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 44: Yanagida-Sensei, Shizuku and Riku

“…Huh!?”

“Quiet…”

While hearing  Yanagida-sensei’s voice, Shizuku gave instructions while covering Riku’s mouth with her own hand.

Trying not to let Riku’s voice leak out as much as possible… not to be caught… that’s the meaning behind it.

“Hey Shizuku. You’re there, right? You took the key to the student council room.”

But Yanagida-sensei, who was questioning through the door, was not a student but a teacher.

Even though the door was locked, the location is known. There was no escape now.

“…No response, huh? Hey, are you listening?”

Bang bang

This time, a stronger knock was heard. Shizuku tried to pretend to be absent to deceive him, but he wasn’t leaving at all.

(I can’t escape…) she decided immediately.

“…I’m sorry for answering late?”

“Huh!?”

With just a single word, Shizuku speaks through the door, and Riku shows surprise.

“Seriously, you are there. I want to discuss the student council activity schedule.”

“…Can we change that to after school?”

“Huh? It’s faster to talk about it now.”

“Is it still not possible after school?”

Shizuku tried to postpone the conversation until after school, but she could not give a reason. The situation was too bad. It was natural for him to be suspicious.

“Hey, I just want to ask one thing… You, the student council president, don’t have an outsider in there, do you?”

In an instant, with a sharp voice, Yanagida-sensei pierced with certainty.

At this point, there was no point in deceiving. Deception will only make him angrier…

“…I’m really sorry. I’ll take scolding for any length of time… In return, could you please overlook the other person…?”

Shizuku honestly confessed and tried to protect Riku, but…

“Thought so. You’re in there. Shizuku, tell me the grade and name of that person.”

“…”

“Say it quickly.”

“…First-year. Riku.”

There’s no way that method would work on him.… Shizuku, with a bitter expression on her face, said Riku’s name.

“Did you invite that person to the student council room? Answer without lying.”

“Yes, I did.”

“You’re not trying to cover for them, are you?”

“I invited them…”

“I see. Then it’ll be a quick conversation.”

It was right after Yanagida-sensei finished speaking.

A “thud!” sound was heard from the door, as if something hit it. It’s the sound of Yanagida-sensei leaning against the student council room door.

“…You should already know this, but you’re in a position to represent the student council as its president. I can’t allow you, as the president, to tarnish the image of the entire student council. That’s my position as the advisor.”

“Yes…”

Even though they can’t see each other’s faces, Shizuku takes a reflective attitude. She takes his words to heart.

“…However, I also said at that time, ‘Create an escape route,’ and ‘Make your own judgment.’ In other words, you followed my instructions, didn’t you? Or am I wrong?”

“…Half of it was my desire.”

By this point, Shizuku had only one option left: not to lie and to respond sincerely.

“I see. That means you followed my instructions, even if only halfway. As a result, I can’t put all the responsibility on you, the president, and I must take responsibility for my own words.”

“…”

Facing Shizuku’s honest statement, He continued to speak without being perturbed.

“You created a big escape route that could lower the overall image of the student council. Regardless of your decision, you need to show work that matches the scale of what you’ve done.”

“Yes…”

“Though I say that but I do evaluate you as the president who is quite responsible and does her work properly on a daily basis. In other words, your responsibility is to participate in student council activities without succumbing to any desire.”

The intimidating tone from earlier was gone. The voice had become gentler, as if to advise Shizuku.

“And my responsibility is to give you a lecture like this and not to close off your escape route. …I should really be stopping you from doing this, but if I did, I wouldn’t be able to take full responsibility. That’s not just a matter of my position as the student council advisor, but a failure as a teacher.”

“…”

“What I want you to understand is that you create escape routes for the purpose of not breaking down due to stress and to continue striving. And to make the most of your current time, bearing the responsibility that the overall evaluation of the student council might decline. It may sound strange for me to say this, but you’re not committing a crime just by breaking the rules. As long as you work hard enough to be an example, there’s always a chance to make up for it.”

“Yes…”

There probably aren’t many teachers nationwide who would go this far to stand up for a student and think about their well-being.

“As the student council advisor, my priorities and educational policies may be wrong. But this is my way, and it’s what I must uphold. If you show me your dedication that’s on par with your escape route, I will firmly protect you as the president. While you’re taking this escape route, I’ll make sure there are no troublemakers like me around, for example.”

“…Eh?”

What he was suggesting involved sacrificing himself. If this were to be disclosed to someone, he might even lose his job.

Even when weighing his own career and the well-being of a single student, he still values the latter more. Not everyone can do that.

Yanagida-sensei himself probably understands best that this arrangement is only convenient for the students. However, thanks to a teacher like him, people in Shizuku’s position can have some peace of mind.

 “I’ve been talking for a long time, but I’ll let you off the hook this time. …However, as a teacher, I can’t treat anyone as special. So, like I’ve said many times, show me the effort equivalent to your escape route. If you do that, I won’t complain about making time like this again.”

“Th-thank you…”

Shizuku, as promised, slowly bowed her head.

In reality, such a situation shouldn’t have been possible. It’s only natural to be scolded for breaking the rules.

“Hmph. I’ll say this one last thing. …If you do something indecent, consider this matter void. Keep your actions in line with being a student while at school. Got it?”

“Yes…”

“Our conversation is over. I’ll report on the student council activities schedule later.”

Those were the last words Shizuku and Riku heard.

With the sound of footsteps, he left the student council room.

“…Jeez.”

A little while ago, Yanagida-sensei had accidentally witnessed Shizuku, the president of this school, openly showing her emotions and looking happy.

“She must be having a hard time… As the student council president, she can’t be lovey-dovey everywhere. …It’s not really the time for youth, is it?”

No one was around to hear his sympathetic words….