The next morning.
Perhaps it was the aftermath of yesterday's chaotic cooking class, or maybe just the fact that the lesson was finally over, but the atmosphere in the classroom this morning felt different than usual.
Naturally, the topic of conversation among my classmates had shifted from the cooking class to the costumes for the actual festival, but the primary source of my unease was likely the fact that the boys weren't mentioning Sara-san's name. The title "Satsukawa-senpai," which they had been chanting incessantly until yesterday, hadn't reached my ears once this morning.
To be more precise, the girls were still talking about her. They would drop the name "Satsukawa-senpai" while casting frequent, subtle glances in my direction. However, I could tell just by listening that the boys were no longer making Sara-san their main topic of conversation.
I felt like they didn't need to go to such extremes... though I really just wished they would treat her normally. Sara-san wasn't an idol; she was just a "normal senior," after all.
"I’m telling you, there’s no way we can make enough for everyone."
"Yeah, but that really saved us."
"Wait, how can we even borrow spares from a maid cafe...?"
"Hey, isn't that arcade costume a bit of a stretch?"
I wasn't intentionally eavesdropping, but the chatter about costumes carried over to me quite clearly.
I didn't know what kind of connections were involved, but apparently, all the costumes could be borrowed. The plan was to have them ready as-is without any sewing. In the first place, making that many costumes from scratch was impossible given the time and volume required. Borrowing them was a much more realistic path.
By the way, it seemed the maid outfits would be sourced from a maid cafe and some arcade’s costume rental, while the butler outfits would be borrowed from the drama club’s wardrobe. I felt like pointing out that this was almost too convenient, but apparently, the arrangements were solid. So, I supposed it couldn't be helped.
"Takanashi-kun, do you have a moment?"
The person who spoke to me was a member of the Natsumi-senpai Fan Club... no, looking closer, there was a second one standing right behind her.
These two were quite close and were basically always together, whether in the classroom or moving between classes. Well, in this class, Hanako-san and I were much the same.
"What is it?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
Hanako-san suddenly turned toward me, and our eyes happened to meet.
I wasn't thinking anything strange, yet I instinctively felt a momentary surge of panic.
"Um, Takanashi-kun?"
"Ah, sorry. Did you need something?"
"Yeah, there's something we want to confirm, and we have something to talk to you about..."
"We're in a bit of a hurry, so would the next break be okay?"
I wondered what was up; for some reason, the two of them seemed slightly more serious than usual.
And since they said it was urgent, I was naturally curious. I didn't have any particular plans, so there shouldn't be a problem.
"Er, I don't mind."
"Great. It would be bad if anyone in the classroom overheard, so do you mind moving somewhere else?"
"We won't take much of your time."
"...Understood."
Being told it was something they couldn't discuss in the classroom made me even more curious. I didn't know the specifics, but it might be something reasonably important. Still, these two were usually friendly, so I was certain it wasn't anything malicious. I felt relieved on that count.
"Hey, can I come along too?"
Once the matter was settled, Hanako-san, who had been watching our interaction, chimed in.
I wondered how that would go. Since they had spoken only to me, I didn't think it was something involving Hanako-san directly, but as my "big sister," she was clearly concerned.
"Eh? Um..."
"Am I not allowed?"
At Hanako-san's question, the two girls looked a bit troubled and cast a glance at me. Were they worried about whether I was okay with her presence?
"I'm fine with it."
"Oh, if Takanashi-kun is okay with it, then we don't have a problem either. Right?"
"Yeah. Besides, it seems like Hanasaki-san knows everything anyway..."
I knew it.
But if it was something Hanako-san already knew that couldn't be spoken of here, then the subject must be about me and Sara-san. If that was the case, then having Hanako-san come along was absolutely no problem for me. I didn't know the details yet, but with these two, I knew it wouldn't just be idle gossip.
"Then I'm going too."
"Alright. Anyway, see you next break."
"See you later!"
"Yeah."
Hearing our reply, the two of them returned to their seats with smiles on their faces.
Now then... it was likely about me and Sara-san, and moreover, it was probably something urgent that couldn't be discussed in class. I wondered what it could be.
By the way, Hanako-san spent a while watching their backs as they returned to their seats. Those two weren't really the type to worry about... oh, I see.
