“Your desires to sleep and eat.”
“Wow, I’m nothing more than the embodiment of the three basic desires of humanity…”
“I’m kidding, Elena. You’d still have your wealth, popularity, and good looks.”
“Tsk! But…! Wait. That doesn’t sound bad at all.”
“It might even be a good thing.”
“Oh… I still haven’t reached enlightenment, I guess.”
“Nobody is telling you to reach enlightenment, but maybe it’s time to settle down a little.”
“No waaay. I still wanna go skirt chasing.”
“You’re already wearing a skirt.”
“We can change that if you want.”
Masachika glared at her, for Elena was such a creep that she made Yuki in “little-sister mode” look like an angel in comparison.
“You really like fooling around like this, don’t you?” Masachika replied coldly, eliciting a sly grin from Elena as she exaggeratedly wiggled her body.
“Whaaat? C-come on, we haven’t even started fooling around yet…”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Ha-ha… I mean…”
She bashfully scratched her head with a forced smile and cheerfully admitted, “Everyone at school is either a gentleman or gentlewoman who ignores my jokes, or they’re just really quirky, which forces me to play the straight man. It’s rare for me to find someone that I can freely goof off with like you.”
“You should just go ahead and be your silly self with everyone… You’re way too serious of a person to be like this…”
“Hey?! Don’t call me a serious person! Because I’m not! In fact, don’t call me Elena anymore. Call me your queen…and worship me because I’m the lewdest girl at school.”
“And yet I never hear any strange rumors about you.”
“That’s because I don’t like being tied down to just anyone, because if anyone’s doing the tying, it’s gonna be me.”
“Yeah, yeah. It’s very cool that you still like to play pretend, Queen Elena.”
“It’s not pretend!” she said, fuming, while Masachika gave her another fed up glare.
“…So? What do you want?”
“Oh, right!”
As if she had suddenly remembered why she had come here in the first place, Elena flashed Masachika a bright, almost cartoonish smile and extended her hand.
“Kuze, I want you to make a pact with me and become the harem king. ☆”
“Go away.”
“Why?!”
After being told to leave, Elena slammed her hands down on Masachika’s desk with a bang.
“This is the harem king we’re talking about! Any boy in high school would kill to be in this position!”
“Except this so-called harem of yours is your brass band club! So I’m guessing becoming the ‘king’ means you want me to be the president? Which I would have no reason to do!”
“Wow, you’re sharp, Kuze.”
Masachika blocked her friendly elbow nudges until her expression suddenly became slightly more serious.
“Okay, sorry. I’ll explain from the beginning.”
“…Uh-huh.”
“I was joking about becoming the harem king. To tell the truth, I want you to play piano for the brass band club.”
““…!””
Masachika wasn’t the only one whose expression hardened at those words. Alisa’s face grew stern as well. Elena, however, raised both hands in a helpless gesture, seemingly oblivious to their reactions.
“We had a third-year student playing piano for us for a while, but he’s apparently too busy now studying for college entrance exams, so he quit. In other words, we currently don’t have anyone who can play piano for us. Of course, we don’t need a piano for all our songs or anything, but everyone who joins our club obviously does it because they like wind instruments…so we’re having trouble finding anyone that wants to play piano for us.”
“Yeah, I guess everyone who wants to play piano joins the piano club, huh?”
“Exactly. So I was like, ‘What are we going to do?’ And then suddenly…”
Elena nodded, a gentle smile playing on her lips as she slid her arm around Masachika’s shoulder.
“You took my breath away. I had no idea someone so talented was so close by the entire time.”
“Uh-huh…”
“So forge a pact with me and become our harem king.”
“No thanks.”
“Why?!”
“I’ve had bad experiences with people pressuring me into signing contracts. Plus, this whole thing sounds more like I’m signing up to become a servant, not a king.”
“Come ooon, you make it sound so much worse than it really is… Heh. Let’s do club stuff together. ☆ That’s all I’m asking from you.”
“You’re asking for way more than that!”
“Mmm… You’re being more stubborn than I thought…”
“I’m actually surprised that you thought you could trick me into joining by asking me to become your harem king.”
Noticing Masachika’s exasperated look, Elena altered her expression and changed her tone.
“King Kuze, there are tons of cuties in the brass band club, you know?”
“Do you really think that’s going to convince me to join?”
“They all complimented your fingering after they saw how long you could perform, too.”
“On the piano, right?!”
Masachika’s eyes narrowed in annoyance as he glared at Elena, questioning how she could talk like this in front of Alisa, but she returned his gaze with a puzzled expression.
“Kuze, please tell me I’m wrong, but…are you not interested in having a harem?”
“That’s not the issue here.”
“Then what’s the issue? Look how sincere I’m being.”
“What part of this is being sincere?” he asked flatly, making Elena throw her arms around herself, a look of frustration crossing her face.
