『』『』『』『』
"It's so hot today..."
How many times had Kushida said that this summer? Still, it really was hot, there was no way around it. Even if saying it out loud only made her feel hotter, she couldn't help herself. Maybe cicadas were the only ones who actually enjoyed this kind of sweltering heat.
Heat aside, she'd gotten herself into an annoying situation. It was just an unfortunate coincidence, but still—why was it always him?
『Hey, hey, Kushida-chan. What should we get? Iced chocolate?』
"...Aren't you hot, wearing that in the middle of summer?"
『Huh? Not really. We're indoors, and the air conditioning's doing its job, right? It's pretty comfy in here. Besides, I like summer. I like the heat. It feels youthful.』
"Right....."
Right now, Kushida was stuck in an awkward situation. She'd run into Kumagawa by chance while heading to a café near Keyaki Mall. She just suddenly had a craving for iced chocolate on this hot day.
And just as she was about to enter the café, she bumped into him. Apparently, he'd also suddenly wanted iced chocolate after picking up the latest Shounen Jump from the convenience store.
『What, something wrong with my outfit? 』
"...No. Forget it, Kumagawa-kun. It's nothing."
『Alright. If you say so. 』
She almost pointed it out but held her tongue. He was wearing his Suisou Academy uniform. It was thick, as uniforms tended to be, and just looking at it made her feel even hotter.
Did he not feel the heat at all?
He did say he liked summer. So, aside from the cicadas, maybe Kumagawa was another creature that enjoyed this suffocating heat.
『But you know, I had a feeling I'd run into you here, Kushida-chan. Could it be that you've developed a little fondness for me? Is that it? 』
"...How does that even relate to fondness? More importantly, what do you mean you expected to see me here?"
Did he occasionally follow her?
The thought came to her naturally.
『Ahaha, didn't I tell you before? I know you better than you know yourself So if I expected to see you here mean that I know you more than you know yourself. 』
"....Eh?"
『Ah, maybe I should order a vanilla mix with coffe, I'm feeling kinda sleepy, I guess mixing sweet and bitter should work right? 』
"No, no. hold on, Kumagawa-kun! I just heard something seriously disturbing just now!"
『Eh? You mean mixing sweet and bitter?』
"No! The part before that!"
『I know you more than you know yourself? 』
"That's right, what do you mean by that?!"
It was one thing to be familiar with someone, but it was another thing entirely to claim to know them. And the way Kumagawa said it carried a strange nuance to it. She couldn't just brush off something that unsettling, especially when it was about her.
『Is there another way to interpret it? This is the first time I've heard someone question it. But if you're asking what I meant, then it simply means I know you more intimately than anyone else ever since that day.』
"...."
She gulped gulped at his words.
There was nothing reassuring in what she needed to be a reassurance. It was far more disturbing than anything she expected from him. She had already noticed how how easily he could read through her. But the way he said it now had a different kind of meaning that made it feel even more disturbing.
Especially those last few words.
"... huh. Just to be sure Kumagawa-kun, how long have you known this side of me? You're kind of implying that you knew even before what happened on the rooftop...."
Kushida had a feeling.
That Kumagawa knew something about her long before that incident. Ever since their first conversation in class, even though he was strange, there was something off about the way he spoke to her. His tone was always a little different compared to how he talked to others.
From the start, he'd spoken to her like she was an interesting specimen. It weirded her out at the time, but only made her "curious", not "cautious". It is not until that day on the rooftop, when one small mistake changed everything.
『Hmm... Remember that day on the bus? The first day of school. You asked the others to give their seat to an old lady, right? From that moment on, I pretty much knew what kind of person you were, Kushida-chan. 』
"E-eh...?"
That was basically the very beginning.
"...H-how?"
『When you do good deeds, you stand out, and not always in a good way. As long as you're human, as long as you're an individual, you can't just stay as that.』
"W-what?"
『There's no such thing as a person who only does good things. Just like there's no one who only does bad. Even someone like me, a "Minus" through and through, isn't made of pure malice or pure kindness. At least, not by my own standards.』
What kind of standard is that?
It was hard to tell what he meant by his standards. Knowing Kumagawa, his idea of "good" was probably something a normal person would classify as a "bad."
But one thing was certain—you couldn't easily label him as "good" or "bad".
Most people drew a line, dividing others into good or bad. But Kumagawa blurred that line from the very beginning, and mixed the two so naturally that trying to place him in either category felt meaningless.
『And because of that, it becomes easier to see through human facade. 』
"..."
Easier, he said...
He was basically reducing her to the simplest terms possible. Just because she was seen doing a good deed, he assumed it was a cover for bad. That she was hiding her real self behind it. It was a crude way of saying things, but then again, everything about him was crude.
『Besides, you reminded me of someone from my past. An underclassman of mine. Since you were similar in nature, mentality, and personality, so, I just naturally arrived at that conclusion.』
"Similar...? You were able to see through my facade just because I resembled someone else?"
It was one of the most stratling statement she heard all of her lives. Just because she was similiar to someone from his past, just because she was similiar in nature, mentality, and personality, her mask was perfectly seen thorugh. She was seen through.
"B-but that doesnt make any sense!"
She couldn't accept the idea that he saw through her mask for such a simple reason. There had to be something else. Maybe he'd heard a rumor, or someone from her class in the past knew him—just like that fortune teller girl who seemed to know Kumagawa. Maybe they told him something about what happened.
Yes, that had to be it.
『Hmm... But even so, why wouldn't it be possible for me to understand what kind of person you are? Like an appraiser identifying the age of a painting, why do you think I couldn't see through yours? 』
"...Because people don't work that way," she muttered, almost defensively. "Even appraiser need time to even identify the age of a painting, they can't just look at the painting, and guess everything about it, just like how you an't just look at someone and know everything about them."