Come to think of it, Hanako-san still didn't know about their involvement with Natsumi-senpai's Fan Club or their cooperative stance toward us. She might be worried they were up to something.
"Hanako-san, those two are fine, you know?"
"I know. Those two are sensible, so I'm not worried about that."
"Then why...?"
"Something caught my attention yesterday. If this is about Kazunari and your wife, it might be related to that. That's why I want to hear it too."
Something caught her attention?
Certainly, a lot happened yesterday, but as far as I was concerned, while some things turned out a bit wild, I didn't think there was anything particularly catastrophic.
Ah, but if you considered that public "blunder" to be catastrophic, then I suppose that's that.
"I see, I understand. Anyway, let's go together next break."
"Yeah. Well, it'll be fine. Even if something happens, your big sister won't let anything bad happen to you."
With that, my big sister—no, Hanako-san—flashed a cute smile.
I didn't know what she was so worried about, but I didn't think there would be any problems with those two.
The first period ended, and as soon as the teacher left the room, I saw the two girls stand up from their seats.
They gave me a quick nod and slipped out of the classroom. I took that as a signal for us to follow.
"Hanako-san, let's go."
"Mhm."
I called out to Hanako-san and we followed them out. I could see them further down the hallway, so we trailed them at a distance.
Eventually, we reached the area where the cultural club rooms were located, and they entered one of them. It seemed this was the destination.
Knock knock...
I knocked just in case before slowly opening the door.
The interior was unexpectedly cluttered—more like a storage shed than a club room. What kind of room was this?
"Sorry for being so mysterious."
"Just to be safe, we didn't want anyone in class to overhear."
"Yeah, I figured that was the case."
"We're fine. More importantly, we don't have much time, so you should hurry," Hanako-san urged.
"Right, you're right."
"Before that, please listen to what we have to say."
"Go ahead."
When we nodded, the two of them relaxed their expressions—or rather, they looked somewhat apologetic. Given the precautions they’d taken and their grim expressions, I felt a bit nervous about what was coming.
"First of all, about the matter with Takanashi-kun and Hanasaki-san... we're sorry we couldn't help out better back then."
"We couldn't quite grasp the situation ourselves, so we didn't know how to act."
"Uh...?"
Hmm, this was a bit awkward. I wasn't quite sure how to respond.
By "the matter with me and Hanako-san," they probably meant the misunderstanding in class. But these two hadn't been part of the group making a fuss, and I didn't recall them doing anything they needed to apologize for.
"Um, we obviously knew that Takanashi-kun and Satsukawa-senpai were close. And we knew the fan club's consensus was that anyone who's a best friend of Natsumi-senpai is an important person to us too, right?"
"Yeah, I heard that before."
If I recalled correctly, it was some kind of fan club rule—which was why these two had been so helpful to me.
"But, you see, we didn't know that Takanashi-kun and Satsukawa-senpai had actually become lovers."
"So when the rumors came up about you and Hanasaki-san being lovers, we didn't think it was that strange either. We could tell right away that the two of you were particularly close."
I see. I certainly hadn't given these two any specific update. In the first place, Sara-san and I started dating during summer vacation, and as soon as that ended, we were buried in the Yamasaki incident. It couldn't be helped.
But that really wasn't something they needed to apologize for.
"I understand. But right now, that's not why you called Kazunari here, right?"
Hanako-san prompted them to continue in my stead. They did say "First of all," so the main subject must be something else. Considering the time, we should probably hurry.
"Ah, yeah, sorry. We just wanted to say that first."
"Anyway, now that we understand the situation, we're going to support Takanashi-kun and Satsukawa-senpai with everything we've got!"
"A-Ah, thanks."
Since these two really were being supportive, I decided to thank them honestly.
"So, about the main topic..."
"Takanashi-kun and Satsukawa-senpai... you're living together, aren't you?"
My heart nearly stopped. How did they know that?!
I thought things were a bit risky yesterday, but the topic of cohabitation shouldn't have been mentioned. So how did they catch on?!
No, that wasn't the problem. It would be fine if it was just these two, but if this had come to light because of something yesterday, then others might have noticed as well...
"I see... just as I thought."
"Hanako-san?"
Hanako-san nodded calmly, as if she had realized something. Her reaction made it seem like she had anticipated this.
"How many people noticed?"
"Wait!?" I blurted out.
