Prologue:

After school in the Tsuwabuki High School library.

I lifted my face from the book in front of me and stretched widely behind
the checkout counter.

It was late May, after the regular exams had ended, and the library was
deserted.

“No visitors today, huh.”

“Th-that’s better, isn’t it? We don’t have to talk.”

The one who answered without even looking up from her book beside me
was Komari Chika, the vice president of the literature club.

Today, we were helping out as library assistants, the two of us handling the
reception desk.

──One month since the rebirth of the new literature club.

The temporary suspension had been lifted, and activities resumed. Things
had been surprisingly peaceful since then.

If anything, the temporary suspension was worse—my house had been used
as a substitute clubroom, and those were days of hell.

Anyone who says I’m exaggerating should try imagining how it feels to be
a high school boy whose secret stash of books behind the bookshelf was
passed around and read by the female club members.
But those days of shame were over. They were over──.

Feeling relaxed, I turned the page of a bird encyclopedia.

“Komari, did you know? Falcons are actually related to parrots.”

“D-did your brain turn into a parrot or something?”

Just when I thought she finally looked up, that’s what she says.

I shrugged my shoulders with a weary sigh and pushed the encyclopedia

toward Komari.

“It’s true. They found out through the latest DNA analysis.”

“Ugh… it really is true.”

Yes, it is true. Try trusting me a little more.

Peering into the encyclopedia, Komari murmured softly,

“Y-you were interested in birds or something?”

“Yeah, I was thinking maybe I should start an outdoorsy hobby, like a

proper young person.”

“W-why birds?”

“With birds, you can enjoy them even just by their calls, without seeing
them. Apparently, once you get to Tanaka-sensei’s level, just thinking
‘they're probably around there’ is enough—he doesn’t even need to see the
actual bird.”

“T-that doesn’t sound like a young person’s hobby at all.”

Huh, it’s not? Birds are outside, you know.

“Our school even has a birdwatching club. That counts as a young person’s
hobby.”
“Th-that club got suspended indefinitely because they were watching things
other than birds.”

In a way, that still feels kind of youthful.

Komari pushed the encyclopedia back toward me and glanced up at me

from the side.

“Th-that aside, has that girl been coming lately? Th-the first-year one.”

Hm? You mean Shiratama-san?

“Pretty much every day, I think. She’s always there before I even notice.”

“Ugh?! E-every day?!”

“? Shiratama-san is in the clubroom every day. You know that, don’t you?”

“…D-die.”

Why did I just get insulted?

Come to think of it, even after the temporary suspension was lifted, she
suddenly came over to my house once and got neatly turned away by Kaju
at the front door. Can’t those two get along just a bit better…?

After the commotion at the wedding hall, Shiratama-san has settled

completely into the literature club.

Yanami is being tamed with sweets, and Yakishio is still just Yakishio. Even
Komari, whom I was worried about, can now hold up to two words of
conversation with Shiratama-san when she’s feeling good.

The Shiratama-san in question is occasionally seen talking with Tanaka-

sensei in the hallway.

If you didn’t know the circumstances, they’d just look like a friendly
teacher and student.
No one would suspect that she’s a sly cat trying to steal her sister’s
husband-to-be──.

At that moment, a book was placed on the counter where I was sitting. So
there was a customer.

The title of the book I picked up was Starting a Mindful Life with
Traditional Chinese Medicine .

The name on the checkout card──Basori Tiara.

“Um, I’d like to check this out, please.”

“Ah, sure, got it.”

The student council vice president. Her trademark: tightly tied-up hair.

She looks as serious as she seems, but she’s probably a bit… off.

Even as I processed the checkout, Tiara-san kept glancing around

nervously.

“Uh, it’s done.”

“Huh? Ah, I’m so sorry.”

Even after taking the book, Tiara-san didn’t move from the spot.

“Are you, like, looking for another book or something?”

“Um, well, the thing is, today I came because I have something to talk to
Nukumizu-san about.”

“Huh.”

Tiara-san glanced at Komari, who had frozen up, then gave a small cough
to clear her throat.

“U-um, Nukumizu-san! I came here because I have a request for you!”

“…Huh.”

“…………”

Why go silent now ?

Komari nudged me under the counter, so I had no choice but to speak.

“Um… what exactly is this request?”

“Ah, yes! Um, the request is, well, in other words, I… not that I want you, I
mean, that’s not it, but, ah geez!”

Tiara-san leaned forward and slammed her hands on the counter.

“In short—I want you !”

…What did she just say?

To Tiara-san, who was panting heavily, I quietly said,

“Um, Tiara-san. I’m on library duty right now, so could you wait until I’m
done?”

“…Ah, yes. Then I’ll wait. Also, please don’t call me by my given name.”

Tiara-san gave a polite bow, then sat in a nearby seat by the counter.

As I watched her begin reading her book, I let out a sigh as discreetly as
possible.

…Looks like something troublesome is about to start again.

And Komari, stop kicking me under the counter.

First Defeat: Absolutely No Ulterior Motives

Lately, the days have grown noticeably longer.

The evening sun pouring into the clubroom gently lit up Tiara-san, who sat
in a chair surrounded by the girls of the literature club.

“Here you go, Basori-senpai. Some tea.”

“Ah, thank you.”

The one who placed the steaming teacup down with a smile was first-year
student Shiratama Riko.

Wearing a flawless, beaming smile, she stood behind Tiara-san like a

watchful guard.

As Tiara-san fidgeted uneasily, Yanami held out a box of cookies.

“Basori-san, want some?”

“Ah, yes, thank you.”

Tiara-san accepted the cookie with a relieved expression—but that soon

shifted into one of growing confusion.

“Um… it’s hard to relax when I’m being stared at like that.”

No wonder Tiara-san was bewildered.

Yanami leaned forward, staring intently at Tiara-san’s hands.

I stifled a sigh and tapped the chair.

“Yanami-san. Come on, sit properly and behave.”

“Nukumizu-kun, do you think I’m regretting giving away my snacks?”

Yeah, I do.

Yanami shrugged with a weary expression and plopped down in her chair.

“Listen carefully, Nukumizu-kun. Each of these cookies is 70 kilocalories.”

“Huh.”

“So if Basori-san ate the cookie I was planning to eat instead──do you
understand what that means? Komari-chan!”

“Ugh?! M-me?”

Komari, who had been staring at her phone in the corner of the clubroom,
looked up in surprise.

“Uh, well, it means Yanami will gain a little less weight.”

“…That’s not right. Okay, next is Nukumizu-kun.”

So this is like a rotating system, huh.

“Can’t you at least give me a hint?”

“Fine, I guess. What do you think happens to my calorie intake when I give
away a cookie?”

What do you mean? You didn’t eat it.

“Zero calories, right?”

“No. The calories I was supposed to take in transferred to Basori-san —

meaning it’s minus 70 kilocalories for me.”

“No, it isn’t.”
Despite my sincere objection, Yanami crossed her arms and continued
explaining her strange theory.

“In other words, if Basori-san eats 110 of these cookies, my weight will
drop by one kilogram. Now, Basori-san, eat more.”

“One cookie is—ah, okay, thank you.”

Unable to refuse, Tiara-san accepted a second cookie and looked at me.

“Um, why am I eating cookies in the literature clubroom?”

“The librarian comes after the library closes, and I thought this place would
attract less attention.”

“Aren’t there obviously more people here?”

I kind of think so too.

But Yanami and the others are like native supernatural beings, so there’s no
point worrying about it.

“But the conversation being overheard by people outside the club— that
happens pretty often, so don’t worry.”

“Can I really feel reassured hearing that…?”

“Yes, senpai, here’s some tea.”

“Eh?”

Clink. Shiratama-san placed a second teacup in front of Tiara-san.

Facing the two teacups side by side, Tiara-san opened her mouth in
confusion.

“You’re Shiratama-san, right? The tea’s already—”

“Please, enjoy it before it gets cold.”

“Ah, yes.”

Slurp… The sound of Tiara-san sipping tea.

And Yanami staring intently at Tiara-san’s cookies. Yep, it’s the usual
literature club.

“So, Basori-san. About what you wanted to talk to me about?”

“Are you really going to talk about it in this situation?”

Yes, I am going to talk.

Tiara-san stuffed a cookie into her mouth with determination, then placed a
piece of paper on the table.

“It’ll take a while to explain, but basically, I want to borrow your name,
Nukumizu-san──”

“Do I just write my name here?”

As I pulled out a ballpoint pen,

“Club president!”

Shiratama-san stopped me with a shocked expression.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“Yes, you can’t write your name without confirming first.”

“Get a grip, Nukumizu-kun. My dad once blindly stamped his seal on

something and it caused a huge mess.”

Yanami picked up the paper from the table and blinked in confusion.

“A student council election candidate form...? Why does that have anything
to do with you, Nukumizu-kun?”
“You probably know that the student council’s term ends after next month’s
sports festival.”

Of course, I didn’t know.

Tiara-san straightened her back and looked me in the eye.

“I am running for the next student council president. So, I want you,
Nukumizu-san, to be my endorser.”

“Endorser? Me?”

At my foolish echo, Tiara-san nodded seriously.

“Yes. If possible, I’d also like you to give a support speech.”

A support speech—if I remember right, that’s the one done in the gym on
voting day.

Me giving a speech in front of the whole school... I see...

“No, that’s impossible.”

I took the candidacy form from Yanami’s hand and placed it in front of
Tiara-san.

“Sorry, but could you ask someone else?”

“Nukumizu-san, won’t you listen to me?”

Tiara-san persisted, but that’s just no.

“Well, well, Nukumizu-kun, at least hear her out.”

Saying that, Yanami offered a third cookie.

Tiara-san hesitated but accepted it, and Yanami smiled brightly.

“So, that means if Basori-san wins, Nukumizu-kun, you’ll also join the
student council?”

“Yes, the officers are appointed by the president, so I hope Nukumizu-san

can become the vice president.”

“Why Nukumizu-kun? There are better people, aren’t there?”

Yanami, as rude as ever.

At that, Tiara-san nodded deeply. Didn’t she say she wanted me?

“Since the current student council president and vice president are both
women, the teachers have requested that next time, at least one be male.
So...”

“So that’s why Nukumizu-kun? Wouldn’t Sakurai-kun be better?”

Yanami, maybe it’s time to be quiet.

“Sakurai-kun apparently doesn’t want to continue with the student council,

and there aren’t any other close male students...”

Tiara-san lowered her face awkwardly.

I see, I’m familiar with elimination by default. I pulled myself together and
interrupted.

“Is it really necessary to insist on a male? It hasn’t been a problem with

both women so far, and I think the teachers would understand if explained.”

“The student council represents the students, so the goal is to make it easier
to collect opinions as much as possible. If the student council were all one
gender, it would be harder for students to consult with them.”

Certainly, the current student council has Sakurai-kun as the only boy and
the treasurer. Boys are necessary.
"When I became vice president, there were various issues too. After being
elected, understanding from the teachers and those around is necessary. As a
representative of the male students at Tsubaki, could you lend us your
strength?"

I understood the story, but is it really okay that I’m the male representative?

While thinking about how to get them to give up, Yanami spoke up.

"I get what Basori-san is saying, but Nukumizu-kun is the literature club
president, so it’s a problem for us too."

For the first time, Yanami said something like a supportive comment. I had
no choice but to go along with this flow.

"Yeah, that’s right. After all, there’s club activities, so the student council..."

"If you’re going to loan out Nukumizu-kun, the literature club should get
some decent benefits."

Yanami gave an evil grin.

This is bad, I took the wrong approach to going along with this.

"Benefits?"

Tiara-san widened her eyes at the unexpected word, and Yanami leaned
forward.

"Yes, benefits! Like being able to manage the budget freely if you join the
student council, or having all-you-can-eat in the cafeteria. Aren’t there any
kind of student council privileges?"

"Um, privileges like that... it’s true the student council drafts the club
budget proposal, but teacher approval is necessary—"

"You decide the club budget?! Nukumizu-kun, you should join the student
council!"
You’re selling me out too fast.

"It’s impossible. Yanami-san, you think so too, right?"

"But wouldn’t you want a refrigerator and microwave in the clubroom?

Also, a dresser would be nice."

That has nothing to do with club activities.

Then, Shiratama-san, who was standing behind, clasped her hands with
sparkling eyes.

"A dresser sounds nice! Komari-senpai, don’t you want one too?"

"Ugh... Dre...?"

Suddenly asked, Komari shivered in the corner of the clubroom.

"It means a makeup table. We can’t buy something like that with club
funds."

"True, a makeup table is a bit much. But as for a refrigerator, we might be

able to give you the one in the student council room."

"That’s settled then. Nukumizu-kun, do your best."

"It’s not settled. I have no intention of that."

When I clearly refuse, Yanami shoots me a provocative look.

“Then let’s take a vote. Shiratama-chan, what do you think?”

Shiratama puts her index fingers to her temples and tilts her head cutely,
thinking.

“Well, having the club president as a student council officer might be kind
of cool.”

“Eh, really?”
Shiratama smiles warmly at me.

“Yes, I’d brag about it. Like, ‘My club president is the vice president.’”

“I see—so it would be something to brag about, huh? But, well—”

“...Why do you get interested when Shiratama says it?”

For some reason, Yanami gives me a sharp glare.

You were just telling me to join the student council earlier.

“The members’ opinions are important. We should hear Komari’s too.”

“D-Die.”

“See, she’s against it. So the vote count is—”

Yanami nods with a smirk.

"Yeah, it’s 2 to 1 in favor."

“Don’t I have the right to vote?”

“Of course you do since you’re involved. Well then, Basori-san, the
matter’s settled.”

Tiara-san, who had been silently watching the conversation unfold,

suddenly straightened up as if she just realized something.

“Ah, yes! Then, Nukumizu-san, please sign here—”

As Tiara-san reached for the document, Shiratama placed a third teacup

down with a ton on top of it.

“Uh, um...?”

“My vote is a blank ballot. That makes it 1 to 1, right?”

Behind the rising steam, Shiratama gave an angelic smile.

“Basori-senpai—please have this before it gets cold.”

Two days after the sudden recruitment, in the home economics room after
school.

I was watching Sakurai-kun’s hands skillfully peeling burdock root with

admiration.

“Is that the side dish for the president’s lunch? You make it at school?”

“Yeah. We make the prepared dishes after school and cook the grilled items
at home in the morning.”

From the other side of the home economics room, I could hear the happy
laughter of the cooking club members.

He’s not in the cooking club, but apparently he’s allowed to use the room
sometimes like this.

“...I heard about everything. You’ve got it tough too, Nukumizu-kun.”

Sakurai-kun gave a troubled smile as he soaked the peeled burdock in a

bowl of water.

“If you feel that way, why don’t you become the recommender instead?
Basori-san was lurking in the hallway again today.”

“Basori-chan seems like she doesn’t want to rely on us student council

members. Yumeko-san volunteered to be a recommender, but she was flatly
rejected.”

“It’s possible for a third-year student to be a recommender, huh.”

“There’s no particular rule. The recommender doesn’t have to join the

student council.”
Huh, I see. More importantly, Tiara-san doesn’t seem to want to use the
help of the three student council members...

I felt awkward asking more, so I turned my eyes to the pot that was
bubbling and making noises.

“What are you cooking in that pot over there?”

"I'm simmering butterbur and fried tofu. It’s Hiba-nee’s favorite,"

Sakurai-kun lifted the edge of the aluminum foil covering the pot like a lid.

"Does the president like pretty subdued stuff?"

"Basically, it’s Japanese food. If left alone, she won’t eat meat or oily
things, so I have to be careful."

Oh, I see. If you add Yanami and divide by two—or no, by four—that
would be about right.

"This will be the last time I can take care of Hiba-nee at the sports festival.
The student council election is before that, so I thought I’d at least make her
a lunchbox."

—There’s only a little time left to take care of her.

Many of the third-years will leave this town for further study.

The students who currently attend the same school building will each begin
walking their own paths.

"The president is definitely leaving Toyohashi after graduation."

"She’s going to Tokyo for her future. I should probably..."

Just as he was about to continue in a slightly lonely tone,

"Sakurai-kun~ Here, say 'ahh'."

A girl from the cooking club suddenly interrupted.

The flashy-looking female student held out a wooden spoon near Sakurai-
kun’s mouth.

Without hesitation, Sakurai-kun put it in his mouth and nodded with a

smile.

“This is cold chawanmushi, right? Is this broth a combination of kelp and

bonito?”

“Yeah, I put a little effort into making the broth. I’ll teach you next time.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“If you want, come over to my place tonight? My parents aren’t home.”

“That’s kind of you, but I’ll have to decline.”

The girl laughed lightly, waved her hand flutteringly, and left the spot.
Sakurai-kun waved back briefly and took out a carrot—

“Wait, what was that?! Are you two dating?!”

“No, they’re not. She’s the vice president of the cooking club and helped
arrange for us to use this room.”

Oh, I see. So she was the one who worked behind the scenes to let us use
the home economics room... got it...

“No, that ‘say ahh’ thing isn’t related, right? Usually, wouldn’t you only do
that if you were dating?”

“That’s not true. There are no boys in the cooking club, so they’re just
having fun.”

Sakurai-kun gave a wry smile. By the way, I’m a guy too.

“Honestly, I feel relieved if you help Basori-chan. She doesn’t really have
male acquaintances except for us.”

“What happens if I refuse?”

“I think the teachers will introduce another male candidate.”

Sakurai-kun said this casually and turned off the stove.

“Tsuwabuki’s student council isn’t very active. Every year, the teachers do
their best to make sure there aren’t zero candidates.”

“So, maybe I don’t have to help after all...?”

“If Basori-chan gets along well with the other person — maybe. But no one
who works closely with her until the end says bad things about her. She
genuinely cares about others.”

“You’ve been watching closely, huh.”

“Well, yeah. There are only four people in the student council, and we’re
both second years.”

Sakurai-kun’s knife, which was peeling the carrot, stopped.

“The current student council relies a lot on Hiba-nee’s presence, and I think
she has her own reasons for not wanting our help. That’s why I don’t
interfere either.”

Sakurai-kun said firmly and resumed cutting.

It doesn’t seem like the atmosphere is right to dig any deeper about Tiara-
san..

Trying to switch my mood, I took the peeled carrot in my hand.

“Can I help with something?”

“Then could you slice that thinly? Use the peeler over there.”

“Got it. What are we making today?”

“Probably kinpira burdock and green beans with sesame dressing.”

As we worked silently together, high-pitched voices came from behind us.

“Sakurai-senpai, sorry to bother you!” “Sorry to bother you!”

The next to call out was a group of three girls with a fresh, innocent vibe.

The girl in the middle was shyly looking down, while the girls on either
side kept encouraging her.

“Come on, say it quickly.”

“Say it!”

Pushed by her friends on both sides, the shy girl nervously thrust out a
small wrapped package.

“Um, Sakurai-senpai! I made this, so please eat it!”

In her hands was a beautifully wrapped madeleine.

“Thanks, I’ll have it later.”

“I-I’m always cheering for you!”

The three first-year girls screamed in high-pitched voices and ran off.

“...What was that just now? Did a special event just happen?”

“Well... maybe it’s because I’m not very manly, so they find me easy to talk
to.”

I see. I’m often told I’m not very manly either. Though junior girls don’t
ask me to taste-test.
As I thought about this social gap, Sakurai-kun began speaking quietly.

“...I’ve been thinking about treasuring this past year.”

He stopped his hand holding the knife and continued speaking in a voice
only I could hear.

“For me, the student council is just Basori-chan, Yumeko-san, and Hiba-
nee. So, with this, it’s over.

"I'll watch the election results and then focus on studying after the sports
festival."

Sakurai-kun glanced at me briefly, then opened his mouth with a slightly

awkward expression.

"Sorry I couldn’t be of much help."

I was about to say "No, I’m the one who should apologize," but instead, I
gave a wry smile.

To be honest, I had tried to dump the Tiara issue on Sakurai-kun.

But since he apologized back to me with a smile, I had no choice but to

admit defeat.

...No wonder Sakurai-kun is popular with girls.

I quietly accepted this strangely and kept peeling the carrot in silence.

I’ve gotten completely used to commuting by bike.

With the Higashihachicho tram stop—where first-year students used to get

on and off—caught at the edge of my vision, I rode my bike through the
evening town.

The wind that felt chilly as the sun set now felt rather pleasant.
Having finished helping Sakurai-kun, I headed straight home, avoiding any
encounter with Tiara-san.

Recently, because Tiara-san has been appearing in the dark areas of the west
school building, I’ve decided not to go near there.

"I'm home."

When I opened the front door, I noticed unfamiliar shoes neatly lined up.

...Now then, which pattern is this? The shiny black leather shoes are
women's, but not from the Literature Club girls. Maybe Kaju’s friend or a
home visit?

Without thinking too much, I opened the living room door, and what I saw
was—Tiara-san, wearing an apron, standing in the kitchen next to Kaju.

"?! Why is Tiara-san here?" At my natural question, Kaju gave me a

reproachful look.

"Oni-sama, Basori-san is a guest of mine. We promised to cook together."

"Nukumizu-san, sorry to intrude. Also, please don’t call me by my first

name."

Tiara-san cooking with Kaju...? At this timing?

Trying to keep calm, I placed my bag on the sofa and glanced sideways at
the two of them.

Kaju held bonito flakes and kelp in both hands, speaking passionately,
while Tiara-san nodded repeatedly, taking notes.

They’re definitely talking about cooking, but I can’t let my guard down.

Carefully watching their behavior, the doorbell rang.

Kaju wiped her hands with her apron and headed to the door.
“Kaju will get it. Oni-sama, please keep Basori-san company.”

Keep company? She's already a second-year in high school—I feel like she
can handle herself, but ignoring it seems rude too.

So, I stood next to Tiara-san and peered into the steaming pot.

“...Miso soup?”

“Yes. I don’t want people to think I’m a woman who can’t even make miso
soup.”

Saying that, Tiara-san stared intently at the kombu (kelp) in the pot.

Still bothered by forgetting to make dashi at the March training camp at the
president’s house, huh...?

“That miso soup was good too. The red miso flavor really came through
directly, like, very strong red miso taste.”

“That’s not a compliment, is it? Here, taste this.”

Tiara-san casually offered me a small dish.

Feeling the pressure, I took a sip—and the familiar flavor spread across my
tongue.

“Yeah, it tastes good. You’re using the usual kombu, so it tastes the same as
Kaju’s.”

“Oni-sama, just because you use the same ingredients doesn’t mean it’ll
taste the same.”

Returning as she spoke was Kaju.

“The way you handle the ingredients completely changes the flavor. That’s
what makes a home-cooked taste.”

“I see. Still, it’s pretty close to the usual flavor.”

Kaju briskly walked over to the fridge and pulled out some barley tea.

“After all, it’s Kaju’s direct teaching. If you keep practicing, Basori-san,
you’ll be able to recreate the Nukumizu family’s taste all by yourself. We’re
always here to help.”

“W-what?!”

Tiara-san trembled visibly, clutching the ladle in one hand.

“N-no, I didn’t mean to learn it for that reason! Although I was curious
about the taste you usually eat—wait, am I getting married?!”

No one said that at all. She really is emotionally unstable as always...

“Uh, no, that’s not it, so don’t worry—”

Suddenly a voice interrupted:

“Oh, it’s Ba-chan! Why are you here?”

It was Yakishio. Wearing a tank top and short tights, with a towel draped
around her neck, she stepped into the living room.

“Basori-san and I are cooking together today, just the two of us. Yakishio-
san, please.”

“Thanks, Kaju-chan.”

Yakishio gulped down the barley tea in one go, then sighed in satisfaction.

“Ahh, that hits the spot. Well then, I’ll borrow the shower.”

“Sure, I already laid out a towel for you.”

Waving her hand lightly, Yakishio left the room.

Since our place became the provisional club room, she’s been using our
shower quite often...
“Basori-san, the pot is boiling—are you okay?”

“Eh, uh, why is Yakishio-san taking a shower at your house?!”

Why indeed. Even I don’t get it.

“Uh... maybe because it’s just there?”

“But normally, you don’t just take showers at a guy’s place, right?! Are you
two... that kind of friends?!”

“Is that true, Onii-sama?!”

Why is even Kaju getting so worked up?

“You’re the one who suggested the shower first, Kaju. Hey, you need to
turn off the stove.”

I switched off the burner and ignored them both, tasting the dashi broth.

Compared to Kaju’s, there was a slight aftertaste on my tongue — but

honestly, it wasn’t bad at all...

Finally escaping the kitchen, I headed toward the stairs but glanced briefly
at the door to the changing room.

No sound of the shower was coming from inside.

I quickened my pace to pass by the door when suddenly,

“—Hey, Nukkun.”

Yakishio’s voice came through the door.

“W-what?!”

Startled, I stammered, and Yakishio continued in her usual casual tone.

“The sports festival practice is starting soon, right? What events are you
entering, Nukkun?”

...Sports festival? Why is she bringing that up now?

“Wasn’t it the obstacle race or something?”

I answered casually, but the sound of her drying off with the towel behind
that thin door was... kinda distracting.

There’s a classmate fresh out of the bath just one door away. Believe it or
not, I’m a perfectly normal guy here.

“Uh, let’s talk about that later—”

“Hey, shouldn’t you ask what events I ’m entering?”

What’s with that annoying girlfriend vibe?

“Well then... what events are you in, Yakishio?”

“The class relay, the 200 meters, and the cheer competition, I think. Aren’t
you joining the cheer competition?”

Cheer competition, huh? That’s the one where the popular kids dance and
sing for their class, right?

“Nah, I’m not. Isn’t it weird to cheer for yourself?”

“That’s overthinking it,” Yakishio giggled.

I laughed along, but then her tone got a little serious:

“—I heard from Komari-chan.”

Heard what? Before I could ask, Yakishio continued without pause.

“Nukkun, you’re trying to ditch the literature club again, right?”

“…Yakishio, are you really saying that?”

“Eh, those are two different things, aren’t they?”

Ah, so they’re separate. If Yakishio says so, I guess I can’t argue.

“So here’s the deal — Basori-san asked me to be her endorser for the
student council president election. I just couldn’t say no.”

“Endorser? That’s all?”

“And she wants me to be the vice president if she wins —”

“Nukkun, you’re joining the student council?!”

Crash! The bathroom door slammed open, and I hurriedly looked away.

“Hey! Don’t open that!”

"I'm properly dressed. Look, I’ve got a towel wrapped around me."

A towel isn’t clothing. Absolutely not.

But still, if she says it’s fine… is it okay to look a little…?

While I’m struggling to hold onto my reason, Yakishio approaches with soft
footsteps, barefoot.

"Hmm, you turned me down right away when I invited you to the go-home
club, but now you’re hesitating about Ba-chan’s student council offer.
Hmm."

"I did turn her down. She just won’t take no for an answer."

"You turned her down, and yet she comes to your house to cook dinner?
Hmm."

Even without looking directly, I can feel Yakishio slowly closing the
distance.

The scent of freshly washed hair and Yakishio herself lingers around my
neck.

"Yakishio-san… are you mad?"

"I'm not mad, okay?"

Oh, she’s definitely mad. I have a little sister—I’m good at reading girls’
moods.

Still facing away, I bow my head slightly.

"Um… sorry. I’ll be more careful not to make Komari feel uneasy."

"...Hmm, well, I’ll let you off for today."

I’ve been forgiven. As I breathe a sigh of relief, Yakishio suddenly pops into
view in front of me.

"?! Hurry up and put some clothes on, you’ll catch a cold!"

"I am dressed. If you keep staring like that, it’s embarrassing, you know?"

You should be embarrassed. Just a towel on your bare body—it’s way more
borderline than I imagined.

"Nukkun, take care of Komari-chan for me, okay?"

"I got it! Now go back already!"

Once I confirmed Yakishio had returned to the changing room, I let out a
deep sigh.

The unfamiliar scent of her shampoo still lingered in the air. ……

…………Wait a second.

"Did Yakishio… bring her own shampoo?"

"Yep, I’m using the one Chiha-chan gave me. Nukkun, you can use it too if
you want."

Then that means even my parents must’ve noticed the unfamiliar scent—

…No, better not think about it any further.

Shaking off the confusion clouding my mind, I dashed up the stairs.

The next day at lunchtime.

With a curry bread and milk in hand, I headed to the emergency stairs of the
old school building.

The weather was good today, and the temperature was nice. If she wasn't in
the classroom, she'd definitely be here—
“Ah, I knew it.”

On the third-floor landing, Komari was leaning against the railing, eating a
butter roll.

When she saw me, she looked surprised and hurriedly swallowed her bite.

“N-Nukumizu? You came?”

“Yeah, I figured you’d be here.”

“Ugh…”

Ignoring Komari’s clearly annoyed reaction, I sat down next to her.

I’d been asked by a half-naked Yakishio, after all—I had to check on

Komari. It’s called give-and-take.

I held out a milk carton and delivered the line I’d prepared:

“Uh, I accidentally bought two milks. Want one, Komari?”

“Y-You don’t accidentally buy two.”

Even as she said that, Komari still took the milk from me.

“Now that you mention it, you're right. Can I take a moment to think of my
next line?”

“M-Make sure you do it before lunch break’s over.”

As I watched Komari sip her milk through a straw, I opened the bag of
curry bread.

Now then, how should I bring this up…

“Komari, the other day, Basori-san came to the clubroom, right?”

“Go die.”
That was fast.

Still, it wasn’t surprising that Komari was on edge.

First, there was the fuss with Yakishio nearly quitting the club, and now we
were dealing with a troublesome new student—leading to a two-week
suspension of club activities.

As the vice president, Komari had been under a lot of stress. Not that I had
it easy either.

“It’s not going to turn into something you need to worry about. I am the
president of the Literature Club, you know.”

“D-Don’t get too comfortable with your position.”

“Ah, yes. I’ll be more careful.”

Hmm. That didn’t work either.

As I sipped my milk in resignation, Komari glanced up at me out of the

corner of her eye.

“Y-Yakishio said something to you, didn’t she?”

“Well, yeah… sort of.”

I mumbled while chewing on my curry bread, unable to come up with the

right words. Komari let out a small sigh.

“I-I know you’re a softie. D-Do what you want.”

“I’m not planning to get involved in the student council election. Even
yesterday, Tiara-san just showed up at my house on her own.”

“S-She came to your house?!”

Wait—Yakishio didn’t tell her? Crap. I just dug myself a hole.

“Uh—she came to see my sister, I think. You know, they know each other
through student council stuff. Plus, Yakishio was there too, so…”

“Y-Yakishio was there too?”

Komari’s gaze gradually took on the look you’d give rotten garbage. The
grave I was digging was getting deeper.

“Uh, basically, what I’m trying to say is—you don’t need to worry.”

“You shameless jerk.”

She threw out the words and started munching her butter roll again.

As I awkwardly ate my curry bread, Komari muttered softly, almost under

her breath:

“Y-You’re the kind of guy who won’t be able to say no in the end anyway,
right?”

“No—”

“Can you say for sure that you won’t?”

…No, I couldn’t.

I stayed silent as I finished my curry bread, then hesitantly opened my

mouth.

“Just hypothetically. I mean if —if I ended up being Tiara-san’s endorser,

would you be okay with that?”

Komari toyed with her now-empty milk carton in her hands, her tone
resigned as she spoke.

“I-If it’s student council or whatever… do what you want.”

“I told you, I’m not joining the student council.”

“T-Then just do what you want.”

…Well, I guess it’s fair that she doesn’t trust me. Honestly, I’ve got way too
many marks on my record.

I leaned on the railing of the landing, gazing vaguely into the distance.

Beyond the spread of the city, a familiar line of low mountains stretched
across the horizon.

The green of the mountains had deepened since I last looked.

By next week, it’d already be June. Time to switch to summer uniforms.

Summer was about to begin again this year.

That afternoon after school ,

I found myself at Board Game Café DEJANA , not far from the school.

At a table on the café's second floor, the person sitting across from me was
—

Yumeko Shikiya , the student council secretary.

Her long, light brown hair flowed in soft waves.

She tilted her head slightly as her pale eyes, impossible to read, stared
somewhere—maybe at me.

“It’s your turn… Nukumizu-kun…”

“Ah, right.”

I quickly rolled the dice, trying not to make it obvious I’d been staring.

As I moved my little brown bear game piece, I checked the current state of
the board.
We were playing a two-player board game, similar to Sugoroku .

Despite its cute appearance, with an adorable brown bear and polar bear as
protagonists, it was actually a surprisingly strategic game— victory hinged
on how you used the chips placed on the board and the rules.

For the record, I was on a three-game losing streak.

“I’ll be taking that chip. Please go back to the start.”

“Are you… sure… about that…?”

Rattle. Shikiya-san rolled a six.

“Wait—did I just lose a 20-point chip?”

“Nice… assist…”

Clearly pleased, Shikiya-san pinched the chip between her decorated

fingers.

Of course, it’s not like we were having some kind of flirty after-school date.

I’d just messaged her saying I wanted to talk for a bit, and this happened to
be where she suggested we meet. That’s the truth. Really.

Waiting for the right moment, I tried to sound casual as I spoke up.

“Um… how’s Tiara-san doing lately?”

“What do you… mean… ‘how’…?”

Shikiya-san’s hand, which had been reaching for her polar bear piece, froze.

“I mean, like… what’s the vibe in the student council these days?”

“Didn’t you want to… talk to me …?”

Shikiya-san swayed slightly as she spoke.

Feeling vaguely intimidated, I nodded quickly.

“Y-Yeah. I wanted to ask you about Tiara-san, and I thought… it’d help to
talk with you about it…”

What is this…?

This weird, slightly ominous vibe…?

As I sat there nervously, Shikiya-san tilted her head slightly.

“You mean… the student council election…?”

“Yes. I heard you turned down being her endorser.”

“Yeah… Tiara-chan… rejected me…”

Shikiya-san swayed sadly, her whole body moving gently.

“Can I ask why you volunteered to be her endorser in the first place?”

“Tiara-chan… was introduced by a teacher… but she turned that person

down…”

Still swaying, she fidgeted with the polar bear piece using her slender
fingers.

“If no one… helps her… she’ll lose…”

After swaying for a while, Shikiya-san turned her pale eyes toward me.

“Did… Tiara-chan… ask you?”

“Yeah, she said she wanted me to be her endorser. I’ve turned her down, but
she’s not giving up.”

At some point, Shikiya-san had stopped swaying.

“I see… I understand…”
Silence.

Feeling uncomfortable, I tapped the bear piece with my fingertip.

“Tiara-chan… likes you, you know…”

“Uh, isn’t that, like, part of her character or maybe a BL kind of thing…?”

“…I can’t deny that.”

Shikiya-san quietly placed her piece on the board, resuming the game.

I distractedly rolled the dice and continued the conversation.

“If I were the one giving the speech, it’d only hurt her chances. It’s better if
the teacher finds someone proper to support her.”

“You don’t… want to support her…?”

Shikiya-san’s pale eyes stared at me.

I slowly shook my head.

“She’s serious and hardworking. I think it’d be great if she won.”

I hesitated a little, then added:

“But I don’t really care about student council stuff. Becoming her endorser
just because I know her… doesn’t feel right. And honestly, speaking in front
of people is kinda…”

“Did you… tell Tiara-chan that…?”

“No, not that directly. Should I ask again if you could be her endorser
instead?”

“Probably… not possible…”

Shikiya-san paused again, staring intently at the dice in front of her.

Her long lashes trembled slightly, even though there was no breeze.

“I… cared too much… and she ended up hating me…”

“Um, I don’t think that’s—”

As I struggled to find the right words, Shikiya-san suddenly stood up.

“Nukumizu-kun… this way…”

“Eh, wait, senpai—”

Without another word, she grabbed my hand and pulled me toward a corner
of the room.

“Senpai, what’s going on—”

“Crouch down…”

“Ah, okay…”

I crouched behind an empty table just as she said.

…We’re still holding hands, huh.

The sensation of Shikiya-san’s smooth, delicate skin.

A subtle coldness slowly seeped into my hand, making it go numb.

“Is something wrong…?”

“Um—no, it’s nothing.”

Considering it was fairly hot today, maybe the cool touch was actually
welcome. Yeah. Heatstroke’s a real danger, after all.

…I snuck a sideways glance at Shikiya-san crouching beside me.

Her usual expressionless face peeked just above the tabletop.

