Somehow, the truth had finally surfaced: Hanako-san and I had been slapped with the utterly nonsensical label of "Lovers Enjoying a Sibling Setting."
That in itself was a shock, but the fact that people thought I was the type of person who would indulge in such a... niche fetish was what really stung. Or rather, that they had collectively agreed it made sense was the true blow to my pride.
I had to wonder what kind of eyes my classmates had been looking at us with all this time.
"Don't get the wrong idea. Or rather, don't say such selfish things when you don't know anything," Hanako snapped.
"Ugh..."
"Sorry... I guess we interpreted things a bit too conveniently."
Hanako didn't hide her indignation, questioning the two girls with a sharp, unforgiving tone.
The admission that they had "interpreted things conveniently" meant they had deliberately chosen to read the situation in the most scandalous way possible for their own entertainment. To be honest, I wanted nothing to do with people like that.
"Hey, did you spread that to the whole class?" I asked.
"Not everyone... I mean, just to our group of friends... I think."
The girl at least seemed to feel some guilt, looking quite apologetic. Judging by her behavior, she wasn't lying, but I had a sinking feeling about just how large that "group" actually was.
It was a classic scenario: I could already see the punchline. It had undoubtedly spread like wildfire until it reached every corner of the room.
"So... Hanasaki-san and Takanashi-kun, you're really not a couple?"
"We are not."
"But you said he was important to you!"
"Is it so strange to have someone important who isn't a lover?"
"Eh? I-I mean, no, but..."
Hanako was usually poor at explaining herself, but today she was hitting every point with precision. Her blunt voice and mechanical responses actually worked in our favor, cutting through the nonsense and moving the conversation forward at a brisk pace.
As the various misunderstandings were dismantled one by one, even the classmates who weren't directly involved began to wear expressions of utter shock.
This confirmed it: the entire class had been completely wrong about the relationship between Hanako and me.
Well, I suppose if you didn't know the full story, it couldn't be helped.
"Th-Then, Hanasaki and Takanashi aren't together!?"
Just as the last of the confusion cleared, Yamakawa burst into the conversation with a level of intensity that set him apart from everyone else.
Right, I realized. This guy had been operating under the same delusion.
Yamakawa, who had fallen for Hanako at first sight, had been quite aggressive about trying to talk to her in the beginning. Eventually, Hanako had brushed him off so often that he seemed to have disappeared from her orbit.
I had assumed he’d simply given up after getting nowhere, but looking at him now, it seemed I was wrong. Like the others, he had misinterpreted our relationship and tried to force himself to give up.
"You're persistent. I said no," Hanako stated flatly.
"Ohhh, yes!"
It was a crushing denial, yet Yamakawa let out a roar of triumph at receiving the answer he’d been praying for. Normally, I would have been happy for him, but knowing Hanako's actual feelings, I couldn't help but feel a bit of pity.
"In the first place, if you want Kazunari-san's Lover, she's right there."
Finally, Hanako steered the conversation back from its detour.
As if to prove she wasn't the one, she slowly shifted her gaze to guide everyone's attention.
One by one, every eye in the room followed her lead, gathering at the point Hanako indicated.
Of course, there was only one person standing there.
The Goddess who had been watching the scene unfold with a look of mounting displeasure: Sara-san.
The boys stared at Sara-san in a daze. Gradually, they began to shake their heads as if trying to physically reject a reality they couldn't accept. Their gazes turned pleading, as if they were begging the Goddess for salvation—or a denial.
"H-Hey... it's not true... right?"
"N-No way... that's impossible... tell me it's not true..."
"B-But, then what about that thing we saw earlier...?"
"Could it... really be...?"
Their voices were thick with a desperate hope that they were wrong.
Just like Yamakawa a moment ago, they were begging for a "No." They were practically praying for her to tell them it was all a joke.
But that was exactly why I realized this was the perfect opportunity.
Even now, they were refusing to believe. If I had tried to tell them alone, they likely would have laughed me off. But Sara-san was right here.
There was no reason to stay silent anymore.
If I made the declaration and Sara-san confirmed it, they would have no choice but to accept the truth.
If I did this now, I could prune away any lingering competition before the Miss Contest officially began. It was exactly what I wanted.
It was a sudden opening, but it was my chance.
"Everyone, listen—"
"Yes. If you are looking for Kazunari-san's Lover, it is me."
