Chapter 2 | “The Curse”

♣♣♣

A little later, our school held its entrance ceremony.

With new students clad in shiny uniforms filling the halls, it feels like the school suddenly comes alive. Well, I mean, with last year’s third-years gone, the total number of students had decreased, so it’s only natural, I guess.

And among our acquaintances, there’s someone who enrolled as a new student this year.

Shiroyama Mei-san.

A (former) middle school girl with twin-tails who admires Himari and aims to become a creator, somehow ending up as my disciple. Starting this year, she’s attending this school.

Lunch break.

While the three of us were eating lunch in the science room, Shiroyama-san came to report her enrollment. She struck her familiar salute pose, as if showing off her brand-new uniform.

“I’ve successfully enrolled!”

“Ohh!”

Clap clap clap clap, we all applauded.

“Congratulations. Let’s keep getting along from now on.”

“Yes! Yuu-senpai, please take care of me!”

Himari tightly hugged her shoulders.

She also started rubbing her waist and such. The pristine skirt was getting wrinkled by the wicked lust demon.

“Mei-chan, as cute as ever! How about letting me harass you a bit before some sleazy guys get their hands on you?”

“Geez, Himari-senpai, that tickles!”

The scene looks super yuri, but Himari’s lines totally ruin it. This girl is seriously gonna get sued for harassment someday…

Enomoto-san also smiled gently.

“Mei-chan, congratulations.”

“…! Th-thank you very much!”

Huh?

Did Shiroyama-san just freeze for a moment…? Come to think of it, she’s a bit uneasy around Enomoto-san, isn’t she? Even in the same uniform, it seems there’s still some emotional distance between them.

Speaking of uniforms…

“Shiroyama-san, the uniform looks good on you.”

“Thank you very much!”

Her shy, beaming reaction is adorable. Honesty is nice.

The brand-new uniform is a bit baggy, but she’ll get used to it. Why does every little thing about her keep triggering my paternal instincts, seriously?

Then, Himari shot me a sulky glare.

“Yuu, your reaction’s different from when it was me, isn’t it?”

“There’s no way I’d treat a real freshman the same as someone cosplaying as one…”

Seriously, why are you so confident about it…?

As we were chatting noisily… I noticed another girl in the corner of the science room, sitting with a prickly aura.

Mera Kamako-san.

A second-year from the gyaru group, a female student with whom I have a bit of a history over accessories. During winter break, she started working part-time at our convenience store, and somehow, she’s still at it.

In other words, she’s practically under Saku-neesan’s wing now, but she’s always thorny with me, so honestly, I’d rather not deal with her.

When my eyes met Mera-san’s, she said with a displeased tone.

“What, got something to say?”

“No, I was just wondering why you’re here…”

To my honest question, she answered with a sullen expression.

“Mei crashed into my class.”

“Oh, got it. Tough luck.”

Shiroyama-san, I didn’t expect her to barge into an upperclassman’s classroom. This rocket girl is already blasting off right after enrollment.

And for Mera-san to actually tag along here, she’s surprisingly easy to sway. By the way, I’m generally gentle with girls, but I’m kinda cold to Mera-san specifically.

For now, let’s put Mera-san aside.

“Shiroyama-san, have you decided on a club?”

“Not yet.”

“You didn’t do any clubs in middle school, right?”

“Yeah, I was helping out at my sister’s shop…”

“So, you’re thinking of doing the same in high school?”

“My sister said I can join any club I want if I feel like it…”

I see…

True, Shiroyama-san has friends like Mera-san now, so it’d be a shame if she just stayed in the going-home club.

“What about Mera-san’s club… Oh, sorry.”

“Senpai, if you’re gonna apologize, think before you speak.”

“No, I’m really sorry…”

Come to think of it, Mera-san said she stopped going to her club because it got awkward after being rejected by an upperclassman. Since I’m partly involved in that, I should reflect on my slip-up.

Mera-san let out an exaggerated sigh.

“Seriously, Senpai. If you’re planning to make money off women’s accessories, you should learn some tact.”

“I’m really sorry…”

“And what’s with giving a high school girl a Same-tarou keychain as a souvenir?”

“That’s because you kept demanding expensive snacks from Omotesando…”

She’s being so nitpicky, is she still holding a grudge over me not getting her a souvenir from the school trip???

