Chapter 68: Full of Gaps [side Osada Ai]
"Hey, Yukaricchi? You're not doing anything you can't tell people about, right?"
Yukari: "Of course not! I'm just a plain, gloomy girl!"
After the culture festival and our compensatory day off, I found photos of Kuzu and Yukaricchi going in and out of a love hotel in my desk.
They were thorough enough to have both entering and leaving shots. Huh? What are you doing?
"So, what's this about?"
I quietly handed the photos to Yukaricchi.
She's clearly going into a love hotel, isn't she?
When I tried to hide the photos, Yukaricchi panicked.
Yukari: "Does it look like I'm going in...?"
You really think you can get away with a halfhearted excuse?
Yukaricchi is just so shallow. To put it nicely, she's honest, but she doesn't think things through and totally spoils herself.
I'm honestly too fed up to even get mad anymore.
"...There's also a photo of you coming out, you know?"
Yukaricchi scrambled to hide the second photo too.
She's trying to think of an excuse, but it's obvious she's just going to make something up...
Yukari: "Kuzu-kun and I are fate's! Prince and princess!"
I just can't deal with her anymore,
"There aren't any princes or princesses in Japan. Is your head a Happy Meal? Why do you think these photos ended up with me?"
Yukaricchi is lost in thought... but it's like watching someone just space out instead of thinking.
"Yukaricchi? Are you being targeted by someone, or does someone have it out for you? If there's some scandal, you should spill it now. ...Otherwise, even I won't be able to cover for you."
Yukari: "...? I wonder? I mean, I'm actually kinda popular... Would anyone really hate me...?"
Her eyes are darting all over the place, aren't they?
Yukaricchi, this is your final warning, you know?
"You know, up until recently, you were dieting with Saito-kun from Class 4, right? But now I hear that everyone thinks Kuzu-kun supported you the whole time. Also, the film club is actually a pretty influential group at this school, but you've cleared things up with them, right?"
Yukari: "...."
Yukaricchi won't even answer me...
Well, since this is the final warning, I'll say it all.
"Last week at Round2, I gave you a chance to talk, but wait—are you actually dating Kuzu-kun? Or have you already done it? It's only been a week, right?"
I said "done it" out loud and blushed a bit.
I mean, I am a girl. I really don't want to say stuff like this out loud.
If he heard me... it'd be so embarrassing.
Yukari: "...Isn't romance supposed to be free? Even if you're Osada-san, you shouldn't butt into my love life!"
"Huh?"
Yukari: "Eek!"
When I glared at her, Yukaricchi got scared and clammed up.
If you're going to clam up, don't talk back, okay?
Sigh, this really is your last warning.
"Yukaricchi? The only reason I helped you is because it was good for the class. Of course, you're part of the class too, so if something happens, I'll help you. But if you end up being a problem for the class, I won't be able to protect you anymore."
That's how I really feel. Isn't it obvious?
As a class, we all pulled together and made the maid café at the culture festival a huge success!
We probably have enough sales to aim for the top prize.
At the very least, we're a lock for the Excellence Award.
Of course, Yukaricchi's efforts and contributions were huge too.
But Yukaricchi stood out way too much.
That's a good thing, but on the flip side, a scandal could be fatal.
Especially in the world of girls, jealousy and resentment mean harassment like we saw the other day is totally normal.
That's why I kept telling her to play up being "humble and earnest"...
Yukaricchi's probably riding high after winning Miss Hokusho.
She's all hyped up and looking down on everyone around her.
As someone in the same class and the same group, I'm giving her a warning.
And yet... you know?
If that scandal leads to Class 6's top prize being revoked or to bad rumors spreading from the festival, all that fame will just make the damage even worse, right?
It's not the same as confessing to Kuzu-kun in the summer...
"That's your warning, okay?"
Yukari: "...!"
Yukaricchi...
You probably think you're invincible now that you're pretty, but being pretty makes enemies too.
If you don't use it wisely, it'll just come back to bite you.
Yukaricchi, who became beautiful overnight, just doesn't get that.
During lunch break, I asked a girl who's got a connection to the student council to tell me what's going on.
The beauty contest is run by the student council, so if there's a complaint or issue, it gets reported to them.
...At this point, there don't seem to be any major reports.
