With the term-end exam results in, all that was left was to wait for summer vacation. My mood was at an all-time high. Still, I wondered if reporting my grades to my family was strictly necessary. I’d shown them off quite smugly last time because the results were good, but this time...
Yeah, I’d better just keep my mouth shut.
Lunchtime arrived. Today, I’d actually bought a proper meal, which was a rarity for me. Natsukawa and Ashida had nagged me to eat something more substantial than what I usually had. I mean, what’s wrong with sweet pastries? They’re cheap and they taste great. It’s not like they’re actually toxic, right?
After returning from the restroom, I headed toward the center of the classroom—toward Natsukawa. After visiting her house to see Airi-chan the other day, I’d gotten swept up in the moment and declared that I’d join them for lunch. It wasn't like they were hosting a banquet for me or anything, though.
—The day after that house visit.
"Oh? Sajocchi, where are you going?"
"Hm?"
I was heading toward a bench in the courtyard, carrying a lunch I’d bought from the convenience store with the blue-and-white milk logo, when Ashida caught me on her way to Natsukawa. I gave her a look asking what she wanted, and she silently, discreetly pointed a finger toward Natsukawa. When I looked over...
"Ah—..."
Our eyes met. She immediately looked away. Awkwardness ensued. And then, I remembered.
I broke into a cold sweat. It hit me right then that I’d said something rather bold just the day before. I felt a wave of self-loathing at the fact that a day had finally come where I could actually forget something related to Natsukawa. Out of some inexplicable frustration, I found myself biting my tongue.
"Wait, what?"
"Ahaha! Looks like Aichi really is popular, huh?"
"..."
Sasaki had pulled up an empty seat and was chatting with Natsukawa, flanked by Shirai-san and a few other girls. Seeing that, I realized he really was genuinely in love with her. I understood the icy emotion welling up in my chest without even having to think about it. I suppose I’d made progress, though, since I could now acknowledge that feeling and process it on my own.
"Come on! You promised, remember? Sajocchi!"
"Are your brains linked or something? How do you even know about that...?"
Most things I said to Natsukawa ended up being shared with Ashida. Well, she was Natsukawa's best friend, so maybe Natsukawa was just being open about their conversations. She seemed to have total trust in Ashida. Ugh, I’d never wanted to be a girl more than in that moment... I joined the group surrounding them, thinking that Ashida was probably a more formidable obstacle for Sasaki than I was.
Since that day at Natsukawa’s house, I’d been drifting in and out of their lunch circle. I didn't join them every day because I didn't want people thinking, "Oh, look, he's stalking her again," which might make them distance themselves from Natsukawa as well.
So, with a nutritionally balanced meal in hand, I headed toward the center of the room. I took a spot at the edge of the domestic-looking gathering, inwardly smirking at how uncomfortable Murata and Koga looked sitting by the courtyard window. Natsukawa’s era had truly arrived... She was so popular now that I could hardly even get close to her or Ashida.
"Oh, Sajou-kun."
"Hey."
It was Iiboshi-san. She was the Class Representative—an ordinary-looking girl, for lack of a better term. Personally, I held her in high regard. She had a decisive, straightforward personality that didn't tolerate crude behavior, yet she was talented enough to take the initiative and slowly shape the classroom’s atmosphere. I’d been noticing that talent a lot lately.
It wasn't that she was exceptionally cute or tried to be a social butterfly. It was more that she controlled the room's energy so that people like Murata and Koga couldn't just do whatever they wanted. There was something chilling about the way she systematically secured the social perimeter. Rumor had it there was a group chat consisting only of girls the Class Representative had personally vetted... Talk about terrifying.
"This is... quite the crowd."
"Ah, it’s because of the Airi-chan boom."
"Huh?"
"Today is the day. The second round."
So they were going over to dote on Airi-chan again. That meant the time Sasaki was invited had been the first round. Hehehe... actually, that was the third round, ma'am. Did you know the second round had already happened? I had VIP status. Pure VIP.
"I’m going too. I want to see her if I can."
"Wait, really?"
"Being 'Natsukawa-san's sister' is part of the appeal. Some girls want to use it as an icebreaker to get closer to Natsukawa-san herself."