Hanako-san casually resumed the conversation, essentially confirming the fact. I guess it couldn't be helped now. I had no choice but to trust these two and move forward.
"It seems only a few people noticed, but it might have spread to some extent..."
"For now, the girls in class are in a mood to support you two, but there's no guarantee the boys won't find out."
"True. If the story leaks outside the class through the girls' social circles, all bets are off," Hanako-san noted.
The girls did say they would support us yesterday, but whether this would end peacefully was another story. I was curious about how they found out, but right now, worrying about how many people knew was more pressing.
"We've already told people to keep quiet. We said that if they spread rumors, it would trouble you two, and Satsukawa-senpai would be furious."
"It's still just speculation, since Takanashi-kun and the others haven't admitted to it yet. But people think it's almost certain."
...So that was it. In other words, they must have sensed our cohabitation from something in yesterday's conversation. Since things had already reached this point, wondering exactly what gave us away was pointless.
"So, to avoid making the cohabitation a confirmed fact, please be careful about what you say in class from now on."
"Also, there's a possibility the story will spread to other classes... Honestly, we'd like to share the info within the fan club and do what we can to handle it."
"But the content of the story is so incredible that we don't know if we can trust our fellow fan club members that much..."
That was true. A story about Sara-san living with someone was exactly the kind of gossip people would jump on. There was a high risk it would be spread with exaggerations and lies.
"Anyway, we just wanted to let you know."
"Be careful!"
It was a more serious matter than I had expected, but I was genuinely grateful for the warning. I made sure to thank them properly.
"Thank you both for everything. It really helps."
"I'll thank you as well. Thank you."
When I bowed my head, Hanako-san followed suit. I didn't think Hanako-san really needed to bow, but then again, she was my "big sister." It would be boorish to point that out.
"Oh, no, it's fine!"
"That's right! Natsumi-senpai's best friend getting married—not supporting such a happy story would be a disgrace to the fan club!"
"I-I see. Anyway, thanks."
Marriage was still a long way off... but I didn't bother correcting them.
Even so, the Natsumi-senpai Fan Club was as incredible as ever. It was truly impressive that they didn't just care about Natsumi-senpai herself, but also looked out for her social circle. They were a world apart from those fake fan club guys in our class who had nothing but ulterior motives toward Sara-san.
"Now, shall we head back?"
Hearing that, I checked the clock on the wall. We were still okay, but we didn't have much time to spare.
Regardless, I would have to be more careful from now on. I supposed that as the man, I should be the one taking the lead on being cautious... but Sara-san's habit of accidentally exposing things was just part of her nature. Even that part of her was cute, in a way.
On the way back to the classroom from the warehouse(?), a slightly strange group coming from the other direction caught my eye.
One girl and three boys. That alone wouldn't have been particularly strange, but the three boys were positioned tightly around the girl's left, right, and rear. It was far too unnatural. It was as if they were attendants following a queen.
"Ugh..."
"Wow, how awful... well, I guess we can just ignore them."
The two girls from the fan club, who had also noticed them, let out visibly disgusted voices. It seemed they were acquaintances, but certainly not on friendly terms.
Well, it was our first meeting, and I had nothing to say to them, so if we just passed by—
"My, if it isn't the Vice President?"
...I thought it would be fine.
I should have known; she had been staring at me for a while now. Even though I had been careful not to meet her eyes, I guess it was impossible to just slip past.
Now, what should I do? I couldn't exactly ignore her when she addressed me by my title, and I personally had no reason to treat this person poorly yet. I'd just handle it politely.
"Er, hello."
"Yes, hello. Nfufufu, to be able to greet me without being intimidated—you seem to have more guts than I thought. Well, since you can work with that stiff person, I suppose you're a bit different from the other boys around here."
...Uh-oh.
This was trouble. I took back my previous thought—what was with this person? I didn't want to judge someone I didn't know, but she was definitely the troublesome type.
"Don't you think so?"
"Y-Yeah, since he's the kind of person who becomes Vice President, he's reasonably..."
Her attitude was condescending, and the boys around her looked more like lackeys than attendants. I almost wanted to snap at her for acting like some kind of celebrity, but it was better to just get away from someone like this quickly.
"My... quite a cute little thing. Was there a girl like this in this school?"
