A Special Bond.

“Haa… When Satsukawa-san and Nishikawa-san stand side by side, it really stops being a joke.”

“Well, they’re two of the top three in the whole school.”

“Ugh, it’s way too much eye candy… seriously.”

“If we streamed this on RAIN, half the class would ditch their exhibition and come running.”

The student council members seemed to know Nishikawa-san through officer connections as well. They were happily catching up, chatting away and blooming with conversation.

The boys, meanwhile, were simply gazing at the scene in open, drooling admiration.

“But seriously—Takanashi-kun being best friends with Nishikawa-san is still kind of shocking.”

“Right? I mean, even just the fact that Satsukawa-san is his lover… fiancée still feels unreal sometimes, and now Nishikawa-san’s been completely charmed too…?”

“Um… ‘charmed’ sounds really bad when you say it like that.”

I couldn’t exactly explain the most important parts, so maybe it couldn’t be helped—but being described as “charming” women made me sound like some kind of playboy.

That’s just bad phrasing…

“You’re right… But I do think Takanashi-kun has a bit of a lady-killer side to him. The only reason it’s safe is because he’s so hopelessly devoted to Sara that there’s zero room for misunderstanding.”

Lady-killer…? I really don’t have any memory of doing anything like that.

But if both others and myself acknowledge that I’m completely devoted to Sara… maybe that’s not such a bad thing?

“Kazunari has this unconscious purity and kindness with no ulterior motives… So for the people it works on, that probably turns into ‘being a charmer,’ right?”

“Exactly… That description really clicks. As expected of Hanako-san—sharp analysis.”

“I’m his big sister, after all. I’ve got a firm grasp on all of Kazunari’s good points.”

Hanako-san puffed out her chest proudly with an “Ehen!”—it was honestly kind of cute… but still.

“Uh… maybe we can leave it at that for now…”

I appreciated Hanako-san confidently praising me—purity, kindness, all of it—but if she didn’t stop soon, I wasn’t going to hold up.

The lukewarm stares from everyone around us, mixed with their various complicated emotions, were honestly starting to sting a little.

“Fufu… I’m glad that everyone can see how wonderful Kazunari-kun is. It makes me happy too.”

And Sara… was rejoicing over me being praised as though it were praise for herself. Right now, she was gently stroking my head with the utmost tenderness.

“Sara…”

“Good boy, good boy♪”

“ “…“ ”

The lukewarm gazes around us were gradually shifting into something more deadpan… or so it felt.

But even if that was the case, there was no way I could—or wanted to—stop Sara from doing this.

Because it made me happy too. So this much was inevitable, right? Yeah.

***

“Good work〜!!”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

After a while of casual chatting, Natsumi-senpai and Hayato finally arrived at the tent at a light jog.

It looked like things had finally settled down with the tennis club.

At last, everyone was gathered together. Come to think of it, the last time we’d all assembled like this was when Sara and I announced our engagement.

So it had actually been quite a while.

Though we kept in frequent contact in the RAIN group chat, so it didn’t really feel that long.

“Now everyone’s finally here.”

“By the way, Eririn, when did you even get here?”

“If it’s Nishikawa-san, probably about an hour after opening.”

“That’s way too early. Anyway… you look awfully happy, don’t you… right, Daichi?”

“W-What are you talking about? I’m the same as always…”

Natsumi-senpai’s ultra-meaningful, mega-grin said everything. This was 100% the face of someone who had definitely noticed.

Well, they were childhood friends, so it wouldn’t be strange if she knew about that sort of thing.

“Hey, hey… I get that everyone’s here now, but what is this group, exactly?”

“Y-Yeah, I was wondering too. Just having Satsukawa-san, Natsumi-chan, and Nishikawa-san—the Three Princesses—all together is already insane… but what’s with this lineup?”

Three Princesses…? What’s that?

First time I’ve heard it.

“Ahaha… It’s been a while since someone called us that.”

“No, the second-years and up still use it normally. Actually, the class RAIN group has been going absolutely wild about the ‘Three Princesses reunion’ since earlier.”

“Ours too. Especially the guys—they’re losing it. When did they even notice?”

“No, the guys are straight-up coming over to look… look over there.”

When everyone followed the direction the senpai was pointing… a dense cluster of boys was staring this way.

