Real teaching, but diary flow

If I absolutely have to say something...

The standards are just different.

Ichinose Honami's words weren't harsh, but they seemed far heavier to Shiina Mashiro than they appeared on the surface.

"Fanbo." Asakusa Tetsu called her name softly, then placed his hand on her shoulder and gently shook his head: "This is between her and me."

To be more precise.

It's a matter between him, the owner of the diary, and the fans in front of him.

His complicity with Honami Ichinose was limited to highly developed individuals.

This was something that was agreed upon from the beginning.

“I just happen to have this free time, and I just happen to have the inclination.” Turning his feet, he stopped standing there and engaging in what seemed like a confrontation with Shiina Mashiro, and Asakusa Toru simply sat down on a chair nearby.

"Let's just say it's what I wanted to do."

Consider it a small...favoritism towards Shiina Mashiro.

Innocent children always receive preferential treatment.

She didn't make a fuss or cry out; if even expressing her feelings of grievance and confusion wasn't allowed.

That's nothing more than a puppet.

"Let me think about it first, how to sort it out, and where to start."

Bending over with his elbows against his thighs and his hands clasped together, Asakusa Toru looked like he had a headache.

“I knew you would come, or rather, I thought you might come, or rather, you definitely would come,” he said.

“You are talented, I am not necessary for you.”

Before Asakusa Tetsu could continue speaking, Shiina Mashiro interrupted him somewhat hastily, denying it:

"You are necessary!"

"Stop." Asakusa Tetsu raised his hand: "Interrupting others while they are speaking is a sign of poor manners, unless you don't intend to hear the rest of what I have to say."

Shiina Mashiro wanted to say something, but perhaps realizing that she might be interrupting, she ultimately chose to raise her hand and cover her mouth.

The kind where you cover your face with your index fingers crossed.

After a moment, Asakusa Tetsu's voice rang out softly again.

“Your life is going smoothly, and it won’t be empty even without me,” he said. “Your future is full of color. Your talents, your family, the world will focus on you before you destroy your talents. You will receive the blessings of the whole world.”

"As long as you avoid the few incorrigible scoundrels, your future will be bright."

"So, you are different from them."

Shiina Mashiro is different from those who would lose their future if he didn't intervene.

If he doesn't interfere, if he doesn't intervene, some people's lives will come to an end, and some people will live aimlessly for the rest of their lives without any color.

Words, money, or simply extending a helping hand.

With just one simple extra step, the outcome will be different.

That's how you can do it, that's how you can make a change.

Because he could, he did it.

...This was before I enrolled in school.

Perhaps it was Shiina Mashiro, or perhaps it was Ichinose Honami who spoke of it.

'You from before'.

......

Shiina Mashiro: "..."

She couldn't understand; she couldn't comprehend it at all.

Are the so-called 'them'... highly developed individuals?

If so, what are the differences between myself and them?

Is it because I am not a highly trained student?

Am I not a god-like being enough?

Or is it...?

"Wrong."

Asakusa Tetsu wasn't actually looking at her.

Sometimes, conversations require eye contact; it's about focusing your gaze on each other's eyes.

Only in this way can you clearly see the other person's current emotions, and only in this way can you make the other person feel your sincerity.

But that only happens sometimes.

At least when facing Shiina Mashiro, Asakusa Tetsu felt that he didn't need to rely on his eyes to discern her emotions, because she was very easy to understand.

Similarly, he doesn't need to use such methods to make the other person feel his sincerity, because she can tell.

But when he paused for a moment, letting the noise and clamor of the playground spread in the distance.

A faint, almost tearful feeling of grievance suddenly spread around me.

It was Shiina Mashiro's emotion.

So he turned his head and looked at the innocent girl.

He could tell what the other person was thinking at a glance.

...Mashiro was unaware of his past, and even the name 'Asakusa Tetsu' was only learned after he reached advanced development.

She obviously didn't know what she was talking about, and simply assumed that "they" meant "them".

"You're different from them too."

However, even they are different from Shiina Mashiro.

