#256

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Right after Yuuto and Miyashita moved a bit away from the class group and started to wander around the park, something changed.

Up until this point, Nakayama had been relatively uninterested, but now her gaze started to scan her surroundings.

It was like a child looking for their mother, her eyes darting busily. It was easy to figure out what she was looking for.

“My bad… I’m gonna step away for a bit.”

“Sure, but don’t go too far, okay?”

“I’m not a child…”

I informed Nakayama with a single sentence while they were focused on the beautiful sea, and they sent me off with words like a mother would.

Kirasaka also sighed as if she couldn’t care less and clicked her tongue softly in Nakayama’s direction.

I distanced myself from the two of them and proceeded towards the central area of the park.

There was a stone monument in the shape of an arch inside the park. Yuuto and Miyashita were inspecting the area with great interest.

By positioning myself between them and Nakayama, who seemed to be approaching them, I unintentionally created an obstruction. I stopped walking when I did that.

As soon as I stopped, the path between both groups became blocked, and Nakayama, who had been walking forward while showing clear signs of irritation, stopped right in front of me.

“Where are you going…?”

“Why do I need to tell you?”

“Well, technically, I was assigned as the group leader by Yuuto during class assignment, so I would be the one to get scolded if the group members act on their own and go missing, right?”

Strictly speaking, the role of leading the group was mainly Yuuto’s, but this was one of those rare situations where the position was useful.

Even if I tried to make small talk with her, it’s obvious that I’ll be brushed aside by her.

So, I tried to put her in a situation where she had to answer something, she said with a very displeased look and voice.

“Aya does things on her own too, right? So, why don’t you stop her?”

“…”

Nakayama pointed to Miyashita, who was sitting shoulder to shoulder chatting to Yuuto happily.

However, contrary to her thoughts, after looking behind and obstructing her movements, I spoke briefly.

“I allowed it because they consulted me about wanting to take a look around the park for a bit, so I gave them the permission… I can contact them.”

You mustn’t forget that blatantly lying is not a good idea.

By carefully choosing your words and including a hint of truth, your words can gain credibility. Finally, by indirectly pointing out that you don’t have a means of communication, you make it clear that you’re not giving special treatment.

If other students can stay in contact, they are free to move within the park.

So, as long as Nakayama contacts with someone else, it’s fine to let her follow the two in front.

However, she likely hasn’t exchanged contact information with other students apart from Yuuto and Miyashita.

I had no basis for this, but I was confident.

Watching her behaviour, it’s quite self-centered.

Kirasaka is nicknamed the Ice Queen because of her cold behaviour and even colder eyes but Nakayama is probably someone who wants to become the real queen.

She dislikes being told what to do by others and prioritizes her own desires.

She is the queen to those around her.

She’s forgiven for being at the top of the school’s hierarchy, like a privileged class.

Even though there’s no need to obey Nakayama’s words, her position at the top within the school justifies it, so many female students put on a polite smile and follow her.

Well, I don’t care about the school’s ranking situation or anything like that. Honestly, I’m not concerned.

But for now, I’d like her to refrain from her selfish behaviour. Even in this unexpectedly short time, it’s a valuable opportunity for Miyashita to shine.

However, unlike what Miyashita and I feel, it seems Nakayama sees her as an obstacle. She brushed passed me and moved in their direction with sloppy steps.

“Do you not like it that much.”

“Huh?”

I turned around and asked Nakayama.

What is it the she hates so much.

Her expression was nothing short of displeasure, her eyes narrowing, her voice low, and her mood clearly sour.

If the reason was Miyashita who was standing next to Yuuto, why did she get so upset? I asked, and in response, Nakayama smirked as if she found it irritating.

“Do I need to answer that? You act so self-important… it’s annoying.”

“Yeah, I guess so… I didn’t expect you to answer, anyway.”

Was she looking forward to seeing me irritated or losing my temper by her remarks?

When I opened my eyes after a sign, Nakayama had a blank look on her face for a moment, but then her expression changed to one full of indignation.

I just wanted to hear what was going on in Nakayama’s mind when she tried to intervene between them. I knew it made her uncomfortable.

From an unrelated and not-so-familiar classmate like me, it would be even more irritating. But it seemed like she took this step because the girl standing next to Yuuto was Miyashita Aya.

For instance, if it were Shizuku or Kirasaka standing beside him, she wouldn’t go out of her way to intervene.

That’s because, even within the school’s caste system, she wasn’t any match for them.

Sure, Nakayama probably held a position of authority among the female students. She was the one who always clung to Yuuto, talking and laughing together.

It wasn’t based on academic ability; it was the result of the unconscious hierarchy formed by the behaviour of the girls in the class, which made the other girls not go up against her.

A hierarchy that was only valid in this context and place, and in which Nakayama, with her exaggerated appearance and outgoing personality, had emerged as the leader.

In reality, they should all stand in the same place.

Then what was their judgement based on? Probably about 80% appearance and 20% speech and behaviour.

Students in the school who were classified as delinquents based on their flashy looks, outgoing personalities, and other factors were usually higher up in the school caste.

There was no real substance, just a top-down hierarchy. But the students at the moment were afraid of being isolated, so they followed students with assertive opinions like hers.

Whether following was right or wrong didn’t matter. Rebellion meant isolation, and in the worst case, it could lead to bullying, which was the terrifying aspect of the school’s caste system.

However, there was no need to worry about Shizuku and Kirasaka. They met all the conditions that would likely make their words respected.

They excelled in essential aspects for students: appearance, academic performance, and athletic ability.

There was nothing in which Shizuku and Kirasaka were inferior to Nakayama. She couldn’t say anything because of that.

But Miyashita was different.

The person she regards as lower than herself is occupying the space next to the boy she liked.

…It’s strange. I thought I was analyzing Nakayama’s behaviour objectively, but I haven’t found something this ridiculous in a while.

What could she possibly think Miyashita was lacking compared to her?

It’s probably a personality issue. Miyashita didn’t seem to be the kind of person who wanted to be in the spotlight. In contrast, Nakayama was known for her dominant statements.

Miyashita probably had followed Nakayama so far because she was afraid of Nakayama finding her unpleasant due to their incompatible personalities and getting excluded from the group.

But at the moment, Miyashita was different. She appeared courageous as she acted on her feelings.

“Are we done now? We’re in a hurry.”

There was no need to linger, staring at the looks she received.

Flaunting her brightly dyed blonde hair, she passed me, sighing, and continued walking.

The time Shizuku and Kirasaka had given me was probably about five minutes. I hadn’t done much, but I’d managed to initiate some conversation.

I couldn’t create a perfect one-on-one situation; that wasn’t my style. So, I decided not to follow Nakayama and began walking back towards the area where students in the same uniform gathered.

…Should I just go back and tell them that I couldn’t stop her?

If it were the two of them, they’d probably laugh it off and say it was very Minato-like.

Because they’re kind, they’d probably say they’d arrange for more such situations.

“…But really, this is uncool.”

It was my decision to help them. Nakayama might have feelings for Yuuto too, but I didn’t want to make half-hearted promises.

I continued walking, passed Nakayama, and then stopped in front of her again.

“The disturber reappears…”

“What, seriously, you’re just annoying…”

Let’s change the plan. Let’s improvise from Plan A.

I wasn’t the kind of brainy strategist or tactician who thought things through extensively.

It wouldn’t matter how thoughtful or arrogant I was, I was just be a nuisance to Nakayama.

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