Lonely Me And The Lonely Caring Goddess - Chapter 245: Kazunari’s Mischievous Scheme.

Kazunari’s Mischievous Scheme.

Lunchtime,
Background chatter

“Senpai Satsukawa looked so cute today, didn’t she?”

“Oh, totally!”

“I heard from someone in her class that she’s just as friendly there, too… so apparently, more guys are thinking about confessing to her.”

“Whoa, seriously? So that means what we saw today is her normal self?”

“Ah, that explains it… makes sense now.”

“I’m seriously gonna go for it.”

“Don’t joke, I’m going for it too.”

“Same here!”

“I knew it… wait, does that mean we’re all rivals?!”

“Looks like it. The real question is—how do we get close to her and make our move?”

“… … …”

“““Cooking class!!”””

My body still felt heavy from exhaustion, but at least I could move. Pushing myself onward, I somehow made it to the flowerbeds. Along the way, Hanako-san asked several times, concern written on her face, if I was alright. I managed to muster just enough forced cheer to insist that I was fine.

Sara-san was the first to notice my condition. She quickly stood, hurried over, and came to my side, supporting me gently.

“Are you alright, Kazunari-san?”

“I’m fine… just feeling a bit sluggish.”

“Oh no, Takanashi-kun, are you okay?”

“You don’t look too well either…”

Natsumi-senpai and Toudou-san also voiced their concern. Hayato was there too, though he seemed quieter than usual—perhaps still feeling the fatigue himself, his usual smile tinged with a hint of weariness.

“Looks like you’re still having a rough time, Kazunari. I’m not fully recovered either.”

If even Hayato, who could normally breeze through PE without breaking a sweat, was tired, then maybe it wasn’t so bad that I was this wiped out. That thought eased some of my guilt about leaning on others—though I knew I was being shameless.

“You’ve worked so hard today, Kazunari-san. Since you’re clearly worn out, please leave all the eating to me, alright?”

All of it.

When Sara-san said “all,” that meant she intended to feed me every single bite herself.

She gently guided me to sit, pulled the lunchbox toward her, and without missing a beat, prepared for what could only be called… hand-feeding duty.

“Alright, Kazunari-san, open wide… aah—”

Chomp… chew chew

“How is it?”

“I know I say this every time, but… in all honesty, it’s perfect.”

“That makes me happy♪ Here, next bite.”

It was clear she meant to see this through to the last grain of rice. I felt a little bad, but knowing she wouldn’t stop even if I asked, I decided the only thing I could do was accept her kindness wholeheartedly.

“Geez… day after day with the lovey-dovey routine—don’t you ever get tired of it?”

“I don’t see how I could. Wanting to be close to the person I love at all times is only natural, isn’t it?”

Natsumi-senpai poked at her lunch with her chopsticks, casting Sara-san a sidelong glance.

But I was of the same mind as Sara-san. Spending time together like this never got old, and I knew that would never change.

“I get wanting to be with the one you like, but being glued together all the time… Takanashi-kun, you’re okay with that?”

“I feel the same way as Sara-san. I want to be with her whenever I can.”

“Fufu… then please keep leaning on me from now on, alright?”

“Hopeless lovebirds…”

Still, I suspected that if Natsumi-senpai were alone with Yūji, she’d be no different from us.

“Well then, if you’ll excuse us, we’ll head back first.”

“See ya~”

Sara-san had class duty today, so she decided to end lunch early and return ahead of us. Natsumi-senpai, despite not being on duty, insisted on accompanying her to help out. Sara-san tried to decline, but Natsumi-senpai wouldn’t take no for an answer.

…If I were in the same class, I could’ve helped too.

And so, the only ones left at the flowerbeds were us first-years. Since there was still some time before lunch break ended, we agreed to relax until the last minute.

“…Hey, Kazunari, can I talk to you for a sec?”

Hayato’s voice was unusually serious, his expression one I hadn’t seen in a long time. Clearly, this was something important.

“What’s up?”

“Remember how there was a fuss about Senpai Satsukawa in PE today?”

“…Yeah.”

“After class, people were still talking about it. From what I heard, her popularity is pretty huge.”

That was nothing new to me—I’d known how popular Sara-san was from the day we met. But for him to bring it up now meant there was something else he wanted to say.

“Even as someone who just transferred in, I could tell your wife’s popular. Put simply, she’s like the school’s idol.”

“Same here—lots of guys in my class admire her. Especially lately, they’ve been saying she’s become more cheerful…”

I’d noticed too, from seeing her in the student council, that she’d grown friendlier. It wasn’t a bad thing—in fact, I knew she’d been self-conscious about seeming unapproachable.

