Tonari no Seki no Satou-San chapter 37

I am so sorry I did not post anymore chapters yesterday or today. I originally said in one of the post my goal was to reach chapter 40 by two days ago however due to internet issues I was unable to translate or post. Also from now on I can only guarantee 1 chapter post a day due to some other circumstances. Thank you for reading this and enjoy the chapter. This chapter takes on a whole new perceptive of the main characters. Again.

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Title: Continued: Sato-san and Yamaguchi-kun

I don’t know what I like about Satou-san. I’d prefer a prettier girl. That unconventional hairstyle tied into a single knot, the length of the skirt that is a model high school student’s, and the plain face without any pretense, Satou-san is not cute in any way. Well, still, it’s understandable if you’re a girl with a good personality, but Satou-san isn’t very good at that either. Reacting to someone’s joke five seconds late, or listening back when it’s bad, is an everyday occurrence, and she’s not very witty. I know she’s a kind girl, but I don’t like people like that who can’t even do their own thing but want to take care of others. Personally, I don’t like her at all.

And yet, Yamaguchi-kun is only looking at Satou-san. Today’s P.E. is basketball for both boys and girls. They form teams of five and play games in teams of five. Naturally, you can skip a few games in the name of cheering for them when they’re not playing. It’s a good idea to make the most of the gap, and Yamaguchi-kun watched the women’s game with avid interest.

On the girls’ court, which was divided into two parts, Satou-san had just joined the game. She followed the ball with her eyes as it flew past her, but her body wasn’t keeping up. When the ball came around, she was lightly  dribbling, and the other team’s girls immediately took it away. It’s just too cruel to watch. Yamaguchi-kun follows Satou-san with a very serious look in his eyes. When Satou-san is passed to, he leans forward in a triangle, gasping for breath if she tries to dribble. And when Satou-san gets the ball, he immediately becomes limp. I don’t watch men’s games, too graceful an attitude in a way. But I don’t get why he is so focused on her.

“What do you like about Satou-san?”(Unnamed male student)

“Why… Why so suddenly?”(Y)

Yamaguchi-kun freaks out at me squatting next to him and the question I’ve just posed. I laugh and think, I’ve been around for quite a while, so you should have noticed. You are too preoccupied.

“Well, I was wondering why it was Satou-san of all people.”(Still does not have a name)

Maybe it was my smirk, or maybe it was the question itself that caught me, but Yamaguchi-kun scowled there. He almost opened his mouth to refute me, but closed it at once, and turned his head to the side. Then he clicks his tongue.

“It’s fine. I’m not trying to get someone who doesn’t understand her to understand Satou-san.”(Y)

I thought he said it in embarrassment, but it wasn’t. He sounded surprisingly serious. I was getting more and more curious, and I couldn’t help but want to provoke him.

“You mean the fewer rivals the better?”(Will he ever get a name?)

When I turned on the water, Yamaguchi-kun looked more serious than I expected. It’s a good idea to be able to have a good time with him.

“So. Why do you care about that?”(Y)

“Yeah, I’m curious. There are still cute kids in my class.”(The girl from the last chapter has a name,)

It’s not like we only have beautiful women, but there are some pretty girls in Class C as well. And when it comes to girls, there are other classes, or even lower classmen, so it’s no wonder that they’re wondering why he went to the trouble of choosing Satou-san. At least I don’t understand the merits of Satou-san at all. On the other hand, Yamaguchi-kun, former basketball player, is a good athlete, with decent grades, and is a terribly nice guy to girls and teachers. I think it’s better to look a little higher than to compromise in the safe zone, where no one else is going to target her. No, I don’t care who this guy likes, though. I still want to ask him. What’s the reason he’s so invested in that Satou-san?

“Anyway, tell me what made you fall for Satou-san.”(so why don’t you?)

I urged cynically, and Yamaguchi-kun gave me a blatantly sparse look. Still, he blurted out, replying.

“I’m not looking for a reason…”(Y)

“I’m sure there’s no shortage of them. You wouldn’t choose Satou-san without a reason.”(will you forever be mob character A)

“I do.”(Y)

This time he said it rather clearly, and then Yamaguchi-kun looked away. Low as a sigh, he continued.

“Isn’t she cute, Satou-san?”(Y)

I was troubled by the reaction and thought it would be wild to honestly raise questions, so I kept quiet in the end. In other words, that’s what I’m talking about, a guy who is also a dime-a-dozen. It’s a cliché, but they say that love is blind, and maybe to Yamaguchi-kun, even Satou-san looks like a beautiful girl who’s so beautiful that the other guys can’t even see her. That’s a realm we don’t understand anymore. But even so, hey. Right after I cowered, Yamaguchi-kun suddenly stiffened. I wondered what was going on, but his eyes were already on the girls’ court. You’ll be able to find it by looking at it without a second thought.