“Those eyes… Wait… Are you telling me that my words aren’t enough to please you?! Fine… I know how I can please you—”
“No thanks.”
“I’m giving you all this, and you’re saying ‘no’?! Look at this body! You’re free to do whatever you want with it! Use my perfectly ripe body to release all those pent-up frustrations of yours!”
“‘Ripe’?”
“You can twinkle, twinkle my little star all night!”
““…””
“Oh. Okaaay, then. You’re giving me the silent treatment, huh? Looking at me like I’m crazy. Heh. Give me a break, will ya?”
Caught in the cross fire of their cold glares, Elena scratched her head with a sleazy grin, eliciting a sigh from Masachika.
“If you really want to be sincere, then ask me to help you like a normal person.”
Masachika appeared fed up with the fact that she’d never once made a serious attempt to recruit him. Elena’s eyebrows rose. She dropped her playful demeanor and looked down at Masachika with a frighteningly serious expression.
“Do you mean…you want me to get on my knees?”
“No, I just need you to be normal—”
“Ah! How dare you?! You expect me, a former student council vice president, to get on my knees to please you, a first-year student who’s only a general member in the student council?” Elena spat out dismissively with a sarcastic sneer… Then, in a fluid motion, she plopped down onto her knees in a sudden, dramatic bow, with her forehead to the floor.
“Please help the brass band club. I beg of you.”
“Th-the lack of self-respect is staggering.”
“Heeey, come on. I want you to play piano for us! This is going to be my last performance in high school! I’ll do anything!”
Elena was now clinging to his arm, her knees still on the ground, which was starting to make him feel guilty.
“Yeah, but you’re a former vice president, so it’s not like—”
—you could help us, he trailed off…when it suddenly hit him.
Hold up…? The Run is just for fun, right?
Regardless of the intentions of those involved or how observers perceived it, the Run was essentially a sideshow, and participation was not even mandatory. Therefore…
Having a former vice president join us…is kind of a gray area, I guess. After all, if it really was a big deal, then it wouldn’t be an unwritten rule. Somebody would have put it in writing…
In other words, he could easily talk-jutsu himself into a victory if anyone protested.
Besides…
Masachika sneered at the haunting image of his mother that had been lingering in his mind ever since he’d heard the word “piano.”
I have come to terms with my past with Mah…so it’s about time I overcame my issues with my mother.
With that in mind, Masachika and Alisa exchanged a glance, and after briefly communicating in silence, he slowly turned to Elena.
“You said you’d do anything, right?”
“Huh?”
Masachika smirked as he looked down at Elena, who was clearly caught off guard.
“You said I could use that ‘perfectly ripe body’ of yours, too, right?”
“H-huh…? Uh…?”
Elena abruptly stood up, as if she sensed something sinister in his soul, her eyes darting between Masachika and Alisa as her expression stiffened. Her cheeks flushed as her eyes began to well up with tears, when—
“I…”
“…?”
“I’m not wearing cute underwear today!!”
“Stop screaming nonsense and get back here!!” Masachika shouted, furiously chasing after Elena as she fled like a frightened rabbit, her arms clutched around her chest to shield herself, with tears brimming in her eyes.
“…Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Alisa asked hesitantly after they returned to their desks from discussing things with Elena in the hallway.
“Hmm? Oh. Well, she did get on all fours and bow, and they only need my help starting after field day until their performance in December…so if that’s all it’s going to take to get Elena to help us, then that sounds like a good deal in my book.”
Masachika shrugged back at Alisa with a wry smirk.
Ultimately, Elena had agreed to participate in the Run, but only on one condition. Nevertheless, the condition itself was actually proposed by Masachika, so Elena had essentially agreed to everything they wanted. In return, Masachika had agreed to help the brass band, just as Elena had originally requested.
“Anyway, I can’t believe she wants to start practicing together right after field day is over… I guess deep down, she really is a serious person… She can be rational. Plus, I bet she came to ask me today to help instead of right after the school festival, because she was waiting for exams to be over.”
Masachika chuckled inwardly at his older schoolmate’s thoughtful nature, which was far different from her outwardly wild persona. However, Alisa asked once more.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“…?”
“You know… Helping out on piano…” Alisa was worried about Masachika going to play the piano, and although still questioning herself after seeing the look on his face, she steeled herself and voiced her hypothesis. “Because…I got the impression that you didn’t really like piano all that much.”
It was a gut feeling that she’d had after hearing Masachika play the piano at the Autumn Heights Festival. When she first heard him play, Alisa had felt a surge of resentment. Why had he hidden the fact that he could play the piano so well? Why didn’t he want to be in the band with her? And why was he showing off his skills here, of all places?
However, as she listened to him play, her childish resentment gradually subsided until she finally realized the answer to her own question: Masachika probably didn’t enjoy playing the piano. In fact, perhaps he even despised it. At any rate, Masachika’s eyes widened in astonishment at Alisa’s almost instinctive guess.
