──Kiin koon kaan…
After the noisy lunch break, nothing particular happened, and the chime signaling the end of classes echoed throughout the academy.
As usual, after Inagaki-sensei finished her greetings in the homeroom and left the classroom, I grabbed my bag hanging next to my desk and stepped out into the hallway──
「My, Shou-niisama. Where are you going?」
But I was intercepted!!
「Kuh…」
「Haa… as I thought, you were trying to escape.」
While I was taken aback by Asaki in front, Daiki grabbed my shoulder from behind.
I wasn’t trying to escape!! I just thought I remembered something I had to do and was going home!! Eii, let go of me, you handsome gorilla!! I can’t move!!
「No, no, today Kaname-kaasan asked me to run an errand──」
「Ah, Shou-chan. I already told mom you might be a bit late today.」
「Natsuuuu!!」
On top of that, the betrayal of my childhood friend is revealed.
I mean, I wasn’t called, so I don’t have to go, right? Actually, isn’t it better if I don’t go?
「Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone─! Hmm? What’s up with Shou-nii?」
As I desperately resisted trying to shake off Daiki, Hikari arrived. Ah, I’m done for. But it’s rare for Hikari to arrive late, isn’t it?
「Come to think of it, weren’t Hikari and Asaki in the same class? It’s unusual for Hikari to arrive late.」
「Ah─, well, you see. Some guy from our class tried to talk to me.」
Apparently, there’s already a male student making advances on Hikari. Is this what they call youth…
「So it’s finally starting for Hikari-chan too…」
Natsu makes a statement that could easily turn the other female students against her. She probably means well, worrying about Hikari based on her own experiences…
「But I said I couldn’t because Shou-nii was waiting for me!!」
「Oi?」
Stop casually dragging me into this, okay? But just calling me Shou-nii won’t specify me since we’re in different grades──
「Ah, they asked who Shou-nii was, so I told them it was Chihara Shougo-senpai from 2nd year, class 1!!」
「Hikari-san?」
Why does everyone seem intent on ruining me? Could it be that they actually hate me?
「Haa… I get it. Let’s just get this over with and go home…」
I felt that the more I struggled, the worse it would get, so I resigned myself to going along with them.
Huh? Come to think of it, Hina isn’t here. Is she late too?
──Light Novels──
──Read Here──
「Ah, Hinata-san said she had club activities.」
「Hinaaaa!!」
This was the second unexpected betrayal. Sure, it was questionable whether Hina was really called or not!! But if you put it that way, I wasn’t even mentioned, I’m more of a “Who are you?” case!!
「Hahaha, Shougo is really loved.」
Even Daiki starts saying things like this. What’s so funny? Want to trade places? I was about to say, but I stopped because it would be troublesome in its own way if I traded places with him. As a man, there’s a part of me that wants to be fawned over by girls at least once, but if it’s all the time, it seems tough.
「Then, since we’re all here, shall we go?」
At Asaki’s call, we finally start moving. Hmm? Come to think of it, where is the student council room?
I realized that as a recent transfer student, I still didn’t fully understand the layout of the academy. I didn’t know where the changing room was before either…
「By the way, where is the student council room?」
「Shou-niisama really has no interest in the academy… The student council room is on the third floor.」
The third floor, huh. Maybe it’s because there are many third-year students in the student council? I don’t really know.
Thinking about relatively trivial things, we started walking towards the student council room with Asaki leading the way.
──Still, this group really stands out.
Daiki, with his tall height, stands out even if left alone, and on top of that, he’s a handsome guy.
And around Daiki, there’s Natsu, who is popular even in our grade, along with Hikari and Asaki, who are both beautiful, it’s understandable that the students we pass by in the hallway would turn their heads.
Me? I’m trying not to stand out by staying behind Daiki. He’s tall, so if I’m behind him, I can’t be seen from the front. I guess you could call me a remora.
With Asaki at the front, Daiki in the center behind her, Natsu and Hikari on either side having a conversation, and me at the very end, we form a cross-shaped formation.
It’s not intentional, but I’m just staying behind so as not to block others if we were to walk in a straight line. Really, it’s true. It’s not because I would feel defeated walking side by side with Daiki.
As I climb the stairs, wondering who I’m making excuses to, we walk confidently down the hallway where many third-year students are still present.
These guys, they walk so confidently even in a place where upperclassmen are. Normally, underclassmen would feel a bit awkward or nervous coming to where upperclassmen are.
Contrary to my worries, it seems the upperclassmen are either intimidated or it’s like we’re Moses parting the sea, with the path opening up before us, so there’s no need to be considerate.
The fearsome group of beautiful boys and girls. I start to feel like I’m part of this group just by following along. Maybe this is why people become hangers-on, because it feels good.
Still, seeing such a scene, I can’t help but wonder even more why these guys are so attached to me. But I probably shouldn’t say it or I’ll get scolded. It’s the result of what I’ve done, so it’s not like I have no idea.
As for Hikari, it felt like it happened suddenly one day, so I can’t quite grasp her. Maybe it’s similar to Daiki.
Well then, since I’m at the back and have some free time, let’s think about why the student council president specifically called they.
There could be several reasons, but the student council president came to call Natsu first. It’s correct to think that my childhood friend, not Daiki, Hikari, or Asaki, was the target.
And it was clearly their first meeting, so it wasn’t that they were acquaintances and she came to call on her again. This means there must have been some trigger that led to this action.
I’ve heard that Natsu has good grades, but she’s not the top in the grade. However, her popularity due to her looks means she doesn’t need to be the top.
But the timing is too odd. Normally, it would make sense at milestones like April or October. So there must have been something that made it necessary to invite Natsu.
Recently related to the student council… Ahh, come to think of it, I remember Daiki and Natsu being invited to the student council before… It’s probably because of that.
I had some guesses, but more than that, the stares piercing me from behind were quite painful, so I wished we would reach the student council room soon.