The Story Of How I, A Gloomy Guy, Ended Up Surrounded By the Top-Tier Beautiful Girls In Class After A Seat Change - Chapter 149.2

I clenched my hands into fists and voiced my honest feelings. The more I spoke, the more I felt like just another average otaku.

Lately, I’ve been deluding myself—diving into Airi’s breasts, touching Yuria’s thighs, thinking I could do indecent things with Rui. But I’m not someone who should even be close to those three.

“Hey, Ryota-kun. Don’t you think whether you’re ‘deserving’ or not doesn’t matter at all?”

“It… doesn’t matter?”

“It’s obvious to everyone that you’re an introvert. Your only strength is being slightly good at studying, you hate standing out, and your head is full of pervy fantasies—you’re the biggest pervert of all.”

“T-That’s all true, but you didn’t have to say it so bluntly…”

“Even so, you… can make me smile.”

Rui suddenly reached out, cupping my cheeks with her beautiful hands.

(R-Rui…?)

The summer heat made my already flushed face even hotter.

“You’re always saying silly things and acting improper, which irritates me… but that’s just who you are, Ryota Izumiya. What others think doesn’t matter. You’re the one and only boy who can make me smile.”

“I’m the only one?”

“The fact that you can make me smile means you guide me to perfection. To the perfection of happiness.”

With a gentle smile, Rui said this as she removed her hands from my cheeks.

Was I unknowingly supporting Rui… supporting her perfection?

“It’s thanks to you coming to watch me today that I was able to win. Just knowing you were there made me smile, Ryota.”

Again. Once again, without doing anything, I ended up helping Rui.

It’s always the same. When I help Rui, it’s always in ways I’m unaware of… by coincidence, not by my own actions.

Sure, it’s great that she needs me so much because of that, but…

I want to make Rui smile through my own will, not just unknowingly.

“You get it now, right, Ryota? Well, I should probably head back—”

“I want to keep talking with Rui like this and always be someone who can make perfect Rui smile!”

“…!”

I stopped Rui with my words.

If someone as perfect as Rui truly needs a gloomy guy like me, then I want to respond to that with my own resolve.

If I’m the only one who can make Rui smile, I want to keep making her smile.

And… I want to keep getting those selfies from Rui, and I can’t give up on those naughty dreams, either!

That’s why I’ve made up my mind.

“I want to support Rui with my own will.”

“Ryota…”

“So please make me the vice president of the student council!”

I bowed my head deeply and pleaded.

It was a decision born from my sincere desire to support Rui of my own volition.

I was genuinely happy that someone as amazing as Rui needed me. I’d been struggling with the decision, but if I can be of help to Rui… I knew it was the right thing to do.

“Okay. Thank you, Ryota.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Of course. I’ve already asked you about being vice president, remember?”

“Oh, yeah, now that you mention it…”

“Hehe, Ryota, I love that serious side of you.”

Wha— Rui loves… me!?

“Wait, Rui likes me? Is this a confession!?”

“…! N-no! I just said I like your serious side!”

What… I got carried away again and made a fool of myself with my misunderstanding.

“…Haha.”

“Why are you laughing! It’s not funny!”

“You’re so silly, Ryota. But it’s fine. You’re the way you are, and I like that about you.”

“Stop teasing me! I’m not falling for it anymore!”

When I said that, Rui smiled more brightly than usual.

Rui’s smile always had a slight stiffness to it, but this one felt… soft.

This smile from Rui… felt special somehow.

“Why are you staring at my face, Ryota? Have you fallen for me?”

“N-no way! Don’t get the wrong idea!”

“Hehe, you’re such a tsundere, Ryota.”

It’s not like that at all. I was just surprised by her natural smile.

“Anyway! If Rui wins the student council election, you’ll make me the vice president, right?”

“Yep. You’ll be my right-hand man.”

Rui’s right hand… huh.

I couldn’t help but stare at her beautiful arm, visible thanks to her sleeveless uniform.

“Although, I’d prefer a bit more meat on those arms…”

“Hehe… do you have a death wish, Ryota?”

“S-sorry! I was out of line.”

I should probably stop talking.

“Oh, one more thing.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“If the real reason you want to be vice president is for Hope Himesaki, I won’t forgive you.♡”

Rui jabbed her finger right into the center of my chest.

Uh-oh… I might’ve had some thoughts about Hope when I first saw her.

“Ugh… no, no way! How could I choose Hope over supporting a perfect beauty like Rui? Sure, Hope’s graceful and cute and smells amazing like citrus, but that’s not—”

“You know a lot about Hope, don’t you, Ryota? So maybe your real aim is Hope after all?”

The atmosphere felt even hotter, like the humidity was rising.

“S-so, uh, it’s hot out. Why don’t we get something to drink? My treat!”

“Hehe… Ryota, you’re so bad at trying to smooth things over.”

“W-well, it’s because you—”

“Ah, there you are, Ryota! Rui-chan, too!”

While I was floundering, I heard someone calling out to us from afar.

That voice… it’s Airi.

Turning around, I saw Airi, Tanaka, and Yuria walking toward us.

“Ryota was so slow, Tanaka was getting worried and started looking for him!”

“I-I wasn’t worried about Ryota or anything!”

Yuria and Tanaka muttered as they approached us.

“Everyone! Ryota says he’s buying drinks for us all!”

“Wait, hey! Hold on!”

And so, it was decided that I would become Rui’s vice president if she won the election.

But my wallet, already hurting from summer expenses, was about to take another hit as my small change disappeared.