Episode 300: Kazunari Worked Hard

Yuji and Natsumi-senpai.

Hayato and Todo-san.

The relationships of my precious best friends were beginning to show a new form of connection.

If everyone could find their own happiness, I honestly feel there’s nothing more wonderful than that.

Meeting Sara-san completely changed the world for me. I never dreamed that I, who thought I was in hell, could feel this much happiness.

Having someone precious to you is truly a happy thing.

So if my best friends can grab hold of that same happiness, I want to actively help out with whatever I can.

It might seem like I’m sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong.

But even so, I can’t help but feel that way.

「Yeah, it’s delicious, Todo-san.」

「Ah, I’m so glad… you see, that’s…」

Watching Hayato eat with such gusto, Todo-san let out a blooming smile.

She still looked a bit unsure of herself, but she seemed to realize his words weren’t a lie. Her smiles were gradually becoming more frequent.

「How is it? My bento?」

「Ugh… I didn’t think your cooking would be this good, Natsumi-san.」

「Hmph, well… you know what that means, right?」

「…I give up. You win.」

Those two were having their own mysterious exchange over there.

Well, they looked like they were having fun, so I guess it’s fine.

「That’s wonderful, Kazunari-san.」

「Sara-san?」

「I knew you were worried about your friends.」

「Well… yeah. If everyone’s happy, that’s for the best.」

「Kazunari is kind.」

「Fufu… that’s so like you, Kazunari-san. It’s wonderful.」

Sara-san and Hanako-san always praise me for the simplest things like this.

I’m not doing anything special, and I’m just thinking normal thoughts.

But… being looked at with such gentle eyes makes me feel embarrassed.

「Kazunari-san, you’re so cute♪ Here, say ahhh…」

Chomp. Munch, munch…

「Kazunari, cute. Next is this. Ahhh…」

Chomp. Munch, munch…

With gentle smiles, the two resumed the「ahhh」festival.

Except… I’m getting lukewarm looks from everyone around us, so I kind of wish they’d stop repeating how「cute」I am.

「Kazunari-san, ahhh…」

Chomp. Munch, munch…

As always, Sara-san’s bento… her cooking is truly amazing.

High-level culinary skills trained by Mayumi-san.

The flavors of both the Satsukawa and Takanashi households.

On top of that, she’s researched my preferences in detail to sublimate the tastes of both families.

I can’t thank her enough for her thoughtfulness.

That’s why I…

「Haa… it’s so good.」

「Yes, I’m happy to hear that♪」

I make sure to always convey that it’s「delicious」with all my gratitude.

I’ll never forget to do that.

「Kazunari, ahhh.」

Chomp. Munch, munch…

Hanako-san’s bento has pieces that are a bit uniquely shaped or slightly charred here and there.

But that’s just proof that she worked hard to make it by hand, and for me, that’s nothing but a plus.

The taste isn’t just flattery either, it’s genuinely delicious.

「Kazunari, how is it?」

「Yeah, it’s good.」

「Good. Hearing Kazunari say that makes me really happy.」

When I gave my honest thoughts, Hanako-san wore a truly joyful smile.

She’d been saying she was studying cooking for a while now, and I knew it was for me.

So, that smile the moment I ate her food was something I wanted to capture in a photo.

「Here, Kazunari-san, ahhh.」

「Kazunari, ahhh.」

But… well.

I’m truly happy about Sara-san and Hanako-san’s feelings.

So my resolve as a man… no, as a total bro… to finish every single bite even if the portion is huge hasn’t wavered a bit.

But… no matter how much I psych myself up or show some grit, it’s still hard to overcome physical limits.

Basically, what I’m trying to say is…

I’m about at my limit.

「I’m starting to feel like Takanashi-kun is being domesticated with treats…」

「Ahaha… actually, Takanashi-san, aren’t you about at your limit?」

Nishikawa-san is sharp!

I didn’t even have the energy to think of a joke like「The winner gets a…」

Wait, the amount of rice shouldn’t have been that much, so why… ah, maybe eating slowly makes me feel fuller?

「Um, Takanashi-san? While you can still eat, please try some of my bento too…」

「Ah, then eat mine too!!」

「Takanashi-kun, mine is nowhere near Satsukawa-senpai’s, but… if you’d like…」

「Right, I definitely intended to have Takanashi-kun eat some this time. I’ve been blocked by Sara ever since we three started eating together.」

Whoa… a bento rush is starting in this situation. This is bad.

I might be in a major pinch…

「Aah… my stomach…」

「Kazunari-san, are you okay?」

We moved to a bench (with the tent), and I’m resting with my head in Sara-san’s lap.

I don’t care about that superstition that says you’ll turn into a cow if you lie down right after eating.

