Apparently we were slowly gaining new members. I say âapparentlyâ because I wasnât there to see it myself. Actually I wasnât allowed to interact with them directly.
According to Club Pres, my title as a Pivoine member was scaring away from of the newer students, so she hoped that I would make myself scarce just for the duration of the recruitment period.
I couldnât really fault that logic. Everyone who joined that club was the same timid and quiet type, so I could see how they might be afraid of us. In Suiran, the Pivoine were like the ultimate predators, after all. The one group that you shouldnât ever offend.
I knew that feeling too. But I was an official member of the Handicrafts Club. Wasnât there any way I could help!?
Anyhow, I was sitting in a corner and needle-felting, sparing the occasional glance at the visiting students, when one of them called out to me falteringly. Heck yes!
âDid you have a question?â
âYes. I was hoping somebody could tell me about the sewing machine that this club uses, butâŚâ
Sewing machine?
I wasnât proud of this, but I had never used it before. Actually I sucked at them in general. Things just got out of hand, and then the threads started to get tangled and⌠Anyhow, it was just hard. Come to think of it, when I was younger the threads got tangled and the sewing machine stopped moving. So I tried yanking it out, but the struggle ended with the machine giving off smoke. Machinery was difficult to use, wasnât it.
But it was a chance to help. I decided to try my best!
âWhat did you want to know about it?â
âI wanted to know which company made the overlock sewing machines. Also whether or not you had any 4-thread overlocks.â
âŚWhat on earth was an overlock machine. And what was this about 4-threads?
âIâve only ever used a 3-thread. I was hoping to get the chance to try my hand at a 4-thread.â
???
Oh no. I was trying my best but it was all Greek to meâŚ
But I was an official club member. I couldnât let her know.
ââŚPlease wait a moment. I am a little tied up at the moment, so I will find somebody to answer your questions. You wanted to know about overlock sewing machines, yes?â
Anybody! Isnât there anybody who knows about these âoverlocked machinesâ!?
While I was looking for somebody who could answer, another one of the visitors came up to that girl and said,
âThat miss over there is a member of the Pivoine, you know! You canât just send her on chores like that, what if you make them angry!?â
I returned with a girl who knew more about the topic but Overlock-chan said,
âIâm so sorry! Iâm an External Student and only joined this year, so I really had no idea!â
earnestly apologising to me.
It wasnât a problem at all, though⌠I was just pretending to be busy so I didnât have to explain. So seriously, please donât look so scared of me~ Iâm part of the commoner-faction, you know?
Maybe I should learn more about sewing machinesâŚ
Around that time, Ririna showed up with her buddies in tow.
âGeez, Reika-san! What a boring club youâve joined!â
That stupid girl!
Flames of rage were beginning to grow in my heart but she had a lotof followers. If she joined the club, wouldnât we get a whole wave of members!?
âGoodness, welcome, Ririna-san. Did you have some interest in handicrafts?â I asked as graciously as possible butâŚ
âAs if! Like Iâd ever join such a minor club. I just came to make fun of you!â
Since that was the case, I immediately kicked her out.
Unfortunately some of the other club prospectives happened to see it all, and they ran away in fear. Curse you, Ririnaaaa!
Club President put her hand on my back, and gently returned me to my corner. This time a bunch of mannequin torsos were set in front of me like a wall.
It was a little lonely hereâŚ
*
*
Class Rep was looking gloomy. When I asked him what was wrong, it turned out that Miharu-chan was getting along with a boy in her class.
âWeâre in different classes too. Looks like Iâm at a major disadvantage, huh? What do I do. Do you think Honda-san really likes him?â
âHmmm.â
I wasnât all that close with her or anything, but maybe I would have a chance to ask her. Class Rep looked desolate.
Thinking about it, wasnât Nonose-san friendly with Miharu-chan? I saw them having lunch together quite a lot.
âShall I find out for you?â
âEh!? You would do that!? Thank you, Kisshouin-san!â
The maiden beamed with surprised joy. I didnât mind doing this but what was he going to do if she really did like somebody?
*
The next day I greeted Nonose-san in the morning, and used that as an exchange to engage in some small talk. Obviously I couldnât just walk up and demand she explain Miharu-chanâs relationship with him.
âI still owe you for taking care of me during the summer camp in middle school. Thank you for supporting me, especially while I was struggling with leading. I have ended up as a class representative again, but I hope for your continued support.â
âOf course! I donât know how I can help but I can then I will. Wow though. Summer camp. Thatâs nostalgic.â
We had fun chatting about it for a while.
âCome to think of it, Miharu-san attends every year, but she was strangely absent the one year I attended.â
âOh, now that you mention it she did miss out. I remember mailing her while I was there.â
âOh my. What did you say?â
âUmmm⌠Iâve forgotten. Probably something about the fireworks.â
âI see. It would have been nice to be in the same class together.â
âYes. We thought it was a shame too.â
âI see. Had Miharu-san been in our class, she would certainly have been the class representative instead. And she gets along with Class Rep.â
âYou thinkâŚ? I think Class Rep makes a better pair with you, Reika-sama. What do you think of him?â
âClass Rep? I suppose I find him earnest and diligent?â
âI thought so~! Reika-sama, youâre close with Iwamuro-kun from the Judo Club too, arenât you? What do you think about him?â
âIwamuro-kun, you ask? Why, I think he is a man who knows what he wants, and is willing to put in the effort as well.â
Ever since I gave him that facial mask, apparently he never stopped maintaining his skin. Thanks to that, he could boast the most flawless skin in the Judo Club.
âI see~â
I didnât know why, but Nonose-san was nodding in enjoyment. Who cares about me, weâre supposed to talk about Miharu-chan.
âSpeaking of boys, is Miharu-san close with any in her new class?â
âBoys? Hmmm, I canât say Iâve heard her say anything like that. Oh my, Reika-sama, youâre actually interested in these kinds of gossip?â
âEh-, I, wellâŚâ
âIâd love to hear more about your romances~ Ah, but I suppose I shouldnât ask, right?â
She looked a little disappointed. Uh, no, I actually donât have any wonderful stories to tell.
âEvery love rumour we hear about you is romantic. Iâm envious.â
âHuh? Love rumour?â
âLike the love poem anthology. The story had me spellbound. The chamberlain and mercenary just werenât the best choice. Reika-sama, Iâll support you!â
âEh? Chamberlain? Mercenary?â
I had no idea what she was talking about but the bell rang so our conversation was cute short.
What on earth was that�
But she mentioned something I couldnât ignore. Love poem anthology. Donât tell me she was talking about Kaburagi!? What on earth was romantic about that!? It was a cursed item, damnit!
Class Rep glanced my way during class, but sorry. I didnât get anything out of it.
*
Dite came and pressed me about the performance for our class trip.
Sorry, I forgot.
He handed me a CD and asked me to choose one of the tracks on it. Apparently he had recorded his violin performances.