CH 79.2

「Well... Can I call you Chihiro?」

「Yes, of course」

By now, he's used to girls calling him by his first name.

「Okay, then, Chihiro, let's talk about your work」

「While eating sweets?」

「It's not efficient to stop every time」

Quickly dismissing the question, she looked back at Yotsuba and continued.

「I'll ask Chihiro to arrange things with the executive committee」

Perhaps it was to confirm the details of the rules. Yotsuba, Marika and Ayase nodded their heads.

「The executive committee is responsible for the school festival, right?」

「What else is there? Don't ask me the obvious」

「I-I'm sorry」

Unintentionally, he apologized to her.

From the exchange up to this point, he found out that Lucille is a very direct person. So, he is probably not only direct to Chihiro... he would like to think so.

The following is a summary of Lucille's explanation and Chihiro's knowledge...

The school festival is run by the student council and the school festival executive committee.

The school festival committee is a temporary organization created for the school festival, and is subordinate to the student council in a way.

The committee has already been temporarily formed by second and third-year students and preparations have already begun, but it will not start in earnest until next Monday, as participants from each class of first-year students join the committee.

Chihiro's role is to show up at the festival committee meetings.

He is supposed to check the progress of the work and report to the student council, and also act as a middleman between the two organizations.

It sounds hard, but according to Lucille, "it's just an errand".

Well, since there are only four members of the board, if one of them is frequently absent, it would be a big blow to the organization.

「...Come to think of it, I don't remember any discussion about the executive committee in our class...」

When Chihiro muttered this, Yotsuba tilted her head.

「We've already been contacted by 1-C. ... The selection process is left up to them, so it's probably because of that」

「I see」

Since it was Maisaka, it was certainly possible that he would talk to the individual, get their OK, and be done with it.

「By the way, if that's the case, what will the student council be doing?」

「The overall management of the organizing committee, the public health committee in charge of security, the teachers' side, the medical office, and the newspaper club that produces the school newspaper. Then there's the planning and preparation of events organized by the student council, budgeting, and so on. Apart from that, we simply need to have someone in the room until the school festival is over」

「Oh...」

It was a huge amount of work.

And Lucille gave a small snort.

「So, if you're gonna make the mistake of thinking we're not working, please don't」

「...Yes」

Rather, he was worried about the four of them doing that much work.

In terms of the number of students, four may not be an absurd number, but there is a minimum size that is necessary regardless of the size of the pie.

When Chihiro seems to be lost in thought, a hand reaches out from his right side and pokes his arm.

「Hazuki-senpai?」

Marika then extends her left hand over his shoulder and moves it as if to shake her hand.

Then she took Chihiro's right hand in hers and intertwined their fingers.

「Eh?」

What is she doing suddenly?

As soon as he thought that, he heard a voice that wasn't Yotsuba, Lucille or Ayase.

And it was directly in his head.

『It's okay. You're just here to help. If you don't understand something, ask me and I'll teach you. If you can't do something, I'll help you』

It was a beautiful voice.

It was clear and beautiful to the point of being reassuringly reminiscent of the voices of angels or Lorelei (Siren), who bewitched sailors on the sea... or some such unrealistic non-human voice.

「Is this Hazuki-senpai's?」

『Yes, it is. My [Telepathy] ability』

「Hazuki-senpai can use telepathy」

Rank B.

She can talk to others without opening her mouth or getting interference from radio waves. However, it is not possible to forcibly read thoughts.

Similar to a telephone, she can send and receive what she wants to say only while she is connected to the other person.

『So I can communicate with my thoughts too?』

『Yes. I heard you. You're getting the hang of it quickly』

Also, it seems that if she and the other person are not on the same wavelength, the accuracy of the conversation will deteriorate.

「Wavelength, huh?」

『It becomes easier to get on the same wavelength if I spend time with the person and talk to them. But If I really want to talk to someone I've never met before, I can touch them like this』

If such conditions are met, it is possible to send her voice to several people at once.

The problem is that cell phones can be used as a substitute, but this ability's advantages are that the risk of interception is very low and that it can be used in places where there is no signal.

It is said that there are almost no distance restrictions if she gets along well with others and match their wavelengths.

It is also said that even family members and close friends can talk with each other even across the ocean. 

「That's amazing!」

When he said this, Marika tilted her head faintly.

『That's not true. In fact, I can't live without it』

「...That means...」

「Hazuki-senpai can't speak. She has a mental problem」

Ayase told Chihiro with a clouded expression.

Apparently, that was the reason why she didn't speak during the greeting.

...She, too, has some kind of scars and desires.

Imagining Marika's situation, and the "something" that must have happened to her, Chihiro fell silent.

「Well, it's no problem for her to work. The student council wouldn't be able to run without her, so she's a big help」

「Yes, you're right」

Lucille said, and Yotsuba agreed.

Marika glanced at them and quickly took her hand away from Chihiro.

『While we're at it, why don't we introduce everyone's abilities?』

Even though it was only for a short time, Chihiro and Marika seemed to be on the same wavelength, and even though their hands are separated, he could still hear her voice.

「If you could tell me, I'd love to know」

When he said this, Lucille snickered at him.

「Don't get carried away. Ours has nothing to do with work, and I'll tell you next time I feel like it. You should learn as much as you can about the whole festival today. Otherwise, you'll cry on Monday」

「Y-Yes」

After that, he was handed a bunch of papers saying that these were last year's documents, and he had to read them.

Before he knew it, the time is evening before he could go home, and in the meantime, the seniors are continuing the tea party while he is taking care of his work.

「See you later, Izumi-kun」

「Monday, if you skip work, I won't care」

「Good luck!」

『I'm rooting for you』

The four of them leave him at the entrance of the school and start walking.

And thus, on the first day, he had to stay for quite a long time, but the air and smell of the student council room seemed like something he could grow to like.