After homeroom, Masachika looked up at his two close friends as he gathered his things in the classroom with a peculiar relaxing after-school atmosphere.
âHuh? Takeshi, are you in the light music club today? How about the baseball club?â
âItâs a day-off today. Around this period our activities are a little irregularâ
âFuu~nâ
Takeshi and Hikaru were in a band in the light music club, but Takeshi was also in the baseball club team.
His reason for joining two clubs was âFirstly, if I can play sports and music wonât I be popular with girls?â. His reason was simple and loaded with ulterior motives but, this was the reason for Takeshiâs strongness1.
âIs Masachika going home already?â
âYeaah~ well, thereâs not much to do~â
âWhy donât you just join a club, Masachika? Itâs a little late in the season, but itâs not too late, yeah?â
âTroublesomeâ
âYouâre reallyâŠ. This is the only time you can spend your youth in club activities, right?â
Takeshi shook his head and said âFu~ really this guyâ, and looked up to the sky with theatrical movements.
âFriendships deepened through club activities! The smell of dirt, sweat and tears shed from days of effort! And thenâŠ. In the midst of all that, the feelings of love burn in blue!â
âFriendships that collapse because of difference in opinion. The smell of iron, blood and regret shed from days of effort. And thenâŠ. The feelings of jealousy burn in black when some of the aces got all the girls for themselvesâ
âStooop! Donât just bring out the dark and dull side of club activities! Our club activities ainât like that!â
âEven friendship⊠after all, is just a fragile thing, you know?â
âSee! Now Hikaruâs gone dark!â
âSorry, Hikaru. Itâs my fault so please come backâ
âLove isâŠ. Far more likely to hurt people, you know?â
Masachika and Takeshi tried their best to pull Hikaru back, who suddenly lost the lights in his eyes and started to carry dark shadows on his back.
After they somehow managed to make Yamiru-san2Â go home, Masachika parted with both of them and headed towards his shoebox.
âClub activitiesâŠ. huhâ
He muttered that in an indifferent voice while looking at the soccer club team members gathering at the schoolyard.
Different from the time in middle school where he was always really busy with the student council, now Masachika had plenty of free time for club activities. Itâs not like he never had the thought on the matter when he saw his friends enjoying their club activities.
But it never did manage to move his heart in any way. He was unmotivated. The feelings that itâs troublesome would always come forward.
For Masachika, it took a huge amount of effort to start something new.
âWell, like that is how I slowly lose opportunities and in the end, end up doing nothing thoughâŠ.â
He mumbled to himself, but only feelings of self-depreciation spread in his chest. It didnât generate enough heat to move him.
âWhoopsâ
Then, the phone in his pocket vibrated.
Just to be safe, he looked around to make sure there were no teachers nearby, and Masachika took out his phone and looked down at the message displayed on the screen.
ââŠ.Haaaâ
He then let out a small sigh and turned on his heel.
â
Going down the hallway, he knocked on the door of the room indicated by the message and opened it. Right there, the perpetrator who called out Masachika to come here, Suou Yuki, turned her head to look at Masachika.
Yuki, who had been crouching down in front of a shelf organizing equipment, smiled like a blooming flower. She held her skirt down while standing upâŠ. And immediately afterwards, she rushed over to Masachika in pitter-patter while raising a sweet voice.
âAh, Masachika-kuu~un. Come come~â
Her usual young lady-like demeanor was nowhere to be seen, and she acted cute in a strangely playful manner.
If other students were to see this, theyâd be like, âDid the princess eat something strange!?â, and get astounded by this sight but, Masachika showed a wry smile and went along with it.
âSorr~y, did you wait?â
Masachika rushed over in the same pitter-patter manner while raising a coquettish voice. Setting aside Yuki who was a beautiful girl, this one was objectively very creepy.
But, Yuki didnât seem to mind it and continued her playful act.
âNnn. I did I did~â
âHey now, right there it should be âNo, I just got hereâ right?â
âYou two are really close, huhâ
When a cold voice came from beyond the shelves lined up in the room, like a snap, Masachika stopped moving.
Still with a frozen expression, he creakily turned only his eyes that way and there, blue eyes were peeking out reproachfully from the gaps between the equipment stacked on the shelves.
ââŠ.So youâre here, Alyaâ
âYes, Iâm here. Iâm sorry, okay? That Iâm being a botherâ
âNo way, hahaâŠ.â
While he sent a forced smile to Alisa, who said that in a thorny tone, Masachika turned his eyes filled with protest to Yuki.
However, Masachikaâs cheek twitched when Yuki, who had completely returned to her young lady-like demeanor, smiled gracefully while tilting her head.
(This punkâŠ.)
He was tempted to poke her in the face just like that, but he couldnât do that in front of Alisa. Thus, Masachika coughed and covered it up.
âErr⊠so? You want me to help you organize the equipment?â
âYes. It seems just the two of us were not enough to do it⊠May I ask for your help?â
âWell, I guess I could helpâŠ. I got the feeling that I need to start with other problems first though and it doesnât feel greatâ
âIt is just your imaginationâ
âI wonderâ
Masachika headed to the back with Yuki while cracking jokes.
