Kokoro connect volume 5, p.1
Kokoro Connect, Volume 5, page 1
“The CRC’s pretty unstoppable when we put our heads together, wouldn’t you say?” Nagase Iori asked, entirely unprompted, of Yaegashi Taichi.
Sometimes this baffling beauty was rather hard to read.
“What do you mean?” Taichi replied.
“You know, just... unstoppable!”
“What? That’s so vague. How am I supposed to respond to that?”
“Well, I think we each bring a lot to the table... and there’s a lot we can only manage with the full group, y’know?”
Yaegashi Taichi. Nagase Iori. Inaba Himeko. Kiriyama Yui. Aoki Yoshifumi. Each of them a critical cog in the machine that was the Cultural Research Club.
“You’ve got a point. Everyone’s got their own areas of expertise... Well, except for me. I’m nothing special.” He wasn’t trying to be self-deprecating—just a plain statement of fact. Compared to the others, he was average at best.
“That’s not true at all. We wouldn’t be a team without you.” She twirled the strands of her ponytail around her finger.
“You really think so? Not that I’m trying to argue with you or anything.”
Maybe the “right” option here would be to simply nod along, but for some reason he couldn’t let it go.
“Okay, let’s put it this way. Who do you think is the most important member of the club? No right or wrong answer, just wondering.”
“Well, it’s gotta be you, right? You’re the club president.”
“Oh boy... You really don’t get it, do you?” She sighed and slumped her shoulders in a show of exasperation. “The most important member is you, Taichi. No two ways about it.”
Her words seeped into his heart, and for a moment, he almost accepted it.
Almost.
Instead, he hastily shook his head. “No, no, no! That can’t be true.”
“Well, it is.”
“No, it isn’t—”
“Is too.”
“Is not!”
“Is too!”
“...Fine, whatever! Will you just let me say my piece?!”
“You really hate the idea of you being important, don’t you?”
“No, I don’t hate it. It’s just... kind of hard to believe, I guess.”
“Hmph... Well, I think you should try. It can’t hurt to go through life believing in your own self-worth, y’know?”
“...Valid point. That’s a good way to look at it, actually.”
But he still couldn’t quite see himself as the central figure in their club.
“Dang it, Taichi... I really wish you’d see things my way...” Her tone was light and casual, but he could tell she was genuinely disappointed.
“You think too highly of me. I’m really not that amazing, I promise.” Still, he found himself wanting to be the kind of guy she thought he was. He could talk the talk all he wanted, but until he had proved himself capable, something about it didn’t feel right. “What is self-worth, anyway...?” he mused to himself aloud.
But his question faded away in the aether, unnoticed by Nagase, and the clubroom fell silent once more—
“Holy moly macaroni, I am starving!” she blurted out of nowhere, and consequently, the dramatic tension faded away into the aether as well.
□■□
The Yamaboshi High School Cultural Research Club, also known as the CRC. Objective: “a broader scope of research unfettered by existing frameworks.” (Translation: anything goes.) Currently it consisted of five first-year students.
Despite its classy name, it was something of a half-assed club with no real rules or restrictions, save for one exception: the production and submission of a monthly periodical entitled “The Culture Bulletin.”
It was the middle of summer break, and the five members of the CRC were sitting around the tables in the clubroom.
“Starting now, we’ll be presenting our article topics for submission in the Culture Festival Special Edition of the Culture Bulletin,” said vice president Inaba Himeko, all without the slightest hitch. She sat at the head of the table; her glossy dark shoulder-length hair and sharp, angular features afforded her an air of competence.
Today they were scheduled to discuss the upcoming Culture Festival, which would take place at the start of September, immediately after summer break ended.
“Let’s go clockwise, starting with Yui.” Without hesitation, Inaba indicated a petite girl with long chestnut-colored hair by the name of Kiriyama Yui, who giggled.
