Slide...
"Good morning."
"Morn—"
Pop! Pop!
"Wha—!?"
The second I crossed the threshold of the classroom, sharp explosive sounds echoed through the room, and a shower of confetti burst before my eyes.
A split second later, just as I realized they were the kind of party poppers people used at celebrations...
"Takanashi-kun..."
""Congratulaaaaations on your engagemeeeeeent!!!""
This time, I was greeted by the perfectly harmonized voices of my classmates—though, honestly, it was almost entirely the girls.
Wait... what the heck is happening all of a sudden!?
"Wha—wha—what..."
"Nooooow, the hero of the village... I mean!! The class's number one hero has finally made his appearance!!!"
"Heh heh heh... Welcome, sacri—I mean, Takanashi-kun!! Welcome to our Love Maidens' Mass!!"
"Come, come, come! Please, step right up to the altar!!"
The female officers swarmed behind me, shoving me by the back until I was practically flying toward the front of the room. Even before I reached the teacher’s lectern, I noticed the massive letters sprawled across the blackboard.
"Congratulations on your engagement!! Hero, Kazunari Takanashi!!!"
They actually wrote that? And seriously, what was with this "Hero" thing!?
"I mean, proposing in front of a crowd like that? If you're not a hero, I don't know who is!"
"Compared to that, giving a little report to your friends here is nothing, right?"
"Exactly! We were stuck working the shop, and then you went and did something so fun—I mean, amazing!!"
"Listen... I didn't propose just to give you guys a show..."
"Hey now, you're the Hero who snatched away our princess. Don't tell me you think you can just run away without a repo—Hieee!!??"
"Yeah! At least stay quiet and let us tease you a little to make up for—Hieee!?"
The female students, who lived for romantic gossip, crowded around me with eyes full of curiosity. However, the guys who tried to get in my face out of jealousy—or because they genuinely felt Sara-san had been "stolen"—were instantly silenced. They scrambled to their seats the moment they were caught in a gaze full of pure bloodthirst from Hanako-san.
It wasn't my place to judge, but trying to mess with me right in front of Hanako-san was practically a suicide mission.
"Come on, hurry up before the teacher gets here!!!"
"Even if it’s short, we want to hear it from your own mouth, Takanashi-kun!"
"Takanashi... it might feel like they're just giving you a hard time, but for what it's worth, I think the class actually wants to celebrate you seriously," Kawamura noted.
"Kawamura..."
"He's right!" Tanaka added. "I mean, being more than lovers... actually getting married to Satsukawa-senpai? Envious doesn't even begin to cover it. But after seeing you go that far, I can't help but feel like I should just congratulate you."
"Tanaka... Wait, where’s the noisiest one?"
Looking around, Yamakawa—the "festival man" who was usually the first to start a riot—was nowhere to be seen. Morning assembly was starting soon; where could he have gone?
"If you're looking for Yamakawa, he dropped his shoulders and shuffled out a bit ago," someone said.
"Yeah, he looked like a ghost when he walked in, then just drifted right back out. He was mumbling 'envious' over and over like a dark mantra..."
"Envious?"
I didn't quite get it, but had he seen something that shocking?
Wait, I needed to handle my own situation before worrying about Yamakawa!
"Come on, Takanashi-kun!!"
"Everyone’s waiting!"
"Kazunari... at this point, you'll save time if you just come out and say it," Hanako-san urged.
"I-I guess you're right..."
If even Hanako-san was joining the pressure, it was completely game set. Honestly, it wasn't like I was trying to be stingy with the information. Between the Miss Contest and the spectacle at the entrance this morning, it was already public knowledge.
"Still... everyone already knows, so reporting it now feels kind of redundant, doesn't it?"
"Not at all!!"
"Yeah! We need to hear it firmly from the man himself!!"
"Sigh... fine. As you all know, I proposed to Sara-san... Sara Satsukawa-san, at the Miss Contest this past Sunday. ...Is that enough?"
"Question!!"
"Me!!!"
"Pick me, pick me!!"