âAlya too, letâs do our bestâ
ââŠ.Yesâ
Alisa replied back without taking her eyes off of the equipment on the shelves. While Masachika smiled wryly at that, he received the list of the equipment from Yuki.
âFor now, could you please start from around here?â
âDesks and folding chairs. Checking for the quantity and damages, huh. Ro~gerâŠ.. Wait, Iâve been wondering since middle school but, is this a job for student councilâŠ.?â
âWho knows⊠but, it is really convenient at a time of an event to know what equipment is available, where they are, and how much you have, you know?â
âUhuh, thatâs true but⊠this, I think itâs unreasonable for two girlsâŠ.â
âJust in case, the president intends to lend us a hand later but anyhow, the president is also very busy tooâ
âI seeâ
Once again realizing the lack of human resources in the current student council, Masachika began his work.
He checked the quantity exactly as written on the list, and brushed aside the torn cushions or chairs with leg caps that had come off.
âImpressive, youâre very good at what you doâ
âGuess soâ
Masachika felt his own stamina deteriorating being subjected to Yukiâs honest praise and Alisaâs somewhat admiring gaze on his back.
(Ah~ shit, my arms starting to hurt)
He didnât show such pretense in front of the two of them, but his physical strength definitely was not as much as it had been two years ago when he had been busy with the student council.
Masachikaâs arms and hips started to sore after repeatedly lifting and lowering the stacks of folding chairs.
(Aah~ heavy tough troublesome. I shouldnât have taken this job so lightly. If Yuki just contacted me a little earlier~ I couldâve dragged Takeshi iiin~~ Now that she mentioned it, if the president is coming she didnât need to call me, didnât she?)
While making some rather petty remarks in his mind, Masachika converted his frustration into energy and worked at a very fast pace. At his back, Yukiâs voice called out to him.
âMasachika-kun, can you give me a little help?â
âHmm?â
When he turned around, Yuki looked troubled, pointing at the cardboard placed on the top-most column. Even among girls, Yuki was on the smaller side. So it mightâve been hard for Yuki to bring down the goods inside placed on the top-most column.
(I see, so you called me to do physical work and reach high places, huh)
Convinced of this, Masachika went over to Yuki and set the cardboard box down on the floor for her.
âThank you very much, Masachika-kunâ
âYeah⊠wait, whatâs this?â
The slightly open lid revealed a strangely colorful box through the gap. Out of curiosity, he opened it and found all sorts of table games inside.
âLife board games and card games⊠What are these? Why are there these kinds of things here?â
âI heard it was one of the equipment from the board game club abolished a few years back. Many of the items were bought with the school budget, so the school took them backâ
âHaa~ so thatâs itâŠ. Wait, arenât you not lending this out?â
âWe do. But most of the students are not aware that these are available for lending, thoughâ
âThought so. I mean, what are you going to use these for?â
âFor a school festival showâŠ. Or a launch of a club for example, I think? I also had a little fun at a get-together the other day to celebrate the birth of the new student councilâ
âFuuu~un, by the way who won?â
âErr~ I think it was me who won?â
âI betâ
âAnd the second place wasâŠ.â
âYou two, continue workingâ
âAh, I am sorry. Alya-sanâ
âWell, excuse meâ
Shrinking back at Alisaâs warning, the two stopped their chattering and got back to work. Reflecting, Masachika decided to not think about anything unnecessary and focus on his work.
For a short while, it was silent inside the room. What was audible was just the sound of equipment being moved around and something being written on the list. In the silence, Alisaâs Russian slipped out.
ăGive me your attention, tooă
A critical hit on Masachikaâs heart! It was a surprise attack and it was very effective!
(Ngguuuh~~! No, this is just a glimpse! This is just a glimpse of Alyaâs exhibitionism! Itâs the kind Iâm not supposed to react to!)
Biting his lips, Masachika desperately struggled to endure the coming onslaught of mushy feelings. Thatâs right, Alisa is just enjoying the thrill. Alisa is just having fun making embarrassing remarks that are supposed to go unnoticed. In other words, this is not her true feelings and itâs the kind of thing she doesnât want people to react to!
ăGive~ me~ it~, give~ me~ it, give me~ă
The pressure is.. incredibleâŠ.!
Masachika was vomiting blood in his heart at Alisa calling out in a whisper as if singing. It was not a situation where one could say she didnât mean it anymore.
(Rather, how do you feel about this!? Are you not embarrassed!?)
Masachika was screaming his thoughts inside but, even Alisa too was embarrassed.
(Hnnnngggââ!!)
Alisa writhed in agony, soundlessly. As she crouched down in front of a shelf to do her work, deep down Alisa was excited in various ways.
She glanced behind her to check, even though she knew her thoughts didnât get through.
