About the Reckless Girl Who Kept Challenging a Reborn Man Like Me - Volume 1 Chapter 4: In the World of Snow

After university, my competition with Anya continued.

 

I wish I could say it was still the same as before, but most of the assignments at the university were mainly reports, and not many of them were scored like how the tests in our school were.

 

She was outraged upon learning that.

 

How could we possibly compete against each other if that was the case?

 

I had been through college once before and knew what to expect, so I couldn’t help but smile in annoyance at her words.

 

“Isn’t it hard enough to be a university student though?”

 

“There aren’t any more exams ahead of us from now on.”

 

Sophie and Costas chuckled as they ate lunch in the school cafeteria. We often get together to have some fun with each other once in a while. Sophie and Costas were in different departments from us, but we were still friends who hung out a lot.

 

“This is ridiculous! What’s a university without a fight on the line?”

 

“No, I don’t think that university is the place to have fights.”

 

Sophie, who knew her so well, laughed at Anya’s annoyance. They had become close enough that they knew each other very well at this point.

 

Although some subjects did test you at the end of the semester.

 

Anya was very enthusiastic about it. She kept talking about it and saying stuff like, “Let’s compete then Zeke!”. Happily declaring war against me. But what she didn’t know is that end of semester test scores are rarely ever returned to us so we won’t actually know our own scores even once it’s done.

After the term break, she became indignant again. Then, to my surprise, she pulled my arm and walked directly into the professor’s office, demanding that they give her the answer sheet for the final exam and tell her the score of the final exam.

 

The professors were in big trouble at that point. Before they even had time to check the regulations to see if it was okay to return the tests back to us, they had been so caught up in her tremendous enthusiasm that they had already returned the tests that they had graded. Anya quickly became a celebrity among the faculty after that.

 

The result of the test was that I was on the losing side of the spectrum.

 

I’d say my winning percentage against her is only about 30%. She looked very happy about it, and had a look of pride on her face that anyone could see easily. “Have you been sick lately?” Anya tried to stir me up to get a reaction out of me, but I could only reply, “Watch me next time.”

 

I could only muster up the words, “Watch me next time.”

 

That’s all I could ever say.

 

–

 

“Eh? Me?”

 

Anya said, pointing at herself with a puzzled look on her face.

 

One of her professors recommended her to participate in an off-campus debate because of her highly acclaimed university report. I gave her words of encouragement saying, “That’s great, Anya.”, but she couldn’t hide her confusion at that.

 

“Why wasn’t Zeke chosen as well, why am I the only one chosen for it?”

 

The expression on her face showed that she was thinking that I could have been chosen too.

Anya then participated in another intercollegiate debate and excelled at that too. She was also named as one of the top students of the year, based on her previous reports and final exams.

 

Again, she was simply bewildered at that fact.

 

“Congratulations! Anya! You’re awesome. You’re the Valedictorian of the Year!”

 

“Thank you, Sophie.”

 

I invited Sophie and Costas to the end of the year party. I ask about how everyone’s year has been going.

 

“I’m just an ordinary college student right now. I’m just glad I didn’t lose any credits if I’m honest.”

 

Sophie laughed as she said this.

 

“I’m basically a normal student too.”

 

“Bullshit, Costas. You said that you had so much enthusiasm writing about poison in your report that you managed to become friends with a professor of the pharmacy section.”

 

“…………”

 

“He said that he’s already had a quick peek into their lab.”

 

That’s awesome.

 

“…………”

 

We were still in our first year. Yet, it was so amazing that we managed to start to interact with a professor at the university. I guess his enthusiasm and his abilities were finally beginning to be recognized.

 

Costas had always been different. That ‘difference’ of his was finally beginning to come into light.

 

Anya, and Costas, are beginning to show signs of a budding genius within them.

 

The difference between us just becomes even more apparent than before.

 

–

 

At our university, we started to choose our seminars in our second year. It was a sort of a trial seminar for students, and we slowly took turns to experience different seminars throughout the whole year. But even during this trial period, Anya was a target of high expectations among the people. During the trial period, Anya was the focus of much attention.

 

Of course, that was not the case for me.

 

The trouble was, she seemed to have already decided that I would be in the same lab as her, as a matter of course. She asked me about the lab that I would be joining.

