The following morning was Monday.
I woke up at my usual time. Between the victory party and that old diary, a lot had happened over the weekend, but today marked my return to high school life. I stashed the notebook in my desk and finished getting ready.
Just as I thought a plain, peaceful daily routine was finally returning now that the election was over, I realized that life from this week onward would be anything but normal. On my way to school, I noticed an unusual amount of attention directed my way.
"Look, that's him!"
"Is that the guy who cross-dressed to support Rui-senpai?"
"Yeah, that's him. I heard he's Rui-senpai's right-hand man."
It was true. Thanks to that campaign speech I gave to support Rui's election, I had somehow become a person of interest throughout the entire school.
Well, I suppose it made sense. After all, I was Rui's—
"Seriously, don't get ahead of yourself."
As I was walking to school, basking in the attention, Yuria approached from behind and gave me a light chop to the head.
"W-What was that for, Yuria! I haven't even done anything yet!"
"You were walking like a total show-off, and you had a smug look on your face."
"What does a 'smug face' even mean!?"
As usual, almost as if she were timed to it, Yuria closed in the moment I started acting cocky. If I was going to be punished regardless, I’d rather have her sandwich my face between those thick thighs of hers... but I supposed I should behave myself for now.
"You're looking at my thighs again."
"Hmph. I already have permission from the past to look at your thighs, so there shouldn't be a problem."
"The problem isn't whether or not you have permission... Sigh, whatever. More importantly, Ryouta, you're really going to join the Student Council, right?"
"Yeah, that was the deal."
Joining the Student Council was something I had actually requested from Rui, so the matter was already decided.
"So, with Himesaki joining, there are three of you so far, right? What about Tanaka?"
"Tanaka is out of the question. Her communication skills are non-existent."
"I think you're pretty much in the same boat, Ryouta."
"Maybe, but I feel like my communication skills have been forged through my conversations with you. I'm truly grateful for that, Yuria. So, thanks."
"H-Huh? It's not like it's something you need to thank me for. I'm Ryouta's number one Understander, so it's only natural."
Yuria acted prickly as always, but her cheeks turned a faint shade of red.
Heh, just as planned... There wasn't a version of Yuria in existence who didn't get happy when I expressed my gratitude honestly like that.
"Wait, that face... You were deliberately praising me just to make me happy so you could gloat, weren't you?"
"Gulp... O-Of course not!"
"Honestly, Ryouta... I could forgive it back when you were just dense, but lately, you've been getting way too practiced at handling women. It's seriously annoying."
Crap... she noticed I was getting used to it! As expected of Yuria—she really was my greatest Understander.
"Anyway, don't go around seducing anyone but me. It's fine for me, since I can understand everything about you, but still."
"O-Oh..."
Was she saying it was okay for me to seduce her? What was that supposed to mean?
"More importantly, I think they're going to decide the groups for the school trip soon. Which destination did you pick, Ryouta?"
"Hmm? Destination?"
"You know, that survey we filled out back in our first year. Since our school is pretty well-funded for a prefectural one, we get to choose our preferred destination. The three of us all picked the same place."
"...Is that so? Uh, I wonder where I picked."
This was bad. Back in my first year, I was an ultra-loner monster who despised normies, so I might have just filled it out at random. If that was the case... there was a possibility that my destination was different from the Beautiful Girl Trio's.
"Wait, is there a chance I might end up on a loner school trip at this point!?"
I was suddenly hit by a very ominous premonition.