After Practicing S*x With My Childhood Friend I Don’t Even Like, I Started Becoming Popular With Beautiful Girls. However, for Some Reason, My Childhood Friend Starts Acting Cold - Chapter 29 - All-You-Can-Eat Tuna...!

Chapter 29 – All-You-Can-Eat Tuna…!

“Is Kohaku-chan not coming~?”

Himesaki, sitting at one of the long desks, muttered casually as she flutters about.

After school, there were four of us in the student council room, including me.

——Would you like to join the student council?

Following Tachibana-senpai’s suggestion the other day, we got together.

“Isn’t it enough? We don’t need people who are unmotivated.”

“You don’t want to do this either…”

“I’ll do anything for senpai♪”

Saiai, whom I haven’t seen since this morning, rubbed up against me.

It’s annoying, don’t get too close.

“But… You’re right. It can’t be helped. I understand, let’s start——”

“Can you please wait a minute?”

“Suzume-kun?”

I interrupted Tachibana-senpai’s words.

“I’ll go and look for her… No, I don’t think we can do this today… Why don’t we reschedule? I’ll do something about Kohaku.”

“Reschedule… That’s a bit…”

Senpai looked a little distressed.

But then she nodded, smiled and looked at me.

“Okay. But only until tomorrow. Is that okay?”

“No problem.”

We then disbanded today.

◇◆◇

Night.

“Hmm?”

I heard a notification and opened my phone, but frowned when I saw the sender of the message.

[Next time, I’ll make you a bento♡]

The sender’s name is Saiai Kanade.

Huh? Why is it unblocked? I’m scared.

Did she mess with my phone the other day when we gathered at my home?

But this is good.

I can immediately re-block this stalker woman!

“Huh?”

The moment I tried to block her, she sent me messages in rapid succession.

[If you block me again, I might slip up on a lot of things. Things about that cat, for example.]

[I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.]

[Let’s talk a lot from now on, okay?]

[Good night.]

[I won’t let you sleep tonight♡]

I was kept endlessly engaged in a fruitless conversation.

◇◆◇

“Now then… This should be good.”

Next day.

The first thing after school, I was making some preparations.

Saiai stared at the scene suspiciously..

“Uwaa~ What is this? Senpai, are you joking around?”

“I’m not joking.”

This is a very, very serious thing.

“Well, just you wait and see.”

I said this to Tachibana-senpai and Himesaki, and smiled at them.

A few minutes later——

“Wow…!”

Kohaku appeared in my line of sight as I stared from the shadows of the corridor.

Kohaku picked up one oval object and held it tightly.

It is a can of tuna, Kohaku’s favorite food.

And as she looked around, she saw yet another can of tuna.

Beyond that, there’s another one, and another one, and another one… There are countless cans of tuna lying around.

Wandering around, Kohaku started to walk as if she were being lured.

After picking up a can of tuna, she nodded in satisfaction, and then started looking for the next one.

Once that happens, we’re all set.

To get ahead of her, I took another route and headed there.

That’s right, the destination on the Tuna Can Road is——The student council room.

And again, after a few minutes…

“Welcome to the Mihama Academy Student Council room. First Year Angel.”

Kohaku stepped into the open student council room with her hands full of cans of tuna.

I made sure to close and lock the door to the student council room.

“Wow, she’s really here… That was one way to lure someone…”

“You’re here. Fufu, so cute~”

“Welcome, Kohaku-chan~!”

The three greet Kohaku with their own expressions.

“Eh…? Why am I… Eh? This is the student council room…?”

The light in Kohaku’s gaze fell on Tachibana-senpai, Himesaki, and Saiai, and then finally on me.

Then, a sound resembling teeth grinding resounded in the student council room.

“You, you conspired against me…!”

“Well, that’s what it is.”

“I won’t give you a can of tuna…! Grr…!”

Kohaku, who completely recognised me as an enemy, curled up in a ball to protect the tuna cans and threatened me.

“No, I don’t want that… I was going to give it to you originally.”

“Liar… Who doesn’t want a can of tuna…”

“Most people. You’re just a special case.”

“…Can I really have it?”

“Yes. Of course.”

“Yay! All-you-can-eat tuna…!”

Kohaku’s cheeks relaxed happily.

It’s unusual, cute, and charming.

“Plus, now we have a special offer. If you join the student council, you will receive a year’s supply of tuna cans! In addition, you can eat as much as you want anytime in the student council room! How about it!? You want to join the student council, don’t you!?”

“I can’t do that.”

Kohaku’s expression instantly changed.

“Hu-huh…?”

Not that simple, huh?

