Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!?

Volume 23, Chapter 4: Behind the School Excursion Part 1

When considering Satomi Koutarou as boyfriend material, he had two primary flaws. But those two faults were enough to make him unpopular with the girls in his class. While they didn’t despise him, he wasn’t exactly someone they were interested in dating.

The first flaw was largely a superficial problem. Though Koutarou had the soul of a gentleman, he didn’t act like it around his close friends. They’d have stupid conversations and were prone to roughhousing. And when it came to his best friend, Kenji, they’d even fight from time to time. The other boys didn’t have too much trouble relating, but the girls saw it quite differently. He just came off as aggressive to them. His large build only enhanced that impression. When a girl considered his dating potential, that was ultimately enough to give her pause. In other words, he seemed too scary to be a good boyfriend.

His second flaw only became apparent after getting past the first. There were a few girls that had been in school with Koutarou long enough to realize that he wasn’t really a scary guy, but they started to notice something else. Koutarou seemed to instinctively push people away and avoid getting close with others. It was a pretty thick line in the sand as far as relationships were concerned. And that impression was only exacerbated when people learned about his family situation.

And so Koutarou was unpopular with his classmates of the female persuasion who were scared of him on the surface, or thought that he would reject them deep down. However, right now, that situation was changing. Starting this year, Koutarou’s vibe was a little different. Unlike before, he was starting to show an inclination to accept others.

The girls who liked Koutarou believed it was because of the plays he had been in. Surely after getting involved with so many people, his heart must have opened up a little bit. In reality, it was because of the invasion of room 106, but they weren’t too far off base. And on top of that, with the recognition he received over the plays, the amount of girls interested in Koutarou had dramatically increased.

In short, Koutarou’s circumstances had begun to change him, both inside and out. While the few girls that had noticed this thought it was their big chance, it brought about a whole new set of worries. What if someone else confessed to him first?

However, these girls would need courage to confess their feelings to Koutarou themselves. And they would need the right opportunity to do it. A special occasion, something out of the ordinary, would be ideal.

At Kisshouharukaze High School, the second-year students had a school excursion in the fall semester. It was a two day, three night sightseeing trip. Of course, as it was a school organized event, half of that would be sightseeing spots related to their studies. But even then, the students were happy to go on an outing without their parents.

“Sensei, do bananas count as snacks?”

“No, they don’t… That said, you’re high school students now, so there’s no limit on your snack budget. Bring as much as you’d like!”

“Okay, sensei!”

After explaining what to watch out for during homeroom, the back and forth between the teacher in charge and a student sent the classroom into a laughing fit. Even normally unfunny jokes made the class laugh today. They were in high spirits now that the school excursion was close. They would be leaving tomorrow, and student excitement was reaching its peak.

“Satomi-san, Satomi-san.”

Yurika, sitting next to Koutarou, tugged on the sleeve of his uniform as he was laughing together with his classmates. When he turned her way, she was looking at him with a very serious expression.

She leaned over, still quite serious, and whispered in his ear, “Do bananas count as snacks?”

“Sensei already said they don’t.”

When it came to snacks, Kisshouharukaze High School had no limit on how much students could bring. However, Yurika had a personal limit. She would get 500 yen a day, for a total of 1,500 yen during their three day stay.

“Then how about banana chips?”

“Banana chips are…”

“If bananas are fine, they should be too.”

“No, they would count as snacks.”

Unfortunately for Yurika, the school trip was coming up at about the same time she’d used up her money. Even though she’d known about it in advance, she wasn’t able to keep herself from buying limited edition comics and related merchandise. As a result, Yurika would be reliant on Koutarou for her funds on the excursion. And he had a strict handle over how that money was used. He wouldn’t let any of it go to waste.

“Why not?! Banana chips are perfectly good bananas!”

“If I accept banana chips, you’re going to ask about chocolate bananas, aren’t you? I’m onto you.”

“Aww…”

But Yurika wouldn’t relent. In an attempt to escape Koutarou’s watchful eyes, she racked her brain for another loophole. As of right now, however, it was to no avail.

Kenji was watching Koutarou and Yurika’s back and forth from some distance away. While he couldn’t hear what they were saying, he could tell how close they were. And knowing what kind of person Koutarou was, Kenji felt that was a good sign.

“Hey, Matsudaira-kun,” someone called out to him.

“Hmm?”

“…Are those two going out?”

The voice belonged to the girl who sat at the desk next to his. Her name was Kashiwagi Shiori. If Kenji remembered correctly, they had gone to the same middle school, but he wasn’t sure if they had gone to the same elementary school or not. She was a bright, cheerful, and cute girl, so she had left an impression on him.

“It doesn’t really look like it,” Kenji replied.

“Really? They sure look like it to me when they act like that…”

Shiori had her doubts about the distance between Koutarou and Yurika. They were sharing secrets and bumping shoulders, but the looks on their faces, the banter, and the physical contact did make them look much closer than just classmates. To Shiori they looked more like childhood friends, or, if she were to be extra bold, boyfriend and girlfriend.

“If you ask me, I’d suspect Theia-chan more than anyone.”

“Yeah, I’d noticed that too.”

Both of them looked over at Theia. She had been stealing peeks at Koutarou and Yurika from her seat for a while now. It was clear that it was bothering her. Unlike Koutarou and Yurika, Koutarou and Theia would practically fight every day. The fact that their relationship wasn’t getting any worse seemed to be reason enough to be suspicious.

“But it’s not like he’s skilled enough to go out with two girls at the same time, you know,” said Kenji.

“Yeah… I think that to myself frequently,” Shiori replied.

When Shiori was done talking with Kenji, she looked down and seemed to get lost in thought. After watching her for a while, Kenji reached a conclusion of his own.

It looks like Kashiwagi-san likes Kou… and not just on a superficial level…

Compared to last year, Koutarou was certainly getting more attention from the girls. The biggest reason for that was his part as the Blue Knight during last year’s plays. However, Kenji didn’t get the sense that Shiori’s feelings were that shallow. Her feelings had most likely budded after learning about Koutarou’s childhood and why he had turned out the way he did. Since Shiori had been with them since middle school, Kenji believed that was probably the real reason.

You know, Kou, this is all because you’re so slow to decide. Everyone else is in a rush. At this rate, you’re only gonna make it hard on yourself…

Kenji knew what Koutarou was feeling for a certain set of girls, which included Yurika and Theia. And that he couldn’t make up his mind. Because of that, he was surprisingly close with all of them… To the point that girls outside of that circle began to get suspicious. Kenji was worried what would happen if Koutarou continued to ignore that. But Koutarou, who was currently in the middle of lecturing Yurika, didn’t seem to have even realized what was happening.

