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Chapter 9: Efforts Made for Recompense Rarely Yield Rewards

“Arisu-senpai has caught a cold…”

“Yes, Arisu’s parents called this morning. It seems to be just a cold, but she probably won’t be able to come to school for the next couple of days.”

“…I see. That’s unfortunate… Now that I think about it, she did look quite pale.”

This was after school, the day Yui and I went to school together.

We gathered in the student council room, updating Hiyori and Futaba about Arisu-senpai’s condition.

We found out about Arisu-senpai feeling unwell while waiting at the crossroads. It’s likely her mother, knowing they usually go to school together, had contacted Yui.

To be honest, this wasn’t surprising.

With her packed schedule, it was inevitable that her health would suffer.

Anyway, since the work was mostly done, no one was going to blame her for taking a break.

“…President, may I ask a question?”

“What is it, Futaba?”

“I remember that the script for tomorrow’s closing ceremony is supposed to be the vice president’s responsibility. Is there an issue with that?”

Now that she mentioned it, Hiyori and I also looked towards Yui.

“The script seems to be finished already. I plan to pick it up from Arisu’s house before going to school tomorrow.”

“That’s good.”

Yesterday, Arisu-senpai stayed in the council room to work on the script.

I wished she had rested, but it turned out her persistence avoided the situation of not having the script ready.

We might have to keep looking up to her for a long time.

“We are able to continue as student council members because of Arisu’s hard work and support. Let’s not forget this and face tomorrow.”

Hearing Yui’s words, we nodded in agreement.

What we could do was to not add more burden to Arisu-senpai and try to handle as much as we could ourselves.

For that, we had to ensure the student council president’s speech tomorrow goes perfectly.

But then again, I felt like there wasn’t much more I could do—

◇◇◇◆◆◆

Then, the day of the closing ceremony arrived.

“Natsuhiko, let’s go.”

“Ah, yes, I’m coming.”

Called by Hiyori, I left the classroom.

After the morning homeroom, we headed to the gym for the closing ceremony.

But on the way, as students gradually entered the gym, my smartphone suddenly vibrated.

(A call from Arisu-senpai…?)

The call from someone resting due to illness surprised me.

“What happened?”

“It’s… Arisu-senpai…”

“Arisu-senpai?”

A person like Arisu-senpai would surely understand that it was the eve of the closing ceremony.

There simply wasn’t time to take calls.

Yet she still called me, giving me a sense of an urgent situation.

“Hiori, sorry, could you tell Mr. Kanbara that I have a stomach ache and need to leave?”

“…Understood.”

“Thanks.”

I briefly informed Hiyori of my whereabouts and ran out of the line heading to the gym, quickly entering an empty restroom to answer the call.

“Hello, Arisu-senpai?”

“Ah! You answered…!”

I heard Arisu-senpai’s relieved voice on the other end, somewhat hoarse but more spirited than I expected.

“What’s the matter…? More importantly, how’s your health…?”

“Don’t worry about my health; it’s not that serious. More importantly, I’m sorry to bother you just before the ceremony, but there’s something I desperately need to ask you—(cough, cough)”

“Please, calm down! I’m alone right now, so you can speak slowly.”

“Now is not the time for me to calm down… There’s an emergency.”

“Emergency?”

“The script I gave to Yui this morning… that’s not the speech script…!”

“!?”

This unforeseen situation shattered my optimistic expectation of a smooth end, drenching me in cold sweat.

The ceremony was about to start.

While the principal’s speech might take a while, there wasn’t much time left for Yui’s speech.

Some might think sending the script via smartphone would suffice, but reading from a phone instead of a script on stage is unacceptable.

That would be deemed disrespectful.

Yeah, this was a major crisis.

“My mom was supposed to give her the script, but she accidentally handed her my novel manuscript…!”

“So, the script Yui has now is Arisu-senpai’s novel…”

“I’ve already informed Yui. Natsuhiko, can you come and pick it up on your way…?”

“On my way…?”

I struggled to comprehend what she was saying.

Even feeling unwell, she was worried about Yui.

————But.

If Arisu-senpai exerted herself now, it could worsen her condition.

I couldn’t let her worry any further after all her efforts.

