Weakest Skeleton! Lesson01 — Part 2

Lesson 01 — Don’t cry Ryuzaki! You’re a boy!

～ Part 2 ～

Several more days have passed, the circumstances surrounding the class have changed greatly. Goubayashi disappeared, Ryuzaki was forced out of the leader seat, and Kogane formed the largest faction. It all happened just like I feared. Even just listening to the echoes from the dining room in the kitchen make my heart hurts.
There’s hardly any changes in the kitchen. If I have to say, it would be that my body has shrunk further.

Every time an incident happens in the class, I tell Sugiura to shave me. I want to heal the rough hearts of the students with the bonito soup that seeps out of my body. As the number of incidents has increased at an accelerating pace recently, my volume has been decreasing further and further.

“Sensei, you have become much smaller…”

One day, Sugiura mutters.

“Ah, well…”
“I have asked Utsurogi-kun for soup stock a couple of times, but it was no use after all.”
“Really…. Utsurogi. Then, I wonder if you could make a mellow soup stock.”

However, if Utsurogi is reluctant, you can’t force him into the pot like some kind of devil. Besides, Utsurogi is a skeleton. I’m fine with soup stock made of crocodile bones or rabbit bones or the like, but human bones soup stock just doesn’t sit well with me.

In the past few days, soup was made from my body everyday and I shrunk in the blink of an eyes. Sugiura is saying that there is already only about the size of a cigarette case remaining, and it is impossible to shave my body any further.
I am powerless. Not only as a teacher, but I’m useless even as a dried bonito.

“No, um, as a teacher, there’s still something you can do…”

Honno-san timidly tries to talk.

“Is that so, Honno-san. To be able to rehabilitate people by words only happens in dramas. I also admired Takeda Tetsuya and became a teacher, but humans can not easily become Sakamoto Kanpachi…”
“But words can encourage people.”
“Sensei, please don’t get all gloomy. You’re getting damp.”

Sugiura says that, grabs my body with an octopus foot and lightly grills me over a fire.
I am happy, but Sugiura. I don’t even have enough left to make soup. Even if you grill me, I can’t serve my purpose. Thinking so, my feelings become extremely miserable.

At that time, I hear arguing voices from the dining room. Sugiura turns her eyes.

I feel gloomy as there was a fight again, but this time the situation seems to be a bit different from usual.
I focus my ears (not). What I hear is the conversation between Ryuzaki and another person, Akai Asuka.

Akai is a very mature girl in the class. You would think that she is a university student unless she’s wearing her uniform. I heard rumors that she was working as a model for some magazine. While it’s not good for her studies, I felt like accepting it as it would broaden the choices for Akai’s futures. There was also rumors saying that she was doing compensated dating, but I don’t believe it.
That Akai girl, even after reincarnation still consistently remains within the upper tier of the class. What kind of conversation does she have with Ryuzaki that declined from the top tier?

“Then, you tell me what can I do…!”

I hear a heart-breaking scream of Ryuzaki. Those words echo into my ears. That, it’s exactly what I am feeling right now.

Listening to the story, we could guess the general circumstances. Akai blames Ryuzaki for failing in the past few days. I think that it is a cruel speech, but I did not think that Akai who was thought to be completely uninterested in intra-class politics, would turn such words to Ryuzaki.
Was it «words can encourage people»? I wonder if it’s really true.

Sugiura leaves the dishes prepared for Sakuma, a female student that Akai is sheltering in her room and goes out to the dining room interrupting the dispute.

“Akai-saaan, your meals are ready.”

Akai receives the meals as it is and seems to have left the dining room. Sugiura is coming back. I am thinking.

“Honno-san.”
“Ah, yeah. What is it?”
“Words can encourage people. That’s what you said.”
“That’s right.”

I cannot leave the current Ryuzaki be.
What can I even do? I myself do not know the answer, but still as a senior in life, as a homeroom teacher, is there a way to show the students with the same troubles?

“Sugiura, please call Ryuzaki in the kitchen.”
“Eh, but…”
“It’s all right. Please call him.”
“O–okay…. All right.”

Sugiura goes out to the dining room and comes back with Ryuzaki who probably has been worrying outside. Ryuzaki, who doesn’t know what he was called for, is restlessly entering the kitchen with a confused look.
I decide my resolution and talk to Ryuzaki.

“Yo, Ryuzaki.”
“Eh…!?”

Surprised, Ryuzaki opens his eyes wide, and once again looks around restlessly. And finally he finds me and exclaims.

“Se–sensei…!?”
“Ah, it’s me. Each of us has changed.”
“You’re safe…!”
“I wonder if being like this can be considered safe…”

I lightly explain my situation to Ryuzaki. Even the circumstances that I have long been reincarnated as a dried bonito.

“Sensei, I…”
“Yeah?”
“I, What should I do…?”

That’s right.

You have an ideal. But you do not know what to do. Whatever you do, you don’t feel like you’re being accepted. I also think so, that’s why I didn’t show up in front of the students. Indeed, I’m no good as a teacher. But still, before the student who depends on me, as a teacher I cannot help but playing the dignified adult.

“Ryuzaki…”

When I talk as much, Honno-san turns to a page written 『Do your best! Do your best!』. What the heck is that?

“Ryuzaki, it’s useless no matter what you do, you’re probably thinking about that.”
“…”
“I get it. Even sensei is thinking so as well.”
“Sensei too…?”

Ryuzaki raises his face slightly. Even though his face looks like a lizard, only the beauty of his eyes does not change.

