"Let's head out then. We've spent quite a bit of time here, so we're running later than usual."
"I don't have any Student Council duties this morning, so even starting now, we're still well within time."
"I'm fine even if we cut it close. If you're both okay with it, let's just take it easy."
There was no need to rush, so a leisurely pace was fine. I wanted to talk, but more than anything, I wanted to savor this happy moment until the last possible second.
"Um, we were talking about Natsumi-senpai, right?"
"What was it again?"
"Wasn't it about the President?"
Ah, right. I suppose Sara-senpai really had been listening closely after all.
"Right, Daichi. Not that there's much to tell, really. He and I are just childhood friends. Nothing more, nothing less."
"I see. So he's like a friend to you too, Sara-senpai?"
"My interactions with the President are strictly related to the Student Council. The only male I consider a friend is Takanashi-san."
Whoa, hearing her be so direct was embarrassing...
Natsumi-senpai was shooting a meaningful look my way, though. Still, Senpai had completely bounced back. She looked genuinely happy every time I called her Sara-senpai.
"Sara treats everyone in the Student Council with cold professionalism, Daichi included. So you've got nothing to worry about, Takanashi-kun."
"H-huh? I see."
Did she mean I shouldn't worry about Senpai making enemies in the Student Council? I wasn't particularly worried about that, but if everything was fine, then that was all that mattered.
"Still, I never thought the day would come when Sara would make a male friend. When she first came to me for advice and I heard it was a guy, I couldn't believe it."
"I've always avoided men as a rule. And to be honest, I still have no intention of interacting with any man besides Takanashi-san."
I felt like Sara-senpai was being more and more blunt about her feelings toward me lately. It often left me at a loss for words, but of course, I was happy.
"Um... I'm glad to hear you say that, Sara-senpai."
"Fufu... Let's continue to get along well from now on."
"Hey now, I didn't think I'd be the one left behind!"
Natsumi-senpai's quip rang out. That whole exchange was pretty embarrassing for me too.
"Um, Natsumi-senpai, had you known about me for a while?"
"Yeah. Though I only heard the broad strokes. Just that you'd been helping her out for a bit."
I see. Well, if the details of my life came up, they'd mostly be unpleasant stories anyway, so this was probably for the best.
"So, I hope we can get to know each other and become friends, too. I've taken a liking to you, Takanashi-kun."
"Ah, thank you. I'm happy to hear that."
"I'm so glad that Takanashi-san and Natsumi could become friends. Now the three of us can enjoy ourselves together starting today."
Sara-senpai looked so happy... like she was truly having a great time.
After meeting Sara-senpai, I had gained a second friend. I believed Natsumi-senpai would still be my friend even if she learned the truth about me. So, I'd tell her the whole story eventually.
As we got closer to school, the number of students commuting naturally increased. Sara-senpai was already a magnet for attention, but Natsumi-senpai was drawing a massive amount of gazes as well.
...Though it felt like most of them were from girls.
But the problem was... why were the two of them walking in a way that sandwiched me in the middle? The intensity of the stares directed at me in the center was incredible... naturally, they were full of jealousy and resentment.
They probably wanted to say that someone like me was completely out of my league. I knew that without being told.
"Good morning, Natsumi-senpai!"
"Morning."
"Natsumi-senpai, you're so cool today too!"
"I'm a girl, you know..."
Natsumi-senpai definitely had an aura that made her popular with girls.
"Good morning, Satsukawa-senpai."
"...Good morning."
"Mornin', Satsukawa-san. Looking cute today too."
"..."
Wow. Total silence. She completely ignored him.
"......Hey, who's that guy?"
"......I can't believe he can walk with those two with a face like that."
Yeah, yeah, I knew people would say things like that. It's not like I'm going to let it get to me—wait, Senpai?
"Just now, I heard some very unpleasant nonsense. Was someone talking in their sleep?"
"Huh?"
What?! She actually went over to confront them?!
"The ugliness of your souls is quite evident on your faces. You are a century too early to be criticizing my precious friend."
"Wha..."
"......That guy's finished. He made an enemy of Satsukawa-senpai."
"......Making Satsukawa-san angry right in front of Yuzuki-san is just idiotic. He's going to be ostracized."
"......More importantly, she said 'friend.' I can't believe there's a guy near Satsukawa-san."
"......It's just a friend, a friend... she said they're friends, so it's okay. Just friends."
What? Does something bad happen if you make Sara-senpai and Natsumi-senpai angry?
"Sara~ that idiot is already done for, so just leave him be~"
......I felt like something was happening. The girls nearby were taking photos of those guys with their phones and whispering.
"Please do not stand before us ever again. You are an eyesore."
Leaving those words as a devastating parting shot to the two guys who had turned pale, Senpai came back. And when our eyes met... she was smiling.
"I apologize for the wait. I happened to overhear some nonsense that I simply could not ignore."
"Ah, um..."
"Come on, Takanashi-kun, let's go."
"...Understood."
I didn't have the chance to ask what that was all about.
...A loner like me had no way of knowing that, shortly after, photos labeled as the idiots who angered the Goddess and Natsumi-senpai were being circulated among a huge number of students via various RAIN Communities.