Episode 249: Chaotic Classroom

Appearing at her own pace and looking somewhat relaxed in the classroom, which was currently wrapped in a bizarre atmosphere thanks to the screams of the guys…

「Just as I thought, I couldn’t be at peace unless I saw it with my own eyes. I was so, so worried that some girl would finally lose patience with my loser son…」

As usual, the second she opens her mouth, she starts dissing me…

Of course, I don’t think my mother actually means to look down on me from the bottom of her heart. But still, couldn’t she try a little harder? We have Mayumi-san here, who’s like the physical embodiment of the ideal mother: beautiful, kind, and perfect at housework. Honestly, I wish my mother would learn a thing or two from her.

…Well, my mother probably couldn’t even manage half of what Mayumi-san does.

「Mother-in-law!!!」

But that was only how she treated me.

Her attitude toward Sara-san was the complete opposite, to the point where I wanted to demand to know where she’d been hiding all that kindness.

「Sara-chan, it’s been a while. You’ve gotten even more beautiful since the last time I saw you.」

「No… that is not true.」

Sara-san looks up to my Mother, so she seemed very happy to see her again. If she’s this happy, then maybe this parent-teacher observation day, which usually has zero benefits for me, has some saving grace after all.

「But I’m glad to see you’re doing well. Is my idiot son causing you any trouble?」

「Honestly… Mother-in-law. Kazunari-san is…」

「Ahaha, I know, I know. My son really is a lucky guy.」

That’s something that doesn’t even need to be said.

My Mother was talking to Sara-san with a level of good humor that I, as her own family, had never seen before. And, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she was completely ignoring me…

Being treated this dismissively made me think my mother should have just gone to Sara-san’s class observation instead of coming to mine.

As long as it didn’t cause trouble for Sara-san, that is.

「It looks like Sara is getting along great with Fuyumi-san, so Kazunari-kun, why don’t you get along with me?」

It seemed Mayumi-san had regained her stride now that Sara-san’s interrogation had let up.

She showed me her usual gentle smile, which was incomparable to my mother’s, but at the same time, she made a move to get closer to me. Of course, Sara-san wasn’t the type to allow that. She cut in between us before Mayumi-san could get near, then swapped our positions while holding me tightly to protect me.

「「「 Uwaaaaaaaaaggghhhh!!!!!! 」」」

In that instant, a groan erupted from the guys in class that surpassed the previous「swallowed」scream. it was heavy, suffocating, and filled with nothing but pure loathing.

Where exactly were they even producing voices like that from?

「Goodness… I cannot even have a proper conversation. It seems best to take you away immediately.」

While keeping Mayumi-san in check, Sara-san let go of me (though she gave me a secret little squeeze the moment she did) and then marched over to Mayumi-san, grabbing her right hand forcefully. She then started walking away, practically dragging her.

「Ah, wait, Sara-chan!? Goodness, alright, I get it…」

Having been pulled along, Mayumi-san seemingly gave up and followed Sara-san submissively.

「Mother-in-law, please excuse us for a moment. I will give you a proper greeting later.」

「You don’t have to be so formal about it.」

「No, greeting you properly is a very important matter to me, mother-in-law. Now then, Kazunari-san, I will come to pick you up after school.」

「Understood.」

「Ah, wait a second, Sara-chan! Fuyumi-san, I’m so sorry.」

「No, no, let us have a nice, long chat later.」

Once Sara-san confirmed the two had exchanged words, she mercilessly pulled Mayumi-san along and hurried out of the classroom. She did not forget to give a polite bow and say,「Please excuse us,」as she closed the door. Even when she’s in a rush, she never forgets her manners. That’s so like Sara-san.

And once the two left the room, a silence descended upon the classroom that made the previous uproar seem like it never happened…

「「「 TAKANASHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!! 」」」

…was what should have happened.

A perfectly synchronized scream, as if they were acting as one, echoed out again, and a tsunami of guys came rushing toward me.

…I knew it. There was no way it would end just like that. If only they could have just stayed frozen like statues or ornaments…

But even if I wished for that, it wasn’t going to happen. It was a given that they would make a fuss demanding an explanation. To make matters worse, my mother had arrived at the worst possible time, so I was likely to be grilled about the even more annoying fact that there were two “mothers” present.

…Wait, this is my private business, so there’s no reason for me to explain anything, is there?

「Y-Y-You, what’s your deal with Satsukawa-senpai!!??」

「What was that just nowwwwwwwww!!!!」

「Explain! Explain everythingggggggggg!!!!」

「Don’t mess with usssss!!!! Even though you have Hanasaki-san!!!」

「Who was that person before, anyway!!!!」

「Why does Satsukawa-senpai call your mom mother-in-law!!!!!!?」

「Wait, hold on, you guys.」

While being interrogated by the guys, I was surrounded and pressed in on from all sides.

