In the early morning, Suzuki Yuu sat in the classroom, listening to the teacher’s lecture at the podium and the soft rustling of pages turning all around, but his mind was elsewhere.
He was replaying the words of the Shiraishi Manager in his mind, and a girl’s face floated into view.
That girl was named Shiraishi Ayaha, and she’d been his classmate in junior high. Since then, Suzuki Yuu had worked part-time at the Café her family ran, a job he’d held to this day.
It was just that after entering high school, the two of them had walked down very different paths—Ayaha had been accepted into a strictly managed Girls’ School, where she lived in the dormitory most days and only occasionally returned home.
“It really has been a while. I wonder if she’s gotten rusty at making coffee.”
He mulled this over in his mind, and just then, the bell for the end of class rang. A few guys, not reading the room, hurried over to chat.
“Suzuki, I heard you’re the one in charge of the lodging arrangements for the school trip.”
“Can you set us up somewhere good for peeping?”
Suzuki turned at the sound and immediately spotted several boys looking at him expectantly.
Sigh, wrong friends, he thought.
“You guys, for all that you’re rich young masters, must you be so obvious about your pervy thoughts…” Suzuki retorted.
“Yeah, right. We’re nothing like you—just your face alone could charm a bunch of girls!”
“No, please don’t use words like ‘charm.’ I’m an honest man.”
Suzuki Yuu corrected him with a straight face, then refused outright, “Besides, I’m only in charge of organizing the documents. The actual room assignments are decided by the Student Council. If you have any complaints, go talk it over with President Jinguuin.”
He threw Jinguuin Kanon out there as a shield. In truth, it wasn’t that he couldn’t make their wish come true.
Unfortunately, he was still busy with Shiina Chisa’s matters, so there was no way he’d agree to their terms.
Because he couldn’t enjoy that benefit himself.
Seeing others, especially his close friends, profit always made him more uncomfortable than taking a loss himself.
“President Jinguuin, you mean that Jinguuin Kanon?”
“Of course! I even heard her play back in middle school. Ever since, she’s been my idol!”
“Oh, come on, you’re just into her looks.”
“So what? Aren’t you?”
Sometimes, Suzuki Yuu had to admire his buddies’ ability to change topics. In just a moment, the conversation had shifted from room assignments to Jinguuin Kanon.
Soon, it turned again, now to the best-looking girls in school, with quite a few names thrown out—including people he was well acquainted with:
“That’s not exactly true. Isn’t Miss Shiina from Class A next door pretty cute too?”
He didn’t know who said it, but soon enough, the whole class was looking his way:
“By the way, Suzuki, I remember you and Shiina Chisa used to hang out a lot, right?”
Suzuki Yuu frowned, not answering right away.
“Yeah, that’s right!” said a boy named Tanaka, eyes lighting up. “I saw you two together several times before. Suzuki, don’t tell me you—”
“We’re just regular friends,” Suzuki Yuu cut him off, his tone flat.
“Everyone knows Miss Shiina is famous for being hard to approach. If you two are seen together, it’s got to mean something.”
Actually, rumors like that had spread in their class long ago.
Because the Agreement with Shiina Chisa specified he couldn’t damage her reputation, Suzuki Yuu took it to mean he couldn’t say anything about having a close relationship with her.
So, he always replied to anyone who asked, “Just regular friends.”
Even now, when there was nothing between him and Shiina Chisa anymore, he kept saying it to avoid trouble.
But it looked like these guys weren’t about to let it go…
“Suzuki, come clean. Are you or are you not dating the Shiina Family’s young lady?”
Looks like he’d have to come up with an excuse:
“Actually, I tried to pester Shiina Chisa, but she treated me like garbage, and not long ago even had people lock me up.”
Hmm, a very believable reason, and he wasn’t even lying.
He really did chase after Shiina Chisa, really was treated like garbage, and had been locked up.
The only difference was, the process wasn’t quite what most people imagined.
After Suzuki Yuu finished, the class fell into a brief silence, and a few people looked at him with pity.
“It’s okay, Suzuki. With your qualities, you’ll never be short of options.”
