Chapter 7: Don’t Decide for Me
This is the dream of a certain boy.
It’s the love story of a clumsy boy.
When the boy was six years old, he met a girl at a social gathering.
“Hi, n-nice to meet you. I’m Shirayuri Koyuki, five years old.”
“Uh—! Nice to meet you. I’m Takumi Houjou, six years old.”
The moment they exchanged greetings for the first time, Takumi fell in love.
Her greeting was awkward, unlike the polished Koyuki of today.
For a five-year-old, it was quite good, but for someone destined to lead, it was immature and risky.
Someone had to watch over her.
That’s why Takumi felt the urge to protect her.
Since then, whenever they met at social gatherings and parties, Takumi stayed by Koyuki’s side, offering advice.
“Just bow politely to those below you, idiot.”
“I told you to remember the names of the key people in our group! You fool!”
“Y-yes, I understand.”
However, Takumi was stubborn.
He couldn’t speak kindly no matter what, and though Koyuki listened to his advice with kindness, she found it annoying.
Years passed, and thanks to Takumi’s advice,
Koyuki became a fine lady, someone who could stand with pride anywhere.
She was so beautiful that everyone was captivated by her.
But from that time on,
“…Good day, Takumi-sama.”
“Your smile is awkward. Try again.”
her face became clouded.
Takumi later learned from his parents that Koyuki had never gotten along well with her parents.
They were strict and didn’t know how to treat her kindly, often being cold or avoiding her.
As a result, Koyuki stopped expecting love from her parents and sought it elsewhere.
But as the only daughter of the group leader, Koyuki was always treated specially. People respected her but didn’t show her affection, leaving her in despair.
Around that time,
“Can you help our daughter?”
Takumi received a request from Koyuki’s parents.
They hoped Takumi, being in a similar position, could be the person Koyuki needed.
But unfortunately,
Takumi was still a shy boy who couldn’t be honest with Koyuki.
He couldn’t give her the straightforward love she sought and the result is a failure.
As usual, all he could do was continued to point out her flaws.
Koyuki’s parents were disappointed but asked Takumi to keep trying, hoping he would eventually open up.
Three years later, a turning point came.
Someone appeared who treated Koyuki as a normal girl and showed her affection.
His name was Haruki Nishizono,
a new student who had just entered high school. He quickly opened the door to Koyuki’s heart, a door Takumi couldn’t unlock for years.
──This is ridiculous.
Takumi was frustrated
and consumed with jealousy.
The person he had longed for was taken by a newcomer.
He couldn’t stand it.
He had to do something.
“Takumi-kun, how about getting engaged to Koyuki?”
“What?”
Just when Takumi was thinking this, Koyuki’s parents proposed the idea of engagement,
Takumi thought that Koyuki might look at him differently hoping it might change her view.
Takumi felt lucky.
He thought about accepting immediately but then remembered Koyuki’s happy face and calmed down.
Could he really take away her happiness?
He wondered.
No, he couldn’t.
Haruki would make her happier than he ever could.
“I’m sorry. I can’t get engaged to Koyuki.”
So, Takumi declined the engagement.
“Why!? You cared so much for Koyuki!”
“Yes, don’t lie, Takumi.”
Naturally, their parents pressed him for answers.
They knew how much Takumi liked Koyuki, as they had regularly teased him about it.
It should be natural.
But Takumi stubbornly denied it,
claiming they didn’t get along.
The parents wouldn’t accept this,
leading Takumi to start acting harshly towards Koyuki to convince them otherwise.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
The next day during lunch break.
Under a cloudy sky that threatened rain, Saito left the classroom and went to the secret garden.
“Hey.”
“Oh, it’s you.”
As soon as he entered, he encountered Takumi watering the plants.
They exchanged brief greetings and stood side by side.
“…”
The air between them was awkward because of the previous day’s events.
But Saito does not like this kind of atmosphere.
Saito hated such uncomfortable silences.
