It was now the break time before fourth period on Monday. Just like always, I headed to the library.
「Hello.」
「Hey.」
I responded to her almost whispered greeting that resembled the rustling of a large phantom tree that wrapped up the world, and our reading circle commenced.
As the two of us sat side by side reading our books much in the same way we had a week ago, Kikuchi-san suddenly spoke to me.
「It’s a little serious……don’t you think?」
「Hm? Serious? What is?」
「Um, the student council election……」
Kikuchi-san turned her gaze towards me as she spoke, a dark night descending upon the forests of her pupils. I wonder what the matter is.
「Nanami-san…… she said she was standing for election, didn’t she? I was just wondering why……」
A surprising topic.
「Well, she herself did joke around talking about getting it on her school record, though………」
「Yes. But I imagine that’s……not the real reason.」
Kikuchi-san slowly shook her head. Her now almost completely hidden pupils were like waxing crescent moons, giving the impression of a mystical night sky.
「Well, you’re probably right. Perhaps it’s ‘I want to change the school’, or ‘I want to change myself’’. Something along those lines.」
「Is that…… so?」
Kikuchi-san began to ponder, gently placing a long, pale finger on her cheek. It felt like if she were to simply hold it out, a small bird would come and alight on it. Seeing her speak less formally once in a while like this felt pleasant, and was a sign she was opening up to me.[1]
「But, I too have that feeling of wanting to change myself……so I think I might understand.」
「Eh? Is that so? You want to change, meaning?」
I tried asking what she meant in a casual tone of voice. However.
「……Um. S-Secret!」
「Eh.」
Glancing at her, through the gaps in those beautiful strands of hair that hung gently and mystically, I could see her reddened cheeks, their beauty reminiscent of the forbidden fruit consumed by Adam and Eve. It took my breath away.
H-hm, I wonder what Kikuchi-san wants to change.
「……A-Are you okay?」
「Y-Yes, I’m fine. It’s……nothing.」
The sounds of her somewhat sensual *suu*’s and *haa*s as she breathed in and out were accompanied by the rise and fall of her thin, delicate, almost glasswork-like shoulders. Shortly thereafter, Kikuchi-san raised her head. Intricate tremors filled her moist eyes, like a miraculous spring shining in seven colours only once a year. It seemed like by moving just a little closer, I would easily fall in.
「Umm, alright.」
「……Un.」
With a mystical expression, Kikuchi-san gazed at me. No matter how you looked at it, this space with just the two of us belonged to the extraordinary.
To the extent that one would be able to clearly see the the individual grains of sand falling from an hourglass, time flowed ever so slowly.
「B…bye then……!」
The first to break free of this flow of time as it coiled about endlessly was Kikuchi-san, who hurriedly picked up her book and left in a half run.
「P-Phew.」
And so I was left behind in this space that had now returned to normal. ‘For now let’s just read this book, yeah’, I thought. What does she mean, ‘secret’?! And ‘I want to change’?! What’s with that girl?! A real enchantress!
Translator Notes:
[1] Uhh couldn’t find any decent way to TL this, but basically her previous line was spoken slightly less formally than usual. Recall that she speaks… rather… politely, even when talking to her classmates of the same age.
It was now the break time before fourth period on Monday. Just like always, I headed to the library.
「Hello.」
「Hey.」
I responded to her almost whispered greeting that resembled the rustling of a large phantom tree that wrapped up the world, and our reading circle commenced.
As the two of us sat side by side reading our books much in the same way we had a week ago, Kikuchi-san suddenly spoke to me.
「It’s a little serious……don’t you think?」
「Hm? Serious? What is?」
「Um, the student council election……」
Kikuchi-san turned her gaze towards me as she spoke, a dark night descending upon the forests of her pupils. I wonder what the matter is.
「Nanami-san…… she said she was standing for election, didn’t she? I was just wondering why……」
A surprising topic.
「Well, she herself did joke around talking about getting it on her school record, though………」
「Yes. But I imagine that’s……not the real reason.」
Kikuchi-san slowly shook her head. Her now almost completely hidden pupils were like waxing crescent moons, giving the impression of a mystical night sky.
「Well, you’re probably right. Perhaps it’s ‘I want to change the school’, or ‘I want to change myself’’. Something along those lines.」
「Is that…… so?」
Kikuchi-san began to ponder, gently placing a long, pale finger on her cheek. It felt like if she were to simply hold it out, a small bird would come and alight on it. Seeing her speak less formally once in a while like this felt pleasant, and was a sign she was opening up to me.[1]
「But, I too have that feeling of wanting to change myself……so I think I might understand.」
「Eh? Is that so? You want to change, meaning?」
I tried asking what she meant in a casual tone of voice. However.
「……Um. S-Secret!」
「Eh.」
Glancing at her, through the gaps in those beautiful strands of hair that hung gently and mystically, I could see her reddened cheeks, their beauty reminiscent of the forbidden fruit consumed by Adam and Eve. It took my breath away.
H-hm, I wonder what Kikuchi-san wants to change.
「……A-Are you okay?」
「Y-Yes, I’m fine. It’s……nothing.」
The sounds of her somewhat sensual *suu*’s and *haa*s as she breathed in and out were accompanied by the rise and fall of her thin, delicate, almost glasswork-like shoulders. Shortly thereafter, Kikuchi-san raised her head. Intricate tremors filled her moist eyes, like a miraculous spring shining in seven colours only once a year. It seemed like by moving just a little closer, I would easily fall in.
「Umm, alright.」
「……Un.」
With a mystical expression, Kikuchi-san gazed at me. No matter how you looked at it, this space with just the two of us belonged to the extraordinary.
To the extent that one would be able to clearly see the the individual grains of sand falling from an hourglass, time flowed ever so slowly.
「B…bye then……!」
The first to break free of this flow of time as it coiled about endlessly was Kikuchi-san, who hurriedly picked up her book and left in a half run.
「P-Phew.」
And so I was left behind in this space that had now returned to normal. ‘For now let’s just read this book, yeah’, I thought. What does she mean, ‘secret’?! And ‘I want to change’?! What’s with that girl?! A real enchantress!
Translator Notes:
[1] Uhh couldn’t find any decent way to TL this, but basically her previous line was spoken slightly less formally than usual. Recall that she speaks… rather… politely, even when talking to her classmates of the same age.
