The first day of the week had crawled to its end, and Monday's classes were finally behind us. Only homeroom was left standing between us and freedom. Konami Amanatsu—Class 2-C's homeroom teacher—stood at the lectern, her eyes carefully scanning the room before she slammed her hand down on the wooden surface with a resounding thwack. "Listen up, you all," she declared, her voice ringing with certainty. "This whole 'June Brides^[1]' thing—is a trap."

…And so it began.

Two months into the new school year, we had grown accustomed to the unique spectacle that was an Amanatsu Spiel. All of us (or at least most of us) had come to the same realization: the safest strategy in our situation was to stay quiet and contemplate the existential nature of cloud formations until she ran out of steam.

"Those bastards… They're after my summer bonus, I tell you! Did you know? Twenty-eight is the age when everyone around you gets married. Left and right—poof, married. Poof, married! Actually, put it like this—" She snatched a piece of chalk and began frantically sketching a diagram on the blackboard.

"After high school, people tend to split into two main paths. Some stay in town and start working. Within a couple of years—say, two to three—they hit that first wave of marriages. You know how it goes: everyone's chasing the 'young and cute bride'—blah, blah, whatever. Then you have those who go off to college. They move away, meet new people, start fresh relationships… so for them… it takes about five to six years after graduation before—"

She scrawled "THE SECOND MARRIAGE RUSH!" in huge, angry letters, then spun back around to face us.

"Listen up, you brats—this is where the real hell begins!"

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Amanatsu-sensei hammered the blackboard with her fist for emphasis, her voice gaining more momentum with every word.

"Your comrades-in-arms! The people whom you once licked wounds with—those very people… turn into your enemies! And you never see it coming! They're always like, 'Oh, Konami, you're cute, so you'll find someone easily~,' but if it's so easy, then where's that someone?! Huh?! If it's so easy, bring 'em here! YOU SAID IT'S EASY, RIGHT?!"

Konami Amanatsu, twenty-eight years old. This, apparently, was a cry straight from the soul. Unfortunately, her audience—the students of Class 2-C—summed up to an average age of a mere sixteen, which made them about as equipped to empathize as a flock of pigeons listening to a human talk. Her woes were heard… and unnoticed, evidently.

I let today's episode of The Amanatsu Theater wash over me as I laid in my seat. My eyes, however, were fixed on the back of Sakurai-kun's head. Things between us had gotten sort of awkward ever since the weekend, and I still hadn't found the right moment to ask him about the election. Seriously, the dude changed his mind outta nowhere. It was so sudden he might've just done it on a whim. Damn, we really needed to talk…

"…Every single weekend in June is booked with weddings! Lately, I can't even get a hold of Konuki-chan anymore… Not to mention that my parents didn't send me a single matchmaking photo this year either! Not one! I mean, sure, I did tell them I'd find someone on my own, but damn… cut your stubborn daughter some slack, will you…?"

With June just around the corner, she seemed to be especially off the rails. Guess she must really be haunted by those unseen brides-to-be.

"—When your time comes," she sighed, her voice shifting, "you guys better just go with the flow, okay? Don't fight it." Amanatsu-sensei flipped through the notebook in her hand, then waved dismissively without enthusiasm. "…Anyway, was there anything else I had to announce? No? Okay, don't go losing your heads over love or whatever, you hear? Aaand that's it for today. Class dismissed~" She gave the lectern a final smack signaling the end of homeroom. We all stood in unison.

Perfect. This was my chance. I had to catch Sakurai-kun before he—

BANG.

The classroom door flew open, slamming against the wall. A breathless Tiara-san stood in the doorway, eyes scanning the room before locking on me. She marched straight to my desk, matching my gaze the whole way. Before I knew it, a thick stack of papers found itself on my desk.

"Nukumizu-san." She leaned in. "About what we discussed on Saturday…"

Can't lie, her entrance kinda had my brain short-circuiting. "…What discussion again?"

"The one in my room!" She hissed, leaning in closer. "Don't tell me you forgot! Right after you had me wear that!"

"That was your ide—wait, wait, wait! Can we please talk about this somewhere else?!" The heat of a dozen stares seared into the back of my neck. Someone's gonna get the wrong idea… and damn it, the worst part is that it isn't even really the wrong idea.

I risked a glance around the room. Yanami, Komari, and even Himemiya-san were all shooting me dirty looks. And… uh, Amanatsu-sensei? Why are you taking photos of me…?

Tiara-san shot a brief glance at Sakurai-kun. "You're right." She cleared her throat. "We should take this somewhere more private. Let's go somewhere we can be alone."

Great plan, Tiara-san. Really great plan. But for the love of god, please think about your phrasing a little harder…

◇

Tucked into the courtyard of Tsuwabuki High School stood a wide stone table with a matching set of chairs. Tiara-san was already there, waving me over. I took a seat beside her, and without preamble, she spread out a stack of documents across the tabletop.

"Alright, let's get straight to the election," she said, launching in at full speed. Seriously, the speed at which she spoke was freaky. "The official campaign period starts one week before voting day. Until then, we're in the preparation stage. We're allowed to gather student opinions, so—"

A couple of students walking under the nearby breezeway slowed down to stare at us, casting puzzled glances.

"…Uh, Tiara-san? Isn't this a little… public?" I muttered, shrinking under their gazes.

"We're far away enough. No one else can hear. Also, please don't call me by my first name," she added offhandedly, flipping through the papers. "Now, I want to get as much done as possible in advance, and for that, you'll need a decent understanding of how the student council functions. I'm sorry to ask, but do you think you could make some time after school for a while?"

"Okay, hold on, hold on. Give me a sec."

"Oh. Sorry." A small, apologetic smile touched her lips. "I was getting ahead of myself. Go ahead, Nukumizu-san."

"Um, so about the election…"

"Yes!" Tiara-san stared at me, eyes wide with expectation.

I glanced away. "It's just… I've got Lit Club activities too, so… I'm not sure I can really get that involved…"

"But in my room, you—" She cut herself off.

Silence.

Then, Tiara-san stood up abruptly. "R-right. The Literature Club, of course." Her voice was thin and shaky. She began hastily sweeping the documents off the table and into her arms. "I'm sorry. I suppose I took your polite offer too seriously. It's fine, I'll manage on my own. Oh, and tomorrow's the uniform switch, so don't forget."

She stuffed the documents into her bag, already turning to leave.

"—Wait."

Before I knew it, my hand shot out and grabbed hers.

"Nukumizu-san…?"

"I can't be your official nominator," I said quickly, "but… I can at least help out until you find someone else."

Was it sympathy? Or was I just trying to feel less guilty towards her? For whatever reason my hand reached for hers—it wasn't for the right reason. Even I knew that much.

"But, I don't want to trouble you, Nukumizu-san—"

"Everyone on the Student Council has always treated me well. Least I can do is pay that back when one of you needs help."

The tension in Tiara-san's hand slowly faded.

"…But it's not the Student Council asking you right now. It's me."

"What do you mean?" I asked without thinking.

She shook her head slowly. "Just, you're close with Sakurai-kun too. Wouldn't it be awkward, helping me?"

"I doubt he'd care. He's got tons of other friends."

"I have friends too, you know," she muttered under her breath, then let out a soft laugh to break the tension. "Still, I appreciate it. I don't really have any other male friends to ask."

"I don't have many guy friends either."