The way she spoke about Hanako-san felt strangely nasty. And that theatrical way of speaking... was she an old lady at heart?
"Rena-san, she's a transfer student. Among the first-years, she's called an Angel..."
"Ah, a transfer student. No wonder I haven't seen her. Well, she's a little cute, but an Angel... fufu."
"Do you need something?" I cut in. "Surely you didn't stop us just to talk about such trivial things, did you?"
I couldn't endure it any longer. I usually wouldn't speak to an acquaintance like this upon our first meeting, but I was honestly pissed off by her tone, which clearly mocked Hanako-san. She hadn't said anything direct yet, but the sarcasm dripping from every word was simply unpleasant.
Moreover, it was only for a moment, but she had definitely looked at Hanako-san with disdain. It had been a long time since I felt such an intense sense of aversion from such a short interaction.
"...Trivial, you say?"
"Hey, first-year," one of the boys barked, "have you ever looked in a mirror? Talking to Rena-san with a face like that..."
"Don't talk to Kazunari with that attitude, you sycophant trash."
"「「「!?」」」"
Hanako-san suddenly stepped in front of me and lashed out at the group of followers with a harsh tone. In that moment, I felt a sense of déjà vu. I'm sure something similar to this had happened before?
Wait, now wasn't the time for that! The atmosphere was turning ugly, and I would have preferred Hanako-san to stay behind me.
"Sycophant!?"
"W-What is this woman..."
"Wait... h-her eyes..."
"M-M-My, for someone called an Angel, she's quite... quite...... w-what... this child... w-wait...?"
I wondered what was happening. Not just the boys in her entourage, but even the unpleasant, stuck-up woman started showing a strained, panicked expression. Right, I remembered now. The boys who were with Todo-san before had ended up looking like this after seeing Hanako-san's "scary eyes."
"Whoa... Hanasaki-san is terrifying..."
"Wait... look at those eyes..."
I didn't know exactly what was going on from my angle, but the vibe was definitely dangerous. I didn't care about those guys, but my intuition screamed that I shouldn't leave Hanako-san in this state.
I had to do something fast. Ignore the lackeys and get that woman out of here.
"Seniors, it looks like the break is ending, so I think we should all head back to our classrooms, don't you?"
Actually, I wanted to say something like, "You're an eyesore, so get lost," but I didn't want to leave any unnecessary grudges. There was nothing as pointless as getting into trouble later over this. In the first place, I didn't want to give them any reason to interact with us again.
"Eh!? Y-Yeah... t-that's certainly true. Well then, we'll take our leave. Let's definitely meet again, Mr. Vice President. ......I might not want to see that Scary Angel again, though."
Muttering the last part under her breath, the stuck-up woman hurried away almost at a run.
"A-Rena-san!?"
"P-Please wait!!!"
"Let's go after her!!"
The sycophants scrambled to follow their leader.
Phew... it looked like we managed to get through that. Seriously, what was with that group—and that woman?
"Sigh... what an unpleasant woman."
"But I've never seen her that flustered before. Takanashi-kun and Hanasaki-san are amazing, aren't they?"
"Not really," I replied.
But right now, Hanako-san was more important than someone like that. I couldn't see Hanako-san's face from my position, but it was clear she hadn't been her usual self.
"Hanako-san, look at me."
I called out to check on her, and Hanako-san slowly turned toward me. But her expression was calm... she was smiling normally. It was almost anticlimactic.
"...It's okay, Kazunari."
Hanako-san said just that and tugged lightly at my sleeve. I obviously knew what she was asking for... well, fine. If it would help Hanako-san calm down.
"There, there. It's okay... it's okay."
When I obediently lowered my head, Hanako-san slowly stroked it. Doing this, she really did look like the usual Hanako-san.
Come to think of it, Sara-san also said she felt calm when she stroked my head. I wondered if my head emitted some kind of soothing aura or something?
"...What was that earlier?" one of the fan club girls asked.
"...W-Who knows? Well, it doesn't matter. After seeing this, let's not say anything boorish."
"Hanako-san."
"It's okay. Because I'm Kazunari's big sister."
And then, that usual line from Hanako-san.
But once she said that, it really would be boorish for me to pry any further. "Because I'm your big sister." That phrase was everything, and it was reflected in Hanako-san's current actions.
I suppose that was just how it was.