You’re way too nervous.
Speak for yourself. Maybe you are, but not me.
You wanna get to know her, right? How are you going to do that when you’re trembling in your seat?
Sorry, but she’s just out of my league.
Giving up already?!
As they conversed like this with their eyes, Yuki suddenly took a break from her ramen and exhaled deeply in satisfaction.
“This is really good, isn’t it? I kind of wish it was a little spicier, though.”
“Right? It needs more chili oil.”
“I saw they had soy sauce and salt at the counter, but there wasn’t any chili oil, unfortunately. The student council may need to have a talk about this during our next meeting.”
“Way to abuse your power for self-gain,” joked Masachika.
“I’m kidding,” said Yuki, giggling.
Another unnoticed crease appeared in Alisa’s brow as she quietly ate her lunch while listening to their friendly banter… The crease deepened until she eventually closed her eyes and consciously changed her expression.
“Are you two close?” Alisa casually asked.
“We’re childhood friends, actually,” said Yuki, grinning cheerfully after facing forward.
“Since childhood…?”
“We’ve actually been going to the same school ever since kindergarten. We’ve unfortunately never had class together, though.”
“Oh…” Alisa nodded ambiguously, making it unclear if she was satisfied with Yuki’s answer.
“What about you two? Are you two close?” asked Masachika. Alisa paused as if she didn’t know the answer to that question, so Yuki decided to speak up instead.
“I guess you could say…we’re still getting to know each other. I want to be friends with Alisa, at the very least,” she explained while gently smiling at Alisa and tilting her head. Alisa, wide-eyed, didn’t quite know where to look.
With her eyes averted, Alisa gave an odd reply. “…There’s nothing good about being friends with me.”
Yuki blinked a few times, but a smile soon played upon her lips once more. “In other words, you aren’t against the idea of us becoming friends, right?”
“Oh… Yeah, I guess?”
“Then let’s be friends! We’re both in the student council and the same grade, after all. Oh, hey! Do you think I could call you Alya, too? I always thought it was the cutest nickname whenever I heard Masha and Masachika call you that!”
“S-sure… Go ahead.”
“Hee-hee! I can’t stop smiling! You can call me Yuki or whatever you want, too, okay, Alya?”
“…Okay, Yuki.”
Strangely enough, Alisa leaned away from Yuki, who was cheerfully giggling with her hands clasped together.
“I’m glad you two are friends now, but your ramen’s gonna get soggy if you don’t hurry,” warned Masachika.
“Ah! I totally forgot about my ramen!”
Alisa watched with slight bewilderment as Yuki hurriedly ate her ramen; then she noticed that Masachika was staring, so she pouted awkwardly.
“So… Kuze… What have you been telling Ms. Su—Yuki about me?” she asked.
“Huh? Oh, nothing really… Just about how you always get mad at me and…that’s about it.”
“You make it sound like I’m always angry, but it’s always your fault,” argued Alisa as the corner of her eyebrows curled furiously.
“Can’t deny that,” replied Masachika, lowering his head as Yuki giggled.
“You don’t have to feel embarrassed, Masachika.”
“Hmm?”
“Masachika always speaks so highly of you, Alya. He told me you’re a really hard worker and how he really respects you.”
“…?!”
“I never said I respected her.”
“But you still unconditionally show respect for hardworking people. Am I wrong?” replied Yuki as if she were some all-knowing, omnipresent being.
“…”
Masachika awkwardly looked away before facing forward once more, staring at Takeshi and Hikaru as if to say, “Come on, guys. Say something.” Hikaru and Takeshi exchanged glances, gave each other slight nods, then simultaneously stood up with their trays.
“Well, we’re done eating, so we should get going.”
“See you all later.”
Masachika tried to plead with his eyes as the two traitors started leaving.
Hey?!
Sorry, but I can’t stomach any more of this.
I’m not comfortable around women for prolonged periods of time.
They then averted their gazes and hurriedly left the cafeteria, rendering all of Masachika’s begging for naught. With his eyes, burning with resentment, locked on their backs, he suddenly heard Alisa whisper in Russian:
“<Hmph. Unbelievable.>”
When he turned around, Alisa seemed to be pouting, and yet she appeared to be somewhat happy as well. Noticing Masachika’s stare, she immediately looked down at her food and quietly continued eating. Having finished all his ramen even to the last drop of broth, Masachika decided to simply watch her eat, but when she glanced up and noticed, she mumbled in Russian:
“<Stop staring at me, you jerk.>”
Alisa lowered her gaze even more while absorbing herself in her lunch, which made Masachika feel all warm inside.
