Chapter 26: The Student Council President's Misunderstanding

The Student Council President's Misunderstanding

"I've always wanted to have lunch with friends on the school rooftop. I'm glad you invited me."

Opening up the bento packed with luxurious spring delicacies, Ayanokoji smiled with genuine joy from the bottom of her heart.

I feel a little sorry for that smile.

Brrrr.

"Cold."

Nagumo hugged both of his shoulders and rubbed them.

Although the weather was fine, the spring breeze was quite cold even though it was midday.

"Girls shouldn't let themselves get cold, sorry, that I asked you out on a windy day."

"No, it's no problem. I brought some blankets. There are some for you and him too."

Too well prepared!

This is the difference between a young lady and an ordinary person.

Why does she has something like that prepared when I suddenly invited her out this morning?

Maybe what she has isn't a blanket for everyone, but the ability to predict the future?

I gratefully accepted the pink blanket, and Nagumo gratefully accepted the beige one.

"Sorry for calling you out of the blue. Actually, there's something we wanted to ask you, Ayanokoji-san..."

Nagumo, with the Ayanokoji brand blanket draped over his shoulders, spoke.

"Is there anything you'd like to ask? If there's anything I can tell you, please feel free to ask."

Harmless eyes stared at Nagumo in confusion.

Even if we hadn't done anything wrong, her eyes were so pure and innocent that I would instinctively kneel down and beg for forgiveness.

"Yes. To do that, I want you to listen to what I have to say first."

Then Nagumo began to speak.

That I saved Onizuka and the cat, that I was scolded by the girls from the Onizuka fan club, and that we were pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend to cover it up.

In the middle of the conversation, I showed Ayanokoji the necklace that Onizuka had given me, which I had hidden under my sailor uniform as evidence, and she seemed quite surprised.

"Is that so... I'm sorry, I thought for sure that you two were dating..."

Ayanokoji bows her head.

"No, no, lift your head!"

"There's no need for you to apologize, Ayanokoji-san."

Nagumo and I hurriedly waved our hands from side to side.

"But..."

"That's really fine. Now, let's get to the main point."

Nagumo stopped talking and turned towards me.

"Otome-chan."

When Nagumo called me, I nodded.

From here on, it's my turn to explain.

"I want Onizuka and Ijuin to get along again."

"Eh……?"

Ayanokoji's eyes widened and she seemed at a loss for words.

"I heard from Ijuin. Something happened between him and Onizuka that caused their relationship to become so strained..."

"I see... So that's how Ijuin-kun said it..."

"...Hey, what happened?"

"…………"

Ayanokoji is tight-lipped.

It's not because I was the one asking, it's because the topic was about the other two.

She must be wondering whether it's okay to talk about it so easily.

It's typical of Ayanokoji to be tight-lipped.

All Nagumo and I could do was waiting for her to make a decision.

"……Alright."

After a short silence, Ayanokoji slowly spoke.

"...If Onizuka-kun gave you that necklace as a gift, and Ijuin-kun said that much... then Saotome-san must be trusted by the two of them."

Ayanokoji stared straight at me.

"Nagumo-san is also trusted by Saotome-san."

Ayanokoji looked at Nagumo and me, and we each nodded.

"Please excuse me for now."

With a determined look on her face, Ayanokoji put her mouth to the water bottle and quenched her thirst.

Ayanokoji cleared her throat cutely, and her expression changed.

"The 'thing' Ijuin-kun were talking about, it must be about his mother's funeral, right?"

...Ijuin's mother's funeral?

"Is Ijuin's mother dead?!"

Ayanokoji nodded in agreement.

There is another person who lived in single-parent household other than Nagumo.

There weren't many people around me in my previous life who came from such difficult family backgrounds.

What's going on with shoujo manga world?

"Ijuin-kun and Onizuka-kun have been good friends since elementary school... No, since kindergarten. Apparently, Ijuin-kun's father would take him to Onizuka-kun's house while he was at work, and they would play together."

"I started hanging out with the two of them when I was in elementary school," Ayanokoji added.

"The two of them were best friends, and I did my best to follow them around, which I enjoyed. However, when he was in middle school, Ijuin-kun's mother passed away from illness."

Ijuin was in his third year of high school and the thing that happened with Onizuka was when he was in middle school, so that must have been three years ago.

"So, at the funeral..."

Ayanokoji paused for a moment.

"Onizuka-kun didn't attend."

That's impossible!

Onizuka is absent from his best friend's mother's funeral?

That Onizuka?　