 

I couldn’t help but chuckle at that.

 

“Why don’t we pursue different seminars that we each have an interest in?” That worsened her mood, but I managed to convince her in the end. “I guess that’s the right decision.”

 

I took out some seasonal sweets from my bag and managed to put her in a good mood.

 

As a result, Anya joined a seminar on research and development of magical tools.

 

And I chose the same seminar as her.

 

No, wait, I really miscalculated on this one. The seminar that I pointed to was a seminar on research and development of magical tools for both me and her. I had worked for a magic tool manufacturing company for about five years in a previous life, so I thought I might be able to put that experience to good use this time around, so I chose that seminar.

 

However, she had chosen this seminar because it seemed interesting to her. But when she listened carefully, she found out that she was actually interested in a researching career. She had been curious about it ever since we had visited Clemens Magic Industry when we were in middle school. She wasn’t that interested in the medicine, but her interest in researching magical tools certainly stemmed from that visit back then.

 

Sophie is going to a seminar in business administration and Costas is going to a seminar in pharmacy. Costas’ decision has never wavered ever since he was a child. They were all already very accomplished university students.

 

“What the hell…”

 

I was stunned to learn that we both would be in the same seminar. I couldn’t help but mutter to myself as she looked so smug about it.

 

Then, in her third year, she became more and more active.

 

Her papers were highly evaluated and she won various awards at conferences, was also invited to different conferences, and steadily improved her results too. Even as a student, she had the opportunity to interact with professors from other universities and seemed to be busy flying around here and there. She was also invited to conduct joint research with other universities and companies, where she continued to produce excellent results.

 

But there was nothing special about me.

 

To say the least, I was living an ordinary, unremarkable life in the seminar.

 

“What the hell!”

 

Anya shouted only in front of me.

 

“Why is it just me?”

 

Such inexplicable, uncontrollable anger was expressed in front of me. She was frustrated that her fantasy, her desire to compete with me forever, was not coming true.

 

But it’s not going to happen. It’s never going to happen again, Anya.

 

“Sorry…”

 

When I said it to her, she looked sad and said, “I’m sorry,” in a small voice that I may or may not have heard, and left.

 

The cracks were no longer cracks, but a clear form of collapse.

 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

 

“A contest?’

 

“Yes, a contest!”

 

Anya shouted, as she thrust in front of me a sheet of paper she had brought to the lab for a contest to make magical tools.

 

“Let’s do this!”

 

Simply put, it was a contest in which contestants had to develop and create a magical tool that met a predetermined set of performance requirements, and the tool was judged on its efficacy, design, ideas, and all other aspects of the product. It was an intercollegiate contest, and it demanded skills similar to the practical work of making magical tools.

 

I was a little excited about it.

A contest that requires skills similar to practical work. It was a good contest for me because I had five years of work experience in my previous life. I could properly compete with Anya after such a long time. The thought of that made me smile a little. Perhaps sensing my subtle emotions, she also smiled with anticipation.

 

I threw myself into that contest with all my might.

 

I spent my mornings, afternoons, and evenings obsessively thinking about the magic tool, coming up with many, many ideas and writing them down on paper very often. I would make prototypes, identify problems, and make corrections over and over again. I have learned from my previous life’s work that failure is inevitable in production. So the important thing to do is to try your hand at it first.

 

I kept building more and more prototypes, improving and improving even more than before. Sometimes you need to calm down and look at your work from a different angle. Look for clues in past ideas, or even in completely different products at times.

 

Dig out your memories. I wonder if I could make more use of my five years of experience in my previous life, if there were any more clues hidden in what I was working on at that time, if I had any better ideas, any better suggestions to improve my product.

 

I just worked hard, hard and hard at making those magic tools.

 

“Hey… Zeke? Are you okay? Aren’t you trying too hard?”

 

Anya was flustered and worried about me. She was in a hurry to worry about her rival, despite the fact that she had brought the game on herself. I repeatedly said, “I’m fine,” and patted her on the head. That’s when I stumbled a little. I had made her worry even more.

 

But I must give it my all.

 

This might be the last time. It might be the last time I could ever compete with her. I knew about it for a long time. I knew that the gap between me and her had widened even further and would never be closed again. I would never be able to live up to her full potential in my entire life.

