Chapter 21: I Really Don't Want The Relationship Ties To Remain After I Quit The Circle


TL: Akabane


***


Milan sees my face relax and smiles softly.


"I can count on you to laugh at this not-circle situation. I can see why that Ayashiro and Momiji miss you so much."


"I have some worthiness in me, don't I? I'm flattered by your compliment. There is one thing that bothers me. What's the downside of you being out of the group?"


"Yes. That's the problem, isn't it? I don't know why people are the way they are...huh..."


I let out a sigh and felt a little pity and sympathy for Milan, who looked disappointed. I'm a victim of the man between us, and so is this girl. I feel a sense of solidarity.


"Are you being harassed by Hagiri?"


"No, that's not it. That man is a master of business thinking. He doesn't have the time to spend his energy on a guy who got away. That group is more like a company than a mafia. I don't care if it's a black company, normally you don't go after people when they leave, do you?"


"That's right. If business is your priority, you don't go after the ones who have left, unless they leak secrets."


"That's what I mean. But what about the rest of the group? That group is one of the top caste clubs in this university, so to speak. It's a source of pride to be a member of that group. I'm sure I'll look like an ungrateful person who left the group while being favored by the boss. That's why I'm getting a lot of interference from people other than Hagiri. Especially the girls. For example, when I tried to join the drama club at my university, I was roundly rejected. The student council is also taking in the upperclassmen. Of course, there are still many places that resist the student council and let me in, like the daytime dance club. But I still see the shadow of the student council everywhere I go. I can't make friends even in my own department. Everyone is afraid of being disliked by the student council members. Student council members are the top caste. If they like you, you will have a fulfilling student life. The opposite is a loner like me. I have a senior student protecting me now, Kekai-senpai, but he will graduate someday, too. It's hard to have an enjoyable school life. He even refused to let me have a drink at the school. Hahahahahaha."


Her dry laugh is melancholy. This girl is popular in her own right, but apparently not so much in her daily life. I'm sure this girl has a lot of fans on and off campus, but those people are probably just watching her from afar and guessing, not getting involved. So she is treated like an ornamental panda. Even if they enjoy looking at the panda, there is no one to go out for lunch or drinks with. Their private lives are being torn to shreds. I guess she wants to join an intercollegiate college student troupe partly to escape from the campus clutches. She is popular but lonely. It's too pathetic to watch.


"I'm also a college debutant type of loner, so I think I have an understanding of the lonely life. Let me help you."


"Thank you. I really appreciate it.... Thank you, thank you so much!"


I decided to help Milan. I felt too sorry for her. It's a common thing in college for people who quit the circle to be sensitive with those who stayed, but there's a limit. This is an act that should not be overlooked. If I run away from Milan's situation here, I will keep running away from various things. It would be a world away from the sparkling youth. That's what I decided.


"Hey, you guys. Have you reached an agreement?"


A voice came from above. Kekai-senpai was peeking out of the window of the boys' dormitory. Kirin-san is clinging to his back. I dare not ask about the outfit. Milan's face is flushed red from the rawness of the two of them. I'm embarrassed too, to be honest.


"So this is the reason why Kekai-senpai called me here today."


"No, don't get me wrong! I just wanted to feed you pizza! That's what you're supposed to do. Gehaha!"


Well, I think the setup itself was sloppy, since he just called me up and then promptly shooed me off to a room with a woman. I guessed that he was just trying to get Milan to take action on her own. But he really is a very caring person, isn't he? I'm really glad I played a little trick and made contact with him in the first place.


"I'm going to have to get out of the clubs and other activities on campus before too long. I can't protect you guys forever. You will always be ruined if you are alone. College is a place to train yourself not to be lonely before you go out into the world. Worry a lot, young people! Gyahahaha!"


"You're so cool, Kei-chan! Oh, by the way, do you two want to eat? I'll make you something if you don't mind the leftovers."


Milan and I looked at each other and chuckled.


""Thanks for the food!""


Then Milan and I were treated to leftover pizza doria made by Kirin-san. It was delicious. But who was this woman? In the end, the day passed without us knowing who she was.








