Chapter 42

May was drawing near.

It was about time to start preparing for the upcoming sports festival, scheduled for mid-May.

Each class had to select one male and one female to serve as sports festival committee members, and with those two at the center, the planning would begin.

Naturally, as class representatives, Satoru and Reika also had to assist the committee members and coordinate the rest of their class.

Even during normal times, there was always plenty of work to do—taking meeting minutes, leading discussions during homeroom, and so on—but when an event like this came up, the workload increased dramatically.

However, Satoru and Reika already had an established working relationship where they instinctively understood what needed to be done at any given moment. Even without checking in with each other, they were able to support one another seamlessly.

Because of that, they didn’t need to go back and forth to confirm things, so everything proceeded smoothly without delays, and no one ever questioned the nature of their relationship.

“Hey, Satoru. I’ve got a small favor to ask—got a minute?”

“Hm? What’s with the serious tone? You’re usually way more casual. Now you’re making me nervous.”

During a break, as Satoru was flipping through a now increasingly crowded schedule planner, Seiya approached with an unusually serious look.

“The thing is, Ruri’s apparently been chosen as one of the sports festival committee members.”

“Oh? That so? She’s popular and good at energizing people—sounds like a perfect fit.”

“Right? She said she got a bunch of nominations, so she ended up taking the role.”

“And why does that news have you looking like you’re about to make a deathbed confession?”

“Well, that’s the thing. Even though we’re in different classes, this is a school-wide event. There’ll probably be times when classes have to collaborate. I want you to look out for her, okay?”

“Ah, I see now……”

Satoru immediately understood what Seiya was getting at.

“But do I really need to support Amamiya-san, someone that popular and capable? It’ll just look like some gloomy guy trying to cozy up to the class idol. It’s a bad look.”

But he was far from enthusiastic.

The reason he gave was only one part of it.

On the surface, it was the fear that getting involved might make others look at him weirdly.

That fear wasn’t unfounded—there were undoubtedly plenty of guys after her, so it wasn’t a stretch to imagine people giving him the stink eye.

The other reason, which he didn’t say aloud, was simple: he didn’t want to get dragged into any more troublesome situations.

There were bound to be plenty of tasks where just the two of them would end up working together—moving equipment, handling logistics, etc.

Given how she had approached him in the past, it was entirely possible she’d ramp up her advances if they were alone together.

From Satoru’s perspective, nothing good could come of it—just headaches and complications.

In other words, it was high risk, no reward.

Anyone who’d want to get involved under those conditions had to be a madman.

Probably, even a masochist would say no.

“Come on, don’t be like that. You know how she’s popular—guys are gonna use this as an excuse to hit on her. She might end up getting overwhelmed. You’re someone she probably feels a bit familiar with, so she’d feel safer relying on you.”

“Well… I guess I can say with confidence that I’m not going to hit on her or make things uncomfortable, so yeah—safe, at least.”

“Exactly! That’s what I’m talking about!”

“Then wouldn’t it have been easier if you became a committee member? You knew we were having trouble getting volunteers, right?”

“Ugh… yeah, you got me there…”

When Satoru jabbed back, Seiya gave a truly apologetic look.

Apparently, he did feel a bit guilty.

“Sorry. With club activities and all, it’s not exactly an easy ask. I get it though—both the sports and cultural clubs are really motivated right now, so it’s tough to ask anyone to sacrifice that time.”

“I ‘preciate that…”

“I’ll try to help out where I can, but keep in mind I’ve still got my own class rep duties. I can’t ignore those just to help someone else.”

“Of course. Ruri’s been a class rep herself—she should understand that.”

“Yeah, she knows the deal. Takashima-kun’s got a ton on his plate too. Seiya, you really shouldn’t make unreasonable requests, you know?”

Suddenly, Ruri appeared, sliding smoothly into an open seat nearby and joining the conversation.

“…You’re here.”

“Yup. I know Seiya’s asking you for a lot, but I don’t want it to become a burden on you, Takashima-kun. So seriously—don’t feel pressured, okay?”

“No, I’m sure there’ll be times we’re working together or when I have some free time—when that happens, I’ll gladly help however I can.”

“Thanks. You’ve already got so much going on, and yet you’re still being considerate…”

Though she said that, Satoru had a strong suspicion that she’d calculated this whole exchange.

Still, in this kind of situation, he didn’t have the verbal finesse to say something like, “Sorry, but I’m not available—don’t rely on me,” without stirring up drama.

Moments like this only reminded him how far he still was from escaping his introverted shell.

In the end, he always ended up saying the nice-sounding thing just to smooth things over, then feeling guilty about it later—only to end up doing exactly what the other person hoped.

Satoru believed that pushy people really did have an advantage in this world.

And if that were true, then people like him existed only to be their prey.

He couldn’t help but wonder: How can I escape this cycle?

And more importantly: Will I ever gain the experience points I need to break free from it?

“Oh my, are our class rep and another class’s committee member already having an impromptu strategy meeting? And during break time, no less? How very motivated of you two.”

“H-Hatsune-san!?”

Just as Satoru was letting out a big sigh in his head, a familiar voice called out from behind.

Startled, Satoru practically jumped out of his seat—and Seiya also let out a surprised yelp.

“…It’s not a big deal or anything. We were just having a quick chat, that’s all.”

“Oh, I see. In that case, mind if I join you for a bit? I’m the class rep for my class too, so if anything comes up, you can talk to me instead of him.”

“Ah, I see. Got it.”

Her tone was very different from just a moment ago.

She might be cute and sweet in front of the guys, but clearly, when she was in front of someone she didn’t like, she couldn’t completely hide her feelings.

Satoru glanced at Reika—and their eyes met perfectly.

And in that instant, he realized: she had come to back him up.

“Since she said so, if I ever get tied up with something, I’ll ask Hatsune-san to cover for me. So no need to worry too much.”

“…Ah. Okay… I understand…”

Though Ruri kept her usual smile directed at Satoru, he didn’t miss the flash of a glare she shot toward Reika.