This is the absolute worst… but this wasn’t the time to be thinking such leisurely thoughts. The people crowding me were all equally worked up and couldn’t see anything but their own excitement. On top of that, they were just incessantly shouting whatever they wanted to say. It was an incredibly annoying situation.

「Hanasaki-san, are you okay!?」

「No matter who the opponent is, you can’t give up!!」

「I’m on your side, Hanasaki-san!!」

「Takanashi-kun is horrible, isn’t he? Even though he has you, Hanasaki-san!!!」

「Eh!? Um, wait… hold on…」

On the other hand, it seemed a large group of girls had gathered around Hanako-san. Hanako-san is someone who moves at her own pace for better or worse, so she was in the exact same situation as me, completely unable to cope and flustered. I couldn’t hear what they were talking about over there because of the noise on my side, but it was easy to imagine that Hanako-san was suffering from being caught in our crossfire.

「My… you’re quite popular with the boys, aren’t you?」

And then there was my mother. Even though she probably understood the situation to some extent, she had to go and say something extremely carefree.

The classroom was now in a state of total chaos, and I had no idea how to bring it under control. Plus, even though the guys were asking questions, they had absolutely no intention of listening to a word I said. It was completely incoherent. There was nothing I could do, but I suppose that’s just how confused they were.

Rattle rattle rattle…

「What is all this noise!! I can hear you all the way down the hall!!」

Just then, a teacher entered the room with a sudden shout. The surprise caused the noisy room to fall into a dead silence. The arrival of the teacher for the next period meant that time had slipped away before I knew it.

Ding-dong…

And as if to confirm that, the bell rang to announce the start of the fourth period.

「I’m starting the lesson, so return to your seats!」

The guys surrounding me looked incredibly reluctant, but they couldn’t exactly defy the teacher, so they returned to their seats while glaring at me.

Their expressions all seemed to say,「You’d better explain yourself later,」and it wasn’t hard to imagine that the same thing would happen again after class was over.

But what was even more mysterious was the fact that a lot of the girls were glaring at me for some reason. Of course, it wasn’t all of them. Those who were usually friendly toward me seemed more confused than anything. I could understand the guys’ reaction, but I seriously had no idea what the girls’ reaction meant…

During class.

I couldn’t help but be conscious of the eyes around me, so I had a hard time concentrating.

As I turned my neck or moved my shoulders, secretly looking around in a way that wouldn’t seem unnatural, it was just as I’d expected.

I kept making eye contact with the people watching me, or having them look away quickly. Even though we were in the middle of a lesson, I was clearly the center of attention.

And when I happened to look next to me, I caught sight of Hanako-san, who also looked very uncomfortable. Since I’d dragged her into this completely, I’d have to apologize later…

I thought I’d be mobbed the moment class ended, but our homeroom teacher came in right after the teacher who gave the lesson, so we went straight into the end-of-day homeroom.

The homeroom teacher tilted his head in confusion at the prickling tension in the air, but apparently decided it wasn’t harmful and ignored it to start checking the announcements.

「We will be holding a social gathering after a short break, so those who are participating, please wait here for a moment.」

A final announcement was made to the parents, but there was no specific talk about how long this social gathering would take. However, since it didn’t involve eating lunch, I figured it wouldn’t take that long. So, I should be fine waiting in the student council room as planned.

And the moment the check-list was finished and the homeroom teacher left the classroom after the final greetings…

Both guys and girls rushed toward me with the force of a broken dam, surrounding my desk in an instant. Of course, they surrounded Hanako-san next to me as well.

「T-T-Takanashiiiiiiii!! Explain yourself already!!」

「What was that with Satsukawa-senpai earlier!?」

「M-M-My Satsukawa-senpai, doing something so enviably shameful like that!!」

「What was that with Satsukawa-senpai!!! Who was that person from before!!!」

「It’s a prank, right!? Tell me it’s a prank!!!!!!」

「Takanashi-kun, don’t you feel bad for Hanasaki-san!!??」

「Seriously!! We were rooting for you because you two looked so good together!!!!」

「Hey, are you seriously two-timing!!?? Or are you cheating!?」

「That’s the lowest! I can’t believe you!」

The fierce questioning, which even Prince Shotoku probably couldn’t have untangled, didn’t give me or Hanako-san any room to respond or argue.

What was I even supposed to say in this situation?

And what was most confusing right now was being accused of cheating or two-timing by the girls for some reason. It really made no sense. Hanako-san isn’t my girlfriend or anything, so why was that even being brought up?

「Wait, hold on a second!! It’s hard to answer when you’re all talking at once!!!」

Even when I managed to shout in a gap between their words, they didn’t seem to care in the slightest.

「Just hurry up and explain!!!」

「W-W-What’s your relationship with Satsukawa-senpai!!!」

「Aaaaaah, just thinking about it… I’m so jealous!!!!」

「Was that person before Satsukawa-senpai’s mother!?」

「Hanasaki-san!! You should get mad at Takanashi-kun!!!」

「Seriously!! Doing something like that with someone else right in front of your boyfriend!!!!」

「「 Boyfriend!!?? 」」

Now it was me and Hanako-san’s turn to be shocked.

