The Carnivorous Beast Beauties Are Dying to Devour This Herbivorous Beast Me - 26

Chapter 26: Prologue

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“…It feels unusually peaceful today.”

I muttered those words to myself while walking aimlessly through the unfamiliar streets. The reason for this peace was of course, because Seira-san, Miran and Chinatsu were nowhere to be seen today. Chinatsu had recently graduated from middle school and was out celebrating with her classmates. Seira-san was going out with her family somewhere and it so happened today was the day of Miran’s regular medical checkup. 

Reptilian beastfolk were rare even on a global scale, and among them, Miran stood out for her distinct characteristics. Her vertical-slit pupils, split tongue, highly developed heat-sensing abilities, and her venom glands that strongly reflected her snake-like traits. It was extremely rare for someone to manifest such prominent beastly traits. It was said only a handful of individuals in this world were like Miran. Because of this, Miran had to undergo frequent regular checkups where numerous professors would come to observe and study her.

And so, I was on my own today.

“But still, it feels somewhat lonely when no one is around.”

Even though it was still quite cold outside, I thought staying cooped up inside my house wouldn’t do me any good, so I decided to go outside. Since I was already out, I figured I’d venture somewhere I didn’t often visit. Enjoying some private time alone was nice and all, but the faces of those girls kept coming to my mind. I guess somewhere deep down in my heart, I actually wanted to be with them more than I originally thought. 

“Hm?”

But then, something caught my attention. It was a pretty charming sweets shop adorned with cute decorations that would draw lots of high school girls in. The sweets shop had a dining space and I could tell this place was clearly designed to attract women looking for that perfect Instagram-worthy picture. 

I stopped in my tracks, partly because I thought, “Seira-san and the others would probably love this place,” but more so because there was a clearly suspicious individual loitering in front of the shop. Furthermore, I was confident I knew who that person was.

“…Sumeragi-senpai? What are you doing here?”

“—!!!”

At the sound of my voice, the suspicious figure flinched and trembled. Yes. This suspicious person was none other than the most famous person at my school, the student council president, Arisa Sumeragi-senpai. With her tall stature rivaling Seira-san’s, her neatly tied back glossy black hair and the air of elegance and strength that she exuded, combined with her perfectly upright posture as if she were suspended from the heavens itself, she was someone that could only be described as “beautiful and cool.”

Rumor had it that she was trained in various martial arts. She had honed both her body and mind to an extraordinary degree. With her innate charisma, she was practically a superhuman who united the entire student body. A true paragon of a leader. By the way, although her name, “Arisa,” sounded rather foreign, but she was, in fact, a pure Japanese. 

“I-I was wondering who it was, but turns out it’s you, first year Haruku Arisugawa…”

“Huh? Senpai, you know my name…?”

“I’m the student council president, after all. Of course I remember all the faces and names of every student.”

Is she a genius…?

“That’s incredible… To be able to remember all students…”

“Well, of course. I’m serving as the student council president after all.”

“I see. So what brings the esteemed student council president here…?”

“I-I mean, it’s not like I’m here because I was interested in this shop or anything….”

“…You want to go inside?”

“Ugh…”

Seemingly caught off guard, Sumeragi-senpai’s face turned bright red. Flustered, she lowered her gaze. It was a reaction that I had never seen from her before. 

“A-A girl who isn’t very feminine like me wouldn’t suit a place like this, right…?”

“Not really…?”

Whether intentional or not, the way Sumeragi-senpai was acting right now was extremely feminine, though.

“I think you look adora— I mean, I think you’d suit that place perfectly. I don’t see why you shouldn’t go inside.”

“B-But still…”

Hmm… Oh, right.

“Actually, I was thinking of going in myself, but it’s kind of hard to step into a place like this alone as a guy…”

“Eh…?”

“And so, Sumeragi-senpai, would you like to come in together with me? Think of it as helping out your junior, please!”

“…Hm. How could I possibly refuse when you beg like that? Well, if it’s a request from none other than my junior… Leave it to me. I shall fulfill your request.”

…The moment she realized she was being relied upon, she completely returned to her usual self. Or maybe she was just putting on a brave facade? In my mind, she had the impression of a “drill sergeant,” but maybe that was just a mask she donned on to hide her true self?

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“Haaaaaaa… So adorable…”

Sumeragi-senpai ordered a strawberry parfait and I ordered a cake. I watched as Sumeragi-senpai took picture after picture of her strawberry parfait. I hadn’t touched the cake I had ordered either. I decided I should wait until Sumeragi-senpai was fully satisfied. 

“Ha…! M-My apologies…”

“No, it’s alright. I just didn’t expect Sumeragi-senpai to actually like this kind of thing…. It’s just a bit unexpected, I guess?”

“Ah! No, it’s not like t—” 

“Huh? You don’t like it, Sumeragi-senpai?”

“W-Well, it’s not that I don’t like it, but… Umm… Could you keep this a secret from the others? My dignity as the student council president is at risk here…”

“Huh?! I never intended to spread this information around from the start though?!”

Besides, I don’t think she has anything to be worried about. If people found out that Sumeragi-senpai likes cute things and sweet stuff, I’m sure the gap between her image and her interest would only make her even more popular…

“I-I see… Thank you… You’re really kind, huh?”

“I like to eat cake and other sweets too after all… Anyway, is it alright if I start eating now?”

“So-Sorry! I’m sorry for making you wait! Yeah, sure! Let’s eat!”

“Right. Itadakimasu.”

I pushed my fork into the fluffy-looking cake and true enough, the fork easily pierced the sponge without any resistance. The cake wasn’t too sweet and the tartness of the strawberries blended perfectly with the sweetness of the fresh cream. The cake was perfectly balanced. This place would surely become popular. 

As for Sumeragi-senpai, she was busy stuffing her face with the parfait. She looked really happy while eating it. Her face was the epitome of pure delight and I just realized her expression looked softer than usual. I didn’t know why, but Sumeragi-senpai suddenly looked really girly and adorable to me. And so, I ended up spending the day having a pseudo-date with Sumeragi-senpai, one of the “Top Three Beauties,” whom I had happened to meet.

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“Thank you for today, Arisugawa-kun.”

“No, I’m the one who should thank you. Thank you for accompanying me.”

“It’s been a while since I can feel this refreshed. With this, I can give my all again starting in April.”

“I see. Sumeragi-senpai is the student council president, after all…”

“Yes. I will make this school a better place. Arisugawa-kun too. Let’s do our best at school in April.”

“Yes!”

Sumeragi-senpai said that with a smile before leaving. While watching her swishing ponytail from the back, I couldn’t help but smile at the big contrasts in her personality.

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T/N: Gap moe! ( ˶ˆ꒳ˆ˵ )