Chapter 74: VS Mishima Satsuki 1 [side Osada Ai]
I went to the film club to apologize, and apologized to Saito-kun and Tanaka-kun, telling my ex-boyfriend Saito-kun, who had heard the rumors, that I'd had a rough time with Mishima Satsuki—just to make sure he knew.
"So, we're planning to mess with Mishima Satsuki over this, make fun of her, and after that, crash the class caste she absolutely adores and laugh about it... Is that okay? So, Saito-kun, want to come with us?"
Even though we didn't invite him, Tanaka-kun started getting the filming equipment ready... Well, it might be good to have a record, I guess.
Saito-kun hesitated for a second, but decided to come along.
...He's the one who, along with Tomonaga, supported her with dieting and all sorts of things, right?
He's not that tall, but... my impression is he's a boy with a pretty face.
Just like the rumors say, he's quiet and expressionless, but he gets good grades, and I hear he's almost a regular on the basketball team as a first-year. Especially for grades—last finals, he ranked just one above me in 10th place...
As we walked, we talked about the bet with Class 5 and the bet with Mishima Satsuki.
I talked with Saito-kun as I observed him,
"That's how it is."
Saito: "...I see, thanks for explaining it so clearly. ...We have three Saitos in our class, so if it's okay, could you call me Kousuke?"
I answered immediately.
"I have a boyfriend. I don't call anyone but my boyfriend by their first name. Sorry."
Even though I turned him down, Saito-kun looked even happier, and closed the distance between us a bit, when he'd been keeping his distance before.
First we stopped by Class 6, calling out to everyone.
"So, should we go to Class 5? To Mishima Satsuki, who made fun of us? Time to go collect?"
Everyone said,
"We've been waiting!"
"Is this payback? We're doing payback?"
"Hyahhaa!!"
Starting with my followers, a few girls came along.
Tomonaga seemed to have spotted Saito-kun at the entrance and was staring at him, but Saito-kun ignored her.
Just to be sure, I warned everyone.
"The tally isn't in yet, right? The bet between Class 5 and Class 6 isn't settled yet, okay? Don't get too hyped, okay? We'll win the right to use the washroom in the bet, but don't be mean, okay? And whoever wins needs to use honorifics! If you make enemies, they'll get you back later! Some people have friends in Class 5, and with the class change, you might end up in the same class as them, right? Okay? Show them what kindness from the winners looks like, okay?"
""Okay!""
Tanaka: "...Wow, the political power you get from being the top girl in the caste!"
It's not like that,
"Going too far is worse than doing nothing."
Saito-kun nodded silently,
Okay, it's next door, right? Let's go.
Now, to Class 6—making a show of it, I knocked on the door to get everyone's attention before going in,
"Hello! We're from Class 6!"
I entered, just a little mocking.
Kageno: "!! Satsuki! Look! Osada-san's here!"
Mishima: "...Everyone's been cold to me since yesterday! But you always make me the scapegoat at times like this!"
There's some kind of argument going on.
Mishima? You're the one who took the bet, right?
Of course they're coming to you about it—if you're the top, you're on the front line, right?
She probably thinks being on top means being the sparkling star actress on stage.
...I think it's actually more like being the on-site supervisor.
Sometimes you have to scold or flatter quirky staff, praise them, make sure everyone follows the rules, keep the overall balance, watch out for dangerous situations, negotiate with those around you, apologize, yell, do physical work, introduce new tech, meet deadlines, and work together to create all sorts of things.
That's what an on-site supervisor is.
Mishima Satsuki looks good, and she shouldn't be dumb.
I mean, she got into our school.
But when she gets hyped up, she stops paying attention to the ground or to people.
If you dance wildly in such a dangerous place...you'd worry, right?
Akino: "Mishima-san? Osada-san is waiting for you?"
Nudged by those around her, Mishima Satsuki came to stand before me with a sullen, listless look.
She's shaken, seeing her ex-boyfriend Saito-kun among my group.
That's exactly why I brought him.
Saito-kun must have some feelings about Mishima,
And Mishima definitely doesn't want to embarrass herself in front of her ex-boyfriend,
If she gets shaken, the payback will be even sweeter.
...I have a bit of a complex about how mean I can be...
...But Ryo says, "You're just thinking really hard about it, right?" and takes it in a good way!
...Ahem.
Mishima can't take her eyes off Saito-kun,
Tanaka-kun started filming with both a stationary camera and a handheld one...what is with this guy?
All right, let's get started.
I smiled brightly,
"Mishima-san? Good work at the culture festival! It was tough for both of us, huh?"
Mishima made a bitter face,
Mishima: "Tch, yeah, it was tough..."
No, no, I saw it—Kageno-san, who ran the class while you were gone, and Akino-san, who supported her, had it much tougher.
Let's just cut to the chase!
"So, we're here for the bet payout, right?"
It's not really my style, but I said it playfully.
"Ahahaha!"
Don't laugh, you guys—I'm supposed to be the ally here!
These people will turn me into a toy the moment I let my guard down.
And if I get mad, they get scared...
Mishima: "Ah, the bet. Gambling's not good, you know?"
This brat...
"Did you forget what you promised...? Are you doing okay with your schoolwork~? I did record it, just in case...?"
I opened the recording app on my phone.
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Mishima: "A contest, right? Fine!"
Osada: "Okay then, should we say whoever makes more sales at the maid café wins?"
Mishima: "Fine."
Osada: "Then, how about the loser has to speak in honorifics to the winner for the rest of the year? Also, priority use of the washroom."
Mishima: "Fine."
Osada: "Let's bet on using honorifics until we move up a grade, just you and me?"
Mishima: "Fine. Adding that to the maid café contest?"
Osada: "You're entering the beauty contest, right? If you win Miss First Year, you win. If you don't, you lose. How about that?"
Mishima: "Miss First Year, huh? Fine. Don't try to sabotage me, okay? Or are you entering?"
Osada: "I'm not entering. I actually respect how confident you are! And I won't sabotage you. Even if you win that way, you wouldn't admit you lost, right?"
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See Chapter 39: Contest
She answered "Fine" to everything without thinking...
Mishima went bright red and fell silent.
Actually, I do think highly of Mishima.
She made her high school debut and had the courage and determination to reinvent herself as the class top.
That must have been really hard.
But after that, it all went downhill—girls shouldn't be so easy.
People say I'm gal-like...or even yankee-like.
But then my group girls tease me, calling me "super pure!"
I'm actually strict about dating.
I can't stand either easy girls or playboys.
Same for Mishima—she's so pretty, so why hurt other people to get what she wants?
Did you really want some city-dwelling, party-loving playboy that badly?
Even if that's the case, shouldn't you break up properly, make things clear, and have everyone accept it first?
To be honest, I want to corner her like Ushijima-kun would, but I'm too much of a clean freak to let myself do that.
So, sticking to the rules, Mishima will have to pay the price.
With a big smile on my face,
"Mii-shii-ma-san?"
Mishima: "What is it, Osada?"
"It's 'What is it, Osada-san?'!!"
At my slightly raised voice and angry expression, the atmosphere goes completely silent.
...Way too silent.
I began counting off Mishima Satsuki's mistakes on my fingers.
So that Class 5's grudge wouldn't be directed at our Class 6.
Carefully, making sure it was clear Mishima Satsuki over there was the real culprit.
One by one, the gazes of our classmates fixed on Mishima Satsuki turned cold as ice.