We both spoke in unison at the mysterious word「boyfriend.」

What did that mean? Were they blaming me for being close with Hanako-san even though I have a girlfriend like Sara-san?

But if that’s the case, it’s less of a misunderstanding and more of a trashy assumption by people who don’t know the situation. It’s true that the relationship between Hanako-san and me is extremely unique, but it’s no joke being blamed when they don’t even know the reason.

「Wait a minute, I can’t just let that slide…」

「What is the meaning of this?」

But more than my anger, and more than the uproar around us…

A dignified, powerful voice echoed through the classroom, as if to wipe everything else away.

She probably didn’t raise her voice especially loud. She likely just spoke normally. And yet, that high, clear voice created a moment of void in this stupid commotion.

「For now… move out of the way.」

You couldn’t argue, you couldn’t resist… you shouldn’t even try.

Pressed by a pressure that made everyone think so, the crowd split apart like the sea in a certain famous movie.

And there, on the other side… was Sara-san, showing a sternness she never, ever shows to me.

The way Sara-san walked boldly through the opening in the crowd seemed like the perfect definition of「majestic.」

The reactions of the people around us were varied: some were overwhelmed by the pressure, some were enchanted by Sara-san and busy following her with their eyes, and some were just confused by the situation.

「Um, Kazunari-san, what exactly is the situation here?」

That same Sara-san, however, returned to her usual self when addressing me. I couldn’t help but feel relieved by her usual gentle, soft tone.

「Well, I’m being grilled about a bunch of stuff, and it seems there’s some misunderstanding…」

「A misunderstanding… is it?」

「S-Satsukawa-senpai!!!」

The guys were just making a fuss, but the girls seemed to have a different vibe.

The spearhead that had been directed at me in accusation until a moment ago was now, for some reason, trying to point toward Sara-san.

They seemed to be trying to direct harsh glares at her, but the reason they didn’t actually land was because they all lost to Sara-san’s pressure and looked away.

「……Do you have something you wish to say?」

「Ugh…」

The girl who had spoken up flinched heavily under the sharp gaze Sara-san directed at her.

Sara-san didn’t seem to have a clear grasp of the situation yet, but she seemed to have judged that there was hostility toward me, and her pressure on those around us was steadily growing stronger.

In response to that, some girls even started to back away.

「Takanashi-kun has Hanasaki-san!!」

「………Huh?」

The words from the girl who had spoken up as if she’d finally made up her mind… honestly, I had no choice but to say I didn’t understand the meaning. The reason Sara-san let out a somewhat deflated sound was probably because she had the same impression I did. It was a statement that made me want to shoot back with,「So what?」

「I do not understand the meaning of what you are saying?」

As if to represent my feelings, Sara-san asked back with a straight-to-the-point remark. Hanako-san seemed to feel the same way as us, as she was nodding along.

But perhaps because one person had spoken up and gained momentum, a volley of words began from the girls, just like before.

「I mean, Takanashi-kun has a girlfriend, Hanasaki-san!」

「Please stay away from Takanashi-kun. I feel so bad for Hanasaki-san.」

「Maybe you don’t know, Satsukawa-senpai, but it’s true!!!」

「Takanashi-kun, you’re too much!!!」

「Takanashiiiiiiii!! Were you two-timing!!!」

「Satsukawa-senpai, you were being tricked, weren’t you!?」

「As a fellow man, I can’t forgive this!!!」

「You guys, seriously, shut—」

「BE QUIET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!」

「「「 !!!??? 」」」

Having reached my limit, I was about to raise my voice when I hadn’t intended to. But as if to cut me off, I was drowned out by Sara-san’s sharp, anger-filled shout.

That incredible shout from Sara-san silenced everyone who had been clamoring and even made the entire classroom fall into a deep hush.

「Hanako-san, did you give them a proper explanation?」

「I did. Big sister told them clearly. I said it, didn’t I?」

When Sara-san asked Hanako-san with a somewhat troubled look, Hanako-san naturally turned to the girls she’d spoken to before for confirmation. The girls she was addressing looked at each other in confusion, but I’d definitely heard it myself, so there was no mistake.

「Um… well, you did say that, but…」

「We thought… you meant you were just enjoying that kind of roleplay as a couple…」

「No one said that. I’m not his girlfriend, so stop making things up.」

…

「「「 WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!?? 」」」

This time, a scream erupted from all the girls.

However, honestly, I’m just as shocked by this as they are. I thought the misunderstanding had been completely cleared up, but I never dreamed it had been given such a twisted interpretation.

A couple that enjoys「Big sister and Little brother」roleplay… how on earth do you even get such a nonsensical idea?

I mean, if they were satisfied with that explanation, just how were we being viewed…

I’m afraid to even ask.