I don’t have the energy to think about anything extra.

By the way, Sara-san said「You should lie down with your right side facing down.」

So, I’m doing exactly what I was told, but that means…

「Kazunari-san, you need to lean in a bit more or you’ll fall off, okay?」

「Well, I mean…」

「Holding back is… a no-no.」

「Okay…」

Getting a cute scolding(?), I hurried to lean my body against Sara-san.

When that happens, naturally, my face ends up against Sara-san’s stomach, so a「squishy」soft sensation spreads across my whole face.

And it’s「sweet」… I don’t know if I just feel that way or if it’s reality, but anyway, I’m enveloped in the wonderful scent of the Sara-san I love.

As always, that’s a dangerous kind of「something」for a healthy high school boy like me…

Plus, if Sara-san so much as leans forward, my face’ll be in a heaven sandwich between her thighs and stomach. There’s a chance I’ll be in total paradise with no way out.

「…Should I be jealous of that, or should I feel sorry for him?」

「…Kazunari has it rough. But even though they’re engaged and living together, I think the fact that he’s endured this long is worthy of praise.」

「…Yeah. As a man, I can’t help but pity him.」

「…Well, it just shows how much he treasures her. Even if Satsukawa-senpai’s love seems overwhelming, Kazunari’s feelings are surely just as strong.」

「Kazunari… are you okay?」

Hearing Hanako-san’s worried voice, another hand started stroking my head.

Sara-san’s hands are on my stomach and my head… so that means Hanako-san’s hand joined in.

For the record, the key is that they’re stroking different spots so they don’t overlap.

Well, setting that aside.

「Sorry, I might need a little more time…」

「We still have time, so please stay lying down for a while.」

As she says that, Sara-san moves her body slightly to adjust her posture.

That naturally brings a mix of heaven and hell… well, mostly heaven… to my face. Crap, stay calm, stay calm.

On top of that, Sara-san takes my head, which shifted slightly with that movement, and gives me a squeeze as she pulls it against her stomach.

「Still the same as ever… Takanashi-kun and Satsukawa-senpai don’t change a bit at school. And now even Hanako-san’s in on it.」

「Ahaha, well, I’ve finally started getting used to that lately, I guess…」

「But Satsukawa-senpai’s the President and Takanashi-kun’s the Vice President, right? Is the Student Council really gonna be okay when they’re always like that?」

「True… in a way, you could say they’re united?」

「What’s with that vague way of putting it… ah, but I think I kind of get it.」

Wait, you kind of get it from just that?

Even for me, that’s a bit much.

But that move this morning where they made a human barrier… now that I think about it, maybe that symbolized it.

Don’t tell me that was pre-planned?

「Well, anyway, what’s the plan for after this?」

「Let’s see… Sara, what does the patrol look like after this?」

「Our main responsibility is patrolling the classroom building. The outdoor areas like the field and the club building are assigned to others.」

「I see, I see. So the plan for after this is decided. We’ll walk around and see the class exhibits.」

「Yes. The club-related areas will be tomorrow.」

By the way…

Each classroom has a class exhibit.

The club building and vocational building are mainly for clubs. The gym and the special stage in the schoolyard have timed performances for the drama club, choir, brass band, light music club, and various volunteer bands.

And tomorrow’s Miss Contest is…

「Yes, yes! Where’s the Miss Contest that Satsukawa-senpai’s in tomorrow being held!?」

「That’ll be on the special stage in the schoolyard.」

So that was that.

I thought it’d be in the gym at first, but apparently it gets too crowded for that. Since it’s a popular annual event, many people from outside the school come to watch.

People from surrounding schools, neighbors, and so on. Just how big is this going to be?

「Man, if Satsukawa-senpai’s in it, her winning is basically a given.」

「Well, I don’t know. Sara’s got a weakness, after all.」

「EEEEEH? Satsukawa-senpai has a weakness!?」

「She’s just not friendly. She doesn’t smile, keeps conversation to a minimum, and because she says exactly what she thinks when she’s unhappy, she can be quite toxic and preachy. So she’ll never flatter people for votes.」

Um…

Talk about a boomerang. I think Natsumi-senpai’s comment just now was pretty toxic too.

But since Sara-san herself admits those are facts, I can’t really offer a clear rebuttal.

Plus, Sara-san doesn’t seem to care at all, acting as if the words were just the wind.

As proof, she’s currently humming a tune (might be a lullaby…) while stroking my head and stomach.