『Why can't I? 』
"..."
His tone was light, but there was no trace of mockery in it and that made it even worse. He clearly wasn't joking and he genuinely believed it.
『Theoretically speaking, if an appraiser can tell the age of a painting just by looking at it, why wouldn't it be possible to do the same with people? If people are allowed to hide behind a smile, then isn't it only fair that someone else can see through it? 』
"...That's not what I meant..."
Her mouth opened, but that was all she could manage to say.
It felt like he still didn't get the point.
It wasn't that she rejected his way of thinking. In fact, he wasn't wrong. Humans were flawed creatures. Given enough time, anyone could be understood or even exposed. That much was true.
But the problem was time.
No human being was an open book from the moment they met someone. You couldn't understand a person without spending time with them, without knowing who they really were underneath the surface.
By that definition, what Kumagawa claimed shouldn't have been possible. Especially when he said he knew what kind of person Kushida was even before they had spoken with each other. In fact, they hadn't even met eyes on the bus, not even once. Which made his claim nothing short of impossible.
『Do you really think it's impossible? 』
"O-Obviously? There's no way you could've seen through me back then. We didn't know each other. We weren't close. We never talked. We didn't even make eye contact. And I didn't do anything out of the ordinary. There were plenty of other people on that bus acting just like me, so there's no way you could've picked up anything, Kumagawa-kun."
Her voice came out faster than she expected. She listed her points one after another—almost like she was convincing herself more than him.
『I wasn't aware of that kind of viewpoint. But if we turn a blind eye to the fact that your opinion is entirely wrong, then you make a fair point. But even so, it would still be wrong to assume that you're wrong simply because you're wrong.』
"What do you mean....?
She didn't understand what he was talking about. As usual, he was speaking in circles—rambling in that strange, detached way of his. But this time, even if it sounded incoherent and all over the place, Kushida felt a chill run down her spine.
『When you reach my level, the likes of you can't hope to hide anything. I already know all your deepest, dullest secrets. 』
"..."
Beneath the table, her hand began to tremble slightly.
Was it fear? She wasn't sure.
But one thing was certain—being around him made her feel deeply uncomfortable.
"A-Ahaha..."
She let out a weak laugh. It was the only response she could manage.
Because really, how was anyone supposed to respond to something like that?
Putting aside Kumagawa-kun's uncanny ability to read people, Kushida just wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. But for some reason, her legs wouldn't move. It wasn't just that they felt heavy, it was as if all the strength had drained from them. She didn't know if it was because of Kumagawa or something else, but her entire body felt weak.
『Ah, by the way, Kushida-chan. Did you hear something about a plan to go to the pool tomorrow? 』
"...Pool?"
The sudden shift in topic caught her off guard.
Why was he bringing up the pool now?
『That's right. Ike and Yamauchi suddenly messaged me and practically forced me to tag along to the pool tomorrow. Apparently, it's some kind of bonding event for classmates during the last stretch of summer break. 』
"...Those guys?"
That was strange.
It wasn't exactly a secret that Kumagawa wasn't popular in class. He didn't really talk to anyone, and most people kept their distance. The only ones she'd seen him interact with recently were Ayanokouji, Horikita, Matsushita, and herself.
There were others like Kouenji and Hirata, but even then, it barely counted as conversation. It wasn't like he was hated outright—well, he had been at certain points, but calling him well-liked would be a stretch.
Kushida herself had been invited by Karuizawa to hang out at the pool tomorrow with the girls, since summer break was nearly over. Of course, the boys would be there too—but the last people she expected to invite Kumagawa were Ike and Yamauchi.
They barely talked to him.
In fact, she remembered Kumagawa once mentioning they hadn't even added him to the boys' group chat. They only contacted him through direct messages.
So for them to invite him out of nowhere like this—something about it definitely felt off.
"So? What did they ask of you?"
『How horrible! Is that really what you expect!? That there has to be some kind of hidden motive when a friend invites another friend to the pool!? That kind of thinking between friends isn't healthy, Kushida-chan. 』
"...Do you seriously think anyone would approach you with pure goodwill?"
『... 』
He fell silent.
She knew it wasn't the most polite way to put it. But there wasn't really a better way to say it.
Because deep down, she couldn't believe that Ike or Yamauchi of all people would go out of their way to include Kumagawa without a reason. Especially not those two, who mostly thought with their lower halves.
『Well, anyway... are you planning to come too, Kushida-chan? To the pool tomorrow, I mean. 』
"I don't know... probably not? I've already committed myself to enjoying my last day of summer break lying around in bed."
Even though she'd been invited by Karuizawa, she still hadn't replied to the message. Normally, she would've accepted without a second thought.
But today... she just felt drained.
After everything that happened, and after dealing with the burden sitting in front of her now, she wanted nothing more than to relax and stay in her room.
『That's not good, especially when they specifically asked me to make sure you come to the pool tomorrow. 』
"...Eh?"
『Huh? Didn't I tell you? That was the condition they gave me, to bring you along to the pool tomorrow.』
"...No, you definitely didn't."
『Well, it's all right. Even if you don't come, I'll still go. Though I don't really know what I might end up doing, or might say. 』
"...What do you mean by that?"
There really wasn't a time she could feel at ease when dealing with the person in front of her.
Kumagawa Misogi.
He was a high schooler with a hobby of making things unnecessarily complicated whenever they didn't go his way. He was petty, especially with pointless things and he became a burden precisely because of that.
『I don't know. Since you're not going, that means I also don't know what I might do or say. So unless you go, I might know what I do or say. 』
"Haaah..."
She let out a long, tired sigh.
『But it's okay if you don't want to go. I understand. It's not like I was hoping you'd say yes or anything—』
"Shut up. Fine, I'll go. Is that what you want me to say?"