With the school excursion just around the corner, they needed to buy necessities for the trip, so Koutarou and the others visited the familiar mall on their way back home.

“Koutarou, Koutarou, give me my allowance!” Sanae practically shouted.

She held her hands out in front of Koutarou with a wide smile. She was still getting an allowance from Koutarou, something that had carried over from when she was a ghost. While it wasn’t that much money, she made good use of it by saving it for important times like these.

“Hang on. Let’s see…”

Koutarou looked at the notes he had on his cellphone. There were plenty of files, one of which was titled ‘Sanae.’ Koutarou fiddled with his phone to bring it up.

“There’s the remainder of last month’s… and adding this month’s allowance on to that is… 3,420 yen.”

“Come on, come on!” Sanae impatiently moved her hands to rush Koutarou.

“Okay, okay. Well, here’s 3,000 yen to start.”

“All right! Then I’m off!”

After Koutarou placed the money in her hands, Sanae snatched it up and ran off. She looked just like a child.

“Be careful, okay?”

“Okay!”

And it was exactly because Sanae was like this that he couldn’t stop giving her an allowance. Sanae had returned to being human, and she also got an allowance from her parents. But Koutarou wanted to keep giving her some money for a while longer if it meant that he got to see such an innocent and adorable sight.

In the end, I’m just like Theia…

That was the same reason why Theia continued to pay Koutarou a salary. She loved the relationship that gesture created. As Koutarou realized that, he smiled wryly to himself.

“…”

Maki had been watching Koutarou and Sanae. When Sanae disappeared around a corner at the mall, she looked down at her own palms. After staring at them for a while, she looked up at Koutarou’s face.

“What’s the matter, Aika-san?”

Noticing her behavior, Koutarou asked her what was on her mind. In response, Maki’s face turned red and she held her now tightly gripped hands in front of her chest.

“Ah, u-um…”

“Yeah?”

“…W-Well…”

With her face still red, Maki looked down at the ground, presented her hands to Koutarou, and slowly opened them.

“Um…”

Maki embarrassedly waved her hands. Watching her, Koutarou recalled Sanae from just a few moments ago.

Now that I think about it, I did make a promise with Aika-san…

In honor of Maki’s position as the treasurer of Satomi’s band of knights, she was supposed

to receive a salary. But Maki strove to live a normal life and instead kept her salary as a credit. Whenever she needed something, she would just ask Koutarou for money, withdrawing against her balance. And right now, Maki was mimicking Sanae and requesting her allowance.

“How much?”

“Um, the same as Sanae-san.”

“You can take more, you know?”

Maki’s circumstances were different from Sanae, who purely received an allowance. She had the right to get a few digits higher.

“Just the same, please…”

But Maki didn’t want that. The truth was that she wanted a pure allowance too, but knew saying that might trouble Koutarou. That’s why she went about it in a roundabout way and just asked for the same amount as Sanae.

“I see. Then… Here.”

“Thank you, Satomi-kun. I’ll use it with care.”

Getting 3,000 yen from Koutarou, Maki flashed a truly happy smile. However, she didn’t seem to show any interest in going off shopping. She simply put the money in her wallet and stayed by Koutarou’s side, smiling.

What can I say? She’s almost there. Just a little bit more…

Maki had a serious personality to begin with, but perhaps because of her guilt over her past, she found herself unable to take the last step to do what she really wanted. Because of that, she was still often reserved and couldn’t bring herself to fully rely on other people.

“You don’t have to use it with care.”

“Satomi-kun?”

So in order to get her to take that last step, Koutarou reached out to her. People didn’t change that easily. Koutarou knew that well from personal experience. That’s why it fell on friends to help out. Koutarou grabbed ahold of Maki’s hand and began running.

“Let’s go waste some money too!”

“Oh… Y-Yeah!”

Being pulled along by Koutarou, Maki started running as well. She sped up so she wouldn’t fall behind him, even though she was faintly aware that she should be the one running in front of him. It didn’t look like she’d be able to do that anytime soon, but squeezing Koutarou’s hand now seemed like a good start.

“Heehee, this is worth a lot of points, Satomi-kun!”

Shizuka saw off Koutarou and Maki in high spirits and spryly followed after the two of them. Since she worried for Maki on a daily basis, she was happy with this outcome.

“And would those be Maki’s points, or yours?” asked Kiriha as she walked up next to

Shizuka.

Her expression was just as bright, and she too had a spring in her step.

“Both!”

“Heh, I know how you feel.”

Both Shizuka and Kiriha were constantly concerned about the problems Maki was keeping to herself. Because of that, despite the boy they liked getting along well with someone else, they were both in a good mood.

As the next day dawned, it was finally time for the school excursion. Koutarou and the girls of room 106 were getting ready to depart, but not all of them would be going. Specifically Harumi, who wasn’t a second-year, and Clan, who wasn’t even enrolled at their school.

“You’re telling me to stay behind while everyone else goes out to have fun?” Clan demanded.

“What do you want me to do? It’s a school event,” Koutarou replied.

“Clan, if you’re lonely, just say so,” Theia snarked.

“Theiamillis-san, I am not lonely! I am just frustrated at a knight who would leave a princess behind to go play!”

“So Clan, what kind of souvenir would you like?” Koutarou asked, changing the subject.

“Nothing, thank you!”

At every mention of the trip, Clan’s mood got worse and worse. She was already lonely knowing she’d have to wait for their return all alone. She was also unhappy that everyone was getting all fired up without her. The fact that Koutarou, the man she considered her partner, was in such high spirits only spurred her feelings further. The best way to describe it was perhaps a little sister getting jealous over her siblings’ school trip.

“Please calm down, Clan-san. I’m going to stay behind too,” urged Harumi.

Right now, she was Clan’s only ally. As a third-year, she wouldn’t be going on the excursion either. That’s why she was left behind alongside Clan, and she was planning on using the time to get a checkup.

“You’re being too sensible, Harumi!”

“But if you’re not a good girl, you won’t get any souvenirs.”

“So you’ve already been bribed, huh?”

“Satomi-kun, I want a chocolate cake as a souvenir.”

“Sakuraba-senpai wants chocolate cake. Got it. And you, Clan?”

“I said nothing, thank you! Hmph!”

Stubborn as she was, Clan was unable to accept Koutarou’s goodwill and turned away from him. As she did, she looked at the window and the sun shining through it. It was giving off a soft, autumn light, but that beautiful light didn’t reach Clan’s gloomy heart.

She just stood there with her cheeks puffed up in dissatisfaction.

