Chapter 5

"Oh, it's Lunch Break. Masachika, Hikaru, what do you guys want to do? I bought lunch today."

"Hey, that's rare."

"I'm sick of eating at the school cafeteria all the time."

"I have a bento today."

"Oh, is that so? Then I should purchase something from the store."

"Ah~ I'll just buy drinks too"

After leaving the classroom, Masachika parted with Hikaru and started walking towards the vending machine on the first floor of the school building.

However, when he was about to reach the stairs, someone suddenly called out from behind him.

"Masachika-sama"

Although he was surprised at the voice heard from right behind, Masachika immediately recognised the owner of the voice and turned back in a guise of calm.

"Ayano… Do you need me for something?"

Behind him was Ayano Kimishima, who joined the Student Council yesterday. She was Yuki's servant and, in a sense, a true childhood friend to Masachika.

"I'm sorry for the interruption. Could you give me some of your time?"

Ayano politely bowed and apologized for her disrespect, then stared at Masachika with her unreadable eyes through her long bangs.

"…I see, is it better to get some privacy?"

"Yes, thank you. Right this way."

She seemed to have already set a place, and when she suddenly appeared in front of Masachika, she started to lead the way.

(As usual, she's like a ninja)

While staring at her sharp back, Masachika murmured inwardly. That's because… Ayano didn't have a surprising presence, even though she looked like a pretty girl in the standards of the general public. It wasn't until she got close enough for him to clearly hear her not-so-loud voice that he was able to notice her approach at all.

…No, it's not that she didn't have a presence. However, she did all her movements with almost no noise and at the moment when the eyes of the people around her were distracted, so one could not notice her movements unless they looked carefully. If one didn't pay attention, they wouldn't be able to notice her movements. If you look for her once, she will be gone, and if you look for her again, she will be nearby…

(Well, I can't say anything because she's not malicious either…)

Ayano wasn't behaving like that in an attempt to surprise someone. She was in a pristine state, she was silent and expressionless. In the first place, she rarely talked to anyone, so there was nothing to be surprised about. It was a rare experience even for her old acquaintance, Masachika, to be approached by Ayano.

"Please."

When he stopped in front of a vacant classroom, Ayano opened the door silently (amazingly, she could do that with a sliding door) and invited Masachika inside.

When he entered the classroom as he was invited, Ayano closed the door again without a sound and turned on the lights. Then, when she came to the front of Masachika, she bowed again.

"I'd like to thank you for your precious time, Masachika-sama."

"Oh, that's okay. What's the main subject?"

"Excuse me. Then…"

Raising her face, Ayano stared straight at Masachika. She was expressionless as usual, but her eyes were a little steep.

"I heard from Yuki-sama that Masachika-sama will run for the Election Campaign with Kujou-sama. Is that correct?"

"…Ah!"

When Masachika nodded, Ayano turned her eyes down for a moment… When she looked up again, there was a cold light in her eyes.

"This time, the Head of the Family feels very displeased."

"What?!"

Masachika gulped at the information given to him by Ayano. The one whom Ayano referred to was the current head of the Suou family, who was the Maternal Grandfather of Masachika and Yuki.

"What does it mean for Masachika-sama, who had abandoned the Suou family, to get in the way of Yuki-sama?

"…"

This was not a surprise to Masachika. It was only natural that his grandfather, who valued the honor of the Suou family more than anything else, would not be pleased with Masachika's decision.

His grandfather would not tolerate Masachika, who had abandoned the Suou family, interfering with Yuki's Noble path as the heir to the Suou family.

It was obvious. He should have expected this to happen … Why didn't he think that far ahead?

(Old Fucker…)

Masachika vomited an internal curse to his grandfather in his mind.

In the first place, it was the intention of his grandfather that Masachika and Yuki kept the childhood friendship setting externally. From the perspective of Masachika, it could only be said that he was "Stupid", but according to his grandfather, the fact that Masachika, who was the original heir, abandoned his house seemed to be an ugly matter for the Suou family. Therefore, as a condition for leaving the house, Masachika was made to promise not to say that he was a relative of the Suou family.

There was no reason for Masachika to keep this promise, but if his grandfather was in a bad mood, his dissatisfaction would be directed at his younger sister who remained in the Suou family.