"That’s good."
What an analytical take; she sounded like a journalist. Was she part of the management team? I hadn't expected someone else to be quietly running Operation Natsukawa's Hundred Friends—wait, was that the name? Anyway, I didn't think anyone else was working on her social circle. Although, for Iiboshi-san, it probably wasn't just about Natsukawa.
"So, you're working on the class atmosphere?"
"It’s nothing that grand. I just hate it when weird people become the center of the class and make everything uncomfortable."
"........."
There was a strange kind of horror in the way she said that while smiling. I wondered which "side" I fell on, considering I used to approach Natsukawa like a total clown and still talked normally to Murata and Koga... I decided not to think about it. It was bad for my heart.
"What about you, Sajou-kun? Lately, you've been talking to Natsukawa-san sometimes, and other times not at all."
Isn't that just... normal? Is it weird to talk to an acquaintance sometimes and not others? She asked it in a way that suggested she had an inkling of the truth, but I decided to play dumb.
"Hahaha, I guess I’m just intimidated by this new atmosphere and find it hard to get close?"
"Liar. Something definitely happened. Everyone thinks so."
"Are you serious?"
Well, yeah, they would think that. I’d been practically glued to her before. If anything, the fact that no one had asked me about it until now made me feel like I’d been treated like a ticking time bomb. People were definitely speculating... "He got rejected" was the baseline, but what else? "I heard the police got involved"? God, that’s dark.
"I’m innocent, I swear."
"Where did that come from?"
I certainly haven't been involved in anything illegal. I did dye my hair, though. Come to think of it, the black hair was surprisingly well-received. I’d been getting "likes" from everyone like I was on social media. People said I looked less frivolous. They didn't say I wasn't frivolous at all, though. Did I really look that shallow before? I thought I was a pretty devoted guy. And besides, wouldn't brown hair be more stylish for a high schooler?
No, more importantly, there was Natsukawa. She was finally coming into her own... To think that just stopping my constant pestering would lead to this. Natsukawa had been bright and in high spirits lately, and I felt like she was pulling further and further away. So this was the true power of the Goddess... What a terrifying girl!
"But this 'father' is happy for her."
"Huh?"
Actually, this distance was perfect. I didn't understand the hearts of women; whether it was Natsukawa or Ashida, no matter how much I carefully considered my actions, I’d still end up making them angry. It was much more peaceful to just watch and support them from the sidelines. Oh, she laughed. Cute.
"I hope you have fun after school. Both Natsukawa and you, Class Representative."
"Eh? Y-Yeah. To be honest, I’m really looking forward to it. Shirai-san and Okamoto-san were quite worked up when they told me how cute she was."
"True. But she’s not just cute, she’s got a lot of ener—no, anyway, she'll definitely be cute. No doubt about it."
That was a close one... I almost said too much. Natsukawa gets very protective when it comes to her sister. I had to make sure I didn't give them any weird preconceptions. Nobody would guess how powerful that kid is unless I told them. She did say I was the only one who would truly dive in, after all.
Surprisingly, Iiboshi-san turned out to be quite easy to talk to.
◆
"Games... karaoke..."
You know how it is—sometimes the conversation is so lively, or you're so into the games and singing, that you don't realize you desperately need the restroom until it’s almost too late. I had a hard time making sure Iiboshi-san didn't notice my predicament.
"—Hm?"
As I was walking down the hallway, I saw three girls approaching. Usually, they wouldn't have caught my eye, but one of them was radiating such an intense aura that I couldn't help but look. As they drew closer, I realized the flashy blonde girl in the lead was a student I’d seen before. If I recalled correctly, she was the one I’d caught peeking into the Student Council Room. The one rumored to be the fiancée of the Student Council President, Yuuki-senpai.
"This area really is so commoner-like. It feels rustic, or rather, it seems far noisier than our side of the building."
"It can't be helped; this side is nothing but students from ordinary families, after all."
The three of them passed me without a second glance. Were they headed toward my classroom? Well, whatever. For now, I just needed to get to the restroom. If anyone punched me in the bladder right now, it would be game over. I had to take care of this immediately.