Chapter 20: Facing a girl’s romantic feelings is challenging in its own right

Sazanka Tsubaki was—on one hand, an ordinarily cute girl, while the Sazanka family, though listed among the lower tiers of the business world, did not hold a high social standing. This made her, for better or worse, a prime candidate as a potential partner for both upper-class and ordinary suitors.

However, there was somehow a male shadow looming over Tsubaki… and that was Daikichi Sakoda.

Moreover, the fact that the Sakoda and Sazanka families were related could be easily discovered if one wished to look, and Daikichi wasn’t hiding it.

“I call her by her first name because she’s my cousin. That’s all.”

“Cousins, huh? I see… In that case, sometimes your relationship might even feel like siblings. By the way, aside from Sazanka’s daughter, just recently even that first-year special-scholarship student—the cute one with huge boobs, Hanakumori—came to see you—ouch, ouch, ouch!”

As Daikichi gave a wry smile, a nearby girl tugged at his ear, seemingly coming to his rescue from the pestering.

“Why are you pestering him in such a weird way? Sakoda-kun, you’re really causing him trouble. Seriously, just because your family is pretty well-off doesn’t mean you have to act so cocky.”

“No, it’s just that I’m curious why you’re so popular with younger girls—I started wondering if you might have some sort of secret… like that teary beauty spot? Is that what gives you an enigmatic charm?”

“There’s nothing mysterious about it; you already said it—it’s because your hairstyle is cool. And that means your overall vibe is pretty great. Sure, that teary beauty spot might add a slight heart-flutter, but besides that, Sakoda-kun, you’re not all aggressive, so you’re not scary and you give off a sense of security—which naturally makes you popular with younger girls.”

“Really? Don’t younger girls prefer a guy who’s reliable and a bit tough?”

“Aren’t older folks the ones who think that kind of toughness is energetic and cute? Although, I feel that even among older ones many find quiet boys more endearing… Anyway, sorry, Sakoda-kun. This guy—well, his personality is something else.”

“Something else? What do you mean by “something else”?!”

“You can tell from his constant condescending attitude—he equates his family’s power and authority with himself. Judging by how he can’t even speak politely, it’s clear he was rather spoiled growing up…”

“You really think of me that way?!”

“Shut up. …Alright then, Sakoda-kun.”

Daikichi, gesturing that he didn’t mind, quietly took his seat.

……

Daikichi was somewhat bewildered by the attention, but that was largely because he had never been spoken to by his classmates before.

That sensation was like being a prop handler in a play, offstage until suddenly being called, “Come on, get up!” and thrust into a minor role—a shock that left him reeling.

However, Daikichi’s experience of that feeling lasted only for a moment.

After all, what had just happened was merely a random occurrence; it didn’t mean that he had truly become as unnoticed as air.

Before he knew it, time had shifted into after-school hours.

Daikichi continued on to the staff room, received his next assignment, and carried out each task one by one.

This hectic pace was likely to continue until the school festival ended—or rather, even after it ended there would be cleanup and other tasks—so similar circumstances were bound to persist for several days.

Of course, Daikichi didn’t find it bothersome.

Not only had he decided to take the initiative himself, but he also felt a strong sense of satisfaction knowing that it made Sakurazaki’s school life easier and brought a smile to her face.

Daikichi, who had been mimicking the smiles his parents directed at Sakurazaki, found that over time that smile had stuck with him and was gradually transforming into his own genuine feelings.

He realized this partly because he had an opportunity to reflect on himself at the zoo.

“Ah, Daichan-senpai~!”

When Daikichi returned to the staff room in the evening after finishing his after-school tasks and reporting back, he coincidentally ran into Sakurazaki.

“Sakurazaki, huh? …How come you’re still here at this hour?”

“Because the school festival is coming up and there’s a lot to do, you know? And since today’s tasks are finished, I came to report that everyone has already left. I wonder if a baby wouldn’t understand that?”

“I’m not a baby, though…”

Daikichi sighed at Sakurazaki’s usual self. Then, Sakurazaki’s homeroom teacher—a man—approached with a frown.

“Hanakumori-san, isn’t Sakoda-kun your senpai?”

