Although She's a Beautiful Student Council President Who Maintains Her Coolness Towards Everyone, She Wants to Act Spoiled and Lovesick Around Him, Who is Misunderstood by Everyone as a Delinquent - Chapter 23: Rinka and Riku Discussing Attack

“Hey ……, did you hear that? The president likes the delinquent.”

“I heard it, I heard it. But that’s not true!”

“But there’s a rumor that he’s not actually a delinquent. ……?”

“….. I heard it’s spreading in the middle school. …… that he is not a delinquent…”

“I wonder if the delinquent has had some kind of hand in it?”

Until the end of the lunch break, these kinds of rumors spread unceasingly ….. Among them, more than a few rumors were flying that “Riku is not a delinquent.”

Yes, that was definitely the influence of Mimi, and Riku had yet to notice.

…… Many rumors are flying around about him, and his only friend, Kenta, was going to the store with another friend. There was no way he could stay in such a classroom, and in search of his own private place, he went to buy a drink alone—

“Ah, what a coincidence to find you here, Riku-san.”

“Oh, Rinka? Did you come here alone to buy a drink?”

When he went down from the classroom to the first floor and arrived at the vending machine. Rinka, Shizuku’s younger sister, was there.

“Riku-san, did you also come to buy something to drink?”

“Well, that’s…”

“Ufufu, You were looking for place to escape to…right? I know everything.”

“……”

Rinka had detected that the purpose of coming here was not only to buy drinks. That also indicated that the rumor was spreading in the middle school as well.

“Would it be okay to talk with you for a little while, after you buy your drink? Since there are people around here, let’s move to a different place for a bit.”

“…. got it.’

Rinka probably wanted to talk about the matter regarding Shizuku… However, that is also convenient for Riku. He had no reason to refuse.

The place Rinka headed towards was behind the gymnasium, a spot where no one would notice them during lunch break. Riku also followed suit and leaned his back against the wall of the gymnasium after seeing Rinka do the same.

“First things first, the reason you were seeking a place to escape to… It’s because there’s a rumor going around that Shizuku Nee-san likes you, isn’t it?”

“…Yeah, that’s right. It’s as if they’re trying to erase my place to belong.”

“May I ask you now, Riku-san, what do you think of Shizuku Nee-san? And you do understand that she is serious about her feelings for you, right?”

“Serious…What is it?”

Riku returned Rinka’s question with a question. It’s a slightly cowardly response, but without understanding what that means, it’s difficult to move forward.

“I’m afraid I’m not sure how to answer that question. While I would like to be of help, I haven’t heard anything, so… “

“I-I see. ……”

What Riku is most concerned about is whether or not Shizuku really likes him… It’s hard to imagine Shizuku telling such a lie, but he doesn’t have any idea why she would start to like him either.

It’s only natural for Riku, who has low self-esteem, to feel that way, especially when it comes to someone like Shizuku. The fact that they’re on completely different levels only makes the worry even stronger. It’s precisely because he’s in that state of mind that he doesn’t realize that Rinka is lying.

 “Um, ……. Are you perhaps thinking of refusing?”

“R-Refuse?,”

“…In the event that Shizuku Nee-san confesses her feelings to you,”

The moment Rinka spoke those words, a definite silence fell between the two. The only sound that could be heard was the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze. After a few seconds… as if he had carefully considered the matter, Riku opened his mouth.

“W-well…to be honest, I don’t even know how I feel about Shizuku. Of course, I don’t dislike her, and in fact, I think of her in a positive light…”

“…… I see.”

There are two meanings to the words ‘concerned’ and ‘favorably.’

(T/N: “気になる” can mean “to be concerned about” or “to be curious about,” while “好意的に思う” can mean “to think favorably of” or “to have a crush on.” It all depends on the context in which they are used. Riku uses “好意的”)

Indeed, the difference between “just being interested in someone” and “being interested in someone as a potential romantic partner” is significant. The former suggests a platonic or friendly interest, while the latter implies a deeper emotional and physical attraction.

Riku’s problem was in that area as well.

