Chapter 246
If I absolutely had to say...
The standards are just different.
Ichinose Honami's words weren't harsh, but they seemed far heavier to Shiina Mashiro than they appeared on the surface.
"Honami." Asakusa Toru called her name softly, then placed his hand on her shoulder and gently shook his head. "This is between her and me."
To be more precise...
It's a matter between him, the owner of the Diary, and the fans in front of him.
His complicity with Ichinose Honami was limited to Advanced Nurturing.
This was agreed upon from the very beginning.
"I just happen to have this free time, and I just happen to be willing to do so." Turning away, no longer standing there confronting Shiina Mashiro, Asakusa Toru simply sat down on a chair nearby.
"Let's just say it's what I wanted to do."
Consider this a small... show of favoritism towards Shiina Mashiro.
Innocent children always receive preferential treatment.
She didn't make a fuss or cry out; if she wasn't even allowed to express her feelings of grievance and confusion...
It's nothing more than a puppet.
"Let me think about it first, how to sort it out, and where to start."
Bending over, elbows against thighs, hands clasped together, Asakusa Toru looked like he had a headache.
"I knew you would come, or rather, I felt you might come, or rather, you definitely would come," he said.
"You are talented, I am not necessary to you."
Before Asakusa Toru could continue speaking, Shiina Mashiro interrupted him somewhat anxiously, denying it:
"You are necessary!"
"Stop." Asakusa Toru raised his hand. "Interrupting others while they are speaking is a sign of poor manners, unless you don't intend to hear the rest of what I have to say."
Shiina Mashiro wanted to say something, but perhaps realizing that she might be interrupting, she ultimately chose to raise her hand and cover her mouth.
The kind where you cover your face with your index fingers crossed.
After a moment, Asakusa Toru's voice rang out softly again.
"Your life has been smooth sailing, and it won't be empty without me," he said. "Your future is full of color. Your talents, your family—the world will focus on you until you destroy your own talents. You will receive the world's blessings."
"As long as you avoid the few incorrigible scoundrels, your future will be bright."
"So, you're different from them."
Shiina Mashiro is different from those who would lose their future if he didn't intervene.
If he hadn't interfered, if he hadn't intervened, some people's lives would have ended there, and some would have lived aimlessly for the rest of their lives, devoid of color.
Words, money, or simply extending a helping hand.
With just one simple extra step, the outcome will be different.
That's how you can do it, that's how you can make a change.
Because he could, he did it.
... This was before I enrolled in school.
Perhaps it was Shiina Mashiro, or perhaps it was Ichinose Honami who spoke of it.
'You as you used to be'.
Shiina Mashiro: "..."
She couldn't understand; she couldn't comprehend it at all.
Are these so-called 'them'... Advanced Nurturing individuals?
If so, what are the differences between myself and them?
Is it because I'm not an Advanced Nurturing student?
Am I not God-man enough?
Or is it...?
"You're wrong."
Asakusa Toru wasn't actually looking at her.
Sometimes, conversations require eye contact; it's about focusing your gaze on each other's eyes.
Only in this way can you clearly see the other person's current emotions, and only in this way can you make the other person feel your sincerity.
But that only happens sometimes.
At least when facing Shiina Mashiro, Asakusa Toru felt he didn't need to rely on his eyes to discern her emotions, because she was very easy to understand.
Similarly, he doesn't need to use such methods to make the other person feel his sincerity, because she can tell.
But when he paused for a moment, letting the noise and clamor of the playground spread in the distance.
A faint, almost tearful feeling of grievance suddenly spread around me.
It's Shiina Mashiro's emotion.
So he turned his head and looked at the innocent girl.
He could tell what the other person was thinking at a glance.
... Mashiro was unaware of his past, and even the name 'Asakusa Toru' was only learned after he reached Advanced Nurturing.
She obviously didn't know what she was talking about, and simply assumed that "they" meant "them".
"You're different from them too."
However, even they are different from Shiina Mashiro.