“I want Yui to be the student council president…! Please…!”

“……”

Ignoring Arisu-senpai’s plea was something I couldn’t do.

So, there was only one thing I had to do.

“Arisu-senpai, please stay at home.”

“Eh?”

“I can’t let you strain yourself when you’re unwell. I’ll go to your house to pick up the manuscript.”

“But, but it will be too late—”

“Arisu-senpai, please leave it to me.”

“…Understood. I trust you.”

“Great!”

“I’ll send you my address… Be careful.”

The call ended.

I quickly checked the address Arisu-senpai sent and rushed out of the restroom stall.

“Okay, stop right there.”

“Wha!?”

Someone suddenly grabbed me from behind as I was about to head to the shoe rack.

I coughed reflexively and turned around to see Hiyori, arms crossed, standing there.

“Hi, Hiyori!? I’m in a hurry—”

“Yaegashi just told me what happened. So, that call just now… you’re planning to go to Arisu-senpai’s house to get the script, right?”

“…Yes.”

“You’re such an idiot. Even running won’t make it in time.”

“Um…”

Indeed, even if I ran, the chances of making it on time were slim, maybe fifty percent, no, thirty percent? Perhaps even less.

Okay, let’s give up—my personality won’t let me think like that.

In times like these, I can’t stop struggling.

Rather than letting them get hurt, it would be hundreds of times better for me to suffer.

“…Natsuhiko, go to the parking lot.”

“Eh?”

Hiyori grabbed my shoulder, forcefully turning me around.

“You’ll know when you get there. Just go now. You trust me, right?”

“…Yeah.”

Since she said so, I had no choice but to keep quiet.

The person I trust most is Hiyori.

No matter what happens, I will never betray Hiyori, nor will I doubt her.

“Then hurry up and run! There’s no time!”

“Whoa…!”

Hiyori pushed me on the back, and I took off running.

“Thank you, Hiyori! I’m off!”

“Okay, okay… I’m counting on you.”

I carried Hiyori’s trust on my back and ran out of the school building.

Following her instructions to the parking lot, I found a familiar beautiful girl there.

“Darling! You’re so slow!”

“Don’t call me darling…!”

She’s willing to help too? I must have accumulated a lot of good deeds in my past life.

Standing in the center of the parking lot, Haruna, now Rumi, handed me a bicycle key.

“Did Hiyori ask you to do this!?”

“That’s right. Although I’m not clear about the situation, you need to go to Arisu-senpai’s house, right? This should mostly make it in time.”

“Yes, thank you!… Wait, Rumi, don’t you take the train to school? Why do you have a bicycle?”

“I borrowed it from a guy who rides a bike but was late today. He agreed without even asking why when I asked to borrow it.”

Typical of her allure. She seemed to have captivated another guy in no time.

“Rumi, thank you. You’ve been a great help.”

After thanking her, I got on the bike.

For some reason, Rumi blocked my way.

“…As a condition for letting you use this bike, I have a request.”

“Ah!? Now, now’s not the time for this…”

“I want you to call me Rumi.”

“Why so suddenly…”

“Despite calling Yaegashi and Hiyori by their first names, you always address me by my last name, which I don’t like!”

Rumi started stamping her feet childishly.

Actually, I would be more surprised to address her by her first name…

“I understand. From now on, I’ll call you Rumi.”

“Good, that’s settled… And let me call you Natsuhiko.”

“Eh? Yeah, that’s fine…”

It felt more like a reward.

“Okay, okay! Take it and go!”

Rumi, now blushing, stepped back hurriedly from the bike.

Despite her flirtatious nature, she unexpectedly resorted to bargaining.

Although that was also kind of cute.

And knowing these aspects of her that only I was aware of gave me a strong sense of privilege.

“Rumi, thank you! I’ll definitely repay you!”

“! Don’t suddenly call me that!”

“Eh!? But you asked me to…”

“Annoying! Just hurry up and go to Arisu-senpai’s house!”

I felt somewhat teased by her.

But now wasn’t the time for odd skits.

Nodding at Rumi’s final encouragement, I mounted the bike.

It would take about ten minutes to cycle to Arisu-senpai’s house.

It was a distance of one train stop from the school.

