【Cutepopular School Disciplinary Committee Member】Fuyuumi Ai
Max: LV. 50
Attack: 3700
Defense: 2000
Special: Go Outside for a Run
♥ Profile ♥
｢The discipline of this school will be upheld by me, who has a boyfriend!｣
♥ Love Level UP ♥
｢Ai-chan Mini-Victory ♪｣
♥ Profile ♥
｢Ai-chan Epic Victory! I'm going outside for a run ♪｣
It was lunch break at summer cram school.
Just when I disposed of my lunch at the cram school cafeteria—
"Hey, Ta-kun, when are you going to break up with that girl?"
Fuyuumi Ai asked this across from me while eating her bento, nearly causing me to drop my rice ball.
"...Huh?"
"What do you mean by, ｢Huh｣?"
"I didn't… ｢Huh｣?"
"Huh?"
As we meaninglessly exchanged repeated ｢Huh｣'s, Asoi Kaoru, who was sitting next to us, switched looking between the two of us.
"What are Eita and Ai-chan talking about?"
Don't leave me out of this—Kaoru patted my shoulder. What was with this guy? He's so cute.
"Last week during our club trip, Ta-kun stamped it!"
"Huh? What does 'stamp' mean?"
"This!"
Fuyuumi happily took out the ｢Marriage Registration Forum｣.
In the spot below the place where I had written my name in kindergarten, there was a red thumbprint. This was the place that my finger had accidentally touched when I was bleeding.
I already told this to Fuyuumi many times already, but—
"It's still best if we submit the application form after the two of us return from our high school graduation ceremony. Though, last night I was dreaming… no, I was considering if we submitted it a day earlier and announced our marriage to the entire school on the stage during graduation, that wouldn't be bad at all ♪"
She wasn't willing to listen to me at all since she was entirely bent on her plan to get married immediately.
"That's great, Eita. I wish you happiness."
"Wait a second! Kaoru, why are you running so far away?!"
For some reason, my best friend had shifted to the seat farthest away on our table!
"Oh dear, I never expected there would be a wedding contract in this. This time, even I am shocked."
"I just said it was a misunderstanding! There's no way I can get married, right? This girl is just rambling things by herself!"
"Heyyy, Ta-kun, when are you going to break up with that girl?"
Fuyuumi Ai simply wasn't listening. She was apparently very adamant about her first question.
"By 'that girl', which girl are you referring to?"
"Natsukawa Masuzu. Even if you put Chiwa and Himecchi to the side for now, you'll at the very least need to dissolve your relationship with your girlfriend."
If you took the marriage part out, those words did actually have a little bit of sense.
Since my agreement with Masuzu was supposed to last until we graduated from high school, by the time that came, I needed to have an answer.
"Fine, I won't announce it right now. Until Ta-kun's made a decision, I'll protect the secret of our marriage."
"...ohh."
I gave a sigh of relief. I was actually worried that she'd start spreading this news everywhere. Fortunately, we've apparently avoided that bad outcome.
Kaoru returned to a nearby seat, and tilted his head out of incomprehension.
"But is that alright? If you announce your engagement, you'd even perhaps be a step ahead in the battle for Eita."
"Hehe! Ai-chan is a woman that knows how to wait, hm?"
Fuyuumi Ai had the look of an expert at love (no qualifications of having a boyfriend = age). What was up with this girl's lovestruck brain?
Fuyuumi gingerly folded up the marriage contract, and put it back into her makeup bag.
After Kaoru finished his strawberry milk, he used his handkerchief to wipe his mouth.
"If that thing is so important to you, wouldn't it be better if you didn't carry it around with you?"
"Exactly. This obviously isn't the original copy."
The chopsticks clattered as they slipped from my hands.
"You photocopied it?"
"Yup! Only about a thousand copies."
"..."
The back of my shirt slowly started to become soaked with cold sweat.
"I photocopied it at the convenience store, but I actually forgot the original copy when I left. The cashier even went out of her way to chase after me."
The scene seemed to emerge in Fuyuumi's brain, and she was immersed in it.
"The cashier lady smiled at me and said, ｢You're so blessed!｣."
"Don't you think she might be laughing at you for some other reason—?!
Why was it like this...
Normally she was such a steadfast disciplinary committee member, but the moment this girl encountered love, she's become an idiot!
♦
"Ta-kun, can you come see the president?"
Ai brought this up on the way back from cram school.
"Which president are you talking about?"
"Of course it's the president of the disciplinary committee."
The two of us were walking on a street by the shopping center arch near the cram school. Kaoru went home first because of prior engagements, so it was only the two of us.
Walking with Fuyuumi on the street wasn't as bad as it was with Masuzu, but we still gathered the envious glares of boys around us. In the very beginning, I hated it, but recently I've become more and more happy about it. This wasn't because I was basking in a sense of superiority. Rather, when I thought about how many people would flee once they realized there was a ｢Marriage Registration Form｣ involved, it made me feel pleased; I realized it was probably sadistic of myself to think that way.
"Does Ta-kun know the Hane High School disciplinary committee members much?"
"You could say so."
The members of the Hanenoyama Prefectural High School disciplinary committee wielded incredible power. Among the alumni, there were presidents of famous companies and politicians. They had unmatchable influence over our school. There's even a rumor that as long as one can become the president of the disciplinary committee, one can easily go to a local top-tier company and get hired.
I heard that the current president of the disciplinary committee was a rich third-year girl pampered by her father who was a county representative. I've only ever seen her at school assemblies, and I felt she was completely that kind of high-class person.
"Why do I have to meet such an intimidating person?"
"Before vacation, wasn't there that incident when the club was about to be shut down?"
"Yeah, after you brought up shutting down the club, you canceled it yourself in the very end."
That really was Jien-Otsu! [1]
"Even now, there's still pretty big clamor among the disciplinary committee that the Maiden's Club is a problem. Although I said I'd strictly supervise you all, they weren't willing to accept it without convening a conference—"
"So that's why you want to me go?"
That really didn't make sense. Why did it have to be me?
"In this kind of situation, shouldn't you ask Natsukawa since she's the club president?"
Fuyuumi immediately dished out an astonished expression from the bottom of her heart.
"Hey, what do you think will come out of it if we drag Natsukawa-san to that kind of place?"
"...oh, right. Sorry."
In front of the serious disciplinary committee, Masuzu would almost certainly talk back with her venomous tongue and JOJO references. We knew this already.
No person would enjoy a taste of that kind of shocking experience.
"Also, I want Ta-kun to meet with the president once."
"Huh? Why is that?"
"Because during our marriage, I want to ask her to become our witness."
I abruptly stopped in my tracks.
"Huh? What? What did you say?"
"Is Ta-kun thirsty? Want to stop by the convenience store?"
"Don't change the subject! What did you just say?!"
Fuyuumi ignored my shouts and quickly walked into the convenience store.
...
I was starting to feel like the moat around me was gradually being filled in.[2]
Marriage registration form, marriage ceremony, marriage witness.
How serious did you intend to go, Ai-chan?!
♦
Maybe it'd be better to pick an unlucky day as opposed to a good-luck day? [3]
The next evening, after cram school ended, Fuyuumi and I went to the disciplinary committee room together.
"So you're Kidou Eita-kun?"
She gracefully tilted her porcelain teacup as she asked.
Her huge shapely eyes, graceful curved eyebrows, and fully straight nose, put together with extremely soft-looking, wavy and smooth hair gave her entire body the look of nobility and grace.
Although she possessed the air and merits of a rich girl, she had this one droopy strand of hair that stuck up (in other words, an ｢antenna｣), so it actually looked kind of funny. Like this, you could say instead of a ｢President｣, she's become a ｢Preside~｣. [4]
This was the third-year president of the Hanenoyama High School disciplinary committee, Ishige Mari-senpai.
"Thank you for taking a trip out here. It must have been a hassle for Fuyuumi-san."
"It's not troubling at all, Ishige-senpai!"
Fuyuumi's back was very tight and straight. Was she nervous? Her expression was rather stiff.
There were more than ten girls crammed in this room that was about the same size as the ｢Jien-Otsu｣ clubroom. I had heard the rumors before, but there really wasn't a single boy among the disciplinary committee. Since it literally was a matriarchy, it made a boy like me very uncomfortable.
"So, let's sit?"
Fuyuumi and I sat on seats next to the door, while the president sat in a seat across from us flanked by three committee members. The remaining members without seats stood ｢at-ease｣, and waited beside the president. It was practically a military brigade.
"This is practically like a military brigade—is that what you were thinking?"
Ishige-senpai revealed an elegant smile, as if she could see through my thoughts.
"Their loyalty and sense of responsibility is indeed comparable to that of soldiers. However, they're not exactly loyal to me—they're defending the values of the school discipline. I hope you won't forget that, because I'm simply loyal to responsibility, that's all."
"I see…"
I responded absentmindedly, as my eyes stayed fixed on the hair antenna that swayed in the air conditioning. If I kept my eyes there, I wouldn't get nervous at all.