Despite my attempt to finish the report, the girls immediately started waving their hands. You guys said just a few words would be enough!
"Takanashi-kun, you're cohabitating with Satsukawa-senpai, right!?"
"I can't believe it! Cohabitating with the Satsukawa-senpai!! Living under one roof with a beauty like that... there's no way a wholesome boy could hold back..."
"Does that mean you two do it every night!?"
"Kyaaaa!!! Anything more than that is too much!!!"
"Dammit!! Takanashiiii!!!"
"Y-You... you're too lucky, you bastard!!"
"Satsukawa-senpai is... she's...!!"
"Ugh... give it up. Just give it up... and for now, let's just celebrate the Hero who climbed the stairs to adulthood before the rest of us..."
"Uh..."
I hadn't said a single word yet. I hadn't called on anyone, either. Why were they asking questions, answering them themselves, making a scene, and then falling into despair all on their own?
Can I go back to my seat now? Even if I tried to explain that nothing had happened yet, nobody was going to believe me.
Slide...
"Hey! What are you all shouting about!?"
"Uh oh!?"
"Crap, is he early today!?"
The classroom door was flung open with authority. Entering the room was my saving grace, the homeroom teacher... wait, was he dragging Yamakawa in by the collar?
"Honestly... what is this?"
The teacher sighed heavily as he looked at the celebratory messages written on the blackboard in carefully decorated, cute letters. I was more worried about Yamakawa, who looked like a broken man.
"...I heard there was quite a riot at the school entrance, so I came early to check on things, and this is what I find?"
"Teacher?"
"Never mind. Teachers have their own cross to bear. More importantly, get to your seats! Whoever is on duty today, erase that blackboard immediately! And clean up that pile of confetti! As for you... Yamakawa. I don't know what happened to you, but how long do you plan to stay like that?"
"Yes... sorry..." Yamakawa muttered, his usual cheerfulness completely gone. This looked like a serious case of shock. What could have happened to him?
"Come on, get everything cleared before the bell rings!"
""Okaaaaaay.""
The classmates reluctantly began to move. Meanwhile, I stood by the lectern, feeling awkward and out of place.
"Takanashi, you keep your head down for the time being, alright? Don't do anything to stand out unnecessarily inside the school. Understood?"
"Y-Yes, sir."
"...Also, if anything happens, don't hesitate to consult me or any teacher nearby. The word has been passed around, so anyone will help you."
"H-Huh...?"
Being told something so significant in a whisper... between today and the other day, the teacher was being strangely kind. It was almost scary. But if Yamada-sensei's help at the gate came from the same source, then it was definitely related to Mayumi-san's influence.
To be able to move the entire school faculty for a personal matter like this... her reach was terrifying.
Side Natsumi
This might be sudden, but...
I was currently facing the greatest crisis of my life.
I had faced many powerful foes on the tennis court—matches where I'd exhausted every ounce of my strength against superior opponents until I was backed against the baseline with no escape. But this was worse. This was a literal dead end.
"Come on, come on... why don't you spill the beans already!?"
"To think you'd hide behind Sara-san and snatch a boyfriend for yourself..."
"You're being way too distant, Natchi! Why didn't you tell us first? We're together every day!"
"Is there a deep reason for the secrecy? Hmm?"
"No... it's—it's not like that..."
I was cornered from all sides, my back literally against the classroom wall. I couldn't retreat, and escaping was out of the question. How did it come to this!?
"Women's friendships can be so fickle. To think it would end like this..."
"Wait, why are you making it sound so dramatic!?"
"Well... what's done is done. But now..."
"That's right. You're going to give us a full explanation."
"Don't even think about running, okay?"
"Natsumi, just give it up!!"
"Don't you join in so casually, Yuri!!"
The circle was closing in. Unfortunately, there was still plenty of time before the first bell, so I couldn't even pray for a teacher to walk in. And for some reason, my great best friend Sara was late today of all days!
Normally, she would have been here by now. Why today!? Is this really the end!?
"Natsumi..."
"Natsumi-chan..."
"Natchi..."