Though the principal’s speech would take some time, twenty minutes to go there and back was quite a stretch.

And even when I returned to school, I had to hand over the script to Yui before she went on stage.

It really was a matter of leaving it to fate.

◇◇◇◆◆◆

“Has Natsuhiko left?”

“Yes, he’s gone.”

I met up with Rumi after returning from the parking lot, and together we headed towards the gym.

It was probably the principal’s speech time now.

Though we expected to be scolded, it was unavoidable.

I’ll think of something to ask Natsuhiko later to vent my frustration.

“…Will that guy make it in time?”

Rumi asked in the quiet corridor.

“That guy will definitely make it. Anyway, he’s the kind of guy who steps up when needed.”

“You really trust Natsuhiko, huh?”

“We’ve known each other for a long time. I understand him well.”

“Ha, you’re showing off, aren’t you?”

Showing off? Maybe I said it subconsciously.

But it couldn’t be helped.

I want to boast a bit that being with him is never boring.

Though I’d never admit it in front of him.

“That guy, ever since, gets really energetic whenever it’s about girls…”

In elementary, junior high, and whenever Natsuhiko wanted to go all out, it was definitely about a girl.

Even if that girl wasn’t his friend, he would do everything to protect her smile.

Though he has many surprising aspects, those parts are somehow impossible to dislike.

“Ever since I broke down crying in front of him, he started taking actions that would help girls, even at his own expense. So, as the cause of it, I feel obliged to help him.”

“…Hmm—”

“What? That look on your face, like you want to say something but can’t.”

“No, I mean… you actually like Natsuhiko, don’t you?”

You’re stating the obvious.

Such things, one glance should tell.

“How could I possibly like that kind of guy?”

“Ha, Ha!? Really?”

Yes, I can’t possibly like him.

We get along well.

He’s clever.

If I’m in trouble, he’ll rush over immediately.

He trusts me the most.

Loves indulging in silly things.

That guy, always values me highly…

“I definitely like him. Don’t make me say it out loud; it’s embarrassing.”

No matter who he’s working hard for, I don’t care.

Because, in the end, he will always come back to me.

“…So you’re my rival too?”

“Ah, are you planning to beat a childhood friend with years of connection as a newbie?”

“Stop it! With my beauty, conquering a guy is a piece of cake!”

“If looks could conquer him, it wouldn’t be so hard, dummy.”

I won’t let anyone take the spot beside him.

◇◇◇◆◆◆

“I’m here!”

I looked up at the towering high-rise apartment in front of me and uttered those words.

The address Arisu-senpai sent me undoubtedly pointed here.

Such a huge apartment, I wonder how much the rent is—this isn’t the time for such thoughts.

“I must go to Arisu-senpai right away,” I thought to myself, preparing to enter the building.

“! Natsuhiko-kun!”

Just then, I heard Arisu-senpai’s voice.

She sat quietly in front of me, ready to dash into the building.

“Senpai! You shouldn’t be outside your room!”

“You worry too much about me. It’s okay. Besides, my fever has gone down quite a bit.”

Sitting outside in a cardigan seemed quite hot, as Arisu-senpai was sweating a little.

Though not feeling cold is good, I still wouldn’t recommend staying out in this temperature when unwell.

“Natsuhiko-kun, please take this.”

“…Okay!”

I took the folder containing the script from senpai.

It was a bit later than I had anticipated.

If I didn’t go all out on the way back, there was no way I could make it in time.

“I’m more worried about you… You’re sweating a lot, aren’t you?”

“I’m fine. But, can I ask you for a favor?”

“What is it? Go ahead.”

“…Please say ‘Good luck’ to me.”

Arisu-senpai looked shocked for a moment but then smiled and took my hand.

“Good luck. You’re the only one I can rely on now.”

“…Leave it to me!”

Women’s encouragement is the most potent fuel for me.

I mounted the bicycle and pressed on the pedals.

“I’m off now!”

“Okay. Be careful on the road…! Yui, I’m counting on you!”

“Got it!”

It’s easy to say I’m off, but what about the return trip?

After cycling back for a while, my legs began to ache terribly.

(Haha… My legs are about to come off.)

I pedaled vigorously.

I had reached my limit in speed.

