As Expected, a Foreboding of Trouble

Morning had passed, and the current time was noon.

The sun was shining brightly overhead, but with today’s activities all concluded, it was time to disperse and enter the after-school period.

(Whew, today went by without any issues. No messages from Tsubaki either. Well, the real deal starts tomorrow. Ah… I wish every day ended at noon.)

Stretching his stiff body, Keitarou took a deep breath.

There were no irregularities; everything went smoothly. He couldn’t help but wish every day could be like this. Saluting the magnificence of ending at noon, snap.

Alright then, time to head home.

Keitarou was about to get up from his chair.

But, interrupting him,

“Keitarou, do you have plans for the afternoon?”

A voice rudely thrown at him.

Turning his gaze towards the source, he found Hiroshi glaring at him with a sullen face. Keitarou glared back with an equally sullen face.

“No, I don’t, but I don’t have time to waste on you either.”

He spat out the words.

As he said, Keitarou didn’t have a single second to spare for Hiroshi.

Time is a precious resource. There’s even a saying, “Time is money.” If it were Sophia, maybe, but Keitarou wasn’t a saint overflowing with the spirit of service to give it freely to Hiroshi.

“Hmph, I see. Planning to spend the afternoon in a honeymoon phase, are you? You are truly an envious fellow.”

“Ah, you are really persistent, aren’t you? Enough with that already. You are a nuisance.”

Keitarou had neither the time nor the will to argue with Hiroshi, so he brushed him off dismissively.

“Well, my schedule is free, but that doesn’t mean hers is. It’s the first afternoon of her transfer, isn’t it? Maybe there’s a welcome party or something. I don’t know, though.”

“Indeed, that may be so. Judging by the general expectation, her popularity is evident even from here. If it were revealed that you are living under the same roof, your death would be certain.”

“Don’t say such ominous things.”

The worst possible future Hiroshi described.

Just imagining it made Keitarou’s hair stand on end.

Because the walls are made of glass, one can see the situation in other classes even from a distance. From the D-classroom, which is positioned opposite to the A-classroom, it was crystal clear that Sophia was being doted on.

At this very moment, Sophia was surrounded by her classmates. Every time a gap in time occurred, people would gather around her like the Hachiko statue in Shibuya, and she had already become the central figure of the class.

Hurry up and go home already… Keitarou thought resentfully, but he quickly shook his head.

Being ‘popular’ is a wonderful thing, isn’t it?

“By the way, Keitarou, you came to school together this morning, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, well, that’s right.”

There was no need to hide it from Hiroshi, who knew the situation, so Keitarou nodded honestly.

“You don’t seem to be a target of resentment though… How come? Were you holding hands or something, walking together all lovey-dovey?”

“Who could do something so embarrassing in uniform with their face exposed?”

Keitarou said it as if it were obvious.

After saying it, he realized it was a slip of the tongue.

“Oh, so you’re saying that in casual clothes with your face covered, you do such things regularly, aren’t you?”

Glaring at him with even sharper eyes than before.

As expected, he didn’t miss it.

“…Well, time to head home. See ya.”

Feigning ignorance, Keitarou stood up from his chair and tried to leave the classroom briskly.

But of course, that wasn’t allowed,

“Running away, are you?!”

Enraged, Hiroshi grabbed him roughly by the collar.

Hiroshi had a menacing expression akin to an Ashura statue. If he were an elderly person, he might have died of rage, a rare historical occurrence Keitarou nearly witnessed. That’s how furious he was.

“You…! I will settle this here and now for all the unrequited men of the world!”

“What? Holding hands with family is common. Don’t think Japan’s norms are the world’s norms. That’s how it is in England, I’m sure.”

“Silence! I cannot forgive you! I must avenge my frustration!”

“Hey, is that really your frustration? Isn’t that something you just need to deal with yourself?”

“While I have been dedicating myself to my studies in the dorm, you have been! You have been! Truly, you have been!!”

Just as Hiroshi was about to swing his arm, a crisp knocking sound came from the hallway.

Instinctively, both turned to look at the source of the sound, seeing Tsubaki tapping the glass wall with his finger.

“…Tsubaki?”