「I hear that often, but I’ve never seen that Satsukawa-senpai. I know Takanashi-kun’s special, but I can’t really imagine her being like that.」

「For me and Eririn, the Sara who’s giving Takanashi-kun a lap pillow and humming right now is way harder to believe, though.」

「But this scene feels natural to me. Ah, but the Satsukawa-senpai who snapped when Takanashi-kun got hit was terrifying.」

「Aaah… that was a first for me too. Anyway, Sara is basically more than just harsh to men other than Takanashi-kun. She’s like a different person or has a split personality.」

「I see… but if that’s the case, the Miss Contest stage…」

「Well, her looks are top-tier. Plus, most of the guys who are obsessed with Sara have never even spoken to her. So there’re plenty of idiots who just assume she’s their ideal, and I think she’ll get a fair amount of votes even if she does nothing.」

As expected of Natsumi-senpai. She has a firm grasp on how those idiots think.

Ultimately, the problem is that there’re just too many people making a scene based on Sara-san’s looks, rumors, and their own assumptions…

「Haa… how should I put it… it’s complicated. But since she’s participating, I still want Satsukawa-senpai to win…」

「I have no interest in the Miss Contest. I do not care what the result is. Evaluation from nobodies is the same as trash.」

「T-Trash… well, I knew that. So guys other than Takanashi-kun really don’t matter to you at all…」

「Of course. Kazunari-san is everything to me.」

「Thanks for the feast. Takanashi-kun’s really lucky, isn’t he?」

No need to even say it.

I truly believe I’m the luckiest man in the world to be loved this much by Sara-san.

So, I’ll try to convey that feeling back to her even a little.

To show my happiness, I tightened my hug just a bit.

Squeeze.

「Fufu… my stomach’s a bit ticklish♪」

「Eh!? S-Sorry.」

Sara-san’s unexpected reaction made me panic.

I wasn’t doing anything wrong, but the way her voice sounded… just a little bit… you know?

「Kazunari-san, you can hold me tighter, you know?」

「No, that’s…」

If I hugged her any tighter in this situation, things might get pretty bad for me.

「…Um… why’d you suddenly start flirting in the middle of this conversation…?」

「…It happens all the time lately.」

「…Ahaha, they’ve been a bit excessive with the skinship lately… but it’s Takanashi-kun and Satsukawa-senpai.」

「…………you idiot couple…」

「…Ni-Nishikawa-san… is back…」

「Kazunari, how’s your stomach?」

「U, uh… a little longer, I think.」

I took some stomach medicine (Sara-san had some), so it feels like it’s settled down a bit. But the truth is, it’s still a bit rough.

So… this is definitely not because I want to stay spoiled by Sara-san a little longer. It’s absolutely not that.

「Then let’s start moving once Takanashi-kun can walk.」

「Agreed! I’m looking forward to seeing what’s out there… By the way, is Todo-san’s class doing fortune-telling?」

「Yeah, it’s a fortune-telling shop. We gathered all sorts of different types.」

「Heh… that sounds interesting.」

「True, it does sound interesting.」

「Yeah, sounds fun.」

The voices that sounded strangely interested were probably Natsumi-senpai, Yuji, and Hayato.

Well, they probably have something on their minds. Surely.

By the way, what about Sara-san?

「What do you think, Sara-san?」

「Let’s see… I am not really the type to worry about fortune-telling.」

「Same here.」

To begin with, we’ve never talked about fortune-telling before.

So Sara-san’s answer was exactly what I expected.

I thought about having us both get our fortunes told together if she was interested. But it’d be bad if we got a weird result.

「But since we are here, shall we have them tell our fortunes together?」

「You’re right, that sounds like fun!」

Is that different from what I just said?

I’ve forgotten about the past.

If Sara-san says so, that’s the top priority.

「Personally, I’m curious about Takanashi-kun’s class cafe. Sara even did a cooking class for it.」

「Ah, me too. Plus, I’ve never been to a maid cafe, so that sounds kind of interesting.」

「Hey, Takanashi-kun, is it okay if this many of us go?」

I wonder…

I can only say it depends on how crowded it is, but it should be fine?

I’ll just contact Yamakawa and the others.

「I’ll send a message to my class to check, even if it’s not exactly a reservation. Maybe they can call us when a table opens up.」

I have a feeling things’ll turn into a scene again if this group goes. But if it’s my class, at least Sara-san should be fine… and Todo-san and Hayato are always in and out. Yeah, it should work out.

「That would be helpful. By the way, Takanashi-san?」

「Yes.」

「How long do you intend to keep talking in that position?」

「Ugh…」

I knew it… I knew I’d be called out eventually.

Because I’ve been talking showing my back the whole time.

But I can’t help it.

Because if I try to pull away, or try to move like this…

Squeeze.

Right, I’m not allowed to move yet…

「…Guh… flirting… flirting like that…」

The mysterious mutterings and aura coming from Nishikawa-san felt like「stings」that were different from a gaze. I could feel them piercing my back.

I mean, she’s a little scary…