Chapter 51: Chaos of Seat Changes
The fun celebration ended, and summer vacation began.
This summer is hot as well.
In the mornings, I spend my days immersed in soccer during club activities. The third-years retired, and our generation became the main force. As planned, Sotomachi became the captain, but unusually, he's struggling to manage the first-years.
Mornings are for club activities, and in the afternoons, if there's time, I play at the school pool with Kousuke and Aoi before heading home. That was my summer vacation routine.
Occasionally, when I run into Kashii-san or Obata-san from the tennis club, they wave at me.
After Obon passed, I was swamped with summer vacation homework, and with only two days left, Aoi came crying to me for help. I also went fishing with the boys, fully enjoying such a summer vacation before the second semester started.
The second semester feels like a busy season with lots of events: the sports festival in September, the marathon event in October, and the cultural festival in November.
Kashii-san, the class president, and Sotomachi must be incredibly busy.
After the opening ceremony, during homeroom, our homeroom teacher, Mr. Yanagi, said that we're doing a seating change tomorrow!
In the first semester, since it was right after the class change, we decided by drawing lots.
The good thing about drawing lots is that it's completely random, so it's fair. Making the lots is a hassle, but once you draw, your spot is decided, so even if there are complaints, everyone accepts it. For a loner like me, this is better. The downside is that you can't choose your group members, so hellish combinations can happen (like too many leader types clashing or a group of only people who don't get along), but it gets decided on time and is the method with the least loss.
However, this time, since we're already used to the class, right? So, we'll form six groups with people we like, decide the group positions by drawing lots, and then decide within the group where to place the seats. That's the method.
(I'm in trouble. I don't have any friends in this class.)
It's a common worry for loners, but being told to form groups with people you like really hits hard mentally.
Last time, the group was decided by lots, but Ise-san, Kita-san, Kan-kun, and Macho were all great people despite being randomly assigned, and it was the best.
(I doubt I'll be blessed with such a good group again.)
I'm thinking, if I skip tomorrow, maybe someone will have no choice but to let me into their group?
Kashii-san was beckoning me from the classroom entrance.
I quietly followed her, trying not to stand out, and in the corridor at the corner of the classroom building, Kashii-san spoke in a small voice.
'Tachibana-kun, have you decided who to group with yet?'
It's about the seating change.
'No, I don't have any friends in this class...'
'Then, if we're both left out tomorrow, would you group with me?'
'Huh? I don't think someone like Kashii-san would be left out, though?'
'If! Just if, okay!'
For the sake of gender balance, groups are made with 3 or 4 boys and 2 or 3 girls, totaling 5 or 6 people.
Since both boys and girls form small groups, for example, if we have 3 boys here, we pair with a group of 2 or 3 girls to form a group. This process takes time and often causes arguments like "I want to be with them!" but no matter how you look at it, Kashii-san's group is at the top of the caste in our class, so every boys' group would want to pair with Kashii-san's group.
To begin with, I'm a loner and can't form a group, so I'm destined to be picked up by someone.
For example, a pair like XX and a pair like YY teamed up, but they only have 4 people. The teacher says to let Tachibana join. I feel out of place.
But realistically, Kashii-san's group is the most popular, and since I can't form a group, isn't it impossible for us to be in the same group? That's what I told her.
'Just if, okay! So during the seating change, don't decide too quickly and wait a bit for me.'
Kashii-san kept pushing.
I gave in and said I'd wait a bit, but since I'll probably be left out, if some boys invite me to join them, I'll have to go with them. I respect the will of whoever invites me, so I don't have the authority to decide.
Kashii-san said,
'If that's the case, can I negotiate with them to legally bring you, Tachibana-kun, along with that boy...?'
Kashii-san was muttering calculations to herself. She's good at negotiating but also has a sense of balance, not going against the class flow, so it'll depend on how the seating change goes tomorrow.
'Anyway! Tomorrow, just keep an eye on things, okay? If some boys invite you to join, it can't be helped if you go with them, but for the girls, wait a bit before deciding, okay? Promise?'
