This is My Junior's Disconnect

It was as if the little people in my head (I’m not crazy) plugged my brains wire into the outlet for the first time ever. The sky cleared, the clouds parted, the rain let-up, and the sun that rose from behind the storm was big and shaped like Kaoru’s face.

Let me reiterate: I’m not crazy.

“Makoto…” Her tone took a quick and drastic solemn turn. What could be so serious all of a sudden? You’re making me nervous. “Assuming the issue really is what we just talked about, the deadline is still in—” She did some quick counting on her fingers. “Three days—not counting today.”

The reality.

She’s right. Even though we figured out not just another, but deeper issue, it doesn’t magically change the deadline. Make it easier to do the edits on time. In fact it only increases the amount of time we need. I can’t let Fujioka down again… I shouldn’t… I could easily do what I want here and refuse to submit it for the deadline, wait till Comiket, and release it as a doujinshi with illustrations. Doesn’t that sound like the more logical option?

“Why does Fujioka insist we submit for this deadline…? Why is that where she draws the line?” I asked out loud to myself. The question burned so hot in me it was like I had to exhaust the heat. I wasn’t necessarily expecting an answer from Kaoru, but part of me believed she could possibly make sense of Fujioka’s reasoning.

“...I don’t know.”

A fork in the road. One way, to me, is the more logically sound—the correct way forward one could say. The other, leads to failure and the semi-dissolution of my writing circle. A win-win or a lose-lose.

***

3 DAYS REMAIN

Wednesday

***

“Makoto did you —————————” Kaoru’s voice was swept away by a passing train.

If you’re not used to being around trains you’d think it’s just a light novel trope to postpone confessions or used for lazy writing. Well it’s not! When stuff like that happens it’s realism! It’s accurate to what it’s like trying to have a conversation on your way to school.

They move so much air past you with their flat-faces that the decompression completely blocks out any other sound! It’s science… or something. I’m not a scientist, okay? Don’t quote me on that. I’m an author… a soon-to-be one at least. So technically not an author yet either.

Doesn’t matter. I couldn’t hear a thing she said after “did you”.

“What?” I asked.

She shook her head, clearly annoyed because of the train forcing her to repeat herself. “I said, did you———————————————”

Another train, this time heading in the opposite direction away from the nearby station.

“What?”

Kaoru shut her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. “Did you—”

“Oh, senpai’s, good morning.” The greeting came from a head of black-hair that popped up in between us. “What’re you two doing heading to school so early?”

Kaoru looked ready to throw Yoshika into oncoming traffic.

“Ah, no reason really. Kaoru slept over and we both woke up around seven so we just decided to head out early.”

“Akimoto-senpai slept over?? Y-you said it so casually, too!? A-are you two a thing? An item? No way-no way… I was just making jokes this whole time, you two have been serious, haven’t you? Did you two do it? Of course, they did what kind of question is that… Akimoto-senpai isn’t he so gross? Why would you subject yourself to that?” Yoshika rattled on for a while longer, delving more into how repulsive I am. Gee, thanks. I think I wouldn’t mind throwing her into traffic too. She’s probably stronger than me though… Should I go to the gym?

“Yoshika, you know it’s not like that.” I said like it was a preloaded response. I went through the motions of denying my juniors crazy claims without caring if she really believed me or not.

“Yeah, Yoshika————————————” It looks like an incident happened on the tracks and the train had to reverse to the station. Poor Kaoru.

If I just go quiet right now and don’t ask the same question back to Yoshika, that's considered weird, right? That’s being a weirdo gross NEET, right? “What’re you doing up so early, Yoshika?”

“Ew, why do you wanna know your junior’s sleep schedule…? Gross NEET weirdo…” She flipped her book-bag over her shoulder and adjusted her bangs. “If you must know though, since you’re so curious, I was up late waiting for a response from Takechi-senpai.”

“What? You were up late so that means you woke up early?”

“W-well, we were texting for a bit then he said, “be back in a moment I’m gonna shower”. So naturally I waited. I guess he takes really long showers though as he only just responded at six-o’clock this morning.”

Oh, I think I see what happened… “So naturally you waited up… all night… for him to respond…”

“Of course,” Yoshika chirped back.

“How can you say that so confidently? You really don’t see it?”