“Hiyori is someone I like.” Turning his head, Asakusa Tetsu looked at Shiina Hiyori, who was sitting quietly next to Mashiro.

“Honami is someone I’m used to.” Turning around, Asakusa Tetsu looked at Ichinose Honami, who had sat down next to him.

Looking out, his gaze drifted downwards.

Ignoring Hoshinomiya Chie, he went straight to find the figures of a few girls who had not yet left.

Chihiro likes me.

Hui is parasitic on me.

Sakura can't leave me.

Bellflower... Bellflower is perhaps a bit more special.

But no matter what, Shiina Mashiro is different from them.

Shiina Mashiro: "Ah, ah..."

The girl opened her mouth, but seemed unable to say anything.

This is true.

She and Tetsuya Asakusa had never had any contact with each other except through their diaries, so it's hard to say that they developed any feelings or bonds that made them inseparable upon meeting.

She is not necessary, and neither is he.

cocoa......

That's not how it should be.

Shiina Mashiro was somewhat at a loss.

She really wanted to say something.

Talk about her aspirations, her expectations, and her dreams.

But the open mouth, the outstretched hand, the words that wanted to be spoken.

They would all be stuck in his throat the next moment.

“You are different from them.” This was the third time Asakusa Tetsu had made this assertion.

"To put it bluntly, from any normal person's perspective, it's incomprehensible to abandon one's world-class oil painting talent and chase after comics, which are not suitable for oneself, just because someone jokingly says 'comics are more interesting.'"

"It's not even because of any more easily understood expectations or pressures from your surroundings that forced you to turn, nor is it even an excuse that others can't easily question, like pure hobbies and interests."

"You've become obsessed with comics just because of someone whose name you don't even know now."

Asakusa Tetsu started saying some really offensive things.

So much so that Shiina Mashiro's eyes seemed to start to redden, so much so that even Shiina Mashiro seemed to be showing some emotion.

Because what he said seemed to be an undeniable fact.

"Do you really have that much of a passion for comics?" he questioned.

"Yes!" she said, though she was powerless, she still clenched her fists.

"Am I really that necessary to you?" he questioned.

"Yes!" Her eyes reddened.

However, seemingly without even the slightest thought of chivalry, he asserted once again:

"You don't understand comics enough, and you don't understand me enough."

The cold words struck like a heavy hammer, and tears streamed down the girl's cheeks.

Seeing Mashiro's delicious expression as she began to cry, Asakusa Tetsu realized that he might have gone a bit too far.

Well, it's not about whether the words themselves are right or wrong, but rather that Asakusa Tetsu had absolutely no reason or need to say such things to Shiina Mashiro.

...That's why we've gone to this level.

As expected, it was all because of Shiina Mashiro's words, "You weren't like this before."

What was I like before?

Asakusa Tetsu was thinking.

The so-called past is so far back, and the so-called present is so very real.

If we were to use milestones in life as dividing lines, the past is the past of an orphan, the past before starting school, and the past before receiving the diary.

All of these can be considered 'turning points'.

However, Shiina Mashiro's understanding of herself was clearly limited to the written descriptions in her diary.

Therefore, this turning point will occur after enrollment.

The entries consist of hundreds of diary entries, filled with idle and useless words, and seemingly redundant content upon closer examination.

Emotions may change, and attitudes may shift with emotions, but principles... remain the same.

Asakusa Tetsu's standards have always been different for different people.

You can tolerate and forgive anything someone you like does, but you can't forgive anything someone you dislike does.

To be even more specific, if we don't just categorize based on personal preference...

He felt that it shouldn't end here, so he would extend his hand as he pleased.

He felt disgusted to continue watching the other person act aggressively, so he would seize the opportunity to deliver a sudden elbow strike.

This is the 'principle' he has always followed.

I dream of becoming the elbow-striking emperor!

cough.

But advanced breeding is different.

This school is full of extraordinary people.

They will not lose their chance at life because of a simple setback or even dropping out of this vocational school, nor will they cause people to feel too physically uncomfortable to the point of resistance and disgust.

Ultimately, this is how most of the participants in the story should be.