CH 162

Suddenly, I remembered the days when I first moved to the second year of high school.

Time has passed, and there were many hidden meanings behind the words that I  can only understand now.

What was she thinking and what were her intentions.

What I don’t know is what kind of mindset this person, Hiiragi Akane, had been in as she watched the past days unfold.

Was she genuinely judging whether or not I was a suitable partner for her?

Or was she comparing her ideal person with my personality and behavior?

It was probably both…

From the beginning, this person, Shinra Minato, was put at her disposal to see for herself.

It was all just by pulling me into her territory, the student organization, which wasn’t much of a hassle grade wise.

I can finally understand why she forced me to join the student council in such a pushy manner.

The question I had been keeping deep in my heart was resolved in an unexpected way…

Alone in the room left behind, I pondered.

…What should I do from here?

It’s a situation I never would have expected to develop where the marriage partner was someone I knew.

The fact that she is an acquaintance does not change the answer I gave.

However, it goes without saying that it has certainly become difficult to respond with simple words.

What I can say is that even if I decline in a proper way, there is even a possibility that the president will use her words to make me do the contrary.

Although it was such a situation, what came to my mind was the appearance of two people who were close by but not present here.

I am sure that by now, Shizuku and the others waiting in the other room must have a look of astonishment on their faces

No, I wonder if Kirasaka would be surprised as well?

The two have been close friends for a long time.

Perhaps Kirasaka had noticed him at the reception.

Maybe, she also noticed the my marriage partner was the president.

However, she decided not to say anything about it there.

She did not want to create any confusions.

As a result, there were no particular issues until I met the president.

That is why I can only imagine if those icy sharp eyes are even colder right around now.

As for this time, it’s not my fault, but I felt a chill down my spine.

I’m afraid for myself …I’m worried because Shizuku has also been increasing her scary elements lately.

“Minato-kun…”

The first person to visit the room was Shizuku.

“…”

And then came Kirasaka from behind her.

She did not speak a word, but just stood there meditating.

The atmosphere was more tense than usual.

“I’m sorry  …but I’m still trying to sort it all out in my head.”

I can’t find the words to bring them any relief at the moment.

But if there is anything I can do, it would be to convey my inconsistent state of mind right now.

“The answer shouldn’t change, even if she’s the president.”

“I-I see …I see.”

“Well, I knew Shinra-kun would say that.”

However, both of their shoulders seemed to drop a little, perhaps from relief.

As the two were smiling wryly at each other, the person in question, president, showed up.

“I feel bad about it …but I couldn’t say it because the marriage proposal isn’t final yet and the problem isn’t personal to me.”

Her words sounded as if she was telling Kirasaka in particular.

The two of them had talked before about how much they loved each other like sisters, so it must have been a shock to her.

For a moment, Kirasaka’s expression turned grim, but she quickly returned to her normal composed one and told her that she wasn’t interested.

“I don’t really care …that Akane-san was trying to snatch my Shinra-kun away from me without telling me, not in the slightest, not in the slightest!”

“You care a great deal, don’t you ….and I’m sorry for Kanazaki, too.

“No …but even if Minato-kun didn’t know that president was his partner, you could have told him, couldn’t you?”

A natural question posed by Shizuku.

I had planned to ask about that as well.

If I had known the reason, there is a possibility that I would have responded accordingly.

There was a possibility…

Maybe most of the things haven’t changed, but some things have.

When she heard the question from Shizuku, president answered immediately.

“At first I didn’t imagine Shinra to be such a coherent student. If I showed a bad association with him and he changed, it would be meaningless for me to go through all that trouble to make him to join the student council.”

In other words, can I assume that you’re trying to say that I’m stubborn?

It was a simple reason that could be said to be only personal feelings, but because of that, there were some points that made sense to me, though I was reluctant to accept them.

Even I would be inclined to observe closely what kind of person my partner is.

That’s why I didn’t interject with any unnecessary words because a similar thought was the first thing that popped into my head.

But Shizuku and Kirasaka were exceptions to the rule and did not seem to be completely convinced by president’s explanations.

Seeing this, president supplemented her statements.

“This was completely personal, and I am at fault for not explaining the reasons. But I would appreciate it if you could at least understand my maidenly desire to see up close the person who will be my future spouse.”

At these words, the air in the room froze.

President was the only one with an unchanged smile on her face.

Shizuku, had come to a complete stop with a stiffened smile.

Kirasaka was looking at the president with a gaze that could pierce her at any moment.

The situation is bad.

I mean, she said it was still just a possibility and not confirmed this time, didn’t she?

It was because of the conversation in advance that I could immediately guess that it was to motivate the two.

“What’s that?”

“What do you mean by that?”

Their words were the same, and they both asked the president a question that contained anger.

President accepted the question head-on with a smile.

“It means exactly what I said, it is a marriage proposal that has been officially approved by the parents. It is inevitable that our relationship will develop in the near future.”

Those words from the president snapped something.

The damage to the girls was more severe than I expected.

Seeing this, president looked somewhat amused.

It was as if an older sister was teasing her younger sisters.

I am sorry for Shizuku and Kirasaka, but to me it looks like she is making fun of them.

President’s true intention is elsewhere, and right now she is having fun teasing her cute juniors.

I can’t help but see it that way.

“President, what about my dad and your father?”

I looked at the two of them as I asked a question to the president who seemed to be enjoying herself.

“Oh, they’re talking in the other room. They are old acquaintances, and I am optimistic that they will be able to talk things over among themselves and their children.”

Ah, …I see.

I understand why dad isn’t too enthusiastic about it.

President’s words convinced me, and when I returned to the position where I had stepped back, she opened her mouth again for the two of them.

“It seems that Shinra has found out about the circumstances with you guys being next to him is not of the norm …but you guys should also know that he won’t always be walking along with you both.”

Her voice was gentle and she had a smile on her face.

However, the words certainly had a weight to them.

Both Shizuku and Kirasaka felt it as they froze for a moment.

At the same time, the expressions on their faces, too, were not that great.

For me, who was watching from the side, it seemed as if they had been confronted with a fact that they could not deny.