After seeing off Koutarou and the others, the two remaining girls moved to the Hazy Moon, Clan’s spaceship that was in orbit around Earth. They were using the onboard medical checkup device. As Clan had calibrated it herself, it’s performance was guaranteed.

“Thank you as always, Clan-san.”

Harumi was very grateful for Clan. Because of her, Harumi was receiving treatment far more advanced than what was available on Earth. That was especially reassuring to Harumi with her weak constitution. From inside the checkup device, she smiled appreciatively at Clan, who was standing next to it.

“I’m sorry, Harumi. I’m sure this could save a lot of people.”

Despite Harumi’s gratitude, Clan was apologizing. With her technology, she was surely capable of saving lives. For example, all of the children Harumi knew in the hospital. But as Forthorthe and Earth had no official diplomatic relations, Clan had to be extra careful in how she used her technology. Of course, she wished she could save everyone, but she didn’t have the power or time for that.

In a situation where there were no clear rules about who to save and who not to save, it was very difficult to draw the line. That’s why Clan made her own guidelines on how the technology should be used. She decided to use the same strictures she had set forth in the past world. She could save someone she happened to meet, but she couldn’t actively look for people to save.

Under those principles, Clan could help Harumi. Harumi just so happened to come into her life. However, she couldn’t intentionally go to the hospital to help the children. That was the rule she’d resorted to. She wasn’t some omnipotent goddess with infinite resources and unlimited time. By following her guidelines, Clan made sure she wasn’t valuing certain lives over others.

“Nobody can blame you, Clan-san. I could use magic to save those children too, but I’m not. I’m the same as you.”

Even Harumi could cure the children of their illnesses with Signaltin’s powers, but she didn’t for the same reason Clan didn’t. It was something very similar to Rainbow Heart’s commandments. She couldn’t just use her powers freely, even if it was to save people. With great power comes great responsibility.

“All we can do is pray that we run into the children in a way that makes it possible to save them.”

“You’re right… Those are our limits as humans…”

If the children’s suffering directly involved Clan or Harumi, they could step in and save them. But all they could do now was hope that the children were that lucky.

Beep!

“The diagnosis is complete. Enough with the gloomy thoughts for now.”

“Well, that might be the start of another gloomy set of thought altogether…”

“Ahaha, it’s okay. It’s all green this time.”

Harumi’s checkup had two stages. The first was a scan with the checkup device. Depending on the results, they’d move on to stage two: more specific, thorough tests. From time to time, Harumi would get a yellow light—a caution—and move on to the second phase. However, the lights were all green this time, meaning that there were no abnormalities.

Meanwhile, Koutarou and the others had come to a science museum built on reclaimed land. To get all the way there from Kisshouharukaze City, they had gone from bus to plane to bus again. As the airport was also built on reclaimed land, it wasn’t that far from the museum and they arrived early in the afternoon.

Grrrowl…

Shortly after getting off the bus on the museum grounds, Koutarou’s stomach rumbled. Ruth, who happened to be next to him, giggled.

“Is your stomach empty already, Satomi-sama?”

When around classmates, Ruth couldn’t call Koutarou her master, so how she addressed him was situational.

“Looks like the in-flight meal wasn’t enough.”

Koutarou rubbed his stomach while smiling half-heartedly. To keep on schedule, lunch had been served on the plane. However, the simple meal didn’t seem to be enough for Koutarou, who was still a growing boy. His stomach demanded more fuel.

“Then have this.”

Ruth reached into her purse and pulled out a plastic bag with a slice of baumkuchen inside.

“Yeah, thanks.”

Koutarou accepted with a smile. It looked like the perfect snack.

“But if you’re going to eat, please hurry. Food and drink are prohibited inside the building.”

“All right. Thank you for the food!”

After gauging the distance to the building, Koutarou opened the bag and threw pieces of cake in his mouth, one after another. Ruth watched over him with a smile. What would have taken her several minutes to eat, Koutarou wolfed down in a flash.

“Have this too, Satomi-sama.”

Waiting for Koutarou to finish eating, Ruth followed up by handing him a small water bottle.

“Thank you.”

The baumkuchen had left his mouth quite dry, so water was exactly what he wanted now. He took the bottle without hesitation and guzzled it down.

“That was delicious.”

“Please leave the bag and bottle to me.”

Ruth reached her hands out to Koutarou. She was going to take the trash and dispose of it later, but that kind of babying made even Koutarou a little uneasy.

“I can throw them away myself.”

He was fine with accepting a snack and some water, but letting Ruth take care of the trash would feel weird. She wasn’t his servant.

“If I let my master hold the trash, it will ruin the image of the knights. If you care about me, please hand them over.”

“Ugh…”

With a smile, Ruth hit Koutarou where it hurt and blocked off any escape. He knew very well how much Ruth cared for the knights and her concept of knighthood. If she resorted to using that against him, he had no other choice.

“…Thank you.”

“Of course. Please leave it to me.”

Ruth accepted the trash from Koutarou and tucked it in her purse. For some reason, she looked rather happy. As someone who did housework as a hobby, she didn’t hate this kind of thing. But there was another reason she was enjoying herself.

I am sorry for lying, Master. The truth is that I just want to do everything for the man I love…

What she said about the image of the knights was just an excuse. Ruth simply wanted to be of use and take care of the man she had feelings for. But admitting to that would only trouble Koutarou. On the other hand, if she said nothing at all, she’d look like a servant. That’s why she’d brought up the knights and forced his hand by claiming to protect his honor. She was acting on her own desires, but also out of consideration.

“Ruth-san, you…”

“Yes?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

“Is that so?”

Koutarou didn’t understand Ruth’s feelings. He simply wondered why she would enjoy doing something like that.

“Oh, Ruth-san, let’s stock back up on the snacks I ate or something at this stall later.”

“I still have plenty more, so it’s okay.”

“Come on, it’ll be fine.”

“…Satomi-sama?”

However, while Koutarou didn’t quite get it, he knew that it wasn’t something he could take for granted and decided to show his gratitude in his own way.

The science museum that Koutarou and the others had come to was composed of a permanent exhibit and a project exhibit. The permanent exhibit was a display on the development of science alongside the history of man, serving as an overall commentary on the progress of science.

The project exhibit, on the other hand, had more detailed content. It was an in depth display on a specific topic, such as space, ships, or the like. Of course, as the name might imply, the project on display was temporary and changed every few months. Visitors could enjoy something different every time they came. The current exhibit was on the history of games. It was a fun display that even teenagers like Koutarou and the others could enjoy.

“Mackenzie, how do you play with this?” Koutarou asked.

“Um, you move up, down, left, and right with these four buttons. And use this button to fire missiles.”