“Oh, just wait until you get a load of mine! All the girls are going to love it—especially all the visiting middle schoolers! They’ll want to enroll into our school, like, for sure!” Kiriyama declared as she pulled a sheet of paper from her bag. “Behold: ‘Perfect Your Style With The Top Ten Hottest Accessories Chosen By High School Fashionistas’!” She thrust out her chest in triumph as she held the draft up for all to see—
“Cool. Iori, you’re next,” Inaba continued.
“W-Wait a minute! ‘Cool’? That’s all I get? Just ‘cool’?!” Kiriyama leapt to her feet, her chair clattering behind her.
“That’s it,” Inaba replied flatly. It was obvious at a glance that she cared far, far less about this than Kiriyama.
“That’s unacceptable! I don’t care if you want to ignore the guys, but when it comes to us girls, you should not be blowing us off like that!”
Inaba turned to Nagase. “What am I supposed to say here, Iori?”
“I dunno... There’s not much we really can say when it comes to fashion stuff,” Nagase shrugged with a grin.
“F-Fine, whatever! I get it! Not like either of you need to care about fashion! Inaba’s such a natural bombshell she doesn’t even have to try... and everyone says Iori’s the prettiest girl in our grade...”
“Aww, c’mon, Kiriyama. You’ve got nothing to worry about. You’re just as pretty as they are,” Taichi reassured her.
“Whuh-huh?! O-Oh... Right. Thanks, Taichi,” Kiriyama replied, looking a little startled.
“Hold on a minute... That’s MY job! I mean, you’re totally right, don’t get me wrong,” Aoki Yoshifumi cut in. (This lanky youth was by no means Kiriyama’s boyfriend, but not for lack of trying.) “But yeah, Yui, what he said. You’re lookin’ gorgeous today!”
“I don’t care what you think of me,” she snapped.
Once again, the enthusiasm differential between the two was painfully apparent.
“Alright, alright. If you want my feedback... I think the girls will like it, probably. And maybe putting it in the Culture Bulletin will attract more readers. No complaints here, Yui.”
Kiriyama sat back in her chair with a pout... No, the corners of her mouth were turned up. Sure enough, Inaba’s shameless pandering had the desired effect.
“Okay, now that Yui’s got the green light from Inaban, it’s my turn! Presenting!” Nagase (who was supposed to be the club president, mind you) gleefully unfolded her crumpled-up sheet of paper. “ ‘A Day in the Life of a Yamaboshi Student: An Exclusive Scoop on Inaba Himeko.’ ”
“What the fuck?! You want to publish details of my personal life? Without my permission?!”
“I was just thinking, y’know, since it’s supposed to be a school newspaper and all, it’d be nice to do a spotlight feature on a Yamaboshi student every now and then.”
“I get that, and it’s a good idea in concept, but I don’t want that spotlight on me, thanks!”
“Aww, c’mon! Think about it! When I was brainstorming ideas for my article, I asked myself ‘If I was reading the Culture Bulletin, what’s the one thing I’d wanna find out more than anything?’ and the answer was obviously ‘Inaban’s private life’!”
“I admit, I’m a little curious myself,” Taichi muttered under his breath.
“Ooh, me too!” shouted Aoki.
“Me three!” shouted Kiriyama.
“Jesus Christ, how much do you people like me?! Get a life!”
“It’s not our fault you’re so secretive, Inaban. Obviously we’re gonna get a little curious!”
“You’re no open book yourself, Iori!” Inaba shot back, but Nagase shrugged innocently. “Fine, whatever. This little exposé is not happening, got it?! I’m not gonna let you give away my personal information to some unspecified number of people! Oh, I know. A while back, someone suggested doing an article on the National Athletic Meet, right? Just go with that.”
“Aww, c’mooon! I was just trying to infringe on your privacy, that’s all!”
“Was that supposed to convince me? Because now I trust you even less. Look, I’m not doing your little spotlight, and that’s final! You’re doing an article on the Athletic Meet! Done and done!” Nagase started to sulk, but Inaba ignored her. “Now let’s move on! Aoki, you’re up!”
“Since this is the Culture Festival Special Edition, figured I’d go with somethin’ extra special, with reader participation and a prize.”
“That sounds interesting,” Taichi commented.
