Chapter 9: My Troublesome Friend
"Yo! Isn't this our Pig-Head Sakuta? Long time no see. Has your so-called Adolescence Syndrome finally been cured?"
Facing his troublesome friend's greeting, Naoto returned the favor in the same manner.
But, just when outsiders might have thought the two were about to fight, they both burst out laughing.
"Pfft, you've been gone for a few days; I thought Kuriko-chan had chopped you into pieces."
"Nosiy! Kuriko is a gentle, cute, and understanding beautiful girl; how could she do such a cruel thing?"
"Is that so? How come I remember someone being carried out of school by her last time?"
One moment, the atmosphere was thick with tension, and the next, the two were already chatting and laughing.
Perhaps, the so-called friendship between men is just that simple.
Azusagawa Sakuta, nicknamed Pig-Head.
He was one of Naoto's few good friends at school.
To be precise, the two only became good friends after Naoto's transmigration; in the original Naoto's eyes, this guy was purely a weirdo.
Sakuta transferred to this school last semester; it was said that before, Sakuta had always attended other schools.
But one time, because of his sister, he transformed into an enraged war god, causing a huge uproar online and having to transfer schools.
And Sakuta's family, compared to Naoto's, was tragic on another level.
It was said that not only did Sakuta's sister suffer from severe autism, but even his mother went insane because of his sister's condition.
For better treatment, his mother stayed with his father, while Sakuta took care of his sister alone.
Their acquaintance was also quite interesting.
One time, when Naoto went to the rooftop to jump, he coincidentally saw Sakuta eating alone on the balcony.
Out of curiosity, the two somehow started talking.
"Why do you want to jump?"
"Because I don't want to stay in this world anymore."
"Why? Isn't life good?"
"Hmm, the pressure is too great. My parents are gone, and I have a foolish sister to support. I feel like maybe going to another world might be easier."
"Ah, that sounds a bit interesting indeed."
When talking to Naoto, Sakuta initially thought Naoto was just a simple chunibyo patient.
But unexpectedly, this person actually wanted to jump.
However, just as Naoto was about to jump, Kuriko came out, saw the two struggling, and without a word, knocked them both to the ground. (Actually, Sakuta saw Naoto really wanted to jump and was just trying to stop him.)
And after that, Naoto saw Sakuta on the rooftop more than once, and Sakuta also saw Naoto being beaten to the ground by Kuriko again and again.
Through these encounters, the two became friends.
"Kuriko said you actually submitted to the JUMP editorial department? How did it go, did you succeed?"
After sitting down, Sakuta familiarly asked Naoto.
Apparently, the incident of Kuriko taking leave from school last time had already spread within a certain small circle.
"Oh, it went pretty well. JUMP comes out today, so you should be able to see my manga."
"Really?"
Sakuta looked at Naoto with a surprised expression. When he first met this unreliable guy, how did he not notice he had such skill? Serialized in JUMP? What a joke!
"Are you saying you're about to become a big star? Then you'll have to give me an autograph, preferably several. I'll sell them later."
"Keep it down, keep it down. It's just published; it's not even guaranteed to be serialized yet."
Facing Sakuta's shock, Naoto couldn't help but feel a little flattered. Was this what it felt like to be famous? It didn't seem bad at all.
Actually, Sakuta himself probably couldn't imagine that when it came to being famous, he would later confess in front of all the teachers and students, and even have a popular celebrity girlfriend and a sister-in-law who joined an idol group. That would be a truly famous person at school.
"Ding-dong, ding-dong."
At this moment, the class bell began to ring, and soon Teacher Matsuzaki, the homeroom teacher, walked in holding a document.
"Students, today, I have some unfortunate news to tell you—our class has been selected to participate in the National School Art Competition."
When Teacher Matsuzaki said this, the students below were first stunned, and then cries of lament spread everywhere.
National School Art Competition? No matter which school's students, upon hearing about these strange activities, their first reaction was boredom.
It made sense; their daily time was already not enough, so who would want to participate in these strange competitions?
"Cough, cough, cough. Everyone, there's no need to panic. While this competition is mandatory, theoretically, only one person from each class is needed. As it's a national competition, the participants' works will be judged nationwide. So, are there any students who are confident in their abilities? Anyone willing to volunteer?"
When Teacher Matsuzaki said this, the students who had been wailing and complaining instantly quieted down like obedient children, sitting upright, afraid that Teacher Matsuzaki might be displeased and make them participate.
Are you kidding me?! A national competition? This might just be an easy way to lose reputation across the entire country! Who would dare?
Although there were a few in the class who were quite satisfied with their own skill level, as soon as they heard it would be broadcast nationwide, they immediately chickened out.
At this moment, all the students were cautiously looking around, searching for someone who could become a sacrificial lamb.
"This is going to be difficult."
Seeing that not a single person in the entire class dared to participate in the competition, Teacher Matsuzaki's expression also began to turn ugly. It was always fine when Teacher Hiratsuka's class next door announced an event. Why was his class so uncooperative?
"Achoo!"
Just then, Sakuta sneezed for some unknown reason.
By the time Sakuta came to his senses, he found that everyone in the entire class was staring at him.
"Oh no, this is bad."
Seeing the entire class looking at him with eyes like they were looking at a sacrificial offering, Sakuta even got goosebumps.
Oh no, if he participated in this competition, he would become a complete laughingstock.
"Hehehe."
Suddenly, a faint chuckle reached Sakuta's ears.
At this moment, Sakuta saw his bad friend, Naoto, lie on his desk, his body twitching.
No need to think, this guy must be laughing, right? He must be.
Sakuta looked at his bad friend like this and wondered if he shouldn't just kill him. Was he saving him for the New Year?
Since Naoto, you've done something like this, don't blame me for being disloyal.
"Teacher! I recommend Yamamoto as the participant for this event! This guy, Naoto, his work has already been published in JUMP!"
When Sakuta said this, Naoto was dumbfounded, and the class erupted.
"JUMP?! Is it *that* JUMP?!"
"No way?! Yamamoto's work is in it?"
"You're kidding, right? That Yamamoto?"
"Wait, there are only two short stories in JUMP this time. Is Naoto, Ashirogi Muto or ONE?"
"Are you stupid? Ashirogi Muto are only middle schoolers, ONE is a high schooler. Do you even need to think about it?"
"Naoto is ONE?!"
Seeing his identity exposed just like that, Naoto immediately clutched his chest, looking at Sakuta in disbelief.
However, Sakuta looked at Naoto with an indifferent expression. "Good luck."
Just as Naoto was about to argue that manga and traditional paintings were different, he found that the entire class had already designated him as the sacrificial lamb.
Even Teacher Matsuzaki looked at him with a relieved expression.
He hadn't expected that Yamamoto would actually become a manga artist. Sure enough, Kuriko still had a way. It was truly wonderful that she could bring his spirit back.
Naoto looked at the eyes of the people around him and knew that this time, there was no escaping it.
And all of this was to blame on his damned bad friend.