“What a pain. Just make it a single controller…”

“Apparently the D-pad wasn’t invented until twenty years later.”

“So the people of the past were satisfied with this annoying way of playing?”

Unlike modern, integrated game consoles, the games of the past required their own unique hardware. Because of that, the consoles were all completely different depending on the game. The exhibit even included an oscilloscope, a device used to pattern electrical signals. It was covered in buttons. These specialized games and devices fell out of favor as

technology continued to advance, but their wide variety in the early years of gaming was a huge draw for the exhibit.

“Boys sure are interested in this kind of stuff…”

Shizuka was happily watching over Koutarou and Kenji, glued to one of the game consoles. As part of a newer generation of girls, Shizuka didn’t hate games either. But these consoles were strangely mechanical and utterly lacking any cuteness factor. The screens were also simple, and just like the design of the consoles, lacking in cuteness. As a result, there wasn’t a whole lot of girly appeal. That was the reason why Shizuka wasn’t actively participating.

“And Theia-dono too,” Kiriha added.

“She’s a special exception.” Shizuka shrugged at Kiriha’s remark.

But Kiriha was right. The boys weren’t the only ones hovering over the consoles. Theia was right there with them, currently in the middle of making a huge commotion.

“Bwahahaha! Koutarou, you’re a hundred years too primitive to beat me in games!”

“Damn you! I’ll teach you that hand-eye coordination isn’t all there is to games! Mackenzie!”

“Yeah!”

“That’s dirty, Koutarou! Your partner is too strong!”

“Wahahaha! Behold the power of charisma!”

“I don’t think that’s it, Kou…”

At a Forthorthian university, Theia had majored in computer history, or more specifically, the history of games. While they came from different planets, Theia was really in her element at this exhibit. She was attached to all of the games, and her hatred of losing only spurred her competitive streak. Theia was, without a doubt, the one enjoying the project display the most.

“Theia, do you want me to join you?” Sanae offered.

“Please do! I need your strength!”

“Aye aye, captain!”

“Hey, that’s dirty! Calling in Sanae like that!” Koutarou booed.

“Heh heh… Behold the power of charisma!” Theia mocked.

“Kou, is Higashihongan-san good at games too?”

“She’s not good at games in particular, but she’s special. If we let our guard down, she’ll blow right past us! Why don’t you play seriously for once, Mackenzie?!”

“You got it! This is starting to get interesting!”

They were all acting like friends who had gone out to play together. They weren’t worried about the time or anything else, and everyone was thoroughly enjoying being on a trip away from home. Because of that, Koutarou and the others playing games looked like they

were having more fun than usual. Or, at least, they looked more childish than usual. It was only natural for the girls watching over them to find it endearing.

Having finished the examination sooner than expected, Harumi and Clan were enjoying teatime in the luxurious lounge of Clan’s Hazy Moon. Clan had been conducting Harumi’s checkups for a while now, and this post-examination teatime had become something of a routine.

“By the way, Harumi, what exactly is a school excursion?”

And after all the time they’d spent together, Clan considered Harumi a good friend. Excluding Koutarou and Kiriha, Harumi was the one she was closest to. Thanks to that, Clan could ask Harumi things she had trouble asking others.

“Did you not have them in Forthorthe?”

“We might have had them, but I never went to school.”

“So that’s the kind of thing happens when you’re too smart… Whoops.”

Pondering how to answer Clan’s question, Harumi crossed her arms and began thinking. She’d never really thought of how to try and explain a school excursion to someone before, so she had to organize her thoughts.

“Um… A school excursion is a school event where you travel to a place for an educational and social experience.”

“Educational and social experience?”

Something about Harumi’s answer was clearly lost on Clan. She tilted her head in confusion.

“Like appreciating the opera or visiting a candy factory. Something like that.”

“I see, so it’s not somewhere you go to just to play around.”

“Well, for us students, I think it is just like going on any other trip.”

“Could it be that the educational part is just a front?”

“I suppose that’s true for most of the students. Heehee…”

Harumi cheerfully laughed as she took a sip of her tea. She’d made it herself, and was quite satisfied with it.

“By the way, what kind of excursion did you go on, Harumi?”

Having formed a rough idea of what a school excursion was, Clan wanted a concrete example. Of course, what she was really interested in was Koutarou and the others who had already left on their trip.

“When my class went, we focused on shrines and temples. You could have called it a tour of the old capital.”

“How refined.”

“It was so refined that there were plenty of students who were unhappy about it. But on the second day we went to a big amusement park, so it all worked out in the end.”

“Hmm…”

Clan listened to Harumi while sipping her drink. The tea was superb, but Clan didn’t seem to register that.

“And… when everyone goes on a trip, the mood is a little different… And, um, well…”

Harumi, who had been speaking without any trouble thus far, suddenly stammered as if she was at a loss for words. She looked down and blushed.

“Th-There are more people who confess to the person they like than usual.”

When Harumi squeezed those words out with a whisper, Clan’s eyes shot open wide.

“C-Confess?!”

“Um, yes…”

“Oh, um…”

Harumi wasn’t the only one looking down and blushing now. They were both extremely sensitive when it came to talk of love, and they both had someone they wanted to confess to. It was no surprise that they were imagining the same dreamy, hopeful thing. And as a result, both Clan and Harumi fell silent for a long minute.

“Th-Then…”

The one to break the silence was Clan. After collecting herself some, her desire to know what it meant to confess during a school excursion temporarily surpassed her embarrassment.

“Did you… confess or get confessed to too, Harumi?”

With her face still turned down, Clan peered up out of the corner of her eye at Harumi. As if trying to escape that glance, Harumi turned her head to the side a little.

“The person I, um… wanted to c-confess to… didn’t come to the trip, so I…”

“Ah, I see.”

“But I was confessed to… twice.”

“Wh-What did you do?”

“Um… I politely turned them down. Because, um…”

“Ah, r-right! Ahahaha!”

“Heeheehee…”

The two girls began laughing. However, it wasn’t because they were happy. Rather, it was simply a desire to clear away the heavy, looming cloud that had gathered over them. But curiosity won out. When the laughter died down, Clan opened her mouth again.

“Then, around now… they’re…?”

“Timing and atmosphere play a big part, so it’s usually after something fun happens, or in the evening…”

“Kii and Theiamillis-san will probably be taken by surprise.”

“I think so.”

Kiriha and Theia were very popular, even with people outside of their class. And it wasn’t just with the boys, either. There were likely many students who would use this chance to confess.

“Then… Veltlion too?”

“Um…”

That was the question that interested Clan the most. The same was true for Harumi, and she instinctively held her breath.