 

I can no longer satisfy her anymore.

 

Even though I was reincarnated, I remained just an ordinary person.

 

So at least one last time.

 

At least for the last time. 

 

Full power.

 

With all my heart.

 

With everything I have.

 

Let me compete against her. Please.

 

The day of the contest.

 

It was a large venue. Many universities were participating, and the large hall was filled with students. It was a prestigious competition that had been held for many years, and many companies and media reporters were watching the students’ grand performance, looking for the talent that would lead to the future of the country.

 

The contest proceeds.

 

The contest proceeds.

 

The contest proceeds…

 

Anya was really excellent, after all.

 

Her magic tools were superior in originality, functionality, and design. If it were a test, it would have scored 100 or maybe even 120 points.

 

From the beginning, her greatness could not be measured by a 100-point test.

 

Results

 

Her work was the runner-up. It was a great result, coming in second out of more than a thousand participants.

 

And I’m at…

 

I am at………….

 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

 

It was snowing.

 

It was snowing heavily.

 

Everything in sight was blanketed in white. My meteorology friend told me that this was the first special snowfall in 50 years.

 

Cold.

 

It’s completely white.

 

Everything in my world was covered with snow. It was snowing as much as the day I died in my previous life.

“You shouldn’t go outside on a day like this.”

 

There was a certain lady who offered me an umbrella as I sat on a bench.

 

It was Anya. Anya came to find me.

 

“Ahh… Sorry…”

 

I said that and took the umbrella, but the umbrella meant nothing to me. The small umbrella could not prevent this particular heavy snowfall from falling, and so the snow just continued to pile up on my body.

 

“It’s a shame, you didn’t make it, even though you worked so hard.”

 

Yes, my work wasn’t selected. It did not even qualify in the end.

 

The fruits of my labors had disappeared from the stage very early on.

 

“It’s natural for someone like me.”

 

“Don’t say that.”

 

The contest was huge and many universities participated. It was a competition where true geniuses gathered. It was no surprise that my work wasn’t accepted.

 

“Hey, you’ll catch a cold if you stay in this place any longer. Let’s just go home, okay?”

 

“I want to… look at the snow a little more. You should head home first, Anya.”

 

“I’m not leaving until Zeke leaves.”

 

She said that and sat down next to me in this heavy snow.

 

The heavy snowfall had swallowed up all the sounds and colors available to our senses.

 

“Sorry…”

 

“Eh?”

 

“I’m no match for you.”

 

I said this in a small voice, so that only she could hear me. Even though there was no one else and only snow as far as you could see.

 

“This is the last time you will have to compete with me. From now on, you can compete with real geniuses.”

 

“Zeke, what are you talking about?”

 

“Look at the wider world. You are a real genius. There is always another genius out there somewhere who can properly compete with you. From now on, you should direct all your efforts towards those geniuses. That’s all I have. I guess this is where we part ways.”

 

I looked her in the eye.

 

“I couldn’t be ‘special’. I couldn’t be as ‘special’ as you.”

 

I tried my best to keep the tears from spilling out of my eyes.

 

“What are you talking about, Zeke……?”

 

“It was a snowy day that day too…”

 

I looked up at the falling snow. Above, below, to the right and to the left, the snow covered the whole landscape of the entire area.

 

“It was a snowy day when I died. The day I died was also a snowy day like this one, when I turned the head of my motionless body and looked out the window at the snowy landscape. I was extremely envious of that snow.”

 

“─────?”

“The previous 28 years of my life had been a life worthy of the name ‘mediocrity’. It wasn’t bad, but I didn’t excel either, I didn’t follow any extraordinary path, and I never ever scored 100 points in school. I longed to be someone ‘special’ because I was just ‘ordinary.’”

 

“What’s wrong? What are you talking about, Zeke?”

 

At the end of high school, I couldn’t give her a response to her question, so I’ll give her one here, right now.

 

“I’m a reincarnated person, Anya. I died once and was reborn with those memories of my past life.”

 

“Eh………………?”

 

“Can you believe it?”

 

Looking away from her stunned face, I begin to speak.

