The Protagonist's Sister Loves Me, But She's Definitely a Yandere. - Chapter 22: Start

Chapter 22: Start

I was chosen as the male representative, and a lively girl classmate was selected as the female representative for the committee.

Now that it was decided, we had a meeting right after school. The location was the meeting room next to the student council office. It was a decent-sized room, with enough space for the committee members and teachers.

The room had long office desks lined up with chairs on either side, facing each other. At the far end of the room was another long table, probably where the student council members and teachers in charge would sit.

Following the seating chart on the whiteboard, I took my seat alongside the girl representative.

Not many students had arrived yet, and the atmosphere felt a little jittery.

It made sense since most of us didn’t even know each other’s names.

I glanced to my side without thinking and saw the girl representative, who seemed full of energy. She was brave enough to volunteer when no other girls did, just like I had been pushed into it.

“Uh, why are you looking at me?”

Noticing my stare, the girl —Saki Kusunoki— gave me a puzzled look. Her dark brown hair shimmered in the sunlight coming through the window, swaying slightly.

I shook my head a couple of times and apologized.

“Sorry. I was just impressed you volunteered in that awkward atmosphere.”

“Oh, that’s what you meant. I mean, someone had to do it, right?”

“…Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

The stalker’s emails made it clear they weren’t in the same class as me.

Of course, there was a chance they were lying, but I hadn’t noticed any classmates watching me suspiciously. So, for now, Kusunoki seemed to be in the clear.

“I didn’t exactly want to join the committee or anything,”

Kusunoki paused dramatically after saying that.

“But my grades are in trouble~ and my sister’s on the student council, so I figured I’d help out.”

“Fair enough. Whatever the reason, you volunteered, so the girls’ committee spot got filled. If no one stepped up, we’d still be stuck.”

When I finished talking, Kusunoki blinked in surprise. 

Then she muttered, “Huh,” and stared at me like she found me interesting. Since she was one of those outgoing, good-looking types, having her look at me directly made my heart race a little.

“So, you can actually hold a conversation, Usui? I always thought you were just Hinata’s sidekick.”

“…Sidekick? Come on, Hinata’s just too flashy.”

“Totally! He’s like pure light energy.”

Kusunoki laughed out loud, but it didn’t feel like she was mocking me. She genuinely seemed amused.

“Oh yeah, you’re his childhood friend, right?”

“Yeah. We grew up next door to each other, so we’ve known each other since we were kids.”

“So, what’s it like? From a childhood friend’s perspective, do you think he’s likely to date anyone?”

I thought the conversation had suddenly jumped to a weird place. After a few seconds of thinking, I figured Kusunoki was another girl aiming for Hinata. Maybe she wanted to get information from me, his childhood friend, to give herself an advantage.

But that idea was quickly shattered by what she said next.

“Oh, wait, sorry, sorry! It’s not like I’m into him or anything. It’s just that… uh… one of my friends seems to like Hinata. So, you know… that kind of thing?”

“Then just tell your friend to ask me directly.”

If Kusunoki wasn’t the one interested, then it made sense for her friend to talk to me instead. I was getting tired of people coming to me through someone else. I wished they’d just be straightforward.

When I said that with a small, awkward smile, Kusunoki gave me a similar smile back.

“…Yeah, I know. I feel the same way.”

She lowered her head slightly as she spoke. It seemed like she also got stuck with these annoying roles. I couldn’t help but feel a bit of sympathy for her.

We both shared a slightly bitter expression, and then Kusunoki spoke first.

“Actually, there’s a reason for it.”

“…A reason?”

I echoed her words, sounding a bit clueless. She nodded.

“It’s like… my friend can’t really face you, or if she does, it’s super awkward…”

“That doesn’t make much sense. If it’s hard to talk about, you don’t have to force yourself.”

“Oh, no, no! It’s not that it’s hard to say. It’s just… you’re kind of the victim in all this, and I feel like it’s pretty bold of me to even ask. So, uh… maybe it is hard to say. Sorry about that.”

Kusunoki clapped her hands together and bowed her head, while I tilted mine in confusion.

I couldn’t make sense of what she was saying, but everyone has personal boundaries they don’t want crossed. If she wanted to drop the conversation, that was the end of it.

“Got it. Don’t worry about it. I’ll forget it.”

“Thanks! You’re a good guy, Usui!”

Kusunoki smiled like a crescent moon and gave my shoulder a few hard pats. I was thinking about how bold outgoing girls could be when she suddenly said, “…Oh, but hey.”

“…Hmm? Is there something else?”