"Kidou-kun is always number one in the grade for midterm exams, right? From my understanding, you are a serious student deeply committed to your studies."
"That's right, I can attest that he is an extremely outstanding student."
Fuyuumi stuck out her chest as she said this, and the senpai nodded her head substantially.
"I heard that when you started high school, your grades abruptly skyrocketed. Is that because you had a change of heart, and got born again wholly dedicated to studying?"
"No, that's an overstatement."
There was an itch in my back.
What was with this praise? The reason they called me here couldn't have been to praise my grades.
Since earlier, Senpai's eyes looked like they were examining me and making an evaluation.
The two committee members to her left and right had similar actions. A second-year with glasses and braids gazed steadily at me as she took notes. On the right, a third-year with a ponytail had her arms crossed as she stared.
"However, considering your personal lifestyle, there's nothing worthy of praise."
After the praise from seconds ago, it switched to belittlement.
"You clearly already have Natsukawa Maszu-san as your girlfriend, but you still continue to seduce Harusaki Chiwa-san and Akishino Himeka-san. Whether you look at it ethically or from common sense, there's definitely something very suspicious here."
The committee members around us echoed with ｢that's right, that's right｣. I even heard some brazen and filthy-sounding voices.
"That wasn't me seducing, They're initiating it themselves—"
"Are you saying that they're taking their own initiative to tangle with you? You don't look particularly like that kind of bishounen[5] character."
Senpai used a slender finger to press down on the teacup dish, which clattered slightly.
"Actually, I've come up with a hypothesis: ｢The Society for Bringing Out Your Maiden Self｣ is actually a harem that Kidou Eita set up after exploiting the weaknesses of pitiable girls."
"Why me?!"
"Of course, that's only my fantasy. But considering your circumstances, the people around you take that perspective and think it's strange."
"No way!"
Fuyuumi kicked her chair aside and stood up.
"Ta-kun definitely isn't hot at all! He's one of those mass-produced models, and you couldn't get more ordinary than this ordinary idiot! But then again, a man's value isn't just in their looks!"
"...Who's Ta-kun?"
Senpai looked stunned. Even her hair antenna looked like it was in a ｢?｣ shape.
Fuyuumi deeply lowered her hand and said ｢I'm sorry!｣. This was Ai-chan Epic Loss. That being said, was she taking advantage of the mess to hit on me?
Senpai gave a sigh and stood up with a nod. She opened the window to let the air inside.
The white curtains wavered slightly, and the damp evening breeze entered the room.
"It look's like I've said too much."
Senpai's tone turned soft.
However, her expression continued to be cold.
"Anyhow, I hope you understand my perspective. I dispatched a very important underclassman to an unknown club. It's a very uneasy experience—"
Her antenna hair wobbled from the wind that blew in from the window.
I pretended I didn't see her antenna hair and asked,
"When you say 'uneasy', specifically what do you mean?"
"That Fuyuumi-san would also suffer from your evil scheme!"
Her hair antenna snapped straight like a fang with a ｢snap!｣.
"When I graduate, Fuyuumi-san must have the ability to prop up the disciplinary committee. It is not an overstatement to say that the future of this school rests on her shoulders."
The third-year with a ponytail nodded her head in agreement.
"Fuyuumi's understanding of discipline is incredibly high. Even upperclassmen like me cannot help but learn from her."
The second-year with glasses also repeatedly nodded.
"Ai-chan also needs to balance clubs, yet she doesn't leave any work unfinished. She goes to the Maiden's Club after school, but in the morning she gets here very early to clean and arrange the papers. I really admire her."
From around us, heavenly praises like ｢Ai-chan is awesome｣ or ｢Ai-chan is the best!｣ echoed.
In contrast, how low was my evaluation? Though, some parts of it were overestimated.
"If Fuyuumi gets rolled into your ｢mayhem｣, it'll be immense damage to the disciplinary committee. I'm going to retire in the fall, so I want to leave without any worries on my mind.
"I see."
From the disciplinary committee's perspective, we were the ones who dragged Fuyuumi in. Though to be honest, Fuyuumi jumped in herself and worsened the mayhem.
"Then, how can I prove it to you all that I won't put a hand on Fuyuumi?"
"—come take a test."
Senpai straightened her finger and hair antenna.
"Let us test if you're really a morally upright and honest guy ourselves. If you fail, I'll forbid Fuyuumi-san from going to you club."
"Why is that…?!"
Fuyuumi protested, but after Senpai silenced her with a glare, she quieted down.
"Okay, then let's test it."
I made a firm resolution and nodded.
After all, I had foreseen long ago that it would end up like this. Even though I didn't know what kind of test it would be, I'd just have to demonstrate my true nature as an anti-love person.
"Then, what is the test?"
"Go to the roof."
Her hair antenna towered in the sky as if pointing out directions.
"My eyes have seen through many students who have violated the rules of the school—I'll let you experience it for yourself!"
♦
I led the hoard of disciplinary committee members to the roof.
On the way there, students who were at school for club activities raised their eyebrows at me. ｢Kidou-kun has a bunch of new girls again｣ ｢There's so many…｣ ｢Does he plan to make the entire disciplinary committee to join his harem?!｣ They seemed to look at me quite incredibly. Just by listening to these comments at school, Ishige-senpai's concerns were starting to make sense.
It was four thirty in the afternoon, and the sky was still bright.
The afterglow of the setting sunlight reflected on the tiles, as the crowd took in the panorama from the roof. My back was against the wall, and I faced the legion of disciplinary committee members. Fuyuumi stood between us, looking distressed.
"So, how do you intend to test me?"
"Hmph… if you thought we were merely reserved disciplinary committee members, then you've been gravely mistaken!"
Senpai gave a fearless smile and pointed at me.
"In order to suppress the improper relationships between boys and girls, we've realized the need to develop proficient skills in love. In other words, we need to be the people in this school who can love the best and best and best and best! We must be familiar with this!"
Yeahh—! The committee members gave cheers.
That being said, Ishige-senpai's face was very red. Could she be less embarrassed, please?
"R-Right now, the elite members of the disciplinary committee will try to s-s-s-s-s-seduce you! And if you're tempted, you lose! If you remain unaffected, then you pass!"
Wasn't this just like something ｢Jien-Otsu｣ would do? I guess you could say they were just as bad.
"Then, let us begin."
Senpai raised her right hand, and the the second-year with plaited hair braids immediately walked in front of me.
At first glance, she looked rather plain. However, upon careful examination, she was actually a pale-skinned beauty. She overflowed with a empty-headed sensation, a little bit like Hime.
Hime's lookalike was expressionless, and she only stared at me.
I had thought she would say something enticing, or use some sexy methods to seduce me. I never expected she would just stand there blankly without doing anything.
"You…?"
Just when I was starting to get impatient.
Hime's lookalike slowly took off her glasses, and closed her right eye.
Then she immediately put her glasses back on, and returned to her original expressionless look.
"What was that?"
"A wink."
Yeah, I knew that.
"When I take off my glasses, aren't I cute?
"Yeah, I guess you could say you're cute."
"Are you captivated by me?"
"No, not to that extent."
When I said that, Hime's lookalike had a shocked expression,
"W-Why is that!?"
"Well, you asked me why…"
Did this girl read too much shoujo manga? Basically, she was about the same as Chiwa?
Senpai came forward and made an announcement,"Let's stop here."
"Let's consider that you passed the first test. Are beauties who take off their glasses too old-fashioned?"
I don't think this has anything to do with being old-fashioned or new.
"Hmph. Let's see if you can withstand the next one."
Senpai snapped her fingers, and this time the tall third-year with a ponytail walked forward. Her appearance was very proper, but her eyes were too sharp and seemed rather intimidating.
She lifted her chin and crossed her arms,
"Don't misunderstand me, because I don't like you one bit."
—It sounded like she was reading from a script.
"Don't misunderstand me, but I'm just passing by, that's all."
"...Okay."
"Don't misunderstand me, but it's not particularly because I want to see you."
"I know."
"Don't misunderstand me, it's not particularly, that, um. In other words, don't misunderstand me."
"..."
What kind of move was this?"
I simply didn't understand what this was doing. No, actually I did know, but I didn't want to know.
The disciplinary committee members watched me and whispered,
"So he's even unmoved by Yamada-senpai's hellish 4-hit tsundere COMBO? [6]
"What's wrong with that guy? Is he homo?" [7]
They quite rudely misunderstood me.
But these guys... they really are an exceedingly pitiful group. If they had a competition with ｢Jien-Otsu｣, it should be rather interesting, huh?
"Then, I guess I can get going now."
"Don't joke around! The test isn't over yet."
Senpai's antenna hair swayed left and right, and she walked in front of me.
"I will be the final one to s-seduce you! But, since this is just a test, d-d-don't think it's the real thing!"
Her face was fully red, and her voice was rather sharp.
Fuyuumi anxiously wrinkled her brow.