...Onizuka is not that ungrateful.

But I don't think Ayanokoji is lying.

...Did Onizuka really betray his best friend, Ijuin?

"...There must have been some reason?"

Nagumo, who had been listening in silence, calmly asked. I was taken aback.

Ayanokoji replied, "Yes."

"Onizuka-kun's father and Ijuin-kun's father, who were in an employer-employee relationship, did not get along well. Apparently, Ijuin-kun's father literally turned away Onizuka-kun when he came to attend the funeral."

"That... then Ijuin..."

"He didn't know"

Ayanokoji shook his head sadly.

That was exactly the cause of the rift between the two.

"...Ayanokoji, why..."

Even without anyone saying anything, Ayanokoji looked sour, thinking that he wouldn't tell Ijuin about it.

"...It was really not a situation where I could say anything. Imagine that, Ijuin-kun, right after his beloved mother passed away. ...I thought time would heal everything. However, the more time passed, the more I couldn't bring up the story of that time again."

So kind.

Ayanokoji and Onizuka too.

If they were someone who couldn't read the atmosphere, they would have brought up his mother's funeral again without considering the Ijuin's feeling.

Onizuka also didn't tell Ijuin that he had been rejected by his father because he had a feeling that if he did, it would not only cause him the shock of his mother's death, but would also make Ijuin feel even more guilty towards Onizuka.

Even if it means that Ijuin will hate him for it.

Even Ijuin would lose faith in anything if the person he thought was his best friend didn't come to his mother's funeral.

And Ayanokoji, who joined the pair later, was unable to do anything about the rift between them, and so they ended up becoming estranged.

My original plan was to restored the relationship between the three, and made Ayanokoji into the main heroine.

Although I boasted about that, the situation may be more serious than I thought.

"...Is there no one who can clear up the student council president's misunderstanding about the delinquent boy?"

Nagumo consulted with Ayanokoji.

Ayanokoji also pondered the matter, but quickly shook her head as if giving up.

"...I just happened to witness Ijuin-kun's father turning Onizuka-kun away... The only ones who know the truth are the two people involved and myself..."

With that kind of presence, no one will tell Ijuin.

"Hmm," Nagumo said, holding his head in his hands.

I also crossed my arms and racked my brain to come up with a solution.

"But……"

Ayanokoji broke the silence.

"...if it's Saotome-san, then maybe..."

"Huh? Me?"

Ayanokoji was looking straight at me.

"Well, I'm the biggest outsider, aren't I? I only just met him recently."

"For those who know the past, there is no such thing as recent or ancient. In order to face painful memories head-on, I think the important thing is 'who is telling him'."

Who is telling him that...?

"...Am I even up to such an important role? Ayanokoji is better..."

There were even rumors that Ijuin was in love with Ayanokoji.

Wouldn't it be easier to remember if it was a sighting of someone you once loved?

"No, only Saotome-san is good."

"Yeah, I think Otome-chan is good too."

Even Nagumo recommended me.

Why do you both think I'm the right person for the job...?

"It's because they trust Saotome-san. I know how much Onizuka-kun treasured that necklace. I know how much Ijuin-kun doesn't want to reveal to others about their past disagreements."

"...!"

I instinctively grabbed the necklace Onizuka had given me, which was hanging from the middle of my collarbone.

"I agree. Actually, my hunch is that they both already like Otome-chan. If the person you like says it to you, you'd accept it."

Even Nagumo...!

On top of that, I'm informed of the horrifying fact that the love flag has already been raised.

However, even if this prediction turned out to be correct, if Ijuin and Onizuka make up, the story that follows us may become distorted.

"Please, Saotome-san...! I too would like the two of them to return to being friendly with each other again, and not have this hostile relationship...!"

"Ayanokoji..."

Ugh...

A beautiful girl, a girl I'm interested in, is begging me.

Is this the weakness of love...?

I have no intention of getting into a romantic relationship with Ayanokoji in a female body.

If Ijuin and Onizuka's relationship returns to normal, Ayanokoji may join in as well, and the friendly trio may be reunited.

Then Ayanokoji can be promoted to be the main heroine.

As a fan of Ayanokoji, I would have mixed feelings if she got a boyfriend, but there's nothing I could do about it since I can't have one.

...I have no choice but to do it.

For myself and for everyone!

"...Okay, I'll talk to Ijuin about it!"

"Thank you, Saotome-san!"

"Good luck, Otome-chan!"

Ayanokoji and Nagumo burst into applause.

With determination, I raised my fist into the blue sky.