Chapter 5: The Fiancé
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT gadgetizedpanda.net
“President, I’m sorry about yesterday! Are you okay after what happened? I think I might have hit you pretty hard.”
“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
“Really? That’s good to hear. I realized how bad it was when I calmed down. I couldn’t sleep at all last night because I felt so guilty.”
“Well, if you’re reflecting on it that much, then that’s enough punishment. But if you do it again, I’ll make sure the teacher increases your reflection paper by ten times. So keep that in mind.”
“Yikes! Got it. I won’t do something like that ever again. Thanks, President. I need to go apologize to the other members for causing trouble. See ya.”
“Yeah, apologize sincerely.”
“President! If you’re free, can you help me set up this tent? I can’t do it by myself.”
“Got it. Nonohara, take over here.”
“Wait a minute, President! You’re injured, so let me handle the heavy lifting. Sit down.”
“But aren’t you weaker than me?”
“Ugh. I may not be as strong as you, but I can at least set up a tent. So please, handle the reception, President.”
“Nonohara, I’m counting on you.”
“I owe a lot to the President, so this is no big deal. Kawada, support that side. I’ll lift from the other.”
“Okay!”
“…Same old President.”
After school.
Saito, who arrived earlier than his childhood friend Lily to practice for the relay, muttered this as he watched Takumi.
Yesterday’s coldness seemed like a lie as Takumi engaged in warm conversations with the students and student council members.
This was definitely the usual Takumi.
Maybe yesterday’s behavior was just a result of him being in a bad mood.
As Saito thought this, Koyuki ran over to Takumi.
“President, we’ve finished setting up the tent in Block A.”
“Good. Next, set up all the other blocks. It looks like it will rain tomorrow, and it’ll be a hassle if the equipment gets wet. Assemble everything immediately.”
“All of them? Yes, understood. Also, I’m very sorry about yesterday. Not only did I trouble you, but I also caused you to get injured. I sincerely apologize.”
Koyuki had come to Takumi to report and apologize.
As she bowed deeply, Takumi’s expression turned serious.
“It’s fine. Just don’t get involved in any more trouble. If you can’t stop a small fight like that, you’re just a hindrance.”
While everyone else was hesitant, Takumi bluntly dismissed Koyuki’s courageous action, leaving her speechless.
“What…”
“Were you influenced by that guy? How pathetic.”
“Please don’t speak ill of Haruki! There were people who were saved by his actions!”
“Maybe so. But what did your actions change? Nothing. It was meaningless.”
“Ugh!”
“If you have time to fawn over boys, use it to better yourself. Then maybe you’ll be able to make a difference someday.”
Ignoring Koyuki’s despondent look, Takumi delivered his sharp, sarcastic words.
“Why do you… No, thank you for your advice. I need to go set up the tents.”
Unable to bear it any longer, Koyuki left with a sad expression.
(There’s definitely something off. The President is only harsh with Shirayuri-senpai.)
It was no misunderstanding.
Takumi was clearly harsher with Koyuki.
Why, though, was unclear.
Was it because they were both from prominent families and felt some sort of rivalry, or was it something Koyuki did to earn Takumi’s dislike?
Continue
One thing was clear: seeing the people he cared about fighting made Saito uncomfortable.
That was all.
“President, what was that about?”
Unable to contain himself, Saito confronted Takumi.
Takumi widened his eyes and frowned, realizing it was going to be a hassle.
“Minazuki, you saw that?”
Clinging to a faint hope, Takumi asked if Saito had witnessed the exchange with Koyuki.
“Yes. Why are you only harsh with Shirayuri-senpai? It’s not like you.”
“Ha…”
As Saito nodded vigorously, Takumi let out a deep sigh and said, “Sorry for showing you something unpleasant.”
That’s not it.
Saito wasn’t looking for an apology.
He wanted to know about the relationship with Koyuki.
He didn’t need any apology.
“Why are you so harsh with Shirayuri-senpai? Tell me.”
Saito slammed his hand on the desk, demanding an answer.
Even he could feel the intense pressure he was emitting.
He pressured Takumi to tell him.
“…You don’t need to know.”
But Takumi remained stubborn and didn’t budge.
