Beep, beep... Beep, beep...
............
"...san."
............
"...san, let's wake up, okay?"
............
"Kazunari-san... won't you wake up for me?"
I wasn't ignoring her, nor was I trying to be a nuisance. To begin with, there was no way I would ever do such a thing to my beloved Sara-san.
If asked why I wasn't waking up, I would have answered that even though I knew I should, my body simply wouldn't move. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say that I couldn't wake up.
A lot had happened the previous night, and I had quite a bit of trouble falling asleep. Specifically, it was because she had bombarded me with kisses right before bed, which had left me wide awake.
Of course, Sara-san had no ill will or ulterior motives; she was simply letting her feelings for me overflow. And I was the one who had willingly indulged in her affection...
As a result, I ended up strangely alert and spent the night tossing and turning.
Yes... in short, I was still sleepy.
That said, no matter how I looked at it, it was about time to get up.
I told myself I had to pull it together and tried to muster my lagging willpower, but for some reason, I felt a slight weight pressing down on me. I knew immediately that Sara-san was up to something. I wondered if she was going to resort to forceful action because I wouldn't wake up.
For the record, Sara-san never resorted to extreme measures like ripping the covers off. She always woke me up gently, so I wasn't worried about that at all.
"Darling..."
Along with Sara-san's whisper, I felt a breath against my cheek. I knew her face was close, but was she going to continue where we left off last night?
"Wa-ke-u-p♪"
!!!!!?????
"Whaaaa!?"
She caught me completely off guard by whispering into my ear with a sweet, breathy voice. There was no way I could endure that overwhelming ticklishness and the shuddering sensation. My body lurched upward as I practically jumped out of bed.
"Fufu... Good morning, Kazunari-san."
"G-good... morning."
"Is something the matter?"
"T-that just now..."
Sara-san wore a beaming smile, looking like she had successfully pulled off a prank, and she acted perfectly nonchalant about it.
I didn't intend to get angry at all, but I thought it was an unusual move for her. It wasn't the first time, of course, so it wasn't exactly a mystery, but...
"...It's a punishment for being so mean, Kazunari-san."
"Mean?"
"You were already awake, weren't you?"
"Ugh..."
It seemed she had seen right through me. Then again, the fact that lies or evasions didn't work on her was nothing new, so it was only natural.
"Fufu... The 'punishment' part was a joke, but since you seemed unable to get up, I used a method that was extremely effective in the past. Also, when I blew into your ear during the ear cleaning the other day, you seemed very pleased..."
This way of waking me up was one of her Kazunari-exclusive Special Moves that I had been hit with a few times before. And it seemed this technique, which I hadn't seen in a while, had been upgraded with the addition of her breath.
I was weak to having my ears targeted—a recent discovery—so when she used this technique, it had a critical effect on me.
And that incident during the ear cleaning... even then, I shivered just thinking about it. It was such a shock that I thought I might actually transcend to heaven. It was an event that had rooted itself in my memory in many ways.
"No, that was..."
"You like it, don't you?"
"……I love it."
"Yes. You were honest... Good boy♪"
Chu...
Just as I thought she had leaned in, she gave me a light kiss on the cheek as a reward.
Between the happiness, embarrassment, and bashfulness so early in the morning, my face felt like it was about to boil.
Sara-san's reason for acting this way was purely because "it makes me happy," and there was no ulterior motive. That was why it was so troubling for a man... but I knew for a fact that this was a luxury problem.
"Fufu... We still have a little time, so come here."
Fluff...
Even though she had held me and pampered me all night... even being hugged like this first thing in the morning, I couldn't help but ask myself if this was really okay, even though the answer was already clear.
"Kazunari-san... don't be shy. If you like it, please just say so honestly."
But when Sara-san pulled me close and stroked my head, thoughts like those—which were just a front anyway—immediately vanished.
I knew for certain, and not just because of my own assumptions, that she truly wanted to do this. That was why I wanted to accept it honestly too.
When it was time to be pampered, I would be pampered. When it was time to work hard, I would work hard. That was good enough, wasn't it?
It might have been a naive way of thinking, but if I was aiming to balance both, that was surely the way I needed to be.
"Fufu... during our next ear cleaning, I'll blow into them lots and lots for you♪"
...I wondered if I would be able to survive the next ear cleaning.
"Morning~"
"Good morning..."
