Volume 3 - CH 8.5

“Thank you very much for today, Public Morals Committee President Shinomiya.”

“No problem, this is all part of my duties after all.”

“You really helped us a lot. Be careful on your way home.”

“Yes, good work today.”

The school visit of the middle school students was an event that was under preparation ever since the beginning of the summer break. Finally, the main program and the last bit of discussions ended, which allowed the third-year and public morals committee president—Shinomiya Rin—to be freed from her duties for the day.

Despite being a student, she was forced to meet a lot of parents today and discuss this and that, and although she didn’t break down from the mental exhaustion, it definitely had taken a toll on her.

“Haaa…”

In recent years, the ‘public morals committee’ has been lost at many high schools. In the midst of the role deteriorating, it had always existed here at Kouetsu High School. Ever since its founding days, even. However, that reason wasn’t anything to boast about, but rather was established in name only for the influential people at the school and their children to get the upper hand and convenience whenever someone tried to complain about something. Now that this system was gone, the public morals committee wasn’t all that needed anymore.

Even so, Rin possessed the resolution. She would govern a committee that didn’t stand on the side of the teachers or the faculties, but rather supported their ‘fellow students’—which was a great undertaking of course. In today’s day and age, there are more and more troubles disrupting public morals appearing here and there. In order to project against that, you needed a point of view different from an adult.

However, if you were to create ‘exemplars’ amidst the students, it would create a class difference. Just giving someone the right to judge ‘You are wrong’ would grant dangerous influence. In order to not let such inequality be born, Rin and the others from the public morals committee decided to take on ‘burdens’ at this school, in the shape of events. Until last year, this event today fell under the direction of the student council, for example.

“…Ah, not good.”

The time was moving towards 6.30pm. It was time to close up the school. Rin felt her gaze slowly being swallowed by the floor in front of her, and only barely managed to push it forward. She was clearly more exhausted than she thought she would be, but she still was the president of the public morals committee. She could not show any weakness as long as she was at school. She slapped her cheeks with both her hands, and somehow managed to wake herself up.

By the time she returned to the classroom that acted as the temporary office of the public morals committee, it was already deserted, with nobody around. Opening the room with her spare key, she found a paper on the desk. Written on her was ‘We already finished all the paperwork. Good work today’ with her junior Mita Ayano’s handwriting. Realizing that the work necessary had been properly finished, Rin let out a relieved sigh.

Next to this sentence was another, written by Inatomi Yuyu’s cute handwriting, saying ‘Good work, Senpai. Please get some good rest today’.

“Seriously, I was hoping we could eat dinner on the way home, but…”

Mita Ayano, Inatomi Yuyu, and—Sajou Wataru. He is the younger brother of Rin’s close friend Sajou Kaede. Although they are two years apart, maybe because he’s got Kaede’s blood in him, Rin found it easy to talk to him. Before summer break started, she forcefully pulled him to her house, but her grandfather’s words scared him off. Even so, he was adorable enough to offer helping out for this event. Though, Rin sadly wasn’t given much time to talk to him nonetheless.

“…Well, can’t be helped.”

Reality won’t go her way. Maybe her exhaustion got the better of Rin, but she started to have second thoughts, despite having trained her mentality ever since she was young. Since nobody could see her anyway, she put both arms on the teacher’s desk, resting her head.

“—Why are you acting like the heroine out of some tragedy?”

“Wha…!? Ouch!”

Nobody should be present in this classroom. And yet, someone called out to Rin right as she showed an embarrassing sight of hers, which led her to smash her knee on the teacher’s desk. She tried to bear with the pain, and sighed in relief to see that there was no dent in the desk.

“K-Kaede! Don’t just call out to me like that!”

“Huh…”

Turning around, Rin was greeted by a female student wearing a ruffled up uniform with a short skirt, emitting something of a downer atmosphere—Sajou Kaede. She arrogantly had one hand on her hip, looking down at Rin. She must have just finished her work as well, as her hair seemed a bit messy.

“Here, a drink. Good work today.”

“Wha…! D-Don’t just throw it at me…!” Rin panicked a bit but somehow managed to catch the bottle thrown at her.

Not bothered by Rin’s anger, Kaede just sat on top of a nearby desk, crossing her legs, and took a sip of her own beverage. Controlling her fury, Rin asked.

“You’re still here?”

“Yup. Even if it’s the public morals committee or any other students, the responsibility lies with the student council after all. We have our own job, you know.”

“That’s…S-Sorry.”

“Why’re you apologizing? That’s not like you. Not like I came here to complain either.”

“……”

‘Not like you’. Being told these words, Rin realized that she wasn’t acting how she usually would. Even if her body was exhausted, as long as her heart wasn’t, she would show no disorder. Now that even her heart was tired however, the ‘public morals committee president Shinomiya Rin’ was full of openings. In a panic, she straightened her back.