"Right, most of your friends are girls… Not sure what to make of that," she teased, lightening the mood. That is, until—

"Basori-senpai, have some tea."

""?!""

A small paper cup appeared in front of Tiara-san, steam curling up from its rim. Behind it, Shiratama-san smiled serenely as if not having noticed that she literally just spawned out of thin air.

"Shiratama-san?!"

"Wait, why are you—?"

"I saw you two from the breezeway. You were holding hands, so I thought maybe you were cold."

Tiara-san immediately yanked her hand away from mine. "Th-that's not it! Nukumizu-san just grabbed me without warning!"

Hey, now. You're making me sound like the bad guy.

Shiratama-san, now with no one to receive her goodwill offering, daintily sipped the tea herself and nodded in understanding. "Oh, I see. So it was you who decided to help Basori-san, huh?"

"So you did overhe—wait, what do you mean 'so it was me'?"

Tilting her head cutely at my question, Shiratama-san replied:

"You didn't hear? Sakurai-senpai's nominator is going to be Yanami-senpai."

◇

The next day, first period was sacrificed to the gods of sports festival practice. The teachers herded us outside into the sun like livestock, with today's grand activity behind "cheer practice." The school had scheduled a class-versus-class cheer battle^[2] on the day of the festival, but participation was luckily optional. I, being fundamentally allergic to volunteer work, exercised my right to pursue the noble role of finding a nice shady tree to lean against while I watched everyone else flail around in the heat.

Among the volunteers were Yanami and Himemiya-san, plus Ayano and Sakurai-kun from the guys. Also, apparently, the guys would be in traditional uniform^[3] during the event, and the girls would be in cheerleader outfits. I couldn't help but wonder if Himemiya-san was really okay with that… I mean, she'd be jumping and bouncing around a lot and—well, Newton's laws weren't going anywhere, after all.

Lost in thought whilst pondering the tragic inevitability of physics, I barely noticed when practice wrapped up. The music stopped, and the cheer squad started to break up. Glancing over, I spotted the special species of extrovert, Sakurai-kun, in his natural habitat. He was chatting up a group of girls, laughing like he'd known them since preschool. He even borrowed a towel. Who does that?

"Sakurai-kun sure is popular, isn't he?" I muttered.

"Well, sure. But you're not exactly losing out either, Nukumizu." Mitsuki Ayano had sidled up beside me, watching the same scene. He peered at me curiously. "Something happen between you and Sakurai? You've seemed kinda off since yesterday."

"Nah, nothing like that. Just got stuff on my mind."

"…Oho. I see how it is." Ayano's glasses seemed to catch the sun in an ominous glint. He definitely did not see how it is. "Nukumizu, you bastard—you've finally found someone you like, haven't you?"

"I have not." Yup. Way off.

"You sure? I mean, weren't you and Basori-san doing something yesterday?"

"My relationship with Basori-san is… well, circumstantial," I said carefully. "Or, I guess you could say she's like a business partner. That sort of thing."

Also, she still owes me Chikapyon merch. Cat ears alone are not a completed transaction.

"If it's not Basori-san, then—" Shing! His glasses glinted again.

"Then what?"

"…Good luck, Nukumizu." Ayano shot me a hearty thumbs-up, and just like that, strode off without a word. I was left more confused than enlightened. But then again, Ayano's always been a little off…

"—Skipping class isn't good, Nukumizu-kun." Before I could even process what just happened, another voice hit me.

I turned. This time, it was Yanami who stood in front of me, hands raised outward in a pose that was… I've got no idea. She grinned teasingly. "So? How's my outfit?"

"Uh… is that… an anteater's intimidation pose?"

"Wrong. I'm asking for your reaction. Doesn't seeing me in a cheerleader outfit make you think anything?"

"You're still in your gym clothes, Yanami-san," I pointed out.

Yanami shrugged, as if my response just now wasn't irrefutably logical. "See, that's your problem, Nukumizu-kun. When you heard I was in the cheer battle, I bet you immediately imagined me in a cheerleading outfit, huh?"

"Not really."

"It's okay if you do, you know?"

Ugh… I'm too tired to spend my brain cells on this. Hmm, but, let's see—cheerleader Yanami: pom-poms, ponytail… fluttering skirt, a snug top, and—

"Oh, you should probably be careful, though. Your stomach might peek out."

"What exactly are you even imagining?!"

"Your—no, never mind."

She waved a hand exasperatedly. "Look, I only came over here 'cause you've been moping around since morning. I was trying to cheer you up, okay?"

That was cheering me up? Please try harder.

"Anyway, so… Yanami-san, you're gonna be Sakurai-kun's nominator, ri—?"

"Oho? Curious, are we?"

…Let me finish, will you? Can she read minds or something? I looked away, feeling exposed. "It's just, you're surprisingly not that great with crowds, so… I was worried if you'd really be okay giving a nomination speech."

"I'm not the same person I was back then." she said confidently. "Besides, whether it's you or me, if one of us becomes vice president, it's a win for the Lit Club, right?"

I stared at her in surprise. "You're going for vice president?"

Yanami nodded as if it was already obvious. "Tsukinoki-senpai was in both the Student Council and the Lit Club, wasn't she? It's doable."

"Well, doable, but still…"

She glanced around, then leaned in close, lowering her voice to a whisper. "—It's about power."

Power? I blinked in confusion.

She nodded smugly. "Forget about a mini-fridge. I'm getting a full kitchen set installed in the clubroom. With a counter and an island!"

"The Student Council doesn't have that much power…" I muttered. In any case, I guess she really was serious about joining after all. It was a weird thought, and I stood there in silence for a moment, processing it.

Yanami interrupted my thoughts and lightly nudged my shoulder with hers. "Hey, what's going on with you and Basori-san?"

"Nothing," I stated flatly, because that's just how it was.

"Really? You were all hesitant and everything about her before, but yesterday you two were looking real cozy."

"We were not."

Yanami squinted up at me skeptically. "But you went over to her place, right?"

"I didn't—" Wait. No… I did. The cat ears.

"What? Seriously?" She raised an eyebrow. "Did you fall for her womanly charms or something?"

"No, it's not like that. I just wanted anime merch. It was a trade."

"Anime merch…?" Yanami's brain blue-screened. Before she could reboot, however, a small figure approached us.

"Y-Yanami, we're restarting practice soon." It was Komari, lugging a battered old CD boom box that looked way too heavy for her.

"Oh hey, Komari-chan. You got the batteries?" Yanami asked.

Komari nodded tearfully. "Th-the P.E. teachers' office… was scary…"

Wait, if she's carrying the boom box—"The heck? You're doing the cheer battle thing too, Komari?"

"Y-yup! I-I'm in charge of music and filming!" she said, oddly triumphant. "T-they said if you join the cheer squad, you don't have to do individual events…!"

Huh. That's actually kinda genius. And yet I was stuck running some dumb obstacle course I didn't even want to do.

"Well then, shall we, Komari-chan?" Yanami said to her, reaching for the boom box's handle. "By the way, you sure you don't wanna be a cheerleader?"

"N-no thank you." Their voices trailed off as they began to walk back to the field.

…Whew. Think I managed to dodge most of that.

Well, I guess there wasn't really anything to dodge in the first place, but like… I couldn't exactly go ahead and say 'Yeah, I spent the afternoon in Tiara-san's room watching her cosplay with cat ears, then agreed to help out with her campaign out of guilt.' Imagine how they'd react.

