Kenkyo, Kenjitsu o Motto ni Ikite Orimasu

Sakura and I visited a chocolatier.

This store had a high class (and indulgent) chocolate parfait that it was well known for.

People often said that chocolate calmed the nerves, didn’t they. By all means, please let Sakura-chan eat some. Come, Sakura-chan.

Mmhu~ Yummy. Luxuriating in the taste of parfaits is the best.

“There’s been a girl trying to get close to Takumi,” she began.

“I see~”

“You don’t believe me.”

“Well that’s just not truee.”

I was lying of course; I didn’t believe her. Akizawa-kun honestly wasn’t anywhere near as popular as Sakura-chan seemed to think.

“You’re underestimating him too much, Reika. Don’t you remember how there was some kouhai that liked him before?”

“Kouhai…? Ah, now that you mention it.”

She had a point. Back then I thought she was just being blinded by jealousy, but when I asked a well-informed friend of Ririna’s it turns out that there really was a kouhai in the track club that had a crush on him. I’m pretty sure that girl gave up on him in the end though, so it all turned out okay.

“So who is it this time?”

“Didn’t I tell you during the summer? The 1st Year manager of the track club.”

According to Sakura-chan, that manager girl had sent Akizawa-kun quite a few emails.

“Wasn’t she just sending him updates on the club?”

“She wasn’t. Does ‘Senpai, how about we go out with everyone sometime?’ sound that way to you?”

“Eh-, you’ve gone through his emails?”

“As if I would just secretly go through his phone. While Takumi was looking at his emails I pretended to cosy up and flirt with him and used that chance to look.”

“You’re amazing…”

“Anyway, it’s just too suspicious, right? I only saw a few of her emails but I bet the rest were like that too. And during the Athletics Carnival she gave him a towel and there were other incidents too…”

“That was just cheering on the Track Club as the manager, right?”

I remember her telling me at the time about how she gave him a towel as well to even the odds.

“And hasn’t Akizawa-kun been using the towel you gave him? There’s nothing to worry about then.”

“You just can’t understand the anxiety of somebody whose crush goes to a different school, Reika. I’m more than just a childhood friend but I still haven’t become his girlfriend yet. As if that wasn’t bad enough I have to go to a different school too, which is why I’ve been asking you to keep a lookout for me but what have you been doing instead.”

“Sorry…”

I suppose I should have at least given a cursory check of it. Uuu, Sakura-chan was making a scary face… She was calling me useless with her eyes…

“I uh, think I’ll go look at the chocolates on display,” I said to escape from her reproachful gaze. Hopefully the chocolate parfait would work its calming wonders on her while I was gone.

The display was filled with delicious chocolates being showcased. I considered bringing some of these back with me. Oh, and then I could give some to Yukino-kun. A token of thanks for the little prince that protected me from a scoundrel. Yukino-kun was so cute back then.

“Reika-san…?”

“Eh-”

I turned around to find none other than Maihama-san.

“Gokigen’yoh, Maihama-san. What a coincidence.”

“Yes, it really is. Are you here on your own, Reika-san?”

“No, I am accompanying a friend today.”

“Hmmm~”

Maihama-san gave me a once-over.

“You had better not be following Masaya-sama about again. You’re being an eyesore, you know?”

That was my line. Who else but her was following Kaburagi about.

“Ah, but it isn’t just Masaya-sama, is it. At the firefly-watching party you were making eyes at Shuusuke-sama from the Enjou family too, weren’t you! Don’t you have any principles?”

Hey! There are people watching so stop saying weird things! Wai-, was it intentional!?

“I would appreciate it if you refrained from making scandalous accusations,” I replied, “You are free to love Kaburagi-sama as you wish but could you perhaps keep me out of it? To be frank, you are irritating me.”

“Hmph. Like you can talk. Don’t think I can’t see what you’re planning!”

Stop shouting, damnit! When my mouth pouted unconsciously, Maihama-san sneered.

“Are you trying to store food in those cheek pouches of yours? You look disgraceful. How about going on another diet?”

Cheek pouches!? This bitch! Was she trying to say I had fat cheeks!?

I was done with this. Fine! If she wanted a fight then she had one! I was going to end her!

That was when I noticed that Sakura-chan had appeared at my side.

“What are you doing, Reika.”

“Sakura-chan.”

“Fukioka-!”

For some reason Maihama-san had let out a small moan and taken a step backwards.

“What’s wrong, Sakura-chan?”

“You were taking your sweet time so I came to check up on you. Well? What are you doing?”

Sakura-chan looked between Maihama-san and I.

