Lonely Me And The Lonely Caring Goddess - Chapter 221: A Request to the Student Council.

A Request to the Student Council.

As always, afternoon classes make me unbearably sleepy. I think it’s because I’ve just eaten and the weather is perfect – not too hot, not too cold. So it’s not like I’m letting my guard down… probably.

Sitting next to me, Hanako-san doesn’t seem to have any issues staying awake. In fact, she even has enough energy to poke my side when I’m about to doze off to keep me alert.

poke poke

“Come on now, open your eyes ♪”

…Why do I feel like she’s enjoying this a little too much?

Thanks to Hanako-san’s support attacks (?), I managed to shake off my sleepiness and focus on my notes until the chime signaling the end of class rang out. It seemed I had survived the fifth period once again today.

Once I get this far, the next class is never an issue. Besides, the sixth period today isn’t even a normal class – it’s an impromptu homeroom to prepare for the upcoming school festival. Naturally, the topic is our class’s festival booth.

When the chime rang to start homeroom, I thought we’d jump straight into planning, but for some reason, the homeroom teacher’s gaze turned directly towards me. Did something happen?

“We have a student council officer here, so it’d be best if Takanashi took charge. I’m counting on you.”

…Thanks for nothing, sensei.

And so, under the teacher’s unwanted recommendation, I found myself standing at the podium to lead the discussion – a punishment game, really. As I reluctantly walked to the front, the teacher signaled for everyone to give me a hand.

clap clap clap clap

Stop it!

As I scanned the classroom, enduring their pity applause, I could see Hanako-san, Yamakawa, and others I’m friendly with chuckling at my predicament. I silently vowed that if I needed opinions during this meeting, I’d be sure to call on them first.

Composing myself, I decided to first relay what had been decided in the previous student council meeting.

“Um, first of all, about our class’s booth. It passed the review, so as planned, we’re confirmed for a Maid & Butler Café.”

“…Yes!!”

“…We did it!!”

“…I can’t wait~”

“…Oh man, I’m getting hyped for this!”

The classroom immediately erupted with cheers. I thought I’d let them celebrate for a bit, but as it got louder and louder, I debated whether to step in. Just then, some voices started trying to calm everyone down.

“Hey guys, settle down. You’re making it hard for Takanashi-kun!”

As expected, it was those two who spoke up first. Following their lead, the noise gradually subsided. Knowing I have classmates willing to step in like this was a huge relief.

By the way, the final blow was delivered by Hanako-san’s quiet mutter, “…Honestly, like children.” The boys fell silent instantly upon hearing it, making me realize once again just how overwhelmingly influential she has become in this class.

…

Once everyone settled down, I resumed.

“By the way, there are two other cafés besides ours, so customers might be split. Keep that in mind.”

“…Ah, well, it can’t be helped.”

“…Yeah, cafés are the staple of school festivals.”

“…Then we can’t lose to them.”

“…Right, we’ll need to come up with ways to attract customers.”

“…We need to prepare cute costumes too.”

Rather than feeling discouraged, everyone seemed fired up to make sure we didn’t lose to the other cafés. That mindset would work in our favor.

“Question! What about the food? Who’s cooking?”

Finally, someone brought up what I thought was the most crucial point.

“Does anyone here know how to cook?”

I asked directly, looking around the room. A few people showed signs of raising their hands but didn’t do so confidently. Either they weren’t sure of their skills or didn’t have much experience.

“Also, does anyone feel confident enough to teach others how to cook?”

At that, all the tentative hands immediately went down. As expected, there wasn’t anyone that skilled.

“Hey, Takanashi-kun, could we use the Home Economics room after school? That way we could practice together.”

That was a good idea. Practicing would definitely help.

“I’ll check on that. The student council usually supports these kinds of things.”

“Ah! Then could you also find a teacher to coach us?”

The same girl asked again.

“That reminds me!! I heard from a senpai that Satsukawa-senpai is a pro-level cook!! If the student council is helping, couldn’t we ask the Vice President to teach us?!”

Announcing her idea at full volume, she beamed with pride. Well… if it’s Sara-san, it would be child’s play for her.

“YESSSS!!” 

“Dude, that’s genius!!”

“Oh my god, this is a god-tier idea!!”

