The unused prep room had settled down and the noise from the grounds grew gradually stronger, filling up the space that was drenched in silence as it played in the back of this mundane scene. They were the usual sounds that you'd hear after school, the ones that were all too new to someone like me. I wasn't the type to stay after school after all.

By now, I would have probably finished the thousand-yen novel I bought just the other day, and would already be on the planning stage on how I would waste a week's allowance just to buy the following volume. There were only two chapters left to it after all. Three if you count the afterword. Unfortunately, today for some reason, the world didn't allow me to stay faithful to my routine. This was definitely a conspiracy from the N.H.K.

At one side of the room, across the table, Segawa settled for that specific spot; close to where she stood at by the time the two of us arrived. She sat on the chair that had been tucked beneath the table; one the she had been likely using while waiting for sensei.

While me on the other hand, eventually did the same and settled for a chair that was taken from the stack, sitting on the thing like how a normal high school student would; the backrest facing my front. Well, I mean, I’m sure this was how someone would sit when not in class right? And it’s not like I’m saying I’m not normal or anything, I’m just a bit different from the rest after all. In English, I’m special. I think...

“So, what did you call me out for again, sensei?" Segawa asked, prompting sensei for explanation.

"Well, for starters," Sensei, who was the only one left standing up, crossed her arms as to organize her thoughts, then exchanged glances from the two of us before she continued. "At first, Hiraoka wasn't supposed to be a part of this. I was planning on pushing this on you alone but... I thought it would be best if I included this person into the equation."

“Ohh..” Segawa murmured, seemingly confused. “I don’t really see how that would answer my question..”

“I-I'm merely establishing ground work here. I wouldn't want to hear any questions regarding Hiraoka's presence here later on is all. M-mhmm," Sensei nodded, sounding unconvincing. "As for your question," She continued, pointing my way. "In a nutshell, we have a guy who has a thing for being alone," She then pointed at Segawa "and a girl who doesn't want to work with others."

“…A thing for being alone?”

“That's only natural. If you want things done right, then it’s best to do it yourself.”

In contrast to my dismayed reaction, Segawa paid no heed to sensei’s description of her, gladly accepting it head on. Somehow, I would probably be in awe at Segawa’s thick-skinned reaction just now, if only the way we were described were at least of the same level. I mean, who has a thing for being alone? Stop making me look like a pervert with some weird fetish here will you..?

“That’s where the problem lies.” Sensei added, crossing her arms. “People like you two won’t be able to fit in with the rest of society in that state. The only way the two of you could possibly fit in with the rest of the world is to ch-“

“I don’t intend to change myself.”

“I’m already fine the way I am.”

The two of us interjected at the same time, cutting sensei off mid-sentence.

“Gehh..” Sensei groaned as if she just took a hit, a bluntly annoyed look on her face. “That’s one of the problems with the two of you…would it hurt to listen to what others have to say? I’m only saying this for your own good.”

“It’s not like I don’t know how to listen to others when I’m being told. And I also appreciate the thought, but I know for a fact that I’m fine the way I am.” Segawa said, seemingly concieted. “I can adapt quite well with the given environment, and I’m also an efficient worker. I’ve also got a good-looking face so looks aren’t much of an issue. And I don’t mean to brag, but I'm quite smarter than that of an average student. So I don't really see any reason as to how someone like me wouldn’t be able to fit into society.”

“Same here.” I casually chimed in, resting my forearms on the backrest, placing my chin on top. “I can communicate well with others, but only when it’s needed. And my grades might be average, but I’m sure average is enough to score me a job as your average salaryman. I might as well mention that I have a pretty good-looking face that’s just a story or two above average, so I don’t really have any issues there. And I might not fit well with the rest of society, but at least I can survive, and that’s all I need. Life is all about surviving after all.”

“If you’re seriously fine with being average then you’ll never be successful in life. Although I do agree with you on the last part.” Segawa paused, breaking into a small smile that showed her complete agreement to my words. “If you don’t know how to survive then you can’t really enjoy life. In the end, everything boils down to your skills on survival. I’m surprised we came to an agreement on at least one thing.”

“Heh-” I smirked. “We might have agreed on one small thing, but I’d have to disagree with you on the former. I don’t really care about being successful in life or anything of the sort, it’s a fool’s errand to chase after big dreams after all.”

"What are you trying to imply here?" The somewhat bright expression on Segawa’s face transitioned into her normal, indifferent look. "It seems as if you're trying to say that being successful in life is a crime.”

