Episode 277: Full of Herself

It can’t be helped now that it’s come to this.

How to navigate this situation…

Or rather, I can’t exactly go around causing trouble in a place like this. Getting into a fight would be a total disaster.

We’re here as the student council, so if we did something like that, there’s no telling what people would say.

So, what’s required of us right now is to finish things here smoothly and get out fast.

So, let’s calm down and assess the situation.

First, I have to worry about Hanako-san. To be more precise, she doesn’t seem to care herself (even though I’m pissed), so the problem is likely on the other side.

I don’t know why she has it out for Hanako-san, considering they just met…

And as for Sara-san and Hanako-san, as long as nothing happens to me, they’ll probably just ignore her.

In other words, if I play this right, we might get through this.

I’m not interested in unnecessary drama. Besides, her lackeys don’t seem to be around right now, so the best move is to just humur her and leave.

「…Hello, Senior.」

「「「!?」」」

What was that?

I just gave a normal greeting, but for a second, the classroom felt like it buzzed… was it just my imagination?

Well, it doesn’t matter. More importantly, it’s her.

「Yes, hello. Fufu, I thought it might have been a coincidence last time, but it seems you really are different. This is interesting.」

As usual, I don’t really get what this woman is talking about. But from her vibe, she doesn’t seem to be mocking me or acting malicious. She’s just… being suggestive or whatever.

「…Last time?」

Sara-san muttered quietly.

Haa… that’s one more thing I’m going to have to apologize to Sara-san for. I don’t think keeping that secret was wrong, but it’s a fact that I broke our promise not to have secrets.

But this is all this woman’s fault, so I feel like I want to throw at least one complaint her way.

「Good work with the student council duties. I assume you aren’t here alone today… oh, of course you aren’t…」

As she looked past me into the classroom, the stuck-up girl’s voice changed suddenly. Even her expression felt like a forced smile.

I guess her mood shifted when she saw Sara-san and the others… or rather, Hanako-san?

The reason is still a mystery, but does she really have that much of a problem with Hanako-san…

「My, my, my, my, if it isn’t Satsukawa-san? Still wearing that same sour face, I see. If you’re always looking so displeased, won’t everyone around you start feeling miserable?」

!!!!!?????

I thought she was going after Hanako-san, but now she’s snapping at Sara-san!?

The stuck-up girl brushed past me and entered the room, stopping at a short distance to face Sara-san. Her forced smile grew worse, and she wore a defiant grin that almost felt nasty. If anything, it looked like she was provoking Sara-san, a change even more dramatic than when she dealt with Hanako-san.

「…It is no business of yours how I am, is it?」

「Well, I suppose so. I’m not exactly looking for a verbal spat with you, either. I was just stating an objective observation, you see?」

Undeterred by Sara-san’s cold shoulder, the stuck-up girl showed no sign of stopping her meddling.

Seriously, what is with this woman?

First she snaps at Hanako-san, and now she’s snapping at Sara-san. I almost want to ask if she’s some kind of stray dog.

「Wife, do you know this woman?」

「No, not really.」

「Wife? As for knowing each other, Satsukawa-san and I were at last year’s Miss Contest…」

「I wasn’t asking you.」

「!?」

Flinching just like she did this morning, the woman shrank back under Hanako-san’s sharp glare. Despite her attitude, she might actually be the type that’s surprisingly weak when pushed. In that sense, is she going to be okay with Hanako-san now?

「…Ah, the air is a bit…」

「…Rena-san is just like that.」

「…Well, in terms of looks, she’s not exactly losing, I guess.」

「…The Vice President and the smaller Angel just talked to Kusuhara-san normally?」

「…Those two are first-years, so they probably don’t know the backstory, right?」

「…I’m definitely on Team Satsukawa-san, though.」

「…Agreed. I mean, they’re basically opposites in a way.」

「…Th-That look from the Angel… I can’t take it!」

「S-Such a combative Angel, aren’t you? Well, that’s fine. More importantly, Satsukawa-san, I heard you’re participating in this year’s Miss Contest?」

「Yes. It is a massive pain, but it is technically part of the job.」

「I see. Regardless of the reason, it’s not a problem as long as you participate. We’ll finally settle things between us, won’t we?」

I see, so that’s it. I’m finally starting to see the picture.