“S-Satomi-kun has gotten… popular since the plays… so that might happen, yeah…”

“Th-That’s…”

Harumi and Clan were reduced to whispers again. Just imagining that Koutarou was being confessed to somewhere without their knowledge made both Harumi and Clan feel incredibly uneasy. Based on Koutarou’s personality and upbringing, the chances of him receiving a confession were pretty low, but they couldn’t let their guard down.

“To think the school excursion is really such a shameless event…”

“That’s not all there is to it. Some people just take heart on a trip like that…”

“I mean, it’s not like I don’t understand that feeling.”

“Same…”

The two girls fell silent again. They both knew what it felt like to fall in love… and how painful it was to not be brave enough to confess. They could understand why you’d make the move when emotions were running high. And that sentiment was exactly why they felt so uneasy now.

“Harumi, how about we go all out… and secretly check in on things?”

“Huh?”

“I mean, rather than just patiently waiting here, feeling so…”

Unable to bear the anxiety, Clan wanted to take action. Now that she had learned the reality of the school excursion, she couldn’t possibly sit still any longer. However, she was too shy to go alone, so she wanted Harumi to come with her. She was proposing that they cross this precarious bridge together.

“That might be true, but…” Harumi hesitated.

“It’s a holiday for you too,” Clan tried to persuade her.

“But…”

Clan’s proposal was actually very attractive to Harumi. The only problem was the moral quandary of peeping. Harumi wanted to believe that a good woman would just have faith and wait patiently.

“Harumi, nothing will come of just waiting around. Sometimes you have to be the one to take action.”

But Clan’s words helped her make up her mind. Harumi had really always thought of herself as too passive, so she couldn’t ignore what Clan was saying. Harumi nodded to her.

“I understand. Let’s just take a little look.”

“That’s right. Just a little, teensy-weensy look.”

And so Clan and Harumi decided to follow after Koutarou and the others. While it was quite obvious that this would be more than just “a little look,” repeating those magical words seemed to alleviate some of their guilt.

To a girl in love, the school excursion was a gold mine of opportunity. There would be no shortage of situations and excuses to casually strike up a conversation with someone outside of her normal social circle. And talking to someone she ordinarily never did was a relatively low risk endeavor, considering that they didn’t usually see each other during their daily school lives.

That’s why to Kashiwagi Shiori, this school excursion was her big chance. Koutarou, the boy she was interested in, barely acknowledged her existence. He only thought of her as a classmate. The school trip would help her overcome that hurdle. She would finally be able to break the ice with him.

“I have to talk to Satomi-kun this time…”

Unfortunately, things hadn’t gone as she’d hoped so far. She’d had a perfectly good opening to talk to Koutarou while the class was looking at the permanent exhibit, but she just couldn’t muster enough courage in time. Before she knew it, everyone was moving on to the project exhibit. And that was bad.

Almost everyone, including Koutarou, was looking forward to the exhibit on the history of video games. Because of that, Koutarou and the others were so focused on the games that it was next to impossible to talk to him. If they were on friendlier terms, Shiori could have just joined in with them, but that was difficult for her.

“At the next museum then…”

And so Shiori decided to wait for the next chance. They would stay at the science museum for most of the afternoon, and then move on to a museum on the history of Edo that evening. Surely Koutarou wouldn’t be as engrossed by Japanese history as he was by video games.

“Mackenzie, why are they making such a fuss?”

“Are you really that out of the loop, Kou? Historical stuff has really been booming for a while now. Games and anime with beautified generals are all the rage.”

“Hmm… Why not, I guess?”

“I mean, even if the real deal was some bald guy, he’ll still be popular as long as the pictures are good. It’s like a form of fantasy.”

“Yeah, but that’s been the case with portraits for ages. Isn’t it just that the quality of the pictures that has changed with the passing of eras?”

“That’s awfully perceptive for you, Kou. I’ve never thought of it that way.”

Shiori’s hunch was spot on. Koutarou and the other boys all seemed to calm down as they entered the next museum. If anything, it was the girls who were getting excited this time. Thanks to the recent explosion of historical fiction, squealing girls flooded each exhibit. It exactly the kind of situation Shiori was waiting for. Now, with the other girls in the class distracted, all that was left was waiting for Koutarou to be alone.

“So according to what you’re saying, all that’s really changed are aesthetics and what girls like?” Kenji asked.

“Yeah, see, in the past, these portrait were the beautified version.”

“So if Yamaoka-sensei went back in the time to the Warring States period, he’d be super popular, huh?”

“…What was that about me?”

“Oh crap!”

“Why don’t you come over here, Matsudaira? This is a good opportunity, so let’s have a little chat!”

“W-Wait!”

“That’s all on you. Have fun!” Koutarou waved.

“You’re heartless!”

“You reap what you sow, man.”

Fortunately, Shiori didn’t have to wait long. Kenji, who had been walking around with Koutarou, managed to enrage a teacher and was pulled aside. It didn’t look like he’d be back any time soon either. However, she couldn’t let her guard down yet. It wasn’t just Kenji she had to worry about. Koutarou was constantly surrounded by people these days. If she left him be, someone else would show up. Shiori needed to act quickly.

“I have be courageous! This is the first step! I’ll never get anywhere if I don’t take it!”

Whap whap whap.

Shiori slapped her cheeks to pump herself up. While Koutarou had never noticed, Shiori had been watching him since elementary school. Like the other girls who misunderstood him, she kept her distance from him when they were younger. It wasn’t until middle school that she had fallen for him, but even then, that meant she’d had her eye on him for years. And if she didn’t do anything now, watching him was all she’d ever be able to do. In order to avoid that, she had to take action.

I have to tell him! Today! No matter what!

Shiori took a step towards Koutarou. Even though that was all, it was proof she was desperate. A girl confessing to the boy she liked required a great deal of determination. And Shiori was determined.

Each time she took a step closer to Koutarou, her heart beat a little faster. Her now pounding pulse made it difficult to think clearly, but doubts and fears plagued her mind. Her anxiety was severe, but she didn’t stop. In fact, it was knowing that she couldn’t go on like this that steadily drove her forward. Before long, Shiori had reached Koutarou.

And with a trembling voice, she asked, “U-Um, Satomi-kun, do you have a minute?”

They were words she had wanted to say for years but had never been able to. In the heat of the moment, they came to her so naturally because she had practiced them over and over, time and time again.

And it just so happened that Harumi and Clan caught up to Koutarou as Shiori approached him. Neither of them knew what was going on, but since a girl they didn’t know was

talking to Koutarou, they decided not to call out to him. Not to mention that they were scared of being scolded by Koutarou for showing up.