The road was no longer flat but a series of uphill and downhill paths.

“Ha… Ha…”

I was drenched in sweat.

It was late July, the peak of summer.

The scorching asphalt radiated heat, asserting—It’s hot today!

The cicadas’ chirping, the sound of the wind through the trees, cars passing by, the noise of road construction.

The sound of my pedaling, the rustling of my clothes, my own heartbeat—everything.

“Really! Everything’s so noisy!”

I yelled out to motivate myself, making sure no one was around, of course.

After all, it would be embarrassing if someone asked. A gentleman cares about his reputation.

…I was calmer than I thought, still having the energy to shout.

I could still keep going.

—Even with all this effort, it might still be too late.

As fatigue accumulated, my whiny side started to show.

Efforts are meaningless if they’re too late.

Was there a need for me to exert myself like this?

After all, Yui’s speech might not necessarily fail.

Maybe she could come up with something on the spot.

And what’s so bad about failing?

After all, humans are prone to failure. If someone as revered as Yui stumbled once, it wouldn’t change how people think of her.

If she honestly said it was due to the lack of a script, the teachers might consider—

(Stupid… I’m just whining.)

Thinking calmly, I could have thought of other ways.

But Arisu-senpai asked me to do this.

If this was the least hurtful way for everyone, then I had to take action.

At least, this way, a girl would be hurt.

I left all my complaints in my mind and focused solely on pedaling.

Pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal.

Finally, I caught sight of the school building.

“Just a little… more!”

The final sprint.

I forced my lactate-filled legs to move faster.

With a resolve to give it my all, I finally made it through the school gates.

Sorry to the bike owner, but I had no time to park properly.

I swore to the unknown guy to put the bike back later, then I left it by the side of the road leading to the school building.

Destination: the gym.

I changed into indoor shoes and started running in the hallway.

The heat had sapped my strength, and it took longer than I expected.

I must make it in time—I prayed as I burst into the gym.

“Next, we invite the student council president, Yaegashi Yui, to give her speech.”

“Ah…!”

Yui was about to take the stage.

Though I made it in time, there was still a distance from here to the stage.

I had no time to weave through the crowd of students.

“Futaba-senpai!”

Just when I thought all was lost, someone called out to me from above.

“Futaba-senpai!?”

“Quick, give me that script!”

Futaba-senpai reached out her hand from the viewing stand of the gym.

I immediately threw the script towards her hand.

Futaba-senpai perfectly caught the script I threw.

“Futaba-senpai, thank you. The rest is up to you.”

“I understand! Leave it to me!”

Futaba-senpai ran off from the viewing stand.

This way, I didn’t need to cross through the crowd of students.

It was the shortest route I could think of.

While we were talking, Yui, standing in the center of the stage, still maintained a dignified demeanor.

—Or maybe it was just my imagination.

I locked eyes with Yui.

Then, she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief… I felt that way.

“I made it…”

Relieved, I just sat down right there.

My continuously running body had reached its limit.

I wanted to fall asleep right there.

But it was the closing ceremony, I couldn’t do that.

“Hey, Futaba? Are you okay?”

“Ah… Ganbaru-sensei…”

“Your face looks pale. Is your stomach that bad…?”

“Yeah… about that.”

“Then you shouldn’t force yourself to come to school. Alright, I’ll take you to the nurse’s office.”

“No, no… Just wait. Let me stay here a little longer…”

I gazed towards the stage.

Yui had just received the script from Futaba-senpai.

I wanted to stay here until Yui finished her speech.

Though I knew I looked unsightly sprawled on the ground, just a little longer, just a little longer.

“—Summer has officially arrived, and the hot days continue. We, the entire student body, have successfully completed the first semester…”

Accompanied by this formal greeting, Yui’s speech began.

“First, while I feel relieved, as a third-year student, the impending application period is increasingly nerve-wracking. And I believe all third-year students share this sentiment.”

Hearing the word ‘application period’, a faint sense of loneliness sprouted within me.

Finally getting closer, yet the time I have to spend with Yui and Arisu is just a mere half-year.

At this point, I felt incredibly lonely.

“Although for the second and first-year students, it might seem a distant concern, early preparation is beneficial. Needless to say, it’s recommended to challenge yourselves on how not to waste time during the upcoming summer break and the second semester.”

