Chapter 188Approaching Tragedy
"If I just look around this place, I'll just be considered a suspicious person..."
I could only mutter to myself as if I were complaining.
Even though most of the students in this school were out cleaning up after the Cultural Festival, the third floor of the north building was deserted as it was almost completely unused today. During such a situation, I probably looked like a suspicious person because I snuck in there alone, looked around me, and unlocked the Student Council Office. I am indeed a student of Kōetsu High School, but I usually have nothing to do with the Student Council.
"What a mess... ...Big Sis' desk, Big Sis' desk..."
The seat to the right, which is the honorable seat, was Yuuki-senpai's. Then, there was Big Sis' seat. To the right of that was Kai-senpai's seat, in front of it was Todoroki-senpai's, and diagonally to the right was Hanawa-senpai's.
On a table — On a white, high-quality table that wasn't worthy of being called a table, there were files propped up on a bookshelf and a closed laptop connected to the pedestal.
As I was about to sit on the seat, I noticed something on the shelf behind the seat.
"A coffee maker, huh...?"
That's not all. Next to the machine was a small fridge the size of a cardboard box, like the ones you find in hotels. On top was a coffee grinder and jars of coffee grounds. And a packet of chocolate powder like you'd get at a supermarket. And next to it, an electric kettle and paper cups! Hey, hey, hey, that's crazy...! Wasn't it just a few days ago that I was helping out here in preparing for the Cultural Festival? They didn't have anything like this back then... ...I don't know when they made this drink corner in this room?!
"Have a drink... (whispers)"
I put the chocolate powder into a paper cup and poured in half a cup of hot water. As expected, there was milk in the fridge. I wasn't in the mood for coffee today. I don't think the assignment the Student Council asked me to do will be completed quickly, but I'm sure they won't complain if I just entertain myself for a while.
"Okay—."
I opened Big Sis' laptop and turned it on. I had also borrowed this laptop before, and since it wasn't her device, I didn't think there would be any problem if I looked at it. After all, she's not the type to leave her personal belongings in this place where they shouldn't be seen by others.
"I wonder where it is, huh...?"
I used the mouse cursor to search for the specified folder. It was true that nothing appeared on the screen that I shouldn't see, but the screen was even more cluttered than that. I wonder if Big Sis' room is messy too... ...I haven't looked in there in years.
"...?"
As I continued to work in silence, I suddenly heard a sound: crack, crack, crack... ...Then, I heard the sound of the Student Council Office's sliding door opening. It was very slow... ...There was no knock on the door, so was it one of the Student Council Officials...?
I was curious, so I peeked out from behind the files on the bookshelf on the right to check. At the same time, I found that the door that was opened had been closed. When I leaned back a little, I finally found that there was a girl's uniform skirt. Is she... ...Big Sis? How come she recovered so quickly and came here so soon?
I thought so for a moment, but right at that moment, the legs I could see suddenly approached me.
"Eh? Young Lady..."
"Eh-?"
The identity of that person finally became clear just as she approached me. The ends of her wavy blonde hair wobbled gently, and the atmosphere in the quiet Student Council Office was shaken by the scent of cosmetics like I had smelled somewhere before.
It was a girl with a very elegant appearance — none other than Young Lady Shinonome-Claudine Marika, but she had already returned to her original school uniform, and the sparkle she had in the fashion show had faded. Even so, if I look closely, she does have a pretty face. As expected, that girl had won the grand prize without being outdone by the senpai-s of the second and third years. I was so impressed that I couldn't help but admire her, and I will praise her honestly here.
"No, your performance at the fashion show earlier was outstanding. Sure enough, you made the most of your features... ...I envy you, despite my gender being different from yours. I think you can look beautiful in any outfit with that look."
I wonder if I'd be such a handsome half-Japanese boy if only one of my parents had Western European blood... I probably would have lived much more confidently than I did in early spring, and if that were the case, I would probably be chasing after Natsukawa right now. No, she may be chasing after someone else...
"Yeah, didn't you say at the time that you wanted to become Student Council President? I'm sure your face and name have become popular by now, so I guess it's not impossible for you to achieve that position, right?"
"...."
"When you want to run for Student Council President, you should try making a speech in the same outfit you wore at the fashion show, I'm kidding... ...—Young Lady?"
Where had her usual upbeat and optimistic demeanor gone? Thinking that, I stopped working on my laptop and turned to look at the young lady again. Then, there she was, the young lady making a surprised expression on her face, her eyes wide open and flickering.
"By the way, why are you here? ....Eh—?"
I tilted my head to ask the young lady, who seemed to be acting strangely, but halfway through, I noticed that something was off. Specifically, she was holding a large, heavy silver-colored object with a pointed end with her right hand.
"..."
"...."
Um.
It's bad, isn't it...? It's bad, isn't it? If I make even the slightest mistake, I probably won't stay okay, right? It's good that I'm not making a scene here, isn't it?
The gears in my head suddenly accelerated. Similarly, the high-pitched alarm bell also rang loudly. I couldn't move at all. I felt as if my body, which had been light, had become heavier.
"O-Oh... ...Um..."
