CH#300
#300
The decisive moment comes right after school.
It’s anticipated that Koizumi and Miura would be the first to gather at the student council room for student council activities, so preparations have been made accordingly.
Shizuku, of course, had also sent emails to Hino-kun and Shiraishi stating that the student council room couldn’t be used until thirty minutes after school. So, until then, everyone spent their time separately.
Anywhere would do. Whether it’s the rooftop, the courtyard, or staying in the classroom.
But for some reason, I bought tea from the vending machine near the gymnasium and sat down on a nearby bench.
In front of me, two students from the basketball club passed by.
They held small packages and smiled.
“When are you going to eat Shiraishi-san’s chocolate?”
“Obviously, after I get home.”
They spoke like that.
…First-year students, are they classmates of Shiraishi?
Friendship chocolates, obligatory chocolates, they’re called different things, but Shiraishi’s intentions are transparent.
It’s her, who’s thoughtful and imbues every action with subtle meaning. It’s probably one of her image strategies for the future.
As I sipped my tea, I spoke to the underclassmen in my mind.
…Don’t forget that pure heart of yours, it’s a promise with your big brother.
However, after-school time is boring.
For students without club activities or committees, school after hours becomes a useless place to just go back home.
With nowhere to go, I simply gazed blankly ahead, observing the students’ behaviour.
It was a boring time.
As if to dispel that boredom, Shiraishi appeared from the group of first-year students.
With a slightly tired expression, she bid farewell to her classmates and walked away alone.
If she shifts her gaze slightly to the right towards the gymnasium, she’ll probably catch sight of the bench where I’m sitting.
Will she look over here?
With no other subjects of interest, I focused my gaze on her every move, and perhaps sensing it with her sixth sense, she stopped and turned her head left and right.
And then, our gazes met.
For a moment, she wore a contemplative expression, then she changed her course and approached.
“Are you spending a lonely time?”
“Anyone enjoying themselves in this situation would have to be delusional…”
“That’s true.”
Shiraishi sat down next to me, leaving the space of one person between us. Placing her bag as a barricade between us, she built a wall like a fortress.
…It’s okay, I won’t do anything. There’s no way I’ll put my arm around her shoulders and start talking about her future, because that’s Yuuto’s job.
Despite being considerate towards her during the student council election incident, reality isn’t as sweet as to allow the distance between our hearts to be closed so easily. These days, even a single bag feels like a thick wall.
Since I’m already here, it wouldn’t hurt to deepen my friendship with the underclassmen. So, I made a whimsical guess as to why she had a slightly tired expression.
“Did you stay up late last night to bribe the boys in your class with friend chocolates?”
“…W-What are you talking about?”
I caught her shaking shoulders and turning her face away out of the corner of my eye. I hit the nail on the head, this was too easy.
From my perspective, she had only recently lost in the student council election, yet she already had her sights set on the next move. Her ambition or perhaps obsession was admirable. February 14th would be the perfect opportunity to improve her image.
Knowing Shiraishi, if she only gave chocolates to boys, she might be seen as trying to gain popularity with the opposite sex, so she must have given something to the girls as well. She always eliminates risks before taking action, which is why she finds it troublesome to reciprocate.
However, there may not be many people who can be as easily understood as she is from an outsider’s perspective.
…She probably doesn’t have many friends, huh? Not that I’m one to talk.
To an onlooker, sitting shoulder to shoulder on the bench might create misunderstandings. But there’s a reason for sitting here.
It’s undoubtedly to pass the waiting time.
But if you look up and gaze at a certain window, you can see a student sitting in a chair near the head, the president’s seat of the student council room.
That’s right, because of sitting by the window, I direct my gaze towards a figure that’s slightly visible from outside. Koizumi is already sitting in that seat, and there’s another student next to him.
It’s been about five minutes since their shadows became visible from this bench.
Although I can’t accurately discern their expressions, I can tell that they’re probably chatting.
In other words, Miura’s gift has been successfully delivered.
How he expressed his feelings and how he responded. I’m curious, but it probably won’t turn out badly.
If it did, there’s no way we could stay in the same room, let alone spend time together in meetings and activities with other students.
Surely, the answer has turned out well. If I look at Miura’s face, my expectations will turn into certainty.
Everyone is changing little by little. If I stop here, I feel like I won’t be able to spend time with them anymore.
“Shiraishi… Do you know of a good hair salon nearby?”
“Well… If it’s a place I usually use, your hair has certainly gotten longer, Senpai.”
With those words, Shiraishi showed me a website on her smartphone. It was a shop near the station, which I could visit on my way back.
The next day arrived, and the bustling everyday life returned. Passing students continued their morning chatter without paying much attention to me.
As I reached the classroom, I hesitated for a moment before opening the door. Classmates’ gazes gathered for a few seconds and then dispersed.
However, the stares from three individuals remained fixed.
“…”
“…”
“…”
One male student grinned, while two female students opened their mouths in astonishment. One dropped the book she was holding on the desk, and the other let her bag, which she was carrying on her shoulder, fall to the ground with a thud.
My bangs, which had hidden my eyes, were now cut neatly above my eyebrows, and the annoying neckline was no longer visible from the front.
I hadn’t had my hair this short since my middle school club activities.
My hairstyle, shaped under Kaede’s guidance, was somewhat awkward in places but overall presentable.
Upon seeing my newly trimmed hair, both Shizuku and Kirasaka exclaimed the same thing.
“Something’s wrong…”
” Something’s wrong…”
Although it was a bold change that reflected my personal shift in consciousness, it seemed to be unpopular with the two of them.
: So, here was the chapter, should I have waited and released all the chapters on Valentine’s? I was watching Saekano, recently, why this and that both gotta have the valentine’s arc around this time? Why’s fate mocking me like that and remind me I’m single T.T
Also this was the last chapter for this arc and now we’ve completed the 300th chapter for the main story 🥳, meet y’all a few days later.
Archived Comments
Mirilu (on 2024-02-08 21:31:19):
Oof, Saekano. Can't watch it anymore since I know who wins...
Currently watching Instant Death, Slow Life S2, BokuYaba S2 (The OP is good), Mashle S2 (The OP is TOO GOOD).
BrutalBotX (on 2024-02-08 21:52:04):
…Is it? well I thought I might as well clear out my backlog of anime right about now.
For the ones this season, there’s tomozaki-kun, tsukimichi and most of the other isekai/fantasy like the ones you mentioned