Chapter 54

I was asked by the teacher to collect the notes used in class and bring them after school.

When the class representative and I brought the collected notes to the staff room, the teacher was just preparing documents to hand over to the student council.

I volunteered to deliver them, taking advantage of the opportunity.

The class representative looked at me with a warm gaze again. How annoying.

When I went to the student council room, Romeo-senpai was eating high-end shortbread from Ginza.

After handing over the documents entrusted by the teacher, I received a dazzling smile in return. Ugh, I feel like I’m being pierced by his eyes!

"Kisaragi-san, you’re such a hard worker. Are you going to join the student council next year? I could recommend you, you know?"

"No, I couldn’t possibly handle it!"

What’s the point of a student council without Romeo-senpai? I work so hard because I have a different purpose.

"I don’t think so, but you’re Pivoine, after all. It might be difficult to join the student council. I thought it would be great if Pivoine’s Kisaragi-san could be a bridge between the student council and Pivoine."

"That’s... But if there’s anything I can do, I’ll do my best to help."

"Really? Then if anything comes up, I’ll count on you, okay?"

"Yes!"

With the beautiful smile of my senpai, I left the student council room.

As always, senpai is so cool.

However...

...high-end shortbread from Ginza.

I headed straight to Pivoine’s salon.

In the salon, a few members were elegantly drinking tea and chatting.

An upperclassman from the high school division was playing Chopin.

I saw the large plate of pastries on the table.

Financiers, dacquoise, nougat, galettes, shortbread...

High-end shortbread from Ginza.

No mistake.

There’s someone in Pivoine, other than me, who’s supplying senpai with pastries.

When I heard senpai’s line during our first meeting, I thought, “Huh?”

"I thought about taking some from Pivoine." How? The salon is basically off-limits to non-members. If someone broke in and stole them, it would be a serious crime. Moreover, the culprit would be Pivoine, which would cause a big problem.

But I’ve never heard of anyone breaking in. Of course, I’ve never heard of senpai entering this room with permission either.

Yet senpai sometimes eats pastries. At Ruiran, bringing in pastries is generally prohibited. They are only tacitly allowed during events like Valentine’s Day.

The only place where pastries can be eaten is Pivoine’s salon. The student council, which should set an example for regular students, is not allowed.

So, someone among the members must be bringing them.

Who is it?

I resumed my spy activities.

From the next day, I kept watch on Pivoine’s salon and checked who was taking pastries home.

Normally, no one takes pastries home.

Even I, worried about others’ gazes, could only manage to procure a few for senpai.

Then, I saw one senpai secretly getting a few pastries from the concierge.

When senpai left the salon, I followed.

It was definitely Shinkusa Kaoru-senpai from the third year of the middle school division.

Kaoru-senpai doesn’t have the same glamour as the mainstream Pivoine members like Yurie-senpai, but she is a gentle and calm person.

Kaoru-senpai went to a small flower bed behind the school building.

As Kaoru-senpai looked around, as if searching for someone, a voice called out, "Kaoru."

It was Romeo-senpai.

Kaoru-senpai ran over happily. Then, the two sat by the flower bed and started chatting happily.

Although their voices were too low to hear the content, I could see Kaoru-senpai’s happy smile as she watched Romeo-senpai eat the pastries and Romeo-senpai patting Kaoru-senpai’s head. I got the picture.

I left the scene.

After a while, Kaoru-senpai came out from behind the school building. Since she seemed to be heading home, I called out to her just before the parking lot.

"Kaoru-senpai"

"Kyaa!"

Kaoru-senpai let out a cute scream.

"What, Reika-sama? What’s the matter?"

"Senpai, I’ll be straightforward. Are you dating the student council president?"

Kaoru-senpai’s face stiffened.

"Why?"

"Because I just happened to see the two of you together. Also, the student council president sometimes eats Pivoine’s pastries. I thought there must be someone close to him in Pivoine."

"..."

After that, what I heard from Kaoru-senpai was:

They gradually became close when they were in the same class in their second year. Romeo-senpai confessed to her when they were in different classes in their third year.

Since Romeo-senpai is the student council president, they have to keep their relationship a secret from everyone.

Kaoru-senpai sometimes brings Pivoine’s pastries for the ever-hungry Romeo-senpai. To avoid being found out, Romeo-senpai pretends to have "taken" them, etc.

"Is there really a need to hide it so much?"

"Because Pivoine and the student council have been at odds for generations. Especially the current Pivoine president, Okishima-senpai, hates the student council. Chizuru says there’s no need to hide it and that we should be open, but I’m scared. I don’t want to be looked at with disapproval in Pivoine."

Ah, she casually called her "Chizuru."

"Kaoru" and "Chizuru." Hmm, interesting.

"Please, Reika-sama, don’t tell anyone."

"I won’t. I don’t think I can do much, but I bless your relationship."

"Really?! Thank you! Chizuru said that Reika-sama could be a bridge between Pivoine and the student council. I think so too!"

"That’s flattering. I have no intention of joining the student council."

Romeo-senpai’s invitation was heavily influenced by personal feelings.

At this rate, even if I advance to the high school division, I won’t be able to make it public.

But if he keeps eating Pivoine’s pastries so openly, I think it will eventually be found out.

Maybe that’s part of Romeo-senpai’s plan?

"Reika-sama is strong. Even though you’re younger, I admire you a little? You know, I wanted to become closer to Reika-sama. Is that okay?"

"Of course, I’m honored."

Kaoru-senpai smiled happily. She’s so helpless and cute; maybe that’s what Romeo-senpai likes. She’s the complete opposite of me.

After that, I started calling Kaoru-senpai by her first name and even agreed to give her relationship advice from time to time.

I got into the car to go home and flopped onto my bed.

Romeo was Friend-senpai, but Juliet was Kaoru-senpai.

I was just an extra, or at best, Juliet’s nurse.

...I wanted to be swept up in a romantic love too. Everyone seems to be enjoying their love lives, but I just spend my days in a daze. It’s so boring.

Come on, couldn’t you have let me dream a little more?

I shouldn’t have followed and confirmed. I learned an unnecessary reality.

Oh no! What if I end up with a lifelong unrequited love?

I can’t even imagine a future where I’m in a mutual love with someone.

Because it’s bad luck!

I’m probably destined to have an unattractive life in both this life and my past life.

Oh no! I don’t want a life as a stand-in! Oh no!

Oh no!...

On the next day off, my brother took me to an animal park in Hokkaido. I’ve always wanted to go, so I was super excited!

Polar bears! Seals! Penguins!

"Brother, can you take me again?"

"Sure. I wonder when, though."

?? Does he mean he’s busy?

But he promised to take me again, so I’m okay with that.