“I think you’ll figure out what I meant soon enough. If anything happens, just call me. And… if you don’t mind, maybe try talking to them first?”

She said it with a guilty expression, showing that she was genuinely trying to help. Whoever her friend was, it was clear they were involved in some sort of trouble.

Apparently, I’d figure it out quickly.

But what did she mean by that? And if the person felt awkward meeting me, could it be someone who had confessed to Hinata before and got rejected?

“…Wait, why is it Usui-senpai?! What about Hinata-senpai?!”

The door suddenly burst open. Standing there was —Mimi Ogawa.

She shouted in surprise and stomped her way over to my seat. Even with our school’s relaxed rules, her blonde hair stood out, but she didn’t seem to care about the stares she was getting.

“Hey, Ogawa. …Hinata backed out of the committee.”

“W-What?! But we agreed to do it together!”

“Uh, well… Let’s just say he has a reason deeper than the Mariana Trench.”

Of course, there was no way I could say it was because he wanted to hang out with another girl. 

I didn’t really care who won in Hinata’s harem group, but even I felt a little awkward about the whole situation.

While I tried to cover it up with a weak excuse, Mimi let out a low growl.

“It’s Sakuragi-senpai, isn’t it? It has to be her. …That girl!”

“Stop. You’re making a face no girl should make. Calm down.”

“―Ha?! Oh no, calm down, me. Fuu… fuu…”

For a moment, Mimi looked like a wrathful demon. On the surface, Hinata’s harem group seemed to get along just fine, but behind the scenes, they were all fiercely competing. The idea of a “perfect harem” only works in anime.

It makes sense, though. No one can just smile and accept seeing the person they like getting close to someone else. The typical lines from fictional harems like, “Give me attention too!” or “That’s not fair~♡” don’t exist in real life. In reality, it’s more like:

—Move, you idiot.

—Hurry up and disappear, you trash.

—Ugly bitch.

At least, that’s how I imagine it would be. …Of course, I didn’t think Rika, Mimi, or Himeno-senpai would go that far, but who knows what they were really feeling deep down?

“Excuse me~.”

A clear voice rang out. The noisy room fell silent. It all happened in an instant.

Drawn by the voice, I looked over —it was Runa. Since Mimi and Runa were in the same class and the committee required one boy and one girl, I wondered why she was here.

“Shin-nii! Wait, did you become a committee member?”

“Yeah, kind of. Hinata basically forced it on me.”

“Hmm. But isn’t that better? You’re probably more reliable than him.”

“Who knows. Well, since I got picked, I’ll do the bare minimum, at least.”

Kusunoki was on my left, Mimi was on my right, and now Runa squeezed in between me and Mimi, sounding pleased. From what she said, it seemed like she’d also been chosen as a committee member.

I glanced between Mimi and Runa and asked, “What about the boys?”

“No boys volunteered. So that Baldy —I mean, our homeroom teacher— got fed up and made an exception. So, he allowed two girls to pair up, and that’s how we ended up on the committee.”

“You just said it. The ‘I mean’ didn’t cover it at all.”

Before I knew it, most of the committee members had gathered. Even though it was just two students per class, with every class represented, the room had a decent number of people. All that was left were the student council members and teachers.

Most of the attention in the room was now on us.

My relationship with Runa was already well-known. Being Hinata’s childhood friend also gave me a certain amount of recognition. I could hear my name being whispered here and there.

“We’re going to be in the same team, Shin-nii. Let’s do our best.”

Runa winked at me. Of course, I didn’t get a say in the matter.

Kusunoki, who had been watching our conversation with a blank look, leaned over and whispered into my ear.

“Hey, are you two dating?”

“No, we’re not. You know we’re childhood friends, right?”

“…Hmm, sure, let’s go with that.”

Her words had a hint of sarcasm. It felt like she misunderstood on purpose. I wanted to correct her, but she was already tapping away on her phone, and I missed my chance.

“Shin-nii, stay alert. The stalker might be here.”

“…Got it. I’m trying to remember all the faces here.”

Runa’s calm, steady voice rang in my ears. The stalker was always watching me. If that was true, they might have volunteered for the committee to keep an eye on me.

Of course, there was also a chance that all the committee spots were already filled by other classmates.

But still, it didn’t hurt to be careful. I took a deep breath.

Just then, the door opened again. I looked over and saw Himeno-senpai leading the student council members.

With perfect posture, Himeno-senpai walked to the long table at the front of the room. She turned to face us and announced:

“—We will now begin the first sports festival meeting. Please sit in your assigned seats. Today’s agenda includes assigning departments, distributing materials, and introductions.”