As Mera-san and I were talking… huh? I felt a chilling miasma from behind. To be specific, it’s the same vibe I get when Saku-neesan is pissed.

Turning around slowly, I saw Himari and Enomoto-san radiating a terrifying aura, exuding an overpowering pressure. …Their eyes aren’t smiling.

“By the way, Yuu, I’m still not okay with this girl being here???”

“I was thinking the same. Even if Yuu-kun forgave her for breaking the accessory, we should teach her some manners toward her senpai.”

Eek!

They’re both seriously pissed. I can see a hannya demon’s shadow behind them!

And it seems Mera-san sensed it too.

She hurriedly hid behind me, teary-eyed, begging for help. That ability to switch attitudes so easily… I don’t actually hate it.

“S-Senpai! These people are scary!”

“That’s just your own fault…”

“But you said, ‘I was wrong, I’ll be your slave from now on,’ didn’t you?!”

“I didn’t say that? What’s with that conveniently fabricated memory?”

Only the first half is true. Besides, we’re both just fellow slaves under Saku-neesan, so there’s no strict hierarchy between us, you know?

(Ugh, what do I do…)

I’m used to Mera-san’s sharp tongue and see it as just part of our communication now. It doesn’t really bother me.

But for people like Himari and Enomoto-san, who were raised with strict manners since childhood, Mera-san’s attitude is unforgivable. They’re angry on my behalf, so stopping them feels awkward.

More importantly, I don’t have any obligation to protect Mera-san that much. With an extremely gentle smile, I patted her shoulder.

“Mera-san, you’ll be fine. It’ll just be a few days of your skull creaking.”

“That’s not fine! Senpai, your sense of normal is definitely warped!”

“You’ll get used to it and recover faster.”

“Think of ways to avoid getting hit, not recovering after!”

Seeing Mera-san on the verge of real tears, I felt a weird itch deep inside.

It’s like a new door is about to open within me, and it’s kinda scary. Could this be the “teaching a lesson” thing Hibari-san mentioned before? I’d rather never discover this fetish in my lifetime…

As I was about to offer her up as a sacrifice to end this, a shadow stepped in.

It was Shiroyama-san.

She spread her arms wide, standing firm to stop Himari and the others. To Himari and Enomoto-san, Mera-san might be a nuisance, but to Shiroyama-san, she’s an important friend.

“H-Himari-senpai! Rion-senpai! Please wait!”

…Her small shoulders were trembling.

Facing two upperclassmen must be scary for her. That petite body is bearing more pressure than it should.

She might want to run away.

But Shiroyama-san didn’t flee. She stood her ground. Because Mera-san is an important friend to her—

“Sakura-san said it! Kako-senpai is basically a coward, so she can only keep up with communication styles she’s succeeded with before! If you try to change things up, it could mess up the relationship, so she has to keep doing the same thing forever! Even with all her trash-talking, I’ve noticed she actually has a pretty high opinion of Yuu-senpai for keeping up normal conversations with her! So it’s all okay!”

“~~~~~~~~ !”

Oh no, this girl’s really here to deliver the finishing blow…

Shiroyama-san’s got sharp instincts and is great at seeing through people’s true nature. Her straightforward personality means she lands critical hits on both enemies and allies, so she’ll need to work on that or she’ll have a tough future.

And this time, Mera-san, who got shot in the back while being “protected,” turned bright red and lunged at Shiroyama-san!

“You, just shut that mouth that only says unnecessary things!”

“Gyaaa! H-Hitting me just because I hit the mark is no good!”

“It’s not the mark!”

“But all of Kako-senpai’s friends were saying similar things!”

“I’m gonna kill them all!”

What a disaster…

Watching the two run around the science room, I felt completely detached, like it was someone else’s problem. Himari, on the other hand, looked a bit taken aback.

“Those two… they’re actually getting along pretty normally, huh?”

“Well, Mera-san’s got a sharp tongue, but she’s the type to resolve things on the spot. She vents her anger right away and doesn’t carry it over. She’s surprisingly straightforward, so she and Shiroyama-san actually get along well.”

“Huh? Then why was she so obsessively stalking you?”

“Probably because she really liked that senpai.”

