Translator: Silver Editor: Namorax

「11」

The rainy season was a prolonged one this year, and my body felt particularly heavy today.

The line of cars at the drop-off area also seemed more crowded than usual.

However, getting in and out of the car was virtually the only thing I could do on my own.

Most of the time I had to rely on Hayate’s help to open the door.

If it's a rainy day, someone will be waiting by the car door with a large umbrella so that I won’t get wet.

This was my reality.

It was painful at the time, but I am still thankful for it.

That was because of the abnormal 『I』within Mizuki.

That 『I』wasn’t fully accustomed to Mizuki’s environment.

Today, the car door was opened for me and an umbrella was waiting for me.

If I didn’t hurry, the person holding the umbrella might get wet and catch a cold.

With that feeling in mind, I grabbed my bag and stepped out of the car.

“Good morning, Sagara-san”

“……Ookami-sama? Good morning……”

Ookami Guren was holding the umbrella instead of a servant of Sagara family.

“Ah, it's alright if I hold the umbrella. We should be able to share it together.”

Ookami declined my attempt to grab my umbrella and lightly pulled me under it by my arm.

“You’ll get wet.”

“But I’ll feel more at ease this way. Okabe isn’t here either.”

After asking that, Ookami began walking towards the school building, ensuring that he matched my pace.

“Sagara-san, there are various things I would like to discuss with you. Are you free anytime soon?”

“I can make some time in my schedule if necessary.”

“I see. Thank you.”

He quietly thanked me.

If Ookami had a pet.i.te girl by his side, they would have been quite an attractive couple, but my height and boy's uniform made me think of BL.

In any case, the majority of the female students were sending heated glances in our direction.

“…… I heard you had been invited to the Suwa household, may I ask you a few things about that?”

Ookami suddenly changed topics.

“After Ritsuko-sama led me to the salon, the head of the family arrived…… then I heard a story from the Suwa. I seem to have been given a certain project.”

“That's it?”

“Yes. That’s the gist of it.”

Just what was Ookami after?

“So, the engagement between Yak.u.mo-sama and Miss s.h.i.+ori, or Suwa and you hadn't been brought up?”

“No. Those subjects didn’t come up during our talk. The Sagara would not permit that.”

“……Is that so?”

“Why are you concerned about this, Ookami-sama? As of this moment, I have no intentions of marrying anyone, and my brother is looking into the proposal at the moment.”

“There isn’t anyone you like?”

“…………Who?”

Why did I have to discuss love while sharing an umbrella with Ookami?

When I locked eyes with Ookami he suddenly turned his head away.

“Is there anyone who you favor, Ookami-sama? I care for my friends, but I can’t seem to fall in love with anyone. In a sense, I’m disqualified to be a Sagara.”

While Ookami stumbled to reply, I answered his original question.

“Is it because you act on reason rather than emotion? The exact opposite of Suwa.”

“No. Emotions always precede reasoning. My brother said that I have the perception of a wild child.”

“Sagara-san? A wild child? I can’t see that……”

I was the one that had to turn away from Ookami’s surprised gaze this time.

“I was told that I unconsciously took a defensive stance during the accident, and that was what saved my life. Even the doctor remarked on my perception……”

Ookami burst into laughter when I reluctantly told him about it.

“I-I sorry. I simply can’t see you as being wild.”

He tried to maintain his gentlemanly smile but I had to deduct a point for his failure to do so.

Ookami kept laughing until we reached the entrance, the moment we were under the roof a shock ran through my stomach.

“Morning, Mizu-chan!!”

A minimum-size girl had tackled me.

“Ouch! Oouuch, good morning, Chiaki. Stop fondling the person you just tackled.”

“Eeeh…. no way. The bodies of girls are meant to be fondled!”

The name of the beauty with the small stature was Sugawara Chiaki.

She was the twin sister of Sugawara Chikage, another of the academy’s Seven Knights.

Contrary to her pretty appearance, she was a father inside.

No, not an old uncle, a father.

“Sugawara-san, such a remark in public is……”

Ookami smiled wryly as he gently reprimanded Chiaki.

“What remark? Because they have weaker muscular strength, it’s easier for girls to be overburdened than men, so their bodies must be ma.s.saged.”

Chiaki clung to me as she made a "taken aback" expression and glanced towards Ookami.

To a listener, it would be obvious that the speaker was trying to get a rise out of the person they spoke to.

Chiaki wouldn’t back down even if it was Ookami or Suwa she engaged with.

Rather, she was quite willful in general.

Ookami was left speechless by her comment.

“Mizuki-chan, did I say something strange?”

When I didn’t reply she demanded my agreement with her large eyes.

“It’s certainly strange! Leave Mizuki-dono be. You're unbelievable!!”

A boy looking identical to Chiaki caught his sister by the collar and dragged her away.

