v02_c08_Spot_the_Difference

Make sure you know what katakana and hiragana are before reading this chapter, and be aware that Kirara's lines are always written in all hiragana to indicate that her Japanese is not very good. This is often how you write lines of small children for example.

Also, be aware that "Kyoro" is written in katakana when anybody besides Kirara says it, so even if it translates the same, they're supposed to look different in the original.

GJ-Bu

Volume 02

Chapter 08

Spot the Difference

After school as always, Kyouya came to the room as always.

"Huh?"

Upon opening the door, he stopped on his tracks. There was nobody inside the room.

"Oh well." He thought without a care, taking the same seat as always. From his bag, he took out the light novel he had been reading. Then, just as he touched the bookmark...

The door opened. Mao had arrived.

"Oh, hi."

"Ah, if it isn't Kyoro-kun. What about everybody else?"

"As you can see, it's just me..."

Midway through his sentence, Kyouya had a feeling that something was out of place.

Mao had definitely called him "Kyoro-kun" just then. Usually, she would call him just "Kyoro" without any honorific. The one who would call him "Kyoro-kun" was Shion. Incidentally, Megumi called him "Shinomiya-kun", and as for Kirara, she'd call him "Kyoro". Each girl had a different way of calling him.

That's when Kyouya noticed it.

Mao was wearing glasses. He'd never seen her wear glasses.

On top of that, she took a seat at the opposite side of the table, Shion's usual spot.

At closer inspection, the glasses Mao wore were the same Shion would wear every now and then.

"You're often reading books, aren't you? If you find any other book you'd recommend, would you lend them to me again? Since that day, I've ended up getting into them a bit."

Mao said.

Her tone of voice was also weird. It was Shion's tone of voice.

"Err..."

What could Kyouya say? He was perplexed.

Once he made up his mind, as he was about to let his voice out...

The door opened. Another person had arrived.

"Eh?"

Shion stood at the door. However, there was a different atmosphere about her. After carefully inspecting her to try and figure out what was different, Kyouya noticed she wasn't wearing her black tights as usual, but kneesocks. She'd always wear her jacket loose in a kind of sexy way, but that was gone too.

Incidentally, wearing kneesocks was Mao's style.

"What, Kyoro? Is there something on my face?"

Shion said in a Mao-like voice while going straight to "her" chair.

She sat besides Kyouya, that is, on Mao's usual spot.

Well...

As Kyouya tried tried to figure out what was going on, he turned to the door waiting for the next person.

The third person opened the door. It was Kirara. However...

"Good afternoon. Everybody. Today. Nice weather."

She entered the room with this awkward greeting.

"Why don't you make us some tea, Megu?"

Shion said in a Mao-like voice. Kirara nodded.

"So that's really supposed to be Megumi." Kyouya thought as he watched Kirara head for the portable stove and tea set.

Some time went by.

Megumi, the last person left, opened the door.

She wore a short jacket with the sleeves rolled up and held a piece of meat in her hands. While nibbling down on it, she headed straight to the sofa at the interior of the room.

It wasn't very convincing to Kyouya. Kirara didn't eat while walking.

"Everybody. Today. The tea. Earl Grey."

Kirara brought out the tea while carrying on with her imitation of Megumi.

The tea was ridiculously strong. She had to have used about ten times the normal amount of leaves.

"See? I told you he wouldn't do anything?"

Mao said in a mocking tone. She was back to being herself and spoke in the usual loud voice.

"Shinomiya-kun, I'm Megumi and this is Kirara, okay?"

Megumi said while exchanging jackets with Kirara.

"Earl Grey. Tasty. Here."

"That's enough already."

Even though Mao said that to her, Kirara had a face like she didn't quite understand.

"We were talking about what you would do. How many people would it take for you to cut in? My bet was that you wouldn't cut in at all. You're a shy and indecisive person after all."

Mao was triumphant.

"Wouldn't that be better described as kindness? I'm sorry we made you go with this till the end."

Shion gave him a more positive interpretation.

"Ah, Hm..."

Kyouya only nodded with all his might.

He wondered which of them was right.