Lunch break ended, and we were on our way back to the classroom.
"Issei... was it really okay not to tell her?"
I didn't even have to ask what she meant. Hanako-san was talking about those stuck-up women.
I hadn't decided how to handle that incident yet, but now that she mentioned it, Hanako-san hadn't brought it up until now either. I suppose she had just followed my lead since I chose to ignore them.
"It’s fine for now. It’s not like they actually did anything."
"But they mocked you, Issei. I’ll never forgive them for that."
Hanako-san’s eyes grew sharp, her indignation directed at people who weren't even there.
Personally, I found the girl who had indirectly insulted Hanako-san much harder to forgive. From Hanako-san’s perspective, though, it seemed like the hangers-on who targeted me were the bigger issue.
Regardless, I knew she was angry on my behalf, and that alone made me happy.
"Should we report this to your wife...?"
"Sara-san is absolutely out of the question."
In truth, I hated keeping secrets from Sara-san, but this was a hard line. I was used to people saying things like that to me; it barely registered.
But even if I could brush it off, Sara-san wouldn't.
If she found out...
"...True. If you told your wife, it would turn into a bloodbath. She’d probably be storming their classroom right now, wringing all their necks."
That wasn't even a joke. Hanako-san wasn't exaggerating in the slightest; it was a very real possibility, and that was the problem.
All the more reason I couldn't let Sara-san know. I wasn't about to let some random nobodies cause unnecessary trouble for her.
"It’ll be fine. We have no connection to them, so it's unlikely we'll cross paths again. Besides..."
"Besides?"
"...Because my Big Sister got angry for me. You scared them so much they ran away, so I doubt they’ll come near us again."
"........."
It was a little embarrassing to say, but Hanako-san really had been furious for my sake. I was genuinely grateful, so the least I could do was acknowledge her role.
"...Say it again."
"Hm?"
"Say it again... Call me that?"
Ugh... when she looked at me with such direct, pleading eyes, the embarrassment only intensified.
It was painfully clear how much she was hoping for it. Her expression laid her heart bare. Since I truly did want to thank her properly, I decided to cast aside my hesitation and just go for it.
"Issei..."
"...I’m a bit late in saying it, but thank you for earlier. Um, it made me happy... Big Sister."
Gah! Calling her "Big Sister" so formally like this was way more embarrassing than I’d imagined! If I were home alone right now, I’d be rolling around on the floor in a fit of pure cringe!
"........."
But Hanako-san just stared blankly at my face, seemingly oblivious to the turmoil inside my head. She didn't offer any immediate reaction.
Anything would be fine—I just wanted her to say something. The silence was becoming unbearable!
"...I'm... so happy."
!?
Hanako-san?
"I'm... happy... I'm so happy, so happy! More! Say it again? Call me Big Sister again?"
A radiant, blooming smile spread across her face. It had been a long time since I’d seen her look quite like this.
As far as I could remember, it might have been the first time since that day—the moment I first truly accepted her as my Big Sister.
But that made sense.
In my mind, I often thought of her as "my Big Sister" or acted "as her younger brother." But I couldn't remember many times where I’d called her "Big Sister" directly and sincerely, without trying to hide my embarrassment.
Even though Hanako-san was always there for me, supporting me as my best friend and as my Big Sister...
"Thank you for everything, really... Big Sister."
This time, I was able to say it with a straight heart, free of any flustered nerves. Seeing her so overjoyed swept away my own lingering sense of shame.
I certainly couldn't say this in front of other people, but here and now, it was okay.
Tug, tug.
Hanako-san gave my sleeve a small downward pull. This was her usual signal for when she wanted to stroke my head.
Well... I suppose it was fine. There weren't many people around this part of the hallway yet.
I bent my knees and leaned forward, lowering my head to a height where it was easy for her to reach.
"Issei... thank you."
Squeeze.
Wait—!?
I thought she was just going to pat my head like usual, but Hanako-san cupped my face with both hands and then gently pulled me into a soft embrace, cradling my head.
"Ha-Hanako-san!?"
"I'm so happy you called me Big Sister. Because you call me that, Issei, I can give it my all. For my cute younger brother, your Big Sister can work harder and harder."
Pat, pat.
