CH#143

#143

Late afternoon on a weekday.

It’s free time for the students who have summer vacation, but that’s not the case for the people around me right now.

Even now, I can see working people busily walking outside my window.
I was sipping coffee while watching them, a moment that only the students are allowed to have.

My current location is a coffee shop in front of the station.
I was waiting alone at the place where I had made a promise to Shiraishi, though one-sidedly.

Inside the store, there were a few young college students who also seemed to be out on their summer vacation, and a office worker who had come to have a late lunch.

They all already left, as I continued waiting in the quiet café while gazing outside the window.

In this situation, if I had an English newspaper or a laptop with an apple logo, wouldn’t I look like a sophisticated person?

It’s too expensive, though, and there’s a high probability that it catch many eyes.

I often see them at Starbucks, and it is a mystery to me those people like to work at those places.
I wonder if it’s because I’m not a sophisticated person that I don’t understand or it’s just because I think that the stares and noise from the surrounding would disrupt my concentration and would make me less efficient.

But I guess this is also prejudice.
It’s just a prejudiced thinking, and according to them it should be efficient.

I wonder when I started to think this way.
In fact, I think that this could be a topic for the independent research.　

But I’m also sure that Shizuku and the others will reject it again…　

We’ve strayed too far off the topic, so let’s get back where we left.

After parting with Shiraishi, Shizuku and Kirasaka complained harshly to me, and I was made to do my summer homework until the next day…or rather till morning today, as originally planned.

The summer vacation homework was going well, with just the independent research remaining.

I can say that it was a rather good accomplishment.
Never before have I been able to complete so much work so early in the summer vacation.

It would have been so much easier if I could have said that all I had to do now was enjoy my summer vacation.

The reality is different.
The problems are piling up.

The same goes for the student council. Shizuku, Kirasaka, and Koizumi.
And then there is this issue of Momiji Shiraishi, which is going on right now.

The only thing left to do is to finish this task.
Now that I’ve reached a point where I can’t back down, all I can hope for is that it won’t cause me any more trouble in the future.

The first cup of coffee was finished, and as I turned my gaze back to the counter to order a second cup, the bell rang to signal the arrival of a customer.

I heard the shopkeeper’s bored voice and the sound of footsteps approaching.

The footsteps were approaching towards me without hesitation.

“S-sorry to keep you waiting …senpai.”

“Nah, you’re earlier than time.”

Ten minutes earlier than the appointment, Momiji Shiraishi came to the café earlier than I expected.

After ordering Shiraishi’s portion along with the second cup, the conversation began.
Without a word from either side, we both eventually started to converse.

“I’m sorry about yesterday …May I continue the rest of the story?”

“No, …I didn’t expect them two to be there either…The rest of the story is the reason you ran for the president, right?”

“Yes…”

The conversation was interrupted when she finished telling why she joined the yearbook committee and was about to speak about her reason for being the student body president.

The moment Shiraishi brought her mouth close to mine, we were interrupted by Shizuku’s and Kirasaka’s ‘swords’.

If she didn’t ask this, the conversation would neither move forward nor backwards.

I sat deep on my chair and waited for Shiraishi’s words, when she began to speak in a low voice volume.

“I-I’ve been …longing to spend my high school life in my ideal student council.”

“Longing and ideal, huh…”

The conversation just ended with ‘ideal’.
…Just a simple word.

In order to do that, she has to take advantage of what she can. …After thinking about it, she should have arrived at the answer to make Shizuku, Kirasaka and the others join the student council.

In other words, the perfect student council that she is looking for is the one that she wants to create and organize.

“Is that all?”

If that’s the case, then president just bought it.

She was overestimated and not just by the president, but everyone, including me.

Her words were big, but when the truth was revealed, it was just a common reason i.e. self-satisfaction.
That’s all there is to it.

But that wasn’t the only reason why Akane Hiiragi was paying attention to Momiji Shiraishi.

As far as I know, president’s insight has never been wrong.

That’s why I’m also curious about this student named Shiraishi.

“C-can you really listen to me without laughing?”

Shiraishi blushed and asked me the same question as yesterday.
Naturally, the reply was the same.

“I told you yesterday that I can’t say without hearing the details first.”

“W-well, yes…”

Then she cleared her throat and looked at me.
You can see the seriousness in her eyes.

My gaze automatically became focused, and I felt a little nervous.

“Isn’t it great to have a student council with beautiful girls and boys?”

“……………………”

She earnestly, honestly, seriously said that.
We’ve known each other for less than two days, but she said that with the most serious expression I’ve ever seen.

I was speechless, that’s all I could say.
I must probably have the most dumbest expression in my life on my face right now.

But I couldn’t deny the fact that I was so shocked by Shiraishi’s words that my mind completely stopped thinking.

ToC

#142

Momiji Shiraishi.
First-year student at Sakuranaoka Academy.

Blood type: B
Hobbies: Reading and taking a walk with her dog.

2nd of three sisters and a member of the yearbook committee at our school.

<TL: Sorry(＞﹏＜), I've been translating 'yearbook committee' as 'grade committee' in previous chapters, I'll correct them soon.>

Not a member of any clubs, but is a candidate for the next student council.

She is highly trusted by the teachers, and they hope that she will become a role model for the next generation of students similar to Hiiragi Akane.

In order to meet their expectations, Momiji Shiraishi, who was running for the student council president, found the answer to her question: she should be disciplined and bold.

Just as Akane Hiiragi is, she should be as well.
As a result, the usually calm and friendly student turned out to be the one who announced that she was going to transform the student council.

In reality, she was not far from the president, but she wanted to get as close as possible.
Which resulted in the idea of Shizuku and the others joining the student council is what she told me in a low voice.

“In fact, I wasn’t even going to join the yearbook committee …but since I had the best grades in my class, my homeroom teacher encouraged me to join and…”

“So you didn’t decline?”

“…Yes”

As a result, Shiraishi, who was basically excellent, was able to handle the yearbook committee without difficulty. It would have been more convenient for her if she wasn’t able to.

“If I don’t have the right words and the answers to the questions people might ask …I get nervous and have trouble communicating further.”

“So, did you also prepare questions for today’s conversation?”

“Um …I made a lot of predictions of the situations that may occur. …But I hadn’t expected Kanazaki-senpai and Kirasaka-senpai to be present there.”

Complete waste of talent.
She is constantly just trying to compensate for her weaknesses in human relations, but if an unexpected situation arises like this, she can’t deal with ti.

It’s more correct to say that she can’t handle it flexibly.
That’s why she was so upset and worried when I came to the canteen.

I guess she’s just clumsy.
But I’m sure she has the talent to make up for it.

Preparing all the questions and answers correctly is not something I would normally think of doing.

It is different from the questions asked in a job interview.

To be honest, it’s not worth the effort to do it for everyday conversations.

