Chapter 28: Volume 3 - CH 4

“Finally finished~~~”

After taking the final exam for one week, Masachika’s sense of accomplishment made him grow up a lot.

As he looked around the classroom, he could see students here and there enjoying the

feeling of being free and discussing their plans for after school, even though they still had homeroom hours. As for Masachika, he had no plans to play with his friends today as he was going to watch all the anime he had recorded during the exam period. Despite not having any plans… there was one thing he was curious about.

“Good job on the exam, Alya.”

“Yeah, Kuze-kun too, good job on the exam.”

…… I don’t know why, it’s just a feeling, but Masachika felt that Alisa’s attitude was somehow a bit distant.

Masachika felt this uncomfortable feeling since Monday, but he ignored it because he had to concentrate on his exams and there was also the possibility that it was just his imagination. However, he could not enjoy his vacation if he did not resolve this uneasy feeling.

“Umm, Alya, do you have any plans after school?”

“No, nothing at all”

“I see. Then, do you want to walk home together? There’s something I want to discuss with you about the closing ceremony.”

“…alright, I don’t mind”

“Okay, I’ll see you soon.”

“Yes.”

From the looks of it, this seemed like a normal conversation. Alisa’s demeanor was still the same as usual. However, that uncomfortable feeling still lingered in Masachika’s heart.

And the cause was…

(She hasn’t muttered any embarrassing sentences in Russian… though I don’t know what caused it)

That’s right, for five days straight, Alisa’s sweet Russian mutterings have completely subsided. No, that in itself is good news for Masachika. Not only was the sweet Russian speech not good for Masachika’s heart, but also the way Alisa, the person

who said it, tried to steal glances at him. So, you could say it was a good thing …… but still, it made him curious. And as Masachika watched her, he felt that Alisa’s attitude was a bit indifferent.

(Hmm~ … well, if it’s just my imagination anyway, I guess there’s no problem…)

Next Saturday there will be a closing ceremony speech, a big event in the

student council president election campaign. Masachika wants to get rid of any factors

that could interfere with their partner relationship while he can. The rest, well, ……

(…Did I do something to make her hate me?)

Although he didn’t know the cause he couldn’t help but feel curious, because he has a sensitive heart.

◇◇◇◇

After homeroom time was over, Masachika and Alisa left the classroom together as promised. As they walked side by side, they could feel that they were attracting more attention than usual. From the start, Alisa’s beautiful, angelic face had attracted the

the attention of many people, but now the students’ gazes were also directed at Masachika. Apparently, after last week’s debate, the two of them were recognized by many students as the candidate pair for student council president.

“…So? You said you wanted to discuss something about the speech at the closing ceremony?”

“Ah, that’s right…”

As usual, Alisa spoke to him calmly as if nothing strange was happening. While on the other hand, Masachika felt hesitant for a moment and then asked directly.

“But before that… Umm, Alya. Did something happen?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been wondering… Since Monday, hasn’t your behavior been a bit different from usual?”

At Masachika’s question, Alisa paused for a moment and then looked at Masachika with a surprised expression.

“From that reaction of yours… there must be something going on, huh”

“…”

When Masachika said that with a wry smile, Alisa suddenly turned around forward and resumed her steps. Then, she put on a pretending to be indifferent act, and said.

“…It’s just your imagination.”

“No, it’s useless to cover it up, you know?”

” … “

Masachika continued to stare ahead and spoke to Alisa who was still stubborn, without looking at her.

“Did I do something to make you angry? If that’s the case, I want you to tell me.”

“…I don’t want to say it”

“Hmm~, I see…”

“Haaa… I tried my best to hide it since the beginning of the week, I’ll try to return back to normal… Is that still not enough?”

After sighing lightly, Alisa said that while looking up towards him. The slightly anxious, childish expression on her face was so adorable to the point that it made Masachika want to stroke her head and say, “No, that’s not enough~~!” But he dismissed that desire and shook his head with a serious expression.

“Hmm~ even if you say so… But it’s been five days in a row, you know? If you think that you can return to normal anyway, that’s fine….”

“…Is it obvious on my face?”

“Well, it is…”

“I see… even though I didn’t mean to show it.”

Well, although it was hardly shown clearly. However, she stopped mumbling sweet things in Russian. Although the person himself didn’t realize it, anyway.

“Well, you did not show it, and I think you’re right about that but I can realize it.”

“Huh, hmm~?”

As Masachika said that while shrugging his shoulders, Alisa raised her eyebrows slightly and played with her hair.

“In other words, do you care about me that much? Even if it’s during an exam?”

Masachika replied with a flat face to Alisa’s rather

provocative.

“Of course I care. Because you are my most precious partner.”

“Heh, Hmmm~~”

Because you are my most precious partner. You are my most precious partner. You are my most precious partner… Masachika’s words kept ringing in Alisa’s head. Alisa played with the ends of her hair faster and faster. It looked like the ends of her hair would turn

into curls if she kept it up. However, Alisa’s expression turned grim as she suddenly stopped the movement of her fingers.

“So, why…”

“Hmm?”

“…”

When Masachika tilted his head, Alisa quietly turned away her face. Masachika changed his shoes, wondering what to do with this very obvious frown.

They began to walk side by side towards the main gate… After a while, Alisa finally

mumbled.

“…birthday.”

“Huh?”

“Why didn’t you invite me to your birthday party?”

Alisa looked away and said resentfully. But… Masachika herself was puzzled.

