Watamote ch147: Since I'm Not Popular, I'll Stop Somewhere By Myself

p1
>Third year tests are important.

p2
>English was rough.
>I didn't understand any of it.
>I did pretty well, though.
>Seriously?

>How did it go for you, Kuroki-san?
>Ah, thanks to that study I did recently
>I did better than I thought I would.

>Maybe it's because I studied to match the recent atmosphere around me...

>Yet another day of nothing but mid-terms...

>Chances are if I go home now, we'll be studying again...

p3
>What's up?

>I'm gonna stop by the bookstore on the way home.
>Want us to come with?
>Nah. I'll be fine. You go on ahead.

>Manga won't kill that much time so
>I'll go with a light novel...

>Welcome.
>Would you like to eat in?

>I-In the store..
>A-Also, I'll have this...
>The Super Burger Set, I see! What drink would you like?

p4
>Since I've always been here with someone as of late...
>Today I can spend time alone however I want!

>Despite the morning lessons, there's no Haramaku students studying for exams here...
>Tomorow is Maths and Biology... They're tests I can afford to flunk.
>This is the perfect day to spend all day playing around by myself.

>What should I do? The movies, arcades, manga café, Book Off. They have everything around these parts.

>I'll think about it after I'm done eating...

p5
>This is good...

>You often hear that stuff tastes better when you're eating with everyone
>but it's still just as good eating by yourself...

>Eh~ That's definitely wrong, isn't it?
>No, I got it right
>!

>Seriously? That makes no sense~

>That girl... She was in my class the other year...
>!

>So yeah~
>...

p6
>I've been favorable with all kinds of people lately
>but I guess this is how things really are...
>Well, they might be saving the backmouthing until they get home...

>...For some reason
>I don't really feel like going to the movies.
>Guess I'll hit the arcade.

>You can play a lot of stuff here for what the movies would cost you.
>The tickets cost 1000yen, juice and snacks would be 500 yen...

>Since I'm here, I'll see if there's any new games...
>Hm!?

p7
>Emoji Mk II!!?

>What kind of person plays just a flashy music game by herself during test season...?

>Whatever. I'll play a game by myself too.
>!

>Yoshida-san!!? (Pachinko jocket)

>Well, that's to be expected...
>If anything, the idea of a delinquent going home to study seriously creeps me out more.

>Delinquents B and C are here too...

>Ah, this might be good. It's cheap and no punks are on it.
>I can spend a while playing this.

p8
>Think I'll take a break...
>Since I've cleared it..

>What a winning streak!
>I've no idea what game that is, but this chick's amazing...

>So it wasn't a fluke during the cavalry battle. That's her true strength.

p9
>Phew...
>Oh!
>Ah!?

>Kuroki, was it?
>You seem relaxed during test sdeason.
>Aah
>Welll
>I-I guess...

>She's in class 3-5, right?
>I remember her from the cavalry battle.
>Yeah.

>Must be nice being in 3-5 with all the morons.
>Don't call me a moron just cos I'm not studying!

>She seems bored so let's call her over.
>Hey, over here~

p10
>What's your name?
>Futaki Shiki.
>Naming sense!?

>You're one of those, right?
>Y'know, a moron?
>Since you're playing around during this time.
>Oh shut up!!
>I'm here hanging out with Masaki and Reina, though.

>Rank 99 in our year.
>!!? She's higher than me!?
>Ooh, even with all the playing around, that's amazing~

>How about you, Kuroki?
>I-
>I'm...
>somewhere... in the middle (slightly below it)... I guess?
>ah, I see.

>So you're not far off from Masaki and me.
>What...was that?

>I've got the same grades as these delinquents!?
>U**jima-kun and Auto*idge use that yakuza intelligence
>so this time it's delinquent intelligence!?

p11
>No wait, if we're talking Japanese, English, and History grades, I'm still around the 30s...
>Well at any rate, looking at you guys calms me down.

>It's like... ever since we became third years
>the midterms have been tough.
>I see.
>You wouldn't know since you don't come to school that often.

>Well, I'm aiming for Senmon Academy, so I should get in just by graduating.
>In your case, I doubt you'll even manage that...
>You guys decided on your colleges yet?

>I'm going to university. My dream is to be a pro gamer.
>Huh?

>Y-
>You mean like esports?
>It's not limited to esports.
>If it's games, I'm fine with anything. If I can make a living out of games, I will.
>Like streaming.

>This girl... She's pretty proud of her stupid dream...
>Anything, you say?

>Can you play mahjong?

>I can.
>What about you?
>W-Well... If it's a video game.
>Alright, then let's play some at the arcade!
>We couldn't do it before since we didn't have the usual members! What shall we bet?

p12
>Sorry bout that.
>>1st
>>2nd
>>3rd
>4th
>5th

>I'm no good with games of chance.

>You sure got hit hard by Anna's baiman.

>I was planning on playing alone, but I ended up playing with the delinquent gang...
>Well... It was fun though.

>You weren't with those guys today, right?
>>Those guys
>Eh? Uh, yeah...

>Erm... To put it in Haruna-san terms, they're all in exam-taking mode so
>I spent today by myself.
>Hmm

>Well, we're pretty much free at the moment.
>If you need someone to hang out with, just say so.

p13
>It's not really something you get just by wanting it but
>what I got during my loner life in the second year was a strength called "I'm alone, but I'm not lonely".

>From just these past few months alone, I've almost forgotten that feeling...
>That might just be because of all the things I've obtained beyond that, though.