I Will Do Everything In My Power To Bring Happiness To The Enchanting Beauty Who Can No Longer Smile.

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Academy Consultation File No. 200 – Part One

File No. 200

Inquirer: Kizuki Toki (3rd year, Class 4)
Subject: Love advice
Outcome: ❌ (Cancelled)

It happened when I had entered the third year of middle school—around a year and a half after I’d begun being known as the “fixer”—the so-called “Jack Of All Trades.”

***

The lab was awash in its familiar, quiet atmosphere. I’d grown used to it by now. There sat a boy with his head slumped over the desk, and beside him, a girl reviewing her notebook.

“I’m exhausted… We’ve done most of the first-year requests, right?”

“Yeah, I think so. A lot were for childhood crushes that carried over from elementary school—similar to last year. After this, it’ll probably slow down. Oh, check it out: this next request will be our 200th. That’s amazing—just here at school.”

Those two beside me were Iguchi Shirao and Kito Seri (“Se-chan”). We became friends in the first year after I helped them with something, and now they helped me with my “Handyman” work.

That included use of this science lab—after a few conversations with the teacher, we were allowed to meet here freely. It wasn’t an official club, and maybe we were bending rules a bit… but so far we hadn’t been reprimanded, so we trusted it was okay.

In June of our third year, the flood of requests from first-years had begun to calm.

“It’s good that this year’s first-years seem manageable. The second- and third-year ones could be pretty merciless.”

“Indeed. Thanks to Shirao doing a good job.”

“It was nothing—I just reminded them, one by one, not to tease their juniors because they have boyfriends or girlfriends.”

“That changed the whole school atmosphere—at least until we graduate.”

We knew we shouldn’t take too much pride. Our work was self-satisfaction, even if it helped others.

“Still, it’s impressive. Nearly 30 requests in two months—that’s almost one every two days.”

“Shirao, put your words in the dictionary first.”

“Hey, I’m not that dumb.”

“We studied a lot together, so I know.”

They teased each other like a couple—which actually cleared the tension whenever someone came in.

It seemed quiet today. Since they’d helped so much lately, I was thinking of closing early—just then, the lab door opened.

“Um, excuse me…”

Shirao and Se-chan jumped apart reflexively before pulling themselves together. I looked to see who it was.

“…Huh? Kizuki-san?”

Standing there was a fellow third-year classmate—not from my class, but popular, responsible, known for her archery in a community club. She was well-liked and once sought for romance advice more than anyone else. Yet nobody had ever won her over.

“Oh—you knew about me?”

“Well, you’re kind of famous. So, what brings you here?”

When we arranged previous advice sessions concerning her, we had taken great care not to cause trouble. Now, I wasn’t sure what to expect. If I’d been crossing a line… I’d accept it and perhaps even consider stopping altogether.

My breath caught—but then she spoke:

“I have a request for the Jack Of All Trades.’”

“…Alright. Let’s talk inside—take a seat anywhere.”

She bowed politely, entered the lab, and sat across from me. Shirao and Se-chan sat at the table behind.

“First, introductions. I’m Yukitsuki Shigure, Class 2. These two are…”

“…Um.” – Shirao

“I’m K-Kito S–Se–Seri–.” Shirao almost whispered; Se-chan stuttered. Yet Yukitsuki-san merely smiled gently.

“Nice to meet you both. Shigure and I spoke once during second-year committee work. I’m Kizuki Toki.”

“Yes—I remember.”

So, there was a connection, however slight.

“Before we begin—Se-chan will be taking notes. If there’s anything you’d rather she not write, tell us.”

“Ah, that’s fine. I’ve heard your reputation.”

She surprised us by being so understanding.

“So, Kizuki-san—what’s your request?”

“It’s… well.” She paused, nervous as expected.

“Take your time.”

After a moment, she nodded resolutely.

“I have someone I like.”

“…I see.”

“And I’ve heard your advice is really good for love.”

That wasn’t unexpected. In the two years I’d been known as the “Handyman,” the most common requests were always about love—especially here, where couples were relentlessly teased. Next came family issues, then academic trouble, then daily-life or future planning. We’d also advised teachers on things like gift ideas for students or staff concerns.

But romance… yes, romance.

I glanced at Se-chan, but she shook her head. I didn’t know whom she was referring to, either.

“Sorry—but I’d like to say a few things first.”

Kizuki tilted her head questioningly, cute but calm.

“First, we can help—but it doesn’t always guarantee a happy ending.”

Some believed coming to the “Handyman” would guarantee a successful romance. But we knew that wasn’t true.

“If it’s love at first sight, start by getting to know them—and letting them know you. If it’s a long-term crush, help them see you as more than a friend. If you’re too nervous to talk… help you get a chance. From my experience, some succeed, some don’t, and some fall apart afterward.”

Every case was different. You can put in effort, but if the other person isn’t interested, there’s no way forward.

“Confessions are meant to confirm mutual feelings. If they’re one-sided… from experience, things rarely end well.”

Getting rejected is one thing. But some relationships were formed for selfish reasons—seeking intimacy or material gain. Even if allowed, it’s easy to regret it later.