“Birthday party? What are you talking about?”

“I mean…”

Alisa turned around and raised her eyebrows in annoyance, as if thinking that Masachika was pretending. But after seeing the expression on his face, it seemed that Masachika really didn’t understand what Alisa meant.

“Eh? Birthday party? You mean my birthday?”

“…Yes.”

“…No, there’s no way I could have organized it, but… where did you get that information?”

“How could you not organize it…”

“No, seriously! I’m not an elementary school kid anymore anyway, so there’s no way I’m going to

have a birthday party or something!?”

“Eh……?”

There, Alisa finally realized that something was wrong and tilted her head with raised eyebrows. At the same time, Masachika also thought of something.

“Uh, ah, aaah~~…is it not possible that in Russia, having a party on your own birthday is a common thing?”

“Uh, yes… is it different in Japan?”

“Well, in Japan, only elementary school students do it… No, in this school, it seems like there are still people who do it. Well, let’s leave that aside. At least

I haven’t had one since elementary school, you know?”

“So, I see…”

“I mean, I had a chance to realize that… somehow, I’m

sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing instead?”

“No, hmm. It’s fine~”

After all, from the beginning, he didn’t have any friends to invite to the party ….

Masachika did not continue his words and fell silent. However, he quickly grinned and looked at Alisa meaningfully.

“But unexpectedly, huh. Hmm~?”

“…… What’s the matter?”

“It’s nothing really~? But I’m very curious, do you really want to celebrate my birthday~?”

“Huh!?!”

Alisa turned her face away again with a blushing expression. But a moment later,

Masachika could clearly see her flushed white cheeks.

“…In Russia, not telling your birthday is a way of saying, ‘I won’t be friends with you this year’.”

“Hmm~?”

“What the heck?”

“It’s nothing, really~? Well, I guess I’ll just take it for granted~?”

“What a bummer…!”

Alisa was really looking very upset, but Masachika decided to stop teasing her and try to restore her mood.

“Well then… how about we celebrate? Even though it’s been three months, anyway…”

“Eh?”

“I want to get closer to you this year too. How about next Monday, we still have class in the morning, how about going somewhere to have lunch together? And while we’re there, we can

talk about the closing ceremony speech. …or maybe, in Russia, there’s a custom that you shouldn’t celebrate past birthdays?”

At Masachika’s question, Alisa tilted her head slightly and then shook her head.

“No… it’s not good to celebrate it early, but if it’s late, it’s still fine…”

“Okay, that’s decided. Then, at the beginning of the week… Umm, I will

have my belated birthday party, so please feel free to come.”

“What the hell was that?”

Alisa smiled faintly at Masachika, who invited her with an expression of

that was far too serious. Seeing her expression, Masachika was relieved

because her mood had gotten a little better. However, seeing Masachika’s relieved expression, Alisa raised her eyebrows again. She must have realized that after being teased, she was now being comforted like a child. While glancing sharply at Masachika’s face, Alisa put on a sullen face. When they reached the crossroads, Masachika turned to Alisa.

“Then, on Monday… we’ll meet again around here…?”

At that moment, Alisa quickly looked around her, and Masachika tilted her head.

(What was she looking for…?)

As he was curious and also tried to look around — his senses buzzed strongly when he saw Alisa turn to face him and grin.

(Emergency, something’s coming–?)

Masachika took a step back reflexively, but Alisa closed the distance even faster from him. In an instant, their distance was so close that they could almost

could feel each other’s breath, Alisa then placed her hand on Masachika’s stiff shoulder and their cheeks pressed together.

She then whispered something in Masachika’s ear.

{I’m really looking forward to it ♡}

After saying that, Alisa quickly moved her body away and looked at Masachika with a sharp gaze as she said.

“Yes, with this we have made up. See you again.”

“I-Yes, goodbye…”

After saying that, Alisa immediately turned around and quickly ran away. Masachika was stunned at the sight of her back. Then, with a clumsy semi-automatic movement, he walked in the opposite direction… then turned the corner and collapsed with his hands against the wall.

(He, hehehe, Russian for the first time in four days… Isn’t that so powerful!?)

Masachika clutched his chest and smiled stiffly as he said, “Now I’m sure that I can vomit blood!”

(I mean, somehow the obstacles got harder…)

After being told that, Masachika felt that just meeting up at a family restaurant and leaving immediately wasn’t enough. It seemed like they should

have a celebration at a fairly trendy restaurant.

(Looks like I’ll have to look around for a good place this weekend…)

Masachika smiled wryly at the thought that it was a very difficult mission for someone who was not used to that kind of thing.

However, he could see the reason behind Alisa’s strange behavior. He felt happy

about that. But what Masachika understood more clearly was…

(Ear whispering in the real world… turns out to be deadly)

…about that matter.

◇◇◇◇ (cont’d TL here)

Monday, the first day of the week. The five days after the exam period are basically used for the distribution of exam results and teacher-parent meetings. In the morning were the distribution of exam results, the explanation of the assignments in each subject for the summer vacation, as well as occasional regular lessons, and in the afternoon, parent-teacher meetings were held in each class. Since the meetings are held according to the attendance list, Alisa and Masachika’s turn were scheduled for tomorrow.

“So, what about your exam results?”

“Hmm~~ well, I guess the grade point average for all subjects has been exceeded?”

On the way home from school. Masachika answered Alisa’s question while turning his head. As of today, he had already received a report card book with individual grades and average grades for all subjects.