...Think, me. I can't make a mistake here. That young lady might be a helpless girl, but what was in her hands — Sharp scissors that could be used as a deadly weapon. Even if I try to forcefully take the scissors away, there's no guarantee that I'll escape. I had to handle everything very, very carefully.
"...Would you like to drink a cup of hot chocolate too?"
"...!"
I put on a faint smile while standing with a paper cup in my hand. But that might have been a bad move. In a tense situation, she would be surprised if a boy taller than her suddenly stood in front of her. The look of fear on my face at that moment, as if I had done something bad to her.
"O-Oh...!"
"Young Lady!"
The young lady took a step back while holding a deadly sharp weapon tightly in her hand. Perhaps it was indeed a spontaneous and deliberate action, but she bumped into Kai-senpai's seat in front of her, and the pen case to the right of the seat fell to the floor, scattering all its contents.
The young lady tried to regain her balance in a hurry, but she didn't manage to do so in time. Oh, just as I was thinking that, the young lady's back hit the front door hard.
"Wait a minute, hey — Ouch!"
"...Why?"
I tried to run towards the young lady, who had fallen to the floor, and immediately stood up, but the tip of the scissors in her left hand was still pointed at me. I think she was holding her trembling wrist with her right hand for support. I couldn't get any closer, and could only look at her from about two steps away.
A paper cup filled with hot chocolate fell to the floor, and I couldn't resolve the situation calmly, this situation was indeed at its worst.
"Why are you... ...here...?"
"Wh-Why? Huh...?"
The young lady looked at me with a dumbfounded expression on her face. Judging from her words, she didn't seem to believe that I was here at this time.
The young lady looked at me with a surprised expression. However, the light gradually disappeared from her eyes, and as soon as she averted her gaze, she also lowered her hand holding the scissors reluctantly.
"What the heck is this...?"
Just as I was about to say so, I was surprised...
It was Big Sis who asked me to come here alone to the unpopular Student Council Office, and without hesitation, I headed to Big Sis' seat. That young lady must have been shocked when she realized that it was me...
"Isn't that girl — your big sis?"
She was annoyed, and I was annoyed too. I just needed to think a little, and I could tell where the young lady's focus was regularly every day.
That young lady was the fiancée of Yuuki-senpai, the Student Council President. Despite their relationship, it seems that Yuuki-senpai's interest in the opposite sex is not directed at the young lady, but rather at Big Sis. I once saw a scene where the young lady was yelled at by Big Sis because she didn't notice that Big Sis was one of her Senpai. It's probably natural for her to have hatred for Big Sis.
"..."
The fact that someone close to me, a family member related to me, might have been harmed by her, sent chills down my spine. The top of my head felt very cold with a fear that I could not express.
"—Big Sis...?"
"Eh? Oh..."
The young lady looked at me with wide-open eyes. A moment later, I realized my mistake.
There was no deep reason, but I didn't want to get into trouble, so I hadn't told the young lady I was Big Sis' little bro and that my surname was "Sajou". Although it was a coincidence, otherwise, she wouldn't have asked me to choose her for the fashion show.
Although I tried to conceal it from her, the young lady's eyes were fixed on my chest — That's right, there was a nameplate on the uniform I was wearing today.
"...So that's it."
"I-It's..."
The tip of the scissors, which she had lowered, began to rise again. Was I the target this time!? — I thought for a moment and felt panicked, but the girl dropped the scissors casually onto the floor. It rolled to my feet making a loud noise and making my heart pound. After I gave her a worried look, I looked up to find the young lady holding another object in her hand.
"Fufu, everyone... ...everyone is making fun of me, huh...!?"
"Y-Young Lady...!"
"You too...!"
"I'm not, though...!?"
Clang, clang, clang, the tip of the sharp cutter extended. The young lady stared at the cutter she had just picked up — She gripped the handle of the cutter tightly with both hands. The cutter came from the pen case on Kai-senpai's desk.
"—That's enough... ...enough."
The tip of the cutter pointed straight up, stirring up the scene with her trembling hands. The young lady stared at her hands blankly, as if she was in a state between readiness and fear. She already knew that I was the little bro of Sajou Kaede right now, and she must be hostile to me, the tip of the cutter would not be facing any other direction than mine.
A few seconds later, I could foresee what was going to happen before it happened.
The young lady brought the cutter closer to her neck, her hands were trembling, but she was determined. The fear in her eyes turned into a piercing stare as she approached what seemed to be her predetermined position. She no longer looked sane.
"...!"
It's bad — It's bad, bad, bad, bad!!!
I can't just stand here and wait and watch.
This is not the time for me to be surprised. I need to stop her. What if I jumped at her? If I do that, won't that make her even more desperate? What should I do? Can I convince her to stop? But with what words?
"...!"
While the route to the future was branching out in my head, I noticed a pair of scissors lying at my feet. At that moment — I picked it up from the floor.
Many branches were blowing in the wind, and the path led to a single path. There was no certainty in the path of my destiny, no sure footing, no end in sight.
It wasn't until I reached that point that I remembered that I had a choice to come back.
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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