Kenkyo, Kenjitsu o Motto ni Ikite Orimasu

Tsuruhana-san has been getting bolder and bolder by the day.
It looks like she doesn’t even put me in her eyes anymore.
Her and her friends always kick up a huge fuss to gain Kaburagi’s attention. Annoying to the extreme. How on earth could Kaburagi hold any interest towards her because of something like this.
And my group’s dissatisfaction has only been growing.
A number of times now, the strong-willed Serika-chan and Kikuno-chan have led my group to butt heads with them.
And apparently each time, they’d be mocked “Woww~ These goodie two shoes are soooo scaryyy~” which just angered them more.

“I cannot stand this any longer! They just keep getting noisier and don’t reflect on how they’re bothering Kaburagi-sama at all! Reika-sama, please say something to them as well!”

“Yeah! Even Tsuruhana-san shouldn’t be able to stand up to you, Reika-sama!”

Whoawhoa, I don’t have that kind of power, okay? Tsuruhana-san completely looks down on me.
After all, I’m pretty sure when we went on that excursion and she saw me struggling to climb the mountain, she decided that I was nothing to fear.
I really struggled that day. Around the time I was only halfway up the mountain, she and her friends had apparently already been kicking a fuss around Enjou and Kaburagi on the summit.
In the end Kaburagi snapped and yelled “Shut up!” though. And while all this was happening, I was getting the label of ‘totally useless’ stuck to me.
This is badd…
Isn’t there some way to settle things peacefully?
A few days later during a break, somebody stormed into our classroom to yell.
It was the new Student Council President.

“Oi, Tsuruhana! Stop barging into other people’s classes! You’re causing trouble for the students here!”

“Hahh? Who do you think you are, External?”

“I don’t want to be told that by vacuum-brains like you. Do as I say and come back. And also, don’t think I can’t see those piercings through your hair. They’re against school regulations. Take them off.”

“What did you say!”

Although a group of girls started glaring at him, he showed no signs of budging.

“Don’t make me repeat myself. Take out your piercings, and get out of this classroom. We’ve received a flood of complaints about you.”

Maybe they were pressured because he was a whole head taller than them, but they harrumphed and then left.
It felt like the whole room let out a sigh of relief.
My classmates started looking at the President with a gaze of respect.
Yup, as expected of you, Silver-Haired Stuco Pres.
While I was applauding him in my mind, Silver Hair turned my way.

“And do your job as class rep properly.”

I got scolded.
Uu, sorry.
Having said all that he needed to, the Student Council President left as well.

“This new Student Council President might be a little cool.”

“Yeah, he’s so manly. Ah! But he was so rude to Reika-sama. How unforgivable.”

“No, I did not mind at all.”

The girls who were in a daze suddenly followed up on their comments to appease me.
I really don’t mind. Instead, I’m thankful for his rescue. Yepyep, you really were a righteous guy, weren’t you, Silver Hair-kun.
But wow, good job seeing those tiny piercings beneath the hair. Or was it that somebody tattled?

“As I recall, it was this Student Council President that went head to head with Emperor in last year’s cavalry battle, wasn’t it.”

“Actually, I thought he was cool too…”

“Eh-, actually, so did I…”

Oh ho~? It looks like he already has a number of fans. And he’s more approachable than the unattainable Kaburagi and Enjou duo.

“What was his name again?”

