Lonely Me And The Lonely Caring Goddess - Chapter 224: Commencing The Debriefing.

Commencing The Debriefing.

After school, the student council room was busy with preparations for the upcoming general assembly.

Sara-san was working on the draft of her speech for assuming the role of student council president, while the rest of us—including the current president—were reviewing agenda items to be discussed during the meeting and checking the proposals that would require approval.

“I probably shouldn’t say this, but when it comes to approvals, most of it just goes in one ear and out the other. The majority of students aren’t interested, so even if we explain things, they don’t really listen. If I were to put it bluntly, the act of doing it is what’s meaningful.”

Though it wasn’t ideal to simply accept that reality, I had to admit the president had a point. If I weren’t part of the student council—or if Sara-san weren’t involved—I likely wouldn’t have cared at all about what the council did.

“That said, we still get questions from time to time. So we can’t afford to be careless.”

“It really depends on the person, but some students are surprisingly engaged.”

Of course, it’s only natural to prepare—otherwise, we’d be in trouble if something unexpected came up. That’s exactly why we were investing our time into putting everything together properly.

“Takanashi-kun, we talked about this the other day, but have you had any luck finding new potential members for the student council? If it’s difficult, we may need to make a public call for volunteers at the general assembly…”

…Oh no. I completely forgot.

Everything had been so hectic with Sara-san’s arranged marriage situation that I hadn’t brought it up to anyone yet. While Hayato from the athletics club would probably be a tough ask, I had meant to speak with Hanako and Toudou to see if they might be willing to join.

“S-Sorry. There’s a get-together tonight, so I’ll bring it up then.”

“Thanks, I’m counting on you. Even if the council ends up being a group of close acquaintances, I want it to be composed of members who can work well together moving forward.”

While the president phrased it diplomatically, it was clear what he meant: he wanted people who could get along with Sara-san.

To be honest, I felt the same. It would be comforting to have friends by her side—it would ease her burden too. Especially Hanako, who, frankly, is probably more capable than I am… A bit of a pathetic admission, really.

“By the way, I’m just asking out of curiosity… is there something going on today?”

The way he asked made it clear that the president hadn’t heard anything from Natsumi-senpai.

There was no need to hide it, so I figured I might as well tell him.

“We’re having a little get-together with some friends tonight. To share the news about me and Sara-san.”

“Wait—are you talking about an engagement announcement?!”

Apparently that piqued some interest, as the others who had been merely listening in now jumped into the conversation.

Engagement announcement? Well… it’s not exactly wrong, I suppose—we are planning to let everyone know we’re engaged.

“Calling it an ‘engagement announcement’ might be overstating it, but yes, we’re going to let our close friends know we’ve become fiancés and update them on what was discussed with her family.”

“I see. So the group tonight is mostly close friends, then?”

“Yes, mainly my friends and Sara-san’s friends.”

“Oh! If it’s her friends too, then Natsumi-chan will be there, right?”

Sounds like she knew that Natsumi-senpai and Sara-san were close friends.

The president, of course, already knew this, and simply sipped his tea without comment.

“Yes. And there’s one more…”

“Ah—don’t tell me, Nishikawa-san?!”

“Cough!”

The president suddenly choked on his tea and spat it out—fortunately not hitting anyone, though he still looked like he was struggling after inhaling the wrong way.

“C-Cough, cough!”

“Are you alright, President?!”

I patted his back as I checked on him. It looked like he was starting to recover after a few more moments of coughing.

“I-I’m fine. Thank you, Takanashi-kun.”

His eyes were still a bit watery, but he seemed able to talk again.

“I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“President, are you sure? That was quite a reaction.”

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine, really. By the way, Takanashi-kun… about earlier—so the friends coming with Satsukawa-san tonight are Natsumi and… Nishikawa-san, right?”

“Huh? Oh, right—you knew her, of course. She used to go to this school.”

Since he was childhood friends with Natsumi-senpai, it wasn’t surprising that he knew Nishikawa-san as well.

“Y-Yes. I’ve met her through Natsumi, and also from student committee meetings. We’ve interacted enough that I can say I know her. So… is she doing well?”

“Eh? Um, yeah—I think she’s doing fine.”

If they kept in touch, that kind of thing would be obvious. This really did seem like just a surface-level acquaintanceship. Come to think of it, I don’t recall Nishikawa-san ever mentioning the president.

“Wow, lucky! I’d love to see her again myself.”

“Satsukawa, Yuzuki, and Nishikawa… what a lineup. If this were a mixer, people would be lining up to get in.”

“No doubt. B-But more than that—an engagement… That means… marriage…! Aaaaaaaah, I’m overwhelmed with envy and heartbreak…”

“I have no idea what you’re trying to say, so calm down. Though I guess it really did hit you hard.”

Judging by his behavior, yesterday’s shock still hadn’t worn off. He’d mentioned giving up—maybe he had feelings for Sara-san at some point?

…The thought made me feel oddly unsettled.

“Kazunari-san, how’s your progress coming along?”

Apparently finished with her draft, Sara-san had quietly come over to my side. Pulling a chair close, she sat down beside me—so close that our bodies were practically touching.