However, there are students I know who can’t hold a conversation without doing so. Once again, I was reminded that there are many peculiar students enrolled in this school.

“I understood what you were saying about the yearbook committee …but wasn’t it your own decision to run for the student council?”

“Of course it was! It’s also true that I want to make the school a better place! But, but…”

She said the end part so quietly that I couldn’t hear it.
Shiraishi, who was looking slightly embarrassed with blushed cheeks as she as she fiddled with her fingers, looked up and asked.

“Y-you won’t laugh, right?”

“Heh”

“That’s the part where you have don’t have to laugh!”

“How am I supposed to know if I have to laugh or not if I don’t even know what it is?”

Who do you think I am?
I’m not so nice as to give you the answer you expect, little girl.

I’m not sure if she understood my intentions or not, but Shiraishi muttered, “That’s true.” and then moved her face closer to mine, concerned about her surroundings.

As if she didn’t want anyone else to hear, she closed the distance like a small child who wants to talk in private.

Just right in front of my eyes.

When her breath hit my face and she was just about to mutter something, right at that moment,,,

“It” passed between me and Shiraishi.

The wooden desk creaked and a roar echoed throughout the room.
There was a slight pain in my nose, but Shiraishi was uninjured.

She just sat with her eyes wide open, stunned.

Of course she was, and so was I.
I don’t know what happened.

All I know is that something passed between us at a really high speed from a blind spot. But I soon found out…

It was the voices of the two girls whispering in my ear…

“It looks like you’re having fun, Shinra-kun.”

“It looks like you’re having fun, Minato-kun.”

The word “demon” flashed through my mind.
A figure that seemed to be at the end of its life was standing beside me.

“Ah, no, this…”

“Hiiiik!! Demon!?”

“”What?””

“I-I-I’m sorry!”

It was Shizuku’s and Kirasaka’s hands that intervened between me and Shiraishi.

They should have been just hands, but they were looking like katanas.

They were gleaming with deadly energy that could have decapitated me at any moment. In fact, it was grazing my nose right now.

But then again, even if Shiraishi were to be honest, there are some things she couldn’t say.

No, …I couldn’t help it since my mind was also distracted for a second.

The two who were called demons looked at her with anger that you was not normally imaginable.

Shiraishi, completely frightened and shrinking, cowered to hide under the table.

They turned their gaze from Shiraishi to me and brought their hands back down. They grabbed me by the sides and dragged me towards the exit.

“Why would you just buy a drink and talk to that girl?”

“You can never be too careful.”

“You seem to have misunderstood something …I was just checking the situation.”

I tried to explain, but they didn’t seem to listen and continued asking their questions. Shiraishi, who was still hiding under the table, seemed to have something to say.

“We’ll continue rest tomorrow at …around three o’clock in the coffee shop in front of the station.”

“Yeah, …no, it’s not like I’m going to go on a date with someone I’ve just met…”

“No, our conversation hasn’t finished yet.”

Even though I said that, it seemed weird to end the conversation up like that, and also, I won’t be able to sleep because of my curiosity.

At Shiraishi’s comment, I felt a dull pain in both of my arms that had been grabbed, and I turned my gaze to look up, but the two of them walked with straight faces as if nothing had happened.

“A-And should I wear plain clothes!?”

“Rely on your notepad.”

Isn’t that the reason she’s making the ‘conversation notebook’?

I’d like to see it in action.

The last thing I saw was a clumsy kouhai hitting her head while trying to get up from under the table.

<TL>: End of arc, I’ll continue after a week again like always.

ToC

#141

A girl was sitting on a chair in the canteen shrinking her body in front of me as if she was depressed.

It was hard to believe that she was the same person who we had sat face to face speaking boldly about the future of the student council in the student council room not too long ago.

The dignified expression on her face, the strong and sharp eyes, and the self-confident demeanor were all gone.
There just stood a quiet, ordinary girl.

“Would you like some …tea?”

“O,Oh, thank you…”

I handed her a cup of tea that I had just bought, and she accepted it without hesitation.

In a closed room, completely empty except for the two of us, a silent atmosphere prevailed.

I looked at Shiraishi as she drank the tea I gave her, and remembered what Hino-kun had said.
I wondered which of the three were the real Shiraishi: the smiling, friendly Shiraishi in his memory, the current Shiraishi, or the one we had seen in the student council.

No, ‘real’ is probably not the right word.

All of them are her, and all of them are correct.
But I couldn’t figure out which was her true self.

But when I saw her sitting in front of me, the first thing I thought was that she looked more natural than when she was in the student council room.

When I didn’t ask any questions and just looked at Shiraishi to observe her, she swam her gaze around, perhaps feeling awkward, and then Shirasaka began to speak in a low volume of voice.

“S-senpai, you don’t want to ask me anything… well, not that I have anything to say…”

“If you want me to listen to you, I will, but there are some things you might not want me to hear.

Any unnecessary probing can lead to unnecessary disputes.
What’s more, I really feel that it’s hard for me to ask, because I was the one who opposed in the student council room.

But I can’t just pretend I didn’t see it and turn around.

If she were as easy to talk to as Shizuku and Kirasaka, I could still find a way to start a conversation with her, but that’s not the case with her.

I’m sure she’s a type of person I’ve never dealt with before, and that’s what makes her troublesome to deal with.

However, I can’t just remain quiet.
What kind of punishment is this, both of us in a silent room?

I turned my gaze onto the desk to start a conversation.
There, in both of Shiraishi’s hands, was a notepad.

That’s the same notepad she was holding in her hands when she was huddled in the corner.

“Is it …important?”

“Eh? Oh, this?”

I was curious about what was so important about an ordinary notepad with nothing unusual about it, so I asked her directly.
Shiraishi moved the notepad quickly to her back to hide it from my view.

“No, this is not particularly important. …Aaah, it’s important, yes, but…”

“But it looked as if you just filled a page.”

“…”

Please don’t look at me so coldly.
It’s as if I’m the one who took a peek.

Isn’t it your responsibility to take care of your privacy?
You should be grateful to me that I took notice of it, but you’re blaming me instead.

It was my usual crooked way of thinking, but nothing came to my mind after that.

After a few minutes of silence, not yielding to the silent pressure, I just took a few glances and waited for a response. Shiraishi let out a big sigh, as if she had given up.

“If you’ve already seen it …then it can’t be helped, this…”

“Ah, I can’ t see what’s written.”

I started speaking like some kind of villain, but before Shiraishi could finish her sentence, interrupting her.

I don’t know why I felt the urge to say this, but I did.

It’ll be a good idea to lie low and just state the facts.
Shiraishi, who had even made a serious expression, blushed and turned over in embarrassment.

“T-th-this is the conversation notebook I carry around with me on a daily basis!”

“Keep going…”

I don’t hate that attitude of not being affected by what others say…
With a blush, she stuck out the ‘conversation notebook’.