Knowing that, Masachika had kept his promise with his grandfather for his beloved sister. He quietly followed the wishes of his grandfather.

"So? You're saying you were sent to ask me what I really want?"

"…No, this is my own will."

"Huh?"

Masachika, who thought it was his grandfather's command, raised his eyebrows at Ayano's words. Ayano continued seriously with her cold eyes as Masachika made a surprising expression.

"It is also the duty of an attendant to protect the Lord. As Yuki-sama's follower, I have to gauge the true intentions of anyone who opposes my Lord.""That's loyal. Are you a samurai?"

Masachika's voice held no hint of contempt or ridicule, even though she spoke in a mocking manner. Masachika also straightened his back because he knew that the resolve contained in her words was true, even though the words were exaggerated.

(Why?…)

Then, he reflected again on his own actions. Together with Alisa, he was going to run as a candidate against Yuki. If you think about it normally, this was an impossible decision for Masachika Kuze. What was he hoping to gain by displeasing his grandfather and antagonizing his beloved sister?

The honor of being vice president? He was not interested in that. Masachika just couldn't… leave Alisa alone. In the end, that was it.

"I believed in…"

Ayano gave a condemning look to the pondering Masachika.

"Masachika-sama would never make Yuki-sama sad. It was… a mistake wasn't it?"

"…"

Ayano's bitter voice made Masachika sad. He felt sad for the girl in front of him, who was taking on a negative role for the sake of her beloved Lord.

Masachika knew very well that this seemingly emotionless girl was actually a person with as much love and kindness in her heart as Yuki. In truth, she was not capable of blaming or accusing anyone. The more she attacked someone, the more she would be hurt. She was a terribly kind child.

Such a kind girl, but she was holding back her pain and revealed her hostility. That fact made him sad beyond his control. And he couldn't help but feel bad that I was the cause of it.

(I should have thought about it sooner…)

While biting his lip in regret, Masachika changed his expression and faced Ayano with all his might. He stared straight into her eyes and conveyed isr will with his true heart.

"I didn't decide to run in the election to antagonize Yuki, I decided to run with Alya and… ended up antagonizing Yuki.""That's…"

Ayano's eyes wavered at Masachika's straightforward words. However, she immediately sharpened her gaze again and continued her inquiry.

"Regardless of the order, the fact remains that Masachika-sama was hostile to Yuki-sama. For Masachika-sama, is it that important for you to run for office with Kujou-sama? Is it something you have to do even after betraying and hurting Yuki-sama?"

"Ah…"

She dared to use strong words and nodded without hesitation… Masachika continued to speak earnestly to Ayano, who had embarrassment and sadness in her eyes.

"I don't know why. But I'll do it. I'm going to do everything in my power to make Alya Student Council President. That's what I promised her."

"Masachika-sama, do you have any special feelings for Kujou-sama?""No."

He was able to assure himself of that. The reason why he was helping Alisa was not because of romantic feelings. If you asked Masachika what it was, he didn't really know himself. It's not that he didn't know what his motives were, he just had a determination.

"I've decided to do it on my own. Yuki has nothing to do with it. I don't give a damn about the Suou family."

"…"

"So tell Grandfather to not blame Yuki for this incident. If there are any complaints, tell him to come and talk to me directly.""…I'm sorry."

At Masachika's words, Ayano's eyes widened slightly, she shook herself, and bowed deeply. And then, with her head bowed, she asked a question.

"Lastly, please tell us one thing. How does Masachika-sama feel towards Yuki-sama… Is there any change? What do you think of Yuki-sama?"

"Yuki is the most important person in the world to me. My feelings are the same."

Without hesitation, Masachika lowered his eyebrows and asked Ayano.

"So, please. I know it's not the right thing for me to say right now, but… please support her."

"…I'm sorry. I'm glad to hear your thoughts, Masachika-sama."

Ayano turned and headed for the door behind her, her expression hidden by her long bangs.

"I'd like to thank you for your precious time. Now if you'll excuse me."

Then she bowed in front of the door and walked out of the classroom. Normally, she would have waited for Masachika to leave.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you…"

The door that was left open seemed to be expressing Ayano's feelings, and Masachika said to himself with a bitter expression.

(Well, if you just look at the situation, I look like the worst kind of scumbag who says, "You're fine without me now, aren't you?" and then cheats on you… It's just a fact that I'm a scumbag.)