"Um, Ishige-senpai, you don't have to go to this extent, right?"
"No! Fuyuumi-san! If we retreat now, it'll harm the disciplinary committee's reputation. I will definitely rout him for you to see!"
Senpai brought her fingers to the ribbon on her uniform, and with a swish she undid it. After she loosened it, her face grew red again, as if she surprised herself with her own behavior. Her teary eyes seemed to say, ｢What am I going to do with myself!?｣.
"I-I'm going to make my move now."
Senpai's voice trembled, and then she collapsed in my direction.
Instinctively, I used my chest to catch her.
Senpai's knees continued to tremble unceasingly, and she was shaking so much it transferred onto my body.
Since her upper body was tightly pressed against mine, I could hear her heartbeat with zero delay.
...not good.
Even I was starting to get perturbed.
"W-What do you think? Is it no big deal even like this?"
Senpai actually very nearly made me feel breathless with her teary eyes staring at me... it really made my heart beat.
Her fair floated with a scent like flowers, and there was this feeling of some bulging object that certainly wasn't small under her uniform. Her shuddering eyelashes and her soft lips all made my heartbeat accelerate.
"If you're going to surrender, feel f-free to anytime. Otherwise, I'm going to fall over..."
This girl was so cute.
Even if she was a senpai, this expression was just like that of a little girl.
...n-not good.
If this continues, I'll fail this test.
N-No! I won't be moved by her!
Even if Senpai's cute, she doesn't match up with Chiwa.
Even if Senpai's beautiful, she doesn't match up with Masuzu.
Even if Senpai's delicate, she doesn't match up with Hime.
Even if Senpai is fascinating, she—
"Noooooooooooooooooo————!"
Suddenly, someone crashed into me from the side.
I gave an embarrassing ｢Wuahh!｣ as I rolled across the roof and collided into the wall.
Senpai didn't roll, but she tumbled onto her butt on the floor.
The person who crashed into us was—Fuyuumi.
Out of breath, she snuffled through her nose like a child.
"Ta-kun is Ai-chan's! Even the revered Senpai can't touch him! I prohibit anyone from touching him!"
—Ah, now she's done it...
Why can't you control yourself, Ai-chan? Now all the effort we spent is going to fizzle away!
As expected, the disciplinary committee members were dumbstruck.
Senpai was also similarly awestruck, but not after long she coughed and trembled,
"I-Impossible. Could you have already fallen for this man?"
Fuyuumi's eye went wide with a ｢Ah!?｣, and she looked at me with a face that looked like it was about to cry.
"Did Ai-chan really do that?"
"I had no idea about this!"
This really was very frightening.
But the damage was already done.
Senpai's face flushed red, but this time it was with a completely different feeling than earlier.
"Is the reason why you wanted to monitor the Maiden's Club because of him? You're a disciplinary committee member, but you've become captivated by a boy?"
Fuyuumi was like a soaked rabbit, and she trembled.[8] Without any real comprehensibility, she tried to explain herself: ｢No, thats—｣ ｢That one...｣
But not after long, she realized it was pointless.
"...I'm sorry. Senpai is right, I'm already his girl."
She crestfallenly admitted the facts.
"I've misjudged you. So you were this kind of person...!"
Senpai's hands forcibly turned into fists.
Her antenna hair, seething with anger, pointed at Fuuyimi.
"You are no longer a part of the disciplinary committee! I don't care if you go with that guy together to that club!"
♦
I chased after Fuyuumi who ran off the roof.
"Wait, Fuyuumi!"
I chased after her fluttering hair and the back of her uniform, and sprinted as fast as I could in the hallway that connected the east and west buildings.
Since it was summer vacation, there weren't any students or teachers. I could run as much as I liked, but it wasn't something I was particularly happy about.
"Come back and say everything clearly! Hey, Fuyuumi! Ai-chan!"
But Fuyuumi didn't stop running. She skipped two steps of stairs and ran downstairs, and rushed outside even though she was still wearing her indoor shoes.
"H-Her legs are so fast!"
This was the second time Fuyuumi made me run.
The first time, I was actually running away from Fuyuumi, but this time it was the opposite.
We chased circles around the school walls, after which we ran towards the flowerbed.
When we ran by the athletics fields, the baseball club that was putting away their equipment stared at us with unfathomable expressions.
"I said Ai-chan! Wait a moment!"
I didn't know if it was because of my shouts or because she's simply ran herself tired, but Fuyuumi finally stopped her steps at the flowerbed.
We didn't talk for a while as we wiped our sweat and waited for our breaths to adjust.
After some difficulty, the first thing that came out Fuyuumi's mouth was this,
"Damnnnnnn itttttttttt! That was so badddddd! Ai-chan Epic Loss!"
She completely blamed herself.
"I specifically didn't want to do that kind of thing! But I actually betrayed Ishige-senpai whom I like so much! I'm so stupid! Ai-chan is stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid!"
She crouched down in the flowerbed, and started ripping the weeds that had grown unrestrained during the summer out of the group. She was actually doing a big help for the gardening club.
"Let it pass. It's done already, so there's nothing you can do."
I lightly patted Fuyuumi's arched back,
"Today, Senpai's head was also overflowing with blood, so after a while bring it up with her again, okay?"
"I can't face them ever again."
Fuyuumi shook her head as she crouched.
"All the effort I've spent developing the image of a disciplinary committee member went up in smoke today. I'm completely powerless. No one will listen to me anymore. Even if I step up and remind people, they won't follow the school rules, and the school will grow completely out of control. Everyone's going to butt heads and shout ｢Yahaa!｣ as they go to school!" [9]
That's way too pessimistic. It looks like her wound really was deep.
"Don't be that dejected. It's not like you."
"B-But..."
Fuyuumi lifted her head, and her eyes were glistening with tears. I was shocked speechless. She really was crying.
"If you knew you were going to regret it so much, why didn't you control yourself?"
"My body moved by itself."
"It can't move by itself, you..."
Fuyuumi sobbed and sniffed, sucking in with her nose.
"Whenever I run into you, Ta-kun, I become really weird. Did you know that?"
"...Yeah."
Should I say I knew it, or because I learned it through experience?
I couldn't think of what else to say, so I sank into silence.
The athletics clubs seemed like they had all finished club activities today, and I didn't hear any more sounds from around us. A school that didn't have any people in it was actually really peaceful.
"Hey, Fuyuumi."
I suddenly thought of something.
"Why do you like me?"
Fuyuumi's red eyes opened wide in a daze.
"Why are you asking that kind of thing?"
"...no, it's nothing. I just suddenly thought of it."
Even if it was a shy and vague dismissal, there actually was a reason.
Because if she liked me to the extent that she could even let her extremely important disciplinary committee duties fall apart—
What kind of reason could there be if she liked me to that extent?
"This well..."
Fuyuumi tilted her head.
"I've never thought about it before."
Her expression was fully serious, and I couldn't see a trace of embarrassment similar to the kind I was trying to hide.
"Because by the time I realized it, I already liked you. I can't remember how it started."
"So it's like that?"
Well, if it was something that happened in kindergarten, it made sense if you couldn't remember.
"But, there has to be some kind of reason, right? If there isn't, there's no way you could like me."
When Fuyuumi heard this, she revealed a rather lonely smile.
"Why does there have to be a reason for me to like you?"
"..."
This was the strongest, most intense feeling of ｢cuteness｣ I've felt towards this girl up until today.
Fuyuumi smiling with tears in the corners of her eyes was seriously too dazzling.
I couldn't help but lower my head.
"I don't understand this kind of thing very well."
"Liking other people, you mean?"
"Perhaps so."
After all, I was anti-love.
Even when I look at perfectly happy sweethearts, I think, ｢When are they going to break up?｣
Even when I look at sweethearts who have a great relationship, I think, ｢They must be lying to each other behind their backs｣.
I am a twisted person who can only think like that.
"—Well, that being said."
Fuyuumi stood up and gave a big stretch,
"I'm the only one who hasn't demonstrated my ｢dere｣ for you yet."
"Huh?"
"Did you forget? This was from the ｢OreDere Beauty Pageant｣ during our club trip. Natsukawa-san, Chiwa, and Himecchi all did it, but I never did because I was disqualified... so, want me to do it for you now?"
"You can't win the prize, and Saeko-san won't see it."
"I don't care."
Fuyuumi smiled and shook her head. Then she used her handkerchief to dab away at her tears.
"I've felt like my mind's been in a huge mess, and I want to get it off my chest."
"...I see."
I was the factor that got Fuyuumi expelled from the disciplinary committee.
As such, I had a duty to receive the feelings that Fuyuumi had right now.
Fuyuumi took a big breath, and as if she assembled all of her power within her body, she shouted,
"Ta-kun, I wub you the most——————!"
How...
How embarrassing!
Why does she always mispronounce ｢love｣ as ｢wub｣? But I won't complain about it at this point.