Just then, Yanami and Komari stopped walking and glanced back at me over their shoulders.

"…What?" I asked nervously.

{{image:"images/makeine-v8/image4.jpg"}}

The two of them provocatively declared to me:

"Let's do this fair and square, Nukumizu-kun."

"Ch-cheater."

Man. They really make me sound like a scumbag.

I tilted my head up toward the bright blue sky, doing my best to tune out the gazes of classmates passing by.

◇

Two days later, the grand circus known as the student council election campaign had officially lumbered into motion. After school, I found myself marching down the hallway alongside Tiara-san, flipping through a fat stack of papers in my hand.

"Okay, next up's the art club. We got an appointment with the softball club in thirty minutes, so if you consider travel time—we gotta wrap this up in twenty."

"Understood. I'm already acquainted with the vice president of the art club, so we've technically already had a preliminary interview."

Tiara-san climbed up the stairs at a brisk pace. I hurriedly followed after, trying my best to keep up.

So. Fun fact: I had severely underestimated the amount of preparation that goes into an election.

Nobody ever told me that running for the Student Council meant I'd literally have to turn into a door-to-door salesman. You know, in my head, I pictured handing out a few flyers, maybe putting up some posters. Was this even a high school election anymore? 'Cause it might as well be the real deal with the only thing missing being a campaign bus and a suit. Wait, now that I think about it—

"Isn't this like election fraud, though? Going around asking for support directly?" I voiced my concern.

"Collecting feedback from voters is allowed. I asked the teachers." Tiara-san replied without missing a beat. Reaching the top of the stairs, she glanced at her wristwatch. "Hmm. We should be right on schedule."

"Nah, this hallway's longer than it looks. We'll need to pick up the pace if we want to make it on time."

She blinked. "How do you even know that?"

Do I even have to explain? Obviously—years of honing my ability to calculate exactly how long I could loiter between bells and waste time with maximum efficiency. Instead of saying all that, though, I just smirked and breezed past her, overtaking Tiara-san with confident strides.

◇

After the meeting with the softball club, Tiara-san came to a stop in front of the gym.

"What's up? That was the last thing on today's list."

"No, well, I was thinking the boys' basketball team would be practicing right now. I haven't been able to get a meeting with their captain, so I figured I'd try asking in person."

I stepped beside her as we both slipped off our shoes. "You can't get a meeting? Is the boys' basketball team that busy?"

"I'm being blocked by the manager. They refuse to let me through. Apparently, they think I'm just there for the boys…" Tiara-san sighed. The basketball and soccer teams were the two most popular among girls, I'd once overheard in class.

"Must be rough being in a popular club," I said. "Thankfully, the Lit Club doesn't have to deal with any of that romance drama stuff."

Tiara-san gave me a long, pointed look in silence.

What? What was that? If you've got something to say, then spit it out.

"I have many, many thoughts on that," she muttered, "but let's focus on securing a meeting first."

She placed a hand on the heavy gym door. I stepped in to help her push it open—and a wave of sound immediately crashed over us.

The gym was split into two sides, with one side occupied by the boys' basketball team, and the other by the girls' volleyball team. As Tiara-san headed toward the basketball club's manager, I hung back near the entrance, keeping her in the corner of my vision as my eyes drifted toward the court.

Now, I may never understand the inner workings of the female brain… but I could understand the appeal here. Tall, fresh, athletic guys… definitely do look pretty good. Whoa, Number 10 just nailed a three-pointer. Damn. That was sick.

I was mid-zoning out when I noticed something weird: for some reason, the players kept glancing over at me. What, you never saw a loner before?

…Except they weren't looking at me. They were looking at the other half of the gym, and, specifically, where the girls' volleyball team was. Casting a glance in that direction, I found two very familiar figures right in the middle of it:

—Anna Yanami and Hiroto Sakurai.

Still in their school uniform, they were laughing and joking around, returning high volleys and what might as well have been the time of their lives. God, what was this obnoxious bubble of giggly atmosphere? Tee-hee! Ehe-he—my ass. Seriously, what kind of guy goofs off while frolicking around with girls like that? Disgusting. I continued to silently judge the two of them for a bit until playtime seemed to have wrapped up. Sakurai-kun left Yanami chatting with the volleyball captain and jogged over to me.

"You're here too, Nukumizu-kun? Going around greeting clubs with Basori-chan?"

"Well… something like that," I answered awkwardly.

Suddenly, Sakurai-kun subtly dipped his head toward me, though seemingly conscious of others watching.

"…Sorry."

"Huh? For wha—"

He gave me that troubled smile of his.

"I said I'd step back, but now I've ended up getting in Basori-chan's way. And in the end, I lied to you too, Nukumizu-kun."

"I don't really mind, but…" I glanced sideways. Tiara-san seemed to be arguing with the boys' basketball team manager.

"It's been a bit awkward in the Student Council room too." Sakurai-kun let out a wry smile.

Well, yeah. I could imagine. Tiara-san's a good kid, but subtlety was never her strong suit. "But deciding to run for president must mean you've got your own reasons, right?"

"Who knows? Sometimes… you're the one who understands your own feelings the least." Sakurai-kun smiled again, now more so with a hint of sadness and longing curved into his lips. "—I never thought I'd have such a hard time letting go either."

Those words, quiet as they were, felt less like he was speaking to me and more like he'd accidentally said something aloud. I didn't know what to say, so I just… stared at him.

And then—

"Oh, Nukumizu-kun. You came too?" Yanami approached, dabbing sweat off her face with a handkerchief.

"Yeah. Just had some business with the basketball team."

"Oh, right! You're handing out those 'poison buns,' right?"

"Poison… buns?" I reflexively parroted the ominous term.

Yanami crossed her arms smugly. "I heard that during elections, candidates go around handing out poison buns. Like, so delicious it's deadly."

That's… not… how it works. Well, I guess I wouldn't put it past Yanami to eat them anyway, poison and all.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Nukumizu-san." Tiara-san returned, jotting something in her notebook as she spoke. "Tomorrow after school, before practice, we'll have some time to—oh, Sakurai-kun's here too?"

"Yeah. You actually got an appointment with the basketball team? Wow. I got turned down." He glanced meaningfully at Yanami.

Right—Yanami did reject the former captain of the boys' basketball team, didn't she? Though if she noticed the glance, she either ignored it or didn't care. Instead, she tapped on my shoulder.

"Hey, Nukumizu-kun, what's that girl doing?"

"Huh?"

Outside the gym, a stylish girl with a short skirt stood with a DSLR camera aimed at us. The moment she noticed our stares, she vanished.

Tiara-san scowled. "Remnants of the Birdwatching Club. They're part of the Newspaper Club now."

I see. So that's the infamous Newspaper Club. She was kind of cute, short skirt and all, but I guess appearances can really be deceiving…

"Is there something on my face, Nukumizu-kun?"

"Oh, no, nothing." Oops. I'd been staring at Yanami without realizing.

Before Yanami could say anything else, Tiara-san cut in between us. "—Well then, Nukumizu-san. Let's move on."

"Didn't we finish for today?"

"There's still plenty of work left. Come on, we're getting in the way of club practice." She nudged me forward with her shoulder until I nearly tripped.

"C'mon, Sakurai-kun," Yanami tugged on Sakurai-kun's sleeve. "Let's go hold our own strategy meeting."

"Sounds good. See you two later."

