We were supposed to head to the next classroom, but there was something I wanted to settle first.
And that was Sara-san.
I knew I had to apologize for breaking our promise not to keep secrets from each other, but that wasn't what was on my mind right now. Sara-san had been acting strange ever since we stepped out of that classroom.
To a casual observer, she might have looked normal, but I could tell she was lost in thought—lost in a way that seemed almost... depressed.
If I were to guess the reason, it had to be what happened just now.
Offering her a little support here was my job as her boyfriend... no, it wasn't about "duty" at all. Even if it was just something small, I wanted to do whatever I could for her.
That was all there was to it.
"Sara-san."
"I am so sorry. I..."
When I spoke to her, she looked down slightly with a regretful expression, as if she already knew what I was going to say.
Of course, Sara-san had absolutely nothing to apologize for. If anything, I was the one who had lost my cool and made a scene first. But she clearly didn't see it that way.
In a situation like this, what should I do?
If our positions were reversed, what would Sara-san do for me? What would I want her to do?
I didn't even have to think about it. That was exactly why I had to be the one to take the lead.
"Sara-san, thank you."
I slowly wrapped my arms around her, being careful not to squeeze too hard. I rarely initiated physical affection like this, so to be honest, it took quite a bit of courage.
I knew for a fact that she wouldn't hate it or push me away, but taking the initiative still made my heart race with nerves.
"Kazunari... san?"
"I lost my cool because of what she said about you, but you were getting angry for my sake, weren't you? That made me happy. So, thank you."
Pat, pat...
I reached around and gently stroked her hair, just like she always did for me. I was terrified of using too much pressure and ruining her beautiful hair, so I moved as carefully and slowly as possible.
"Hehe... then I should be the one thanking you. It truly made me happy to see you get so protective of me, Kazunari-san."
Her tension seemed to melt away as she leaned into me, entrusting me with her weight. It was so endearing I almost pulled her into a tighter squeeze, but I didn't want to wrinkle her school uniform.
It seemed there were a lot of logistical hurdles to overcome when trying to hug someone in their school uniform.
Pat, pat...
"She was a strange person, wasn't she?"
"Yes. I believe she was last year's Miss Contest winner. I had no interest, so I ignored such things... Come to think of it, Natsumi used to talk about a 'stuck-up woman.' I wonder if that was her?"
"She certainly lived up to the name. Those two from the Natsumi-senpai Fan Club said she was nasty, too. I wonder if Natsumi-senpai had some history with her."
"I wonder... we might find out if we ask Natsumi. Regardless, I have no interest in her."
"That's true. After being handled like that by you, Sara-san, she'd have to be something else to try anything again."
"Kazunari-san... you're mean."
Squeeze...
With a "mean" spoken in a voice full of affection, Sara-san clung to my chest. Since our roles were usually reversed, I was always the one acting spoiled, but Sara-san was also incredibly cute when she acted this way.
Pat, pat...
"Hehe... Kazunari-san..."
Like a kitten looking for attention, she nuzzled her face against my chest. What was this? This level of cuteness was cheating. I decided she deserved even more head pats.
Pat, pat...
"He-Hey, Hanako-san. What should we do?"
"Those two have completely lost track of their surroundings. His bad habit has come out again."
"Ahaha, yeah, but... somehow, I feel relieved."
Sara-san stopped nuzzling against me and wrapped her arms around my back. We were holding each other now—a proper hug.
"As long as you understand me, Kazunari-san, I don't care at all what others think of me. My true self... belongs only to you."
"Sara-san..."
"It might be a laughing matter for me to say such a thing, considering I used to seek the approval of others. But now, as long as you understand, as long as you are by my side, that is enough. I am happy with just that..."
To be honest, although I had gotten angry earlier thinking, "How dare she say whatever she wants when she doesn't even know the real Sara-san," it wasn't like I wanted to show this side of her to others either.
This cute Sara-san, this Sara-san who was nothing but sweet to me—I wanted to be the only one who knew her. I definitely felt that kind of possessiveness. I wanted her to be my Sara-san alone.