Her long, curled lashes framed her pale, unblinking eyes.

The mature, sweet scent drifting in the air was her favorite perfume as of
late.

As I watched her blankly, she glanced at her watch.

“Exactly 5 PM…”

“Are you meeting someone—?”

“Quiet… and keep your head down…”

Following her gaze while ducking my head, I saw a girl from Tsuwabuki
Academy climbing the stairs.

The person who appeared was Tiara Basori.

She looked around the floor restlessly before taking a seat at the table
closest to the stairs.

With her back straight, she stared intently toward the stairwell—she was
probably waiting for someone.

“What’s she doing here?” I whispered.

“I called… her here…” Shikiya-san replied, sounding a bit proud.

“If the three of us were going to talk, wouldn’t the student council room
have worked just fine?”

“Do you… not want to play with me…?”

“It’s not that I don’t …”

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I shifted my gaze back to Tiara-san.

At that moment, she suddenly pulled something from her bag.

A small, disk-shaped object—it looked like a makeup compact.

She flipped it open and began patting powder onto her face.

…She looked kind of like an old-fashioned lady from the Showa era.

“Why are we watching her from hiding like this?” I asked.

“I’m just… so happy Tiara-chan came…” Shikiya-san replied, gently

swaying with joy.

Come to think of it, weren’t these two close enough to casually take off
their bras together?

I didn’t fully get it, but maybe this was just another part of their play.

Something like “ignore & observe” — a pretty advanced level…

As I got flustered by the peek into the adult world, I realized Tiara-san was
now glaring straight at us.

“Isn’t she looking right at us? And, uh… with a scary expression?”

“This moment… is irresistible…” Shikiya-san murmured.

Ah yes. Truly, an adult world.

As I admired the scene, Tiara-san stormed toward us with quick steps.

“You two were here the whole time?! Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I thought… it would interrupt your makeup…”

Shikiya-san rose slowly and wrapped her arms around Tiara-san, bringing
her face close enough that their noses nearly touched.

“Your bad makeup… is too cute… it’s against school rules…”

“There’s no such rule—wait, are you saying I’m bad at makeup?!”

“That’s what… makes it cute…”

“Please don’t rub your cheek against mine!”

Hmm. No way I’m getting between those two.

I returned to my seat and sipped the now-lukewarm coffee.

The bitterness and acidity mingled on my tongue in perfect harmony.

“Hey, Nukumizu-san, stop watching and help me—wait, where are you
touching?!”

As the two tangled in each other, I took another sip of coffee.

Lukewarm coffee and yuri go surprisingly well together.

◇

“What is going on?! What is with you two?!”

Tiara-san stirred her coffee with a spoon as she shot me a sharp glare.

“And now you’re telling me the one who called me out here just left
satisfied? What does that even mean?!”

“Don’t ask me...”

Yeah. Since Shikiya-san had gone home, I was the only one left to take the
brunt of Tiara-san’s frustration. Even though I didn’t do anything wrong.

“You didn’t even try to stop her, and why were you just casually messing
with your phone?”

“I was trying to film a video—no, I mean… Shikiya-senpai and Tiara-san

have that no-strings-attached adult relationship, right? I figured I’d be
intruding.”

“We do not ! And stop calling me by my first name!”

Fuming, Tiara-san took a big gulp of her coffee, now filled with milk and
three spoons of sugar.

After a while, probably calmed by the caffeine and sugar, she set her cup
down with a clink and cleared her throat.

“So, um... what was the serious conversation you wanted to have?”

...Huh? What serious conversation?

“I didn’t even know you were coming, Tiara-san.”

“Well, Shikiya-senpai told me that’s why I should come here.”

Wait, what? So Shikiya-san used me as bait to lure Tiara-san here?

As I sat there confused, a high-pitched sound like glass shattering rang in

my ears.

“What was that noise?”

“Oh, a message from Shikiya-senpai.”

When I looked at my phone, a new notification slid across the screen:

— A little Christmas payback

...She got me.

I instinctively looked up at the ceiling.

Last Christmas Eve, I had called out Shikiya-san using the holiday lights as
bait to help her meet Tsukinoki-senpai.

So this... was her payback for that.

“Don’t just sit there resolving things in your own head, Nukumizu-san.
What happened?”

"Um, basically... Shikiya-senpai was holding a grudge against me, and this
was her way of getting back at me."

"Holding a grudge? What did you even do to her?"

Well, a lot of things, to be honest. I gave a vague reply and pretended to sip
from my now-empty coffee cup.

There had to be a reason why Shikiya-senpai set the two of us up like this,
sitting face-to-face.

Thinking about that, I finally opened my mouth.

"Anyway, about the student council election..."

"Yes?"

I paused for a moment, gauging Tiara-san’s reaction.

She straightened her back, clearly ready for whatever I had to say.

—The reason I turned down Shikiya-san’s offer. I was about to explain it,
but then I hesitated.

"I'm the president of the literature club. I don’t really want to get involved
with the student council. Having someone like me be an endorser just for
show feels wrong. And besides—"

I tried to laugh at myself, but it came out more as a strained grimace.

"I'm really bad at speaking in front of people."

Tiara-san listened quietly, then opened her mouth to say something —but
instead, she let out a deep sigh.

"...I understand. I won’t pressure you anymore."

Huh. That was... surprisingly easy.

While I was still processing her sudden change in attitude, she casually
placed her phone on the table.

The screen lit up, and what I saw made me do a double take.

It was an illustration of a cute anime girl—no, actually, a photo of some

merchandise featuring a character from that genre.

Why would Tiara -san have something like that...?

I stared, blinked, and then half-rose from my chair.

"Wait, isn’t that the store display pop of Chikapyon from Barely-Legal
Girls?! How do you even have that?!"
"A relative of mine runs a shop, and they give me a lot of these promotional
goods. I guess they think, since I’m a kid, I must like anime and manga."

She said it so matter-of-factly, and then slid her phone closer to me across
the table.

"I don’t really understand this kind of thing, so I thought it might be nice to
give it to someone who appreciates it."

"Then...!"

Clatter! I leaned across the table—but then, after a brief moment of inner
struggle, I slowly sat back down.

"I-I see... well, I hope you find someone who’ll be happy to have it."

“Oh? Are you sure? I thought I saw you with a keychain that looked just
like this, Mr. Nukumizu.”

“Did I? There are a lot of similar characters out there.”

I instinctively shifted the position of my bag.

Similar-looking? Not even close. The rubber strap on my bag is Chikapyon.

In other words, Tiara-san knew who my favorite character was and baited
me with it.

I can’t just fall for it that easily.

………

………………But maybe… just maybe… it wouldn’t hurt to hear her out a

little.

As I kept sneaking glances at Tiara-san’s phone, she let out a soft chuckle.

“I’m not going to say, ‘I’ll give you this if you become my Endorser.’”
“—!”

“If someone wants it, I’m happy to pass it along.”

“Wait, really?”

The moment those words left my mouth—I knew I’d lost. A playful smile
crept across Tiara-san’s lips.

“I don’t mind, but I’ve grown a bit attached to it. So I’d be glad if you gave
me something in return—within reason, of course.”

Tch. Of course it’s not that simple.

As I braced myself for whatever was coming, Tiara-san spoke casually.

“Would you help me study again?”

…Wait, studying? That’s it?

I blinked in surprise, and Tiara-san looked a little awkward.

“My test scores the other day… weren’t exactly great.”

“My grades have been slipping too, but if you're okay with that…”

“Yes, your explanations are always easy to understand. I really appreciate

them.”

Hearing that didn’t feel bad at all.

Still, I couldn't help wondering—was she really giving up on the student

council thing that easily?

As I lingered on that thought, Tiara-san looked away and asked,

“Did you change the ringtone for messages from Shikiya-senpai? That
sound earlier—like glass breaking.”
“Oh yeah. That way, I can tell who it's from without even looking. It's pretty
useful.”

For example, when it’s a message from Konuki-sensei, I can choose not to
check it—on purpose.

Just then, Tiara-san suddenly started fiddling with her phone. — Chirin.

A notification sound chimed from my own phone.

When I looked at the screen, there was a blank message from Tiara-san.

“…What’s this?”

While I stood there confused by the mysterious message, Tiara-san stashed

her phone back into her bag with a bored expression.

“So my contact is still set to the default ringtone, huh.”

“Well, yeah, I guess it is…”

What the—? Why is she suddenly acting all grumpy?

With a flick of her skirt, Tiara-san stood up.

“Then tomorrow, Saturday—please keep your afternoon open.”

“Tomorrow? Isn’t that kind of last-minute?”

“Oh? Did you have something planned?”

Plans… not really.

I shook my head, and Tiara-san gave me a bright smile as she turned to

leave.
That night, I spread my math materials out across my desk and looked
down at them with my arms crossed.

For tomorrow’s study session… what should I bring?

If I brought everything, it’d look like I was taking it too seriously, which
would be lame.

But if I brought too little, we might not have enough to keep us occupied.

Textbooks and notes are a given.

As for reference books and workbooks… I’ll just carefully pick one of
each.

With that, the bag’s not too bulky—nice.

Next up: outfit check.

I’d laid out a collared short-sleeved shirt and a pair of lightweight chino
pants on the floor.

Naturally, both were solid colors.

After a string of unfortunate “accidents,” most of my patterned clothes had

been ruined, so solids were all I had left.

“Alright, this is perfect—”

“Going out tomorrow, dear brother?”

Suddenly standing behind me was my little sister, Kaju.

“Yeah, just heading near the station.”

“Oh? Studying at the library?”

She glanced at my bag with a knowing look.

Tomorrow, I’m meeting Tiara-san in front of Seibunkan Bookstore by
Toyohashi Station before heading to the study session venue. It’s not like
I’m doing anything shady, but… if Kaju finds out, it’ll be a pain. Yeah.
Definitely a pain.

“Uh, well, I’m just going shopping a bit.”

“…You’re having a study session with someone, aren’t you?” Kaju

muttered quietly.

“Huh? No—”

“Wait, is it with a girl ?! Are you studying at her house , like an academic
date or something?!”

“No, no, it’s nothing like that. It’s a friend—yeah, just a guy friend I’m
studying with.”

The moment that lie slipped from my mouth, Kaju’s eyes sparkled as she
shook her head.

“Sakurai-san said he’s helping with his relatives’ cabbage harvest tomorrow.
Ayano-san has cram school. And you don’t have any other male friends
you’d study with, brother.”

Kaju never pulls her punches when it comes to my social life.

“Okay, I guess those two are pretty much the only ones I hang out with, but
—why do you know their schedules?”

“When Basori-san came over the other day, I asked her about your circle of
friends. So it is a girl you’re studying with! Is it the student council
president? Or Shikiya-san? Or maybe—”

“No, no, no. It's not like that. And isn't it time for middle schoolers to go to
bed?”

“Geez! Kaju’s practically an adult already!”

I ignored her protests and gently pushed her out of the room.

…Seriously, Kaju’s nosiness is a real issue.

Wait a second—come to think of it, Kaju shouldn’t even know Ayano.

Ayano and Tiara-san are barely acquainted, and I already deleted Asagumo-
san’s contact from her phone…

“…Did I mention Ayano at some point?”

Man, I really can’t trust my own memory lately.

I double-checked the contents of my bag and shoved in the pencil case I

almost forgot.

I was meeting Tiara-san at the main Seibunkan Bookstore in front of

Toyohashi Station.

I arrived earlier than the set time, so after checking out the latest light
novels and manga, I headed to the magazine section on the first floor. We
were supposed to meet there at 2:00 PM.

“Still got some time left…”

As I wandered through the information magazine section, a familiar figure

appeared in front of me.

“Huh? Nukumizu-kun?”

“Yanami-san? What are you doing here?”

Sure enough, the person flipping through a magazine was Anna Yanami.

She handed me the one she had been reading— "All Around Mikawa
Food Tour" .
“Shiratama-chan called me up. She had a free ticket and asked if I wanted
to go to a dessert buffet with her. Here, hold this open.”

“You two were close enough to hang out like that?”

“Not really, but it’s a free dessert buffet , you know? All you can eat .”

Yanami flicked her hair dramatically.

“Shiratama-chan is actually really sweet! I totally misjudged her.” Yanami’s

trust, bought for the low price of one dessert buffet. What a bargain.

“Well, sounds like fun. Anyway, I should get going—”

“Hey, this Kadomura place looks good, doesn’t it? The ramen has daikon in
it. Maybe it helps you lose weight.”

“Maybe. Uh, so I—”

“Those quail eggs marinated in sweet soy sauce look amazing too. Oh, next
page please.”

…Please don’t use people as human bookstands for your browsing.

Obediently turning the page, I kept glancing around.

Basori-san should be arriving soon. It’s not like we’re keeping this meeting
a secret, but considering all the drama with the student council election,
being seen together now would be… annoying.

As I restlessly scanned the area, Yanami kept her eyes on the magazine and
muttered under her breath:

“Hey… you are going to be Basori-san’s endorser, aren’t you?”

“I told her no. I think she understood. Probably.”

“Hmm. You’ve been looking around for a while now… waiting for
someone?”
“Ah, no, I just came here to check out new releases—”

Yanami suddenly snatched the magazine from my hands and gave me a

sharp side-eye.

“…Who? Do you even have friends outside the literature club, Nukumizu-
kun?”

“I do, okay? Like Ayano, or Sakurai-kun—”

"You're meeting with those two?"

"Uh, well..."

This is bad—Yanami is totally suspicious of me.

As I tried to dodge her stare, a faint sweet scent tickled my nose.

“Huh? Is that you, President?”

I turned toward the voice and saw Shiratama, dressed in a navy blue and
white polka-dot dress.

Her short skirt revealed her nicely shaped knees.

As she stepped away from me, Yanami suddenly hugged her.

"Shiratama-chan! Thanks for inviting me today!"

"I'm happy you're coming too, Senpai."

Shiratama gently freed herself from the hug, then tilted her head cutely at
me.

"President, would you like to come too?"

"Huh? No, I mean, I’ve got something to do—well, not exactly something
important, but I do have plans."
"Aww, I got turned down," she said jokingly, then pulled two tickets from
her small handbag.

"Yanami-senpai, I have to pick up a book I ordered, so would you mind

going in first? I’ll be right there."

"Sure, but... it feels a little awkward to start eating alone."

Wait—Yanami feels awkward about eating alone? That’s... new.

While I was still surprised, Shiratama put her hands together in a cute little
gesture.

"Sorry, if we’re late for the reservation, they might cancel on us. And if we
don’t get there soon, the popular roast beef might be gone!"

"Wait, they have roast beef?! Okay, I’m going ahead!"

Quick to act and easy to please, Yanami took the ticket and practically
bolted through the glass doors outside.

Shiratama waved a small hand to see her off, then let out a soft giggle.

"I'm glad she liked it. It was worth the rush to get those tickets."

"Wait, I thought you said you got them for free?"

"I did. Yep, that’s right."

Then Shiratama spun around and faced me with a smile.

"Recently, I exchanged contact info with Kaju-chan."

"Kaju?"

The sudden change in topic caught me completely off guard.

Given my assessment, those two should be like cats and dogs. What
happened between them…?
“Oh, really? When did you and Kaju get so friendly?”

Shiratama didn’t answer that—she just smiled sweetly.

“Kaju-chan is so cute, don’t you think? She gets all worked up whenever
it’s about her big brother.”

“Uh… yeah…”

With her fingers clasped behind her back, Shiratama leaned forward slightly
and looked up at me.

“Seriously, she’s adorable. Trying to act all sly, but it’s so obvious. She even
let your meeting place slip by accident.”

“Uhh… what are you talking about…?”

“Well, who knows?”

Shiratama straightened up and glanced behind me.

“…Hmm, so it’s the Vice President.”

“Huh?”

“You didn’t want Yanami-san to see you, right? I don’t mind, though.”

What… what is she even talking about? No—how much does Shiratama
actually know?

“Wait, did you come here knowing I’d be—”

“Well then, I’ll be going. I wouldn’t want to be a third wheel.”

“Oh, uh, okay…”

As she passed by, Shiratama leaned close and whispered into my ear:

“President—just so you know, I can be a very convenient girl.”

◇

After we met up, Tiara-san was strangely silent—and walking really fast.

We exited through the glass doors beside the magazine corner onto Tokiwa
Street, passed by the long line at the crepe stand, and headed deeper into the
arcade. I finally caught up and walked beside her.

“Um… are you mad?”

“I’m not angry. I was just a little surprised. I thought maybe you invited
those two to the study session as well.”

“I didn’t tell anyone. They just kinda dragged me into that, that’s all.”

Tiara-san gave a silent nod, then turned the corner near the chocolate shop
at the edge of the arcade.

After walking a bit more, she placed a hand on her chest and let out a quiet
sigh of relief.

“Phew… We should be safe now.”

“Huh? Safe from what?”

“That area gets a lot of foot traffic. Things have been a little noisy around
me lately,” Tiara-san said as she glanced around, then stepped in a bit
closer.

“...Nukumizu-san, have you heard of the ‘Birdwatching Club’?”

“You mean the one that got disbanded for selling voyeur photos?”

“Technically, it was an indefinite provisional suspension. But thanks to the

President’s mediation, they were allowed to continue activities under the
name of the Newspaper Club.”

“We had a Newspaper Club?”

“No. Which is why the President graciously asked them to contribute as a
‘new’ Newspaper Club, in hopes they’d eventually earn back the right to
revive the Birdwatching Club…”

Is it really worth going that far to preserve the Birdwatching Club?

“So… what’s up with this Newspaper Club?”

“They’ve started acting like a cheap tabloid. They’re following people

connected to the election. Since clubs like theirs don’t fall under student
council authority, I can’t intervene.”

Tiara-san pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed.

As a fellow bird lover, I wanted to apologize on their behalf—but I’m pretty

sure those guys don’t even like birds.

Walking alongside her, I glanced around our surroundings.

Once we exited the arcade to the north, leaving Hirokouji Street behind, the
foot traffic thinned noticeably.

Still, the area wasn’t deserted. This stretch, likely once filled with shops and
offices, now featured rows of houses that still retained their old storefront
façades.

Some of the buildings clearly used to be stores, and a few even seemed to
still be open for business.

Among them were newly opened eateries here and there, giving the area a
quiet sense of evolution while maintaining its nostalgic atmosphere.

Tiara-san walked confidently—she must know this area well.

“So, where are we having the study session, Basori-san?”

“Oh, I’m sorry—I forgot to explain. My house is nearby, so we’re heading

there.”
Huh, she lives around here? And we’re studying… at her place ?

“Wha—?! At your house?! Right now?!”

“My parents are out, so don’t worry—wait! Not like that , okay?! My little
brother is home, so don’t get any weird ideas! And also—”

Her face turned red as she hastily added:

“My brother has a girlfriend!”

What was she even trying to emphasize?

Still… even if her family’s not home, is it really okay for me to go into a
girl’s house? I mean, in a romantic comedy, this would be a guaranteed
event trigger. And in a more adult game… this’d be my chance to rack up
tons of unique CGs.

“Though… if it means completing the image gallery…”

“Nukumizu-san, what are you mumbling about over there?”

Oops. I’d let myself wander too far into the realm of grown-up fantasy.

Snapping back to reality, I glanced around. Something about this place

seemed familiar. The stone pavement beneath our feet—

“Isn’t this around Hanazono?”

“Yes. You know the area?”

“I come through sometimes on my way to that supermarket up ahead.”

This neighborhood used to be a lively shopping district.

Though now, most of the shutters were down, and the number of open
shops seemed to shrink year by year.

Amid the fading scenery stood one large, brand-new building.

“Huh? Since when was there an apartment complex here?”

Tiara-san, about to pass it by, stopped and looked up at the building.

“It was built recently. All the residents who used to live here have moved
out.”

“I see…”

“Back in my grandparents’ time, this shopping street was apparently quite

lively. But… times change, I suppose.”

Her tone was flat as she said it, then she resumed walking and turned a
corner.

“My house is just up ahead—”

“Why, if it isn’t Tiara-chan!”

The cheerful voice that suddenly overrode hers belonged to a rather plump
middle-aged woman.

Caught off guard, Tiara-san quickly bowed her head.

“Hello, Michishige-san.”

“Oh my, what’s this? Usually you call me auntie , but today you’re being all
polite.”

“Ah, well…”

“Auntie’s a little sad, you know—feels like Tiara-chan’s all grown up

now… wait, wait…?”

It was only then that Michishige-san seemed to notice me. Her eyes
widened.

“Oh my! Oh my, oh my! Tiara-chan? Oh my —!”

“Y-you’ve got it wrong!!”

"Yeah, yeah, of course. I know it's not like that. You know, your auntie had
a time like that too, back in the day? With someone who wasn't my current
husband. But that's a secret, okay?"

"Th-that’s why I’m saying—it’s not like that!!"

"I got it, I got it. Auntie understands everything . Sorry to interrupt."

Nodding sagely like she didn’t need to hear another word, Michishige-san
passed by with a smile.

For some reason, she gave me a big thumbs-up as she did.

"Tiara-chan's really growing up— or about to , maybe? Oh my, oh my..."

The sheer destructive force of a nosy neighborhood auntie... It’s no wonder

Tiara-san trembled, covering her face with both hands.

…I wonder if Yanami’s going to end up like that someday.

The Basori residence was just a short walk from where we’d bumped into
Michishige-san—a three-story building facing the street.

Judging by the glass front on the first floor, it had probably been a store at
one point.

Tiara-san slid open the glass door and gestured for me to follow her inside.

The shop space was dim, filled with shelves stacked with storage containers
and cardboard boxes.

“Sorry it’s such a mess,” she said, sounding a little embarrassed as she
walked toward the back.

“It’s really not that bad. What kind of shop was it?”
“My grandfather’s. He sold insignia and emblems.”

“Insignia?”

“Yes—badges, trophies, banners… that sort of thing. He closed it down

after he couldn’t keep up with competitors.”

Huh, I didn’t know there was a business like that.

“Oh, so that’s why you wear a name tag on your uniform?”

“No. That’s just school rules. And please don’t call me by my first name.”

Tiara-san brushed that off smoothly and opened a door at the back.

Beyond it was a small area for removing shoes, and a step up led into the
living space.

A staircase to the second floor was just to the right, and the living room lay
straight ahead.

“My room’s on the third floor. Please take your shoes off there.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you very much.”

…Yeah, moments like this just make you instinctively switch into formal
mode.

A home that overflowed with the presence of daily life—lived-in, real.

And yet, the fact that it belonged to a girl I wasn’t particularly close to
made it feel all the more profound.

We climbed the steep stairs up to the third floor. There were two doors
along the hallway.

“Takashi, I told you to put your bag away properly,” Tiara-san called out as
she passed the first door.
So she played the big sister role at home too. And thank goodness her little
brother had a normal name.

“It’s not much, but… please, come in.”

She led me in a little timidly to a six-mat tatami room.

The only noticeable furniture were a bed, a study desk, a bookshelf, and a
low tea table.

A classic, simple Japanese-style room.

For a high school girl’s room, it was pretty plain—but the pale pink of the
curtains and the rug under the tea table added a quietly feminine touch.

That soft contrast—the subtle hint of “girl” amidst the simplicity—did a lot
of heavy lifting.

“Please, have a seat on the cushion there.”

“Ah, thanks.”

I sat formally on the cushion, a little stiff.

Couldn’t be helped—I mean, this was my first time in a girl’s room .

Komari’s room didn’t count—she shared it with her siblings, and it was an
emergency situation.

Tiara-san sat primly across from me and started nervously fiddling with her
bangs.

“W-well then, shall we get started?”

“Y-yeah… let’s.”

All we were going to do was study, so why did the air feel like this?

We both quietly pulled out our textbooks, almost in sync.

“Um… would it be all right if we worked on math again today? I’m really
bad with sequences.”

“Perfect. I suck at those too.”

I said it offhandedly, but she giggled at that.

“That’s not perfect at all. But then, let’s struggle through it together.”

I wasn’t quite sure why that landed, but I was glad she laughed. I let out a
small breath of relief and opened my textbook.

“By the way, how did you do on that last test?”

“Well, there were signs of improvement scattered here and there… Let’s say
it wasn’t worse than the numbers themselves.”

She clenched her fist with determination. Hey, a positive mindset is a good
thing.

—It was about thirty minutes into the study session.

We had just finished checking answers, and I glanced up.

Tiara-san was silently focused, working through a problem set with a

serious expression.

Her tightly pulled-back hair, thick eyebrows, and the mole on her neck
stood out starkly against her pale skin.

Her unexpectedly small face looked like it had no makeup—but maybe, just
maybe, she touched it up a little on weekends—just a bit.

"…Is there something on my face?"

Tiara-san tilted her head curiously, having looked up at some point.

"Ah—no, it's nothing. I was just… wondering about something."

I mumbled, trying to dodge the question, and Tiara-san leaned forward with
a playful smile.

"Eh? Now I really want to know. What is it?"

"Ah, well—just that you really weren’t here to recruit me for the student
council, huh?"

Poof —her smile vanished instantly.

…Yeah, that was a bad response.

"Depending on the situation, I was. Once I got you into my house, I figured
you'd be mine."

Tiara-san said it in a tone I couldn't tell was joking or serious.

Wait, depending on the situation ? That means—

"…So you aren’t planning to anymore?"

"Actually, the deadline for running for president was yesterday. And even
by the evening, I was still the only candidate."

Her expression hinted at a mischievous little confession.

"Wait, so there's no election?"

"That’s right. Just a statement of intent and a confidence vote. No campaign

speeches, either."

Then what was all that fuss for?

I mean, we just saw each other at the board game café yesterday…

"Why didn’t you tell me last night?"

"Sorry. Technically, nothing was official until the date changed, so I held
off."
I see.

Rather than getting mad, I felt oddly relieved, and a smile crept to my lips.

"…Oh? Don’t tell me you were actually starting to think about helping
me?"

"Yeah, I guess I was kind of thinking helping with the election wouldn’t be
so bad."

"Heh, easy to say now, isn’t it?"

"Talk is cheap."

At my quip, Tiara-san laughed happily.

So she laughs like this, huh…

After a bit of shared laughter, she dabbed at the corners of her eyes and
said:

"I actually had a secret weapon ready in case I really needed to convince
you, but turns out I didn’t have to use it."

"A secret weapon? What kind?"

"Oh, it's nothing exciting."

She brushed it off with a chuckle.

…Wait a sec.

Wasn’t I lured here with the promise of some rare Chikapyon promo
merch?

In other words, that was the secret weapon, wasn’t it—

"Can I see it?"

“Uh, but…”

When I leaned forward, Tiara-san flinched slightly.

That reaction—this had to be some seriously rare merch.

“I’m really curious about your secret weapon, Tiara-san.”

“Um, but it’s not really something to show off or anything…”

“Sure it is. It'll be just our secret—no one else will know.”

“S-Secret…!”

Maybe my enthusiasm got through to her.

Tiara-san gave a small nod, her lips trembling and her eyes glancing up at
me.

“U-Um… I don’t know if it’ll live up to your expectations…”

She pulled something out from her desk drawer and sat back down, still
hiding it behind her.

Didn’t look like it was that big—maybe an acrylic stand or something?

I held my breath, watching intently.

Then—

“O-Okay, I’m going for it!”

She suddenly put it on her head.

Then, raising her hands in a cat-like pose, she spoke in an adorable voice:

“P-Please cheer for me, nyaaa~!”

…………
………………What in the world just happened, Tiara-san?

Sitting right in front of me, on top of her head, was—a pair of cat ears .
As I froze from the sudden full-throttle shift, Tiara-san turned red all the
way to her neck.

“Eh...? No, I mean, it's not like that! I just thought you might like this kind
of thing, Nukumizu-san! I don't actually have that kind of hobby!”

“Uh, well, I mean... I do like it, but—”

“You like it?!”

Just as flustered Tiara-san shouted that— Bang. The room door suddenly
burst open.

“Sis. I’m heading out for a bit—”

“Takashi?!”

Standing there was a cheerful-looking boy in a stylish tracksuit. He looked

about the same age as Kaju.

He froze for a moment upon seeing his sister, but seemed to decide to
ignore what he saw.

He gave me a polite little bow.

“Uh... hi there. I’m her younger brother.”

“Oh, uh, nice to meet you. I'm Nukumizu.”

An awkward silence descended once more.

Tiara-san’s brother glanced at his sister with a conflicted expression, then

bowed again.

“Um... I’ll just eat dinner out. So, uh, take your time.”
Click. The door closed, and the sound of footsteps quickly descending the
stairs echoed out.

Tiara-san, still frozen in place, slowly turned her head toward me with a
stiff creak.

“Nukumizu-san... what should we do...?”

What should we do? I have no idea.

Her face, which had been flushed bright red only moments ago, had now
gone completely pale.

I took a deep breath to calm myself and spoke.

“Um... does your brother have good eyesight?”

“Hmm... He did mention recently that his vision's been getting a little
worse.”

That’s it. I nodded firmly.

“Maybe he didn’t even see your cat ears.”

“Eh? Is that even possible?”

“Think about it. His sister was wearing cat ears and going ‘meow’ in front
of some unfamiliar guy, right?”

“Guh!”

Tiara-san let out a groan, clutching her chest. Not yet. Hang in there just a
little longer.

“Normally, keeping a straight face would be impossible. But your brother?

He stayed completely calm and—”

"...Really? That was the first time I've seen that kind of expression on my
brother’s face."
"No, he looked completely calm. No doubt about it. Which means,
paradoxically, your brother didn’t see the cat ears. We have no choice but to
assume that."

Color began returning to Tiara-san’s previously pale face. Good, just a little
more.

"What about the 'meow'? You think he didn’t hear that either?"

"Oh, no doubt. The sound of the door opening must have created a reverse
phase that canceled it out. We learned that in physics class, so it’s definitely
true."

"I see... I take biology, so I didn’t notice that."

What a coincidence—I take biology too.

Apparently, Tiara-san accepted my completely made-up explanation.

She removed the cat ears from her head and let out a relieved sigh.

"Yes, I feel a little calmer now. Sorry for losing my composure."

"Ah, as long as you understand Tiara-san, that’s what matters. There’s really
nothing to worry about."

Also, Tiara-san, you should probably be a little more skeptical of people.

"...True. That aside, please stop calling me by my first name so casually."

Tiara-san had been fooled—not fooled, convinced—and the situation had

settled down nicely.

All that was left was to finish the study session and get my hands on those
Chikapyon goods.

Her brother had gone out, so no chance of weird misunderstandings —

Wait a second. The parents were out from the start, and now the brother’s
gone too. That means...

"Just the two of us...?"

"Yes?!"

Crap, I said that out loud. Tiara-san jumped to her feet.

"What are you suddenly saying?!"

"No, no, I didn’t mean anything weird by it. It’s just, you know—when a
guy visits a girl’s room, you have to be considerate. If people see it the
wrong way, it could trouble the other person."

At my earnest explanation, Tiara-san sat back down slowly, still a little

wary.

"Well... I suppose with you , there’s no way anything like that would
happen. I mean, I’m a girl."

Please trust me. Even if that last part was a bit strange.

"Uh, just to clarify, I’m not romantically interested in the same sex."

"Yes, I know. Do you think I can’t tell the difference between my delusions
and reality?"

...Yes, I do.

Seeing the look on my face, Tiara-san cleared her throat with a small cough.

"Well, I did go through a phase where I couldn’t really tell the difference."

"So there was a time like that."

"As a countermeasure, I’ve recently started writing my thoughts down in

text."
“By writing, do you mean like a diary?”

Tiara-san nodded, then touched a finger to the spot between her brows, deep
in thought.

“For example… in my mind, you’re the sadistic top, and the student council
president is a guy and the bottom, right?”

Even if you say “right?” like it’s obvious…

With a completely serious expression, Tiara-san continued her explanation.

“But when I write that out and come back to it a few days later, I can clearly
distinguish, like, ‘That can’t possibly be real,’ and I can separate delusion
from reality. I suppose it’s a kind of cognitive therapy.”

Wait, she can’t tell the difference unless a few days have passed? This
might be worse than I thought.

Looking oddly proud of herself, Tiara-san opened her workbook.

“So please don’t worry. I have a clear grasp of reality. The president is a
woman, and you, Nukumizu-san, are a woman-loving, sadistic top.”

There’s still a bit of delusion bleeding through…

Just then, as she was cheerfully solving problems while humming to herself,
her hand suddenly stopped.

“...Did I say something weird just now?”

“No, you’re just being your usual self.”

“R-right! Nukumizu-san loves women and is a sadistic, um… completely

unrestrained…”

Her briefly cheerful face suddenly paled.

“Uh, um. I’m, well, a woman. But not as an object of your lust or
anything…”

“Yeah, of course. I don’t see you like that, Basori-san.”

“You don’t ?!”

…How am I supposed to explain this?

Well, that said, a girl letting a guy into her home without anyone else
around is risky.

It’s fine because I’m a decent guy, but if it were some creep, he might not
stop at just touching a leg or two.

I cleared my throat and turned to Tiara-san.

“Uh, look, Basori-san. Men are creatures prone to misunderstandings.”

“Misunderstandings?”

“Yeah. If a guy ends up alone in a girl’s room, he might misread the

situation—like, he’s being invited to do something.”

“ Hyuuh?! ”

Still sitting, Tiara-san slid backwards away from me in a panic.

“It’s fine with me, but other guys might—”

“Uh, um…”

Hands clenched in front of her chest, trembling slightly, Tiara-san looked at

me with quivering lips and whispered:

“D-do you… want to …?”

"Eh, what are you talking about?"

When I asked, Tiara-san’s face turned bright red.

"W-what do you think ?! That ! And—what are you making me say?!"

That's what I'm trying to figure out here.

Just as I was about to ask again in disbelief, Tiara-san’s phone suddenly

rang.

"Th-this is a call! I’m answering it, okay?!"

She stood up and pressed the phone to her ear.

"…Sensei? Oh, thank you for your hard work, even on a Saturday. Yes, I’m
free right now."

Still on the phone, Tiara-san stepped out into the hallway.

Her voice, leaking faintly from beyond the door, sounded serious— maybe
she’d gotten a failing grade or something.

…Even so, she’s as strange as ever.

Dragging me to her house just to recruit me, and even putting on cat ears.

In the end, none of that was necessary. The whole thing was just a waste of
effort.

If that’s the case… we probably didn’t even need to have this study session
at her place to begin with.

Click.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening.

Tiara-san came back into the room, her face pale.

"Did something happen?"

Placing a hand to her chest, she took a deep breath and spoke in a serious
voice.

"Last night, just before the deadline, someone submitted their candidacy for
student council president."

So… that means it won’t be just a vote of confidence—there’s going to be

an actual election ?

As I stared at her in surprise, Tiara-san dropped into the seat in front of me

like she was diving into it.

"Nukumizu-san, you said it, didn’t you?! That you’d help with the
election!"

"Wait, I—"

…Okay, maybe I did say that. I felt sweat bead on my forehead.

"No, wait, I did say it, but not in that sense—well, okay, it was in that
sense, but I didn’t mean it like that —"

"Please! I don't have the confidence to beat him alone!"

Even if I helped, I didn’t think that would change much… …Wait a second.
Did she just say him ?

"Who submitted the candidacy? Do I know them?"

Tiara-san nodded slowly, then said the name:

"—Hiroto Sakurai. The student council treasurer."

"?! But Sakurai-kun said he wasn’t interested…"

If that’s true… I can’t see a future where Tiara-san wins. Honestly, I’d
probably vote for Sakurai-kun.

As I fell silent, at a total loss for words, Tiara-san pulled something out—
As she slowly placed it on her head, she opened her mouth with a trembling
voice.

“P-please… fight this election with me… nyaa …”

Tiara-san, visibly shaking, posed like a beckoning cat.

Um… what am I supposed to do here?

Nyaa .
Intermission - A Treasured Memory

After school in the student council room.

Student Council President Hibari Hokobaru was thoroughly wiping down

her desk with a tightly wrung-out rag.

Turning away from organizing the bookshelf, treasurer Hiroto Sakurai

glanced over and smiled.

“You’re getting a bit ahead of yourself. There’s still a month left in your
term.”

“I don’t like scrambling to clean up at the last minute. Respect is built up

over time,”

she said, rinsing the rag in a bucket of water.

Noticing Sakurai’s slightly concerned gaze, Hokobaru gave a little shrug, as

if to say, don’t worry about it .