While holding my head, she slowly stroked my hair with her small hands. The sensation was different from when Sara-san did it; it felt almost ticklish.
"When your wife isn't around, I'll be the one to protect you. That's my job as your Big Sister. So, leave everything to me."
"........."
I knew she had been doing exactly that for a long time. She held back when Sara-san was around, but in moments like today—and in our daily lives—Hanako-san always followed through on her promise to support me. She shielded me. She got angry for me.
Deep down, I didn't want her to push herself too hard or do anything reckless. But if this was what she truly wanted, it felt wrong for me to try and stop her.
Pat, pat.
"There, there... You don't need to worry about a thing, Issei. This is what I want. As long as you accept it, I'm happy."
Sigh... even like this, she could see right through me. When she spoke with such a joyous voice, I had no choice but to accept it.
"I understand... but please don't do anything impossible, okay?"
"Roger. I won't do the impossible. But I might do the reckless."
"Wait—"
"I won't back down on that. But it's okay. I won't do anything that makes you worry. Because I'm your Big Sister."
It was a typical Hanako-san answer—one that made sense while simultaneously making no sense at all. Regardless, I knew arguing was futile.
Pat, pat.
"Good boy... good boy..."
In the end, her sheer happiness was so overwhelming that I couldn't find the words to say anything more.
If that was the case, I just had to make sure she never felt the need to be reckless. I figured that was one of the tasks I needed to take on.
After School, Student Council Room
Sara-san was currently writing on the whiteboard, filling out today's Patrol Schedule.
Checking if there were any problems, if any trouble had broken out, or if anyone was doing something contrary to their event application—that was our primary job in the Student Council.
Normally, we patrolled assigned areas in pairs, but unfortunately, it seemed Sara-san and I weren't allowed to go together. The reasoning was that having the President and Vice President together was "inefficient," but was it really that bad?
"Alright, the assignments for today are as follows."
Sara-san’s elegant handwriting listed the pairings on the board. Yeah, I knew. I knew exactly what everyone wanted to say, so please, stop looking at me.
"...Why are the wife and Issei paired together?"
At Hanako-san’s flat remark, everyone except for me and Sara-san nodded in unison.
Well... yeah. They were bound to call her out on that.
"Satsukawa-san, the President is supposed to stay in the Student Council Room for headquarters duty in case of emergencies..."
"I cannot agree with that. As President, I believe I should personally visit every location at least once."
"Ugh..."
Sara-san’s logic was so sound that even I found it hard to argue with. As expected, Uesaka-san was left speechless, struggling for a rebuttal.
"...Is she finally at her limit?"
"...I mean, if we let her go alone with Takanashi-kun, honestly..."
"...Yeah, there's no telling what they'll get up to."
"...It would be less of a patrol and more of a tragedy of public affection spreading across the campus."
The female officers were whispering among themselves while looking at me. The conversation was about what Sara-san was doing, so why were they staring at me?
"Therefore, I have judged that I must go out for inspections as President. In that case, it is only natural that Issei-san, who serves as the President's Assistant, would be my partner. It is the most logical arrangement."
"You don't need an assistant just for a patrol. Besides, the Vice President is a responsible officer in his own right. Pairing him with the President is a waste of manpower."
I see. That was a fair point.
If that was what she meant by "inefficient," then Hanako-san’s argument actually made sense. I’d thought she was just being stubborn to keep Sara-san in the room... I should reflect on that.
Still, I was disappointed. I’d really wanted to go around with Sara-san at least once.
"Don't worry, I'm perfectly capable of supporting Issei. The President should stay at headquarters and fulfill her duties with peace of mind."
"I am telling you that staying at headquarters is the part that is strange. Last year, the President didn't stay on standby in the Student Council Room, did he?"
"""Guh..."""
Wait, really?
That was news to me. Since I didn't know the precedent, I hadn't thought it was weird until now, but if that was the case, it was no wonder Sara-san was frustrated.
Actually, why was Sara-san being treated differently...?
Ah, wait. Was it because if Sara-san went on patrol, the boys would cause a massive riot?
"Anyway, it's not good for the wife and Issei to go off alone."
"Hanako-san, you go with Issei-san quite often yourself, don't you?"
