The day after my substitute holiday arrived. Routine school life was starting up again. It only took a day to get used to the inconvenience of a useless left hand; I’d realized that if I actually tried, I could do just about anything with only my dominant one. Now, I just had to be careful not to use the left one out of habit.
Mom gave me a ride and dropped me off just before the school gate. Considering I was thinking about how much easier the injury made my commute, I might have been a bit too optimistic, just like Natsukawa said. As I sluggishly climbed out of the light wagon, the Kouetsu students walking nearby began to buzz. Yes, as it turned out, I was a celebrity at school—as if.
"Nee-chan... you’re standing out."
"It’s not like I’m doing this because I want to," she snapped.
Behold the arrival of the 49th Kouetsu High School Student Council Vice President.
Think about it. On a perfectly safe sidewalk, a fierce beast is suddenly unleashed from right behind a demoralized, wounded little man. It was more than anyone should have to endure. If it were me, my knees would’ve buckled.
With her mouth pulled into a triangle and her eyes fixed in a glare, she looked exactly like an ogre swearing revenge on Momotaro. Even though she’d saved time by being driven to school instead of walking, she still had that utterly clouded gaze. It felt like my life force would be sucked away just by passing her. I had no idea why she even bothered putting makeup on that face anymore.
"Hey, let’s go."
"..."
The guys gave her looks of pure terror. Ignoring them and the high-pitched squeals of the girls, Nee-chan led the way. I wondered why she insisted on cutting right through the middle of the path despite acting so annoyed. Move to the side; if this were a shrine visit, you’d be walking the path of the gods. And stop walking like you’re cutting through the wind; the kamaitachi-like draft is hitting me in the face.
"Do you have your painkillers and spare bandages?"
"I brought them," I answered honestly as she checked in without looking back. It seemed she viewed me as some dullard who couldn't even manage his own injury. I felt a bit slighted, but thinking about it calmly, I wasn't exactly in a position to complain after stabbing my own hand with cloth shears.
"Where are the documents for the next Sports Festival and the draft guidelines for the Student Council Election?"
"Of course I don't have them."
What is this woman saying without even making eye contact... she’s fully intending to use me as an errand boy until she retires from the Student Council. Either worry about me or dump work on me, pick one. Actually, don't pick one—don't give me work in the first place. I'm not even on the Student Council.
"Why is there so much walking to get to the school gate?"
"Probably because the grounds are huge?"
""...Haaah.""
"——Hey, you gloomy siblings over there."
Just as our sighs overlapped—a rare moment of sibling synchronicity—a sharp, brave voice, like a cutter knife slicing through the air, called out to us. I looked over to see Shinomiya-senpai standing tall near the school gate, watching us with a reproving gaze.
"Here I thought you two were actually getting along, and yet you're both sighing first thing in the morning. Just watching you is draining my vitality."
"It's Rin. Carry me to the classroom," Nee-chan groaned.
"What a terrible thing to say to the Disciplinary Committee President, Shinomiya-senpai. If you take this Nee-chan off my hands right now, I'll pretend I didn't hear a thing."
"Wh-What is this... troublesome energy...?"
In a situation where frustration was building, an upright and serious person like Shinomiya-senpai was the perfect target for venting. I wanted her to accept the full weight of my feelings; what I needed right now was a reliable, "good grief" type of big sister. Definitely not the "aggressive" type.
"Honestly... what a pathetic display for a Student Council Vice President. Did you lose your focus just because the Cultural Festival ended?"
"That’s right, Student Council Vice President. Don’t release an aura that intimidates everyone around you with those murky eyes. Do your own work yourself."
"You..."
"Hey, don't use me as a shield!" Shinomiya-senpai barked.
"Hie!"
For an ordinary person, she would be a wall of flesh, but Shinomiya-senpai was literally an iron wall protecting me. I thought for a moment that I could win against Nee-chan—but a second later, Shinomiya-senpai grabbed my tie and hauled me out in front of her. I could do nothing but shrink back while being glared at by these two powerhouses.
"Haa... I mean, the Cultural Festival is over, and the next Sports Festival is your responsibility, right? We just need to skim the docs and sign off, then we're done."
"That may be true... but that’s not the point. As a role model for students... ——Hm?"
