Part-2 Ch-10 Ep-01

 November, on some ordinary day, in the school hallway.

“Nagase-san.”

The moment I was called like that, before I could even confirm who it was, my vision lurched violently.

My arm was yanked with force, and I stumbled forward.

Before I realized what was happening, I had been dragged into what appeared to be the science room, one that had clearly been in use just a short while ago.

After what happened with Maki the other day, I could not help but wonder if dragging people into empty classrooms had somehow become a new trend.

With that thought in mind, I turned to the owner of the voice who had called out to me and was now standing directly in front of me.

“Um…… what is it?”

Behind her stood a human anatomical model and shelves neatly lined with laboratory beakers.

Personally, I had always found the atmosphere of the science room unsettling, so I wanted to leave as quickly as possible.

Perhaps noticing the stiffness of my forced smile, Seishuku-san said, “I’ll keep it short,” and immediately got to the point.

“Is there anything you need to report to me?”

“Report……? Nothing in particular…… ah.”

The sudden question caught me off guard, but after giving it some thought, something came to mind.

The only thing Seishuku-san would reasonably be concerned about when it came to me was probably this.

“I ended up…… dating Maki.”

Only then did I realize that I had not told her yet, and so I reported about Maki and me.

“Congratulations.”

Seishuku-san said this politely, offering her congratulations along with a deep bow.

Yes, thank you.

But why exactly did I have to report it?

As I thought that, I remembered that this person had once started something like a fan club centered around me and Maki.

Even so, why did I need to report it……?

“Well then, from here on out it’s full-force flag avoidance, right?”

“Ah, right. Seishuku-san was originally in a support role, just like me.”

“……You had forgotten, hadn’t you.”

With a troubled smile, she waved it off and continued speaking.

“I’m planning to support the flag avoidance with everything I’ve got too, so if anything happens, I’ll cooperate.”

She clenched her fist as she spoke, her motivation overflowing.

Combined with the eerie atmosphere of the science room, it somehow gave off the impression that she might end up doing something outrageous.

“Also, what about the school trip?”

“What do you mean?”

“Have you decided on your group?”

The school trip, the final major event of our second year, was already approaching.

Our destination was Okinawa.

Naturally, the groups had already been decided. Mixed-gender groups of four, and for us, it was the usual members.

“That means that at the hotel, you’ll be sharing rooms in pairs. So Ichinose-san and Nagase-san will be alone together……”

“Is it really fun for you to imagine that kind of thing happening between classmates?”

“It is.”

“I see……”

I replied with a strained smile to Seishuku-san, who had answered without hesitation. She cleared her throat and added, “That’s not what I meant.”

“From here on, it’s safer to assume that many things we don’t know about will happen. This situation has already diverged from the game’s scenario. Even now, the fact that Ichinose-san already has a girlfriend named Nagase-san proves that. The other capture targets are moving differently as well. I think it’s best to be cautious during the school trip too.”

Her reasoning was perfectly sound, so I nodded and replied, “I know.”

Realistically speaking, unless something extreme happens, the likelihood that someone would wait until graduation to confess their feelings is low.

If that is the case, then Godaiin-kun, who already seems interested in Maki, would have plenty of opportunities to make a move during a major event like the school trip.

That was why Seishuku-san had said she would cooperate. Having an ally when things come to a head is reassuring.

“If something happens, I’ll consult you.”

With that, we nodded to each other.

“And well, today was partly to confirm that. Also, there’s something else I wanted to let you know.”

“Hm?”

Seishuku-san looked at me with an unusually serious expression, her face tinged with a hint of nervousness.

What she began to explain was that the fan club was considering making a doujinshi this time.

“Um, just to be sure, but the model for it is……”

“The model is the two of you, but…… would that be a problem……? We would change the characters’ names, and it would simply be ‘based on’ you.”

She is usually rather pushy with me, but this time she looked uncharacteristically timid.

It seemed that even for Seishuku-san, modeling real people, even with altered names and settings, was something she felt hesitant about.

“Hm……”

At the core of it, I could tell that it came from her fondness for me and Maki, and that she believed it would be a good thing.

Whether that “good” was truly for our sake, or simply to satisfy the desires of the fan club members, was another question.

Honestly, it felt closer to the latter.

Still, if they were going to change the names, I could not think of any real downside.

“Sigh…… Fine.”

At that, Seishuku-san, who had been looking anxious, immediately broke into a bright smile.

“Thank you very much.”

Damn it, she really is cute.

Of course, I could never say something like that in front of Maki.

“Ah, right. When it’s finished, will you show it to me too?”

“……I’m sorry. Due to the nature of doujinshi as reading material, only those with special training are allowed to view it.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

More importantly, she handed me the acrylic stand and keychain she had mentioned earlier.

The chibi illustrations printed on them were incredibly cute, and I thought Maki would definitely be happy if I gave her one as well.

As I was thinking that, she added, “Please give this set to Ichinose-san too,” and handed me another one.

“……Did you read my mind again?”

“No. This is simply my way of being considerate.”

“I see……”

The conversation seemed to be finished. As Seishuku-san turned on her heel and said, “Well then,” I hurriedly called out, “Um!” to stop her.

“What is it?”

After hesitating for only a moment, I gathered my courage and asked something that had been bothering me lately.

“Um, what kind of atmosphere is it usually like when people kiss? I mean, things like mental preparation.”

When I asked as bravely as I could, Seishuku-san’s eyes widened, her mouth falling open.

“Eh? You still haven’t kissed yet? You’re holding out remarkably well against Ichinose-san.”

I felt like I was seeing an entirely new range of expressions from Seishuku-san today.

At the same time, I wondered what kind of image she had of Maki.

Well, I could not deny that Maki was the aggressive type.

“Hm. It’s not something you should force. I think you should just do it when you feel like it. I’m sure Ichinose-san will wait, and she won’t miss the moment when Nagase-san is mentally ready either. After all, she’s always watching you.”

“I-is that really how it works?”

“And Nagase-san is always watching Ichinose-san too, right?”

“Ugh.”

“When you finally have your first kiss, be sure to tell me about it.”

Seishuku-san opened the science room door, glanced back over her shoulder, and smiled.

It was a wicked smile, like she had just discovered a new toy.

Again why must I have to report everything, I thought, scratching my cheek in embarrassment.