『Ehh, you'll really come? I'm touched. This must be what people call emotional manipulation—』
Ring. Ring. Ring
『Hmm? 』
His provocation was cut short by the sudden ringtone from his pocket. Without even checking the caller ID, Kumagawa casually answered.
『Hello. 』
. "—Kumagawa, it's me."
『Ah, Manabu-kun. 』
It was Horikita Manabu, the student council president.
A third-year upperclassman, known for his strict sense of discipline and order.
Calling him "Manabu-kun" like that was borderline disrespectful. No—completely disrespectful, especially given their positions.
"—That way of addressing me is inappropriate. Show at least a minimum level of respect."
『Ahahaha, unfortunately I'm not exactly familiar with the concept of respect. 』
"—...Then at least use 'senpai' when addressing me. I'm still technically your upperclassman."
『That's true. Then, Manabu-senpai, what do you need from me? 』
"—It's about student council work. We're currently reorganizing the structure, and there are still several areas that require adjustment. Since you've only just joined, I want you to get more familiar with how things operate. Tachibana will be there to assist you. Think of it as part of your training."
『That sounds like work. 』
"—It is work."
Horikita Manabu seemed to have an impressive level of patience. Despite Kumagawa's clear attempts to tease him, he didn't lose his temper. Kushida, who had been listening quietly to the exchange, couldn't help but feel that she had a lot to learn from the current student council.
『But aren't you the one who's supposed to be teaching me the ropes? Isn't it a bit neglectful for a student council president? Don't you feel ashamed throwing all the work onto your subordinate?』
"K-Kumagawa-kun...?"
What was with that sudden brazenness?
Sure, she knew how he was—bold, strange, and often unpredictable—but still, that was the student council president. Even the school staff treated the position with a certain level of respect.
Unlike in other schools, the student council here actually held a considerable amount of influence. This was a government-sponsored institution, after all. It made sense that there were perks to the role.
So why was he provoking him like that?
Fortunately, Manabu didn't seem offended. Or rather, maybe he had expected that level of disrespect from Kumagawa.
"—It's true I would normally handle that myself. But there are other matters I need to take care of since I won't be here much longer—graduation isn't far off. That's why I'm relying on Tachibana to guide you through the process."
『Okay. 』
Kumagawa accepted it without fuss, as if nothing had happened.
『Oh, by the way, can I bring someone with me? 』
"Wait—Kumagawa-kun, hold on—!"
Kushida was caught completely off guard. She already had a bad feeling the moment he opened his mouth. And sure enough, she could see exactly where this was going. Without waiting for a response, she quickly tried to cut him off.
But she was too late.
"—You mean Kushida?"
『Yup. She's my unofficial manager, right? The one who's supposed to help out with our rebellion against the enemy. Right, Kushida-chan? 』
He turned to her with a bright, innocent smile.
"...Don't just decide that on your own."
『But you're coming to the pool tomorrow, right? So what's one more little outing before that? I'm helping you build character. 』
She didn't even know what that meant.
"—I'll allow it," Manabu responded without hesitation. "She'll be the one supporting you anyway. Letting her observe for now is reasonable... of course, under the assumption that she'll be joining the student council next year as a second-year."
"...Eh?"
She froze.
That single line cut off any chance of escape.
He was basically telling her that if she helped Kumagawa now, then the natural course of action was to join the student council once she became a second-year. And since she was already stuck in a position where she had no choice but to support Kumagawa, the outcome was practically decided.
How did things even come to this point...?
If this had developed naturally, maybe she would've felt happy. Maybe she would've even been proud. But nothing about this turn of events made her feel happy at all.
If push came to shove, by next year, she might even find herself standing against the third years—Nagumo Miyabi's faction.
The future student council president.
And, as it happened, the very enemy Kumagawa had casually mentioned before.
Really...
How did things end up like this...?
"—That's all I had to say, Tachibana should be on her way to the student council room by now. Make sure you don't keep her waiting."
『Roger that, Manabu-senpai. 』
"—...And try not to cause any trouble."
The call ended with a quiet click, leaving behind a short silence.
『Well, you heard him. Shall we go, Kushida-chan? It's time for our exciting unpaid labor experience. 』
"...."
How did it come to this... That was what Kushida couldn't help but think, but the ship had already sailed—sometimes you just had to resign yourself to things.
But still....
How did things come to this....?
『』『』『』『』『』
『...It appears to be locked. 』 he said.
They had arrived in front of the student council room as instructed by the student council president. Kumagawa-kun casually reached for the door handle and gave it a tug—only to be denied entry by the firm resistance of the lock.
"Oh my. I guess Tachibana-senpai hasn't arrived yet," Kushida said.
She made her voice sound as natural as as possible.
According to what Horikita-senpai had said, Tachibana-senpai was supposed to be helping with the reorganization efforts too, and should've already been here. But apparently, she wasn't.
She had the feeling that this wouldn't do anything but delay any upcoming developments, but... it was still a development. If there was a chance to avoid being dragged into this completely, this was it.
No one was in the student council room. That meant there was nothing to do. And if there was nothing to do, then leaving was the most natural course of action.
"For the room to be locked like this, that means Tachibana-senpai hasn't arrived yet. So, Kumagawa-kun, let's just go back. I thought you didn't like waiting? Let's leave while we can—"
She said it half out of instinct and half out of hope.
She felt that she needed to say something, if only to delay the inevitable conclusion that her school life was heading toward something worrying. Even if it was just a small effort to get Kumagawa-kun to go back and stall whatever development was waiting ahead, it was still worth trying.
But, her judgment was too slow.
BOOM!
When she turned her head, it was already too late.
Kumagawa-kun was standing in front of the now-wide-open door, glancing over his shoulder with a puzzled look on his face.