“Ohh, a pure-hearted girl, huh?”

The whole feud between me and Mera-san started because she ordered a flower accessory to impress the upperclassman she liked. Well, love makes people crazy. Can’t be helped.

Maybe overhearing our conversation, Mera-san growled, Grrrr… Oops, I talked too much.

Gotta stay quiet to avoid getting bitten. I subtly averted my gaze, mentally chanting a protective mantra. Kuwabara kuwabara.

♣♣♣

After lunch, Himari and Enomoto-san stood up.

“Well then, Yuu, see ya in class!”

“Yuu-kun, after school, okay?”

They waved and left the science room.

Watching them go, Shiroyama-san, still eating her bento, tilted her head.

“Huh? You’re not doing stuff together today?”

“Himari’s studying in the library, and Enomoto-san has band practice at noon.”

“Himari-senpai studying during lunch…?”

Yeah, it doesn’t really suit her, does it?

“She’s got more trips to Tokyo for her model training, so she negotiated with the school to get credits through assignments to graduate.”

“Wow, that’s legit!”

“Well, it’s real model training, so yeah.”

Caught off guard, Shiroyama-san’s cheeks turned a bit red.

“…Yuu-senpai, that’s not cool.”

“Sorry, sorry.”

I feel like I did something similar with Enomoto-san before…

While apologizing, I opened the steel shelf at the back of the science room.

I took out the LED planter we prepared for the gardening club, watered the seeds, and snapped a photo with my phone for growth records.

With that, gardening club activities were done for now.

“What about Rion-senpai? Aren’t you helping her?”

“Oh, the band’s got their last competition for third-years coming up. She’s making up for lost time by focusing on practice for her friends.”

Enomoto-san didn’t show it much, but her club friends are important to her. I don’t want her fighting with them because of me.

…Well, that’s just one of the reasons.

With a wry, melancholic smile, I spilled the beans to Shiroyama-san.

“More importantly, since we’re dating now, she said she doesn’t need to earn points by helping with this anymore.”

“That’s refreshingly blunt!”

Well, Enomoto-san was never that into making accessories anyway.

(Plus, if she keeps getting involved, it might turn into another Himari situation.)

She’s probably wary of that.

I feel like she really gets my personality in that sense.

“So, what about the accessory activities?”

“That’s the thing…”

A recent issue I’ve been thinking about.

Simply put, we’re short on manpower.

Until now, I managed with Himari’s collaboration or Enomoto-san’s help. But with both of them stepping back, my workload capacity is in serious trouble.

For Kureha-san’s “membership test,” I need to hone my unique creator style. Tenma-kun and the others invited me to an exhibition during the long break, and I’ll need someone to look after the flowers in the meantime.

(If I didn’t have to think about university entrance exams, I might’ve managed…)

No, there’s no point saying that.

As Kureha-san said, it’s the price of making my dream a lifelong career. I can’t give up just because of a year of exam prep.

…If it comes to it, there’s always Hibari’s cram school for a last-minute Center Exam cram session. It’ll be fine. The internet says 80% of stress-related baldness heals within a year.

But even if I manage studying, I still don’t have enough hands.

“What should I do…”

Switching to sourcing flowers through Araki-sensei’s connections feels hesitant somehow.

Reducing my time with flowers might not help me find my unique style. Araki-sensei said my strength is communing with flowers.

While I was groaning to myself, an unexpected lifeline appeared.

“Then, how about I help out?”

“Huh?! Really?!”

“I haven’t decided on a club yet, and I’m cool with the gardening club!”

—It felt like a divine halo was shining behind Shiroyama-san.

I’ve thought this before, but what a well-raised girl. I need to thank her sister someday for bringing her into this world.

Seeing my reaction, Shiroyama-san smiled shyly.

“More importantly, I’m your disciple, Yuu-senpai. If you don’t rely on me at times like this, what’s the point?”

“Shiroyama-san…”

My heart warmed.

Even after my pathetic performance during winter break, she still calls me her master. She’s such a good kid. I can’t let some weird guy have her in the future. I’ll make sure she becomes a great creator and thoroughly vet any guy who wants to be her boyfriend!

Oh no, imagining Shiroyama-san’s wedding is making me tear up already… Caught up in weird paternal feelings, I asked an important question.