"When I'm in front of you, I get restless. My head gets hot and my chest feels tight. I can barely understand how I feel. I don't understand. I lub you too much! Dammit ♪"
Ai-chan waved her arms in circles as she shouted.
She added love-marks to the end of all of her sentences, and they echoed off of the school walls.[10]
"I tried to protect my decent image. For my father, little brother, and my deceased mother, I needed to pull myself together. I was a first-rate disciplinary committee member, but when Ta-kun was around, I'm no good. I become soft and flimsy. The time when we met during the opening ceremony, I nearly fainted. ｢Ah, it's Ta-kun!｣ I nearly shouted and jumped at you. I tried my best to control myself. I worked really, really, really hard to control myself, but Ta-kun didn't notice me. You weren't with me. Rather, you looked happy together with your childhood friend. You weren't with me, but you looked sugar sweet with your girlfriend. I cried in the bathroom! I became muddle-headed, soft and flimsy, but even so, I loved and lubbed you!"
W-Wow—
The weather's really hot.
No, I'm the one who's hot.
Hime's confession was pretty powerful, but Ai-chan's was... this, how do I put it... it really hit the core of my body? Or did it go to my pores? My sweat was already pouring incessantly.
"It's enough if I'm the only one who like's Ta-kun. It's fine if no one else understands Ta-kun's strong points, but if I'm the only one in the universe who understands, that's enough. I'm the only one who lubs you the most—! The end!"
After feeling the ending was a little rude, Ai-chan lowered her head.
And then she refused to raised her head.
"A-Ai-chan?"
"Don't come here!"
She used her hands to prevent me from walking closer as she kept her head lowered.
"I-If you come over right now, A-Ai-chan won't know what to do..."
Her voice was starting to become incomprehensible.
Because she kept her lowered posture, I couldn't see her expression, but I guessed her face must be blushing.
And just then.
—The sound of a thump.
Because of the noise, I naturally turned my head around to look.
Probably because a lazy gardening club member forgot it, but a bamboo broom that had been leaning against the school wall had fallen over.
There was a girl who had been standing next to the bamboo broom for quite a while.
There was one very obvious antenna hair that stuck up from that student.
...As she stared in our direction, her eyes opened wide with an expression as if she were thinking, ｢Damn!｣
She was the disciplinary committee president, Ishige Mari-senpai.
"A-A-A-Ahhh—"
When Fuyuumi noticed Senpai's presence, her expression filled with despair and a loss for words.
"W-W-W-Wahh—"
Senpai was equally at a loss for words.
That being said, behind Senpai there were another ten or so disciplinary committee members. All of them had covered their mouths with their hands and were blushing as they stared at us.
Fuyuumi trembled with fear and asked,
"D-Did... Did you hear everything that I just said?"
The disciplinary committee members nodded simultaneously.
And then Ishige-senpai—
"I-I-I-I've never heard such an enthusiastic l-l-l-love confession. It's m-my first time hearing something like that... wump."
The sound of a wump.
Ishige-senpai very attentively added the sound effect herself, and fainted.
The hair antenna wilted just like its master. The little thing was stretching around earlier, so maybe it was some kind of unknown parasite.
"P-Please pull yourself together President!"
"Keep your cool!"
"It's no good, she's suffered acute love poisoning!"
The committee members repeatedly tried to shake their senpai's body, and even went as far as to call it some strange disease.
Fuyuumi on the other hand—
"Damn it I want to die! Ai-chan is going out for a run—!"
"Hey, wait a minute! Don't run away, Ai-chan!"
In other words, don't leave me by myself!
In this kind of situation—even I'm embarrassed to the point I want to die!
♦
Later in the infirmary.
The committee members and I later carried the fainted Ishige-senpai to a bed, and used a wet towel to cool her forehead until she awoke. The nurse took her temperature and pulse, and thankfully there wasn't anything unusual with her body.
Fuyuumi also returned to help out when the nurse left. Looks like even when her embarrassing confession's been heard, she can't leave her senpai aside. She mentioned she wanted Senpai to become her wedding witness, so she probably liked Ishige-senpai a lot.
While Fuyuumi sat on a folding chair, and used a circular fan to fan Senpai—
"Strange... why am I here?"
Senpai sat up on the bed, and the wet towel on her forehead fell down.
"Sorry, Senpai. It's all my fault."
"I also want to apologize to you. I'm so sorry!"
Senpai sluggishly stared at Fuyuumi and I who had our heads lowered.
"...I lost consciousness."
Senpai looked as if she was thinking about something as she stayed silent for a while.
Then, she lifted her head, and stared straight at Fuyuumi.
"Fuyuumi Ai-san, when you said, ｢Love does not have to have a reason｣, were you serious?"
Fuyuumi nodded.
"But, Kidou-kun already has a girlfriend. The thing you want to do is basically equivalent of robbing someone of something they cherish. This kind of shameless love is certainly not permitted, but you still plan to press forward?"
Fuyuumi immediately lowered her head.
She tightly clutched her skirt, stared at her knees, and sank into silence. Then—
"I won't let myself turn into a shameless disciple."
"What does that mean?"
"If I get to snatch him straight from Natsukawa Masuzu's hands, I will make Kidou-kun think I'm interesting, and then he'll like me—I will become that kind of incredible maiden for you all to see."
The infirmary fell into absolute silence.
The other disciplinary committee members all held their breath as they watched the situation develop.
Not after long—
"I lose."
Ishige-senpai gave a bitter smile.
She faced the disciplinary committee and asked,
"To all you members who have a responsibility for discipline at our school, even though Fuyuumi-san was distressed by all this shameless love, she still tried her best to maintain her purity and honesty. With her like that, is she qualified to be one of our comrades?"
"Of course, President!"
The voices of the committee members overlapped beautifully.
"After all, the school committee members are all girls, so there are times when they'll fall in love."
"Although improper male and female relationships are a violation of the school rules, I do not consider merely liking someone against the rules."
"Though, Fuyuumi-san, you are a little too excessive."
"When there comes a time when you do too much, it'll be up to us to to stop you!"
Fuyuumi fell dumbstruck upon hearing these words.
"I-Is it really okay? I... can continue to be a disciplinary committee member?"
"Yes, please continue."
Ishige-senpai unhesitantly spoke,
"Your present assignment is to strictly supervise ｢Society for Bringing Out Your Maiden Self｣, and take care of those students who easily deviate from normal practice. Of course, you cannot neglect your responsibilities as a disciplinary committee member. Do you understand?"
"Yes!"
Fuyuumi responded loudly, and then immediately stood up and hugged me.
"Did you hear that Ta-kun!? I-I can continue being a disciplinary committee member! I don't have to resign!"
"Yeah, that's great Ai-chan!"
I was honestly as happy as if it were my own problem.
After all, if she didn't have the disciplinary committee armband, it wouldn't feel quite like Fuyuumi Ai anymore!
"Also, there's one more thing."
Senpai was speaking her mind.
What is it? If she could delineate some borders that Fuyuumi shouldn't overstep, I would be really happy.
"As the disciplinary committee of Hanenoyama High School, we wholly support Fuyuumi Ai's romance!"
...........Huh!?
"Listen everyone! We will overthrow Natsukawa Masuzu, and overthrow Harusaki Chiwa!"
"Understood, President!"
Faced with an identical cry of the committee members, I interrupted, flustered.
"W-Wait a moment! Why do you support it? It's fine if you just implicitly accept it!"
"It'd be boring like that~!"
Ishige-senpai acted like a mischievous little girl and shook her head,
"After hearing Fuyuumi's confession, maybe r-romance is a pretty impressive thing? I think I've changed how I think."
Her cheeks flushed red, which was cute, and her curvy hair antenna was also pretty sexy.
But as far as I'm concerned, there's no hope left for me!
"Uh—so—we'll think about it? If we do things like that, it'll be rather troublesome for me?"
After that, no one paid attention to me. Other committee members agreed and said things like, ｢I'll also try confessing to him｣ or ｢I think I'll send a text to that guy from middle school｣. Their lovestruck minds have been awoken.
Then—
"W-Whaa!?"
A pitiful cry came from my mouth.
That was because Fuyuumi, who had been hugging me the entire time, suddenly exerted force with her arms.
She lifted her head from my chest, and revealed a wide smile I had never seen before.
"Hehehehe. Ta-kun, the entire world is a cheerleading team for our love ♪"
"!?"
Lov-
Lovestruck power just leveled up again!
Fuyuumi's eyes looked like they were hazily dreaming as she stared at me.
"Our wedding celebration needs to be held in an extremely big place. Hey, Ta-kun, should we start saving money for it now? Let's buy a brand new piggy bank, and we'll deposit a hundred yen every day."
"...Whatever you want..."
Following Senpai's sentiments, the disciplinary committee really was like a real cheerleading squad. They drummed up enthusiasm and shouted: ｢Use our assistance and take a leading role in the mayhem—｣ ｢Yeah—!｣
Seriously, the uproar was getting worse and worse.
How did the entire school become involved in my mayhem?
