Chapter 137Role
When Big Sis is in Angry Mod, she's scary. When I was in the second-year of middle school, I had a really bad time where she would show her temper, but since I entered high school and started to feel the way I do now, she would only get angry silently. Why did she move silently? I didn't want to see her silently approaching me because it was scary to me.
"...From the beginning, she always had a hunch. Kaede had been strict with Hasegawa on some matters since the beginning of the Cultural Festival preparations. I wondered why, but it turned out that after I investigated, it made sense."
"Wait a minute?"
You don't need to be a handsome boy to know this. A girl's "hunch" is the same as her "confidence". If she says, "My hunch is right," we'll be in big trouble. She will walk silently out of the Student Council Room with her fists clenched. It was scary how she would chase after us secretly, no matter how far we ran away. She is indeed a little tyrant.
"...So, what do you mean? What's the problem?"
"Overall, we do have enough people from external parties to work on it. However, we don't have enough people to manage from the Kōetsu High School side. The people under Hasegawa are probably busy with their people."
"Um..."
"—In other words, we need a separate person to coordinate between the external collaborators and the Kōetsu students on site."
I could only understand after Ishiguro-senpai explained it to me. Even if we get external collaborators, we still have to tell them what to do. If we don't have that kind of condensed work system, no matter how much money we spend on recruiting people, we'll end up with a crowd of people competing against each other.
"To do that, of course, we need to work closely with the Cultural Festival Executive Committee,— and by extension, with Hasegawa Tomoka. That said, the Student Council must also quickly deal with the pending materials and data of theirs."
"Even so, this time, I feel that the contact between Hasegawa and Kaede is risky. Your big sis' ability to make decisions decisively and her courage is very good, but she can't understand the feelings of an "incompetent person", and "a person who is no longer useful", is the conclusion."
"Huh...?"
Big Sis can't understand the feelings of an "incompetent person"...? That's simply not true. After all, I'm her family member here, right? I don't feel that she can't understand it.
"Um, isn't Big Sis able to understand that? She's been looking out for me as her little bro, so I think she's used to looking out for incompetent people no matter how many times they try..."
"...? What are you talking about? You're competent in doing fieldwork in the Student Council, even the people under Shinomiya seem to think highly of you. Besides, lately, Kaede tends to use you as a reference when she scolds someone."
"Huh...?"
" "Even my little bro can do it". This was the phrase Kaede had been mentioning a lot lately. Yuudai was often scolded by her with that bitterness. I think it worked."
Yuudai... ...are you referring to Todoroki-senpai? Eh? Is Big Sis using me as a reference? When you said "When she scolds someone"...? ...Maybe she shouldn't say that to Senpai who has nothing to do with me... I don't like being shunned by people I don't know, do I? First of all, does that mean she's praising me...?
"Besides, you're... ...unlike Kaede, probably better at negotiating than her, and you probably also gained the knowledge to work as a team from your part-time job when you were in middle school. What makes you think that you are an "incompetent person"?"
"No, I'm not very good at negotiating... ...Eh? Wait a minute! How did you know that?"
"Now that I know that Kaede has a little bro, there's no reason for me not to investigate it, right? At all... ...I never revealed anything until now, but as soon as I found out about her little bro's existence, I did this right away."
"...?... ...?..."
"Little Bro Sajou... ...Listen to me..."
The words were thrown at me one after another or even before I could catch up with my understanding. Ishiguro-senpai held his forehead. Had he been hit by a bullet?
"Anyway, we want you to take on this role."
"W-Wait a minute, please!"
No, no, what are you talking about? I'm not joking! No matter what you think, what reason do I have to take on such a troublesome role? It's not a matter of "We want you to take on this role". I'm just being used as a lackey here.
"Um, to be honest, the reason I'm helping the Student Council is that Big Sis' instructions, which shouldn't make sense, are becoming more and more convenient for me, and I received a delicious lunchbox in return, so I can be here because I feel like I'm helping in a small way. In the first place, I probably would've refused it if it wasn't for the reason of helping Big Sis, and does that mean I have to take responsibility for work that I have no obligation to help with?"
