“By any chance, Kako-san, are you on the animal keeper committee?”
Is she going to take care of animals with those drills…? (Gulp)
“Y-Yes, I am going to feed them now, so could you wait a moment?”
“In that case, I’ll help you.”
She looked apologetic, so I offered to help with the feeding (since waiting would be boring).
“…They eat a lot.”
When we started feeding them together, the rabbits and chickens began to eat voraciously. As I pulled back slightly at their gluttony, which left them no composure to be afraid of me, Kako-san let out a small sigh.
“At this academy, there are few people who take care of the animals seriously…”
“Ah…”
I see. Technically, they keep animals and have students care for them as part of emotional education. But since this is a place for young masters and ladies… or rather, there are also many spoiled children from newly wealthy families like mine, “petite nouveaux riches” who made their fortune in the last few generations. They just want to play with them and don’t even come to feed them properly.
“And recently, animals sometimes go missing… It’s only about one every few weeks, but I cannot overlook it.”
“Hehh…”
I inadvertently recalled the “clay stove” I witnessed earlier. …No, surely not.
This school is a little scary!?
While harboring such internal conflict, we finished feeding them safely…
“Yuzu-san, thank you for your help. So, regarding what I wanted to discuss…”
“Yes…”
I wonder what it is? Kako-chan paused as if troubled, then looked at me with determination and opened her mouth.
“What is your relationship with Kuon Kouki-sama?”
“──!”
It really is “Sama” after all! (Delight). No, not that—what is my relationship with Kouki-kun?
Come to think of it, Kouki-kun was a child of the [Kuon Family]. The Kuon family is a prominent family in this area; I know them because his grandfather was a minister until a few years ago. Even my father told his then-kindergarten daughter to be absolutely sure not to be rude to Kouki-kun.
Come to think of it, I feel like Mother mentioned something about his grandfather, the Diet member, being written up in a weekly magazine for land sharking? Or donations? Or something like that.
Anyway, the Kuon family has some issues right now, but it doesn’t change the fact that they are a distinguished family. And if I recall correctly, Kako-chan’s Shijuuin family is of similar standing.
Which means? In other words?
“Kako-san, are you Kouki-kun’s fiancée?”
“—Hyau.”
At the words I fired off, Kako-chan made a strange noise like she was hyperventilating and dove headfirst into the flock of rabbits.
“No, no, no, no.”
What is that reaction? Did I hit the bullseye!? I panicked and dragged Kako-chan (dirty), who was being pecked by chickens, out of the rabbit pile. She glared up at me with a bright red face.
“W-What is that look on your face!?”
Oops, I accidentally smirked. In short, Kako-chan is Kouki-kun’s fiancée, and it’s not just a family arrangement—she herself isn’t opposed to it. Yet, Kouki-kun has been talking only to some unknown girl recently, so she got jealous?
“I’ve been friends with Kouki-kun since kindergarten, and I’m childhood friends with Ou… Hanhayamu-kun, so we just have many opportunities to talk, that’s all.”
The shock was too strong; my soul still refuses to call him by his true name.
“B-But! …Kouki-san doesn’t chat with other girls, so why only with Yuzu-san…”
“He says the other kids’ chatter is too childish. Kako-san can speak this properly, so why don’t you talk to him?”
Even in the classroom, there are always girls around Kouki-kun, but I don’t recall seeing Kako-chan among them.
“T-That is… Mother told me that a woman should walk three steps behind a man, and as a woman of the Shijuuin family, I always walk thirty steps behind Kouki-san…”
“…………”
This child… she looks smart, but she’s an idiot!
“I-Is that so…?”
“It is so.”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT gadgetizedpanda.net
After that, I spent time explaining in great detail the relationship between myself, Ouji-kun, and Kouki-kun, as well as how Kako-chan should close the distance with Kouki-kun.
Kako-chan had a hard time understanding the concept of distance rather than relationships, and before I knew it, the sky was turning a madder red. …No, that took way too long! My heart is tired for the first time in a while.
“I apologize, Yuzu-san. I ended up keeping you so long… If you don’t mind, would you continue to give me advice in the future?”
“Yes. Of course, I don’t mind.”
She spoke in Ojou-sama language that hardly seemed fit for a first grader, so I inadvertently responded in a refined tone, causing Kako-chan to narrow her eyes happily. Oh my, cute.