The only thing is, a few complaints have come in that the film club's documentary is basically a personal commercial for Tomonaga Yukari and that it's unfair... Apparently Mishima was one of them (lol).
Ugh, I'm going to have to set Mishima straight too.
I spent my lunch break running around, gathering info.
Maybe it's just because things are still chaotic after the festival, but nothing major has happened yet.
...One of the girls in our class reported that Yukaricchi is up to something.
The girls around me—well, you know, the so-called top clique—are saying "Isn't Osada-san a little full of herself?" and spreading it around.
I thanked the girl who reported it to me.
Hm? I'm not going to do anything special about it, though?
Then, just before homeroom, I managed to catch another girl with a student council connection, and found out from her that something had happened.
Oh, really?
After school, I thought I'd tell Yukaricchi about it and went up to her, asking if she had a minute.
As for the boys... well, this is just a girls' talk, so could you give us some space?
Sorry, but I kicked the boys out of the classroom.
Now it's just the girls left. The only ones who aren't here are the few who rushed off to club activities.
"Yukaricchi? Come here for a second."
Yukari: "Enough already! You're always intimidating everyone and looking down on people! If you think you can always get your way, you're dead wrong!"
Yukaricchi bit back at me, even though she was scared...?
Huh? Now?
"Not the time for that, okay? Just listen, about the student council—"
Yukari: "No! That's my line! I'm the one who's sick of this!"
I'm seriously getting irritated with her cutting me off...
Seriously, just listen.
When Yukaricchi saw I wasn't fazed, she shouted out in a loud voice.
Yukari: "There's nobody in this class who listens to you anymore, Osada-san!"
"""Heh heh heh...!"""
All my followers moved to stand behind Yukaricchi.
The other girls are watching and can't decide what to do...?
Yukari: "You got too full of yourself, Osada-san! The top girls are giving you a big NO!"
Yukaricchi is saying it all smug. Like I want to hear that from you.
Well, I heard all about it at lunch, anyway.
"Anyway, just listen, about the student council—"
Yukari: "Why don't you listen for once, Osada-san! The top of this class is me now!"
Huh?
"Wait, really?"
I asked that completely seriously.
I was shocked. Is she really going to go through with it with just this much prep?
So, she really can't see what's going on? That's hilarious!
I speak with my intimidating glare fully extended.
This is a side of me I'd never show my boyfriend,
"Which side are you picking? Me or Yukaricchi?"
With a whoosh! sound, everyone below the second clique rushes behind me.
Yukari: "Huh? Huh?"
Yukaricchi, panicking as the kids who had stayed neutral all suddenly jump to my side, glances at the top clique girls behind her.
Yukari: "I support you, Osada-san... Osada-san's tyranny..."
she calls out.
"That was hilarious!"
"Ai—! This girl is seriously full of herself—!"
"Honestly, I can't forgive Osada! But, you know?"
"Yukaricchi, if you wanted to be at the top of the class, you just didn't have enough leadership, strength, smarts, political sense, or charm, right?"
"So basically, everything!"
The top clique girls come back to my side, laughing their heads off.
Yukari: "Huh? Why? Huh? Who's Ai?"
That's what you latch onto?!
Gal: "Osada Ai—this girl, she writes it as 'koi' but reads it as 'Ai'! That's hilarious! Makes no sense!"
"Don't make fun of people's names! Koi becomes Ai, that works, right?!"
Gal: "If that's the case, why not read 'koi' as Koi or Ren? Isn't Ai just fine for 'ai'?"
These girls... were they just using me and Yukaricchi as their toys this whole time?
Yukari: "Huh? Huh? During lunch you were all trash-talking Osada-san and complaining about her...!"
Gal: "We say that stuff right to her face too! You're so naive!"
Gahaha! I stop the giggling followers.
It's funny, but what you did is still a no-go.
I make the announcement—if it's come to this, there's no helping it, right?
"Alright then, Tomonaga, you're out. You're banned from our group."
Tomonaga finally seems to get what's happening, her face going pale.
Yukari: "You're banning Miss Hokusho...?"
Bitterly, almost groaning, Tomonaga says,
That. That's what gets her.
I pass along the info I heard earlier.
Oh yeah, about that story about your back from before? Your title of 'Miss Hokusho'—there's a complaint filed about it.
...Worst case, you might even get stripped of it.
Yukari Tomonaga froze up like a stock illustration, just as I warned her.