I could only complain very seriously. I might have sounded like a smartass in front of my senpai-s, but I don't think I said anything wrong. Just because I'm related to Big Sis, why should I do such troublesome things? I'm not even a proper member of the Cultural Festival Executive Committee or the Student Council...!
"...I don't mind if you want to refuse."
"...Eh?"
"But are you sure that you're okay with that? I do believe that we can prepare someone to take your place, but we don't have any clear prospects yet."
"...Heh?"
I was surprised by Yuuki-senpai's casual answer, and I couldn't understand the meaning of his next question, so I asked back something similar in response.
"I said earlier that, "Now that I know that Kaede has a little bro, there's no reason for me not to investigate it, right?", right?"
"Huh...?"
"Sajou Wataru — Why do you have that much ability? Why did you work part-time when you were still a middle school student at that time...? Why did Kaede confide in us and grieve before summer vacation...? Why did you help the Student Council and even the Cultural Festival Executive Committee after school three days ago?"
"Th-That's..."
He profiled me to the point where even I couldn't find the words to reply. What about my privacy? There's a monitor in Senpai's room that can watch me 24 hours a day, right? If I'm at this level, what about you...? Isn't that serious?
"I won't go out of my way to confront you with clear words. I won't do anything cruel even if you say no. But, let me ask you this one more time — Are you really satisfied with that?"
"..."
This problem was indeed forced upon me. But, during all that trouble, there is a person who will never be able to ignore the suffering she is going through. No matter how hard I chased after her, the person I loved would never be reached.
What I had decided in my heart was to continue pursuing her and pray for her happiness. I swear to the Goddess that even if I'm not beside her if I can see her smile from afar, I'll be fine, even though that reason might break my heart — I swear, I should be there. Until this very moment. Even now, I still do it. Then, from now on, I will continue to do it.
"—This is good, isn't it?"
"Then, what are you going to do?"
"I will take this role. Please let me take this role."
I was a weak-minded and impressionable little boy. That's probably what Yuuki-senpai had in mind from the beginning when he made me listen to all these stories. I don't think he's someone who talks about love in a grandiose way.
Even so, being addicted to this technique is the best way to fulfill my swear to the Goddess... ...That Natsukawa, who doted on her little sis, could come home early and spend more time with Airi-chan.
"—Then, it's decided."
"...I don't understand things like love."
"Don't say that, Ishiguro. There was a time when I was just like you. To the point, I saw all girls as having the same face."
"I can't look at a girl's face directly."
"...How about you straighten that out?"
Should I say, "How dare you make me notice that!"? Or should I say, "Thank you for letting me know!"? Either way, I know that Natsukawa is having a hard time, and it's probably going to happen sooner or later — If that's the case, maybe I should be grateful.
"More than that... ...won't this make that girl angry?"
"Don't worry about that. We'll only get two or three hits from her at most."
"...I don't understand love."
"Phew..."
After the conversation ended, Ishiguro-senpai handed me a printout. It contained the details of the future policy. I got the impression that it was quite pushy. Whether or not I can accomplish it accurately, it depends on my ability as well.
Yuuki-senpai added.
"Wataru will be asked to come into the Cultural Festival Executive Committee classroom with Ishiguro here. You guys will coordinate with the team that Renji has formed."
"This is serious... ...I understand. I look forward to working with you, Ishiguro-senpai."
"Oh... ...since it doesn't make sense that I keep calling you Little Bro Sajou, so I'll call you Wataru as well."
"I see. Then I'll call you Ken-senpai too."
"No, my name is not Ken, you know...!"
(TL Note: Ishiguro Ken / Ken Ishiguro is the name of a famous actor.)
...Eh?
Author's Note: When I turned around, that person was there.
TL Note: This is the end of Part/Volume Five of the Web Novel version. After this, we're gonna continue to translate Part Six of the story, don't miss it.
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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