Could this be… a “friend”!? Does this mean I won’t have Ouji-kun and Kouki-kun waiting for me outside the girls’ restroom every time I go!?
“In the first place, Yuzu-san is so close with Nikuno-san, so it’s impossible that you would look at other gentlemen.”
“Eh…”
Wait, were we seen that way?
No, no, we are first graders. Sure, I thought Ouji-kun was attached to me… but this is trouble. I plan to live life being spoiled rotten by an older dandy gentleman in high society around the time I graduate from university…
“Then, shall we walk to the school gate together?”
Since I have a car, naturally Kako-chan also has the Shijuuin family car waiting.
I washed my hands, and Kako-chan changed out of her potato-jersey in the changing room. As we walked side-by-side down the tree-lined path to the school gate, perhaps because it was an elementary school or because of the time, we didn’t see any other children.
“…Huh?”
“What is the matter? Yuzu-san.”
In the corner of my vision as I looked around, I felt like a “black cat” crossed my path for a split second…
…Something isn’t right. I don’t particularly care about bad omens or things like that, but before, I got distracted by a black cat and almost fell down the shrine stairs.
Personally, I have a high encounter rate with accidents and kidnappers, but this is inside the school, surely problems won’t just pop up repeatedly.
For some reason, as I say this to myself, I feel like I’m raising a massive flag…
“—Gehyahahaha hahahaha hahahaaaaaaah!!”
“See, here it comes!”
“Hii!”
Rather than the strange scream coming from the school gate, Kako-chan let out a small shriek at my reflexive retort. No, scream at that, not me! And isn’t the flag recovery too fast!?
The culprit causing this situation where my retorts couldn’t keep up was a high school boy in a uniform different from Takamine’s. Perhaps he hadn’t been home for days; he looked somewhat filthy.
Oh my, his eyes are completely gone.
“…W-What is that?”
Finally, Kako-chan let out a voice, freezing in fear at what was likely her first encounter with a dangerous person in her life.
That dangerous person, swinging a steel pipe around bun-bun-bun in front of us as we stood frozen, was shouting things like [This school!], [This great me!], or [Why!], but ah… I see?
“Did you fail to get into Takamine?”
At my words, inadvertently leaked, he twitched and trembled.
Trying to enter Takamine Academy from the High School Division is actually quite difficult. Entering from Elementary requires donations; Middle requires donations and pedigree. And entering from High School requires the financial power to pay tuition and substantial academic ability.
He, having failed to get into Takamine which also has the aspect of a prep school, whipped around and turned his bloodshot eyes toward me.
“…I-It’s not my faaaaaaaaaaaaaault!!”
“Ehhhh~…”
What a nuisance! I only stated a fact! (Heartless).
If that’s the case, you should go to the High School Division, not the Elementary Division! Ah, no good. Oba-niichan is over there, so that would be trouble.
“Ugaaaaaaaaah!”
The high schooler, with eyes completely gone, raised the steel pipe and charged toward us.
“Kyaa!”
Kako-chan let out a small scream and cowered. …But for some reason, I wasn’t scared. That “sensation,” which had been dormant for a year since that accident in the park, welled up from the “dark” place deep inside me.
Protecting the screaming Kako-chan behind my back, slowly… I tilted my head and stared directly into his eyes.
“────!?”
The high schooler’s movement stopped as if frozen. At that moment—
“Uryaa!!”
Suddenly, something flew from the direction of the woods where the Animal enclosure was and smashed into the high schooler’s back.
…Eh? The clay stove? When I instinctively looked back, a boy who seemed two or three years older than us came running and tackled the high schooler, sending him flying.
As that happened, several security guards came running from the school gate to restrain the high schooler, and teachers came from the school building as well.
…Wait? Where was my turn?
Anyway, we were taken into protective custody by the teachers. While we waited in the infirmary for our guardians to come pick us up, Kako-chan, sitting next to me on the long resting bench, squeezed my hand tightly.
“U-Um… Thank you for protecting me. That… May I call you [Yuzu-sama]?”
Seeing Kako-chan staring at me with teary, upturned eyes and flushed cheeks, I thought: Huh… did another weird flag just rise?
TLNOTE:
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