Self-deprecating inwardly, Masachika slammed his bangs.

"I understand…

The hostility directed at him from the girl he had known since childhood had grieved his heart more than he had expected.

The fact that his actions had hurt two of the girls closest to him made his heart ache.

Yet, strangely enough, he had no regrets. There was no wavering in his will to walk with Alisa. There was no… but his heart still hurt.

"Ugh."

With a sigh, Masachika forgot his goal of buying a drink and trudged back to the classroom.

"Oh, you're back. And what about the… drinks?

"Eh? Ah…"

It was pointed out by Takeshi, and he finally remembered the purpose of leaving the classroom, but Masachika didn't feel like going to buy a drink again. Or rather, his appetite was completely gone.

"Well, it's okay because there was water."

"Really?"

When he shook the water bottle he had brought from home, Takeshi seemed to sense something and did not pursue the matter any further.Hikaru then came back with a side dish of bread and turned his desk in order to connect it to Masachika's desk.

"…Alya's not here, so why don't you just use her seat?"

When I said this to Takeshi, who had taken the trouble to bring his own chair from afar, he looked at the empty seat in the last row by the window and smiled.

"I have to admit I'd like to sit in Princess Alya's seat, but I feel like I'm going to get killed, so I won't.""You're overreacting.""No, not by Princess Alya, the… class, okay?""I guess?"

It's true that even if he doesn't get killed, the jealous stares might drain his energy. Especially in this school, each desk had a name plate on the right corner, so you could easily tell whose desk it is.

By using the same desks throughout the year, students would naturally take good care of the school's equipment. However, this also made it difficult for students to use other students' desks casually.

(Well, it's hard to relax when a girl's name is always flickering in the corner of your eye.)

Masachika opened his lunch box, agreeing with Takeshi's point of view.

"…WHAT IS THAT?"

"The leftovers from yesterday.""I knew it when I saw it."

Masachika's two-layered lunch box had a hamburger steak tossed into the top layer, and the bottom layer was filled with white rice. The top was brown and the bottom was white. The broccoli served with the hamburger steak was the least he could do to add some color.

" Well, it looks good, doesn't it?

"It looks like a guy's cooking, though."

"No, it's actually a guy's cooking."

Masachika shrugged his shoulders at his two best friends who laughed. They knew that Masachika came from a single parent, so they didn't mind him and brought their hands together.

"Itadakimasu!.""Itadakimasu!"

"Itadakimasu!"

They started eating, but Masachika, who was still recovering from the incident earlier, was not in the mood.

When he saw Masachika, he must have felt something, because Takeshi suddenly took out a manga magazine from the plastic bag that contained his lunch box.

"Hey, hey, look at this. The Gravure in this week's issue has all the 'Buru♡ming' together.

Takeshi excitedly pointed out a twelve-member idol group that was rapidly gaining popularity. Even Hikaru, who didn't usually bite on such topics, was unusually on board, perhaps sensed something in regards to Masachika's manner.

"I've seen them on TV quite a bit lately. I thought they were more on the neat and innocent side, but I didn't know they were going to do a swimsuit gravure.""It looks like this is the first time all the members are coming together. Oh, really? This girl must have been a pretty skinny type."

Takeshi looked at the picture of the girl in the bikini and stretched his nose sloppily.

"Hey, who do you like, Masachika?"

"To be honest, I don't know anything about idols. I know the name of the group, but I don't know any of the members.""Don't talk like an old man… So, who is your favorite celebrity? I don't care if it's an actress or an idol.""I don't have any particular interest in celebrities. I like some comedians."

"Really? So, what about voice actors? Do you like any female voice actors?"

"I'm not really interested in voice actors.""What the hell, what about Hikaru then?"

"Do you think I'd fall for a glitzy celebrity girl?"

Hikaru smiled darkly at Takeshi's question.

It wasn't "glistening" but "glittering" that described Hikaru's impression of celebrities. Takeshi's expression screamed dissatisfied with the reactions of the two.

Takeshi raised his voice in frustration at the two's completely lackluster response.

"What the hell is wrong with you guys! You're all men! You must have a favorite celebrity or two!"

"It's not like you can go out with someone just because you like them."