“Hey!! Chi-chan, so violent! What are you doing to your older sister!!”

“Who's an older sister!? You only enter the world first by chance!!”

The round-faced, young boy still had childish features and hated being treated like a younger sibling by Chiaki, and like a child by other people.

Chikage was a difficult capture target in the game not due to shyness, but because of his misanthropy.

In the game, they hadn’t been twins either.

“Good morning, Chikage.”

“Good morning. Sorry for this bout of stupidity so early in the morning.”

“No. I’m fine and it was an energetic start to my morning.”

Strangely, because I was familiar with Chiaki, Chikage talked to me normally.

In fact, our relations.h.i.+p was favorable.

That was because he realized he had to be near me in order to reign his sister in.

Perhaps in his mind, I was a victim just like he was.

Even now, he was giving me a sympathetic look.

“Why do you always run off when you see Mizuki-dono!? And why do I always catch you embracing her!?”

“Because Mizuki-chan is always alone. Because she’s soft and warm and it feels good to hold her. Don’t you think so Chikage?”

“…… I can agree with the first part, but the rest is unreasonable!”

A delicate conversation between siblings was unfolding.

Me being alone, wasn't I together with Ookami? Or was he being ignored?

Had his existence deliberately been erased?

“Sorry Chikage, but we’ll be going ahead. See you later.”

“Umhm.”

Chikage nodded when I called out to him and prepared to leave.

It was then that I noticed it.

Ookami had placed himself in-between Chiaki and Chikage.

If he moved the pair would resume their quarreling.

Did he expect me to separate them?

No way.

I told Ookami I was going ahead and went straight to the cla.s.sroom.

Hayate approached me the moment I reached my seat.

“You’re late today, did something happen?”

I detected an unusual amount of anxiety in his tone and eyes when he asked that question.

“Chiaki caught me. But then Chikage came to collect her……”

“She was clinging to you once again? Why is that Sugawara girl always rus.h.i.+ng towards you?”

Apparently, she really was rus.h.i.+ng.

Hayate’s words were quite correct.

“I was told that while I was there this time. Today it was because I was alone.”

“Were you alone?”

“I’d been under Ookami’s large umbrella. I wasn’t able to decline his offer.”

“……Understood. Since it’s a rainy day, I’ll be taking a day off from club activities.  No, I will also skip the morning training.”

Hayate belonged to the judo club and attended morning practice twice a week.

Once club activities were finished he would make his way to my cla.s.sroom and check up on me.

Hayate acted as my guard, so while he properly partic.i.p.ated in club activates, he never took part in tournaments.

That’s because Hayate didn’t consider what he was doing a sport.

However, beginners still begged him to teach them.

“It’s a student’s privilege to take part in club activities. Don’t worry about me and enjoy your school life.”

“Being at Mizuki-dono’s side is my top priority. I merely joined the club because you asked me to do so.”

“…… Hayate.”

It was quite troublesome when a large dog sulked.

I gave him a reproachful glance.

“First term exams are coming up soon. Since there won’t be any clubs activities, we can be together then."

“That’s right. Are you after another perfect score, Mizuki-dono?”

His smile returned when I told him clubs would be suspended for term exams.

“I’m not aiming for something like that. I am just making an effort to avoid mistakes.”

“I see. Ohara asked to study together, would you like to join?”

“Only if it’s at my convenience.”

“Understood. Now then, please call for me if something happens.”

The person who would always come here in-between cla.s.ses, without fail, left with a smile on his face.

Hayate was soon replaced by Suwa.

His expression was a little dark.

People began to rustle at the apparent repeat performance of the start of the school year.

However, this time he wasn’t shrouded in a dark cloud.

“Good morning, Suwa-sama.”

Several girls called out to Suwa

While I thought that greetings were important, it took a brave soul to call out to Suwa as he was.

“Ah. Morning.”

That response made me want to throw out a tsukkomi (Straight-man reaction).

Before, he would have ignored them completely, but he actually replied this time.

A relieved sigh filled the room.

Suwa seemed lost in his thoughts as he took his seat, took out a notebook and began writing in it.

Suwa’s expression deepened more and more as he continued to write.

More and more of my cla.s.smates’ glazes fall upon me.

They were appealing to me to do something.

I wouldn’t know what to do unless the person himself brought it up, what do you want from me?

Suwa suddenly closed his notebook, rose from his seat and slowly approached me.

“Sagara, I would like to consult you about something.”

Our cla.s.smates couldn’t hide their curiosity about Suwa earnest expression.

“Cla.s.s is starting soon. The break period probably won’t have enough time either. Will during lunch be fine?”

“I understand. That's a relief.”

Suwa returned to his seat with a relieved smile on his face.

I didn’t know what he wanted to consult me about, but it wouldn’t hurt to hear him out.

As cla.s.s started, I was thinking about the quickest way to finish my lunch.