 

“For those who have been through life once, those tests in primary school are easy. That’s a given, isn’t it? And you were still reckless enough to challenge me without knowing anything about it. The only thing I couldn’t help was that you didn’t know anything. Until the middle school years, I had won everything we had competed in. The 28 years of accumulation in my previous life were put to good use that time. Even with that, you were on par with me from high school onwards, and towards the end you were even further than me. It’s only natural for someone like you.”

 

“─────”

 

“Studying in the upper echelon is difficult. It’s not so easy to get 100 points just because you’ve done it once before. If you were to ask a person on the street, ‘If you had to do high school all over again, are you confident that you could get into the most difficult universities present in the countries?’ the answer would be no. I was only able to compete with you because I had been studying for high school and university entrance exams ever since I was in middle school, but normally I would not ever have the extraordinary academic ability to enter the most difficult universities in this country.”

 

I was already at my limit at that time. No, I was way over my limit once I came here.

 

“In university, I was no match for you. That’s no surprise at all. I don’t have the ability to win awards at conferences. The only magical advantage I have is that I can make use of my experiences in my previous life. The ability to construct excellent logic in the arcane disciplines of the university was out of my reach since the very beginning.”

 

She was vaguely listening to me. In the midst of the heavy snowfall, she didn’t interrupt me, she just listened intently.

 

“A prodigy at ten, a genius at 15, a common man past 20. The magic of reincarnation began to falter after nearly 15 years. It was a spell that would lose its advantage the longer it went on, and its effects would slowly fade away. Anya, you were trying so hard to catch up with me, and I was doing my best not to let you catch up with me. My plating called “Reincarnation” has finally collapsed and the ordinary me finally emerged. Time has broken the spell that was casted on me after all this while.”

 

I couldn’t take it anymore.

 

Tears spilled out from my eyes.

 

“I wanted to be something ‘Special’ like the snow. I wanted to compete with you more. I wanted to compete with the ‘Special’ you. Sorry… I’m sorry I can’t be someone ‘Special’… I’m so sorry.” 

 

A sob escaped my lips. I just repeated, “I’m sorry”. I couldn’t catch up with her, I couldn’t reach her back even after twenty years.

 

“I’m so sorry…..!”

 

I was still just an “ordinary person” and nothing had ever changed.

“Stupid… Stupid…”

 

She was crying.

 

She was crying, too. She was crying as she watched me crumble down.

 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, and I don’t believe in this ‘reincarnation’ or anything like that, and I don’t understand…… What do you mean by all that?”

 

A heavy snowfall hits her shoulders.

 

“I didn’t understand the story at all, I just couldn’t be convinced. I think it’s really really bad, but I just don’t understand what you mean by ‘ordinary people’ . That thing called ‘ordinary people’ I don’t understand at all…”

 

It can’t be helped, I guess.

 

A genius can’t understand an ordinary person anyways. Anya can’t understand me at all.

 

“But, but… There are some things that I do know.”

 

Anya continues to speak while crying. She throws her words at me with large tears of regret.

 

“I knew that Zeke had reached his limit. I know that you can’t go any further anymore, that you shouldn’t push yourself any further or you’ll collapse. I know. I know that much. It’s because I’ve been by your side for so long. I’ve been watching you for a very long time.”

 

Yeah… That’s true.

 

Has she noticed then? Has she finally noticed that my plating has long crumbled?

 

It’s really over then, isn’t it………….

 

“B-But…”

 

Anya hugged me tightly.

 

“Don’t say goodbye to me. Don’t say goodbye to me ever again. It’s sad, it’s disappointing, it’s heartbreaking that I can’t compete with Zeke anymore but please, please stay by my side forever and ever. I’ve been with you for 14 years- 

 

I’ve been in love with you for 14 whole years!”

 

My heart skipped a beat. I could feel the blood pumping through my body.

 

I finally noticed…

 

“It’s cold….”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Very cold.”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“Your body is cold too.”

 

She was still hugging me.

 

I was held in her cold, white arms.

 

“No… You shouldn’t be out here like this. Your body is important. Everyone  has expectations for you, Anya.”

 

“I told you. I’m not leaving until Zeke leaves.”

 

“…………”

 

Just then, her lips made a small touch on my cheek.

 

“Eh…………?”