“But you just joined Mera-san’s group, so don’t you want time to hang out?”

“It’s fine!”

Shiroyama-san said with a bright smile.

“Kako-senpai will help too!”

“What the heck?!”

Oh, nice, a proper retort from the person herself.

Mera-san, who’d been watching us with a “What are these guys doing…” expression, said to Shiroyama-san with a sullen attitude.

“Why do I have to go along with this senpai’s hobby?!”

“Yeah, I don’t really want your help either.”

“Huh?! Are you saying you’re dissatisfied with me, Senpai?!”

“Which is it…?”

Her tsundere act is so versatile.

If this were a battle manga, she’d be a master of illusion techniques. Wait, what am I even saying?

Shiroyama-san asked curiously.

“Huh? No good?”

“It’s not that it’s no good, but she says she doesn’t want to…”

Honestly, I don’t think her personality suits it.

She’s always grumbling during her convenience store shifts, and I feel like the flowers would go delinquent under her care.

“But Kako-senpai’s really good at arranging snacks on display, right?”

“Oh, yeah, that’s true. Despite her delinquent vibe, her manners sometimes show good upbringing.”

Her mom’s a traditional Japanese dance teacher, right? She’s got a pretty intense personality too.

“When we go out to eat on weekends, she picks fish bones super cleanly.”

“Seriously? She’s the type to choose fish?”

“We often go to the catering place in the mall.”

“Huh, she likes Japanese food?”

Come to think of it, she’s the type to pick a flower accessory to win over her crush.

As we nodded in agreement, Mera-san, whose unexpected traits were exposed, turned bright red and growled.

“Senpai, you’re mocking me, aren’t you?!”

“No, that’s not it…”

Really!

I’m not thinking it’s kinda funny or anything!

Then, I had a sudden idea.

“…No, that might actually work.”

As I was thinking, Shiroyama-san tilted her head.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I was talking to Araki-sensei the other day, and she said a creator’s style only comes from their achievements.”

“Oh, I get it.”

“So I’ve been reviewing my past works, sales records, and stuff…”

It’s not just about the works.

It’s about what I was aiming for, what I was trying to do.

The biggest thing was my dream of “opening a shop.” That dream’s on hold for now, but…

(Come to think of it, Saku-neesan warned me about something.)

I thought for a moment.

I decided to pitch the idea to Mera-san.

“Mera-san, wanna do a part-time job taking care of my flowers?”

“Huh?”

She looked incredibly puzzled.

“No way.”

“Got it…”

Yeah, figured.

I nodded at the expected response.

“Then I’ll just ask Shiroyama-san.”

“Got it!”

Then Mera-san, left out, barked.

“Hey, give me a reason!”

“Ugh, this girl’s such a hassle…”

“You brought it up, and now you’re acting like that?!”

But you said you didn’t want to…

It’s like she’s too proud to join in willingly but gets mad at being left out. I’m starting to understand Mera-san a bit.

This feels like a sign she’s somewhat interested. So I explained as clearly as I could.

“From now on, I want to explore a creative process that involves clients more. To do that, I need to hone my interpersonal skills.”

Interpersonal skills aren’t just about dealing with clients. I learned this the hard way during the Tokyo trip last summer and the school trip.

“When my Tokyo friends hold exhibitions, I’ll need to communicate my vision clearly to staff, models, and vendors we meet beforehand. Himari’s been good at bridging that gap, but I need to handle it perfectly on my own now. Training for that might help me grasp something new…”

“…”

Hearing this, Mera-san furrowed her brow deeply and said.

“I don’t get it.”

“…Yeah.”

Well, yeah.

I’m bad at explaining, but this probably doesn’t click with Mera-san anyway. Hmm, how do I put this…

Then Shiroyama-san confidently summed it up.

“Basically, Yuu-senpai’s saying that if he can handle Kako-senpai, who doesn’t like accessories, well, it’ll be good experience as a creator.”

“The phrasing. It’s exactly right, but the phrasing.”

Man, my communication skills are seriously lacking. I might need Shiroyama-san to come to Tokyo as my interpreter…

But Mera-san, annoyed by the choice of words, leaned over the table aggressively.

“Huh?! You’re trying to treat me like some convenient girl?! That’s the worst!”