I met up with Natsumi-senpai, who was energetic as usual, and Hanako-san, who was cool as ever, at the convenience store, and we headed to school as we always did. Because of Saturday's events, I was somewhat conscious of my surroundings, but there didn't seem to be any major changes yet.
Then again, thinking something would change after only a day or two was probably a stretch. I wasn't a celebrity or anyone famous; I told myself not to be so self-conscious.
"Takanashi-kun, what's been up with you for a while now?"
"No, nothing..."
"You don't need to worry; it's still fine for now. Though I think it's only a matter of time..."
As expected of Hanako-san... her sharp intuition in guessing my state of mind was at a level where I could only take my hat off to her.
"Hm~? ...Oh, are you talking about Saturday!"
Natsumi-senpai clapped her hands together as if she had just understood. Her simple actions were a bit cute.
Setting that aside...
"Natsumi-senpai, you knew?"
"I don't know the details. I just heard something from Daichi. Or rather, seeing Sara dash out of the classroom, I knew something had to be up..."
Right, I had forgotten that Natsumi-senpai had a route through the Former President. On Saturday, a meeting had been held in the Student Council Room while ignoring the parties involved—Sara-san and me—so perhaps part of that discussion had reached Natsumi-senpai.
"Well... it seems my relationship with Hanako-san was being misunderstood..."
"Even though I said over and over that it wasn't true... honestly... children are troublesome because they don't listen to people."
Children... I knew she was referring to our classmates, but calling our peers "children"...
However, when I thought about mental age, there were parts that made sense. To be honest, I sometimes thought of my classmates as "Are you guys kids?" and for Hanako-san, whose mental age was high, she likely felt that way even more.
"Ah, by any chance, was everyone misunderstanding that Hanako-san was Takanashi-kun's girlfriend?"
"Yeah. It seems they made up all sorts of settings on their own and thought we were lovers."
Exactly... they had cooked up a mysterious setting where we were lovers enjoying a sibling situation. In a sense, we were seen as a pair with some deep karma.
What kind of thought process led to a story like that? It was truly a mystery.
"Hmm... (Well, I can kind of understand the classmates' feelings. Hanako-san clearly sees Takanashi-kun as special... and the two of them get along well.)"
"Your class should be fine now. They should understand that I am your fiancé."
"I see... so you spilled everything..."
"I wonder what'll happen from today."
To be honest, I had been thinking about that the whole way here. After such a commotion, there probably wouldn't be anyone left saying they didn't believe it. But that was separate from how school life would change from here on out.
The moment I went public with my relationship with Sara-san, I was prepared for the fact that I couldn't go back to a school life where nothing happened. But I had a faint hope that if my plan went well, things might settle down after the Miss Contest.
Side Natsumi
At some point, the sight of people gathering around Sara's desk during breaks became nothing unusual. Ever since she became lovers with Takanashi-kun, her personality had improved somewhat, making her easier to approach. Also, after the school trip, Yuri and the others had started talking to her, so maybe she just got used to it.
By the way, she was still the same toward men, but the number of idiots who misunderstood her improved attitude as a chance to approach her was actually increasing.
"Satsukawa-san, you're at it again today."
"Yes. I don't have much time, so I have to work whenever I see an opening."
For a while now, Sara had been diligently knitting a muffler during short breaks. I thought it was rare for her to do that at school, but it made sense since it was a surprise present for Takanashi-kun. Since they were living together, she couldn't make it at home.
"...I'm impressed you can knit at that speed."
"It's just practice. I've made many things before. Plus, I was thoroughly trained by my mother and grandmother."
Even while carrying on the conversation, there was no sign of Sara's hands slowing down. Whether it was sewing or this, her handicraft skills were always impressive.
I didn't know about Yukie-san, but I knew Mayumi-san was incredibly versatile. Sara had been taught all sorts of things since she was little, so it was a well-known fact that even at this age, she already had off-the-charts femininity... no, Housewife Power. Even if she married Takanashi-kun right now, she could easily handle being a full-time housewife.
That said, Sara's decision to start knitting a muffler in the classroom caused no small shock to the class. Partly because it was unexpected to see the straight-laced Sara doing something like that at school, but the biggest reason was naturally the question of who that muffler was for. Incidentally, the majority opinion was that it was for a family member or a female friend.
"Haa... Seriously, you're the epitome of femininity."
"Fufu... What is that?"
"Natsumi said it before. That Satsukawa-san is the epitome of femininity."
"Because she's perfect at Home Economics."
