Chapter 163: Understanding Her

"I'm sorry for being late Shizu-senpai."

I apologized first before entering the Student Council. There are no other students here except Shizu-senpai who went back to working right after.

She's like Haruko, alright.

They're both too diligent to do that much paperwork and she's not even asking me to help or did she immediately forget my existence?

"What are you looking at? You're my secretary, right? Help me organize these ones I already finished checking."

Ah. It's not that she's not asking me, she wanted me to move without being ordered.

Alright. This will be our real first interaction, I still don't know how I can get her to change her impression of me but since I'm already here, I'll just do what I can.

I picked up the papers she pointed at and organized it on the long table in the middle of the room which was probably used for their meetings.

Time passed in this silent room where only sounds of rustling papers as well as sounds of her pen writing over those papers could be heard.

When I'm done organizing those she finished, I looked around the room and found a tea set.

"Do you like some tea, Shizu-senpai?"

Hearing my words, she briefly raised her gaze to me and while fixing her reading glasses she nodded. After that, she went back to her work.

I expected her to interrogate me again but it seems that our time will be spent with her just silently finishing her work while I help her on the side.

Err… I'll try to initiate a conversation but if it doesn't work then, there will be more chances if not today.

However, when I'm done preparing tea, someone else entered the Student Council Room.

From his uniform, he's also a 2nd year student like Shizu-senpai. He looks like a proper student who doesn't have a unique characteristic on him.

Upon seeing me, his eyebrows visibly twitched. He's probably expecting only Shizu-senpai here.

"Who's this?"

He only gave me a passing glance before he went in front of Shizu-senpai's table.

"He's my secretary, you don't need to concern yourself over him Inugaki, what are you here for?"

Without raising her head to look at him, she answered and asked in turn.

"I'm your Vice President, why shouldn't I be here?"

Ah. So he's the Vice President. But yeah, he doesn't look like one.

"I remembered I sent you on your own tasks, why are you back this early? Are you done?"

Eh? Is that why there's no one here? The other members of the Student Council were all out because of her task.

"T-that's not a Vice President's work. You're treating us as lackeys you could send on patrol. Didn't you let that club be formed for it to do your odd jobs?"

I nodded at the Vice President's words. Looks like Shizu-senpai isn't a team-player. Well, just by the way she acted when I first saw her, I already figured as such. She's used to ordering someone.

"They're busy with another job so…"

Seeing their interaction like this, Shizu-senpai really sounds like a tyrant who keeps ordering her subjects. However, she's still doing her job. Spending all that time in those papers, she's as hard-working as Haruko.

But yeah, it seems the atmosphere of this Student Council was somewhat restrained, with her only giving orders and the others following her. There's no camaraderie among them.

And even when this Vice President was complaining, I could see that she's already used to him acting like that. She's only pretending to listen while in fact she already brushed off everything that he said.

I see. She's originally like this. Only with Nami will she become like a doting older sister.

"Unbelievable. And now you brought a secretary. What's his job? Tea maker?"

This guy... Is he bothered by my existence here? With that look in his eyes, he's clearly interested in Shizu-senpai.

I see. That's why he could stand her even with all of his complaints.

"I just told you, do not concern yourself over him. Besides, it's just temporary so go back and do what I told you to do."

Shizu-senpai just brushed him off again and she waved her hand as a gesture for him to leave. She didn't want to bother explaining my existence with him.

Hearing those words, he could only grit his teeth and do what she told him.

With heavy steps, he left the Student Council Room.

He glared at me when he passed though. Did I just earn myself an enemy without doing anything?

It would be fine if I'm really making a move towards Shizu-senpai, but I'm quietly doing my secretary job, you know?

"Onoda? Where's my tea?"

Once he left, Shizu-senpai called out to me. After pouring the tea in her cup, I brought it to her.

"What do you think about the Vice President."

She asked me after putting down her pen to take the cup filled with tea.

"Err… why are you asking me?"

I don't know about her purpose but let's see.

"You're my secretary, right? Just say your opinion. It's not like I can use that against you."

After sipping her tea, she put it down and went back to work again.

"He's interested in you. He's probably still in this Student Council only because of you. If I were him, I would've already quit this."

This place is kind of suffocating. She just orders everybody. It's unlike Haruko's council from before where even if she divided the tasks between them, everyone will be around to give their own opinion. Here, it was probably all decided by her and no other opinion will be considered.

"True, that guy kept asking me out but why would you quit if you were him?"

"You're kind of hopeless, senpai. You only believe in yourself and you never listen to anyone. Well, maybe you listen to Nami sometimes. Just look at this Student Council."

Upon hearing my words, she stopped working again and finally looked straight at me.

"What's wrong with the Student Council?"

She then looked around the room before asking.

"Can't you see how this looks so desolate? Is it always like this?"

"Yes. I give them their tasks and so do I. We're getting the job done. What's wrong with that?"