“That’s just it. Normally, having a student council president who’s easy to approach would be a good thing. But with Senpai Satsukawa, it’s not just that. This might be hard for you to hear, Kazunari, but…”

I already knew where this was going.

It was something I’d been worried about for a long time.

“You mean… that it’s more likely other guys will try to hit on her, right?”

“…So you already knew?”

“Yeah. Don’t tell Sara-san, but I’ve been thinking for ages about how to prevent that—how to make sure no one tries to approach her that way.”

I’d considered all sorts of unrealistic ideas—like announcing it to the whole school, or having the broadcasting club make an official statement.

But in the end, this was just a private matter between us. We weren’t celebrities, and treating our relationship like some kind of formal declaration would only invite ridicule—Who do they think they are?—and that would be unfair not just to me, but to Sara-san too.

Which was exactly why… I still hadn’t found an answer.

…But that was in the past.

Right now, there’s one idea that has come to mind. It’s something I ended up thinking of as a result of Sara-san deciding to enter the beauty pageant.

“Could it be… you’re planning something?”

As expected of Hanako-san. Her ability to read my expressions is impressive—she’s already noticed that I have something in mind.

“Kazunari, if you’re planning something, I’ll help too.”

“Me as well!”

Hayato and Toudou-san also stepped forward to offer their support.

Having friends who genuinely care about me and are willing to think things through together… it makes me truly grateful. Originally, I intended to handle everything alone, so I honestly wasn’t sure whether there would even be a moment where I’d need their help.

But since they were offering, I thought I might as well at least share my thoughts with them.

“Bit of a tangent, but… do you remember the first time we talked about Sara-san entering the pageant?”

“Hmm… I think it was when Satsukawa-senpai got assigned to participate as the student council’s representative, right?”

“That’s right. Do you remember what I said back then? About if Sara-san didn’t want to enter…”

“…I don’t remember your exact words, but I do remember you were angry.”

Back then, I was so serious about it that I was ready to wreck the entire event if they tried to force Sara-san to participate against her will.

Even after she decided to join, I still considered sabotaging it—depending on the circumstances.

The thought of Sara-san being put on display for a crowd of strange men infuriated me. The pageant itself was unpleasant to begin with, especially if it forced her into that position.

“What do you think would happen if I sabotaged the pageant?”

“Whaaaat!?”

“…And how does that tie into what we’re talking about now?”

“That’s where my idea is heading.”

It’s still vague, but if Sara-san’s in the pageant, the audience will be enormous. That means that without us doing anything outrageous, the perfect stage will already be set. And I could use that—not only to make a statement, but also to destroy the very meaning of the event.

“But, Takanashi-kun, you’re the vice president now. If you go too far, there might be consequences later…”

“She’s right. If you just caused chaos for the sake of it, your reputation would take a hit. If you weren’t vice president, you could act more freely, but…”

Hanako-san’s point was spot-on. If I caused an outright mess, it could lead to me losing my position as vice president.

And if that happened, I’d be dragging Sara-san’s name through the mud—after she was the one who recommended me—and I’d lose my ability to support her now that she’s the student council president.

That’s the main reason I’ve been struggling with what to do.

“This might not be the perfect time, but since we’ve come this far, can I get your advice?”

What I truly want is to make it absolutely clear, right then and there, that Sara-san already has me. I want every guy to realize there’s no point in pursuing her. To do that, we’ll have to make our mutual feelings public. That should be the priority.

If I can manage that without losing my position as vice president, all the better.

“So… what exactly did you have in mind?”

“I was thinking about standing up there and declaring that Sara-san’s mine—telling everyone to stay away from her.”

“That approach is likely to draw a lot of criticism.”

“Hmm… But if it were framed as a confession instead, it might actually stir up excitement.”

“That’s not a bad idea. If your ‘bride’ accepts your confession, the whole venue would erupt.”

…!?

Hearing that gave me a much better idea.

If it were a confession, people might find it entertaining. But if it wasn’t just a confession… and Sara-san accepted…

What would happen to the audience? What would happen to the pageant?

“I think Kazunari’s just thought of something.”

“This time, I’ve figured it out too. So? What’s the idea?”

“If I said it’s a secret until the day… would you be mad?”

“Ehh, Takanashi-kun, that’s not fair!”

Toudou-san protested with a cute pout.

She was right—after all, if I was asking for advice but keeping the ending a secret, it was only natural they’d be upset.

So, I explained my idea to everyone. They were surprised, of course, but… no one voiced any objections.

Honestly, I think it’s a great idea.

It’s nothing complicated—I’d just move forward the Christmas present I’d already planned to give.

But… the effect it would have on other men would be devastating.

And if that turned the pageant into chaos… well, that would be the punishment they deserved for making Sara-san go through this in the first place.