Volume 1 - CH 2.1

On Tuesday, the day after I voluntarily canceled my first class, the third general meeting of the Cultural Committee was held. This was the last meeting before the May holidays.

The meeting, held in a borrowed university classroom, included an explanation of the overall work after the holidays and was followed by the first-year students signing up for the Cultural Committee group on the messaging app.

“Makimura-senpai. Good evening.”

“Ah, good evening.”

After the general meeting was over, I returned the same greeting to Misono, who called out to me as we were moving to the classrooms where the subcommittee meetings were to be held. I wondered when was the last time I had said “Good evening”, as well as “Good night” the other night. At least, since I entered the college, I had always said “Good work,” except for “Good morning,”, and so had everyone around me.

“Yo. Is it okay if I call you Misono?”

“Yes, good evening. Umm…Sanematsu-san and…….

“You remembered me. So, maybe this is the first time you met him, he’s Toguchi.”

“This is our first meeting. Good work, nice to meet you.”

“Yes. Nice to meet you, Toguchi-san.”

You guys should say “Good evening” too. I was thinking that, when Doku started to say something unnecessary.

“Is this the girl Maki was talking about the day before yesterday?”

“Right right. Then, Maki, we’ll go ahead.”

“H-Hey.”

After saying just that, these two guys with similar grimaces on their faces patted me on both shoulders and ran ahead of me. It was my fault for running away the other day, but apparently, they still had some weird misunderstanding about me.

“Umm. What you said the day before yesterday…”

“Ah. It’s not a big deal, so don’t worry about it.”

“Was I troubling you, after all?”

“Troubling? About what?”

I don’t know why Misono looks up at me so worriedly. Because I never thought of her as a nuisance.

“I thought that I had disturbed you by visiting your part-time job.”

“Ah. That has nothing to do with it and I don’t mind it at all, so Misono doesn’t need to worry about it either.”

Now that she mentioned it, I realize that the day before yesterday was the day Misono (and Shiho) came to visit me at my part-time workplace. Misono, who did not know about the conversation we had at Doku’s place afterward, must have misunderstood that I had complained about the trouble I was having with a junior student coming to my part-time job. The fact that I bought her dessert may have contributed to her feeling of guilt.

“Well……I’ve never been involved in club activities or anything like that, so I’ve never had a junior.”

It is quite embarrassing to put my feelings into words. Especially since I am the kind of person who has never done such a thing. However, I felt that I could swallow a little embarrassment if it was for the junior in front of me who looked worry.

“Well, so …… I thought I was happy that a junior came to visit me at my part-time job.”

“I see……if you can say so, I’m glad I came to visit.”

Her worried expression disappeared, and I said to Misono, who was bashful, “Well, it’s also a problem if you come so often,” but I guess she knew I was just trying to hide my embarrassment, so she held her mouth and smiled gracefully.

“You’re late, Makki!”

“I’m sorry.”

When I entered the venue of the subcommittee meeting and parted ways with Misono, what awaited me was a reprimand from my classmate Shimauchi Kaori.

After stopping to talk in the hallway on the way to the meeting, we arrived at the venue a few minutes before the meeting started. In other words, we arrived on time, but only for Misono, a first-year student, and the situation was a little different for me, who was a second-year student.

The Cultural Committee is divided into three departments, but even within those departments, it is further divided into multiple divisions. At this meeting, we planned to introduce each of these divisions to the first-year students. So I was supposed to arrive a little early to have a briefing with Kaori, who is also in charge, but I was late.

“Now, Kaori. Maki was in the hallway, in their own little world, so forgive him.”

“Their own world? Oh, I see.”

Looking at Sane and Doku, who were grinning at me, Kaori nodded her head as if she understood something. I don’t remember having formed such a world, but I’ll keep quiet about it, since poking at it might cause snakes to spring out.

“Whatever. It’s Makki, so I’m sure he’ll remember the substance.”

“Yeah, don’t worry. But I’m sorry.”

We had already decided what kind of introduction we were going to do, and today’s briefing was only a final confirmation. However, I was sorry for being late, so I bowed my head honestly.

“But, well, it’s hard to say you’re in a hurry if you’ve been talking to a junior. After all, you’re Makki.”

“……I guess.”

Even if it wasn’t me, I’m sure it would be the same.

“Yeah. Rather, it’s an opportunity to have communication, and it’s worse to say that you’re in a hurry and leave her behind.

Kaori flutters her hand as if to say, “Don’t worry about it.”

“It helps me to hear you say that. Oh, speaking of being helpful, thank you for the time at the welcome party. For helping Misono and Shiho.”

Perhaps she has a big sister spirit, but she is very dependable. That’s why I could send them off to the group that she was a part of without any worries.

“I guess I should thank you for that. They were both good girls, and I had a lot of fun, as did the girls I was with.”

Kaori says that much and grins deliberately.

“Even so, I never thought Makki cared so much about girls, even if they were his juniors. What do you think about that?”

“……The meeting is about to start.”

“Uwah, he ran away.”

It is true that the head of the department opened the meeting, so there was no choice. That is why Kaori, though dissatisfied, did not pursue the matter any further.

The department we belong to at the Cultural Committee is called the Exhibition Planning Department, and our main job is to manage and support the participation in the festival by circles and other organizations.

Internally, the department is divided into seven divisions: “First Stage,” “Second Stage,” “Third Stage,” “Refreshment booth,” “In-Building Events,” “Street Performances,” and “Flea Market,” and today’s introductions are done in that order. I and Kaori were in charge of the second stage, so our turn came quickly.

Although the introduction is just a speech that we have thought of beforehand, it is quite nerve-wracking to be stared at by all of the first-year students who are frozen in front of us. However, I knew that I could not show my poor appearance in front of the juniors. Especially in front of the juniors who were taking notes and staring at me seriously.