"Shiina Hiyori is someone I like." Turning his head, Asakusa Toru looked at Shiina Hiyori, who was sitting quietly next to Mashiro.
"Honami is someone I'm used to." Turning his head, Asakusa Toru looked at Ichinose Honami, who had sat down next to him.
Looking out, his gaze drifted downwards.
Ignoring Hoshinomiya Chie, he went straight to find the figures of a few girls who had not yet left.
Chihiro Onodera likes me.
Hui is parasitic on me.
Sakura can't live without me.
Kikyo... Kikyo is perhaps a bit more special.
But no matter what, Shiina Mashiro is different from them.
Shiina Mashiro: "Ah, ah..."
The girl opened her mouth, but seemed unable to say anything.
That's the truth.
She and Asakusa Toru had never had any contact with each other except through their Diary, so it's hard to say that they developed any feelings or bond that made them inseparable upon meeting.
She is not necessary, and neither is he.
Cocoa...
That's not how it should be.
Shiina Mashiro was somewhat at a loss.
She really wanted to say something.
Talk about her aspirations, her expectations, and her dreams.
But the open mouth, the outstretched hand, the words that wanted to be spoken.
They would all be stuck in his throat the next moment.
"You are different from them." This was the third time Asakusa Toru asserted.
"To put it bluntly, from any normal person's perspective, it's incomprehensible to abandon world-class oil painting talent and chase after comics, which are completely unsuitable for oneself, just because someone jokingly says 'comics are more interesting.'"
"It's not even because of any more easily understood expectations or pressures from those around you that forced you to change your mindset, nor is it even an excuse that's simply a hobby or interest—an excuse that others seem unable to easily question."
"You've become obsessed with comics just because of someone whose name you don't even know now."
Asakusa Toru started saying some very offensive things.
It went so far that Shiina Mashiro's eyes seemed to start to redden slightly, and even Shiina Mashiro seemed to be showing some emotion.
Because what he said seemed to be an undeniable fact.
"Do you really have that much of a passion for comics?" he questioned.
"Yes!" she said, though she was weak, she still clenched her fists.
"Am I really that necessary to you?" he questioned.
"Yes!" Her eyes reddened.
However, seemingly without even the slightest thought of chivalry, he asserted once again:
"You don't understand comics enough, and you don't understand me enough."
The cold words struck like a heavy hammer, and tears streamed down the girl's cheeks.
Seeing Mashiro's delicious expression as she began to cry, Asakusa Toru realized that he might have gone a bit too far.
Well, it's not about whether the words themselves are right or wrong, but rather that Asakusa Toru actually had no reason or need to say such things to Shiina Mashiro.
... That's why we've gone to such a deep level.
As expected, it was all because of Shiina Mashiro's words, "You weren't like this before."
What was I like before?
Asakusa Toru was thinking.
How far back was the so-called "past"? How far back is the so-called "present"?
If we were to use milestones in life as dividing lines, the past is the past of an orphan, the past before starting school, and the past before receiving the Diary.
All of these can be considered 'turning points'.
However, Shiina Mashiro's understanding of herself was clearly limited to the written descriptions in her Diary.
Therefore, this turning point will occur after enrollment.
The entries consist of hundreds of diary entries, filled with idle and useless words, and seemingly redundant content upon closer examination.
Emotions may change, and attitudes may shift with emotions, but principles... remain the same.
Asakusa Toru's standards have always been different for different people.
You can tolerate and forgive anything someone you like does, but you can't forgive anything someone you dislike does.
To be even more specific, if we don't just categorize based on personal preference...
He felt it shouldn't end here, so he would extend his hand as he pleased.
He felt disgusted to continue watching the other person act aggressively, so he would seize the opportunity to deliver a sudden elbow strike.
This is a 'principle' that he has always followed.
I dream of becoming the elbow-striking emperor!
Cough.
But Advanced Nurturing is different.
This school is full of God-man.
They won't lose any chance in life because of a simple setback or even dropping out of this vocational school, nor will they cause any physical discomfort or aversion.
Ultimately, this is how most of the participants in these stories should be.