Words were written all over the page which was opened in that notebook.
It was a cute little notepad, with the round girlish letters and some occasional emoticons and symbols scattered throughout.

However, there was one thing that bothered me…

//How to get a boyfriend during summer vacation!//

“Hey, isn’t this the wrong page?”

“Eh? … Ah-Kyaa!? No, this isn’t it! It was this one!”

She hurriedly flipped through a few pages, and this time she opened the right one and Shiraishi handed it to me.

The letters were still round, but this time there were no distracting symbols on the page anymore.

It was just a normal memo.
Since she had made a fatal mistake before this, I didn’t care about the symbols and pictures.

The page had that much of an impact on me.

I suppressed the urge to turn back the pages of the notepad I had received and looked down at the page.

On the page, there was a self-introduction, answers to questions about her blood type, how she spent her holidays, and explanations of her hobbies and specialties.

It was as if she had prepared her answers to the questions in advance.
…just as if it was test.

“It’s like an answer sheet.”

I said, expressing my honest impression.
I wondered how she even bothered to write down her hobbies, skills, and her holiday plans

It’s not like she’s going to have an interview.
I was impressed with myself for having found such a strange and rare case of a female student.

“Haa…”

Shiraishi, who had become so absorbed in reading what was written there, let out a deep sigh.
Then she spoke briefly about her feelings in a voice so faint that we could only hear because we were the only two people there.

“It’s over ….my high school life.”

“Don’t end it without any permission.”

There she was, shrinking again as if she had reached her end.

<Author>: I’ll write more about Momiji Shiraishi in the next chapter!

ToC

#140

<Author>This is my first update for this year.

Happy New Year!

<TL> Double sized chap!

She had a fearless smile on her face.

Those fearless, yet serious words caused a stir in the room.

“If you don’t use what you can, whether you’re a senior or a junior, in the end it will be nothing but just your imagination.”

The way she said it was annoying, but it was the kind of answer I liked.

Shiraishi’s words were mixed with statements that sometimes made sense to me.

I hate the word “trust”.
I hate the word “friendship”.

It’s so easily spoken and can be easily broken.
I don’t know why I can’t trust those words when I hear them yet I use them often.

It’s a way of thinking that is unique to people with twisted personalities, and may not be understood by other people.

However, this is my way of thinking, and I will never waver from it.

Rather than being explained away with words like “trust” and “friendship,” it would be more refreshing to be told honestly that I want to use you.

I would feel much better if she honestly said that she wanted to use me.

There is no need to think about expectations or distrust.

That’s why I was able to understand what Shiraishi Momiji said.
She was not very good at saying, “Senpai is necessary for the student council!” I would have kicked her out of the room if she had said something like that.

“…Isn’t it okay to use whatever can be used? It’s better to bold if she wants to become the student council president.”

“Minato-kun…”

I eased myself up and turned to Shiraishi and told her.
I heard Shizuku gasp in amazement next to me, but it wasn’t the first time.

This time we were talking about who would be the student council president, not about my personal ideas.
Hearing my words, Shiraishi continued with an even stronger stance.

“Shinra-senpai is the crucial person to bring the seniors together to create my ideal student council. If the seniors have no reason to join the student council, then we just have to make one…In order to secure the necessary human resources—“

“—but I didn’t say that I’ll be on the student council next year, did I?”

I told this in a higher voice so as to interrupt her.
Yes, I didn’t say it.

I never said that I would continue to be a part of this student council next year.

The only reason I’m here now is because Akane Hiiragi made me join the council.
I’m not complaining ring now, but it doesn’t mean I didn’t have dissatisfaction at the beginning.

However, once I decided to start, I couldn’t abandon it till the next year.
This is not a matter of student council or anything like that, but my own personal determination.

It’s easy to run away and say you can’t do it or that it’s not worth it, but that’s only when you start something on your own.
I don’t want to abandon something where people are expecting something from me.

It’s my petty pride.

But that was going to end when Akane Hiiragi’s student council finished.
There would be no seat for me in the student council led by Koizumi.

If I may use Shiraishi’s way of thinking, then it could be said that the right person should be in the right place.
This school has plenty of talent.

There is no place for a half-hearted person like me.

At these words, the student council members, including the president, darkened their expressions a little.

As if they knew I was going to do that, no one interjected.

“Eh …but, in principle, the student organization members will continue to work …if there are no opposing candidates.”

“That’s something that applies to students elected in regular student council elections, and has nothing to do with me or Hino-kun.”

In response to Shiraishi’s genuine question, I responded immediately with a stronger voice.

This is an undeniable fact.
I had asked Sudo-sensei, the teacher in charge of the student council, about this once before.

I asked whether or not it was necessary for me to join the newly established student council after the president graduated.

As Shiraishi said, in principle, the student council members are supposed to continue their activities if there are no opposing candidates.

The position of president’s assistant is not well known among the students, since it was created by Akane Hiiragi on her own.

That’s why we were free to leave or continue, was the answer Sudo-sensei gave me.

Originally, it was a special case that we joined the student council, and it was only because of Akane Hiiragi’s achievements and the strong support from the faculty that she was able to force us to join.

It was also unclear whether I would have to continue to participate in the student council next year.

Because it was unclear, I decided that it would be appropriate to visit the teacher in charge, Sudo-sensei, rather than the president herself.　

In other words, there was no need for me to act under Shiraishi’s direction in the new student council.

Shizuku, Kirasaka, and Yuuto are not bound to join …because of me.

The students would not be happy if they were represented by someone with such an immoral reason for joining the student council.

The problems that are the cause of the problem should be eliminated in advance.

“B,But the seat for assistant to the president is not a regular student council election position…”

“…It’s the whims of president if I say I’m here.”

After saying that, I shift my eyes to the president.

Where president was present with a slight smile on her face.

I don’t really know if it was a whim or not.
I don’t feel good about telling someone I’ve never met before what I’m not sure about, but if I ask her now what it really was, I’m sure she’ll just say nothing.

Listening to me, Shiraishi turned her head in thought.

She put her hand on her chin and put her left hand on her elbow to think, similar to Kirasaka.

She is probably organizing the information from the conversation so far in her mind.

She’s certainly excellent, as she isn’t making any hasty moves.
It also proves that she has an accurate grasp of the current situation.

There’s nothing wrong with using what you can, I said that.
But if I’m going to be used, I won’t let them use me easily.

This is the Shinra Minato-kun’s style.

…Don’t judge whether he’s twisted or innocent now.

Human beings consider themselves to be the most important, and they do not like to have something decided without their permission.

Even if it is right or wrong.

“Having advance information—“

“Having advance information is good, but you didn’t get enough of it. Go start over from the yearbook committee instead of the student council.”

“…Don’t say my lines… And the last sentence was unnecessary.”

