Lonely Me And The Lonely Caring Goddess - Chapter 276: Student Council Duties.

Student Council Duties.

With the grouping finally settled, we set off once more on patrol.

Today our team was assigned several cultural-club rooms and a few second-year classrooms.

Sara-san’s own class, thankfully, wasn’t on the list; we’d already finished checking it the day of the cooking-class chaos.

I was secretly relieved.

After everything I’d bungled last time, showing my face in her classroom again felt… awkward.

And if I was being completely honest, I was still a little scared of Yuuri-san.

“♪~”

Marina was practically skipping, humming a cheerful little tune under her breath.

Right, that’s how it ended up.

Instead of three, we’d become four with Marina in tow.

The flow of the conversation had already decided the three of us would go together, and then Marina had looked up at us with those pleading, almost tearful eyes and said,

“If that’s the case… I’d like to come too!”

No man alive could refuse an angel when she looked that sad.

Sara-san clearly felt the same, because she’d smiled gently and replied,

“Then shall the four of us go together?”

And that was that.

Marina had probably felt a tiny pang of exclusion at being the only one left out of the original trio.

Of course none of us had meant it that way; it had simply happened.

“Marina… are you really having that much fun?”

Hanako-san asked with a wry smile, watching her bounce along.

Marina did look giddy, almost floating.

And honestly? That childish excitement was adorable.

…Wait.

Did Hanako-san just call her “Marina”?

Since when? Had they always been on first-name terms and I’d just never noticed?

“E-eh!? How did you know!?”

“…How did I know what?”

Hanako-san gave her a complicated look, then glanced at me as if to say, Can you believe this?

No, no, Marina wasn’t setting up a straight line or anything. She was genuinely surprised.

“Fufu… Walking through the school like this with friends I can relax around does feel rather fresh and enjoyable, doesn’t it?”

Nice save, Sara-san.

That was probably exactly how Marina felt, and I completely understood.

More than that, the fact that Sara-san considered Hanako-san and Marina genuine friends made me ridiculously happy.

“Y-yes! That’s exactly it! This is a little embarrassing to admit, but… I do have a group I’m close with in my class, yet somehow all of you feel special to me. I feel safe here, like this is where I truly belong. Ah, that’s just my own selfish feeling, though!”

Marina smiled shyly as she laid her heart bare.

I didn’t have another group to compare to, but I could still declare with absolute certainty that everyone here was special to me.

The bond forged from surviving hell together, that indefinable something that tied us all; to put it bluntly, I considered every last one of them my best friend.

Of course, my beloved Sara-san occupied an entirely separate, supreme category as both girlfriend and fiancée.

“You don’t have to be embarrassed. I feel the same way, so I understand perfectly.”

“Yeah, thanks, Hanako-san.”

“I do too. Until recently, the only people I could confidently call friends were Summer and Eri. But now I count Marina, Hanako-san, and even Yokokawa-san and the others who aren’t here today as true friends… no, best friends.”

“Ehehe, hearing Satsukawa-senpai say that makes me so happy!”

I was honestly a little surprised Sara-san would go that far.

But seeing Marina’s face light up like the sun, I completely understood the urge to be upfront and make her that happy. That’s why Sara-san had said it.

“Um… Takanashi-kun?”

Urk.

Marina was staring at me with eyes full of sparkling expectation.

I’d always felt the same way; everyone here was precious to me; more than best friends, they were my true friends.

Saying it out loud was mortifying, but I couldn’t exactly be the only one who stayed silent.

“Well… I’ve felt for a long time that Marina, and everyone here, are incredibly important best friends to me…”

Just saying it normally was embarrassing enough, but the way Marina was gazing at me; practically drinking in every word; made it ten times harder.

“Yes! I feel the exact same way about you and everyone else; you’re all my best friends!”

So bright! It was like a halo had appeared behind her!