In other words, this woman thinks of Sara-san as her rival. But since Sara-san doesn’t care at all, it’s strictly a self-proclaimed rivalry.

For the record, if you ask me, claiming to be Sara-san’s rival is ten thousand light-years… no, infinitely too early.

「However, if you lack confidence, you could always run aw… oh, never mind. It’ll be decided by my second consecutive victory anyway.」

Hmm… she was about to say something, wasn’t she?

And she made a show of correcting herself?

I thought so with Hanako-san too, but this woman really has a nasty personality. That sarcastic way of speaking gets on my nerves every single time.

「Indeed. To be honest, I would prefer to skip it this time as well. Being a showpiece for a gimmick contest is something I find utterly repulsive. Besides, the thought of catering to an audience makes me feel nauseous.」

「…Huh?」

「However, for someone who wishes to cater to men, it might be the perfect opportunity. If you wear a mask and give them a nasty smile, you might just win. Besides, you are a beauty. I am sure you will be fine. Good luck, I am rooting for you.」

To Sara-san, who has zero interest in the Miss Contest, that might be her genuine image of the participants.

But this woman seems to view her victory in last year’s contest as her status…

Thinking about it that way, everything Sara-san has been saying is just full-blown sarcasm, even if it’s unintentional. (lol)

「…D-Don’t talk such cra—cough. H-Hmph, is that just a pre-emptive excuse for your defeat? Fine then. I suppose you wouldn’t be able to keep your pride if you didn’t do something like that before you lose.」

「Pride…? I do not quite understand the meaning of what you are saying, but I see no need to correct your misunderstanding. It is all trivial to me. Regardless, please do your best in the Miss Contest. If that results in my turn being cancelled, it would be a dream come true for me.」

Hmm…

Actually, if Sara-san’s turn gets cancelled, that would be a problem for me… but anyway.

Sara-san seemed to be getting fed up, showing obvious signs of annoyance. And for me, I didn’t feel great listening to this woman say whatever she wanted. In fact, she’s an eyesore and an earsore.

At this point, I should just intervene and force the conversation to an end…

「Hey, Vice President. What do you think?」

「…Huh?」

I didn’t expect the turn to come to me at this timing, so I let out a stupid sound. My momentum was completely cut off.

「As the Vice President, you’re always working by Satsukawa-san’s side, aren’t you? Then naturally, you must have a firm grasp of who she really is, don’t you?」

…?

It’s too sudden, I’m not keeping up… what the hell is she trying to say?

Does she understand that the way Sara-san acts around others isn’t her true self?

「You seem like someone who has a firm sense of self, so you aren’t the type to be swayed by preconceptions or the excitement of those around you, are you? Someone who riles up the crowd, acts out the ideal image men created for their own convenience, and gets full of herself being called a Goddess… there’s no need to even compare such a person to me, is there? You already know which of us is more fit to win the Miss Contest, don’t you…」

「Can you just shut up already?」

「!?」

Ah… I’ve had enough.

Mocking Sara-san right in front of me… I’m officially snapped.

Sorry to everyone else, but I’m going to have my say. I’m at the limit of my patience.

The incident this morning was bad enough, but stop talking in your sleep already.

And besides, Sara-san riling up the crowd? Getting full of herself for being called a Goddess?

No matter how much this is coming from someone who doesn’t know the real Sara-san, I absolutely cannot forgive this.

「H-Hanako-san, Takanashi-kun is!」

「It’s too late. I can’t stop him.」

「Wha!?」

「Kazunari-san…」

「V-Vice President!? Is something the matt…」

「It’s true that the Sara-san everyone calls a Goddess isn’t her true self. That’s just an idol people created on their own. Those idiots just made up an ideal image and convinced themselves it was real.」

「Y-Yes. That’s right, exactly! I knew you were… wait, Sara-san?」

「But you’re exactly the same, aren’t you?」

「…Eh?」

「Everything you’ve been saying isn’t fact at all. It’s just a delusion that’s convenient for you. It’s just an ideal version of Sara-san you created based on your own assumptions and hopes. The only difference is the content. In the end, you’re just like those idiots over there.」

Those idiots forced their「Goddess」ideal on Sara-san. And this woman just wants to force her own ideal of Sara-san being a「nasty woman」for her own convenience.

She wants her to be like that, she’s sure of it, it has to be true… it’s just an ideal image of Sara-san created solely from her own selfish assumptions and demands.

And she’s probably…

「K-Kazunari-san, please leave such matters to me…」

「Sara-san, please be quiet for a moment.」

「Y-Yes.」

I didn’t really want to speak so harshly to Sara-san, but this is the one thing I can’t allow. As Sara-san’s lover, as her fiancé, and as someone who knows the real Sara-san, I cannot let this pass in silence.

I won’t let it pass!!

「What do any of you… what do you know about Sara-san? You’re all just looking at the surface, forcing your own ideals and convenience on her. Do you have any idea how much trouble you’re causing her? Don’t you dare say whatever you want when you don’t understand a single thing about Sara-san!!!」

「…H-Hey, is the Vice President okay?」

「…Y-Yeah, at this rate…」

「…Shouldn’t we stop him?」

「…B-But if Kusuhara-san targets us too…」

「…Wait, wait a sec, more importantly, it’s the names, right!?」

「…What about the names?」

「…I noticed that too!! Satsukawa-san and the Vice President just called each other by their first names, didn’t they!?」

「「「…Eh!!??」」」

「I-It seems there’s been some misunderstanding!? I don’t know why you’re angry, but what I wanted to know was simply which woman is more worthy of winning…」

Since I suddenly showed such intense fury, the stuck-up girl began to fluster in a panic. She really is weak when someone pushes back hard… but anyway, does she still not realize what she’s saying at this point?

In the first place, talk about the Miss Contest…

「Listen… whether someone is fit to win the Miss Contest or not isn’t something for me to decide, is it? That’s something for the actual…」

「No, I simply wanted to hear your opinion…」

「If you want my opinion, it’s obviously Sara-san. In the first place, I don’t know anything about you, so you aren’t even a valid comparison.」

「…………Huh?」

「「Eh!?」」

The moment I stated my answer clearly, the stuck-up girl’s movements stopped abruptly.

She stared at me in a daze, her mouth hanging open as if she had seen something unbelievable… and since the buzzing around us had vanished before I knew it, I felt like the entire room had frozen all at once.

I didn’t think I said anything that weird… what is this?

「Now that you mention it, I don’t know either… who are you?」

「…That is true. To be honest, I do not know, either.」

Don’t tell me that not just Hanako-san, but even Sara-san doesn’t know her?

Then… what was that whole conversation even about!?

「No, um… surely a joke like that is in poor taste… eh? Y-You’re joking, right?」

「……」

「(Shake, shake)」

「(Shake, shake)」

Before answering myself, I flicked my gaze toward Sara-san and the others to confirm… and both of them shook their heads in unison.

So the answer is「no」… well, now what? This development is way too unexpected even for me, and such a pathetic punchline completely drained all my anger and momentum.

「Um, I’m sure it’s impossible, but… for the record, you know my name, right?」

「(Shake, shake)」

「(Shake, shake)」

Before answering this question, I looked at the two of them once more just to be sure… and they both cutely shook their heads side to side, just like before.

So the answer to this is also no…

So I did the same…

「(Shake, shake)」

Seeing my reaction, the eyes of the stuck-up girl (I’ll just keep calling her that since I don’t know her name) widened to a terrifying degree… ugh, this is a bit scary.

But we aren’t the ones in the wrong. Expecting a total stranger to know who you are is what’s crazy. I mean, just how full of herself is this girl!?

「Pffft, kuku… what a punchline.」

「No way, that’s just too much.」

「Talk about a huge embarrassment.」

「Shh, she’ll hear you.」

「But not knowing Kusuhara-san is a bit…」

「I guess they just weren’t interested?」

I really had no idea, but is this person that famous?

But if that’s the case, it just means we’re out of the loop… maybe I’ll ask the student council later.

「…This… this is… impossible… that someone like me…」

Suddenly looking down, the stuck-up girl began muttering something while trembling.

I feel like this is going to turn into another pain, and I have nothing left to say anyway. Dealing with her is a chore… so it’s probably best to just leave since I don’t have any business with her.

Plus, it’s a waste of time.

「Sorry for the commotion. We’ll be leaving now.」

Finally, I gave a somewhat mockingly polite greeting and a bow, and after leading Sara-san and the others as they gave equally polite bows, I tried to leave.

And the moment I tried to pass by the stuck-up girl, she suddenly raised her head…

「Takanashi… don’t think you can get away with making a fool out of me like this.」

The stuck-up girl muttered in a voice so quiet only those of us nearby could hear.

It looks like I’ve officially become her target now… but that’s far better than her targeting Sara-san. If that’s the case, then whatever…

「What did you just say?」

「Huh?」

Just as I was thinking so casually, this time Sara-san whirled around. And in a complete reversal from before, she spoke to the stuck-up girl in a powerful voice clearly filled with emotion… this feels a bit dangerous.

「Answer me quickly. What did you just say?」

Sara-san slowly approached the girl, closing the distance bit by bit. In contrast, the stuck-up girl was slowly backing away while leaning back… so the distance didn’t close easily.

「…Whoa, whoa, whoa!?」

「…S-So scary!?」

「…Wait, what is that? I’ve never seen Satsukawa-san like that before…」

「…I-I’ve seen her angry, but that’s completely differ…」

「…Wait, wait, that’s dangerous.」

「I let it slide when it was about me, but I will never forgive you for anything concerning Kazunari-san. If you are thinking of something trivial…」

While every single person in the classroom watched Sara-san with bated breath…

Stopping her voice for a moment, Sara-san took one more step toward the stuck-up girl, who was now frozen with a face contorted in terror. She leaned her face in close and then…

「I… will crush you with everything I have.」

「Hieee!?」

「…You would do well to remember that.」

She finished her statement in a very quiet yet terrifyingly sharp voice… and as if she had no more business there, Sara-san did a swift about-face and returned to our side.

From the expression I could finally see, she didn’t look particularly different, but the silence in the room was so thick you could hear a pin drop. No one reacted; they just stood there frozen, staring at Sara-san as if they’d witnessed something impossible.

「…Sara-san.」

「Now then, shall we go? We have no more business here.」

「Wait a second. I have something to say too.」

「H-Hanako-san.」

Todo-san, who had also been frozen, suddenly let out a voice to stop her, but Hanako-san ignored her and stepped toward that woman, taking Sara-san’s place…

「The owner is responsible for the mess the dog makes. Tell that to your stupid lackeys as well.」

「!?」

Leaving a warning in a voice just as freezing as Sara-san’s, she immediately came back to us.

By the way, what mess did the dog make?

「Sorry for the wait. Let’s go.」

「Indeed. Shall we head to the next location?」

「Understood.」

Prompted by those words, I finally headed for the exit of the classroom… and in the last glimpse I caught of the room, there was only the stuck-up girl looking down and trembling, and the seniors watching her with unreadable expressions.