“I said it’s a job, didn’t I…?”

Mera-san shut her mouth, pouting.

“…How much?”

Oh? So she’s open if there’s compensation?

As I thought, she might be pretty interested.

“My accessory sales are part of the convenience store’s business. If you agree, Mera-san, the pay will come from there.”

“…Huh? What about those cute senpais?”

“Himari and I were co-owners, so we split the profits. She used that money when we hung out too. Enomoto-san insisted it was just helping and wouldn’t take any pay.”

“Hmm…”

Mera-san thought it over with a super bitter expression.

I sensed some deep inner conflict… Then she said with a sulky look.

“Will I actually get paid?”

So suspicious!

Well, considering her wariness toward me, it’s understandable. But in this case, there’s someone far more reliable involved.

“Saku-neesan manages the part-time pay.”

“…”

Mera-san crossed her arms, groaning for a long time.

Then, with a big sigh, she replied reluctantly.

“…If you get the chief’s word, let me know.”

“Thanks!”

Wow, it was worth asking.

This could really help. Flower care takes a lot of time, which is meaningful, but right now, time is precious. …Well, assuming I can convince Saku-neesan.

Shiroyama-san, thrilled to have a teammate, eagerly shook Mera-san’s hand.

“Yay! Kako-senpai, let’s do our best!”

“Yeah, yeah. Depends on the chief.”

Man, Shiroyama-san’s high school life looks like it’ll be fun.

Come to think of it, the fact that I can interact normally with Mera-san is kinda thanks to Shiroyama-san.

Could Shiroyama-san have the power to absorb bad vibes? For world peace, we should mass-produce Shiroyama-sans. Mass-produce? What, is she a humanity peace weapon?

“For now, the manpower shortage is one step closer to being solved…”

I took out a stack of notebooks from the steel shelf.

“What’s that?”

“It’s like an activity log. Himari kept it.”

Records of what we’ve done in the gardening club since starting high school.

It also includes sales records for “you.”

(Times like this make me realize how important records are. Looking back, I forgot a lot… Hmm?)

Oh, she wrote about when I reunited with Enomoto-san.

Let’s see… “Yuu’s fated person appears!? The unpopular herbivore boy… the moment of awakening! Next time, ‘The Man Toyed by the Gears of Fate,’ stay tuned!” So loud. It’s totally an anime episode preview…

I’ve been reading through this lately, and it vividly brings back those days when I was just messing around in our little world, which is super embarrassing. Well, I might not have changed much now…

“Oh, it’s got stuff about Kako-senpai too.”

“…Yeah.”

Then Mera-san went, !? and hurriedly reached for the notebook. I dodged just in time.

“What’s written?! Show me!”

“No, it’s not a big deal, really…”

Close call, close call.

If she saw this, she’d definitely flip. It’d be a mess if she backs out of the job now.

(Oh, it’s got stuff about when Kureha-san came during summer break…)

…Right, right.

After final exams, when I got home, she was there out of nowhere.

At first, I thought she was a kind older sister type… Well, now I know she’s genuinely kind. …Probably. No, definitely. Most likely.

…Why did Himari write down Kureha-san’s estimated bust size?

She was about to be dragged off, and she still had the composure for this? Seriously, doing this at critical moments… Huh? That much? Really? I knew they were big, but seeing the number is…

(Ugh! Don’t get distracted by stupid info!)

I quickly switched gears.

Looking at the notebook again… Oh.

Tied to the summer break incident, I noticed a certain item.

“…Come to think of it, that matter’s been left hanging too.”

At that moment.

The science room door was knocked on, then opened without waiting for a reply.

“Nahaha. Natsu, I’m barging in.”

It was Makishima.

Our classmate, a natural-born womanizer. Also Enomoto-san’s childhood friend, and a troublesome guy who meddles in our relationships.

Come to think of it, it’s the first time we’re meeting this third year.

“Yo. Rare for you to show up here, Makishima.”

“Nahaha. Well, it happens sometimes.”

He opened his purple fan, grinning as he leaned in.

“After all, I’m your future brother-in-law, right?”

“You and Enomoto-san aren’t blood-related…”

Is this guy in a good mood because he got one over on Hibari-san?