He avoided the question with evasive words like an adult.
This irritated Saito greatly.
It felt disgusting, like Takumi was pretending to be mature.
(If it comes to this, I’ll definitely make him talk.)
“There is. I’m friends with both Shirayuri-senpai and the President, and I can’t stand seeing my friends fight. So—”
Just as Saito was about to push further, an unexpected laid-back voice interrupted, “Alright, that’s enough, first-year.”
He felt a hand grab his collar.
He turned his head with difficulty and saw one of the student council members he had seen earlier, a muscle-bound senior, grabbing him by the scruff of the neck.
“What are you doing!? I’m in the middle of something important!”
“Ow, damn, you’ve got some strength. Hey Hamaguchi, help me out. This kid’s a wild one.”
“Huh! If Gorita’s having trouble, that’s rare. Got it. Sorry, underclassman, but I’ll need to restrain you for a bit.”
“Wait! Why do you have handcuffs at school?”
Saito struggled to free himself, but it was futile.
The newly arrived student council member, a lethargic-looking girl, handcuffed his hands and feet.
Why were there handcuffs at school? he wondered, as the girl spun the cuffs around her finger with a sly smile. “My parents pulled some strings. I keep them handy for whenever I need them.”
(Oh no, she’s dangerous.)
A shiver ran down Saito’s spine, and his instincts screamed of danger.
“We’ll take care of him. President, you handle the reception.”
“Leave the disciplining to us.”
“Ugh! President, remember this. I’ll get the truth—”
“Alright, quiet down.”
“Ahhh!”
It was too late.
Saito couldn’t escape the handcuffs.
He was carried away by the muscle-bound senior and the lethargic girl.
“Don’t go too far.”
As Saito was carried away, the only thing that stuck in his mind was the sympathy in Takumi’s eyes.
“This should be good enough.”
“Yeah.”
“Ouch! I hit my head.”
Saito was dumped behind the deserted school building.
As he writhed in pain from hitting his head, he heard the click of handcuffs being unlocked.
“You’re letting me go already?”
He felt like he had been let down, having expected to be restrained longer.
“Well, you should have calmed down a bit on the way here. Besides, if you run, we can catch you here.”
“That’s right. It’s bad for our reputation to keep an underclassman restrained out here.”
“Isn’t it already bad for your reputation to carry someone around in handcuffs?”
“Ah, true. But it’s quite common for us, so it’s okay.”
So you’re okay with it?
“It’s alright. Even Gorita… I mean, Gouda was captured a few months ago and photographed with the title ‘Gorilla in the Zoo’.”
“That was rough.”
Gouda and Hamaguchi reminisced about the past, laughing out loud.
From the looks of it, they didn’t plan to keep Saito tied up for long.
(Sorry for suspecting you were dangerous.)
Saito apologized to Hamaguchi in his mind and then started to speak, “Um, I have something I want to ask.”
“What’s up with Shirayuri-senpai and the president? When I asked Shirayuri-senpai about it a while ago, she said their relationship was normal. But that doesn’t seem normal to me.”
“Yeah. You’re not wrong. Their relationship has only been like that recently. Before that, they were just normal senior and junior.”
“Really?”
When Saito asked about their relationship, it seemed that, as Koyuki said, they didn’t have any problems before.
Then why were they so hostile now?
When he asked about the reason, the two of them smiled awkwardly.
“Well, it’s complicated. They’ve known each other for a long time.”
“Being born to lead is tough.”
“Don’t dodge the question. You brought me here to explain, didn’t you?”
Even though they seemed to be dodging the question,
Saito felt there was more to the story.
But Saito, who struggled with indirect words, couldn’t understand.
He protested, wanting a clear answer.
“Don’t be silly. We brought you here to cool down and take a break from the president. Things were getting heated between you two.”
“And we can’t just talk about someone’s private matters.”
“That’s so stingy of you, senpai.”
“We’re on the president’s side. Of course, we are.”
“We decided to support the president when we joined the student council.”
But the two, who admired Takumi deeply, didn’t listen to Saito’s protest.
They are on Takumi’s side.
They will not change their stance.
Still, they seemed to have something on their minds, and the atmosphere changed in the next moment.
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