Is It Okay If I Don't Want to Try Anymore? [6]

“So tired…”

On the way to school, Izumi Konata trudged along lifelessly.

“Same here.”

Kanade hadn’t felt it back at home or at Konata’s place, but once he stepped out into the cool morning air, the fatigue hit him like a brick. He was dead tired.

“You guys didn’t sleep properly?” Higashino Suzu turned back to look at them.

Among the three elementary schoolers, only Suzu actually looked the part—bright-eyed and full of energy. Kanade and Konata, on the other hand, looked like sleep-deprived college students. Slouched, hollow-eyed, and unsteady on their feet.

When you’re this tired, going to school feels like visiting your own grave.

“Games were just too good last night. I only meant to play till 1 a.m. after finishing homework, but next thing I knew it was past 3…”

Konata scratched her head sheepishly.

“Insomnia,” Kanade said with a yawn.

“Let’s sleep in class.” ×2.

In perfect sync, Kanade and Konata spoke.

Immediately, Konata’s spirits perked up. She grinned and gave Kanade a thumbs-up.

“See? We’re totally in sync. It’s fate—I was born just to meet you.”

“Now’s not the time for anime lines…”

Anyone else might’ve thought she was confessing. But Kanade knew better—Konata was just throwing out a reference.

“What? Don’t want it to be a joke? Fufufufu…”

Konata narrowed her eyes mischievously, her smile sly like a fox.

“At this rate, someone’s gonna screw you one day.”

Being Konata’s childhood friend wasn’t easy. Kanade sighed.

Konata leaned in so close their faces were almost touching—just the kind of distance that usually ends in a kiss or a punch.

“Kanade, you perv~”

Oh, for the love of—

Kanade stiffened. His fist clenched.

If he were a high schooler and Konata was too, he would’ve definitely taught her a lesson about playing with fire.

But there were no “ifs.” He wasn’t in high school. He was in elementary school. Not only could he not teach her a lesson, he couldn’t even, uh… cope privately.

“Onii-chan?”

Suzu, hearing their exchange, raised a question.

“What is it, Suzu?”

“What does ‘getting screwed’ mean?”

“Uhh…”

Kanade hesitated, unsure how to explain. But before he could speak, Konata cut in.

“Suzu~ that’s a banned term. But, if you really want to know…”

She leaned in and whispered into Suzu’s ear with a mischievous smile.

Japan’s sex education starts pretty early. Suzu might not know what “getting screwed” specifically meant, but that didn’t mean she was totally clueless about how boys and girls worked.

“Why are you guys talking about that kind of stuff?” she asked, face flushed bright red once she understood.

“You asked, didn’t you?” Konata said nonchalantly. “No need to be embarrassed. Play more games with me and you’ll see—that kind of thing’s nothing. Your big sis here has seen it all~”

“Hey hey hey! Quit it! What do you mean, ‘seen it all’? Don’t teach Suzu this kind of stuff. Keep your depravity to yourself!”

“Fufufu. Who says I’m talking about anything depraved?”

“…”

Kanade went quiet. Konata just kept smiling.

Their brief burst of energy from earlier faded fast. Within three minutes, they were back to slouching and dragging their feet.

Normally, the three of them were noisy and chaotic on the way to school. But today, it was deathly silent. Kanade and Konata didn’t feel like talking. Suzu had no one to talk to. And so, in that awkward quiet, they arrived at Ichiban Elementary.

Suzu parted ways with them on the first floor. Kanade and Konata headed upstairs, entered the classroom, dropped their bags in perfect sync, sat down in perfect sync, pulled out their homework in perfect sync…

And promptly fell asleep—also in perfect sync.

“Higashino Kanade! Izumi Konata!!”

The homeroom teacher slammed the desk, furious.

Again.
Those two again.
The same two rotten apples falling asleep in class.

Kanade blinked awake. Saw the older woman standing at the front of the class. Immediately understood what was going on.

He stood up, wiped away imaginary drool, and started walking toward the door.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

The teacher stared, confused.

“The hallway. Don’t we stand in the hall for this, Uesugi-sensei?”

Kanade’s logic wasn’t flawless, but he said it with absolute confidence.

“…Stand then! GO!”

Ms. Uesugi ground her teeth.

“Oh, right—” Kanade suddenly remembered something. He turned back and walked to the rear of the class, shaking Konata awake. “Get up, Konata. Time to move. You can sleep later.”

Sleep later?

Uesugi-sensei nearly exploded.

“Huh? Didn’t I already get up?” Konata muttered, still half-asleep.

“Yeah? And since you already ate yesterday, you’re not gonna eat today? Come on, up. Or else our kind, gentle, wise, and totally dateable Uesugi-sensei is gonna get mad.”

Snap—a piece of chalk broke between Uesugi-sensei’s fingers.

“Uesugi-sensei? Kanade, what are you even saying? How could she possibly be kind or gentle? She’s mean and stingy and petty and—”

Konata yawned and finally opened her eyes. Halfway through her rant, she realized something was off.

Wait. I’m not at home. I’m in the classroom…
And I think I just heard someone yelling angrily…

“Ahahaha… Good morning to our kind, gentle, wise, and totally dateable Uesugi-sensei~”

Konata waved sheepishly from her desk, then quickly stood up and muttered, “I’m going out.”

“Idiot,” Kanade said under his breath.

Sometimes, he wondered if being Konata’s childhood friend had rewired her. She was often more spaced-out and goofier than the Konata he remembered from the anime.

Must be the blue hair, Kanade thought, glancing at her head.

“You’re thinking something really rude right now, aren’t you?”

Konata squinted at him.

“Nope.”

“Yup.”

“No.”

“Yup.”

“You two outside—no talking!”

Uesugi-sensei still sounded furious.

“See? I told you she was petty. She’s still mad.”

Konata lowered her voice dramatically.

“Yeah, yeah.”

Kanade agreed.

“I’m thirsty. Buy me a canned milk coffee.”

Konata licked her lips. She hadn’t had anything to drink before leaving home. Sleepiness had dulled the thirst earlier, but now it was all she could think about.

“Why should I buy it? I bought you ice cream yesterday.”

Kanade rolled his eyes.

“My money’s for manga, games, and merch~”

“My money’s for pens and paper.”

“Tch.”

“Pfft.”

When you sleep late—or don’t sleep at all—you end up tired all day.

Kanade and Konata spent the first period standing in the hallway.
They slept through the rest of the morning.
After lunch, they perked up—Kanade drawing, Konata reading manga.
But come afternoon classes, their post-nap energy wore off, and they were nodding off again.

They didn’t react to anything… except the school bell.

The moment it rang, they sprang to life.

Before the teacher had even left the room, the two of them had already grabbed their neatly packed bags and bolted. Their speed left the rest of the class stunned.

What the hell did those two even come to school for?

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This is a fan translation of 不想努力可以吗？by 优的布丁 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!