"No, just because you like someone doesn't mean you can go out with them."

"That's true, but you can have a pseudo-romance with a two-dimensional character through the protagonist."

"What about sub-heroines who don't end up with the protagonist?"

"Takeshi, there is a convenient thing in the world called a magazine."

"Hey, kid, you're sixteen."

"No one said anything about it being R18?"

Masachika replied to Takeshi's tsukkomi with an unconcerned face. Kouru, who had a dark smile on his face, agreed with him.

"Yes… a two-dimensional character would never betray you, wouldn't she…?"

"'Hey, what's up with Hikaru? Yamiru-San? Did Yamiru-San come out?

"I'm sorry, but there are a lot of two-dimensional cuckolds out there these days."

"Oh, no!"

"…Girls are evil."

"You're starting to sound like an evil avenger."

"Whose fault is it?"

As Takeshi looked at him, Masachika regretted that he had been too flirty, and he consciously raised the tension in his voice.

"But it's a man's dream to have a secret relationship with a popular idol."

"Oh, yeah, that's right!"

"I like the idea of being everyone's idol, but actually being mine."

"I know! I like that feeling of superiority."

The two of them got excited about their impossible fantasies. Perhaps pleased about Masachika's interest, Takeshi unfolded the manga magazine again and presented it to Masachika.

"So, who do you like? Just purely on looks?"

"Hmmm… I guess…"

"I'm not sure if it was a male's tendency or an instinct of a boob-fetish guy, but when it"s a swimsuit gravure, my eyes go to certain areas of a girl's body."

Takeshi also smiled with a grin, perhaps because he had noticed it.

"Do you prefer older girls with boobs? As for me, I think the younger group of the same age can be a good choice, but I don't think they should be in swimsuits."

"Of course. What man can resist that charm?"

"I guess. Well, a girl's boobs are filled with a man's dreams and romance!"

"They're just fat."

"Please shut up, Yamirou-san!"

While smiling slightly at the exchange between the two, Masachika turned the manga magazine towards Takeshi.

"Well, if you ask me who I like the best out of all of them, it's this girl…"

While pointing at one of the girls, he raised his gaze and noticed that Takeshi and Hikaru were looking behind him with an "Aha" expression on their faces. Immediately after that, he felt a cool chill hit his back.

Masachika, who instantly sensed the situation from the feeling kept his head forward and did his best to flatter her.

"But, after all! There is usually a girl of transcendent beauty in the seat next to me, so honestly it's a haze~ !!"

"Confiscated!"

"Why!?"

Masachika screamed as a hand reached out from behind him and took away the magazine. When he looked at the magazine, he saw Alisa looking down at him with cold eyes.

Her eyes turned to the magazine she picked up, and a contemptuous mutter was released.

[Hentai]

"I don't speak Russian, but I know I've been treated with a great deal of contempt."

"That's strange, Takeshi. Me too."

"Hahaha…"

Takeshi and Masachika had twitching smiles on their faces, and Hikaru chuckled as if he was someone else.

But when Alisa glared at them, the sheer power of her glare caused Takeshi and Hikaru to quickly avert their gazes and shrink in fear.

"Kuze-kun… Do you think that you, who became a member of the student organization, can bring something like this to the school?"

"No, well, technically, it was Takeshi who brought it in…"

"Then be warned."

"Yes."

Alisa's chilled voice made Masachika shrink, just like Takeshi and Hikaru.

She looked down contemptuously at the three pathetically cowering bastards and placed the magazine on the desk with a huge sigh.

"Um, can I have it back?"

"Don't get me wrong. I just don't want to keep it."

"No, it's true that the cover and gravure pages are a bit of a problem, but other than that, it's an extremely proper magazine."

"How dare someone who thrives on the unhealthy parts of things…"

"Mmm.. I see."

Masachika groaned in agreement with the perfectly reasonable reply. She said, "Baka" with a disgusted look on her face, and sat down in her seat.

"(Here, quickly put it away before Alya changes her mind.)"

"(Oh… When did you become a Student Council Member?")

"(Oh… yesterday.)"

"(I never heard of it. What's going on?)"

"(Well, a lot of… stuff.)"

The three guys whispered somehow and started moving in a wishy-washy manner. Glancing in that direction, Alisa poked her cheek in disgust and turned her head towards the window.

