Episode 245: Kazunari’s Evil Scheme

Lunch break

Mob Talk

「Satsukawa-senpai was so cute today, right?」

「Oh, tell me about it!」

「I asked a senior, and apparently she’s been really approachable in class lately… so the number of guys thinking about confessing is growing.」

「Whoa, for real? So that thing today was normal for her?」

「What, so that’s how it is… I get it now.」

「I’m seriously going to try my luck.」

「Screw that, I’m going for it too.」

「Same here!」

「I knew it. Wait, are we all rivals then!?」

「Looks like it. The question is how to get on her good side and create an opening…」

「…………」

「「「 Cooking class!! 」」」

Although my body was heavy from exhaustion, I whipped myself into moving and somehow made it to the flowerbed. Hanako-san asked if I was okay multiple times on the way, but I managed to muster up enough false energy to insist I was fine. Sara-san, who noticed my state immediately, stood up quickly and rushed over, snuggling up to support me from the side.

「Kazunari-san, are you all right?」

「I’m fine… my body just feels a bit heavy.」

「Oh boy, Takanashi-kun, you okay?」

「Takanashi-kun looks like he’s suffering too…」

Natsumi-senpai and Todo-san were also looking at me with concern. Hayato was there as well, of course, but it seemed the fatigue was lingering for him too, as there was a bit of a shadow on his usual smile.

「Looks like you’re still having a hard time, Kazunari. I’ve still got a bit of it left in me too.」

If Hayato, who usually looks composed even after PE, is tired, then surely I can be forgiven for being this groggy. Thinking about it that way made the guilt of being needy feel a little lighter. I know I’m being shamelessly opportunistic, though…

「Kazunari-san, thank you for your hard work. Since your body seems to be struggling, please leave all the eating to me, okay?」

All of it.

When Sara-san says「all,」she basically means she’s going to give me the「Aah」treatment from start to finish. After letting me sit down slowly, Sara-san pulled my lunch box toward her before I could even speak and immediately entered feeding time mode.

「Here, Kazunari-san, say aah…」

Chomp… munch munch.

「How is it?」

「I’m sorry for always saying the same thing… but to put it mildly, it’s the best.」

「I’m so happy ♪ Here, this one’s next.」

It seemed Sara-san really intended to feed me everything, just as she declared. I felt bad, but I knew that now that it had come to this, Sara-san wouldn’t stop no matter what. So, the only thing I should do was gratefully accept her feelings.

「Sigh… don’t you guys ever get tired of flirting like this every single day?」

「I don’t understand what you mean by ‘tired.’ Isn’t it only natural to want to be close to the person you love at all times?」

Natsumi-senpai stared at Sara-san with a deadpan look while poking at her own lunch with her chopsticks. But I agreed with Sara-san. I didn’t feel even a shred of boredom being like this, and I was certain that wouldn’t change in the future.

「I mean, I get wanting to be with the person you like, but being all over each other twenty-four seven… what about you, Takanashi-kun?」

「I’m the same as Sara-san. I want to be like this all the time.」

「Fufu… please keep being as needy as you want with me, okay?」

「You stupid couple…」

Despite saying that, I figured Natsumi-senpai wouldn’t be much different once she was alone with Yuji.

「Then, please excuse us. We’ll be heading back first…」

「See ya~」

Sara-san had classroom duties today, so she had to cut her lunch break short and head back to the classroom early. Natsumi-senpai wasn’t on duty, but she decided to go along to help her. Sara-san tried to decline, but Natsumi-senpai forced her into it.

……If only I were in the same class, I could have helped too.

So, the only ones left at the flowerbed were us first-years. There was still a little time before lunch break ended, so we decided to relax here until the last second.

「…Hey, Kazunari, can I talk to you for a second?」

Hayato spoke to me with a rare, solemn look. It had been a long time since I’d seen that expression. In other words, I figured it was a serious conversation.

「What’s up?」

「There was that whole stir about Satsukawa-senpai during PE today, right?」

「…Yeah.」

「It was a huge topic of conversation after we got back to the classroom. I was listening in, and I think Satsukawa-senpai’s popularity is really something.」

That wasn’t exactly news. Even I had known about Sara-san’s popularity since the day we met. But since he went out of his way to confirm it, did that mean there was something else?

「Even I, as a transfer student, could tell how popular the wife is. To put it cheaply, she’s like the school idol.」

「Yeah, there are lots of guys who admire her in my class too. Especially lately, since they say Satsukawa-senpai has gotten brighter…」

I knew from seeing her interact with the other officers in the Student Council that Sara-san’s approachability had improved. But I didn’t think that was a bad thing at all. Above all, I knew Sara-san herself had feelings about her poor social skills.

「That’s the thing. Normally, there’s no problem with the Student Council President being approachable. If anything, it’s a good thing she’s more popular. But in Satsukawa-senpai’s case, it’s not just that. It’s hard to say this to you, Kazunari, but…」

…Even I knew what Hayato was trying to say.