"Huh? Ah…"

Yanami glanced at me, then latched onto Sakurai-kun's arm. "Oh right! I've got two walnut anpan^[4]. I'll give you one, Sakurai-kun."

"Weren't they both for you?"

"I'm on a diet. I've decided to limit myself to one." And just like that, the two of them disappeared together, leaving me with Tiara-san.

"So," I began, "what's next on the agenda?"

"Hmm. Good question."

Huh? Didn't you just say there was a ton of work left? I turned to look at her, a very confused expression on my face, but she only scowled and spun away in a pout.

◇

By Friday evening, my soul seemed to have left my body. What was left of me dragged itself to the bike racks for the last time. Yes, the last time. After days and days of visiting club after club, I was finally—finally— free. Even Tiara-san had stopped picking fights with people somewhere along the way. Character development, I guess.

That said… has she found anyone gullible enough to nominate her yet? 'Cause if her strategy was to let this drag on until I just accepted the responsibility by default, then she was outta luck. My heart may be soft, but it's not so soft that I'd cave in because of sentimentality. I ain't going down easy.

My attempt at self-persuasion screeched to halt as I spotted a familiar figure standing in front of my bike.

"Komari? What're you doing here?"

"W-waiting for you," she replied.

…Yeah, that tracks. I scratched my cheek awkwardly.

"Sorry I haven't been showing up to Lit Club lately. Has Yanami-san been around?"

"S-sometimes… Sh-she keeps coming by and force-feeding me katsu sandwiches."

So that's her campaign strategy… Komari's gonna get fat at this rate.

"I'll be back next week," I promised. "Basori-san's gonna be busy with the sports festival anyway."

"Th-this time for real?"

"Yeah. All that's left is her campaign speech and the poster photo. After that, there's not much she can do openly until the day of the actual voting—"

Komari shot me a glare.

"—Seriously, I swear I'm done this time!

She didn't say a word, opting instead to stare at me through her bangs using eyes heavy with judgment. Yikes.

"For the hundredth time, I'm not joining the Student Council, okay?"

"B-but… you're still helping the vice president."

"…Yeah." Couldn't argue with that one.

"N-Nukumizu… you fold too easily when push comes to shove."

"Hey, I'm not that soft…." I protested weakly.

Komari's glare narrowed further. "D-don't forget about the Going-Home Club."

"…Right." I hung my head under her piercing gaze; there wasn't much I could say to that.

Komari fidgeted for a moment, then suddenly asked:

"D-do you have plans tomorrow?"

"Saturday? Not really."

"Th-then keep your schedule free. I-I have something I want to talk about." Leaving me behind with those blunt words, Komari spun on her heel and ran off, her skirt flapping dramatically in the wind.

…What just happened? Did she just—

Nah, can't be. No way she invited me on a date. And she looked kinda mad too. Scary.

I let out a deep sigh and tossed my bag into the front basket of my bike.

◇

Come Saturday morning, I stood in front of a massive discount store, about a ten-minute bus ride from Toyohashi Station. Above me stretched an endless, dizzyingly blue sky, while a penguin in a Santa hat grinned down at me from the sign overhead.

I sighed.

"…I'm gonna get scolded."

Yesterday, Komari had suddenly invited me out with no preface, which could only translate to one thing: lecture time. And to really hammer the point home, she even took the liberty to make a last-minute change of the meeting place from the central library (a neutral zone) to here, of all places.

That pretty much said everything. After all, this discount store was one of the top hangout spots for extroverts in the city. No safe corners, no escape. She's definitely planning to corner me at my weakest… Though honestly, I'm pretty sure Komari was just as allergic to this place as I was.

Well, if I was walking into a tribunal, I'd better at least show up with tribute. Gotta smooth things over somehow. Hmm. If it were Yanami, a baked sweet potato would do the trick, but for Komari, though, I guess I'd need to get her some BL merch or something. But BL stuff's kind of hit-or-miss since tastes vary… Hmm, maybe I could opt for a safe option? Like a Toshocard^[5]? Or just cash and let her pick?

While I was flipping through my wallet, I felt Komari's eyes drilling into me.

She stood there in a plain cotton short-sleeved shirt under a brown sweater vest, skirt fluttering faintly in the breeze. The slightly dorky style was actually kind of cute, but I wisely kept that observation to myself. My survival instincts aren't that bad.

"N-Nukumizu, sorry to keep you waiting," she softly muttered, awkwardly averting her eyes.

"Huh? Those kids—?"

Two miniature humans flanked her on each side: little Susumu-kun and Hina-chan.

"U-um, well, my parents got called into work last minute," Komari explained, fiddling nervously with her bangs, "So I, uh, had to bring the little ones…"

Sensing his sister's distress, Susumu-kun stepped forward and bowed politely. "Hello, Onii-san. Please take care of us today."

"Oh yeah. Likewise."

Susumu-kun was, what, a fourth grader? I swear, the little dude's got way more composure than both me and his sister combined. The only thing I cared about at his age was video games.

Oh, and let's not forget the tiniest of the trio: Komari Hina. Estimated age: four. Toyohashi's pride and joy, and its absolutely most adorable lifeform.

She peeked out from behind Komari's skirt, her giant eyes blinking up at me.

"…Nee-chan's friend?"

"Long time no see, huh? I'm Nukumizu. Your onii-chan," I said, putting on my gentlest smile.

She took a slow, deliberate step out from behind Komari. "…Nukumizu."

"That's me," I chirped.

Hina-chan gave a serious little nod, then promptly ducked behind Komari again. Oof. So freaking adorable.

Komari let out a relieved sigh. "S-so it's okay?"

"Not a problem at all. Actually, it's better this way." With her siblings around, Komari would be less likely to unleash her full arsenal of scolding techniques. I wasn't about to waste this divine intervention.

Crouching down to Hina-chan's eye level, I smiled again. "Okay, Hina-chan. Where do you wanna go today?"

"Hina… wanna go shopping," she answered in a tiny voice, still clutching her sister's skirt.

"Great! Your onii-chan's got you cove—"

"H-hey! Don't go making promises like that!"

Instantly scolded. Man, big sis sure doesn't mess around.

"Okay then, let's get moving. What are we shopping for?"

"H-Hina wants—h-hey! No running!" The doors whooshed open automatically, and the kids dashed in hand-in-hand inside the store. Komari scrambled after them in a panic. I watched them disappear inside, a weird sense of nostalgia settling in my chest. Smiling, I followed them through the automatic doors.

◇

The store's shelves were crammed to bursting, and the gaudily colorful price tags made my head spin. As Komari and I trailed after the two little whirlwinds darting through the aisles, I was inevitably drawn to the giant red sale sign for laundry detergent at an insane discount.

"Whoa, that's cheap," I muttered, slowing to a stop.

Komari's hand immediately shot out and yanked my sleeve. "N-Nukumizu, d-don't wander off! You'll get lost!"

"Nah, look, detergent never goes on sale like this, so—"

"N-not today! You need to resist."

Yes, ma'am. I'll resist.

Up ahead, the kids had parked themselves in front of a fancy ochuugen^[6] gift display, their eyes sparkling at the neatly wrapped boxes of assorted sweets.

"Hina-chan said she wanted to go shopping earlier. Is she planning on sending out ochuugen gifts?"

"O-of course not. Sh-she has a sleepover at her daycare. We came to buy her new pajamas."

Oh. Right. A four-year-old sending out ochuugen gifts would be… something.