Yui’s speech content, from the beginning till the end, was earnest.

Of course, it had to be.

As a model student and the student council president, her words needed to carry weight.

Since everyone understood this premise, most treated it as a given or appropriately accepted it.

A common scene.

However — the atmosphere suddenly shifted.

“—Now, here as the student council president… I, Yaegashi Yui, want to share a genuine thought with everyone.”

Yui shifted from her formal tone to her usual voice.

A murmur arose among some of the students.

After a while, confirming that the commotion had subsided, Yui continued.

“Recently, I’ve heard numerous malicious rumors about myself. Regarding this matter, I want to categorically deny them.”

Yui closed the script and placed it on the podium.

Her action surprised me. Hiyori and Futaba must be just as shocked.

At the same time, a wave of anxiety might have hit them.

That Yui, planning to say something unrelated to the script.

Those who knew her true nature must have been very worried.

But what exactly happened?

Somehow, in my heart, there was only surprise and not a trace of anxiety.

The current Yui seemed very reliable to me.

I felt the determination hidden in her intense gaze was the reason for my lack of anxiety.

“About this matter, I won’t blame the culprits who spread the rumors. In their eyes, I must have done something wrong… that led to such actions.”

—Regarding the motives of the culprit, I don’t necessarily agree.

But in this context, I think her conclusion was right.

I don’t know if Yui did it intentionally.

But one thing’s for sure, everyone present was prepared to listen to her.

“I ask everyone here. The reason I haven’t gone astray is thanks to all of you and my fellow student council members. I swear here that I will never betray those who have helped me. So I hope you can believe in me — believe in us. From now on, I will continue to be a role model for everyone and a competent student council president.”

“Thank you.” After finishing her speech, Yui bowed deeply and left the stage.

Coming back to my senses, I smiled.

The person I admired had shown such impressive demeanor.

If this doesn’t excite me, what will?

Today, Yui undoubtedly made every student present remember her words.

Before questioning her trustworthiness, the atmosphere made doubting Yaegashi Yui too risky.

After all, this could lead to being suspected of being associated with the rumor spreader — suggesting a connection with the anonymous account’s rumors.

Thus, Yui put an end to the rumors spread by the anonymous account.

Being Yui, she probably hadn’t calculated it.

Her action must have been instinctual.

Even though she’s often a klutz, she possesses that charismatic leadership.

The kind of leadership that makes one want to follow — that was the kind of charm she displayed.

“Is this what you wanted to hear? Even though you’re unwell, you’re still so earnest.”

Surprised, Ganbaru-sensei reached out his hand to me.

As I tried to grasp his hand to stand, my legs trembled sharply.

Of course, the ground wasn’t really shaking; it was just that my legs seemed to fail due to exhaustion.

Just when I witnessed Yui’s cool side, here I am looking pathetic.

“Hey, hey, you can’t even stand properly.”

“Sorry…”

“Alright, let’s go to the nurse’s office.”

Though the ceremony was still underway, I leaned on Ganbaru-sensei’s shoulder to the nurse’s office.

Even though it wasn’t due to illness, I couldn’t line up in such an exhausted state.

Skipping out… I’m really slacking.

Let me off just for today.

“Teacher… protecting what’s important is really not easy.”

“Huh? What are you suddenly talking about?”

“No, it’s just… something I realized recently.”

I didn’t reveal Yui’s secret to Ganbaru-sensei.

Though I couldn’t share the crucial parts, I wanted to share what I had learned with someone else.

“Yes, growing up means learning to let go of what’s important. Whether it’s money, time, or relationships, life is about making choices. What remains by your side until death… that’s life.”

“It feels like… adults are really calculating.”

“Adults are calculating, but it’s also about prioritizing what’s truly important. It’s a lesson you’ll learn as you grow up.”

“Shut up. Unlike you guys who swim in the sparkling waters of youth, adults can only desperately struggle in the murky waters of the mundane world. One day you’ll become like me. Better brace yourself for that.”

“That’s definitely not a threat a teacher should be making.”

Ganbaru-sensei remained utterly unshaken.

I leaned on his shoulder, smiling as I did so.