It reminded her of the comment from Masachika earlier. Even though she knew she was just being flattered to cover up the fact that he was bringing in a magazine, she could feel her whole body heat up.

[Stupid idiot!]

Alisa whispered to disguise the heat. Contrary to the words, he felt that Alisa's atmosphere had eased, and Masachika stroked her chest. But

"Hmm? Hikaru, what's wrong?"

When he looked up at Takeshi's words, he saw Hikaru staring at the cover of the magazine Takeshi was trying to put away.

Masachika and Takeshi both tilted their heads at the misogynistic figure of Hikaru. Then, he pointed to one of the girls on the cover and said,

"Wait…the idol Masachika chose a while ago. What's her name? If you look closely, she looks like Kujou-senpai."

At that moment, Masachika felt a gaze piercing his left cheek. He felt that the atmosphere of his neighbor, which had temporarily softened, instantly became hard, sharp and cold like an icicle.

(Uoooooo!! What are you talking about, Kouru!)

When he glanced at her, he saw that Alisa had turned away and was staring at him through the window. While breaking out into a cold sweat at the sight of her, Masachika inwardly exclaimed.

With a twitching smile on his face, he said, "No, no, I don't think so. However, Takeshi, who was reviewing the cover again when Mitsuru pointed it out, nodded and gave a follow-up attack.

"Sure, it's similar if you ask."

(Oh!! Read the mood, Takeshi!!)

Masachika complained inwardly, but the blizzard was not blowing as it had been earlier, and the two of them began to get excited without showing any sign of noticing, probably because the icicles were piercing Masachika in one spot.

"That's right. The hairstyle, the atmosphere, the brown hair and brown eyes are also very similar."

"And she's older. What's the matter, Masachika, are you into the type of girl like Kujou-senpai?"

The more the two of them got excited, the more the dusdos and icicles pierced Masachika's cheeks. Of course, figuratively.

(Oh no… if I make a mistake here, I'm going to be in some kind of trouble.)

As his survival instincts rang fiercely in alarm, Masachika sluggishly countered.

"No, it's not that I like her type… Masha has a boyfriend to begin with.

"In other words, if she didn't have one, would you aim for her?"

"I mean, Masha-san? When did you start calling her by her nickname…?

(Why are the combinations perfect only at such times, you guys!!)

The reason for that was, Masachika didn't usually show much interest in real women.

Masachika, who treated Alisa and Yuki, two of the most beautiful girls in the school, as mere friends, was secretly worried by her friends that "this guy is really only interested in two-dimensional things".

These two were relieved and at the same time slightly excited by the topic of three-dimensional female relationships, not to mention Masachika's love…

For Masachika, it was both unnecessary and annoying.

"No, it just kinda happened. I've never seen Masha with those kinds of eyes…"

Masachika had said that on the spur of the moment, but unfortunately there were too many things that came to mind for him to say "no" here.

To the extent that the honest part of Masachika would stop without thinking, "No, no, don't lie."

"…No, well, yeah. I never thought I wanted to go out with her."

Takeshi and Hikaru became lukewarm eyes as Masachika escaped in an easy-to-understand manner.

Incidentally, contempt was mixed in Alisa's line of sight. Well, if there was a man who had a sexual look at her sister, that would be the case.

[Beast]

The curse in Russian pierced the heart of Masachika. As long as he couldn't react, he couldn't argue, so it was really bad.

"Then, that's it. Do you want to go out with Suou-san? It's often said, but after all, isn't your childhood friend a target for love?"

As soon as Takeshi gave Yuki's name with lukewarm eyes, it turned out that the atmosphere of Alisa changed clearly.

While feeling a piercing gaze on her cheek in a different sense from her previous one, Masachika answered while remembering Ayano instead of Yuki.

"It doesn't happen … I don't think it's a great idea to see her as such an object in the first place. Oh, I mean, it's absolutely impossible for Yuki to go out with me, right?"

"I heard that before, but why?"

Because they are brother and sister. Because they are unmistakably real brothers and sisters who share parents.

That's all, but he couldn't reveal the circumstances behind it. Takeshi shook his head as if he didn't know what he was doing, as he had no choice but to laugh vaguely.

"I don't know …that beautiful girl. Moreover, she is polite and has a good personality, and she is a neat and clean lady who is rare nowadays."