Is she a bit concerned about me? Worried because I'm a loner?
Maybe it's both? That's the conclusion I reached in my mind.
The next day
'It's time for the seating change!'
'Oh!'
The whole class reacted to the teacher's call.
I really liked my current group, so I'm honestly sad about the seating change.
Macho... Gal... thanks for being so kind to me.
Now, what should I do?
Kashii-san said to wait and see, but since I don't have anyone to group with, just sitting and waiting is a bad strategy. The best move is to ask a kind group of five good guys to let me join as a member.
The worst is waiting and getting placed in a group with unpleasant people for numbers adjustment.
But most people who are close have already started moving since yesterday, so for someone like me, a borderline draft pick, I can only nervously watch the situation.
While thinking about this and observing the chaos in the class,
'Kashii-san and your group, team up with us!'
'No, team up with us, please!'
'Sotomachi-kun is with us, so let's team up!'
Kashii-san's group was in the middle of a fierce competition among three groups.
(Well, of course, it's not even about me, right?)
Kashii-san underestimates her own popularity.
The other two in Kashii-san's group are also pretty, after all.
(Now, what should I do?)
There's no point in thinking about it, but I'm like a lone house standing there when...
'Can't be helped, wanna team up with us?'
Ise-san?
'Tachibana-kun, let's team up.'
Ise-san, Gal A, Kan-kun, and Macho 2 called out to me?
'I'll team up! Thank you!!'
I was so happy.
Hearing the story, Ise-san's group of four decided that since girls should be in groups of 2 or 3, they split into two. Thinking Tachibana would be left out, they were considering a boys' group to take me in, and apparently, Kan-kun was thinking the same thing.
'Tachibana-kun was great in the last group, so I wanted to team up again. Plus, there's the marathon event in the second semester, right?'
Kan-kun, being a physical monster, seems interested in me since I rank high in the marathon event. No, I'm grateful.
'I can't stand seeing someone left out.'
This gal is really caring. She's such a good girl.
Feeling relieved that my group was decided, I was talking with Macho and the others when Ise-san seemed to be getting some kind of complaint from Kashii-san.
I couldn't hear what Kashii-san said, but Ise-san replied,
'Your group already has 3 girls, so you can only team up with a group of 3 boys, right! Tachibana was all alone and pitiful, so I picked him up! Kashii Reina, if you don't quickly settle things with the 3 groups fighting over you, the seating change won't end, you know? Is that okay? It won't wrap up within homeroom time, you know?'
I got picked up...
Kashii-san reluctantly went back to settle things with the 3 groups.
Being popular must be tough, huh? I thought, but since this was the first time I teamed up with such a great group so smoothly during a seating change with friends, I was over the moon.
Thank you, Narumi-san, thank you, Kan-kun, thank you, Gal and Macho x2. And so, a group of 6 was formed with 2 gals, 3 machos, and 1 loner.
The seating change somehow ended safely.
In the end, lots were drawn to decide which boys' group would team up with Kashii-san.
(So they still had to make those lots, huh.)
Sotomachi's group successfully drew the winning lot.
(Good job, Kashii-san.)
Having already decided my group, I watched the chaos with a warm feeling. Now, homeroom is ending, and it's time for club activities.
Let's leave the classroom and head to the clubroom...
I was suddenly pulled.
Huh? I'm being pulled quite forcefully.
I was dragged a bit into the art room in the special classroom building.
It was Kashii-san.
Kashii-san smiled brightly and said,
'Do you know why you were brought here?'
'Why, I wonder?'
(It's about the seating change...)
I understood immediately but played dumb.
(I have my own position too! They invited someone like me, you know?)
Kashii-san said with a bright smile,
'This is the first time, you know? Even though you promised to wait and see, you went off with some girls and made a fool of me, you silly boy...'
(Freeza-sama...?)
Though her words were polite, I could tell she was quite upset.
I know I shouldn't say this, but Kashii-san, even when angry, had a different kind of beauty, and I couldn't take my eyes off her.
Next time, Kashii-san is super angry.