GJ Bu Vol 2 Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Selling Point – Part 2

In s.h.i.+on’s case, it was easy to figure out what her appeal was.

“It’s got to be being a genius.”

Kyouya told s.h.i.+on, who had just moved to the round table after finis.h.i.+ng a chess match on the net.

“R-right…”

For some reason s.h.i.+on showed abrupt discomfort on her face.

“s.h.i.+ doesn’t like it too much when people call her a genius.”

“Eh? But why? Being a genius is a good thing, right?”

“See? Isn’t he rude?”

Mao tried to get everyone to agree with her.

“It’s fine. I don’t care about it that much. Go ahead and ask whatever you want.”

“What’s it like being a genius?”

He’d been told to ask whatever he wanted and so he did. Being called a rude person over and over again by Mao made him worried that it was an impolite question, but it was something he’d been wanting to ask her for quite a while.

“Straight to the chase. As expected of Kyoro. You just can’t read the mood, huh?”

Mao slapped her knee.

“That’s a complicated question.”

s.h.i.+on answered him.

It was an unusual sight to see, but the look on her face showed she was hesitant to answer.

“The tea is done!”

Megumi’s cheerful voice blew away the heavy mood that had settled amid them.

The pleasant smell of black tea refreshed the atmosphere.

Even the girl who was more of a coffee person decided to taste the tea that day.

“Lonely, perhaps…”

s.h.i.+on said, but only after taking several sips of tea.

“I mean… because of how different I am from other people.”

Kyouya quietly listened to her.

“It’s not as if I personally feel that I’m different. It just makes me perplexed when I think of why there are things which are so simple for me, but not for other people. Also, why are things that other people can do so easily not as simple for me? Why can’t people simply access the memory of something after they have seen or heard it? Why don’t I harbor strong feelings towards things like other people?”

“See? She’s sensitive to this kind of thing. Man, geniuses are a handful.”

“Please don’t make fun of her, president.”

“Hey, I’m just picking up where you left off.”

As Mao feigned innocence, s.h.i.+on watched her with warm eyes. Every now and then there were times like this when Kyouya admired the relations.h.i.+p between those two.

“s.h.i.+ doesn’t have many friends, you know?”

“Eh?”

Mao had said that with a grin on her face. Kyouya was startled at her words. He felt the topic was gradually turning heavy again.

“Ah, don’t worry. It’s true after all.”

s.h.i.+on said, following a light laughter.

“There aren’t too many people who hang out normally with me like this. It’s as if people get tense around me.”

“Oh, I know what you mean.”

“I call bulls.h.i.+t.”

s.h.i.+on said.

In other words, she didn’t believe him. Those words were the same you’d say on a certain card came when you see through your opponent’s lie.

“There’s no way you know what I mean. You’re always normally hanging out with me after all.”

Somehow that made Kyouya fl.u.s.tered, so he cast his eyes down.

“You’re cute.”

s.h.i.+on smiled. Kyouya’s blush was increasingly intense.

“As if the people in cla.s.s weren’t enough, even the teachers treat s.h.i.+ super politely.”

Mao was still keeping up her typical provocations. That was Kyouya’s only life line.

“I… I speak politely to her too.”

“In your case it’s just a matter of respect for your seniors. Despite our age difference, I believe a friends.h.i.+p relations.h.i.+p has blossomed between us… is that perhaps nothing but wishful thinking? A delusion?”

“No! No, of course not!”

Kyouya said without thinking. Maybe I denied it too strongly.

“You’re really cute, aren’t you?”

Kyouya thought s.h.i.+on to be a genius, smart, cool, mature woman. She often toyed around with him… actually, she was at it right now.

However, this time he got a new impression of her.

Sure, she was a genius, but that didn’t really mean all that much. Having no friends was also a sad thought to her, and she would feel lonely by herself, just like anybody else.

That’s what I’ll tell Yokomizo Kyouya thought.

“I don’t mind if you want to call me a genius though.“

CHARACTER PROFILE:

 

s.h.i.+on – Part 1

An, intelligent, mature and cool girl.

A genius at games and puzzles. Proud possesor of eidetic memory.

In compensation for being a genius, she’s (lethally) clueless when it comes to common sense.