“I know, right? I’ve titled it ‘Calling All Love Gurus! Rescue This Romance... For a Reward!’ ”
“Definitely sounds like a Culture Festival article. Not bad, considering who came up with it.” Evidently he’d even won Inaba’s approval, bizarrely enough.
“Yesss! Inabacchan’s on board with it! You could’ve left off the part after ‘Not bad,’ though!”
“So, what’s it about?” Nagase asked.
“Oho, looks like I’ve piqued Iori-chan’s curiosity! Well then, allow me to explain! Our troubled letter w riter, A.Y., has a crush on someone—we’ll call her K.Y.—but she’s too shy to even go on a date with him. So, we’ll list all the relevant information and poll the readers for their advice—”
Kiriyama slammed her hands on the table. “Stop right there! A.Y. and K.Y.?! That’s obviously ‘Aoki Yoshifumi’ and ‘Kiriyama Yui’!”
“H-How did you know?!”
“Anyone with half a brain would figure it out, genius! And what do you mean by ‘relevant information’?!”
“Well, y’know, people need context before they can offer up good ideas... So, I’ll try all the suggestions, and then I’ll give the prize to the person whose idea worked—”
“Hold it! That’s what your prize is for?! Literally no one’s going to win, stupid!”
“Y-You can’t say that for sure! I mean, okay, maybe it’s ‘winning the lottery’ levels of impossible, but even then there’s still a teeny tiny chance, right?”
“So you’ve accepted that your chances are infinitesimally small, I take it.” Taichi was impressed by Aoki’s courage.
Naturally, Kiriyama threw a fit until the idea was officially shitcanned.
“Back to the drawing board, Aoki. Taichi, you’re next.”
At Inaba’s prompting, Taichi pulled out his article draft and unfolded it. “Like the rest of you, I wanted to write something with a little more mainstream appeal this time around. It’s titled ‘Pro Wrestling 101: Tips to Heighten Your Viewing Experience.’ Obviously, I focused primarily on my own preferred—”
“Fuck, I forgot I didn’t need to ask you!” Inaba shouted.
“Alert! Alert! Fanboy mode engaged!” Nagase joined in.
“Hold on, guys. Settle down. Now, I know my articles usually require too much specialized knowledge for the average person to understand, but this time I’ve intentionally written it so absolutely anyone—”
“If you want people to understand your articles, stop writing about pro wrestling!” Inaba shouted again.
“I’m sure your article’s fine, Taichi!” Nagase joined in... again.
“No, seriously, hear me out! I admit, I touch on some high-level concepts, like ‘the more basic techniques (Boston crab, etc.) present in the opening act, the more exciting it makes the main event,’ but—”
“Enough! Just write whatever you want!” Exasperated, Inaba waved her hand dismissively.
“Let’s hear your article, then,” Taichi shot back sulkily.
“Well... Seeing as it’s a festival and all, I was thinking we’ve earned the right to go a little hog-wild.” As she spoke, she pulled out a single photo.
Curious to discover Inaba’s definition of “hog-wild,” Taichi leaned in to get a better look—and froze.
He stared blankly, rooted to the spot. His mouth wouldn’t work.
Beside him, the other three CRC members were in an uproar... and for good reason.
There, depicted in her photograph, were two faculty members employed at Yamaboshi High School... holding hands in a cafe.
It was a scandal on par with anything you’d read in a celebrity gossip rag.
“Wh-Where the hell did you get this pic...?” Taichi asked, mildly horrified.
Inaba chuckled. “Not telling.” She was a total enigma, as always.
“W-Wait... Okay, maybe it doesn’t matter how you got your paws on this, but... surely we can’t publish it in a school-sanctioned newspaper!”
He glanced over at the other three, who were all busy shouting “Is this legit?! No Photoshop?!” and “Him?! With her?! You’re joking, right?!” and “Holy mackerel!” and so on.
“Sure we can... as long as we get it cleared with our club supervisor.”
“There’s no way he’ll approve it! And even on the off-chance he does, and we print it... how are we supposed to hand them out? If any of the teachers see it—especially these two—we’re dead meat!”