“…Tch, what does he want at a time like this?”

Thanks to Tsubaki’s interruption, the balloon that was on the verge of bursting deflated, and Hiroshi’s fervor quickly diminished. Phew, saved.

Tsubaki walked briskly into the classroom.

“Hey, sorry to interrupt you two. Should I have waited a bit longer?”

“No, your timing was perfect. Thanks.”

“Glad to hear that.”

“Hmph, I was just delivering justice. But fine.”

Keitarou looked at Hiroshi, who folded his arms and snorted, with a face of indifference.

Where was the justice in that? They say the opposite of justice is another form of justice, but in this case, no matter how you look at it, it couldn’t be called justice.

“So, what brings you here? Did something happen?”

Seeing Tsubaki’s somewhat cheerful expression, Keitarou couldn’t believe he was there without a purpose, so he promptly asked.

“Oh, right. There’s a plan to hold a welcome party for Sophia-san.”

I knew it. I suspected as much.

Being within the range of expectations, Keitarou quickly advanced the conversation.

“Got it. Where will it be? Just tell me the location. I’ll kill time somewhere nearby.”

“It’s planned to be at a karaoke place in front of the station.”

“Understood. Then, please support her. Let me know if anything happens.”

With the station front having cafes and such, it’s convenient for killing time. Keitarou raised his hand and said so, intending to leave the classroom.

But,

“Wait a minute, Keitarou. Do you really think I came just to report that?”

Tsubaki stopped him.

“Huh, isn’t that it?”

Turning around, Tsubaki wore a very pleasant smile. However, the smile seemed to have an ulterior motive. No, it surely did.

A bad feeling crept over him.

Before he could savor it,

“Of course not! I came to invite you two.”

And the feeling hit the mark immediately.

“Why? Isn’t it an A-class hosted welcome party? We would be totally out of place.”

“Hmph, you might be, but my potential surpasses even the A-class, so I wouldn’t be entirely out of place…”

“I can say you are out of place, far beyond out of place, into a whole different league.”

Adjusting his glasses and smirking, Hiroshi received a cold stare from Keitarou.

Suddenly, Tsubaki approached. Gesturing with his finger, he seemed to be saying to lend an ear, so Keitarou reluctantly bent down.

“(Aren’t you worried about Sophia-san? The boys in A-class are already smitten with her. Isn’t it dangerous to take your eyes off her?)”

“(Is it that serious? It’s still just the first day, right?)”

“(Yes, it is that serious. You yourself said it, didn’t you? Sophia-san is cute. She might already be the school idol.)”

“(…Right. That’s true. It’s inevitable.)”

Sophia being popular was obvious. It would be strange if she weren’t.

Surely, many boys will approach Sophia in the future. Though he has no right to stop them… but still.

“(So, of course, you will come, right? Moreover, we need you to come. If the honored guest, Sophia-san, isn’t enthusiastic, nothing will start.

You said it this morning, right? Sophia-san should be the center of the class and live a rosy high school life.

In that case, wouldn’t a welcome party be the perfect event to mark the first step of that rosy high school life? Can you really afford to let that go?

If Sophia-san coldly declines the welcome party here, it might create an atmosphere where it’s hard to invite her to things in the future.)”

“(Ugh…)”

Keitarou couldn’t argue against Tsubaki’s overwhelming logic.

Indeed, those were his own words. Denying this would be denying himself from this morning.

“(You will come, right? You have to come, right? You can only come, right? Are you coming?)”

“(Alright, I’ll go. I’ll participate, okay? Please let me join.)”

Keitarou resigned himself. He decided to head to the battlefield.

“(Yeah, that’s the spirit.)”

Tsubaki nodded in satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Hiroshi, with a puzzled expression, watched the two of them.

“What were you two whispering about?”

“I was convincing the stubborn Keitarou. Hiroshi, you’ll come too, right?”

“Of course. I shall lend my assistance.”

“Great, that’s reassuring.”

“So, how many girls will be there?”

“Oh, about that…”

Unfazed, his friends continued their cheerful conversation,

(Please… don’t let this become troublesome… I’m begging you, really…)

Keitarou sighed deeply and dejectedly slumped his shoulders.