【Cutepopular School Disciplinary Committee Member】Fuyuumi Ai
Max: LV. 50
Attack: 3700
Defense: 2000
Special: Go Outside for a Run
♥ Profile ♥
｢The discipline of this school will be upheld by me, who has a boyfriend!｣
♥ Love Level UP ♥
｢Ai-chan Mini-Victory ♪｣
♥ Profile ♥
｢Ai-chan Epic Victory! I'm going outside for a run ♪｣
It was lunch break at summer cram school.
Just when I disposed of my lunch at the cram school cafeteria—
"Hey, Ta-kun, when are you going to break up with that girl?"
Fuyuumi Ai asked this across from me while eating her bento, nearly causing me to drop my rice ball.
"...Huh?"
"What do you mean by, ｢Huh｣?"
"I didn't… ｢Huh｣?"
"Huh?"
As we meaninglessly exchanged repeated ｢Huh｣'s, Asoi Kaoru, who was sitting next to us, switched looking between the two of us.
"What are Eita and Ai-chan talking about?"
Don't leave me out of this—Kaoru patted my shoulder. What was with this guy? He's so cute.
"Last week during our club trip, Ta-kun stamped it!"
"Huh? What does 'stamp' mean?"
"This!"
Fuyuumi happily took out the ｢Marriage Registration Forum｣.
In the spot below the place where I had written my name in kindergarten, there was a red thumbprint. This was the place that my finger had accidentally touched when I was bleeding.
I already told this to Fuyuumi many times already, but—
"It's still best if we submit the application form after the two of us return from our high school graduation ceremony. Though, last night I was dreaming… no, I was considering if we submitted it a day earlier and announced our marriage to the entire school on the stage during graduation, that wouldn't be bad at all ♪"
She wasn't willing to listen to me at all since she was entirely bent on her plan to get married immediately.
"That's great, Eita. I wish you happiness."
"Wait a second! Kaoru, why are you running so far away?!"
For some reason, my best friend had shifted to the seat farthest away on our table!
"Oh dear, I never expected there would be a wedding contract in this. This time, even I am shocked."
"I just said it was a misunderstanding! There's no way I can get married, right? This girl is just rambling things by herself!"
"Heyyy, Ta-kun, when are you going to break up with that girl?"
Fuyuumi Ai simply wasn't listening. She was apparently very adamant about her first question.
"By 'that girl', which girl are you referring to?"
"Natsukawa Masuzu. Even if you put Chiwa and Himecchi to the side for now, you'll at the very least need to dissolve your relationship with your girlfriend."
If you took the marriage part out, those words did actually have a little bit of sense.
Since my agreement with Masuzu was supposed to last until we graduated from high school, by the time that came, I needed to have an answer.
"Fine, I won't announce it right now. Until Ta-kun's made a decision, I'll protect the secret of our marriage."
"...ohh."
I gave a sigh of relief. I was actually worried that she'd start spreading this news everywhere. Fortunately, we've apparently avoided that bad outcome.
Kaoru returned to a nearby seat, and tilted his head out of incomprehension.
"But is that alright? If you announce your engagement, you'd even perhaps be a step ahead in the battle for Eita."
"Hehe! Ai-chan is a woman that knows how to wait, hm?"
Fuyuumi Ai had the look of an expert at love (no qualifications of having a boyfriend = age). What was up with this girl's lovestruck brain?
Fuyuumi gingerly folded up the marriage contract, and put it back into her makeup bag.
After Kaoru finished his strawberry milk, he used his handkerchief to wipe his mouth.
"If that thing is so important to you, wouldn't it be better if you didn't carry it around with you?"
"Exactly. This obviously isn't the original copy."
The chopsticks clattered as they slipped from my hands.
"You photocopied it?"
"Yup! Only about a thousand copies."
"..."
The back of my shirt slowly started to become soaked with cold sweat.
"I photocopied it at the convenience store, but I actually forgot the original copy when I left. The cashier even went out of her way to chase after me."
The scene seemed to emerge in Fuyuumi's brain, and she was immersed in it.
"The cashier lady smiled at me and said, ｢You're so blessed!｣."
"Don't you think she might be laughing at you for some other reason—?!
Why was it like this...
Normally she was such a steadfast disciplinary committee member, but the moment this girl encountered love, she's become an idiot!
♦
"Ta-kun, can you come see the president?"
Ai brought this up on the way back from cram school.
"Which president are you talking about?"
"Of course it's the president of the disciplinary committee."
The two of us were walking on a street by the shopping center arch near the cram school. Kaoru went home first because of prior engagements, so it was only the two of us.
Walking with Fuyuumi on the street wasn't as bad as it was with Masuzu, but we still gathered the envious glares of boys around us. In the very beginning, I hated it, but recently I've become more and more happy about it. This wasn't because I was basking in a sense of superiority. Rather, when I thought about how many people would flee once they realized there was a ｢Marriage Registration Form｣ involved, it made me feel pleased; I realized it was probably sadistic of myself to think that way.
"Does Ta-kun know the Hane High School disciplinary committee members much?"
"You could say so."
The members of the Hanenoyama Prefectural High School disciplinary committee wielded incredible power. Among the alumni, there were presidents of famous companies and politicians. They had unmatchable influence over our school. There's even a rumor that as long as one can become the president of the disciplinary committee, one can easily go to a local top-tier company and get hired.
I heard that the current president of the disciplinary committee was a rich third-year girl pampered by her father who was a county representative. I've only ever seen her at school assemblies, and I felt she was completely that kind of high-class person.
"Why do I have to meet such an intimidating person?"
"Before vacation, wasn't there that incident when the club was about to be shut down?"
"Yeah, after you brought up shutting down the club, you canceled it yourself in the very end."
That really was Jien-Otsu! [1]
"Even now, there's still pretty big clamor among the disciplinary committee that the Maiden's Club is a problem. Although I said I'd strictly supervise you all, they weren't willing to accept it without convening a conference—"
"So that's why you want to me go?"
That really didn't make sense. Why did it have to be me?
"In this kind of situation, shouldn't you ask Natsukawa since she's the club president?"
Fuyuumi immediately dished out an astonished expression from the bottom of her heart.
"Hey, what do you think will come out of it if we drag Natsukawa-san to that kind of place?"
"...oh, right. Sorry."
In front of the serious disciplinary committee, Masuzu would almost certainly talk back with her venomous tongue and JOJO references. We knew this already.
No person would enjoy a taste of that kind of shocking experience.
"Also, I want Ta-kun to meet with the president once."
"Huh? Why is that?"
"Because during our marriage, I want to ask her to become our witness."
I abruptly stopped in my tracks.
"Huh? What? What did you say?"
"Is Ta-kun thirsty? Want to stop by the convenience store?"
"Don't change the subject! What did you just say?!"
Fuyuumi ignored my shouts and quickly walked into the convenience store.
...
I was starting to feel like the moat around me was gradually being filled in.[2]
Marriage registration form, marriage ceremony, marriage witness.
How serious did you intend to go, Ai-chan?!
♦
Maybe it'd be better to pick an unlucky day as opposed to a good-luck day? [3]
The next evening, after cram school ended, Fuyuumi and I went to the disciplinary committee room together.
"So you're Kidou Eita-kun?"
She gracefully tilted her porcelain teacup as she asked.
Her huge shapely eyes, graceful curved eyebrows, and fully straight nose, put together with extremely soft-looking, wavy and smooth hair gave her entire body the look of nobility and grace.
Although she possessed the air and merits of a rich girl, she had this one droopy strand of hair that stuck up (in other words, an ｢antenna｣), so it actually looked kind of funny. Like this, you could say instead of a ｢President｣, she's become a ｢Preside~｣. [4]
This was the third-year president of the Hanenoyama High School disciplinary committee, Ishige Mari-senpai.
"Thank you for taking a trip out here. It must have been a hassle for Fuyuumi-san."
"It's not troubling at all, Ishige-senpai!"
Fuyuumi's back was very tight and straight. Was she nervous? Her expression was rather stiff.
There were more than ten girls crammed in this room that was about the same size as the ｢Jien-Otsu｣ clubroom. I had heard the rumors before, but there really wasn't a single boy among the disciplinary committee. Since it literally was a matriarchy, it made a boy like me very uncomfortable.
"So, let's sit?"
Fuyuumi and I sat on seats next to the door, while the president sat in a seat across from us flanked by three committee members. The remaining members without seats stood ｢at-ease｣, and waited beside the president. It was practically a military brigade.
"This is practically like a military brigade—is that what you were thinking?"
Ishige-senpai revealed an elegant smile, as if she could see through my thoughts.
"Their loyalty and sense of responsibility is indeed comparable to that of soldiers. However, they're not exactly loyal to me—they're defending the values of the school discipline. I hope you won't forget that, because I'm simply loyal to responsibility, that's all."
"I see…"
I responded absentmindedly, as my eyes stayed fixed on the hair antenna that swayed in the air conditioning. If I kept my eyes there, I wouldn't get nervous at all.