Unable to bear it, he directly asked,
“What is Shirayuri-senpai to you, Student Council President?”
He said.
“…So, you found out.”
“Yes. With some help from friends.”
Hearing that, Takumi’s hand, which had been watering the plants, stopped abruptly.
Glancing at his profile, an expression of detached observation was visible. Takumi set down the watering can he had been holding onto the ground.
It seemed he was ready to talk this time.
“Before I answer, let me ask you, what is a childhood friend to you?”
Saito felt like his momentum was halted but decided to share his thoughts.
“A person who makes me feel at ease. Because we’ve been together for a long time, I know what they like and dislike. Even if I mess up, they’re still an irreplaceable and important person.”
Saito felt as if he had lost his start, but he told Takumi what he thought of his childhood friend
Takumi looked envious, saying, “That’s a very you answer.”
“Is it?”
Saito felt he was just saying normal things, and couldn’t understand why Takumi was making such a face.
“Ah, that’s truly typical of you, Minazuki. Childhood friends in the real world are much more superficial than you think. They might have been close in the past, but now they rarely hang out or even talk. Most are treated as mere acquaintances. Some even have fights or falling-outs and become completely estranged. It’s extremely rare for childhood friends to be as close as you and Machigane-san. Surely, it’s your influence that keeps your relationship strong even now.”
According to Takumi, Saito’s image of childhood friends wasn’t normal.
Typically, childhood friend relationships were more detached and less friendly.
He was told that the good relationship was thanks to Saito, but Saito couldn’t quite feel it.
After all, from Saito’s perspective, he was just interacting normally.
“I see. So, what does a childhood friend mean to you, President?”
Still feeling unsatisfied, Saito asked Takumi again.
“Just an old acquaintance. Not a special person. To me, a childhood friend is just another term for an acquaintance.”
Takumi’s answer was the same as before.
He claimed that his relationship with Koyuki was distant and cold.
But Saito thought it was a lie.
The look on Takumi’s face when he said this was dark.
“Because they’re just an acquaintance, it doesn’t matter if they hate you?”
“Yes, it wouldn’t be a problem if we cut ties.”
“Even with the engagement talks?”
“What!? Where did you hear that? Answer me!”
Saito wanted to know Takumi’s true feelings.
He pressed him with questions, causing Takumi to grab Saito’s collar with a fierce expression.
“Whoa! A friend from our class said they heard a rumor like that!”
“I don’t know anything about this rumor. Is this my father’s scheme? Don’t mess with me. Hey, call that friend right now. Find out who started this rumor.”
“Please calm down, Student Council President. What’s gotten into you?”
“I can’t calm down! Damn it, I told them not to do anything unnecessary. Are they trying to make all my efforts go to waste?”
Saito was bewildered by Takumi’s sudden change.
He managed to pry his hand away and tried to calm him down, but it was ineffective.
Takumi muttered irritably under his breath.
Seeing that talking wouldn’t work, Saito resorted to chopping Takumi on the head.
“Ow! What are you doing!?”
“You weren’t calming down or listening to me. Sorry for that.”
“Minazuki, you… No, I’m sorry. I got a bit too heated. I showed you an unsightly side of me.”
Naturally, Takumi was angry, but as expected of the wise Student Council President,
he quickly understood Saito’s intention and regained his composure.
“It’s okay. Also, I think there’s some misunderstanding. The rumor started because some girls read an article about the Student Council President’s and Shirayuri’s parents being close, and they assumed you two were childhood friends. My friend said the girls were saying, ‘Childhood friend engagements are a classic!'”
“What’s with that tone? Anyway, I jumped to conclusions too quickly. It’s true girls often link things to romance. It’s plausible. Still, we should investigate.”
“But your panic earlier was impressive. Something about your efforts going to waste. You don’t think of Shirayuri-senpai as just an acquaintance, do you?”
A brief moment of confusion
was enough to reveal the truth.
Saito smirked as he pressed on, and Takumi turns his face away awkwardly with a “Ugh,” and then, eventually sighing in resignation.
