Chapter 106: Nagase Aya Interferes [side Mishima Satsuki]
In the student council room, it's me, Ichinose-senpai, and Nagase Aya.
Honestly, it would've been fine as long as I could win over Ichinose-senpai, the student council president's favor...
But since senpai tried to hand me off to Nagase, saying it's better between girls, I had to change my plan.
Anyway, my goal is to accuse Masaki—Masaki Yamamoto—of being abusive, play up the "poor me" angle, make Masaki the bad guy, break up through a third party, and if I'm lucky, snag Ichinose-senpai!
If I could push Nagase aside too, that would be perfect...
Well, no need to be greedy.
What's important here is to make a connection with Ichinose-senpai.
On the verge of tears, I stammered out all that's been happening around me lately, my clean relationship with Masaki Yamamoto and its breakup, plus the aftermath of the Pig Motor incident, and how it's all wearing me down.
Ichinose: "...I knew it was a problem, but... that bad? Even in your class? Your classmates treat you like that...?"
Ichinose-senpai knew about the Pig Motor incident—and that the student involved was a Hokusho student in the first year—but it seems he didn't know just how bad things were for her.
Alright, just one more step...
"...So, right now, dating is out of the question. I suggested we should prioritize getting our studies and daily life back on track... but he wouldn't listen. Even when I said we should take some time apart to reset... Yamamoto..."
Ichinose-senpai listened to my story with a sad expression.
...Nagase in the back, absentmindedly picking at her nails, is quietly annoying, but maybe she's not butting in or denying me because it'd look really bad to interrupt or dismiss someone in distress?
This is the climax! Time to go all in!
I started fake crying,
"And then... Yamamoto... he... I... uuh, uuuueh."
Ichinose-senpai's face darkened with understanding and he took another step closer to me!
Just a bit more!
Come on!
Ichinose: "...It might be hard, but... when did this happen?"
In times like this, being specific makes it more believable, right?
I quickly thought up some dates—about two days—and even picked times.
"Uu, it was on this day and that day... around this time..."
*Pan!!*
The sound echoed through the quiet room—Nagase Aya had suddenly clapped her hands!
Nagase turned to Ichinose-senpai,
Nagase: "Senpai, you know. This is totally like one of those documentaries on the evening news about the dark side of modern society. Ah, ah."
Nagase Aya cleared her throat, then smirked a little,
She covered her face with one hand, wiggling her fingers to blur her face.
Nagase: "At first he was so kind... but then he started getting violent, more and more...!"
(In a voice like, "We've changed the audio to protect privacy.")
*Bang bang bang!* Ichinose-senpai was silently laughing!
Slapping the wall as he did...
My desperate, actress-worthy performance was completely shot down by the "evening blurred-out interview" gag!
Nagase: "That's the punchline, right? Slut-san?"
Ichinose: "Aya-chan, let her finish her story. Sorry, Slut-san?"
"I'm not a slut, I'm Mishima from Class 1-5—Mishima Satsuki."
I'm actually a pretty famous beauty among the first years—do you really not know me?
Ichinose: "...Sorry, sorry, but the only girl I'm interested in is Nagase-san, okay? Really, the old Aya-chan was the best."
Nagase, with no expression,
Nagase: "Don't call me by my name. I'm not interested in the president."
What? Are these two seriously dating?
Or maybe they're just old acquaintances?
This could be bad... If Nagase's got a grudge against me, it might be worse than just trying to win favor.
"...If you don't believe me, that's fine... Excuse me...!"
Sensing things weren't going my way, I decided to retreat.
But Nagase blocked my exit.
Nagase: "That date you just mentioned. Is that true?"
"Of course it's true!"
There's no way I can admit I made it up!
Any more of this would be pointless—I want out!
But Nagase pressed on,
Nagase: "...On that day, Yamamoto messaged me on LINE. Said he was trapped at home by the media. I got the messages."
"How can you be sure?"
