Too Many Losing Heroines! - Volume 4 - Chapter 2.1

Chapter 2: Just a Little Kindness

The Friday classes are over. It’s homeroom time.

I put my elbow on the table as I remembered my conversation with Teiara-san yesterday.

“-Be on my side.”

Her tone was relatively light. However, I was crushed by its meaning after the passage of time.

I was going to ask Teiara-san after Shikiya-san’s encouragement. However, Teiara-san wants me to be on her side and fix Shikiya-san and Tsukinoki-senpai’s relationship.

“...No, there’s no way, right?”

I accidentally blurted that out in the classroom.

Amanatsu-sensei was reading the list of precautions for the winter holiday. She glared at me.

“Hey. Nukumizu. Why don’t you say it out loud if you have a problem? Is it that difficult not to have an impure relationship with the opposite sex? Are you trying to say that you’re not going to be single this Christmas? Is that what you mean?”

“Eh? No, that’s not what I meant.”

I mumbled. Amanatsu-sensei smacked her tongue and threw away the list of winter holiday precautions. This class teacher has a bad temper.

“Whatever, you guys can just read it yourselves. Let me tell you something- actually, I went to a friend’s wedding a few days ago.”

This is the start of a weird story. The mood in the classroom immediately tensed up.

Amanatsu-sensei spoke up with a bright smile plastered on her face.

“What a great ceremony. The reason the bride decided to get married is the best thing I’ve heard. She said it was lonely to return to an empty, gloomy room every night. Isn’t that funny? Ahaha.”

Amanatsu-sensei laughed. A dark silence fell upon the classroom.

Sensei suddenly lowered her head and smacked the podium.

“...Imagine how sensei felt that night when I returned to my empty, gloomy room in my formal dress with presents in my hands. That will be how you brats look like in 10 years.”

What on Earth is with this curse?

Sensei raised her head after some time. She returned to her usual human-eating expression.

“Alright, get ready to go home after everyone feels better! Sensei will hand out all of your grade sheets afterward. Sleep with one eye open this weekend!”

Ehh, …are we supposed to greet the weekend with such tension? Come to think of it, sensei, are you getting close to the cat you just started keeping?

Amanatsu-sensei went out of the classroom. Everyone left their seat. 

Now’s not the time to worry about that. The most important thing now is to continue our strategy conference from yesterday. I have to bring Shikiya-san over. Yanami seems to have left the classroom already.

I have to go to the club room as well. …Honestly, I’m suffocating. The pressure can’t be more tremendous. I have to ask what happened between Tsukinoki-senpai and her while keeping Teiara-san’s secret-

Can I really pull a double-agent move here?

Spies are fantastic, man. Can I get an anime adaptation as well…?

A tinge of flower scent flew into my nose as I attempted to escape reality.

The light novel BGM played in my head. This way of entrance is undoubtedly-

“Nukumizu-kun, do you have time?”

-Karen Himemiya. The classical main heroine took down Sosuke Hakamada in 2 months, which Yanami had been unable to do for 12 years.

Bolts of light sparkle around Himemiya-san’s long hair. I squinted my eyes at her charming smile.

“Ah, sure, what’s up?”

“Can I ask whether you’re free on Christmas?”

“Eh?”

She’s definitely going to ask me to work her shift if I say I’m free here. I know this because I always surf the web.

“Working part-time is banned in our school. Helping you is a little-” 

“Eh? Sheesh, Nukumizu-kun is joking again.”

Himemiya-san covered her mouth and chuckled. It was like that was the funniest thing she had ever heard.

“The closing ceremony is on Christmas, right? Our classmates want to have a Christmas party. How about Nukumizu-kun come and join us?”

I think Yanami has talked about this.

“Well, I appreciate it, but I’m busy that day.”

“Busy…?”

This isn’t a lie. Kaju’s doing her best to celebrate my birthday.

There’s a countdown timer made with LED lights on the walls of my house. It’s actually the remaining days until my birthday. I bet the neighbors think our family really likes Christmas.

“Nukumizu, you’re not free on Christmas?”

The person sitting next to Himemiya-san is Sosuke Hakamada. A regrettable expression appeared on the handsome guy’s face.

“Uh, …sorry, I have something to do that day.”

“It’s okay even if you leave in the middle. Just show up for a while.”

“Eh, but-”

“W-Wait, Sosuke!”

Himemiya-san hastily stopped Sosuke’s invitation.

“What’s wrong, Karen?”

“Look, Anna-chan also says she doesn’t know if she can make it, right? Perhaps…”

“Ah, crap. My bad.”

“Sosuke is dense as usual.”

Himemiya-san said that as she smiled and kissed Hakamada’s cheeks.

I feel like an annoying misunderstanding came out of nowhere. Also, can you two stop flirting in front of me?

“Well, my Christmas plan has nothing to do with Yanami-san-”

I explained with my honor on the line. Then, the BGM that has been playing in my mind suddenly changes.

It turned into an eerie melody.

The sparkling Himemiya dimension is quickly swallowed by darkness.

No one else would do this. A gloomy shadow loomed behind Himemiya-san.

“You’re still here…”

“Kya!”

Himemiya-san yelled and hugged Hakamada.

The shadow is cast by Shikiya-san. She wobbled as she stood before me.

“I have…something urgent to do…today.”

Shikiya-san tilted her head deeply.

“Sorry…for…breaking our promises constantly.”

“Eh? Well-”

Promise? Does that mean we won’t be having a strategy meeting today?

“It’s okay. No worries. Well, see you next week.”

I was about to stand up. Shikiya-san leaned her face toward mine over the table.

Her face nearly touched my forehead. I frantically sat back down.

“Ah, well-”

“As an exchange, …are you free this Sunday afternoon…?”

Basically, I’m always free.

I nodded silently. Shikiya-san stood up- she suddenly squatted down and slammed her face onto the table.

“Went upstairs, …tired…”

“You came upstairs to the second floor, right? Here. I’ll pull you. Stand up slowly. Alright, hold on tight and get yourself up.”

…I’m already used to taking care of this girl. My forehead is already full of sweat as she finally stands up. Shikiya-san wiped my forehead with her handkerchief as I searched in my pocket.

“Ah, thanks.”

“Well, Sunday, …I’ll wait for you at that old place…”

Shikiya-san wobbled as she left the classroom…

Hmm? Where’s the old place? I don’t really understand. Ah, I have to tell Yanami and Komari what happened and that today’s conference is canceled too. What a pain.

Fine, let’s go to the club room first. I put my bag on my shoulder. Himemiya-san and Hakamada bulged their eyes and glared at me as they cuddled.

“Uh, what’s wrong?”

“Nukumizu, she’s the second-year student in the student council, right? You two are quite close.”

“That’s not true. She’s always like that.”

Hakamada looked dazed.

“She’s always so clingy?”

“Even I’m embarrassed too.”

The two wrapped their arms around each other and chuckled.

I managed to hold the following sentence in my throat.

-Like you two are the ones to talk.