While most students were bewildered by this intruder’s sudden appearance, a few of them, including the club leader of the baseball team, uttered his name in surprise.
“Kuze…”
They were the ones who knew him from middle school when he had been in the student council.
“Kuze…”
Alisa called his name. Her voice was brimming with astonishment and wonder but was also imploring. After patting her on the back, Masachika stood in front of her as if to protect her.
“The president gave me a brief rundown of what was going on. You’re arguing about who’s going to practice in the schoolyard and who’s going to use the riverbed. Is that the gist of it?”
“That about sums it up.”
“Great.”
It was the captain of the baseball team, having remained silent this entire time for some reason as the others had hurled insults, who answered Masachika’s question. He turned a gaze, half-hopeful and half-trusting, toward Masachika, who then looked at each individual student.
“Then how about this? Considering how many members are in each club, the baseball team should move to the riverside for practice. In return, the soccer team should send some members to help them move,” he suggested. The soccer captain was bewildered while the baseball captain became irate.
“What?! Why do we have to get the short end of the stick?”
“Why do we have to be the ones who practice at the riverside?!”
It was only natural that they argued, but all their complaints came to a sudden end when a certain member of the soccer club spoke up.
“If the baseball club is okay with that, then we managers would be more than willing to help.”
It was one of the female captains in the soccer club who spoke up. She was the chief manager and extremely popular among the male club members due to her cute appearance and dedication to the athletes.
“If she’d help, then…”
Members in the baseball club began to warm up to the idea after her unexpected proposal, but now the soccer club began to show reluctance.
“If they’re going to let us use the schoolyard, then this is the least we can do in return.”
Her words alone were enough to shut them up.
“We’re fine with those conditions. How about you?” asked the leader of the baseball club, since he could tell his club was okay with it. The leader of the soccer club subtly frowned but nodded in response.
“It’s settled, then. Just stop by the student council tomorrow to apply for permission,” instructed Masachika, wrapping up the meeting after the problem surprisingly resolved itself.
Masachika and Alisa were making their way down the hall in the clubhouse en route to the main building. They quietly walked without exchanging a word or even glancing in each other’s direction.
“Hey… Sorry about that,” eventually said Masachika as if he couldn’t bear the silence any longer, but Alisa shot him a quizzical glance. “I guess I kind of stole your thunder by barging in and doing all that.”
“…It’s fine,” Alisa replied dryly before facing forward once more. Then, still gazing straight ahead, she said, “Hey. Why did you make a proposal like that?”
“Hmm?”
“Under normal circumstances, the baseball club would have immediately shot down an idea like that. But it looked like you almost knew that the manager would offer to help.”
“Wow… I’m impressed you noticed.”
“Of course I did. You were staring at her the entire time the baseball club was protesting.”
She really is observant, he thought.
“What I’m about to tell you is just between you and me, okay?” exclaimed Masachika as if he was going to disclose a secret.
“…? Sure.”
“That manager…is actually going out with the leader of the baseball club.”
“What?!”
Shocked, Alisa turned to look at Masachika.
“You remember how the leader of the baseball club didn’t say a word the entire time they were arguing? It’s because he didn’t want to say anything harsh, since his girlfriend was in the other group. They say you can’t mix business with personal affairs, and now we see why. That’s life, though.”
“I had no idea…”
“Plus, she knew they were asking for way too much, so it must have been really awkward for her. That’s why I knew she’d jump in and offer to help.”
“…Oh.”
“The guys in the baseball club are happy that some cute girls are going to help them practice, and the soccer club is happy since they get the schoolyard all to themselves. And those two lovebirds are happy because they get to spend time together during practice, despite being members of different clubs. What a perfect ending to all this!” claimed Masachika.
“I feel like the guys in the baseball club who have no idea what just happened kind of got the short end of the stick, though,” he added with a laugh, causing Alisa to crack a slight smile as well.
“…!”
But Masachika’s smirk twitched slightly when he saw a male student standing at the end of the hallway connected to the main building.
“Were you able to work something out?”
“President…”
It was Touya, smiling and unfazed by the fact that Masachika and Alisa were together, as if he had known this was going to happen.
“The baseball club agreed to give up the schoolyard and use the riverbed in return for the soccer club’s managers helping them with practice… Kuze was the one who worked things out with them,” explained Alisa in a detached tone.
“Really? Good work, Alisa.”
But Touya didn’t say any more than that. Masachika, however, glared at him with a scornful, rebellious gaze.
“This was all part of your plan, huh?”
“Hmm? Not exactly.”
“The fact that you didn’t deny it and say ‘What are you talking about?’ shows that you were at least somewhat expecting this to happen, though.”
“Heh… You got me.”
Touya raised his hands in surrender, killing Masachika’s enthusiasm and causing him to sigh.
“So? Have you made a decision?”
“…”
He knew all along that this would happen, thought Masachika as he raised a white flag.
“Well… Although I’m unworthy of the honor, I suppose I wouldn’t mind taking a seat at the student council.”
“I’m glad to have you.” Touya smiled while Masachika grinned bitterly, knowing he was no match for the president’s cunning. Alisa stood back and watched with a complicated look on her face as they firmly shook hands with their contrasting smiles.
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