She was relieved to see Masachikaâs back as he continued his work
(Fu, fuu~n. He didnât get it~. Itâs an easy to understand appeal tooâŠ. Tru-truly, heâs really not sensible)
They were working with their backs to each other, but in reality, those twoâs bodies were trembling in shame. It was very funny to watch from the side.
ăGive~ me~ it~, give~ me~ it~ă
(Gufuh! N-no, not yet! Thereâs still a possibility itâs not me! Itâs possible sheâs asking for Yukiâs attention, after allâ)
Yuki called out to Alisa from the entrance, though she probably hadnât noticed the state of the two of them.
âAlya-san, is something the matter?â
Alisa was startled, but quickly glossed over her appearance and tone.
âAah, Iâm sorry. I was singing a littleâăNot youă
(âNot her, all right! I knew it!)
Masachika was on the verge of being knocked out by the relentless triple combo. His legs and hips have started trembling.
âHe- hee~h, a Russian song? What song?â
Towards Masachikaâs question, Alisa suddenly looked back. She looked somewhat happy and Masachike wondered if itâs just his imagination. The truth was not clear, but for now, Masachikaâs heart took additional damage.
Masachikaâs heart died safely from the answer given with somewhat embarrassed upturned eyes.
â
âWith this, we are more or less done. Thanks for your hard work. Thank you very much, Masachika-kunâ
âThank you, you really did help usâ
âYeahâ
About an hour later, with the remarkable work of Masachika, who had put his heart and soul into it, the three of them left the equipment room having finished the work much earlier than planned. Then, a large male student approached them.
âWhat, are you done?â
âAah, president. Thanks for your hard work. And yes, thanks to Kuze-kunâs cooperation, we finished much earlier than scheduledâ
âAh, so youâre Kuze, huh. Iâm Kenzaki, the student council president. Iâve heard about you, you know? I heard youâre considerably outstandingâ
âUhuh, thanksâ
While giving a light bow, Masachika looked up at the man in front of him. Self-introduction was unnecessary, Masachika already knew who he was.
Second year, Kenzaki Touya. He was the charismatic student council president leading the current student council of the high school section.
He was a big man. In addition to being tall, he had broad shoulders and thick chest, which made him look bigger than he actually was if you looked at him up close. At a glance, he wasnât a particularly handsome man.
Rather, he had a quite old-looking face. Together with his physique, he didnât look like a second-year high school student.
However, his eyebrows were neatly groomed and his glasses were stylish.
Above all, his confidence overflowing from his expression gave him the charm and dignity that of a man.
(Now I understand, this is really quite a charisma)
Just one look at him, heâd make you feel that he was a reliable man. It naturally made you think that if you followed this person, things would go all right. To put it in a more exaggerated way, one could say he had the air of a ruler.
I was wondering what kind of man would be able to tow four really high-spec beautiful girls all by himself, but Iâd understand it if itâs this man. Masachika thought so honestly.
âThen, I will leave nowâ
âHold on. Itâd be a shame to send you home without giving anything back after receiving your help. Time is of the essence. If you like, let me treat you to a meal at leastâ
âErr, just your feelings are enoughâŠ.â
Masachika was reluctant to accept Touyaâs offer. He simply felt reserved to be treated to a meal by a senior he had just met, but at the same time he had a bad guess in his head.
To be specific, he wondered if this might have been perhaps the true purpose of Yukiâs summon. Yuki opened her mouth as if to affirm his guess.
âIsnât it fine to accept it. Either way, when you get home you wonât have any food, right?â
âYukiâŠ.â
âHmm? Why does Suou know about Kuzeâs home situation?â
Yuki replied with a clear smile towards Touya and Alisaâs very reasonable questioning look.
âWe are childhood friends after allâ
(No, thatâs not an answer)
Although Masachika wasâŠ. perhaps Touya and Alisa too were making such remarks in their mind, but Yukiâs archaic smile was so powerful that it left no room for such tactless remarks.
âIs that soâŠ. Well, that being the case then itâs just right. Suou and Kujou little sister also come too. Itâs my apology for pushing the odd jobs to you. Itâll be my treat todayâ
âItâs my pleasure to accept it, presidentâ
ââŠ.I understand. Thank you very muchâ
âEee~h seriouslyâ
The next thing he knew, he was supposed to go. To be honest, he wasnât too keen on the idea, but he couldnât bring himself to obstinately refuse. Thus, Masachika reservedly followed after them.
(So this is the strength of the student council president, huhâŠ.)
As he was thinking about that with resignation, Yuki looked back and gave him a complacent smile. Apparently, this was really her true aim.
(So this is the ploy of the student council public relation, huhâŠ.)
Masachika sighed inwardly. Going by the flow, Masachika turned his attention to Alisa walking next to him.
ââŠ.What?â
âWell, no reasonâ
âWhatâs that. Itâs usually rude to stare at a womanâs face for no reasonâ
âSorryâ
It was a valid point, so Masachika honestly reflected on it and looked forward.
(So this is the cold treatment of the student council accountant, huhâŠ.)