I was about to put an end to this conversation with a stern look on my face, but Kirasaka next to me completely took the best part.
And she added her own poisonous words at the end.

“…”

Shiraishi’s gaze directed at us was not as sharp as before.

I guess it can’t be helped that the mechanism she assumed was different from the way I and Hino-kun joined.

It’s only natural for first-year students who don’t know about last year’s student council elections to think that, so soon after entering the school, people in the student council are joining in ways other than the usual.

“Rei, and Shinra, don’t make too much fun of first-year student …Sorry, we’ll call it a day. Also sorry for calling you on your summer break.

“No, I’m sorry”

Responding briefly to the president’s words, Shiraishi bowed and left the student council room.

I was expecting her to take some kind of action, so I was prepared to end it quickly.

I don’t think it was my imagination that Shiraishi’s back seemed smaller than when she had entered the room.

Sighs echoed through the student council room.
Miura, Hino-kun, and Koizumi, who had remained silent throughout, let out deep breaths as if they were extremely exhausted.

“Shinra…when did you visit your teacher?”

President turned to me and asked.

“As soon as we talked about me joining the student council, I was wondering what would happen if the president left…”

“That’s good preparation.”

After saying so, she left her body on the chair with a wry smile.
The President seemed to be tired, and a moment of silence spread out.

The silence was ended by Miura’s question.

“From what I’ve seen today, I don’t think he’s going to lose now…”

Koizumi, who was sitting next to Miura, bent down a little as if to curl his back and shrink at those words.
He looked unreliable, as if his lack of self-confidence was oozing out of him.

‘That’s because there’s no one here to support her, and Shiraishi’s opinion is something that the majority of students have thought about at least once.”

Well, that would certainly be true.

No one would deny if Shizuku, Kirasaka, and Yuuto were to join the student council.

It’s the perfect thing to do.
It’s the thing that everyone will agree on.

“Since…Yuuto and the others are popular, it would have been be a troublesome election.”

“That’s right.”

Shrugging her shoulders, president turned to Hino-kun in the corner of the room.

“Is this student, Momiji Shiraishi, usually like that? She seemed a little different from what I ‘d heard from the teachers.”

“No, I was under the impression that she was more talkative and smiled more …I was also surprised at the extent to which she was different from what she was supposed to be.”

It is certainly different from today’s impression.
I don’t know much about her, so I can’t say for sure…

“…Isn’t that your true self?”

“I don’t know, I don’t know her very well either, so I can’t what’s true and what’s not…”

…Does she usually play the role of an honor student, or was she playing the role of a tough student today?

In either case, it’s clear that there are sides to her that are not her true self.

“…I’m going to get a drink.”

I left my seat and put my hand on the door of the classroom.

When I turned around, I saw the president of the school and other members of the class planning future measures based on the conversation that had just taken place.

The deserted hallway echoed with the sound of footsteps.
There was no sound of talking since there was no club activity going on today.

The hallway, which seemed deserted, felt chilly even though it was summer.

It would be nice to talk with others, but I prefer to be alone.
It’s quieter than usual, so it’s the perfect environment for thinking.

As I walked around the school building and was wondering what to drink from the vending machine in the cafeteria on the second floor, I heard a familiar voice.
As I turned my body to look into it, I saw something small and round.

“What should I do, I failed …There is no way to join the student organization other than the election.”

“…”

Why did this kid shriveling up at the edge of the cafeteria?
Shiraishi Momiji, who was trying to hide in a gym-like sitting position while holding her knees, took out a small notebook from her pocket.

It was hard to see from here, but there were some words written all over it.

“But I was able to follow the expected flow of conversation for the most part …This should have left a strong impression…”

“What the hell are you doing…?”

“K,Kyaa!”

She shouted and then immediately stood up.

I couldn’t have imagined her to be the Momiji Shiraishi of a few minutes ago, as there stood was a student with her eyes trembling weakly.

ToC

#139

It’s a bold statement to say that she would renew the student council.

Does she have some kind of dissatisfaction with the current student council that made her run for elections?
This is what I thought she would have in her mind right now.

However, not only me, but also everyone else hadn’t imagined that it would grow to the point where she would renew the current student council.

Not only Koizumi, Miura, and Hino-kun, but also Shizuku and the others who were not on the student council seemed surprised.

“Can you tell us why?”

“Yes.”

In response to the president’s question, Shiraishi nodded and began to explain the reason.

“The student council is an organization of only students who represent the school. And now, with Hiiragi-senpai leading it, I also believe that the school is being led in the right direction.”

Certainly, till this point, I agree with you.
What matters are the words she will say after this.

Shiraishi’s eyes turned cold as she turned her gaze from president to the other students …mainly the student council members.

It felt as was if she was looking down on something.

“But when president graduates, it is also true that the current student council is honestly not capable enough.”

“…So you think you can do it?”

“No, I’m not overconfident enough to think that I alone can fill in for the president.”

President turned her unusually intense eyes to Shiraishi.
In my opinion, President is not so shallow as to overlook a comment that disrespected a junior member of her team whom she trusted.

In fact, I remember her saying that she loved talking to Koizumi and others and considered them to be her family.

However, Shiraishi flatly denied President’s opinion.
As if she had prepared an answer beforehand, the reply came out effortlessly.

There was no way they would be able to find a replacement for Akane Hiiragi for many years to come.

She had been at the top of her class in every test since her first day at school, and her grades have been at the top ever since she had arrived.
She frequently won awards in extracurricular activities, such as piano and calligraphy, which she enjoyed as a hobby.

Akane Hiiragi had always been a role model for the students, and it was no wonder that she was regarded as an ideal student by the teachers.

That’s how good Akane Hiiragi is.

To put it another way, she could even do all of our work by herself.
However, it’s also true that in order to run an organization called the student council, it’s not feasible to do it alone.

That’s why Koizumi and the other student council members are assisting the president.
They have been recognized by the students of the school and have been given the remaining seat

Therefore, there is one fact.
They are as good as a student can be.

They may not be on par with Akane Hiiragi, but they already have the ability to represent this school perfectly.

Koizumi’s personality and character are well liked by those around her, and Miura has the ability to be the treasurer.
They maybe modest, but there is no way they are lacking in ability.

That is why I cannot agree with Shiraishi’s words.

As long as there was no satisfactory explanation, the same would apply to all the students.

“But there is one way to make sure that the student council that Hiiragi left behind will be as successful as before …if not more.”

When she said that, Shiraishi turned her gaze from the president to us.
To be more precise, to the students on either side of me.

“To get Kanzaki, Kirasaka, and Ogiwara to join the student council is the way.”

“Rejected.”

A quick response came from the seat beside me.
Kirasaka did not show any agitation at Shiraishi’s unexpected words, and immediately refused the proposal.