The teacher clearly thought Sakurazaki’s attitude toward Daikichi was over the line—he had come to admonish her. It was only recently that Daikichi had begun speaking normally with Sakurazaki; before that, he had always avoided her, so many teachers were unaware of the true nature of their relationship.

This teacher was no exception—he seemed astonished by the way Sakurazaki spoke to Daikichi when she saw it for the first time.

“Te-teacher… th-that’s because Daichan-senpai is a baby…”

“Daichan-senpai as a baby… Is that really the age for teasing others like that? Listen, Hanakumori-san, Sakoda-kun is originally here for your sake—”

The teacher stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing what he was about to say, and quickly fell silent. Daikichi’s eyes widened in shock, while Sakurazaki merely tilted her head, as if asking, “For my sake…?”

“No, it’s nothing. Sakoda-kun is a kind boy—I’m only holding back harsh words out of concern that you might get hurt. You mustn’t cause too much trouble.”

Though breaking into a cold sweat, the teacher maintained his composure and managed to steer the conversation aside. Daikichi felt relieved that his secret remained safe.

“Sakoda-kun is a fine young man. He is by no means someone to be teased.”

“Th-that’s… could it be because Daichan-senpai comes from a good family…?”

“Not at all. Yes, Sakoda-kun does have a former noble lineage, but I mean that Daikichi Sakoda, as an individual, is a fine young man.”

In emphasizing moral character over family background, the teacher’s point wasn’t entirely wrong. However, his presence was more overbearing than his gentle, butler-like appearance suggested, and his words came off harsher than intended, which brought a slight tear to Sakurazaki’s eyes.

Realizing she needed a helping hand, Daikichi said,

“Um, this is finished now…”

He handed the teacher the report that served as proof he had completed the school’s request. Ideally, he would have looked for Eleanor to deliver it and ask about Sachiko’s pickup for the day, but Eleanor was nowhere to be seen in the staff room, and above all, helping Sakurazaki took precedence.

“I see… thank you for your hard work, Sakoda-kun. Understood. I’ll take it. Oh, it’s already this late… Perhaps I should stop scolding Hanakumori-san now.”

“Thank you. Then, we’re heading out… Sakurazaki, let’s go.”

“Y-yeah.”

“Take care.”

Daikichi patted Sakurazaki’s shoulder playfully as they left the staff room.

“I wonder why the teacher got so angry…”

“It’ll be fine, it’ll be back to normal by tomorrow.”

“Ugh… I’m instead being coddled by baby Daichan-senpai.”

“Such experiences are necessary. Sakurazaki, you did nothing wrong—nothing wrong at all.”

Seeing Sakurazaki, dejected from being scolded without understanding why, Daikichi felt a strange sense of guilt. The teacher’s harsh words came from the fact that all the staff knew why Daikichi received school requests. However, Sakurazaki was unaware of that background. Neither she nor the teacher was at fault—things simply didn’t mesh well.

Daikichi comforted her with words, guessing it would take about twenty minutes for her to return to her usual self. As Sakurazaki gradually regained her composure, she asked shyly,

“By the way… Daichan-senpai, will you participate in the school festival?”

Daikichi replied honestly,

“I’ll come to school on the day of the festival, but I won’t be participating too enthusiastically.”

“I see, then… would you come see our class’s performance? We’re running a Taisho Romantic-style café, so I’ll be a little different than usual.”

After her request, Daikichi considered how busy he’d be that day. There might be various backstage duties from the school, but he could probably make time to watch one or two performances.

“Alright. I’ll go.”

Sakurazaki blushed and smiled happily, then looked down.

“…Yeah.”

Somehow, Daikichi felt that Sakurazaki was increasingly falling for him as a potential romantic partner. Yet, it would be odd if she suddenly started to run away just as he had decided to approach her. Inexperienced in matters of the opposite sex, Daikichi didn’t know what to do—he simply expected things to unfold as they might. There was nothing else he could do.

“Ah, by the way, Daichan-senpai, next Sunday…”

“Hm?”

“There’s no school on Sunday, so there’s no festival preparation, and I’ve made good progress with my studies, so that’s fine too…”

It was obvious that she was inviting him on a date. However… next Sunday, Daikichi also had plans for Sachiko’s cultural festival performance.