"Kidou-kun is always number one in the grade for midterm exams, right? From my understanding, you are a serious student deeply committed to your studies."
"That's right, I can attest that he is an extremely outstanding student."
Fuyuumi stuck out her chest as she said this, and the senpai nodded her head substantially.
"I heard that when you started high school, your grades abruptly skyrocketed. Is that because you had a change of heart, and got born again wholly dedicated to studying?"
"No, that's an overstatement."
There was an itch in my back.
What was with this praise? The reason they called me here couldn't have been to praise my grades.
Since earlier, Senpai's eyes looked like they were examining me and making an evaluation.
The two committee members to her left and right had similar actions. A second-year with glasses and braids gazed steadily at me as she took notes. On the right, a third-year with a ponytail had her arms crossed as she stared.
"However, considering your personal lifestyle, there's nothing worthy of praise."
After the praise from seconds ago, it switched to belittlement.
"You clearly already have Natsukawa Maszu-san as your girlfriend, but you still continue to seduce Harusaki Chiwa-san and Akishino Himeka-san. Whether you look at it ethically or from common sense, there's definitely something very suspicious here."
The committee members around us echoed with ｢that's right, that's right｣. I even heard some brazen and filthy-sounding voices.
"That wasn't me seducing, They're initiating it themselves—"
"Are you saying that they're taking their own initiative to tangle with you? You don't look particularly like that kind of bishounen[5] character."
Senpai used a slender finger to press down on the teacup dish, which clattered slightly.
"Actually, I've come up with a hypothesis: ｢The Society for Bringing Out Your Maiden Self｣ is actually a harem that Kidou Eita set up after exploiting the weaknesses of pitiable girls."
"Why me?!"
"Of course, that's only my fantasy. But considering your circumstances, the people around you take that perspective and think it's strange."
"No way!"
Fuyuumi kicked her chair aside and stood up.
"Ta-kun definitely isn't hot at all! He's one of those mass-produced models, and you couldn't get more ordinary than this ordinary idiot! But then again, a man's value isn't just in their looks!"
"...Who's Ta-kun?"
Senpai looked stunned. Even her hair antenna looked like it was in a ｢?｣ shape.
Fuyuumi deeply lowered her hand and said ｢I'm sorry!｣. This was Ai-chan Epic Loss. That being said, was she taking advantage of the mess to hit on me?
Senpai gave a sigh and stood up with a nod. She opened the window to let the air inside.
The white curtains wavered slightly, and the damp evening breeze entered the room.
"It look's like I've said too much."
Senpai's tone turned soft.
However, her expression continued to be cold.
"Anyhow, I hope you understand my perspective. I dispatched a very important underclassman to an unknown club. It's a very uneasy experience—"
Her antenna hair wobbled from the wind that blew in from the window.
I pretended I didn't see her antenna hair and asked,
"When you say 'uneasy', specifically what do you mean?"
"That Fuyuumi-san would also suffer from your evil scheme!"
Her hair antenna snapped straight like a fang with a ｢snap!｣.
"When I graduate, Fuyuumi-san must have the ability to prop up the disciplinary committee. It is not an overstatement to say that the future of this school rests on her shoulders."
The third-year with a ponytail nodded her head in agreement.
"Fuyuumi's understanding of discipline is incredibly high. Even upperclassmen like me cannot help but learn from her."
The second-year with glasses also repeatedly nodded.
"Ai-chan also needs to balance clubs, yet she doesn't leave any work unfinished. She goes to the Maiden's Club after school, but in the morning she gets here very early to clean and arrange the papers. I really admire her."
From around us, heavenly praises like ｢Ai-chan is awesome｣ or ｢Ai-chan is the best!｣ echoed.
In contrast, how low was my evaluation? Though, some parts of it were overestimated.
"If Fuyuumi gets rolled into your ｢mayhem｣, it'll be immense damage to the disciplinary committee. I'm going to retire in the fall, so I want to leave without any worries on my mind.
"I see."
From the disciplinary committee's perspective, we were the ones who dragged Fuyuumi in. Though to be honest, Fuyuumi jumped in herself and worsened the mayhem.
"Then, how can I prove it to you all that I won't put a hand on Fuyuumi?"
"—come take a test."
Senpai straightened her finger and hair antenna.
"Let us test if you're really a morally upright and honest guy ourselves. If you fail, I'll forbid Fuyuumi-san from going to you club."
"Why is that…?!"
Fuyuumi protested, but after Senpai silenced her with a glare, she quieted down.
"Okay, then let's test it."
I made a firm resolution and nodded.
After all, I had foreseen long ago that it would end up like this. Even though I didn't know what kind of test it would be, I'd just have to demonstrate my true nature as an anti-love person.
"Then, what is the test?"
"Go to the roof."
Her hair antenna towered in the sky as if pointing out directions.
"My eyes have seen through many students who have violated the rules of the school—I'll let you experience it for yourself!"
♦
I led the hoard of disciplinary committee members to the roof.
On the way there, students who were at school for club activities raised their eyebrows at me. ｢Kidou-kun has a bunch of new girls again｣ ｢There's so many…｣ ｢Does he plan to make the entire disciplinary committee to join his harem?!｣ They seemed to look at me quite incredibly. Just by listening to these comments at school, Ishige-senpai's concerns were starting to make sense.
It was four thirty in the afternoon, and the sky was still bright.
The afterglow of the setting sunlight reflected on the tiles, as the crowd took in the panorama from the roof. My back was against the wall, and I faced the legion of disciplinary committee members. Fuyuumi stood between us, looking distressed.
"So, how do you intend to test me?"
"Hmph… if you thought we were merely reserved disciplinary committee members, then you've been gravely mistaken!"
Senpai gave a fearless smile and pointed at me.
"In order to suppress the improper relationships between boys and girls, we've realized the need to develop proficient skills in love. In other words, we need to be the people in this school who can love the best and best and best and best! We must be familiar with this!"
Yeahh—! The committee members gave cheers.
That being said, Ishige-senpai's face was very red. Could she be less embarrassed, please?
"R-Right now, the elite members of the disciplinary committee will try to s-s-s-s-s-seduce you! And if you're tempted, you lose! If you remain unaffected, then you pass!"
Wasn't this just like something ｢Jien-Otsu｣ would do? I guess you could say they were just as bad.
"Then, let us begin."
Senpai raised her right hand, and the the second-year with plaited hair braids immediately walked in front of me.
At first glance, she looked rather plain. However, upon careful examination, she was actually a pale-skinned beauty. She overflowed with a empty-headed sensation, a little bit like Hime.
Hime's lookalike was expressionless, and she only stared at me.
I had thought she would say something enticing, or use some sexy methods to seduce me. I never expected she would just stand there blankly without doing anything.
"You…?"
Just when I was starting to get impatient.
Hime's lookalike slowly took off her glasses, and closed her right eye.
Then she immediately put her glasses back on, and returned to her original expressionless look.
"What was that?"
"A wink."
Yeah, I knew that.
"When I take off my glasses, aren't I cute?
"Yeah, I guess you could say you're cute."
"Are you captivated by me?"
"No, not to that extent."
When I said that, Hime's lookalike had a shocked expression,
"W-Why is that!?"
"Well, you asked me why…"
Did this girl read too much shoujo manga? Basically, she was about the same as Chiwa?
Senpai came forward and made an announcement,"Let's stop here."
"Let's consider that you passed the first test. Are beauties who take off their glasses too old-fashioned?"
I don't think this has anything to do with being old-fashioned or new.
"Hmph. Let's see if you can withstand the next one."
Senpai snapped her fingers, and this time the tall third-year with a ponytail walked forward. Her appearance was very proper, but her eyes were too sharp and seemed rather intimidating.
She lifted her chin and crossed her arms,
"Don't misunderstand me, because I don't like you one bit."
—It sounded like she was reading from a script.
"Don't misunderstand me, but I'm just passing by, that's all."
"...Okay."
"Don't misunderstand me, but it's not particularly because I want to see you."
"I know."
"Don't misunderstand me, it's not particularly, that, um. In other words, don't misunderstand me."
"..."
What kind of move was this?"
I simply didn't understand what this was doing. No, actually I did know, but I didn't want to know.
The disciplinary committee members watched me and whispered,
"So he's even unmoved by Yamada-senpai's hellish 4-hit tsundere COMBO? [6]
"What's wrong with that guy? Is he homo?" [7]
They quite rudely misunderstood me.
But these guys... they really are an exceedingly pitiful group. If they had a competition with ｢Jien-Otsu｣, it should be rather interesting, huh?
"Then, I guess I can get going now."
"Don't joke around! The test isn't over yet."
Senpai's antenna hair swayed left and right, and she walked in front of me.
"I will be the final one to s-seduce you! But, since this is just a test, d-d-don't think it's the real thing!"
Her face was fully red, and her voice was rather sharp.
Fuyuumi anxiously wrinkled her brow.