Since grades may change due to grading errors during test returns, the ranking list will be officially determined on Saturday, but the provisional report card will be distributed first to be used for use in the parent-teacher interview.

By the way, at Seirei Gakuen, there was always a half-day of lessons every Saturday. This semester, the grade announcement and closing ceremony would be held on Saturday morning.

“Well, I don’t know if the rankings are on point or not, but… I’m sure that my grades were much better than last time.”

“I see, you’ve fought hard.”

“That’s great, isn’t it!”

“Yes, yes, that’s great”

“…It turns out that you’ve gradually understood how to handle me.”

Masachika gave Alisa a surprised look. But Alisa ignored him just like that.

“Yikes, Alya-chan is getting more and more ignorant.”

“If you think you’re imitating Masha, you really should stop. It’s disgusting”

“Ryokai!” (TN: as in “okay” or “roger” in JP)

Being told with a look in her eyes that didn’t smile at all, even Masachika had to stop with his jokes. Then, he shifted his gaze and blatantly changed the subject.

“Haaa~… walking in the middle of the day like this feels really hot. Especially since the sun is quite strong today…”

While saying that, Masachika grabbed the chest of his uniform and started fanning it while staring at his own clothes with a frown.

“What’s more, this uniform makes it hot, you know… Why is it that in this modern era, summer uniforms still have long sleeves?”

“Ah, I knew this wasn’t normal, huh…”

“Of course it is. Most other schools wear short sleeves for summer uniforms, and even the office workers are more comfortable wearing short sleeves.”

Fortunately, the fabric was thinner than the winter uniforms, but the long sleeves were still discomforting. Then, why does their school still use long-sleeved uniforms in this day and age? … Just like the student bags, this uniform rule is also part of “tradition”.

The Seirei Gakuen uniforms are quite famous, and just wearing them attracts people’s attention with responses such as “Oh, that’s a student of Seirei Gakuen.”

In other words, the uniform itself is a famous brand, and wearing the uniform is a point of pride for Seirei Gakuen students.

But at the same time, this awareness of “always being in the spotlight” will lead students to behave appropriately as expected of their school. But, Masachika himself had another opinion…

“But right now there’s the issue of global warming… I’m sure that it would be cooler if I could take off this blazer”

“But, isn’t the President trying to change that rule?”

“Because that was one of his promises during the election campaign… But it seems to be

quite difficult. Even if it can be realized, maybe it will start next year?”

At the moment, Touya, who seems to have similar ideas to Masachika, is trying to change the uniform rules, but it seems to be quite difficult. Among the students there are those who say “This uniform is really cool! Is it hot? Must endure it to look fashionable!” In addition, the opposition from the alumni association, led by the former student council president and vice president of the previous batch is still quite strong.

Regarding this, Masachika thought, “No, it’s not like this is bullying against the kouhai, by telling us to endure it, because you guys have suffered the same…?” and suspected that possibility.

“Well, I really wish the Chairman could make it happen…as an ordinary student who doesn’t have a car pick-up service.”

“Isn’t that just because you want to see girls in almost transparent uniforms?”

“You mean the more transparent the uniform, the better the view? You do understand well…!”

” … “

“No, I didn’t think of that kind of thing, okay? Well, from the point of view of an otaku, the uniform change event is quite an important event, but since I’ve been going to school here for so long, I’m not sure…”

Alisa stared at the excuse-making Masachika coldly, but she suddenly smiled provocatively, then combed her hair and turned her gaze to Masachika.

“Ara, don’t you want to see it? My appearance in a short-sleeved uniform?”

“If you ask me if I want to see it or not, I can say that I’m quite interested.”

“Fufufu~, is that so?”

To be honest, as a teenage boy in puberty, he was very

interested in the rumored “see-through bra” that often occurs in short-sleeved uniforms.

(But that’s just my imagination if there’s a girl sitting in the seat in front of me… if I am told to look at the back of Hikaru’s translucent uniform, I’m don’t feel happy at all)

“Did you just think of something strange?”

“Not really? But… if the President wears a short-sleeved uniform, it seems that it would be very hot and uncomfortable.”

“That’s… well, is that right?”

Alisa’s satisfied expression turned into a frown, but when she heard Masachika with an unconcerned expression, she unintentionally nodded her

her head. That was a terrible rumor for Touya.

“Besides the President, Sarashina-senpai is also quite extraordinary… for example, her two arms and shoulders. That person is usually inconspicuous, but she has the body like an athlete.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

After nodding again, Alisa glanced up and down Masachika’s body and smiled mockingly.

“Compared to that, you look scrawny and not strong.”

“Uh, why are you teasing me all of a sudden? You know, I still have a lot of muscles, you know?”

“Hmm?”

“Don’t look down on indoor-type people, okay? Do you want me to show off my sexy macho body?”

After saying that, Masachika suddenly imagined himself. While lying on the beach bed, he opened the front of his short-sleeved shirt and showed off his chest and stomach muscles… While imagining that, Masachika subconsciously covered his mouth to stifle nausea.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing… As I imagined it myself, I began to feel disgusted. The reason why a macho body is sexy, is because in the end it only works if you have a handsome face”

Masachika said so while getting rid of the strange narcissistic image in his mind. Then, after Alisa looked up slightly… she then muttered what was thinking while playing with her hair.

{Though, it’s not disgusting at all}

“I said, don’t make me imagine weird things. “

“That’s right… you shouldn’t answer honestly either, really?”