“I inherited a lot from the presidents before me. It’s my duty to pass that on
to the next generation.”

She wrung the rag out tightly again and began wiping her chair.

“You’ve been in the student council for two years now, so I bet you’ve got a
lot of memories.”

Hokobaru smiled fondly.

“Oh yes. The previous president was quite the character. Easily on par with
Miss Koto.”

“I’m glad I joined this year,” Sakurai said with a chuckle—then his
expression turned more serious.
“I wonder if Yumeko-san is okay. It sounds like she’s upset Basori -chan
again.”

“Oh, that’s just proof they’re close. Shikiya really comes alive when she’s
with Basori-kun.”

Vice President Tiara Basori had already submitted her candidacy for
student council president.

At present, no other candidates had filed, and as long as she cleared the
confidence vote, the position was hers.

Once Hokobaru stepped down, she would no longer be involved with the
student council.

Sakurai had already decided that.

He had no interest in a student council that didn’t include her.

He quietly reaffirmed that to himself, then returned to his usual gentle

smile.

Looking over, he saw that Hokobaru had finished cleaning to her

satisfaction.

She hung the rag over the edge of the bucket and glanced across the top of
her desk.

“Right. I should give this to you before I forget.”

She reached for a folder.

“The file has a summary of all the pending issues. The supplementary
budget meeting tends to get messy every year, so be prepared,”

Hokobaru said, offering the folder to him.

Sakurai glanced at the file, then shook his head slightly in hesitation. “
Hiba-nee , I’m not staying in the student council.”
“…Ah, that’s right. Sorry, habit,”

Hokobaru replied with a wry smile, running her hand gently over the
folder's surface.

“For some reason, I always felt like you’d be the one to take over.

Even though I knew better.”

She stared at the folder in her hands for a few moments, then seemed to
shake off the thought as she returned it to the desk.

“Well, let’s call it a day. Hiroto, anything you need help with?”

She reached for the bucket’s handle—

But in the next moment, the handle detached with a clatter.

“Hiba-nee—!”

Sakurai instinctively reached out, but before he could react, Hokobaru

caught the bucket rim with her free hand.

Both of them exhaled in relief.

“See? I’m not always the one being taken care of,” she said with a grin.

“Yeah, looks like a weight’s been lifted.”

“Feels a lot lighter, doesn’t it?”

They shared a small laugh—

Just then, Sakurai’s phone rang. When he looked at the screen, his smile
faded.

“…It’s Koharu, isn’t it? Don’t worry about me. Go ahead and answer.”
Sakurai stared at the screen for a moment, then silently flipped the phone
over and placed it on the desk.

“I’ll call her back later. If she’s calling at this hour, it’s probably nothing
urgent.”

He spoke flatly, then walked over to Hokobaru’s desk.

“Hiba-nee, can I take another look at that file from earlier?”

“What’s the matter? Did something catch your eye?”

Hokobaru handed him the file again.

Sakurai realized he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off it ever since she’d
brought it up.

That realization brought with it a sense of resolve.

With a serious expression, as if making a firm decision, he reached out his

hand.

“──Yeah, I guess I’ve gotten a little interested.”

Second Defeat: Swayed by the Weight on My

Shoulders

The start of the week. Monday’s classes were over, with only homeroom
left.

Our homeroom teacher for Class 2-C, Konami Amanatsu, looked around at
us, then slapped the lectern with a loud bang .

“You lot—June brides are a trap.”

…Here we go again.

After two months in the new school year, the class had grown used to
Amanatsu-sensei.

When she’s in one of her moods, the best strategy is to stay quiet and think
about the weather.

“They’re after my summer bonus, I’m telling you. Did you know that 28 is
the age when people around you start getting married left and right? Okay,
let me break it down for you—”

Amanatsu-sensei began drawing a diagram on the blackboard with chalk.

“After high school, the ones who go straight to work hit their first marriage
wave in 2 to 3 years. You know, the whole ‘young and cute bride’ thing.
And the ones who go to college often end up moving and resetting their
social circles, so five to six years after graduation, that thing starts up
again…!”

She scrawled “Second Marriage Rush!” across the board in large letters,
then turned back to us.

“Listen up, this is when the real hell begins!”

Bam bam bam! She slammed the blackboard in a frenzy.

“Your comrades in suffering will suddenly become your enemies! People

say, ‘Oh, but Konami, you’re cute, it should be easy to find someone~’—If
it’s so easy, then go find someone for me! You said it’s easy, didn’t you?!”

Konami Amanatsu, 28 years old. A soul’s desperate cry.

Unfortunately, the average age of Class 2-C was sixteen, and the response
was lukewarm at best.

As I half-listened to the Amanatsu Show, my eyes drifted to the back of

Sakurai-kun.
It still felt awkward, so I hadn’t brought up the election.

What prompted his sudden candidacy? I should probably talk to him about
it properly...

“Isn’t it weird that there’s a wedding every weekend in June...? Even

Konuki-chan has been distant lately, and this year, my parents didn’t even
send me any matchmaking photos. I said I’d find someone on my own, but
can’t they just understand their daughter’s pride…?”

Her complaints dragged on even longer than usual today.

With June approaching, the invisible brides-to-be were gnawing at

Amanatsu-sensei’s heart.

“When the tide comes, make sure you go with the flow, got it? … Ugh,
were there any announcements?”

Amanatsu-sensei flipped through her planner lazily, then waved her hand
dismissively.

“Alright, don’t get too caught up in love and romance, okay? That’s it for
today—class dismissed.”

When Amanatsu-sensei gave the teacher’s desk one more light slap , it was
the cue for the rest of the class to stand up.

Alright, I need to catch Sakurai-kun.

But before I could even get to my feet, the classroom door burst open.

The person who came rushing in was—Tiara-san. She strode straight over
to me and dropped a stack of papers onto my desk with a heavy thud.

"Nukumizu-san, about what we were discussing on Saturday—"

"...What were we discussing again?"

I answered instinctively, and Tiara-san leaned in close.

"In my room! Don’t tell me you forgot? After making me wear that outfit?!"

"That was your idea—not the point! Can we maybe take this somewhere
more private?!"

This conversation could easily be misunderstood. No, wait—it’s not even

entirely a misunderstanding, which makes it worse.

Nervously, I glanced around. Yanami, Komari, even Himemiya-san were all

staring at me with eyes full of suspicion. And for some reason… Amanatsu-
sensei was taking pictures of me?

Tiara-san gave a quick glance at Sakurai-kun and cleared her throat.

"You’re right. We should go somewhere else. Somewhere… we can be

alone."

Yeah, sounds good. But I really wish she’d be more careful with her
wording.

In the courtyard of Tsuwabuki High School, there was a large stone table
and some matching benches.

Following her lead, I sat next to Tiara-san as she began laying out the
documents on the table.

"Now then, about the election—notice will be given one week before the
vote. Until then, it's considered the preparation period, and we're allowed to
gather student opinions—"

Tiara-san launched into her explanation at full speed.

Students passing through the nearby walkway kept giving us puzzled looks.

"Um, Tiara-san? Isn’t this place a bit too... visible?"

"The distance is enough that no one can hear us. Also, please don’t call me
by my first name."

She said this smoothly as she flipped to the next page.

"I want to do as much as I can in advance, and I need you to understand

how the student council works. So, I’m sorry, but can you make time after
school for the foreseeable future?"

"Uh, wait a second—"

"Ah, sorry—I was rambling on by myself. Nukumizu-san, please go ahead."

Tiara-san gave me a slightly embarrassed smile.

"Uh, about the student council election…"

"Yes!"

For some reason, she looked at me with eyes full of hopeful anticipation.

I averted my gaze and continued.

"It’s just… with my responsibilities in the Literature Club, I don’t think I

can get too deeply involved—"

"But in my room—"

Tiara-san’s words trailed off.

She stood in silence for a moment, then began gathering the papers from the
table.

"Y-you’re right. You have your own club to worry about."

Her voice trembled slightly.

"I’m sorry… I took your kindness too seriously. It’s fine—I’ll manage on
my own. The uniform change starts tomorrow, so… take care, okay?"
Hurriedly, she stuffed the documents into her bag and turned to leave.

"—Wait."

I stood up before I even had time to think, reaching out to grab her hand.

"Nukumizu-san…?"

"I can’t be your endorser, but… I could help out a little, just until you find
someone else."

I knew this was a bad mix of pity and self-justification.

I was aware I was extending my hand with half-hearted emotions—

"But… wouldn’t that be a bother for you?"

"The student council’s always been good to me. I should give something
back, at least once."

The tension in her hand slowly eased.

"…The one standing here isn’t the student council. It’s me."

"What do you mean?"

I asked reflexively. Tiara-san gently shook her head.

"No… I mean, since you’re close to Sakurai-kun, wouldn’t it be awkward

for you to side with me?"

"I don’t think it’d be a problem. He’s got plenty of friends—he wouldn’t
mind."

"I have friends too, you know." She mumbled with a faint pout before
breaking into a small, self-conscious laugh.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it. I don’t have any other guy friends, so…"
"I don't have many guy friends either."

"Still, having more acquaintances of the opposite sex is... questionable."

Just as the tension between us softened with another joke—

"Basori-senpai, would you like some tea?"

"“!?”"

A cup from a thermos was suddenly offered in front of Tiara-san.

Through the rising steam from the cup, Shiratama-san smiled sweetly.

"Shiratama-san?!"

"Eh—what are you doing here?"

"I saw you from the walkway. And since you two were holding hands, I
thought maybe it was cold."

"T-That’s not it! Nukumizu-san grabbed me all of a sudden!"

What a terrible way to phrase it. Embarrassed, Tiara-san quickly shook off
my hand.

Shiratama-san, now with nowhere to offer the tea, took a small sip herself
and nodded as if satisfied.

"So, the club president has decided to help Basori-san, then?"

"You were listening—wait, what do you mean I have?"

I asked, confused. Shiratama tilted her head cutely and answered:

"Didn’t you hear? Sakurai-senpai’s endorser is now Yanami-senpai."

◇

The next day—Tuesday.

First period was dedicated to sports festival practice.

On the day of the event, there would be a class-versus-class cheering battle,

but participation was optional.

Naturally, since I hadn’t signed up, I leaned against a tree at the edge of the
field, watching the others go through the motions.

Among those participating were Yanami and Himemiya-san, along with the
guys—Ayano and Sakurai.

Apparently, on the day of the event, the boys would wear school uniforms
and the girls would dress as cheerleaders.

But… is it really okay for Himemiya-san to wear that? There’s a lot of

jumping and bouncing involved...

As I absentmindedly pondered the laws of inertia, it seemed the practice

had ended.

The music stopped, and the cheer squad began to disperse.

Glancing over, I spotted Sakurai-kun chatting happily with a group of girls

from our class.

Chatting with girls during class—now that’s peak extrovert behavior. And
borrowing a towel on top of that.

"Sakurai-kun really is popular, huh."

"Well, yeah. But you're not exactly losing either, Nukumizu."

The one who said that as he walked over to me was Mitsuki Ayano.

He followed my gaze and asked curiously:

"Something up between you and Sakurai? You’ve been kind of distant since
yesterday."

"Not exactly... there's just something bothering me."

"...I see. Got it."

Ayano's glasses gleamed dramatically.

He absolutely did not get it.

"Nukumizu—you've finally fallen for someone, haven’t you?"

"No, that's not it."

Yep, definitely didn’t get it.

"No? But yesterday you were doing something with Basori-san, right?"

"Helping her out is more of a situation thing—like... a transactional thing,

you know?"

Come to think of it, I still hadn’t gotten those Chikapyon goods yet.

No matter how cute Tiara-san looked with cat ears, that alone wasn’t
enough.

"If it’s not Basori-san, then—"

Shing! His glasses flashed again.

"Wait, what?"

"...Good luck, Nukumizu."

With a meaningful thumbs-up, Ayano walked off in silence.

What the hell was that about?

Well, Ayano’s always been a bit off.

Just as I was convincing myself of that—

"Skipping class isn’t allowed, Nukumizu-kun."

This time it was Yanami who approached, giving me a smug smile as she
raised her arms in a pose.

"So, how do I look?"

"Uh... like an anteater making a threat display?"

"Wrong. I meant, do you think anything about me in a cheerleader outfit?"

"You're just in gym clothes right now."

I replied as any reasonable person would. Yanami shrugged with a theatrical

sigh.

"That’s exactly the problem, Nukumizu-kun. I said I was in the cheering

squad, so you immediately imagined me in a cheerleader uniform, didn’t
you?"

"No, not really."

"...You’re allowed to, you know?"

"Ugh... I'm tired and really don’t want to think about unnecessary stuff right
now."

Okay, fine. Let’s picture Yanami in a cheerleader outfit. Pom-poms in her

hands, hair tied back...

The skirt’s probably short, and the top’s a little snug around the chest —

"Oh, you might want to be careful—your stomach’s sticking out a bit."

"What kind of image are you conjuring up?!"

"Yanami-san's—uh, never mind."

Yanami waved a hand in exasperation.

"You know, I’m only trying to cheer you up ‘cause you’ve been sulking all
morning."

If that was her version of being considerate, she could try a bit harder.

"Uh... you’re Sakurai’s endorser, right?"

"Oh? So you are interested."

Yanami’s voice came fast and sharp, and I instinctively looked away —like
she’d seen right through me.

"I mean, you get pretty nervous in front of crowds. Are you okay with
giving a speech?"

"I’m not the same person I used to be. And hey, whether it’s me or you who
wins, it’s still a win for the Literature Club if one of us becomes vice
president, right?"

"Wait, you’re aiming to be vice president?"

I blinked. Yanami nodded like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Tsukinoki-senpai used to be in both the student council and the Lit Club,
remember? It’s doable."

"I mean, maybe, but still..."

Then she glanced around, as if checking for eavesdroppers, and whispered:

"—This is about power."

"Power?"

I stared, blankly. Yanami smirked and elaborated:

"Forget mini-fridges. I’m talking about installing a full-on system kitchen in
the Lit Club room. You know, the kind with a counter."

"The student council doesn’t have that much authority."

So she really does want into the student council...

While I was mulling it over in silence, Yanami bumped her shoulder into
mine.

"Hey, did something happen with Basori-san?"

"Nothing happened."

"You were totally indifferent before, but yesterday you two were kind of
flirting, weren’t you?"

"We were not. "

I said it flatly. Yanami looked up at me with narrowed eyes.

"You went to her house, didn’t you?"

"I didn’t—"

Yeah, I did go. Tiara-san was wearing cat ears. Seeing me hesitate, Yanami
raised an eyebrow. “What? Seriously? Did you fall for her seduction?”

“No, it’s not like that. It was just a deal to get some anime merch.”

“Anime merch...?”

While Yanami seemed to be deliberating internally, a small figure

approached us.

“Y-Yanami, it’s time to restart practice,”

It was Komari, carrying an old CD boombox that looked heavy.

“Oh, Komari-chan. You got the batteries?”

“T-The PE teachers’ office was scary...”

Komari nodded tearfully. Wait, if she’s carrying that, then...

“Don’t tell me—you also signed up for the cheer battle?”

“I-I’m in charge of music and filming,”

For some reason, Komari looked oddly proud of herself.

“If you participate in the cheer battle, you don’t have to do any of the solo
events...”

Oh, really? Lucky. I still have to run that stupid obstacle course I never
wanted to enter.

“Well then, let’s go, Komari-chan. By the way, wanna be a cheerleader?”

“N-No, I don’t want to.”

Yanami reached for the handle of the boombox, and the two of them carried
it together as they headed for the field.

...Somehow, I managed to dodge that one.

Of course, it’s not like there was anything to dodge in the first place. Still, if
I said I spent time in Tiara-san’s room indulging in cat-ear cosplay, or that I
agreed to help her out of some misplaced sense of guilt, people would
definitely get the wrong idea.

While I was justifying things to myself in my head, for some reason,

Yanami and Komari stopped walking and looked back at me over their
shoulders.

“...What?”
As I timidly asked, the two of them fired back at me in a provocative tone:

“Let’s do this fair and square, Nukumizu-kun.”

“Ch… Cheater.”

…Geez, could they sound any worse?

Trying to escape the curious stares of passing classmates, I looked up at the

blue sky.

Two days later, after school. The election campaign had finally begun.

Walking down the hallway side by side with Tiara-san, I flipped through the
papers in my hand.

“Next is the art club visit. We’ve got a meeting with the softball team in
thirty minutes, so factoring in travel time, let’s wrap this up in twenty.”

“Understood. I know the art club’s vice president personally, so I’ve already
done the preliminary check.”

I followed behind Tiara-san as she briskly climbed the stairs.

…Yeah, I’d totally underestimated how much prep goes into a student
council election.

I’d thought this would just be about preparing a few flyers—but no, we
were actually going around to meet voters, like it was a real election.

“Hey, isn’t this, like, an election violation? Asking people directly to vote
for you?”

“We’re allowed to listen to the voters’ requests. I confirmed it with the

teacher.”
At the top of the stairs, Tiara-san glanced at her wristwatch.

“Looks like we’ll arrive right on time.”

“Nah, this hallway’s longer than it looks. If we don’t pick up the pace, we’ll
miss our appointment.”

“Why do you know that in such detail?”

No need to explain. It’s the fruit of all the research I’ve done to figure out
how to kill time between classes.

I simply gave a silent smile and picked up my pace, overtaking Tiara-san.

On our way back from meeting with the softball team, Tiara-san stopped in
front of the gymnasium.

“What is it? We’re done with today’s schedule, right?”

“Yes, but the boys’ basketball team is practicing right now. I haven’t been
able to set an appointment with the captain, so I’m going to ask him
directly.”

As we took off our shoes together at the gym entrance, I asked a simple
question:

“You can’t get an appointment? Is the boys’ basketball team really that
busy?”

“Their manager keeps blocking me. Apparently, she thinks I’m only after
the boys…”

Tiara-san let out a sigh.

The boys’ basketball and soccer teams were the most popular among the
girls—something I’d overheard from the girls in class once.
“Popular clubs have it rough. The literature club’s lucky we don’t have any
romantic drama.”

“……”

Tiara-san stared at me with eyes full of unspoken words.

…What is it? If you’ve got something to say, please just say it.

“I do have thoughts about that, but first things first—we need to talk to the
captain.”

She placed her hand on the gym’s heavy door.

I stepped in to help her open it, and a flood of noise burst out from within.

On one side of the court, the boys’ basketball team was practicing. On the
other side, it was the girls’ volleyball team.

As Tiara-san walked over to speak with the manager, I kept her in my

peripheral vision while watching the boys’ basketball team.

I don’t really get what goes on in a girl’s mind, but it’s true that tall, clean-
cut guys have a certain appeal.

Oh, that guy—number 10—just nailed a shot. Kinda cool…

As I stared blankly, I started to notice some of the basketball guys sneaking

glances in my direction.

What, is an introvert like me that much of a novelty?

Just as I was mentally preparing to shut down socially, I realized— they

weren’t only looking at me.

Their eyes were aimed past me.

I turned to follow their gaze, and saw the girls’ volleyball team in the
middle of practice—or wait, it was more like a scrimmage. And among
them…

Two familiar faces stood out.

—Anna Yanami and Hiroto Sakurai.

Still in their school uniforms, they were laughing as they volleyed slow,
lobbing balls back and forth.

…What the hell is with all that giggling and flirting?

Honestly, it’s disgraceful. A guy, hanging around in the middle of a girls’

club just goofing off—utterly shameful behavior.

While I was busy mourning the state of manhood, the fun seemed to have
wrapped up. Yanami stayed behind chatting with someone who looked like
the team captain, while Sakurai jogged over toward me. “You came too,
Nukumizu? Doing the campaign rounds with Basori-chan?”

“Yeah… something like that,” I replied vaguely.

Sakurai glanced around as if checking for eavesdroppers, then gave me a

slight bow.

“…Sorry.”

“Huh? You don’t have anything to be sorry for—”

I started to say, but he cut me off with that familiar sheepish smile of his.

“I said I’d back off, but I ended up getting in Basori-chan’s way anyway.
And in the end, I ended up lying to you too.”

“I’m not too bothered, but…”

I glanced over toward Tiara-san. She seemed to be having some kind of

argument with the boys’ basketball manager.

Sakurai gave a wry chuckle.

“It’s been kinda awkward in the student council room, too.”

Well, yeah. I could imagine.

Tiara-san’s a good person, but she’s not exactly the best at hiding how she
feels.

“But deciding to run for student council president… must mean she’s been
thinking a lot about things, right?”

“Who knows? Sometimes, your own feelings are the hardest ones to
understand.”

Sakurai gave a faint, almost sad smile.

“—I didn’t think I was this bad at giving up,” he muttered like he was
talking to himself.

His tone made me glance at his face without thinking.

Before I could say anything, a cheerful voice cut through the brief silence.

“Oh, Nukumizu-kun, you’re here too!”

Yanami approached us, wiping sweat from her face with a handkerchief.

“Yeah, I had some business with the boys’ basketball team.”

“Oh, I bet it’s about those poison buns, right?”

“Poison buns?”

The phrase was so ominous I reflexively echoed it back, and Yanami

crossed her arms and smirked proudly.

“I’ve heard that during elections, candidates go around handing out poison
buns. They’re probably so delicious, you’d die from eating one!”
…Is that how it went? Honestly, Yanami would probably eat them even if
they really were poisoned.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Nukumizu-san. I’ve scheduled a short meeting

before practice tomorrow…”

Returning while jotting something down in her planner, Tiara-san looked

up.

“Oh, Sakurai-kun, you were here too?”

“Yeah. You managed to get an appointment with the boys’ basketball team?
That’s impressive—I got turned down.”

Sakurai glanced meaningfully at Yanami.

Right, I think Yanami turned down the former captain of the boys’
basketball team…

Whether she noticed that glance or not, Yanami gave me a few light taps on
the shoulder.

“Hey, Nukumizu-kun, what’s that person doing?”

“Huh?”

I followed her gaze and saw a stylish girl with a short skirt outside the gym,
holding up a DSLR camera.

When she noticed us looking her way, she quickly disappeared from sight.

“A remnant of the Birdwatching Club. They’re part of the Newspaper Club

now,” Tiara-san said with a sour expression.

So that’s the infamous Newspaper Club.

She looked cute, with that short skirt and all… but I guess looks can be
deceiving.
“Nukumizu-kun, is there something on my face?” Yanami asked.

“Ah, no, it’s nothing.”

Crap, I’d been unconsciously staring at Yanami.

Before she could say anything else, Tiara-san stepped between us.

“Well then, Nukumizu-san, shall we move on?”

“I thought we were done for the day?”

“We still have plenty of work left. Come on, we shouldn’t disturb the clubs
any longer.”

Tiara-san started pushing me along by the shoulders.

As I stumbled under the mysterious pressure, Yanami tugged on Sakurai’s

sleeve.

“Well then, Sakurai-kun, shall we have a strategy meeting of our own?”

“Sounds good. Alright, you two—we’ll be off as well.”

“Huh? Oh… yeah.”

Yanami glanced at me, then took Sakurai’s arm.

“Oh, right. I’ve got two chestnut-filled buns, so I’ll give you one.”

“Aren’t both of those yours, Yanami-san?”

“I’ve decided I’ll only eat one when I’m dieting.”

As I glanced sideways, watching the two of them walk away, I turned to

Tiara-san and asked:

“So, what kind of work do we have left?”

“Who knows?”

Wait, didn’t she just say we had tons of work left?

When I gave her a puzzled look, Tiara-san turned her face away with a
slight pout, clearly a little annoyed about something.

The next day—Friday evening.

Dragging my tired body, I finally made it to the bike rack.

Yes, the string of club visits had finally come to an end.

And Tiara-san had even stopped picking fights toward the end. Good for
her.

…Still, I wondered—did she ever find a recommender?

If she was just hoping to rope me into doing it by letting things slide, then
sorry, but that’s not going to happen.

Despite how I may look, I don’t just cave in to emotional pressure.

As I stood there resolute, I noticed Komari standing in front of my bike.

"Komari? What are you doing here?"

"I-I was waiting for you."

...Yeah, I figured. I scratched my cheek awkwardly, feeling a bit guilty.

"Sorry I haven’t shown up at the literature club for a while. Has Yanami
been coming around?"

"S-Sometimes. She shows up and makes me eat cutlet sandwiches." Looks

like Yanami has her own election strategy going. She’s going to gain weight
at this rate.
"I’ll start coming to the club again next week. Tiara-san is going to be busy
with sports festival prep anyway."

"A-Are you serious this time?"

"Yeah. All that’s left now is writing the policy statement and taking the
campaign poster photo. After that, we can’t do much publicly until the
actual speeches on voting day. I swear I’ll be there."

Komari gave me a silent, narrow-eyed stare.

"I’ve said it over and over, but I’m not joining the student council."

"B-But… you’re helping the vice president."

"Yes."

I looked away again.

“N-Nukumizu, when it comes down to it, you’re pretty easy to sway, huh.”

“No, I’m not that gullible.”

I protested quietly, but Komari glared at me sharply through her bangs.

“D-Did you forget about the after-school club?”

“Yeah, I did.”

I had no comeback. Head bowed in a chair of needles, I stayed silent as

Komari began to fidget nervously.

“Ah, do you have plans tomorrow?”

“I don’t have anything special on Saturday.”

“T-Then keep your schedule open. I-I have something to talk about.”

She said bluntly, flicked her skirt, and ran off.

What could that be? A date invitation? —No way. She looked angry, and
honestly, that’s a bit scary...

I sighed deeply and tossed my bag into the bike basket. ◇

Saturday morning. Looking up, the sky was so clear it made me dizzy.

I was in front of a large discount store, about ten minutes by bus from
Toyohashi Station.

While staring at a penguin sign wearing a Santa hat, I muttered to myself

without thinking.

"...I'm going to get scolded."

A sudden invitation from Komari. That meant — definitely a lecture time.

It was obvious because the meeting place was changed at the last minute
from the central library to here.

After all, this discount store is one of the most lively spots in the city. She
would surely corner me when I was weak... Although I feel like Komari
would get just as worn out.

Oh, if that’s the case, I have to prepare some offering to keep Komari in a
good mood.

If it were Yanami, just giving roasted sweet potatoes would do, but with
Komari, it might be BL goods or something.

But tastes vary with BL, so a book card—no, maybe cash instead?

As I checked my wallet, I noticed Komari staring at me.

Komari wore a plain cotton short-sleeve shirt and a skirt, with a brown vest.
The slightly uncool look was cute, but I kept quiet because I’d get scolded
if I said it out loud.

Komari averted her eyes awkwardly and muttered quietly.

“Nu- Nukumizu, sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Huh, those kids are—”

Yes, the little siblings, Susumu-kun and Hina-chan, also known as the little
ones, are standing with Komari between them.

“Um, well, suddenly my parents had work... so I brought the little ones
along.”

Komari fiddled with her bangs with her fingertips.

Seeing her sister’s condition, Susumu bowed his head politely.

“Big brother, thank you for today.”

“Ah, no, thank you as well.”

Susumu is surely in fourth grade, right? He seems more reliable than me or

my sister. When I was about that age, all I could think about was games.

And the one peeking out from behind Komari is Komari Hina.

Estimated age four, a cute creature that Toyohashi is proud of.

“...Sis’s friend.”

“Long time no see. Onii-chan’s (referring to himself here) name is

Nukumizu.”

Making eye contact and smiling, Hina-chan slowly stepped out from behind
Komari.

“...Nukumizu.”

“Y-Yes, Nukumizu.”

Hina-chan nodded lightly, then hid behind Komari again. So cute.

Watching their exchange, Komari let out a relieved sigh.

“Is... is that really okay?”

“Not a problem at all. No, rather, it’s better together.”

Since I had the little siblings with me, I probably wouldn’t get scolded
harshly. I can’t let this chance slip away.

I crouched down and smiled at Hina-chan.

“All right, Hina-chan. Where do you want to go today?”

Still holding onto her sister’s skirt, Hina-chan answered softly.

“Hina wants to go shopping.”

“All right, big brother will get anything—”

“H-Hey, don’t say things on your own.”

Right away, I got scolded. Seriously, the older sister is strict.

“Well then, shall we go right away? What do you want to buy?”

“H-Hina—H-Hey, don’t run!”

Komari chased after the little siblings who ran into the store holding hands.

Watching them with a somewhat nostalgic feeling, I followed through the

automatic doors.

The bustling store was packed tight with products, and the brightly colored
price tags made my head spin.

Walking alongside Komari behind the little ones as they wandered, my eyes
caught a detergent sale.
This is cheap. I stopped without thinking, and Komari tugged at my clothes.

“N-Nukumizu, you’ll get lost.”

“Well, you know, this kind of thing doesn’t often go on sale.”

“T-Today, you have to hold back.”

Yes, I will hold back.

Looking over, the little siblings were staring at a gift section with assorted
sweets.

“Hina just said she wanted to shop, but are you planning to send midyear
gifts?”

“Th-That’s not the case. Th-There’s a sleepover at daycare. We came to buy

new pajamas.”

I see, there’s no four-year-old sending midyear gifts.

Komari, who had been watching the little siblings wandering about, caught
up with them at a jog and took their hands.

“If you go too far, you’ll get lost like Nukumizu.”

Komari is good at catching kids. While I was watching this warmly, Komari
gave me a sidelong glance.

“W-What’s wrong? You’re making a creepy face.”

“I was just thinking Komari would probably be a good mother someday.”

“Ugh?! D-Death—”

Komari, who was about to speak, noticed Hina’s eyes staring at her and
cleared her throat.

“N-Nukumizu, that’s exactly the kind of thing I’m talking about.”

Seeing Komari correct herself, Hina’s eyes lit up.

“! Nukumizu, that’s exactly the kind of thing!”

“Yeah, maybe big brother has those kinds of things too.”

Hina copying is so cute. And Komari is looking at me like I’m trash.

Following Komari’s lead, I went up the escalator, and there was the toy
section.

Watching the little siblings run off with sparkling eyes, Komari sighed.

“B-Be prepared. Once it gets like this, it’s troublesome.”

Seeing Komari chase after Hina-chan, I headed over to Susumu-kun.

Susumu was standing still, glancing sideways at a transformation hero belt.

…These things have gotten pretty elaborate lately. I picked up a sample

belt.

“Huh? How does this work?”

“You don’t just leave the card inserted; you slide it to read it.”

Oh, I see. Following his instructions, I slid the card, and the belt lit up as
the hero shouted the name of their special move.

“Got it, so that’s how it works. Does every card have different sounds? Isn’t
that amazing?”

“That’s not all. If you slide two cards through at the same time here, you
can activate combinations.”

What? That’s awesome.

While Susumu gave me a tutorial, I tried everything once. Toys these days
are really incredible.
“Do you want to try next, Susumu?”

“I’m good. I’ve kind of graduated from this stuff recently.”

I see. I seriously played with it though.

“Then, what’s popular at school?”

“Probably games. Do you know ‘Montore’?”

If I remember right, it’s the one where you cooperate with friends to hunt
giant monsters.

The latest in the series is said to be a masterpiece, and I’ve actually been a
bit curious about it.

“I know it, but isn’t it based on cooperative play? Isn’t it lonely playing
alone?”

“Of course you play with friends. That’s a given.”

I see, it’s decided that you play with friends. I see...

At the game section we passed after the special effects corner, Susumu
picked up a package.

“I’m the only one who doesn’t have it, so I always just look. But I can buy
it when I get my allowance next month.”

“That’s great. You saved up well.”

“Right? I haven’t spent anything lately.”

Susumu smiled shyly with pride. Maybe my sister should learn a little from
him.

While I was impressed, Susumu whispered and asked.

“...Hey, was today a date with Nee-chan?”

“Not really.”

I answered honestly without thinking, and Susumu gave me a puzzled look.

“What’s the difference between going out together and a date?”

That’s true, what is the difference?

I’ve only been on a date once, with Yakishio...

“The difference between a date and just hanging out is, well—”

“The difference?”

I looked straight into Susumu’s serious eyes.

“Holding hands—maybe.”

“Hands? I hold hands with Hina and Nee-chan too.”

“Big brothers often hold hands with their little sisters too, but unfortunately
family doesn’t count. When a boy and a girl, who are supposed to be
strangers, go out together holding hands—that’s a date.”

I said that with a smug face, and Susumu looked a little disappointed.

“Nee-chan was picking out clothes all day yesterday, so I just assumed it
was a date.”

Hmm, so Komari has started caring about fashion now.

As I was feeling deeply about Komari’s growth, Susumu looked around

restlessly.

“By the way, where’s Hina?”

“She’s with my sister. Um, I think over that way.”

We searched for Komari and the others together and found the two of them
in a corner of the toy section.

It’s a long-standing popular series where small animal dolls live in a

miniature house.

When Hina-chan saw me, she showed me a rabbit and a bear doll.

“These are Nee-chan and Ni-chan!”

“I see, so these are the older sister and older brother.”

Yeah, but what does that mean?

Sending a look for help, Komari stroked Hina-chan’s head and answered.

“Oh, we always play with these dolls and give them my and Susumu’s
names.”

I see, so that’s how it is. Rabbit and bear siblings—sounds like there’s some
complicated story there...

While I was thinking about the meaning of family, Hina-chan picked up an

otter doll.

“This is Nukumizu!”

Me? So that means I’m Hina-chan’s brother—or no, her father?

That’s not so bad either. As I stared intently at the otter doll I’d received,

“Ah!”

Hina-chan reached out and grabbed a small box from the shelf. It was a cute
miniature three-tiered bed.

“This! This is the one that wasn’t for sale anywhere!”

“Hey, hey, we’re not buying that.”

When Komari tried to take it away, Hina-chan hugged the box to her chest.

“Hina has been looking for this forever.”

“N-No, we’re not buying it. C-Come on, Susumu, let’s go.”

“Hey, Komari.”

Komari took Susumu and seemed to leave—but actually hid behind a

nearby shelf.

...Totally obvious. Not just the antenna bobbing, I can even see her face.

When I approached, Komari hurriedly shook her head side to side.

“N-Nukumizu, they’ll know you’re hiding.”

“They already know completely. Since I’m watching Hina-chan, you two
go on ahead.”

Komari looked at me with suspicious eyes, then muttered quietly.

“D-Don’t buy it, okay?”

...Yeah, I’ll try my best.

After Komari and Susumu left the spot, I crouched down beside Hina-chan.

“Did you want that that much?”

Without a word, Hina-chan gave a small nod.

“I bet you have something similar at home. Let’s hold off today and try
looking for it at home.”

“That’s different from the one at home. There are only two beds.”

...I see? So the one they have is a bunk bed with two levels, and this one is
three-tiered.
What might seem trivial to others can be a big deal to those involved.

I was taught the importance of such details by the bespectacled senior—

mainly by comparing right and left.

“I get it, it really is cool. What do you like about it, Hina-chan?”

Still silent, Hina-chan muttered quietly.

“Because Nee-chan, Ni-chan, and I can sleep together.”

Ah, I see. For Hina-chan, this is a deal that would hurt if denied.

But if she buys it without permission, Komari would definitely scold her...

“But wouldn’t it be lonely if everyone had different beds?”

“Lonely?”

I nodded at Hina-chan, who looked surprised.

“Yeah, I think Susumu-kun and Chika-neechan still want to sleep with you,
Hina-chan. So, could you stay in the same bed with them just a little
longer?”

Hina-chan, who had been still for a moment, nodded very slightly, then put
the box back on the shelf.

“That’s great. Now, let’s go find your sister.”

Holding Hina-chan’s hand, I started walking toward where Komari had

gone.

Feeling the small, warm sensation in my palm, I remembered when I was

little.

How frustrating it was when my feelings couldn’t get across.

But even I didn’t fully understand them myself—

“Hina-chan, you’re really grown-up.”

The moment I muttered that, I almost bumped into Komari crouching

behind a shelf.

“Ugh!? Uh, um...”

“Oh, Komari, so you were there.”

Hina-chan let go of my hand and hugged Komari.

“Neecha, you’re here!”

“I-I’m here. Shall we go shopping?”

“Yeah!”

Forgetting all about me, Hina-chan clung to Komari and started walking.

Feeling a little lonely, I quickened my pace to walk beside them.

“You came to buy Hina-chan’s pajamas, right?”

“Y-Yeah. The kids’ clothing section.”

