I managed to bridge the awkwardness caused by Shirai-san’s bubbly bombshell of a comment by playing up the "I’ve been summoned" angle. I felt nothing but gratitude toward Ashida and Kawai for returning to their conversation about the volleyball club while giving me the cold shoulder. Shirai-san was definitely that type of girl—the kind who, when sitting in a family restaurant across from a friend who says, "I'm on a diet," would order a jumbo parfait with zero malice.
I could see why she usually hung out with Okamo-chan. On the flip side, Okamo-chan was the type of girl who wouldn't even mention a diet, would gorge herself on sweets, and then cry out in despair after stepping on the scale. Or maybe I was just projecting my own biases now...
"So? What do you want?"
"What do you mean, 'what'? We were doing this before summer vacation too."
It was lunch break. After finishing my meal, I had headed to the Student Council Room, only for Nee-chan to hand me a stack of documents that looked different from the ones I’d handled before. Apparently, I was expected to get to work. She’d helped me out earlier, but did my sister really intend to spend the rest of the day robbing me of my precious time?
"It's fine, isn't it? You're joining the Student Council anyway."
"Whoa, hold on. What are you talking about?"
I recalled her mentioning something about me joining the council during summer vacation. Was she actually serious? I had no desire to join. Just looking at the current state of things, they seemed incredibly busy. Having just spent my summer at a part-time job, the idea of working for free felt like a total joke.
"Kaede's little brother is joining?! That sounds hilarious!"
"I like it. There’s a certain charm to a sister passing her legacy down to her brother."
That banter came from the energetic-type handsome guy, Todoroki-senpai. Then, while collecting the documents from Todoroki-senpai's side, the gentle-type handsome guy, Hanawa-senpai, voiced his approval. You don't need to give me your blessing, baby. Who would willingly join such a troublesome organization? Just give the spots to the girls who are here to hunt for handsome guys.
"Here, take the seat next to Takuto. Take Yuudai's work while you're at it."
"Huh? T-Takuto? Yuudai?"
"Kai Takuto. Yuudai is the noisy one over there."
"That's me!"
Ah, she meant Kai-senpai and Todoroki-senpai. How was I supposed to know who she was talking about when she suddenly used their first names? Nee-chan called everyone here by their first name... Also, Todoroki-senpai, you have no intention of working, do you? Hanawa-senpai was doing everything for him. If they were going to call me in, they should have made him do it. What was he, the designated hype man?
"If we leave it to Todoroki-senpai, errors will inevitably crop up, so it's fine," the genius-type handsome guy, Kai-senpai, said. He adjusted his glasses and gave my shoulder a reassuring pat as if trying to soothe me. His expression told me to just give up. Or perhaps it was Kai-senpai who had given up. Was Todoroki-senpai the mascot character here instead of Nee-chan?
"Sorry, Sajou. I'll make it up to you, so could you help us out for a bit?"
"......Yes, sir."
I received a bow from the cool-type handsome guy and Student Council President—the man with way too many attributes—Yuuki-senpai. Personally, I found him to be the most decent person here after Kai-senpai. And yet, he was still handsome; how did God justify that? He should just yield his position to the Goddess Natsukawa. I’d gladly become her high priest.
Since Nee-chan had technically helped me earlier, I quietly started working on a spare laptop while Kai-senpai showed me the ropes. For some reason, the word "laptop" reminded me of something else... I won't say what. Yes, wicked thoughts were my primary fuel.
"Oh, excuse me, Kaede-san. Where's the specific format for this?"
"Ah, that one. Go into the 'Cultural Festival' folder and copy the fourth file."
"Understood, thank you."
Kai-senpai asked Nee-chan a question. It seemed even the upperclassmen only knew the general outline and were learning the details as they went. Also, based on the conversation, weren't they trying to make me do the stuff they hadn't even started yet? Wait a minute, that made this entirely my job, didn't it? Give me a break.
"...Wait. You want me to transfer handwritten content into the format? Couldn't they have just used the computer from the start?"
