CHAPTER 2
Fear the reset.
“Listen. I’m telling you the truth. I didn’t even know Ayano and Yuki were there.”
“Uh-huh.”
“You don’t believe me at all…”
“And you don’t have to explain yourself to me. What’s wrong with childhood friends still getting along?”
Alisa could claim it didn’t bother her, but her harsh tone and temper told a different story. Even her classmates, who had no problem talking to her this morning, were now looking away, pretending as if they didn’t even notice.
I guess I can’t blame her, though. Who would be happy to see their partner meeting with an opposing candidate in an empty classroom? But still… Yuki is basically Alya’s only friend of the same sex.
Masachika had decided that was why Alisa was in a bad mood. Alisa wasn’t jealous like a girl who caught the boy she liked with another girl. That wasn’t why she was in a bad mood. It had nothing to do with love. Nothing to do with love at all.
Sigh… She’s going to be isolated in the classroom again at this rate…
After sighing in his mind, Masachika decided to let it go and talk about something else instead.
“Oh, right. Alya, wanna study together for the test after school?”
She looked shocked. Study. It was that word that clouded her expression with doubt as she replied:
“…Is that some kind of joke?”
“Wow. Rude.”
He smirked at her blunt reply.
“I guess it’s only natural for you to feel that way, though.” He shrugged.
“But, well, there’s something bothering me about the whole debate thing and Sayaka, too.”
Alisa thought back to what happened the week before and fell silent. Knowing how Sayaka felt when she challenged them to the debate renewed their resolve to run for student council president and vice president.
I see… So Kuze is finally going to get serious.
While Alisa was happy her partner seemed motivated for a change, she had mixed feelings because she wasn’t the spark. She kept that to herself, however, and nodded.
“Fine. We can do that.”
“Oh, great… But you don’t have to force yourself to study with me if you’re the kind of person who can’t concentrate unless you’re alone,” replied Masachika timidly as if there was something about Alisa’s blunt response that worried him. She knitted her brow in annoyance.
“I said we can study together… We are partners, after all.”
“Oh yeah… You’re right. How does the student council room sound?”
“Sure.”
Alisa brushed her hair back, inwardly sighing.
Hmph. I guess it is my job to help Kuze study. My partner sure is a lot of work.
She looked smug.
I guess she’s in a slightly better mood now?
And with that, Masachika heaved a mental sigh of relief.
After school, they made their way over to the student council room. While there were plenty of students in the library and in the classrooms at this hour, Masachika and Alisa would most likely be able to study there in peace, since usually only student council members visited the room after school.
“So let’s be—…?”
Immediately after Masachika sat in his usual seat, Alisa installed herself in the spot right next to him as if it were only natural, and he froze.
Uh… Don’t people usually sit across from each other when they study together?
It didn’t help that she was sitting extremely close as well. If anyone saw them, they would wonder why they were using a laughably small portion of such a large desk.
“…What?”
“…Nothing.”
But Masachika wasn’t brave enough to say anything, and Alisa’s sharp glance immediately sent his eyes back to the table in front of him.
W-well, I guess we’ll be fine as long as no one sees us like this. A real couple like the student council president and vice president should be studying somewhere where they can have absolute privacy, and Masha would pretend like she didn’t notice anything strange even if she stopped by. The only person who might say something would be Yuki, but she can study at home with Ayano already, so she’s definitely not going to catch us like th—
“Hmm? Oh my. I apologize for not knocking. I had no idea you two were here.”
Yukiiiiiiiii!! Damn you, foreshadowing! screamed Masachika in his mind. He slowly turned to look at the door, where Yuki and Ayano stood. Yuki may have appeared sorry, but he could see the mischievous glee in her eyes.
Did you think you were finally going to get a chance to be alone with her? Not on my watch.
What are you doing here?
Isn’t it obvious?
No?
I came here to stop you two from playing doctor in the student council room!
We weren’t playing doctor!
Yuki inclined her head, maintaining her innocent, ladylike demeanor in spite of her wild telepathic accusations.
“Are you two studying together? Do you think we could join you?”
Regardless of her reasoning, there was no way Masachika could turn Yuki away when she was acting like an innocent young lady. Although he slightly reprimanded her with his eyes, he decided to allow her to—
“<Go away.>”
Ack?!
Masachika desperately struggled to keep himself from doing a spit take the instant he heard those slightly peevish Russian words coming from behind him.
“…Alya? Yuki wants to join our study group. What do you say?”
Although mentally defeated, Masachika managed to maintain his expression as he looked to his side.
“Sure. I don’t see why not.” Alisa shrugged with an air of nonchalance.
“…Okay.”
While maybe not in Russian, Alisa gave her consent in Japanese, so Masachika shifted his sights back on Yuki and—
“<I want to be alone with you.>”
Gwah!
Her sweet Russian hit Masachika with a mental blow that nearly knocked him off his feet. He trembled like a newborn fawn.
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