"Whew... Honestly, Kusuhara-san is such a difficult person."
"Nishikawa-san, do you know anything about that stuck—I mean, about her?"
From what I had seen just a moment ago, it was clear the two of them were far from friendly. Still, between her attitude and the way she acted toward Sara-san, there were far too many things I didn't understand.
If ignoring her was an option, I wouldn't give her a second thought, but I couldn't exactly do that when she was the one picking fights.
"As for knowing her, she has been that way since I was a student here. I don't know the specific reason since we never associated directly, but for some reason, she seemed to harbor a deep hostility toward Sara. Of course, Sara didn't even acknowledge her, so she was really just spinning her wheels in a vacuum."
"I see..."
I could easily imagine that scene, but the information itself didn't change my impression much from what I'd gathered during our previous encounter. Ultimately, I still didn't know what it was about Sara-san that bothered that woman so much.
Considering her lack of goodwill toward Nishikawa-san, her immediate rudeness toward Hanako-san during their First Meeting, and her bizarre obsession with the Miss Contest... if I put it all together...
Was it simply that she couldn't stand anyone more attractive than herself?
"Did you notice something?"
"Eh?"
Nishikawa-san, who had been watching my face for a while, suddenly spoke up.
Could it be that Nishikawa-san had developed the ability to read my mind, too?
"Fufu... please, don't look at me like that. Unlike Sara, I don't possess the talent required to read Takanashi-san's thoughts. I simply saw it written on your face."
"Ah... I-I see... That’s..."
Right, I was getting ahead of myself. I had just been mocking the Stuck-up Woman for being self-absorbed, which meant I was in no position to talk.
How embarrassing. If there were a hole nearby, I would have crawled right into it.
"...Honestly, I can see why Sara and Hanako-san find you so charming."
"Nishikawa-san?"
"No, it's nothing. More importantly, did you figure something out?"
Nishikawa-san peered into my eyes, as if searching for my answer.
I had a theory, but I wasn't sure if I was even close to the mark. Still, it was probably better to share it as a possibility.
"This is just my own personal guess, okay?"
"That's fine. I am quite curious about her behavior myself."
"Understood."
If she was okay with it, I might as well say it. I felt like I was at least in the right ballpark.
"To start with, as far as I've seen, her attitude only changes around three people: Sara-san, you, and Hanako-san. And there's no question that her hostility toward Sara-san is the strongest."
"That is true. Her animosity toward Sara was quite obvious even to me."
"Right. And she seems to have this weird fixation on the Miss Contest. It makes me think she’s incredibly confident in her own looks."
"A fixation on the Miss Contest... I see. Her appearance is certainly high enough to warrant that confidence."
"So, putting that all together, I wondered if she just hates anyone who is prettier or cuter than she is."
"...Huh?"
Nishikawa-san let out a blank, confused sound, her expression going totally slack.
I knew it was a simplified theory, but I didn't think it was that strange.
"I mean, toward people who are prettier or—"
"Wait, p-please wait! I understand! I understand now!"
For some reason, Nishikawa-san suddenly seemed flustered. I had no idea what had gotten into her.
"I-Is that... are you saying that based on your own perception, Takanashi-san?"
"My perception?"
"You know... regarding Kusuhara-san..."
"Oh... well, yeah. I mean, since she’s clearly proud of how she looks, it wouldn't be weird for her to see people as beautiful as Sara-san or you as enemies. And Hanako-san is definitely in the 'cute' category... wait, Nishikawa-san?"
Nishikawa-san's stunned expression remained, but now her face was turning a distinct shade of crimson.
She had been acting very strange for the last few minutes.
"Um, Nishikawa-san?"
"Wh-What?! It's nothing! ...Honestly, saying things like that so naturally makes it sound like you really mean them and aren't just being polite."
"Pardon?"
"F-Fufu, it's nothing. Really, it's nothing, so please don't worry about it. I'm fine. But just one thing..."
"One thing?"
"Please make sure you only say things like that to Sara, okay?"
"H-Huh...?"
She gave me a mischievous look while saying something completely nonsensical. I was trying to analyze the Stuck-up Woman; how did the conversation end up here?