“Exactly, it’s just that Miss Shiina of the Shiina Family has no taste!”
“Yeah, yeah, Suzuki, you’re so great—who knows how many girls are chasing you? Why get hung up on just one?”
These scoundrels who’d been acting like total degenerates just a moment ago now began comforting him, as if Suzuki Yuu had suffered some terrible heartbreak.
It’s better not to tell them the truth…
Suzuki Yuu thought to himself.
“Suzuki-kun?”
A gentle voice suddenly called from the classroom door.
Everyone reflexively turned—and then collectively gasped.
Jinguuin Kanon was standing at the door, dressed in her tidy uniform, long hair falling over her shoulders, a serene smile on her face.
The air seemed to pause for a moment.
The students, who’d just been chattering away, all fell silent,
Some sat up straighter, while others wore envious expressions.
After all, Jinguuin Kanon coming in person to find someone was a rare scene.
“President Jinguuin.” Suzuki Yuu stood up.
“Sorry to interrupt.” Kanon walked into the classroom, and the students instinctively made way for her. “There’s a document from the Student Council I need you to check. Could you come with me for a moment?”
Her voice was as gentle as a spring breeze, her gaze fixed on him.
And before Suzuki Yuu could answer, she naturally took his hand in front of everyone and led him out.
About three seconds later, the classroom erupted with all sorts of noises, and even wails of lament.
Suzuki Yuu paid them no mind. Once he was outside, he snapped out of his daze and hurriedly pulled his hand free.
“President, just tell me what you need.”
When Jinguuin Kanon let go, her fingertips brushed lightly against Suzuki Yuu’s wrist, a seemingly careless gesture that made him tense up for no reason.
“What’s the matter, Suzuki-kun? Are you shy?”
“Uh, let’s stick to Student Council work.”
Suzuki Yuu didn’t know how to respond.
“Suzuki-kun, if I remember right, we signed an Agreement, didn’t we?”
“Yes…”
“But I feel like I’ve only hired an employee. If that’s all it is, I could just grab a random student at school—sure, maybe less efficient, but at least I wouldn’t have to pay. Don’t you think so, Suzuki-kun?”
That made Suzuki Yuu freeze on the spot, and only then did he realize something.
It was true—he didn’t really know what he was supposed to do in this arrangement.
“Sorry, President. That’s my fault.” Without any hesitation, Suzuki Yuu took the blame.
He really had been careless, forgetting to consider the other party’s feelings.
It was all those idiots earlier—making such a racket that he’d lost his head.
Suzuki Yuu thought, then spoke up:
“So, President, what do you need from me right now?”
The moment he finished, a card dropped into his hand.
Suzuki Yuu looked down—it seemed to be an Invitation Card, black and gold, with a design that made it look anything but ordinary.
“What’s this?”
“There’s an Art Exhibition in Ginza. Will you come with me?” Kanon smiled, “It’s this Sunday. You’re free, right?”
“Eh? I didn’t know President was into art?” Suzuki Yuu was taken aback. He didn’t remember seeing that on her list of skills.
“No, not at all. I’m not interested either. I’m just going because someone invited me.”
Jinguuin Kanon said it so matter-of-factly, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
Suzuki Yuu thought for a moment and asked, “So, you want me to go as your social buffer?”
“Mm.” Kanon nodded, “The Art Exhibition is hosted by a painter who’s invited a lot of industry people. If I go alone, I’ll get cornered by a bunch of boring people wanting to talk.”
Suzuki Yuu instantly understood his role—a shield.
He was used to this; he’d done it often with Shiina Chisa. He just didn’t expect that the President would need help with such situations.
She didn’t seem at all like the clueless Chisa.
Something feels off…
“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?” Seeing Suzuki Yuu hesitate, Kanon tilted her head, “Or do you not want to accompany me?”
“N-No! I promise I’ll get the job done…”
“Then I’ll leave the arrangements to you.”
“So… is there nothing else right now?”
“Nope! There’s still a mountain of Student Council paperwork to do. Suzuki-kun, you’re not allowed to run off~”