Even if his own sister was the one summoning him day after day, what kind of person would willingly approach the Student Council Room? Under normal circumstances, it would be someone with official business, or perhaps a close friend of the Student Council President. No, wait—there was one other type.
A stalker.
“...That woman...!”
There was a suspicious person practically gnawing on the door to the Student Council Room, peering inside. She was there again today... muttering the exact same lines as before and shrieking like a bird. I couldn’t help but think that those flashy, blonde, ringlet curls of hers weren't exactly suited for a life of stalking. I pulled out my phone and started tapping.
“Do you not want me in the Student Council Room that much!? I didn't hear anything about a bodyguard being in there! I'm going home!” she squeaked.
Ping~♪
“Ah.”
“Wait, I’m right here—huh?”
The classic saga of forgetting to put my phone on silent. In the quiet hallway, the chime of my incoming message rang out clearly. I accidentally let out a noise, and over her shoulder, my eyes met hers. Wait—I’d assumed only gyarus wore their hair in that bleached-blonde style, but she looked surprisingly refined... actually, she looked elegant. Or at least, she did for a split second; given she was currently hunched over with her rear aimed at me, she was basically just a degenerate.
“...”
“...”
She stared at me, her face a mask of pure shock. Well, I was the one who was shocked. The message from my sister said, 【Huh? 10 more sheets.】 What was that about? She wanted me to break through that? I mean, this girl was staring right at me—what was I supposed to do? What am I supposed to do here...!
“...Wh-what is it?”
Oh, I don't really have any busi—wait, what did she just say? It was so natural I almost let it slide, but wasn't that an incredibly rare, formal way of speaking? Now that I looked closer, she didn't look entirely Japanese... maybe she was mixed? Ohohoho.
“It is nothing at all, milady.”
“O-oh, is that so? I was merely passing by.”
My tongue had slipped, and I’d ended up speaking more politely than I ever had in my life, but the blonde lady didn't seem to find it strange at all. She let out a very deliberate, refined laugh and hurried away. I wasn't entirely sure what had just happened, but I seemed to have repelled her.
Once I confirmed she was out of sight, I headed straight into the Student Council Room. If only I hadn't sent that unnecessary message, this might have been a decent job. But knowing my sister was a woman of her word, she really was going to make me work even harder than last time.
◆
“So, what's the deal with that blonde girl?”
“Huh? Why, is she your type?”
When Nee-chan asked me that, I realized I hadn't actually considered it yet.
...Hmm. If you asked if she was my type, her face was certainly well-proportioned. Based on her speech, she seemed to come from money... though only shallow impressions like that came to mind. Either way, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that a girl with such conspicuous blonde hair was the last person I’d want to get close to.
“I’ll keep her as an option.”
“Go look in a mirror.”
“Wahahaha! Brutal!”
Todoroki-senpai was cracking up. Just from the way he spoke, it was obvious he wasn't suited for office work. You could tell just by looking at the tiny stack of documents on his desk. I think I was starting to figure out how to handle him.
“Sorry about Marika, Sajou,” Yuuki-senpai said, joining the conversation naturally. He called her by what was presumably her real name, then addressed me just as casually. It was so natural I had to double-check. They seemed incredibly close.
Perhaps finding my reaction amusing, Hanawa-senpai offered an explanation.
“She’s Hayato’s fiancée.”
“Hey, Renji.”
“Heh... Eh?!”
Wh-at?! A fiancée?! Did those still exist in this day and age? That girl was one thing, but was Yuuki-senpai actually loaded? There was no other reason to have a fiancée in this century.
Startled, I looked over at Nee-chan. She was resting her chin on her hand, silently working away with a grumpy expression. She didn't seem particularly interested.
Still, I could read the situation. That girl was basically Yuuki-senpai’s fiancée or girlfriend, and he didn't seem to mind. That’s why she didn't like Nee-chan, who was always near him. What was she, some rival character from a school drama?
But thinking about it realistically, that was actually kind of serious. I’d really hate it if there were actual repercussions.
“Please keep her on a short leash, seriously.”
“Right... I’ll keep that in mind.”
I didn't care how Yuuki-senpai felt about that blonde girl, or even about this fiancée arrangement. In the end, personal feelings didn't count for much in the real world. If they were engaged because of their families, it wasn't likely to change no matter what he did. This wasn't some scripted drama.
If this mess ever affected the Sajou Family, I wouldn't forgive him. I’m counting on you, Senpai.
“Hah, I can kick someone like her away with a single word.”