“What is it, Kashiwagi?”

“So you do know my name…”

“Well, we’re in the same class.”

“R-Right…”

“So what is it?”

“Ah, well…”

Harumi and Clan approached carefully so that Koutarou wouldn’t notice them. They didn’t want to interrupt Koutarou and Shiori, after all.

“What do you think they’re talking about?” Clan wondered out loud.

“There’s no way we could hear them from here,” Harumi answered.

“Then let’s listen in with this.”

Clan pulled some kind of a device out from her bag and pointed it towards Koutarou and Shiori. It was a parabolic microphone, which allowed the user to pick up sounds from a distance. Having guessed its function from its shape, Harumi furrowed her brow.

“Are we going to eavesdrop with that? I feel sorry for Satomi-kun…”

“Why are we here, Harumi?”

“That’s… Phew… Okay, let’s do it.”

Harumi and Clan had come because they were worried that someone might confess to Koutarou, or worse, that such a confession might move his heart. In order to alleviate that worry, they were going to have to spy on him. Harumi was normally adamantly against behaving in such a way, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

“Satomi-kun, can we take a look at the exhibit together?” Shiori asked.

“You don’t need my permission for that. It’s not like this is my house.”

“That’s… If you’re really fine with it, then it’s…”

“Of course I’m fine with it.”

“Does this mean… that girl…” Harumi muttered, almost at a loss for words.

“Looks like our hunch was spot on,” said Clan.

Using the parabolic microphone, they could clearly hear Koutarou and Shiori’s discussion. It was obvious that Shiori was trying her best to get close to Koutarou, but nevertheless, he was completely oblivious. The meaning of her words and what she was really asking were lost on Koutarou, but not on Clan and Harumi.

“What do we do, Clan-san? At this rate, Satomi-kun will…”

“Veltlion and that girl? Th-That couldn’t… B-But…”

The vague unease they had felt before now felt more like a lead weight in their stomachs―heavy and oppressive. They were both well aware that Koutarou’s problem couldn’t be so easily overcome, but who was to say that the girl who stood before him now wouldn’t be the one to do it? Even if nothing happened this time, what would happen if it was resolved later? There was a possible future where Koutarou was no longer part of their lives. Once they realized that, dread and panic fell upon Clan and Harumi like nothing they had ever felt before. However…

“Hello, Layou― I mean Koutarou-sama.”

“Huh?! Elle, why the hell are you here?!”

“What a coincidence, meeting you here…”

“Don’t lie to me!”

“Do you know each other, Satomi-kun?” Shiori asked.

“Yeah, this is Theia’s”

“Older sister. Thank you for always looking out for Theia.”

Elfaria appeared out of nowhere and interrupted Koutarou and Shiori before anything decisive happened.

“Th-Thank god…” Harumi stammered.

“I have to thank you this time, Elfaria-san…” Clan sighed in relief.

Both girls sat down on the spot as they felt the strength drain from their legs. With Elfaria’s appearance, their ruin―or at least their perceived ruin―had been thwarted. Normally Elfaria only brought trouble with her, but this time Clan practically felt like hugging and thanking her.

“What happened?” Kiriha suddenly asked.

“Well, Satomi-kun― Huh?!”

“K-Kii! Why are you here?!”

“Well, I’m in the middle of looking at this display, of course.”

Now that Kiriha had met up with Harumi and Clan, Shiori’s chances of being alone with Koutarou would drop considerably for a while. However, Harumi and Clan had a difference of opinion in how they felt about that.

In the end, Harumi and Clan decided to join up with Koutarou and the others. They could both use their powers to disguise themselves or turn invisible and fly away if they got caught sneaking around with the class. But as long as they were wearing uniforms, it would be easy to blend in. Granted, that wasn’t the case for a certain someone.

“…So there you have it. Hurry up and go home, Elle.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Do you even know who you are?!”

“I am Theia-chan’s older sister, Elle-chama!”

“Stop playing around! If something were to happen to you, your billions of citizens would be at a loss!”

Elfaria was the empress of the Holy Forthorthe Galactic Empire. In order for her to sightsee freely, she needed Koutarou and the rest to guard her. As she only had a vague grasp of Japanese traffic rules, she might even get in an accident. Such a beautiful woman was also at risk of inviting danger just by walking around the city. Mere muggers were scary, let alone the assassins her political adversaries might send after her. Being the head of an empire that controlled half a galaxy meant that absolutely no harm could befall her.

“Then what about Theia and Clan-san? They’re in the same position.”

“They know enough about Earth, and they can protect themselves! They don’t need strict guarding like you do!”

“But I’ll never get used to Earth too if you keep turning me away, Layous-sama.”

“Show some respect for the situation you’re in! Don’t you know you’re an empress in danger? Once everything is over, I’ll let you goof off as much as you like!”

“You won’t go back on that, will you, Layous-sama?”

Elfaria, who had been putting up a fight, backed down for some reason. But her expression was strangely happy. It made Koutarou a little nervous, but he decided that getting Elfaria to return home was more important.

“I won’t.”

“You can’t, okay?”

“I get it, so just go home.”

“You’ll regret it if you’re lying. You hear me?”

“Just go home!”

“Okaaay! Farewell!”

Elfaria turned her back to Koutarou as if running away. As she left, she glanced at Yurika. The truth was that it wasn’t a coincidence Elfaria had shown up. In exchange for two boxes of noodle cups, Yurika had given Elfaria their schedule and promised to contact her if anything interesting happened. In other words, Elfaria was only leaving because she was sure that she wouldn’t miss out on any of the fun. Once she got back, Elfaria would probably happily be changing the position of the transfer gate.

“What an ill omen…” said Clan.

“It does seem like she’s up to no good…” said Harumi.

Koutarou was suspicious too, but upon hearing their whispers, he gave Clan and Harumi a stern look.

“You two are the ones up to no good. Think about what you’ve done.”

“I-I’m sorry, Satomi-kun.”

“My bad! G-Getting left behind just got a little lonely! That’s all!”

Neither of them confessed the truth. Instead of telling him that they had come because they were worried that some other girl might confess to him, they told him they had come because they felt lonely at home without everyone else. It wasn’t exactly something they could admit.

“Well, as long as you realize what you did…”

Harumi laughed nervously.

“W-We’re sorry!” Clan assured him.

Fortunately, Koutarou didn’t push the matter any further. The truth was that he’d felt guilty about leaving just the two of them behind in the first place. He wouldn’t admonish them any more than he had to. Instead of being genuinely mad, he was actually a little relieved.

“Phew… At least we have a little room to breathe now.”