Ohhh. She must be embarrassed after hearing that I respect her. Now I get it.
Nevertheless, he couldn’t help but watch. It wasn’t because he didn’t understand Russian or was dense. He simply felt compelled to use his secret weapon.
“Huh? What was that, Alya?” he asked.
“By the way, Masachika…,” chimed in Yuki, who still didn’t understand the situation but could sense something was off, “…did you think about joining the student council like I asked?”
Alisa’s chopsticks froze; Masachika rolled his eyes as if to say, “This again?”
“How many times do I have to tell you? I’m not interested. Besides, didn’t you already get some new members the other day?”
“We did, but they didn’t last long…”
This year’s student council had started about a month before, in the beginning of June. The student council at this school was slightly unique because students ran as pairs for the positions of president and vice president, and the two elected got to decide who the other members were and what they did. Therefore, the number of members changed every year, and the current positions being held were president, vice president, secretary (Maria), accountant (Alisa), and publicist (Yuki). These were the only five members. In other words, there weren’t any general members.
“I thought you said you were only going to allow girls to join this year, since horny teenage guys would keep anything from getting done. What happened to the three people you mentioned last time we talked? Don’t tell me they all quit.”
“They said they weren’t good enough…”
“Oh…”
Masachika could understand how they felt. The mostly-female student council was incredible in more ways than one. It didn’t help that the vice president and Maria were considered the two most beautiful girls in their grade, just like the two “beautiful princesses,” Alisa and Yuki, who were also members of the student council. That alone would make any girl feel self-conscious, and yet to make matters even worse, Alisa was at the top of her grade, and Yuki used to be the president of the student council in middle school. Having to see someone better-looking and more talented than you every day would be hell for any girl. Even a guy joining the student council with the intent of hooking up with one of the beautiful girls would feel disheartened and quit once he saw how much more capable they were than him.
“That’s why I think you would be a perfect fit, Masachika. You’re more than qualified, and I think you would work really well with Alya and me. Plus, you already proved you could do it when you were the student council vice president in middle school.”
“…?!”
Alisa stared wide-eyed with shock at Masachika after hearing that tidbit from Yuki. He frowned.
“Kuze was the vice president?” Alisa asked.
“Yep. In middle school two years ago, I was the president, and Masachika was the vice president.”
“Oh…”
“It was a long time ago, and I’m never doing it again,” Masachika insisted.
Yuki smiled, though she was clearly vexed by Masachika waving his hand around in genuine disgust, and she tilted her head at Alisa, who was still staring at Masachika in astonishment.
“You might be surprised, but Masachika gets things done when he needs to…despite being like this most of the time.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? ‘This’?”
“Hee-hee! I wonder that myself sometimes.”
Alisa pouted while listening to their friendly banter. She seemed bothered.
“<I know he can. Hmph.>”
But her Russian whispers didn’t reach their ears.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Anyway, I need to stop by the student council room before class.”
“Oh, okay. See you after school.”
“Yes, see you after school.”
“Later, Yuki.”
“Please give my proposal some thought, okay, Masachika?”
“It’s not happening!”
“Ha-ha-ha.”
“Hey! What are you smiling for?”
“Oh, no reason. Have a good day.”
After leaving the cafeteria, Yuki bowed gracefully and walked away while Masachika crudely waved her good-bye.
“You two sure are close,” commented Alisa, her voice 20 percent colder and more piercing than usual.
“Is that surprising?”
“Yes, very. I can’t believe you have a female friend,” sharply jested Alisa, causing Masachika to raise an eyebrow.
“Wait. That’s what surprises you?”
“Yes, and?”
“I mean…” Masachika looked at Alisa as if she had two heads, then he pointed at her. “You. You’re a female friend.”
“…”
She slowly blinked, her expression blank, and tilted her head inquisitively.
“…We’re…friends?”
“Huh? We’re not, then?”
“…”
Alisa fell silent for a few moments, seemingly taken aback by the unexpected question before suddenly turning to face away from him.
“No, we are. We’re friends,” she replied flatly as if she was holding something back. She then immediately headed in the direction Yuki had gone.
“Hey! Where are you going?”
“I just remembered I had to stop by the student council room as well… Don’t follow me,” she succinctly demanded without even looking back as she left.
“What was that all about? …Eh. Whatever. More importantly, I need to make those two pay for running away earlier…,” Masachika ominously mumbled to himself and returned to his classroom alone.
There were rumors that afternoon that some students had seen Princess Alya skipping down the hallway and humming to herself, although those rumors never reached Masachika.