I remember there’s a sleepover at the daycare.

As I vaguely recalled my own daycare days, Komari muttered almost to

herself.

“H-Hina has lots of hand-me-downs from me and Susumu, so I wanted to

buy her something new.”

Hand-me-downs, huh. I’m the eldest son, and Kaju actually wanted to use
my hand-me-downs, which troubled our parents.

As I quietly mulled over this somewhat hard-to-relate-to story, Komari

suddenly looked around as if she noticed something.
“Nu, Nukumizu, where did Susumu go?”

“Wasn’t he with Komari?”

“J-Just going to check for a moment.”

Komari headed toward the toy section, and right then Susumu appeared.

He pressed a yellow plastic bag into Hina-chan’s hands.

“Hina, here.”

“What’s this, Niicha?”

“Just this once, okay?”

He said brusquely and looked away.

Hina-chan’s face lit up with curiosity as she pulled out the contents of the
bag.

Inside was the miniature three-tiered bed she had wanted earlier.

“Niicha! This is for me?”

“That’s why I told you to hide it so Neechan doesn’t find out.”

“Okay!”

So Susumu actually went to buy this for Hina-chan.

As I admired that, Komari came back out, out of breath.

“S-Susumu... don’t wander off on your own...”

Susumu averted his eyes from his sister, who was panting heavily.

“I was just doing a bit of shopping.”

Komari must have figured it all out when she saw the bag Hina-chan was
clutching to her chest.

With a wry smile, she gently patted the little siblings on their heads.

“H-Hina, did you say thank you properly?”

“I did—No, I didn’t! Niicha, thank you!”

“It’s nothing, I just wanted it too. Now, let’s get shopping.”

A sweet tsundere moment filled with sibling love.

“H-Hey, Susumu, don’t run!”

“Niicha, wait!”

Komari and Hina chased after Susumu, who had started running out of
bashful embarrassment.

I began walking slowly behind them, ready to play the role of observer.

We finished shopping and gathered around a table in the food court.

Sitting on the low chairs in the kids’ area while eating ankake spaghetti felt
strangely surreal.

As I watched Komari tending to Hina, I caught a suspicious look in return.

“W-What’s wrong? Aren’t you eating?”

“Komari, let me take over. You haven’t eaten at all.”

“I’m fine. You watch over Susumu.”

“Nee-chan can eat on her own now.”

Susumu pouted and stuffed a cream croquette topping into his mouth.

We were eating ankake pasta from Chao, a famous restaurant in Toyohashi.

It’s nice to have it in the food court, but their portions are huge.

Komari and Susumu were sharing one plate, and Hina had a kid’s set.

Eating a full portion by myself was tough, and I wondered if Yanami might
pass by.

As I kept spooning ankake spaghetti into my mouth, out of nowhere, Hina

started pulling something out of the plastic bag.

“You know, these pajamas have the same star pattern as Nee-chan’s.”

“H-Hey, eat first! Look, you’ve got food on your mouth.”

Watching Komari wipe Hina’s mouth, I twirled a bit of slightly burnt pasta
on my fork.

This honestly felt like a typical weekend family outing. Why was I even
part of this...?

Still puzzled, I stuffed the pasta into my mouth until the last bite.

After finishing shopping and lunch, all our errands were done — and now
here we were, at the game center next door.

As the little kids ran wildly between the claw machines, I rubbed my overly
full stomach.

“These little rascals sure have energy.”

“W-Well, they’re a bit calmer today since you’re here.”

Seriously? Komari, you’ve got your hands full.

Watching the kids happily play, Komari’s expression softened into a gentle
smile.

“B-But I’m glad the little ones seem to be having fun.”

“I guess they’re enjoying themselves, at least.”

Komari nodded slightly.

“W-Well, Dad had to cancel the outing because of some sudden work, so
Hina ended up crying.”

“I see, so today I’m playing the role of Dad, huh.”

“Ugh?!”

Expecting a harsh rebuke for my careless joke, Komari just stayed silent,
trembling with a flushed face.

“Uh, I didn’t mean it like that, okay?”

“…I-idiot.”

She quickly turned her face away with a small huff. Yeah, I definitely
messed up there…

As I was deeply regretting it, the little kids suddenly ran up to us.

“Big sis, let’s do that! There’s four of us, so it’s perfect!”

“Ugh… O-Okay, just once.”

“What’s ‘that’?”

“Over here!”

“Nukumizu, this way!”

Pulled along by the kids, I found myself led to an air hockey table.
“Four people playing this, huh?”

“Y-You scared, maybe?”

Komari shot me a teasing grin.

Oh, so that’s a declaration of war, huh? I started stretching next to Susumu-

kun, who lined up beside me.

So Komari must be teamed up with Hina then.

“Don’t you wanna give me a handicap?”

“Give a handicap to Nu- Nukumizu?”

She shot back defiantly and put a coin in the machine.

“...Big sis is strong, you know.”

Susumu-kun’s face was serious. Yeah, she did say something like that
before…

But even if she’s strong, it’s probably just against her younger siblings.

From the side, the red puck slid out.

Alright, here we go. The puck slowly moved toward Komari—and then—

Skank!

With a satisfying click, the puck disappeared into the goal right in front of
me.

“!? Wait, I didn’t even see that!”

“Told you! It’s coming again!”

Huh? Isn’t it my turn now?

Before I could figure it out, dozens of tiny pucks started flooding the field.

Wait, modern air hockey has that feature now?!

While I was still confused, pucks kept flying into my goal one after another.

“Nukumizu, protect it properly!”

“But I can’t even see anything!”

In the end, the final score was a brutal 870 to 120. It was basically a
massacre.

As Komari and the others high-fived, Susumu-kun patted my shoulder.

“Don’t mind, Nukumizu-nii-chan.”

Encouraged by a fourth grader. Susumu-kun is so kind.

But Komari’s smug grin just rubbed salt in the wound.

"...Komari, where’s the change machine?"

I pulled out a thousand-yen bill, and Komari snorted with a smirk.

"Is that really enough?"

"Don’t worry, Shibusawa Eiichi’s still waiting in my wallet."

I won’t write down the result of the rematch here — but if I had to say one
thing, it’s that the Shibusawa-san bills in my wallet were exchanged for a
few Kitazato-sensei bills instead.

There’s a theory that a 4-year-old’s stamina is infinite. Whether that’s true

or not, there is a switch.

And the moment that switch flips off, the 4-year-old falls into a deep sleep.

On the bus heading toward the wholesale district, all four of us were seated
on the long rear bench.

Hina-chan, cradled in my arms, was sound asleep. Susumu-kun, sitting on

the opposite side with Komari between us, had his eyes closed too, letting
the bus’s sway lull him.

"Hey, isn’t she heavy?"

“Yeah. Since I’m always holding Kaju on my lap, Hina-chan feels like a
feather by comparison.”

“G-give me back Hina.”

Why though?

While gently patting Hina-chan’s back, Komari murmured quietly,

“T-thanks for today.”

“I wanted to play air hockey anyway.”

“I-it’s more like you put up with us all day.”

Ah, so that’s what it is. I didn’t really do anything to deserve thanks, but I’ll
accept it gratefully.

The bus was oddly quiet inside, the gentle sway lulling us toward sleep.

Komari adjusted Susumu-kun’s bangs with her fingertips, still asleep.

“Susumu spoils Hina too much, it’s a problem.”

She said this with a gentle smile that contradicted her words.

Feeling the weight of Hina-chan on my lap, I opened my mouth.

“Susumu-kun said he was saving up for a game, right? Is he okay? Hina-

chan’s toys must have cost quite a bit.”

"Everyone’s too soft on Hina, so—"

Komari smiled reassuringly.

"At least I have to spoil Susumu a little."

At school, Komari might be the mascot, but here she’s the big sister.

I quietly broke the silence while watching a crab sign pass by outside the
window.

"...Come to think of it, didn’t you have something you wanted to tell me
today?"

Yesterday evening, Komari definitely said that—with a slightly troubled

look in her eyes.
I had been worrying only about getting scolded, but I can’t ignore what she
wants to say.

After glancing at Susumu sleeping face, Komari spoke.

"I-I was going to tell you, but it’s okay now."

"You mean about the student council election, right?"

I cut in, but she shook her head slightly.

"I-I don’t trust you, but I do believe you."

Komari’s expression softened as she stroked Susumu’s head and murmured.

“I-I said I’d stay with you.”

— Gatan.

The bus jolted, and silence fell over us once more.

An announcement played inside the bus, but since no one got off, it didn’t
stop at the bus stop and just passed by.

“Do I really have that little trust?”

I joked, and Komari gave her usual cheeky look.

“You’re pretty gullible, you know.”

At the next stop, one passenger got off, leaving only the driver and us on
the bus.

As the bus started moving again, the next stop was ours.

Suddenly, Komari spoke up.

“D-Do you… sometimes go to the Basori place?”

Why would she know that—oh, right, Basori-san spilled it in class the other
day.

“That was just to get some Chikapyon goods… and, um, her little brother
was there too.”

Not exactly a lie, though I haven’t actually gotten the goods yet.

“Did somebody come to y- your house?”

“Huh? Basori-san coming to my place? That’s—”

...Well, actually, yeah. To be precise, she’s more like Kaju’s guest.

Avoiding Komari’s sharp glare, I scrambled to find an excuse.

“Ah, but you’re the only one who’s used the bathtub. Yakishio only takes
showers.”

“…D-Die.”

She says whatever she wants because she thinks the little siblings are
asleep.

Just then, Hina-chan stirred and opened her eyes. “…Nukumizu? Where’s
Nee-chan?”

“She’s right here.”

“I want Nee-chan…”

Still half-asleep, Hina-chan reached her hands toward Komari.

While the bus was stopped at a red light, I gave Hina-chan to Komari, who
then re-adjusted the hold with a heavy sigh.

“You alright?”

“I’m fine. Susumu, we’re about to get off, so wake up.”

Susumu rubbed his sleepy eyes.

“…I actually woke up partway through.”

As the bus stopped, Susumu was the first to stand up. For some reason, he
seemed a bit brusque, but after today, we’d gotten pretty close.

Despite the age difference, there was some kind of unspoken understanding
between us guys.

We got off the bus and started walking together when— Smack! Suddenly,
Susumu slapped me hard on the waist.

“What’s that for?”

“You’re an idiot, Nukumizu!”

“?!”

Susumu slapped me once more, then ran off.

“Hey, Susumu, wait!”

Komari scolded him, but Susumu turned around, stuck out his tongue at me,
and shouted,

“You’re an idiot, Nukumizu! Tohenboku !” (TL note: “Tohenboku” means

“blockhead” or “stupid person”)

Then he dashed off toward home.

Eh… what on earth happened inside his head? I stood there dumbfounded,
and Komari gave me an awkward look.

“S-sorry. I’ll scold him when we get home.”

“You don’t have to scold him or anything, but… what was that about
Susumu just now?”
I tilted my head in confusion, and Komari shot me a look like she wanted to
say something.

“B-but Nukumizu, you’re at fault too.”

I see, so I’m to blame as well… huh…

“What? Why? Did I do something wrong?”

“Think about it yourself.”

With that, Komari turned her back to me and walked away.

The start of the week, Monday after school.

I was holding a regular meeting with Tiara-san at a stone table in the

courtyard.

A weekend family outing—not really “family service,” more like time spent
peacefully with the Komari clan. Still, what was up with Susumu’s reaction
on the way home?

The word he used, “唐変木” (touhenboku) , means someone who’s

tactless or insensitive, but does the Komari clan have some kind of tradition
of hurling insults at parting…?

Lost in thought, I was brought back when Tiara-san cleared her throat.

“Nukumizu-san, may I have your attention?”

“Ah, sorry. What was it again?”

“It’s about the upcoming schedule. One week from now, there will be the
policy statement and the posting of election posters, and then the following
week—”

“The voting day, right?”

Tiara-san nodded.

“Yes. There will be candidate speeches and endorsement speeches by

recommenders, followed immediately by the vote. It’s easy to imagine how
much the quality of those speeches will impact the voting results. We need
to coordinate the content of our speeches carefully.”

“I’m just helping out; I’m not an endorser.”

“Yes, I understand,” Tiara-san said seriously, nodding.

“Shikiya-senpai told me that if we push you, Nukumizu-san, you’d

probably go for it, so I thought I’d try appealing to your emotions.”

Wait, so they’ve been playing the heartstrings with me...?

“I won’t be swayed that easily, you know? First, we need to prepare the
policy statement.”

“I actually brought a draft for that.”

Tiara-san handed me a few sheets of paper.

On them were a long list of student requests based on interviews, along

with citations of relevant school rules and city ordinances... this is heavy.

“Does the student council really handle all this?”

“We don’t have the authority or budget for most of it, of course, but we can
submit requests to the teachers. It’s important to share the students’
opinions.”

Tiara-san flipped through the draft I held without asking.

“It seems the writing I do tends to be too formal and hard to understand. It
would be nice if someone skilled with writing was nearby, but I don’t have
anyone in mind.”
Is that so? By the way, the person sitting right next to you is a member of
the literature club.

“Um, what about the seniors in the student council?”

I tried to regain my composure, but Tiara-san’s expression grew serious.

“I don’t intend to rely on the seniors. This is my battle.”

Noticing her sharp tone, she cleared her throat and rephrased.

“…Because Sakurai-kun is also running, I don’t want to make things

difficult for him.”

The student council president and Shikiya-san both consider Tiara-san and
Sakurai-kun their dear juniors.

They’d be careful not to favor one side or reject help from either.

“He definitely has more popularity. That’s precisely why I want to ask
everyone about the future direction of the school—”

“Wait just a moment,” I interrupted, and Tiara-san straightened her back

sharply.

“Yes, Nukumizu-san? Please go ahead.”

“This place is, well… visible from other classrooms and the staff room,
right? Maybe it’d be better to talk indoors.”

At my suggestion, Tiara-san blinked, caught off guard.

“As I said before, this corridor is far enough from the hallways and main
building that no one can overhear us. It’s perfect for election strategy
meetings.”

Come to think of it, the last time I received a scarf from Tiara-san, she also
called me out to the middle of the pond.
I understand what she’s saying, but I can’t help feeling self-conscious under
the gaze of passing students.

“Well then, continuing on. First, we gather supporters with the statement of
intent, then post opinions on the bulletin board—”

“Wait a sec, I just got a message.”

Like a lifeline, I pulled out my phone and instinctively froze.

The message was from Komari:

—Come immediately to the second-year classroom hallway.

Around the hallway bulletin board, a crowd of a dozen or so had gathered.

Usually, after school, there aren’t many people near the classrooms, so I
wondered what was going on.

Feeling hesitant, I stood frozen as Tiara-san charged through the crowd.

“Excuse me, may I get through, please?”

Impressed by her boldness, I followed closely behind as she carved a path

through the people.

Umm, what’s posted on the bulletin board?

“N-Nukimizu!”

“Ugh!?”

Thud. Something struck my solar plexus from a blind spot.

Clenching the pain, I looked down—and there was Komari.

“W-What happened...?”
“I-I suddenly found myself surrounded and couldn’t get out…”

Shivering, she grabbed my tie tightly.

As we tugged back and forth, Tiara-san suddenly pulled on my clothes.

“Nukimizu-san, look at that!”

She pointed at the bulletin board, where a sheet about the size of a
newspaper was posted.

“Tsuwabuki Newspaper, special election issue…?”

Even though it was supposed to be just an article about the student council
election, I glanced at the headline—and my eyes widened in surprise.

『Student council election is actually a proxy war for love?!』

…What the heck is this? Seriously, what even is this?

So, this election started from a love entanglement involving a beautiful

second-year girl, and one of the people involved is a “woman’s enemy”
who’s rumored to have multiple romantic interests among female
students…?

Ah, that must be Sakurai-kun. The guy’s pretty popular.

Then, the article says the candidate for student council president, who’s
trying to catch guys’ attention by dangling the vice president position as
bait, might be…?

Tiara-san is trembling so hard her whole face is flushed red.

“...N-No, that’s not it! I didn’t mean it like that when I reached out to you!”

“Of course I get that. Yeah, I get it, I get it.”

“You don’t get it at all, do you?! And honestly, Nukimizu, you’re to blame!
You always say things that lead me on and make me run around like crazy
—”

Wait, what? Sudden blame on me? Komari’s still holding my tie and
nodding in agreement.

“Alright, alright! We’re in public, so please lower your voice?”

Ugh, the looks from everyone around are painfully intense…

I somehow managed to calm Tiara-san down and continued reading the

school paper.

So, the so-called “woman’s enemy” boy apparently stole Ako—the popular
beautiful second-year student girl in the school from the former captain of
the basketball club who had graduated, and then toyed with her before
dumping her.

And on top of that, he’s been two-timing with a girl on the student council
while also targeting freshmen girls.

Sakurai-kun sure is getting painted in a rough light…

Feeling a bit sympathetic, I kept reading, only to find the article abruptly
ends halfway.

And right below that, written in bold red gothic font was—

“Read the rest on the WEB! Purchase from the newspaper club’s
homepage!”

Staring at the glaring red letters, I muttered for what must have been the nth
time today:

“…What even is this?”

Intermission – Believe it or not, I’m popular

Evening, at the café UNO-UNO in front of Toyohashi Station.

Anna Yanami and Karen Himemiya sat side-by-side at the counter, looking
out through the glass at the view of Toyohashi Station.

“Anna, are you all set for the student council election?”

Karen tilted her head while holding a cup of strawberry milk, her hair
swaying gently and scattering shimmering particles of light around her.

“I’ve finished my campaign speech draft. All that’s left is the poster shoot.
Sakurai-kun’s busy now with sports festival prep, so he probably won’t be
focusing on the election for a while.”

Anna’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the soda float the waiter had brought.

“Come to think of it, the sports festival is the student council’s final job,
right? Sounds rough.”

“High schoolers are surprisingly busy, huh? Oh—this is really good!” As

Anna took a happy bite of her ice cream, Karen hesitantly opened her
mouth to speak.

“Um… Anna, what exactly is your relationship with Sakurai-kun?”

“What do you mean? We’re classmates. Same as you, right?”

Anna replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world, and Karen
looked a little deflated.

“If you’re just classmates, why did you become his endorser?”

“Well, because Nukumizu-kun is being courted by Basori-san.”

“But still, why—?”

Karen seemed puzzled, thinking it over—until suddenly she lit up like a
sparkler.

“Oh, I get it! That’s what this is about, Anna!”

Anna nodded firmly.

“Exactly. No matter who wins, I’ll have done them a favor. Being the vice
president behind the scenes sounds cool, right? And it’ll give me my pick of
university recommendations.”

Slurp... Anna took a sip directly from her glass, mixing ice cream and soda.

“…So that’s how it is. But if you do get into the student council, it’s gonna
be a lot of work.”

“If push comes to shove, I’ll have Nukumizu-kun help me. He never says
no to me.”

Could it really be that easy?

Karen had her doubts—but with this friend, worrying was always pointless.

She relaxed her shoulders and stuck out her tongue with a playful “Tehe.”

“Well, that’s a relief. I thought maybe you were just doing it to get back at
Nukumizu-kun…”

She trailed off and hurriedly closed her mouth.

“Karen-chan, is this about that school newspaper thing?”

"Uh, um—that article... I don’t think you should take it seriously, okay?
Everyone knows it’s full of nonsense."

Yanami gave a mischievous smile, clearly not bothered.

"Can’t be helped, right? I mean, back when I first entered this school, I was
kind of a big deal too, you know?"
"Huh?"

Boasting a little, she raised her phone.

Displayed on the screen was the paid edition of the Tsuwabuki High School
Newspaper .

"Anna, you actually bought that?!"

"Well, I am involved, technically? Figured I should at least read it."

Yanami smirked as she lowered her eyes to the screen.

"Seriously, they’re writing whatever they want. Like how I supposedly

dated Nukumizu-kun and got dumped? Totally wrong. If anything, I was the
one who did the dumping."

"Wha—"

Karen let out a small gasp and quickly covered her mouth with both hands.

"But that whole 'proxy love battle for the school’s popular beauty Ako' line?
Kinda catchy. And saying Nukumizu-kun’s the enemy of all women?
Honestly, not too far off."

In high spirits, Yanami even started humming a tune.

Karen, watching her closely, timidly raised a hand.

"Um—Anna, can I ask something?"

"Yes, Karen-chan, go ahead."

"You and Nukumizu-kun… you’re not dating now , right?"

"Never have, never will."

Karen nodded solemnly.

"Which means... isn't there a chance this whole situation could push Basori-
san and Nukumizu-kun closer together?"

"That uptight vice president? No way. She’s always snapping at him —

probably can’t stand the guy."

"Then why’d she ask him to be her endorser?"

"She told me she doesn’t know any other boys. She's super serious, and she
even said she’s bad with guys."

"Hmm. So I guess her inviting him to her house didn’t bother you, then."

Yanami’s phone wobbled slightly in her hand.

"W-well, it’s Nukumizu-kun, you know? Even if he came over to my place,

he’d act totally normal..."

Yanami suddenly froze.

She stared at the screen without moving, and Karen looked at her with
concern.

"Anna? What’s wrong?"

"……"

There was no response.

Yanami’s phone slipped from her hand and fell to the floor.

Curious, Karen picked it up and glanced at the screen—only for her eyes to
land on the article.

—Since enrolling, Student A had been wildly popular

with the boys, but her reign lasted barely a month.

A transfer student, K, swept in and turned her into a

thing of the past.

Having lost her popularity and all the guys, can Student

A reclaim her former glory in the upcoming student

council election—?

…Karen finished reading the article and quickly hid the phone behind her
back in a panic.

"H-Hey, Anna! You shouldn’t be reading trashy tabloids like this!"

"I’m not bothered at all… really… I’m totally fine…"

The energy around Yanami began to fade rapidly. This wasn’t good. Karen
quickly flipped open the menu in front of her.

"Look, how about I treat you to something to cheer you up? Anything you
want!"

"Huh, really? Anything?"

Color began returning to Yanami’s face.

"Of course! Don’t hold back! The cake here is really good!"

"If I can have anything, that’s tough… I mean, carbonara sounds nice, but
the porcini cream sauce is hard to pass up too…"

"You're going with pasta, huh, Anna?"

"Hm? Did you say something, Karen-chan?"

Karen silently shook her head.

Yeah, when Anna smiled like that, no sarcastic comment could spoil it.
Watching her best friend pore over the menu with delight, Karen silently
wished for her happiness from the bottom of her heart.

Third Defeat: The Crimson Rhapsody

A week passed. As if all the previous commotion had been a lie, peaceful
days returned.

Tiara-san and Sakurai-kun were now neck-deep in preparations for the

student council’s final big job—the sports festival.

And then came Sunday.

The three of us—Yanami, Komari, and I—had taken the train and subway
from Toyohashi Station for about an hour, and now stood in a large athletics
stadium in Nagoya.

We were here to watch Yakishio compete in the Tokai Regional High

School Track and Field Championships—the meet that determined who
would qualify for Nationals.

Yakishio had already passed the morning’s 1500-meter prelims with the
fastest time.

If she finished in the top six in the upcoming finals, she would qualify for
Nationals.

The stadium benches were sparsely filled with spectators.

Seated between Yanami and me, Komari clasped her hands together as if in
prayer, whispering anxiously:

“D-Do you think Yakishio will be okay…?”

Yanami, her hand digging into a bag of popcorn, responded casually.

“She’ll be fine. Lemon-chan’s fast.”

“E-Everyone here is fast…”

Komari retorted with a very reasonable point—then suddenly stood up.

Appearing at the top of the stairs leading to the stands was none other than
the Literature Club alumna— Tsukinoki Koto .

Upon spotting us, she waved energetically.

“Sorry, sorry, I’m late!”

That familiar, nostalgic voice—

“S-Senpai!”

Komari practically bounced over to her and grabbed her hands, the two
overjoyed at the reunion.

As we moved to join them, Tamaki , the former club president, appeared

behind Koto-senpai.

“Long time no see, everyone.”

After exchanging greetings and catching up, the girls began squealing and
chatting animatedly.

Tamaki-senpai quietly moved to sit beside me, watching the scene with a
calm smile.

“How’s university treating you?”

“I’m just barely keeping up. I never thought first-year would be this packed
with internships and reports.”

“So you don’t have time for anime or light novels, huh?”
“That’s not true. Living alone is the best. It’s a life filled with the freedom
called ‘personal responsibility.’”

Tamaki-senpai gave a sly grin.

“Listen up—anime can be watched while working on reports. If you want to

get your fill of manga and light novels, just skip sleep.” Tamaki-senpai
clenched both fists in excitement.

“You can plaster posters and tapestries not just on your walls, but even on
your ceiling, and no one will say a thing! And if you’re in the mood—yes,
even body pillows.”

“You mean… Tsukinoki-senpai doesn’t mind?”

“…Compared to Koto’s room, mine is child’s play.”

Tamaki-senpai’s eyes suddenly grew distant.

“Everywhere you look in her room, half-naked men are staring back at you.
And like café background music, there’s always a BL voice drama playing.”

Apparently, their love nest had become quite a scene.

It was hard to tell if he was bragging or lamenting, but one thing was clear
—they were close.

“Sounds like things are going well for you.”

“Well… one way or another, yeah. So—how about you, Nukumizu?”

“What do you mean?”

I reflexively echoed his words, and Tamaki-senpai leaned in closer.

“Nothing going on with anyone? Don’t tell me it’s that rumored first-year?”

“There’s nothing going on. I’m not even treated like a guy in the first
place.”
I tried to laugh it off, but then something he said made me pause.

“Wait—you’ve heard about the new member?”

“Yeah. Heard she’s something else. Not here today?”

There’s no denying she’s something . What exactly, I’ll leave unsaid.

Come to think of it, she did say she’d be here by the finals.

As I looked around, Shiratama Riko appeared at the top of the stairs.

Our eyes met, and she waved and jogged toward me.

“Sorry I’m laaate, President!”

“It hasn’t started yet, don’t worry.”

…Shiratama-san really is slow at running.

Finally reaching me, she pressed a hand to her chest and let out a soft sigh.

“Fufu, I ran because I just couldn’t wait to see you, President!”

Then, as if just noticing him, her eyes sparkled as she turned to Tamaki-
senpai.

“Oh! Are you Tamaki-san, the alumni? I’m Shiratama Riko—nice to meet
you!”

“Ah, nice to meet you too. I’m Tamaki, from the Literature Club until last
year. And over there is Tsukin—”

Before he could finish, Shiratama-san suddenly took both of his hands in

hers.
“—!?”

“Did you happen to drop this key? Here you go.”

She pressed an imaginary object into his palm with a perfectly straight face.

"Huh? Ah, right. Thanks," Tamaki-senpai replied awkwardly, still holding

hands with Shiratama-san, who gave him a gentle smile.

"That was close. If I were a bad girl, I might've snuck into your house, you
know?"

"Well… if it was someone like you, I think I'd welcome it…"

What the heck is he saying all flustered like that?

He's trying to keep it together, but his face is definitely breaking into a grin.
As I stood there in disbelief, Tsukinoki-senpai forcefully stepped in
between the two.

“So, you’re Shiratama-san? Nice to meet you. I’m an alumna of—”

“Wow, could you be Tsukinoki-san? I’ve heard so much about you!”

Letting go of Tamaki-senpai’s hand, Shiratama-san gave a polite bow.

“Oh dear, I’m sure you didn’t hear anything flattering.”

“Not at all! You’re just as beautiful as the rumors say. All the seniors in the
literature club are so wonderful, I’m honestly a bit nervous.”

“I-I see…”

Tsukinoki-senpai stood frozen, completely disarmed.

Sensing the subtle tension in the air, Shiratama-san tilted her head curiously.

“Is something wrong? Why don’t we all sit down and chat?”

After finishing up in the restroom, I returned to the main stand where the
audience seating was. The girls’ 400-meter final was just about to start.
Only twenty minutes until Yakishio’s event. I was getting nervous myself…

Just as I was about to head to my seat, someone suddenly wrapped their arm
around my shoulder from behind.

“Yo, Nukumizu-kun.”

“Oh, hey.”
The one who caught me like she’d been waiting for me was none other than
Tsukinoki-senpai.

Actually, she really had been waiting—her glasses glinted sharply as she
looked at me.

“I heard about you. You’ve been hanging around with Basori-chan lately,
right?”

“Uh, yeah. I’ve been helping a little with the election.”

“So, if she wins, are you planning to join the student council?”

“I don’t have any such plans.”

I slipped out from under her arm.

“You were vice president in your second year, right, senpai? What was the
election like back then?”

“It was tough. The president was totally unreliable. She dragged me into it
and then didn’t do any campaign work at all.”

“Whoa, so you had to prepare everything yourself?”

Tsukinoki-senpai shook her head.

“Not at all. I didn’t do anything either—just gave a speech to support her.”

“What? And she still got elected?”

“She did. After the speech, a bunch of teachers swarmed me. That’s a good
memory, in its own way.”

…What on earth did she do?

Too afraid to ask, I stayed quiet as Tsukinoki-senpai continued speaking

with a nostalgic smile.
“Thinking back now, I wonder why the president even invited me. My
grades weren’t good, and it’s not like the teachers liked me or anything.”

“I see…”

She didn’t elaborate further, simply gazing silently out at the track.

Following her gaze, I saw that the last runner in the 400-meter race had just
crossed the finish line.

Winners and losers, all within the same field.

As I stared absentmindedly at the scene, Tsukinoki-senpai spoke quietly.

“What are you planning to do after the election, Nukumizu-kun?”

“…Huh?”

I’d already said I wasn’t joining the student council. So what did she mean
by that?

As I puzzled over her question, she softened her expression.

“Sorry, that was kind of a weird thing to say. Come on, let’s head back to
the others.”

“Ah, right. It’s almost time.”

As we walked side by side, Tsukinoki-senpai suddenly reached over and

roughly tousled my hair.

“Hey, cut it out!”

“You’ve got some tough times ahead, Nukumizu-kun. Do your best.”

It’s already tough enough as it is…

With dead eyes, I let her continue messing up my hair without resistance.
◇

The girls’ 1500-meter final. Yakishio was in lane five.

When her name was called over the loudspeaker, she raised one hand and
gave a slight bow.

She seemed different from the day she raced me—carrying a more mature,
composed air.

We all held our breath, waiting for the start.

…That aside, Shiratama-san, who was sitting next to me, smelled really
nice. Did she change her perfume again?

As I got distracted by her scent—

“On your marks.”

The familiar phrase echoed over the speakers.

The runners leaned forward at the starting line, and the moment the starting
pistol fired, Yakishio shot out to the front.

A cheer erupted from the front row of the stands—from the backup
members of the Tsuwabuki track team.

Among the cheers from Yanami and the others, Komari stood silently,
hands clasped tightly in front of her chest, watching the race unfold.

Despite Komari’s worries, Yakishio’s pace only continued to increase.

No mind games, no jockeying for position—none of that mattered. She ran

as if she were the only one on the track, steadily pulling away from the
other runners.

—I’m going to win Nationals.

She had definitely said that in the nurse’s office that day.
She’s awkward, more delicate than she looks—but that’s exactly why she’s
stronger than anyone.

The final lap. The gap between her and second place was growing wider.
All that was left was to cross the finish line.

Before I even realized it, I was on my feet, shouting her name.

The race was already decided, and yet I didn’t know why I was so
emotional.

Next to me, Komari had also stood up, cheering at the top of her lungs.

Yakishio crossed the finish line with a gap of over ten seconds ahead of the
runner-up. Slowing down with an unsatisfied expression, she raised her left
hand toward the stands.

“She-she-she did it! Amazing, amazing!”

Komari, overwhelmed with excitement, made a move to hug me— but

quickly redirected and jumped into Yanami’s arms instead. Yeah, that’s
probably for the best.

Left awkwardly with my arms dangling, I felt a pat on the shoulder from
Tamaki-senpai.

“If you don’t mind, I’ve got a chest available right here.”

“I thought about it, but I think I’ll pass.”

As we laughed under the strange energy of the moment—

“If either of you would like, my chest is open too.”

Shiratama-san spread her arms wide in front of us.

…Wait, seriously?
Just as I hesitated, wondering if that was really okay, Tsukinoki-senpai
swooped in and hugged Shiratama-san from behind, lifting her up.

“Alright! Big sis is here to fill that empty heart of yours!”

“Wow, Tsukinoki-san, you’re so strong! Where are you taking me?”

…Shiratama-san was carried off.

That’s probably how Tsukinoki-senpai had dealt with every girl who ever
tried to go after Tamaki-senpai.

Before I could even catch my breath, a small figure came running up with
light steps.

It was Asagumo-san. Her forehead gleamed brightly as she pumped both

fists up and down with excitement.

“She did it! Remon-san! That was amazing!”

“So you came too, Asagumo-san. Yakishio's run was incredible, wasn’t it?”

Unable to even put it into words, she just nodded vigorously, then spun
around and dashed off.

…She really can't sit still. Wait, if Asagumo-san is here, then—

Sure enough, the person she ran back to was Ayano.

He was dabbing the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief. I get how he
feels, but come on—your girlfriend is right there…

While I was nervously watching from afar, the boys' 1500-meter race began
on the field.

Only a few events left today. The Tsuwabuki track team seemed to have
finished all their races, and now it was just a matter of waiting for the
awards ceremony.
I sat back down on the bench, trying to calm myself.

Yakishio really made good on her word. She won her ticket to Nationals
with overwhelming dominance.

When she said she’d win it all… maybe that’s not just talk after all.

“Wow, Remon-chan was so fast,” said Yanami, sitting down beside me in

her usual carefree tone.

“She wasn’t just fast. With a time like that, she could’ve been on the
podium at Nationals last year.”

“Oho, as expected of Remon-chan,” Yanami said, munching on a handful of

popcorn.

“So, how many more wins does she need to make it to Nationals?”

…Huh?

Yanami’s eyes were as clear and innocent as glass beads.

“Um, that last race was the one that got her into Nationals.”

“Reallyyy...”

She popped another mouthful of popcorn into her mouth.

“Wait, so that was the finals!? Remon-chan’s insanely fast!!”

“Yeah, she’s fast all right.”

Fulfilling my duty as the official Yanami wrangler, I nodded with a smile.

Tokai High School Regional Track and Field Tournament, Girls' 1500-
Meter Final.
Tsuwabuki High School, 2nd year, Yakishio Remon. That day, she
secured her place at Nationals by finishing in 1st place.

The next day, Monday.

Even after school, the excitement from yesterday still clung to me.

Feeling oddly light and floaty, I stared up at Sakurai-kun’s election poster

hanging in the hallway.

With a breezy smile, Sakurai-kun extended a hand toward the viewer.

Some girls were even taking pictures of the poster—Sakurai really is

popular, huh…

Beside it was his written campaign statement, listing things like “An Open
Student Council” and “Reforming the Club System.”

…Wait a minute, there’s something weird written at the end.

“Heh, this seals the deal.”

Appearing with a dramatic hair flip was none other than Yanami.

She smirked and confidently tapped the bottom of the campaign statement.

“I came up with that last part. So? Don’t you want to vote for him now,
Nukumizu-kun?”

At the tip of her finger, it read:

“We’ll post the cafeteria menu on the Student Council website!”

Thank goodness—Sakurai-kun hasn’t completely lost his mind.

“Do you even use the cafeteria, Yanami-san? You always bring a bento.”
“Shallow. That’s shallow, Nukumizu-kun.”

Yanami pulled a crust of bread from her pocket and waved it in front of me.

“Listen. What do you think happens when you eat your bento while looking
at the cafeteria menu?”

“You spill your food? You spill a lot, after all.”

“I don’t spill, thank you very much. What I mean is—when you eat while
looking at the menu, it’s like you're having the daily special too. You get the
satisfaction of two meals in one. The ultimate diet technique.”

Chomping on the crust with a smug grin, Yanami looked quite pleased with
herself.

Content aside, limiting herself to one meal a day probably is a kind of diet
—for Yanami, at least.

As I gave a somewhat reluctant nod, I turned my gaze to Tiara-san’s

campaign statement posted next to it.

Her content was serious—proposals like increasing club budgets and

making student council activities more transparent.

By the way, I had to do a lot of work compressing Tiara-san’s original

manuscript to fit the character limit.

Mostly in the form of persuading Tiara-san herself.

