually as well, but of course I cannot afford to value them the same as you The fee I pay for you includes the physical directive to warp destiny, so in this case, yes, accounting for what I a you, I would be able to pay 120 per day for each That is still fairly high is it not? Of course, I a heavy labor, so it would be problematic if they were to ask for more”
”A few how ?”
”Two, or three at most My laboratory itself is not very spacious, so it would be probleetary limit My patron is not that wealthy So” and then assistant Professor Kigaht arood spot to end If you are willing to give ood answer, I can wait a week, so please e-mail me at any time My address is on the business card I handed you at the start”
”Ah, I cannot send e-mails”
””
She looked atat a barbarian
shi+t, don't think everyone has a computer Is a cell phone that can't send e-mails that rare? These have their pros, you know
”Does that s like co in Infory at Rokumeikan University”
”Ah do you require such skills for your work?”
”Well, to the extent that it is not bothersome”
”I can fulfill classwork fairly easily I cannot send e-mail because of, shall we say, household reasons, or shall I say personal reasons I did learn such things at the ER3, though”
”Is that so Then, I aaor noon or late night However, I ae in , I will call you back How does that sound?”
”Understood”
”Well then, until next time if fate decrees it”
With that farewell phrase, the assistant Professor elegantly stood fronified when she stood Indeed, as Mikoko-chan said, the way she acted, the sort of aura around her, had that feminine coolness to her
However -- even so, even after acknowledging all that, if Idescribable as seductive or alluring