But if I said that aloud, it would only create a contradiction.
"Hehe..."
"What is it?"
"No, I was just remembering how you were earlier, Kazunari-san. You are always wonderful, but I also love it when you are assertive and forceful like that."
That's right, in the heat of my anger earlier, I had told Sara-san to "Shut up." Looking back, I didn't recall ever saying something like that to her before. This was...
"Kazunari-san... please don't apologize, okay? I was happy about it, so that's a... no-no, understood?"
"Y-Yes."
Man, she beat me to it.
I wasn't going to go so far as to apologize, but since I had been forceful, I at least wanted to mention it. It seemed I’d been "read" again.
"Even in our daily lives, I wouldn't mind if you were more forceful with me, you know? If you said something like, 'Shut up and follow me,' I would happily follow you anywhere."
"Eh!? N-No, that's a bit much..."
"Hehe... but if that happened, I wouldn't be able to see my favorite cute Kazunari-san anymore. That would be quite a problem, so please use the right amount of moderation."
"U-Um... what exactly am I supposed to do then?"
I wasn't doing it consciously, so being told to use "the right amount of moderation" was a tall order. I wasn't calculating when I wanted to act spoiled with her, nor do I intend to act that forcefully on a regular basis.
"I am sorry. I realize I’ve said something strange myself. But putting that aside, for now..."
Sara-san pulled her face away from my chest and moved the arms she had wrapped around my back to the back of my head. Given our position...
"Kazunari-san, thank you for getting angry for my sake. Your feelings made me so happy..."
"Sara-san, I was happy too."
As we gazed at each other from point-blank range, a faint smile spilled from Sara-san's lips, and she slowly closed her eyes. She pulled my head slightly closer, and just as I was about to give myself over to the moment...
"Alright, you stupid couple, that's enough. Do you have any idea where you are?"
"!!??"
Snapped back to reality by Hanako-san's sharp retort, I realized... yeah, we were right in the middle of the hallway.
Since it was fairly late after school, there weren't many people passing by, but that didn't mean there were none.
There was Hanako-san, looking at us with cold eyes, and Todo-san, who was covering her face with both hands while clearly peeking through the gaps in her fingers.
And in the distance, a few passersby were staring at us in a daze, while others were grinning. Wait... is that Yuri-san and her group!?
"S-Sara-san, shall we move on to the next one?"
As I hurriedly let go, Sara-san slowly released her arms as well, looking a bit disappointed. We both stepped away to put some distance between us.
"Yes. Shall we head to the third-year classrooms next?"
"Let's get there and finish up already. Honestly... Marina, you're surprisingly—"
"Wha-wha-wha-wha, I don't know what you're talking about!?"
For some reason, Todo-san was in a total panic, but more importantly, there was Yuri-san and the others. Getting caught by them would probably eat up unnecessary time, so it was best to move on quickly.
"Anyway, let's head to the next classroom."
"Yes. It is unfortunate, but let's save the rest for tonight. Since I was the one acting spoiled just now, it will be your turn next, Kazunari-san."
"Eh... well, I guess so."
"Hehe... please make sure to act very spoiled with me inside the futon tonight, okay? I want to dote on my cute Kazunari-san to my heart's content..."
"The—the futon!?"
"Marina, your voice is too loud. Also, his wife probably doesn't mean anything by it, so it's fine... probably. You're overthinking it. Just what exactly are you imagining?"
"Uuuuuuuu, Hanako-san, you're mean!!!"
This was bad; at this rate, it wasn't just me—even Todo-san was going to get stuck in a rut. We had to get to the next classroom fast.
Well... I'd think about tonight when tonight came. Sara-san was a woman of her word, so I could already see how it was going to turn out.
Side: Rena Kusuhara (Stuck-up Woman)
I am fully aware that I am an extremely fortunate person.
That is a fact even from an objective perspective; I was someone chosen from the moment I was born.
The Kusuhara family was a founding family that had managed several businesses for generations. I was born the President's Daughter of that lineage.