Masachika was thinking stupid things while having a distant look inside.
ăNow Iâm nervous, arenât Iă
Still having a faraway look, Masachika vomited blood. He could feel Alisa with a smirk on her lips glancing at him, but he had no room to spare to react. Masachika MP was already zero.
Once again in a state of nothingness, Masachika changed his shoes at the entrance and went outside.
Then after a short while, they came across a group of what seemed to be the soccer club.
They seemed to have finished their practice, and when they saw Masachikaâs group of four, they naturally moved to the side.
(No, they look at the other three not me, right)
Even as they passed each other this way, he could feel staring eyes from the side. As one would expect, Alisa was attracting the most attention.
Then Yuki, and after that was Masachika. However, the attention gathered on Masachika was, âWho is this guyâ, filled with such suspicion.
(Yeah, thatâs expected)
Masachika himself was aware that he was out of place, but he still felt a little uncomfortable.
In contrast, itâs as one would expect of Alisa and Yuki. They were gathering more attention than Masachika, but they didnât look fazed at all. They didnât even seem to care.
That didnât change even after leaving school. These two girls were even gathering the eyes of passersby. However, the three of them, except Masachika, proceeded down the street in a familiar manner and entered a family restaurant about ten-minute walk away from school.
They were guided to their table. Touya sat first at the far end, and Masachika urged the two girls to sit down first in order to not sit in front of him. However,
âMasachika-kun, please?â
âCause you know⊠Alyaâ
âWhy are you dumping it on meâ
Yuki recommended the seat in front of Touya with a nonchalant smile and Masachika passed it to Alisa with a feigning-ignorance face. Thus, a few seconds of stalemate. And it was Touya who broke it.
âJust sit down, Kuze. Youâre troubling the employeeâ
When he looked, there was indeed a young female employee standing idle, holding a tray with glasses on top of it. Masachika gave it up and sat in front of Touya. Yuki smoothly slid down her body next to him and Alisa sat down next to Touya.
ââŠ.Itâs a little late but, Isnât it against school regulations to stop by in uniform?â
âDonât mind it. Itâs not uncommon for me to be late for a student council meeting, go out to eat and then go home. Itâs a school regulation that has long since become an empty word. Never mind that and order anything you want. Anything less than a thousand yen, of courseâ
âPresident, you did lose half of your coolness with those last words, you know?â
âFuu, Manliness wonât fill your wallet, Suouâ
Touyaâs playful line softened the atmosphere, and Masachika too also relaxed his shoulders. But, it was still too early to lose focus. As soon as they finished their orders, and precisely within a thousand per person, the topic of conversation immediately turned to Masachika.
âEven so, you managed to go through all that in so little time, huh. I was prepared itâd take until tomorrow, thoughâ
Right after Touya said that, Yuki immediately chimed in.
âIt was thanks to Masachika-kun doing his best after all. As expected, having a male help really makes a difference. Especially if you are used to itâ
âI suppose youâre rightâ
âMasachika-kun is amazing, you know? He can do physical and office work without complaining, and he is also very good at negotiation and making connectionâ
âHey, Yuki. Youâre praising me too much. Overestimating someone even has limitsâ
âHoh, itâs unusual for Suou to say that much. What do you think, Kuze. Are you interested in joining the student council? Itâs just right when we donât have anyone for the general affairsâ
It came to this after all. Masachika glared at Yuki glancing at him from his side, and then formally informed Touya.
âIâm sorry but, Iâm not going to be in the student council anymore. I already learned my lesson in the middle schoolâ
âI seeâŠ. Itâs true that the work of the student council in the high school section is more exhausting than in the middle school, but itâs worth the effort, alright? Compared to other school, our school gives the student council a lot more discretionary power, and to be honest, itâs going to have a big impact on your personal evaluationâ
Touyaâs words were the truth. Being a member of the Seirei Educational Instituteâs student council was a big status in itself.
In particular, the titles of the president and vice-president, which were the institutional center of the student council, were the titles of absolute elites that transcended the boundaries of the school caste. Not to mention that it was advantageous for university recommendation, it would also hold of great significance after you entered the society.
After all, there was even a social gathering consisting only of Seirei Educational Instituteâs former student council presidents and vice-presidents, to which a great number of important figures in political and business circles belonged.
If you were able to run the student council without problems for a year, it was like a guarantee of success in the society.
On the other hand, if you were to run the student council poorly and cause problems, youâd be labeled as âincompetentâ. Nevertheless, there were still a lot of people aiming for that seat, and the quickest way to take the seat of student council president and vice-president in the next term was to pile up achievements as a member of the student council.
âUnfortunately, I donât have that much ambition or aspiration. Currently I donât plan to go to another university and the idea of having connections with big-shots isnât particularly appealing to meâ
For Masachika, who was just spending his daily lives casually without any future goal, such things were of no particular benefit, however.