As if picking up on my anxiety, Nee-chan deliberately and elegantly crossed her legs, giving me a confident look. Repercussions? What were those? Did anyone really think a being existed in this world who could actually harm this gorilla? I felt like my concern had been entirely wasted.
It was like this: the environment around Nee-chan looked like a typical school drama, but she herself didn't fit the protagonist mold. What kind of story stars a high school girl who’s basically a professional fighter...?
“There, I’m finished, Nee-chan.”
“...That was fast.”
“Here’s the next batch.”
As I gathered the completed documents while preparing to head back to class, a new stack was dumped on my desk. Nee-chan... Yuuki-senpai’s praise was wiped away in an instant. The way she treated me was definitely on another level just because we were related...
“...Hey.”
“...”
“You, I'm talking to you.”
“Oh, me?”
She spoke so suddenly I thought she might be talking to someone else. Though, I wondered what it said about me that I recognized "you" meant me... but then again, I was clearly the only one here she’d address that way.
“How are things with that girl? You know, Natsukawa-san.”
“Oh? 'That girl' from before? Otouto-cchi's girlfriend?”
“Heh, that's unexpected.”
No, wait a minute. Are we really talking about this here? This is basically a public execution. And Nee-chan, you're asking even though you definitely already know the answer. Do you really think there's been progress, you Female Gorilla—Hiiiieeee?! Don't glare at me!!
“I am striving forward as her devoted servant.”
“Hoh, so you’re together every day then?”
“No... from a distance.”
“You damn bastard.”
“Why, you...”
Even if she was my sister, I couldn't forgive that. I felt like I could fire energy blasts from my hands right now. But for some reason, I could easily imagine Nee-chan swatting them away with one hand. And then the standard procedure of her hitting me back twice as hard.
Since there seemed to be some misunderstanding about my relationship with Natsukawa, I decided to explain it very thoroughly.
“You’ve seen her face and the way she carries herself. She’s not someone a guy like me can do anything about.”
I used myself as the baseline. There was no explanation more persuasive than that. Appearance! Ability! Personality! I didn't compare in a single category! Take that! Tears are practically spraying from my eyes!
“Hah? You don't know until you try.”
“I’ve already tried for nearly two years.”
“So she was... the girl you’ve been making a fuss about for so long.”
“I wasn't making a fuss.”
“No, you were.”
Well, I... was making a fuss. Thanks to that, I’ve finally learned to live modestly. Perhaps because I switched to behaving in a way that suits my station, things have been going well lately. Except for this current, irrational situation!
There's a saying about being under someone's thumb, but Nee-chan wouldn't stop there even if she got married. She’d probably pull a hip drop and just use the guy as a chair. But for some reason, the brother-in-law in my head looked very happy about it. Why?
“—So, you got dumped hard and lost your nerve, then.”
“Huh...?”
It felt like I’d been suddenly slashed. She’d made such an outrageous assumption that I felt a surge of irritation. Without realizing it, I tucked my chin and glared up at my sister.
...No, calm down. It was the truth. Me getting rejected by Natsukawa was a daily occurrence. What reason did I have to get angry now?
“...Yeah, that’s right. I’ve been rejected dozens of times already.”
“Dozens...? You confessed that many times?”
“Yeah. In all seriousness, no jokes. I really didn't know my place, right?”
How about that! Now you see how deep my dedication was! I'm not the kind of man who breaks after just one try like Nee-chan thought! Though I really was a clown who didn't understand his own social standing...
“—Even though you and Mom should have taught me better a long time ago...”
“...!!”
Gross, unpopular, idiot, moron. From Nee-chan, I’d received kicks, palm strikes, cobra twists, camel clutches, and her heavy fists. Wait a second, isn't Nee-chan's variety of moves a bit much? Was she an MMA fighter? She wasn't going to make me practice an enzuigiri next, was she? Crap, I was actually getting scared.
“I-I’m done, right? Lunch break is about to end, so I’m heading back. Good luck to the rest of you, Senpais, I know it’s tough.”
“Y-yeah... Good luck to you too, Wataru-kun. Don't give up.”
Wait, Kai-senpai. Please stop, you’re going to make me cry. When an ordinary person who has given up and accepted their lot in life is understood and encouraged like that, they cry easily! Forget about this Villager A and go wag your tail for Nee-chan!
Handsome guys are even handsome on the inside. It’s often said that appearance is the outermost layer of the heart. Being around these people really drove that point home. Perhaps because of that, I felt like spitting at my own reflection in the hallway window. I didn't actually do it, though.