Joking aside, the fact that she could say something so embarrassing with such pure sincerity was peak Marina, the innocence half of the “Double Angels.”

“Y-yeah… I’m… happy to hear that.”

“Ah, Takanashi-kun’s embarrassed too?”

“Fufu… Kazunari-san is shy, after all. It’s adorable♪”

“Yeah. Kazunari, cute.”

“Gaaah, m-move it! We’re running out of time!!”

This was supposed to be about Marina! How did it turn into my personal shame parade!?

I’m really going now!!

So please, everyone, stop looking at me with those gentle, doting eyes!!

Despite the chaotic start, the patrol itself went smoothly.

We were now heading toward the second-year classrooms.

As expected, we caused a stir everywhere we stopped, but nothing serious; at least, I hoped.

“I always get nervous entering upperclassmen classrooms. Having Satsukawa-senpai with us today makes it easier, though.”

“If you treat it as just work, it’s fine. And even among second-years, most of them are strangers to me anyway.”

“My wife probably doesn’t remember half the boys in her own class.”

“I won’t deny that. But isn’t it the same for you, Hanako-san?”

“I at least have… guys I’m barely acquaintances with? Maybe?”

…She means Yamakawa and his group, right?

Poor Yamakawa… but no, this is just how it is. I’m not defending him on this one.

Still, compared to the rest, getting “barely acquaintance” status is practically VIP treatment.

“To be honest, the boys in my class make me a little uncomfortable. They talk to me a lot and seem to want to be friends, which is nice, but then they fight over who invited me first when I never even agreed to hang out…”

Ah… yeah…

That kind of thing happens way too often, and way too close to home.

Hayato has it rough.

“So honestly, if any of those boys are going, I don’t want to hang out. It feels kind of scary… Oh! But Takanashi-kun is totally fine!”

“Uh? Y-yeah… thanks.”

Being singled out like that made me happy, but it also left me momentarily speechless.

It was just Marina being Marina; no ulterior motive, completely sincere.

“Yep. And Mio-chan keeps saying she wants to see her big brother again, so please come play with us when you have time, okay?”

“Ah, things have been crazy lately, but it’s finally calming down. I miss Mio-chan too. Sara-san, would you like to come?”

“Yes, I’d love to join. I miss Mio-chan.”

Sara-san genuinely adores her.

Come to think of it, she once said she wanted to be a nursery teacher because she loves children. Seeing how she is with Mio-chan, I really think that would’ve been her calling…

“Kazunari-san, as I’ve told you before; yes, I love playing with children, but I can do that even if it’s not my job. What I want is to walk the same path as you and support each other.”

She read my mind again, effortlessly.

At this point it doesn’t even surprise me anymore.

“…Hey Hanako-san, Takanashi-kun didn’t say anything out loud, right?”

“…My wife can read Kazunari’s mind. Kazunari only.”

“Wha!?”

“…Well, calling it full mind-reading is an exaggeration. I can read him pretty well too, though. Just… not that one. Kind of annoying.”

“E-eh!? Eeeeek!?”

She’s right, of course.

Sara-san chose the same future as me because being together mattered more to her than anything.

I felt bad for still worrying about it. It wasn’t fair to her.

The only thing I could do was prove her choice had been right; by making her happier than anyone else ever could.

For now, I’d simply accept her feelings with gratitude.

“…Got it. Then let’s all go play with Mio-chan soon.”

“Yes. I believe the last time we saw her was when we visited your grandmother to report our engagement. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Sara-san’s smile was pure, radiant anticipation.

Right, she hasn’t even seen Mio-chan in the mornings lately. That means it really has been since summer break…

“…Well, my wife might be thinking several moves ahead, future-wise.”

“…H-Hanako-san, that’s—”

“…Marina, you know what she—”

“Uuugh, meanie Hanako-san!!”

?

What are they talking about?

We were just planning to play with Mio-chan. No way that’s what set them off.

