Episode 205: A Bolt from the Blue

For now, it was settled that Sara-san would take over as the next student council president.

That’s all!

………

No, I know.

Now that I’ve calmed down and looked around, everyone was staring at us with various degrees of shock on their faces. I only just realized I’d done it again because I got too swept up in the moment, but naturally, the damage was already done.

I thought for a second about how to fix it, but Sara-san was still hugging me, and I’ve already messed up so many times in the student council that I wonder if it’s too bold to just stop caring…

「Sara-san…」

When I gently patted her back, Sara-san seemed to calm down. She slowly looked up and faced me.

「Ah… right, my apologies.」

She seemed to understand the situation and slowly pulled away, though she looked a bit reluctant.

I guess her tugging on my sleeve was her final bit of resistance.

This is bad… she’s so cute I might not be able to hold back…

「Ah… so, um, right. It’s great that the new president and vice president are decided. Shall we… proceed with the talk?」

The President regained his composure and resumed the proceedings.

「Yes. From now on, I will do my absolute best together with Kazunari-san.」

It seemed all hesitation had vanished from Sara-san, as if she were suddenly full of motivation. With a serious expression and a firm reply, she looked incredibly dignified, reminiscent of the lonely goddess I once saw on the stage.

「…She said ‘the two of us,’ right? Did she forget about us?」

「…Are those two really going to be okay? They won’t mess up on stage, will they?」

「…I’m starting to get anxious in a different way…」

「…Same here.」

「…More importantly, that talk about being together at home…」

The discussion then moved on to confirming details regarding the future management of the student council.

First, regarding the president election, as expected, it was decided that since there were no opposing candidates, it would proceed as is. In that case, there would only be an announcement of the decision, and the actual greeting would take place at the general student meeting.

Following that, the officers would be approved at the general meeting, and if that passed, I would officially become the vice president. Honestly, I have no idea what I’m supposed to be doing, but since Sara-san had been sharing the work with the president, I figured I’d aim for something like that.

Basically, as long as I understand that I need to follow up for Sara-san and reduce her burden, I should be fine…

「As promised, I’ll help out as much as I can until graduation. I’ve already got recommendations, so I don’t plan to panic over entrance exams.」

That relaxed comment could almost turn every other examinee into an enemy.

That said, it’s honestly reassuring that the President will keep helping us. It’ll be a huge help until we get used to things.

「However, the remaining problem is recruiting new officers. Whether it’s through scouting or a public call, we need at least two… preferably three more people.」

「「「「「 ………… 」」」」」

「?」

Sara-san tilted her head in confusion at the mysterious gazes directed her way.

But this topic inevitably involves Sara-san personally.

I know what everyone is thinking, and it’s a crucial point.

In other words, Sara-san’s biggest weakness: her approachability.

I’d heard about it secretly before, but Sara-san is essentially a person who is strict with both herself and others, so her tone inevitably gets harsh when she’s pointing something out or giving a warning. If it’s someone who can take it straight because she isn’t wrong, that’s fine, but apparently, there were officers in the past who couldn’t handle it and had to be replaced. It seems things have gotten much easier since I joined, but…

「(Thanks to Takanashi-kun joining, things have gotten much better, but maybe I should consult with them about scouting someone who understands Satsukawa-san. Natsumi refused before because she was busy with tennis, but…)」

「President, is something wrong?」

「No, I just thought it’d be great if we could find replacement staff easily.」

「I see. Shall we try making a public call soon?」

The President was lost in thought while looking at us, so he was probably thinking the same thing.

If we want to clear the current problems for sure, we just need to fill the spots with members who understand Sara-san and don’t have a rejection reflex toward her.

In that case, the candidates would be Natsumi-senpai, Hanako-san, Todo-san, and Hayato.

If we could get two, or preferably three of them to help…

「Now, let’s check the submitted applications. If there are clear violations, please discard them. If there are no problems, categorize them, and finally, we’ll pick out the overlaps. After that, we need to send out the lottery notices early.」

Under Sara-san’s direction, we all split up to check for violations and roughly categorize the applications. The work itself didn’t take much time, but I discovered an application that looked like it would end up in a lottery just in my pile.

Once the categorization was finished and the overlaps were picked out, it turned out that my class’s Butler & Maid Cafe was clashing with another class’s Cosplay Cafe and a Yokai Cafe (?), so it became a subject for deliberation.

「Hmm, well, the styles are different… a shop limited to butlers and maids, one limited to monsters, and one for cosplay in a broad sense, so I think it’s fine, right?」

Since no one opposed the opinion of the person in charge of sorting, it seemed everything was approved. However, since there were three cafes, we decided to notify them that changes could be accepted if done early.

But with this, it seems my class can also proceed with preparations. I feel a bit bad that I might not be able to help much because the student council work looks like it’ll be busy.

「Kazunari-san’s class is doing a cafe, right?」

「Yeah. Specifically a Butler & Maid Cafe.」

「Will you also be appearing in the shop in a butler costume, Kazunari-san?」

I wonder… it hasn’t been decided yet if everyone will appear or just certain members…

Besides, I think it’ll be difficult since I’ll have little time to participate.

