Soyo-chan, Version 2.0—Courtesy of Me! [133]

On the way home, Nagasaki Soyo walked beneath the dappled shadows cast by the school fence posts. The black stripes stretched across the pavement like the steps leading a condemned criminal to the gallows.

All around her, classmates laughed and chattered, their cheerful voices ringing through the crisp evening air. The sound was like a carefree melody, echoing through the streets after school.

A group of students, dressed neatly in their uniforms, walked ahead, their backpacks slung effortlessly over their shoulders. Some held snacks they had just bought outside the school gates, the sweet aroma lingering in the air, blending with the hues of the setting sun. The orange glow painted their faces, making them look even more radiant.

But that brightness… had never belonged to her.

"Did you see yesterday’s episode of Detective Grandma? I heard a new character is joining next week!"

"Really? I think I heard it's Awa Tendo’s granddaughter, right? What was her name again…? Ah, doesn’t matter."

"Must be nice, having adults plan out such a perfect life for you."

Having your life planned out by adults… is that really a good thing?

For Nagasaki Soyo, it felt like her entire life had been prearranged.

Back in elementary school, her father suddenly left. No matter how much she asked, her mother never told her where he had gone.

Eventually, word of the divorce spread throughout the school. Soyo, still just a child, could only watch helplessly as her friends distanced themselves from her, leaving her alone on the ground, crying.

"We don’t need Soyo anymore."

That was the sentence she feared most.

The words that haunted her.

Her mother had always treated her well.

She had raised Soyo on her own, moved them into a spacious apartment with a balcony, and even told her she could invite friends over anytime.

But in the end…

The only person who had ever set foot on that balcony was Tsuzuki Chihiro—the girl who had suddenly barged into her life.

As her mother’s work grew busier, her position higher, her responsibilities heavier, she came home less and less.

Now, the silence of the house…

Without Chihiro’s teasing voice filling the air…

Had become something Soyo was afraid to return to.

She walked through the lively streets, head down, as if separated from the surrounding joy by an invisible glass wall.

Each step felt impossibly heavy, like she was sinking into the earth.

The laughter around her faded, and her gaze fell on the shadows stretching along the pavement—dark, broken lines, like the hands of a cold, unyielding executioner, tracing out her sins.

And what was her sin?

Perhaps it was wanting something she was never meant to have.

All she had wanted was a place to belong.

And yet…

She was so lost she no longer even knew what she was reaching for.

I shouldn’t have done this.

Her mind drifted back to the conversation in the garden.

She had known she was betraying her past self.

She had known she was repeating the same mistakes, running down a road that led nowhere.

And yet, she had said those words to Mutsumi anyway.

And Mutsumi would definitely tell Sakiko.

Because Mutsumi had never done what Soyo wanted her to do.

Her fingers tightened around the straps of her bag, nails digging into her palms.

Was she… running away?

Because she saw no hope of bringing Sakiko back?

Because her feelings toward Chihiro had changed?

Was that why she was shifting her hopes onto a new place to belong?

She was such a pathetic person.

"Soyo, I’ve been waiting for you~"

"…Huh? Mom?!"

Nagasaki Soyo stopped in front of the subway entrance.

The familiar figure before her made her feel as if some divine being had answered her thoughts.

But wait—wasn’t Chihiro supposed to be pretending to be her at Haneoka right now?

That meant…

The person in front of her had to be her actual mother.

…What was she even thinking?

Chihiro had never seen her mother before.

How could she possibly disguise herself as her?

Just having that thought was ridiculous.

"Come on, come on. Last time you barely stayed before rushing off—I really feel bad about that, you know?"

Dressed flawlessly as Nagasaki Rina, Tsuzuki Chihiro put her award-worthy acting skills to use, watching the pure surprise on Soyo’s face.

But before calling out to her little widow,

Chihiro had caught sight of the loneliness in her expression.

This girl…

Looked like she had been carrying the weight of the world.

Chihiro shook her head.

Since she had technically scammed a free meal from Soyo’s mom, she owed her a meal in return.

And besides, she had purposely said she’d be going to see Taki today—just to throw Soyo off her trail.

"Mom… where are we going today?"

"Wherever Soyo wants. Mom will listen to her precious daughter today."

Well, she was kind of rich now.

Surely she could afford to spoil her little Soyo a bit?

---

Haneoka Girls’ Academy – Front Gate

Togawa Sakiko was already heading toward the subway, following her new routine—taking the train toward Shibuya after school.

Kujo Azuki was kind to her. Even if she showed up late, she wouldn’t be scolded.

She was definitely a better boss than the one she had when she worked customer service at the moving company.

Though, now that she thought about it… she kind of felt bad for the department manager.

After all, not only had she quit—she had dragged Chihiro into quitting with her together last Sunday morning…

"Saki—"

"……"

Hearing her name, Sakiko’s steps halted.

Standing in front of her was her childhood friend—Wakaba Mutsumi.

Sakiko frowned.

How many times had this happened now?

She had already told Mutsumi not to wait for her at the school gates anymore.

And this time, she was sure—she hadn’t received a message from her.

But something felt off.

Last time, Mutsumi had come because of Soyo.

But this time…

What was the reason?

If it was still about Soyo—

Actually… she was a little curious.

Maybe Mutsumi could help her figure out why Taki had been so angry at her.

"Let’s go."

This time, Sakiko didn’t pretend not to recognize her.

After sending a quick message to Kujo-nee to say she’d be thirty minutes late, she led Wakaba Mutsumi to the café she often visited.

Sitting in the familiar space, she sipped her tea, no longer hesitating over the price—

After all, she had a bit of money now.

"Speak."

Taking another sip of her tea, Sakiko enjoyed the taste before calmly looking up at Mutsumi.

"So? Why are you here?"

Mutsumi met her gaze.

And then, in a quiet, serious voice—

She said:

"Soyo… she’s going to break."

---

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!