Chapter 20: Forcing answers can sometimes backfire.

Although Matsuyama Shoko denied it with a flushed face, Ishikawa Yuka knew in her heart that this girl was, at her core, a kind and loyal person.

While Shoko was certainly merciless toward her enemies and possessed a sharp personality, that wasn’t all there was to her.

Just as the children who followed her believed, she took great care of her companions and would never easily abandon anyone.

Even if the other party held a higher status, she would bravely stand her ground for the sake of a friend without yielding an inch.

It was precisely for this reason that the children surrounding her relied on and trusted her so deeply.

Shoko was delicate in her thoughts and never looked down on any of her companions, treating everyone equally regardless of their family background.

Once she noticed a companion was in trouble, she would immediately lend a hand.

She really was a kind child.

Come to think of it… rather than myself, Shoko seems much more like the “rival ojousama” who competes with the heroine…

She fits the classic template of a villainess perfectly.

But I should put those thoughts aside for now.

What mattered right now were Shoko and Marina.

If Shoko was the passionate, leader-type, then Anmiya Marina was the calm and composed strategist-type.

On the surface, she always wore an impeccable smile, never easily revealing her true emotions.

But beneath that mask, she was just as ruthless toward Yuka’s enemies.

Because their personalities were complete opposites yet complemented each other so well, Shoko and Marina became the two most brilliant confidantes by Yuka’s side in the game.

Seeing their poor relationship previously, Yuka had been secretly worried, but it seemed she had simply lacked discernment.

Shoko had actually been keeping an eye on Marina all along, which was why she noticed her abnormality and specifically came to ask Yuka about it.

Regrettably, Yuka was also unaware of the reason for Marina’s poor condition.

She had tried asking, but the other girl was unwilling to say much, leaving the root cause a mystery.

She was hesitant, unsure of whether she should press further.

If it involved family affairs, even a close friend at the Academy might not want someone prying too deeply.

If the other person chose to confide in her, she would naturally be willing to listen, but forcing the issue might not be appropriate.

“I asked Marina if something had happened, but she didn’t want to say. I don’t know why she’s so depressed either… I’m not sure what to do…”

“What? You don’t know either? Then just ask her directly!”

‘Um… Shoko? Did you hear what I just said? I told you I asked, but she refused to answer.’

Forcing someone to talk about something they aren’t ready to share can sometimes backfire.

Of course, there are times when a firm intervention is necessary, but I wasn’t sure which case this was.

Reaching out recklessly might make things worse.

If Marina truly didn’t want to talk, perhaps not forcing her was the better choice…

“You… are definitely thinking about something useless right now, aren’t you?”

“…Eh?”

‘Useless things?’

“Listen! You’re her friend, right? Since you noticed she’s not herself, you should ask her properly until it’s clear! Saying it’s fine just because the other person won’t speak is just an excuse! If you back down just because the other person finds it hard to say or has reservations, then what’s the point! Since you’re friends, you have to ask until the very end even then!”

“Ah…”

So that was it… She was right…

Yuka’s previous way of handling things was what one might call “adult social etiquette.”

It was a business-like way of interacting—maintaining a proper distance and not overstepping into each other’s domains.

She wasn’t saying that method was bad; it was certainly necessary in some situations.

But that was definitely not how “friends” should be.

If it were a moderate acquaintance between adults, that would have been enough.

If the other person wants to talk, you listen; if they don’t, you don’t push.

Just like colleagues at a company who see each other at work but don’t socialize privately.

You answer if they consult you on a private matter, but you don’t take the initiative to ask.

In a way, those were all common-sense responses.

For a relationship limited to being colleagues or business associates, such handling was perfectly appropriate.

But it was a very cold relationship.

Like colleagues who no longer contact each other after work unless it’s for business.

Yuka had felt that Marina was keeping her distance.

But was that how their relationship looked in Marina’s eyes?

Had she ever truly treated Marina as a friend?

Wasn’t she the one who had been acting distant and maintaining only a surface-level relationship?

To only realize this now… To be enlightened by a first-grade girl and suddenly understand…

She really was a fool…

Because she carried memories of her past life, she always thought about playing it smart…

Regardless of how many memories of her past life remained in her consciousness, she was ultimately a first-grader now, and the other person was also a first-grade girl.

If she treated them with “adult social etiquette,” how could they ever become close?

“Thank you, Shoko…”

“I told you to just call me Shoko… forget it. Think of something yourself for what comes next.”

After saying that, Shoko returned to her own little group.

In the Ōka Association Salon, if Yuka immediately went to find Marina right after Shoko had approached her, it might cause unnecessary misunderstandings.

Although the Ōka Association would unite when facing external enemies or threats to the Academy, internal factions still existed, and it was hard to say they were a monolith.

Currently, the Shoko faction and the Marina faction were separate; though not openly hostile, they were certainly not on harmonious terms.

If Yuka went to find Marina right now, it could easily be misconstrued as being sent by Shoko to provoke her.

Yuka wanted to reach out to Marina herself, not draw the attention of her faction.

She didn’t know what Marina was worrying about.

Logically, it would be best to go ask immediately, providing help even if she was seen as a busybody… but given the current situation, acting immediately today was indeed unrealistic.

Tomorrow… before coming to the Ōka Association Salon tomorrow, she had to find a chance to reach out to Marina and make sure she asked this time.

Even if she was hated, even if she was resented, even if Marina seemed unwilling to speak!

Having made that resolution, Yuka decided not to force contact with Marina today and instead began preparing for tomorrow’s actions.

The next day, having devised several plans, Yuka decided to approach Marina during lunch break.

