Kenkyo, Kenjitsu o Motto ni Ikite Orimasu

It’s been a few days now since I entered high school but there haven’t been any problems. I haven’t heard about Wakaba-chan causing any trouble either.
I popped down to stealthily check out her classroom, but she seemed to have friends at least, so I think she’s doing okay.
I judged that it was safe to leave her alone for the time being.
That’s why I’ve decided to work on building up the friendship in my own class.

*

The new External Students haven’t been acclimating too well. Even the Internals are a bit stiff around people they didn’t talk to in middle school.
That’s why I’ve decided to hold a social gathering! And social gatherings mean food!

“You want to have lunch together as a whole class?”

“Yes. I believe that we should attempt to deepen our bonds by having lunch together.”

I immediately decided to see what my fellow class rep, Satomi Yukinari-kun, thought.
I was thinking that it would be difficult to make do with just the breaks between classes, so it would be better to try having lunch together one time and having a nice chat together.
After all, if it’s lunch then even if you can’t find something to talk about you can just recommend foods to each other. It’s easy and inoffensive, right? I wonder what Satomi-kun thinks.

“Hmmm~ I’m not against the idea itself, but would we really be able to secure enough seats together for the whole class?”

Good point. Usually people just sit wherever there’s room, so it would be rather difficult to prepare a group of 40 seats.
However! Satomi-kun has forgotten one very important thing!

“There will be no issue.”

–CHACHING!-
I flashed my red peony badge at him.

“Hm? Pivoine? Eh-! Don’t tell me you’re going to use the reserved Pivoine seats!?”

“That would be beyond even for me. However, reserving a group of forty normal seats may not be.”

At first I considered sitting in the garden and eating packed lunches together, but once I considered the rain I thought it would be better to host it in the cafeteria.

“Wouldn’t our senpais be annoyed if a group of new students suddenly occupied a part of the cafeteria?”

-CHACHING!-
I flashed the badge again.

“You can simply say that it was all my plan. Perhaps I will also have a word with the Student Council President, just to be safe. It is only a one-time event so I am sure that they will be magnanimous about it.”

“Oooh! As expected of you, Kisshouin-san!”

Satomi-kun began to applaud.
Ho ho ho! If you have any complaints then bring it up with the Pivoine!
…Hm? Is it just me, or did that line sound like something the Rococo Queen would say?

*

*

After receiving Student Council President Tomoe-senpai’s OK, my class was able to have the lunch without a hitch.
When I brought up Kasumi-sama’s name, Tomoe-senpai accepted with a defeated smile.
It wasn’t a threat, okay? It was just a request, okay?
I’d feel bad taking up any particularly good seats, so I decided to just use somewhere out of the way and out of sight. I’d hate having to sit right in the middle under everyone’s stares anyway.

“Well then, ladies and gentlemen, shall we dine?”

There were kids eating cafeteria food, as well as kids eating their bentous. It’s completely acceptable to eat home lunches in the cafeteria, but there were some kids who had been hesitant so far, so hopefully this is a good chance for them to start.
As the lunch progressed, even the initially silent and stiff members of my class began to talk happily to the people around them.
There was a nice mood going, with Internal Students teaching Externals various things about the schoo.

“And so, those seats way over there are reserved for Pivoine members so you absolutely musn’t sit there if you’re a normal student,” I heard one of the Internals saying.

Mn, but those seats have a sign that says they’re reserved for Pivoine, so I think anybody would realise.
Incidentally, I rarely ever use them. Ever since I entered middle school, I’ve almost always had lunch with Serika-chan and co. and my experience with the Pivoine seats are limited to when I get invited by other members. Back when I was in my first year of the middle school section, Kasumi-sama would sometimes invite me. Mostly to listen to her talk fondly about Tomoe-senpai.
To begin with, lunch is when most of the talking and gossip gets done in a group of girls. If you miss out on that, you’ll have trouble keeping up and they’ll leave you behind. That’s why if you’re in a girls’ group, having lunch together is something that’s pretty important.
Kaburagi and Enjou are always in the reserved seats though. It’s probably so that their fangirls can’t get to them. I guess even they’d want to have lunch peacefully.

By the time lunch was coming to an end, everybody had really loosened up around each other. As for me though, I was just sitting with my group as always, so I didn’t get to make new friends…
Well, whatever. At least a few of the girls spoke to me. I’ll just have to keep at it.
But is it just my imagination that most of the boys were avoiding eye-contact? I’m a class rep too, so if you have any questions feel free to ask me, okay~
Even though I’m being so welcoming, why are they all asking Satomi-kun instead.

*

*

After our lunch event, I think my classmates all got along a lot better. That’s great, that’s great.

“It looks like everyone is closer thanks to your idea, Kisshouin-san. As expected of you,” praised Satomi-kun.

Speaking of which, unlike the other boys, Satomi-kun has always spoken to me quite normally, hasn’t he.

“I was under the impression that boys were frightened of me, but you seem to be speaking just fine.”

“Eh-, afraid of you!? Ahh… Ummm, I wonder about that. Isn’t it kinda more like, you know, like you’re a flower beyond reach?”

…I have serious doubts about that.

“But anyway, I’m friends with Akizawa so I occasionally heard about you from him.”

“You were friends with Akizawa-kun!?”

That’s the first I’ve heard of this. And Akizawa-kun, what on earth have you been spreading about me.

“He told me that you two went to the same cram school in primary, and you’ve been close ever since. And also, how right now you’re apparently good friends with his childhood friend. I think her name was uh, was it Fukioka-san?”

“You know about Sakura-chan?”

“Yeah. I met her when I went to Akizawa’s. She was quiet and gentle, like exactly what you’d expect from a Yurinomiya girl.”

You’re being fooled, Satomi-kun! She might look like a traditional beauty but inside she’s just a nagging youkai with the tongue of a venomous snake!
But wow, Sakura-chan is so good at faking it.
I should really learn from her example.