âDonât say that, and letâs work together in the student council. And then, letâs run for the election again, shall we?â
âDonât increase your requests so casually. I mean, even without me youâre almost certain to be the next president, right? Youâre the former middle school student council president after allâ
âI want to work in the student council together with you, Masachika-kunâ
âDonât want to. Itâs troublesomeâ
More than 90% of the male students at school would most likely involuntarily nod their heads to Yukiâs begging, but Masachika just cut it down. Looking at them amusingly, Touya stroked his chin.
âKuze, to say Suou is surely to win the election is a big mistake, alright? There are other candidates too, and thereâs this Kujou little sisterâ
Saying that, he glanced down at Alisa sitting next to him. Lured by it, Masachika also looked at her and his eyes met with Alisaâs staring at him silently.
âAlya, are you planning to run for the next student council president election?â
âYes, Yuki-san and I are going to fight for it next yearâ
Alisa looked at Yuki in front of her. Yuki met her gaze with a calm smile. Masachika conjured up a vision of flames rising behind the two of them.
As if to break the ice, Touya now brought up a subject to Alisa.
âCome to think of it, Kujou little sister is sitting next to Kuze in class, huh. So howâs Kuze? From your point of viewâ
But as it turned out, it was an act of adding fuel to the fire.
âEven if you asked me howâs him⊠If I were to put in one word, itâs âfrivolousââ
âHoh?â
Alisa trashed him with a cold-hearted face, while Touya looked very interested.
Immediately after she glanced at Masachika, but Masachika was aware of it and could only shrug his shoulders.
Rather, âWay to go, keep at it and bring down Yukiâs exaggerated praisesâ, what a way he was thinking about.
âAlways forgetting things, and his attitude in class canât be said to be good either. It seems quicker to look for his grades from the bottom, tooâ
âMasachika-kun is.. Only doing the bare minimum when his motivation is low after all. But he always managed to just precisely not get a failing mark, thoughâ
Yuki immediately made a follow-up after Alisaâs relentless evaluation of him. Alisaâs eyebrows twitched, and flames once again appeared behind her.
ââŠ.I guess so, Iâm sitting next to him so I know his scores. Even on quizzes, heâs always avoided retests. That impressed me a little. If only he really puts his mind into it, couldnât he get high scores, is what I think, tooâ
âMasachika-kun is originally really smart after all. He was also able to make it into Seirei without much trouble. Ah, I know all this because we are childhood friends, thoughâ
âKuze-kun is not only smart but he is athletic too and yet.. heâs not very good at ball games. Sometime ago too, in basketball lesson he jammed his fingersâ
âMasachika-kun.. hasnât been good at ball games since he was little. Although I said that, I canât speak for others. Aah, Masachika-kun, your favorite in PE class is endurance run, right?â
Blazing blazing blazing
Phantom flames blazed up behind Alisa. Wondering if it hit him, sweat started to ooze out from his forehead. However, he didnât feel hot at all in reality.
It was strange that Yuki, who was facing her directly from the front, had a cool face.
âTha-thank you for waiting~â
Then, the employee called out shyly, bringing their food.
Of all places, the two beautiful girls sitting on the aisle side gave off an unusual atmosphere, and at that, the customer service smile of the employee cramped. Masachika looked over, and saw that it was the employee from earlier, holding a tray and standing still.
What a poor thing. From her point of view, today mightâve been perhaps an unlucky day.
âOh, the food came. For now, how about we start eatingâ
At Touyaâs words, Alisa and Yuki stopped their glaring showdown, and the atmosphere softened.
Masachikaâs respect towards Touya had gone up. In addition, the employeeâs favorability towards Touya had gone up. However, it would never develop into a romantic event because Touya had had a girlfriend.
â
After they had finished eating in the family restaurant, they went outside and as one would expect, the surrounding was already dark
Before that, first of all during the meal they had a friendly conversation. The host, Touya, basically did almost all the talking, Yuki took the role of moderating the situation with her high communication skills, and Masachika and Alisa wholly took the listener role so the situation didnât get out of hand.
In exchange, Masachika was invited to join the student council several times by both Touya and Yuki, but Masachika didnât nod to that.
âââThank you for the mealâââ
âYeahâ
After Touya was done paying the bill, he left the family restaurant. The three juniors each thanked him and Touya nodded humbly. Then he made a thinking face as he moved to the parking lot.
âKujou little sister is a walker, arenât you. Suou takes the train like me, howâs Kuze getting home?â
âAh, Iâll also be on footâ
âIs that so. Then Kuze, send Kujou little sister home. Iâll send Suou homeâ
âYesâ
He obediently nodded to Touyaâs words as his respects towards Touya, who was a gentleman who was able to say these things naturally, had gone up. Then, Yuki raised her hand reservedly.
âUmm, President. I really appreciate your consideration but, I will call for a car so itâs fineâ
âMu, is that so?â
âYes. I will wait here until the car arrives, so please donât worry about meâ
ââŠ. I see. Then, see you next weekâ
Masachika saw Touya off, who told them so and walked towards the station. Then Masachika made eye contact with Alisa.