“Why are you here, Fukioka…”

“For the chocolate? What else do you come to a chocolatier for? Not much going on between the ears, huh,” she replied casually.

“Wha-!?”

In contrast, Maihama-san was flustered. Where had all that bluster gone?

“Why are you and Fukioka…”

“Reika is my best friend. Is there a problem, Maihama?”

“Eh!?”

I could clearly see the shock on her face as she looked back and forth between my blank look and Sakura-chan’s expressionless mask.

“You’re… best friends with Fukioka…!?

“She is.”

After looking here and there, Maihama began to leave in a panic.

“I… see… Then I shall take my leave and leave you two to it. Gokigen’yoh.”

…Sakura-chan, what on earth are you?”

Maihama-san was like a rich bully who got rid of anybody she didn’t like at school. But the moment she saw Sakura-chan she ran away scared… Could it be that Sakura-chan was actually Yurinomiya’s Last Boss!?

Also, there was something I just reaaally couldn’t get out of my head…

“Now then, shall we head back to our seats?”

I followed after her.

“Sakura-chan…”

“What?”

“I’m your best friend!?”

I couldn’t help it any more and latched onto her arm!

“So you thought of me as your best friend! I’m so happy, Sakura-chaaan!”

“Hey-! You’re creeping me out! Get off, you’re crowding me!”

“Sakura-chaaaaan!”

Despite how slender they looked, Sakura-chan’s arms tore me off by force. It hurts, Sakura-chan! Your grip strength is too crazy!

“You’re so mean, Sakura-chan. We’re supposed to be best friends…”

“Who are you calling your best friend, you shameless thing!”

Sakura-chan ignored me and went back to our seats on her own. Sakura-chan was actually a tsundere!

Geez, she was being so mean. But since we were best friends I guess I’d forgive her!

“Uhehe.”

“…Stop laughing like a creep. Are you really an ojousama?”

“You’re such a tsundere, Sakura-chan.”

“Don’t get carried away!”

Geeez~ She’s was so shyyy~ We’re best friends here, so you should just be more honest!

“Sakura-chwan, the tsundere~♥” I said as I poked her cheek with my finger.

That finger was immediately caught in a vice grip and bent in a way it wasn’t meant to.

It hurts it hurts it hurts! I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sooorryyyyy!

“I got ahead of myself! Please forgive me!”

“Remember this.”

“…Yes.”

That joint lock felt a little serious just now, Sakura-chan…

“Anyway, why did Maihama-san look so scared of you, Sakura-chan?”

“Probably because when she tried to target me a while back, I turned the tables on her.”

“Turned the tables? Eh-, don’t tell me you used violence!?”

“As if. I just let her know that I knew her biggest secret, and that if she angered me I would seriously ruin her life.”

“Ehhh~ Using somebody’s weakness to blackmail them like that isn’t good, Sakura-chan. No wonder somebody like Maihama-san was so scared.”

“As long as she doesn’t do anything to me I’m hardly going to harm her.”

You’re so scary, Sakura-chan. Were the students at Yurinomiya actually all afraid of her? I hoped she had friends. Oh! But since she had me for a best friend I guess everything was okay!

“So what was it, anyway?”

“That’s a secret. Still, if that girl ever causes you any trouble, just smile at her knowingly. Her paranoia will do the rest.”

“Uwahh… So how did you find out that secret anyway?”

“Just watch what they say and do, and pay attention to which topics they act suspiciously around. Once you have a clue, just find the proof.”

“Uwahh… Then does that mean you know what secrets I’m trying to keep?”

Sakura-chan’s gaze moved downwards from my face. Amazing… So she knew that the parfait and chocolates weren’t enough for me!

“It’s that tummy that hasn’t disappeared with all that running, right?

“…”

Oh my god. What clairvoyance was this!? Once again I reaffirmed the belief that I could never cross Sakura-chan, which was why I promised to look into that manager girl for her.

Sakura-chan gave a terrifying smile.

“I’ll have to go to your School Festival to make sure everybody knows their place.”

Scary…

It seemed that the already busy School Festival was going to get a little busier for me. Maybe I could get Ririna’s friend to check for me.

*

*

Aah, Bea-tan’s face just wouldn’t look right!

Kaburagi’s class was apparently doing a haunted house. At the rate this doll was going, it would be better displayed there instead!

‘Kisshouin-san, you don’t mind us all coming to your School Festival, right? I’m looking forward to seeing my Beatrice.’

Gyaaaaaaaaah!

There were only a few days left. I picked up my Cerberus and ran crying to Oniisama’s room for help.