Kenkyo, Kenjitsu o Motto ni Ikite Orimasu

It was finally here. The day of Tomoe-senpais graduation.

First I congratulated the graduating Pivoine members as a fellow member. After that I made my way towards Tomoe-senpai. Around him was a huge crowd of other graduates. It was a little nerve-wracking.

Congratulations on graduating, Tomoe-senpai!

Thanks, Kisshouin-san.

Uu, being so close was making me teary Its going to be so lonelyy.

Thanks for the chocolate the other day. Kasumi was overjoyed too.

Yes!

Ah, he just said Kasumi. Was that okay now?I looked at him questioningly, and he smiled and nodded.

Kasumi!

Kasumi looked up with a start amidst her group of friends a distance away.Seeing us, she walked over and then wrapped her arms around his shoulders and dropped her bombsh.e.l.l announcement.

Everybody, were dating!

As the former Student Council President and a member of the Pivoine, the news caused quite a stir.

I was moved though, and began clapping pa.s.sionately. Uwaah, uwahh, this was the world of shoujo romance that I admiredd!After graduating they didnt really have much to with the Pivoine or StuCo, right! Now they could walk happily through university with their hands held, right!

Influenced by my own clapping, other people began to follow. The applaud grew louder and louder.Tomoe-senpai smiled and waved, but Kasumi-sama had turned beet red. She seemed happy though. Aaahh! Kasumi-sama was crying! Oh no, now I was crying! Im so happy for you, Kasumi-sama! Youve had to hide it for so long. It must have hurt not being able to tell anyone.

The two of them slipped out of the crowd of shocked onlookers and came to where I was.I gave them another clap of the hands.

Thank you, Kisshouin-san.

Thank you, Reika-sama.

Cob-, cobgrajul-, leshonss!!

Oh no, my nose was all stuffy from the crying.I pulled out a handkerchief and stealthily wiped away the mucus along with my tears. Phew, I could finally breathe again.

I am so glad for you, Kasumi-sama. You can finally love each other in public.

Thank you for everything, Reika-sama. I was really happy to have somebody like you to talk to.

Kasumi-samaaa~!

And now I was crying again. And she was too, as we held hands. Oh, no, Kasumi-sama, this handkerchief has my snot on it

Kisshouin-san, Ive always thought of you as a cute little sister as well. Thanks for everything. I hope you and Kasumi will stay close even after were gone.

Yes. I will always wish you two well.

Tomoe-senpai rubbed me on the head. Uwaaan! Are you really okay with this good-for-nothing as a sisterrr!?

Oniisama, Imari-sama, and now Tomoe-senpai. I was blessed by wonderful Oniisamas all around!

After seeing them off, I realised that my tears had finally stopped.

Hahhh. It was amazing how much better I felt now.

But Tomoe-senpai really was amazing. Even once would do, I wanted to experience having somebody profess their love to me at graduation like that!

I turned around to find Kaburagi, standing there looking sorrowful.What on earth was he doing here?

Umm is something the matter?

It was a completely reasonable question.

Hand still on my shoulder, the sorrow on Kaburagis face deepened before he spoke.

Youre amazing

Eh?

Amazing? At what?

Youve liked him all this time, right? The Student Council President.

Eh?

It must have been tough being told that you were like a little sister to him

Eh? Ah, well

Kaburagi had a knowing look on his face as he slapped my shoulder a few times. That hurts, d.a.m.nit. And stop misunderstanding things on your own. Seriously, what the heck was this guy saying.

Im in the same position as you, so I know. Being told that youre a sister by the person you love!

Kaburagi gripped my shoulder as he was overcome with emotion. Oww oww owwww!

But you were amazing. You even smiled as you congratulated them. You did great.

This time it was my back that he was smacking. That hurts, G.o.dd.a.m.nit!! Im not a sumo wrestler so stop hitting me already!

Kaburagi-sama, might you be misunderstanding something?

I casually put some distance between us and escaped the reach of his hand. But this time he grabbed me by both shoulders.

Dont worry. I wont tell anyone. Seeing you really encouraged me. The way you watched those two! Youre so amazing, Kisshouin! After watching you, I realised that I wanted to follow your lead and start facing forwards as well So I dont let yourself lose to a broken heart either!

Grind, grind, grind. Oww, oww, owwww! He was pushing me into the ground!My shoulders and my back hurt so much that I was starting to tear up, but then Kaburagi saw and started tearing up as well.

If it gets to be too much, come talk to me. We both have to try our best We can both get over this, I know it

Kaburagi turned away from me to hide his tears as he wiped his face.

Dont do anything rash, he said, before leaving.

What the h.e.l.l was that?

And what do you mean rash? Did you think I was going to go on a journey as well? Um, Im really not, okay? Toujinbou is freaking cold.

But wow, did Kaburagi have some strong ideas about things. Arbitrarily getting the wrong idea about Tomoe-senpai and I, too. That was ages ago. And it was a bit troublesome how because of the little sister comment he started thinking of us as comrades or something.Sometimes I called people idiots in my head, but just now was the real deal.

My shoulders still hurt

The next day I went to school with some a.n.a.lgesic strips on my shoulders. When I got to school, Kaburagi silently handed me a poem anthology.Eh-, I dont want this, I thought and tried to hand it back, but he slapped me on the shoulder again so I nodded.

Our feelings are in this book

What do you mean our I told you to stop lumping us together.

Heine was the one who said love is always a kind of madness.

You spent all that time reading poems, but you didnt learn a thing, did you Kaburagi.

Also, Kisshouin, take care about your crying face. You look pretty horrible.

Hah?

Apparently having said everything he wanted to, Kaburagi left for his own cla.s.sroom with a satisfied expression.Enjou, looking extremely pleased with himself, came over and spoke to me.

Because of you, Masayas looking a lot better now. Thanks.

Haaah!?Dont feel better by making out other people as heartbroken rejects! And sorry for being ugly when I cry! Instead of bringing me a poem anthology, bring me some heat strips instead! Odourless ones!

Since people were watching I couldnt exactly throw it away, and so I was left bringing it back with me.

Kaburagi-sama gave Reika-sama a love poem anthologyy! they squealed as I entered the cla.s.sroom. G.o.d, could this get any worse!?

Giving a girl a poem anthology!? Hes so sensitive and dreamy! some other girl pitched in. You think so? Im not happy at all.

The thing was an anthology of poems read over two months by some sobbing reject. Just having it in my bag felt like it was harming my love fortunes. It was like a ma.s.s of bad luck!

When I got home and slammed my bag down, the head from a j.a.panese doll fell off.

love is always a kind of madness

Apparently the original and full quote was,

Die Liebe ist immer eine Art Wahnsinn, mehr oder minder schn

for any of you Huns out there. I dont read German unfortunately, so I cant verify that it actually was Heinrich Heine who said that. Id like to learn German one day, but the genders just make it soooo haaaard