“…Sheesh…that’s not why I’m here.”

“Eh…? K-Kaede…?”

Kaede got up from the desk, walked behind Rin, and started massaging her shoulders. At the same time, Rin was baffled by this sudden development, not able to show any reaction.

“Why are you putting up a bold front even with me? If you’re okay, then give me back my ‘Good work’, alright?”

“Yeah…you’re right.”

To Rin, Kaede was a trusted friend. It’s not that they were often meeting outside school or going on trips, but another strong bond connected the two. Even without trying to act tough, Rin’s ‘weakness’ and ‘lame parts’ were all already known by Kaede.

“I’m tired myself, okay. We’re switching later.”

“I don’t mind but…I’m a bit surprised that you massage other people’s shoulders, Kaede.”

“Comes directly from Wataru. If you like it, then have him pleasure you as well, I don’t mind lending him to you.”

“Wha…!? Sajou will…me…!?”

“I’m ‘Sajou’ as well, remember?”

Rin subconsciously screamed in a loud voice, imagining it. With him being Kaede’s younger brother, she didn’t mind a bit of skinship, but having her shoulders massaged was reaching deeper levels of intimacy. Although she didn’t think of it as any bad, she also felt like she became aware of Wataru as a member of the opposite sex, and felt her face growing hot.

“Sheesh…Getting all conscious of someone else’s little brother.”

“I-It’s because you said something weird, Kaede!”

“I’m not talking only about right now. I heard some stories, you know?”

“That’s…When I felt like talking to him, it was pretty fun. Not to mention that he’s your younger brother, so I just want to have him around.”

“What is he, your nephew?”

“Ahhhnn.”

Kaede put more strength in her thumbs, which created a ‘painful but enjoyable’ feeling for Rin. As a result of that, she let out a weird moan. She was aware of that, but since only Kaede got to hear that, she didn’t feel embarrassed.

“Switch. Massage mine.”

“Really, you are just…”

This time, Rin started massaging Kaede’s shoulders. Presumably because of all the paperwork and her studies, Kaede’s shoulders were quite stiff. While realizing that they were both exhausted, Rin moved her fingers with a wry smile.

“That guy was properly working. According to Ayano, that is. Well, it’s Ayano.” Kaede spoke up.

“Seemed like it…Also, have some faith in Ayano.”

“I do, it’s just…Praising Wataru gives me cramps.”

“What the hell…”

Rin had received a message from Ayano, telling of Wataru’s hard work. With barely any boys at their disposal, he seemed to have received a high evaluation from all the people he helped, especially the carrying group. Knowing that he managed to integrate himself well into the public morals committee had Rin smile—And, reaching that thought made Rin realize how calculative this was.

“—Was for your sake, Rin.”

“Eh?”

“Normally, you’d need a reason to work that hard for basically nothing. I’m pretty sure he was working hard for your sake.”

“You…think so?”

“That just shows how much respect you’re getting from the first- and second-years. Be a bit more confident.”

“B-But…”

“—Without you, the public morals committee would have been abolished already.”

Hearing praise she didn’t expect, Rin’s eyes opened wide. Even if they are friends, it was rare for Kaede to express her own feelings like this. Rin subconsciously stopped her hands, and asked.

“To think you’d praise me like that, Kaede.”

“I’m not, just summarizing what everybody else is feeling.”

“That…is some crazy pressure…”

“That’s why you have me.”

“…Eh?”

Rin regretted showing her true feelings, but Kaede came in to save her. She turned around and looked up at Rin.

“—No matter how much you try to act tough and puff out your non-existent chest, looking at your back clearly shows your honest feelings. If you’re tired, then say so. People will find out anyway. Just like you called out to me in my first year.”

“…!”

“The ‘debt’ is still there. It’s too early to rot away all alone.”

“Kaede…”

‘A back does not lie’, is what Rin’s grandfather always told her, and she pondered on that. Acting tough and putting up a front will only lead in more damage to your body and heart. Kaede was literally saying to rely on others, be healed by others. Realizing Kaede’s intention and kindness, Rin felt happy, and embraced those stiff shoulders of Kaede from behind.

“Mind your own business. I bet I got bigger breasts than you do, Kaede.”

“Huh!? No way! I definitely won!”

“Let me see.”

“Wah, don’t just grab them! You’ll move my bra!”

She was a friend of Rin’s who managed to make it through a complicated environment. Kaede said that the debt still wasn’t repaid, but Rin sure enough didn’t feel that way. Without Kaede’s backing in their second year, Rin probably wouldn’t have been able to become the public morals committee president. Then again, that just shows how thankful Kaede really was.

In the end, Rin’s greatest wish was for the two to stay friends even after this debt was repaid.