âWell then, letâs go?â
âItâs not like, you have to go out of your way to send me home. Itâs fineâ
âThat reason wonât work. Câmon, letâs go. See ya, Yukiâ
âYes, see youâ
âSee you in a few days, Yuki-sanâ
âYes, Alya-san tooâ
Yuki bowed beautifully while sending them off. Masachika and Alisa started walking in the opposite direction Touya was headed.
âHow far is Alyaâs home on foot?â
âRoughly about twenty minutesâ
âI see, you sure do walk a lotâ
âHow about Kuze-kun?â
âMe? About 15 minutes I guess. Considering our walking speed, maybe the distance is not that differentâ
âOhâ
Then, silence. They were walking without being able to somehow find a topic of conversation, and a little further on, a door of a yakitori shop was opened. From inside, a group of what appeared to be salary men came out into the street.
âSheesh, what the hell do those development guys think we salespeople are!â
âChief, you had too much drinkâ
âIsoyama-san, not so loud, okay?â
A sitting middle-aged man with a red face and eyes was shouting and talking nonsense, and several men seemed to be his subordinates were soothing him.
The drunkenness was obvious. Masachika moved Alisa to the side near the road and tried to walk past them without making eye contact.
However, just as they were about to walk past them, the man called chief caught a sight of Masachika and Alisa in his eyes. Then, perhaps something didnât sit well with him, his face contorted into displeasure and he started shouting in a loud voice.
âWhaat? Having illicit sexual relationship at this hour? Sheesh, students nowadays only think of fooling around! Studentsâ duty is to study, you heeaar~~?â
âIsoyama-san! Thatâs not good!â
âLet-letâs stop at that o.. kay?â
âShut up! Besides⊠the hell.. Is that?â
Not even minding his subordinates trying to stop him, the man looked at Alisa walking in the shadow of Masachika, and snorted.
âWhat a dumb hair color. I want to see the parentsâ face. Iâm sure theyâre just the same flashy-looking, useless parents anyway!â
Alisaâs feet suddenly stopped at the man deliberately making her hear his abusive language.
âHey, Alyaâ
Sensing Alisaâs anger, Masachika urged her to ignore him to avoid trouble, but Alisa, still stopped on her feet, looked at the man with horrifyingly cold eyes. She then spat out at him with contempt incomparable to scolding she usually directed to Masachika.
âWhat a disgraceful adultâ
The voice was small, but it sounded strangely clear, even over the loud voices of the man and his subordinates trying to sooth him. The men stopped moving for a moment as if taken aback by the overly unforgiving way of speaking.
However, the man called chief immediately made an angry face and shook off the restraint of his subordinates, who had come back to their senses. With rough steps, he then came closer to Alisa.
In response, Alisa turned around and showed an attitude of not backing down butâŠ. faster than her, Masachika all of sudden wedged himself in between them.
He then faced the man approaching him with unconcealed anger, and smiled gently, seemingly out of place.
âItâs been a while, chief Isoyama. Was it since I had the chance to greet you at my older brotherâs wedding?â
âA.. ah.. huh?â
The man stopped in his tracks, caught off guard by the sudden polite greeting. He seemed to have sobered up a bit from the unexpected situation and looked at Masachikaâs face with confusion on his face.
âIâm glad to see youâre doing well. My older brother told me that you were an important business partner of our company, so I remember you wellâ
âA.. aah, yeahâ
The man nodded while bewilderment clearly spread across his whole face as if to say, âEh? Who?â.
However, towards Masachikaâs way of saying âbusiness partnerâ, impatience started to slowly appear on his face.
While the manâs subordinates and Alisa were confused by the situation, Masachika showed a gentle smile and continued as it was.
âBe that as it may⊠even at my older brotherâs wedding you seemed to be drinking a lot. I see that you really like drinkingâ
âAh, yeah, speaking of things I like, itâs this weekendâs drinking party, you see. Hahahaâ
The turn of events was too much to predict. He put his hands on her shoulders and smiled proudly as Alisa opened her eyes wide and stared at Masachika.
âSheâs really a brilliant one. A woman too good for me, I sayâ
âIs.. that so. Indeed, she seems to be an intelligent girlâ
Even while confusion still oozing out from his face, the man made the exact opposite assessment as previously with a stiff smile.
In response, still with a gentle smile, Masachika lowered the tone of his voice with eyes harboring cold light.
âDonât you agree? Also, her mother came from overseas. And she inherited her hair from her mother, you know. What do you think? Isnât it beautiful?â
âN-now I seeâŠ.â
Looking at Alisaâs obviously foreign blood in her looks up close, the man must have realized that his words were not a lie.
He looked completely sober and awkward. He faced Alisa and bowed his head slightly.
âErr.. Iâm sorry about earlier. Although I was drunk, I did say something rudeâ
Seeing this, Masachike withdrew his sharp gaze and said gently.
âI have received your apology. Youâve too, right?â
ââŠ..â
He looked at Alisa over his shoulder, though, she didnât say anything while glaring at the man.