『Eh? Did you say something, Kushida-chan?』
The door hinge had been completely ripped out from the frame. It wasn't kicked or broken off, it was ripped. The wooden edges around the lock were splintered, the screws were bent, and part of the knob was still dangling from his hand.
How should she say this.
It was an act of destruction carried out with no hesitation or indecision—it was a deed that made it seem like locks were meant to be destroyed and not simply opened.
Even if Kumagawa-kun had the key tucked neatly in his uniform pocket and even if it took the exact same amount of time to insert and turn the key, She had no doubt he still would've chosen this exact method.
It was true absurdity.
"No... I didn't say anything."
Finding it ridiculous to argue about the destruction—or even bother warning him—Kushida simply shook her head. At the end of the day, this had nothing to do with her. And even if someone questioned her later—Why didn't you stop him?—what could she possibly say?
Was it really possible for a delicate girl like her to stop someone with the strength to do... this?
She glanced at the broken door.
It was, in a way, impressive.
The entire metal hinge had been torn clean from the frame, splinters of wood scattered around the floor. It wasn't the kind of thing you saw in everyday life—it was something straight out of a anime or a movie.
To put it in a terms, Kumagawa-kun would understand, it was something only a Shounen Jump protagonist could pull off.
How much strength did you even need to do something like this?
Not that it was completely impossible, after all, she'd seen videos of similar things online. But even then, it still took some effort to do something similiar. It wasn't the kind of thing you could do casually... not like how Kumagawa-kun had done it just now.
"...Then, what are you going to do about this?"
Kushida pointed at the destroyed student council door, her voice caught somewhere between disbelief and resignation.
『Ahaha, what's done is done, right? No point crying over broken doors. For a second, I did think about opening it with a key. But I didn't have one. And honestly, opening a locked door with a key just to get inside a locked room, would be really cliché. 』He said.
With the same tone of voice as he always used, even after committing blatant act of vandalism, his attitude really never change.
"Haah. Well, whatever."
Kushida let out a tired sigh and stepped into the student council room once more.
For what it was, the room was surprisingly tidy. In fact, it was spotless—if you ignored the completely destroyed door.
There were several stacks of paper neatly arranged on the desk.
Of course, that was to be expected. It would've been more suspicious not to see paperwork, especially considering what Horikita-senpai had said earlier about the student council currently undergoing a reorganization.
"How should we start, then?" Kushida asked.
Since things had already come this far, she might as well go along with it. If helping Kumagawa meant ending this ordeal faster, she'd do it.
『What do you mean, start? We're just waiting right now, aren't we? I don't know a thing about this room. I don't even know which desk is mine. For stuff like this, I can only rely on Tachibana-senpai. If I start messing with things on my own, I'll probably end up breaking something.』
"Didn't you already broke the door....?"
『Ah, well, I just really don't like stuff like that. Barriers and doors, I kind of wish the whole idea of separation would disappear. I'd rather be inside than kept outside, you know?』
What kind of logic was that?
There would be no "inside" or "outside" at all if the whole concept of separation disappeared. Once again, he was spouting nonsense.
『Now that we've cleared up that little misunderstanding, let's just wait for Tachibana-senpai or whoever's coming. 』
And with that, Kumagawa-kun extended an arm from the sofa, grabbed the copy of Weekly Shonen Jump that put under his uniform opened it to a page in the middle, and placed it on his face.
To think he'd use Shonen Jump for something like that.
His actions were strangely full of affection.
A complete opposite to act the destruction he had caused earlier.
Then what was the point of smashing down the student council door in the first place? No matter how you looked at it, it was an unnecessary act of vandalism, carried out without a second thought.
There was no real difference between waiting outside the room and inside it.
The only thing that changed was the few feet of space.
If Tachibana-senpai saw this, there was no doubt she'd be furious.
And as if summoned by that very thought, Tachibana Akane, the student council secretary arrived right on cue.
"W-w-what the hell happened here?!"
She froze in the doorway, her eyes wide with disbelief. Her gaze dropped to the splintered door on the floor, shifted to the scattered screws, then moved to the half-torn hinge still hanging off the frame... and finally landed on the two people inside the student council room.
Without saying a word, Kushida turned and silently pointed at Kumagawa.
The mastermind and the culprit behind the broken door was now sprawled out lazily on the sofa, a copy of weekly Shonen Jump still covering his face like an eye mask. Apparently, he'd fallen asleep in just a matter of minutes.
Well... to be fair, the sofa did look really comfortable. Kushida couldn't exactly blame him for dozing off.
But still, this timing was the worst possible moment for him to be asleep.
Tachibana stepped inside stiffly, like someone walking through a crime scene.
"...Seriously...what the hell happened here."
Tachibana Akane stood frozen for a moment, eyes wide as she took in the scene before her. Then, slowly, she crouched down and picked up a loose screw from the floor, staring at it like it might offer some sort of logical explanation for the absurdity she was seeing.
"Did he really... break the door?"
"Ahaha... yeah, it kind of just... happened."
Kushida let out a small laugh and scratched her cheek, offering a soft, apologetic smile. Even to her own ears, the words "it kind of just happened" sounded ridiculous. But as unbelievable as it was... it really did "kind just of happened."
There was no point trying to make excuses. The door was clearly broken, screws scattered across the floor, and only two people were in the room. One was a well-liked girl with a good reputation and plenty of friends. The other was a known troublemaker, infamous throughout the school. Anyone could guess who the culprit was at a glance.
"Why...? What even led to this?"
"Umm... I think he said he didn't have a key, so.... he sort of, opened it his way." Kushida scratched her cheek, choosing her words carefully.
That was the most reasonable excuse she could offer. Any other explanation would've sounded even more absurd than the truth.