While I was protecting my head with both hands as a defense mechanism, she grabbed my left wrist and gently lifted it. As her gaze moved from the back of my hand to the palm, the look in her eyes changed instantly.
"Th-That's a major injury! What on earth happened!?"
"E-Err...?"
Judging from her panic, Shinomiya-senpai hadn't heard about my injury. When I glanced at Nee-chan, she had her arms crossed and silently shook her head. Apparently, she hadn't told Shinomiya-senpai a thing.
"Ah—... well, you see—"
"I'll explain. You, get going," Nee-chan said, the back of her hand shoving my shoulder. The force sent me stumbling past the school gate and onto the grounds. It was a push that brooked no argument. Shinomiya-senpai’s intense gaze was fixed straight on Nee-chan, demanding an explanation.
"...Well then, excuse me."
A confrontation between two with such high Individual Values. It was best not to get involved. Even though I was a primary party to the mess, I decided to flee like a mere bystander. I couldn't tell if Nee-chan would tell her the truth or spin a lie.
I closed my eyes and offered a quick bow. Until I reached the school entrance, I made sure not to look back at Shinomiya-senpai's face.
I entered the classroom and looked at the clock above the blackboard; the hands were in the same position as my usual arrival time. Since I’d taken advantage of the car ride to leave home later than usual, it had coincidentally balanced out.
"...?"
Was it my imagination? Even though most of the students were already there, the atmosphere in the classroom felt a bit heavier than usual. Don’t tell me... is it because of my injury? No, no, that’s an exaggeration. I’m not that central to the class.
"Hey... hey, Yamazaki."
"Oh, Sajou! I heard you got hurt. Look at you, coming to school like it's nothing."
"What's so weird about that?"
I spoke to Yamazaki, who was hanging out with a few others while leaning against the lockers in the back. He was reading the room and speaking in a slightly hushed voice. As expected of a fellow high school debut guy, he was a man who could sense the vibe. He hadn't forgotten the days when we lived and breathed by gauging people's reactions. I wished he’d treat girls with that same sensitivity.
"What's the deal? Why is it so quiet in here?"
"Ah—... well, you see...? Take a look at the girls at their desks."
"Yeah...?"
Certainly... now that he mentioned it, quite a few of the girls were sitting in total silence. Looking closer, several of them felt "off." They were at their desks, their backs completely stiff. Shirai-san, Okamo-chan... ah.
"Did you notice?"
"W-Where's Sasaki...?"
"He came to school with Saito-san, and the two of them disappeared immediately."
"U-Ugh..."
"The influence of the class's 'healers' being depressed is massive..."
"That damn Sasaki..."
I let out a slightly repulsed sound at the words of Iwata and Yamazaki, who were speaking with pure envy. That’s right... the girls who liked Sasaki weren't just his sister Yuki-chan and Saito-san.
While reflecting on how I’d underestimated his influence, I looked around the room and met eyes with Ichinose-san, who was sitting in a nearby seat. I could tell from her lips that she whispered "Ah." She stood up in a panic and approached me timidly.
"——U-Um..."
"Ichinose-san. Good morning."
"G-Good morning..."
"Sorry for worrying you, okay?"
"Ah...!"
I waved my left hand, which was thick with bandages. Ichinose-san's face went pale with shock, and she moved her hands frantically to stop me. Given how much padding was there, it probably looked like I was treating a severe wound with total recklessness.
"Y-You mustn't...!"
"My bad, my bad."
Ichinose-san gripped my sleeve tightly. I could feel her sincerity from the strength of her hold. It was painful to see her large, round eyes wavering like that. Influence... so this was influence, huh...
"Uhee, looking at it like that, it looks pretty painful."
"Looks like a total chunibyo move."
"Hey, stop it. He's self-conscious about it."
"...Aren't you worried about Sajou-kun?"
Actually, I hated the teasing more than the pain. I could've just leaned into it and acted like an edgelord, but when a girl was genuinely worried like Ichinose-san, it was hard to know how to react. As expected, Ichinose-san was fuming at Yamazaki and Iwata's detached attitudes.
"Eh? I mean—"
"He's not gonna die, right?"
"Eh."
Well, I guess guys are just like that.