“Sensei also has been torn when realizing something. The way I am now, I can’t even guide the students. Because of that, even though the class is going through a tough time, I can’t do anything…”
“Sensei…”
“Certainly, in the current position that you’ve fallen into, it might be laughable to even try to do something. Even so? You are … your…. Umm, in other words, you…”

Eeii, I am a poor talker. Why the heck a poor talker like myself is working as a teacher? I don’t know but I can’t help it because I just love high-school girls.
I decide to go to the last resort.

“Sugiura! Shave me!!”
“Eehh!?”
“I can still afford the extra juice for one person! Now, shave!!”
“Eh, y–yes…”

Sugiura somewhat hesitantly, picks me up, takes out the knife that is exclusively used on me.

Processing.

“GAAAAAAAARGH!!”

Severe pain runs through as my body is being shaved off. Ryuzaki draws back, but Sugiura shaves me down with a cool-headed worker’s face.

“Se–senseiii…!!”
“I–it’s all right. Ryuzaki! Look closely! This is 『what I can do』! I, for the students, this is the best I can do! GAAAAARGH!!”

Sugiura throws my shavings into a pot and puts it on fire. Eventually, a rich fragrance of soup spreads throughout the kitchen.

Sugiura scoops the soup into a bowl, and gives it to Ryuzaki as it is.

“Class rep, drink. This is sensei’s soup stock.”
“This is…”

The crystal-clear soup fills the bowl without setting a single wave. There is no other seasoning. But this is fine. Sugiura manages to figure out my intentions. What I want Ryuzaki to drink now, it is the tasteless soup that comes from me.

“Ryuzaki, that’s about what I can do. But how is it!? My soup?”
“I–it’s delicious.”
“It would be so! Now, some kind of impression must have grown within you! Perhaps it was only an impression of 『delicious』 soup stock that you drank, but I pulled that out by shaving my own body! You as well can do the same!”

So I take a breath and continue.

“Ryuzaki, it’s not only Goubayashi that knows your good points. Everyone in the class understands even if a little bit. Don’t be afraid of anything, don’t be afraid of hurting yourself trying to move forward. Surely, a new stage will be opened for you.”
“Sensei…”

Ryuzaki stands up, putting away the empty bowl.

“Do you understand, Ryuzaki.”
“To be honest, I can’t quite understand it.”
“Is that so?”
“I’m still lost, but just a little bit, I felt something.”

Only a little, Ryuzaki laughs. It is a smile with no power, but I see light for only a moment. He regains vitality. It is such a smile. Ryuzaki lowers his head, goes out the kitchen, and leaves the dining room.
Is this something like that? Ryuzaki regains his spirit just a little because the words I said and the shavings I’ve endured. There is only that much effect. However, I am quite satisfied. That guy got a little bit more cheerful. Isn’t that enough?

Even if it is only about the size of an eraser.

“Sensei…”
“Ah, I understand.”

I smile. I do not have a face, but I feel like I smiled.

“There is no place to shave any more…. But I do not regret it. Ryuzaki will surely breathe new power into the class. I am glad that the last soup stock could be used to help that.”
“Yup…”
“The other things to regret is…. Hmm…??”

At that time, I notice something hot in my whole body. This is the first time abnormalities like this happen. It is hot as if I’m burning. However, it is not a superficial heat like when I’m being roasted. It is more fundamental, like a flame blazing from deep within the soul.

The bonito body which shouldn’t be able to move began to shake ∗kata kata∗. Sugiura makes a strange face.

“Sensei!?”
“Gu–guooo! Wh–what is this feeling!”

Zubonn!

The next moment, my whole body is surrounded by light, something grows with lively sound. Sugiura widens her eyes, surprised.

“Se–sensei…! You’re getting bigger!?”
“What…!? I–it’s true!”

Looking at the mirror Sugiura brings I involuntarily cry out.

My volume has returned to the conventional size. I am surprised. What kind of miracle has just happened? There is a great and respectable dried bonito just like a wooden sword. I and Sugiura look at each other.

Apparently, supper seems to be udon.

“Is it a unique ability?”

At a later date, Hino who visits the kitchen says such a thing.

“Unique abilities?”
“Kyousuke also has the ability to amplify the power of monsters in contact with him. Because we couldn’t confirm these effects with other skeletons, it should be Kyousuke unique ability. Probably, at the time of this transference, another ability was given besides changing into a monster.”

Is that ability infinity regeneration for me? Ever since, everyday Sugiura is shaving me, but my volume is restored the next day. It is literally an endless dried bonito. It can be said that this class is no longer troubled by seafood soup.
However, while we’re talking about that, most of the students in the class haven’t activated such unique abilities. No, perhaps some conditions are required? I’ve also awaken this ability after having Ryuzaki drink my soup.

“Phase. There could be something like that.”

Saying just that, Hino returns Honno-san and leaves the kitchen.

Phase, is it that we get stronger as we train? No, I do not know if I am a strong bonito. In the first place, Hino likes such cool phrases, so there is a possibility that he just said something appropriate.

But well, it’s good enough. I got a new power. As long as this is available, the students can enjoy bonito soup for eternity.
It seems that Ryuzaki has recovered and intends to bring the entire class back together. It’s my turn now, or at least that’s what I would like to think. At the moment, Kogane and Washio group are being treated coldly by the other students, so I’ll squeeze out some delicious soup stock just for them.

“Sensei~, I’ll shave a bit more~.”

Sugiura comes close to me with a knife.

“Aah, I don’t care! Shave steadily!”

In the kitchen, my scream echoes.

The battle of Dried Food teacher Katsubushi has just begun.

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