Kenkyo, Kenjitsu o Motto ni Ikite Orimasu

Sensei told me to collect the notes we made in class for her.
Together with Class Pres, I brought them to the staff room just as Sensei had created some documents to hand over to the Student Council.
I immediately declared that I would deliver them.
The committee chairman was giving me an ambivalent gaze again. I don’t care!

*imouto*

When I entered the student council room, Romeo-senpai was eating a high class Ginza rusk.

When I handed him the documents, he gaze me a dazzling smile. Uu, his gaze is shooting through mee!

“You’re such a hard worker, Kisshouin-san. How about entering the Student Council next year? Should I recommend you?”

“No…! I would not be suitable at alll…”

There’s no meaning in a Student Council with no Romeo-senpai. The only reason I’m so hard-working is because I have another motive.

“I don’t think I’d agree, but, well, you are still a Pivoine huh. I guess it’d be impossible for you to join. I personally think it’d be great if you acted as a bridge for us, though.”

“That is… But if there is something I can do, I will do my very best to assist.”

“Really? Then if anything happens, I’ll count on you, okay?”

“Yess…!”

My wonderful senpai saw me out with a smile.
Man, he’s cool as everr.
But…
…A high class Ginza rusk?

After that, I headed straight for the Pivoine Salon.

*imouto*

*imouto*

A few people were in, and drinking tea gracefully while chatting.
An oneesama from the high school section was playing chopin on the piano.
I looked at the various things on the platter on the table.

Financiers.

Dacquoise.

Galette.

Nougat.

Rusk…

High class Ginza rusk.

There’s no mistake.
A Pivoine member other than me has been smuggling sweets to Senpai.

*imouto*

When I first met Senpai, what he said at the time made me go, “Huh?”
“I nicked it from the Pivoine though!”
How, I wondered. Only Pivoine members were allowed in the salon, so sneaking in to steal them would make you an amazing thief. And since it was the Pivoine you were stealing from, it would turn into a huge issue too.
But I never heard anything about a person charging in to steal things. Of course, neither did I hear anything about Senpai getting permission to enter.
But despite that, Senpai occasionally eats sweets. In Suiran, you aren’t allowed to bring sweets. Although, for events like Valentine’s, they’ll turn a blind eye.
Anyway, the only ones who can eat snacks at Suiran are the Pivoine, inside the salon. Of course, the Student Council, who are supposed to act as models for the ordinary students, are definitely not allowed.
Then that means one of the Pivoine members supplies him with the sweets.
Who?
It’s time to make a comeback as a spy.

*imouto*

*imouto*

Starting the next day, I began keeping a lookout in the Pivoine Salon, and started to check who was bringing snacks home with them.
Normally, you wouldn’t expect anybody to regularly do this.
Even I worry about what people think, so I’ve only procured offerings for Senpai a few times.
Anyway, while I was watching, I noticed a senpai get the concierge to separate a few snacks for her.
She left the salon, so I followed.
If I remember correctly, that’s Fukakusa Kasumi-sama from the middle school’s third year.
She isn’t as gorgeous as Yurie-sama’s group in the Pivoine’s main faction, but she’s tidy, clean-looking and peaceful.
Fukakusa-senpai went as far as a small flowerbed behind the school building.
She started looking left and right, as though to check for any onlookers, before a voice called out,

“Kasumi.”

It was Romeo-senpai.
Fukakusa-senpai ran over in delight. Then, the two sat down by the flowerbed, and enjoyed a happy chat together.
They were talking quietly so I couldn’t hear the contents, but from stuff like how Fukakusa-senpai happily watched him eat the sweets, or how Romeo-senpai stroked her head, I could more or less guess.
I left.

After a while, Fukakusa-senpai emerged from behind the school building. She seemed like she was about to leave for home, so before she reached the parking lot, I called out to her.

“Fukakusa-senpai.”

“Kyaa-!”

When I did, she let out an adorable scream.

“Eh-, Kisshouin-san? What’s the matter?”

“Senpai, I shall go straight to the point. Are you in a relationship with the Student Council President?”

Her face immediately stiffened.

“Why?”

“Earlier, I spotted the two of you by chance. And occasionally, the Student Council President will eat sweets from the Pivoine. And thus I wondered whether he was close to somebody on the inside, you see.”

“…”

After that, I found out various things from her.
About how they were in the same class last year, and gradually grew closer.
About how after they changed classes in third year, Romeo-senpai confessed to her.
About how Romeo-senpai was the StuCo President, so they had to keep things a secret from everyone else.
About how Romeo-senpai got hungry a lot, she would occasionally bring sweets from the Pivoine to him.
About how so that she wouldn’t be found out, he claimed that he “nicked” them etc. etc.

“Must you go so far to hide it?”

“Because the Pivoine and Student Council have always opposed each other. And this year’s Pivoine President, Okishima-senpai, really loathes the Student Council. Senju said that we should just be open about it, but I’m afraid. The Pivoine might give me the cold shoulder.”

Ah-, she just called him Senju like nothing.
“Kasumi” and “Senju”. Hehh~ Hohh~ Hmmm~

“Please, Reika-sama. Don’t tell anybody about this.”

“I shall not. I do not know if I can help you in any way, but I hope that you will be happy together.”

“Really!? Thank you! You know, Senju said that you might be able to become a bridge between the Pivoine and Student Council. I think so too!”

“You overestimate me. I have no intentions of entering the Student Council, either.”

Did he recommend me out of self-interest?
After all, at this rate the two of them won’t be able to openly date in high school either.
But with him openly eating Pivoine sweets like that, I think they’ll be caught eventually.
Could that also be part of his plans?

“You’re strong, Reika-sama. Even though you’re younger than me, I admire you a little bit, you know? Umm, I was thinking that it would be great if we could become closer. Is that no good?”

“No, I would be honoured.”

Fukakusa-senpai smiled happily at me. She seems unreliable, and cute. I wonder if this is what drew Romeo-senpai’s attention. She’s the complete opposite of me.
After that, I started calling her by name, and I agreed to occasionally hear her out about love.

*imouto*

*imouto*

I rode the car home, and then collapsed onto my bed.

Tomoe-senpai was Romeo, but his Juliet was Fukakusa-senpai.
Somebody like me was just a mob character, or Juliet’s wet nurse at best.

…I wanted to get all excited about love as well. Everybody always talks so happily about love, but only I’m the one living a dull life.
What the hell. Couldn’t they have let me dream a little longer?
I shouldn’t have investigated. All it did was needlessly show me reality.

UOHHH! What the heck am I going to do if I’m single for the rest of my life?
For some reason I can’t even picture myself in a proper relationship.
I mean, I got ‘curse’!
I bet in both lives, I’ve been stuck with the fate of being forever unpopular.

UOHHHH! I don’t want to spend life being a stalking horse! UOHHHH!
UOHHHHHH! …

*imouto*

*imouto*

The next free day I had, Oniisama brought me to a zoo in Hokkaido. I’ve been wanting to go for a while now, so I’m super happy!
A polar bear! A seal! A penguin!

“Oniisama, please bring me again, okay!?”

“Yeah. I really wonder when the next time will be.”

?? Does that mean Oniisama will be busy?
But he promised that he would definitely bring me here again someday, so I decided not to think about it.

“No…! I would not be suitable at alll…” 
“No, I would not be suitable at all.” (←spoken ecstatically and breathily)