When she desperately trying to hold back her mouth from getting more distorted, similar words were uttered from my other side.

“I also refuse the proposal. I think the student council is in good shape even without me and Kirasaka-san joining.”

…Yeah.

Yuuto should be included in the list too, just in case.

He was also mentioned boldly among the candidates, you know.

These kids have a tendency to do troublesome things everywhere they go, so it is better to be careful.

But I can’t deny the fact that there are things that I feel are right on both sides.

Shiraishi’s opinion of having Shizuku and the others join the student council would help the council run better, and Shizuku’s opinion that the current student council is capable enough are both objectively correct.

The only thing that worries me is the necessity for Shiraishi to run for president.
Based on her current opinion, there is no need for Shiraishi to become the student council president.

In fact, it would be more natural for Shizuku or Yuuto to become the president instead of her.

However, Shiraishi ran for president.

As I furrowed my brow, I couldn’t understand her true intentions.

“Shinra, what do you think about what she just said?”

“…Honestly, it’s a bit tricky. I think that both of you are right and as well as wrong at the same place.”

“Hmm…”

I don’t know why she only asked me, but I gave her my honest opinion.
President’s expression sank as if she was a little troubled, but then she raised her head as if something was bothering her.

“But how are you going to recruit them when you’ve already been rejected by two of them?”

“Doesn’t president also have a rough idea of what to do? …I’ll have Shinra-senpai help me with that.”

“Oh, me? Nope.”

I couldn’t help but unconsciously reject her words.

It seems that troublesome work is already ingrained in my spine.
In the first place, I’m not a kind person who would kindly listen to the wishes of a stranger.

However, Shiraishi smiled fearlessly, as if she didn’t care about what I had to say.

“If I become the president, you will remain in the student council.”

ToC

#138

“Nice to meet you all, I’m Momiji Shiraishi.”

The person in the middle of all this, the student who introduced herself as Momiji Shiraishi, bowed to us and smiled.
She has white gray hair, a petite build, and a face that looks somewhat young despite her well-defined eyes and nose.

She is Momiji Shiraishi.
A first-year student at Sakuranaoka* Academy, and is running for president of the next student council election.
(TL/N – I’ll be using this from now on)

She is still wearing her new school uniform, giving off the vibe of an honor student.

If she wore glasses in an assembly, she would no doubt be nicknamed “Prez”.

At first glance, Shiraishi looks as earnest as her reputation, and after greeting us, she turned her attention to the people in the room.
Her eyes move clockwise from the president to Koizumi, Miura, and Hino-kun before finally stopping at the two girls seated on either side of me.

I could see surprise in her eyes.
Of course if the two people that everyone in the school knew about, came at a place which they weren’t supposed to be.

For Shiraishi, it was natural to think, “Why are these two people here?”

However, she quickly returned her attention to president without asking any questions.

“I assume this is a pre-election briefing?”

“Aa, they are involved in the elections as well, that’s why they’re here.”

…I don’t think that these two have any work here, though.
My inner voice never reached her, and of course, Shiraishi didn’t questioned any further.

After president’s explanations, she nodded her head a few times and walked over to her.

“I see. In that case, I’ll give you this form first.”

“Thank you, I certainly appreciate it.”

The form that Shiraishi handed to the president read, “Candidate’s final confirmation.” It was a form which stated that it was the confirmation of the candidate’s final decision to run for the position.

In the original elections, this kind of form is probably used to confirm one’s intention to candidacy.

I could see that me and Hino-kun are a part of an unique case.

At the same time, I was also reminded that the school had given a great deal of trust and power to a student named Akane Hiiragi.

After president received this, she began to explain the real subject, the elections.

“Our school’s student council elections will be held in late September. With that, you and Koizumi will be required to start campaigning from the new semester.”

As she began to explain, Koizumi and Shiraishi listened to her explanation, occasionally exchanging a few words.
I felt the room become quieter as their look became more and more serious.

I wondered if Miura and Hino-kun sensed this, and they too were watching it intently.

However, there was not as much tension in the room as usual, probably because the conversation was irrelevant to Shizuku and Kirasaka.
Being sandwiched between these two people, for some reason, I also felt less strained.

In the first place, I wasn’t that nervous.

“There’s nothing wrong with making preparations during the summer vacation itself, but you have to be careful not to do anything that could be perceived as improper.”

“Improper? What exactly do you mean by ‘improper’?”

This was the first time Shiraishi asked president a question.
It’s true that even if you’re only told that it’s ‘improper’, you might accidentally do it if you don’t exactly know what exactly ‘improper’ is.

In response to Shiraishi’s question, president made a few remarks.

“First of all, candidates will not be announced until the start of the new semester, so don’t announce your candidacy until then. Also, this is a student council election, so please refrain from involving outsiders for commissions.”

I don’t think there’s such a thing as spending money on a student’s council election, but I guess it’s a required explanation.
Maybe someone did that kind of commission in the past.

In any case, there was nothing for me to do as I had listened to more than half of the discussions even when I wasn’t the one running for elections.

Even an elementary school student would know that it would be better to work on the assignment here.

The only thing I can do now is to observe Koizumi and Shiraishi.

I focused on Momiji Shiraishi again, but it was hard to know much about her intentions as the president asked.
The only thing that I can guess from are is her appearance she looked like a typical serious student.

In fact, at this point, I can only imagine that Koizumi will be overwhelmed.

“—fuu, there are a lot of things I’ve omitted, but that’s the gist of it. I’m sure the two of you have already gone over the precautions on your own. So I’ll leave it at that..”

“Yes.”

“I don’t have any problems either.”

After the president finished explaining the precautions to the two of you, she asked if there were any problems, and they both nodded immediately.
I’m sure they would confirmed these things on their own beforehand.

After confirming that there were no problems, president asked them one last time.

“Then, I would like to ask you both about your main slogans and goals for the election.”

I turned my gaze first to Koizumi and encouraged him to go ahead.
Koizumi’s expression tightened and he gave his typical answer.

“I want to strive to make this school a fun and comfortable environment for the students who attend it!”

“I see… what about Shiraishi?”

President wrote down Koizumi’s words on a piece of paper from her desk, then turned her attention to Shiraishi.
Shiraishi, who was standing opposite to him, announced something with an icy cold expression on her face that completely changed calm atmosphere which was present in the room.

“My goal is to completely renew the student council.”

Those words seemed extremely cold and devoid of any emotionless.

ToC

#137

Momiji Shiraishi.

A first-year student at Sakuranaoka Academy.

She is a member of the yearbook committee, and is a serious person with a good personality.
She has a few weaknesses in her athletic performance, but she excels in academics.

This makes her an excellent candidate for the student council.

The student council is required to have a new member as a prerequisite.

It is normal for an organization like this to think ahead and recruit people not just for the upcoming year, but for years to come.