“If it’s clear someone doesn’t like you, we ask the inquirer whether they still want to proceed. Some say yes—to move on. I don’t judge that, but it can still hurt.”

A confession may offer closure to one—but potentially cause pain to another. Especially with childhood friends, that pain can cut deep. We handle that part carefully, too.

We agreed on one core standard:

We won’t involve ourselves if doing so might worsen the situation.

For example: a five-year crush. If we hadn’t intervened, they’d decide to confess or not. We can give advice or encouragement—but we don’t push too far. That might improve their chances, but very seldom would we make things worse.

So then—what happens if the confession is made, and it doesn’t lead to a relationship?

If we weren’t there, then depending on the situation, both the one confessing and the one being confessed to might end up hurt. But if we are involved, we can help with the recovery afterward—inviting them out for fun, helping them shift their mindset, offering them a hand to move forward.

And if they don’t confess at all… they’re often left with regret. “If only I’d said something back then.”

Given the atmosphere at our school, we’ve concluded that the chances of being able to confess without support are low.

That’s why we accept love-related consultations—because, after much discussion, the three of us decided that doing so causes the least amount of harm, or at least minimizes it.

We also made a pact: if we ever encountered a case where someone remained hurt for days or even weeks because we couldn’t help, we’d stop accepting love consultations altogether.

With that in mind, our stance is this: we’ll do everything we can to help bring people together—but we also recognize that we can’t make everything succeed.

Fortunately, such difficult cases are quite rare. Even looking back through all the love consultations we’ve handled, there might only be a dozen or so in total where it ended poorly. Most people do end up developing feelings when they’ve been connected for a long time.

Incidentally, a few of those consultations were about Kizuki-san. Out of all of them, only one made it to the confession stage. That person ended up realizing Kizuki-san didn’t return those feelings and decided to back down.

Of course, if the person requesting help is clearly self-centered or if the target of their affection has issues, we’ll decline to proceed. In the first case, once we explain that success isn’t guaranteed, many tend to drop out. In the second, we bring it up mid-process and cancel the consultation.

On the flip side, most people we agree to help don’t have major personality flaws. Many just want someone to gently support or encourage them.

As a result, I’d say our success rate is actually quite high.

That said, I still don’t know where Kizuki-san falls…

“It’s alright. I understand. This is just a consultation, after all.”

—She said that with a composed nod, already understanding everything I’d explained. Just as I expected, based on everything I’d heard about her.

“Thank you. Now for the second thing I need to mention. …And I’m sorry if this offends you. But if, during the process, we find out that the person you like is violent, verbally abusive, or has some other serious issue, we’ll stop right away. Depending on the severity, we’ll end things if we think continuing might hurt you.”

“Y-Yes! I understand!”

I had to say it upfront—it had caused trouble before.

There have been rare cases where the person someone liked turned out to be a problem.

…Like the time someone who seemed like a perfect, straight-laced honor student at school turned out to be secretly abusing animals.

When we told the girl who liked him, she initially got angry and accused us of lying… until we played her an audio recording. The shock was intense.

We reported his actions to his parents and did not involve ourselves further. But we did support the girl as much as possible with mental health care—though not directly ourselves.

In situations like those, we rely on the connections we’ve built with previous clients. Most people come to us through referrals, so there’s often an existing web of trust.

Through that network, we asked a few others to help support her. Thanks to their help, she was able to recover.

Interestingly, that girl now stays close to the boy who once hurt animals—supporting him, making sure he doesn’t fall back into that behavior. From what we’ve seen, he’s improving little by little.

Of course, that’s an extremely rare case. More commonly, it’s things like discovering someone’s two-timing or cheating.

“Thank you. That’s about everything I needed to say. So then—could you tell us about the person you like?”

“Ah, yes. Sure.”

From there, we moved into question mode—asking about the person’s grade, class, name, gender, their relationship, and more. Se-chan took notes while Shirao listened closely, checking for inconsistencies or signs of dishonesty.

Here’s the information we gathered:

Name: Arashikawa Haruma
Grade/Class: 3rd Year, Class 5
Gender: Male
Relationship: Childhood friend since kindergarten.
But they drifted apart in middle school. He doesn’t have many friends, but he’s gentle and kinder than anyone. Haruma also used to adore her older brother, and the three of them would often play together.

Note: She no longer has any contact with his older brother.

“…Did I get everything right? Sorry—this kind of verification is important. If anything’s off, it can cause issues later.”

“It’s fine. I’ve heard that you guys are very thorough. And you’re doing this for the people who come to you, right? Everything’s correct.”

Grateful for her understanding, I let myself take a breath. It might seem tedious, but these steps are necessary.

“Alright then… yeah. Sorry this took so long. Let’s finally get to the main part.”

“No need to apologize. I came to you for help.”

“Thanks.”

There aren’t many people who can say something that considerate in that moment. She really is everything the rumors say.

I almost smiled as I looked her in the eye.

“One more time. What do you want to happen between you and him?”

“I… want to be Haruma-kun’s girlfriend.”

She blushed, but said it clearly and without hesitation.