Lunch Break
Mob Talk
"Satsukawa-senpai was seriously cute today, wasn't she?"
"Yeah, no kidding!"
"A senior told me she’s been way more approachable in her classroom lately, too. Sounds like the number of guys planning to confess to her is skyrocketing."
"Whoa, for real? So what we saw today is just her normal self now?"
"Guess so. It all adds up."
"I’m seriously gonna take my shot."
"Like hell you are! I’m going for it, too!"
"Count me in!"
"I figured as much. Wait, is every single guy here a rival!?"
"Looks that way. The problem is how to get close to her and make a move..."
"…………"
"""The cooking class!!"""
Though my body felt heavy with exhaustion, I whipped my leaden limbs into motion and somehow managed to drag myself to the flowerbed. Hanako-san called out to me several times along the way, her voice laced with worry, but I managed to muster enough false bravado to insist I was fine.
Sara-san was the first to notice me. She stood up hurriedly and rushed over, leaning against me to support my weight from the side.
"Kazunari-san, are you alright?"
"I’m fine... my body just feels a bit heavy, is all."
"Oh dear, are you okay, Takanashi-kun?"
"You look like you're really suffering, Takanashi-kun..."
Natsumi-senpai and Todo-san were also looking at me with concern. Hayato was there too, of course, but he still looked drained; his usual sparkling smile seemed a bit shadowed by fatigue.
"Kazunari still looks like he's having a rough time. I’ve still got some lingering exhaustion myself."
If Hayato, who usually acted like he had infinite energy even after PE, was this tired, then perhaps I could be forgiven for being so groggy.
When I thought about it that way, the guilt I felt for leaning on everyone's kindness eased just a little. I knew it was selfish of me, but...
"Kazunari-san, you really did your best. Since you seem so worn out, please leave the entire meal to me, okay?"
Everything.
When Sara-san said she would handle everything, it meant she intended to feed me from start to finish, "a-an" style.
After helping me sit down slowly, Sara-san immediately pulled my bento box toward her and prepared to start feeding me.
"Now, Kazunari-san, say 'a-an'..."
Chomp... chew, chew.
"How is it?"
"I'm sorry for always saying the same thing... but it's an understatement to say it’s the best."
"I’m so happy to hear that♪ Here, this one is next."
It seemed Sara-san truly intended to feed me every single bite, just as she had declared. I felt a bit guilty, but I knew that once she made up her mind, she wouldn't stop. The only thing I could do was gratefully accept her affection.
"Sigh... flirting like this day after day, don't you two ever get tired of it?"
"I don't understand the concept of 'getting tired' of it," Sara-san replied. "Is it not perfectly natural to want to stay close to the one you love at all times?"
Natsumi-senpai poked at her bento with her chopsticks, giving Sara-san a scornful look.
However, I shared Sara-san's opinion. I didn't feel the slightest bit of boredom when we were together like this, and I was certain that would never change.
"No, I get wanting to be with the person you like, but being all over each other twenty-four-seven... what about you, Takanashi-kun?"
"I'm the same as Sara-san. I want to be like this all the time."
"Hehe... please continue to depend on me as much as you like from now on, okay?"
"You stupid couple..."
Despite her grumbling, I figured Natsumi-senpai wouldn't be much different once she was alone with Yuji.
…………… ……… …
"We're very sorry, but we’ll be heading back now..."
"See ya~"
Since Sara-san had duties as the student on duty, she decided to cut her lunch break short and head back to the classroom early.
Natsumi-senpai wasn't on duty herself, but she decided to go along to help. Sara-san had tried to decline, but Natsumi-senpai had forcefully talked her into it.
...If only I were in the same class, I could have helped her too.
As a result, only the first-year group remained at the flowerbed. Since there was still a bit of time left before the end of the lunch break, we decided to relax there until the last minute.
"...Hey, Kazunari, do you have a second?"
Hayato spoke to me with a rare, solemn expression. It had been a long time since I’d seen him look like that, which meant this was likely a serious conversation.
"What is it?"
"Satsukawa-senpai caused quite a stir during PE today, right?"
"...Yeah."
"After we got back to the classroom, it was all anyone could talk about. From what I heard, I think Satsukawa-senpai’s popularity is hitting a whole new level."
That wasn't exactly news. I had been aware of Sara-san's popularity ever since I first met her. But the fact that he was confirming it now suggested there was more to it.
"Even though I just transferred here, the wife's popularity is obvious to me. To put it simply, she’s the school idol," Hanako added.
"Yeah, there are lots of boys in my class who admire her too," Todo-san agreed. "Especially lately—they say Satsukawa-senpai has become much brighter and friendlier..."
I knew Sara-san's sociability had improved from seeing her interact with the other officers in the Student Council. I didn't think that was a bad thing at all. Above all, I knew that Sara-san herself had harbored some regrets about being seen as unapproachable.
"That's just it," Hayato said. "Normally, there’s no problem with the Student Council President being easy to talk to. If anything, it's a good thing for her popularity. But in Satsukawa-senpai's case, it's not just that. It's hard to say this to you, Kazunari, but..."