After this point, it was a one-sided game for Saito.
“Indeed, I think of Koyuki as more than just an acquaintance.”
“In what way?”
“She’s like a little sister I have to look after.”
“And?”
“A girl with a good personality and looks.”
“Sounds like there’s more. Keep going.”
“Damn it. Fine, I’ll say it! I like her. I care deeply for Koyuki.”
“Whoa, seriously!?”
“Why are you surprised? You must have had some idea!”
“Yeah, but I thought you’d say something more twisted. I didn’t expect you to be so straightforward.”
Saito’s barrage of questions, to get to know how Takumi feels about Koyuki.
In an instant, it’s revealed Takumi’s true feelings for Koyuki in an instant.
“Well, what are you going to do to me by making me say this? Don’t tell me to stop acting harsh to Koyuki now, will you?
Takumi, now flustered, turned to Saito with a pleading look,
hoping he’d understand without needing more words, but Ayato is not a junior character who has a good ear.
“Yes, but do you really understand the situation? President, are you a mind reader?”
“Are you an idiot? There’s a deep reason behind why I act like this towards someone I like. It’s not something I can just stop.”
When Saito praised him with a genuinely confused expression, Takumi snapped, accusing him of mocking his resolve.
“The deep reason is probably something like ‘This way, Shirayuri-senpai will be happier,’ right?”
“What!? How did you know?”
“I read a manga where a character like you did the same thing, thinking they couldn’t make the person they liked happy.”
“Am I really that predictable?”
“It’s a classic storyline. But to me, it’s really dumb.”
Just as the manga predicted, Takumi’s resolve was clear,
and Saito found it utterly ridiculous.
Seeing Saito’s disdainful look, Takumi was at a loss for words.
“What do you mean you can’t make her happy? You won’t know unless you try! What’s with the ‘for her sake’ excuse? It makes no sense if it ends up hurting her! Don’t make assumptions and be satisfied with that. Did she say she wanted you to stay away because of a misunderstanding? No, she didn’t! You won’t know what she wants unless you ask her directly! Stop running away and face it head-on, Student Council President!”
Saito grabbed Takumi’s shoulders and poured all his emotions into his words.
The rapid outburst seemed to reach Takumi’s heart, making his eyes waver behind his glasses.
Eventually, Takumi looked down and began to speak hesitantly about his relationship with Koyuki, more like a confession.
He was almost penitent and regretful.
He expressed frustration at not being honest with Koyuki for a long time.
his helplessness in aiding his suffering childhood friend,
his ugly jealousy over losing her to another guy,
and the unbearable pain of being disliked by her.
More than anything, he was deeply unsure if he deserved to face Koyuki now.
After hearing everything, Saito laughed heartily, gave a thumbs up, and said,
“It’ll be fine! Things will work out. My gut tells me so.”
“Now you’re being irresponsible!”
“My gut is pretty accurate, you know?”
“Even so, that’s not convincing at all! Can’t you say something better?”
Takumi protested Saito’s overly casual encouragement,
but Saito was already doing his best, scratching his head in thought.
(I’m not good with clever words.)
As Saito made excuses in his mind, he noticed Takumi’s hopeful eyes.
(If the president is going to try his best, I can’t just stand by.)
“Alright, alright. Let me say one last thing.”
Saito steeled himself.
His words now could change Takumi’s future
Will it be for the better or for the worse?
The responsibility was heavy.
He had to think carefully and offer his best encouragement.
“There’s no way Shirayuri-senpai would reject someone who worries, suffers, and hurts this much for her sake. I always thought so, but after hearing your story, I’m certain of it. So, let’s approach this confidently as usual, shall we, Mr. Student Council President?”
This was the best Saito could do.
A serious atmosphere didn’t suit his nature, so he ended up joking around towards the end.
But that made it more like Saito.
Takumi let out a “heh” through his nose, then nodded satisfactorily, saying, “You’re right.”
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