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 34: Side Shizuku and Moe Tachibana

“Um, Kaichou…! There’s something I’d like to ask you…”

After parting with Riku-kun, I was about to enter the classroom as usual when suddenly, someone called out to me from behind.

“…Oh, what’s going on? Why are you all gathered like this?”

When I turned around, I saw a group of boys huddled together.

I had a rough idea of why this was happening.

“Shizuku-san, are you… dating that delinquent…?”

“What’s the truth…!?”

The question the group of boys asked was what I had anticipated. They must have seen me walking to school with Riku-kun this morning and started thinking that way.

(If only that were true, how happy would I be…)

With that faint feeling hidden in my heart, I deliberately asked them this.

“Hehe. If I were to answer that we’re “dating,” what would you do?”

“Uh! Well, that is…”

With a forced smile on my face, one of the boys hesitated to answer. I thought I had managed to subdue their momentum, but I was wrong.

“Shizuku-san, that guy is not good enough for you!”

“If you’re going to date a delinquent, we can introduce you to someone better!”

“What they’re saying is absolutely right!”

“…”

Suddenly, they became emotional and started making condescending remarks about Riku.

At that moment, my forced smile vanished, and my face unconsciously turned serious.

Their words touched a nerve in me… I could feel my blood boiling.

If they had tried to understand Riku-kun even a little bit, maybe I wouldn’t have gotten so angry.

These people were just swayed by the rumors that he was a “delinquent.” It was infuriating to hear them badmouth him.

“Are you trying to make me angry…?” I asked, my voice filled with anger that everyone could sense.

“N-No, we didn’t mean to…”

“But, don’t you think you’re really mismatched!?”

“He’s definitely taking advantage of the president’s weakness!”

“STOP BADMOUTHING HIM RIGHT NOW!!”

“””Wha…!?”””

In the crowded hallway, with everyone watching, I raised my voice like never before.

As I let my anger out, my calmness returned.

“I’m sorry, I raised my voice a bit too much…”

“No, it’s fine…”

“Um, well…”

“Uh…”

Everyone was taken aback by the intensity of my voice, something they had probably never heard before.

But I had to say it now… I had no other choice.

“You may not know this, but he’s not that kind of person. He’s truly kind, really…”

It’s inevitable that people will badmouth others… That’s human nature.

But… these people were badmouthing someone who has nothing to do with them.

And that person was the one I loved so dearly… I couldn’t possibly forgive them.

“I appreciate your concern. But my feelings are genuine. Please don’t trample on them with words like ’mismatched.’ Never do that…”

“””…”””

I shouldn’t have spoken to them in a way that would make them my enemies… But I did it anyway.

There was no way I could stay silent after hearing them tear down the person I love so much.

“…I’m sorry, I’ll go now.”

I bowed my head in apology and entered the classroom.

At that moment, dozens of my classmates’ gazes pierced me like arrows. The classroom was silent, without even a whisper or the slightest noise.

There was no doubt they had heard the conversation in the hallway.

(Sigh… Of course, they would have heard me raising my voice like that in the hallway. What was I thinking? I am such a fool)

Although I regretted getting hot-headed, I couldn’t turn back time.

“Ahaha, ahahahaha! As expected of you, Shizuku-chan! You’re so cool!”

 As soon as I sat down at my desk with a sense of shame, Miku, who was sitting next to me, burst out laughing and slapped the table, as if to break the tense atmosphere.

“If you saw it, I wish you had helped me. I was still scared, you know?”

“Well, it didn’t look like it. Being able to say such straightforward things for someone you like is really amazing, right? Riku-kun is a lucky guy!”

“I…Is that so…”

When she said that, I didn’t feel bad. Thanks to Miku, who could remain calm even at times like this, I began to feel relieved.

“Because of that power, is that why you were able to go to school with the rumored Riku-kun?”

“W…What do you mean by ‘rumored’?”

“Oops, I changed the subject. Well, anyway, don’t you know, Shizuku-chan? There is a rumor that Riku-kun’s delinquent reputation has disappeared in middle school.”

“Yes, I heard a little bit from Rin.”

“Well…my little sister did it! Isn’t that amazing?”

Without any warning, Miku spread her arms in joy, as if it was something she had done herself. Her way of expressing joy was just like her sister, Mimi.

“Fufu.. So that’s why you were so excited, Miku.”

“She said, ‘I’m going to thank Senpai!’ My little sister is moved by Riku-kun like no one else. Well, Shizuku-chan, you might think the timing is bad, but…”

“There’s no point in saying that. I’m even happy that the delinquent rumor is gone. It could also be an opportunity for everyone to re-evaluate Riku-kun’s worth, right?”

I had already prepared myself for the increase in love rivals… I knew that someday the delinquent rumor might disappear. At this point, all I could do was to be happy about it. It was also for Mimi, who was Miku’s little sister.

“Oh, you have quite a lot of composure, don’t you?”

“I don’t.”

“You don’t have any?!”

“But…it’s okay. Even if I have composure, it’s up to Riku-kun to decide whether we will be together or not. Until then, I’ll just do what I can.”

“You’re strong, Shizuku-chan.”

Looking at Miku nodding in admiration, I spoke my thoughts aloud.

“…Because I love Riku-kun so much.”

******

During lunch break, in Riku’s classroom…

“Oi, Riku. A girl from middle school is calling you, you know?”

As Riku sat in his chair arranging his books for the fourth period, his friend Kenta approached him from the hallway and said so.

“A girl from middle school…? Who is that?”

“She’s a cute girl with short height and black hair in a ponytail. Hey, Riku, you’re not just going after Shizuku-senpai, you’re going after other girls too now?.”

“It’s not like that.”

Riku shook his hand to deny it and stood up from his chair, heading towards the hallway. He had no idea who this black-haired girl from middle school could be.

“Did I do something wrong…?”

He couldn’t help feeling anxious about being called out by someone he didn’t know. Scratching his head, he stepped out of the classroom into the hallway… and there she was, the middle school girl who had called out to him.

Just as Kenta had described, she had glossy black hair in a ponytail and jade eyes, and was a beautiful girl whose height was small enough to be comparable to Mimi or Rinka.

“Hello, Senpai. It’s been a day since we last met, right?”

“Huh…?”

The girl’s mouth curved into a crescent moon, tilting her head to the side.

“Have you forgotten already? I’m Moe Tachibana, who invited you to walk home together yesterday.”

“Oh, right. I remember. Yesterday was… so what brings you all the way to this classroom?”

Yesterday, when Riku was waiting for Shizuku at the main gate, he was approached by this girl who said, “Shall we walk home together?” Of course, Riku declined the invitation because he had made plans with Shizuku. Their interaction was just that.

But since she had come all the way from the middle school to the high school classroom, there must have been something important she wanted to talk about.

“I have something to talk to you about, Senpai. If you have time, could you spare a moment now? Or if you’re busy, we can talk after school.”

“I’m not busy, but… will the talk be quick? If it’s going to take a long time, I want to stop by the shop first.”

Riku’s wallet was in his backpack in the classroom. If the conversation was going to take a while, he needed to get it now.

“It depends on you, Senpai…. But I think it’ll be a really good conversation for you.”

“In that case, I don’t need my wallet… Okay, I’ll come with you.”

“Great, then please follow me, Senpai.”

Riku had no idea what the conversation would be about, but he followed Moe Tachibana as she walked ahead of him. He had no way of knowing that this conversation would take up all of their lunch break.