 

That shocked me. She kissed me on the cheek, albeit it was just for a brief moment.

 

“I told you a long time ago that if I ever lost, I’ll give you a kiss on the cheek.”

 

“…………”

 

“This is… too much…”

 

I remember, it was more than 10 years ago. At a cram school, Anya said she would kiss me on the cheek if she lost, and lost, and everyone at the school made fun of her that time, and I’m pretty sure she ran away from shame back then.

 

I turned a little red in the white snow.

 

She giggled.

 

“Hey, can we go home together?”

 

She smiled.

 

She laughed whilst crying.

 

“Don’t yearn for all the heavy snow in the world. Let’s go back to a warm cozy house, okay?”

 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

 

I was still dumbfounded.

 

I was still dazed, I intended to part ways with her by confessing everything. I was planning to separate with her after saying those words.

 

Yet for some reason, I’m still in her room, and I’m here borrowing her bath too.

 

“Ah! I feel so refreshed!”

 

As she said this, Anya, who was still covered in steam, came into the room.

 

“So? How much of what you just said to me is true?”

 

“You’re talking about the reincarnation?”

 

“Yes. What else could it be?”

 

“Everything, It’s no surprise you don’t believe it, but I never said a single lie.”

 

“No way.”

 

With a smile, Anya asked me about my previous life.

 

Still in a dreamy state of unconsciousness and resignation, I spoke as I was prompted by her words.

 

I told her all about my previous life. It was not a very interesting story, I suppose. It was just an ordinary life, I had some hard times, I had some funny times, I had some strange friends, I got a bad score on a test and then was scolded by my parents, that was how I went through life….

 

We talked about such trivial matters.

 

Anya listened happily to such an uneventful conversation.

 

“I feel like I’m finally catching up to you.”

 

“Eh?”

 

“I don’t know what to say……but I feel like I’m finally your childhood friend.”

 

She laughed as she said that.

 

“Is that so..?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Anya said.

 

“It’s because I didn’t know.”

 

“Eh?”

 

“I didn’t know about your embarrassing past mistakes or funny stories from your childhood. I’m your childhood friend but I didn’t know a thing.”

 

“…………”

 

That may be true. Since I was born with a memory of 28 years of experiences, I have no stories of failure that only an immature child can have. I had no embarrassing experiences or bitter memories in this life that anyone would have had as a child.

 

It may be true that there is nothing worthwhile about the familiarity of  my childhood this time round.

 

“I did something embarrassing when I think back on it, like leaving the cram school in tears all because someone took my cake.”

 

“You were embarrassed about that?”

 

I thought that she didn’t think anything of it.

“But I’ve never heard of your parents getting mad at you for getting a bad grade on a test!”

 

She smiled happily at me. She was looking at me with a grin as if she had just taken the head of a demon.

 

“We’re equals now! It’s like we’re childhood friends now. It’s like we’re finally competing after all this time!”

 

“Anya….”

 

“Zeke, don’t think you can quit being a childhood friend so easily!”

 

“Hmph,” Anya snorted loudly. Her cheeks were a little red, the corners of her mouth lifted, and she was smiling happily, just like a child. She laughed like a child when she heard me talking about my bad test score.

 

The twenty-eight years that no one knew about me is slowly being uncovered little by little.

 

“Hey, Zeke.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“You’ll always support me right?”

 

When she asked me that question, my heart beat hard. It was the same question that I had heard at the bonfire in high school.

 

At that moment, I couldn’t respond. But now, I was thinking of something completely different from those words.

 

“A-Ahh…”

 

This time I nodded my head.

 

I nodded firmly at her words.

 

“UN!”

 

She smiled at me. It was a smile that I couldn’t see at the time.

 

Childhood friends are called childhood friends cause they don’t easily split even after they seperate.

 

I laughed a little too.

 

“So…What are you going to do now?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“You don’t have to be alone anymore, you can live your life as you like. Let’s do something fun together, okay?”

 

She says something casual like that while drinking a cup of warm cocoa.

 

“I wonder? It’s true that I’m better educated than before so I do have an advantage wherever I go…”

 

“Aaah! Damn it! Advantages or disadvantages! It’s not about that! I’m talking about what you like and what you enjoy!”

