As the boys' collective shriek plunged the classroom into a bizarre atmosphere, a figure appeared, stepping inside with a carefree air that seemed entirely oblivious to the chaos.
"I knew I wouldn't be able to rest easy until I saw it for myself. I was just so worried that Sara-chan might finally get fed up with my useless son..."
As usual, the second she opened her mouth, she started dissing me.
Of course, I didn't think my Mom actually intended to disparage me from the bottom of her heart. But still, I wished she could be just a little bit more supportive. With Mayumi-san standing right there—the literal embodiment of the ideal mother: beautiful, kind, and a domestic goddess—I honestly wished my Mom would take a page out of her book.
Then again, for my Mom, reaching even half of Mayumi-san’s level would probably be impossible.
"Mother-in-law!!!"
However, my Mom’s sharp tongue was reserved only for me.
Her attitude toward Sara-san was the exact opposite, to the point where I wanted to demand to know where she had been hiding all that sweetness.
"Sara-chan, it’s been a while. You’ve become even more beautiful since the last time I saw you!"
"No... that isn't true."
Sara-san adored my Mom in return, and she looked genuinely happy to see her again. If their reunion brought her this much joy, then perhaps there was a saving grace to this Parental Observation Day—an event that usually offered me nothing but stress.
"I’m glad to see you’re doing well, at least. My idiot son hasn't been causing you too much trouble, has he?"
"Oh... Mother-in-law. Kazunari-san is..."
"Ahahaha, I know, I know. My son really is a lucky man."
That went without saying.
While interacting with Sara-san, my Mom was in a better mood than I had ever seen her in. She was also, quite naturally, completely ignoring me.
Being treated this dismissively made me think it would be better if my Mom just went to Sara-senpai's Class Observation instead of staying in mine. As long as it didn't cause Sara-san any trouble, that is...
"It looks like Sara is getting along wonderfully with Fuyumi-san, so Kazunari-kun, why don't you and I get along too?"
Mayumi-san seemed to have regained her playful composure now that Sara-san's interrogation had paused.
She flashed me her usual gentle smile—one that was incomparable to my Mom’s—and moved as if to sidle up to me. Of course, Sara-san wasn't about to allow that. Before Mayumi-san could get close, Sara-san stepped between us, effectively shielding me as she pulled me into a tight hug.
"""Oooooaoaaaaaoaoooaoooooaoaaaoaoooaaa!!!!!!"""
At that moment, a groan erupted from the boys in the class, one that eclipsed their previous "stifled" scream. It was a heavy, stifling sound, thick with pure resentment.
Where on earth were they even producing such a sound from?
"Honestly... I can't even hold a conversation in peace. It’s best if I take you away immediately."
Sara-san released me—giving me a secret, lingering squeeze the moment she let go—and marched over to Mayumi-san. She seized her mother’s right hand and began to pull her toward the door.
"Ah, wait a second, Sara-chan!? Mo-mooo, fine, I get it..."
Resigned to being dragged away, Mayumi-san followed behind her daughter obediently.
"Mother-in-law, please excuse us for a moment. I will greet you properly later."
"You don't have to be so formal, Sara-chan!"
"No, greeting you, Mother-in-law, is a matter of extreme importance to me. Well then, Kazunari-san, I will come to pick you up after school."
"I understand."
"Ah, wait a bit, Sara-chan! Fuyumi-san, I'm sorry about this!"
"No, no, let's have a nice chat later."
Once the two mothers had exchanged words, Sara-san mercilessly hauled Mayumi-san out of the room. Even in her haste, she didn't forget to give a polite bow and say, "Please excuse us," as she closed the door. Maintaining her manners even while flustered was very typical of Sara-san.
With the two of them gone, one might have expected silence to fall over the room...
"""TAKANASHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!"""
...But that was far from the case.
A perfectly synchronized roar, as if their very souls had unified, shook the walls as the boys surged forward like a tidal wave.
I knew it. There was no way it would end here. If only they could have remained frozen like statues...
But wishful thinking wouldn't save me now. They were going to demand an explanation, and there was no way around it. To make matters worse, since my Mom had arrived right on the heels of the chaos, they were likely to interrogate me about the even more confusing fact that there were two "mothers" in the room.
Wait... this is my private business. I don't actually have any obligation to explain myself, do I?
"Y-Y-You! What’s the deal between you and Satsukawa-senpai!!??"
"What the hell was that just nowwwwwwwwwww!!!!"