“It’s not like you asked the question yourself.”

Alisa snorted and combed her hair. After giving her a quick glance, Masachika looked into the distance.

(Actually, from Alya’s point of view, what do I look like?)

{After all, you look good}

(Guhaa! Seriously, what do I look like in her eyes…?)

Masachika tried hard to keep his mouth from twitching from the tingling sensation in his chest. However, fortunately, their destination was near at the right time, so Masachika turned his attention there.

They entered a large clothing store for youngsters near the station. Why would they come to a clothing store before eating? The answer was simple, it was to change clothes. Masachika felt there was no harm to keep their uniforms on, but Alisa said “I think going out to eat during the day while still in uniform is against school rules, you know?” so she decided to change before eating. But that didn’t mean they would buy clothes and change here.

When Masachika first heard about it, “they’ve really thought of a unique idea” and was impressed by the idea, but… This shop had a changing room that was open only to students of Seirei Gakuen.

Even the students of Seirei Gakuen, let alone boys and girls of their age, wanted to play around with their friends after school.

However, playing around while still in uniform is prohibited by school rules, so they can’t go to karaoke or game centers in their school uniforms, let alone family restaurants. Since the uniforms are quite famous, there is a possibility that certain people will report to the school, and if that happens, punishment is inevitable.

If that’s the case, they have no choice but to change from the uniform to regular clothes somewhere, but some students at Seirei Gakuen, whom many come from wealthy families, felt reluctant to change in a public restroom. So this shop has a changing room open to those students. (TN: hey, if there’s a demand there’s a profit motive)

For a clothing store that caters to young people, wealthy students who pay extravagantly are a highly sought-after customer. If they can get Seirei Gakuen students to come to them by simply renting out dressing rooms, they would rent out as many dressing rooms as they

they want.

(Although, I think this is a bit of an exaggeration…)

At the back of the store, Masachika smiled wryly at the row of changing rooms, which seemed to number more than twenty. He wondered what kind of visitors that the shop was expecting. No, Masachika thought that they wouldn’t want to miss a student of Seirei Gakuen even if they had to go through all this.

“In that case, I’ll change my clothes here.”

“Oh, right.”

Impressed by the store manager’s business spirit, Masachika entered the changing room

which was some distance away from Alisa and immediately took off his uniform.

“Ah~ it’s really hot~”

Feeling liberated, Masachika quickly wiped off the sweat with a towel and took out his casual clothes from the small bag that was usually used to store his sports uniform and replaced it with that. Then, he put his uniform into the small bag and threw it into the large eco-bag along with his student bag. With this, the transformation was complete.

“Ah~ how cooling~”

After waiting for a while while feeling the pleasure of the short-sleeved clothes

and air conditioning, Alisa finally came out of the changing room.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting”

“O-Oh……”

When Alisa came out… she was wearing the pristine white one-piece dress that she had

tried on while shopping a while ago. Masachika wondered whether she had intended to wear that outfit. But anyway, as a man, he had to praise her appearance.

“I knew it, that outfit suits you perfectly.”

“Fufufu, really? Thank you.”

Alisa combed her hair in satisfaction at Masachika’s praise. She even went to the trouble of replacing her shoes with light blue sandals to match them with her outfit, which strangely showed that she was serious… Masachika wondered if it was just his imagination that Alisa had been so looking forward to this

“Then, how about we go now?”

“Yes, let’s go.”

Masachika and Alisa walked out, and expressed their gratitude to the store employees.

(I don’t know why… Isn’t the atmosphere very much like a date?)

Come to think of it, Masachika felt that this was the first time he had ever walked around with Alisa in casual clothes, especially in broad daylight.

(Wow~, that’s great that people turn around to look at her)

It was an amazing sight to see all the people passing by, both men and women, staring at Alisa as if their souls had been sucked out.

Yuki also made other people stare at her as she passed by, but there weren’t many who dared to look at her so blatantly.

(Well, I guess it’s only natural that she would stand out so much)

Her silver hair glistened in the summer sun and her fair skin was so dazzling that he thought that every single strand of her hair was collecting light. That factor alone was enough to attract attention, but when you add in her beautiful face and fashionable style, it’s no

surprising that she made people unable to look away from her.

“…What?”

“No… I just thought that you were getting a lot of attention.”

“It’s useless to worry about it. This is already the fate of a beautiful girl.”

Although Alisa said it nonchalantly, Masachika could not deny it because it was a fact. If you looked at the people around them, the gazes directed at her proved that fact.

“Since I’m here today, there’s no problem, but… if you’re alone, wouldn’t you be approached a lot?”

You are reading story The Neighboring Aarya-san who Sometimes Acts Affectionate and Murmuring in Russian at novel35.com

“Well, yes. I’m often approached by guys on my days off.”

“Ah, I knew it. What do you do when that happens?”

“I’ll keep nagging them in Russian until the other party gives up.”

“…. So that’s it.”

From Masachika’s point of view, Alisa’s face was slightly different from a fully Russian person.

There were some Japanese elements in places, but even so, a normal person would probably instantly recoil if someone spoke Russian with this appearance.

(No, but thank goodness… I thought she would fight back with her poisonous tongue and get violent)

“You must be thinking of something rude, right?”

“Not really? I’m just relieved that Alya wasn’t approached by a bad guy.”

As Masachika said that casually, Alisa raised one eyebrow and smiled provocatively.

“Ara~, possessive? You’re already acting like my girlfriend.”