"Ah, yeah…"

Reflexively, he was about to say "Are you sure about that?", but swallowed the words.

Actually, if one simply looked at Yuki in the young lady mode while in school, without knowing Yuki who was a big nerd, it couldn't be helped to get such an impression.

From the perspective of Masachika, who knew the true Yuki, it was an assessment that must be made with a straight face.

However, even though he was a friend, Masachika couldn't reveal the true nature of Yuki without permission, so he could only deceive him appropriately.

"That young lady," he said…"As a mob, I don't know."

"Ah… well…"

"But if you put it that way, aren't the girls at this school pretty strict? It's not uncommon to find out that the girl you're talking to is actually the daughter of the president."

"Well, yes, but… anyway, if I were to go out with someone, I'd choose someone of a more reasonable status. If I were to go out with someone, that is."

"It's a romance between students, right? Do we really need to think that far?"

"By "reasonable" do you mean a… middle-class family?

"Well, yeah… a middle-class family, like, easygoing? It's like you can be friends with them…"

Masachika answered without thinking deeply while naturally remembering "that child" in his head.

[That is, like me?]

(You're wrong?)

Masachika inwardly reacted to the Russian language that suddenly interrupted his reminiscing scene.

When he looked next to him with a straight face, he saw the side of Alisa's cheekbones, which were unusually strong.

If he looked closely, Masachika could see that she was trembling slightly. Listening carefully, Masachika heard her quietly humming a song and still saying something in Russian. She quickly leaned closer and Masachika's eyes quickly turned pale.

(I told you! I told you! No, no, no. I can see your smiling face through the window, can't I? Don't you think you're a bit of an exhibitionist? Is that it? I've heard that Russians say what they think more clearly than Japanese, is that it? I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on… stupid….)

Alisa's mouth twitched as she poked the fingers of her right hand into her cheek. Either she didn't notice Masachika's gaze, or she did, but her expression didn't return to normal and she couldn't look back…Either way, she looked very disappointed.

"Masachika? What did you do?"

"Oh no…that's right, and…"

When Masachika resumed his recollections at the sound of Takeshi's voice, what came to mind was that girl's smile. The details of her face were vague, but the smile was so cute that it naturally made him smile too, and he couldn't help but relax his cheeks.

"I want a girl with a pretty smile."

The moment he said that, the smile of that girl in his brain was replaced by the smile of Alisa that he saw the other day.

(No, no, no, no. Why? )

He hastily dismissed it and looked sideways at the person in question…

Learn more

"…"

There was the side of Alisa's face, which had gone rigid. She was so frozen that you could almost hear her sound. And that's not even mentioning the expression reflected in the window.

"Wow, she's got a pretty smile~"

"Well, it's true that a smile is important. Regardless of gender. People who don't smile with their eyes, or who only smile slightly, seem to be difficult to get to know."

"Um… well"

Masachika also understood Hikaru's opinion, but it was hard to agree with his words when he saw Alisa's back quivering.

(Don't do it. Alya's been hit by a stray bullet.)

Hikaru may not be offensive, but…objectively, "people who don't laugh at their eyes" and "people who laugh only a little" were just ordinary Alisa.

No, from the perspective of Masachika, Alisa laughed fairly normally, and although her eyes did not draw an arc, her eyes were laughing firmly, but it seemed that Alisa herself was not aware of it…

"But, well, when those people who don't usually laugh smile and laugh, they look really attractive. It feels like there is a gap between you and her."

To follow Masachika, Takeshi and Hikaru nodded, saying, "Ah, well, sure." Alisa's back, which was curled up without her heart, stretched a little.

"But she only gets to know her for a moment, and she soon wants to get closer again."

"That's right. After all, the usual attitude is important."

However, the words of Hikaru and Takeshi that followed soon made him sick.

(Oh, no! Don't return my follow-up with a blow! It's working slowly. It's working slowly on Alya's body!)

Masachika irresistibly turned to the two of them and whispered while showing Alisa in the line of sight.

"(Hey, you guys be a little careful, though Alya will be hurt)"

"(Eh? Kujou-san?)"

"(No… Princess Alya doesn't care about that, right?)"