"Yoshiko-chaaaan!"
"You shut up!!"
"Ow!?"
I vented my stress on Yuri with a swift tenchu to calm my nerves.
"Now..."
""Tell us everything about your boyfriend!!""
"Why is this happening!?"
That's right... I was currently being interrogated about Yuji.
Apparently, the incident where he gave me a princess carry after my match and announced we were dating had spread like wildfire. Since Sara and Takanashi-kun's situation turned into such a massive scandal, I'd secretly hoped I could hide in the shadows and slip through unnoticed...
Tch, I was too naive.
"I let my guard down since you never showed a trace of a man around you."
"A boy from another school, too... a complete blind spot."
"He's Takanashi-kun's best friend, right? If Natsumi doesn't talk, we'll just go grill Takanashi-kun—"
"Y-You idiot!! If you do that, Sara-san will kill you!?"
"Did I do something?"
""Hieeeeeeeee!!!!""
I didn't even notice her arrive. Sara was standing at the classroom door, staring at us. I wasn't just imagining the ominous aura she was radiating.
But wait—this might be my lucky break.
"I believe I heard Kazunari-san's name just now?"
"N-No, we weren't saying anything about him!!"
"Yeah, exactly! It's just Yuri talking nonsense!!"
"Wait, what!?"
"I see. Then, Yuri-san... please look me in the eye and tell me exactly what you were planning to do to Kazunari-san?"
"Hieeeeeeeee!!! It was a joke! A mistake! Please forgive me, I'm sorrrryyyyyy!!!"
Sara intimidated Yuri with a clear bloodthirst hidden behind her usual smile. Terrifying... even as her best friend, she was terrifying.
"Aaaah, Sara-san is wearing the ring!!!"
"Whoa!!!!"
"Show us! Let us see!!"
However, while Yuri was paralyzed by the aura, the Love Junkies—I mean, the Love Maidens—were apparently immune. Sara was instantly swarmed. She looked a bit bewildered as the maidens crowded her like hyenas around fresh meat.
Does this mean I'm off the hook?
"Whoa, it's incredible!?"
"So beautiful... is that a real diamond!?"
"Wait, this isn't something a high schooler usually wears, is it!?"
"Idiot, it's an engagement ring! It's not supposed to be something we'd normally buy!!"
"Sara-san, did Takanashi-kun really prepare this ring for you!?"
"Yes. This is, without a doubt, the engagement ring I received from Kazunari-san."
"Ooooohhhhh!!!"
"Since you're wearing it on your ring finger... that must mean..."
"It means you're really, truly going to marry Takanashi-kun, right!?"
The girls focused their curiosity-filled gazes on Sara. Meanwhile, the boys watched from the perimeter with expressions of absolute despair. Sara, at the center of the storm, wore a smile of pure bliss and gave a small nod.
"Yes. It is still a little while away, but I will officially marry Kazunari-san."
"............"
"......"
"..."
""Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!""
""Guwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!""
She declared it without a hint of hesitation, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It was a shocking statement for a high school student to make, but Sara said it clearly and firmly. Well, it's Sara, so I guess it's par for the course.
"Congratulations, Sara-san!!!!"
"The word 'marriage' just sounds so heavy coming from you!!"
"You have to invite us to the wedding!!"
"Sara-san in a wedding dress... just imagining it is like a work of art!!"
"And Takanashi-kun gets her all to himself!!"
"Don't rub it in! The boys are already weeping over here."
""Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!""
The contrast between the boys and the girls was staggering. It was like heaven and hell—the more the girls celebrated, the deeper the boys sank into the abyss.
"Oh, that's right!! Sara-san, is it really true that you're cohabitating with Takanashi-kun!?"
"Yes. We are living together, just the two of us."
"Ooooooooooh!! Seriously!!??"
"Are you living completely alone together!?"
"Kyaaaaaaaa!! This is too much!!!"
"Isn't it hard living with a boy!? Like, with those things... mostly those various things!?"
"No, I have never found it difficult. Besides, our current life is practice for our future marriage... so if anything were to happen, I am prepared to accept it gladly."