Both my older brother and I had our positions decided from the start. My brother, the eldest son, would inherit the presidency, and I would hold an important post as a member of the family. To that end, I have been provided with an education befitting a President's Daughter since my early childhood.
Thanks to those efforts, my academic performance has always been excellent. And by the time I reached middle school, my looks—inherited from my mother—brought an endless stream of confessions. My popularity truly knew no bounds.
Well, there was no one who could truly be considered my equal. Besides, I have a status to maintain. At that point, ordinary people could be friends with me at most.
And now... after going through the Special Advancement Course (Elite Course) of this school, I will enter an appropriate university and eventually take part in company management. My future path has already been decided.
One might have the common impression that I am bound by my family. However, just because my career path is decided doesn't mean I can't act on other things myself. Therefore, I have never felt restricted.
Rather, there are plenty of benefits. Naturally, there is money, the status of being a President's Daughter, and the VIP-like treatment that comes with it. Even an ordinary person could understand how much of a blessing these things are.
Regarding blessings, those who always accompany me—ridiculed as my "entourage"—are all the sons of company executives. For them as well, a clear hierarchy exists where they gain benefits by following me.
In this way, I was supposed to lead an extremely smooth student life without a single cloud in the sky. Until that day, that is.
That day... the summer vacation of my second year in middle school. I was still a child during the global recession, but I understood my father's company was struggling. I watched with confidence, believing Father would handle it. But the end result was an acquisition—a buyout by a massive conglomerate.
The family business reached its end under my father's tenure, reborn as a subsidiary of Sawa Electronics. The saving grace was that the management structure itself was maintained. There was no replacement of the President; the arrangement was settled by accepting several permanent staff members from the parent company, Sawa Electronics, as executives to serve as auditors.
Therefore, I am still able to maintain my position as a President's Daughter. However, that is no longer an unshakeable position; it has become a status that exists only on the condition that the parent company doesn't have a change of heart. It was as if I were standing on thin ice.
In exchange for that, new advantages have increased. For example, this school... the majority of its funding comes from Sawa Electronics, and the reason my advancement here was decided was because various things would be facilitated for me.
Even if it’s a subsidiary, we are a member of the group, and since I am the President's Daughter, the treatment naturally changes. That's why those who assist me also ended up advancing to this school, and thanks to them, my status here gradually became established. At the same time, rumors began to circulate that if anyone crossed me, the school would take action. Of course, I personally do not have that kind of authority. It might be a different story if I spoke to my father, though.
Once attention starts to gather, the number of boys attracted to my looks increases, as do the girls who try to side with the powerful. I had some superficial friends, but by the time you're a high school student, you can sense those kinds of ulterior motives quite clearly. Well, that can't be helped, given the position I'm in.
And so, although there were some changes, my high school life was supposed to be generally smooth sailing. Unfortunately, not everything went as planned. Because in this school, there is an abominable existence that is the only thorn in my side.
That person's name is Sara Satsukawa.
I knew that name even before I enrolled. I still clearly remember what my father once told me.
"Rena, a girl named Satsukawa will be entering your high school as a classmate. You must get along with her."
"I don't mind, but it's the first time you've said something like that, Father. Is there a reason?"
"She is the daughter of Satsukawa, the Senior Managing Director of Sawa Electronics' headquarters. From our perspective, she is a superior existence."
"Even if he is a Senior Managing Director at the headquarters, aren't you the President, Father? I don't think you need to worry about status to that extent..."
"This is something you don't understand yet. Just be quiet and obey. Whatever you do, do not defy her."
".........Yes."
Even if they were my father's words, I could not accept them. Why must we humble ourselves so much to the daughter of a mere executive? As a President's Daughter, I simply didn't believe I was losing that much in terms of status. I should be overwhelmingly superior in terms of being well-bred. If he says not to touch her, then at the very least, I want to show her the difference in our upbringing—to show her that I am of a higher class.
With such resentment in my heart, I reached enrollment and immediately came to know of that Sara Satsukawa.
On the day of the entrance ceremony, the Freshman Representative's Address is an honor given to the student with the top entrance exam scores. Since I had always been far ahead of everyone else in my grades, I naturally thought I would be the one to do it.