And as expected, her carefully chosen words didn't exactly help. If anything, they seemed to make Tachibana-senpai even more upset.
To be honest, even she didn't fully understand how things ended up like this. Kumagawa's behavior didn't follow any clear logic or principle to begin with. But, If the human known as Kumagawa Misogi had anything like a behavioral principle, then in a single word, it would be that he was nothing but "illogical."
Without saying a word, Tachibana stepped toward Kumagawa, who was now fast asleep on the sofa. Then, she turned to Kushida with a silent look, one that clearly asked for permission. Kushida understood right away what that look meant, and what kind of action was about to follow.
Kushida covered her mouth, and gave a small nod.
Permission granted.
Without hesitation, Tachibana turned the clipboard in her hand sideways and drove it straight into Kumagawa's upper abdomen. It wasn't just a light jab, that action had quite the merciless power behind it.
This student council secretary had a surprisingly violent side.
Then again, considering it was Kumagawa, the kind of person who naturally brought out the worst in others, her reaction felt almost justified.
『Cough. 』
Luckily, there weren't any surveillance cameras in the student council room, so her little act of violence was safe. And with Kushida's silent approval, there was no one around who'd report her for it anyway.
『Co-cough... Huh? Tachibana-senpai? When did you get here? Also, is this some kind of S&M play? 』
"Don't say weird things right after waking up."
『Ah, sorry, sorry. It just felt like the appropriate thing to say when waking up to a hit in the stomach. 』
"...."
"...."
『Well? Since I'm awake now, can I ask what's with the unnecessary act of violence? Was that your way of hiding your embarrassment, Tachibana-senpai? You couldn't bring yourself to gently wake me, so you resorted to something more aggressive? If that's the case, then I must say you're underestimating me. I quite enjoy this kind of thing, you know.』
"What's with that, suddenly? That's kind of disgusting..."
She ended up normally calling him disgusting.
『So, what is it? 』
"...Before we go any further, can we talk about the door?"
『Oh? What about it?』
"The fact that it's not there anymore!"
She pointed firmly at the entrance, where the student council room door used to be. The hinge was torn clean off, the door resting against the floor like some discarded prop.
"You broke it down!"
『I prefer to call it proactive entry. 』
"...I prefer to call it grounds for suspension."
『Well, that's just semantics. 』
Kushida, standing off to the side, raised a hand meekly amidst the argument.
"Umm... if it helps, I can try contacting the maintenance staff later, maybe say it was an accident...?"
Tachibana then turned toward Kushida, letting out a small breath as she tried to rein in her anger.
"Kushida-san... was it? I appreciate the thought, really. But in the end, it all comes down to points. Even though we technically have access to the student council's emergency fund, there's no way I want to use it to cover something he caused." Tachibana turned to glare sharply at Kumagawa again.
"Ahaha... Right," Kushida replied with a soft laugh
From her point of view, it really was unreasonable to waste student council funds on what was clearly Kumagawa's personal act of destruction. And judging by Tachibana-senpai's tone, she was the type who didn't want to cause unnecessary work for Horikita-senpai either.
What a proper, responsible secretary.
『Money, money, money. It always comes back to money in the end, huh?』Kumagawa muttered lazily, still stretched out on the sofa.『Well, as luck would have it, if it's something that can be resolved with money, then just say so. I have plenty of money to spare. Think of it as a donation to the school infrastructure. 』
He's talking like he wasn't the source of the problem. Cheeky, considering he was the one who tore the door off like it was made of cardboard. For someone with a habit of making things unnecessarily complicated, he sure had the nerve to treat it all so casually.
"I think I should go call the maintenance staff now, It's better if the door gets fixed as soon as possible... before the president finds out." She turned slightly toward Tachibana, giving her a gentle smile. "I'll explain that it was an accident on our part. Don't worry, I'll also make sure they charge Kumagawa-kun for the repair."
Tachibana nodded, clearly relieved someone was being responsible. "...Thank you. I appreciate it, Kushida-san."
It really was better to handle this quickly. Even though she wasn't the one who broke the door, just being with Kumagawa could get her caught up in the blame. And getting scolded by the student council president was the last thing she wanted.
Especially Horikita Manabu. Just imagining his cold stare was enough to send a chill down her spine. That kind of awkward confrontation definitely wasn't her style.
With that in mind, Kushida quietly excused herself, slipping out of the student council room, leaving only Tachibana and Kumagawa behind.
"...You seriously have no sense of remorse, do you?" Tachibana said with an exhausted sigh, arms crossed as she stared at him.
『Remorse, huh... That's a heavy word, Tachibana-senpai. But if it makes you feel better, I'll seriously reflect on my actions . 』
"Don't bother pretending, Just don't cause any more trouble. I already have enough on my plate with the reorganization. I don't want to have to explain to Manabu-kun as to why the door was missing."
『Oh well, 』 Kumagawa replied with a shrug. 『Anyway, what exactly am I supposed to do today? Manabu-senpai said I should help with the reorganization, but he never gave me the specifics. Should I help out with paperwork? Or maybe I should go inspect the club rooms instead?』
"...What do club rooms have to do with this?"
『Well, isn't this a reorganization? I figured that if we're reorganizing things, then clubs should be included too. You know, starting from the foundation. 』
"...It's the student council that's being reorganized. Not the entire school. Clubs have nothing to do with it. The reason we're doing this is because a new member is coming soon, and you're a new member. That's what I meant."
『Ehh, really? That sounds like such a waste of a good opportunity. Honestly, that's the kind of thing only someone narrow-minded would say. Shouldn't we take this chance to do a full overhaul? We could even rename some clubs. Like, the Cullinary club could become the Naked Appron Alliance or something along those lines.』
Tachibana let out a long sigh, pressing her fingers to her temple.