"Ahem! Let's get back to the topic. Based on what you've said, I’ve been thinking as well. Perhaps it’s not just about comparing looks. Rather, she might harbor extreme hostility toward any woman who possesses qualities she lacks or covets. It could be appearance, but it could also be status or fame. And then there is the matter of reputation among men... In Sara's case, she has everything: beauty, grades, status, and popularity."
"I see... and that's why she targets Sara-san specifically. That makes a lot of sense."
Nishikawa-san was likely right. In this school, Sara-san was the peak of all those categories. For a self-important "Takapi" woman, Sara-san would be the ultimate eyesore.
Even with Hanako-san—she and Todo-san were often called the 'Twin Angels' by some of the students. If that woman didn't like that, it explained why she picked on Hanako-san earlier.
"Also, while I don't know if the rumors are true, I have heard that she is the type to engage in underhanded maneuvers."
"Underhanded maneuvers?"
"Yes. This school is effectively operated through Sawa's Investment, and using that influence..."
"Wait a second. Does that mean she’s a Sawa's Associate!?"
That was news to me. If she was connected to the Sawa Group, then that man who claimed to be a Sales Manager earlier must also hold a significant position... wait.
Didn't she say "our company" earlier?
"Ah, my apologies. I should have explained her background first. To put it simply, she is the President's Daughter of a company that was an Acquired Company by the Sawa Group within the last few years. So, technically, she and her father's company are part of the Sawa Group."
"Oh, I see. So that's where the attitude comes from..."
"Ahaha. She certainly does seem to trade heavily on her status. Her arrogance likely stems from that... but let's set that aside for now. Regardless, she is part of the Largest Investing Company at this school. As a President's Daughter of a subsidiary..."
"The school might grant her special favors?"
"Precisely. My classmates back then whispered about it—that it was better not to cross her or get into trouble with her for your own sake. Whether she actually used that power is unconfirmed, but her personality certainly makes the rumors believable."
I understood now. Looking at her aggressive behavior, it wasn't a stretch to think she would use whatever leverage she had. But in that case, we had Masaomi-san and Mayumi-san. No matter how you looked at it, compared to the president of a subsidiary...
Wait, what was the actual power dynamic there?
"Nishikawa-san, even if her father is a company president, compared to Masaomi-san, who is the Senior Managing Director of the Headquarters..."
"There is no comparison. Setting aside the title of Senior Managing Director, Masaomi-san is a far superior existence in the hierarchy. If anything were to happen at this school, the advantage would undeniably lie with you and Sara."
That was a relief to hear. If she were allowed to run wild because she had the school in her pocket, it would have been a nightmare.
Wait... could that be why our Homeroom Teacher was so supportive of us?
"...I see. Her hostility toward Sara might be rooted in that as well. But if that's the case, she should realize that being hostile is actually dangerous for her..."
"Nishikawa-san?"
"Ah, sorry. Anyway, I don't know her true intentions, but that is the extent of what I know. When I was here, she never dared to say a word to me directly."
"I think I get why. If she cares that much about status and power, you'd be someone she'd be terrified of."
"...Normally, yes. Which makes it even more curious why she would target Sara..."
Nishikawa-san trailed off, mumbling to herself again. It seemed like something was still bothering her.
"Well, there is no point in overthinking it now. Regardless, there is a high chance she will continue to bother Sara, so please be careful, Takanashi-san. I gave her a warning, but she will likely ignore it."
"Understood."
So that cryptic remark she made earlier was actually for our sake. Between this and the incident the other day, I had been relying on her far too much lately. I needed to find a way to thank her properly.
"Now, let us move on to the main topic. If we take any longer, we might cause trouble for Uesaka-san."
"Right. You mean the Ring Matter, I assume?"
There was no need to be coy. It was the only thing I could imagine us needing to discuss in private like this.
"Yes. I want you to perform a final check, including the case. I'm sure the ring itself is fine since you saw it the other day, but the case is a matter of personal taste. I have verified that everything is as ordered on my end."