While I was reminiscing over that ordeal, Yanami poked my cheek with the
crust of bread.

“Hey, what about Basori-san’s poster? Didn't you make one?”

…Wait. Now that she mentions it—what did happen to Tiara-san’s poster?

Just as I pulled out my phone, a message from Tiara-san slid onto the
screen, as if she’d been waiting for the right moment:
—Can you come to the usual place?

The Tiara campaign headquarters, also known as the stone table in the
courtyard.

I came, but Tiara-san is nowhere to be seen.

Calling someone out and making them wait? That’s not like Tiara-san,
who’s more of an ambush type…

As I looked around, a girl approached from the walkway.

It was Chikapyon (Season 2 version) from this season’s anime “Borderline

Out Girls.”

What always grabs my heart are those vertically-striped knee-high socks.

In episode 9, “Operation Absolute Territory,” she finally went full 100%

cotton—

…… Chikapyon?

Oh no. Have I finally started hallucinating?

I rubbed my eyes hard—but Chikapyon was still there.

The girl wore the Tsuwabuki High School uniform.

With vertically-striped high socks and a short skirt, she was forming a
mesmerizing absolute territory.

Her long straight hair was tied in small puffs just above the ears in what’s
called a twin side-up style.
And then she stood right in front of me—those eyebrows, a bit bolder than
average, and a small mole on her neck—

……………….Tiara -san, what are you doing.

I stood there in stunned silence as Tiara-san looked away in embarrassment.

“Th-thank you for waiting, Nukumizu-san…”

“Ah, uh… I just got here.”

Shuffling her feet, Tiara-san traced little circles on the ground with the toe
of her shoe.

“D-do you notice anything… different?”

“Um… like what?”

There’s a lot to notice, but I wasn’t sure if I should say it out loud.

Then—

“L-look… over here…”

Face bright red, Tiara-san lightly patted the twin side-up tufts of hair with
both palms.

“L-look, see?”

“……”

What in the world is happening right now?

Not sure how to respond, I chose the path of silent observation.

The usually serious (or maybe not-so-serious) Tiara-san was, for some
reason, exposing this side of herself to me.

It would be rude not to burn this moment into my memory.

"Um, Nukumizu-san… look… well…"

Tiara-san’s voice was gradually losing momentum. Her face was red all the
way down to her neck.

As I watched to see how far she’d go, she started trembling. Her face had
gone past red—she was turning pale.

"Tiara-san, maybe we should—"

"Nukumizu-san! Would you say something , please!?"

Tiara finally snapped.

"Well, I mean, I have no idea what's going on here..."

"Didn't you say you liked this character, Nukumizu-san!?"

She closed the distance between us, practically pushing me back with her
intensity.

It’s true—I did say that. But why is she dressed like that...?

As I stood there completely confused, someone approached us.

"Sorry to interrupt—newspaper club here!"

It was a girl with a DSLR camera in hand.

She wore a smile and a skirt that looked unnecessarily short.

"Basori-san, you haven’t taken your election poster photo yet, right?"

"Uh, I thought I sent one to the teacher already…"

"That was a commemorative photo from when the student council was
founded last year, right? You have to use one taken within the last three
months."
Huh, I didn’t know that. Sounds like a pretty specific rule.

Tiara bowed her head politely.

"I'm terribly sorry. In that case, I’ll arrange for a new photo to be taken
later."

"The teacher said to get it in today. So, let’s go!"

With a cheerful sales-like smile, the newspaper girl grabbed Tiara by the
arm.

"Eh?! Wait, I can’t—Not when I’m dressed like this!"

"They’ve gotta finish printing the posters by today. The teacher’s been
waiting for a while now."

"Uh, no, um—"

…Tiara was dragged away.

She looked back at me like she was begging for help, but if it's the rule,
there’s nothing I can do.

Left all alone in the courtyard, I looked up at the still-bright sky.

In the end… what was that cosplay all about?

On the north side of the Tokiwadori Arcade in front of the station, there's a
small coffee shop.

Located on the second floor of a building, it has a calm, old-fashioned

atmosphere, and most of its customers tend to be older.

"It’s not what it looks like… I swear, it’s really not…"

Two days had passed since the shocking cosplay incident.

The one groaning with her head down on the table was Tiara-san. She had
returned to her usual hairstyle—which was a bit of a shame, honestly.

"You say that, but in the poster, you look totally into it. You kind of had fun,
didn’t you?"

Displayed on my smartphone screen was the election poster of student

council president candidate Basori Tiara.

She was striking the so-called “Chikapyon pose,” twirling her index fingers
in front of her.

"I couldn’t help it! They told me to pose, so I reflexively did the one I’d
been practicing and—wait, don’t look at that photo here!"

Tiara-san shot up straight, flustered.

Well, at least she seemed lively.

She finally took in her surroundings, glancing around the café with a
somewhat suspicious look.

"…By the way, why did you bring me here?"

"You said you wanted to get away from school, right? Also, since you
weren’t answering, I went ahead and ordered this for you."

I placed a glass of red grape juice in front of her. She picked it up curiously.

"…It’s not coffee?"

"You’re not really a coffee person, are you?"

"How do you know I don’t like coffee?"

"Last time we went to that board game café, you dumped in a ton of sugar
and milk and chugged it down."
I lifted my own glass of grape juice.

"Plus, I figured something sweet would be better when you’re tired. I

usually get coffee too, but I thought I’d try this again for a change."

Tiara-san quietly stared at the glass, then gently brought the straw to her
lips.

"It’s delicious…"

"Right? It’s made with grapes from a winery in Azumino, apparently."

She looked a bit more relaxed now.

As I went to take a sip of my own juice, she glanced at me with a flat gaze
and muttered:

"…You’re surprisingly smooth."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You’re weirdly good at dealing with girls when they’re down. Taking them
to a quiet café that’s hidden from view, offering sweet things to win them
over…"

That’s a pretty harsh take.

"I used to come here with my parents when I was a kid, that’s all."

"Ah, I see. So that’s how this place became your go-to spot for bringing
girls."

Rude. Besides Kaju, Tiara-san is the first person I’ve brought here.

Anyway, now that she’s back to her usual self, I figure it’s time to get to the
point.

"So, why were you dressed like that the other day?"
Cough! Tiara-san sprayed juice out of her mouth.

She pressed a handkerchief to her lips and looked up at me with tearful

eyes.

“Do I… really need to explain that?”

“Well, it kind of ties into the election and all.”

“Uh, well… that’s a little…”

Hmm. In that case, I have no choice.

I brought up the poster photo on my phone screen, and Tiara-san leaned

forward in a panic.

“It was seduction! I was trying to seduce you so you’d agree to be my

endorser!”

Breathing heavily, she took a gulp of her grape juice.

So… she was trying to seduce me in public? I didn’t notice at all .

“So basically, in that outfit, you were gonna say something like, ‘Will you
be my endorser, meow~’ or whatever?”

“Yes! Well, not the ‘meow’ part, but…!”

Now fully resigned to the situation, Tiara-san set her empty glass down with
a bang.

“Let me try again. Would you reconsider? I want you , Nukumizu-san, to

support me.”

Sitting up straight and speaking earnestly, she stared directly at me.

…Why go that far? Still unsure, I opened my mouth.

“Why me? If you asked a teacher to introduce someone, you’d get way
more votes.”

“Maybe so. But I want to ask you .”

This was going in circles. At this point, I had no choice but to turn her down
clearly.

Just as I gathered my resolve to say so, Tiara-san spoke first, cutting me off.

“Do you know why I was nominated for vice president?”

“I think… Shikiya-san recommended you, right?”

Tiara-san nodded and stared down at her now-empty glass.

“We hadn’t really spoken much before that, so I never knew why she
recommended me. Why she picked me to be vice president. I was too
scared to ask.”

She kept talking, as if digging through her own memories.

“The first time I got involved with the student council was through
volunteer work. I honestly wasn’t much help back then, either.”

“That’s not true—”

Tiara-san shook her head slowly.

“As you probably know, I’m stubborn and inflexible. I’ve clashed with
others, and there were times the president had to step in and smooth things
over. So when they asked me to be an endorser in last year’s student council
election, I thought it was a joke.”

She grasped the water glass in both hands and gazed into the rippling
surface.

“Looking back, maybe it was out of pity. I kept butting heads with people,
so they wanted to keep me somewhere they could keep an eye on me…”
Tiara-san raised her head.

"That’s why I want to win. So I can continue being with everyone in the
student council as an equal friend."

"And… why me?"

"The president and the others care about you that much. I feel like there’s
something you have that I don’t."

Her eyes were serious.

I couldn’t look away from them. I gave a weak, unsure smile.

"That’s kind of an exaggeration."

"It’s not," she replied without hesitation.

"When I gave a support speech for President Hokobaru last year, my legs
were shaking."

"Right, you gave a speech for her, didn’t you?"

"…You were in the audience too, weren’t you?"

Now that she mentioned it, I vaguely remembered.

After clearing her throat, she reset her tone and continued.

"That girl’s just riding high on her position. She’s acting all high and
mighty, hiding behind the president’s authority—people have said that
about me all year. And now, this year, I’m the candidate. I’ll be standing up
there in the same place as last year’s president. To be honest… I’m
terrified."

She placed a hand on her chest, took a deep breath, and kept going.

"I want your words. Even if it’s just symbolic. If I have that, I think I’ll be
able to stand up there with confidence. So—"
Tiara-san looked straight at me.

"Just for now… will you support me—and only me?"

Her words felt like a confession. I was taken aback by her sincerity, and
couldn’t find the right words to respond.

"Sorry for springing this on you all of a sudden."

"No, it’s okay, but…"

Another silence settled between us.

Maybe trying to change the mood, Tiara-san flagged down a passing

waitress.

"My treat. Let’s order coffee."

"Wait, I thought you didn’t like coffee?"

"Yes, I don’t. But if you like it, I thought I’d try getting used to it."

Why would she need to get used to something just because I like it…?

While I was still puzzled, Tiara-san took a folded piece of paper from her
bag.

“By the way, I brought a copy of the school newspaper. The election
analysis is surprisingly well done,” Tiara-san said as she spread the paper
out on the table.

“I didn’t know the newspaper club did election analysis.”

“It seems they took a survey on voting preferences. Look here,” she said,
pointing with a slender finger to a pie chart showing the approval ratings.

Sakurai: 45%, Tiara: 30%, Undecided: 25%—

It even included data broken down by grade and gender.

Sakurai had strong support from first- and third-year girls, as well as
second-year boys. Tiara-san was doing relatively well among first-year
boys.

At present, the data offered her no clear advantage.

Seeing the troubled look on her face, I picked up the school newspaper.

“But this paper’s mostly gossip, right? You shouldn’t take it too seriously.
They’re saying Sakurai is ‘the enemy of women’ and writing all kinds of
baseless stuff.”

Even if he’s an opponent, it didn’t sit right with me to see Sakurai slandered
like that.

At my words, Tiara-san made an oddly complicated expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“…I think this ‘enemy of women’ might actually be referring to you,

Nukumizu-san.”

“What?! I’ve never even had a girlfriend, let alone two-timed someone!”

“Yes, I know. You prefer men, after all.”

“No, I don’t,” I said, reflexively slipping into polite language to deny it.

Without a word, Tiara-san suddenly pulled out a notebook.

“What are you doing?”

“Sorry, I do this for any matter that requires review. I write it down now and
read it again later when I’m thinking more clearly.”

So you’re not thinking clearly now? We’ve been having a pretty in-depth
conversation for a while.

Muttering to herself, Tiara-san started scribbling in her notebook.

“Let’s see… Nukumizu-san is… indiscriminate… regardless of gender…”

That’s also incorrect. And please don’t keep glancing at me while you write
it down.

I wanted to protest, but I held back. Don’t interrupt the treatment, I told
myself.

Trying to escape her unsettling gaze, I looked back down at the school
newspaper.

Now that I knew the article might be about me, rereading it was pretty
shocking—it said whatever it wanted.

Apparently, I was some no-good guy who flirted with girls left and right but
never dated anyone seriously.

Also, this “Beautiful Second-Year Girl Ako” was definitely referring to

Yanami Anna-san. She was written about even more freely than I was, but
the frustrating part was… some of it was kind of true.

—Snap.

The sound of a notebook closing pulled me from my thoughts.

“Thanks for waiting. I’m fine now,” Tiara-san said with a refreshed smile,
taking a cautious sip of the coffee that had just arrived.

“Are you okay with it black?”

“Well, surprisingly, I think I am. But I’ll add a bit of sugar,” she said.

I watched her sweeten her coffee with a gentle smile and took a sip of mine.

“…Isn’t this really good? What did you order?”

“Kilimanjaro. It was labeled as the king of coffee.”

That’s the expensive one. I hope this was on her tab…

While I sipped the coffee, now growing suspicious thanks to a certain
someone, Tiara-san glanced at her watch.

“Well then, it’s almost 6 p.m.”

Hm? Maybe she has a curfew or something?

Tiara-san pulled her phone out of her bag.

“The second issue of the school newspaper is going out at 6 p.m.”

“Oh, is that the one that said, ‘Read the rest online’?”

“I don’t really understand how it works, but if you pay, you can read the
whole thing. They said the annual plan is a good deal, so I subscribed.”

…You really shouldn’t sign up for things you don’t understand.

As she stared seriously at her phone, Tiara-san suddenly turned the screen
toward me.

“Look, Nukumizu-san!”

“Uh, let’s see… ‘Vice President Basori’s cosplay photos now available for
paid members’—”

“Not that part!”

What she really wanted to show me was the latest poll results on the voting
preferences.

Sakurai had made a slight gain to 50%, and Tiara-san— was up 15 points to
45%.

Tiara-san leaned in, her eyes sparkling.

“A huge leap forward! Maybe my policy speech really reached people’s

hearts?”
“Could be. Mind showing me a breakdown of the votes?”

I compared the latest article with the previous poll results.

“You’ve gained a lot among male voters. Actually, your support among
female students has gone down. Um, this might be hard to say…”

When I hesitated, Tiara-san leaned in firmly.

“Please, don’t hold back. Say it.”

“I think your cosplay campaign poster… might have been a hit.”

At those words, Tiara-san visibly flinched.

“M-my outfit…?”

Yeah, well… it wasn’t bad at all.

I borrowed Tiara-san’s phone and scrolled through the article.

“Oh, the newspaper club’s website has a message board.”

“A message board? What are they saying?”

“Uh, just a second.”

I quickly turned the screen away from her.

It’s a message board where high schoolers post anonymously—you never

know what kind of stuff is written there.

“Why is she even in cosplay?”

“This is just wrong.”

“Is she trying to sell sex appeal or what?”

Just as I feared, there were plenty of negative reactions.

The dramatic low-angle shot on the poster, along with the flustered
expression on Tiara-san’s face, made for an eye-catching image— but it
might have been a bit too provocative for the serious students of Tsubaki
High.

The thread was already getting a little out of hand. I couldn’t show this to
Tiara-san—

“Absolute territory! I’m absolutely voting for her!”

“Chikapyon! Chikapyon!”

“Chikapyon-pyon!”

…Yeah, definitely not showing her this.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“It’s better if you don’t look at this kind of stuff.”

“I’ve already exposed myself to the whole school dressed like that. It’s a
little late to be shy now.”

With that perfectly reasonable response, Tiara-san snatched the phone from
my hand.

She silently stared at the screen, then squinted slightly.

“…There are reactions I expected, and some I didn’t.”

“Uh, that chant-like stuff is from episode 8—the baseball episode,” I

offered.

“I know. Before I wore that outfit, I watched all 12 episodes of Borderline

Outlaw Girls .”

Oh, season two just started. She should watch that too.

“What does this line, ‘My out is borderline pyon,’ even mean?”
“…I dunno. But whatever you do, do not search it.”

Honestly, a lot of the Tsuwabuki students seem like they’d actually be fun
to hang out with.

At least Tiara-san didn’t seem too bothered by the flames or possible

slander on the board. That was good—but what did worry me was the
survey result for voting intentions.

She was only five points behind Sakurai-kun now, but the remaining
undecided vote was also just five points.

Even if she won all of those, she’d only be tied.

To win, she’d need to cut into Sakurai-kun’s support base.

“There’s stuff about Sakurai-kun too. Seems like most of his support is
from the girls.”

“Don’t trust the gender on message boards,” I warned.

As I gave her a crash course on internet etiquette, my thoughts turned to

Sakurai's camp.

If Sakurai won, then Yanami would become the student council’s vice
president.

The literature club already had so few members. Komari's writing pace had
slowed lately too. We couldn’t afford to lose more help… Tiara-san let out a
deep breath as she stared silently at the screen.

"Up until last week, I didn’t think I had a chance. But now… I think I might
be able to fight this battle."

She looked me in the eye with serious determination. "I want to win. Not
through pity—I want to become student council president by my own
strength. I'm not asking you to join the council. Just lend me your strength
as my endorser."
…She didn’t become vice president out of sympathy. The president,
Shikiya, and even Sakurai—everyone trusted her. But maybe that’s exactly
why she couldn’t fully trust herself.

I finished the now-lukewarm coffee and set down the cup.

“…I don’t like getting involved in fights that are already lost.”

Tiara-san gave a silent nod.

“If I’m going to be your endorser, I have one condition.”

“W-What is it—wait, are you asking for something indecent?”

“No, not that.”

I quickly canceled her pink-hued misunderstanding and pulled up the

election poster on my phone.

“I want you to wear this outfit during your campaign speech.”

“If it’s just that—wait, what?! ”

Tiara-san stared hard at the photo on the election poster.

“…I-I see. That’s what you meant.”

“So you get it?” I asked.

She nodded deeply.

“In other words, public humiliation play—”

“That’s not what I meant.”

This girl is hopeless.

I took a deep breath and began explaining like I was dealing with a kid.
“Look, the recent poll shows that support among first-year students —
especially the boys—has gone up, right?”

“But didn’t the girls’ votes go down?” she pointed out.

“That drop was mostly in second-year girls. It’s natural—popular

classmates tend to attract more criticism. Can you show me the survey
results again?”

Tiara-san pulled up the school newspaper again on her phone and placed it
in the middle of the table.

“On the other hand, most of Sakurai-kun’s increase came from female
votes. His male support has not only plateaued—it’s even dropped among
the first and third-year students.”

Tiara-san and I leaned in to look at the screen together.

“Sakurai-kun is certainly cute, but that doesn’t exactly translate into male
popularity. In fact, when guys find him attractive, they’re more likely to
vote for the opposing candidate just to deny their own feelings.”

“…Does that kind of thing really happen?”

It does. I’m not going into detail.

“In other words, if you dress as Chikapyon, you can lock in those male
votes. That’s the only real way to pull off a comeback at this point.”

“Won’t all the girls hate me for it?”

“You’re already not popular with them, so it’s fine.”

“Guh!”

Tiara-san clutched her chest. It was a harsh truth, but unless she accepted it,
she couldn’t move forward.

“What do you think?”

“…A—a promise is a promise.”

Tiara-san blushed as she lifted her eyes from the phone screen.

“If I give my speech in that outfit on voting day next Monday…”

“Then I’ll give a support speech as your official endorser.”

I lifted my gaze from the phone too.

And right there in front of me was Tiara-san’s face, just inches away.

“Ah!”

Startled, we both pulled back quickly, and each grabbed our coffee cups in
an attempt to recover from the awkwardness.

“…Well, let’s go with that plan.”

“Y-Yes. Thank you.”

Then, as we tried to sip our coffee at the same time, we realized our cups
were already empty. We exchanged sheepish smiles and set them down
again.

“What’s so funny, Nukumizu-san? You’re trying not to laugh.”

“You too, Tiara-san. No need to hold it in.”

We looked at each other—and finally burst out laughing.

After we’d laughed enough, Tiara-san dabbed at the corners of her eyes
with a handkerchief.

“Don’t make me laugh so much. Also, Nukumizu-san.”

“What is it?”

“Please don’t call me by my first name.”

Tiara-san said it in a voice that sounded unusually cheerful.

Once I decided to become her endorser, time seemed to fly by.

It was Sunday night, the day before the election.

I sat at my study desk in my room and spoke to my phone, which was on

speaker mode.

"Alright, I guess that means both of our speeches are finished now."

"Yes, thank you for your hard work."

Tiara-san, on the other end of the line, gave a polite reply, then suddenly
started giggling.

"Something funny?"

"No, it’s just... I found it kind of amusing that the speech for the support
speaker took the longest."

Ugh… Hearing that stings a little. As a member of the literature club, it

strikes at my very identity.

"Well, you know, we left that one for last. We had to make sure it didn’t
overlap with Basori-san’s speech."

"Oh my, you're not calling me by my first name today?"

"Uh, that’s…"

She’s totally teasing me.

I ended the call casually, then set my blue pen down on the notebook.

"Okay, now I just need to write out the final version..."

Tiara-san’s strength lies in the fact that she already has experience as vice
president, even as a first-year.

My plan is to highlight her achievements in my endorsement speech first.

Then, in her candidate speech, she'll position herself as the successor to the
current Hokobaru administration.

The speeches will take place just after lunch tomorrow.

Voting happens right after that, so the impression left by the speeches will
directly influence the results—

"Would you like a break, dear brother?"

Suddenly, I heard Kaju’s voice right by my ear.

Kaju set down a steaming teacup on my desk. This scent— chamomile tea.

"How long have you been in my room?"

"Now, that’s a secret."

Dodging the question playfully, Kaju walked over and opened the curtains.

"The sky’s cloudy tonight, so we can’t see the moon."

"Yeah. Looks like it’s going to start raining later tonight."

Inhaling the sweet scent of chamomile tea, I leaned back into my chair.

I hadn’t intended to, but somehow I ended up agreeing to be an endorser.

At this rate… I might end up taking the vice president role too, whether I
like it or not…

—“I don’t trust you, but I believe in you.”

Suddenly, I remembered Komari’s words.

That much, I had to put my foot down on. Despite how I may seem, I’m a
guy who can say "no."

When I placed the cup back onto its saucer with a soft clink, Kaju— who
had apparently been waiting for that moment—turned around by the
window.

“Are you going to join the student council, dear brother?”

“I don’t plan to—wait, you knew about the student council election?”

“Yes. I know everything about you, big brother.”

With that slightly unnerving line, Kaju flopped down onto the bed.

Since Kaju has connections with the student council people, it’s no surprise
the information gets around easily…

“I’m not joining the student council. I’m just helping Basori-san since she’s
running for student council president.”

“I see. That’s a little disappointing.”

Still seated on the bed, Kaju let her legs dangle and swing.

“If you were helping out at next year’s entrance ceremony, it would be so
wonderful.”

“Well, first you’d have to pass the entrance exam.”

I replied a bit teasingly, and Kaju puffed out her cheeks and flopped down
on the bed.

“I’m studying really hard, you know. I’ll get into Tsuwabuki, and then we’ll
ride to school together, just the two of us.”

“You know riding double on a bike is against the rules, right?”

It’s true, lately Kaju’s been seriously focused on studying, and hasn’t been
showing up at Tsuwabuki much anymore.

Leaving her to roll around on the bed, I turned on my laptop.

About twenty minutes passed.

After finishing up the support speech draft, I stretched widely in my chair.

…Wait, come to think of it, it’s gotten awfully quiet.

When I looked over at the bed, I saw Kaju fast asleep, hugging a pillow and
breathing softly.
I pulled a blanket over Kaju and walked toward the window to close the
half-open curtain.

—The newspaper club’s website bulletin board had continued to see more
posts.

As always, opinions were split over Tiara-san’s cosplay. Her rising

popularity among the boys was matched by increasing criticism from the
girls.

She claimed it didn’t bother her, but the fact that she went out of her way to
report it to me meant she was definitely hurt by it.

Was it really the right choice for me to have her give her election speech in
that outfit…?

“We have to win this, no matter what…”

Muttering to myself, I looked out the window—and noticed a dark figure

drifting in front of the house.

…Huh? What is that? I squinted for a better look. It was a person.

Only one person I know can blend into the darkness like that…

Just then, my phone, resting on the desk, rang with a sharp, glass-breaking
tone.

—Incoming call from Shikiya-senpai.

At the front door of my house, I handed a mobile battery to Shikiya-san.

“Thanks… I’ll… give it back… tomorrow…”

The reason she’d called me out here turned out to be surprisingly simple.
Her phone battery was dying, so she wanted to borrow a charger.

Now that I think about it, there was another girl who barged into my house
for the same reason…

Shikiya-san’s face was faintly illuminated by the light of her phone.

As I looked at her, somewhat absentmindedly, I found myself speaking

without thinking.

“What were you doing out here?”

“Lately… I’ve been practicing… riding the bus and train… I guess?”

She tilted her head like some kind of manga noblewoman and answered.

“Right, your family usually picks you up partway on your way to school,
don’t they?”

“Yeah… when I notice… I’m somewhere I don’t know… so I don’t take the
bus…”

Shikiya-san swayed gently.

“But… I can’t… keep depending on that… forever…”

Her words, scattered in the night air, lingered strangely in my heart.

Before I could fully process what they meant, her eyes began to shift
uncertainly.

“The tram stop… which way…?”

“Oh, if you go straight down this road, you’ll hit the main street.”

“Got it… sorry… for bothering you so late…”

She began to walk off unsteadily but stopped after a few steps and, still
facing away from me, muttered softly:

"Um... you and... Tiara-chan..."

"Is something wrong with Tiara-san?"

Shikiya-san stayed silent.

Just as I was about to speak again, her hair swayed—despite there being no
wind.

"No... it's nothing..."

She began walking again, and her figure looked so faint, like she could
dissolve right into the darkness.

It felt like she might disappear somewhere, cloaked in that fragile shadow
—

That’s why I took a step forward.

"—Um, let me walk you partway."

Shikiya-san stopped.

She turned her head sharply, her pale eyes reflecting me.

"Okay... please."

…For just a few minutes, we walked in silence.

It felt like Shikiya-san’s steps were just a little slower than usual.

As we walked through the Sunday night, I searched my chest for the

feelings tangled up inside me.

There was so much I wanted to say, but none of it would come out.
From far away, the sound of cars passing on the main street gradually grew
closer.

Feeling a vague sense of reluctance, we walked on until we reached the

street where the city tram ran.

At the edge of the intersection stood a large stone lantern with the
characters for "Eternal Light" engraved on it, softly glowing.

The tram stop was just ahead, across the pedestrian crossing in the middle
of the street.

Shikiya-san stopped in front of the stone lantern and suddenly spoke.

"You know... I’ve been... riding a bicycle too..."

"Wait, isn’t that kind of dangerous? Shouldn’t you be using training wheels
or something?"

Despite my rather rude comment, Shikiya-san swayed slightly, as if

enjoying herself.

"Doing more things... little by little... it's fun..."

"That’s good to hear."

The more her "little by little" grew, the more it felt like the distance
between us was widening.

…Tomorrow, either Tiara-san or Sakurai-kun will be chosen as the next

student council president.

Once the sports festival ends, the current council will be disbanded.

Shikiya-san and President Hokobaru will probably begin preparing

seriously for their paths after graduation.

—Graduation comes before you know it.

Those were Tsukinoki-senpai’s words, from some time ago.

When I saw her last week, she already seemed so grown up.

She hadn’t changed in appearance, and yet… she was no longer the
Tsukinoki Koto who used to be at Tsuwabuki.

Everyone seems to be growing up and moving on without me—that’s the

kind of restless anxiety I feel.

But no matter who you are, when the time comes, you’ll be pushed into the
next stage of life whether you’re ready or not.

Even if you haven’t prepared, even if you don’t have the resolve…

Someday, I’ll change too.

As I was lost in thought, Shikiya-senpai was watching me.

“What’s wrong…?”

“I was just thinking… you seem really grown up, Shikiya-senpai.”

Hearing my honest words, Shikiya-senpai tilted her head curiously.

“I’m… still just a child, you know…?”

She hesitated slightly, then reached a hand toward me.

But just before she could touch my face, she stopped.

“Um… about tomorrow’s election… Tiara-chan…”

So that’s why she came to see me—because of the election tomorrow.

She’s close to Tiara-san, and the opponent is Sakurai-kun. She must be

worried.
As I waited for her next words, Shikiya-senpai—rarely for her— began to
stumble over them.

“Senpai?”

“Um… I… the speech…”

Again, she fell silent.

Swaying faintly, Shikiya-senpai lowered her gaze with a sadness that caught
me off guard.

“Do you think… Tiara-chan… is avoiding me…?”

“That’s not—”

This time, it was my turn to fall silent.

Tiara-san has been keeping her distance from the current student council
throughout this campaign.

To escape the light of the existing members—and shine by her own

strength.

“Once the student council stuff ends… Tiara-chan… always goes home
right away…”

“She’s not avoiding you, Shikiya-senpai…”

—It’s not just you she’s been avoiding.

But that kind of truth wouldn’t bring any comfort to the person standing
before me.

“…Lately, she’s been helping me work on the speech for my endorsement.

That’s probably why she’s been so busy.”

Shikiya-senpai didn’t respond.

She just stood there, as if her outline were melting into the darkness.

Then a car on National Route 1 drove past, its headlights illuminating

Shikiya-senpai as if to pull her back from the shadows into reality.

“Please… help Tiara-chan… win…”

In a voice that seemed to vanish into the night, she stepped backward,
unsteady.

“Senpai, look out!”

Just as Shikiya-senpai stepped into the crosswalk during a red light, I

grabbed her hand with all my strength and yanked her back.

Without resisting, she fell forward into my chest.

A truck thundered past, clattering loudly over the spot where she had just
stood.

…Still holding Shikiya-senpai in my arms, I steadied my breathing. She

leaned heavily against me, her expression hidden behind those pale eyes,
gazing up at me.

Her body felt surprisingly small—

As if even the slightest force might cause her to break.

“Um, Senpai—”

“…You’re… holding me too tight.”

I realized I’d been gripping her unconsciously hard.

Even after I released her from my arms, Shikiya-senpai didn’t move away
—still leaning gently against me, unmoving.

The faint scent of sweat mixed in her hair made my head spin a little.
“Are you hurt?”

“Mm… I’m okay…”

Still in that position, she clutched my shirt with her fingertips and looked up
into my eyes.

I averted my gaze slightly and took a small step back.

The pedestrian signal leading to the streetcar stop had turned green.

“Senpai, the light’s green.”

But Shikiya-senpai didn’t move.

“Are you really okay? Please be careful on your way home.”

She finally swayed, ever so slightly, and—

“…Punch.”

Pof.

She lightly tapped me in the chest with a delicate little punch.

“Um… Senpai?”

Without a word, Shikiya-senpai turned her back to me and began crossing

the street toward the streetcar stop.

Then, halfway across, she turned and looked back just once—

And in a voice as faint as a mosquito’s whisper, she muttered something.

That soft murmur was nearly swallowed by the sound of traffic passing by.

But when it finally reached my ears, it sounded unmistakably like this:

“Enemy of women.”
◇

The morning of the election.

The sky was covered in thick, heavy clouds, and the city was wrapped in a
gloom that felt more like the hour before dawn.

Arriving at school earlier than usual, I walked along the empty tulip tree-
lined path, reading over my speech draft for the support address.

The speech was three minutes long.

The first part introduced Tiara-san as a person; the latter half focused on her
accomplishments.

The goal was to lead naturally into her own candidate speech— without
sounding like we were just bragging.

“…Man, I’m getting nervous.”

It had sounded like a good idea when I agreed, but maybe I should’ve
turned it down…

To calm myself, I looked out toward the sports field, where the track team
was in the middle of morning practice.

Yakishio had already secured a spot at nationals in both the 1500m and
3000m events.

She stood out even among the track team, already running while the others
were still stretching.

As I watched her from afar, a carefree voice called out behind me.

“You’re fired up today, Nukumizu-kun!”

“Good morning. You’re here early too, Yanami-san.”

“Well, yeah. I’m fired up too. Here, eat this.”

Yanami shoved a container of pork cutlet sandwiches in my face.

Lately, she’d been eating katsu sandwiches every day, and her pockets were
always stuffed with leftover crusts.

As we walked down the tree-lined path together, eating our sandwiches, the
nerves began to fade.

Probably because Yanami kept dropping crumbs everywhere—and now

sparrows were following us…

“By the way, you’re giving a support speech too, right? You okay speaking
in front of people?”

Yanami licked some sauce from her finger and winked.

“I’ve got a plan. You know, that thing where you imagine the audience as
vegetables.”

“Oh yeah. Pretend they’re potatoes or pumpkins, that one.”

She nodded and grabbed another katsu sandwich.

“Exactly. Potatoes are great with butter, pumpkins make good stew, and
carrots are fine raw. Think of it that way and nerves just—uh-oh, now I’m
drooling.”

Eating a katsu sandwich while thinking about other food. This girl’s running
at full power from the morning.

Still, this katsu sandwich—its rich pork fat and sauce were perfectly
balanced by the shredded cabbage.

I thought fried food in the morning would be too much, but…

“…It’s good.”

I muttered without thinking, and Yanami smirked from the corner of her
mouth.
“Right? C’mon, eat more, Nukumizu-kun. You could use a little more meat
on your bones.”

“This is for good luck, right? You should give it to Sakurai-kun, not me.”

For some reason, I mumbled that half-heartedly, and Yanami’s face lit up
with a smile.

“Oh? Don’t tell me—you’re jealous? Because I’m getting along with
Sakurai-kun?”

“Huh? No, of course not.”

I clearly denied it, but Yanami just patted my shoulder.

“No need to get jealous. The election ends today, right? Starting tomorrow,
we’re just regular friends again. No point in getting all tense about it.”

“Well, yeah, but—like I said, I’m not jealous.”

“You’re not very honest, Nukumizu-kun. It’s okay to admit it, you know?”

Still annoying, but Yanami had a point.

Tiara-san wanted to be acknowledged by the student council—not as a

candidate, but as a person.

But that also meant risking the relationships she had now.

“…Maybe you’re right, Yanami-san.”

“Huh? What do you mean—”

Oops. I was getting ahead of myself in my own head again.

I stopped walking and turned to face Yanami properly.

“When someone’s always by your side, it’s easy to take things for granted.
You get that, right?”
“W-Well, yeah… I guess I’ve been there.”

Yanami nodded stiffly, her neck creaking like a rusted hinge.

Good, she got it. I quickly continued.

“But to move forward, I think we need a chance to confirm how we feel, to

reestablish the connection. That’s why I want to be honest about—”

“Wait, wait, wait ?! Isn’t that a little too much for a morning conversation at
school?!”

“? But the voting’s this afternoon.”

Yanami froze in place.

“…Nukumizu-kun. What are you even talking about.”

“I mean Basori-san. Even if you say we’ll be just friends again after this,
she always goes all in and loses sight of everything around her. It’s not good
if things end up like a falling-out with the student council — Wait, what’s
wrong, Yanami-san?”

“……”

Yanami said nothing. She just took a big bite of her katsu sandwich and
kicked me in the leg.

“Ow?! What the heck?!”

“That’s exactly your problem, Nukumizu-kun!”

Turning away with a huff, Yanami walked into the school building, leaving
me behind.

Wha… What was that all about?

Rubbing my aching shin, I followed her in, only to nearly bump into her
again—she was standing still just inside the entrance.
“Yanami-san, what now?”

“G-Good morning, Nukumizu-san.”

Standing in front of the shoe lockers wasn’t Chikapyon … but a special-

edition version of Basori Tiara .

Striped thigh-high socks showing her “absolute territory.”

Her tied-up hair popped out to both sides in a twin-side-up style.

With her cheeks flushed red, Tiara pointed both index fingers at Yanami.

“Y-Yanami-san! I’m sorry, but we’re going all out to win this…!”

Yanami, who was awkwardly pointed at with a stiff Chikapyon pose,

nodded hesitantly.

“Y-Yeah… let’s both do our best.”

Yanami, don’t look at me like that.

…I’m a little freaked out too.

Lunch break ended, and the students who had been playing in the gym
returned to their classrooms.

“All candidates and their supporters seem to be here. Let’s begin the
procedural explanation.”

On the now quiet stage of the gym, Student Council President Hokobaru
looked over the four of us in turn—me, Tiara-san, Sakurai-kun, and
Yanami.

“First up is Hiroto’s group. Yanami will give a three-minute support speech,

followed by Hiroto’s candidate speech, which must be within five minutes.
Then it’s Nukumizu and finally Basori. After the speeches, students will
promptly return to their classrooms and vote. Please strictly observe the
time limit.”