I knew it.
His reaction alone convinced her that she was right.
“If you’re forcing yourself to do something that you don’t want to, then let’s go tell her no. It still isn’t too late. We can find someone else to help us in the Run.”
Masachika looked away, a thoughtful expression on his face after Alisa spoke. But after a few seconds of silence, he slowly replied:
“…I don’t exactly hate the piano, and I’m not forcing myself to do something that I don’t want to, either.”
After a long pause, Alisa instinctively felt that his words came from the heart…but at the same time, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was hiding something.
He’s doing it again.
He’d done it before. Once again, Masachika had evaded the question, sidestepping the issue as if to prevent Alisa from digging deeper. And it worked, too.
Why can’t I just ask him? “What do you not like about it, then?” “Why didn’t you play in the band with us, then?”
But despite her feeling that way, Alisa’s throat tightened, unable to get out the words. She feared that being so blunt would push Masachika somewhere far, far away, so she simply froze.
“I just don’t really have any passion for it…which kind of worries me.”
“Why does that worry you?”
“Well, think of it this way: In a chorus or orchestra, it’s vital that everyone’s in sync. It doesn’t matter how good you are if you’re all not on the same page or if someone isn’t putting their heart into the music. It won’t sound good,” he replied in his usual playful manner.
“That’s why putting someone like me in a brass band, who isn’t even interested in performing, is a recipe for disaster. At the very least, it could be disappointing. I purposely didn’t say all that to Elena, though,” claimed Masachika, smirking cynically…when it finally hit Alisa.
So that’s why…
Masachika’s lack of passion for music, she realized, was the real reason for him not wanting to do the band with her, since he believed that his own lack of enthusiasm would hold the others back. Realizing this reminded Alisa of a similar feeling that she had experienced not long ago.
It’s like how I don’t understand love…
Unable to feel the same passion as those around her, Alisa felt a profound sense of loneliness and isolation, as if she were the only cold, cruel person in the world.
Is this how you feel?
The instant that thought crossed her mind, Alisa replied, “I disagree.” Masachika stared at her, taken aback by the intensity of her words. Meeting his gaze directly, she noted, “Maybe you don’t feel passionate about music. But…”
Although she didn’t know what had happened to Masachika in the past, Alisa had been around him long enough to know one thing.
“You have a passion for supporting those with passion. You showed us that when you worked so hard to help Fortitude…and you showed me that when you decided to run for student council president and vice president together.”
Leaning forward in her chair, she took Masachika’s hand and gazed intently into his eyes, hoping her feelings would reach him.
“That’s why…it’s going to be okay. You’ll be able to make Elena’s dream come true…so please don’t let this tear you up inside.”
She didn’t know why she said what she did at the end there. The words had just spilled out while she gazed into his eyes…and when Alisa saw his eyes waver, she instantly realized that she was right. Beneath his playful, carefree exterior, Masachika was suffering and probably had been for a long time…
“…!”
The moment she came to this realization, Alisa couldn’t bear it anymore. Her chest tightened painfully, and before she knew it…she was pulling Masachika into a tight embrace. She leaned in, drawing her lips closely to his ear and, with a strained voice from the depths of her throat, whispered:
“Do you think that one day…” Her voice weakened until the words got stuck in her throat. There was a fear lurking deep within her—the fear of going any further, and it was trying to silence her. Nevertheless, Alisa desperately fought back, her voice barely a whisper as she continued, “…you could share this pain of yours with me?”
Alisa had mustered all her courage to ask that question, but Masachika didn’t immediately respond. A long, agonizing silence followed, each second feeling like an eternity…until Masachika finally nodded ever so slightly.
Alisa’s heart swelled with relief and joy as she tightened her arms around him…when a certain thought suddenly crossed her mind: Maybe this would be the perfect time to tell him?
What is this feeling…? I feel like I can tell him now.
It was something that she had been wanting to tell him for so long, so she mustered up the courage to tell him…then changed her mind at the very last second.
No. If I’m going to tell him, I should wait until after the Run.
If she was going to tell him, it would be after winning. She wanted to stand proud before him and tell him, and to do that…
I have to win, no matter what.
With renewed determination, she looked ahead…where her gaze suddenly met Elena’s at the classroom door.
““…!””
Their gazes locked, and they both flinched. Although they remained completely still for a few moments…Elena’s brain ended up rebooting before Alisa’s.
“Oh! Uh… I just realized that we still hadn’t talked specifics y-yet,” stammered Elena, her eyes darting around wildly while her cheeks gradually turned red.
“A-anyway, I—I didn’t see anything! I won’t tell anyone! I promise!!” she said, screaming, as if she had just witnessed a murder, while bolting off like a frightened hare.
“Stop spreading nonsense while running away!” screamed Alisa the instant her brain rebooted.
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