 

She put one hand on her hip, pointed at me firmly with the other, and said forcefully.

 

“Wh-What? F-Fun?”

 

I close my eyes and think. But I have a feeling it’s not going to be something that’s easy to find.

 

“Let’s take our time and figure it out slowly.”

 

“No! I know what you’re doing! I’ll tell you! I know what you like, and I know what you’re good at!”

 

What? What is it? What do you mean?

 

Why is Anya trying to declare my preference for me?

 

Stunned at her, I waited for Anya’s words.

 

“Teaching is what you’re meant to do! Be-Because you’re the one who brought me up to this point!”

 

She said this with her chest puffed.

 

“Teacher”. When I heard those words, something clicked in my heart.

 

When I was in middle school, I frequently held study sessions for my friends. It made me happy to be able to rely on them. I was happy that they understood what I was saying. I was happy to be of use to my friends.

 

The study session with Anya made me happy that she was counting on me.

 

“That’s coming from a young, innocent and familiar girl like me! I’m sure of it! You were my true teacher!”

 

She smiled with a proud look on her face that said, I know everything about you…

 

I couldn’t help but laugh along with her. 

 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

 

It reminded me of the heavy snow day.

 

The day I died, the day I felt strong envy for the term ‘special’.

 

What did my ‘special’ “reincarnation” change in me?

 

A lot of things have happened throughout my ‘Reincarnated’ life. But what kind of changes have occurred in my own ordinary nature?

 

I don’t have any answers to say, and I even feel like nothing will ever change and I will remain as an ordinary my whole life.

 

It’s just…

 

“Sensei! Sayonara!”

 

“Sensei! Sayonara!”

 

“Oh, watch out for the snow on your way home.”

 

Today, as always, I spend my days watching over my students as they grow.

 

It’s a mundane but very rewarding job.

 

“Everyone’s gone home, but I’m working so late here.”

 

I still have some paperwork to do. I also have to continue grading the tests.

 

Oh, right, there were some kids who were competing with each other for test scores a while ago. I wonder what the results are this time.

 

I couldn’t help but smile as I became the one to grade their scores.

 

“Oh, honey, welcome back.”

 

“Papa! Welcome back!”

 

When I opened the door to my house, my wife came out and my daughter happily jumped on my leg. I held my daughter in my arms and she cackled happily.

 

My wife is a very special person to me.

 

She is very passionate about research, aspires to be a professor at a university, and has completed many papers. She’s doing very well and has attended many conferences abroad. She’s an up-and-coming young researcher.

 

However, she is not ‘special’ to me in that sense. She is ’special’ in a completely different way.

 

She’s special in a way that means I love you.

 

“Did you cook dinner for me today?”

 

“Yeah, I won’t be going away for a while. So I think I’ll be home early often.”

 

“I’m going to be with Mom and Dad for a while!”

 

“Oh yeah, I heard from Sophie today. She asked me to invite Costas and Paris to hang out with us sometime soon.”

 

“Hmm, that sounds good. I’ll be there when my schedule permits it”

 

“I wonder if Tiffy-chan is coming too?”

 

“If Sophie and Costas are coming, they’d be coming too, won’t they?”

“Yay!’

 

My daughter was happy. I couldn’t help but smile when I saw her like that. In order to make her even happier, I took out something from my bag.

 

“I got you some candy.”

 

“Yay! Dad! Thank you!”

 

“Eh? Hey! Hey! What kind of sweet is it today?”

 

“Don’t be more interested in the candy than our daughter!”

 

Although I am just an ordinary person, I watch my students slowly grow up and live with my special wife and special daughter.

 

Such an ordinary, comfortable life we lead. We will live together from now on.

 

I’m living a very warm life now.

 

[ED: This concludes where the one-shot ends so all the remaining chapters now will actually be unknown. Hope you enjoyed reading this. Time to take a bREAKKKKKKKKKK.] [TLN; I’m not overworking you though]

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TLN: Thanks for reading. I did say expect the next chapter soon right heh. Anyways thanks Spynine01 for editing this. I’m heeading to bed. Also leave typos and mistranslations in the comments or join the discord. Here’s my Ko-Fi if you want to support us. Obligatory Discord Plug.