Chapter 2: The Omen of a Storm

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On the last Sunday of May, it felt like summer had come early, with a bright blue sky without a single cloud. Nanase and I were watching the people moving about on campus from the window of our seminar’s research room.

Despite it being a holiday, the campus was bustling with people. Though it’s the same on weekdays, the atmosphere was clearly different because there were people in high school uniforms.

Today, our university—Risseikan University—was holding its open campus day. High school students preparing for university entrance exams were coming here, full of hopes for their future campus life.

“Hehe, they all look so fresh and cute,” Nanase said next to me. It was strange how, even though they were only a year or two younger than us, they seemed so much younger. I could understand why upperclassmen often treated their juniors like kids.

In the end, Nanase also volunteered to help, joining me for the open campus event. Her proactive nature was evident; she willingly participated, unlike me, who reluctantly agreed after much consideration.

“Sagara-kun, you look good in a suit,” Nanase said, squinting as if dazzled. I had pulled out the recruit suit I wore during the entrance ceremony for the first time in about a year. The jacket felt a bit stiff on my shoulders, and in today’s heat, it was a little warm.

Nanase, too, was dressed in a black suit. With her long hair tied back, she looked even more serious than usual (though she’s always serious). I discreetly admired the line from her waist to her legs and thought the tight skirt suited her well.

“Oh, Sagara-kun, your tie is crooked,” she pointed out.

“Really? Damn, I’m not good at tying it,” I said, undoing the tie wrapped around my neck. Just as I was about to redo it, Nanase raised her hand eagerly, “Hey, can I tie it for you?”

“I don’t mind, but why?”

“I’ve always wanted to do this!” she said, looking up at me with a shy smile. Taking my tie, she wrapped it around my collar. This situation isn’t bad at all.

However, she struggled to get it right, saying, “Huh? This is tricky…” Trying to tie someone else’s tie is surprisingly difficult.

Just when I started to feel like I might get strangled, the door to the research room opened. Nanase and I quickly moved apart.

“What are you two doing?” the professor asked as he entered. “Well, uh,” I stammered, and he glanced at me coldly.

“What’s with that tie? A disheveled appearance reflects a disheveled mind,” he said, skillfully fixing my tie. The navy tie now sat neatly at my neck. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nanase looking dejected, having been outdone by the professor.

“Oh, Sagara, I need to ask you a favor.”

“Uh, sure.”

“Hojo has the flu.”

For a moment, I didn’t understand. Hojo, the influencer… no, the flu. It’s an off-season illness for this time of year.

Even the perfect Hojo couldn’t defeat a virus. It was unfortunate, but if he had the flu, he wouldn’t be able to come today. I remembered missing my top-choice exam due to the flu.

“…I see. I hope he gets better soon…”

“So, I need you to take his place for the presentation. Hojo specifically requested you.”

“W-What!? No, that’s impossible. I haven’t prepared at all.”

The unexpected request made me flinch. Being asked to do this on the day of the event was something I couldn’t accept easily.

“Hojo said you’d be fine. I’ve sent the script he prepared to your email.”

“But still…”

I’m not good at speaking in front of a large group. I didn’t know what made Hojo think I’d be okay, but he was overestimating me.

“If it’s too much, I’ll ask Nanase.”

“Huh? M-Me?”

Nanase, suddenly nominated by the professor, looked bewildered.

If the professor asked, Nanase would probably accept without running away. She’s serious and responsible. She’d do a better job than I would.

However, Nanase isn’t comfortable speaking in public either. When she participated in the beauty contest, she turned pale with nerves.

…I can’t just push this onto her and run away.

“…Alright. I’ll do it,” I said. The professor nodded, “Then check your email,” and left the room, probably to continue preparing.

“Sagara-kun, are you okay?” Nanase asked worriedly. I nodded to reassure her.

Even though it’s a seminar presentation, the number of prospective students attending shouldn’t be too high, and with a script, I should manage. I reminded myself of the incident half a year ago when I joined the beauty contest stage in a panda costume, thinking this couldn’t be worse.

I logged into my account from the research lab’s laptop to check the email. An email from the professor had arrived a few minutes ago. Opening the attached script data, I was stunned.

…How am I supposed to speak with this?

The meat of the content was only a few lines, with most of it vaguely filled with notes like “ad-lib here” and “say something nice here.”

Hojo could probably wing it and do well. But I don’t have those skills. Damn, this is why genius extroverts are…

For the first time since my college entrance exam, I cursed the existence of the flu virus from the bottom of my heart. I resolved to get a flu shot every year from now on.

Checking my smartphone, I saw a message from Hojo: “Really sorry about this, thanks.” I wanted to complain a bit, but since he was sick, I held back and simply replied, “You owe me a meal.”

…To cut to the chase, my presentation was a disaster.

Even accounting for my lack of preparation, it was terrible. My prepared lines slipped my mind midway, and even though I tried to cover it up, I ended up spouting nonsense. I saw a high school student in the audience yawning in boredom.