“It’s not the part about being successful that’s a crime here, but the process that comes before.” I paused, sitting up straight as I placed both hands on my lap. “It’s the same thing as a mother telling their child that they can become the president of the country one day, and the child stubbornly clings onto that idea.”

“Then? What are you implying here?

“Do you seriously think that there’s only one mother who has ever told that specific line to their child?”

“Of course I don't. The world is big after all.”

“Exactly my point. There can only be one president per country per term, and there could be around a hundred, or even a thousand of kids who are aiming to be the president one day, just because of that one small thing their mom had told them. Even if you say that a dozen of them might become the president of one country, each serving the country on twelve different terms, the remaining candidates of that population would have to settle for something else just to have something to eat three times a day. In short, aiming too high isn’t practical."

“That only applies to positions as such with limited vacancies.” Segawa answered back with a conceited smile. “There are hundreds of successful people in the world; people who have surely worked their way up with the goal of being successful in their minds one day. And now you’re telling me that wanting to be successful in life is bad?"

“W-well..it’s not like I have anything against wanting to be successful. I’m only against the act of dreaming big.”

“That’s practically the same thing...”

“A-ahem!” Stepping in between, sensei coughed loudly in an awfully exaggerated way, urging the two of us take notice of her. “It looks like the two of you are getting along with each other, mhmm.”

“Uhh…were you even watching us just now sensei? I’m pretty sure that getting along with someone doesn’t look like that.”

“I’m surprised you can tell, for someone who doesn’t have friends.” She instantly replied.

Ooofghh…what was with that flawless shot of a statement just now, was it intentional? Don’t you know those kinds of words are taboo in the loner world? Not that I would know since I’ve never been included in that group. And I’m pretty sure it’s the same for the rest of the loner population as well. They’re loners after all.

“Uhh…I’m pretty sure that it doesn’t work that way, and I don’t need to have friends to be aware of that fact.”

“Well, setting all that aside,” Sensei paused, exchanging glances between me and Segawa before she went on. “To cut straight to the chase, I want the two of you to sort out your problems in this room together.”

Sort..? Just what kind of convoluted demand is that supposed to be. In the first place, there isn’t anything to sort if there isn’t a problem to begin with. I’m a pretty stable-minded person, if I do say so myself. If there was anyone who needed any sorting here, it would be Segawa and Segawa alone.

Hearing sensei’s demand, I timidly raised my hand in attempt to rebut, furtively avoiding her gaze. “Uhh, I actually have some plans after this so I can’t really stay long…” My thousand yen book isn’t gonna read itself after all.

“I have no intentions of addressing this problem, so you speak off either, sensei.” Segawa voiced out in a rather derisive tone.

But in response to our refusal, a smug expression surfaced sensei's face, towering over the two of us with her arms firmly crossed. “And who the hell said I was telling you two to do it now?”

At that moment, a big question mark began to float above our heads, the atmosphere getting clouded with confusion by the second. We weren’t really threatened by sensei’s clichéd acting, nor by her embarrassing body language that resembled that of a chuunibyou-ridden kid. But what’s for sure was that we were left in the dark, clueless.

Unable to get a grasp on the situation, Segawa turned to sensei with a stone-faced expression, giving her a dead-serious look. “Sensei, I thought you were going to cut straight to the chase like you said you would just now. If so then what are you doing throwing vague statements into the air like that? Were you expecting us to ask what you meant by that?”

“E-eh??” The flustered Yasuhara-sensei was taken aback, sheer embarrasement showing on her face. Seriously, does this girl have no mercy running through her veins? It was as if no one’s an exemption to this girl’s tyranny. “W-well, I just think too highly of you two, to the point that I assumed you would be able to get what I meant with my statement alone. Mhmm.” Sensei nodded.

“Oh?” Segawa murmured in a teasing tone, tilting her head to further assert her doubt.

In response, sensei let out a long and resigned sigh, turning to her side as she took a deep breath, then quickly shifted it back to Segawa. “I’ll just be blunt this time and get straight to the point, wha-“

“I sure hope you do..” I interjected, cutting sensei off.

“Huh?” Sensei groaned as she flicked her gaze my way. “Do you have a death-wish brat? I could break your bones if I ever wanted to.”

As those threatening words exited sensei’s mouth, she exuded this tremendously murderous aura. It was as if she was about to beat the crap out of me with rock paper scissors. If she could emit such an aura with that well-built physique, then she might as well be considered a national threat if she were ever an enhancer.

“Ah, p-please continue..” I insisted, a weary smile on my face.

And with that, sensei cleared her throat, somehow giving suspense to her probably-insignificant remark.

“To cut straight to the point, I want the two of you to-!”