A Cheeky Junior Denied Me My Entire Life, so I Tested What Would Happen if I Jumped off a Rooftop to Vent My Anger
“Is it true that the scholarship has been extended?!”
After school the day after I went to the ramen shop with Rio. When I came to the art preparation room after being summoned by Yasaka sensei, the art club advisor, she said this to me while chewing smoking gum again.
“Just a few minutes ago, we received such a notice. I heard it was the Chairman’s wish.”
“…… That’s because my relatives are acquainted with the Chairman…”
“That’s not true.
That man is simply a fan of yours. That’s why he wants to help you, even if he has to push you a bit.”
“Even if he says that……”
It’s a blessing, but I don’t need a scholarship anymore. I can’t say anything rude to anyone who has taken care of me up until now, but if it were to be extended now, it would cause trouble.
“Can I withdraw now? I’ll go directly to the chairman of the board and ask him.”
“You know what?
It’s not that simple.”
“But he’s mixing private and public life so badly that he’s extending the scholarship because he is a fan of mine.
The people around won’t be waiting for good feelings. ……”
“But that doesn’t mean you can bow down and do something about it.”
Yasaka-sensei rests her weight on the back of her chair and takes a deep breath.
“You may not understand because you are still young, but half of an adult’s job is how to deal with the selfishness of the bosses. Even if you bow your head now, other problems will arise elsewhere. It happens. Don’t add extra work.”
Is that how it is? Well, if I was quitting, I should have told him earlier.
If he had forced an extension and then he didn’t need me anymore, it would have ruined his reputation.
“But I haven’t drawn properly for more than ……2 years now, you know? I haven’t completed a single piece since I entered this high school.
And yet that chairman expects me to do it?”
“For young people like you, two years is a long time, but for old people, two years is like yesterday.
It has only been a little over a year since you enrolled in this high school. From the chairman’s point of view, it’s as if you’ve only been here a few days ago.”
“I’m still a little unsure of that feeling. ……”
I’m glad he’s expecting me, but now …… I don’t know what to do. I don’t really have any reason to refuse if he want to extend my stay. It’s also nice to know that he expect me to do it. It’s just …… I just can’t help but feel bewildered.
I was dying to face painting for my scholarship. I was driven to the point of suicide. …… But the scholarship was extended because the chairman of the board of trustees liked it.
—I’m just a well-connected guy, really.
I let out a small breath. Yasaka-sensei crossed her legs in a pompous manner and said.
“In the Etoile painting competition, which has been going on for nearly 50 years, there have only been three Japanese winners, including you. Looking around the world, this is the first time a minor has won the prize.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about you.”
Yasaka-sensei narrowed his eyes in dismay and continued speaking.
“In the past, paintings that won prizes at the Etoile painting exhibition were sold for hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s a world where it’s not uncommon for a man who has devoted his life to painting to throw his life away and still not be able to win a prize. You are undeniably a genius. You know that, don’t you?”
“Well, I think I understand the value of that painting.”
“And yet you’re still undervalued. …… There are a lot more people expecting more from you than you think. You need to be a bit more aware of that.”
“In the art club, though, I’m nothing but a jerk”
I laugh deceptively. Yasaka-sensei doesn’t laugh a bit and takes out her gum again.
“When you’re young, you tend to think that what you see is all there is. It’s ……, but talent is invisible. It’s the fact that it’s invisible that makes it valuable. At your age, I don’t expect you to understand that though.”
“…………”
I don’t say anything. The teacher used to be called a genius and won all sorts of prizes. The only thing is that at some point she stopped painting and abruptly retired from being an artist.
“I’m different from you. It’s not that I can’t draw, I just don’t draw. That’s why I can’t help you.”
The teacher said this to me right after I joined the club. I still don’t know what she was thinking, but she must have had a lot on her mind.
“But I heard that my scholarship was terminated.”
“That’s just a rumour spread by …… Hijiyama.”
“……What do you mean?”