The kids zipped from one display to the next, and Komari rushed over to take both of their hands. "If you wander too far, y-you'll end up like Nukumizu and get lost."

Damn, Komari was actually pretty good with kids. I was watching them with a fond smile when she suddenly shot me a glare.

"Wh-what? Why are you making that creepy face?"

"I was just thinking… you'd make a really great mom someday."

"Wha—?! G-go di—" She froze mid-explosion when Hina-chan's big eyes locked onto her. Coughing awkwardly, she rephrased herself. "S-see, that's the problem with you, N-Nukumizu."

Hina-chan's eyes sparkled. "Thash the pwoblem with you, Nukumizu!" she chirped.

"Yeah, you're right," I sighed. "Guess your onii-chan's got a problem, huh."

So freaking adorable. By the way, Komari, could you please stop looking at me like a piece of garbage?

At Komari's urging, we headed up the escalator to the toy section. The kids' eyes sparkled as they ran ahead, and Komari let out a resigned sigh.

"B-brace yourself. Once they're like this, it's trouble."

As Komari chased after Hina-chan, I headed over to Susumu-kun. He'd stopped in front of the tokusatsu^[7] section, eying a shiny new transformation belt.

…They've gotten pretty fancy, huh?

I grabbed one of the display belts. "Huh? How's this work?"

"You can't just leave the card in," Susumu-kun explained. "You have to swipe it to make the belt read it."

Oh, that's neat. Following his instructions, I swiped the card. The belt lit up with flashing lights and a booming heroic voice yelled out a finishing move.

"Whoa. Does each card have different sound effects? That's pretty cool."

"That's not all. If you swipe two at once, you get a combo attack."

The heck? That's sick.

Under Susumu-kun's tutelage, I tried out all the features. These belts were a dream compared to anything I had growing up.

"Wanna try next, Susumu-kun?"

"Nah, I'm good. I've kinda outgrown that stuff now."

Oof. And I'd been going full throttle with it…

"So, what's popular at school these days?"

"Mostly games, I think. You know Trainimon?"

Yeah, the co-op one where you team up to hunt giant monsters, right? The latest title's supposed to be a masterpiece. I'd been itching to try it myself.

"I've heard of it. But it's mainly a co-op game, right? Wouldn't it be lonely to play by yourself?"

"Well yeah. Of course you play with friends. That's the whole point."

Right. The point's to play with friends… Right…

Leaving the tokusatsu corner, we wandered by the video game aisle. Susumu-kun picked up a game case and looked at it longingly. "I don't have it myself, so I always just look. But I'll be able to buy it next month when I get my allowance."

"Nice! You've been saving up well, huh."

"Right? I haven't spent anything lately." Susumu-kun smiled shyly, with a hint of pride. Maybe his sister could learn a thing or two.

Suddenly, Susumu-kun leaned in and asked in a hushed voice. "…Hey, is today a date with Nee-chan?"

"Nope," I answered instantly.

He frowned. "Then what's the difference between a date and just hanging out?"

Good question, actually. What is the difference? Aside from that one time with Yakishio, I have basically zero date experience…

"Well… the difference between a date and just hanging out together is, um…"

He tilted his head. "Is…?"

I looked him straight in the eye.

"Holding hands. Maybe."

"Hands? But I hold hands with Hina and Nee-chan all the time."

"Your onii-chan often holds hands with his little sister too, but sadly, family doesn't count. It only becomes a date when a boy and a girl—who aren't supposed to be related—go out together and hold hands. That's what you call a date."

Nailed it. Or so I thought, putting on my best cool big brother face. But Susumu-kun looked a little disappointed.

"I asked 'cause Nee-chan spent forever picking out her clothes yesterday. I thought for sure it was a date."

Oh. Guess she's starting to care more about her looks now, huh?

As I mused over Komari's growth, Susumu-kun glanced around. "By the way, where's Hina?"

"She's with your sister. Over… that way, I think."

We headed over to the toy section to look, and spotted the two of them in a corner. They were looking at a popular long-running series of tiny animal figures living in miniature dollhouses. When Hina-chan spotted me, she held up a bunny and a bear.

"Dis one's Nee-chan. An' dis one's Nii-chan!"

"I see. So that's your onee-chan and onii-chan, huh."

…What does that mean exactly?

I shot Komari a pleading glance for help.

She gently patted Hina-chan's head as she answered. "Sh-she always names the dolls after me and Susumu. Th-that's just how she always plays."

So the bunny's Komari and the bear's Susumu-kun? Weird, but I'll roll with it. Must be a long story.

Just as I was mulling over what "family" really meant, Hina-chan picked up an otter doll.

"Dis one's Nukumizu!" she declared.

Uh, me? So that means I'd be her—big brother? No, dad? Honestly, either works.

"—Ah!" Hina-chan suddenly exclaimed as I was staring down at the otter in my hands. She reached out and grabbed a tiny box from the shelf: a cute miniature three-tiered bunk bed set. "Dis one! Couldn't find anywhere!"

"H-hey, we're not buying that." Komari said, trying to take the box away from her.

Hina-chan hugged the box tightly to her chest in protest. "But Hina looked for dis forever!"

"W-we're not buying, okay! C-come on, Susumu, let's go."

"Oi, Komari…"

She took Susumu-kun and left. Well—pretended to leave, though actually just hiding behind a nearby shelf. It didn't do much for her, though. The pigtail on the side of her head was twitching—and I could see her whole face too. Eying them, I began to walk over, but Komari frantically shook her head.

"N-Nukumizu, you'll blow my cover."

"You already blew it yourself. Don't worry. I'll watch Hina, so you two go on ahead."

She shot me a suspicious look. In a low voice, she muttered, "D-don't buy it, okay?"

…Yeah. The struggle is real.

Once Komari and Susumu left, I crouched down beside Hina-chan. "You really want that, huh?"

She nodded ever so slightly.

"I think you guys have something similar at home, don't you? How about holding off for today and seeing if you can find it there?"

"That one's different. Only two beds."

Ah… so this one's a triple bunk and that one's only a double. Yeah, I get it. Just because you might personally think something's meaningless doesn't mean it won't be a big deal to someone else. A certain glasses-wearing senpai taught me to always remember that. Mainly through that time she was deciding what was "left and right^[8]".

"I see. It is pretty cool. What do you like about it, Hina-chan?"

She paused for a bit.

"…With this, Nee-chan, Nii-chan, and me can all sleep together."

Mm… I see now. It's really hard to say no, especially knowing how much it means to her. If I refuse, I might hurt her…. But if I go ahead and buy it without asking, Komari might just kill me…

"But y'know," I began. "Wouldn't it be lonely if everyone slept in different beds?"

"Lonely…?" She looked at me, surprised.

I nodded. "Yeah. I bet Susumu and Chika-nee still want to sleep next to you. So for maybe just a little longer—could you share a bed with them for now?"

Hina went still for a moment. But she finally, with the tiniest of nods, turned around and placed the box back on the shelf.

"Good girl. Now, let's go find your onee-chan, okay?" I took her small hand into mine and started walking the way Komari had gone.

Her palm was warm, and so tiny I thought it might break. It reminded me of my own childhood—back to those moments when no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get what I was feeling across. I'd get so frustrated, but I didn't ever understand what I was trying to get across in the first place.

"You're really grown-up, Hina-chan…" I murmured.

—And then I suddenly walked right into Komari, crouching behind a shelf.

"Uweh—?! Uh, um—"

"Oh, there you are, Komari."