“If Shizuku is serious, I don’t want to give a half-hearted answer… Wait, what am I saying?”

“…She’s serious”

“What?”

Rinka mumbled suddenly. There was no one in the back of the gym. No one could be heard talking. Her voice was loud enough to reach Riku’s ears.

“Her feelings are serious… I’m sure of it because I’ve heard a lot about you from her,”

“I’m lost in this conversation… didn’t you say earlier that you didn’t hear anything?”

“I am sorry. I lied to get your answer. If I had told you the truth, you wouldn’t have given me the same answer as earlier.”

“Good grief, there’s no room for carelessness or openings…”

The answer earlier referred to all the answers that Riku gave in response to Rinka’s questions. Rinka lied on purpose to make Riku give a truthful, unambiguous answer. Rinka’s ability to think this far ahead and act on it goes beyond the level of a middle school student. She truly lives up to being Shizuku’s sister.

“I know it’s unfair to say this to you, Riku-san, but I support Shizuku Nee-san’s love more than anything. Because she has confided in me about her feelings for you in the past, I am making these moves to help her. I hope you can understand.”

In every part of her words, the feeling of “I want you to notice Shizuku Nee-san’s feelings” is clearly conveyed.

“…I am not worthy of Shizuku Nee-san. If Riku-san thinks that way, even if it’s impudent of me, I ask you to retract it.”

“What!?”

“It seems like I hit the nail on the head judging from your surprise. But I know about you, Riku-san.”　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Having set the stage with those words, Rinka–

“Riku-san is attractive enough to match up with Shizuku Nee-san, you know? I can guarantee that as her sister, and Shizuku Nee-san can guarantee that too. So please don’t worry about what others think. If she were to be rejected because of it, I don’t think she would be able to recover from it.”

“U-Understood……. I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.”

“I am the one who should thank you. Riku-san, thank you very much.”

“T-Thank you for what?”

“For a lot of things… Really, it’s just like you, Riku-san…”

(T/N: Reminds me of “Haha, that’s our Rean” from cold steel)

Seeing Rinka covering her mouth with her hand and smiling elegantly, Shizuku’s smile momentarily flashed past him. It was at that moment. He felt a definite thumping in his chest. ….

“…Riku-san. The subject is changing, but would you like me to tell you a way to understand your own feelings?”

“W-what!? Is there such a thing!?”

“It’s simple. Just make a move on Shizuku Nee-san, Riku-san.”

“What!? What is that supposed to mean?”

The method that came out of Rinka’s mouth was something that Riku had not expected. It was understandable that he was surprised as he turned his head.

“If you are interested in her as a member of the opposite sex, when you approach her, you will feel suffocation from nervousness, sluggishness in thought, and hesitation. I think something indescribable will hit you.”

It’s as if she’s telling Riku exactly what she experienced before.

“….If you’re interested in someone and also have a positive impression of them, then that might be a step towards falling in love with them. There’s also a good chance that you could fall in love with them by making your own move,”

“That’s true,… but I can’t do something like using Shizuku to my advantage.”

“If you want to realize your own feelings, I think it is the only way. First of all, there is no loss for Shizuku Nee-san because she is being approached by the man she loves.”

There is no mistake in what Rinka said. There’s nothing wrong with that… but there were some parts that he couldn’t understand.

“So, but… it exists, right? Making her think that I have fallen in love with her by making an attack… or something like that.”

“That’s just Shizuku Nee-san’s misunderstanding. We’re not taking any money or anything like that, so there’s nothing that Riku has to bear.”

” …….I’ll think about it”

“I think it’s necessary to have time to think, especially about something like this… I think it would be better to think alone, so I’ll excuse myself now.”

“Okay. …. Thank you for your concern.”

To avoid disturbing Riku, who was thinking about this with a difficult expression, Rinka bowed her head slightly and quickly left with light footsteps.

(I’m really being unfair, aren’t I… This is like making Riku-san mark his territory… But if I don’t do this now, it might cause problems later…)

As Rinka walked away, she felt guilty and anxious about what she had just done.