Lonely Me And The Lonely Caring Goddess - Chapter 205: A Bolt from the Blue.

A Bolt from the Blue.

The next student council president had, for the time being, been decided as Sara-san.

That’s all!

………

No, I know.
As I calmed down and glanced around, I saw everyone staring at me with varying degrees of shock on their faces. It was only now, after the rush of emotions had subsided, that I realised I had done it again. Of course, it was too late for regrets.

For a moment, I wondered how I should smooth things over, but then again, Sara-san was still clinging to me, and considering all the things I’ve done in the student council before, I thought… maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to just accept it. Was that too bold of me…?

“…Sara-san.”

I gently patted her back, and it seemed to calm her down as she slowly lifted her face to look at me.

“Ah… yes, I’m sorry.”

She seemed to understand the situation and, though reluctantly, began to pull away from me. But she still pinched my sleeve lightly, as if in quiet protest.

This is bad… she’s so cute I might just lose all self-control…

“Ah… um, well, I’m glad we were able to safely decide on the new president and vice-president. So… shall we move on with the agenda?”

The president, regaining composure, resumed the meeting in an attempt to get things back on track.

“Yes. From now on, I’ll do my utmost with Kazunari-san.”

It seemed Sara-san had found her resolve. Her reply was firm and dignified, reminiscent of the solitary goddess I once saw standing on stage.

“…She said ‘the two of us,’ right? Are we forgotten?”
“…Will those two really be okay? They won’t cause a scene up there again, will they?”
“…Now I’m getting worried in a different way…”
“…Same here.”
“…More importantly, what about them living together…”

The conversation then shifted to topics concerning the management of the student council moving forward.

First was the matter of the election. As expected, since there were no other candidates, the decision would stand as is. In such cases, they would simply announce the result, and the formal greeting would be reserved for the upcoming student assembly.

At that assembly, the new officers would be formally approved. If all went well, I would officially become the vice-president. Honestly, I still had no idea what my duties entailed, but since Sara-san had been sharing the president’s workload so far, I figured I would probably just help out in the same way.

As long as I knew I was there to support her and ease her burden, that was enough for now…

“As promised, I’ll help out as much as I can until graduation. I have a recommendation slot, so I’m not planning to panic over entrance exams.”

That confident statement would probably earn her some resentment from regular examinees. Still, knowing that the current president would continue to help was very reassuring, especially until I got used to everything.

“However, the remaining issue is recruiting new officers. Whether through direct invitations or open recruitment, we need at least two… ideally three.”

“……………”

“?”

Sara-san tilted her head in confusion at the sudden silence and stares directed at her.

But this topic inevitably involved her personally. Everyone probably thought the same thing I did, and it was an important point.

Sara-san’s greatest weakness – her interpersonal approach.

I had heard this secretly before, but because she was strict with herself and others, her tone inevitably became harsh when correcting or instructing someone. It wasn’t that she was wrong, but if the person couldn’t handle it, they would end up quitting. Apparently, that had happened before. It seems my joining had eased things significantly for her lately, but still…

(“Even though things have gotten better thanks to Takanashi-kun joining, maybe I should consult with someone about finding members who can understand Satsukawa-san. Natsumi refused before because of tennis club commitments, but…”)

“President, is something wrong?”

“No, I was just thinking it’d be nice if we could find some good replacements.”

“You’re right. We should post the recruitment notice as soon as possible.”

Seeing the president deep in thought while glancing my way, I realised he was probably thinking the same thing as me.

To resolve the current issue, the best way would be to gather members who understood Sara-san and wouldn’t reject her.

The candidates would be: Senpai Natsumi, Hanako-san, Toudou-san, and Hayato.
If we could get at least two of them, ideally three…

“Well then, let’s start checking the submitted applications. If there are any obvious violations, reject them. Otherwise, sort them by category and highlight any duplicates. We should also notify them of the lottery results as soon as possible.”

Under Sara-san’s direction, everyone split up to review the applications for any issues before roughly sorting them. The task itself didn’t take long, but even from the few I checked, there were some that would definitely require a lottery.

Once sorting was done and duplicates were picked out, as expected, our class’s butler & maid café clashed with other classes proposing cosplay cafés and… a youkai café(?), making it a review target.

“Hmm, well, the concepts are different after all… a butler & maid-only café, a youkai café, and then general cosplay. I think it should be fine.”

Since no one objected to the opinion of the person in charge of sorting, all three were approved. However, since there were three cafés, they decided to notify them that early changes would still be accepted.

At least this meant our class could proceed with preparations. I felt a bit bad though, knowing I probably wouldn’t be able to help out much with student council duties piling up.

“Kazunari-san’s class is doing a café?”

“Yeah. Technically it’s a butler & maid café.”

“Will you be working there too, Kazunari-san, dressed as a butler?”

Who knows… it hadn’t been decided yet whether everyone would participate or only some. Besides, given my limited time, it might not be realistic for me to be there.

“I don’t know yet. It’s not entirely impossible, though.”

“If it gets decided, please let me know. Though, either way, I’ll definitely be coming to visit.”

Sara-san, visiting our café… I could already sense chaos looming on the horizon.