I couldn’t help but give a wry smile at Makishima’s usual antics. Even with the new school year, he’s still a cheeky guy.

“Speaking of, I was just thinking about you.”

“Huh? Save that pickup line for Rin-chan. Sorry, but it’s just creepy coming from a guy.”

“Don’t turn everything into a pickup line…”

Seriously, this guy never changes…

“No, not like that… Hm?”

As I tried to continue, I remembered the girls’ presence.

Especially Shiroyama-san, who probably doesn’t know Makishima. During the cultural festival, he was busy at his class’s stall and likely didn’t visit our accessory sale.

“Both of you, this is Makishima, a…”

As I started to introduce him.

“…Huh? Where’s Mera-san?”

Only Shiroyama-san was there.

Mera-san had vanished without a trace. Where’d she go? There’s literally no sign of her. Did she leave while I was talking to Makishima?

But not noticing at all is weird.

As I tilted my head, my eyes met Shiroyama-san’s. She looked incredibly panicked, like she didn’t know what to do.

Even if you look at me like that, I don’t know either.

“Shiroyama-san, where’s Mera-san?”

“Kako-senpai is…”

Following her gaze, I looked under the six-person table.

“…???”

I peeked underneath.

For some reason, Mera-san was sitting cross-legged under the table.

Her face was stiff, desperately trying to stay quiet.

When she noticed me peeking, she frantically gestured, Shh! Shh! But, like, what am I supposed to do with that reaction…?

As Shiroyama-san and I exchanged confused looks, Mera-san, resigned, crawled out from under the table.

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

When I asked, she pleaded desperately with teary eyes.

“When someone’s hiding, read the room!”

“But why…?”

If you don’t explain first, I can’t play along…

As I was lost in confusion, the answer came from Makishima. With a refreshingly bright smile he’d never show me, he said to Mera-san.

“Hey, Mera. Didn’t expect to meet you here.”

“…!?”

Mera-san froze and awkwardly turned to him.

“H-Hi…”

“Nahaha. No need to be so nervous. I’m not here to scold you. You haven’t shown up at the club in a while, but you doing okay?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine~”

Wait, they know each other?

As I wondered, Makishima provided the answer.

“The girls’ tennis team’s been missing you. Come back when you’ve got time.”

“Y-Yes…”

Oh, I see…

Mera-san was in an athletic club. She said she stopped going after her confession to that senpai failed, making it awkward… So she was in the same tennis club as Makishima.

(That’s gotta be awkward. I feel bad…)

While I felt a bit guilty, they kept chatting. Mera-san was stiff the whole time. She’s been skipping the club, so it’s understandable.

(But…)

Makishima’s senpai act and Mera-san’s kouhai act both feel so off…

I guess that’s normal in the club, but knowing their true selves makes my back itch.

As I was idly thinking, Shiroyama-san spoke up.

“Yuu-senpai, who’s this?”

“Oh, right. This is Makishima, my classmate and Enomoto-san’s childhood friend.”

Then Makishima cut in, sounding dissatisfied.

“Oi, Natsu, that’s not enough.”

“Huh? Anything else I should mention?”

Makishima grinned.

He dramatically pulled his fan from his chest pocket, opened it, and struck a pose.

“Now that Natsu and Rin-chan are together, I’m their great benefactor and cupid! The orchestrator of this happy ending, the true mastermind! Make sure that’s clear!”

“What an overbearing cupid…”

The worst part is I can’t fully deny it, which is annoying.

I don’t want to feel indebted to him. He’s helped a lot, but he’s also brought just as much trouble as a so-called cupid (lol)…

Makishima took Shiroyama-san’s hand with a sweet gaze.

“So, if you’re Natsu’s disciple, you should call me the grandmaster!”

“Stop it, you lust demon!”

I made him let go of Shiroyama-san’s hand as she stood there stunned.

“What’s with you? So overprotective. Already planning to keep her as your mistress?”

“That’s your thing, not mine. If you touch Shiroyama-san…”

Makishima gave a provocative look, saying, “What?”

I stared back and said clearly.

“I’ll ask Enomoto-san to snap all the tennis rackets in your room.”

“Guh…”

Even Makishima flinched at that threat.

“Tch. You’ve grown some spine since the school trip, but you’ve lost your charm.”