“Minasaki-kun. Minasaki Arima-kun,”

I answered fluently.
Everyone gaze me a surprised look, but of course I know him.
Because I’ve always secretly sympathised with him!
As for why, it’s because he was in Kimidol, and as Emperor’s love rival who lost in the end, to me, he’s a fellow stalking horse!
Arima(has a horse) is an Atema(stalking horse)? Pfftpfftpfft, so silly.
But although we’re both stalking horses, his position was decisively different to Kisshouin Reika’s. He never did anything dirty like Reika did, and fought Emperor head-on until the end. Because of that, he even formed a friendship between men with Emperor.
After spending all that time expressing your love for her, in the end you have your heroine snatched away? Truly a stalking horse! If I’m the evil stalking horse, then you’re the good stalking horse! We’re stalking horse comrades!
You had silver hair in the manga, so it feels a little odd that your hair is black, but I think you look great like this too, Fellow Stalking Horse.
And well, to begin with nobody in Japan, or rather, nobody on earth actually grows silver hair. I think you’d look good if you dyed it silver too, but you definitely wouldn’t, would you.
You know, it really was cool seeing the manga cover with black-haired Emperor and the silver-haired President flanking the heroine.
But anyway, I’m your ally, Fellow Stalking Horse. I’ll watch over you, so feel free to head straight down your stalking horse highway!

“Reika-sama? Is something the matter?”

“No, nothing of the sort.”

Everybody watched me with strange expressions. No good, no good.
I smiled and pretended nothing happened.

*妹*

*妹*

Fellow Stalking Horse’s warning was of no use because Tsuruhana-san and co. were indulging in Kaburagi appreciation as usual.
And their hostility towards us became more and more obvious.
Just recently, Tsuruhana-san finally knocked into me on purpose.

“My, I’m so sorry, Kisshouin-san. Are you okayy?”

“…Yes.”

“You’re not very athletic and you’re slow too, so you really need to take more care of yourself.”

TWITCH.
Tsuruhana-san and a few girls were snickering, but the other girls around realised things were bad and exchanged a look.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing to Reika-sama!”

“It was an accident, I said. You’re so annoying.”

“Whatt did you sayy!”

Oh crap, it’s turning into an issue. I stopped them in a panic.
It looks like Serika-chan and the others are close to their limit.
I guess I can’t hold on for much longer…

*妹*

*妹*

Today I went to my favourite hair salon.
Phew, I can finally relax. At Okaasama’s orders, I had the usual. Treatment for my hair, and a trim for its ends too.
I elegantly enjoyed the herb tea they brought out.

“Ah-, this is…”

The beautician was fiddling with my hair when her eyes went wide.
Mn? What’s wrong?

“Reika-sama, you have a white hair back here.”

EEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

“W-, White hair!?”

“Yes. It’s the middle so it isn’t very noticeable though. See?”

It felt like my heart would stop from the shock.
In the opposite mirror, there certainly was some white hair on the back of my head.
Speaking of which, lately the back of my head has been feeling a little funny. I thought that perhaps a spirit was possessing me, but that was me growing white hair?
It’s the stress. I grew white hair because of stress. Didn’t that happen to the Rococo Queen as well!
A maiden in her third year of middle school with white hair…

“It’s okay, Reika-sama. It’ll go back to normal in no time. It wouldn’t be good to pluck it, so I’ll snip it at the base. And let’s give you a head spa too. It’s not too good to be too tense.”

“…Please.”

I walked unsteadily over to the shampoo stand.

I’m done. At this rate, my whole head will turn white.
Trading the silver-haired President for the white-haired Queen…

I resolved myself and made my decision.

*妹*

*妹*

“Yeah, he’s so manly.”

The word used here was actually wairudo-kei, (wild type). If anybody has watched Ouran Host HS Club, the tall dude is often referred to as the “wild type”.
According to my internet research, wild types are vaguely associated with the following ideas:

Instead of cultured and refined, they’re more rough and rugged.
Instead of reserved, they’re bold.
Instead of having pale skin, they’re tanned.
Instead of having carefully done hair, more likely it’s messier or unstyled.
They’re vigorous and full of life and vitality.
They’re more muscular, and of a less skinny build.
They look like they’d have a better chance of surviving if you threw them into the wild.
Chopping wood (LOL)

Oh, if you’ve read Mei Gongqing, there’s a decent example. then if Wang Qiland is the refined type, then that makes Murong Ke the wild type, and maybe Ran Min too.