Once she confirmed that everyone understood, the president gave a small
smile.

“It’s kind of strange seeing only familiar faces up here, but maybe that’s
just fate. Everyone, don’t hold back—speak your hearts out. The students of
Tsuwabuki will hear you.”

Just as she was about to continue, a shadow quietly rose behind her.

“Hibari… sensei… is calling…”

“I see. I’ll go right away.”

President Hokobaru turned, letting her hair sway as she left, but Shikiya-san
didn’t move.

For a moment—long enough that “moment” hardly described it—she stared

silently at Tiara-san.

Just before the silence could turn heavy with meaning, Shikiya-san turned
on her heel without saying a word.

Left alone on stage, I let out a deep breath.

Beside me, Tiara-san was trembling slightly, her hands clasped tightly in
front of her chest.

“Nervous?”

“Y-Yes. The whole school will be gathered here soon, right? What about
you, Nukumizu-san?”

“I’m nervous too, but at least this time it’s legal. No risk of getting arrested,
so in that sense I’m pretty relaxed.”
“…Nukumizu-san, are you talking about something completely different
from me?”

Oops, I let that slip. I’ve already washed my hands of crime.

“What about you, Basori-san? Are you ready for your speech?”

I casually changed the subject. Tiara-san nodded, her face pale.

“I’m used to speaking in front of people—it’s part of the vice president’s

job. But when I think about having to appear in front of the whole school in
such an embarrassing outfit…”

“When you think about it?”

Gulp. I heard her swallow. The pale neck with a beauty mark twitched in a
strange way.

“M-My body feels kind of hot, and my heart’s racing… I must be nervous,
right?”

…Tiara-san, are you about to open another weird door again? Please, I beg
you—keep that door shut tight.

Before long, the students began filing in.

The four of us—candidates and their supporters—were waiting offstage, to

the audience’s right side.

On the opposite wing, the president and Shikiya-san were discussing the
event details with a teacher.

The increasing buzz in the gym made it hard for me to stay calm. I kept
taking deep breaths.
Reading over my speech again was pointless—my eyes just slid over the
words—so I gave up and looked up.

Sakurai and Yanami were chatting quietly nearby, looking totally relaxed.

…Aren’t those two standing kind of close? Or maybe it’s just my

imagination.

Trying to refocus, I glanced over at Tiara-san—she was fussing with her

skirt.

“Something wrong?”

“It’s just a little too short… I’m worried it might be visible from under the
stage. It should be okay—this is about the length in anime, so…”

“No, no—anime has a mysterious power that keeps anyone from seeing up
skirts. You should be careful.”

“…I’m going to go adjust it backstage.”

Leaving those words behind, Tiara-san stepped into the backstage area.

Damn, if I’d kept quiet, we might’ve scored a few extra votes from the
guys…

While I was thinking that, Sakurai casually stepped up beside me.

“I dragged you into all this with my selfishness.”

“It’s not like it’s your fault. Anyone can run for office, no matter the
reason.”

I replied without thinking too hard, but Sakurai looked me straight in the
eye.

“What?”

“I see… So that’s the kind of person you are.”

And now even Sakurai’s saying it…

At that moment, we heard the soft thud of the gym doors closing. The
students had all entered.

“Sorry, but this time I’m going to play to win.”

Sakurai said that before walking back over to Yanami.

…Why did he apologize?

While I was puzzling over that, Tiara-san returned.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. It’s about to start, isn’t it?”

“Your skirt doesn’t look much longer. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Well, I figured this level of… not tension, no—this level of fashion sense
was necessary.”

You sure? Feels like another door might already be cracking open… As I
nervously watched her, the president’s calm voice rang in my ears.

“Everyone, we will now begin the campaign speeches for the student
council president election.”

The previously noisy gymnasium fell instantly silent.

“First, a support speech for presidential candidate Hiroto Sakurai. From

Class 2-C, Anna Yanami. Please begin.”

Support Speech for Student Council Candidate Hiroto Sakurai —

Anna Yanami

Standing at the podium in the center of the stage, Yanami adjusted the
microphone with a bit of force.
“Testing, testing…”

After taking her sweet time with the mic check, she cleared her throat
dramatically.

“Uh, hello everyone. I’m Anna Yanami. I’m in the same class as Sakurai-
kun, the presidential candidate. And, well, we’re… on friendly terms, I
guess.”

Pretty loose start, but that’s part of being the opening act—you’ve got to
face a crowd that’s not warmed up yet. Like the opening banter of a comedy
routine, she needed to gently break the ice and test the waters.

After tossing out a couple light-hearted remarks, Yanami leaned toward the
mic.

Alright, that’s enough preamble. Time for the real speech—!

“Suddenly, but seriously… are you a bread person or a rice person?”

…Okay, maybe she’s sticking with the preamble strategy after all.

Ignoring the confused energy filling the gym, Yanami confidently

continued.

“I’m a bread person in the morning and a rice person at lunch. When time is
short in the morning, I grab something simple like bread. But for lunch, I sit
down with a nice bento full of white rice. Because to survive afternoon
classes and the long hours after school—you need rice power. ”

Yanami declared this with conviction, then slowly swept her gaze across the
audience.

“By now, I think you all understand what I’m trying to say.”

…Sorry, I really don’t.

Is this okay, Sakurai-kun? I glanced his way nervously—only to find him

watching Yanami with an amused expression, like he was thoroughly
enjoying the moment.

Sakurai-kun’s level of tolerance is something else.

Well then…

Yanami cleared her throat again with a dramatic ahem .

“Yes! Sakurai-kun is white rice! Rice welcomes any kind of side dish with
warmth and acceptance! Whether it’s stew or oden, rice embraces it all!”

Yanami was fully revved up now. Leaving the entire audience behind, the
Yanami Theater was in full swing.

“If I’m mentaiko, then his friends are karaage, or sesame salt, or all sorts of
things—but he never treats anyone differently!”

She jabbed a finger toward the stage wing.

At the tip of her finger stood Sakurai-kun, who had casually peeked out
from behind the curtain.

“Sakurai-kun doesn’t say cruel things that cut into your heart like a
sculpting knife, the way Sesame Salt-kun does. He actually listens to me
when I talk. You could learn a thing or two. Please do.”

Whoever Sesame Salt-kun is, that was a brutal call-out. And Yanami, why
are you looking at me when you say that?

Yanami turned her gaze back toward the audience.

“The student council exists so that everyone can enjoy a better school life.
But there will be times when we’ll need your help—when we’ll ask you to
walk with us. And when that time comes, Sakurai Hiroto, the steaming bowl
of rice himself, will accept your feelings and savor them with gratitude!”

Bam! Yanami slapped both hands on the podium.

“We won’t let anyone go hungry! Sakurai Hiroto! With all your strength,
make Sakurai Hiroto into a freshly cooked bowl of rice for us all!”
A brief silence fell over the crowd. Then, from the students who were
overwhelmed by the mysterious intensity, scattered applause began to rise.

The moment Yanami raised one arm and stepped away from the podium, a
grand round of applause filled the gymnasium.

The momentum definitely got the crowd hyped up, but what was that
speech just now? If I had been hungry, that could have been dangerous...

Yanami returned and high-fived Sakurai-kun.

I ignored Yanami’s smug look and instead watched Sakurai-kun’s reaction.

As usual, Sakurai-kun wore a calm smile, focusing intently on the stage.

Just as the crowd was unsettled by Yanami’s showmanship, the student

council president’s voice rang out.

“—Next up, the speech from the student council president candidate:
Sakurai Hiroto from class 2-C. Please give him your attention.”

Student Council President Candidate Speech — Sakurai Hiroto —

Sakurai bowed politely to the microphone.

“Hello. I am Sakurai Hiroto, the current student council treasurer.”

His tone was calm and steady, a complete contrast to the previous speech.

He slowly scanned the audience.

“That said, I haven’t been out much, so I imagine many of you don’t know
much about me.”

From the crowd came several cheerful shouts: “We know you!”

What’s that about? I thought Sakurai was just a friend.

“In the student council, I have been a supporting member, assisting

everyone. While I don’t have any remarkable achievements to boast about, I
would like to introduce the work the student council has done so far.”

Sakurai’s speech was more straightforward and serious than expected.

Since he is part of the student council, it was expected he’d emphasize their
accomplishments.

Facility reservation digitization, event budget revision, installation of

lighting equipment in the girls’ sports building —

He was accurately listing modest but effective initiatives.

Listening to Sakurai’s speech, I started to feel uneasy. Could it be…?

Tiara-san touched my arm.

“Nukumizu-san, may I see your script?”

“Ah, wait a moment.”

Our plan was for me to give a supporting speech highlighting past

achievements, and for Tiara-san to talk about the future direction of the
student council.
Written in my script were the exact same accomplishments: facility
reservation digitization, event budget revision, lighting installation in the
girls’ sports building —

“This is…”

Tiara-san nodded with a serious expression.

Yes, the initiatives Sakurai was claiming as his were actually the ones Tiara-
san had realized.

— A perfect targeted strike.

Of course, the student council as a whole worked on these, and Sakurai

clearly stated he was a supporting member.

He wasn’t lying or misleading anyone.

Yet if Tiara-san repeated those same points later, it might look like
secondhand achievements or even like she was stealing credit.

“This is bad. I didn’t expect Sakurai to take this approach.”

“It’s a legitimate tactic. We chose impactful costumes to turn the

disadvantage of going second into an advantage. Sakurai simply employed
a strategy to flip the order’s disadvantage.”

Tiara-san clenched her fist with a sharp expression.

“Let’s give up the prepared script. Instead, rely on your specialty — free
talk.”

“I don’t have that skill!”

We panicked while Yanami looked at us blankly.

“What are you two fussing about? Nukumizu-kun’s turn is coming soon.”

We heard the sound of applause — Sakurai’s speech had finished.

He bowed deeply to the audience and returned backstage, arms crossed, to
meet Tiara-san.

“You really pulled it off, Sakurai-kun.”

“Sorry, Basori-chan. I’ll make it up to you later, I promise.”

Isn’t Sakurai supposed to be apologizing to me? …No, complaints can wait.

I hurriedly glance at my script, but the more I look, the more it’s just a
rehash of Sakurai’s speech.

So, I really have no choice but to try an impromptu free talk in front of the
entire school...?

“Next up, supporting speech for candidate Basori Tiara. From 2nd year,
class C, Kazuhiko Nukumizu. Please come forward.”

President Hokobaru’s clear, commanding voice rings out. My turn has

come.

— Supporting Speech for Student Council President Candidate Basori

Tiara—

Kazuhiko Nukumizu

…I have no choice but to go for it. I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

Alright, I’m finally steeling myself. One more deep breath, and then I’ll
step onto the stage.

“Nukumizu-san, they’re calling you!”

“Ah, yeah, I’m fine. I’m warming up pretty well now, just a little more.”

“Please continue on the stage!”

“W-wait a minute—”
Pushed onto the stage, all eyes from the entire student body fix on me.

Trying to avoid their gaze, I step up to the podium and nervously flick the
microphone switch on with trembling fingers.

“Uh, well... I’m Nukumizu, and I have the honor of being Basori-san’s
supporter.”

Already stumbling over my words, I cough deliberately.

The tension of standing alone on stage is nothing like the club intro meeting
back in April.

“Basori-san is, um... very earnest and...”

My words stop again, and the heavy silence of the gym wraps around me.

—In reality, being cornered doesn’t suddenly unlock hidden powers.

Completely losing confidence, I glance toward the wings at Tiara-san.

But instead of the exasperated look I expected, Tiara-san is staring back at

me with a serious, focused expression.

With eyes full of trust and strength.

—“Won’t you support only me?”

Her words at the café.

Even now, Tiara-san believes in me.

In front of the whole school, while I’m embarrassing myself.

“...The first time I met her was just before last year’s Tsuwabuki Festival.”

I lift my face to meet the gazes of all the students.

Whether I’m resolved or resigned, I’m just an unremarkable student.

Just Kazuhiko Nukumizu, talking about Tiara-san, whom I’ve known for
less than a year.

“My first impression of her was that she’s a very serious student. Well, she
did wear a maid outfit and say ‘Nyan’ at the Tsuwabuki Festival, but
overall, she’s a serious student.”

I sense pressure from Tiara-san waiting at the wings...

“This student council election — the school newspaper and the newspaper
club’s website bulletin board had all kinds of rumors. Many of them were
nasty.”

When I mention the bulletin board, Tiara-san’s expression betrays hidden

pain.

She was hurt, even if she tried to hide it. I can understand that much.

“Well, to be honest, some parts were understandable. She can be inflexible,

strict, stubborn... and a little selfish sometimes—”

Trembling under Tiara-san’s growing pressure, I take a deep breath.

“But her selfishness isn’t for herself—it’s always for someone else. So I
think this candidacy is her first selfish act for herself.”

—Maybe Sakurai-kun would make a better president. He’s capable and,

above all, well-liked.

If I weren’t involved, I’d probably vote for Sakurai-kun too.

“I became her supporter because I want her first selfish wish to come true.
Yes, compared to the current president, she may seem unreliable.”

But I’m involved. I’m a supporter of Basori Tiara.

“Still, she is who she is. Basori-san has her strengths. She’ll definitely be a
good student council president. And if anyone thinks badly of her—”
Now that I’m standing here—

I will be the one to support her.

“Come to me! If anyone talks bad about her, I’ll praise her ten times more!
I’ll tell you about all the clumsy yet strong, straightforward, and caring
things I’ve seen in Basori-san—until morning if I have to!”

Having poured everything out of my head, I take a deep breath and look
around the gym.

The students sit frozen in stunned silence.

Maybe I really messed up...?

Nervously, I glanced toward the wings, and Tiara-san’s face was bright red
as she pointed at me with a “Chikapyon” pose. What exactly is that feeling?

—Then, a cold breeze brushed against the back of my neck.

“I want to… talk until morning too…”

“—?!”

Before I could even react, there was a sudden bang and the gym lights went
out all at once.

The gym was swallowed in darkness that didn’t feel like daytime, and
confused voices echoed from all around.

For a moment, my vision wavered, but as my eyes adjusted to the dark, I

suddenly realized I was standing in the wings—where I had been before the
speeches started.

Another bang sounded, and all the lights in the gym flickered back on
simultaneously.

A ripple of murmurs spread throughout the gym.

Standing at the center of the stage, right before the podium, was Shikiya-
san.

As Shikiya-san swayed gently in front of the microphone, a piercing howl

of feedback echoed.

By the time the sound faded, Shikiya-san slowly parted her lips and began
to speak.

“3rd year, Class E... Shikiya Yumeko...... substitution...”

The moment those words hung in the air, everyone present held their breath.

Then, the gym’s ceiling lights began flickering again, and a few girls let out
small screams.

Support Speech for Student Council President Candidate—馬剃 天愛

星 (Basori Tiara)

By Shikiya Yumeko

This unexpected situation must have taken even President Hokobaru by

surprise.

From the opposite side of the stage wings, Hokobaru shook her head and
beckoned to Shikiya-senpai.

But Shikiya-senpai ignored the gesture and started speaking in a low voice.

“The student council president candidate… Tiara-chan… as you know… is

the vice president…”

Watching this in stunned silence, Tiara grabbed my arm.

“Why is Shikiya-senpai over there?!”

“I have no idea what’s going on either…”

Yanami-san, who was closing in on me, gave a sharp thumbs-up. Please
stop—people might misunderstand.

While calming Tiara-san, I watched the stage, where Shikiya-san’s speech

continued.

It seemed to be a story from last April when Tiara was participating in a

school beautification volunteer activity.

“Tiara-chan… didn’t get along well… with others…”

I could easily imagine her clashing with those around her. When I first met
her, she was a bit (or maybe a lot) sharper, and must have been through a
lot.

“But… when I was taking a break for a while… she took care of the
important flowerbeds… and kept them clean…”

Shikiya-san swayed slightly as her gaze drifted off into space.

The students around her looked up, but of course, there was nothing there.

“I thought they were dead… so I was happy…”

In her flat words, Shikiya-san’s awkward emotions came through — clear

enough even for me to understand. Tiara must have felt it too, because her
tense shoulders gradually relaxed.

“—Shikiya-senpai has this habit of not giving up on things that are

important to her,” Tiara murmured to herself.

She must have noticed my gaze, because she added bluntly,

“That's why everyone around her has to protect her instead.”

The story about the flowerbeds happened before Tiara joined the student
council.
I wondered how Tiara could understand Shikiya-san so deeply, even though
she still didn’t know her well.

“…Why do you think that?” I asked.

Tiara looked at me and said,

“You can tell just by looking. I’m the same way.”

Then she returned her gaze to the stage, where Shikiya-san’s mumbling
continued.

“That girl… even if someone says bad things about her… she doesn’t care
and helps them…”

Shikiya’s swaying grew more pronounced.

“Even if no one’s watching… even if she’s not praised… she does things
that benefit everyone…”

When she finished, Shikiya suddenly stopped moving.

Is she okay? Shouldn’t someone give her some peach water?

All the students watched anxiously, and then Shikiya began moving again.

“But… I wasn’t the first one to notice her…”

Sure enough, it was Shikiya who had recommended Tiara to the student
council.

I had completely assumed that Shikiya herself was the one who discovered
Tiara.

“There’s a good girl… someone told me about her… it was Sakurai-kun…”

“Eh?”

Next to me, Tiara let out a small surprised sound.

When she looked at him, Sakurai scratched the tip of his nose awkwardly.

“He said there was someone earnest… someone with compassion… so he

wanted to recommend her to the student council…”

Shikiya swayed her body excitedly, as if keeping rhythm.

“When I met her… she was cute… serious… a little naive… and kind…”

Shikiya seemed really happy talking about Tiara’s good points.

The one being praised, Tiara, started to fidget, looking uncomfortable.

“Her mole is cute… her skin smells like nice soap… her back is sensitive…
so cute…”

Wait, the topic’s drifting a bit now.

The expression on Tiara’s face, which had been hiding a shy smile, started
to change.

“Her bra size… doesn’t fit well, but that’s cute too… but lately it feels like
it’s growing…”

Ah, Tiara clenched her fist and started trembling.

Shikiya seemed satisfied after saying all that, and quietly swayed on the
stage.

When the remaining time was almost up, Shikiya spoke again.

“Tiara-chan is… someone who can become what others need…”

Suddenly, she leaned heavily toward the podium, causing a stir in the hall.

Grasping the microphone with both hands to steady herself, she whispered
in a fading voice,

“Everyone… please… vote for Tiara-chan… but…”

Gathering her last strength, she took a deep breath.

“Sakurai-kun is also… a cute junior… so everyone, please think carefully…

before voting…”

The moment she finished, sunlight streamed through the gym windows,
illuminating Shikiya on the stage.

At that signal, the applause that erupted felt as if it had shaken the whole
gym, like what came before was a dream.

Back at the opposite side of the stage, Shikiya was getting a playful chop
from President Hokobaru. So cute.

Watching Tiara, her face lowered and trembling slightly.

“Really… everyone is just… ugh!”

This is bad—she’s about to snap.

“But it seems like things went well. It’s almost your turn, Tiara, right?”

“Everyone’s so selfish, it’s ridiculous! Can’t they just cut it out?!”

Well, I’m not the one to complain to about that.

“—Everyone, thank you for waiting. We will now continue with the student
council president candidate speeches. From Class 2-F, Tiara Basori. Please
welcome her.”

Tiara, who still looked like she wanted to say more, tightened her
expression at the announcement.

She placed her hand on her chest and took a deep breath.

“…Well then, I guess I just have to do it my own way.”

“Huh? You’re motivated now?”

She flicked the small ponytail tied beside her head with her fingers, smiled
brightly showing her white teeth, and said to me,

“I’m going now, Nukumizu-san.”

Student Council President Candidate Speech — Tiara Basori As Tiara

stepped out from the side of the stage, a murmur spread throughout the
gymnasium.

It’s easy to forget, but she’s basically doing cosplay in public…

She bowed deeply to the audience beside the podium, then stood before the
microphone.

“I am Tiara Basori, and I am running for the next student council

president.”

Despite her appearance, her opening was seriously straightforward.

The lighthearted atmosphere caused by Shikiya’s entrance gradually settled

down.

“Like Sakurai-kun just now, I currently serve as the vice president in the
student council. Some of you here have probably worked with me during
school events.”

After checking the mood of the room, Tiara continued in a soft tone.

“I was planning to highlight what I’ve accomplished in the student council

this past year—

but Sakurai-kun seems to have already taken that spot.”

She gave a small smile and glanced toward Sakurai-kun waiting at the side
of the stage.
Laughter echoed from the audience, following her lead.

Turning back to face forward, Tiara shifted to a more formal tone. “Back in
middle school, Tsuwabuki High was a school I admired deeply.”

The words she spoke, somehow nostalgic, were completely different from
the prepared speech.

“The seniors who attend here were my heroes and heroines. My dream was
to pass the entrance exam and spend my high school life together with
them.”

Her voice seemed to be speaking not to the crowd, but to her former self.

“I thought if I could just study normally at Tsuwabuki, join clubs normally,

and live an ordinary school life—”

She paused briefly, then locked eyes seriously with the audience.

“I believed that if I got accepted, I could become one of Tsuwabuki’s

‘ordinary’ students. But reality wasn’t that kind.”

After a slight hesitation, she opened up.

“I have never been a good student. No, in fact, you could say I’m quite bad.
I barely scrape by each time, just avoiding failing grades.”

—A secret she had long hidden, the source of her deepest insecurity.

“I’m not good at sports either, and I often feel left behind even in
conversations with friends. I realized right after enrolling that I could never
be the ‘ordinary’ person I once admired.”

At that point, her expression changed, as if she had finally accepted it.

“Around this time last year, I participated in a volunteer activity led by the
student council. That’s when some seniors approached me and invited me to
join the council. Apparently, it was Sakurai-kun who put in a good word for
me.”
She smiled mischievously, continuing the story.

“Since then, many of you probably already know what I’ve been up to.”

Joking like that, her face immediately grew serious again.

“To be honest, I’ve caused a lot of trouble for everyone because of my

immaturity. I’ve hurt people, too.”

At some point, Sakurai-kun had appeared beside me.

I nudged him lightly, and in a quiet voice I said, “It all worked out.
Thanks.”

He replied, “You’re welcome.”

And that was that.

We stood side by side, watching Tiara’s full determination unfold.

“Through student council activities, I realized something. I can’t become

the hero or heroine I admired as a child. But I can support those heroes and
heroines...!”

With that, Tiara snatched the microphone from the stand.

“Yes, everyone here at Tsuwabuki— all of you —are the heroes and
heroines I’ve admired and wanted to become since long ago!”

Her impassioned shout echoed throughout the gymnasium.

“I—and the student council—we will create an environment where

everyone can throw themselves into studies and club activities!”

Ignoring the feedback noise howling from the mic, Tiara yelled on.

The students, overwhelmed by the raw emotion, froze without moving and
fixed their gazes on her.
“Even if I’m sometimes lacking and cause trouble! Even if you get
frustrated! When that happens, please confront me! I will take it all! Throw
it at me! Don’t hold back!”

There felt like hidden layers behind those words, but I chose to fully ignore
them for now.

Still... this is a good vibe. Tiara leans forward with passion, but the students
aren’t pulling away.

On the contrary, the whole crowd is drawn in by Tiara’s straightforward,

fiery spirit.

The question marks that had appeared above everyone's heads in the
developments so far were all being held in confusion.

With a flushed face, Tiara-san leaned forward onto the podium.

"Th-that's why... that's why...!"

That aside, isn't she a bit too excited? If you get too excited—

"I am—?!"

Tiara-san hurriedly pressed her nose with both hands.

The dropped microphone fell onto the podium with a dull thud.

...No way.

Tiara-san's shoulders began trembling. Um, that means...

The sudden interruption caused the venue to start murmuring.

"Hey, Basori-san, what's wrong? Ate too much?"

Yanami approached while chewing on something, sending a worried glance.

Hey, this is class time.
More importantly, this is bad.

I don't quite understand how it's bad, but I have to do something...

As I searched for tissues in my pocket, Tiara-san's trembling had stopped

before I knew it.

In those eyes—was the light of resolve.

Tiara-san, as if having made up her mind, released both hands and grabbed
the microphone.

—While bleeding from her nose.

"In other words, everyone here is my 'oshi'! That's why!"

A shout without regard for appearances, and the nosebleed.

Then Tiara-san took a deep breath—and let out the loudest voice of the day.
"Please! Let me be the one to support all of you!"

From the speakers came a high-pitched howl...

In the gymnasium, which fell silent from the overwhelming intensity, Tiara-
san’s heavy, ragged breathing echoed.

Then, taking a deep breath once more, she sharply pointed at Shikiya-senpai
standing at the side of the stage.

"And also, Shikiya-senpai! Please do not call me by my first name in front

of others!"

Wiping the flowing blood vigorously with the sleeve of her clothes, Tiara-
san faced the entire Tsuwabuki student body—

"That’s all! I’m Tiara Basori!"

She roared.

On this day, Tiara Basori was appointed as the next student council
president of Tsuwabuki High School.

And later, she would come to be called—

The Crimson Student Council President.

Intermission – Time for Cleanup

Evening in the student council room.

Hibari Hokobaru and Yumeko Shikiya were writing something on the

whiteboard on the wall.
A silence had lingered for a while, until Hokobaru finally broke it.

“Shikiya, I was really surprised, you know. If Basori-kun had lost, that
wouldn’t have been something we could laugh off.”

“Yeah… I’m glad Tiara-chan won…”

Shikiya said this like it was someone else’s problem, drawing a flowery
circle with a red marker.

“Tiara-chan… did she make it home okay…?”

“Yeah, Hiroto made sure to walk her home, so she’s fine.”

Hokobaru didn’t seem satisfied with what she had written, and began
erasing a few characters to rewrite them.

“Hey, Shikiya.”

“What is it…?”

“I still don’t get it. Why did you do that?”

—That.

There was no need to explain; it was clearly about the incident with the
endorsement speech.

Shikiya paused and let her gaze wander, as if searching for the right words.

“They’re both… so cute… I just don’t like it when things get too intense
between people…”

Tilting her head slightly, she gave a small, almost childlike shrug.

“Sorry… okay?”

“Why are you apologizing? I’m not mad.”

“Because… Sakurai-kun… lost…”

Hokobaru gave a wry smile in response to Shikiya’s remorseful tone.

“The one with stronger feelings was chosen. That’s a satisfying result.”

“You’re… okay with that…?”

“Yeah. I can trust Basori-kun to handle the student council just fine.”

Hokobaru moved her marker swiftly across the whiteboard.

“That’s… not what I meant…”

And with that, Shikiya let her words trail off.

Hokobaru answered in a deliberately curt tone, though a hint of uncertainty

lingered on her face.

“That’s something I’ve long since put behind me.”

After that, only the sound of the marker gliding across the whiteboard filled
the student council room.

Satisfied with her writing, Hokobaru gave a firm nod.

“What about you, Shikiya? Have you made up your mind?”

The sudden question made Shikiya sway slightly.

“Mm… I’m figuring it out… little by little…”

“I see.”

Silence fell again.

As she watched Hokobaru drawing, Shikiya murmured softly,

“Tiara-chan… said she was going to ask Sakurai-kun to be vice
president…”

“Yeah, I figured. Hiroto probably accepted, didn’t he?”

“Yeah…”

“By the way, has she talked to anyone else about joining? Two people won’t
be enough to run the council.”

“Tiara-chan… seems like she’s thinking about something…”

Hokobaru had been about to ask more, but stopped herself, a wry smile
flickering at her lips.

“It’s not my place to worry too much when I’m the one stepping away…
Alright, I’m done.”

“Me too… all finished…”

The two of them capped their markers and stepped back to look at the
whiteboard.

In the center, in big letters, were the words: “We leave the rest to you!”

Surrounding the message were cute doodles and personal notes.

“Hibari… is this… a penguin…?”

“Cute, right? It’s a new form of penguin-human: Ojipen .”

“Requires… review…”

Shikiya shuffled behind Hokobaru and leaned back against her, resting her
weight gently.

She then raised her palm over her head.

“Hibari… did you get taller…?”

“Maybe. I do seem to grow in all the vertical directions.”

They couldn’t see each other’s faces.

Instead, they quietly shared the warmth of each other’s presence through the
touch of their backs.

Finally, one of them broke the silence, reluctant to say goodbye.

“…That was fun.”

“Yeah… it really was.”

The current student council will disband after the upcoming sports festival
the day after tomorrow. It will then be handed over to the next council.

Time moves forward, whether they like it or not.

The limited span of three years doesn’t allow them to stay in one place
forever.

"By the way, Shikiya, I’ve been meaning to ask you something,"

Hokobaru said, gazing curiously at the cat on the whiteboard.

"This thing called 'Nuko'—is it different from a regular cat?"

The drawing was of a cat sprawled out on a large pillow, titled Nuko Pillow
.

Shikiya stood beside Hokobaru and tilted her head slightly.

"Nuko is… cute… so…?"

"Because it’s cute, huh. I see. That makes sense,"

Hokobaru nodded thoughtfully, as if satisfied with the explanation.

Then, as she stared at Hokobaru’s profile, Shikiya suddenly asked,

"Can I… kiss your cheek…?"

"No. Save it for when it really counts."

Hokobaru responded firmly, then continued to gaze contentedly at the

whiteboard.

Fourth Defeat: So Who's the Real Enemy of

Women?

The day of Tsuwabaki High School’s sports festival.

Despite my hopes, it's a blazing, cloudless day.

The student council election has come and gone without issue, and once this
festival ends, the current student council will officially disband.

Of course, most of the Tsuwabaki students don’t care about that, and
honestly, now that the election’s over, it’s no longer something that
concerns me directly either.

Thinking that, I absentmindedly watch the outgoing crowd favorites as they

run, soaking in the cheers.

I’ve already competed in the mandatory sprint and tug-of-war. I’m

exhausted.

I had assumed that since I reached above-average sprinting ability for a

first-year boy back in March, I’d hold my own out there. But I’d made one
fatal miscalculation:

—Everyone else had become second-years.

And the five people I ended up racing with were practically statistical
outliers, including some from the track team and… Sōsuke Hakamada.

That guy actually beat out the track team runners and took first place. It’s
terrifying what main character plot armor can do. Naturally, I came in dead
last.

Now my shoulder’s starting to ache. Am I really falling apart just from tug-
of-war…?

“Hey, Nukumizu, it’s about time.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Ayano and I exchange a glance, then turn our eyes back to the field.

Right now, it’s the co-ed class relay—a full-blown extrovert fest that I
usually have zero connection to.

But this time, we can’t look away.

Yakishio is running as the anchor for Class 2-E.

Ayano and I are stationed near the fourth corner of the track, keeping a
close watch.

The baton reaches Yakishio.

“Look! She’s getting the baton in first place!”

“I see it! Stop tugging on my shirt.”

The anchor leg is longer than the others—a full 400 meters.

The moment Yakishio takes off, the field erupts into murmurs.

She hits the first corner with explosive speed, almost too fast to believe for
someone whose specialty is middle-distance.
…She’s fast. She was already fast last year, but now there’s a different edge
to her.

As I stare, overwhelmed, Ayano folds his arms and nods solemnly.

“Did you know? Lemons actually improved her sprint times too.”

“Wait, really?”

“Yeah. They measured her time before the relay just as a reference, and she
broke her personal best.”

Ayano looked weirdly proud of himself, so I made a show of shrugging my

shoulders.

"That personal best? That’s her official time before our race, right? Hate to
break it to you, but she already beat that back in March— against me."

Ayano’s glasses flashed as he perked up.

"Then how about this? Did you know that on race day, Lemon doesn’t eat
solid food? She says jellies and drinks are easier to manage."

Huh. That definitely wouldn’t work for Yanami.

Still, I couldn’t help but feel it was kind of weird for a guy with a girlfriend
to be acting like some kind of insightful, behind-the-scenes expert.

"Ayano, did you know this? Yakishio listens to music before races to get in
the zone."

"Yeah, of course I know that."

"Thought so. But here’s the kicker. At the last tournament, she forgot her
earphones and blasted the music from her phone’s speaker. Said it was
super embarrassing."

"Sounds like Lemon."

"Right?"

While we kept trading hot takes in our ridiculous game of one-upmanship,

Yakishio was already closing in on the fourth corner.

For a split second—just maybe—our eyes met.

The very next moment, she held up her index finger toward me as she
blazed past.

And then, with a final burst of speed, she pulled away from the chasing
male runners and crossed the finish line.

Cheers erupted behind her as she dove into the waiting arms of her 2-E
teammates.

Ayano and I, still dazed by her performance, turned to each other and said
in unison:

"—She was signaling to me, right?"

Why the hell did we say that together?

I sighed and rested a hand on Ayano’s shoulder.

"Think about this rationally. You have a girlfriend. Even as a friend, it’s
kind of unlikely she’d signal you . Which leaves me as the only natural
conclusion."

"That doesn’t prove anything. It’s totally normal to signal encouragement to

a friend."

"Then that just makes my case stronger. I’m her friend too. And you were
the one who said so."

Ayano mulled that over for a moment, then adjusted his glasses with a
deliberate flick.

"…It was the glasses."

"What?"

"They glinted. That’s what caught her eye. Otherwise, how else would she
spot me in a crowd like this?"

"Maybe it was so bright it annoyed her. Now that I think about it, I’m pretty
sure that was her middle finger."

We exchanged a long, silent look. Just as Round Two of our argument was
about to kick off—

“Mitsuki-saaaan!”

It was Asagumo-san who appeared. She gave me a slight nod and then
smiled at Ayano.

“Did you see Yakishio-san run? She was amazing.”

“Yeah, so you were watching too, Chihaya? I knew it—she’s incredible.”

“She really is. Nukumizu-san, do you mind if I borrow Mitsuki-san for a

moment? There’s something I’d like to talk to him about.”

I nodded silently, and Asagumo-san gently took Ayano’s arm in both hands.

“Chihaya, what’s this about?”

“You’ll see. Let’s talk over there.”

I pressed my hands together in a little silent prayer as Ayano was led away.

…She definitely overheard our conversation earlier.

Well, that’s what he gets for acting all moody over a girl after getting a
girlfriend. He needs to reflect on that.

Anyway, the morning events were wrapping up.

Now, what was still left…?

I was fishing around in my pocket for the schedule when Yanami suddenly
ran up to me.

“There you are!”

“What’s got you in such a rush?”

After catching her breath, Yanami looked at me with those clear eyes of
hers and held out both hands.

“Nukumizu-kun, give me your lunch!”

“Nope.”

I shot her down without hesitation. Yanami just shrugged like she was
dealing with a hopeless case.

“Well then, let me explain it in a way you can understand, okay?”

“My answer’s still not gonna change.”

Ignoring my warning, she went on anyway.

“You know how the cheer battle’s the first event after lunch, right? So, our
class has to get changed and start talking things through as soon as the
break starts.”

“Uh-huh.”

And what does that have to do with me?

I gave a halfhearted reply, and Yanami glared at me.

“Come on, you work out all morning, of course you get hungry. So I…”

“…You ate it early, didn’t you?”

“I just had a little taste , okay? But that bento turned out to be kind of weak-
willed.”
Weak-willed .

I didn’t realize bentos came with hidden mental stats.

Well, I understood the situation now, but there was no way I was handing
over Kaju’s special bento to someone who clearly didn’t appreciate its
worth.

"Why don't you just buy some bread from the school store?"

"I have to be in the bread-eating race next, so I don’t have time to go. You
go buy it for me."

"Why not just eat the bread from the race for lunch?"

"You think that'll be enough?"

…Yeah, that wouldn't be enough. My bad.

When I nodded, Yanami thanked me and started to walk off.

"Wait, the money for the bread. I don't want to be owed anything."

"...Do I look like the kind of girl who wouldn't pay you back?"

No comment on that.

Yanami fished around in her shorts and pulled out a 500-yen coin.

"Okay then, get something that looks like it has guts."

As she waved and ran off, I tilted my head.

Bread with guts … what does that even mean?

On the way back from the school store, my hands were full of bread. I’d
managed to score seven curry breads on clearance, since they expired today.
If any bread had guts, it was curry bread. I figured Yanami would be
thrilled.