“I’m sorry. Since I’m on a date, I wanted to act a bit like a boyfriend.”

“Hmm, I see… dating… yeah, right…”

But Masachika replied skillfully, and Alisa’s expression instantly turned as if she was surprised. After blinking her eyes, she shyly lifted her shoulders and started twirling her hair restlessly. Alisa then glanced at Masachika and muttered.

{…This is my first time}

(Yeah, right~ Is this your first time on a date~?)

A super, limitedly used attack hit Masachika! It was an ultimate technique sentence that can only be used by a girl a few times in her life.

Here’s the explanation! If the ultimate technique of feigning deafness with the phrase “Eh, what did you just say?” is a passive type of an ultimate technique, then the ultimate technique of arbitrary interpretation is the ultimate defense technique. Oh, so that’s what she meant~!

(TN: What the author is trying to explain here is that, saying sus shit like “this is my first time”, without proper explanation is an “ultimate surprise attack technique”. The reasoning here is that the term “this is my first time”, not only does not give a proper background explanation on what it is implying, but it is also a sentence which a girl can only say for a limited number of times in her life, yet alone a limited amount of things. And it takes no genius to realize that the author is implying s*x)

(HAHAHA, how could a girl as beautiful as her only have her first date now?)

Masachika desperately said that to himself to calm his

mind. He didn’t have the courage to take on a task that was so heavy like a “first date” with such a perfect girl. If you want to call him a coward, call him whatever you want.

(Anyways~, I really didn’t mean it when I said “date” earlier, did I? It was just a metaphor or a simile… But don’t tell me that Alya took it seriously?)

Masachika looked at Alisa with fear, but as soon as their gazes met, Alisa immediately looked away in the opposite direction. Then while still looking away, Alisa said in a voice like a mosquito buzzing.

{If so… do you want to try, hand-holding…? }

Masachika stared off into the distance as Alisa acted agitated with her cheeks that were slightly red.

(Ah, hmm~ …. She really took that seriously…)

For some reason he became amused. It felt the same as when his back was tickled and it made him shudder.

But fortunately, the restaurant he was aiming for was already in sight, so Masachika used the ultimate ignore technique to distract his attention. In other words “Let’s put that problem aside for now”. Of course, after putting it aside, he wouldn’t remember it again.

“Oh, I finally found it. That’s the restaurant.”

“…The restaurant with the meat on display?”

“Yes, yes, that restaurant”

They arrived at a restaurant specializing in meat dishes,

which was located not far from the station.

At night, the menu was quite expensive for a student’s pocket, with prices exceeding 5,000 yen (although there were some students from Seirei Gakuen

who don’t mind paying that much), but if it’s just lunchtime you can eat various meats for just over 1,000 yen.

This place is a choice made by Masachika, a newbie in the dating world, by making full use of the power of the Internet and his own feet to find the perfect date spot.

(How about this! Not a bad place, right!? I’m sure that Alya doesn’t hate meat, and the food at this place must taste good! I didn’t choose the easy options like ramen, curry, or yakiniku stalls! I’m really good, aren’t I!)

Masachika glanced at Alisa as she stood in front of the restaurant, shouting that in his heart. However, Masachika didn’t know… that Alisa was also a beginner when it came to dating, so she responded honestly.

“Oh, this place is really nice, isn’t it? I’ve been here with

my family before.”

Alisa’s innocent comment struck Masachika’s heart! Masachika, who already felt

triumphant inside, was immediately petrified in a heartbreaking position!

(Ah, well… but it’s still better that she didn’t say “I’ve been here before, but the food here isn’t very good”…)

He was on the verge of cracking, but somehow Masachika managed to calm himself down. But then, without any malicious intent at all, a Bardiche (a kind of Russian heavy weapon) fired mercilessly.

“That reminds me, the Russian meat here is really good.”

“Petrified” x “heavy weapon” = “pulverized”.

Masachika’s mental state was instantly

destroyed at this point. He no longer has any pride in his choice, instead, he was filled with an unbearable feeling. The cause was because…

“…sorry, venison does not appear on the lunch menu…”

“Ah… I see.”

While Masachika couldn’t hide his disappointment, Alisa apparently realized that she misspoke and hurriedly followed up.

“But I’m glad the other meats taste good too. Let’s go in, then?”

“…Alright”

Masachika entered the restaurant while thinking to himself “Eh? Why is it I’m the one being guided?”. After sitting at the table and ordering the lunch menu and drinks, Masachika went straight into discussing the closing ceremony as if he was wanting to change his mood.

“Umm… so about the closing ceremony…”

“Uh, yes”

“Well, I’m sure the Chairman will explain the details during the day beforehand, but I’ll give you a brief overview. If it’s still the same as before, the Chairperson will be the moderator and read out the names of each student council candidate, then they will stand at the podium and give a speech in this order…”

Masachika raised his right hand and bent his fingers one by one as he spoke.

“The chairperson candidate, the vice chairperson candidate who is their partner, then the other chairperson and the vice-chair candidate of that pair…and so on, pairs are called a pair regardless of their position. First of all, the Chair Candidate will make a speech about their enthusiasm for running for Student Council President, and then the Vice-President Candidate will talk about why he/she supports his/her partner for Student Council President.”

“I see….”

“Then, here’s the important part… Actually, this event doesn’t have a voting system, but there is something similar.”

“Eh?”

Arisa’s eyes widened in surprise, but Masachika told her with a serious expression.