Nagase: "And the other day? Isn't that weird too? Do you have any proof? Injuries? Bruises?"
Nagase is totally suspicious of me...!
Ichinose-senpai looked like he didn't know what to do.
"If you won't believe me, fine!"
I stormed out in anger!
Any more and I'll slip up! I get that Nagase doesn't believe me at all, but I didn't expect her to have so much sway with Ichinose-senpai! I'm out of here!
Nagase: "Wait. This isn't just an abuse case anymore. It's either abuse or a false accusation, right? President? We can't just ignore this, can we? If it's abuse, don't worry, the student council will absolutely help you, and Yamamoto could even be expelled. ...But if it's a false accusation... you understand, right?"
Nagase Aya is scary! What is with this girl?
A beautiful, outgoing, popular girl... but with such disturbingly dark eyes!
Ichinose: "Aya-chan, don't jump to conclusions."
Nagase: "...I told you not to call me by my name, senpai. But this girl, she's betrayed Kousuke in the past—she's the worst, as a person."
Why? How does she know about me and Kousuke?
Just as I was rattled, another blow—
*Clatter!*
Masaki: "Nagase-san! What's going on all of a sudden? ...Huh? President, Satsuki?"
Ichinose: "Ah, you're Yamamoto, right? We were just hearing from your girlfriend, Mishima-san..."
"Enough! That's enough! I'm sorry! It's my fault!"
I dragged Masaki out and forced my way out of the student council room!
How infuriating!
Nagase Aya! And Ichinose-senpai, who just does whatever Nagase Aya says!
And Masaki, who comes running whenever Nagase calls him!
My plan failed.
And on top of that,
Nagase: "...If you know anything about Mishima-san, would you tell me?"
Using her authority as student council secretary, Nagase Aya started an official inquiry as the student council.
Because she went around asking loudly in Class 5 and 6, everyone found out.
That I tried to frame Masaki for abuse...
Masaki: "...Satsuki... that's not right. No matter how much you wanted to break up, or how bad things got... after all we've been through..."
Public opinion was sympathetic to Masaki... If only he had taken the blame and broken up with me!
There's so much I want to say, but I know saying anything now will only make things worse, so I kept quiet and endured.
Former friends, classmates—even everyone looks down on me and mocks me.
What did I do wrong? I haven't actually done anything, right?
I just hinted that he might've been abusive!
Nobody understands!
Everyone blames only me!
Unforgivable! What the hell!
I was breaking down.
As always, I went to school alone, ate lunch alone, and went home alone.
This sucks... Why am I living like this?
I'm studying because failing a grade would be embarrassing... but is there even a point?
Well, repeating a grade would be lame.
But every day is no fun.
Seriously, nothing is fun at all.
That's how my days go.
I'm just living absentmindedly, not having any fun, just making sure I look decent on the outside—and that's all.
Nobody cares about anything but my bad reputation, and no one pays attention to my beauty.
...Wanting a change of pace, I get off the train before my stop after school.
"Huh? She's gorgeous!"
"Hokusho? You're cute, aren't you?"
"I'm Tsunan, by the way. Want to go out with us now?"
I was surrounded by sleazy guys.
Annoying, but maybe I kind of want to be fawned over? Should I just go with them?
I'm pretty, right?
I want someone to take me somewhere.
Someone grabbed my hand from behind and pulled me along—I just let myself get dragged away...
Guy "What the hell are you?!"
Is that one of the sleazy guys from before?
Then who? Who's pulling me?
I look to the side,
Yukari "There's a place ahead that has delicious curry and hamburg steak..."
"Huh? Yukari Tomonaga?"
Yukari "As long as you eat your fill, everything's fine. By the way, can you lend me a little money? ...I only have a thousand yen right now..."
"...You're eating out even though you only have a thousand yen?"
For some reason, it was Yukari Tomonaga who was pulling me along.
Yukari Tomonaga looked delighted to be eating out, grinning from ear to ear...