Humming to myself, I walked along the path by the courtyard, when a cute
girl came walking toward me.

It was Shiratama-san.

When she noticed me, she started walking up with little quick steps. So
cute.

There was no debate—Shiratama-san was always adorable, but today she

was on another level.

She had animal ears on a headband, and was wearing a fluffy animal
costume complete with a tail. The cuteness factor was off the charts.

Shiratama-san held up her hands in front of me and said,

"Rawr, President!"

Playfully pretending to be a wild animal. It was too cute.

"Is that your costume for the cheer battle?"

"Yes! Our class is doing a fox and tanuki 'Konpoko Dance.' I ended up as
the tanuki."

She stuck out her tongue and said "Tehe," in a cutesy way. Shamelessly
calculated—and absolutely adorable.

Then she noticed the pile of curry bread in my arms and widened her eyes.

"Wow, President, you eat a lot, huh?"

"No, this is—"

"For Yanami-san, right?"

She giggled softly, then looked up at me with big, sparkling eyes.

“Will you come watch Class 1-E’s cheer performance too, President?”

“Eh? Ah, well… as long as it doesn’t overlap with my class’s event…”

I mumbled back vaguely, and Shiratama-san gave me a radiant, flower-like

smile.

“Yay, I’m so excited! I’ll give you a signal while I’m dancing, so make sure
you’re watching, okay?”

“Wait, for me?”

“…Just for you, President.”

She murmured it softly, almost in a whisper.

Then she spun around gracefully, and the tanuki tail on her costume
fluttered lightly through the air.

The morning events ended, and lunch break began.

Sakurai and Ayano were both in the cheer battle, so I was enjoying a
peaceful solo bento time in a quiet corner of the schoolyard.

In the shade of the trees, the branches rustled gently above me. Now and
then, I could hear birdsong from overhead.

“…It’s nice to have some calm time once in a while.”

Now then, after the quail egg bacon skewer, what should I eat next?

Mini oden on a stick? Or maybe a classic piece of karaage…

As I gazed at Kaju’s carefully prepared bento, a shadow fell across my

hands.
Looking up, I saw Komari, holding her own wrapped lunch box.

“Um… uh…”

She nervously fidgeted with her bangs.

“Huh. Weren’t the cheer performers supposed to eat lunch together while
having a strategy meeting?”

“I-I don’t have anything to do during the performance. Th-the music is

played by the event staff…”

“I see. So why’d you come all the way out here—”

“Uwah?! T-that’s, um…”

Watching her fluster, I gave a big nod. Got it—so that’s what’s going on.

“I get it. You’re looking for a place where no one will see you, right?”

“…Eh?”

I pointed confidently with my thumb over my shoulder.

“My recommendation is behind that bush. It’s quiet, and there’s this grass
that’s like turf—really comfy to sit on. I picked this spot for the birdsong,
but overall that one’s the better choice.”

Perfect. Good deed accomplished. Us introverts have to look out for each
other.

As I, quite satisfied, picked up a piece of karaage with my chopsticks,

Komari murmured quietly:

"…D-die."

Why the verbal abuse?

Still reeling from the sudden, unjustified hostility, I caught a whiff of floral
fragrance carried on the wind.

Accompanied by a lively yet majestic BGM steadily drawing closer—

"I'm glad I found you!"

The one who came running was Karen Himemiya, dressed in a cheerleader
outfit.

She came to a sudden stop in front of Komari, and thanks to the law of
inertia, a certain dream of all boys bounced wildly up and down.

…Amazing. I won’t say what exactly, but it’s definitely amazing.

While I stood frozen by the sheer impact, Himemiya grabbed both of

Komari’s hands tightly.

"Hey, Komari-chan, could you perform in the cheer battle?"

"Eh?!"

"Just now, Takanashi twisted her ankle. She was the one being lifted, so we
need a replacement!"

Takanashi… if I recall, she’s a petite girl, about the same size as Komari.

Himemiya leaned in even closer to Komari.

"You already know the whole routine, right? Can you take her place as the
one being lifted?"

"U-uh…"

Komari, clearly panicking, looked to me for help.

I quietly averted my gaze.

"Please, Komari-chan’s the only one we can ask!"

"W-why not have Yanami do it…?"

"Because Anna’s heavi—uh, I mean, she’s strong! So we need her on the

lifting side. Don’t worry, we’ll all support you!"

Sparkle sparkle sparkle.

With Himemiya’s dazzling smile shining brightly, Komari’s life force

visibly drained away.

Her neck drooped forward limply.

Taking that as a yes, Himemiya began to drag Komari off with surprising
strength.

…Looks like she’s in for a rough time.

I picked up a skewer from my oden and gazed up at the branches overhead.

Oh—that was a Daurian redstart just now. Maybe it missed its chance to
migrate north…

As I listened to the melancholy chirping of the bird, I bit into a thoroughly

seasoned piece of konnyaku.

Before long, the afternoon events began.

Lively music began to play over the field’s loudspeakers, signaling the start
of Class 2-C’s cheer battle.

Our class’s performance was a cheerleader-and-gakuran-style cheering

squad.

The loose, carefree dancing typical of a sports festival was charming in its
own way—but that wasn’t what truly mattered.
—Karen Himemiya. With her overwhelming bust and stunning beauty, she
exuded a radiant aura that dominated the entire scene.

It was as if the laws of physics were different in her vicinity— something

packed with dreams was soaring through the air. …Is this really something
allowed during daylight hours at a public high school?

Before I realized it, a huge crowd had gathered. No doubt, every male
student in the school was here.

(By the way, Yanami, who ate seven curry breads, was alive and well.)

Despite the cheerleader outfit flashing glimpses of midriff, Yanami’s

squishy belly—something I'd been concerned about—wasn’t all that
noticeable.

Ever since the Shiratama clan called her “pudgy,” she’s been working hard
to slim down.

Still, I have no idea where all that bread went…

As I stole glances at Yanami’s peeking stomach, I scanned the group for

Komari.

Just as I started to worry she might have run away, I spotted her at the back
of the girls—waving her pompoms ever so subtly.

…She’s hidden herself in a blind spot with remarkable skill. And now she’s
gone again.

Watching her felt a bit like observing a wild animal.

Before long, the song reached its climax.

The cheerleaders shifted formation, surrounding someone at the center.

That someone—was Komari.

When Ayano from the cheering squad blew a loud whistle, the cheerleaders
hoisted a weakly resisting Komari up to shoulder height.

Exposed to the eyes of everyone on the field, Komari raised her pompoms
above her head like a robot, face completely pale.

Right then, the music stopped.

Another whistle blast followed—

At the command, the cheerleaders tossed Komari into the air.

Her scream echoed across the entire grounds—

Then the cheerleaders caught her perfectly on the way down.

In that moment—thunderous applause erupted. A complete success.

As I watched Komari get swarmed by the other girls, I nodded with quiet
pride.

Komari… you’ve really grown up.

Though, judging by the look of her, she’s completely unconscious.

Now then—I should make sure to catch Shiratama-san’s performance too.

I positioned myself in a spot with a good view of Class 1-E’s cheering area
and crossed my arms, surveying the scene.

Of course, as club president, I was simply here to support my juniors —

It’s not like I ran over grinning just because she said she’d give me a signal
or anything.

…Though maybe I’d get a better view if I got a little closer?

Class 1-E’s performance, apparently, involved both boys and girls dressed
up as foxes and tanuki dancing together.

The sight of boys and girls laughing and goofing off together was, well—
truly envi—no, heartwarming.

Among them, Shiratama-san stood out by far. Though, I couldn’t help but
notice… she only interacted with the boys.

As the music started, the members of 1-E began dancing in unison with
cutesy beckoning-cat motions.

Even the boys were doing cute moves for laughs—that seemed to be part of
the charm.

But once they added more movement, Shiratama-san stood out even more.

Every gesture of hers was idol-level adorable, and her calculated beckoning
poses were the work of a seasoned pro.

If this were an actual idol group, that kind of talent gap would tear it apart
from the inside.

As her cuteness started to radiate outwards, the crowd began to swell.

…At this point, there was no way she could give me any kind of signal.

Yes, Shiratama-san was everyone’s idol now.

She didn’t belong to me alone anymore.

I felt a little lonely at that thought—

And just then, Shiratama-san met my eyes.

She smiled—

And blew a kiss at me with both hands.

…That girl. She really did it.

I blushed and felt a flutter in my chest.

While I was awkwardly fidgeting, the guys around me started buzzing.

“She blew that kiss at me, right?” “Idiot, it was to me .” ”Get real.
Obviously, it was mine.”

I let out a quiet chuckle and ran a hand through my hair.

Sorry, fellas.

That signal? It was meant for me.

Still—keep cheering for her respectfully, alright?

“Oh? You’re watching too, Nukumizu-kun?”

“Ah, hello.”

Before I knew it, Tanaka-sensei was standing behind me.

He bent down slightly and asked in a whisper:

“So… how are things going with Riko-chan these days?”

How…? Well, she’s been settling in with us pretty well, I guess. Probably.

“Uh, it’s been fairly calm. At some point, she exchanged contact info with
my sister.”

“Your sister? Wait, your sister?”

Tanaka-sensei looked oddly surprised.

“Yeah. They didn’t seem to get along at first, but lately, Shiratama-san
doesn’t sprinkle salt at her anymore when she comes over. So I’m guessing
they’ve made peace.”
“Salt…?And Riko-chan’s already visiting your house?”

“Well, just from time to time.”

Huh… come to think of it, Tanaka-sensei still thinks Shiratama-san and I

are dating, doesn’t he?

Well, it’s not like we actually are, so I guess that misunderstanding will
clear itself up eventually.

“So, Sensei—how are things between you and Shiratama-san these days?”

It was a bold question, even for me, but Tanaka-sensei’s relaxed expression
quickly eased my nerves.

“Ah, she called me over just now, actually. Said she’d be giving a signal
and wanted me to watch.”

“…Oh? Shiratama-san asked you that? Huh… I see…” Shiratama Riko…

that woman…

As 1-E’s performance came to an end, Tanaka-sensei began clapping.

I clapped along beside him, sneaking a glance at his calm profile.

…He probably doesn’t even imagine he’s being targeted by Shiratama-san.

“Oh right, I heard Riko-chan’s been writing a novel?”

“Uh, yeah. Sort of.”

Tanaka-sensei looked at me with genuine interest.

“No matter how much I ask, she’s too embarrassed to let me read it. I
wonder what kind of story it is.”

Well, considering the main character is modeled after him , and the
protagonist’s fiancée is already dead, and the heroine is said fiancée’s
younger sister …
Yeah, no way I’m letting him read that.

“It’s a historical novel. But, you know, reading a family member’s writing
—or letting them read yours—is kind of a high hurdle. Even reading
something my sister wrote takes a bit of mental prep.”

“Now that you mention it, that makes sense,” Tanaka-sensei said, nodding
as if he’d had a similar experience.

“I’ll hand it over once it’s more polished.”

“Ah, I’ll look forward to it,” he said, giving me a pat on the back before
walking off.

I glanced at Shiratama-san, now swarmed by male students, and then turned

to head back to my own class. The obstacle course race I’m participating in
is about to start.

Alright. This time, I’ll show them at least a bit of a cool side of me— ◇

The event committee’s main tent also doubled as a temporary first-aid

station.

The only reason I bothered coming all the way here… was because I
scraped my knee.

I’d made a brilliant dive through the netting in the obstacle course— But
when I tried to take off running again, my foot caught in the net.

Sports festivals are dangerous. They should be banned.

“Um…”

I called out timidly as I stepped into the tent, and a woman in a white coat
—Konuki-sensei—turned around.

As I timidly called out into the tent, Konuki-sensei, dressed in a white coat,
turned to look at me.
“Oh my, what’s wrong, Nukumizu-kun? Did you come to see me?”

“No, I scraped my leg and need it disinfected.”

“You’re as cold as ever. Alright, have a seat on that chair.”

After checking the wound, Konuki-sensei beckoned to a student standing

behind her.

“This just needs to be disinfected. Could I ask you to take care of it,
Committee Member?”

“Yes, understood.”

The person who swapped in for Konuki-sensei was—Sakurai-kun. He sat

down in the chair across from me with a wry smile.

“Good job out there. That was close.”

It wasn’t that close—I placed fifth out of six—but I was just grateful I
didn’t come in last.

Ever since the student council elections ended, Sakurai-kun had been
swamped with preparations for the sports festival, and we hadn’t really had
a chance to talk. I opened my mouth, feeling a bit awkward.

“You’re even handling stuff like this, huh?”

“Yeah, the student council’s also on the festival committee. I guess you
could call it my last duty. Alright, this’ll sting.”

Sakurai-kun dabbed my wound with a cotton pad soaked in disinfectant.

As I watched him work efficiently, I found myself speaking without

thinking.

“You were the one who recommended Basori-san to the upperclassmen,

huh?”
Sakurai-kun paused, hesitated a moment, then answered.

“When we were volunteering together, there was a group that didn’t like
Basori-chan. They spread all kinds of rumors—some true, some not. It got
pretty bad.”

His expression darkened, as if recalling something unpleasant.

“But when the leader of that group got into trouble and ended up isolated…
there was one person who stood up for them.”

“It was… Basori-san?”

Sakurai-kun nodded silently and resumed his work.

…So Tiara-san had that kind of past.

To be disliked by some, and still stand up for someone like that… that’s just
like her.

The three in the student council must have seen all those good qualities in
her. They truly valued her as a teammate. Maybe I didn’t need to worry so
much after all.

Also, our school’s volunteer activities… seem way more dramatic than I
expected. Kinda scary…

“Alright, all done.”

He pressed a gauze pad over the cleaned wound on my knee.

As I admired the neat bandage, the tent’s flap burst open and a girl came
rushing in.

Hair tied tightly back and bold eyebrows—it was the next student council
president, Tiara-san.

“Sakurai-kun, could you go help with the closing ceremony preparations?

Shikiya-senpai is undoing the hooks, so she’s out of commission for work
—”

Just then, Tiara-san noticed me and hurried over in a panic.

“Nukumizu-san, are you hurt!? I’ll treat your injury!”

“Ah, Sakurai-kun already took care of it, so I’m fine.”

I stood up and lightly tapped my foot on the ground.

“Oh… I see.”

Tiara-san slumped her shoulders, still holding disinfectant and bandages, as

Sakurai-kun stood up from his seat.

“Time to prepare for the closing ceremony, huh. I’ll leave things here to
Basori-chan.”

“Ah, yes. I’ve got it.”

Left alone in the tent were just the two of us. Of course, this had to be one
of the rare moments when Konuki-sensei was nowhere in sight.

We hadn’t really talked since the whole nosebleed election incident, so the
air felt awkward somehow...

“Uh, well then, I should probably—”

“I’m in the borrowing race next. Nukumizu-san, will you watch me?”

She jumped in, cutting off my words as if she’d been waiting for the
moment.

“Well… borrowing races are pretty rare, so yeah, I was planning to.”

“Hehe, I thought so. Stuff like this kind of reminds me of shoujo manga—
I’ve always admired it a little.”
Tiara-san smiled with a casual air, then gave my back a firm double-pat
with both hands.

“Sorry for holding you up. Please make sure to watch my performance,
okay?”

“Ah, yeah. Got it.”

First Shiratama-san, now Tiara-san too. The election’s already over, so

what’s their angle…?

Tilting my head in confusion, I headed back to my class.

A borrowing race is a game where you grab a slip of paper with an item or
person written on it, and go retrieve it from somewhere in the venue.

The usual stuff is things like headbands or glasses, but sometimes it’s
something like “someone you respect.”

In shoujo manga, the cliché is the hero getting a slip that says “your most
treasured possession” and carrying the heroine bridal-style to the finish line.

So Tiara-san really does admire that kind of thing. I guess she’s not all
doom and gloom after all…

As I watched the first-years' borrowing race with a bit of sentimentality,

Ayano next to me spoke up with a goofy grin.

“Next up is Chihaya. If I miss it, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

Any excuse to gush about his girlfriend, this guy. Always on the lookout for
an opening.

“By the way, are you okay after earlier? Asagumo-san said she needed to
talk to you and took you off somewhere.”

“Chihaya dragged me off...? What was that about?”

"Remember? After the co-ed relay, when we were cheering on Yakishio."

"You were cheering on Lemon…?"

Ayano folded his arms and tilted his head, clearly not understanding at all.

Wait—hold on. What did Asagumo-san do to Ayano...?

"—Next up is the borrowing race for the second-years. Contestants, please

head to the starting line."

The announcement rang out across the field, cutting through my growing
dread.

Alright, let's just pretend the whole Ayano-couple thing never happened.

Twelve contestants—two from each class—lined up at the starting line, and

among them were Asagumo-san and Tiara-san.

As Tiara-san was spoken to by Asagumo-san, she flinched like she’d been

startled. Honestly, she’d do well to trust that gut feeling.

The event staff finished laying out the slips of paper containing each prompt
in front of the starting line, and before long, the race began.

As soon as the starting pistol fired, Asagumo-san dashed forward, took a

quick glance at her slip, and then sprinted straight toward me. The prompt
on her card read—

"My prompt is ‘glasses.’ Can I borrow yours, Mitsuki-san?"

"Ah, no problem at all. Go get 'em."

"Yes! Mitsuki-san!"

For some reason, Asagumo-san put the glasses on herself and then began to
stumble off in a wobbly jog.

She’s heading in the opposite direction of the goal… is she gonna be okay?
"Ayano, should you maybe go with her? Asagumo-san’s heading the wrong
way."

"Really? I can’t see a thing without my glasses."

Yeah, that tracks. Still, they both seem to be enjoying themselves, so I guess
it’s fine.

When I turned my attention back to the field, I saw another girl running
toward me.

It was Tiara-san. She stopped in front of me, slightly out of breath, her pale
cheeks flushed.

"Um, Nukumizu-san. Will you come with me?"

"Huh? Me?"

What could it be? Did she draw a prompt like “introvert” or something?

Before I could even ask, Tiara-san grabbed my hand.

"Alright, let’s run!"

"Wait, what?!"

With curious stares from my classmates all around, I was pulled along,
sprinting hand in hand.

This... kind of feels like I’m the heroine of a shoujo manga. Me , not her.

“Hey, Tiara-san, what was your prompt?”

“I’m speeding up! Don’t bite your tongue!”

Tiara-san didn’t answer my question and instead picked up the pace.

At that point, there was no room for conversation. I matched her stride as
we ran toward the goal.
Other students from different classes passed us, glancing at us with surprise.

Wait, am I seriously running in front of the whole school, holding hands

with a girl?

Suddenly I felt incredibly nervous.

Wait, which foot do I put forward first again…?

Just as I started to stumble from the panic, Tiara-san gave my hand a firm
tug, and we crossed the finish line.

Still holding my hand, she caught her breath, but once a female student
from the event staff approached, she let go.

“Excuse me, I need to check the prompt.”

“Thanks for your work. Here, go ahead.”

Tiara-san took out the slip of paper and held it out in front of the staff
member.

The girl froze, eyes wide in surprise. Tiara-san gave her a gentle smile.

“Are you okay?”

“Y-yes,” the staffer nodded repeatedly.

Turning her back to her, Tiara-san bowed slightly to me.

“Thank you, Nukumizu-san. You really helped me out.”

“That’s fine, but… what was your prompt?”

“Curious, are you?”

Of course I was curious, but something told me this might get

complicated…
As I hesitated on how to respond, a flash of light reflected in my vision.

Looking over, I saw Asagumo-san, wearing glasses, standing nearby.

“That voice—Nukumizu-san, is that you? Then this must be Tiara-san.”

Peering at us through her glasses, Asagumo-san stared with undisguised

curiosity.

“My prompt was ‘glasses.’ Was Tiara-san’s prompt Nukumizu-san?”

At the innocent question, Tiara-san chuckled and gently took Asagumo-

san’s hand.

“Something like that. Asagumo-san, it’s a bit dangerous, so let me guide

you back to the waiting area.”

“Oh, how kind of you. By the way, where is the goal?”

“You already crossed it. Here, this way.”

As Tiara-san led Asagumo-san away, she passed right by me.

“So, your prompt was—”

Just as I started to ask again, Tiara-san turned to look at me with a

mischievous smile.

And as we passed each other—

"Then… after school today, could I have a bit of your time?"

She whispered it softly into my ear.

The Tsuwabuki High School Sports Festival came to a close, leaving me

with scrapes and muscle soreness.
Cheerleaders in all shapes and sizes, Yakishio’s fierce run, Shiratama’s
dance, Kaju’s special homemade lunch...

The memories had already begun to fade into nostalgia, and I was starting
to forget whether the white team or red team even won.

"It's about time…"

Glancing at the digital display on my wristwatch, I looked up absently at

the sky, which had begun to darken.

I was standing on the bridge over Mukaiyama Pond, about fifteen minutes
by bike from Tsuwabuki High.

The last time I came here was six months ago—when Tiara-san had called
me out to collect a BL doujinshi written by Tsukinoki-senpai. Compared to
then, the days had definitely gotten longer.

The evening sky, shifting from blue to deep indigo, stirred in me a restless
feeling—a mixture of unease and longing.

Something was ending, but I didn’t know what. A feeling close to anxiety.

—Still only sixteen. Already a second-year in high school.

Contradictory thoughts that weren’t actually contradictory kept floating in

and out of my head.

But why this place for a meeting, instead of the courtyard table?

According to Tiara-san, the courtyard was ideal for secret talks since no one
could overhear you there.

So choosing this place must mean—what needs to be hidden isn't sound,

but sight.

There’s something she doesn’t want anyone to see.

The prompt from the scavenger race must have been a cover. The real
reason is—

“…Anime merch, huh.”

I'd nearly forgotten with everything else going on, but the whole reason I
started helping Tiara-san was because of some promotional goods for
Chikapyon . She must be planning to hand them over now. Sure, passing
anime goods around at school might feel a bit awkward, but there was no
need to go this far out of the way.

As I scanned the area with growing excitement, I spotted a girl in a

Tsuwabuki High uniform approaching from the far end of the long bridge
that crossed the pond.

It was Tiara-san.

This part of the bridge was a bit wider, even with a bench. Last time, she
had been the one waiting here… and I had come to meet her.

As I was getting lost in the nostalgia, Tiara-san must have noticed me

watching her—she jogged over to me.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. I got held up with some work.”

She lightly bowed her head, brushing back a stray strand of hair in her
school uniform.

“It’s fine. I just got here myself,” I said with a casual lie.

Smiling at that, Tiara-san motioned for me to come over.

“Look, Nukumizu-san. Over there—a duck with her ducklings.”

“Looks like a spot-billed duck. It’s breeding season, after all.”

Tiara-san seemed unusually cheerful today.

Leaning against the railing of the bridge, she pointed at the duck family.
“I wonder if the adult duck is the mother. Where’s the father, I wonder?”

“He’s probably not around. Male spot-billed ducks leave after the female
lays her eggs.”

“Oh… I see…”

Her mood dropped just a little. Did I say the wrong thing?

Still, Tiara-san looked oddly pleased as she watched the duck family gliding
across the water.

Hmm. When exactly was I supposed to get the Chikapyon merch?

While we stood there quietly watching the ducks together, she suddenly
spoke up.

“Your campaign speech… you remembered the first time we met, didn’t
you?”

“Well, kind of hard to forget someone scolding me the moment we met.”

It was when I’d gone to the student council room to hand in some
documents—she pounced on me just for glancing at her name tag.

Covering her mouth, Tiara-san let out a chuckle.

“I must apologize for that. At the time, I thought the literature club was just
a bunch of total weirdos.”

“I mean… that’s not entirely wrong, honestly.”

“Oh come on, I was trying to be nice and you just ruined it.”

She couldn’t hold back and laughed out loud.

“Speaking of which, there was that time an inappropriate doujinshi got

brought to school, wasn’t there?”
“That was Tsukinoki-senpai, not me.”

“Was it, now?”

She looked at me teasingly, and I responded with an awkward smile.

“You’ve really changed since back then, Tiara-san. You’re a lot more
outspoken now.”

I said it expecting a quick comeback.

……Huh? No retort?

Tiara-san leaned on the railing with both elbows and looked up at me.

"Is something wrong? Sorry, I wasn’t really listening."

"Oh, no—it’s just… you’re not getting mad today, Tiara-san."

"I don’t get mad if you don’t do anything worth getting mad about."

That made sense. So she only got mad because I kept saying stuff that
irritated her...

"Well, yeah, but… if you didn’t react at all, it wouldn’t be as fun, you
know?"

"So you were always teasing me after all?!"

Crap. That slipped out.

Tiara-san puffed up angrily and stepped closer to me.

"That’s exactly the kind of thing I’m talking about! You’re always teasing
me and never take what I say seriously!"

"No, no, I swear, I’m not teasing you or anything."

"Then stop calling me by my first name!"

Alright, she’s back to her usual self.

Tiara-san sighed in exasperation.

"I was going to thank you today for everything, but now it’s ruined."

"Oh, really? So no more thank-you?"

"Right. What a shame, huh?"

Her exaggerated pout didn’t last long. Without bothering to hide the smile
creeping onto her face, she leaned back on the railing again.

"…I really do appreciate everything you’ve done, Nukumizu-san. For

putting up with all my selfish requests, and helping me through the student
council election."

"In the end, though, it was Shikiya-senpai who got all the credit."

"Yes, that was surprising."

Shikiya-senpai’s concern for Tiara-san…

That person was probably just as awkward as she was. Which is why that
clumsy expression of emotion made sense in its own way.

As I got lost in thought, Tiara-san rested her chin on her hand and looked at
me.

"…Are you thinking about Shikiya-senpai?"

"Huh? Well, I mean, she came up in the conversation."

"So you're thinking about her instead of me, even though I’m right here."

Tiara-san turned her face away with a huff.

…Why was she suddenly acting like a jealous girlfriend?

I leaned on the railing next to her and looked up at the darkening sky.

"The student council—Sakurai-kun’s going to be vice president, right?"

"Yes, he agreed to take the position. Though, I could really use one more
pair of hands, you know?"

Tiara-san gave me a sidelong glance full of implication.

"Uh, I don’t think I can help. I’m the literature club president… you know,
conflict of interest and all that?"

"Oh my, you know some big words, don’t you?"

"Well, yeah. Does that mean you’re done teaching me Japanese?"

I said it with a bit of teasing, and Tiara-san responded with a bright, toothy
smile.

"That’s fine. I’ll be the one teaching you now."

"Then I guess I’ll be counting on you."

We talked about nothing in particular.

Laughed a little.

And somehow, that alone felt unexpectedly comforting.

As the moments we locked eyes grew longer, the words between us began
to fade.

Feeling a ticklish sort of awkwardness, I pushed myself off the railing.

"Um… the wind’s getting kinda chilly, huh?"

"Yes, it’s starting to get a bit cold."

Well then, maybe it’s time we head back before it gets too dark.

Just as I began to walk, Tiara-san suddenly called out to stop me.

"Sorry—almost forgot."

Oh, right.

I completely forgot something important—!

"The Chikapyon—"

"I promised to tell you my scavenger hunt prompt, didn’t I?"

…Huh? That’s not what I was thinking, but okay.

As I stood confused, Tiara-san held out a small slip of paper with both
hands.

"Here."

"Uh, thanks."

Well, it’s not like I can turn her down.

She probably just couldn’t bring herself to say thanks directly, so she used
this as an excuse to call me out here.

Thinking it was nothing serious, I glanced at the memo—and the second I

saw what was written, my breath caught in my throat.

...

………

……………This is the scavenger hunt prompt… right?

Written on the paper was:

"The person you like."

Uh… so if she drew that prompt, and then came to get me …?

That would mean…

Tiara-san’s eyes fixed on me as my mind spiraled into total confusion.

Her fingers intertwined at her chest, almost like she was praying.

Then, as if making up her mind about something, she opened her mouth.

"Nukumizu-san, I like you."

A sudden, out-of-the-blue confession of love.

“Uh, um…”

No—wait. It’s too early to jump to conclusions.

In rom-coms, this would usually be a misunderstanding event—

“Of course I mean it romantically. Will you go out with me?”

…Nope. This is a confession.

No misunderstanding. No misheard words.

I’m… being confessed to.

An event I’d only ever seen in light novels was now happening— to me .

Is this really okay…? For it to be me ?

Tiara-san is fun to be around. She’s cute.

No matter how I look at it, she’s way out of my league.

Just one word— yes —and the girl I’d only dreamed about would be
mine…

“U-uh, um…”

I finally managed to open my dry lips.

“It’s just, um… I’ve always thought of you as a friend, so…”

…Wait, what?

“It was all so sudden, so I was just… surprised, and…”

…What the hell am I saying?

Tiara-san is a sweet, cute girl. Being with her is fun.

She was a little hard to approach at first, but once I got to know her, her
smile was so innocent—

“I think I’m just… overwhelmed, since no one’s ever said something like
that to me before.”

It’s easy to be around her.

And if we dated… I know it’d be fun.

There’s no reason to say no. None at all.

So all I have to do is say one word— yes .

And then I’d be with Tiara-san.

"Um, I…"

I start to speak, but the words catch in my throat, and I fall silent.

…What am I doing? This kind of chance might never come again.

Just say something , anything—

"Wait, please!"

Tiara-san suddenly interrupts me.

"Uh, um…"

"It was all too sudden, wasn’t it? Actually, I thought if I confessed, I’d
somehow feel ready… but honestly, I’m kind of overwhelmed—"

Clutching her chest, Tiara-san crouches down on the spot.

"Are you okay?"

"…Yes. Um, Nukumizu-san."

Still crouched, she takes a deep breath, then slowly looks up at me.

"──Can we start off as friends?"

As she says this, she reaches out her hand toward me.

"Friends…? I mean, I thought we were friends already."

"I'm happy that you see me that way. But,"

She takes my hand and, wobbling slightly, stands up.

"I’d love it if we could talk more casually, go out sometimes… stuff like
that."

"Well, I guess that much is fine…"

My reply is a little deflated, but Tiara-san gives me a gentle smile.

"And then… maybe someday, you’ll come to like me."

──A total surprise attack.

There’s no other way to describe it.

The answer I couldn’t give was met with that smile.

So bright, so sincere—

…it made my chest ache.

As I stood there, emotionally lost, Tiara-san fanned her flushed face with
both hands.
"Now that it's over, I'm suddenly getting nervous. Wow, I really said
something bold, didn’t I!"

Watching her, I awkwardly scratched my cheek.

"Um… I was really happy you confessed. So… I’ll give it some serious
thought…"

I barely managed to squeeze the words out, and Tiara-san responded with a
shy smile.

"Okay. I’ll be hoping for a good answer. But still, I am a girl, you know."

She clasped her hands behind her back, looked up at me, and continued:

"──So you'd better fall for me sooner rather than later, okay?"

Epilogue: The Stairway to Adulthood

A night had passed since that shocking confession.

I hadn’t slept much, and now, after school, I was standing in the printing
room, sleep-deprived, absentmindedly watching the copier spit out pages.

…Yesterday’s Tiara-san. She really was serious, wasn’t she? Looking back
now, why didn’t I just give her an answer right away?

If I had just said “yes” to her confession, I would’ve had a girlfriend right
then and there.

A girlfriend . Someone I thought only existed in the 2D world was trying to

step into reality.

If only Tiara-san had just pushed through and not cared about how I felt—
been more assertive…
“Nu… Nukumizu. The copier’s stopped.”

The one who interrupted my thoughts was Komari.

While tapping the finished pages into a neat stack, she looked at me with a
worried expression.

“A-Are you okay? Y-Your eyes are more dead than usual.”

“Ahh… Komari, you were here?”

“D-Die.”

Can’t blame her for the insult. After school, it’s just me and Komari printing
our club’s journal.

I let out a long sigh and looked up at the ceiling.

“…Hey, Komari.”

“W-What?”

“Have you ever… been in love?”

Flutter flutter flutter —Komari dropped the entire stack of papers she was
holding.

“What’s wrong? You tired too?”

“D-Die! Right here, right now!”

Why’s she so mad? I don’t get it.

As I crouched down to gather the scattered papers, Komari knelt beside me

to help.

“N-Nukumizu. Y-Yanami’s story—the pages are out of order.”

Oh, she’s right. The ending is on the first page.

“Well, if we just say it’s a creative choice…”

"Shut up. We're redoing it."

"...Okay."

Yanami’s story has entered a new development.

My high school life, too, could be moving on to the next stage—

A possibility that I had put a stop to myself.

“Come to think of it, Komari, you didn’t write anything this time either.
Writer’s block?”

“U-ugh?!”

Komari suddenly flinched.

Ah, I see...

She must be writing BL again—something she definitely doesn’t want

anyone to read.

I smiled kindly as I handed her the papers I’d gathered.

“Yeah, you’ve been busy. I get it, I get it.”

“W-What the hell, you’re being creepy.”

Even her embarrassed retorts seem kind of cute to me now.

After all, I’m a guy who almost— almost —got a girlfriend.

Still, why didn’t I just say yes…?

While I was deep in thought, Komari gave me a suspicious look.

“Y-Yeah, you’re definitely acting weird today. A-Are you really okay?”
“I’m fine. I mean, maybe I’ve just changed a little, you know? Compared to
before.”

Komari sighed in exasperation and pointed toward the door of the printing
room.

“I-I’ll finish up here. Y-You go wait in the clubroom.”

“Ah, okay.”

I had no choice. To Komari’s cold, clear-cut rejection of my usefulness, I

gave a quiet nod.

Literature Club Activity Report

—Anna Yanami, “Good Morning to You”

The renovations at the convenience store I went to every morning are

finally done. It took forever.

I sit on the bench outside the building and open a bag of curry bread with a
discount sticker on it.

The seasons have changed, and it’s almost summer.

It’s summer, but I don’t have any plans.

While I’m sighing sentimentally, XX-kun appears on the other side of the
bench.

“A-ko-san, the construction here’s finished, huh?”

He says this while looking up at the store’s sign.

As I silently eat my bread, ignoring him, ××-kun keeps talking to me

undeterred.
"Didn't you say you were looking forward to the renovations being
finished?"

Yes, I did. So what?

When I keep ignoring him, XX-kun looks up at the building’s sign.

"So, what did it mean in the end?"

He's such an irritating guy. That must be why he doesn’t have any friends.

And despite having no friends, he really should stop clinging to girls so

much.

With a curry bread in my mouth, I look up at the sign too.

A big sign that reads "Laundry Heaven."

Yes, the convenience store I used to visit all the time had been renovated
into a coin laundromat.

I was really disappointed. I had assumed it would just reopen as a new

convenience store.

This is clearly XX-kun’s fault. I don’t know why, but it must be.

"A-ko, so you like laundromats?"

No, I don’t particularly like them.

When I answer that way, XX-kun just goes "Huh" and sits on the edge of
the bench, eating a melon bread.

How inconsiderate.

Why? Because lately I’ve been avoiding sweets. The reason is a secret.

When I avert my gaze, a large roadside sign catches my eye.

Why is there a picture of a tanuki on this sign?

When I say that, XX-kun gives me an exasperated look.

"That's a raccoon. The markings are completely different."

Yes, I know that much. Laundry obviously goes with raccoons.

I’m just a little scatterbrained because I just woke up.

Surely, I’m the only one who could put up with a guy who doesn’t
understand a girl’s heart.

I don’t know why he’s eating bread here, but he must be feeling lonely.

I wouldn’t mind having breakfast with him once in a while.

After finishing my curry bread, I glance over, and XX-kun has turned his
back to me.

"What? I’m not giving you any."

How rude.

Do I look like the kind of girl who would beg for someone else’s food?

Still, a charming guy would offer me a bite without me having to ask,

wouldn’t he?

Honestly. Looks like I’ll have to keep looking after this childish boy for a
while longer...

Banished from the copy room, I was walking down the hallway toward the
clubroom.

It’s true—I might be acting weird today because I didn’t get enough sleep
last night.
Last night, I couldn’t sleep until well past midnight—and on top of that,
groggy Kaju tried to crawl into my bed, which caused a whole scene...

Apparently, she got the rooms mixed up when coming back from the
bathroom. Kaju really is a scatterbrain.

I was just about to pass by the bulletin board when I suddenly came to a
halt.

Posted there was the latest issue of the school newspaper.

This edition was packed with content—covering the student council

elections, the upcoming sports festival, and more.

