Sleepless In Bluedale
“What are you going to wear?”
“I have a dress I bought last year, I’m going to get it altered and wear that!”
The school was in an uproar. It was because of Homecoming season. Loud posters were plastered on the school walls, and decorations were hung up everywhere.
Homecoming week lasted one week, and major events like a parade, football team games, and the Homecoming party would be held. They also voted during this time to elect the Homecoming Queen and King. In the case of the Homecoming party, all students could participate, so even underclassmen girls were excited about buying new dresses and new shoes.
The boys weren’t much different either. Everyone was excited, floating about a hand’s width above the ground. The only person who had sunk down, feet planted on the ground—no, digging down into the underground—was me.
Last time, I was still bothered by the fact that Joel’s affection rating had dropped by 20 at the party David invited me to. Joel’s affection rating was still at 56, even though I had completed the quest to gather three or more people with an affection rating of 55.
“…….”
I looked at the seat in the back corner of the classroom where Joel always sat. It was empty. Joel hadn’t been coming to school since he got furiously angry at me at that party. I wondered if it was something to skip school over, but then I nodded, thinking it made sense.
Even though we didn’t spend time together because we liked each other, I was the one who proposed the date first, and Joel was the one who accepted. He willingly gave me his time, but I broke off that date with a lie and went to David’s party. To David, whom Joel intensely disliked. So from Joel’s perspective, he had no choice but to be angry. Because his date lied and went to meet David.
I tried contacting Joel several times, but as expected, there was no response. When did he ever answer when he arbitrarily came to someone else’s house at dawn to call, but now that I was the one calling first, he wouldn’t even pick up.
“That bastard…… Still, he should at least come to school.”
Skipping school was really something only a terrible scoundrel would do. Of course, Joel was a terrible scoundrel, but still, he was a student, so he had forgotten a student’s duty.
I spent the whole day unable to concentrate on class, just spacing out. I was pointlessly rummaging through my cabinet when a hand tapping my shoulder finally brought me to my senses.
“July.”
“……Ah, Corina.”
The girl I had greeted before, Corina Jacobs, was wearing a cheerleader outfit because she was a cheerleader like Harper. Corina smiled shyly and swept her hair back.
“Did you buy a Homecoming party ticket?”
“Not yet.”
To attend the Homecoming party, you had to separately pay money to buy a Homecoming party ticket. I thought it was quite something that they did business with students for a school event.
Honestly, I’d been out of it lately, and I didn’t feel like going to a party. However, I had to participate in all sorts of events to have many opportunities to raise the Rotten Pineapple index. I absolutely had to buy a ticket, but I forgot because I’d been wandering around out of it lately.
“I bought two tickets. Do you want to go with me?”
Corina, who had pulled her chin slightly toward her body and glanced up at me, asked carefully. What’s this? Just as I was wondering, ding! A sound effect rang out.
<Corina Jacobs’s Partner Proposal!>
Corina Jacobs has proposed to be your partner for the Homecoming party!
What a shy yet brave confession!
– If accepted: Corina Jacobs’s affection rating +10♥
– If rejected: Corina Jacobs’s affection rating -10♥
Ah…… This, could it be…… a date invitation? I was really grateful but troubled. First of all, setting aside the fact that I don’t like girls, I had no intention of bringing a partner to the party. What if I have to go around here and there—wouldn’t I feel bad if I neglected my partner?
The fact that Corina’s affection rating would drop by 10 weighed heavily on my mind. Nevertheless, I shook my heavy head from side to side.
“I’m sorry, Corina. I promised to go with a friend. My friend also decided to go without a partner.”
“Ah, ah……! Okay, it’s fine. It’s, fine. That can happen!”
Corina’s eyes widened as she laughed awkwardly, hahaha. But it seemed her feelings were quite hurt.
NEW!
‘Corina Jacobs’s affection rating has decreased by 10!
The system window and affection rating couldn’t be deceived.
“I’m really sorry.”
I meant it. She must have gathered quite a bit of courage, and didn’t I embarrass her? Who am I, anyway? Corina was a cheerleader, and with a pretty face and good figure, she was a very popular girl.
“Let’s say hi if we meet at the party. I don’t know what dress you’ll wear, but I think it’ll really suit you.”
Since I didn’t have any female siblings among my relatives either, I was awkward dealing with girls, so I pulled out words that would at least be consoling. But it seemed to be a dud.
NEW!
‘Corina Jacobs’s affection rating has decreased by 3!
……I should have just kept my mouth shut. Corina, who had been barely smiling the whole time, erased the smile hanging on her lips and spun her body around.