We need to make sure that we have enough students capable of taking over the student council after Koizumi and the others graduate.
That’s why everyone thought that if she ran for the position, the problems of the student council would be solved at once.

That’s what the president said.

However, the problem begins here.
Akane Hiiragi’s candidacy was not for a regular position, but for the student council president’s seat, the head of the student body.

This was the seat that Akane Hiiragi sat in, and the seat that Koizumi was said to be taking over.
This was a situation that not only the members but even the president had not expected.

That’s why you can see president’s expression darkening, as if she was in a bit of trouble.

“We don’t have any specific requirements for running for student council at our school. Honestly the truth is that any student from our school is welcome to run.”

“So the first-year student, Shiraishi, has no problem running for president?”

“Yes… There are no specific requirements for being the president, just the school rules, which are not concrete enough to be a good example.”

So, this candidacy doesn’t violate anything.
If there was a requirement that the candidate must have been a member of the student council for one year, the problem would have been easily solved.

But it’s not that easy.
If so, then it’s certainly very troublesome, but there are still a few things that don’t add up.

I need to digest them before I can proceed with this story.

“That student named Shiraishi is serious and good-natured you say…?”

“What are you trying to imply?”

President looked at me and asked.
Even though I think that president was somewhat aware.

That’s why she wanted to check if she’s getting the same answer as me.
I don’t think Shiraishi is that kind of student.

“I’m sure she’s …hiding something, otherwise I wouldn’t be very convinced.”

“Fumu… Do you think so too?”

“Yes. …Just to be clear, I’m just guessing.”

There are two things that I feel are strange and don’t add up.

The first is that, as I mentioned earlier, she is a serious and good-natured person.

The second is that she is not running for any other position, but for president.

In this school, where there is already a vice president named Koizumi and a student who is said to be the next student body president, would a new, unknown student suddenly be running for president?

If you’re serious and good-natured, it’s not like she’s trying to impress her seniors, but shouldn’t it be easier for her to first gain experience in other positions before stepping up to the presidency.

Did the people around her encourage her to take such a bold and reckless decision, or did she really have something in mind when she made her decision?
It’s useless to think about it now.

It is something you can only consider when you actually meet that person.

Even so, based on the little information we have, I don’t think she’s a student with a reputation for doing something specific.
I wonder if she has a backstory, or if she has some kind of bigger goal in mind.

However, both Shizuku and Kirasaka nodded their heads in agreement, as if they felt the same way I did.

“I’ve heard of the student named Shiraishi, was on the yearly committee and was serious and kind to everyone, and didn’t go out of her character …it seems too sudden for such a student to suddenly be running for president.”

“I’m sure I know someone similar from my class …Kanazaki was it?”

“I’ve also heard that a student named Kirasaka is also quite vicious”

“…Oioi, why are you guys starting a fight right now?”

Why do you always have to go from talking about a first year to your regular fights?
Do you realize that since I’m in between you, if you guys start a fight, it’s gonna be difficult for me.

President just smiled at this.
While the two of them were complaining to each other, I thought…

I searched my memory for as much information as possible, Koizumi’s sunken face, and President’s position.
Then one unpleasant thought comes to mind.

I should have realized it when we were talking about this in the first place, since the president had started the conversation in a rather grim way.

” Does that mean you think Koizumi might lose the election?”

“…”

President did not respond to my question like her usual quick answers.
She thought for a moment and then opened her mouth.

“Yes… according to my predictions it may turn out to be tough.”

With this remark, the atmosphere in the student council room became grim.
Both Koizumi and Miura looked darker than usual.

Shizuku and Kirasaka were also watching the situation quietly, as they couldn’t be said to be a stranger to this situation now.

When this story was revealed, I honestly only thought that it would not be an easy election with students opposing Koizumi.

It would require a certain amount of effort.

But I never thought of Koizumi as a student who could lose.

“Due to my position, I can’t be part of either side, sorry.”

“You can’t help it President! We’ll do our best!”

“We’ll do our best!” Koizumi quickly replied to president.

President just looked apologetic when he said those words as if to console her.

It can’t be helped.
If a person in the position of the president is supporting a single student, there will be criticism.

That’s not the kind of student who should be a role model for all students.
It would be better to assume that the president would not be able to help us this time.

First and foremost, we need to take a look at the other party.
Then, we can discuss the countermeasures.

As I was thinking about this, president resumed.

“The reason I’m telling you this today is because the candidates for the position of president are supposed to come to school this morning for a preliminary briefing, so we’ve arranged the camp to coincide with that.”

“Does that mean this Shiraishi student is coming today?”

“Oh …it’s about time.”

As the president was checking the time on the watch on her wrist, there were several knocks on the door of the student council room.
Then, just as I thought I heard a slight voice from outside, the door opened with a heavy thud.

A female student wearing a school uniform came into the room.
She was small in stature, but her gray white hair shone in the light.

The girl closed the door and adjusted her appearance, then turned around and smiled at us.

“I’m Shiraishi Momiji, a freshman.”

Just like that, the sudden and unexpected meeting became reality.

ToC

#136

Day Two

The day started without any incident.

The girls had left some light snacks for us to eat at dinner yesterday, so after we took them, we gathered in the student council room.

My sleeping habits were 30% worse than usual, but I didn’t mind and took my seat.

“Minato-kun, your sleeping habits are terrible, you know?”

“…Yeah, I guess it is.”

The hair that waved left and to the right was in my line of sight, and to be honest, it was a little annoying.
As I was thinking about going for a haircut sometime, Shizuku took a comb out of her hand bag and without saying a word, started to style my hair.

I refused to brush it away with my hand a few times, but she grabbed my head stubbornly, so I decided to follow her quietly.
Shizuku, who was humming happily, repeatedly adjusted my hair, walked around to the front, and fixed it a little if it wasn’t to her liking.

Finally, when she was satisfied with the way my hair looked, she smiled and patted my head.

“There we go! You’re done.”

“Sorry …Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Then Shizuku sat down on the seat next to me.
Same as yesterday, Kirasaka sat on the opposite side of her fixed seat with an indifferent look.

Kirasaka who was sitting there with a dignified expression on her face, still looking down at the books she had brought with her.

After confirming that all of the student council members were seated, the president began to speak.

“Did everyone sleep well last night? Let’s work hard for another day.”

After the president finished her short speech, each of us begins to complete the remaining tasks.
I followed their lead and was about to take out my study materials from my bag to finish the remaining assignments.

“—But before that, I have something to tell everyone.”

With that, the atmosphere in the room completely changed.
The atmosphere in the classroom, which until now had been somewhat relaxed due to the fact that it was morning, turned tense and suffocating.

Hino opens his empty eyes, and Shizuku straightened her back and turned to face the president.
The only one who remained unchanged was Kirasaka.

I also straightened my posture a bit and turned my gaze towards the president.

