Chapter 64

Ah, it seems my luck for class changes has completely hit rock bottom...

In my final year of the middle school, I ended up in the same class as His Majesty the Emperor.

Narika, who ended up in the same class as Tezuka along with me, was overjoyed.

"We finally made it! Just think about how bad our luck has been until now!"

Just think about how good our luck has been until now.

"I'm looking forward to this year! What about you, Reika?"

Reflecting on it, I feel like things have been going downhill ever since that ominous fortune. Maybe I should go to a shrine for a purification ritual. Which one is famous for warding off bad luck, I wonder?

Led by the overjoyed Narika, we were on our way to the new classroom when we encountered Enjo surrounded by girls.

"Kishuuin-san, good, I had something to talk to you about. Could you come here for a moment?"

"Huh?"

At Enjo's words, the girls around him started to panic and make a fuss. "What kind of talk?!" "Could it be a confession?!" "Then a love triangle?!"

Stop it! Don't imagine such weird things! There's no way this sly guy would do something as cute as a confession!

"Let's go somewhere else, okay?"

Enjo's smiling face exerts a pressure that's hard to resist. My little bird heart can't handle it!

I'm screaming inside, "I have a bad feeling about this and absolutely don't want to go!" but my outward appearance remains calm and composed.

Narika sent me off to my doom with sparkling eyes.

I was led to the edge of the stairs.

Suspicious. Too suspicious. This plastered smile doesn't seem trustworthy.

"Actually, I have a favor to ask, Kishuuin-san."

"A favor?"

"Yeah. You're in the same class as Masaya now, right? Could you be the class representative?"

"What?!"

Class representative?! Why me?! And why is Enjo asking this?!

"You know how Masaya's class always gets chaotic with the girls, right? This year is the last year of middle school, and there's also a school trip, so it's going to be especially difficult. I think a regular girl wouldn't be able to handle it. That's why I thought of you, Kishuuin-san."

"Um... why go to such lengths?"

I can't imagine this guy is so devoted to the school that he would worry about other classes. If he were, he would have volunteered to be the class representative last year, wouldn't he?

"Actually, I was asked. By the person who will be the class representative with you this time. He looked at the class list and thought he couldn't handle it alone, so he asked if you could be the vice-representative. The homeroom teacher seems to have the same idea. But you turned it down last year, so he asked me to persuade you."

No way! Absolutely not!

Just thinking about the gaunt face of last year's class president, I know I can't take it! If I get too tired, I might start writing strange poems, and end up like my past self!

After watching a certain movie, I was heavily influenced and wrote poems about sighs and eternity, in the style of Rambo and Verlaine! I remember frantically throwing them away the next day when I came to my senses, but did I really get rid of those notes? I hope I didn't just leave them in a drawer out of laziness!

Oh no! If my family ever read those crazy notes, I'd die of embarrassment!

"Kishuuin-san? Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine."

The past is the past. Let it go. I'm sure I got rid of them properly.

Oh no! But I wrote poems in other people's autograph books! Scary! Things that leave evidence are scary!

"Kishuuin-san?"

"I'm fine."

Forget it, me! Everyone has a few skeletons in their closet!

Writing poems is a phase everyone goes through.

"So, about the class representative. I'm sorry, but I think I'm not up to the task. Could you ask someone else?"

I don't want to deal with troublesome things.

"I see. Well, I guess there's no helping it."

Enjo showed a dark smile.

"Kishuuin-san, don't you owe me something?"

Huh? Owe? What do you mean, owe...?

Oh!

"Ririna..."

"Right. You remember? Can you pay back that debt now?"

It's been over a year, and you bring it up now?! I thought it had long expired!

As my mother from my previous life said, you should never owe anyone anything. Look at the outrageous interest they're charging and coming to collect!

Shortly after, I was called by the new homeroom teacher.

Next to me was a boy who looked like a monk. This must be the culprit Enjo asked to do the persuading.

What did you do, little monk!

"Thanks, Kishuuin-san, for agreeing to help. You could even be the class president if you want."

"No, just the vice."

I firmly declined that part.

"I'm Boushida. Nice to meet you."

Huh, the monk's name is Boushida?

His name is too on the nose.

"Likewise, nice to meet you."

Though I'm very reluctant, since I've agreed, there's no choice. I'll have to work with you, Boushida, for the next year.

"Is Boushida-kun close to Enjo-sama? To be able to ask me to persuade someone..."

On our way back to the classroom, I asked about something that had been bothering me. I can't imagine Enjo and the monk being that close.

"Not really. We were in the same class before. He helped me a lot then. Enjo-kun is amazing!"

The monk seems to be an Enjo fan. He admires him.

To me, he just looks like a shady debt collector.

"This time, the teacher asked me to be the class representative, but I thought there was no way I could handle being the class representative for Tezuka-kun's class. Then, when I was in the staff room, Enjo-kun suggested that if I couldn't do it, maybe Kishuuin-san could be the vice-representative and handle the girls. He said he would come and ask you. How kind, Enjo-kun is. He's full of consideration."

Enjo brought it up first! What's this? This is completely different from what he told me earlier!

That sly guy! What's he up to!

The monk, oblivious to my thoughts, was praising Enjo. It seems he doesn't have a good eye for people.

When we entered the classroom, it was even more chaotic than when Enjo was there last year.

Oh... Am I really going to be the vice-representative in this class for a whole year?

Everyone seems to have conveniently forgotten, but I'm still a Pivoine.

Ah! There's Narika, already in the center of the group, taking the best spot!

"Kishuuin-san, please."

Boushida, I can't do it...

I felt a strange sensation in my stomach, which was supposed to be better.

Narika and the others, who had spotted me, came running over with excited faces.

"Reika-sama, what did Enjo-sama talk to you about? Was it a confession? Oh, how romantic!"

My stomach started to hurt.

What kind of food is good for the stomach, again...?