"No, that data was compiled by the executive committee from outside sources. It's not that we can't do it, but if we forced people to use computers, the supporters and volunteers might get intimidated and pull away. Especially the wealthy seniors."
"Wealthy seniors... What a weirdly blunt way to put it. I can't tell if you're being respectful or not."
"I see. I'll be in your care, Sajou-kun."
"U-Uh, yes."
Just as I was about to complain to Nee-chan, Kai-senpai leaned in close, his face cast in shadow. I had never heard the phrase "I'll be in your care" sound so much like a threat. The K4 were not to be underestimated.
When I picked up the prints, the items matched the ones in the digital file. It really was just data entry. Also, these stacks weren't from school personnel, which meant the school was taking in money from various outside sources. I felt like I finally understood why the school used to favor the students from the West Building. Apparently, the families of the students on that side were all influential power players.
"Anyway, Nee-chan. This is a bit late, but we're the 'East' side—ngh!?"
"Just keep your hands moving."
Nee-chan, sitting to my left, suddenly locked my head in her arm. My neck actually made a grinding sound. That seriously hurt!
"...? What were you talking about?"
"It's nothing. Please continue."
I kept working while rubbing my sore neck. There was probably a reason why Nee-chan had silenced me so violently. I decided it was best to just shut up and keep my hands moving.
The prints had piled up, but I managed to clear them at a fast pace. As I worked, I realized that for the volunteers specifically, the addresses and phone numbers were easy. Since they were mostly graduates or people associated with the school, I could just find their names on last year's list and copy-paste the data.
"It's not actually that grueling, is it?"
"No, having to gather here during lunch is grueling enough. This is basically service overtime."
"Wh—!?"
"Don't you have a bit of a corporate slave mentality? That's why I'm recommending you for the job."
"Stop it... I'm not joking."
"Kaede, please stop using the term 'service overtime'... it's making us depressed too," Yuuki-senpai added.
No way. No way...
I repeated it twice in my head because I was so shocked. Having a corporate slave mentality was humiliating. Even Yuuki-senpai was starting to look a bit weary. That was strange. I’d been thinking earlier that I wouldn't have any motivation without a reward like a wage.
"You... you must have quite a bit of money saved up, don't you?"
"Huh?! N-No way! You make me run errands for you all the time, don't you?!"
"It's strange that you, having worked a part-time job, aren't demanding compensation for your labor. It's proof you have money to spare. Good to know... It's more like that thing from middle school..."
"Hey, don't go thinking anything weird! Stop making me treat you even more than you already do!"
"So the amount up until now is okay..."
"Wh—!?"
The words Yuuki-senpai muttered had the destructive power of a nuclear bomb.
Forget being a corporate slave—had I developed a slave mentality? This was bad. My body felt weak. I felt like I’d been mortally wounded in an instant. I was basically burned out to a crisp now. What was with the start of this new semester? Was I going to survive this?
"Sorry, Sajou. As a reward, I'll prepare your lunch for tomorrow."
"Pardon? Eh...?"
"Come to the Student Council Room when lunch starts."
"Eh...?"
There were plenty of things to be surprised about, but can I say one thing first? I could see nothing but a future where I was forced to help with work again. If it was a home-cooked meal, I’d at least want it from a girl. No, I didn't mean something from Nee-chan... Anyway, what was with this school's Student Council? It was bizarre for the school to only have one girl on it.
"Oh, on your way back to class, take that cardboard box to the Resource Room."
"Are you a demon?"
"And yet you're picking it up anyway..."
"Wh—!?"
"Sorry, Takuto, can you help him?"
"Yes, understood. Leave it to me."
【K4】 An abbreviation for Kaede's Group of Four. Coined by Sajou Wataru (15). It consists of four young men with exceptional looks, and they are presumed to have gathered for the sake of Sajou Kaede (18), who belongs to the Kouetsu High School Student Council. Wataru often accidentally says "4K" instead.
《Others》 A pun on "light four-wheeled vehicle."