The amused smirks on the girls’ faces and the stunned, frozen expressions of the guys created such a stark contrast it was almost comical.

“Sorry, Satsukawa-san. Mind if I borrow your husband for a bit?”

Husband…

No one had ever referred to me that way before. Judging by her expression, it looked like she was doing it just to see Sara-san’s reaction.

But that was… well, rather naïve.

“There’s no need to say you’re borrowing him. Kazunari-san has his own responsibilities, after all.”

“…She didn’t even flinch…”

“She called him her husband like it was the most natural thing.”

“She’s so confident, there’s not even a gap to tease her…”

“Satsukawa-san… marriage…”

“We should probably just get used to this already… even if it hurts…”

Sara-san isn’t the kind of person who gets flustered or embarrassed by things like that.

She’s even called herself his “wife” before—not as a joke, but seemingly as a personal declaration of intent. A way to affirm her own role and mindset. That’s why any half-hearted teasing is completely ineffective against her.

“Satsukawa-san, how’s the draft?”

“All done. Is there anything I can help with?”

“No, we’re just finishing up too. You’ve got plans with friends tonight, right? Let’s wrap up here.”

“Thank you—we appreciate your understanding.”

Although we still had some time, the president had kindly offered to finish up early for our sake.

I felt a little guilty about it, but decided to accept his generosity.

“It’s fine. Alright everyone, let’s get this done.”

“Yes!”

Thanks to everyone working together, we finished far earlier than expected.

With nothing left to do, it was decided—like yesterday—that we’d all walk home together, at least part of the way.

As we chatted idly on the way out, we soon reached the intersection where we’d part ways.

“Well, we’ll be heading off here.”

“Thanks for your hard work, everyone.”

“Good job~”

“See you tomorrow!”

“Good luck with the announcement!”

As we exchanged farewells, the president approached me, as if he had something on his mind.

“Thanks again for today. Um, could you… pass along my regards to Nishikawa-san?”

Though not an unusual request, he still seemed oddly hesitant about saying it.

“Sure. I’ll let her know.”

“Thanks. Alright, see you tomorrow.”

Apparently, that was all he wanted to say. He rejoined the others, and they all began walking again. Sara-san looked after him with a puzzled expression, but when our eyes met, she smiled and wrapped her arm around mine.

“Does Nishikawa-san have a lot of acquaintances here?”

“Well… she was the head of the gardening club, so she probably had interactions with the student council members.”

Ah, right—since she was the only active member, she would’ve attended those meetings herself.

That explains why the president referred to her as an “acquaintance” rather than a “friend.”

***
Later That Evening

Sara-san and I were now en route to the hotel, having received a message saying we’d meet directly at the venue. I had assumed everyone would be arriving together in the same car, so it was a little disappointing.

Soon, our car pulled into the hotel’s roundabout. This must be the place.

A staff member opened the door for us, and we thanked them before stepping out. But as we entered the hotel lobby, a surprising sight stopped us in our tracks.

On the display board listing today’s events, we saw—bold and clear:

Kazunari Takanashi & Sara Satsukawa – Engagement Announcement Reception

“………”

“………”

Was this Nishikawa-san’s doing… or Natsumi-senpai’s?

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I glanced at Sara-san—only to find her doing the same. We exchanged a smile and chuckled softly together.

When we reached the room, several staff members greeted us at the entrance. Upon confirming our names, they offered warm congratulations and opened the door.

…?

The room appeared empty from the outside, but as we stepped in—

POP!

POP-POP-POP!

“Kyaa!?”

Party poppers exploded from behind the doorway, and a startled Sara-san jumped and clung to me.

It was a familiar scene.

Yuuji & Hayato: “Kazunari!!”

Natsumi & Nishikawa: “Sara!!”

Everyone: “Congratulations on your engagement!!”

Everyone rushed out to celebrate, their voices ringing with joy.

Sara-san, more shocked than I was, clung to me in stunned silence for a while. But when I gently stroked her hair, she gave me a soft, warm smile.

“Well, it’s not official just yet…”

Yuuji: “What, are your parents likely to say no?”

“No, they seem okay with it.”

Hayato: “Then it’s as good as settled, right?”

Hanako: “Doesn’t really matter either way. You’re going to end up married regardless, just the formality changes.”

As blunt as ever—but she had a point. Whether or not their parents gave an immediate green light, their intentions weren’t changing. In that sense, Hanako’s words were quite accurate.

Natsumi: “Alright, enough clinging at the entrance—go sit in the seats reserved for the guests of honor!”

Looking around, I saw two seats at the front, clearly prepared for us, with others arranged to face them.

As we made our way to our seats, everyone else followed suit and took their places. Then the lights dimmed.

A spotlight illuminated just the two of us.

“We will now begin the engagement announcement for Takanashi Kazunari-kun and Satsukawa Sara-san.”

Applause erupted.

A host—who had appeared at some point—began speaking into a microphone.

This was far more elaborate than I’d expected.

Glancing to the side, I saw Sara-san wearing an exasperated smile as she looked at Natsumi and Nishikawa.

Apparently, we were going to make our announcement… in a setting that felt more like a press conference.