Chapter 2.5: Strange Senior

Original author:

The difference in the survey results was so great that I'm posting this from Hoshino's perspective.

It's more of a daily life story than a Hoshino perspective from the previous episode, so please forgive me...

This episode alone is a bit short, and it can't be denied that it feels like a rehash of the previous one, so I've updated another episode. If you'd like, please check it out.

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　Kuchinashi Yume is the student council president and the only senior at Abydos High School, where I attend. When I was in middle school, I heard rumors that she was the only one who continued to protect the school, so I assumed she was a very intelligent or strong senior.

　

　However, contrary to my expectations, my first impression of her was that she was a strange person. Our eyes met when she was giving a speech at the entrance ceremony, and the next moment, she was crying. I couldn't understand what he meant at all. What's more, she didn't seem to notice that she was crying, and she continued giving her speech as if nothing had happened...

　

　The first time I met Senpai after that was when she was collecting signatures in the city. I happened to be passing by, but the moment she spotted me he came over with a smile. I was a little surprised that she even knew my name. However, I had something to do that day, so we parted ways without really having a conversation. Thinking about it, maybe I was a little rude...

The next day, I passed by the same place and saw my senior again. This time she was handing out handouts about what she thought was an information session on strengthening public safety. However, the locals didn't seem interested and didn't take any. I was about to leave when she saw me...

　

"Oh, Hoshino-chan!"

　

　My senior found me again. She tried to chase me, but she tripped and started running. I felt bad for her, so I went to help her up.

　

"Thank you, Hoshino-chan."

　

　I remember feeling a bit embarrassed when she thanked me with a straight smile.

　

"We shook hands..."

　

　Seeing my senior staring at her hands while saying that, I once again realized that she was a strange person.

　

"How do you know about me?"

　

　Since we were having a conversation, I decided to ask her about something that had been bothering me the other day.

　

"There's a rumor going around that there's a really strong new student."

　

"And it was you, Hoshino-chan, who stopped the gang fight the other day, right?"

I didn't expect her to know. She thanked me again afterwards. My senior had fallen down earlier, and I felt bad for her, but she didn't look like she was up to much of a fight, so I warned her to go home early and then I left.

　

　However, when I warned her, she didn't seem very keen on going home, so I went to see where she was at night, and sure enough, she was being harassed by some delinquents, so I helped her. When I asked him why she didn't go home, she just kept apologizing, and when I asked her why she didn't fight,

　

"If we start solving everything with force, I think we'll lose sight of ourselves one day."

　

　I was told that, but I couldn't understand it. Because if we don't fight, we'll be defeated and we won't be able to solve the problem. And the senior who said this to me was

　

"Plus, if you get attacked by the other person, you'll have a just cause and can feel good about shooting them!"

　

　That made it even more confusing for me. She looked like she'd messed up and asked me to forget about it. This senior is a strange person after all.

　

　

---

　

　The next day, I thought there would be retaliation, so I went with my senior.

"You came to protect me?"

　

　Because I was told something like that

　

"No, I thought it would be easier to just defeat everyone who was lured by the president."

　

　I replied like this. But somehow, my senior seemed more shocked than I thought, so I felt a bit sorry.

　

"...There are many people targeting the Abydos Student Council."

　

　I said to try and deceive her.

　

"Hoshino-chan, you're not so honest! You're actually worried about me, aren't you?"

　

　She suddenly said this to me. I was embarrassed, so I continued to resist her.

　

"Hoshino-chan, you always have that frown on your face... but it's a shame because you're so cute, isn't it?"

　

"Thank you, Hoshino-chan. It's reassuring to have such a reliable and cute junior helping me out!"

　

　No matter what I said, she praised me, and she was smiling the whole time we were talking, so I felt kind of stupid for refusing to listen. I felt like maybe she was a strange, but kind person.

---

After that, I continued to help my senior for a while.

　

"Hoshino-chan! Are you interested in treasure hunting?"

　

"The Abydos Student Council used to be rich! I think they had expensive exhibits at the various stations in Abydos. So we're going to go look for them!"

　

　

　Suddenly, she said this to me. Yume-senpai is so...

　

"If that's the case, please tell me right away!"

　

　Why didn't Yume-senpai tell me earlier? By the way, she kept asking me to call her Yume-senpai, so I gave in and decided to just call her that. When I called her by that name for the first time, she thanked me with a big smile on her face, looking like she was about to start dancing. What does it mean that just a change of nickname can make her so happy?　

　

　After that, we went treasure hunting, but in the end we didn't find anything. But for some reason, my senior kept smiling and looked like she had no doubt that she was the happiest person in the world.

　

"Let's go home now, Yume-senpai. Treasure hunting is a waste of time."