“You should at least remember the names of your classmates. …… Hijiyama Kaoru. Although her progress is sluggish now, she is an excellent girl who has won several awards in the past. Well, compared to your achievements, it’s like a child’s play party… That girl is the vice principal’s daughter.”
“…… I see. She doesn’t like the fact that I, who doesn’t draw as much as her, am getting preferential treatment.”
The vice principal seems to be an idiot.
“Well, that’s not what scholarships are supposed to be. You can’t just become a toy for adults. The burden of such arbitrary acts will fall on them, the kids.”
Yasaka-sensei looks straight at me. I kind of understood why the teacher called me.
“I’m a bad teacher. I’m not going to intervene just because they are having a little trouble. I think we should do something about it ourselves unless it becomes a big deal. I believe they can do that. ”
“The art club, there are only guys with bad character, including me, right?”
“We’re all competing with each other to see who’s the best in the little box yard. It’s only natural that the bad parts come out. If there’s a problem, it’s that some people don’t realise it.”
Yasaka-sensei let out a deep breath, twisting her mouth in a somewhat nihilistic manner.
“Anyway, if you can’t do anything, just talk to me. I’ll take care of most things. But until that happens, think of a way to do it on your own. That’s also a learning experience.”
“I’ve always been bad at relying on others.”
“Then you should get used to it while you’re still a child. Adults who can’t rely on others are miserable, aren’t they? It’s no one else but me, so you’re right.”
Yasaka sensei laughed. I give the teacher a wry smile and leave the art preparation room.
“….. It looks like we’re going to get into trouble again.”
It won’t be long before word gets out about the scholarship. …… No, if the vice principal’s daughter is in the same art club, it’s not surprising that it’s already a rumour.
“Well, to be honest, I don’t really care about that sort of thing.”
I was driven into a corner by that sort of thing and even killed myself. I’m not going to get involved in anything extra now, and I don’t have any reason to care. …… I agree, but it’s not going to get any worse
Trouble is only going to get worse the longer you leave it.
“For now, I’ll just have to show up at the art club.”
Participation in our club activities is free from the beginning, so we don’t suspend club activities just because it’s before a test. …However, the people who come to the clubroom at a time like this must be people with a lot of free time, or…
“Enough!”
As I put my hand on the door of the art room, I heard such a voice. I involuntarily took my hand away from the door. Just then, the door opens and out comes Kamiya-san with a terrible look in her eyes.
“…………”
Our eyes met, but she didn’t say anything and just walked out of the clubroom.
“Kamiya-san’s got a good temper too, ……”
Are you having trouble again? While thinking this, I entered the art room and found a group of girls hanging out in front of the blackboard. Then I remembered the girl named Hijiyama that Yasaka-sensei had mentioned.
Hijiyama Kaoru. A short but somewhat intimidating girl with sharp eyes. …… As I recall, this girl tried to harass the cocky Kamiya-san a while ago, and I warned her and stopped her.
Hijiyama-san looks at me and looks surprised for a moment, but immediately opens her mouth with a fake fake smile.
“You heard that, didn’t you? Aoi-san.
It seems your scholarship has been extended, hasn’t it?”
“It seems so.”
I reply with a few random words. Hijiyama-san, who was not pleased with such an attitude, smiled like she was wearing a mask and said
“Anyway, Aoi-san. It seems like the chairman likes you a lot, doesn’t it? Aoi-san is delicate and has a cute face, so I’m sure he’s very good at flattering people.”
“I don’t know. I think I’m better than Hijiyama-san though.”
“…….”
She provoked me and when I respond, she makes a displeased face. …That’s typical.
“That’s a joke. I’m going to turn down the scholarship and I don’t need you guys to congratulate me.”
“…… I see. So you’re saying that it’s giving a fraction of the money, is that what you’re saying?”
“It’s not a matter of giving in or not giving in, right?…If I were to just talk about ability, then Rengo or Usa san would be next.”
“When you say it that way, it sounds like you’re saying that you’re better than those two people, right? Unlike you, who don’t draw, those two people have produced decent results.”