“I think you would’ve been aware of this, but I’ve been discussing something with Koizumi the other day.

“…”

Koizumi listened to the President’s words with an expression that still remained uncertain.
I think it’s time to hear the truth behind this strange feeling.

When I thought about it, I felt a simultaneous instinct to hurry up the president and at the same time not want to get involved in anything troublesome.

If I could, I would probably be happier if I never asked.
But as long as I was here, I couldn’t do that.

As I waited for the next words, the president began to talk about the core of the problem.

“It’s about the student council election.”

“…Hmm? Elections?”

Of course I know about student council elections.
I even voted for our president last year, so it’s no surprise.

But if it’s about that, it’s not much of a problem, is it?

I’m not sure if I or Hino-kun will still be in the student council next year, but Miura and Koizumi will definitely be active as the core of the student council.
The only problem I can think of with that is that it’s a common story that there are no new candidates for the council.

If that’s the case, it makes a little sense why Koizumi’s expression doesn’t brighten.
However, there was something that bothered me.

If that’s the case, there’s no need for them to talk in private.
It should be okay to talk openly about the fact that we don’t have any potential candidates either.

That’s why it is not the essence of this problem.

President looked at Koizumi once, and when she saw that Koizumi nodded, she quietly announced.

“A candidate for president has emerged besides Koizumi.”

The student council is an organization made up of several people who represent the students of the school.

The name and form of the organization varies slightly from school to school.

However, they all consist of a single representative, the student council president, who is assisted by students.
Our school is no different.

In the current student council, there are five members: Akane Hiiragi as the president, Koizumi as the vice president, Miura as the treasurer, me as the president’s assistant, and Hino-kun as the general secretary.

However, since I and Hino-kun joined the council due to the president’s special exception, the other three members were carefully selected through elections.

However, unlike real world elections, this is a simplified, smaller version.

In a short period of time, candidates are given the opportunity to campaign, or in simpler terms, to promote themselves.
During the first day of school, they greet students in front of the school gate to let them know who they are and their names.

Then, during the school assembly, they briefly take the stage and speak to the students about their aspirations.

For most of the students, this event is probably irrelevant.
Last year, it was one of those events that I didn’t really care much about either.

Well, it wasn’t really an election last year, since there was no other candidate because the monstrous Akane Hiiragi.
However, I vaguely remember Koizumi and Miura also standing on the stage and talking.

A lot of elections are like popularity contests, and Koizumi is a popular student because he is well known, calm, and friendly.
That’s why I had assumed that Koizumi would be the next student body president.

In fact, when the president first introduced him, he said that he was going to be the student body president.
He said this because of his past achievements as the vice president.

That’s why it was unexpected that someone would appear as the president’s candidate.

More importantly, the other candidate wasn’t from the student council.

And the most significant problem is that he must have had a chance to beat Koizumi in the election.

For a moment, I can think of three students who fit that description.
Shizuku Kanzaki, Rei Kirasaka, and Yuuto Ogiwara are the three.

I’m sorry to say this to Koizumi, but if these three were your rivals, I have no doubt that they would have won.

That’s how simple and scary student elections can be.

However, I don’t think the three of them will be running for office.
Shizuku and Kirasaka are both here.

If Yuuto were to run for office, he would have at least told me about it.

That’s why I never expected this.
President, myself, and above all, Koizumi.

In the quiet of the classroom, president announced the name of the candidate with her eyes closed.

“Shiraishi Momiji, a a freshman at Sakuranooka Academy.”

Shiraishi Momiji-san… right?

…Yeah, no, doesn’t ring a bell.

ToC

#135

What do you think of when you think of regular dinner at a study camp?

Although it varies depending on the environment, curry is probably the most standard.

The cooking process is simple and easy, and today was no exception as curry was served.
Shizuku and Kirasaka took the lead in cooking, while Miura was busy helping with minor tasks and washing dishes.

What were the boys doing? They were just sitting and watching the process.
I asked them if I could help them with something, but they just said, “Don’t move.”

No, well, I understand.
It’ll be easier for a boy to not move rather than making extra troubles while trying to do something.

If it wasn’t me or Hino-kun, but a male student who wanted to showoff, he would certainly insist on helping.
But now that I’ve been told not to move, I’ll keep it in mind.

After all, I am a person who wants to live comfortably.
What a cool statement …but it sounds pretty stupid.

I decided to talk to Hino-kun since I had nothing to do.

“Hey there, Kouhai-kun how’s it going lately?

“What’s the matter with your way of talking? …even if you say that you’re pretty happy isn’t it weird.”

“Ah, I see I see”

End of conversation.
Now that I’ve said that, I can’t continue the conversation.

Conversation really is difficult.
There’s a saying that conversing is like playing catch with words, but I’m good at throwing words one way and finishing them, or conversely, not being able to catch the words thrown at me.

Now I have nothing left to do.
All I could do was watch the girls cooking in front of me and admire their skillfulness.

Then, Shizuku noticed my gaze and turned her attention to me.
But she didn’t stop cutting the vegetables.

How can she cut the vegetables while looking at me?
If it were me, I would totally be cooking my own hands.

Minato-kun’s simple recipe will turn into a grotesque cuisine.

Shizuku blushes a little and muttered in a small voice.

“Minato-kun, no, even if you give me a passionate gaze…”

“No, give me back my feelings of admiration!”

When did I ever give you that kind of look?
Lately, her character seems to be blurring a lot, is it a sign that her true self is coming out?

However, there was one person who would not be silenced by her statement.

“Don’t misunderstand. Shinra-kun was looking at my back.”

“That’s not true either!”

Don’t talk to me like I’m looking at my father’s back.
You both can just watch your backs if you want to.

(TL/N – ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

It’s not even funny.
The two of them exchanged glances as if they were fighting each other, but they still didn’t stop cooking.

Miura had gotten used to this environment, and while she sighed in exasperation, she didn’t intervene and went on with her own work.

The curry that was made under such circumstances looked wonderfully delicious.
When they had finished placing the curry in the seats where everyone was seated, president and Koizumi returned.

The only sounds in the room were the clinking of dishes and spoons, and minimal conversation.　

The only conversation was about the taste of the curry, upcoming events, and other trivial matters.
It seemed as if everyone was trying to figure out how far they should go in asking questions about Koizumi’s strange behavior.

It was Hino-kun, Miura, and even Shizuku who seemed to be somewhat concerned.
Kirasaka as usual remains unconcerned about the matter, but she didn’t bring up the matter, perhaps in consideration of the president, with whom she has a good relationship with.

In any case, it was a tasteless dinner, even though the food was excellent.

“Thank you very much for the meal, we’ll cleanup the mess since we couldn’t participate in the preparation.”

“Well, why don’t you all go and work up first?”

President and Koizumi told us.
Normally, I would have said that we would help, but I couldn’t say that now.