However... the one chosen was not me, but that Sara Satsukawa. It was the first time I had ever lost when it came to grades. And of all people, to that woman. For me, it was the first shock, the first humiliation.
My first impression of her was that of a Japanese-style beauty. Her refined movements and calm atmosphere. Her flowing, beautiful long black hair. She didn't have the sophisticated movements I had, but she possessed a dignified and stately appearance.
She became a rumor immediately, and break times saw an unusual situation where male seniors were always wandering around the first-years' classroom wing. I certainly felt it couldn't be helped with those looks, but I also had my own pride in my popularity. So, it's true that I felt a sense of rivalry. Besides, I thought her entrance exam grades were probably just a fluke.
As time passed, the gap between us only continued to widen. I couldn't win even once in my test scores, and from what I heard, she was far ahead in confessions. Furthermore, she even secured the position of Student Council Vice President—essentially the heroine of this school—and the boys' biased view of her only became more extreme.
Before I knew it, she was being called "The Aloof Goddess," and a Fan Club even appeared. Even I don't have one yet... how utterly abominable. I cannot understand it; calling her "aloof" is just a nice way of saying she rejects those around her. It must mean she is a misfit who lacks social and communicative skills, right?
But I soon realized that title, "The Aloof Goddess," was nothing but a cloak to turn her flaws into virtues. Her lack of social skills was conveniently interpreted as "because she is a person who is strict with herself," and converted into likability.
Once you understand that, it's obvious that this title was also intentionally created. Sara Satsukawa was the one pulling the strings from the shadows, inciting her supporters and having them form a fan club just to boost her own reputation. She even used her friend Natsumi Yuzuki to lead a female fan club as a support network. What a black-hearted woman.
In the midst of that, I learned that a Miss Contest would be held. It was a perfect opportunity to gain new supporters and establish a new status. Moreover, since I was asked by the Festival Executive Committee to participate in the invitation category, I couldn't refuse. And I heard that Sara Satsukawa was also scheduled to participate in the Student Council Category. I vowed to win at all costs, expose her true nature, and crush her all at once.
But on the day itself, she actually ran away. She probably knew I was participating and thought that if she lost, she might lose the status she had built. Since she became unreachable and canceled at the last minute, it’s obvious she fled.
The result of the contest was, naturally, my landslide victory. It was a foregone conclusion, so I didn't feel any particular joy, but it was a pity I lost the chance to crush her directly.
Once, after the contest, I spoke to her. All she said was, "I simply prioritized my work. Besides, I had no interest in it to begin with." Those eyes... they were cold, completely emotionless. There's no way a woman like that could be popular without moving behind the scenes.
And today, I ended up facing her in an unexpected place...
Ah, just thinking about it is frustrating! To think that I could not resist that woman's pressure. I have dealt with power-players before, yet I could not say a single word. It was a fierce, clear will that felt like she wouldn't even permit my existence. I just stood there and let her say what she wanted. Even though she's just a classmate!
Why did she show such intense anger? She didn't even flinch at my provocation before. But for Sara Satsukawa to call a man by his first name and let herself be called by her name is something that normally wouldn't happen.
In other words, Sara Satsukawa has feelings for Takanashi. And Takanashi feels the same way. That's why she showed unbelievable anger. But with this, I finally have a gap to exploit.
And... Takanashi. I thought he was a man worth seeing for knowing who I was and still treating me normally. Or rather, I even expected for a moment that he might be one of the few people who could understand me... yet, to think that he didn't know me at all.
Though I say so myself, my fame in this school should be no less than that of some "Goddess." Set aside his own ignorance... how dare he humiliate me. To be humiliated like this in front of my classmates... I will never forgive him.
Along with Sara Satsukawa, I will definitely pay him back. The same goes for that small woman who is called an "Angel." I’ve decided that women with titles are nothing but trouble.
However, it's truly painful that I can't take direct action. I'll enjoy seeing just how much popularity she has left after her ideal image as "The Aloof Goddess" crumbles on stage.