""YOU'D ACCEPT IT IF ANYTHING HAPPENED!!!!????""
"Eh? Yes... of course. I want to do everything I possibly can for Kazunari-san..."
""YOU'D DO EVERYTHING FOR HIM!!!!????""
Ah... she went and made another suggestive comment. Of course, I knew Sara didn't mean anything deep by it. But I was the only one here who realized that. Everyone else was already rewriting her words in their heads.
"Kyaaaa!! Sara-san, you're so bold!!"
"Well, yeah! They're already living together on the premise of marriage..."
"And Takanashi-kun will take responsibility, so it's fine!?"
"I knew it! Sara-san really is a woman after all!!!"
"Sara-san... Sara-san issssssssss!!!"
"Noooooooo!! I can't take any moreeeeee!!!"
"Just give up... it's over... uuuu..."
"Dammit allllllll!!!"
"Um...?"
Sara, not understanding why the room was in such an uproar (and why the boys were suffering a catastrophe), just stood there looking puzzled.
If this keeps up, Takanashi-kun is going to end up in a pitiful situation. I should probably step in. Besides, they've definitely forgotten about my drama by now.
"Alright, that's enough. Sara's getting overwhelmed!"
"N-Natsumi!?"
"Hey, don't spoil the fun!"
"You guys are sticking your noses into their private lives way too much!!"
"Ehhh... but there's so much more I want to know!"
"It's fine! We aren't going to ask anything too sensitive!"
"Yeah... like stories about what happens at night..."
"I want to hear that!!! That's exactly what I want to hear!!!"
"Listen to me..."
I get it, they're teenagers. Of course they're curious. But knowing those two, nothing has actually happened yet, so asking is just a waste of time. Takanashi-kun's face gives away his innocence way too easily.
Slide!!!
"Alright, stop the noise and get to your seats!"
""Eh!?""
The door opened with a bang, and our homeroom teacher, Kasahara-sensei, walked in. It wasn't even time for assembly yet—the first bell hadn't even rung. What was he doing here?
"Sensei, aren't you a bit early..."
"Yeah, we aren't done talking ye—"
"I received reports that this class was being exceptionally loud! Now, sit down."
"...Okaaaaaay."
The classmates reluctantly returned to their seats under the weight of his authority.
"...I know what you're all making a fuss about," Kasahara-sensei said, looking around. "I'm sure you have questions for the people involved, but prying into their private matters is..."
"Sensei!! If you're saying it like that, does it mean Sara-san and Takanashi-kun's cohabitation is okay with the school!?"
"...That is a private matter, so we won't be taking questions from anyone else. However, the school has officially granted its permission."
"Whoa, seriously!!?"
"School-sanctioned cohabitation!?"
"As expected of a fiancé!!!"
"Yes. Now, quiet!! Unnecessary prying into their situation is strictly forbidden. If any inappropriate behavior is confirmed, the school will take disciplinary action, so consider yourselves warned."
"Eeeeeeh!?"
"Why are they being so protective!?"
I was actually a bit stunned. I figured it was okay in a "tacit understanding" way, but I didn't think it was officially sanctioned. Sara's Papa... the influence of the next President of the Sawa Group was no joke.
Wait... did the teacher come early specifically to cover for Sara?
"Sigh... fine. Let's put Sara-san's business aside for a moment and focus on Natsumi."
"Yuri!! Don't you dare—"
"That's right!! We still have Natsumi-chan's sweet story to get through!!"
"Heh heh heh... I'd love to hear your thoughts on that princess carry..."
"Wait!?"
No... the spotlight was shifting back to me!?
"If you want to hear Yuzuki-san's story, you can do it during break. Now, let's start the morning assembly."
""Okaaaaaay.""
"You call that 'more importantly'!?"
The hyenas were all smirking at me, their eyes gleaming with anticipation. I felt a sense of danger far greater than anything I'd faced on the court. And unlike with Sara, the teacher was completely ignoring me.
Why does this always happen to me!?