“Even so, that doesn’t mean you can’t find meaning in the work you do. How would you feel if you worked hard, took pride in what you were doing, and then someone just came along and was like, ‘Yeah, that must be tough. Don’t worry. I’ll take over from here.’ Would that not bother you at all?”
Masachika froze. The very idea that Yuki genuinely desired to become a diplomat and the head of the Suou family had simply never occurred to him.
“At the very least, if it were me…I would want to finish what I started, no matter how difficult it was, even if it wasn’t something I originally wanted to do. Plus, I wouldn’t want someone to take something from me just because they thought it was a burden. I’d be like, ‘Do I really look like someone who would push her problems onto others and run away? Is that how they see me?’”
Masachika was rendered completely speechless. To regard the responsibilities of the Suou family as nothing more than a burden would be an insult to Yuki, who had carried those very responsibilities. The thought had never even crossed his mind.
“Of course, this is only how I would feel. There’s no way of knowing how Yuki feels without asking her…”
“Yeah… But what you said makes sense.” Only now did he realize how self-centered and arrogant his actions had been, but even after realizing it, he muttered one lingering thought. “I… I just wanted her to be free.”
Yuki had been crying in bed like a small child. Even now, he felt tears welling up just thinking about how much that tiny body had carried. She had gained a relatively healthy body that could go anywhere, yet she remained bound to that house, and he just wished with all his heart to set his sister free.
“It’s clear that you really care about her.”
Alisa approached him and gently touched his right arm in a caring gesture, drawing Masachika’s gaze as he haltingly replied:
“But you’re right… Originally, it was about me accepting what I needed to do instead of running away…but to Yuki, I was essentially downplaying the hard work she has been doing all these years. In the end…it was my ego that wanted to set her free…”
“…Don’t beat yourself up over it. Your heart was in the right place, and Yuki knows that as well.”
Masachika recalled what his father said yesterday and his expression changed into a bittersweet smile.
“Ha-ha! My dad said something similar… He told me that everything was going to be okay because we care about each other,” muttered Masachika before suddenly lifting his head back up with a brighter smile.
“Sorry. I got a little too negative there for a moment. But thanks. You really gave me a lot to think about.”
“…Really?”
“Really. Now, come on. Let’s head to school.”
As he turned on his heel and began walking back toward their school, a hand slipped around his left arm from behind, drawing it into a snug embrace.
“…?!”
But just as he was taken aback by the sudden warmth on his arm, a soft whisper tickled his ear as she brushed against him.
“<I care deeply about you, too.>”
She immediately let go of his arm and briskly walked ahead while Masachika remained standing still, dumbfounded as he awkwardly rubbed his arm where she touched him.
…Was she trying to cheer me up?
Watching her rush ahead without so much as a glance back at him made him grin, and he whispered:
M e t o o
“И я тоже.”
He quietly chuckled at his partner who clearly didn’t want him to ask about the gesture, then lowered his gaze once more, resuming both his stride and his thoughts.
Taking over for the Suou family wouldn’t make her happy? Then I—
Meanwhile, Alisa, walking ahead, was lost in her own thoughts as well.
Masachika could return to his family…if I simply gave up trying to become the president?
That was the condition imposed by Masachika’s grandfather, Gensei, and something that he had to overcome to resolve his regret and realize his wish, so Alisa naturally wanted to help. However…
I want to be the student council president…but do I have any right to stop him from being accepted back into his family for a simple desire of mine? Shouldn’t we prioritize him and his family…?
Alisa pursued the student council presidency because she always aimed for the top. She was also seeking validation from all those around her to prove her way of life wasn’t wrong. Furthermore, she now felt compelled to meet the expectations of people who supported her, like Masachika and Sayaka. But was that truly something that should take precedence over Masachika’s wish?
I could be the vice president… No. But I…
Lost in thought, she mechanically continued to press forward.
Maintaining a steady distance between each other with their gazes lowered, Alisa and Masachika walked to school in silence, immersed in their thoughts as they approached school grounds and oblivious to the steadily growing crowd of Seirei Academy students who had their eyes locked on them.
“Whoa. Is that Masachika and Alisa?”
“Yeah, you’re right… Are they walking to school together?”
“I dunno. Doesn’t really look that way.”
“Uh? Yo, check it out.”
“Huh? Oh, it’s those two kids running in the election. They’re walking to school together… They’re dating, aren’t they?”
“I don’t know… I mean, look at them. They’re not even talking. And look at the distance between them.”
“Maybe they’re fighting? But if they were fighting, they’d be even farther apart from each other…”
“Hold up. Maybe it’s just a coincidence? Maybe they haven’t even noticed each other?”
“Seriously? There’s no way neither of them have noticed… Something’s up.”
“Weird…”
Drawing curious stares from every direction, they passed through the school gates, still completely oblivious as they proceeded to the shoe lockers at the main entrance, changed into slippers, and headed to Classroom 1-B.
…But right after Alisa slid open the door, she froze.
“Whoa. Alya. What’s wrong?”
Masachika, just about to follow Alisa into the classroom, screeched to a halt to avoid stepping on her heel, then leaned forward to peer over her head, his eyes widening at the unexpected sight.
“What is that?!”