...Even I could understand what Hayato was trying to say.
In fact, it was something I had been worrying about for a long time.
"It means the chances of Sara-san being approached by other guys are going to skyrocket, right?"
"...So you did realize it?"
"Yeah. I want you to keep this a secret from Sara-san, but I've been agonizing over what to do about it for a long time. I’ve been trying to figure out how to keep other guys from hitting on her."
This was a problem I had considered over and over.
Declaring our relationship in front of the entire student body, asking the Broadcasting Club to make an announcement... honestly, I had thought of many things that weren't very realistic.
But the matter between Sara-san and me was ultimately a personal one. We weren't celebrities, and I felt it would be incredibly arrogant to treat our relationship as if it were some kind of official state announcement. If we did something like that, it wouldn't be strange for people to criticize us, asking just who we thought we were.
And if that happened, the backlash wouldn't just fall on me, but on Sara-san as well.
That was why it was so hard to find an answer.
...But that was before.
Now, I had one idea. It was something I had eventually come up with after Sara-san decided to enter the Miss Contest.
"By any chance, are you planning something?"
As expected of Hanako-san. With her sharp intuition, she had already noticed the look in my eyes.
"Kazunari, if you're planning something, count me in. I'll help however I can," Hayato offered.
"Me too!" Todo-san chimed in.
I truly felt lucky to have best friends who cared so deeply about our situation. I had originally intended to handle it alone, so I honestly didn't know if there would even be a way for them to help.
But since they had offered, I decided I should at least consult with them.
"This is a bit of a tangent, but do you remember when we first talked about the Miss Contest for Sara-san?"
"Um... if I remember correctly, it was about how Satsukawa-senpai would end up entering in the Student Council category, right?" Todo-san asked.
"Right. Do you remember what I said then? About what I'd do if Sara-san didn't want to enter..."
"...I don't remember exactly what you said, but I remember you were furious, Kazunari," Hayato replied.
At the time, I had seriously thought that if they were going to force a reluctant Sara-san to participate, I wouldn't mind crushing the Miss Contest entirely.
Even after Sara-san decided to enter, I had considered sabotaging it depending on how things went.
The thought of Sara-san being turned into a spectacle for an unspecified number of men made me feel sick, and the Miss Contest itself, which would force such a thing on her, was repulsive to me.
"What do you think would happen if I crushed the Miss Contest?"
"Whaaaaat!?"
"...Does that have something to do with what we're talking about now?" Hayato asked.
"That’s the plan."
It hadn't taken a definitive shape yet, but if Sara-san entered the Miss Contest, a massive audience would undoubtedly gather. In other words, a perfect venue would be created without us having to lift a finger. I was thinking of utilizing that—both to shut down the contest and to achieve my own ends.
"But Takanashi-kun, you're the Vice President now. If you do something too extreme, what will happen to you afterward...?" Todo-san worried.
"She's right. If you just break it recklessly, your reputation will suffer," Hanako noted. "If you didn't have the position of Vice President, it might have been easier, but now..."
Hanako-san's point was valid; if I simply destroyed everything, I might be forced to resign.
If that happened, it would bring shame to Sara-san, who had recommended me, and I would fail in my primary goal of supporting her as President.
That was the biggest dilemma I was struggling with.
"It’s not exactly the perfect opportunity, but since I've told you this much, would you give me some advice?"
Basically, what I wanted to do was make it known to everyone there that Sara-san already had a man—me. I wanted to make the other guys realize there was no point in pursuing her anymore. To do that, I had to make it clear that we were completely devoted to each other. That was the top priority.
And if I could somehow keep my position as Vice President, that would be ideal.
"So, Kazunari, what exactly were you planning to do?" Hayato asked.
"I was thinking of declaring right then and there that I'm with her, so they should stay away from Sara-san."
"If you do it like that, you'll probably just get criticized," Hanako said bluntly.
"Hmm, if it were a confession, I think people might actually get into it..." Todo-san suggested.
"That might work. If the wife accepts the confession, the venue might go wild," Hanako added.
Wait.
Hearing that gave me an excellent idea.
It was true that if it were a confession, the crowd might find it entertaining. But what if it wasn't just a simple confession... and what's more, what if Sara-san accepted it?
What would happen to the venue? What would happen to the Miss Contest?
"Kazunari's thought of something," Hanako said, noticing my grin.
"I can tell this time, too. So, what did you come up with?" Hayato asked.
"Would you be mad if I said it’s a secret until the day of?"
"Ehhh! Takanashi-kun, that’s so mean!"
Todo-san raised her voice in a cute protest.
Fair enough; if I consulted them only to keep the ending a secret, I deserved to be scolded.
And so, I explained my idea to them. They were surprised, of course... but no one voiced any opposition.
I thought I’d come up with a pretty good plan, even if I did say so myself.
It was simple, really. I would just move up the timeline for the Christmas present I had originally planned to give her.
However... I expected the effect on the other men would be devastating.
And if the Miss Contest ended up in an uproar as a result... well, that would be the penalty for making Sara-san feel uncomfortable. That was how I chose to look at it.