“Shut up. Why don’t you calm down a bit?”

“Can’t do that. Even if I wanted to, the girls won’t let me.”

“Don’t casually brag about being popular…”

Then the warning bell rang.

Lunch break was almost over.

(Got caught up in Makishima’s pace and didn’t get much done…)

I turned to the girls.

“About the helping thing, I’ll talk to Saku-neesan first and then ask again.”

“Got it!”

Shiroyama-san replied energetically, while Mera-san, as usual, looked grumpy… Huh?

Mera-san seems off. She’s glancing at Makishima and not listening to me.

(Well, after that conversation, it’s probably awkward.)

As I thought that, Makishima slung an arm around me.

“Nahaha. Let’s get to our cleaning spots, Natsu.”

“We’re assigned different places.”

I locked the science room and headed to the staff room.

♣♣♣

Walking down the corridor.

At the courtyard, Makishima said curiously.

“But why was Mera there?”

“Oh, she’s in the same tennis club. Uh, it’s a bit of a long story, but…”

I briefly explained the winter break incident.

Mera-san happened to start working at our convenience store. She became friends with Shiroyama-san, who was also helping out (or so we decided), and that’s how she ended up in the gardening club. …Something like that.

Hmm, I actually summarized it well. I need to use this skill when talking to Araki-sensei…

“And now I’m asking if they can help with accessory activities. Himari and Enomoto-san are prioritizing their own time for a while.”

“Haha, a convenient opportunity, huh?”

“Your phrasing’s off, but… yeah.”

Honestly, it’s a lucky break for me.

But Makishima said with a hint of exasperation.

“Still, entrusting flowers to someone who broke your accessory? Your goody-two-shoes nature is something else.”

“Well, she’s got a sharp tongue, but she’s a good kid at heart.”

“Is she? She’s the type to steal someone’s accessory out of spite. Don’t let your guard down too much.”

“I think it’s fine… Hm?”

His words caught my attention.

“Did I tell you about her taking an accessory at the cultural festival?”

“No?”

“Did Enomoto-san tell you?”

“Nahaha. I don’t need to be told to know. I used her because I knew she’s that kind of girl.”

“Huh?”

Used her?

For what?

I stopped walking, and Makishima raised an eyebrow curiously.

“Oh? You didn’t know?”

“Know what?”

“About the upperclassman Mera got rejected by, making things awkward.”

“No, I don’t…”

Come to think of it, I never asked who it was.

When I made the crocus accessory, she just went on about what she liked about him.

From her talk, he sounded like a kind, reliable, perfect guy…

As I pictured it, Makishima pulled his fan from his chest pocket. He slowly turned it toward his face for some reason.

“It was me.”

“…”

I processed his words for a moment…

“What!?”

That explains it!

Her weird behavior earlier makes sense now. Skipping the club… her reaction was too extreme for just that. She’s usually pretty bold, so she wouldn’t hide under a table over something minor.

(Oh, I get it. Makishima’s good at putting on a front for girls.)

Well, the kind and reliable part… depends on perspective, I guess.

He’s popular among guys for being fun, but with us, he only uses it for scheming… His knack for playing nice is kinda like Himari’s.

“Your attitude earlier… You’re seriously a jerk.”

“Nahaha. I’ll take it as a compliment.”

“I’m not complimenting you…”

I sighed and started walking again.

Got it, got it. That must’ve been a shock for Mera-san. I didn’t know either, so I feel bad.

If she refuses the job, I’m in trouble… I was getting anxious when I realized something else.

“…What did you mean by ‘used’?”

I stopped again.

A bad feeling was growing deep inside.

Makishima stopped too, turning back slowly.

He shrugged and said casually, like it was nothing.

“It was part of cheering for Rin-chan. To stir things up between you two, I had Mera play a role.”

“…Come to think of it, you said you were doing stuff like that back then.”

Last year, Makishima was scheming to get Enomoto-san and me together, causing trouble to shake my friendship with Himari and create an opening for Enomoto-san.

It caused some conflicts, but it’s all settled now, so I wasn’t going to complain…

“What did you do to Mera-san?”

“Back then, I pretended to be interested in her. She’s simple, so I knew she’d act right away. Inoue and Yokoyama also played along as expected after ordering accessories from you.”

