Chapter 41: Kousuke's Room Window. Obata-san Becomes Class President
As spring passed and early summer arrived.
This happened when I went to Kousuke's house.
While playing a game together and looking at the screen, Kousuke started talking.
'Sho, haven't you stopped being so reckless lately?'
'Maybe? Well, I was way too reckless before, right?'
'Yeah, maybe so.'
'Are we becoming adults? Though we're still kids.'
'Adults. Is that why you've started saying "boku" lately since you're becoming an adult?'
'? Have I been saying "boku"?'
Kousuke nodded.
'We'll become adults someday, and we have to, but that doesn't mean denying who we are now.'
'I'm not quite sure what you're saying?'
Kousuke is talking a lot more than usual today, isn't he?
'...My house, my room, it's right next to the middle school, right?'
'Yeah, you can see the gate from the window, and honestly, all you can see is the middle school.'
'...That's why I think about it even more. If these three years are good, no matter how many years pass, looking out the window will make me feel happy. But if I have a lot of bad memories, looking out the window will always make me feel bad.'
'Yeah, that's true.'
'It's not just because of that, but I think these three years are precious.'
True, but what are you trying to say?
'Kousuke, I get that you want to make these three years good, but what are you trying to say?'
'Sho, aren't you the one who has something to say?'
'...I don't know.'
Kousuke nodded silently.
Kousuke observes a lot, doesn't he? Because he knows, there are things that are hard to say or things he doesn't want to say.
Not being able to say something feels like not trusting the other person, which brings guilt. Not wanting to say something, or not wanting to worry them, is also sincere.
Putting thoughts into words gives them shape. That can be a good thing, but it's also scary.
I hate who I am now. I hate the childlike me.
I hate myself for not being able to do anything even when my brother is suffering.
I hate the childlike me who can only laugh and watch while my parents work so hard.
It's not a shameful reason, but even though my parents work so hard, I feel inferior because of our financial situation.
I've thought about a lot of things, but if I can't find an answer, who should I talk to about my current worries?
If it's Kousuke, he'll probably just nod silently and say something that's universally right and tailored to the current me, right?
If it's Kashii-san, she'll probably say words that empathize with my feelings and be like, "Tell me anything!" right?
Aoi or Tanaka will probably accept me too, and in the end, they'll be like, "We're friends, right? Tell us anything!" I think.
After thinking about it a lot, I decided to talk to Ise-san, even though we haven't known each other long.
Though we've known each other for a short time, I trust Ise-san. I felt like she might give me a different hint or answer than before.
What do I want to do?
———————————————
In Class 3 of the second year, Obata-san, who became the class president, was struggling with various things.
Cool and intellectual, Obata-san is a glasses-wearing girl who inspires all sorts of fantasies, but it was taking her time to gain control over the class.
(Reina handled this kind of troublesome work so smoothly...)
Obata-san, who had been by her best friend Rena Kashii's side for many years, ran for class president this year on Kashii's recommendation. (Since we'd be together at class representative meetings and such.)
Her male counterpart was a top talent type of boy who only ran for the position to boost his internal evaluation, so he wasn't much help.
Obata-san, who is inherently a perfectionist and naturally meticulous, found it hard to get along with boys who didn't listen, people who missed deadlines for submissions, or girls who always tried to slack off.
Especially troublesome were the quiet Kousuke, the rough Aoi, and surprisingly, Tanaka, who often caused trouble. Unforgivable!
(Why is this so hard? If only those guys would listen to me!
I'm not even making unreasonable demands!)
While taking a break from studying to draw as a hobby, Obata-san's expression was like that of a demon.
One day, the picture she finished was sharp and rough.
Suddenly, she recalled a conversation with her best friend.
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'Reina, isn't it tough?'
'It sure is tough! Everyone is different, you know? But when things go well, it's incredibly satisfying and fun. And if things don't go well, sometimes it's half my fault, so I look in the mirror to check.'
'Mirror?'
'Yeah! Looking at my expression, I can tell if I'm stressed or angry, things I wouldn't notice otherwise.'
'Hmm.'
—————————————
She hurriedly checked the mirror.
(I had such a scary face. No wonder I can't connect with the class...)
While looking in the mirror, she tried smiling, making an angry face, and changing expressions.
(Reina is unfair. I shouldn't be bad either, but she's so cute, smart... and a little clumsy, which is just the best, isn't it?)
But Reina and I are different. I don't have her natural sense of balance or the charm to attract people.
(I clash with others. I'm the type of person who understands through conflict.)
From the next day, Obata-san once again clashed with everyone in the class. Smiling brightly, she apologized for her previous overbearing way of speaking.
Since she's inherently a beautiful girl with glasses, several boys became fans of Obata-san just for that. Though she clashed with the girls a few times, they eventually gave in to her straightforwardness and even her sense of tragic determination, and started to cooperate.
Obata-san felt a sense of progress as the class gradually started to come together.
However, her biggest enemy was Aoi, who absolutely wouldn't listen.
He didn't submit assignments, tried to copy others' homework, kept a messy locker, played during cleaning time, played with a ball in places he shouldn't, and caused trouble for others... Even after repeated warnings, he never improved.
(I'm going to lose it soon...)
One day, during cleaning time, after finishing her assigned area in the home economics room, Obata-san headed back to her classroom.
'Class president, I was wrong. Everything you said was right.'
Stopped by Aoi just before reaching the classroom, Obata-san was told this.
(Did he understand? No way, that can't be!)
Hurrying back to the classroom, she found a hole in the window glass.
Cleaning wasn't finished either.
A girl was crying.
Without even needing to do questioning, classmates reported the damage.
'Skipping cleaning! Playing with a ball!! Hitting a girl with the ball!! And that ball broke the window glass, right?!'
'Um...'
There stood a demon.
Clearly, Aoi was intimidated by Obata-san's anger.
'Say what you want to say clearly!'
''I was...' "Don't make excuses!!!"'
The classmates thought.
(You tell him to speak but don't let him?!)
Either way, Aoi wasn't going to be forgiven.
The figure of the man some students called 'mad dog' had completely disappeared.
The classmates realized. The only one who could control the rough Aoi was Obata-san.
The day Obata-san completely subdued the unruly Aoi was the day she fully took control of the class.
It was the founding day of Queen Obata's kingdom, which would last for two years.
———————————————
On a day when she was frustrated because Aoi wouldn't listen, Obata-san drew a manga.
It was like a rough sketch by an amateur, but for a middle schooler, it was exceptionally good.
(Here... like this...)
On days when she was extremely angry, no one knew that she drew a manga about Aoi being attacked by Tachibana, depicting a relationship between boys.