Naturally, the front page was all about the student council elections.

Right at the top was a huge photo of Tiara-san, shouting passionately

despite a nosebleed.

She’s probably read this herself by now...

As I kept reading, I learned that the whole incident during the speech
assembly actually centered around a certain male student—“Student A,”
considered the enemy of all women.

Apparently, Shikiya’s interruption had been orchestrated by Student A, and

Anna’s bizarre speech was said to be a petty jab after being rejected. What a
terrible guy, that Student A.

But still—what an outrageous rumor. That the student council girls all like
me?

…………Actually, not all of it’s a lie.

Tiara-san really does like me.

Thinking back on everything with that in mind… haven’t I kind of behaved
like a jerk?

As I was mentally filing away those past memories, my eyes landed on an

ad in the newspaper.

…A paid feature of Yakishio’s secret photo shoot celebrating her

qualification for nationals?

I don’t think it’s right to make money off this kind of thing, but hey— it’s
not fair to judge without seeing it myself.

Let’s see… How do I buy the premium version again?

I held up my phone to the QR code when—

“Nukkun, what are you doing?”

With a cheerful voice, Yakishio smacked me hard on the back. Ouch.

“I was just reading the school paper. What about you? Aren’t you supposed
to be at practice?”

“I’m on a break, so I’m running around inside the school building. If I run
on the field, the coach yells at me for not resting properly.”

With a mischievous grin, Yakishio jabbed her elbow into my side.

“What? What is it?”

“Don’t you have something to say to me?”

…Come to think of it, I hadn’t said it to her directly in all the chaos.

“Ah—congrats on making it to nationals.”

I said it awkwardly, trying to hide my embarrassment, and Yakishio pouted

in dissatisfaction.
“…That’s it?”

“Huh? That wasn’t it?”

“It was , but... I qualified in two events! Don’t you think your reaction’s a
bit weak? Shouldn’t you be all like, ‘Woo-hoo!’ and give me a hug or
something?”

No way. An introvert like me lives in constant fear, 24/7.

“Well, there’s still more ahead, right? You’re aiming to win nationals?”

“Yeah, I’ve got my eyes on it,” Yaksihio replied with a confident, sly grin.

“Then maybe I’ll get a hug from you if I win,” she added.

What the heck. That's a pure win for me.

As I indulged in the mental image of hugging Yakishio in her athletic

uniform, she turned her big, round eyes to the bulletin board beside us.

“By the way, what were you looking at, Nukkun? The school paper?”

“Ah, no, it’s just—”

As she continued reading, Yakishio’s face grew increasingly serious.

And when she finished the article, she turned a deadpan, accusingly stared
toward me.

“…Oh, look. A certain ‘enemy of women’ showed up.”

“It’s just a rumor! And there’s no proof this ‘Male Student A’ is even me,
right?”

“It’s you, though.”

I mean, yeah—but also no.

While I flailed internally, trying to come up with an explanation, Yakishio
began peering suspiciously at my phone.

“What?” I asked nervously.

“…Hey, were you trying to buy my photo just now?”

Gah! Crap—I forgot I had my camera open.

“N-no, it’s not what it looks like! I accidentally touched it, and the camera
just turned on by itself—”

As I scrambled for excuses, Yakishio flashed a sly grin—and whacked me

hard on the back. It really hurt.

“Ow! What was that for?!”

“Yup, you’re definitely the enemy of women. I’m telling Chiha-chan about
you.”

“Why Asagumo-san?!”

She had nothing to do with this—but for some reason, that idea scared the
hell out of me.

After giving my back one more solid smack, Yakishio spun around and
darted off down the hall.

When I returned to the clubroom, I was greeted by an oddly wholesome

scene.

“Yanami-senpai, say ‘ahhh’.”

“Okay, ahhh.”

Yanami opened her mouth wide as Shiratama tossed in a little chikuwa

sausage.
It reminded me a lot of the sea lion show at the Takeshima Aquarium.

“What are you two doing?”

When they noticed I had come in, Shiratama-san smiled sweetly.

“My relatives sent me some chikuwa , so I’m sharing. Would you like me to
feed you too, Club President?”

“Thanks, but I’ll pass.”

Lately, for some reason, those two have been getting along really well.
Apparently, the turning point was when she picked up an onigiri she
dropped—not an eraser, but a rice ball. I still don’t know exactly what
happened… or whether Yanami actually ate that onigiri.

“Nukumizu-kun, are you done printing the club journal? We’re all set over
here.”

Yanami clicked an empty stapler as she said it. Komari and I were in charge
of printing, while Yanami and Shiratama-san were handling the binding.

“Almost done. Though I’ve been pretty much laid off from the job.”

“Aaah...” the two of them said in unison. Yeah, apparently I’ve been useless
today by everyone’s standards.

At this point, I might as well live up to my reputation as ‘enemy of women’

and let the girls do the work while I relax.

As I sat down and stared at the wall, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” said Yanami cheerfully, and the door opened.

“Excuse me, is Nukumizu-san here?”

It was Tiara-san who stepped into the clubroom.

Seeing me reflexively jump at the sight of her—especially after what
happened yesterday—she looked a little relieved.

“Uh, um, what brings you to the clubroom?”

“I came to deliver something I promised you. I totally forgot to give it to

you.”

...Something she promised? She held out a cute paper bag.

Inside were a bunch of promotional pop-ups featuring Chikapyon.

“I can really have these? Seriously?”

“Of course. I promised, didn’t I?”

It’s true she did—but this might be the first time since enrolling here that
my efforts have actually paid off. I was genuinely shocked.

Whoa, this one’s super rare—like, from before the first season even aired!

As I grinned while admiring the pop-ups, Tiara-san leaned in and peered at

my face.

“Nukumizu-san, will you be late today?”

“Um, yeah, I’ve got to help with the club journal, so I might be a little late.”

“Oh, too bad. The student council work ended earlier than expected, so I
thought we could walk home together.”

“Wait, with me ?”

Click. The stapler in Yanami’s hand echoed through the room.

"...The election is already over, right? So why are you two going home
together?"
“No real reason. Just thought it might be nice for friends to walk home
together once in a while.”

Tiara-san said it casually, then turned to face Shiratama-san.

“Then I’ll borrow Shiratama-san instead. Would you mind coming with
me?”

“Yes, just for a little while should be fine.”

Shiratama-san stood up after glancing briefly at me. Why was Tiara-san

asking her?

As I looked at her, puzzled, Shiratama-san gave me a playful wink.

“Club President. I’ve decided to join the student council.”

“Huh?”

Is the student council even allowed to have criminals?

Well, I guess the former president was her accomplice, so maybe they’re
surprisingly lenient about that stuff.

While I was busy making peace with that fact, Tiara-san gave me a slight
bow.

“I asked her personally. Of course, we’ll make sure it won’t interfere with
the literature club’s activities.”

On the contrary, I’m relieved to have a co-manager for this live grenade.

“No problem here. Take care of Shiratama-san, okay, Basori-san?”

As Tiara-san was about to leave the room, she glanced back over her
shoulder.

“Oh? You're not calling me by my first name today?”

“Well, I thought you didn’t like being called that…”

In response to my honest question came—Tiara-san’s smile.

“If it’s you, Nukumizu-san, I don’t mind at all.”

Wait… did she just give me permission to call her by her first name ?

As I froze in place, she let out another soft giggle and left the clubroom
with Shiratama-san.

Once the door closed, I flopped into my chair.

I managed to survive today, but… things are definitely going to get

complicated from here.

“…Staaaaare.”

Yanami was literally saying the word “stare” while looking at me. What’s
that supposed to mean?

“Do you have something to say to me?”

“That thing earlier. Since when were you like that with Basori-san?”

“What do you mean… that ?”

“You always call me by my last name with -san , but you call Basori-san by
her first name? Huh.”

Ah, so that’s the angle she’s going for. I see, I see...

I rested my elbows on the table and laced my fingers in front of my mouth.

“Well, Yanami-san, hear me out. It’s true that Basori-san and I came to a
better mutual understanding through the election campaign. And building a
connection with the new student council president strengthens the literature
club’s position. That aligns with your goals too, doesn’t it?”
Despite my perfect explanation, Yanami still looked grumpy as she popped
a baby chikuwa into her mouth.

“Student council elections are supposed to be a sacred process to choose

our representatives, you know? Using them as an excuse to get close to girls
feels a little impure, don’t you think?”

“If you’re going to say that, then what about you, Yanami-san?”

“What about me?”

The words slipped out before I could think, and Yanami gave me a puzzled
look.

“During the election, you were always with Sakurai-kun. He’s really
popular with the girls, so that kind of thing… it doesn’t really look good.”

“Sakurai-kun? He was super busy with student council work, so we weren’t

really—”

She trailed off mid-sentence, suddenly looking like something just clicked
in her mind.

“Yanami-san? What is it?”

Instead of answering, she abruptly stood up and plopped down right next to
me.

…What? What’s going on? This is kind of scary.

Seeing me nervously freeze up, Yanami spoke with a teasing tone.

“Nukumizu-kun… you’re totally jealous.”

…Huh? Jealous? Me?

What the heck are you talking about, Yanami-san? I quickly shook my head.
“No way. I just don’t like hearing people spread weird rumors about
Sakurai-kun. That’s all.”

“…Why are you bringing up Sakurai-kun right now?”

Yanami suddenly got serious.

“What do you mean, ‘why’? That’s what I was talking about from the start.”

“No it wasn’t?! We were talking about how I was getting close to Sakurai-
kun and you were jealous!”

Same difference, right? Uh, maybe I just need to phrase it differently…

“What I mean is, if weird rumors start about you and him, that’d be unfair
to Sakurai-kun—”

“It’s not weird at all, okay?!”

It’s totally weird, Yanami-san. I really don’t think I can entrust my dear
Sakurai-kun to someone like her…

Yanami let out an exaggerated sigh and reached into the bag of baby
chikuwa again.

"See, that’s exactly what I mean, Nukumizu-kun. …Here, try this— it’s
really good."

Yanami held a baby chikuwa in front of my mouth.

Without thinking, I took a bite, and the savory aroma of chikuwa spread
softly through my mouth.

“Oh, it has ginger in it.”

“Right? I’m kind of hooked on this one lately.”

For some reason, Yanami suddenly seemed to be in a great mood and

popped the last piece into her mouth.
As I watched her absentmindedly, I turned over her earlier words in my
mind.

…So, she thinks I’m jealous.

Sakurai-kun is one of my few guy friends, and I guess it’s true that I felt left
out when he and Yanami were getting along so well.

Calling that jealousy might not be entirely off base.

In other words, the reason I felt that sense of exclusion was because it was
my friend Yanami who was getting close to him—

That thought gave me some peace. As I relaxed, Yanami finished her snack
and began twirling a strand of her hair with her fingers.

“…Anyway, what was the prompt Basori-san got during that borrowing
race?”

“Why do you even care about that?”

“Because, you know, she dragged a boy across the finish line in front of the
whole school. It even made the school paper. If you don’t explain it, people
will get the wrong idea.”

I mean… it wouldn’t exactly be a wrong idea.

The prompt Tiara-san pulled was— someone you like .

Of all the trashy gossip in that school paper, that one part actually hit the
mark.

“Well, if you try to argue about stuff like this, it only drags things out.
Ignoring it is the best way to handle it.”

Perfect. That should satisfy Yanami.

“True enough. So, what was the prompt?”

…Yeah, she’s not satisfied at all.

The way she’s staring at me is kind of scary. I’ll just make something up.

“A friend—yeah, just a male friend!”

“Oh really? And that just happened to be the prompt she got, even though
you can’t know in advance what you’ll draw?”

Yanami muttered the words like she was talking to herself, then leaned her
cheek on her hand and gave me a long, skeptical look.

“W-well, yeah, but…”

“Eh, whatever. I’ve sent Shiratama-chan into the student council anyway.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Who knows? What is it supposed to mean?”

Yanami dodged the question with a theatrical tone, then suddenly stood up
with energy.

Yanami walked over to the window, and from where I sat, I couldn’t see her
expression.

──When Tiara-san confessed to me on the bridge.

To be honest, I was confused.

Not by the confession itself, but by how unsure I was of my own answer.

And more than anything──in that moment when I almost said yes , the
shadow of someone flickered through my mind.

What that meant, how I really felt—

I couldn’t figure any of it out in just one night.

How many nights did Tiara-san spend wrestling with herself before
deciding to confess to me?

“It’s starting to get dark,”

Yanami said, gazing out the window before pulling the curtains shut.

“…What? Why are you staring at me like that?”

Her expression held a mix of irritation, exasperation… and something else.

A blend of emotions I couldn’t fully pin down, as she just silently looked at
me.

The silence was awkward.

Just as I was about to say something to break the tension, Yanami suddenly
─ laughed.

“…Nukumizu-kun, you really are the enemy of women, huh?”

Afterword

At last! “Too Many Losing Heroines!” Season 2 has been confirmed!

This is all thanks to everyone who supported us and everyone involved!

I wrote about the anime in the afterword of Volume 7, but I never imagined
I’d be able to announce Season 2 in Volume 8.

It seems like my past life has saved the world once again...

After Season 1 aired (what a joy to be able to call it that!), many things
changed around the series.
We were awarded 1st place overall in This Light Novel is Amazing! 2025 ,
and many fans came to visit Toyohashi City, the setting of the story, for
pilgrimages.

There were many repeat visitors, and I’ve even heard of people who
decided to move there.

This was all thanks to the people of Toyohashi City warmly embracing the
love that fans have for the series.

Season 2 of the anime is still a ways off, but there’s plenty to enjoy in the
meantime—Season 1, the original novel, the manga adaptation,
collaborations, and pilgrimage spots.

The fun is just beginning.

Let’s spend our youth together as fellow members of Tsuwabuki High

School!

...Actually, I’m writing this the day after the “Tsuwabuki High School
Literature Club Extracurricular Activity” event held in Akishima City.

The emotions stirred by the amazing performances from the cast, Bocchi
Boromaru-san, and Mossa-san still haven’t settled.

The moment Season 2 was announced, the entire venue overflowed with
joy—and I know I’ll never forget that scene for the rest of my life.

With this feeling in my heart, I hope to continue writing Makeine moving

forward.

Now then, Volume 8 focuses on Tiara-san.

Please warmly watch over her as she takes a courageous step forward.

To Imigimuru-sensei, who created another round of incredible god-tier

illustrations;

To Mr. Iwasa, who patiently worked with me through all the revisions;
Thank you so much for everything!

And to everyone who picked up Volume 8—!

I hope we can meet again in the next volume!

Extra - Don’t call me dense.

After the cheer battle at the sports festival ended, the boys of Class 2-C
were changing clothes in their classroom.

As Ayano Mitsuki unbuttoned his school uniform, he spoke to the friend

changing next to him.

"Hey, what do you think about Nukumizu lately?"

"What do you mean?"

The one who tilted his head at the sudden question was Sakurai Hiroto.

As he brushed the sandy dust off his removed uniform jacket, he asked back
with a puzzled look.

"He’s been spending a lot of time with Basori-san lately, right? From what I
can tell, those two are kind of hitting it off."

"Hard to say. It’s true that Basori-chan has let her guard down around him,
though."

Sakurai seemed flustered by the sudden turn to romance talk.

"Why bring this up all of a sudden?"

"Nukumizu helped me out a lot with the Chihaya situation. I figured I’d
return the favor by helping him out in love."
Wouldn’t it be better to wait until he actually asks for advice?

That’s what Sakurai thought, but he didn’t say it aloud. Sakurai Hiroto was
a mature guy.

"First, we need to figure out how Nukumizu feels. Didn’t you say the other
day that things seemed suspicious between him and Yakishio-san?"

"I thought that until recently, but now it feels kind of indecisive. Like
Nukumizu himself doesn’t have those kinds of feelings."

"Well… Nukumizu-kun isn’t the type to boldly go after a girl, after all."

As he said this and slipped on his gym clothes, Ayano’s glasses gleamed
sharply in Sakurai’s direction.

"We’re talking about Remon here. Any normal guy would fall for her —it’s
only natural. And yet, if he hasn’t even confessed, it must mean he likes
someone else."

Confident as ever, Ayano Mitsuki spoke with certainty. Sakurai Hiroto

considered this.

Depending on the answer, this could lead to trouble.

"Yeah, I don’t know much about Yakishio-san, but… if the person in

question is that wonderful, then it could be admiration, respect, or all kinds
of emotions mixed in."

To that safe, vague generalization meant to deflect the topic, Ayano jumped
in eagerly.

"I see, so that’s how it is. That makes sense—even I—"

Just as he was about to continue, the screen of Ayano’s phone, lying on the
desk, lit up.

“…Ah, it’s Chihaya.”

“Is she calling you out or something?”

“No, sometimes I get blank messages from her.”

Ayano gave a sheepish smile.

“She says she’s looking back through my messages and accidentally replies.
It’s a pain, right?”

“That sounds like a humblebrag.”

…This topic isn’t safe to dig into.

Sakurai sensed this instinctively and changed the subject.

“By the way, you were in the same middle school as Nukumizu-kun, right?
What was he like back then?”

“We went to the same middle school, but we were in different classes.
Remon told me there was someone in her class who just read books all the
time like me, so I talked to him at cram school. Back then, Remon—”

Again, Ayano’s phone screen lit up.

…This topic’s no good either. He didn’t know why, but he had a bad feeling
about it.

Sakurai shifted his gaze to Ayano’s school uniform jacket lying nearby and
changed the subject again.

“More importantly, Ayano-kun, I’m surprised you still fit into your middle
school uniform.”

Ayano proudly held up his school uniform jacket.

“Chihaya extended the sleeves for me. Pretty good job, right?”

“Wow, that’s impressive. You can’t even tell it was altered.”

Sakurai looked on admiringly, but then his gaze stopped on one spot of the
jacket.

“Something wrong?”

“Only the second button is new. Did you maybe give it to someone at
graduation or something?”

“There wasn’t any event like that… but you’re right, the button is new.”

It seemed this was the first time Ayano noticed the button had been
replaced.

Looking puzzled for a moment, he suddenly seemed to realize something

and smiled sheepishly.

“Chihaya must’ve wanted the second button. She should’ve just said so.”

Sakurai reflexively opened his mouth to speak, but Ayano’s smile made him
swallow his words.

“…Yeah, I guess that’s it.”

Sakurai had heard from Hokobaru about Ayano’s girlfriend, Asagumo

Chihaya.

He had his thoughts about it—but there was no need to pry further.

Yes, sometimes being insensitive──is necessary.

Bookwalker SSS - Wholesome and Healthy

Study Session

One day after school, I was in the main building of Tsuwabuki High School.
Avoiding prying eyes, I quietly opened the door labeled "Student Guidance
Room" and slipped inside quickly.

When I turned on the lights, the room revealed itself to be a bare space with
just a table and two chairs.

I placed my bag on the table and stood there absentmindedly until the door
opened again and a girl silently entered.

Locking the door behind her was none other than Tsuwabuki High's Student
Council Vice President, Tiara Basori .

"Right on time."

"Nukumizu-san, you're completely visible from the window."

Tiara-san quickly walked over to the window and pulled the curtains shut.

"Did anyone see you coming into the room?"

"I think I'm good…"

Finally looking relieved, Tiara-san placed her bag on the desk.

Well, I suppose she wouldn’t want anyone to know she’s secretly meeting
with a gloomy guy like me.

I sat down in my chair with a wry smile.

Of course, calling it a “secret meeting” doesn’t mean anything shady is

going on.

This was one of those occasional secret study sessions that Tiara-san
impulsively requests.

Today, she wanted help with classical Japanese literature—but honestly, I’m
not that confident in teaching it myself…
"Sorry to trouble you. I haven’t made much progress studying for the test
this time,"

she said awkwardly, taking the seat across from me.

"You’ve got student council work, so it can’t be helped."

"Oh? But Nukumizu-san, you have your Literature Club too, don’t you? Or
are you slacking off?"

"Well—"

Just as I started to reply, I noticed the amused look on her face and
shrugged my shoulders.

"I’m just so busy these days. I’m counting on you today."

"Of course. I’ll help you with anything you don’t understand."

Tiara-san giggled as she said that.

The truth is, she’s not exactly a stellar student.

My grades have been steadily dropping lately too, but Tiara-san is always
right on the edge of failing.

Still, compared to Yakishio, who fails every subject, she’s practically an

honors student.

And so, our secret study session began quietly.

We opened our notebooks and textbooks, reviewing the test material from
the beginning.

For a while, the only sounds were the turning of pages and the scratch of
mechanical pencils on paper.

At the Literature Club room, someone’s always making noise eating snacks,
so this peaceful setting was a nice change.
About fifteen minutes had passed.

“…We studied The Pillow Book in middle school too, didn’t we?”

Tiara-san murmured this without taking her eyes off her notebook.

Now that she mentioned it—yeah, I think we did.

As I rummaged through my vague memories, she continued, her voice

tinged with nostalgia.

“Back then, I didn’t think classical Japanese was this difficult.”

“Well, middle school lessons are more about getting familiar with classics.
We’d get excited quoting the most memorable lines with our friends and
stuff.”

At my words, Tiara-san looked up in surprise.

“Oh? So Nukumizu-san had a lively middle school life too?”

“No, that was just other people. I didn’t have any friends.”

“…Sorry. Please forget I said anything.”

Tiara-san, that was where you were supposed to laugh.

Instead, the atmosphere stayed weirdly serious as our study session

continued.

While silently checking over my notes, I glanced over at Tiara-san.

She was softly mouthing words to herself, probably memorizing

conjugation charts.

…Now that I think about it, all we’re doing is studying together.

After school, in a closed room, just the two of us—a guy and a girl—
prepping for a test…
Wait a second.

Am I… living my youth right now? Is this, like, aesthetic ?

…No, hold on.

Last summer, Yanami said something similar during that trip to the
Underground Resource Museum, and back then youth sprinted right past
me without even slowing down.

Yeah—false alarm. Definitely a misunderstanding.

—Tiara-san was wearing her usual tightly tied-up hair.

Her slightly bold eyebrows were furrowed in concentration as she tapped

her reference book with the tip of her mechanical pencil.

With all the other pretty girls in the student council, people tended to
overlook her, but come to think of it, Tiara-san actually had a surprisingly
small face. With her hair pulled up like that, her slender, pale neck really
stood out.

Even that mole on her neck was kind of… um, yeah. That .

If she were just a bit more approachable, I feel like she’d actually be pretty
popular.

While I was vaguely mulling all that over, I suddenly noticed Tiara-san
looking at me curiously.

“Nukumizu-san, is something wrong?”

“Eh? Oh, no, you just looked like you were making a really serious face, so
I wondered what was up…”

I brushed it off with a half-baked excuse, and she sighed, pressing a finger
to her brow.
“Ugh… It’s just that no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to memorize the
classical conjugation chart.”

“Oh yeah, I struggled with that too.”

“I forget everything right after I memorize it. Just when I finally manage to
remember the last part, the beginning gets all fuzzy again. Do you have any
tips or tricks?”

Tiara-san turned her reference book toward me.

“Um, the standard method would be… associating it with other things
you’ve already memorized.”

“Associating?”

She blinked in confusion, eyes wide.

“Yeah, like singing the alphabet song to memorize the letters. Or using
mnemonic devices. What I’ve been doing lately is—”

I reached into my pencil case and pulled out a ballpoint pen.

"Write it on your hand," I said.

“Huh? Are you talking about cheating?”

No, I am not.

“I mean, you want to memorize the conjugation chart, right? So like —

assign different conjugation types to your fingers. Index finger is lower one-
step conjugation, middle finger is for irregular Sa-row verbs, and so on. (TL
Note: we have no knowledge of classical Japanese so please forgive us if
this translation does not make much sense) Then write that on your hand
with a pen. If you remember the associations, just looking at your fingers
during the test can help trigger your memory.”

“I see… Using your body as a memory aid, huh.”

Tiara-san nodded deeply, then immediately began writing on her hand with
the ballpoint pen.

…Oh, she’s doing it here and now? Not at home?

Well, I did recommend it. Would be weird to tell her not to now…

As I awkwardly looked back down at my notes, she suddenly let out a soft
chuckle.

“This is kind of fun.”

“Writing on your own hand feels a little childish, right? I guess it can be
kind of amusing.”

She kept giggling to herself as she scribbled on her hand.

…Well, if she’s enjoying it, then whatever. She even started humming a
little tune.

While listening to her humming, I kept reviewing the class notes. About 30
more minutes passed.

By the time I finally made it through the last part of the test material, I
stretched my arms with a big sigh.

Tiara-san had gone completely quiet. She was frozen in place, still holding
the pen.

“Um, is something wrong, Basori-san?”

“Uhh… I ran out of space to write. What should I do?”

She looked genuinely troubled as she held up her left hand— completely
covered in tightly written conjugation notes.

Seen up close, it looked kinda grotesque.

"Uh, maybe write on your right hand instead?"

"I thought about that, but… I’m right-handed."

Ah, fair point.

As I nodded in understanding, Tiara-san held out the ballpoint pen toward

me.

"Which is why… could you write it for me, Nukumizu-san?"

Huh? Me , write on her hand? Seriously?

"Wait, wait—why not just erase what’s on your left hand and keep going
from there?"

"You said earlier that the point is to link the visual memory to the
information, right? If I overwrite it with different content, won’t it mix up
the associations?"

Sometimes Tiara-san says really reasonable things.

"But that means I’d have to… touch your hand, you know?"

I thought I was gently declining, but instead, that just lit a fire in her.

She turned red and blurted out:

"D-Don’t get the wrong idea! It’s not like I want to hold hands or anything,
okay?!"

"Ah—yeah, no, I get it. It’s purely for studying, right?"

"Exactly! So—"

She thrust her right hand toward me across the desk with conviction.

"For the sake of academics, I will not hesitate to sully this body!"

"That's a pretty bold thing to say."

Also, that line would totally be a flag in an erotic manga, so maybe don’t
say stuff like that.

"Well, I mean… if you’re okay with it, then sure."

As I reached over the desk, Tiara-san frowned slightly.

"If you’re sitting across from me, the writing will be upside down. Can you
come sit beside me?"

"Uh, alright."

"Yes, right here, please."

I moved my chair over next to hers and gently took her hand.

Her palm didn’t have the sultry charm of someone like Shikiya-san, but it
was small and delicate—very feminine.

…She’s a girl too, after all.

As rude as that thought was, I cautiously brought the pen to her palm —

"Mm!"

The moment the pen tip touched her skin, a soft, sultry noise escaped Tiara-
san’s lips.

"If it’s too ticklish—"

"I-I’m fine. Please, go on."

She averted her eyes, biting her lip.

I nodded silently and began to slowly trace ink into her palm.

What started with the kami nidan katsuyō conjugation had now progressed
to the na-gyō henkaku katsuyō .
As I began writing the character "ぬ" (nu) on her pinky, her shoulder
twitched.

"N-Nu... Nukumizu-san, p-please don’t rub it around so much…"

"It’s the character for nu , so it’s got a lot of curves. Just bear with it a
little."

"Y-Yes. The second form in the na-gyō irregular conjugation is…"

" Nuru , right?"

"Nnngh…!"

Nu, nuru, nure, ne…

More na-gyō conjugations were appearing one by one on her pinky.

Sweat had started to bead faintly on the nape of Tiara-san’s trembling neck.

…Crap. I think I’m starting to feel weird, too.

This is strictly for studying. Not some kind of special kink session.

No, really—seriously.

Telling myself that, I finally finished writing the last character. Tiara-san let
out a breathy sigh.

"J-Just… let me rest a moment…!"

"Actually, instead of resting, let’s keep the momentum going and move on
to ra-gyō henkaku katsuyō ."

" Ra-gyō conjugation…?"

Tiara-san glanced at the textbook, her eyes slightly misty.

Ra, ri, ri, ru, re, re...

Compared to the na-gyō irregular conjugation, these characters had fewer
curves.

With her cheeks still flushed, Tiara-san gave a small nod.

Next was her ring finger.

As I slowly traced the pen tip along it, her shoulder gave a faint tremble.

She still hadn’t realized—

The series of re that awaited at the end of the na-gyō henkaku katsuyō .

Looking back, perhaps the signs were there from that time.

──One month after this, I would be confessed to by Basori Tiara.

Lemonbooks SSS - The Blue and White of

Wanting What You Don't Have

The afternoon session of the sports festival began, and the cheers from the
ground could be heard all the way to the support department.

Shiratama Riko, a first-year Class A student, was still in her cheerleading

battle costume, repeatedly taking selfies with her smartphone.

She must have taken several shots before getting one she was satisfied with.

Humming, she sent the photo to someone and then began to take off her
costume.

"Hey, I'm opening up!”

At that moment, the door to the clubroom opened along with a carefree
voice.

"Hello, Yanami-senpai."

The one who boldly entered the club room was Yanami Anna.

She was wearing a cheerleader costume from the cheerleading battle.

"Shiratama-chan, you're changing here?"

"I'm kind of an outcast with the girls in my class, so it's more comfortable
for me here."

"Oh, okay..."

Hearing Shiratama say something even sadder, Yanami trailed off.

Shiratama tilted her head quizzically at Yanami.

"Senpai, what are you doing here? Are you changing too?"

"I just took Komari-chan to the nurse's office, and this way is closer."

"Did something happen to Komari-senpai?"

Yanami shook her head with a serious expression at Shiratama's worried

look.

"It's not that something happened, it's that nothing happened – a legend."

For a moment, Shiratama was about to ask what she meant, but then she
reconsidered and nodded.

"I see. So that's how it is."

"Yep, yep, that's how it is."

Yanami looked satisfied and took off her top.

Shiratama also resumed changing, and the quiet club room was filled with
the soft sounds of rustling fabric and zippers closing bags.

After a while of silence, a loud cheer erupted in the distance, and the sound
of the starting pistol for a race could be heard.

Yanami glanced at the clock on the wall, and her gaze lingered on
Shiratama, who was in the middle of changing "...So skinny."

Shiratama, holding a body wipe, reacted to the voice.

The thought escaped her unintentionally.

Shiratama, holding a body wipe, reacted to the voice.

"Is something wrong?"

"Ah, no... I was just wondering what kind of meals you usually eat,
Shiratama-chan."

At Yanami's probing words, Shiratama struck a cute pose, pretending to

think hard.

"I like vegetables, so I make sure to eat a lot of salad!"

"Just vegetables? What about meat or fish?"

"Salad alone fills me up. Maybe I'm not a tanuki, but a rabbit... hop, hop...?"

"Salad... fills you up?"

Yanami muttered, freezing.

Realizing her Shiratama-appeal had been ignored, she continued changing

with a composed expression.

"Also – the chicken omelet in your bento looks elaborate. It's quite tasty,"
Yanami said, nodding to herself, and then, still in her underwear top, started
rummaging through her bag.
Watching this scene, words unconsciously slipped out of Shiratama's
mouth.

"...That's... that's Onii-chan..."

Shaking the retrieved spoon, Yanami looked puzzled.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing. By the way, Yanami-senpai, what kind of meals do you

usually eat?"

"Let's see, I try to eat a balanced diet."

As she said this, Yanami hesitated, unsure whether to put down her
chopsticks or spoon.

"I see, you think about nutritional balance."

"More importantly, with the lunchbox Komari-chan made, sometimes I

crave salty things, and sometimes I crave sweet things, it's like an infinite
loop."

"Ah, yes."

When Yanami was talking about food, it was best not to argue. Shiratama
Riko nodded obediently.

“In other words, the Black Thunder snack that had entered an infinite loop
was the optimal solution, so with the addition of extra rice seasoning and
the forbidden extra spiciness, you could eat infinitely, right?”

What were we talking about again?

Yanami, with a puzzled expression, pulled her gym clothes over her head.

"Shiratama really has a strange sense of distance..."

Shiratama's eyes were fixed on Yanami's chest. As Yanami changed even
her spare shoes, she stared intently at Shiratama's slender waist.

The two, staring intently at each other, muttered softly.

"...I'm jealous."

Animate SSS - "Basori Tiara of the In-

Between Land"

Basori Tiara, a second-year student at Tsuwabuki High School.

She is well-behaved and known by the teachers as a serious student.

"Is this really okay...?"

It was a holiday, with the student council elections approaching.

She was gazing at her reflection in the full-length mirror in her room.

Her hair was down, tied into small, perky pigtails above her ears (a two-side
up style). The skirt of her new outfit was folded short, and she was wearing
vertically striped thigh-high socks.

No, I've come this far, I can't back down now.

Tiara, with a solemn expression, slowly raised both index fingers. She
twirled them around, and then…

...pointing both fingers, she declared, "To your heart— Chikabyon Beam!"

She struck a pose, pointing sharply at her reflection.

Perfect. Satisfied, she nodded, and just then…

Click. The door to her room opened with a sound.

"Sis, your friend is here—"

The one who opened the door was her younger brother, Basori Takashi.

Sister and brother stared at each other. An awkward atmosphere filled the
air.

"Hmm, were you busy?"

"P-President?!"

Appearing from behind her younger brother was the Tsuwabuki High
School Student Council President, Hokobaru Hibari. Takashi, finally
snapping out of his frozen state, turned his back with a complicated
expression.

"Um... well then, Hokobaru-senpai, please make yourself comfortable."

Left alone, Hokobaru ran a hand through her hair with a wry smile.

"I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I'd drop by, but were you in the
middle of something?"

"N-No, it's fine! Um... did you hear what I was doing just now?"

"Hmm? Anything strange?"

"No, it's nothing! I'll go get some tea and snacks." As Tiara tried to flee the
scene, Hokobaru offered her a bag.

"If that's the case, I brought some. I have drinks too."

"Thank you for your consideration. Please, have a seat."

As they sat facing each other, she observed Tiara's appearance with keen
interest.
"Is this what they call an image change? Quite a bold move."

"No, this is, um, the outfit of a character named Chikabyon from an anime,
and I was just..."

"Ah, so it's cosplay? I'm surprised Basori-kun had such a hobby."

"It's not my hobby!"

As Tiara vehemently denied it, Hokobaru lightly tapped her.

"I see, so you're catering to someone else's hobby. It all makes sense now."

"Please don't assume that! There's no such person!"

Hokobaru looked at the denying Tiara with a puzzled expression.

"But you and Shikiya-kun, you have that so-called 'physical relationship,'
right?"

"That's not it at all?! I respect Shikiya-senpai, but we absolutely do not have

that kind of relationship!"

It wasn't Tiara's own hobby. And she wasn't trying to match Shikiya's tastes
either—.

"Then—is there someone else you have feelings for?"

Hokobaru asked, looking curious.

"Eh, that's, umm........................ Oh, Ichigo Daifuku! I love these!" Tiara

blatantly changed the subject and took a sweet out of the bag.

"Ah, those are the daifuku from the mochi shop in Hatcho. My parents are
regulars there."

"That place is delicious, isn't it... Say, President. Is there something on my

face?"
Tiara, noticing Hokobaru's gaze, made a dubious expression.

"Ah, excuse me. I just realized your hair is surprisingly long when it's
down."

"This is a wig I had put on at the salon. Of course, it doesn't violate school
rules."

"No need to hide it. It suits you well."

Hokobaru watched with an amused smile as Tiara shyly touched her hair.

Once their pleasant chat came to a pause, Tiara cleared her throat with a
"Ahem" and turned back to Hokobaru.

"By the way, President, what brings you here so suddenly today?"

"Basori-kun seemed a bit stressed lately. Think of it as a morale-boosting

visit before the elections."

"Oh? If you're supporting me, won't Sakurai-kun feel bad?" Tiara said,
sounding slightly sulky.

Hokobaru gave a magnanimous smile. "Both Hiroto and Basori-kun are

important juniors to me. I'm cheering for both of you."

"...Thank you very much."

Her expression softened as if she knew she couldn't win, Tiara looked at
her, and this time Hokobaru threw a question her way.

"Basori-kun, by the way, there's something I'd like you to tell me."

"Yes, what is it?"

Gulp. Tiara straightened her posture formally. Hokobaru opened her mouth
with a serious expression, looking at her.

"That 'Chikabyon Beam' from earlier—what exactly is that?"

"I knew you heard it!"

Hokobaru continued speaking, ignoring Tiara's blushing protest.

"Shooting it 'towards your heart' implies that the beam probably has some
kind of aphrodisiac effect. In other words, Basori-kun, you