With that, Nishikawa-san pulled a pouch from her bag. Inside was the ring I had purchased for Sara-san.
As for why Nishikawa-san had it... well, the truth was that my House was under Sara-san's absolute control.
If I brought that ring home, no matter where I hid it, Sara-san would almost certainly find it. Her "housewife" instincts were too sharp.
So, the shop had held onto it until the very last minute, and now Nishikawa-san was keeping it for me temporarily.
"Thank you so much. I'm sorry for all the trouble."
"Oh, it's quite alright. Though... it must be difficult to have nowhere to hide a single thing in your own home."
"Ahaha... it's a bit embarrassing, but I've left all the domestic matters to Sara-san. She doesn't compromise even slightly on cleaning, so even if I tried to hide it..."
Sara-san knew the house better than I did. She was so thorough that if even a single thing was out of place, she'd know. Combined with her ability to "read" me, keeping the ring a secret at home was a losing battle.
"Hah... Sara really has become the perfect housewife. It’s almost impossible to believe she was the girl who used to reject every man who approached her with such cold, instant finality..."
"Ahaha, Natsumi-senpai says the same thing."
"And she’s right. For those of us who knew Sara back then, the current Sara is like a completely different person—nearly a split personality."
A split personality... that was a bit much. But it showed just how intense Sara-san had been.
Seeing her fierce reaction to other men—especially the "chara-otoko" types or the idiots—I could believe it.
"However, if you view her extreme devotion to you as the flip side of her intense hatred for men, it makes a strange kind of sense... wait, I'm getting off track again. Please, check this."
"Got it."
I took the box Nishikawa-san handed me and looked it over. It was a simple Ring Storage Box, the classic red one I had picked from the shop's samples. It was just a standard case, but it looked the part.
As for the important part—the ring itself...
It was small and a bit hard to see, but our initials were engraved perfectly on the inside.
From me, to Sara-san. The date was tomorrow's date.
Everything was perfect.
Now, this was officially Sara-san's Private Ring. Looking at it, I felt a rush of affection for the piece of jewelry... I couldn't wait to see the look on Sara-san's face when I gave it to her!
"Fufu, it looks like you're satisfied."
"Yeah. I really want to give it to her soon."
My feelings must have leaked onto my face again, but I couldn't help it. I was genuinely happy.
"I can easily imagine her being overjoyed. To think she's already receiving a Proposal... a Proposal... a Proposal?"
Oh, this was bad. Nishikawa-san's eyes started to glaze over, as if she were staring into a void.
This was the sign of her Falling into Darkness. I needed to wrap up this Ring Talk immediately.
"Nishikawa-san, thank you for the ring. I’m sorry to ask, but could you hold onto it for just one more day?"
"Ah, yes. Of course. It would be a disaster if Sara found it now. I will keep it safe."
Thankfully, she snapped back before she fell too deep. She regained her usual smile and tucked the Ring Box back into her bag.
Now, all I had to do was wait for "That Time" tomorrow.
"I appreciate it. Well, shall we head back?"
"Yes. We've been away longer than intended. I'd feel bad for Uesaka-san if we stayed any longer."
Actually, it was already well past the point of "just a moment." People were probably going to get the wrong idea... which was all the more reason to hurry.
"W-Welcome back, you two."
When we returned to the tent, Uesaka-san greeted us, looking clearly restless. No one else had returned yet, and there was something slightly pathetic about him sitting there all alone.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Our apologies, Uesaka-san. We took longer than we thought."
"E-Eh?! No, no, I was perfectly fine! Please, don't worry about it!"
As usual, his behavior became incredibly suspicious the moment he was around Nishikawa-san.
Nishikawa-san watched him with a wry smile, but I knew Uesaka-san wasn't usually like this. I wondered if Nishikawa-san would treat him the same way if she realized how he actually felt.
"B-By the way... um, the talk you mentioned..."
"Fufu, that’s a secret. Right, Takanashi-san?"
"Eh? Ah, yeah, exactly."
Even if the ring was a secret, saying it like that with such a meaningful smile was only going to cause more trouble for me...
"A secret... a secret..."