Because her personality had clearly changed, the number of girls who approached the now-easy-to-talk-to Sara had increased significantly.
The sight of Sara surrounded by others and chatting had become a part of daily life, and I thought that was a good thing.
"I've been doing all sorts of things since I was small because it would be useful in the future."
"So, the fact that Satsukawa-san is good at Home Economics in general is the result of that."
"That would be it."
"Heh... Whoever marries Satsukawa-san in the future will be lucky."
When Yuri cut into the conversation with a meaningful laugh, I was sure she was implying Takanashi-kun. She shouldn't have known about the engagement yet, but to hit such a close mark as "marriage"... was it her wild instinct?
The boys, who were all nodding in agreement with Yuri's sentiment and looking at Sara with envious gazes, were amusing.
"Fufu... I'm the one who's going to make my husband happy."
When Sara said that with a radiant smile, the boys in the classroom were completely captivated. That smile was more than enough to kill a man; I thought it couldn't be helped.
"...Haaaa... Truly the Goddess's Smile."
"...H-husband... Ahhhh, I want her to call me that..."
"...If she shows a smile like that, I really can't give up..."
"...I'm talking to her with the intention of playing the long game, though."
"...You too? Well, looking at her, it seems there's still plenty of time."
"...Her vibe has changed lately, so I'm hoping for at least a friend position."
"...Must be nice... I wish she'd go out with me..."
"...There's a rumor that muffler is for a lover (lol)."
"...No way, not for Satsukawa-san."
"...They say she's a man-hater, so that's impossible."
To our classmates who had known Sara until now, the current Sara must have looked like a completely different person. However, while girls might have been fine with that, I thought it was different for boys. If they saw her like that, it wasn't strange for some of them to expect they might be able to get closer to her than before.
Rattle, rattle, rattle!!
BAM!!!!
As if to shatter the peaceful atmosphere of the class, the classroom door was suddenly flung open without any warning. The loud sound of it hitting the stopper wall drew a wave of reproachful gazes from everyone.
"Haa... haa..."
Drawing the eyes of everyone around them, the boys who burst into the classroom as if competing were the class mood makers, Kayama-kun and Ikegami-kun. They turned their gazes toward us, and after confirming something for a moment, they rushed over with momentum. Feeling an unusual air from their desperate expressions, I found myself bracing myself.
Because it was so sudden, not just us but our classmates as well looked bewildered. The only one who remained calm was Sara, who was absorbed in her knitting and paying no mind to her surroundings.
"S-Satsukawa-san!!"
Hearing her name called, Sara finally turned her attention to her surroundings and stopped her hands. When she noticed the duo standing in front of her, she turned her eyes toward them with an expression colored solely by displeasure. She glared at them with a look that was cold and deeply annoyed.
Normally, a boy facing such a gaze would most likely falter, but it seemed that wouldn't be the case this time.
"I-I just heard from a junior that you have a lover in this school!!??"
"T-that thing about getting married—it's a lie, right!!?? When I confessed, you said you didn't want men near you!!??"
It seemed the time had finally come.
They must have heard the talk from Saturday somewhere and rushed over to confirm it. Well, it was the truth, so I decided to just watch and see how Sara would answer.
For my part, I had basically decided not to meddle in things regarding Takanashi-kun anymore. If I had to say, I intended to keep an eye on the cohabitation matter, though...
"...Hah??"
"...What are those guys saying?"
"...Even being friends is hard just because you're a guy..."
"...Even for a joke, that story is too out there."
"...Getting married at this age, to begin with..."
"...Who would believe a story like that?"
"...Or rather, are they just trying to get attention out of desperation?"
"...If so, that's hilarious (lol)."
"...No, that kind of story is impossible no matter how you look at it."
"...Um... I heard something like that from an acquaintance yesterday, too..."
"...Eh... surely it's a hoax?"
"...I thought so too and laughed..."
"...Does that mean a hoax is spreading?"
I thought the classmates' reactions were only natural.
In a sense, we, the classmates, were the ones who had watched Sara the longest in this school, and it couldn't be helped that the majority opinion was "that's impossible."
After all, even I, her best friend, hadn't been able to believe it at first.
"...H-hey, Natsumi. This means the thing about Takanashi-kun leaked, right? But what's this about marriage?"
Yuri, who didn't know about Saturday, also looked a bit confused by this development. I didn't answer her whispered question and decided to wait for Sara's response.