" " " ………………………………………………………………… Eh? " " "
"To be precise, rather than lovers, we are currently engaged. He is my fiancé."
Wait.
Um, my resolve... my big moment... why did it feel like this had happened before?
Sara-san spoke as if it were the most mundane fact in the world, leaving absolutely no room for doubt. She had made the declaration with a casual, cutting finality.
And then…
Every gaze that had been fixed on Sara-san whipped toward me.
They looked at me as if they were witnessing the impossible, their eyes screaming, "Is she serious?"
Even though Sara-san had just stated it clearly—with a look that said, "Why are you surprised by something so obvious?"—the classmates still seemed unable to process the words.
They stood there blankly, staring at me as if they were waiting for a punchline that wasn't coming.
But that gave me my opening to finish it.
"T-Takanashi... what... what's going on...?"
"E-Engaged? ...Engaged... Fiancé??"
"Does that mean... you and...?"
"Wh-Wh-Takanashi-kun... you and Satsukawa-senpai..."
"Yeah. Sara and I are engaged."
"Indeed. Kazunari-san is my future Husband."
I finally said it!
And we had said it together!
With both of us confirming it, they had nowhere left to run.
" " " ………………………………………………………………… " " "
Lately, I’d had a lot of experience with people being shocked by me.
The cause, invariably, was my relationship with Sara-san. From the commotion during the last break to the reactions of my best friends and the Student Council officers, everyone had been floored when they found out.
What I mean to say is…
The reaction of the classmates standing before me right now far exceeded anything I had ever seen.
Their eyes and mouths were open to their absolute physical limits, yet not a single sound escaped them. I’d heard that true, deep shock could steal a person's voice, and I was witnessing it firsthand.
However, that silence was only the calm before the storm.
" " " EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" " " "
" " " NO WAYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" " "
The class split into a beautiful, polarized scream between the genders.
The sound, which surpassed anything I could have imagined, sounded like a collective Soul's Cry—primarily from the men.
The previous commotion was nothing compared to this. The volume was so intense that I actually felt a physical surge of panic.
"It's a lie... it's a lie... it's a lie... IT'S A LIEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!"
"Satsukawa-senpai... Satsukawa-senpai is... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
"Takanashi is... getting married... to Satsukawa-senpai!? ...AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
"AAAAAAAAA, GOD IS DEADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
The reactions were incredibly diverse: some shook their heads in denial, some drifted away like sleepwalkers, some collapsed into wailing heaps, and some simply stood with their eyes out of focus.
"No way, no way, no way... are you serious!? For real!?"
"Ehhhh!? This can't be happening... is this a dream!!??"
"Kyaaaaaaaaa, this is insane! Insane! INSANE!!!!!!"
The girls, unlike the boys, weren't trying to deny reality. They were simply vibrating with excitement, looking at each other and shouting "Insane!" over and over.
Unrelated, but I wondered why girls always defaulted to that word when they got hyped.
"S-S-Satsukawa-senpai, is it true!?!?"
"It's a joke, right!? Getting married to Takanashi has to be a joke!?!?"
"Please tell us you're kidding!!! Please!!!!!"
Despite how clearly she had spoken, they still wouldn't—or couldn't—believe it.
With faces full of desperate agony, the boys crowded around Sara-san, begging for a retraction.
Sara-san looked down at them with a Frigid Gaze.
"I am neither bored nor eccentric enough to tell jokes to strangers I have not the slightest interest in. Furthermore, you are being a nuisance, so get away from me."
"Not the slightest!?"
"No interest!?"
"A nuisance!?"
"Wife, you're letting too much of your true feelings out."
"My apologies. They were in the way, so it just came out."
" " " " " IN THE WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????? " " " " "
Her voice was as cold as a blizzard, carrying a flat indifference that bordered on disgust.
It had been a long time since I’d seen Sara-san be this harsh. To be honest, I kind of enjoyed it, but…
She had seemed to mellow out recently, but it was clear that her attitude toward other men hadn't changed in the slightest.
"Takanashiiiiii!!! Is it trueeeeeeeee!!!"
"You're lying, right!? It's a prank!?"
"Tell us the truth right now!!!!!!"
The mob that still couldn't accept reality surged toward me next. They grabbed at my clothes, their faces twisted with a desperate need for me to deny the truth they already knew.
They were getting on my nerves. I guess I had to be even more blunt.