Having escaped any further interrogation, Clan let out a sigh. Harumi, on the other hand, was smiling.

“Isn’t this great, Clan-san?”

“You are awfully happy for someone who just got scolded.”

It was true. Harumi looked particularly cheerful despite their situation. Clan tilted her head in confusion. As she did, Harumi revealed her reason.

“This is actually the first time that Satomi-kun has gotten angry at me like this.”

Harumi was his senior, and normally very well behaved. She hardly ever did anything that would make Koutarou mad. She had broken the rules this time out of worry for Koutarou, but it had inadvertently granted a long-held wish of hers.

“That’s a strange thing to be happy about.”

“Clan-san, doing bad things is fun, isn’t it?”

“You know, I think I’m done with it…”

Harumi was enjoying herself, but Clan just shrugged her shoulders in awe. Although they had opposite reactions to the situation they found themselves in, they’d successfully managed to blend in with the school excursion.

The museum was open until 8 PM, but the school group left at 7 in order to stay on schedule. The hotel where they would be staying was near the coast, which meant getting back on the bus and taking the freeway for a while. As it was already autumn, the air by the beach in the evening was chilly. Winter was slowly approaching.

“Mackenzie, look at this! I got a bunch of meat!”

“Roast beef is something you’re supposed to enjoy in thin slices, you know?”

Dinner was served in the form of a buffet at the hotel once they arrived. The students could have as much as they wanted of whatever they wanted. Koutarou, of course, had piled his plate high with the roast beef the hotel was known for. And despite how long he’d known Koutarou, Kenji was still flabbergasted.

“It don’t care what you think. I just want to eat meat to my heart’s content.”

“That’s right. Meat is life,” added Yurika, who’d taken a seat next to Koutarou.

She was just like him. Except, instead of just getting roast beef, she had picked up all kinds of meat.

“Eat some vegetables too,” Koutarou said.

“Whaaat?! Why?! We’re on the same team!”

“Look, I got some vegetables. We’re not on the same team when you only got meat.”

“But I don’t want to. Not when we’ve come to an expensive looking hotel!”

“Expensive or not, eat your vegetables.”

While Koutarou didn’t mind eating in massive quantities, he wouldn’t allow an unbalanced diet. He pushed half of his salad onto Yurika’s plate.

“B-B-B-But… Auuugh…”

With her dinner now covered in salad, Yurika begrudgingly began eating with tears in her eyes. She knew that there was no point in resisting when Koutarou was like this.

“Stupid. You should put a little more thought into how you go about doing things,” interjected Sanae.

Seated across from Yurika, Sanae was smiling wryly at her. Unlike Koutarou and Yurika, Sanae had a plate full of cake and was happily eating away.

“You’re one to talk, Sanae. You should― Ah, I see. That should be fine. Good girl, Sanae.”

“Heeheehee!”

Koutarou was about to scold Sanae, but he’d ended up praising her instead. That was because he’d realized that while she was only eating cakes, she was drinking a vegetable smoothie with them. And because she was getting her vegetables one way or another, Koutarou had nothing to complain about.

That was ultimately thanks to Sanae-san inside of her. Sanae-chan only wanted to eat cake, but Sanae-san had warned her about that. The vegetable smoothie was a compromise of sorts. Looking at it from an overall perspective, Sanae had matured.

“Hey, Kou.”

Eating his own roast beef, Kenji called out to Koutarou after watching him interacting with the girls.

“Hmm?”

Having just taken a bite himself, Koutarou looked up at Kenji as he continued to chew.

“I’m always thinking this, but… you act like a mom.”

“Yhou think sho?” Koutarou asked, his mouth still full.

“You’re always taking care of Nijino-san and Higashihongan-san. It’s funny to me every

time.”

“This is no laughing mhatter. Theesh two whould be up to no goohd in no time if I left them to their ohwn devhices.”

“I guess it’s a good thing, so keep taking care of them.”

“Mmhmm, as longh as they shtand out like they do.”

As their conversation reached a lull, Koutarou returned to eating. Watching over him, Kenji couldn’t help thinking about how much Koutarou had changed over the last year. But it was a good thing. Having friends and actively being involved with other people was a huge step forward. Kenji smiled to himself as he began eating again as well. It was a great dinner.

After everyone had eaten, it was time for baths and then bed. But as Kisshouharukaze High School valued independence in its students, “lights out” wasn’t strictly enforced. There was a line for the large baths, so being stringent about bedtime would only make things more difficult.

By the time Koutarou and Kenji headed to the bath, it was already 1 AM. At this hour, they practically had the place to themselves.

“The bath sure feels great after playing around all day.”

After getting in, Koutarou stretched himself out to soak. Both he and Kenji were tired after their long day of playing cards, table tennis, and other games, not mention various events as part of the school excursion. This was their chance to take a break and really relax.

“You sure are tough, Kou. How do you still have any energy?”

Kenji looked at Koutarou as he wiped away the fog that had formed on his glasses. With his glasses off, he couldn’t see Koutarou’s face, but he could easily imagine the kind of expression he’d be making at a time like this.

“Why are you talking like some old man?”

“It’s been a while since we were last in a sports club. You’re the strange one for still being so energetic,” Kenji laughed.

After starting high school and moving out on his own, Koutarou had stopped seriously playing baseball. Kenji had been recruited into the drama club because of his good looks as a first-year too. One would think that these two boys who used to boast about their muscles and their stamina didn’t have much left to brag about. However, Koutarou was still keeping up his strength. None the wiser, it was only natural for Kenji to laugh.

“It’s because I’m still working out while you’re doing all that pansy stuff,” Koutarou teased.

He was sparring regularly with Ruth and Clan. Thanks to that, he was able to maintain his physique. Of course, his baseballs skills were definitely rusty.

“Are you saying acting is for pansies?”

“Acting is fine. I know the pain of trying to get into a role.”

“Yeah, that was awful…”

“The problem is your private life.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know― Wait, Kou…” Kenji looked up at Koutarou in the middle of his sentence like he’d just noticed something. “What’s up with those scars?”

Really, Kenji had spotted the scars all over Koutarou’s body. Koutarou was always a rough boy and had his fair share of scars to show for it, but he had collected quite a few more after everything that had happened since starting high school. Kenji had never seen them before.

Ah crap, I let my guard down…

In order not to stand out during pool sessions in gym class, Koutarou usually used magic to hide his scars. He just hadn’t made the preparations this time. Really, he’d forgotten that bathing while on the school trip would basically be the same thing.

“Haha… I mean, I’ve always looked like this, right?”

“No, I don’t think you’ve always had that many scars.”

Koutarou tried to play it off, but Kenji wouldn’t be fooled that easily. Koutarou didn’t have much of a choice other than to be honest.

