Chapter 6 | June 27th (PM 1:10)

(Student Council Room)

 

“I’m not eating lunch here today.”

It was that day’s lunch break.

The usual members had gathered in the student council room, and just as we were about to spread out our bentos, Nasuhara-san suddenly said something like that out of the blue.

“Not eating here… then where? The cafeteria or something?”

When I asked her that,

“I couldn’t turn down an invitation from my classmates no matter what, so I’m going over there.”

“Oh, I see, you’re eating with your classmates. Got it. Well, that’s a shame, but it means you can’t eat with us today, huh.”

“Wouldn’t you come along too, Akki?”

“Huh? Me? Why?”

“If you came along, it’d surely broaden your circle of friends too.”

“Nah… I dunno about that. Isn’t that a bit of a stretch?”

“Why do you think so?”

“Why? Well, if I tagged along, it’d probably make your classmates resent me instead. I mean, the people who invited you wanted to eat with you, right? If I just showed up, rather than expanding my friendships, I’d end up making enemies, wouldn’t I?”

“I’ll handle that part somehow.”

“Handle it? How?”

“I can manage it however I want. Because to them, I’m something like a queen, you could say. If I say I want Akki to join us, they won’t exactly refuse.”

“Well, sure, maybe, but…”

Even so, it’s obvious the atmosphere would get awkward. Naturally, my interpersonal skills aren’t high enough to expand my social circle in a situation like that.

“So, yeah, I’ll pass this time. Don’t worry about me and just enjoy lunch with your classmates.”

“I see. So you’re absolutely refusing my invitation, then.”

“Well… given the situation, I kinda have to, don’t I?”

“If I begged you on my knees, would you quietly do as I say?”

“Nah, I don’t think I would. Honestly, I’d probably just feel weirded out.”

“Or perhaps if I told you the color of my underwear today, you’d quietly do as I say?”

“Nah, I don’t think I would. Also, for the record, I’ve never once asked you to tell me the color of your underwear.”

“You’re a stubborn guy, aren’t you? Even though I’m inviting you this persistently.”

“You’re aware you’re being persistent, huh… Anyway, shouldn’t you get going soon? Your classmates are probably waiting.”

“You’re right.”

With a sigh,

“Well, I’ll head off then.”

“Yeah. See you later. Say hi to your classmates for me.”

“By the way, I’ll tell them I was late to lunch because you kept holding me back, Akki.”

“…I just told you to say hi to them, so why are you planning to do the exact opposite?”

“Well, I’m off.”

And with that, Nasuhara-san left the student council room with her usual unreadable poker face.

So, the remaining four student council members spread out our bentos and chatted as usual, nothing out of the ordinary… but something was nagging at me.

Nasuhara-san just now seemed, at a glance, like the usual Nasuhara-san. But somehow—I can’t quite put my finger on it—her vibe felt a little different.

“—Oh. I’m just gonna step out to the restroom real quick, okay?”

After taking only a few bites of my bento, I left the student council room too. It was none other than my stalker tendencies—no, I mean, my detective instincts—that had become second nature, tingling with a hunch.

Today’s Nasuhara-san would surely show me a side of her I hadn’t seen before. With that conviction, I set out in search of our blonde student council vice president.

 

◆◆◆

 

Finding my target was surprisingly easy.

In the large grassy courtyard at the center of the academy—a place packed with people during lunch break—Nasuhara-san was sitting under a big keyaki tree, spreading out her bento with nearly twenty other students.

I took a seat on a conveniently empty nearby bench and immediately began my reconnaissance.

“Wow, Nasuhara-san, your bento looks so delicious again today!”

“…Does it?”

“Of course it does, it looks super tasty!”

“Do you always make this bento yourself, Nasuhara-san!?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Oh, then someone from the student council you live with must’ve made it! Wow, that’s amazing—a student council bento!”

…Hmm.

There’s a decent distance between my bench and where Nasuhara-san and her group are, but their voices carry so well it’s almost like there’s no barrier. Nasuhara-san’s entourage is ridiculously high-energy… Meanwhile, I can barely hear her voice over the distance, so it almost looks like a timid person being ganged up on by a loud crowd.

Of course, that’s not actually the case. Nasuhara-san is confident and sharp-tongued, and her entourage’s attitude seems perfectly friendly.

“Oh, Nasuhara-san! Are you okay with tea!? Should I pour you some more!?”

“No. I have enough.”

“Nasuhara-san, is your bento okay!? Is the amount enough for you!?”

“Yes. It’s enough.”

“If you want, you can have some of my bento! It’s just leftovers from last night that my mom made, though!”

“Oh, then if it’s okay, please try some of mine too! I made it myself this morning—it’s mostly frozen stuff, though!”

“I’ll pass. I have enough.”

“Man, it’s been a while since I last got to eat lunch with Nasuhara-san—I’m so happy!”

“Yeah, she’s always busy with student council stuff!”

“But today she’s hanging out with us! Nasuhara-san’s gorgeous, smart, and even though she’s the vice president, she’s so kind!”

“Right!? But even today, she must be busy—hope we’re not bothering her by dragging her here… Nasuhara-san, we’re not a nuisance, are we!?”

“Not really. It’s not a bother.”

“Oh, good! By the way, Nasuhara-san, are you okay with tea!? Should I pour you more!?”

“No. I have enough.”

Still, it’s kinda… spinning its wheels, huh.

Her entourage’s eyes are sparkling, clearly worshipping her with pure admiration. But Nasuhara-san’s reactions are so lackluster it’s almost frustrating to watch. She’s like a cat at a cat café, swarmed by humans touching her fur all over.

From her demeanor, she doesn’t seem to dislike it, but it’s obvious she’s really uncomfortable with her entourage.

And that, to me, is pretty unexpected.

The Nasuhara-san I always see is this super active girl who throws unreasonable demands at me or verbally demolishes Akiko-chan without mercy. Seeing her so passive, surrounded by her entourage like that… it’s almost like I’m observing someone else entirely.

“By the way, Nasuhara-san! How about we all hang out somewhere sometime!? Like, all of us here—karaoke or bowling or something!”

“Oh, that sounds fun! And maybe hit up a family restaurant for tea afterward!”

“Yeah, yeah! And we could talk about our class’s culture festival project too!”

“So, how about it, Nasuhara-san!? After school today or something!”

“Sorry. I’m busy with student council work.”

“Then it doesn’t have to be today! Sometime this week, or even next month!”

“Sorry. I’ve got stuff going on at the dorm and work at my family home too.”

“Ugh, no way… don’t say something so sad, Nasuhara-san…”

“Yeah, it just doesn’t feel right without you…”

Ohh… what’s this feeling?

It’s so incredibly frustrating.

Nasuhara-san, that’s not like you, is it? Normally you’d toy with those entourage folks using your sharp, no-filter words like you always do with me. Right now, I feel like a dad at a school open house, watching his daughter struggle to answer the teacher’s question. Sure, she’s probably holding back because she knows they don’t mean any harm—in fact, they’re overflowing with goodwill…

“Oh, by the way, Nasuhara-san.”

“What is it?”

“So, this is still off the record, but we’ve been talking with some classmates about our culture festival project.”

“Yeah, and in our class, we’re thinking of doing something theater-like this time.”

“…So, what do you think, Nasuhara-san? We’d really love for you to be the lead actress.”

“I’ll pass.”

“What!? Why!?”

“I’m busy.”

“Come on, please! We know you’re super busy, but just this once!”

“No way.”

“With your track record as Miss Contest champ, you’d totally nail it!”

“We want the world to know how goddess-like and angelic our Nasuhara-san is!”

“Please!”

“Please, Nasuhara-san!”

Hmm. Things are taking an odd turn.

Could it be they dragged Nasuhara-san out here partly to scout her for this?

“That’s a problem. I absolutely don’t have time for that.”

“We get it! But please, somehow!”

“No matter how you look at it, it has to be you, Nasuhara-san! Anyone else as the lead would pale in comparison…”

“Of course, we’d support you as much as possible to keep the burden light! We’d even cut down your lines!”

“We finally got to be in the same class as you, but we hardly get to hang out… We really want you to join us this time, at least for class memories!”

“Please, Nasuhara-san!”

“We’re begging you!”

“Ugh…”

I should probably thank her entourage.

I’d never seen Nasuhara-san stammer out an “Ugh…” like that before—it’s honestly a fresh surprise. Her entourage has contributed a bit to my mission of documenting my colleagues’ hidden sides.

But still.

“Oh, there you are. Hey, Nasuhara-saaan!”

Before I knew it, I was already on the move.

I stood up from the bench I’d been observing from, waving with a smile,

“So this is where you were, Nasuhara-san. Sorry to interrupt your meal, but can I borrow you for a sec?”

“…Akki? Why are you here?”

“It’s a summons. An emergency one from the president.”

I grinned at the baffled student council vice president and bowed to her equally confused entourage,

“Sorry about this. Student Council President Nikaidō Arashi requested an emergency meeting. She said to drag Nasuhara here by the scruff of her neck if I had to. I hate to interrupt your fun, but mind if I borrow our Nasuhara for a bit?”

“…Uh, well.”

One of the entourage members spoke up with a troubled look.

“We’re in the middle of an important talk with Nasuhara-san, so if possible, we’d appreciate it if you could hold off today… It’s super rare for her to join us for lunch like this…”

“I totally get where you’re coming from, but as a lowly student council member, I can’t exactly shirk my duties.”

“Yeah, but…”

“If you’re absolutely against it, feel free to negotiate directly with our president. I’m just the errand boy here.”

“Directly with the president!? No way, that’s insane!”

The entourage member frantically shook their head and hands,

“That’s way too scary—I can’t do that. We’ll talk to Nasuhara-san again another time.”

“Thanks a bunch. I’ll let our Nikaidō know about this and smooth things over. Appreciate your cooperation and understanding. —Alright, let’s go, Nasuhara-san.”

“Huh?”

“Come on, hurry up. The longer we keep her waiting, the noisier she gets.”

With that, I grabbed Nasuhara-san’s hand and made a quick exit.

After leaving the courtyard and entering the school building with the student council room, I let go of her hand,

“Nasuhara-san. I don’t approve of that.”

“Huh?”

“I get that you’re being considerate of those people, but you need to be a bit firmer about what you want to say. It’d probably be better for them too.”

“Huh. Uh.”

“I mean, those people are obviously your fans, right? Then it’d make sense for them to create an environment where you’re more comfortable. Making you happy should be their happiness too.”

“Oh, uh, yeah. Right.”

“? Why’re you blushing?”

“Huh?”

Rubbing her right hand that I’d held, Nasuhara-san looked awfully flustered,

“N-No big deal. It’s just, uh, my hand’s skin has been kinda off lately, so I was feeling a bit frustrated with myself, and that frustration just boiled over and made my face red.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I’m the one who’s frustrated here. Honestly, I was kinda annoyed at those people just now. They clearly like you, but it feels like they don’t get you at all.”

Seriously, what’s up with that?

Even if they didn’t mean any harm, that kinda thing really ticks me off. Or maybe it’s worse because there’s no malice. If it were outright hostility, Nasuhara-san could handle it no problem. Watching that scene from the sidelines, it almost looked like they’d shackled her with kindness and were beating her down with righteous logic.

I didn’t even realize it myself until I acted, but… yeah, that’s it. I was kinda mad at her entourage.

I mean, Nasuhara-san didn’t even want to be there, but she went along with them out of consideration, right? Then shouldn’t they, like, repay that kindness a little better?

—And then it hit me even more.

Oh, I get it.

That’s what’s going on.

Nasuhara-san’s presence in my life has gotten that big, huh? Basically, being able to get mad on someone else’s behalf means something like that, doesn’t it?

“…Akki?”

“Oh. Sorry, sorry.”

Oops, I got lost in thought there. More importantly, Nasuhara-san’s the priority right now.

Cooling my head a bit,

“Anyway, that’s the deal. I think you should rethink how you handle those kinds of people from now on. I’ll help out as much as I can too.”

“…I don’t really get what you’re saying.”

Tilting her head, Nasuhara-san had already regained her usual composure,

“Is this what you mean? You saw me surrounded by my entourage and thought I looked troubled. Is that it?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah… pretty much?”

“That’s utterly ridiculous. You couldn’t be more off the mark.”

Tossing her blonde twintails, she fixed me with a cold stare,

“Sure, to an outsider like you, it might’ve looked like I was in trouble. I was surrounded, loudly hyped up, and shrinking back—but all of that was part of my meticulous plan, something you apparently failed to notice, Akki.”

“Oh. Really?”

“Yes, it was all an act. I was deliberately playing the weak role, but in another minute or two, I would’ve turned the tables and claimed a dramatic victory.”

“Huh.”

“It’s like how a superhero always faces a huge crisis before their big triumph, right? The same thing. I was setting the stage for my dazzling performance, and you showing up ruined everything. You’re such a nuisance—should I demand an apology and compensation? Specifically, a bow on the ground and a hundred million yen?”

“…………”

“Akki. Why are you smirking?”

“Hm? No, no, I’m not smirking at all.”

“Don’t lie. I can tell. You’re obviously stifling a laugh right now. Care to explain exactly what you’re laughing at me for?”

“Well, that’s for later. More importantly, lunch break’s almost over. Let’s not waste time here and get going.”

“Trying to dodge the question? I’m not falling for that—until I hear a satisfactory explanation—”

“Now, now, don’t be like that.”

I brushed off Nasuhara-san’s persistence and forcibly pushed her along by the back.

I mean, come on, right? Grinning’s only natural. She’s back to her usual self, and on top of that, I can totally see through her bravado and chatter. How could my cheeks not loosen up?

Anyway, like this, I got to witness another precious moment of a student council comrade. Going forward, I’ll keep in mind that “Nasuhara-san isn’t great at being firm with her entourage” and try to actively support her. I don’t want my important friends to deal with too much stress, after all.

 

◆◆◆

 

By the way, when I told Arisa about all this later,

“That’s surprising… I thought Anastasia-neesama was more laid-back and not easily swayed by others.”

It seems Nasuhara-san’s hidden side caught her off guard too—she widened her eyes in genuine surprise.

“But I think that proves Anastasia-neesama’s a good person. If she were selfish and didn’t care about others, she’d probably just ignore her entourage’s lunch invite altogether.”

“Right? She’s actually a nice person, huh, Nasuhara-san. That’s probably why her entourage adores her and why she won the Miss Contest.”

“Yep, yep. Anastasia-neesama’s a really good person.”

“But it’s weird, isn’t it? With me, Nasuhara-san’s totally different—she’s kinda mean, always throwing unreasonable stuff my way. Honestly, she’s not nice to me at all. I wish she’d at least show me half the consideration she gives her entourage.”

“Uh… well, um, that’s, uh…”

“Oh, maybe it’s that? Is Nasuhara-san one of those tsundere types you hear about lately?”

“!”

“Nah, but even if she is, in manga or anime it’s one thing, but in real life, I wouldn’t even notice. Unless someone’s straightforward with their feelings, I’m clueless. Like, if she were as open as Akiko-chan, there’d be no room for misunderstanding.”

“I-Is that so? Arisa’s just a kid, so I don’t really get that stuff, yep.”

“Oh, wait, I just remembered. Way back when we first met, didn’t Nasuhara-san kinda confess to me or something?”

“!?”

“No, but that wasn’t it, right? It was, like, our third meeting, and she did it in front of a ton of people. It felt more like one of her usual unreasonable stunts than a real confession… You think so too, right, Arisa?”

“Hau!? Uh, um, well—”

“Huh? Wait, no? It wasn’t?”

“Uh, um, uh… yep. Probably, surely, maybe that’s how it is. I think it’s true Anastasia-neesama’s a tsundere, yep.”

“Yeah, figured. That’s how it is, huh. Still, I wish Nasuhara-san would work on that a bit. She’d be way easier to deal with if she did.”

“Y-Yeah, right? Arisa thinks so too. …Ugh, sorry, Anastasia-neesama. Arisa’s a bad girl. Sorry, sorry…”

…And that’s about it.

With that, I finished reporting on the hidden sides of our student council members, wrapping up the mission Arisa had tasked me with for now.

That said, this whole thing made me realize I don’t know the people I hang out with as well as I thought. Moving forward, I’d like to keep documenting the quirks of my precious friends whenever I get the chance.

Oh, and it goes without saying, but just to be clear: this experience didn’t awaken any stalker tendencies in me, nor did I get better at stalking and start enjoying it or anything. Please don’t get the wrong idea about that. …Seriously, I mean it.