…Hey, how many of them are there?

That’s honestly kind of scary…

“Mine’s blowing up with RAIN messages too…”

“Same here… asking for introductions.”

“Hey, stop that, okay?”

“You know what’ll happen if you do, right?”

“…I still don’t wanna die.”

“Same.”

The power balance in our student council was tilted so extremely toward the girls… If we did anything unnecessary, we’d be instantly branded enemies of women and forced into an extremely uncomfortable student council life.

Especially since Sara hated that kind of thing intensely—and therefore, I would never allow it either.

“Hey, Nishikawa-san—what kind of connections does this group even have?”

“When you ask like that… hmm… If I had to say…”

“This group formed with Kazunari-kun at the center. Every single one of us has some kind of connection to him, and naturally, we all ended up gathering like this.”

Sara smoothly took over from Nishikawa-san and gave a simple explanation.

Hearing just that, it sounded surprisingly straightforward—but when you thought about everything that had happened and the bonds we shared…

I could say with pride that what we had was something truly special.

And when I quietly looked around at everyone, we were all exchanging happy glances… wearing gentle smiles.

“That’s right. Our connection started with Takanashi-kun, and we’ve overcome hardships together—so there’s a real sense of unity too.”

“Yeah. For me, the way this group feels so united is really comfortable. Everything we do is fun, and even when something tough comes up, it feels like we can definitely get through it together.”

“This is the first time I’ve ever thought gathering with friends could be this enjoyable.”

“Mm. I feel something really special in this group—different from normal friends. So I totally get what Nishikawa-san and Natsumi-senpai mean by ‘unity.’”

“Me too! And being part of such an amazing group makes me feel happy—truly happy.”

“Having friends you can be completely yourself around, without holding back, is a blessing. And a group that naturally comes together in the face of hardship without anyone needing to say it… that’s really rare and precious.”

“Yeah. Considering how this group even came to be, it’s no surprise that kind of natural unity developed… which is exactly why it’s so important.”

Everyone voiced their own feelings one after another.

Normally, something this embarrassing would’ve been impossible to say face-to-face… but right now… so I also…

“I absolutely believe meeting Sara was fate. But meeting all of you feels just as fated. Otherwise, we couldn’t have built a relationship I can honestly think of as this wonderful…”

“Exactly. If each of us meeting Kazunari-kun was fate, then this group is made up of people called by his destiny. The nuance might be slightly different, but isn’t that exactly what you’d call a shared destiny?”

“Shared destiny…”

It might sound a little over-the-top… but honestly, I felt exactly that kind of powerful bond in this group. So when she said it, it just clicked. I could accept it naturally.

“…No, the unity here is so intense that I literally can’t even tease or call it exaggerated…”

“Yeah. If I heard this anywhere else I’d probably go ‘ugh, so cheesy~’ or ‘that’s way too dramatic~’ and laugh, but… somehow… it’s nice. This kind of relationship. I’m honestly kind of jealous.”

“Right. Everyone really does look so happy… But I’m curious what happened to create a bond this strong.”

That incident wasn’t exactly something to brag about, and I didn’t think we should casually tell people who had no connection to it.

Probably the same for everyone else—which was why no one brought it up. It was like an unspoken, mutual understanding.

“So, from what I’ve heard… does that mean Takanashi-kun is basically the leader of this group?”

“Huh? No, there’s no leader or anything like that.”

Even though we called it a group, we were just friends—best friends. We didn’t need a leader or hierarchy.

We just brought ideas we wanted to do and decided together.

“That’s true… but since Takanashi-kun is at the center of us, in a way, you could call him the leader.”

“Right! I’ve kind of felt that way for a while too.”

Once Nishikawa-san and Tachikawa-san agreed, everyone else started nodding along one after another… Wait, no, we really don’t need a leader in a friend group!

“It’s not a bad idea. Having a central figure makes decisions go more smoothly. I think Kazunari’s perfect for it.”

“Yeah. He was the one leading from the very beginning, so it doesn’t even feel off.”

“Mm! I think Takanashi-kun should be the leader too!”

“No, wait, everyone…”

We were already having a slightly embarrassing conversation, so why was everyone suddenly trying to lift me up like this!?

“Huh? Takanashi-kun, are you maybe embarrassed?”

