Chapter 83

One day in June, I was summoned to the student council room by Senpai Tomoe after school, through the intervention of Miss Kaichou. There was a mysterious air about it...

I cautiously opened the door to the student council room, and there, in addition to Senpai Tomoe, was Senpai Tomoate.

"Kashiiin, I'm sorry to trouble you. Could you sit over here?"

Senpai Tomoe guided me to the sofa in the reception set. The seat was next to Senpai Tomoate. He glanced at me briefly and quickly turned away. When I sat down, Senpai Tomoe took the seat opposite and looked at us in turn.

"Actually, I called you two here because I want you to be part of the student council for the next term."

"Huh?"

"What?!"

The student council for the next term?!

In the middle school, the term of the student council lasted until the end of the second semester, but in the high school, it was until the end of the first semester. Right after the summer break, an election would be held to choose the president and vice president. The other officers would be nominated by the elected president and vice president. However, I heard that promising students were approached beforehand. It seems we were caught in that net.

"Arima was the student council president in middle school, so it's only natural that you would be chosen. Of course, you'll do it, right?"

"Um, well, I don't have a problem with that..."

He said this while looking at me with a puzzled expression. Yeah, I understand how you feel. You're probably thinking, "Why me, a Pivoine?" I feel the same way.

"Kashiiin may be a Pivoine, but you've been a class representative many times since elementary school. I know very well how hard you work, regardless of the situation. Besides, you are one of the Pivoines who is friendly towards the student council, if not a supporter. That's why I really want you to be an officer for the next term."

Wow, it's very flattering to be trusted by Senpai Tomoe, but I'm too scared to do something that would betray the Pivoine. If I did, it would be my downfall.

"I'm sorry, Senpai Tomoe. I can't do that. I am, after all, a member of the Pivoine."

"Even if you do both at the same time?"

"It would make me look like a double agent..."

Scary. I know this because I'm on the inside. If you anger the Pivoine, it's really scary. You might even be forced to drop out. Well, it's the student council's job to help you, but the Pivoine and the student council are like opposites. If I did both, it would be a contradiction.

"Hmm, I see. So it's a no-go, huh?"

Senpai Tomoe stretched.

"I knew it might be a long shot, but I thought there was a slim chance that you might accept, Kashiiin. But I guess it can't be helped. The divide between the Pivoine and the student council is even wider than in middle school."

Yes. It's not just a divide; it's a deep, deep trench like the Mariana Trench.

"Then, for the next term, it will just be Arima. But Kashiiin, as a class representative, please help with the student council's work."

"Sure. I'll do what I can."

The Senpai Tomoate next to me was looking at me with a suspicious eye. What's with that look? We had some interactions in middle school when I was a class representative and he was the student council president. Ah, but I was the one who collected the class printouts and submitted them to the student council, and it was usually the bald guy who delivered them.

Could he think I pushed all the class representative work onto the bald guy?! How rude! I worked really hard!

What's with you, a fellow Pivoine? Looking at me with such a suspicious eye. You're the deputy mayor of my lonely village!

"What?"

"Nothing, just..."

Senpai Tomoe chuckled at the unfriendly atmosphere between us.

"Arima, Kashiiin is reliable when it counts. Don't look at her with prejudice just because she's a Pivoine. Keep an open mind."

"...But her nickname..."

Nickname?!

My highly sensitive ears caught Senpai Tomoate's small murmur.

"Mizusaki, what's my nickname?"

"Nothing... it's nothing."

It can't be nothing! Did I get a weird nickname without knowing?!

Could that be why guys don't approach me?!

"Mizusaki!"

"I don't know anything about it!"

"Lies. People look up to the right when they lie. You just looked up to the right."

"How do you know that?!"

I learned it from my brother, what's wrong with that?

"Anyway, I don't know much about it! It's something like Macky!"

Macky? Could it be because of my curly hair?!

Hmm, it's a bit awkward, but it's better than a perm. Doesn't Macky sound kind of cute? Guys, you can call me Macky!

Senpai Tomoate was covering his eyes with his hand. Is it that scary to have your lies exposed? At that point, it's clear you have something to hide. Do you have other weird nicknames?

"Alright, both of you. Arima and Kashiiin are two of the freshmen I trust the most. I want you to support the student council even after I step down as president and graduate."

Senpai Tomoe intervened, and the conversation ended there. I'll have to pursue it later.

More importantly, Senpai Tomoe is graduating... It's really sad that he'll be gone after just one year, even though we've been able to get along well in the same building.

"Huh? Kashiiin, is something wrong?"

"No..."

Oh, how sad.

Senpai Tomoe is a very balanced person. Because he's the president, the Pivoine and the student council are getting along well now.

Most student council presidents wouldn't invite a Pivoine to join. What will happen after Senpai Tomoe is gone? I don't want things to get tense.

"Alright, that's it. Arima, stay for the next term's planning. Kashiiin, you can go now. Thanks today."

"Sure. Goodbye, Senpai Tomoe, Mizusaki."

"Be careful on your way home. Good work."

"...Good work."

I left without stopping by the salon and headed to the parking lot where my ride was waiting.

I feel a bit down. Alright! I'll eat some snacks today for the first time in a while! I'll open the Lucky Turn I've hidden in my closet.

The next day, I caught Saho-kun and asked him about the nickname I had been given.

"Kashiiin's nickname?"

"Yes. Yesterday, Mizusaki said I had a nickname, and it was Macky. Are there any others?"

"Macky? Ah, curly hair. No, not really. There's no nickname now."

"Now? So there was one before? What was it?"

"Um... Goddess... or something?"

"Goddess?"

"No, I don't know much about it! But no one calls you by a nickname now! It was in middle school! I'll make sure to follow up!"

Goddess... If it's a goddess, it could be Aphrodite, but that nickname is already taken by a boy who played the violin with his hair flying during a field trip. His hair was a bit Afro-like, so he's called Aphrodite, which is now shortened to Dite.

Other goddesses could be Venus or Athena? The famous ones are the goddess of beauty and love or the goddess of war. But there are many Greek goddesses. Well, it's fine.

"I'll take that for now."

Saho-kun looked relieved and returned to his group of friends.

...Goddess. What if it's Venus? That would be a problem.