Besides, they didn’t look like they were fighting; more like playful teasing.

Everything seemed peaceful enough. I’d leave it at that.

knock knock…

slide slide…

“Excuse us.”

I knocked first, then cautiously opened the door and peeked inside.

It wasn’t my classroom, and it was my first time here.

They seemed to be in the middle of building something huge; the floor was covered with half-painted signs and boards.

What was this class’s exhibit again…?

“…Hm? Wait, isn’t that the vice president?”

“…Holy crap, it is. Student council rounds?”

“…Yeah, they said they’d be checking everywhere.”

The second-years who’d been working looked over and gave casual waves of greeting.

First contact: safely neutral. Good.

“Kazunari, standing in the doorway blocks the way.”

“Ah, sorry.”

Hanako-san prodded me from behind, and I hurriedly stepped inside.

Hanako-san and Marina followed, offering their own polite greetings.

The moment they did, the room began to buzz.

“…Jackpot.”

“…Both angels in one place!”

“…Up close they’re even…”

“…S-so cute…”

“…Yeah, seriously cute.”

“…That tiny one looks like a class mascot.”

As expected, the boys reacted far more than the girls.

We’d seen the same scene over and over on this patrol.

Wherever we went, eyes followed us; Hanako-san and Marina really were famous in their own right.

But the next wave of excitement was on another level entirely.

“Excuse us.”

“““!!!!!!”””

Sara-san entered last, her greeting curt and clipped.

Every gaze that had been split between Hanako-san and Marina instantly snapped to her like iron filings to a magnet.

Sara-san’s expression… yeah, she clearly hated it.

“Whoa, S-Satsukawa-san is here!?”

“No way!?”

“Thank god I didn’t skip!”

“Haven’t seen her this close in forever!!”

It was the same everywhere we went.

No wonder she disliked patrols.

Honestly, hearing it made my stomach twist too.

But we’d known this would happen.

If it had just been the two of us, I’d planned to enter rooms alone while Sara-san waited outside.

She’d never have agreed, of course, but I’d intended to convince her.

With four of us, though, leaving her outside would’ve felt like ostracizing her.

In that sense, this situation was outside my predictions.

“…Student council. Any trouble or problems we should know about?”

Hanako-san jumped in before I could speak.

Her delivery was… let’s just say perfectly robotic.

Marina glanced at her with a troubled smile; understandable.

“Anyone got anything?”

“Nah, all good~”

“We’re fine~”

“Here too~”

Whether it was Sara-san’s presence or just how things always went, everyone was cooperative.

We appreciated it, of course.

Though I couldn’t help wondering; if I’d come alone, would it have gone this smoothly?

Pointless thought.

“Thank you. We’ll just confirm the exhibit details now.”

Marina took over smoothly and began the check.

If nothing came up, this classroom would be cleared without incident.

So far, this stage had never caused problems.

We should be fine.

***

“…Hey, you hear that rumor?”

“…Yeah, but… really?”

“…Kinda hard to believe.”

“…Doesn’t look like it from here, though.”

“All right, everything checks out. Thank you for your cooperation!”

No issues; this classroom was done.

No one had been bold enough to approach Sara-san directly, and the patrol had gone more smoothly than expected.

A few guys clearly wanted to talk to her, but they withered under Hanako-san’s and my stares and slunk away.

All good.

There was one group staring oddly hard, though… Could they be…?

“Well then, excuse—”

slide slide slide

“Ah… sorry to keep you waiting. I’m back… huh?”

Just as I reached for the door, it slid open on its own; well, from the hallway side.

And standing there was one girl.

…This girl!?

“My, Vice President. We meet again. Good work out there. Student council duties?”

She greeted me with a perfectly natural smile, as if this morning had never happened.

I was almost disappointed by how casual she was.

I hadn’t forgotten the nasty things she’d said to Hanako-san, though.

I knew she was an upperclassman, but a second-year…?

That was unexpected.