「*Sigh*
She drinks too much. She says Sake is the best of all medicines, but too much
of it is just poison. I always told her to limit his drinking to two cans a
day... You're not letting her drink without limit, are you?」
Principal
Ootori was very talkative, as if he had been drinking.
Chihiro
could only fake a smile at this.
（You are
letting her drink, aren't you, Nii-san?）
（I do
warn her if she has more than four cans. I do caution her）
（...but
before speaking about other people's inactivity, this guy, he himself got
fat...）
（Stop.
Let's not go any further）
A man's
personal life is a private life.
In
Principal Ootori's case, he is probably busy with his work, and since he is
engaged to Yotsuba, of course he does not have a wife, so it is difficult for
people to look at him.
Besides,
it is inevitable to be concerned about a beautiful woman who is leading a
self-indulgent life, although she may not be concerned about herself. It is
even more so when it is one of his relatives.
In
Chihiro's case, he has given up on his sister's private life.
**a
「Principal,
are you like that when you complain to Suzu-san?」
Principal
Ootori sniffed when Chihiro asked.
「If I
don't tell her, she won't get better. Besides, since she doesn't use the log
house anymore, we have less chances to talk than before」
「...I see」
"This
is no good," Chihiro thought.
（Hmmm. I
guess different people care about different things）
（Yes, I
know. I wouldn't have cared so much if Chisato hadn't been there）
（Nii-san
is dense）
（Ugh）
Despite
being somewhat annoyed, Chihiro opens his mouth.
「Principal,
why don't you pay more attention to Kurohane-senpai?」
He
knows it's meddlesome.
He
understood that it was not his place to say so, since he had taken her
virginity.
But
when asked to focus on his fiancée instead of his childhood friend, Principal
Ootori's reaction was, surprisingly, a twinkling of the eye.
「Huh?
Yotsuba doesn't need any extra attention. She is perfect」
「......」
Chihiro
held back the urge to let something slip out of his mouth.
（Uwaa!）
Instead,
Chisato spoke for him in his inner thoughts.
No,
well, Chihiro understand how he feels. It is true that Yotsuba would not lead
an indolent life, and she has the help of servants and parents since she lives
at home.
Suzu,
who is a working adult living alone and away from her parents, is more
dangerous.
「But you
two are engaged, aren't you?」
「Yes,
but we should be independent of each other because we are engaged. I should
respect her personality and not twist it by my selfishness」
「I see」
Chihiro
nodded.
It was
clear that there was a definite difference in their way of thinking.
Principal
Ootori's point is also understandable. Especially, Yotsuba, who is more mature
than her age, is his partner. There may be a way to accept and respect each
other.
（But I
think girls get anxious when they are left alone）
Because
anxiety creates instability.
This
unstable state of mind can eventually affect one's personal life as well. In
fact, Yotsuba's S-ness may have been caused by the frustration that had accumulated
without her realizing it.
「But if
that is the case, please talk to her at least a little bit more. I think there
are parts that cannot be conveyed unless you put into words how you feel about
her」
「...in
words, huh?」
A heavy
murmur escaped from Principal Ootori's mouth.
「You
have a decent point of view」
Chihiro
did not feel complimented.
Then,
having finished his soba noodle, Principal Ootori returned to his katsudon and
said.
「I might
have misunderstood you a little. I thought you were just a child with no second
thoughts」
「...No.
I think you're right」
「Don't
be modest. At least you got Suzu back to work. There are a lot of things I
don't agree with, though」
「......」
Not
knowing what to say in reply, Chihiro fell silent.
He
finishes his lunch as he quietly proceeds with his chopsticks and he sipped tea
from the water bottle he had brought along.
「I heard
that you are joining for the student council」
「Yes」
The
period for accepting candidacy applications had begun, so Chihiro submitted his
entry.
「...I
didn't expect you to be the vice president...」
「I said
I wanted to be in the behind the scenes, too, but there were people who wanted
me to be vice president」
It is
Lucille.
She is
a candidate for student council president and says, "I need someone to
help me".
She
also said that Ayase, who is in charge of general affairs, could be the
vice-president, but "she" said that "she" is suitable for
the current position of the general affairs and—
**b
『You
see, the popular Chisato-chan should be well received rather than me. In
addition, I think she's a good candidate for the vice-president position』
『But
Ayase-senpai is better』
『Shut
up. Just take care of the greetings and all that for me』
It was
so outrageous.
In
short, Lucille seems to intend to continue the same stance as now even if she
becomes the student council president. And Chihiro will take her place where
she used to be.
Thinking
that it would not be so different from now eve he would be a quieter person and
talk a little at each event, he decided to accept the position.
「Well,
you should give it a try. I won't support you, but I won't complain either」
「...thank
you very much」
「You
don't seem happy」
「No.
It's just, you know, I wasn't expecting it」
"Hmm,"
Principal Ootori uttered again.
Before
long, the bowl of rice was empty. Chihiro wondered if the cause of Principal
Ootori's body shape could be due to overeating.
「Personal
feelings are not the same as my evaluation as Principal」
「...I'm
sorry?」
「Hmm?」
「No,
it's nothing」
He did
not understand the meaning of the apology.
So,
Chihiro gave a vague smile to Principal Ootori, who tilted his head.
Maybe
he had misunderstood him somewhat. Thinking of that, he felt like apologizing
for making Yotsuba a slave.
Of
course, it is not forgivable by apologizing, and he does not intend to return
the apology now.
So, he
pretended that the apology that leaked out of his mouth had never occurred to
me.
「Excuse
me」
Soon
after, Chihiro left the principal's office.
「I'm
looking forward to the inter-school competition. As a Principal, I'll be glad
to see our school's success」
「Yes. If
I am selected, I will do my best」
These
were the last words exchanged.
Chihiro
wonder what Principal Ootori would think if he knew what he did to Yotsuba.
But the
past cannot be reversed.
It is
his fault that Principal Ootori did not have enough trust with Yotsuba. If he
had not, Yotsuba might not have become Chihiro's property.
Anyway,
what he should do from now on is the only way to win if it is meaningless to
talk about “if”.
Yotsuba
and Principal Ootori.
Their
relationship is ultimately a matter between the two of them.
There
is a limit even if Chihiro tries to go deeper into it, and if Principal Ootori
will change his actions and Yotsuba will respond to him, it is understandable.
（Nii-san,
you even sent salt to the enemy）
（We're
not enemies. For now, anyway）
The
doorbell rings in the hallway.
Chihiro
hurried back to the classroom, talking with Chisato in his mind.