"Enough! I proposed to Sara-san because I love her!! And she accepted!! It’s not a lie, and it’s not a joke—it’s a fact!!"
I didn't want to sound like Sara-san, but they really were a nuisance!
Declaring it so openly was embarrassing, but I didn't have the luxury of being shy! I hurled the words at the stubborn boys as a final ultimatum, putting all my strength and my true feelings into the shout.
If they didn't get it after this, they were beyond help and I wasn't going to waste any more energy on them.
" " " ………………… " " "
Whether they were stunned by my intensity or if my words had finally penetrated their skulls, the guys who had been crowding me suddenly froze.
My shout, which had been loud enough to quiet the entire room, had drawn the attention of everyone—even those who hadn't been part of the chaos. All the focus that had been on Sara-san was now firmly on me.
But Sara-san was looking at me too.
Her cheeks were flushed a deep crimson, and she was gazing at me with a dazed, feverish intensity.
I couldn't look away from her. When our eyes met…
A joyful smile broke across Sara-san's face, and she slowly, happily leaned her weight into my chest.
"I am so happy... That was the first time you have ever told me you loved me so directly, Kazunari-san..."
"...Eh? Wait. Really?"
There was no way... but as I searched my memory... now that she mentioned it, I realized I didn't actually have a clear memory of saying those exact words to her face.
"Yes! You are quite a shy person, Kazunari-san, so you rarely express yourself so plainly."
It was true that there were many things I wanted to say but couldn't because of the embarrassment.
Even so, this was different. Sara-san had been telling me she loved me all this time, and I realized I hadn't been giving her the proper response she deserved.
I felt like a terrible fiancé.
"I-I'm sorry... but, I... um... d-d-do... love you... Sara-san."
I felt disappointed in myself the moment the words left my mouth.
I had been able to say it so clearly to the guys just a second ago, but the moment I became conscious of saying it to her, I fumbled. I said it, but I didn't feel like it was a very good performance.
Why was I like this? I wished I could at least say it naturally.
"Fufu... You are so cute, Kazunari-san. It is quite alright. I have received your feelings perfectly."
Despite my clumsy delivery, the ever-kind Sara-san was genuinely delighted. Her happiness only made me feel more pathetic, but I made a silent vow to work hard until I could say it properly.
"Of course, I love you too... Darling♪"
"I love you too... Sara."
"Fufu... well done. You shall have a reward later."
I felt like my response that time was one of my best yet.
Sara-san seemed to agree, since she even promised me a reward.
I still struggled a bit when responding to her "Calling him Darling," but I felt like I was finally getting the hang of it.
Of course, that meant my punishments were disappearing, which felt like a bit of a waste in its own way…
No, wait, if I really wanted to, I could always just take the initiative and act spoiled myself.
"Stupid couple, read the room."
" " ! " "
Hanako's sharp, exasperated voice cut through the air. We suddenly realized we had drifted into a world of our own right in the middle of the classroom.
Pulled back to reality, I looked around…
The scene was the polar opposite of the chaos from minutes ago.
" " " …………………………………… " " "
"...Haha... it's a dream... it's a dream... yes, this is just a dream... dream... dream..."
"...My Goddess... my Goddess is..."
"...Darling... Darling... tell me it's a lieaaaaa"
"...I see... so that's how it is..."
"...I can't... I can't take it anymore..."
The crowd that had been surrounding us was retreating, one by one, with hollow expressions.
Looking like they were beyond any hope of recovery, they hung their heads and slunk back to their seats. Some even grabbed their bags and walked right out of the room.
Despair was practically written in capital letters across their retreating backs. None of the remaining classmates even tried to call out to the departing boys.
Before I knew it, the group of men who had been swarming us had almost entirely vanished. Only about a third of the boys were left in the room.
"T-Takanashi-kun... that was intense... in a lot of ways."
"...What just happened?"
"The atmosphere changed so fast..."
"As expected of fiancés... to think Satsukawa-senpai could look like that... it's unbelievable..."
"Oh, by the way, while Takanashi-kun and Satsukawa-senpai were flirting, the boys' eyes were completely dead (lol)."
The warm, teasing looks from the girls actually hurt quite a bit.
It seemed that in this conflict—the unofficial prelude to the Miss Contest—I had managed to secure a victory.
However, the win didn't come from some cool display of resolve; it was just the result of us acting like a couple in public as usual. It was a very lackluster punchline to the whole ordeal.