Soyo-chan, Version 2.0—Courtesy of Me! [154]

At this moment, looking at Togawa Kiyotsugu, it was hard to believe that this man was actually Sakiko’s father.

The man, who had just been bailed out of the police station, was propped up by Chihiro and Sakiko, each holding one of his arms. Yet his unsteady steps, reeking of alcohol, and his lowered head seemed to drag his dignity down with it.

Since Chihiro and Sakiko were, after all, just sixteen-year-old girls, dragging around a barely conscious middle-aged man in the middle of the street was far from easy. In the end, Chihiro simply hailed a taxi and stuffed this huge problem into the back seat.

“…Sorry for the trouble.”

Sakiko’s expression was grim. If she could help it, she would never let a friend see her in such a pathetic state.

And now, what was she supposed to say? How was she supposed to explain this to Chihiro?

“Sakiko, you’ve worked really hard.”

“….”

Hearing those words, Sakiko’s furrowed brows seemed to relax a little. “…Thanks, Chihiro.”

She was grateful that, at a time like this, Chihiro didn’t try to comfort her with empty sympathy, nor did she press for details about what had happened.

The two sat close together in the cramped back seat of the taxi, maintaining a delicate silence.

It wasn’t until the car stopped in front of a visibly old and worn-down apartment building that Chihiro, after paying the fare, helped Sakiko and her extra baggage inside.

“Ah… I’ll get you some slippers.”

“Let’s put your dad down first. I think I’ll need to take a bath at your place tonight—I’m covered in the smell of alcohol…”

“S-Sorry…”

“What are you apologizing for?” Chihiro chuckled, helping Sakiko settle the heavyset man into his room. “If anyone needs to apologize, it should be your father—to you, not to me.”

“…He’d never say those words.”

“Still… this room is a mess. Did he drink all these by himself?”

Though technically a guest, Chihiro had never been the type to be spoiled by her family. So, when faced with such a chaotic scene, her first instinct was to start cleaning up.

Seeing her friend crouch down to toss empty cans into a garbage bag, Sakiko—despite her frustration—could only rush to take over, since, after all, this was her responsibility.

At first, doing chores like this had felt unbearable. But now… she was used to it.

Besides, after having to wash dishes under the watchful gaze of bugs, the smell of alcohol was far more tolerable than certain creepy crawlies that made her skin crawl.

“Chihiro…”

Watching Chihiro help her without a single complaint, Sakiko couldn’t help but ask, “I feel like… you’re different from the way I used to see you.”

“Really? This is the real me.”

“Then before—”

“I never lied about my past.” Chihiro put down the broom and looked at Sakiko seriously. “I just chose to act weak. Surprising, isn’t it?”

“…Why?”

“Because it fits most people’s first impression, doesn’t it? A frail girl who’s been through hardships—look, even you couldn’t help but take extra care of me."

"And think about it—if a ‘tragic’ girl like that ever did something to betray you, wouldn’t you, out of pity, be a little more forgiving?”

"Otherwise, how do you think I, Tsuzuki Chihiro, managed to deceive so many girls and walk away unscathed? Just because of my looks?"

"Come on, even if the UK has its own culture, not everyone is a woman, right?

"Of course, using her parents’ death as a shield for her lies wasn’t exactly moral. Chihiro had always known that. And she had never forgotten it."

“But Sakiko, you’re different.”

“…Different how?” Sakiko blinked in confusion.

“Mm. You’re my friend. And once I realized that… I understood that between friends, silence is okay—but using each other isn’t.”

That was why she had never told Soyo about Sakiko’s situation, even though Soyo was also an important friend to her.

Though honestly, she felt Sakiko should be the one to tell Soyo herself—if Crychic was really as “united” as Soyo always described it.

“Chihiro… could you not tell Soyo about today?”

Well.

Looked like this little octopus wasn’t going to wise up anytime soon.

It reminded Chihiro of her past self—the one with a pride too strong to bend. Even when she was stranded in the UK, she hadn’t reached out to her relatives back home.

Back then, she hadn’t yet learned the truth about her parents’ deaths. She had still thought… that it was her fault.

“Of course. If you don’t want to say anything, I’ll keep it a secret for you.”

Saying that, Chihiro took a sniff of herself and wrinkled her nose. Without hesitation, she asked, “Hey, Sakiko, can I use your shower? I think I’ll go insane if I don’t clean up soon.”

She was actually a very clean person. If not for the fact that this old drunk was Sakiko’s father, she would never have dragged him along.

But as soon as she said that, Sakiko’s expression turned awkward.

And when Chihiro finally found the bathroom in this apartment, she immediately understood why.

…Well.

She had lived in cheap rentals back in the UK. She had seen some pretty rough bathrooms before.

But that was a long time ago.

For the past half-year, she had been staying at Soyo’s place, practically living the life of a queen. This… was a huge downgrade.

“Uh, Chihiro, this…”

“It’s fine! It’s small, but at least it’s clean and tidy, right?”

“…I’ll help you run the hot water. The tub’s a bit cramped, though—you’ll probably have to sit with your legs tucked in.”

“No problem. It’s more than enough for one person. It’s not like I’m—”

“…Not like you’re what?”

“…Nothing.”

Chihiro almost let it slip—she had nearly suggested bathing together.

But come to think of it… ever since spending time in the UK, had her preferences started shifting?

When she was younger, playing guitar with Raana, was she this fond of teasing cute girls?

Looks like… she could only blame a certain pink-haired girl who had followed her around every day in the UK, begging to be teased.

With the hot water ready, Chihiro grabbed the showerhead and rinsed off the exhaustion of the day. Steam curled around her like a sheer silk nightgown, and the warmth made her usual bath-time drowsiness return.

But halfway through, a sudden realization struck her—

Shit.

She didn’t bring a change of clothes.

“Sakiko~! Save me!!”

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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!