　

　I said this without thinking, but I was also enjoying it a little. I felt like Yume-senpai knew even my feelings. Just as I was about to leave, I noticed that Yume-senpai had dropped something that looked like a notebook, so I pointed it out to her...

She looked so anxious, like I'd never seen her before. It was the first time I'd ever seen her look so anxious, so I was quite surprised and asked her why.

　

"If I lose this notebook, I might die..."

　

　she said this with a very serious expression, and it didn't sound like a joke. What on earth is written on that notebook?

---

One day, some time later, while I was shopping with Yume-senpai, something suddenly occurred to me, so I asked her about it.

　

"How did you become student council president, senpai? I've never heard of a student council with only one member."

　

　Then the senior said 

　

"They elected me as president by a show of hands, and all the other officers and seniors left."　

　

"Abydos was no longer in a good state at the time, so I think they just pushed it onto me, since I was the one who was most motivated."

　

　She said things like this. I suddenly felt angry. They left all the trouble on one senior and then left Abydos. And even though they had been treated so badly, senior still...

　

"I accepted it willingly."

　

"I thought that if I had the authority of student council president, it would be easier to protect Abydos. And I didn't want to give up on Abydos, even if I was left alone."

　

　Why is this person... so strong and kind? I don't think I could endure it if I were left alone right now. Even in such a situation, she fought hard to protect Abydos, so she must be a strong person after all. It seems my first impression was wrong.

　

　That's what I thought

"Ta-da! It's the student council president's notebook!"

　

　She showed me a notebook with a strange design, different from the one she had dropped the other day. My senior was a strange person after all.

　

"One day, Hoshino-chan will inherit it!"

　

　Well, that's a bit...

　

"That future will never come."

　

　I rejected it because the design was too bad.

　

"Huh? Oh, I see. Hoshino-chan isn't in the student council... I've been turned down so many times, but you're always with me, so I misunderstood..."

　

　My senior looked like she was about to cry, or rather, she was half-crying and looked depressed. She seemed depressed because I wouldn't join the student council, so I declined because of the design.

　

"I see. Hoshino-chan likes fish."

　

　For some reason, my senior knew about it. I was a little embarrassed to admit that I liked fish at my age, so I pretended not to know.

　

"The other day when we went shopping together, you were staring at the whale notebook, right? Your eyes were really sparkling then, Hoshino-chan."

　

"You're just imagining things! And whales aren't fish!"

　

"Hehe, you've dug your own grave, Hoshino-chan. I guess you really do love them."

　

　My senior knew everything. I was so embarrassed that I wanted to leave her behind.

　

"Hehehe, I've prepared a present for you, Hoshino-chan, who loves fish so much!"

　

　The word "present" caught my attention, so I decided to ask her a little bit about it.

　

"What?! Is this an admission ticket to the aquarium?"

　

　I wonder when she'd discovered that I liked fish. It seems she'd been preparing for quite some time. But the joy of going to the aquarium had completely overshadowed all my embarrassment. After I'd made plans to go with her, and things had calmed down a bit, I suddenly started to wonder about something.

　

"Now that I think about it, weren't the aquarium tickets pretty expensive? And you bought two tickets."

　

　Yes, I had wanted to go too, so I looked at the price, but it wasn't a price that would easily justify buying two tickets.

　

"I'm paying it off of my own pocket, so there's no problem with the money to pay off the debt."

　

The answer I got was a bit off the mark. What I wanted to ask was

　

"No, that's not it. Was it okay to give away something so expensive? I can't give anything back to you."

　

　That's right. I can't give anything back. But is it okay for me to receive something like this?

　

"I can't repay you... but this is actually my way of thanking you..."

　

　I didn't understand what she meant. I hadn't done anything for her. I did help out a little with the student council, but that was it. It was only natural for someone to do that as a member of the school, so I didn't think it was appropriate for her to thank me, let alone give me something so expensive. That's what I told her.

　

"Well, maybe that's how it seems to Hoshino-chan..."

　

　Yume-senpai continued speaking with a troubled look on her face, scratching her cheek.

　

"As I said before, I was alone all last year. So having someone to talk to and helping me with the same work, even if it's just something trivial, makes me so happy and delighted. And it's even more so when the person helping me is such a cute and strong kouhai. Thanks to Hoshino-chan, I'm the happiest I've been since I was born in Kivotos."

　

"So, I want you to accept it as a way of repaying the kindness you've shown me."

　

"I, I understand. I understand, so please don't say any more."

　

　I wonder how this senior can say something like that without feeling embarrassed. It's somehow unfair that I'm the only one who has to feel embarrassed. But I understand her feelings, and it would be rude to refuse further, so I'll accept it...

　

"Oh, Hoshino-chan is embarrassed!!"

　

"Senpai, stop making noise! I'm going home soon!"

　

"Hehe, yes!"