Hina-chan let go of my hand and hugged Komari. "Nee-chan, there!"

"Y-yeah, I'm there… I mean, here. Let's, uh, go shopping."

"Okay!" Hina-chan, completely forgetting about me, clung to Komari's side as they started to walk away.

Feeling a little lonely… I quickened my pace to walk beside them.

"We're here to buy Hina-chan's pajamas, right?" I asked.

"Y-yeah. Kids' section."

Oh yeah, she has that sleepover at daycare coming up soon.

Lost in a daze thinking back to my own daycare days (not that I remembered much), I caught Komari muttering to herself:

"U-um, Hina… wears a lot of hand-me-downs from me and Susumu, so… I just wanted to get her something new that's really hers."

Hand-me-downs, huh. I was the oldest, so Kaju actually wanted my old stuff. Drove my parents crazy. Huh… actually, why was it different for me?

Suddenly, Komari glanced around in a panic, realizing—

"N-Nukumizu, where's Susumu?"

"Huh? Wasn't he with you?"

"I-I'll go check." Komari dashed back towards the toy section. But just then, Susumu-kun appeared from the other direction, carrying a yellow plastic bag.

"Hina, here." He pressed the bag into Hina's hands.

"What's this, Nii-chan?"

"Just this once, got it?" He spoke gruffly and turned away.

Curiously, Hina-chan pulled out the contents of the bag—and her eyes immediately lit up. Inside was the miniature triple bunk bed she had been eyeing earlier. "Nii-chan! Is this for Hina?!"

"Yeah. Just don't let Nee-chan see, okay?"

"Okay!"

So that's what he went back for. Man, Susumu-kun… What a guy.

Then, Komari returned, panting heavily. "S-Susumu… Don't just… wander off…"

Susumu averted his eyes from his wheezing sister. "I just went shopping for a bit."

Komari looked at the bag clutched to Hina's chest and immediately understood. She gave a wry smile and patted both kids on the head.

"H-Hina, did you say thank you?"

"I did—not! Nii-chan, thanks a bunch!"

"It's nothing. I wanted it too, that's all. C'mon, let's go shopping." A sweet, tsundere little brother if I ever saw one.

"H-hey, Susumu, don't run!"

"Nii-chan, wait up!"

The Komari sisters chased after Susumu-kun, who had broken into a run to hide his embarrassment. I, fulfilling my role as an observer, leisurely followed behind them.

◇

After we finished our shopping spree, we corralled ourselves around a table in the food court. Let me say one thing first—sitting on the low chairs in the kids' tables and eating ankake spaghetti made for a… very surreal experience.

I watched Komari fuss over Hina-chan, and when she noticed me staring, she gave me a puzzled look. "Wh-what? You're not eating?"

"Komari, swap with me. You haven't eaten anything yet."

"I-I'm fine. You take care of Susumu."

"Nee-chan, I can eat on my own!" Susumu-kun grumbled, puffing out his cheeks as he popped a cream croquette topping into his mouth.

We were eating the famous ankake spaghetti at Chao, one of Toyohashi's most renowned restaurants. It's great that they served it in the food court, but damn, this place's pasta portions were massive. Komari and Susumu-kun were splitting one order between them, while Hina-chan had a kids' meal. Honestly, I wasn't even sure if I could finish my portion. Maybe Yanami would magically pass by? I shoveled another forkful of steaming pasta into my mouth.

"Look!" Hina-chan started to pull something out of a plastic bag. "These pajamas have the same stars as Nee-chan's!"

"H-hey, finish eating first. Look, you've got sauce on your face." Komari wiped Hina-chan's mouth while I twirled a slightly burnt piece of pasta around my fork.

This… this is just a normal weekend family outing, isn't it? So why the heck am I in the middle of it…? I stuffed the last of the pasta into my mouth, still feeling that strange, surreal sense the entire time.

◇

We finished shopping, grabbed lunch, and with all our errands out of the way, we… somehow ended up in the arcade next door.

I leaned back against a claw machine, rubbing my overstuffed belly. "They're pretty full of energy, huh?" I murmured, watching as little ones darted between the crane games.

"A-actually, they're dialing it back a little today… since you're here…"

…Seriously? Man, Komari, you've got it rough.

Still, watching the kids bounce around, a soft, genuine smile spread across Komari's face. "B-but… I'm glad. They look like they're having fun."

"You think they had a good time, then?"

Komari nodded slightly. "D-Dad had to go to work last minute, so our plans got canceled… Hina even started crying…"

"Oh—so today I'm filling in as the dad, huh."

"Wh-wha—?!" Komari sputtered, turning bright red. I braced for the inevitable verbal knife to the gut that my stupid mouth so often earned me, but she just stood there, trembling in silence.

"Uh, I didn't mean anything weird by it, okay?"

"…I-idiot." She whipped her head away in a huff. Yep. Smooth. Real smooth.

Suddenly, the little tornadoes came barreling toward us. "Nee-chan, nee-chan! Let's play that thing! There's exactly four of us!"

"Ehh, that thing…? F-fine, just once!"

"What thing?"

"Over there!"

"Nukumizu, this way—!"

The little ones dragged me off, and boom—we're suddenly in front of an air hockey table. I raised a brow. "All of us are playing?"

"Wh-what, chickening out already?" Komari smirked as if she had invented air hockey herself.

Oh? War, you say? Fine. War is what I'll give you, Komari.

I cracked my knuckles and stretched a little as Susumu-kun lined up beside me. Boys versus girls, eh? "You sure you don't want a handicap?" I teased.

"Y-yeah," Komari shot back. "For you, maybe."

Clink. Coin in. Showtime.

"…Nee-chan's really good," Susumu-kun warned me, suddenly serious.

Right. She bragged about this once, didn't she? Eh, how good could she really be? Maybe just compared to her siblings.

The puck slid out. Slowly… towards Komari's side… I watched as it rolled. Closer. Closer. Then—

WHAM!

Straight through my goal. Before I even blinked.

"The hell?! I didn't even see that!"

"Told you! Here comes another one!"

Another one? Nah, it's my serve, right? Or so I thought, until the machine started vomiting pucks like a friggin' popcorn maker on crack. While I was still mentally trying to comprehend the absolute absurdity of this situation (is this even air hockey still?), puck after puck slipped right into my goal.

"Block them, Nukumizu!" Susumu-kun shouted.

"Block what?! I can't even see them!"

The game came to an end, and the scoreboard flashed 870 to 120. Brutal is an understatement. It wasn't even a score, it was a crime scene. The Komari sisters high-fived each other in light of their victory, and Susumu-kun gave my shoulder a consoling pat.

"Don't mind it. You did your best, Nukumizu-niichan."

Comforted by a fourth grader. Man, Susumu-kun. You're too kind. Komari's smug grin, on the other hand, stabbed me right in the soul.

{{image:"images/makeine-v8/image5.jpg"}}

"…Komari. Tell me where the coin exchange is."

I whipped out a thousand-yen bill. She snorted through her nose.

"Y-you think that'll be enough?" she asked, unimpressed.

"Don't worry. I've still got Shibusawa Eiichi^[9] waiting in the wings."

For the sake of my dignity, I will not elaborate on what followed. But I'll just say this—my Shibusawa-san got reincarnated into a few Kitasato-senseis by the end^[10].