She did care about it. And a lot. If anything, she was about to cry. Because the face he saw in the window had its lips drawn together in a different way than before. It wasn't a smile, it was an expression of enduring something else.

[It's okay… I have friends, it's okay.]

And she started to say some healthy things.

To tell the truth, Masachika was also touched by this situation, and he was not without a feeling of "Oh, so this is what gap moe is all about", but more than that, his heart ached with pity and apology.

"(Anyway, follow me, follow me. You don't want the air to be freezing all afternoon, do you?"

"(Uh, that's not good…)"

"(That's right…)"

With the consent of the two, Masachika settled down in his seat and then opened his mouth, and Takeshi controlled it with his eyes.

"Masakin, leave this to me"

"Takeshi …can you do it?"

"Leave it to me"

"…Do you get it?"

They communicated through eye contact and exchanged small nods. Then Takeshi smiled confidently and said in a loud voice.

"Well, if you're a beautiful girl like Princess Alya, none of that would matter!!"

"I'm not good at it!!"

Masachika and Mitsuru's tsukkomi were hampered by the surprisingly direct and excessive way he said it. However, Takeshi said, "…What?". Earlier, a chilling voice echoed.

"Hmm, so that's how you saw me…"

"Oh, Alya…"

Looking back at the person who made a squeaky voice, where was the expression that was about to cry just before?

Alisa, who had a chilling look on her face, was looking at him with her eyes that didn't feel the heat at all. Takeshi, who seemed to have finally noticed what she did when she was shrugged in her eyes, stiffened his body.

"I'm sorry that I'm an unsociable, unattractive woman whose only asset is her face."

"Oh, no, not that far…"

"I wonder if the magazine I just mentioned will be confiscated."

"Eh !? No, that is…"

"Get it out."

"…Yes…"

Takeshi succumbed to Alisa's pressure and meekly offered her the manga magazine. After snatching it from him, Alisa sat down roughly on a chair. As the air in the classroom froze, Masachika and Hikaru stared at Takeshi.

"Shit."

"That's why Takeshi can't do her."

"Shut up!"

The pathetic scream of a man who deserved too much echoed in the cold air of the classroom.

◇ ◇

The time goes back a bit… After finishing her discussion with Masachika, Ayano was walking down the hallway toward an empty classroom one floor up.

She dodged between students walking down the hallway to avoid making footsteps and getting into the sight of others as much as possible.

It was like a leaf flowing down the river, avoiding the rocks. When she reached her destination without anyone noticing, she knocked three times on the classroom door.

"Please"

"Excuse me"

When Ayano opened the door, Yuki was waiting in a dim classroom with no lights on.

"Have you finished talking with my brother?"

"Yes."

"Yes…and what of it?"

In response to Yuki's question, Ayano recalled her interaction with Masachika … In her eyes, she harbored a gentle light.

"Yes…Masachika-sama was after all my beloved Masachika-sama."

"Oh, that's nice to hear."

Yuki was relieved to see that Ayano, who was unusually distrustful and dissatisfied with Masachika, had clear eyes after her discussion.

Ayano usually didn't move her face at all, but her expressionlessness is an acquired trait, not a lack of emotional ups and downs. Rather, Yuki was relieved that Ayano's misunderstanding of Masachika had been cleared up, knowing that she had a very strong affection for her siblings.

"It's dark. Now, light──"

Ayano tried to turn on the light with a switch next to her door, but Yuki stopped her.

"Oh, don't turn it on."

"…Huh?"

"Yeah. I don't want to stand out badly, and above all…"

After a beat, Yuki looked diagonally down and scratched her bangs up, and her eyes widened with a frown.

"The darker one is… cooler."

"… I'm sorry. I don't understand much about "beauty" in that area."

"Good, if you learn from now on"

"I'm afraid"

Ayano responded to Yuki's mere comment about the kitchen with great seriousness. After nodding hawkishly to it, Yuki again urged her to continue.

"So… what did your brother say?"

"Yes. Masachika-sama…will still be running with Kujou-sama."

"Well, then?"

"And…tell the head of the family, 'This case has nothing to do with Yuki. If he has any complaints, come directly to me.'"

"Hey, that's it…"

Yuki knew exactly that Masachika was concerned about her when she said that. Her eyes widened in surprise for a moment, and then Yuki grinned at her.

"You're right… My brother is serious.