“I don’t think there are really that many new ones, but you know…”

“Did something happen?”

“Yeah. Just some stuff after getting involved with them.”

“Did you have to put your body on the line for something?”

“Something like that. Don’t ask too many questions, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. I won’t ask about anything stupid.”

“When it comes to women, you sure act smart.”

“That’s going too far, Kou.”

“Hahaha, sorry.”

Revealing some of the truth seemed to do the trick. Kenji didn’t press Koutarou for any more details. Knowing how Koutarou used to be, Kenji didn’t want to focus on the past too much. Instead, his thoughts turned to the future.

“But honestly, Kou, it’s about time to choose.”

“Hmm? Choose what?”

“Don’t act stupid. I’m talking about which one of those girls you’re gonna go out with. Surely you’ve made up your mind by now, right?”

Before Kenji knew it, there were nine girls hanging around Koutarou. Kenji believed that Koutarou would put his body on the line for some of them, but that also indicated that those girls had feelings for Koutarou too. Kenji was of the opinion that Koutarou should commit to one of the girls and make that relationship clear, for everyone’s sake.

“No, not yet. They’re all such good girls, it’s hard to choose.” Koutarou shook his head.

Kenji was sloppy when it came to relationships, but he was the man Koutarou could count on the most when it mattered. That’s why he didn’t feel the need to hide anything from him when it came to his feelings.

“Okay, let’s try it this way. Who are you the most fine without? Work backwards one girl at a time, and then just go with who’s left.”

If choosing outright was too hard, it made sense to use the process of elimination. By discounting the girls he cared the least about, the last girl standing had to be the one who was most important to him.

“That’s…”

But this was the first time Koutarou had ever tried to think about his relationships in terms of necessity. He was unable to hide how stunned he was at Kenji’s question.

Someone I don’t need…?

Koutarou recalled the faces of the nine girls. Each face came with many memories. And all of those memories were priceless to him.

“…I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it like that.”

In the end, Koutarou couldn’t come to a conclusion. Or, rather, he came to the conclusion that there wasn’t a single one of them that he didn’t need. To Koutarou, the thought of parting with any of those nine girls was just too saddening. And so the method of elimination proved ineffective for Koutarou.

“You’re really going to have a hard time ahead of you at this rate, Kou.”

Kenji had always worried for Koutarou, and that included worrying about his love life. But now that the problem was starting to affect people even outside of Koutarou’s social circle, Kenji was more worried than ever. He felt badly for the girls Koutarou was troubling and didn’t even realize, and he was concerned that it might come back to Koutarou and the people he was close with in a bad way. Kenji wanted Koutarou to understand what he was potentially risking.

“They really are all great people. They’ve been through a lot, but they’re all still standing on their own two feet and smiling. There’s not a single one of them that I don’t need. They need each other, too.”

“Kou, I get how you feel, but even so…”

“I’m not arrogant enough to think that they have to be with me just because I can’t choose. But any future where they do stay with me is fine by me!”

Koutarou was well aware that if he didn’t make a move, it put the nine girls in a sticky situation. He even knew that he was risking losing them to someone else by doing that. It would be conceited to expect someone to stay in love with him when he didn’t reciprocate those feelings. But despite knowing that, Koutarou still couldn’t decide. It was too late for that. They were all already deeply embedded in his daily life. He had been completely invaded by these girls. Trying to cut one of them out of his life would jeopardize his sense of normalcy, and Koutarou didn’t have the courage to do that himself.

Meanwhile, a similar discussion was taking place in the women’s bath. As the girls of Corona House were surrounded by their classmates, they weren’t talking about the details of their love lives, but the other girls were all talking about their crushes.

“So then what? You confessed, right?” Theia asked.

“I was about to… but then a junior in the girls’ soccer club walked by,” said Irie.

“So what? You couldn’t confess?” Sanae asked.

“Sanae-chan, you could be a little more gentle…” said Shizuka.

“Thank you, Shizuka. But she’s right. I was unable confess after all and went home. I lost heart and couldn’t go through with it.”

The current center of attention was a member of the soccer club with a short haircut. She was a lively girl, but her normally energetic attitude took a back seat as she reported on the outcome in embarrassment.

“I know how you feel. When you steel yourself to start your homework and get interrupted partway through, it takes a lot of courage to start again,” Yurika offered.

“I’d feel bad about comparing love and homework.”

“But both love and homework are important. You’re too stiff, Maki-chan!”

The close-knit, friendly atmosphere had inspired a good round of girl talk in the women’s bath. After one of the girls divulged her story, the others would talk about it and share their opinions. The girl from the soccer team was the fourth one to go so far.

“So… what do you want to do now, Irie-san?” Harumi asked.

“That’s right. Making that clear first will lead to solving the problem,” Clan added.

After joining in at the museum, Harumi and Clan had spent the rest of the days as stowaways with the class. They’d used a little magic to disguise themselves, so both girls had a different hair color and style than usual. They weren’t impressive disguises, but in the large bath with so many other students, they were able to blend in without trouble.

“I want to confess… but I’m worried I’ll lose my nerve again,” Irie admitted.

“Do you want me to tell him for you?” Shizuka offered.

“Shizuka-sama, confessing for others is not an effective method. I believe it would be best to confess on your own,” Ruth interjected.

“I see… This stuff is pretty hard.”

“What do you think I should do, Kurano-san?”

Kiriha had a reputation for being the go-to person with difficult problems like this. As someone who understood the subtleties of the heart, she had presented adequate solutions to most of the other girls’ dilemmas already.

“If you’re worried about losing your nerve while you’re confessing, why not break it up into several parts?”

Kiriha hid her true self and acted like an honor student around her classmates. That was

the mask she wore when giving advice like this.

“Split it into several parts?”

“Yes. First you write a love letter. By doing that, he already knows how you feel and you only need to be courageous for a moment.”

“I see! That’s Kurano-san for you! I’ll go with that!”

“But you should stay away confessing via text message.”

“Hmm, why is that?”

“A text message will come across as impersonal. And if you use emojis to try to alleviate that, it will just make it seem as though you’re not serious.”

“Ah… That’s true.”

“And the most important thing is that you deliver the letter in person. You have to think about how he feels too. If you mail it or leave it in his locker, it doesn’t have the same effect. He might even think it’s a prank.”

“So my confession might seem half-hearted?”

“Yes. Earnestly handing over the letter will tell him what you mean for sure.”

“So in the end, how I say it is important too… Okay, I’ll personally write and deliver a letter.”

“I will pray for your success.”

“Yay! Thank you, Kurano-san!”