“…That’s going to cause a commotion in a whole different way.”
“…If Takanashi-kun dresses as a butler, won’t Satsukawa-san just completely break down?”

“Speaking of which, your class is doing a historical exhibit of the town, right…”

Most second-years submitted fun proposals like haunted houses or ring toss specials, but only Sara-san’s class had something strictly formal, making it particularly memorable.

“Yes. However, I’ve already told them I won’t be able to help much due to my student council duties.”

“Yeah, that’s understandable…”

It was the same for all officers – we had no choice but to prioritise our council work, so our participation in class projects would be minimal. It was a bit sad, thinking I might not get to make many memories with my classmates at the festival.

“Last year’s festival was just plain boring for me. I couldn’t take part in my class’s event, and of course, I had plenty of work here.”

“…I knew it, but hearing you say it’s boring still stings.”
“…She was patrolling alone all day last year.”
“…I wanted to go with her, but she flatly refused me.”
“…Maybe because your ulterior motive was showing too much?”

Now that I think about it, she did say she ignored the Miss Contest and spent the day patrolling alone…

“But this year, I’ll be with Kazunari-san. Um… if you don’t mind, I was wondering if… just the two of us could…”

I knew exactly what Sara-san was trying to say, fidgeting like that. Honestly, I wanted to be the one to invite her. I hesitated, fearing it might be called unprofessional, but since we’re patrolling in pairs anyway… it should be fine, right?

“Sara-san, let’s patrol together. Think of it as… a festival date.”

“Yes! I’d love to! Ufufu… going on a date at the school festival with Kazunari-san… it feels like a dream…”

She responded instantly, as if she had been waiting for me to say it, and seeing her face so full of joy made me happy too.

“…She’s finally gone full public-private mix, hasn’t she?”
“…Look at that smile…”
“…They’re going to flirt all over campus and turn the whole place into a nightmare…”
“…I can already hear the screams wherever they go.”

“Oh right, Satsukawa-san, I hate to say this, but… there’s a request for you to enter the Miss Contest.”

The president, who had been quietly overseeing everything, suddenly remembered and brought it up, looking rather apologetic. Naturally, he knew she wouldn’t be pleased.

“…I see. Honestly, I’m not thrilled about it.”

“Sara-san, like I said before, if you don’t want to do it, I can…”

“Kazunari-san, thank you so much for thinking of me like that. I’m not enthusiastic about it, but now that I hold the title of president, I feel I should at least fulfil my obligations. Last year, I ignored it without formally declining and ended up causing trouble for the seniors… Besides, as I told you before, if it makes the festival even a little more exciting, then I think it will add a beautiful memory for the two of us.”

…Hearing her say it would become a memory for us made me undeniably happy.
But honestly, part of me still didn’t want her up on that stage in the Miss Contest. Maybe it was just possessiveness, but the thought of other guys ogling her like some kind of showpiece made me…

Fwump…

Before I realised it, she was right next to me. And by the time I noticed, I was already enveloped in her embrace.

“!!!!!?????”

“…Please don’t worry. I’m only participating. I have no intention of doing anything beyond that. I couldn’t care less about anyone’s evaluation except yours… I don’t plan to smile even once on that stage.”

Her hug and gentle words wrapped around even my possessiveness, making me feel so pathetic. If she had decided to do it, then shouldn’t my role be to support her with a smile…?

I realised again just how much I still relied on her kindness.

“…If anything, that’ll make it even more entertaining.”
“…Most people think that’s her true self anyway, so no problem.”
“…Is no one going to comment on this shocking scene before us?”
“…It’ll become the norm in student council from now on. We just have to get used to it… lucky bastard.”

***

Side: Sara

“I truly am sorry… I at least wanted to cook you dinner tonight…”

We had arrived at the station, and unfortunately, this was where we would part ways for today.

Cooking for Kazunari-san was, to me, one of my most important roles. Not being able to do so was nothing short of devastating.

“It’s okay. If it’s something important, then it can’t be helped.”

His smile as he saw me off seemed forced somehow, and knowing I was the cause of that brought forth a quiet rage at myself.

If this turns out to be a pointless conversation, I won’t speak to Father for a while…

Mother had called, saying Father had something important to discuss with me, so I was told to come straight home today. But honestly, there is nothing more important to me than Kazunari-san.

“Sara-san, will tomorrow be okay for you?”

“He only said it was a talk, so I believe it will be fine.”

“I see…”

He looked like he was thinking deeply about something. I wonder what’s on his mind?

“No, if tomorrow is fine, then that’s all I need. Please prioritise your family today!”

“…Yes, thank you very much. Then, if you’ll excuse me for today.”

I’m worried about him… Tomorrow, I will make sure we have a proper conversation. Why does it have to be at times like this… honestly…

……

Click…

“I’m home.”

…?

Mother didn’t come out to greet me today.
She said Father had something important to discuss, so perhaps she’s busy preparing for that.

I checked the entrance and saw Father’s shoes, so he was home.

Changing into my slippers and heading towards the living room, I suddenly heard Mother’s loud voice – something very rare from her calm and gentle self.

“I refuse to let Sara go through with an arranged marriage!!”

An arranged marriage?

……Me?