I Will Do Everything In My Power To Bring Happiness To The Enchanting Beauty Who Can No Longer Smile. - Chapter 7: School Life With The Beautiful Girl Who Can Turn A Country Around.

School Life With The Beautiful Girl Who Can Turn A Country Around.

“Not that I’m one to talk, but… are you okay?”

“…………I’m fine.”

It was lunchtime. When I went to the restroom, Shirao followed me. Of course, the reason he asked was obvious—it was about Tsubame.

Lately, the number of questions directed at me had skyrocketed. People from other classes would come to ask, meaning I had to answer the same questions over and over again.

If it were just about my relationship with Tsubame, that would still be manageable. But they were constantly prying into things about her. I wished they would ask her directly.

With all of that happening, I was feeling a little drained. Still, I made sure not to let it show—because if I did, Tsubame would definitely notice and worry.

That being said, I didn’t feel the need to hide it from Shirao. He’d probably already figured it out anyway.

“Want me to help?”

“……No, I’m fine for now. Things should settle down in a few weeks.”

“But…”

“And besides, you saw what happened this morning. Tsubame can be a bit absentminded sometimes. Let’s wait until she sorts things out a little.”

This morning’s incident had already become a hot topic. Somehow, it had turned into “Sakakibara Tsubame likes having her childhood friend pat her head and poke her cheeks.”

While it was true that she didn’t do those things with just anyone, the fact that I was the only exception was… problematic. Though, considering how Tsubame was now, I had a feeling she might allow it with someone she got close enough to—which was honestly a little concerning.

“I’d love to rely on your girlfriend for help, though.”

“Hmm… yeah, about that… I just can’t see her talking to the ‘Nation’s Enchantress’ anytime soon.”

“…Yeah, fair point. Don’t worry about it.”

Shirao’s girlfriend was in a different class, but she existed. The problem was, she was extremely averse to standing out. I had a feeling they might actually get along, but getting to that first interaction would be tough.

Which meant… I had no choice but to handle it myself. Sooner or later—by next Monday at the latest—I needed to talk to Tsubame.

Until then, if she got too close to anyone—especially guys—it would only make things more complicated.

Of course, I was worried about her. But more than that, if an ordinary person heard someone as stunning as Tsubame say, “You can touch my cheek,” they’d probably pass out. And I mean that with zero exaggeration.

While I was thinking about that, Shirao suddenly grinned. That alone was enough for me to know exactly what was on his mind.

“You getting possessive?”

“Idiot.”

I brushed off his nonsense with a sigh. This guy was impossible.

“I’m figuring things out as I go, too. …Anyway, Shirao, can you do something about this rumor?”

“Man, you really know how to ask the impossible… I’ll try, though.”

“Oh, that’d be a huge help.”

I had been hoping that, just maybe, Shirao could do something about it. And surprisingly, it seemed possible. He was the type to say no when something was truly out of reach.

Hoping for the best, I headed back to the classroom. Just like this morning, there was an empty space around Tsubame—as if a hole had opened up around her.

Only moments ago, people were swarming me with questions about her. But now? Not a single one of them was there.

I swallowed down my irritation. Getting angry wouldn’t change anything.

“Shigure.”

“I’m fine. We still have a lot to learn about each other, so I’ll just take my time.”

Shirao called out to me with concern, but I reassured him. Even if he stayed, it wouldn’t solve the problem. It might lighten the load a little, but that was about it.

This was going to continue for a while. I had to get used to it.

As I returned to my seat, I noticed Tsubame slowly opening her eyes. She must have dozed off again.

“Tsubame. What about lunch?”

“I’m eating now.”

She pulled out a neatly wrapped bento box from her bag. …Wait a minute.

“Were you waiting for me?”

“Yeah.”

It was… unexpected. No, not entirely, but enough to catch me off guard.

“Sorry for making you wait.”

“It’s fine. I just sleep when I have free time, so it’s not a problem.”

I took out my own bento, and we started eating together.

“…I’m glad. You’re eating properly.”

Looking at the contents of her bento, I felt relieved.

Lately, I had been worried that she wasn’t enjoying her meals. If that were the case, she might end up neglecting to eat properly.

“I need to get my nutrition, or I’ll collapse.”

“…Don’t tell me that’s from experience.”

“It happened once. My mom got really worried.”

“…I see.”

So she had gone through that before. But if things had improved now, that was all that mattered.

“And besides, my mom makes my lunch every day now.”

“That makes sense. You two seem close.”

“Yeah.”

I had been a little anxious about meeting her mother, but they seemed to have a good relationship.

…Though, Tsubame’s mother looked exhausted.

Her father had passed away when she was still a baby. She didn’t remember him at all.

“My mom says making bento is easier now. And I don’t have any food preferences anymore. Literally.”

“…Yeah, I get it.”

She had no likes or dislikes anymore. She might still have preferences for texture or smell, but there was nothing she outright refused to eat.

But that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. The price she had paid was far too great.

“Let’s eat. Do you make your own lunch, Shigure-kun?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah. I make it myself.”

As I opened my bento, Tsubame asked about it. Cooking had become almost like a hobby for me. I even made meals for my parents.

“That’s amazing, Shigure-kun.”

“I think you’re the amazing one, though.”

“But I can’t cook. …Not just cooking, there are a lot of things I can’t do.”

…Was there some kind of restriction on her cooking?

Handling knives could be an issue, but maybe I was overthinking it. Best not to make assumptions.

I shifted my focus back to our conversation.

“Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. You became a model, while I…”

“A chef?”

“I wouldn’t go that far. I just like cooking. But maybe that in itself is a kind of talent.”

For me, the enjoyment outweighed the hassle. I doubted there were many people like that, so in a way, I guess it could be considered a talent.

Of course, I had put in a lot of effort, too. But if we were talking about talent and effort, Tsubame was in a league of her own. She had always been stunning, but now she stood out even more.

“That aside, Tsubame, you really are incredible.”

“……”

She hesitated for a moment—something unusual for her.

Our eyes met.

Her gaze, deep and dark like the night sky, wavered for just an instant—like ripples on a pond as a leaf falls onto the surface.

“Yeah… I worked hard. I worked really hard.”

“……”

Was it just my imagination, or did her voice tremble slightly?

This time, it was my turn to be at a loss for words.

But she said nothing more and simply picked up her chopsticks again.

“…If you ever get too tired from working so hard, just let me know.”

“Yeah.”

For now, those were the only words I could offer.

And with that, we quietly resumed our meal.