“I asked because you hadn’t bought a ticket, so I was just going to give it to you! It doesn’t really matter if we don’t go together!”
Corina snapped curtly and then walked straight ahead. Her steps hitting the floor with her sneakers, thump, thump! were quite spirited.
“Oh, a cheerleader talked to you?”
“Urk.”
When I was already feeling down and dying, something thump! hit my back with weight. I staggered and barely stood by grabbing the cabinet door. It was obvious who it was.
“Bryan.”
It was Bryan Roberts. Bryan, whose affection rating had risen quite a bit, was treating me like his best friend. It was ridiculous. I didn’t have even a speck of affection for Bryan.
“What did the cheerleader say? Huh?”
“Not ‘the cheerleader,’ Corina. Corina Jacobs.”
“Cheerleaders are all the same cheerleader. I caught a glimpse and she has big tits!”
“…….”
I let all of Bryan’s whispering in my ear go in one ear and out the other. Because I’d read several of Bryan’s terrible novels, I was forced to know his taste in women.
Women with round, large breasts that would softly embrace his face if he hugged them, with a slim waist, fair skin, blonde, and beautiful. But Bryan bullied and tormented such ideal women in his novels. Not understanding, I asked why he did that, and received this answer.
‘Girls like that wouldn’t even look at someone like me anyway? Even though they’re just girls.’
Bryan’s mocking words ‘even though they’re just girls’ seemed to mean that as a man, he was superior to them anyway. The meaning of Incel (Involuntary Celibate) naturally came to mind. ‘Involuntary singles who want to date and have sex but can’t.’
The thought naturally arose that of course he can’t date if he treats women like that, but I just forced a haha laugh and moved on. There didn’t seem to be any benefit in hurting Bryan’s feelings.
“So what did she say!”
“Just, she asked about something class-related. What exactly the assignment was.”
My ears were ringing because Bryan was yelling close to my face. I tried not to frown and answered in as casual a tone as possible. Bryan’s face looked deflated as he smacked his lips.
“Hmph, I thought she was going to ask you to go to the Homecoming party together or something. Right. What kind of date invitations would kids like us get? Right?”
This bastard, he’s subtly grouping me with himself? My pride was hurt. Do you think I’ve never been on a date like you? I’ve been on a date too! Even! ……With Joel Gomez. Of course, it wasn’t even a proper date, and it failed spectacularly. Ah, maybe it would have been better if I’d never been on a date at all. Thump! I banged my forehead on the cabinet.
“Homecoming or whatever, anyway, it’s boring to death every year. They say Harper or whatever her name is will be Queen, and her face is fucking pretty. But her height is too tall, so not really. If a girl is that tall, I don’t like it. Too manly. Her chest seems a bit small too. Isn’t she producing a ton of male hormones?”
I was feeling down to death, but Bryan was just spouting vulgar stories as he pleased. He’s acting like that because Harper is taller than him. I don’t know exactly, but Bryan’s height seemed to be just under 170cm.
“……Bryan, I have a headache, let’s talk later.”
“You promised to read my new work!”
“Ah, right……”
I looked at the notebook emerging from Bryan’s backpack with fearful eyes. How terrible would the novel scribbled in terrible handwriting inside that be…… I was afraid of being caught by others reading this kind of thing.
“I’ll read it and give you a review. So…… let’s stop talking now.”
I quickly snatched the notebook from Bryan’s hands before others could see it and stuffed it into my bag. My touch must have been too rough because Bryan scrunched up his face going “Uh, uhuh!”
“My masterpiece is in there!”
“Sorry. I have a headache. I’ll wear gloves and carefully turn each page as I read it.”
I’m totally going to read it carelessly. While even eating snacks, getting oil and seasoning on the paper. This bastard doesn’t know that this is how I protest against this trashy novel. He shouldn’t know.
“I sent out submissions for the novel you said was really good last time, but I didn’t get a response? Anyway, publishing company people are so lazy!”
I didn’t want to deflate Bryan’s confidence, which was quite—excessively—inflated. Those publishing company people were so diligent that they must have realized early on that Joel’s writing was trash and already thrown it in the wastebasket. The lack of response was proof of their hard work.
“Right. Do you want to go to the used bookstore again next time? You never know what we might find!”
“……Ah, the used bookstore.”
Even though I said I had a headache, Bryan persistently kept talking to me. I was nodding my head slowly and halfheartedly when I recalled encountering Joel at the large used bookstore that couples frequently visited. Even if he doesn’t come to school, wouldn’t he go to work? ……Can I visit? I was conflicted.
However, after school ended, I got on my bicycle and was already pedaling toward the used bookstore where Joel worked.