And it was something I’d been worrying about for a long time. In short, what Hayato was trying to say was…

「It’s that the chances of other guys approaching Sara-san are going to go up, right?」

「…So you did know.」

「Yeah. I’d like you to keep this a secret from Sara-san, but I’ve been thinking about what to do about that for a long time. I’ve been worrying about how to make sure other guys don’t try to make a move on her.」

I’d been thinking about this problem for a while. I’d considered several unrealistic things, like making a declaration to the entire student body or asking the broadcasting club to let me make a school-wide announcement. But the thing between Sara-san and me was strictly a personal matter. We weren’t celebrities, and I thought it would be incredibly presumptuous to make such a big deal out of our relationship, as if it were some official announcement. I figured if we did that, people would naturally criticize us, asking who we thought we were. And if that happened, the criticism would reach not just me, but Sara-san too. That’s why I couldn’t find an answer easily.

……But that was before.

Now, there was one thing I’d thought of. It was something I’d realized as a result of Sara-san deciding to enter the beauty pageant.

「Wait, are you planning something?」

As expected of Hanako-san. With her high skill in reading my expressions, she’d already noticed I was thinking of something.

「Kazunari, if you’re planning something, I’ll help you out, okay?」

「Me too!」

Hayato and Todo-san volunteered as well. Having best friends who cared about us this much made me feel truly happy. I’d originally intended to do it alone, so to be honest, I didn’t know if there would be a situation where I’d need their help. But since they offered, I figured I’d at least consult them.

「This is a bit off-topic, but do you remember when we first talked about Sara-san’s beauty pageant?」

「Let’s see… it was that talk about how Satsukawa-senpai would end up entering through the Student Council slot, right?」

「Right. Do you remember what I said then? About what I’d do if Sara-san didn’t want to enter…」

「…I don’t remember the exact words, but I remember Kazunari was really angry.」

At that time, I seriously thought about crushing the beauty pageant if they were going to force a reluctant Sara-san to participate. Even after Sara-san decided to enter, I’d thought about crushing it depending on the circumstances. It was irritating to think about Sara-san being put on display for an unspecified number of guys, and the pageant itself was unpleasant for forcing that on her.

「What do you think would happen if I crushed the beauty pageant?」

「Whaaaaaaaaat!?」

「…Does that have something to do with what we’re talking about?」

「That’s what I’m intending.」

It wasn’t quite in a clear shape yet, but if Sara-san entered the pageant, a massive audience would undoubtedly gather. In other words, the perfect venue would be created without me having to do anything drastic. I was thinking of utilizing that, even if it meant crushing the pageant.

「But Takanashi-kun, you’re the Vice President now, right? If you do something too extreme, what’ll happen later…」

「True, just wrecking it would give you a bad reputation. It might have been a bit easier if you didn’t have the Vice President position, Kazunari…」

What Hanako-san said was perfectly valid; if I just made a mess of things, I might end up having to resign as Vice President. But if that happened, it would bring shame to Sara-san, who recommended me, and the important part of supporting her as the Student Council President would fall apart. That was the biggest factor I was struggling with right now.

「It’s not exactly the perfect opportunity, but since we’ve talked this far, would you mind giving me some advice?」

Basically, what I want to do is let everyone at that venue know that Sara-san has a guy like me. I want to make those guys realize there’s no point in approaching her anymore. To do that, we need to reveal that we’re mutually in love. That’s the top priority. And if I can somehow keep my position as Vice President, that would be ideal.

「By the way, what was your plan, Kazunari?」

「I was thinking about declaring in that spot that Sara-san is mine and telling everyone not to get close to her.」

「If you do it like that, there’s a high chance you’ll be criticized.」

「Hmm, I think it might actually get people excited if it were a confession, though…」

「That might be good. If my wife accepts the confession, the venue might go wild.」

!?

Hearing that, I thought of something very good. It was true that people might find a confession entertaining. But what if it wasn’t just a simple confession… and Sara-san accepted it… what would happen to the venue? What would happen to the beauty pageant?

「Kazunari thought of something.」

「I figured it out this time too. So, what did you come up with?」

「Would you be mad if I said it’s a secret until the big day?」

「Ehh, Takanashi-kun, that’s so mean!」

Todo-san raised her voice in a cute protest. It was only natural for her to be mad after I asked for advice and then kept the ending a secret.

So, I explained my idea to everyone. Of course, they were surprised… but no one voiced any opposition.

I think I’ve come up with a pretty good idea, if I do say so myself. It’s nothing much; I’m just moving up the Christmas present I was already considering as a candidate. However… I think the effect on other guys will be massive. And if the pageant ends up in a commotion as a result… that’s the punishment for making Sara-san feel unpleasant. That’s how I saw it.