“After each pair finishes their speeches, the audience will clap for the couple they want to support. Although there’s no rule that prohibits the audience from clapping for only one couple, you could say that it’s a form of unofficial voting. (TN: Reminds me of the British parliament, but instead they aren’t allowed to clap so they cheer or jeer whenever an MP/representative is speaking or debating on the floor.)

“In other words… that…”

Alisa then swallowed and asked with some trepidation.

“Is there a possibility… that a pair gets no applause at all and makes the atmosphere quiet?”

“There is, isn’t there? In fact, there seems to be a story about a pair who experienced that situation in the past and stopped coming to the student council room after the second semester.”

“Uwaaah…”

Alisa frowned at the tragic story. On the other hand, Masachika scratched his head while nodding as if he could understand her feelings.

“That’s the downside of being a student council member who has such mentally draining events like this… Especially if there’s a really strong candidate like this year this year, I think one way to challenge that candidate in the election campaign is to not be a student council member… well, even if it’s too late now it was too late in the first place, anyway.”

Masachika shook his head and returned to the main topic, perhaps realizing that there was no point in talking about it now.

“I’m sorry, the topic got sidetracked like this. So basically, we have to avoid a situation where Yuki and Ayano get a lot of applause, while we get no applause at all.”

“That’s right too… If there’s too much difference in the amount of applause, it’ll affect future debates and events.”

“That’s right~ humans are so interesting, it’s really ridiculous to see that they can’t honestly support someone they think is “good!” if the people around them don’t join in. Well, the same thing also applies to the opposite”

“Ah… I’ve heard something about that. If I’m not mistaken… we have a strong tendency to like things that the people around us do.”

“Well, that’s what I mean.”

Masachika nodded back at Alisa’s words and looked a little more serious.

“To be honest… in our current state it’s impossible to get the same amount of applause as Yuki. Even so, it’s not good if we don’t get any applause at all. If we create an atmosphere where we don’t get any support at all, it’s going to be very difficult to recover later.”

“I guess… it is that difficult, huh.”

“It’s very difficult. The number of supporters is completely different. Therefore, although it is

it’s hard to say this… Our goal is not to be too far behind with them. We don’t need to try to win. As long as we don’t lose by much, that will be enough.”

“Isn’t that too pessimistic?”

As Alisa frowned with slight dissatisfaction, Masachika shrugged his shoulders in a calm manner.

“It was a calm decision based on the difference in strength between the two sides at the moment. The closing ceremony of the first semester is still in the

the early stages of the election campaign. If we don’t make a decisive difference, we can retaliate at any time from here on”

“…alright. I understand.”

Upon hearing Masachika’s calm and forward-thinking comment, Alisa removed her dissatisfied expression and nodded. Then she tilted her head as she turned her gaze diagonally upwards,

as if she had just realized something.

“By the way, between me and Yuki-san, who is going to make a speech first?”

“Oh, that has to be discussed first. Back in middle school, we decided with rock-paper-scissors.”

“Hmm~, I guess position is irrelevant too”

Hearing Alisa’s words, Masachika flicked his right hand up and his shoulders up and down.

“After all, other than the positions of President and Vice President, there is no such thing as a hierarchy of position. There’s no such thing as, ‘you’re great for being secretary or not great for being a member of general affairs’. First of all, if I want to put it that way, back then there was no such thing as a public relations position.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Eh? Didn’t I ever tell you that?”

While blinking with a surprised expression, Masachika pointed at his face himself.

“The person who created the public relations position was actually me, you know?”

“Haaaaa!?”

“To be more precise, it’s a position I created in order to gain popularity for Yuki during middle school… You know that she borrowed the school broadcast during the lunch break every week to report on student council activities, right?”

“Uh, yes… if I’m not mistaken she did do that.”

“That activity, I was the initiator”

“Really!?”

The activity report Masachika was referring to was something like a radio broadcast

that Yuki did once a week during her lunch break.

The talk would cover the activities that the student council had done over the past two

the past two weeks and the opinions of the students that had been sent to the complaint box (or

(or commonly called the suggestion box).

And the activity was welcomed by the students. One of the secrets of Yuki’s popularity is her ability to speak very well, but another secret is that Yuki, who usually kept Ojou-sama’s perfect and graceful demeanor, sometimes spoke out of turn only during these broadcasts.

In fact, there were even stories that the broadcasting club members laughed bitterly at Yuki’s activities because it attracted much more student attention than their usual afternoon broadcasts.

“Originally, Yuki was also a member of the general affairs section just like me.

So, in order to increase Yuki’s name and popularity, I planned that broadcast

and let Yuki do it. It then became a regular event, and then someone said “In that case, how about we make a position for that instead of general affairs?”, so other tasks like writing publicity papers were also incorporated into it, and that’s how the public relations position was created.”

“In other words, the activities that Yuki-san did were officially recognized as a part of the student council’s work in the form of public relations activities, yes.”

“Well, more or less so. Although… I have no right to say this, but that activity is very unfair. Even the student council president can only appear when there are certain events, but Yuki can have conversations as part of the student council every week, you know? It’s only natural that there’s a difference in popularity between her and the other presidential candidates.”

After saying that with a wry smile, Masachika’s expression changed and he continued.

“Well, there’s no point in discussing that now. Back to the topic of discussion… regarding the content of the speech, as I’ve already said, you can say whatever you want. Don’t worry, I will later help fill in the missing parts.”

“Alright, I understand… I’ll help you later.”