Haa. She's this hopeless. She probably didn't even notice how Nami's group of friends were afraid of her or she actually intended for her to be seen like that. For her, there's nothing wrong with her attitude. Everything she does is a matter of fact.

"True. There's nothing wrong but have you ever tried to hear what they think?

"What for?"

She blinked her eyes and tilted her head. Though she looked cute like that, this girl…  She's kind of not right in the head.

Like Nami said, she's someone who doesn't care what the others think of her. But she's also someone who doesn't care about what the others think.

I don't know. I feel like she's much harder to crack open than an introvert like Aya.

She wouldn't understand me if she's like this so…

I have to find a way to let her open up to me.

"See. That's just how hopeless you are. You think that by getting the job done, everything will be fine."

"Isn't that how it is?"

Still in that position, she looks like she's pondering over my words but in the end, she wouldn't be able to understand it.

"Okay. let's do it like this. Ask them what they think of you when they go back.

"I don't get it but alright."

She nodded and immediately went back to work.

I stood up and went next to her. Since I don't know what to do, I'll observe her from here.

"What are you doing? Don't stand behind me."

She turned around and knitted her brows.

"Isn't this fine? I just want to watch you work closely like this. I want to understand senpai better."

"I don't know what you can get by just watching but suit yourself."

She shook her head but in the end, she didn't push me away. I didn't expect this. I thought she would be more… triggered?

She's like Chii. Their thought processes were hard to understand.

"If I have to ask, why are you so protective of Nami? True you're her older cousin but it sounds like you took the duty of protecting her seriously like it's a job."

According to what I heard from them yesterday, she's always protecting Nami since they're young.

"Nanami asked me to protect her. I'm just doing what she asked of me."

Eh? She's only fulfilling what Nami asked her to do.

"I see. Senpai is that dedicated. If I also asked you to understand me, would you do it?"

"I'm already trying to understand you Onoda. Isn't that why you're here?"

Ah. I thought asking her is the trick but I guess there's more to it than just Nami asking her. What made her be that dedicated?

"Right. Then let me rephrase it, can I ask you to let me understand you, senpai?"

"Why do you want to understand me?"

I finally got a different response. Err. Let's see. I really want her to open up with me but I couldn't see any point of entry. Should I make one?

"Because I'm interested in you?"

"Haa… Onoda. If you think I will also fall for your tricks then dream on. Your rating has just dropped."

Hearing my answer, Shizu-senpai sighed and said in disappointment.

That road is blocked, eh?

"I'm just stating the truth, senpai. You have this kind of a unique personality so I want to understand you."

"I see. Do you want to know why I tend to make someone who I met for the first time be afraid of me?"

Shizu-senpai turned to me and asked.

Nami mentioned that back then. And that she could see through almost everyone however, I haven't seen that trait of hers. It feels like everything was just a front.

"Yes."

"Because I hated to be underestimated. I want to show them that I'm strong."

Ah. She's really putting up a front by making others afraid of her. That way she could understand what the others are thinking, that's how she could see through anyone. But since I didn't become afraid of her, she started to dislike me.

"You don't need to do that. When I first saw you at the Entrance Ceremony, you already had a strong presence."

Right. She's like the perfect Student Council President back then so seeing her in that club room and with that attitude is a huge contrast.

"That was just me doing what the teachers want. It's not the real me."

"Ah. So you're saying this is the real you?"

Is it? I don't really think so. But she will surely answer yes.

"Yes."

"I don't think so. Shizu-senpai, you said you hated to be underestimated so you put this strong front as a shield. You keep ordering the others so they won't get close to you to see that it's just a front. You refused to listen because you're afraid that it will bring out the real you. Shizu-senpai, please look at me. Let me understand who you really are."

Since she's already facing me, I drew near her and said everything with my gaze never leaving her eyes.

"Y-you're too close, Onoda."

She put a hand up to push me away. But, she didn't really have the strength to do it.

"Ah. I see. Yesterday was the real you, the one who got horrified when Nami told you to become my woman as well."

Though that only lasts for a few seconds before she composed herself again, the fear she exuded yesterday was real.

"What do you know?!"

Shizu-senpai closed her eyes and raised her voice as she tried her hardest to back away from me, trembling at her seat.

When I saw how she trembled, I took a step back from her.

After a while when she felt that there's no more presence near her, she opened her eyes again which had a hint of tears on the side.

"I'm sorry, senpai. I might have overdone it. But really, you don't need to put up a strong front. You're already strong as you are, in my eyes though. You don't really need to make everyone afraid of you. Aren't you lonely like this? Maybe I'm not the right person to say this but you need to open to someone and let them understand you. That way, you can abandon this shell you built around yourself."

Leaving these words, I went and picked up the papers that fell to the ground when her chair hit the table.

After putting it back neatly on her table, I started to walk out of the room.

"Wait…"

Before I reached the door, I heard her weak sounding voice.