Was there anyone else I didn’t notice? Was there actually a lot more heroines than just those three?
Even if there were a lot, there’s no way for me to know. Now that I’ve crossed into this world, there’s no way to play the original game and see what it was like. Maybe there was more information on the wiki… or maybe it’s just some leftover data that the developer put in but didn’t use, or it could be an unbeatable character that only appears in the game as a face.
Unbeatable characters are pretty common in visual novels.
Or maybe this senior in front of me is just so unique that I’m imagining things…
…Well, it doesn’t really matter. Let’s just be grateful that she’s not a complete stranger.
I looked again at the library committee member’s name.
Her name was Ryu Ba-da.
“I never planned to take on the chairperson role originally. It just got handed to me when my senior graduated…”
Ryu Ba-da’s tone was somewhat laid-back. She radiated that literary girl vibe, reminiscent of characters from manga or games. Well, the book she was reading wasn’t literature; it was a science textbook.
“Oh, right.”
As we were chatting, Ryu Ba-da suddenly clapped her hands as if she just remembered something.
“That gift from back then, my siblings really liked it. Thanks to you, they had a good meal.”
“Ah, yes….”
No matter how you look at it, she had a different image from the spoiled rich girls who roam around this school. I didn’t get to spend long enough with her that day to judge what kind of person she was, but from what I was seeing, she seemed to be a kind person with a laid-back personality.
“So, what brings you here?”
Ryu Ba-da asked me.
“…Well, I think I might end up being the vice-chairman this time. This library committee is honestly the only one that seems to be functioning properly, so I came to talk to you about it.”
“Oh, I see.”
Ryu Ba-da nodded her head.
“I heard that most of the other committee heads transferred. I heard a lot of them quit their positions too…”
“Yeah.”
But why has she been using respectful language since earlier, when she’s only a year older than me?
Is it one of those common tropes in games where someone seems younger? But she was taller and much healthier than I was, so calling her younger is like calling a rebel commander a kid… Something’s off either way.
But asking now why she’s using respectful speech after having talked like this—it feels a bit—
“Hey, senior.”
—awkward, I thought, just as Sohee, who was next to me, suddenly jumped into our conversation.
“Y-yes!?”
Looks like this senior sees Sohee as some kind of scary creature.
Did she get bullied by delinquents in her first year or something?
…Or maybe she’s just shy? I tried to shrug off those ominous thoughts.
Her eyes widened in surprise, and her bangs nearly swallowed half of her face. While that looks cute in its own way, the image of her as a senior wasn’t really settling well.
She doesn’t seem to care too much, though.
“…Was it really that surprising?”
“Well, uh, no, but….”
When Sohee asked in disbelief, Ryu Ba-da’s gaze started darting around.
“Uh, Sohee? I heard you can be a little rough around the edges to others… so I was a bit scared…”
“…….”
Silence.
Well, I can’t deny that. Sohee can be sweet when it comes to me, but she turns into a monster at the slightest annoyance. A monster ready to pounce, apparently. I was lucky I recognized her right off the bat. It would’ve been terrifying to meet her without any clues.
She surely must have had friends in middle school and her previous high school, but I can’t help but wonder how she managed back then.
Thanks to that, Ryu Ba-da seems completely frightened of Sohee.
Then again, Sohee did smash the desk pretty hard when she first talked to her.
“…No, I mean. Um.”
It must have been the first time someone outright said they found her scary, and Sohee seemed a bit flustered as she stumbled over her words before finally exhaling softly and saying.
“What I wanted to ask was, why are you using respectful language with us?”
This time she was cautiously avoiding scaring her.
“Ah, that’s…”
Upon hearing the question, Ryu Ba-da glanced at me, and when our eyes met, she slightly lowered her gaze and said.
“I think it’s just how it’s supposed to be….”
“…….”
So, she’s saying it’s because she’s scared.
Well, no matter how much of a visual novel it is, using respectful language with younger juniors in a Korean context is rather odd. Even in manga and anime, the characters’ lines are often translated to informal speech when addressing juniors or classmates.
If she were completely out of school and meeting first-year students for the first time, it wouldn’t feel weird at all, but it feels much more natural for her to use informal language with juniors in the same school.
“There’s really no need for that. Other students speak casually.”
I purposely tried to soften my tone to encourage her, but,
“Yes… I’ll do that once I feel comfortable.”
That was all she replied with.
…Is she building a fortress around herself?
*
As I tried to steer the conversation back on track, I learned that the library committee is the least influential committee among all.
Not many students use the library, and if they do, they’re usually scholarship students.
“Because of that, the budget doesn’t increase, and we can only get a limited number of new books.”
Despite all that, Ryu Ba-da seemed to speak more comfortably without stuttering or pausing—clearly explaining the situation.
So even with such a sizable library, there aren’t many new books coming in, and the shelves are unexpectedly empty. Because of that lack of activity, students don’t bother coming to the library. If there are hardly any users, it’s treated as less important, and the budget gets locked down… it’s a horrible cycle.
“Is that so.”
However, because of that, the library committee somehow managed to survive. Most of the people tied to it are scholarship students, and even if they wanted to transfer, they can’t afford to.
Hmm.
So that’s how it is.
I nodded several times with my arms crossed.
So this is a place that scholarship students frequently utilize… that means, it’s not just first-year girls; even boys and scholarship students from other grades often use it.
If I need a meeting place at school later, I can just suggest the library.
That’s what I concluded.
Originally, I thought the chairperson of the library committee would be some rich, spoiled brat, and I intended to dominate the conversation from the get-go, but thankfully, I didn’t have to.
“Is the library committee full?”
“No. Since it’s not popular, not many people know such a position exists….”
Ryu Ba-da lowered her head slightly, seeming a bit shy as she spoke.
“Do you plan on filling the positions?”
“Yes?”
At my question, Ryu Ba-da seemed to get lost in thought for a moment.
“Ah, um, I’m not really into having too many people….”
“…….”
How on earth did such an extremely introverted person show up at that party wearing a dress?
No, thinking back, she was the only one who let her hair down while everyone else was trying to fix their styles, so maybe it’s not so much that she’s shy but rather that she has an extreme sense of personal space.
She was probably the one who quietly raised her hand and asked if she could take some food to share with her siblings. She can’t just be shy.
“No matter what, the positions need to be filled properly. Not just here but in the other committees too.”
“Is that so….”
Something about talking with her makes my brain feel like it’s about to slip away. We seem to be on track in conversation, but it feels as if I’ve grabbed the wrong thread and have been following it too long.
Yet in the end, the topic we intended to discuss ends up being the same.
Regardless, I couldn’t act out in front of this senior by sweeping my hair down or holding my head. So I decided to just take it easy.
Since I’ll be seeing her again soon enough, I figured there’s no point in worrying now.
“So, by the way, is there someone in your grade who could fill a committee or chairperson role?”
“…….”
At my question, Ryu Ba-da looked into space, lost in thought.
And after a long while without a response, she shook her head and said,
“I don’t really know….”
…Is she really that clueless?
Is she just tired of thinking halfway through and just gave up?
I wanted to ask that so badly, but I bit my tongue and held it in.