“!? N-No, like I said, that kind of—”

Tachikawa-san peeked at my face with a gleeful grin.

Being called out like that only made it worse, didn’t it!?

I wanted to shout it out loud!!

“Kazunari’s shy, so it can’t be helped. That’s why big sis will…”

Before Hanako-san—who looked way too happy—could slowly approach me, a hand was already on my head, pulling me in half-forcibly.

The moment I felt the “funyu” softness of paradise, blissful comfort enveloped me…

“Fufu… If Kazunari-kun is the leader, then supporting him like this is my precious role. So… until our shy boy calms down, let’s stay like this for a while, okay?”

“Muu… Then at least as the leader’s big sister, I can do at least this much.”

With my vision completely blocked by Sara Heaven, I had no idea what Hanako-san was planning. But somehow… another hand was stroking my head? No—definitely a smaller hand had been added.

“Kazunari-kun… so cute…”

“Good boy, good boy…”

The hand petting the top of my head was Sara’s. Which meant the smaller one stroking the back was Hanako-san’s.

I was happy, but… I was extremely curious what this looked like from the outside…

“Hey… is this just normal for this group?”

“Uh…”

“H-How should I put it…?”

“If you call it ‘business as usual’… then yeah, maybe?”

“Wh-Wh-Wh-What are you people doinggggg!!”

Nishikawa-san’s blatantly exasperated scream, tinged with a hint of darkness.

But if someone told me this was normal… I’d probably start thinking all of this really was normal… I was already beyond saving, huh.

***

Because we spent the whole morning talking, in the end everyone stayed in the tent, and we just welcomed lunch break right there without going anywhere.

If everyone was fine with it, I had no complaints.

Keen…

The familiar microphone feedback noise came through the school speakers once again—the sign that another announcement was starting.

Right on time for the usual lunch broadcast.

“Yahhooo〜! Is everyone having fuuuun? …Hmm, I can’t hear youuu〜!”

This time Minamin kicked off in full children’s-show energy.

Every single time, I had to admire how she kept coming up with new patterns.

“So it’s lunch break. Takanashi-kun and the others are heading out now, right?”

“Yes. After lunch ends, we’ll start patrolling.”

“…Hey, isn’t moving around in this lineup going to cause even more chaos than just Takanashi-kun and Satsukawa-san alone?”

“…Definitely. Especially the second- and third-years might lose it.”

“Got it. Then the next reception shift will be…”

“Ah, that’s us. We’ll stay here, eat our bentos, and keep an eye on things.”

“Uesaka-san, you should take your lunch break too.”

Right… so that would leave Uesaka-san alone for lunch…

“Daichi, what are you gonna do now?”

“Going back to class now feels weird, so I’ll just find somewhere to—”

“I see… Hey everyone, would it be okay if he joined us for lunch?”

Her tone was as light as always. But one look at Natsumi-senpai’s face made it clear this wasn’t a joke.

And because of that, I could already guess why she’d suddenly said it.

“I don’t mind. Having the former student council president join us sounds interesting… and we might hear some ‘interesting’ stories too.”

The first to accept Natsumi-senpai’s suggestion was, of course, Yuuji.

He put extra emphasis on “interesting,” making Hayato give a wry smile… and Natsumi-senpai returned a stiff, twitching one.

“Um, I don’t mind either.”

“I’m fine with it too.”

“As long as it’s okay with Kazunari-kun, I won’t object further.”

“Same here.”

“So in practice, the real deciding vote belongs to Takanashi-kun. What do you say?”

Including Nishikawa-san, everyone seemed generally okay with it. All eyes turned to me.

In my opinion, the biggest deciding factor was whether Sara was okay with it…

Which meant the true deciding power was actually with Sara.

And in this case, she gave her approval.

“What do you think, Uesaka-san? We’re fine with it, but it’s really up to what you want.”

I deliberately phrased it with just a hint of implication.

If Uesaka-san was seriously seeking a connection with Nishikawa-san—if he was truly serious about it—then I thought a little encouragement was fine.

But if he wasn’t that serious, or if Nishikawa-san felt bothered…

Then I’d want him to back off cleanly.

That was our unspoken rule.

“…Yeah.”

