Starting today I would be a 2nd year in Suiran’s high school section. I wished for this every year, but I hoped I would end up with some girls I was close with~ I don’t want to be alone…

And also, I hoped that all the troublesome people would end up in another cla.s.s.

I stepped outside only to be buffeted by heavy winds. Maybe because it was spring. Since I was dainty and so delicate I looked like I was going to snap, maybe I would even be blown away by the wind~

It was going to mess up my hair though so I hurried into the car.

I pulled out a mirror to check myself. I couldn’t give a bad impression to my new cla.s.s, after all! I smiled into the mirror. My dimple was perfectly visible. Okay!

When I arrived there were already plenty of students crowded around the noticeboard. Some students were overjoyed, some were being consoled, the responses were all over the place.

I didn’t have any guys I liked so most important to me was ending up with friends. I was the Chief of the Forever Alone village, but that was forever romantically alone. I fully intended to be surrounded by friends.

First I checked the list of girls in the same cla.s.s as me. s.h.i.+rasagi Ru’ne from my group was there! h.e.l.l yess!

Ru’ne-chan was one of the girls who I went to Karuizawa with, and was one of my closer friends in the group. Thank goodness. At the very least I managed to avoid a bitter year of isolation. Besides Ru’ne-chan were a few other girls from my clique as well. Phew.

As for the boys… Oh, Cla.s.s Rep’s name was there. Oohh, Cla.s.s Rep! My first cla.s.s with Cla.s.s Rep in quite a while! One of my few male friends. This was a happy occurrence indeed.

Aside from him, the other boys were relatively harmless. All of the troublesome ones were in a different cla.s.s. h.e.l.l yesss!

I really was lucky this year. I had a bit of bad luck after receiving a cursed item but it looks like my fortunes were picking up again. The anthology in question had already been plastered with an anti-evil seal, wrapped in a cloth, and then sealed away in the same storage room as the dolls. Fight fire with fire and all that. Of course, if anybody ever wanted the anthology they were free to take it.

I looked at the other cla.s.s lists and realised that of all things, Enjou and Wakaba-chan would be together. Worse yet, the 2nd-in-command of Tsuruhana’s group was in that same cla.s.s. This was bad… I decided to stay away.

“Reika-sama! We’re in the same cla.s.s!” said Ru’ne-chan as she ran to me with a smile.

We were overjoyed to be with each other. Some of the other girls came over and we chatted about the cla.s.s allocations. I had great friends with me and no troublemakers. This was going to be a peaceful year.

Cla.s.s Rep ended up as cla.s.s rep again like natural. Since Nonose-san was in our cla.s.s I had hoped that I would get out of it, but both my home room teacher and Cla.s.s Rep had insisted on me. As for Nonose-san herself…

“I think you’re the best suited, Reika-sama.”

And that’s how I ended up as the Vice Cla.s.s Representative again. Honestly I had already half given in by now. It could be worse, I suppose. I had Cla.s.s Rep as my partner, and there weren’t any real troublemakers.

“Let’s have another good year together, Kisshouin-san,” smiled Cla.s.s Rep. Oh yes, I hope so too.

Then, secretly, “And I’d like some advice with romance,” he said. Advice on romance… Thinking about it, he had quite a long history with unrequited love as well, didn’t he. Alright, leave it to me. I was going to make him a fine villager! First I’d have time read that anthology, maybe.

“Kisshouin-kun.”

Huh? Kisshouin-kun?

Who was it? Who was it that added -kun to my name? ──It was ‘Dite.

“Kisshouin-kun, may I ask you a question?”

‘Dite-kun, or Afrodite, was sporting his namesake as always. Maybe it was the hair but wow, did his face look big up close. And apparently people who were individualistic in their appearances also did the same with their speech. We were in the same cla.s.s this year. I had ignored him though since I judged him harmless.

“Will the cla.s.s be performing at this year’s cla.s.s trip?”

“Performing? I cannot say. I have not heard anything of the like.”

“…I see. But when you require the services of my violin, you need only but speak. No need for hesitation. Even if the other students cannot reach my level of violin skills, I have no qualms with performing by myself. This is my opinion. What say you, Kisshouin-kun!”

Eh, huh…? In other words, Afrodite wanted to perform in front of us so badly that he came and asked about the excursion?

“…Well, I suppose I can not see the harm in it?”

Not that I even knew if there was going to be cla.s.s performances in our itinerary last year.

“I thought as much! Truly, you were as reasonable a woman as I had judged! Kisshouin-kun, I antic.i.p.ate a good year with you!”

“…Let us get along.”

Satisfied, ‘Dite-kun nodded and headed back to his seat, the Afro swaying in the air as he left.

“He was kind of incredible…” muttered Cla.s.s Rep. ‘Dite-kun just completely ignored you. Is that okay?

“There are a lot of eccentric artists…” he continued, “Last year he wouldn’t stop playing the violin on the bus, so n.o.body got any sleep.”

Speaking of which, I remember hearing that from a girl in his cla.s.s.

I retract my statement. We had the one troublemaker.

“After school I headed to the Pivoine salon. Today’s sweets were apple pies. I loved these.

The pie crust was crunchy, but the apple inside was soft and delicious.

It was so delicious, in fact, that I finished the whole thing in no time. I was still craving it…

While I fought an internal war against my appet.i.te, somebody told me that somebody had come to visit me.

It turns out it was Mao-chan from the primary school.

It was unusual for her to come all the way here from the Pet.i.t Pivoine. Everyone here was older than her, which seemed to make her a little nervous.

“Is something the matter, Mao-chan? Come and sit down.”

“Yes.”

I led Mao-chan over to the sofa I had been sitting on.

“What will you be having? Ah! Today’s food is apple pie. You must try some.”

“Eh, but…”

I guess it was nerve wracking to be the only one eating. Geez.

“I shall have some as well. This way there should be no problems, correct?”

“Yes! Thank you very much, Reika-oneesama.”

“You are very welcome.”

The staff brought down apple pies in front of us so the two of us ate happily.

“It overjoys me that you come to visit, Mao-chan. Was there something you needed me for?”

“Ah, yes! Umm, I was having a birthday party on this day. I was hoping that you might want to come… If you can’t, then I understand.”

“A birthday party?”

“Yes. Haruto-niisama said he would be going as well, and I was hoping you would as well.”

“I see…”

A birthday party, huh…

I hadn’t actually checked my schedule yet, but Mao-chan of all people was inviting me. I could at least show up for a little.

“I understand. I shall check my plans and let you know.”

Mao-chan smiled happily. So cuute.

A present for a young girl… What should I get? I want to choose something that would build on my image as a wonderful oneesama.

The two of us continued to chat harmoniously as we ate out delicious apple pies.