What was happening...? This was just a conversation about patrols, yet the atmosphere had suddenly become incredibly heavy.
"...Oho, a clash between the wife and the sister-in-law."
"...It might be inappropriate, but this is actually getting interesting."
"...Satsukawa-san just completely loses it the moment Takanashi-kun is involved, doesn't she?"
"...I'm so jealous that I've actually transcended envy and entered a state of pure numbness."
"...What even is this 'wife' and 'sister-in-law' stuff...?"
"A-Alright, look, let's do this. If Satsukawa-san wants to go on patrol, I'll stay here and cover the headquarters duty. In exchange, Hanasaki-san, you go as Satsukawa-san’s backup!"
""...Hah??""
Whoa, scary!
Sara-san and Hanako-san both turned to glare—no, "look" at Uesaka-san at the same time. Their gazes were beyond cold.
"Hiiieee!?"
"Wait, that's no good! That's not the kind of look a Goddess and an Angel should be making!"
"S-Scary... just watching them makes me shiver..."
"I wonder why... those glares feel strangely nostalgic..."
"Well... it's a daily occurrence for us... ugh."
"N-No, I mean... you two... for a change of pace, we could try a different combination..."
It seemed that even for a former Student Council President, facing down Sara-san and Hanako-san at once was too much. I’d never seen Uesaka-san so flustered—or rather, terrified. He looked like he was physically shrinking. There was no trace of the dignified leader who had stood tall at the Student General Meeting.
"...Ah—... Uesaka-kun chose the wrong words."
"...Trying to cut in between those three... what a daredevil."
"...The former President is in a serious pinch."
"Um... couldn't we just not limit it to pairs? We went as a group of four the other day, didn't we?"
The person who finally threw out a lifeline was Todo-san, who had been silent until now. It was a perfectly reasonable model answer, and it immediately drew everyone's attention. She turned a little red from the sudden focus, looking quite bashful.
Todo-san was right, of course. But honestly, I’d been hoping for a "just the two of us" scenario. Sara-san likely felt the same, which was why she’d been so hung up on the "pairs" aspect.
"...True. Now that I think about it, we don't have to stick to pairs. Former President, I'll go along as well, so why don't we let the wife and Issei stay together in the group?"
"W-Well, if that's the case. Man, Hanasaki-san is something else... in a lot of ways."
Thanks to Hanako-san’s intervention, Uesaka-san finally gave his permission. Still, the fact that permission was only granted because Hanako-san was going along felt a bit off. I’d assumed the opposition was about Sara-san causing a scene, but this made it feel like there was a different reason altogether.
"...I think about this a lot, but what would happen to this Student Council if Hanasaki-san weren't here?"
"...By now, Satsukawa-san would probably be giving Takanashi-kun a lap pillow on that sofa."
"...That's not even a joke."
"""............"""
"Issei-san..."
Sara-san called my name softly, her voice tinged with a sweet, pleading note that made my heart skip a beat. I understood exactly how she felt.
But we couldn't keep disrupting Student Council business with our personal whims. As much as I shared her disappointment, it was my turn to soothe her.
"I'm just glad to get to go around with you, Sara-san."
It was a simple follow-up, but it was the truth. Even if we weren't alone, being able to patrol the school festival together would still be a great memory.
"Fufu... you're right. I apologize. I'm afraid I let my selfishness get the better of me..."
"No, I felt the same way. It wasn't just you, Sara-san."
Good, it looked like she had regained her composure. I really did understand where she was coming from, though.
"I'm happy to hear that... but in that case, I absolutely want some time for just the two of us on the actual day of the School Festival."
"Of course. If we schedule some free action time, we can make it happen."
The day of the festival would be busy with council work, the Miss Contest, and seeing our friends, but I was sure we could carve out some personal time for just the two of us.
"...I can see a future where the festival becomes a 'festival' in a very different sense."
"...At this point, isn't it inevitable?"
"...It's just a matter of time. Maybe it's better to just have one big explosion and get it over with?"
"N-Now then, since we've reached a conclusion, let's all get to work!"
"Yes. Everyone, let's do our best today."
"""Yes!"""
Well, even if we weren't alone, I was looking forward to this. Time to get to work on the patrol with Sara-san.