"Explain it!!! Explain everythingggggggggggg!!!!"
"Don't screw arounddddd!!!! You, even though you have Hanazaki-san!!!"
"Who was that other lady anyway!?"
"Why does Satsukawa-senpai call your mother 'Mother-in-law'?!?!?!"
"Hey, wait, you guys—"
While being bombarded with questions, I was crowded and pressed from all sides.
This was the absolute worst. Every single guy surrounding me was so agitated that they were oblivious to anything but their own envy. They were just incessantly shouting over one another, creating a situation that was pure misery.
"Hanazaki-san, are you okay!?"
"No matter who you're up against, don't give up!!"
"I'm on your side, Hanazaki-san!!"
"Takanashi-kun is just awful, isn't he? To do this when he has you, Hanazaki-san!!!"
"Eh!? Um, hey... wait..."
Meanwhile, a large group of girls had swarmed Hanako-san. Being her usual pace-setting self, she looked completely overwhelmed and was wandering about, unable to handle the sudden attention. I couldn't hear their conversation over the noise on my end, but it was easy to see that Hanako-san was suffering after being caught in the crossfire.
"You're... quite popular with the men, aren't you?"
And even though my Mom surely grasped the situation to some extent, she just stood there making extremely carefree observations.
The classroom was in a state of total chaos. The boys were asking questions, yet they had absolutely no intention of listening to the answers—a truly incoherent state of affairs. It simply went to show how deeply they had been shaken.
Rattle rattle rattle...
"What is all this noise?! I can hear you all the way in the hallway!!"
Suddenly, a Teacher burst into the room with a shout. The sudden shock caused the room to fall as silent as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over it. The arrival of the teacher for the next period meant that the break was already over.
Ding dong...
As if to confirm it, the chime signaling the start of the fourth period echoed through the school.
"Class is starting! Return to your seats!"
The guys surrounding me looked incredibly resentful, but they couldn't defy a teacher. They retreated to their desks, glaring at me as they went.
Their expressions clearly said, "We’re finishing this later," and it wasn't hard to imagine that the same scene would play out the moment the bell rang again.
What was even more mysterious, however, was the fact that many of the girls were also glaring at me. Not all of them—those who were usually friendly toward me seemed more perplexed than angry. I could understand the boys' reaction, but the girls' hostility was a complete mystery to me...
During class, I found it impossible to concentrate. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. I tried to subtly scan the room by stretching my neck and moving my shoulders, and it was just as I suspected.
My eyes met with multiple people who were staring my way; others would quickly look away the moment I glanced at them. I was the center of attention, and not in a good way.
I looked over at Hanako-san and saw that she looked equally uncomfortable. Since I had dragged her into this mess, I knew I would have to apologize to her later.
I expected the mob to swarm me the moment the bell rang, but the homeroom teacher arrived immediately after the period ended to start the Afternoon Homeroom.
The teacher tilted his head in confusion at the prickly tension in the air, but decided it wasn't worth his time and began reading the daily announcements.
"We will hold a social gathering after a short break. Those participating, please wait here for a while."
Finally, the message for the guardians was delivered. There was no specific mention of how long the social gathering would last, but since we weren't having lunch there, I figured it wouldn't be too long. I planned to wait in the Student Council Room as scheduled.
The moment the teacher finished the closing greetings and left the room...
The dam burst. Both the boys and girls surged toward me, completely surrounding my desk. And, by extension, Hanako-san’s.
"T-T-Takanashiiiii!! Explain yourself!!!!"
"What’s the story with Satsukawa-senpai!?"
"To get something so enviably outrageous from my Satsukawa-senpai...!!"
"What was that with her!!! And who was that lady!!!"
"It's a prank, right!? Tell me it was a prank!!!!!!"
"Takanashi-kun, don't you feel bad for Hanazaki-san!?"
"Seriously!! We were cheering for you two because you were such a good match!!!!"
"Wait, are you two-timing her!? Are you cheating!?"
"You're the absolute worst! I can't believe it!!"
The barrage of questions was so intense that not even Prince Shotoku could have deciphered them all at once. They didn't give Hanako-san or me any room to breathe, let alone respond.
What was I even supposed to say?
I was particularly baffled by the girls accusing me of cheating or two-timing. It made zero sense. Hanako-san wasn't my girlfriend, so how did they even reach that conclusion?
"Wait a minute! I can't answer if you all talk at once!!!"
I tried to find a gap in the noise to shout, but they didn't care.
"Never mind that, just talk!!!"