◇

There's a theory that four-year-olds have infinite energy. I dunno if that's true, but they definitely have an off switch. And when it flips, they collapse into a sleep so deep they might as well be dead.

The four of us were squeezed into the back row of a bus heading toward the wholesale district. Hina-chan, cradled in my arms, was already out cold. Across from me, Susumu-kun sat with Komari between us, his eyes closed, gently swaying with the bus.

"Sh-she's not too heavy, is she?" Komari asked, peeking at Hina-chan.

"Nah. I'm used to having Kaju on my lap all the time. Hina-chan feels like a feather."

"G-give Hina back."

…What did I do?

I gently patted Hina-chan on the back, watching her sleep. Softly, Komari mumbled, "Th-thanks for today."

"I mean, I was the one who wanted to play air hockey anyway."

"Y-you still spent the whole day with us."

Oh, that's what she meant? It's not really anything deserving of gratitude, but sure—I'll take the thanks.

The bus was unusually quiet, and the slow rocking made my eyelids feel heavier.

"S-Susumu spoils Hina way too much," Komari said, brushing Susumu-kun's bangs out of his face while he slept. "It's a problem."

But the gentle smile tugging at her lips seemed to say otherwise.

Feeling Hina-chan's weight on my lap, I asked, "Will Susumu-kun be okay? He said he was saving up for a game, but Hina-chan's toy was probably expensive, right?"

"E-everyone spoils Hina"—Komari smiled reassuringly—"so if I d-don't spoil Susumu a little, who will?"

I realized: Komari might be our club's mascot at school, but here, she was their big sister. I glanced out the window at the crab-shaped sign passing by.

"…By the way," I finally asked the question that had been on my mind, "didn't you say you wanted to talk to me today about something?"

Yesterday evening, she'd said so—her eyes shadowed with worry. I'd been kinda distracted, caught up in fretting over getting scolded, but I couldn't just let it go. Komari paused, glancing at Susumu-kun's sleeping face.

"I-I thought I would… but it's fine now."

"It was about the Student Council election, wasn't it?" I tried to prompt her, but she shook her head softly.

"I-I don't trust you… but I believe in you^[11]." Her expression softened as she stroked Susumu-kun's hair. Then:

"B-because you said you'd always be there for me."

—Clunk.

The bus jolted, silence enveloping us again. The intercom announced the next stop, but no one got off. The bus rolled past.

"Am I really that untrustworthy?" I joked.

Komari's usual cheeky expression returned. "Y-you're pretty easy to fool, y'know."

At the next stop, a passenger got off, leaving only the driver and us. The bus started moving again—our stop was coming up.

"H-hey… did you… go to B-Basori's… house?"

How did she—oh, right. Basori-san had let it slip in class the other day. "I just went to pick up some Chikapyon merch… and, uh, her little brother was there too."

Not a lie. She still hasn't given me my merch, though.

"D-did she go… to your house too?"

"What? Nah, she's never been anywhere near my—"

…Wait, technically she has. But that was as Kaju's guest, not mine. I awkwardly looked away from Komari's suspicious stare, scrambling for an excuse. "Oh, don't worry though—only you ever got to soak in the bathtub. Yakishio just used the shower."

"…G-go die."

She's really taking advantage of those sleeping siblings, huh.

Just then, Hina-chan stirred, blinking sleepily. She looked up at me. "…Nukumizu? Where nee-chan?"

"I-I'm right here."

"I want nee-chan…"

Half-asleep, Hina-chan reached for Komari. The bus had stopped, so Komari used the moment to scoop her up from me. She heaved her up, adjusting her grip to settle Hina-chan comfortably.

"You okay?" I asked.

"N-no problem. Susumu, we're getting off soon—wake up."

Susumu-kun rubbed his sleepy eyes. "…I woke up a while ago…"

He was the first to stand when the bus stopped. He was a bit of a blunt dude, but I got the feeling that today had bonded us a little. I mean, yeah, there's a big age gap, but I guess it's just a dude thing.

As we stepped off the bus and started walking together—WHAP. Susumu-kun suddenly smacked me on the waist.

"Huh? What was that for?"

"Nukumizu, you dummy!"

"?!"

He hit me again and bolted.

"H-hey, Susumu!" Komari called, scolding him.

Susumu-kun spun around, stuck out his tongue, and shouted, "Nukumizu, you dummy! Touhenboku!" And with that, he dashed off toward home.

Huh… The heck got into him? I stood there, dumbfounded, and Komari gave me an awkward look. "S-sorry. I'll scold him when we get back."

"Nah, you don't have to. But what was all that about anyway?" I tilted my head.

Komari gave me a look that clearly said she wanted to explain but wouldn't. "S-still, you're at fault too."

Oh, so I messed up too… Figures…

"Wait, no, how's that make sense? What'd I do wrong?"

"F-figure it out yourself." Komari spun around and marched off ahead.

◇

With the weekend over, it was now Monday, and I was sitting at the stone table in the courtyard for my usual after-school meeting with Tiara-san.

Last weekend, I spent time away from work with my fam^[12]—wait, uh, wrong. Last weekend, I hung out with the Komari family, and we all had a pretty good time—so it should have been an equally pretty chill day. But then, why the heck did Susumu-kun react like that on the way back?

"Touhenboku" means someone who's insensitive, like a blockhead. But why though? Is that just a thing the Komari family does? Like, do they have some kind of ritual where they hurl insults at you when they say goodbye…?

Tiara-san cleared her throat. "Nukumizu-san, are you listening?"

"Oh, sorry. What were we talking about?"

"The upcoming schedule. One week from now is the policy statements and the election poster display. Then, the following week is—"

"The voting day, right?"

"Yes." Tiara-san nodded firmly. "There will be the candidate speeches and the endorsement speeches from nominators, followed immediately by voting. It's easy to imagine the quality of the speeches will directly affect the voting results, so it's absolutely necessary we coordinate their contents for the best results."

"I'm just helping out, though. I'm not your nominator."

"Yes, I'm aware." Tiara-san nodded seriously. "I heard from Shikiya-senpai that you could be persuaded if I pushed enough, so I thought I'd try appealing to you emotionally."

…I was being appealed to emotionally?

"That won't work on me so easily, alright? Anyway, we should start by preparing your policy statements first."

"I've already drafted something for that."

Tiara-san handed me several sheets of paper. On them were long, detailed lists of student requests she'd collected in interviews, along with references to relevant school rules and local regulations… It was a lot.

"Can the Student Council really do all this?"

"Of course, we don't actually have the authority or budget for all of this, but we can make requests to the teachers. The important thing is that we share the students' opinions." She flipped through the draft in my hands. Though she could've just asked me. "I've heard the way I write tends to come off as stiff and hard to understand. It'd help if I had someone skilled with words nearby… but I can't really think of anyone."

You can't? Right. Coincidentally, the person sitting next to you happens to be a Literature Club member. Literature.

"Uh, what about asking the Student Council senpais?" I offered, suppressing the urge to point myself out.

Tiara-san's expression hardened. "I don't intend to rely on the senpais. This is my own battle." Realizing her sharp tone, she coughed and amended, "…And since Sakurai-kun is running too, I don't want to make things awkward."

Of course. The president and Shikiya-san see Tiara-san and Sakurai-kun as beloved underclassmen. Whether they take sides or are asked for help, it must feel awkward for them.

"He's definitely more popular, no question. That's exactly why it's important to ask everyone about the future of our school—"

"Hold up."