She really couldn't understand what the president was thinking when he brought someone like Kumagawa into the student council. And not just as any member—he made him the vice president. Vice president. Of all people.
With his reputation and personality, it felt like nothing good would come from it. In fact, just his involvement might already be dragging down the credibility and dignity of the student council.
Even that rude, brown-haired boy who always looked like he got nothing to live for, seemed like a better choice than Kumagawa.
Still, it was the president's decision. He must have had his own reasons for allowing someone like Kumagawa to join. All she could do now was trust his judgment and continue to support him, just like always.
"...Anyway, let me explain what you're actually supposed to do."
She walked over to the table, picked up a few neatly stacked documents, and handed them to Kumagawa.
"These are basic internal student council documents. Mostly related to student records, nothing too sensitive. The more important stuff is usually handled directly by the teacher and the rest of the school staff. We just manage a lighter version, basically."
She paused for a moment, making sure he was actually listening before continuing.
"Since we're reorganizing things, you'll be helping process and sort these. It's a good way to get you used to how things work. You are the vice president now, after all, so you're expected to assist the president regularly." Then she added flatly, "Though let's be honest, that role will mostly fall on me anyway."
『So, it's a paper-pushing job? 』
"It's called groundwork!"
『.... 』
Even if it was called groundwork, Kumagawa thought, it didn't change the fact that it was just a glorified paper-pushing job in the end. He then picked up one of the papers from the stack and began to skim through it.
It was a student profile sheet—one of the many the council handled. The information wasn't anything too sensitive: name, class, club affiliation, and other general details. But still, even if it was called harmless, it didn't change the fact that it was personal student data.
The student council really did hold a considerable amount of influence over the student body.
"Also, if you're unsure about anything, just ask me. I was tasked to help you after all."
『Huhuhu. It seems you're underestimating me, Tachibana-senpai. Did you know? Back at my old school, they used to call me the best vice president. I even had fans because of it. 』
Tachibana raised an eyebrow at that statement.
"So...? Am I supposed to be impressed?"
She wasn't trying to be cold—it was just that she genuinely didn't know how to respond to something like that. Faced with such a bold and unprovable claim, that kind of reaction came out naturally.
『.... 』
"..."
Without another word, Kumagawa picked up the next sheet of paper and began to work.
Of course, all of it was under Tachibana's supervision. But to her surprise, he didn't seem completely clueless, as if he already knew how things worked. Then again, it made sense, she remembered reading in his file that he'd served as both a student council president and vice president at his previous schools.
Given that, it wasn't entirely surprising that he could handle some paperwork.
Still, that didn't mean she was about to let her guard down.
If anything, knowing exactly what kind of person Kumagawa Misogi was, Tachibana felt even more compelled to keep a close eye on him.
After a few minutes of quiet and steady work, it became clear that this was going to take a while. Kumagawa was tasked with compiling and sorting through the student body records, from first to third year. Nearly three hundred students in total.
Tachibana occasionally helped out, giving quick pointers or checking his progress, but she wasn't focused solely on the documents. She had her own set of tasks to manage, leaving Kumagawa to handle the easier portion of the workload.
It was clearly just an introductory task, meant to ease him into how the student council operated. As she worked, Tachibana explained things along the way—how certain procedures worked, how the documents were organized, and what to do in specific situations.
Kumagawa listened while casually continuing the task, giving off an air that made it hard to tell whether he was really paying attention or not.
After a while, they heard a voice from behind the non existent door.
"Excuse me."
It was Kushida, returning with the maintenance staff in tow. One of the workers gave the broken doorframe a quick once-over and let out a small sigh, while the other silently took out some tools from his bag.
"Tachibana-senpai, I explained the situation as an accident. They said they'll handle it quietly," Kushida reported with a polite and calm tone.
Tachibana gave a nod, visibly relieved. "Good work, Kushida-san. That really helps."
Fortunately, the damage wasn't as bad as it looked. The metal hinge had come off, but it could be replaced easily enough. The screws just needed to be refitted. The door itself had a crack along the edge, and the lock was damaged, but it was still manageable. The workers estimated it could be fixed by the end of the day.
That said, the creak from the cracked frame would probably stick around. It wouldn't be a perfect repair, but compared to the alternative, it was acceptable. They could just play dumb about it, or make up a small excuse if anyone asked.
Kushida turned her eyes toward Kumagawa, who was still at the desk, flipping through a stack of documents in the most half-hearted way possible.
"...So, how's it going here?"
『Mm...』He lazily shifted his gaze toward her, like someone just waking up from a nap.
Honestly, it felt like even if it had been a stray dog walking into the student council office, he would've reacted the same way.
『Oh... It's just Kushida-chan.』
"...."
『So, you were alive, huh? That's great.』
Apparently, somewhere in his mind, she'd been declared dead, and this was despite the fact that she had left specifically to clean up the mess he caused in the first place. Just what kind of person casually pronounces someone dead and moves on? Although, knowing him, it wasn't like he thought that deeply to begin with.
Still, putting that aside, it seemed like Kumagawa was at least doing the task. Even if he was going about it in a very half-hearted manner.
"Umm... what should I do now?" Kushida asked softly, glancing at the papers.
Even though she had been dragged here against her will, the president had given his approval. But still, she wasn't officially part of the student council. That made it difficult to gauge how involved she should be. There was no clear role for her, so she was unsure how to contribute.
Tachibana turned to her without hesitation.
"You can help Kumagawa-kun with the documents. The president already informed me about you, so you're allowed to assist with the basic work."
"Ah, I see...Got it." Kushida nodded.
She didn't mind helping, if anything, the faster this ended, the better.
『Ah, Kushida-chan. You take that pile on the right—sort it by class first, and then by student number. After that, don't forget to cross-reference them with the attendance records in this binder here. 』
"....."