Nevertheless, Masachika nodded approvingly. He put his hand over Alisaâs shoulder as if to hide her expression, and urged her to walk.
âWell then, we should be on our wayâ
He then left the place with Alisa. They continued for a while in silence. When the men were out of sight, Masachika removed his hand from Alisaâs shoulder and let out a breath.
âReally, youâre too reckless. You knew if you said something like that to a drunkard theyâd get angry right?â
ââŠ.My parents were insulted, you know. Just because heâs drunk doesnât mean Iâd let it passâ
âLike I said, youâre too reckless. What if he hit you or somethingâ
âIt may not be obvious, but I too learned some self-defense techniques. Iâm not soft enough to be injured by a drunkardâ
Alisaâs voice was flat, as if she was still angry and had forcibly held it down from above. Masachika scratched his head wondering what to do because he also understood how she felt.
ââŠ.Well, even that old man admitted that he was in the wrong. Youâll have to settle for that this timeâ
ââŠ.I know thatâ
Alisa let out a long, whooshing breath and regained her calm expression as per her words.
âAnyway, is the man earlier your acquaintance?â
âNo? I donât know him at allâ
ââŠ.Huh?â
When Alisa looked at him with a flabbergasted expression, Masachika then said with a faint smile.
âWell, that was a big surprise. Looks like a scam pretending to be relatives can also be successful face-to-faceâ
âHu-Huuh!? Eh, then heâs a complete stranger? What about what happened at your big brotherâs wedding!?â
âI donât have an older brother, though?â
âWa-wahâŠ.â
âWell yeah, heâs drunk and all that but, I also never thought it would go that smoothly. I was really nervous inside. Ha ha ha, glad it went wellâ
Alisa seemed to have a headache over Masachikaâs empty laugh.
ââŠ.Why, did you do that?â
âHmm? Nn~ how to put it~, it looked like he had a lot of alcohol flowing in his head after all. I was just trying to cool him down a bit by bringing up talk about work. And then thereâs also that⊠I guessâ
âWhat is itâ
Masachika glanced at the suspicious Alisa and shrugged his shoulders.
ââŠ.I was.. ticked off by that old manâs abusive words, too. I just wanted to spook him a little. Things didnât get messy and we got an apology out of him. Concerning the result, I think itâs quite enoughâ
âHaahâŠÂ I canât believe youâre able to come up with such a bunch of lies on the spur of the moment like that. You.. you have a talent as scam artists, donât you?â
âHow rude. You dare to talk like that towards this pure and innocent Masachika-sanâ
ââŠ.You sure areâ
âStop it. Donât let it go through with such empty eyes. Thatâs much more spiritually damagingâ
Snickering at Masachikaâs pathetic face, Alisa started to quickly walk ahead. After he was fast enough to line up with her, Alisa muttered in a small voice, still looking ahead.
ââŠ.Thanksâ
âYeahâ
And Masachika too responded while still looking ahead. After that, there was no conversation between the two. They kept walking in silence, and before long they came to a stop in front of Alisaâs apartment building.
âIs it here?â
âYes, thank you for escorting meâ
âYeahâ
Facing each other in front of the entrance, Masachika scratched his head while saying one last reminder.
âWell, I guess itâs uncommon to encounter something like today. Though, when youâre alone you really should just ignore it, okay? Itâll be too late if something goes southâ
âWhat? Are you worried about me?â
âYeah, I am. Youâre a bit tactless when it comes to interacting with people after allâ
Masachika replied with straight eyes to Alisa, who laughed as if to poke fun at him.
At his sincere reply, Alisa was blinking her eyes with a straight face. She then muttered a small âI seeâ.
She then spun around and looked back at the entrance over her shoulder.
ââŠ.I understand. I will.. be a bit more carefulâ
âIs that right. Then please doâ
ââŠ.â
Continuing walking a few steps, she stopped before the automatic door. Without turning around, she then called out to Masachika.
âHey, Kuze-kunâ
âHmm?â
âAre you really.. not going to join the student council?â
âOh come on, even you tooâ
âAnswer meâ
Masachika withdrew his joking smile at her firm voice that didnât allow any mischiefs or deceptions. He then replied in a similar firm voice, so as not to leave any lingering hope.
âYeah, Iâm not going to join the student councilâ
ââŠ.Ifââ
However, Alisa did not back down. Her voice sounded a little bit more impatience as she continued to speak.
âWhat if.. Iââ
But, the words were cut off there. After a few seconds of silence, Alisa said, ânoâ.
âItâs nothing. Good nightâ
âYeah, nightâ
She then went straight into her apartment building. After seeing off her back, Masachika also turned on his heel. He looked up at the night sky and muttered to himself, laughing sarcastically.
ââŠ.I wonder wha~t are they expecting from me~? Alya, and Yuki tooâ
Masachika had a slight guess of what Alisa was going to say. He guessed it, and pretended to not notice.
âThereâs.. nothing I can do anything about itâ
Masachika let out a self-mockery to himself, and walked the road home with a strange bleak feeling.