Tiara-san straightened up, attentive. "Yes, Nukumizu-san?."

"Here's the thing… This spot is sort of exposed. I mean, people in other classrooms and the faculty room could see us. Wouldn't it be better to talk indoors?" I suggested.

My question made her blink in surprise. "As I've said before, this spot's far enough away from the corridors and the main buildings, so there's no risk of our conversation being overheard. I'd say it's perfect for campaign strategy."

Come to think of it, even when she gave me that scarf, she called me out to the middle of the pond, right? I mean I get her point, but the passing students' eyes really do get distracting.

"Then, let's continue. First, we'll gather supporters with the policy speech and post opinions on the bulletin board—"

"Hang on. I just got a message."

I pulled out my phone, thankful for the interruption, and froze when I saw the sender.

Displayed on the screen was a message from Komari:

—Come to the second-year hallway. NOW.

◇

We shuffled down the second-year hallway and immediately hit a wall of people. And I mean that literally—about a dozen or so people were packed around the bulletin board like it was the last lifeboat on the Titanic. Normally this corridor was a ghost town after school, so naturally, my first thought was:

What the hell?

I froze awkwardly at the edge of the mob, trying not to trip over my own feet, when Tiara-san suddenly launched herself headlong into the crowd with incredible force.

"Excuse me? May we pass through?" she bellowed, moving people aside. I followed the path she cleared, admiring her boldness.

So. What were we shoving through a crowd to see?

"N-Nukumizu!"

"Guh?!"

WHAM. Out of nowhere, something—correction, someone—nailed me in the gut from my blind spot. My stomach reminded me, rather loudly, that collisions hurt.

I looked down to see Komari standing there. "Wh-what's wrong…?" I wheezed.

"I-I got stuck in the crowd, and… c-couldn't get out…" Her trembling hands had latched onto my tie. My tie. The thing around my neck.

I began wrestling with Komari for control over my own accessory when Tiara-san, with truly impeccable timing, suddenly yanked on my sleeve.

"Nukumizu-san, look!"

I followed her finger to the bulletin board. There, a single sheet of paper roughly the size of a newspaper was plastered front and center on the bulletin board.

"The Tsuwabuki Times, Student Council Election Special Edition…?"

Okay? What's there to look at? It's just another election article. That thought was mugged and thrown down into a ditch the moment my eyes found the headline. I gawked, eyes wide.

'The Student Council Election: Just a Battlefield of Love in Disguise?!'

…What the hell is this?

No, like actually. What's this about?

This year's student council election is unfolding against a tangled web of romance centered on a stunning second-year female student—and a male student notorious for his reputation as an 'enemy of women,' a serial heartbreaker known for playing with the affections of multiple female students.

Ah, that must be Sakurai-kun. That guy's popular.

Additionally, one of our presidential candidates is dangling the promise of the Vice President position as bait to attract a particular man's attention.

Wait a second—could it be—

Tiara-san's face burst into a crimson fire. Literally. I think I saw smoke. The redness spread all the way to her neck like someone had tipped over a bucket of paint..

"…Th-that's not true! That's NOT the intention I approached him with!" she screamed, vibrating with embarrassment and anger.

"Of course I know that. Yeah, I know, I know."

"No, you clearly don't understand at all, do you?! Besides, this is YOUR fault, Nukumizu-san! You're always making suggestive comments and messing with my head—"

Huh? Why am I involved…?

I glanced at Komari, who was nodding solemnly while still using my tie as her anchor.

"O-okay, okay! We're in public! Not so loud, please!" God, all these stares hurt…

Desperately trying to calm Tiara-san down, I kept reading the school paper. The article went on about the notorious 'enemy of women' allegedly even stole the popular second-year beauty "Ms. A." from the former basketball team captain, only to toy with her feelings before dumping her. And apparently he's now two-timing some female student council member with a first-year girl he's preying on.

Man. Sakurai-kun. They're really going for the throat here.

As I read sympathetically, the article ended abruptly. Below it, written in bold red letters—

"Continued on the WEB! Purchase via the Newspaper Club's homepage!"

I stared at the crimson Gothic letters and muttered, yet again, the recurring thought of today:

"…What the hell is this?"

Translator Notes

1. June Brides - The month of June is named after Juno, the Roman goddess of childbirth, fertility, and marriage. Ancient Romans believed that marrying in June would invite the blessings of Juno, so it's considered a lucky month to marry in. ↑

2. Ouen-gassen (応援合戦) - (lit. "cheer battle") is an event commonly held in Japanese school festivals or sports days. It typically involves ouendan (応援団), which is a traditional Japanese "cheer squad" similar to Western cheerleading squads, but characterized instead by intense shouting, drums, megaphones, etc. They are also typically wearing gakuran to project discipline. This specific thing seems to be a mashup of pom-girls (cheerleader outfits) and traditional gakuran. ↑

3. Gakuran (学ラン) - A traditional military-inspired Japanese school uniform. Generally either black or navy-blue, it has a stiff standing collar and several gold or brass buttons down the front. It is paired with matching black pants. ↑

4. Anpan (アンパン) - A classic Japanese sweet roll filled with anko (sweet red bean paste), very common snack found in almost every convenience store and baker in Japan. ↑

5. Toshocard (図書カード) - A prepaid card you can use in bookstores to purchase books. Chose not to localize this because it's a proper noun, but it's essentially a bookstore gift card (except, a Toshocard works at most major vendors). ↑

6. Ochuugen (お中元) - (lit. translates to "midyear gift") is a Japanese custom of giving gifts in the middle of the year, primarily in July, to express gratitude to those who have supported or helped the giver throughout the year. ↑

7. Tokusatsu (特撮) - (lit. "special filming") is a Japanese film genre that refers to live-action films and television dramas that utilize heavy special effects inspired from anime. One popular series is "Kamen Rider." ↑

8. This is in reference to the scene where Koto's making the comparisons between plum and curry back in Volume 2 with Komari. Thank you to Kom-Aa-ri Aa-gend-Aa on the Makeine Discord server for pointing this out to me. ↑

9. Shibusawa Eiichi is the face of the Japanese ten-thousand yen bill (roughly $100) as of 2024. In response to Komari saying that a thousand yen won't be enough to beat her, he says that he has a Shibusawa "waiting in the wings," threatening to spend all $100 'till he wins. ↑

10. Kitasato Shibasaburo (Kitasato-sensei) is the face of the thousand-yen bill as of 2024. When he says that his Shibusawa-san was reincarnated into a few Kitasato-senseis, he means his ten thousand yen bill had to be broken into a few thousand yen notes (small change), meaning he lost so many times that his bill was slaughtered into singles. ↑

11. The Japanese statement here is 「信用してないけど, 信じてる」or Shinyoushitenai kedo, shinjiteru. They are based off the same kanji—信. The two words, shin'you and shinjiru are both a type of trust. The first type of trust is a logical kind of trust; the kind you'd have towards someone who normally keeps promises (which is not Nukumizu). So Komari's saying that logically she can't trust him. But, the second kind of trust (which I translated as I believe in you), is the sort of trust that comes from the heart, based on faith and emotion. ↑

12. The term used in the Japanese is Kazoku Service (家族サービス) which refers to a Japanese social obligation for the busy "salaryman" father to spend his weekends on family outings to make up for their absence during the week. Nukumizu is basically likening his outing with the Komaris to a family service, calling them his family, lol. It implies domestic intimacy, which is why he corrects himself. ↑