Kushida looked slightly confused.
When he took up the position of Student Council vice president, she hadn't expected this at all from him. Yet unexpectedly, as if he truly did have prior experience, Kumagawa-kun was properly fulfilling his student council duties.
He did say he had prior experience in student councils before, but hearing it and seeing it in action were two very different things.
『Hm? You suddenly turned quiet. What's the matter, Kushida-chan? Aren't you supposed to obey my request, and do just as I told you? 』
Obey his request...
In the first place, "obey" and "request" are two words that shouldn't even be used in the same sentence. It's not a request if it has to be obeyed, or rather If it has to be obeyed, then it's not a request in the first place. But for him, whether it's an "order" or a "request," the distinction probably doesn't mean anything at all.
Still, what made it more annoying was how rational his request had been.
If it had been the usual strange nonsense, she could've just ignored it—or maybe thrown in a clever comeback while she was at it. But this time, what he said actually made sense, at least from a student council standpoint—or rather, from a work standpoint.
Recently, she'd found herself wanting to win an argument against him. Maybe not just once—maybe every time. She wasn't sure whether that was a good sign or not, but the impulse was definitely growing stronger.
『Also, you should use this as a chance. 』
"...A chance?"
『Looking at the current state of things, isn't it better for you to remember the names and faces of the student body from first to third years? It'd help you socialize better, right? These documents have a general outline of what kind of students they are. 』
"But why...?"
『Aren't you the type who likes being the center of attention? What's the point if you don't know who to talk to? You know, like a chef who doesn't bother tasting their own cooking. 』
"..."
It was a surprisingly practical suggestion—but why a chef? Wouldn't a teacher or counselor make more sense in this context? Kumagawa-kun's odd metaphors were definitely part of what made him so unpleasant to deal with.
Still, Kushida began working without much complaint.
Kumagawa really did know her better than she liked to admit. He understood what kind of person she was, and what would be the best for her
The documents contained general information on the entire student body. Nothing particularly confidential, but enough to give her an idea of who's who, especially among the upperclassmen.
Of course, it was impossible to memorize all nearly three hundred students in detail. But for now, it was enough to start with the important ones. She could always follow up with real interactions later.
After what felt like several hours, Kumagawa and Kushida had finally sorted and organized all the student documents.
Though there were a few hiccups along the way, mostly caused by Kumagawa's unreasonable action or his annoyingly half-hearted action, they still managed to finish the task. In fact, despite how it started, Kushida found herself unexpectedly enjoying it. She ended up learning quite a lot about the students in the school, especially the important ones.
Even for her, memorizing the full student body was asking too much. But having a general idea of who mattered most in each year would definitely give her an edge in the future.
"That should be enough for today," Tachibana said as she approached. "Most of the important sorting was done a few days ago, so what you two did today was mostly cleanup and final checks. We'll handle the rest after the new semester officially begins."
She glanced at the stacked documents on the table, then gave a small approving nod.
"Thanks for your help, both of you."
Kushida offered a polite smile, while Kumagawa simply stretched his arms as if waking up from a long nap.
『Haha. This is kind of a pain. Honestly, I was thinking about giving up halfway and just spending the rest of the time trying to peek at Kushida-chan's panties if she allowed it. But since that idea got scrapped, I figured I may as well try doing the job properly.』
"...That's sexual harassment, Kumagawa-kun."
He really didn't have any hesitation throwing out questionable remarks—especially in front of the student council secretary. It was like he operated under a different rulebook entirely... or maybe he just threw the rulebook away altogether.
And to top it off, he even called the work a pain....
As she'd suspected, Kumagawa-kun didn't seem to have any particular attachment to the vice president position at all. Then again, he'd treated the threat of expulsion with the same kind of nonchalance. So perhaps it wasn't just about the title—maybe he didn't have any real attachment to the school itself.
If that was really the case, then why did he even accept the position in the first place?
Was it just on a whim? Or was there some other reason behind it?
Kushida glanced at Kumagawa, who was now balancing a pen on his nose while staring blankly at the ceiling. There wasn't even the slightest hint of ambition in his expression, nor any desire to be praised or acknowledged.
He didn't seem like he wanted to do something meaningful, nor did he appear to be trying to sabotage anything either.
Either way, it really seemed like a waste of effort to try and make logical sense of someone like him, someone who lived in contradiction. Trying to understand him would just lead to a dead end.
For now, it's better to finish things first.
"Tachibana-senpai, should we store the documents back now?" she asked, holding the neatly arranged stack with both hands.
"Yes. Just place them in the cabinet by the window. I'll take care of the rest," Tachibana replied, already flipping through a different folder.
Even though she said the task was basically finished, it was clear that her own work hadn't slowed down at all. Tachibana Akane truly embodied the role of a student council secretary, serious, dependable, and efficient. She even helped them earlier while still managing her own responsibilities without complaint.
What a role model of a secretary.
Kushida gently placed the last stack of documents into the cabinet and closed it gentlely. Then, she dusted off her skirt and looked toward Tachibana with a polite smile.
"Thank you for your guidance today, Tachibana-senpai. I'll take my leave now."
Tachibana glanced up briefly, gave a small nod, then returned to her paperwork. "Thanks for the help. I'll see you around."
Kushida turned toward Kumagawa, who was already halfway to the door. The door, now halfway fixed by the maintenance staff, creaked faintly as a screwdriver twisted in place. It looked like the repair would be done soon, good timing, considering the new semester was just around the corner.
At the very least, they wouldn't start the term with a gaping hole in the student council's entrance.
Just as Kushida was about to leave the student council office, she noticed Kumagawa wasn't following. Instead, he was standing still, staring absentmindedly at the maintenance staff fixing the door.
"What are you staring at...?"