“Yes. Then… that’s right. If you’re aiming for a tie, you have to be the first person to give a speech. For the person who goes first, the applause is still unknown because it will be compared with the other party. Because of this standard, we can make a good result even if the other party can make a difference.”

“Hmph…”

Masachika smiled wryly at Alisa, who looked unhappy.

“Don’t put on such a sullen face… Well, although there are other ways, even then if you want to do it…”

“For example?”

“Eh~?… for example, getting Yuki and Ayano mentally shaken? But playing by those rules is not in accordance with your principles, right?”

“Indeed…”

Masachika shrugged his shoulders as she said, “I knew it~,” to Alisa who frowned when she heard such a choice.

“Well, it’s a different story if the other party does it… They also wouldn’t have gone that far. After all, it’s not a debate.”

“…On the other hand, if it were a debate event, would you do it?”

“Yes, if it’s necessary.”

Masachika answered Alisa’s question straightforwardly. He then looked at Alisa as if asking for her determination.

“Do you hate it that way?”

“…No. I know it’s hard for me, but that kind of tactic is a a necessary skill for student council members. …. I don’t really hate it, really.”

“In that case, thank goodness.”

After nodding, Masachika quirked the corner of his mouth.

“Well, don’t worry, I won’t use that kind of sneaky method. After all, the opponent isn’t Miyamae.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ah it’s nothing, look… the food is here.”

Masachika was distracted when the food they ordered was placed on the table. As expected… he didn’t have the heart to tell Alisa about some people who were almost brainwashed by Nonoa in the past. In order to avoid Alisa’s suspicious gaze, Masachika picked up his drink and lifted it lightly.

“Then, in honor of my birthday? Cheers~”

“…Cheers!”

They clinked glasses with mixed expressions on their faces, sipped the drinks, and immediately tasted the food they ordered.

The plate that was served contained stir-fried vegetables and two pieces of meat, which it seemed like they could taste with three different types of salt.

For now, Masachika tried to eat the beef (he forgot the brand name and the part) with a red salt called wine salt.

“Hmm, this is good, huh”

“Yes, it is.”

The food tasted better than she expected, so Masachika immediately forgot about the discussion for a moment and enjoyed the food to the fullest.

(This salt is good… where do you think I can buy it?)

While Masachika was thinking about this strange type of salt that he had never tried before, Alisa asked in a small voice.

“The rumors about Miyamae-san… was it you?”

“Hmm?”

For a moment, he was confused by what Alisa was talking about… but he soon realized it. Masachika then shrugged his shoulders while frowning slightly.

“Oh… you mean that rumor? No, that rumor was the result of Miyamae’s thinking herself and was intentionally spread. I also met with her to discuss things, … but I was never told that she was going to use that method.”

“I see…”

The rumor that Nonoa deliberately spread throughout the school, had become a topic of

of conversation during the exam period, and was currently divided into two opinions

regarding the debate: “Sayaka Nonoa’s partner lost because of cheating,” and “No, we’ll never know what would have happened if they had continued the debate.”

“Well, but as a result, the gossip that tried to bring Taniyama down has died down. …

and at the same time, the outcome of the debate has become vague, as was expected.”

“…”

Alisa didn’t respond to Masachika’s words at all and just stared blankly at her plate. It looked like she was worried about something else… and then Masachika instantly realized that “something”.

Now at school, there were some who were criticizing Nonoa’s tactics of having staged provocateurs during debate events. The fact that, she herself revealed it, and coupled with Nonoa’s usual character, most students just commented “What the heck are you doing~?” with a disappointed tone… But the fact that there were some students who scoffed at her and had a point.

“Ah~… just so you know, you don’t have to worry about Miyamae, okay? Seriously. It’s because of her own doing, and she has a steel mentality who doesn’t care at all about what other people say about her.”

Masachika told Alisa who looked worried. Then, after thinking a bit, he slowly said,

“…Sorry. I probably could have thought of a better way.”

“Uh…”

“It was because I left everything to Miyamae that the situation ended up like this. If only I could have guessed what she was planning, and thought about it together, maybe–“

“No need, I’m already fine.”

Alisa interrupted Masachika’s speech with a shake of her head.

“In the end, I didn’t do anything and couldn’t do anything. I have no right to say anything about the outcome.”

When he said that in a slightly lonely tone, Alisa laughed with a gentle expression.

“Therefore… Thank you very much, Kuze-kun. You were already willing to do it for me.”

Her thin smile that was so fragile made Masachika feel uncomfortable.

“Ah… no need to worry.”

And barely speaking again, he looked away from her and went back to eating his food. Seeing the agitated Masachika like that, Alisa began to grinning.

“Ara, what, are you feeling embarrassed?”

“…Chatty”

However, she was too blushing in reply to her teasing. Alisa’s smile grew wide when she saw Masachika answer like an elementary school kid.

“How cute~.”

Oi, she finally started saying it in Japanese.

Alisa squinted like a cat who found a new toy with a grinning smile. She then picked up a piece of meat with chopsticks, rubbed it with seasoning salt and served it to Masachika.

“In that case, this is a token of gratitude. Aa~n”

Unexpectedly, the event ‘Aa~n’ appeared again. Unlike the family restaurant, this restaurant did not have a divider between the tables, so Masachika could

clearly see the gazes directed at them coming from all over the place. places. But Alisa seemed to ignore it completely and was still sticking out her chopsticks.