"Um, Ishige-senpai, you don't have to go to this extent, right?"
"No! Fuyuumi-san! If we retreat now, it'll harm the disciplinary committee's reputation. I will definitely rout him for you to see!"
Senpai brought her fingers to the ribbon on her uniform, and with a swish she undid it. After she loosened it, her face grew red again, as if she surprised herself with her own behavior. Her teary eyes seemed to say, ｢What am I going to do with myself!?｣.
"I-I'm going to make my move now."
Senpai's voice trembled, and then she collapsed in my direction.
Instinctively, I used my chest to catch her.
Senpai's knees continued to tremble unceasingly, and she was shaking so much it transferred onto my body.
Since her upper body was tightly pressed against mine, I could hear her heartbeat with zero delay.
...not good.
Even I was starting to get perturbed.
"W-What do you think? Is it no big deal even like this?"
Senpai actually very nearly made me feel breathless with her teary eyes staring at me... it really made my heart beat.
Her fair floated with a scent like flowers, and there was this feeling of some bulging object that certainly wasn't small under her uniform. Her shuddering eyelashes and her soft lips all made my heartbeat accelerate.
"If you're going to surrender, feel f-free to anytime. Otherwise, I'm going to fall over..."
This girl was so cute.
Even if she was a senpai, this expression was just like that of a little girl.
...n-not good.
If this continues, I'll fail this test.
N-No! I won't be moved by her!
Even if Senpai's cute, she doesn't match up with Chiwa.
Even if Senpai's beautiful, she doesn't match up with Masuzu.
Even if Senpai's delicate, she doesn't match up with Hime.
Even if Senpai is fascinating, she—
"Noooooooooooooooooo————!"
Suddenly, someone crashed into me from the side.
I gave an embarrassing ｢Wuahh!｣ as I rolled across the roof and collided into the wall.
Senpai didn't roll, but she tumbled onto her butt on the floor.
The person who crashed into us was—Fuyuumi.
Out of breath, she snuffled through her nose like a child.
"Ta-kun is Ai-chan's! Even the revered Senpai can't touch him! I prohibit anyone from touching him!"
—Ah, now she's done it...
Why can't you control yourself, Ai-chan? Now all the effort we spent is going to fizzle away!
As expected, the disciplinary committee members were dumbstruck.
Senpai was also similarly awestruck, but not after long she coughed and trembled,
"I-Impossible. Could you have already fallen for this man?"
Fuyuumi's eye went wide with a ｢Ah!?｣, and she looked at me with a face that looked like it was about to cry.
"Did Ai-chan really do that?"
"I had no idea about this!"
This really was very frightening.
But the damage was already done.
Senpai's face flushed red, but this time it was with a completely different feeling than earlier.
"Is the reason why you wanted to monitor the Maiden's Club because of him? You're a disciplinary committee member, but you've become captivated by a boy?"
Fuyuumi was like a soaked rabbit, and she trembled.[8] Without any real comprehensibility, she tried to explain herself: ｢No, thats—｣ ｢That one...｣
But not after long, she realized it was pointless.
"...I'm sorry. Senpai is right, I'm already his girl."
She crestfallenly admitted the facts.
"I've misjudged you. So you were this kind of person...!"
Senpai's hands forcibly turned into fists.
Her antenna hair, seething with anger, pointed at Fuuyimi.
"You are no longer a part of the disciplinary committee! I don't care if you go with that guy together to that club!"
♦
I chased after Fuyuumi who ran off the roof.
"Wait, Fuyuumi!"
I chased after her fluttering hair and the back of her uniform, and sprinted as fast as I could in the hallway that connected the east and west buildings.
Since it was summer vacation, there weren't any students or teachers. I could run as much as I liked, but it wasn't something I was particularly happy about.
"Come back and say everything clearly! Hey, Fuyuumi! Ai-chan!"
But Fuyuumi didn't stop running. She skipped two steps of stairs and ran downstairs, and rushed outside even though she was still wearing her indoor shoes.
"H-Her legs are so fast!"
This was the second time Fuyuumi made me run.
The first time, I was actually running away from Fuyuumi, but this time it was the opposite.
We chased circles around the school walls, after which we ran towards the flowerbed.
When we ran by the athletics fields, the baseball club that was putting away their equipment stared at us with unfathomable expressions.
"I said Ai-chan! Wait a moment!"
I didn't know if it was because of my shouts or because she's simply ran herself tired, but Fuyuumi finally stopped her steps at the flowerbed.
We didn't talk for a while as we wiped our sweat and waited for our breaths to adjust.
After some difficulty, the first thing that came out Fuyuumi's mouth was this,
"Damnnnnnn itttttttttt! That was so badddddd! Ai-chan Epic Loss!"
She completely blamed herself.
"I specifically didn't want to do that kind of thing! But I actually betrayed Ishige-senpai whom I like so much! I'm so stupid! Ai-chan is stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid!"
She crouched down in the flowerbed, and started ripping the weeds that had grown unrestrained during the summer out of the group. She was actually doing a big help for the gardening club.
"Let it pass. It's done already, so there's nothing you can do."
I lightly patted Fuyuumi's arched back,
"Today, Senpai's head was also overflowing with blood, so after a while bring it up with her again, okay?"
"I can't face them ever again."
Fuyuumi shook her head as she crouched.
"All the effort I've spent developing the image of a disciplinary committee member went up in smoke today. I'm completely powerless. No one will listen to me anymore. Even if I step up and remind people, they won't follow the school rules, and the school will grow completely out of control. Everyone's going to butt heads and shout ｢Yahaa!｣ as they go to school!" [9]
That's way too pessimistic. It looks like her wound really was deep.
"Don't be that dejected. It's not like you."
"B-But..."
Fuyuumi lifted her head, and her eyes were glistening with tears. I was shocked speechless. She really was crying.
"If you knew you were going to regret it so much, why didn't you control yourself?"
"My body moved by itself."
"It can't move by itself, you..."
Fuyuumi sobbed and sniffed, sucking in with her nose.
"Whenever I run into you, Ta-kun, I become really weird. Did you know that?"
"...Yeah."
Should I say I knew it, or because I learned it through experience?
I couldn't think of what else to say, so I sank into silence.
The athletics clubs seemed like they had all finished club activities today, and I didn't hear any more sounds from around us. A school that didn't have any people in it was actually really peaceful.
"Hey, Fuyuumi."
I suddenly thought of something.
"Why do you like me?"
Fuyuumi's red eyes opened wide in a daze.
"Why are you asking that kind of thing?"
"...no, it's nothing. I just suddenly thought of it."
Even if it was a shy and vague dismissal, there actually was a reason.
Because if she liked me to the extent that she could even let her extremely important disciplinary committee duties fall apart—
What kind of reason could there be if she liked me to that extent?
"This well..."
Fuyuumi tilted her head.
"I've never thought about it before."
Her expression was fully serious, and I couldn't see a trace of embarrassment similar to the kind I was trying to hide.
"Because by the time I realized it, I already liked you. I can't remember how it started."
"So it's like that?"
Well, if it was something that happened in kindergarten, it made sense if you couldn't remember.
"But, there has to be some kind of reason, right? If there isn't, there's no way you could like me."
When Fuyuumi heard this, she revealed a rather lonely smile.
"Why does there have to be a reason for me to like you?"
"..."
This was the strongest, most intense feeling of ｢cuteness｣ I've felt towards this girl up until today.
Fuyuumi smiling with tears in the corners of her eyes was seriously too dazzling.
I couldn't help but lower my head.
"I don't understand this kind of thing very well."
"Liking other people, you mean?"
"Perhaps so."
After all, I was anti-love.
Even when I look at perfectly happy sweethearts, I think, ｢When are they going to break up?｣
Even when I look at sweethearts who have a great relationship, I think, ｢They must be lying to each other behind their backs｣.
I am a twisted person who can only think like that.
"—Well, that being said."
Fuyuumi stood up and gave a big stretch,
"I'm the only one who hasn't demonstrated my ｢dere｣ for you yet."
"Huh?"
"Did you forget? This was from the ｢OreDere Beauty Pageant｣ during our club trip. Natsukawa-san, Chiwa, and Himecchi all did it, but I never did because I was disqualified... so, want me to do it for you now?"
"You can't win the prize, and Saeko-san won't see it."
"I don't care."
Fuyuumi smiled and shook her head. Then she used her handkerchief to dab away at her tears.
"I've felt like my mind's been in a huge mess, and I want to get it off my chest."
"...I see."
I was the factor that got Fuyuumi expelled from the disciplinary committee.
As such, I had a duty to receive the feelings that Fuyuumi had right now.
Fuyuumi took a big breath, and as if she assembled all of her power within her body, she shouted,
"Ta-kun, I wub you the most——————!"
How...
How embarrassing!
Why does she always mispronounce ｢love｣ as ｢wub｣? But I won't complain about it at this point.