『Hmm... Seeing it like this, it really makes me realize how little semblance of strength control I have. I think I should fix that part of me. I mean, look at this, it's pretty brutal no matter how you look at it. Normally, it's not like this. Despite how I look, I'm actually pretty gentle, you know. 』
"...Rather than strength control, I think you should fix your self-control first."
He really was hopeless in that regard.
If there was anything he truly lacked, it was that. Self-control. And also, forget being gentle, that might've been the roughest way anyone had ever opened a door in the history of the school.
"Look, Tachibana-senpai is really glaring at you right now."
Kushida subtly pointed in the secretary's direction.
Sure enough, Tachibana was glaring daggers at Kumagawa from her desk. Every slight movement Kumagawa made seemed to put her on edge, like she was expecting him to randomly set the room on fire next. It was safe to assume her faith in him had already dug past rock bottom and started tunneling into the earth's core.
『Kushida-chan, Kushida-chan, do you think Tachibana-senpai is interested in me? 』
"..."
How did he even arrive at that conclusion?
"C'mon, let's leave already."
Without waiting for a response, Kushida grabbed Kumagawa by the collar and started dragging him away from the doorway.
『Kushida-chan, if you keep treating me this rough, I might really fall for you, you know. I'm the type who gets attached easily when shown a little care—even if it's just by being dragged around. 』
"Shut up."
Despite his usual disgusting sentence, he didn't let go until they were well away from the student council office.
It wasn't that she was in a hurry to be anywhere in particular—she just didn't want to leave Kumagawa hanging around Tachibana-senpai any longer than necessary.
Kushida felt oddly at ease around Tachibana-senpai. Maybe it was her maturity, or the way she took her responsibilities seriously without ever complaining. She just gave off the kind of presence that made you want to cooperate.
And maybe that was why she didn't want to make things harder for her.
If Kumagawa was going to cause trouble, and he probably would, then Kushida figured it was better to keep him moving rather than let him loiter and pile on more headaches for Tachibana-senpai.
Lately, it seemed like she could easily get along with anyone who happened to suffer thanks to Kumagawa. It created a strange kind of camaraderie. Of course, there were a few people she wouldn't mind seeing being dragged down by Kumagawa's nonsense... but that was another story.
Once they were far enough from the student council office, Kushida finally let go of Kumagawa's collar.
He lazily adjusted it, brushing off invisible wrinkles with the grace of someone who had clearly grown used to being manhandled.
『Anyway, Kushida-chan, despite my deep and profound love for being dragged around, and despite your hidden passion for rough-handling people, don't forget our lovely plan for tomorrow pool event. 』
"Don't say disgusting things like that..."
Just what kind of indecent nonsense had he been spouting lately?
For the record, she didn't like manhandling anyone.
That phrasing sounded wrong in every possible way. But disturbingly enough, it did seem true that Kumagawa enjoyed being tossed around by girls.
It really is kind of disgusting when she put it like that.
Gross.
Still, putting aside his usual offhanded perversion—
"pool," huh...
She was tired from today's unexpected student council work, but the idea of cooling off at the pool didn't sound all that bad. If only Kumagawa wasn't part of the equation. But clearly, that was asking too much.
Still, just to test the waters, she spoke.
"What if—just what if, Kumagawa-kun—I decided not to show up tomorrow? What would you do then?"
It was just a throwaway "what if." question.
But knowing him, she had a bad feeling about what that might lead to. He had told her before that he'd say or do something if she didn't show. Whatever that meant, she didn't know, but knowing his personality, it was probably something annoying, dramatic, or outright petty.
He really was that kind of human being.
『I'd probably say or do something I'm not supposed to. But that's really worst case scenario.』
"Worst case scenario...?"
『If it came to that, I might not go at all. 』
"...!!! Then, then why not just not go from the start?! There's a slight chance I won't show up, so wouldn't it be better if you didn't come too!?"
She didn't expect that kind of response, and because of that, Kushida felt a flicker of excitement. If there was even the slightest chance she could scrap the whole pool event and skip out entirely, then this might've been it.
But of course, Kumagawa knew exactly how to twist that fleeting excitement into disappointment without hesitation
『And why should I go to the trouble of doing that? It seems easier to just force you to come rather than me not coming at all.』
"???"
She didn't get it.
She really didn't get it.
But one thing was clear—her suggestion had been dismissed without hesitation. Just like that, her hopes were dashed by him.
Kushida let out a long sigh, her shoulders slumping in visible defeat.
『Don't worry, Kushida-chan. I've already made the plans and you not coming was factored in from the start. 』
"...So you're saying you were planning to drag me out no matter what?"
『So, you've come to the same conclusion too, Kushida-chan. 』
Hearing that kind of lackluster response might have snapped something inside her. The more she thought about it, the more it felt like her stress had reached some kind of breaking point. Maybe it was the heat, or maybe it was just him—but either way, there was no hope of cooling down now.
"Why is it always me...!? Is this your idea of fun, Kumagawa-kun? Are you seriously doing all this just to mess with me!? First the surprise student council work, now this pool thing, what even is this? Some weird form of harassment? Are you trying to torture me mentally and physically on purpose or something!?"
『Haha, 』
He laughed.
It was incredible how easily he could laugh while someone else was in the middle of a mental breakdown.
『What are you saying, Kushida-chan? As the vice president of the student council, it's obviously my duty to make the manager's life easier at least once in their life. So the idea was to make your life more vibrant. You don't have to thank me.』
Vibrant, he said.
And with that, the conversation just... died out. Because really, what else could she say to that?
Whether she agreed or not, it was clear she'd be dragged to the pool tomorrow. Worse, if she didn't show up, she'd have no idea what he might do or say in her absence. Knowing him, that might actually be the more dangerous option.
She really was no match for Kumagawa.
『END』
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