"W-W-What is your relationship with Satsukawa-senpai!!!"
"Aaaaah, just remembering it... I’m so jealous!!!!"
"Was that lady Satsukawa-senpai's mother!?"
"Hanazaki-san!! You should be furious at Takanashi-kun!!!"
"She's right!! To do that with another girl right in front of your lover!!!!"
""Lover!!??""
This time, it was Hanako-san and me who shouted in unison.
That mysterious word "lover" had us both stunned. What did they mean? Were they blaming me for being close to Hanako-san when I had a girlfriend like Sara-san?
If that was the case, it wasn't just a misunderstanding; it was baseless, gossipy slander. Our relationship was special, sure, but being accused of cheating without any facts was beyond the pale.
"Wait a second, I can't let that slide—"
"What is the meaning of this?"
But even more than my anger, and even more than the surrounding uproar...
A dignified, powerful voice rang out through the classroom, drowning out everything else.
She didn't even have to shout. She just spoke normally. Yet that high, clear voice created an instant vacuum of silence in the midst of the chaos.
"For now... move out of the way."
It was a voice that commanded absolute obedience.
Whether out of fear or pure awe, the crowd of people split like the parting of the sea.
Standing on the other side was Sara-san. She had a cold, severe expression on her face—one she never showed to me. As she walked through the gap in the crowd, she looked every bit the majestic, unyielding president.
The reactions around her were varied: some were crushed by her pressure, some were simply enchanted by her beauty, and others were just lost in total confusion.
"Um, Kazunari-san... could you explain the situation?"
As she turned to me, Sara-san’s expression softened. I felt a rush of relief at her usual soft, gentle tone.
"Well, they’ve been interrogating me about a lot of things... and it seems there's been a massive misunderstanding..."
"A misunderstanding... is it?"
"S-Satsukawa-senpai!!!"
While the boys were just making noise, the girls seemed to have a different agenda. The hostility that had been directed at me suddenly shifted toward Sara-san. They tried to glare at her, but the moment their eyes met hers, they were the ones who looked away, unable to withstand her aura.
"......Do you have something you wish to say?"
"Ugh..."
The girl who had spoken up flinched under Sara-san’s sharp gaze. Sara-san clearly didn't have the full picture yet, but she had identified that these people were being hostile toward me, and her presence grew even more intimidating.
Several girls actually started backing away.
"Takanashi-kun already has Hanazaki-san!!"
".........Huh?"
The girl’s desperate shout left me speechless. Even Sara-san let out a dazed sound of pure confusion. It was such a bizarre claim that I almost wanted to retort, "So what?"
"I'm afraid I don't understand the meaning of that statement."
Sara-san spoke for both of us with a flat, direct question. Hanako-san was nodding beside me, clearly feeling the same way.
However, that one shout seemed to embolden the other girls, and a volley of accusations began again.
"Takanashi-kun has a girlfriend! It's Hanazaki-san!"
"Please stay away from Takanashi-kun! It’s too cruel for Hanazaki-san!"
"Satsukawa-senpai might not know, but it's the truth!!!"
"Takanashi-kun, you're awful!!!"
"Takanashiiii!! Were you two-timing her!?"
"Satsukawa-senpai, you were being deceived, weren't you!?"
"As a man, I can't forgive this!!!"
"You guys, enough with—"
"Be quiet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"""!!!!??? """
I had reached my limit and was about to snap, but Sara-san’s voice, sharp and filled with cold fury, cut through everyone. That single word was enough to silence the room completely.
"Hanako-san, did you explain things properly to them?"
"I did. Big Sister also said it clearly. Right?"
Sara-san turned to Hanako-san with a troubled look. Hanako-san, in turn, looked at the girls she had spoken to previously for confirmation. Those girls looked at each other, bewildered, but I knew for a fact that Hanako-san had told them the truth.
"E-err... we were told, but..."
"Wasn't that just... you know, meant in the sense that you were enjoying the 'Big Sister and Younger Brother' roleplay as a couple...?"
"Nobody said anything like that. I am not his lover. Stop making things up on your own."
A heavy silence followed.
"""EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!? """
This time, the entire group of girls erupted in a scream.
Even I was floored. I thought the misunderstanding had been cleared up ages ago, but I never imagined they would twist the truth into something so bizarre.
Enjoying a "Big Sister and Younger Brother" roleplay as a couple? How on earth did they reach that conclusion?
Actually, if that's how they've been seeing us this whole time... I'm almost afraid to ask for the details.