"When I'm in front of you, I get restless. My head gets hot and my chest feels tight. I can barely understand how I feel. I don't understand. I lub you too much! Dammit ♪"
Ai-chan waved her arms in circles as she shouted.
She added love-marks to the end of all of her sentences, and they echoed off of the school walls.[10]
"I tried to protect my decent image. For my father, little brother, and my deceased mother, I needed to pull myself together. I was a first-rate disciplinary committee member, but when Ta-kun was around, I'm no good. I become soft and flimsy. The time when we met during the opening ceremony, I nearly fainted. ｢Ah, it's Ta-kun!｣ I nearly shouted and jumped at you. I tried my best to control myself. I worked really, really, really hard to control myself, but Ta-kun didn't notice me. You weren't with me. Rather, you looked happy together with your childhood friend. You weren't with me, but you looked sugar sweet with your girlfriend. I cried in the bathroom! I became muddle-headed, soft and flimsy, but even so, I loved and lubbed you!"
W-Wow—
The weather's really hot.
No, I'm the one who's hot.
Hime's confession was pretty powerful, but Ai-chan's was... this, how do I put it... it really hit the core of my body? Or did it go to my pores? My sweat was already pouring incessantly.
"It's enough if I'm the only one who like's Ta-kun. It's fine if no one else understands Ta-kun's strong points, but if I'm the only one in the universe who understands, that's enough. I'm the only one who lubs you the most—! The end!"
After feeling the ending was a little rude, Ai-chan lowered her head.
And then she refused to raised her head.
"A-Ai-chan?"
"Don't come here!"
She used her hands to prevent me from walking closer as she kept her head lowered.
"I-If you come over right now, A-Ai-chan won't know what to do..."
Her voice was starting to become incomprehensible.
Because she kept her lowered posture, I couldn't see her expression, but I guessed her face must be blushing.
And just then.
—The sound of a thump.
Because of the noise, I naturally turned my head around to look.
Probably because a lazy gardening club member forgot it, but a bamboo broom that had been leaning against the school wall had fallen over.
There was a girl who had been standing next to the bamboo broom for quite a while.
There was one very obvious antenna hair that stuck up from that student.
...As she stared in our direction, her eyes opened wide with an expression as if she were thinking, ｢Damn!｣
She was the disciplinary committee president, Ishige Mari-senpai.
"A-A-A-Ahhh—"
When Fuyuumi noticed Senpai's presence, her expression filled with despair and a loss for words.
"W-W-W-Wahh—"
Senpai was equally at a loss for words.
That being said, behind Senpai there were another ten or so disciplinary committee members. All of them had covered their mouths with their hands and were blushing as they stared at us.
Fuyuumi trembled with fear and asked,
"D-Did... Did you hear everything that I just said?"
The disciplinary committee members nodded simultaneously.
And then Ishige-senpai—
"I-I-I-I've never heard such an enthusiastic l-l-l-love confession. It's m-my first time hearing something like that... wump."
The sound of a wump.
Ishige-senpai very attentively added the sound effect herself, and fainted.
The hair antenna wilted just like its master. The little thing was stretching around earlier, so maybe it was some kind of unknown parasite.
"P-Please pull yourself together President!"
"Keep your cool!"
"It's no good, she's suffered acute love poisoning!"
The committee members repeatedly tried to shake their senpai's body, and even went as far as to call it some strange disease.
Fuyuumi on the other hand—
"Damn it I want to die! Ai-chan is going out for a run—!"
"Hey, wait a minute! Don't run away, Ai-chan!"
In other words, don't leave me by myself!
In this kind of situation—even I'm embarrassed to the point I want to die!
♦
Later in the infirmary.
The committee members and I later carried the fainted Ishige-senpai to a bed, and used a wet towel to cool her forehead until she awoke. The nurse took her temperature and pulse, and thankfully there wasn't anything unusual with her body.
Fuyuumi also returned to help out when the nurse left. Looks like even when her embarrassing confession's been heard, she can't leave her senpai aside. She mentioned she wanted Senpai to become her wedding witness, so she probably liked Ishige-senpai a lot.
While Fuyuumi sat on a folding chair, and used a circular fan to fan Senpai—
"Strange... why am I here?"
Senpai sat up on the bed, and the wet towel on her forehead fell down.
"Sorry, Senpai. It's all my fault."
"I also want to apologize to you. I'm so sorry!"
Senpai sluggishly stared at Fuyuumi and I who had our heads lowered.
"...I lost consciousness."
Senpai looked as if she was thinking about something as she stayed silent for a while.
Then, she lifted her head, and stared straight at Fuyuumi.
"Fuyuumi Ai-san, when you said, ｢Love does not have to have a reason｣, were you serious?"
Fuyuumi nodded.
"But, Kidou-kun already has a girlfriend. The thing you want to do is basically equivalent of robbing someone of something they cherish. This kind of shameless love is certainly not permitted, but you still plan to press forward?"
Fuyuumi immediately lowered her head.
She tightly clutched her skirt, stared at her knees, and sank into silence. Then—
"I won't let myself turn into a shameless disciple."
"What does that mean?"
"If I get to snatch him straight from Natsukawa Masuzu's hands, I will make Kidou-kun think I'm interesting, and then he'll like me—I will become that kind of incredible maiden for you all to see."
The infirmary fell into absolute silence.
The other disciplinary committee members all held their breath as they watched the situation develop.
Not after long—
"I lose."
Ishige-senpai gave a bitter smile.
She faced the disciplinary committee and asked,
"To all you members who have a responsibility for discipline at our school, even though Fuyuumi-san was distressed by all this shameless love, she still tried her best to maintain her purity and honesty. With her like that, is she qualified to be one of our comrades?"
"Of course, President!"
The voices of the committee members overlapped beautifully.
"After all, the school committee members are all girls, so there are times when they'll fall in love."
"Although improper male and female relationships are a violation of the school rules, I do not consider merely liking someone against the rules."
"Though, Fuyuumi-san, you are a little too excessive."
"When there comes a time when you do too much, it'll be up to us to to stop you!"
Fuyuumi fell dumbstruck upon hearing these words.
"I-Is it really okay? I... can continue to be a disciplinary committee member?"
"Yes, please continue."
Ishige-senpai unhesitantly spoke,
"Your present assignment is to strictly supervise ｢Society for Bringing Out Your Maiden Self｣, and take care of those students who easily deviate from normal practice. Of course, you cannot neglect your responsibilities as a disciplinary committee member. Do you understand?"
"Yes!"
Fuyuumi responded loudly, and then immediately stood up and hugged me.
"Did you hear that Ta-kun!? I-I can continue being a disciplinary committee member! I don't have to resign!"
"Yeah, that's great Ai-chan!"
I was honestly as happy as if it were my own problem.
After all, if she didn't have the disciplinary committee armband, it wouldn't feel quite like Fuyuumi Ai anymore!
"Also, there's one more thing."
Senpai was speaking her mind.
What is it? If she could delineate some borders that Fuyuumi shouldn't overstep, I would be really happy.
"As the disciplinary committee of Hanenoyama High School, we wholly support Fuyuumi Ai's romance!"
...........Huh!?
"Listen everyone! We will overthrow Natsukawa Masuzu, and overthrow Harusaki Chiwa!"
"Understood, President!"
Faced with an identical cry of the committee members, I interrupted, flustered.
"W-Wait a moment! Why do you support it? It's fine if you just implicitly accept it!"
"It'd be boring like that~!"
Ishige-senpai acted like a mischievous little girl and shook her head,
"After hearing Fuyuumi's confession, maybe r-romance is a pretty impressive thing? I think I've changed how I think."
Her cheeks flushed red, which was cute, and her curvy hair antenna was also pretty sexy.
But as far as I'm concerned, there's no hope left for me!
"Uh—so—we'll think about it? If we do things like that, it'll be rather troublesome for me?"
After that, no one paid attention to me. Other committee members agreed and said things like, ｢I'll also try confessing to him｣ or ｢I think I'll send a text to that guy from middle school｣. Their lovestruck minds have been awoken.
Then—
"W-Whaa!?"
A pitiful cry came from my mouth.
That was because Fuyuumi, who had been hugging me the entire time, suddenly exerted force with her arms.
She lifted her head from my chest, and revealed a wide smile I had never seen before.
"Hehehehe. Ta-kun, the entire world is a cheerleading team for our love ♪"
"!?"
Lov-
Lovestruck power just leveled up again!
Fuyuumi's eyes looked like they were hazily dreaming as she stared at me.
"Our wedding celebration needs to be held in an extremely big place. Hey, Ta-kun, should we start saving money for it now? Let's buy a brand new piggy bank, and we'll deposit a hundred yen every day."
"...Whatever you want..."
Following Senpai's sentiments, the disciplinary committee really was like a real cheerleading squad. They drummed up enthusiasm and shouted: ｢Use our assistance and take a leading role in the mayhem—｣ ｢Yeah—!｣
Seriously, the uproar was getting worse and worse.
How did the entire school become involved in my mayhem?