「I don’t know yet. It’s not out of the question, though.」

「If it is decided, please make sure to tell me. Regardless, I will definitely be coming to visit.」

Sara-san coming to our shop… I have a feeling that’s going to turn into a disaster…

「…That sounds like it’ll cause an uproar in a different way.」

「…If Takanashi-kun dresses as a butler, won’t Satsukawa-san just break?」

「Come to think of it, Sara-san’s class is doing a historical exhibit of the town, right?」

While there were many playful applications for the second-years like a haunted house or a Ring Toss Special (?), Sara-san’s class was doing a rock-solid, stiff exhibit. That’s why it left a strong impression…

「Yes. But I have told them that I cannot help since I have so much work here.」

「That makes sense…」

This goes for all the officers, but because we have to make this work our priority, unfortunately, we can only participate in our class exhibits for a little bit.

So even during the long-awaited school festival, we might not be able to make that many memories with our classmates. I feel a bit sad about that.

「Last year’s festival was just boring. I couldn’t participate in the class event, yet I still had plenty of work here.」

「…I knew it, you really thought it was boring.」

「…Satsukawa-san was doing patrols all by herself, after all.」

「…I intended to accompany her on patrols, but she turned me down flat.」

「…Didn’t she see right through your ulterior motives?」

Come to think of it, she did say she ignored the Miss Contest last year and did patrols alone…

「But this year I am with Kazunari-san. Um… if it’s alright with you, the two of us…」

I obviously know the words Sara-san is trying to say while fidgeting. In fact, I wanted to be the one to invite her. I worried that it might be seen as mixing public and private business, but we’re a pair, so there shouldn’t be any problem, right? It’s fine, right?

「Sara-san, let’s go on patrols together, just the two of us. Consider it a school festival date.」

「Yes! I would love to! Ufufu, a date with Kazunari-san at the school festival… it feels like a dream…」

It seemed she was waiting for my words, as she replied immediately. Seeing her happy expression made me feel happy too.

「…Satsukawa-san has finally started mixing public and private business with refreshing honesty…」

「…Aww, look at that happy face…」

「…I wonder if they plan to flirt everywhere and turn the whole school into a hellish scene…」

「…I feel like I’ll be hearing screams wherever they go.」

「Right, Satsukawa-san. It’s hard to say, but… a request for the Miss Contest has come in.」

The President, who had been watching the whole thing from a distance, spoke up as if he just remembered. The fact that he looked slightly awkward was natural, since he knew Sara-san would hate the topic.

「I see… honestly, I’m not really in the mood for it.」

「Sara-san, like I said before, if you hate it, I’ll take care of that Miss Contest…」

「Kazunari-san, thank you so much for caring about me that much. I’m not in the mood for it, but since I will be the President, even if only in title, I think I should fulfill my obligations. I caused trouble for my senpai last year by ignoring it without a formal cancellation… and as I said before, if it livens up the festival even a little bit, I believe it will add a nice touch to my memories with you, Kazunari-san.」

…When she says it’s for the sake of memories with me, I can’t help but feel happy.

But to be honest, I still didn’t want to have Sara-san standing on a stage like a Miss Contest.

It might just be possessiveness, but it felt like making Sara-san a spectacle for other guys…

(Softly…)

Before I knew it, she was by my side…

When I realized it, I was already being held in Sara-san’s arms.

「「「「「 !!!??? 」」」」」

「…Please rest assured. I am only going to participate, and I have no intention of doing anything more than that. I haven’t the slightest interest in anyone’s evaluation but yours, Kazunari-san… I don’t intend to show a single smile on that day.」

Faced with an embrace and kindness that seemed to envelop even my possessiveness, I felt pathetic.

If Sara-san decided to enter, shouldn’t it be my role to accept it with a smile?

I was reminded all over again that I’m still just pampering myself with Sara-san’s kindness…

「…Actually, that sounds like it’ll liven things up in a way that’s very like Satsukawa-san.」

「…Well, most people think that’s her true nature anyway, so there’s no problem.」

「…Are we really not going to mention the shocking scene in front of us?」

「…This is going to be a daily sight in the student council from now on, right? We just have to get used to it… man, I’m jealous…」

Sara POV

「I am truly sorry… I wanted to at least make a meal for you…」

We arrived at the station and, unfortunately, had to part ways for the day.

The role of making meals for Kazunari-san is one of the most important things to me. The fact that I cannot do it is nothing but a deep regret.

「No, if it’s an important talk, it can’t be helped.」

Kazunari-san’s face as he sent me off with a smile looked like he was forcing himself a bit, and when I think that I am the cause, I feel resentful toward myself.

If this turns out to be a boring talk, I won’t speak to Father for a while…

I’d received a message from Mother saying Father had something important to talk to me about, and I was told to come straight home today.

From my perspective, there is no talk more important than Kazunari-san…

「Sara-san, will you be okay tomorrow?」

「I only heard that there was a talk, so I’m sure I’ll be fine.」

「I see…」

I could see Kazunari-san looking like he was thinking about something.

What could it be?

「No, if tomorrow is fine, then I’m good. Please prioritize your home today!」

「…Yes, thank you. Well then, I’m sorry, but I’ll take my leave for today.」

I’m curious about Kazunari-san’s state, so we must talk tomorrow.

Of all times… honestly…

…………

Click…

「I’m home.」

………?

Mother isn’t coming out today.

She said there was an important talk, so perhaps she is busy?

Checking the floor, Father’s shoes are there, so it seems he has returned home.

On my way to the living room, Mother’s loud voice suddenly echoed, a rare occurrence.

It is rare for my usually gentle mother to make such a voice…

「I’m opposed to Sara having a marriage meeting!!!」

A marriage meeting?

…………Me?