â
âIâm home~â
When Masachika returned to his apartment after sending Alisa home, he frowned seeing the shoes lined up at the entrance.
The only one living in this apartment were only two people, Masachika and his father, who was working as a diplomat and currently overseas due to his work.
And yet, there was a pair of shoes on the floor that didnât belong to Masachika nor his father.
(Didnât you say you were going homeâŠ.)
While furrowing his eyebrows, Masachika headed to the living room. When he proceeded to open the door to the living room, there was Yuki with her hair in a ponytail, dressed very casually in a long sleeve shirt and sweatpants. She was sitting on a chair and watching anime on the television, acting as if she owned the place.
âAh, welcome back~. Did you properly send Alya-san home?â
âNo, why are you here?â
âEh? Itâs because Iâll be staying here todayâ
âNo, I never heard of thisâ
âI never said itâ
Her eyes still fixed on the television, Yuki said this without shame.
Her appearance and attitude were a fry cry from the perfect young lady-like she showed at school. It was the sort of complete change that if a person were to see this for the first time, they might have mistaken her for someone else.
Then the anime Yuki was watching ended, and the commercial started playing.
That was a commercial for a live-action adaptation movie based on a famous dark fantasy manga. Pointing to it, Yuki suddenly spoke.
âAh, Iâm going to see this tomorrowâ
âFuun~â
âNo, you also come tooâ
âNo, like I said I never heard of thisâ
âLike I said I never said itâ
Sighing at Yukiâs complete no-shame state, Masachika glanced at the commercial.
âBy the way, werenât you in the opposition faction against live-action adaption movies like this?â
âStop right there!â
At Masachikaâs casual remark, Yuki suddenly shouted with her palm up, and started to speak rapidly.
âI know. I know from the time of its casting itâs 8 / 9 out of 10 a land mine! Honestly, the PV gives off nothing but bad feeling! But I donât think itâs right to bash them without actually watching it. Maybe itâs not a land mine. Maybe there could be gold reserves buried waiting to be found in there! I know. Because there are people like me who are willing to spend money for it there are so many bad live-action movies out there, I know that. I know all that!!â
âNo, this tension. Whatâs with this tension? Itâs like youâre about to confess a secret Iâm completely not supposed to know kind of tensionâ
âI.. Know! That my onii-chan and I are not actually blood related. I.. know all that, you know!?⊠wait, what are you making me say~. We are stroongly3 related by blood, arenât we~â
âSaying strongly related by blood, thatâs a power wordâ
âWell, I mean⊠thereâs some right? Siblings, but on the contrary, actually theyâre cousins~4 something like that. In that situation wouldnât you say theyâre related by blood?â
âAaah~ there is. The ones that are safe because theyâre cousins not siblingsâ
âOf course there is. You reeaally donât understand anythingâ
âUnderstand what?â
When Masachika tilted his head in puzzlement, Yuki suddenly opened her eyes wide and shouted strongly.
âStupid bastard!! Itâs good because theyâre blood-related siblings isnât it!!â
âWhat the hell is good!?â
Suou Yuki. At school, sheâs just a childhood friend, thatâs the setting. But in fact, sheâs Masachikaâs otaku friend and⊠taken into custody of her mother when her parents divorced, Masachikaâs real.. blood-related younger sister.
TL notes:
^1. æŻ ăźæŻ wordplay I guess? Takeshi no Takeshi. æŻ = strong
^4. ćŸć ćŠč (read as itoko in the raw) the original Japanese. First 2 kanjis together are âItokoâ = elder male cousin. The last 2 kanjis together are âKeimai/Kyoudaiâ = older brother and younger sister / siblings. So I used cousins instead in the TL. Iâm not really sure. I cant read Japanese without helps of tools.
Other changes:
1. As per this chapter I also changed one part in the synopsis. âI want you to pay attention to me ,tooâ â> âGive me your attention tooâ. Because of this chapter. the latter also makes the LN more understandable overal imho.
2. Lines of a conversation in chapter 3:
âWhatâs wrong?â
âNo, rather, whatâs wrong with you!?â
âItâs my thanks for getting my socks. Itâs a reward for you, right?â
âWell, itâs a reward only to peculiar peopleâŠ.â
âOh my? Arenât you one of them?â
âIâm not! Howâs this a reward!?â
âItâs a reward for me thoughââ>âMe too thoughâ
Masachikaâs understanding would make more sense too. It could refer to her being a peculiar person too, or her not being a peculiar person too. Hence, Masachikaâs misunderstanding. But why itâs a win-win situation for Masachika if heâs denying it? Dunno. Prolly heâs just denying it on the surface, but actually happy putting the socks on her, a beautiful girl. Could be another mistranslation on my part. It also makes chapter 4 makes more sense.Iâll be using my excuse of not being able to read Japanese without tools here again hahaha.
I guess thatâs so far whatâs on top of my head. I made some other ninja fixes too on previous chapters but I already forget what the others are. I only remember the one I think as significant.