“Alya? Uh… You okay?” asked Masachika after they left the apartment and were heading toward the elevator.
“…”
The previous night, thoughts of Yuki had consumed him even after he had settled into bed, and he had no recollection of falling asleep—or if he actually had fallen asleep. Breakfast had passed in a fog, Masachika’s mind still elsewhere, until pitiful Russian whispers jolted his consciousness back to reality. He quickly turned to see the “shadow of death” hanging over her just like he saw that day, and only then did he realize Alisa had just finished eating the extremely spicy curry that his father had made the night before.
Masachika had rushed to the kitchen to grab her some milk, but even after drinking it, Alisa remained silent. She looked utterly drained…as though her very soul had been reaped, her expression disturbingly vacant.
Ugh… I know I have no right to complain since I wasn’t paying attention, but come on, Dad. Why would you think it was okay to offer her curry that spicy?
Though he recognized his anger was misdirected, he mentally berated his father for serving Alisa such spicy curry.
“I’m so sorry! I really am! You were just trying to be polite, and yet…”
Kyoutarou had been apologizing profusely ever since Alisa had “passed away” from her meal, even though he obviously had no ill intentions and had genuinely thought the curry was only “a little” spicy. Masachika understood that as well, having frequently been on the receiving end of some peculiar or excessively exotic snacks and dishes that his father brought back as souvenirs. Still, he felt it was high time his father acknowledged that his palate existed on a different plane from everyone else’s and that he should exercise a bit more restraint.
Then again, maybe he’s unconsciously searching for someone with a palate as unique as his…?
As these thoughts occupied his mind, the elevator arrived. Masachika got in with Alisa, and since he had been in contact with someone who had the flu, he put on a mask just in case. They descended to the first floor, walked out the entrance, and had begun their walk toward school when Alisa suddenly asked:
“…Do you always eat food like that?”
“Huh? Not always. I mean, you’ve seen what I bring to school for lunch, right? I usually eat plain, normal food. That curry was just my dad trying to cook up something special…”
“Oh…”
“I’m really sorry. He didn’t mean to do it, just so you know. His taste buds just don’t really work like most people’s…”
“No, it’s fine. I just need more training. That’s all…”
“What do you mean by ‘training’?”
Masachika began to worry that Alisa was seriously ill, given that she was starting to sound like Ayano. Then, he suddenly found himself wondering why Alisa had even come to his house in the first place, and he started retracing his memories.
“Good morning, Masachika. Sorry for coming over all of a sudden like this. I was just wondering what ended up happening at Yuki’s place the day before yesterday, and I figured you wouldn’t be able to talk about it at school, so I thought maybe we could walk to school together this morning and talk about it.”
Ohhh, right. So that’s why she came over.
Recalling that she had come to ask about what had happened at the Suou household, Masachika pondered how much he should disclose, eventually choosing to gloss over the details concerning his mother and focus instead on his conversation with Gensei.
“Oh, uh… Alya, about what happened at the Suou residence these past two days…”
“…!”
Alisa appeared startled and straightened her posture, leading Masachika to believe that she was ready to listen. He began to tell her about what happened. He told her about how he reconciled with his mother after their long-standing conflict. He told her about negotiating with Gensei so he could be reinstated as the Suou family successor…and about how Gensei would only do so under one condition: that he become the student council president.
“…Okay.”
“Sorry about using the election to negotiate, especially since we’re in this together. Of course, I don’t need to tell you that I’m not even considering switching places with you. I’ll find some other way to convince him.”
The last part was a slight fib. He currently had no idea how to persuade Gensei. He honestly didn’t think he could compromise with his grandfather any more than he already had, yet he genuinely had no intention of pushing Alisa aside to become student council president, either.
“No, it’s—it’s fine… But there is something I want to ask you,” Alisa replied haltingly, offering a half-hearted nod to his explanation that blended truth with deception.
“What’s that?”
Alisa came to a halt while lost in thought, prompting Masachika to stop and turn toward her.
“Did you talk to Yuki before you asked your grandfather to accept you back into the family and reinstate you as his successor?” she asked, wearing a troubled expression.
Masachika winced briefly the instant Yuki was brought up, then replied:
“No… I mean, I did tell her about it later, though.”
“…Did she get mad?”
He gasped at her spot-on assumption.
“I knew it,” Alisa murmured immediately, as if his reaction said it all.
“I know you didn’t mean any harm…but I’m not surprised she got mad.”
“…Yeah, I feel guilty about trying to steal her place as the successor without even talking to her about it first.”
“I get that, but…”
“‘But’?”
“Uh…”
“Don’t worry. Just say what’s on your mind. I’m not going to be upset, no matter what you say,” he assured, staring into her hesitant, probing gaze.
She pondered for a few moments, then replied:
“How should I put it…? You’ve made it sound like becoming the successor to the Suou family—like, becoming a diplomat—was a burden that you get stuck with…”
“…Yeah, but…it is. It’s not something you do because you want to do it.”
“For you, right?”
He closed his mouth for a moment, then quickly shook his head.
“No… Yuki doesn’t want to do it, either. I mean, I’ve never once heard her say that she wanted to become a diplomat one day.”
Yuki had spoken of many dreams since childhood, but curiously enough, she had never once expressed any desire to become a diplomat, which was precisely why Masachika had concluded that she was pursuing this path out of necessity. Alisa, on the other hand, skeptically tilted her head.