Hijiyama-san laughs with a face like a small fool and continues.
“I don’t want to get a scholarship myself. I’m just saying that I don’t like the fact that you are a connected and dishonest scholarship recipient.”
“What if you don’t like it? Are you planning on harassing me like you did with Kamiya-san before?”
I purposely say things that provoke. Hearing my words, Hijiyama san’s mouth twisted slightly.
“You’ve been protecting that girl for a long time, haven’t you? By any chance, are you dating?”
“No way. I don’t have any relationship with Kamiya-san beyond senior and junior.”
“Then why do you go out of your way to act like you’re protecting that girl?”
When told, I think about it a little. From the moment I met Kamiya-san, she was a nasty girl who made fun of me. I don’t know what she thinks about me, but I normally don’t like her. I have no intention of getting involved with her in the future.
The reason why I defended Kamiya-san like that. It’s simply because …….
“I’m the same as you, Hijiyama-san.
I just stopped her because I didn’t like her.”
“You mean you don’t like me?”
“It’s not you, I just don’t like your behaviour.
…… You’re happy to get in a gang and harass people because they piss you off, and then make them do what you tell them to do?…… tiny woman.”
“……!”
Hijiyama san glared at me with terrible eyes. …But her expression quickly changed and she laughed with a mocking face.
“You seem to be very, very outspoken today, don’t you?…… I guess you must be happy to get an extension on your scholarship, after all. If you are so talkative, why don’t you transfer to the debating club? You don’t paint anyway, and I’m sure you’ll get a scholarship there too.”
Hahaha, the girls around me laugh. I was caught up in their laughter and laughed too.
“Good, that’s it. Then you guys are in the harassment club. Hijiyama-san might be able to become the best there too. Let’s both do our best in our new worlds.”
“……!”
Hijiyama san’s eyes became sharp. Rengo, Usa-san, Kamiya-san, and this girl too. Is it okay for them to say what they say, but can’t tolerate being told back? …I wonder how much I’m looked down upon.
I exhale tiredly and turn my back on the girls. There’s no point in arguing any more with this girl.
“Wait, Aoi-san. …… I really want you to see a picture. Don’t you think this is a very nice picture?”
I look back at those words. When the girls moved away from the blackboard, there was a picture of a cute little boy licking the shoes of an uncle in a suit.
“…..Hee”
A despicable guy, fawning over the chairman of the board of directors. This must be a picture of me. ……They seem to hate me more than I thought they would, going to the trouble of drawing something like this.
Moreover, the touch of this drawing is ……
“I’m thinking of entering this drawing in the next competition, what do you think?”
“I think it’s a nice drawing, reflecting the mentality of the artist, don’t you? However, if you were serious about drawing this, then it’s not me…it’s an insult to yourself.”
“You can’t draw, but you criticise other people’s drawings?“
“I’m not criticising. it’s just that….”
No matter how much I wanted to draw, I couldn’t, and I’ve been suffering for a long time. And yet, people who are free to draw whatever they want are laughing at drawing such nonsense.
…..I’m so frustrated, I can’t help it.
“Just what is it?”
Hijiyama-san laughs. I said.
“I don’t like the personality…What’s with that ugly smile? Look in the mirror and try again.”
“……!”
The girls back away in fear. …… all of them are really stupid.
I exhale in disgust and walk out of the clubroom……. after a while. I hear that a picture of the painting has been shared with the art club group and that I’m being laughed at.
“Haha.”
So why was I, laughing? I didn’t really understand the reason myself.
[TLN: As you guys knew, we have a new translator here! Maiban’s new project is translating “I Kept Rescuing Unlucky Beautiful Girls and Before I Knew It, They Were Targeting Me” feel free to read it, thanks!]
thx for the translations .tbh i find it a little bit weird about the art thing since imo it’s something subjective. I think the author should have used a different setting in which the mc excels at and is called a genius, like something objective. also that new series looks like a yandere one, one of my fave deres, will try it out.