Red Data Girl - Series 1 & 2

My First Familiar - 4

An American Girl in Japan

Red Data Girl: My First Familiar
By Noriko Ogiwara
A Translation

Here's an extra piece of RDG for the week! Things are really starting to move in this piece, so enjoy! :D

Red Data Girl: The First Familiar
Chapter 1: Izumiko
Part 2 (2 of 2)

The next class was in the third floor computer room. Their assignment was to practice using the computer for research.

There were enough computers in the computer room for an entire class of students to use their own. The room had been renovated three years prior and was now the pride of Awatani Middle school. Due to the computers, the carpeting, and the air conditioning, it was completely different from the rest of the school. It felt like walking into a business office.

When Izumiko had come to the school, the computer room had already been completed. However, she had overheard that Daisei had played a part in acquiring the machines. Perhaps that had something to do with it, but Izumiko had always felt uncomfortable in the computer room.

She might have been Daisei's daughter, but she was undeniably horrible at using computers. Whenever she touched one, it seemed to freeze more often than not. Because she had been forced to restart computers in this way more times than she could count, she had begun avoiding them all together. Unless Izumiko had to, she didn't touch them whether at home or at school.

Izumiko was shaking. She felt oppressed inside the room full of start-up sounds and whirling machinery. She reminded herself that her father, Daisei spent his entire day in a space like this.

In the day's class, they would be using the internet. When it came to computers, this was what Izumiko was the worst at. But today they were working in pairs, so she had a way out. Haruna, who understood what to do, was her partner. Izumiko could ask her to help.

"Please... can you do my part too?"

"Alright, alright,"

Haruna liked to do research, so she accepted the extra work without any fuss.

"It's so weird that you can type, but you can't use email or the internet. It's just going from website to website and clicking the mouse,"

"It just takes me a long time to do it,"

Overhearing the conversation, the class president, Misa Koshikawa, turned to them.

"Why don't you let someone else do it if you can't?"

Haruna seemed to take offense at her tone.

"It's fine. We're working in teams so that we can help each other, right?"

"It's not like Miss Suzuhara's going to do the presentation either,"

Izumiko couldn't answer. Giving presentations was yet another one of the things she was worst at.

When no response came, Misa let out a snort and turned back to her computer.

"I know you like research, but is it really okay? I don't want to sit around and do nothing while you do all the work,"

"She just said that to get to you. It's because she's applying to the private school. All the student council members are getting crankier and crankier lately." Haruna whispered to Izumiko.

Izumiko knew that Misa Koshikawa and her group of friends had always looked down on her.

Misa was the best at everything in their class, not to mention beautiful. Boys and girls alike flocked to her. She was a leader. Still, she saw Izumiko as an irritation. Misa would never help her under normal circumstances. The offer must have come because Haruna was helping her and doing both of their work.