The ball went to Satou-san. And just before the net, with the opposing team unmarked at the right time, it was a great opportunity. The girls in Class C called Satou-san’s name at once. High-pitched cheers of, ‘Hang in there!’. Satou-san readies herself for the ball and leans into a shooting position. The palm of her hand slipped just a few inches.

“……..ah.”(Y)

Yamaguchi lets out a faint voice. A strong, taut profile that shows he’s flabbergasted. It’s awkward to tease.

　In the meantime, Satou-san took a shot with a thoughtful look on her face. The timing of her twisted hands was off, and the ball hit the goal ring and bounced speculatively before coming back once more. Unlike going in, I wasn’t stunned until it fell to the floor. Satou-san’s shot went in. The girls in Class C are rushing to the gymnasium, pleased with Satou-san’s undoubtedly first goal. It was a celebration that could have been thrown in the air. I can’t see Satou-san’s face, but I’m sure she’s happy.

I was a little surprised myself, I thought it was a bad idea.

“Oh, it’s a miracle,”(It’s a miracle you have a chapter dedicated to your percpective)

Yamaguchi-kun, who seems to have come to his senses, glares at me as I mutter.

“No. She has been practicing and working hard. So this wasn’t a fluke.”(Y)

He was horribly serious about biting me, and I didn’t feel like teasing him again. Right in front of my stunned eyes, he shrugs his shoulders as if relieved. I’m relieved to say that it’s not a fluke.

　Soon the whistle sounded on the women’s court to end the game. Both teams bowed and congratulated each other on their efforts, their teammates shouted their praises to Satou-san, and then Satou-san was the only one to break free and run across the sideline to the dividing line between the two gymnasiums, calling out to Yamaguchi-kun.

“Yamaguchi-kun, I’ve scored a goal! I could shoot!”(S)

Satou-san’s breath hitched and he smiled with a toothy smile. I thought it was healthy of her to come all the way to report, but Yamaguchi-kun responded in an unexpectedly bland tone.

“Yeah, I just happened to be watching.”(Y)

Happened?

“It just went in, but your form wasn’t as good as it could have been. Your timing was off when you threw. You need to practice more.”(Y)

What are you talking about?

“Also, your dribbling posture is bad. You were so distracted by the ball that you were really limping. You need to work on that too.”(Y)

I mean, now you’re talking about shooting, why even bother paying that kind of attention now? Satou-san nodded with a smile that seemed to know what he was talking about, while I was pouting.

“Yes, thank you. I’ll try harder next time!”(Y)

Then she gave a small wave and headed back to the girls’ side. Yamaguchi-kun looked away from their rear with a ‘I’m not interested’ face, as if he had made it up. Or rather, when you’re following them with your gaze, you’re not interested or anything. In a different way than before, I began to chuckle.

“Yamaguchi-kun, you’re not being honest, are you?”(Why am I putting an effort to make names for you)

“… What? What? Don’t listen to me.”(Y)

Yamaguchi-kun’s shoulders jerked and he was ten times more surprised than before. You can’t help but be amazed at how quickly your eyes swim when you recognize my sneer. This makes me want to shove it in your face.

“You know, you should probably tell her instead of snapping at me. It’s not a fluke.”(Y)

“It’s not like I said it was a fluke.”(Is it a fluke you still don’t have a name?)

“And don’t lie to me about watching it.”(Y)

“I’m not lying. I’ve been talking to you.”(Yet he has not said your name once)

I’m willing to bet that to hear an unbroken rebuttal. I’m sure that this guy has never really praised Satou-san himself, maybe not at all, and he’s not very good at saying ‘cute’ to himself, and when the time comes, he’s not able to say it at all. Maybe he hasn’t even told you that he likes you. If that’s the case, he’s a super bad guy. The way he’s scowling is so funny that I want to stop him.

“Hey, did you teach Satou-san to play basketball, by any chance?”(I’m running out of Ideas)

The former basketball player choked on my question for a moment, then nodded.

“Yeah, but. So what?”(Y)

“Are you going to practice alone with her again after giving her a bunch of shit?”(The only thing shit is probably your name)

Instantly, Yamaguchi-kun gasped. A false alarm. He immediately turned bright red.

“Oh, shut up. Leave me alone!”(Y)

He literally tried to bite me, and I ran around the gym like a zebra being chased by a ravenous lion. After a few laps around the court, the gym teacher found us and we were both yelled at.

I still don’t know what he likes about Satou-san. But just as the good-looking Yamaguchi-kun has a face that can only be seen in relation to Satou-san, Satou-san may have a really cute face that only Yamaguchi-kun can see. In fact, that shooting report was just like that. Whatever the case, it’s a combination that never ceases to interest me. I’ll keep an eye on the less-than-subtle Yamaguchi-kun for a while longer, because he’s too interesting.

Notes:

The only thing I truly hate in a story is when a character gets dedicated time in the story then never mentions their name.

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