“Ahhh, a cooking class taught by the goddess herself…”

“T-T-Takanashi-kun!! Please ask Satsukawa-senpai!!”

“Come to think of it, having a student council officer in our class is insanely lucky!!”

The idea exploded before anything was even decided, and the excitement reached a whole new level. I was once again made painfully aware of just how popular Sara-san really is. I hadn’t even agreed yet – if she actually did agree, how insane would this class get?

That said… honestly, I didn’t want to ask her.

It wasn’t that they wanted to learn to cook – it was obvious they just wanted to get close to Sara-san. If anyone approached her with ulterior motives, she might even get angry. More importantly, I just didn’t like it.

Still, if the girls were genuinely hoping to learn, dismissing the request outright would be unfair to them as a student council officer.

“Alright. I’ll ask her, but if she refuses even slightly, it’s off the table. We’ll find someone else.”

If Sara-san showed even the slightest discomfort, I’d shut down the idea immediately. I wouldn’t let anyone complain about that.

“Yeah, that’s fair.”

“I wouldn’t want to annoy Satsukawa-senpai either.”

“Okay, we’ll leave it to you. Please, we’re counting on you!!”

Their understanding response was a relief.

When I returned to my seat, Hanako-san leaned in to speak.

“Are you really okay with this?”

“If she seems uncomfortable, I’ll cancel it.”

“That’s not what I meant…”

“?”

(If your wife comes to this class, it’s going to be absolute chaos… but if you two are okay with that, I guess it’s fine.)

At any rate, I decided to bring it up at today’s student council meeting. It felt awkward to favor my own class, but it was a formal request from them, so I’d treat it as such.

***

That day’s student council meeting mainly consisted of announcements. When they asked if anyone had reports, I raised the topic.

“Um, I’m not sure if this is appropriate, but… my class has a request.”

Feeling a little guilty, I spoke hesitantly, but the President nodded, encouraging me to continue.

“For our café menu… almost no one knows how to cook, so they wanted to practice in the Home Ec room.”

“Oh, that’s fine. Other classes have done that before.”

That part was quickly resolved. But the bigger issue was next.

“But if no one can cook, who’s going to teach them?”

They pointed out the obvious before I could.

“They asked if I could find someone to coach them…”

“Hmm… The Home Ec teacher is part-time, so it depends on their schedule…”

“If you don’t mind, I could do it.”

…As expected, Sara-san volunteered. I knew she’d accept if I asked. But even so, my chest felt tight with reluctance.

“That would be great, Satsukawa-san.”

“Man, Takanashi-kun’s class is so lucky. Other classes might complain.”

“Yeah, they’ll probably start asking for her next.”

They were right. That possibility made me even more hesitant.

“Takanashi-kun, you don’t seem happy about this?”

“Kazunari-san… am I not good enough for you…?”

The President asked with concern, and Sara-san’s expression clouded with unease.

“That’s not it. Everyone would be thrilled if you taught them. Actually… they asked specifically for you.”

“Then, I…”

I couldn’t say it. The jealousy, the possessiveness – it was pathetic, but I didn’t want her surrounded by guys just looking for an excuse to get close to her. Even knowing she’d brush them off didn’t help.

Seeing her troubled face, I finally confessed my feelings.

“…You might think I’m pathetic, but… there are probably guys who just want to use this as a chance to get close to you. I don’t want that… I don’t want them near you… but…”

mph!?

Before I could finish, she suddenly pulled my head into her chest while I was seated, catching me completely off guard.

“Kazunari-san…”

She stroked my hair gently, draining all my resistance.

“It’s okay. I have no intention of entertaining any other man. More than anything, I want to be useful to you. So please, leave this to me.”

Her voice was infinitely kind, wrapping around me like a warm blanket. Having been accepted so completely, there was no way I could remain pathetic any longer.

“…I’m sorry for being so childish. Sara-san, please… take care of it.”

“Yes! Leave it to me.”

She accepted my official request with a beaming smile.

***

“…Hey, how long are they going to hug like that?”

“…Unless someone says something, probably forever.”

“…Yeah, same here.”

“…I know, it’s obvious, but still… I can’t help but feel jealous.”

“…Guess we’ll be seeing this a lot from now on in the student council… it’s gonna be rough.”