The smile vanished from Uesaka-san’s face the moment our eyes met. I wasn’t sure if he sensed the nuance or simply read the atmosphere… but…

“If it’s not a bother… then I’d appreciate it.”

His deep, formal bow for something as simple as “eating lunch together” felt almost mismatched—but precisely because of that, I could tell how serious he was.

“Got it! Then let’s all go together. Nishikawa-san, is that okay?”

“Eh? Yes, I’m fine with it. Actually, I made a bit too much.”

Nishikawa-san’s reaction was almost too normal. She probably wasn’t even slightly aware of what was going on here.

***

“Wow… it’s been forever… Ah! There are so many new kinds of flowers!?”

The moment we reached the flower bed, Nishikawa-san started running circles around it like an excited child.

Her usual refined image cracked open to reveal something a little childish—and I couldn’t help but smile.

“The flowers around here are the seedlings Sara and I bought and planted together.”

“I see. Really, even down to this… Well, never mind that—I’m just glad this flower bed is still so beautifully maintained.”

“We’ve been taking care of it lately too!”

Toudou-san ran over to Nishikawa-san, and the two of them started chatting happily.

They looked just like close sisters… which might have been why Hayato and Uesaka-san were watching with strangely warm, heartwarming expressions.

“Heh… so this is that flower bed, huh.”

“That… what do you mean by—”

“No, just thinking—how Takanashi-kun and Satsukawa-senpai’s great romance started here and grew right in this place.”

“Yes. I still remember very clearly the day Kazunari-kun and I first spoke here.”

“Me too.”

Though… for me, that memory also included the embarrassing rooftop incident from the other day that Sara saw, which made me run away… so it was also part of my shameful past.

“Kazunari-kun…”

For some reason Sara wore a faintly sorrowful expression. Then she suddenly reached up and gently pulled me close.

What’s wrong?

“Sara?”

“I’m sorry for being sudden… I just… suddenly wanted to hold you like this…”

It was abrupt, but somehow I understood what she was feeling.

Normally, being in this place didn’t make me think too deeply about it. But after Tachikawa-san said that, I couldn’t help remembering the day I first met Sara—the moment we first exchanged words… and so.

“Me too.”

“I’m so happy… Please let me stay like this for a while… Kazunari-kun…”

In response to her request, I answered not with words, but with action.

I gently pressed my face a little closer into her softness—and it welcomed me with incredible warmth. Sara immediately wrapped both arms around my head and pulled me in tightly… gyuu.

“…W-Why so suddenly…?”

“…Hey, who fed the lovey-dovey couple?”

“…Ugh, sorry〜”

“…I-It’s okay, Youko. I’ve done it before too.”

“………”

“…Former president, what’s wrong?”

“…No, I’ve seen my share in the student council… but is it always like this?”

“…Business as usual.”

“…I-I see…”

“…What about Yuuji and the others normally?”

“…No way they’re that bad…”

“…By my observation, I think Natsumi-senpai is actually the type who gets really clingy when she wants to.”

“…Well… yeah, that’s…”

Sara continued to stroke my head with her usual care and gentleness, spoiling me without limit.

In the past, I used to feel pathetic or sorry about it. But now… if this was the form Sara wanted, I could honestly accept it just like this.

And every once in a while… even just sometimes… if Sara would lean on me when it really mattered, then just that alone…

“Kazunari-kun… look up at me…”

“…Sara…”

Drawn by her voice—sweet, tinged with longing—I lifted my face from her chest. She gently raised it until our eyes met.

Slowly, Sara’s eyes closed…

“Knock it off already, you hopeless couple!!! Seriously, every single time, every single chance you get, you just have to flirt!! And stop casually trying to kiss right in front of us!!!”

“!?”

Startled by Natsumi-senpai’s roar, I looked around—and it was the usual scene.

Tachikawa-san staring intently with a bright-red face… Toudou-san, as always, hiding her equally red face behind both hands but peeking through wide-spread fingers.

And Nishikawa-san… pitch black. Completely pitch black.

“H-Hanasaki-san, Nishikawa-san’s aura is…”

“It’s fine.”

“No, how is that fine!?”

“Business as usual.”

“…Huh?”

“Business as usual.”

“…………”

Hanako-san, calmly soothing Uesaka-san… was also clearly operating on “business as usual.”

I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore.