104. Then, the resolute cultural festival. (8)

School Courtyard.

Tsukasa Jinguji sat on a bench beneath a tree. Beside her, the student council president took out a lunchbox, packed full of homemade sandwiches.

“Please, help yourself. Don’t be shy,” the girl said with a smile, completely unbothered by the situation.

Tsukasa glanced up at the new school building. At the windows of Class 2-A, many girls peeked out shyly, casting curious glances their way.

Tsukasa had no fondness for eating under such scrutiny.

“I’ve already eaten.”

“What did you have?”

“Matcha milk,” Tsukasa replied honestly.

“That doesn’t count as having eaten,” Hoshino Morihino said with an exasperated look and shoved a sandwich toward Tsukasa.

“If you’re thirsty, there’s green tea too.”

Tsukasa opened his mouth but found no words to respond with and finally fell into a resigned silence, as if tamed.

“…Thank you.”

“Oh, you better be grateful!”

It was still lunch break. Recently, due to preparations for the cultural festival, Tsukasa and the others rarely rested in the student council room at noon.

They often headed straight to the conference room to work, usually eating in the classroom.

For Tsukasa, it was just a matter of drinking some milk.

Before joining the student council, his dining spot had been the stair steps; what or where he ate was trivial.

Spending a comfortably full time with Hoshino in the courtyard, apart from the piercing stares from around, Tsukasa had no complaints.

Perhaps boosted by the cultural festival preparations, more students had begun to recognize Tsukasa lately, greeting him not for his reputation but acknowledging him as an individual.

At their age, it was natural for kids to harbor prejudices about people and things around them. The key was how to make them aware of these biases and overcome them.

It was no easy task. Yet Tsukasa seemed to be walking a path toward being understood by others, something he never dared to hope for before.

All of this began the day he agreed to the girl’s request and joined the student council.

It was around then that the wheels started turning.

Guiding him through gradual change, everything around him became unfamiliar—even girls in class began talking to him, and he became the upperclassman others relied on.

These changes were brought about by the girl beside him.

But had he ever given her anything in return? Or did she expect something from him as well?

Tsukasa could not find the answer, so he blindly followed her, hoping that someday he might prove useful.

“Hey, Tsukasa, since you ate the sandwiches I made, you wouldn’t refuse if I asked a favor, right?”

“You know what they say—when someone feeds you, you’re less likely to say no.”

The girl’s expression was gentle, her smile radiant, clearly having Tsukasa completely wrapped around her finger.

Even if she hadn’t said it, Tsukasa knew in his heart he would have difficulty refusing her.

But still—

“Tell me what it is first.”

Whether to refuse or not was one thing; how he reacted was another. If everyone in the world were honest, the tsundere trait wouldn’t even exist.

Of course, Tsukasa wasn’t saying he was being tsundere—he simply saw it as a negotiation tactic, like in a trade where the one who first figures out the opponent’s limits usually wins.

Something along those lines.

“I knew a kind soul like you wouldn’t say no, Tsukasa.”

Though he hadn’t agreed, the girl already spoke as if victorious.

“For the next while, I have some very important things to handle that might distract me from the cultural festival duties. I don’t trust others with this work, so could I ask you to take it on?”

“So you want me to take over the student council’s cultural festival committee work?”

“Not entirely, but… well, it will mostly end up that way.”

Tsukasa thought it over, then looked into the girl’s eyes and slowly said, “In return, I want you to promise me one thing.”

Hoshino pouted her lips playfully. “You dare ask me for a favor after eating my sandwiches? Tsukasa, you’re too arrogant.”

Tsukasa had nothing to say.

Then the girl laughed softly. “Well, the student council president is known for being beautiful and kind. Say what your condition is.”

“It’s not really a ‘condition,’” Tsukasa replied. “I just think, since you’ll be handing off some work to me, you’ll have some free time. I want you to use that time to rest properly. You’ve been dozing off lately—you clearly haven’t been sleeping well.”

Hoshino blinked her lovely eyes quietly. “Is that all?”

“That’s all,” Tsukasa nodded.

She studied his eyes carefully. In their clear depths, she saw no trace of deceit. Tilting her head slightly, she feigned casualness.

“Heh~~ I thought you’d ask for something a bit more… spicy. I was almost ready to say yes if it wasn’t too much.”

“Oh dear, what a missed opportunity, Tsukasa.”

Unlike Tsukasa’s earnestness, Hoshino teased him lightly, trying to ease the sudden shyness that had arisen.

“I’m serious.”

“You say that to other girls too, don’t you?” she suddenly said.

Unquestionably, that was true.

Tsukasa didn’t avert his gaze. Noticing this, Hoshino gave a resigned smile.

“I appreciate that you care about my health, Tsukasa, but I’m afraid I can’t promise that. Even if I pretend to agree, I’m not confident you wouldn’t see through me.”

“More importantly, I don’t want to lie to you now. That wouldn’t be right.”

“So it is as I thought.”

“You guessed?”

Hoshino’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“You’re very disciplined, and a bit stubborn. I can’t imagine you would willingly ask someone else to share your workload unless it was absolutely necessary.

“And if it’s absolutely necessary, it must take a lot of your energy. Otherwise, knowing your personality, you’d try to handle everything yourself and end up collapsing from overwork.”

“Why does that sound so painfully accurate?” Hoshino smiled wryly.

“But you’re right,” she added.

“Tsukasa, I’m standing at a crossroads in life. I’ve considered continuing as the student council president like before, but unlike kind you, I can’t bear to compromise who I am.

“Sometimes I want to be selfish, to hold on to the gap you opened in me once.

“So I want to be Hoshino Morihino—for myself.”

Her earnest expression made it impossible for Tsukasa to refuse, even though he knew she would push herself. He couldn’t stop her.

All he could say was, “Please don’t overwork yourself.”

The girl smiled, shook her head, and thanked the boy.

Thank you to “Calm Seas and Sunny Days” and “Twilight Blossoms” for their support.

(End of chapter)