Too late. Uesaka-san's Gaze was now fixed on me with pure suspicion.
Nishikawa-san might have just been being playful, but to a guy with a crush... wait, I wasn't supposed to know about that.
"Nishikawa-san, what's your plan for the rest of the day?"
"Well, since no one else is back yet, would you mind if I stayed here for a bit?"
"Sur—"
"You're more than welcome to!"
"...So he says."
Uesaka-san was practically vibrating with joy. It was a bit too obvious.
Still, it gave him a chance to talk to Nishikawa-san, so I figured I'd let it slide.
"Thank you."
Nishikawa-san gave another wry smile as she watched Uesaka-san, then grabbed an empty Chair and placed it right next to mine.
Uesaka-san's expression immediately turned complicated.
Hmm...
"By the way, what happened to those two?"
I knew they were gone, but I was curious about how it ended. Mostly, I just wanted to change the subject.
"Oh, they left right after you did. The man looked like he had swallowed a bitter bug. S-Speaking of which, Nishikawa-san, who was that man?"
"Ah, apparently we had met before. I don't recall it myself."
"I-I see. That’s good... I mean... it’s quite impressive to be that confident based only on having said hello once."
The Stuck-up Woman was exactly the same way. Maybe overconfidence was hereditary in that family. I didn't know the parents, but if they were at the Sawa Party, there was a chance I'd see them around the year-end events.
"Indeed. Unfortunately, there are quite a few people like that in my circles. It's not particularly rare."
Nishikawa-san gave a self-deprecating smile. I suppose when you're the daughter of a massive conglomerate's president, you're forced to deal with all kinds of people.
"Fufu, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to dampen the mood. Let's change the subject."
"Y-Yeah."
I couldn't exactly say "Sure!" after seeing her look like that. I was worried about her, and if Uesaka-san hadn't been there, I might have pushed a bit more, but now wasn't the time.
"Now then, I was a bit brief earlier, so... Uesaka-san, it’s been a while. Thank you for all your help when I was here."
"Ah, yes. Likewise. Especially with The Flowerbed Matter, I wasn't able to provide much support..."
"No, Sara took over for those children after I left. And..."
"And?"
Nishikawa-san glanced at me and smiled softly. I wondered where she was going with this.
"Since Sara took it on personally, that flowerbed ended up being the Cupid that brought my two best friends together."
"...That's true. When I think about how my selfish decision to look after that flowerbed was the trigger for me to get close to Sara-san, I really have to thank you again, Nishikawa-san."
I hadn't intended to jump in, but after hearing something so nice, I couldn't stay quiet. If that flowerbed really was the start of everything, then Nishikawa-san truly was our Cupid.
"No, no. It might have been the trigger, but you can't get close to Sara with just that. Normally, she would have flatly refused any help, and that would have been the end of it."
"Yeah, Satsukawa-san would usually just shut people down. In fact, back when I was president, there were countless times I offered to help with Student Council work and was rejected without a second thought... so..."
"Exactly. Back then, Sara had a lot of walls up. She stubbornly insisted on doing everything herself. People called her 'isolated,' but that wasn't a compliment. And yet... she accepted Takanashi-kun quite naturally, didn't she?"
"...Yeah. She let me help her without any fuss."
In my case, Sara-san had been the one to suggest how to split the work. She had even made Tea for me. She had made me feel welcome from the very start.
"R-Really? She was like that from the beginning?"
"In other words, Takanashi-san was already someone special to Sara at that point. The flowerbed was just the excuse."
"I-I see."
That made a lot of sense. So, from the very beginning, I had been the exception. That made me happy.
"Hmm... well, Satsukawa-san's Devotion to Takanashi-kun certainly makes sense then. To her, Takanashi-kun is just too special and too precious, I suppose?"
"'Too special and too precious'... That is a lovely way to put it, Uesaka-san."
"No, no, it's only because your story was so nice, Nishikawa-san."
Wait... what was this?
Using my relationship as a conversation piece, these two were actually starting to hit it off. Even Uesaka-san had seemingly found his usual poise.
Well, I guess I didn't mind.