The normal class breaks were too short, and there were too many people around.

If it were something Marina didn’t mind being overheard, she would have said it yesterday.

Since she hadn’t, the content was likely something she didn’t want others to know.

“Marina, may I join your table?”

“Eh…? Y-Yes… please have a seat.”

When she spoke to her at the Academy Cafeteria, Marina accepted her request despite looking slightly surprised.

Yuka sat across from her and said nothing during the meal, simply waiting for the right moment.

“So… you have something to say, don’t you?”

“Eh?”

Just as Yuka was pondering how to start the conversation, Marina took the initiative to point out her intention.

It seemed her plan to talk had been seen through long ago.

The students of Ōka Academy never ceased to amaze Yuka.

Her older brother Yota, as a sixth-grader, was meticulous and clever far beyond his years.

Shoko, as a first-grader, was also exceptionally reliable and good at observing her surroundings.

And Marina was equally sharp in her insight and mature in her thinking for a first-grade student.

These children always made her wonder: are they really primary schoolers?

She originally thought she understood the importance of education.

But deep down, she had still looked down on these children, thinking that even if they were born into privilege and received elite education from a young age, they were still just kids.

Yet these girls were already mature enough to make many adults feel ashamed.

They understood boundaries and could clearly examine their surroundings and the future.

“Marina, what exactly is bothering you?”

“…I don’t have anything bothering me, you know?”

After a brief silence, Marina denied it lightheartedly.

But she was clearly under some kind of pressure or trouble; even Yuka could see that much.

“True, maybe it doesn’t qualify as a ‘worry.’ But you’ve encountered something painful, haven’t you? Can’t you tell me about it?”

“I really haven’t…”

Seeing Yuka’s persistent questioning, Marina averted her gaze.

The fact that even the always calm and composed Marina would react this way was proof in itself that she had a lot on her mind.

“I’m not asking you to tell me every detail. Even just venting would be fine. Don’t keep everything bottled up and suffer alone; sometimes just saying your grievances or frustrations out loud makes things much easier.”

If it were Shoko, she would probably say, “Ask for the details and then help solve it.”

But Yuka couldn’t rashly go that far yet.

A deep enough relationship and trust had not yet been established between her and Marina.

But she couldn’t just sit idly by.

So at the very least, listening to the other person vent was fine.

Through confiding, one can sometimes clear their own thoughts and make their ideas more distinct.

Moreover, compared to bearing it alone, the act of confiding in someone can make a person feel lighter.

No matter how small the matter, even if she could only share a tiny bit of the burden…

“Ishikawa-san, you really have changed a lot.”

…Marina’s way of addressing her changed to “Ishikawa-san.”

This was clearly intentional.

Was it to deliberately emphasize the distance between them?

It was as if she were saying that the intimate names “Yuka” and “Marina” didn’t belong to them, and they should address each other as “Ishikawa-san” and “Anmiya-san” instead…

“It really… isn’t anything major… I just didn’t follow the family’s instructions and was scolded for it. That sort of thing isn’t worth asking others for help or discussing, is it?”

“That…”

If it were truly as Marina said, then perhaps that was the case.

If Yuka were depressed because she was scolded for not listening to her mother, there seemed to be no need to tell others; even if she discussed it, the problem couldn’t be solved.

“If it’s truly as you say, then perhaps confiding in someone won’t solve anything. However, whether it’s complaints, dissatisfaction, anger, or sadness—as long as you say it, your heart will sometimes feel much better. I’m not insisting that you tell me the specific details. I only ask that you don’t force a smile. At least in front of me… please let me see the real you.”

Yuka just quietly gazed at Marina.

Whether it was “I’m sad because my family scolded me,” or “Why can’t I do it?”, or “Why did I do that kind of thing?”, anything was fine.

She wanted to see the other person’s true emotions instead of them wearing a mask of a fake smile.

Whether it was anger or sadness, she would accept it…

“…”

“…”

The two of them… just quietly gazed at each other.

In the end, it was Marina who yielded.

“Whew… I understand. I can’t tell you the specific details… but I don’t know what to do anymore… The elders at home demand that I must do exactly as they say… But is that really right… Should I really do as they say… Because I don’t understand, I can’t do it…”

Marina’s words were too abstract for Yuka to know the specific content.

But she felt she could understand what the other girl was trying to express.

Taking Yuka herself as an example, if her parents were to push for an engagement with the Nogami or Kurohara families, she would likely have to obey.

It would be for the sake of the Ishikawa family, and she should reasonably follow the arrangement for the family’s benefit.

But if her parents really proposed such an engagement, she would definitely refuse.

Even if she understood her parents were thinking of the family and her, she couldn’t accept it.

She didn’t know the specific situation Marina was facing.

But even if the people around them meant well for Yuka or Marina, they might not necessarily agree with it themselves.

She wasn’t sure if Marina’s worry fell into this category, but this… mismatch between personal will and the expectations of those around them certainly existed.

Marina was currently suffering because of this.

The family’s intentions were contrary to her own heart.

That was why she was being scolded.

But the fact that she was being scolded meant that Marina was currently still holding on to her own will.

“I don’t know the specific details of your worry. But perhaps I can understand the source of this pain. Even if you, Marina… are currently looking for a path different from your family’s expectations… since you would rather be scolded than give in, isn’t the answer already obvious? From now on, shouldn’t you just persist according to your own heart?”

“…Yes… you’re right.”

Marina slowly nodded.

Her determination might not have been fully set, and the problem might not have been solved.

But her expression had indeed relaxed a little.