Ayano nodded seriously to Yuki who laughed happily with a whistling expression.

Yes. My womb shuddered involuntarily at his wonderful spirit.

"Oh, oh, did you tremble?"

"Yes"

Yuki twitched her smile as Ayano nodded calmly as if there was nothing to be ashamed of.

"Well… I'll ask you just in case Ayano likes her brother… It's not the case, right?"

"In terms of romantic feelings, you're right. I love Masachika as much as Yuki, but I don't have romantic feelings."

"Oh is that so…"

"I don't think about such irreverent things like wanting to be a lover… If you can use me as a tool, that's enough."

"You're just a masochist, right?"

Ayano's crazy remarks made Yuki instinctively scream.

Masachika's evaluation of Ayano was correct. In fact, Ayano was a girl with a deep affection and a gentle heart. Not wrong at all.

But… the excessive respect for the two masters and her sexual orientation combine to make the "desire to be understood" completely overwhelmed.

When she was ordered by Masachika and Yuki, she was just a little happy.

She thought it was pure loyalty, so she was rather proud of herself.

In fact, even now, Ayano didn't seem to know why she was seen with such eyes, and she mysteriously cocked her head.

"I'm sorry. I'm shallow and I'm not sure what a… doem is."

"Eh? Oh, a super-class maid. The acronym is doem."

"Thank you. I am honored. I will continue to do my best to become a good masochist."

"I told you that you're awesome"

Ayano blinked slowly and then said to Yuki.

"That's right… I forgot to tell you one last thing."

"Hmm? What?"

"Masachika-sama said that Yuki is still the most important person in the world."

"King…"

At Ayano's words, Yuki suddenly turned serious and rushed to the window on the schoolyard side. She pulled the window open and took a deep breath – and stopped.

"Yuki-sama? How may I help you?"

"…"

Without answering Ayano's question, Yuki held the window sill and kept silent for a while, and she exhaled her breath.

"Oh no…I almost screamed my love for my brother in the middle of the school building."

As she wiped her mouth and closed her window, Yuki shook her head as if to do it.

"Huh… totally my cute brother"

With a grinning smile, Yuki leaned against the wall vigorously to blow away the tickles of her whole body.

She mumbled as she looked up at her ceiling with her arms folded and the back of her head pressed against the wall.

"But… I see, you are unfazed by Ayano's pursuit." (TN: spoken like she's talking directly to Masachika)(TN: addressed to Masachika, who isn't present.)

"Yes. He was worried about Yuki-sama, but he didn't seem to have any doubts about his candidacy."

"I see, you're serious…Hmmm, you're really going to fight me, aren't you?" (TN: same as above)

Her beloved brother had chosen to be hostile to her, but her voice was joyful.

"Like, it's getting more interesting, isn't it? Honestly, Alya-san alone couldn't do anything."

Yuki said that in an arrogant way, but Ayano also agreed.

"That's right…I've only done a little research, but it seems that most of the first years years are still expecting Yuki-sama to win. Regarding Kujou-sama…to be honest, it iseems like an unknown transfer student is doing something reckless. "

"Ah, I'm merciless. My supporters are really solid…well, how does your brother intend to turn this situation over?"

Yuki laughed with her eyes shining brightly and the edge of her mouth lifted. Her smile was so intense that it could be described as ferocious.

"Sounds fun."

"How so??B Because he he can fight the genius – the child prodigy of the Suou family? It can't be fun."

Leaving her back off her wall, Yuki spread her arms out to dance.

"That older brother, who couldn't win no matter what I did, will take on the challenge seriously with a strong partner, Alya-san. It's exciting. That's what makes it worthwhile. I'll crush them!"

Yuki turned her gaze at Ayano as she squeezed and powerfully held her hands and declared.

"I'll ask you to cooperate, Ayano. To get my brother to take it seriously."

"I'm afraid so. I'll do my best to help you."

Ayano also responded to her master's request with a strong light in her eyes.

She laughed with satisfaction, and Yuki turned her back to her Ayano, turned to her window and exhaled.

"By the way, Ayano"

"What is it, Yuki-sama?"

Yuki looked back over her shoulder to Ayano, who tilted head in confusiontilted her head in question.With a crisp look, she asked.

"Isn't it like a messed up last boss right now?"