(Uwaahh~ this girl is really getting carried away… When she thinks the other party is blushing, she will attack at every opportunity… Did you forget that last time, you couldn’t use a spoon because of that?)

Masachika’s gaze narrowed as she recalled the last time Alisa tried to use the spoon he used but couldn’t do it. Then, he decided to make a little counterattack to the partner who got too carried away with the atmosphere, and ate the meat that was served. Masachika devoured the meat that was thrust into his mouth with chopsticks without hesitation. Then, while looking straight at Alisa as if he was

glaring at her, he chewed it, and swallowed it while letting out a provocative laugh.

“Thanks, it tastes good.”

“I see.”

However, Alisa also replied with a casual smile… and continued to eat normally with those chopsticks.

(What! She didn’t blush at all…!?)

Although her cheeks looked a little flushed, but her relaxed smile was still visible

clearly. Instead, it was Masachika himself who felt uneasy when he saw the chopsticks touched by his lips were brought into Alisa’s mouth.

(En-I don’t know why, this isn’t not good. I don’t know why, but I feel like being dragged into an amazing situation)

Masachika tried to stare at the plate to calm himself down, but there was hardly any food left. He finished it in just a few mouthfuls, and when he looked in front of her, Alisa had also just finished eating.

“Thank you for the meal”

“…Thank you for the meal”

“Then it’s gift time.”

“Eh?”

As Alisa smiled, she took out a wrapped box from her bag, Masachika remembered that this was his birthday present.

“Here, please accept.”

“Oh, seriously? You even went through the trouble to prepare a birthday present all… Thank you very much.”

When Masachika received the gift and opened it as Alisa had requested, the contents of the box were a white ceramic mug. The mug had a graceful round design with a blue plant pattern on the side.

“Oh… apparently, this mug has a very fashionable design, huh…”

“Fufu, it does, does it not~?”

Masachika was frankly impressed by the design, the smooth texture, and the luxurious feel of the mug. He did not just praise, but he also liked the mug.

“Thank you, I will use it well.”

“Yes, please do that.”

Masachika thanked her honestly, and Alisa nodded back humbly. While putting the mug back into its box, Masachika suddenly had a thought.

(Unexpectedly, daily necessities, huh… I always thought that this kind of thing usually gives disposable gifts or the like…)

Of all the choices, the gift is actually tableware… No, maybe it’s customary in Russia to give cutlery on birthdays. ……? As Masachika glanced at her questioningly, Alisa tilted her head.

“What?”

“It’s nothing… I was just thinking that this kind of tableware gift is usually something that lovers buy.”

Masachika asked this question with the intention of making a light counterattack, but Alisa didn’t seem bothered and was still smiling.

“Ara… you can see exactly what I mean. Of course I bought that mug a pair. I’m already using mine at home.”

“Really!?”

“…Or if I say so, what will you do?”

Alisa asked while grinning at him. Masachika, who was too nervous, was unable to reply and just turned his face away. For some reason, he felt

that today he couldn’t win against her at all.

“By the way, Kuze-kun”

“…What?”

When Masachika turned to her again, Alisa was still smiling as she said.

“In Russia, birthday parties are organized by the host. … therefore, can I expect a treat here?”

“O-Of course, don’t worry?”

From the start, Masachika had planned to do that, but her response was a little strange because she was too nervous.

(There shouldn’t be a problem… even if you add drinks, the amount should be

around 2,500 yen per person. Yup, everything is fine)

He quickly calculated in his head and tried to nod to Alisa … faster than her, the smiling Alisa took the receipt.

“Just kidding. Let me treat you here.”

“Ah, no… you don’t have to go that far, you know?”

“Don’t be shy. But in exchange, you’ll treat me next time, okay?”

After saying that, Alisa stood up with her purse and swiftly quickly headed for the cashier’s desk. And by the time Masachika hurriedly put away the gift and

chasing after her, she had already paid.

“Thank you very much~ please stop by again~”

The two of them left the restaurant after finishing

payment. He was really forced to match Alisa’s tempo.

(It’s no use. I can’t beat Alya today)

The tempo was completely under control, and Masachika looked up at the sky with a resigned look. Then, Alisa approached him with some concern about Masachika who was like that.

“…Are you, like, really worried about that payment?”

“Eh? …Ah, I see.”

“Hmm…”

Then Alisa turned around and smiled. The smile that adorned her face so beautifully that it naturally made the people who saw it smile too. However, Masachika felt a sense of foreboding run down his back.

“By the way, when celebrating a birthday, you definitely need a cake, right? right?”

“Eh? Well… maybe it does?”

Alisa’s smile widened even more as Masachika nodded, and she looked at the area around her surroundings. Seeing her smile, Alisa’s previous words came back to Masachika’s mind. Don’t be shy. But in return, you’ll treat me next time, okay? next time, okay?

Masachika’s bad premonition grew more and more intense… and turned

into reality.

“Kuze-kun, I heard there’s a really good cake shop nearby.”

She set me up…! Masachika gritted his teeth inwardly as he realized that he’d been completely tricked. However, he was a man, so wouldn’t back down now. So, Masachika at least wanted to be manly and put on a beautiful smile.

“In that case, how about we go there? This time, I’ll be the one to treat you.”

“Really? I’m really looking forward to it.”

Then, the two of them headed for the cake shop while smiling due to the different emotions.

…By the way, Alisa ate five pieces of cake by herself. Including the price of the drinks, the total cost to Masachika was more than 3,000 yen.

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