“Hmph! That’s hardly an obstacle. Not for the five of us, anyway.”
—The CRC’s pretty unstoppable when we put our heads together, wouldn’t you say?
“You say that now, but you know they’re not going to let us walk away from this with just a slap on the wrist!” Taichi cautioned.
Inaba’s expression hardened. “I’ll admit, even if we think it all through perfectly, we still might not be able to pull it off without stepping on a few toes... especially if we do it the same way anyone else would do it. But we’re gonna do this our way, and we’re gonna nail it. How do I know this?” She smirked and smugly folded her arms. “Because when we put our heads together, the five of us are invincible... if only on school grounds.”
Her confidence was utterly baseless. He knew that. And yet he found himself wanting to believe in her anyway.
“Now then, everyone! Commence the operation!”
□■□
The Culture Festival was now just one short week away, and Yamaboshi High School was filled with the sounds of banging hammers, choir practice, and chatter. Meanwhile, the CRC’s plan was well underway.
Today found Taichi, Nagase, and Inaba in the staff room, Culture Bulletin manuscript in hand, hoping to get the green light for publication from their club supervisor, Gotou Ryuuzen (physics teacher, age 25). This would prove to be their first hurdle.
“Well, if it isn’t the CRC kids! Or the three from 1-C, anyway. What’s up, friendos? How’s the cafe coming along?”
Taichi, Nagase, and Inaba were all students in Class 1-C, the class for which Gotou served as advisor. Thus, he was the teacher with whom they had the closest working relationship.
“Our class president runs a tight ship, as I’m sure you know, so everything’s right on schedule... Maybe a little too on schedule. Anyway, Gotou, we need you to sign off on our manuscript, so if you would be so kind as to pretend to read it, like you always do, I’d appreciate it.”
Granted, this relationship, however close it may have been, did not excuse Inaba’s blatant disrespect.
“Inaba, I keep telling you, if you can’t call me Sensei, at least stick to Gossan. Otherwise you undermine my authority as—wait, what the? Your submission seems a little different this month.”
Evidently his “authority” was not as pressing as the Culture Festival Special Edition. Taichi was dying to point this out, of course, but he bit back the impulse.
“What’s with the photo and the giant headline? Wait... Is that... Tanaka the social studies teacher with the one-in-a-million drop-dead-gorgeous Hirata Ryouko-sensei?! Were they an item this whole time?! I never heard about this!”
“Gossan, please don’t make inappropriate comments about your coworker,” Taichi retorted, unable to stop himself.
“They’re not actually an item. Not yet,” said Inaba.
Gotou heaved a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank god. They’ve gotta be, like, twenty years apart!”
“But apparently it’s only a matter of time before they get together.”
“What?! I thought Tanaka-sensei was married to his job! Damn it, and there I was getting pretty worried about him... Meanwhile he was out landing himself a major catch!” Gotou clutched his hair in frustration.
Meanwhile, Inaba snickered. From the way she toyed with him, you’d never guess that he was technically her teacher.
“Uggghhh... That just zapped any motivation I had to work today... Blegh. Tonight I’m gonna go home and get wasted.”
“So anyway, Gossan! Could we get your stamp of approval on this bad boy?” Nagase asked, waving the manuscript in the air.
“You want it that bad, stamp it yourself. I trust you kids not to write anything you’re not supposed to. Hah...”
For what it was worth, he did seem to trust them... for some reason.
“Yeah, I figured you would say that, so I already went and stamped it,” Nagase replied, beaming.
“You two are weirdly in sync today...” Taichi muttered to himself, mildly concerned.
And so, thanks to Inaba’s psychological warfare, they cleared the first hurdle like it was barely an obstacle at all.
Now that they were cleared for publication, they summoned Kiriyama and Aoki to join them in the clubroom. Recently, the two of them had grown rather busy with dance practice for the event their class would be holding for the Culture Festival, and so this was a rare opportunity to hang out as a group.
The topic of the day, naturally, was the Special Edition.
“I’m really not sure we should be publishing that paparazzi photo without their consent,” Taichi told Inaba.
