Soyo-chan, Version 2.0—Courtesy of Me! [165]

Is this woman insane?!

Nagasaki Soyo felt like her heart was about to jump out of her chest. With her entire head covered by the blanket, her vision was nearly pitch black. Yet, the faint glow of the room’s lighting managed to seep through tiny gaps, casting a dim light into this cramped space.

Which meant… she could see those perfect black-stockinged legs right in front of her.

Soyo had been feeling for a while now that her emotions toward Chihiro were… changing. She refused to admit it, but in her moment of confusion, a completely unrelated thought popped into her head.

"To understand mankind, one must first understand individuals."

That was from Sherlock Holmes, Watson’s thoughts upon first meeting Sherlock. It wasn’t exactly the same situation, but just like how Watson was immediately intrigued by the eccentric detective, Soyo realized she had always been deeply curious about Chihiro.

But seriously… what kind of “good girl” pins her friend down on her lap and lies to her mom’s face without so much as blinking?!

Was this even human behavior?! What the hell was Tsuzuki Chihiro thinking?!

No, wait—this wasn’t the time to be questioning Chihiro’s brain. She was the one about to die of a heart attack. Soyo could tell just from the direction of the voices that her mom was only three or four steps away from her.

"Soyo probably went downstairs to buy something for me. I honestly didn’t think she’d agree, but even though she said no at first, she still went in the end."

"Hehe, that child just has a tough mouth but a soft heart. She’s a really good girl."

Nagasaki Rina chuckled, showing no intention of lifting the blanket. That gave Soyo a tiny bit of relief.

"Rina-chan, during dinner, you seemed like you had something you wanted to say to Soyo, didn’t you?"

"Huh? Chihiro, you saw through that?" Nagasaki Rina’s surprised response made the hidden Soyo equally shocked. "You really don’t miss a thing, huh? You’re not only beautiful but also incredibly sharp—way more mature than my Soyo."

What?!

How is she more mature than me?! Mom, you can’t just betray your own daughter like this!

"That’s not true. Soyo understands everything perfectly well. She just chooses not to show it. And she’s afraid that if she says it out loud, it’ll only add to your burden."

"Is that so…"

Nagasaki Rina sighed. The shift in the conversation hit Soyo harder than she expected. She even forgot how incredibly awkward her current position was.

"You know, I always feel guilty toward Soyo. Being from a single-parent household… it’s hard for a child to receive the kind of love they should. And as a mother, I haven’t done my part properly either."

"I know she’s a thoughtful child, but that’s exactly what I’m afraid of—that she’s too thoughtful. That she doesn’t know how to cry, how to complain to me."

"There’s a saying that ‘the child who cries gets the candy.’ I know it’s not something I should say, but… I really wish Soyo would whine to me more. Even if she screamed at me, telling me she hates me, that would be okay."

"Because then, I wouldn’t keep lying to myself—convincing myself that since she’s a good girl, she must understand, that even if I can’t be there for her, she’ll still be happy."

"But you can’t bring yourself to say these things to Soyo directly."

Nagasaki Rina’s voice was slightly choked. Soyo couldn’t see her mother’s face, but she could hear the love in her words.

"That’s right. I can’t say it… So I’m telling you, Chihiro. I trust you. Knowing you’re with Soyo puts me at ease."

"Chihiro, you’re even more reliable than I imagined. I almost want to make you my goddaughter. I know it’s a bit much to ask, but I really hope you can talk to Soyo more. That child… she’s lonely."

"Of course. Soyo’s my best friend."

Best friend…

Soyo suddenly felt the urge to throw off the blanket, rush out, and hug her mother, telling her how happy she was.

She had never truly blamed her.

But just as she moved slightly, she felt Chihiro’s legs tighten around her head, locking her in place.

Her face instantly flushed red. She wanted to die.

At the same time, she realized—this was Chihiro silently telling her to stay put.

"Huh? Chihiro, did something just move under your blanket?"

"Hm?"

Oh god, oh god, oh god!

Soyo’s head drooped in despair. Even if I jumped into the Japan Sea, I wouldn’t be able to wash this away!

"Ah, that’s just my cat. But she’s got a bit of a temper—she only likes me. If she sees a stranger, she’ll go crazy and start scratching everywhere."

???

Is this just a cover story, or is she actually calling me a wild animal?!

"Huh? But I saw a cat in the living room earlier, and it seemed really gentle."

"Oh, that’s a different one. That one’s named ‘Wagahai.’ But the one I’m holding now is completely different—she’s way too fierce. I’ll have to put her in a cage later and give her some proper training."

"Oh, right, Rina-chan, could you head home for now? Soyo should be back soon."

"But she hasn’t practiced yet, and she specifically told me not to bring you over until she was ready. If you see her now, she’ll probably feel embarrassed."

"Ah, that does sound like her."

"Then I’ll be going. Chihiro, just call me when you two are ready—I’m really looking forward to it."

"Of course~"

As the footsteps faded and the front door shut with a soft click, Tsuzuki Chihiro finally pulled the blanket away, reaching out to ruffle Soyo’s utterly defeated head.

"What’s wrong, little kitty? Did you die?"

"…Chihiro, you knew my mom wanted to say something to me but couldn’t, so you set this up just to let me hear her feelings from up close, didn’t you?"

"Hmm… what else did you think it was?"

Tsuzuki Chihiro smiled gently, looking at Soyo’s furrowed brows—the kind of expression that made you want to mess with her.

"Rina-chan really loves you, you know. She just keeps lying to herself, thinking that since you have so many friends at school, it’s okay if she doesn’t come home."

"But she never realized… it’s just me who’s really close to you. The only person who’s truly come over and spent time with you… is me."

"…Thank you."

"Of course, getting to pin the ever-so-proud Nagasaki Soyo under my feet and watching her squirm, embarrassed but unable to move—well, that part was pretty fun too."

"…"

"Why aren’t you arguing back?"

"I’m used to it. And I already knew you’d wrap things up like this."

This particular hard-mouthed, soft-hearted person hadn’t yet realized—Chihiro’s little act of mockery at the end was just a way to disguise what she had actually done.

She probably thought that by tossing in some teasing remarks, she could prove that she wasn’t someone who ever did good things out of pure kindness.

But more than that… Soyo was terrified of something else entirely.

The fact that she wasn’t the least bit repulsed by this kind of physical closeness.

She was doomed.

---

T/N: HAHAHA SHE'S LIKE OH SHIT I LIKE GHIRLS

This is a fan translation of 素世同学，恭喜你被我优化了 by 杰克喵. 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!