Small story "What's the origin of the name "Milan"?"



"By the way, your real name is Misaki, right? Why are you called Milan?"


"Milan is my stage name, but my real name Misaki, which means "beautiful" and "oiran" in Japanese. If you change the reading, it becomes Milan."


"Oh, I see. That's very stylish."


"Right! That's not all! I like male roles. In Europe, Milan is a male name, but in Japanese, it sounds like a girl's name. That's what I'm aiming for!"


"Wow, you're a literature student. That's cool."


"I know, right? I'm going to be an actress who lives up to this name, I promise! So thank you for saving me, Tokiwa."


"You're welcome. Let's work hard starting tomorrow!"


""KANPAI!""








The next day at lunchtime. We spread out our lunch sheets on the campus lawn, and Milan and I decided to begin training for our selection to join the troupe. A play is only as good as its audience. That's why I summoned them.


"I see what you mean. So, you're trying to get a bridge effect by working with a pretty girl, and then you're trying to get her into bed with you. But you're not satisfied with just one girl, so you want to invite me over for a threesome...I'm sorry. I don't want to have threesomes with a woman taller than me. Ask Yuzuriha to do it for you."


"Who said that? I mean, wtf? Is threesomes popular among girls?"


Milan said something about 3p, too, so I wonder if it's a fad? I'd hate a fad like that too much...!


"Kanata! I don't mind! That handsome girl over there has boobs and two nipples! Let me and Kanata suck on them at the same time!"

[TL: What the?!]


Yuzuriha, who talks about threesomes with a very nice smile, must have already been tainted by the darkness of the city. The innocent girl is no longer exist!


"You, with the big tits, sucking on someone else's tits is too extravagant an act!"


Once infected with the Ayashiro fungus, it can never be cured. The Ayashiro fungus is so strong that it cannot be sterilized with alcohol. In fact, it may even become more virulent.


"Oh, no...how could you do both sides at the same time? ...And then up and down at the same time? Or front and back at the same time? I'm...ah...mmmm..."


Milan is writhing in agony. Oh, I can't do it anymore. The Ayashiro bacteria is spreading. College girls' love of bottom stories is abnormal. I can't keep up with the shady guys!


"Well. Now, you've loosened up nicely, haven't you? Can you show me what you're supposed to do for this selection?"


Ayashiro quickly returns to the topic at hand. She reads from a copy of the script she was given in advance as an assignment and asks us to perform. Yuzuriha looks at us expectantly.


"Wait a minute. It would be a pity to have Tokiwa play the role of a man. First, I'll play the male role by myself. Watch me!"


Milan stood in front of us, bowed, and played the male role in the script by herself. I'll play the male part in the show, but her performance was really great. She was just so cool. She played the role of an ideal man. The kind of guy I would want to be like. And the performance ended immediately. The script was short. The performance itself only lasted a couple of minutes. But it was impressive enough. And it wasn't just me.


"Kyah! That's so cool! It's like that! That one! It's like Takarazuka! I want to see more! Encore! Encore!"


She was swamped by Milan's good looks. But I guess there's no encore in theater.


"Your performance just now was lovely. If I were to fall in love, I would want a man like this. It was a wonderful performance that directly captured and stimulated the audience's desires. You could probably make a living just doing theater. Why did you come to our university? Don't you need to go to college?"


I sense an accurate critique and a certain irony that is typical of Ayashiro. It certainly seems to me that she is at a level where she can already make a living. Even acting now, I would be willing to pay about 1,000 yen. I wouldn't mind paying 10,000 yen for a full-length play. That's how intoxicating the entertainment was.


"Haha. The condition for moving to Tokyo was to go to college. And if I was going to do entertainment, the condition my parents gave me was to get out of a good university. That's why I came here. If I could graduate, it would be an academic record I could be proud of for the rest of my life."


It is common to hear of people's career paths being narrowed due to family circumstances. Ayashiro-ish's face clouded a little as if she had some thoughts about what she just said.


"I see. I understand. I'll do my small part to help."


Ayashiro's eyes become serious. She is a good judge of people, so her comments and criticisms of the performance will be accurate. The training was going to be fulfilling.



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