But okay.

By the time I brought her to the student council room, the canned tuna had fulfilled its purpose.

“…For those tuna cans, I want you to tell me. Why didn’t you come yesterday? Why don’t you want to join the student council?”

“…Just because. I have my own things to do. You know that, don’t you, Suzume?”

“Well, yeah.”

“I have no business in the student council. I’ve told President Tachibana many times.”

Kohaku remained stubborn.

If that’s the way she’s going to be, then…

“…Are you sure about that?”

I opened my arms and talked to Kohaku, who had gone into a state of alert while holding the tuna cans.

“The only people here are the ones who played at my place last time. Here, you don’t have to wear your cat mask. You can let your guard down.”

“I don’t need a place like that. I can get by by myself.”

“I don’t think it’s a bad idea to relax here and eat canned tuna to your heart’s content… Well, I understand. Kohaku is now strong, and her communication skills seem to have improved, so you  don’t need that kind of place to relax or anything.”

“What are you saying all of a sudden…”

“But you know what?”

Step by step, I approached Kohaku and stroked her head.

She tried to back away a little, but there was a door right behind her. 

Both her hands were occupied so she couldn’t use them.

As she was, I stroked her on the head.

“I miss Kohaku. I don’t like the fact that you’re the only one who’s left out of the group of people I played with the other day, and I can’t talk to you at all even though we go to the same school…”

“Suzume?”

“Here, you can talk as your true self. There are people who will be friendly with you. There are also those you can argue with.”

“The real me…?”

Kohaku’s eyes wandered anxiously.

Then, Tachibana-senpai and Himesaki smiled gently and met her gaze, while Saiai turned away with a huff.

‘I… I want to—’

Something has changed for me too, I recalled spring break.

“I might be a fool who doesn’t understand what’s truly good for your goals, but I believe that the fact you’re trying to change yourself is probably the right thing.”

That’s why I helped Kohaku during spring break.

As if to break out of her shell, Kohaku may have become a different person since that student representative’s greeting.

Seeing this, I was surprised…and at the same time, I was concerned.

That concern and my floundering emotions were the cause of our argument the other day. 

“But… I mean, I’m used to the real you. That side of you feels more natural… The you at school is really disgusting to look at…!”

“Di-disgusting…!?”

“Anyway, I like the usual Kohaku better.”

“Eh……?”

Kohaku’s face turned red as if on fire.

“So, join the student council. Be yourself here… Is that not good?”

“………”

Silence filled the student council room.

From the courts, the voices of the sports club that has started club activities resounded.

And the brass band’s performance echoed from a distant classroom.

“…——not good.”

“Huh?”

Kohaku slowly shook her head.

“That’s not…not good.”

“Then… You’ll join?”

“……Yeah. If Suzume says that much, I have no other choice.”

“I see. Thank you.”

I patted her head again and Kohaku nodded with a red face.

Surely, one day, a fake can become real.

Because the world is full of fakes, and yet everyone finds their own authenticity in them.

Maybe everything that starts out is a fake, an imitation of someone else, an extension of fantasies, and nothing more than a forgery.

But one day the fake and the real will mix and become something irreplaceable.

The boundaries between them are only vaguely defined.

Kohaku has just started it.

But she’s extremely clumsy and goes to extremes.

That’s why I think it would be nice to have a place like this.

It’s really strange. Kohaku and I are just childhood friends, and it’s not the kind of thing you’d find in an anime——it’s real life itself.

We’re supposed to be cold and distant with each other.

But why am I doing this?

“Co-cough. Isn’t it time to finish?”

“Eh? Ah, yes. I’m sorry we talked for so long. It’s all right now.”

“Nekomura-san, you’ll really join?”

When senpai asked, Kohaku nodded wordlessly.

Seeing this, senpai smiled with satisfaction.

When I sat down, Kohaku sat on my lap for some reason.

Do you like it there?

Before I even had time to ask, Kohaku opened a can of tuna, took out her chopsticks out of nowhere and began to poke at it.

The probability of talking to Kohaku in this state and getting a response back is around 20%.

“I’m sorry. I’m a bit pressed for time, so I’ll get started right away.”

“Time?”

The question came to mind, but senpai went on without further ado, as if to make a declaration. 

“We will now begin the first Mihama Academy trial student council activity!”

Our student council activity has started.

Among the beautiful girls, there’s a black dot.

Kohaku, without hesitation in front of others, munches on a can of tuna.

This scenery is not bad at all.

I am willing to work myself to the bone for my beautiful senpai!

Whatever it may be, please give me any orders!

If she’s queen-like, it’ll be even more motivating!