Inoue-san and Yokoyama-san.

They became my promoters after I made custom accessories for them. That led Mera-san to me, but from Makishima’s tone, it was all part of his plan.

Like he was bragging about his achievement… No.

To Makishima, it’s exactly that. Since Enomoto-san and I are together now, his actions are justified.

His efforts paid off.

Who can blame him?

I’ve hurt people too. Back then, tons of accessories were returned, and Sasaki-sensei scolded me.

Mera-san was one of those hurt. My exaggerated accessory promotions caused her unnecessary pain. Even now, she can’t go to her club because it’s awkward.

“What do you think of Mera-san?”

“She’s a good kid. Simple and easy to handle.”

He leaned close to my ear, sounding amused.

“And if the person I’m fooling is trash, I don’t feel guilty.”

“…!”

Memories of last winter break flashed through my mind.

She applied to work at our convenience store, had a clash with Shiroyama-san… Yeah, I saw Mera-san that way too, and I still don’t like her much.

But at the very least.

I don’t think she’s someone I can just trample on.

Sure, our first meeting was awful, she’s selfish, and we still don’t mesh well.

But when we talk properly, she has good qualities, and I know she values her friends way more than I do.

Calling her trash made my heart inexplicably restless.

“Mera-san was crying.”

“So what?”

“You thought it was a game, but she was serious.”

“Hah. So she was serious, so what? Love’s just about black-and-white results, isn’t it?”

“Even if the result’s what matters, you don’t have the right to mock someone who’s serious.”

“…I see. Boring opinion. Guess a guy whose first love came true is different.”

Unconsciously, I grabbed Makishima’s shoulder.

He frowned, annoyed, but didn’t brush me off.

“Apologize to Mera-san.”

“Huh?”

He looked away, sighing as if genuinely bored.

“…I was ready to be blamed for your accessory getting broken, but I didn’t expect you’d tell me to apologize to Mera.”

“My accessories are only meaningful because of the client’s genuine feelings.”

“I see. The process matters more than the result, huh? Truly boring.”

“Apologize to Mera-san.”

“No way. I acted according to my beliefs. You’ve got no right to force your morals on me.”

Makishima said coldly.

“What value is there in a love that bears no results?”

“Results aren’t everything. Whether it succeeds or fails, don’t deny the act of facing it seriously.”

For a while, we glared at each other.

“I never know what you’re thinking, you’re always so careless, and you act tough while stirring trouble… But I thought you were a good guy deep down.”

“…”

Makishima shrugged dramatically.

“Aren’t you misunderstanding something?”

“What do you mean?”

“Did you think I was purely acting out of goodwill to get you and Rin-chan together? As I’ve said multiple times, if I didn’t owe Rin-chan, I wouldn’t bother cheering for such a childish, lukewarm love.”

I vaguely recall him saying something similar before.

It was before the second-year cultural festival… when Enomoto-san brought up leaving the accessory sale.

“And now that Rin-chan’s love has been fulfilled, I have no obligation to gently watch over your relationship.”

“…”

The chime rang.

Lunch break was over, and the school bustled with activity. I knew I had to head to my cleaning spot soon, but… I couldn’t leave this spot.

Makishima snorted.

“You guys are just characters in my game. I’ll make sure you realize your role as my entertainment.”

He opened his fan and brushed it against my cheek.

Then, with a villainous demeanor, he continued.

“Let’s have your beloved competition. If I lose, I’ll comply with your demand.”

“A competition?”

Here he goes with his theatrics again.

“If you think genuine feelings matter, try moving my heart with them.”

“What does that mean?”

“It’s not complicated. Make an accessory with me as the theme. If it can move my heart… then I’ll apologize to Mera.”

He started walking again but paused.

“Oh, right. I’ll throw in a little service to fire you up.”

With an especially wicked grin, he declared.

“Using that trashy girl and dumping her was honestly hilarious.”

—At that moment.

I felt a gaze and turned around.

“…”

“…”

Why was she there?

Maybe she was heading to her cleaning spot like us after lunch break ended.

Or perhaps—she chased after the person who rejected her, wanting to say something.

Either way, I don’t know how she got there, and right now, it doesn’t matter.

The problem is this situation.

—Mera-san was staring at us, eyes wide with shock.