I’m sure president and Koizumi haven’t finished their conversation yet.

“Well, please do.”

I left my seat and put the dishes in the sink before leaving the room.
The other four people left the room as well.

“Was it important?”

As I walked down the already darkened hallway to the student council room where I had left my belongings, Hino-kun’s question echoed in the hallway.
Miura didn’t answer, and those of us who didn’t know what it was couldn’t answer either.

While understanding this, Shizuku posed a question to me.

“What do you think, Minato-kun?”

“…”

The reason why I didn’t ask Miura here is probably because she won’t tell me the answer.

I felt that this was a question that I would like to get her opinion on, even if it’s just her personal opinion.

“At least it’s not something we have anything to do with. President is explicitly making time for just the two of them, so it’s definitely an issue concerning the student council.”

It may be Koizumi who is directly involved.
However, I can predict that this is a story that has something more to it than just the student council.

Why were Shizuku and Kirasaka invited?
If it was really only a student council issue, it would have been held without inviting them.

But this time, they were invited.
If we assume that they are invited because they want to play some role or help, then the problem may be more troublesome than I imagine.

“…Tomorrow is going to be important.”

Tomorrow is the second day.
If any action is to be taken, there should be at least a discussion tomorrow.

So, if there’s anything I can do today, it’s to work on my assignments to the best of my ability, so that it’ll be easier for me tomorrow.

ToC

#134

How many times have I rewritten this report?

I wrote, got rejected, and started over from a blank sheet of paper.

While everyone around me was finishing their assignments one after another, I was the only one who kept repeating the same assignment over and over again just with different topics.

Finally, after about two hours, I was able to complete the independent research, which everyone agreed on, though reluctantly.
The topic was quite simple: “Declining birthrate and aging population.”

I was told that I should have chosen a simple topic, but for some even that topic didn’t seem to inspire me.
I’m not sure if it’s a matter of motivation or just creativity…
Is it my nature that the simpler the content, the less motivated I become?

It was time to take a break, and the quiet room was filled with giggles as Hino-kun brewed tea for everyone and handed it out.

“I’m sorry, Kanazaki, Rei, that I had to ask you to go out with me.”

“No, I’m glad that you invited me.”

“Well, I didn’t have anything special to do today, so it’s fine.”

Shizuku immediately straightened her posture, and Kirasaka replied nonchalantly with her eyelids closed.
I see, so this whole thing was the president’s idea.

I had no prior information about this, but I directed a glance at the president.

When president noticed, she smiled a little bitterly and said, as if she understood my intentions.

“As for Shinra, we knew that you would refuse, so we just decided to go ahead… sorry. As for them, they joined to keep an eye on you.”

“No …well, if it’s a tradition, then it can’t be helped.”

Denying or changing the way how an organization works because of an individual, takes a lot of work.

It’s not like I’ve done much.

…However the way I was brought in, it was completely like arresting a bad person, but let’s not focus on that.

…Or so I said to myself as I poured more sugar and cream into the tea in front of me.

I hadn’t expected the student council to be so busy in the second semester that they had to finish their assignments early in the summer vacation.
It’s true that there are a lot of events.

There is a sports festival, a cultural festival, and for the second year, a school trip.
It was obvious that the student council would be very involved, but I really wanted to spend my summer vacation at home, relaxing and not worrying about anything.

Outside the window, the students of the sports club were sweating out the day’s activities.
No, really, thank you for your hard work.

I guess it’s better that the student council room I’m in has air conditioning.

As I was about to resume my assignment, I noticed Koizumi’s face in front of me.

He was smiling, but it was a smile that seemed to be somewhat disguised.

Normally, I would not pay attention to such a trivial change, but today, I felt a strong sense of discomfort.
It was as if he was hiding something, or trying not to be noticed by those around him.

“…Is there something on your mind?”

“Eh?”

When I asked Koizumi, he looked at me surprisingly.
But Koizumi immediately shook his head.

“Nothing… it’s okay.”

“…In that case it’s fine”

“It’s okay” he said, almost as if he was saying it to himself.
Of course, everyone in the student council room heard the conversation.

It’s not like I have to hide the fact that I’m asking something…
Shizuku, Kirasaka, and Hino-kun looked at me curiously, wondering what I was talking about.

However, President and Miura were the only ones who seemed to have something on their mind, and their expressions turned slightly cloudy.

Well, I guess there are some secrets that only the oldest members keep.
You can’t help but notice that there are some things that I, Hino-kun, Shizuku and Kirasaka, who are outsiders, don’t know.

Unnecessary probing can destroy human relationships.
Kindness and sympathy can sometimes hurt people severely.

And if president knows the reason and doesn’t want to talk about it, then maybe it’s none of our business, or maybe it’s something she can’t tell us yet.

I avoided pursuing the matter too deeply and just went back to working on the task at hand.

I moved my pen silently and noticed that it was starting to get dim outside.
When the light from the indoor lighting began to be stronger than the light coming from outside, president announced, “That’s it for today.”

“I think we should stop here for today…. Cramming too much into one day will only make us less efficient.”

“I’ll go tell the teacher in the staff room that we’re done and can borrow the home economics room.”

Miura was the first to get up and leave the room.
The plan is to use the home economics room to cook dinner, then use the shower room normally used by the swimming club, and then go to bed in the tea ceremony club’s Japanese-style room in futons.

Of course, boys and girls will be separated.
There is also a small room next to the tea ceremony room.

The tea ceremony room has a small room next to it, which is usually used for storing luggage and changing clothes, but this time the boys will be using it to sleep.

“How far along are you, Minato-kun?”

“I’ve finished… math, so all that’s left is the modern literature and Japanese history reports.”

“Mathematics was the most demanding assignment, so I guess it’s a good thing that you finished it first.”

Says the two of us who finished all of those assignments.
If we exclude the independent research, I would like to ask them how they managed to finish it in such a short time when it took me so long to finish just one subject.

The reason why I left out the independent research was simply because it’s like a book report.
Because it’s free, the conclusions will vary from person to person even if the topics are the same.

Teachers know this, so they tend to be lenient in their evaluation of such assignments.
For us on the student side, that’s a blessing.

As I leaned back against the backrest to stretch out my back, which had stiffened up over the day, president stood up.

“Koizumi, do you have a minute?”

“Yes.”

When president called Koizumi, Koizumi followed through without any questions.

When they left, we looked at each other.

“Regarding Koizumi-senpai… does Shinra-senpai know anything?”

“No, but we’ll get to know when the time comes.”

Hino, who was a little worried, asked the question in everyone’s stead.
It’s not a good situation to be in.

It didn’t seem like a completely terrible topic, but Koizumi’s expression wouldn’t go away from my mind.

President and Koizumi didn’t come back to the student council room for a while even after Miura returned from the staff room.

ToC

Monthly Archives: February 2022

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