In Japan, texting isnât done via sms phone numbers. Itâs done by email. Hence exchanging addresses is sort of like exchanging mobile numbers, except that you arenât given their call number, only their text ânumberâ so to say.
Akizawa-kunâs innocent smile awaited me at cram school.
Compared to that black duo, Akizawa-kunâs smile is like a polar opposite. Aah, heâs so soothingâŠ
âWhatâs wrong, Kisshouin-san? You seem kind of tired.â
âYes, well, various things happened, you see.â
Right. Various things.
I was supposed to be living in a way that bothered Emperor as little as possible, but to think that I would be nominated as gopher. What the heck are you doing, me?
âI see. Are you okay?â
No, Iâm not okay at all. But I canât get the untainted Akizawa-kun wrapped up in it.
âIf I fail my mission, please pray for my well-being in the afterlifeâŠâ
âHuh?â
To begin with, even if I asked Aira-sama the questions that Emperor gave me, would she even answer? Aira-sama treats me more closely than others, but would she go as far as to answer questions like that? But if she wonât answer, then what the heck will happen to me? Will I be yelled at and called a useless gopher? Well, if itâs just that much, I donât really care. Being the woman hated by Kaburagi Masaya would leave me in a precarious position at school though. Or rather, I was designated as spy in front of all the kids who were in the salon at the time, so wonât they all know that Iâm a gopher now? âŠThe day that my in-school position falls might be sooner than expected. Aahh, the bad possibilities keep on growing.
âHey, Kisshouin-san. Wanna eat these?â
âEh-â
Akizawa-kun took out individually-wrapped financiers.
âMy mum gave me these in case I got hungry. Eating sweet things might improve your mood.â
After saying those words, Akizawa-kun smiled at me.
A-, AKIZAWA-KUUUUUUUUUUUUN!!
What a good kid. Youâre an angel! Itâs like heaven and earth when compared to those two. Iâm so glad that I became your friend!
âThanks, Akizawa-kun!â
After eating his financiers, I really did feel better. I even thought that it might be okay to share my treasured kinakomochi flavoured Tirolian chocolates with him.
*imouto*
*imouto*
And so finally, the day of English school arrived. Ever since that day, Iâve been avoiding the salon. But today, the moment that I stepped out of the classroom to leave school, I found Emperor standing in the hallway giving me a âYou get it, rightâŠ?â look with his eyes, so as the spy that I was, I replied âYes, of course!â with my eyes as well, and immediately headed to the shoe rack. Honestly, now that itâs come to this, I have no choice but to keep my head down and play the gopher.
After my English class finished, I waited anxiously for Aira-samaâs arrival. I already let my chauffeur know to come a little later, so things were fine in regards to when Iâd be leaving, but the problem was what time Aira-sama would be coming. If she came just as class started, then we wouldnât have any time to talk. As youâd expect, I wouldnât be able to just wait here until her classes finished. Please, Aira-sama. Come quickly.
Perhaps the heavens were on my side, because Aira-sama appeared almost right afterwards.
âAira-sama!â
âMy, itâs Reika-san. Gokigenâyoh.â
Aah, Aira-sama, thank goodnesssâŠ
âUm, the truth is, there is in fact something I wish to ask you, Aira-sama!â
âHm? Ask me?â
I didnât want anybody else to hear, so we ended up chatting on the landing of the staircase.
âThe truth is, it is about Yurie-sama.â
âYurie?â
Aira-samaâs expression turned puzzled.
âY-, Yes. Um, just how angry at Kaburagi-sama is Yurie-sama? And when is it that she intends on forgiving him?â
There wasnât any time so I just cut right to the chase, but Aira-samaâs expression turned more and more suspicious.
âAnd why would you want to know about Yurie and Masaya, Reika-san? Enough that you came out of your way to ask me.â
Well yeah, that is pretty suspicious. When Iâm not close to Kaburagi at all, I went and stuck my nose in their business, so Aira-samaâs reaction was natural. I wonder if I seem like some nosy onlooker to her.
âI donât know why youâre asking, but if youâre prying into this on a whim, youâll make Masaya angry, you know?â
Iâve already made him angry. And Iâm doing this at Kaburagi Masayaâs direction. Should I just try telling her the truth? But if I do, thereâs no way she would give information to Stalker Kaburagiâs underling. Mm~mmâŠ
Seeing me fall silent as I agonised over it, Aira-sama narrowed her eyes.
âCould it be that Masaya said something to you?â
Goodness! How did you know! Could it be that Aira-sama can read minds just like Emperor!?
âEm, ummâŠâ
But should I just come clean? Or should I struggle to keep up my act?
âAh, mn. Got it. Itâs probably just Masaya telling you to ask about Yurie, right?â
Thatâs exactly it! Youâre amazing, Aira-sama. How did you see through everything!?
âLooks like he hasnât reflected at all. I wonder if he even understands why Yurie was angry. You can just ignore what Masaya has to say, or so Iâd like to say, but youâre in a spot where you canât do that, right?â
âYes. Exactly right.â
I nodded up and down.
âAlright. Iâll ask Yurie for you. As for how angry she is, tell him that threatening unwilling people and working them hard for his own matters like this will just get her even angrier.â
âThat isâŠâ
âŠdefinitely not something a coward like me could say.
âHuhu, but my class is about to start, and Iâll only be able to ask Yurie after I come home, so⊠Naturally, next weekâs English tutorial would be too late, right?â
âI cannot say for certain, but probablyâŠâ
Given that he couldnât even wait until âthe day after nextâ I canât imagine that heâd be able to wait until ânext weekâ.
âGot it. Then, Reika-san, do you have a mobile?â
I donât have many chances to use it, but it has a GPS with it, so itâs more like a crime deterrent. Thatâs why when I go to the convenience store during cram school, I naturally leave it in the classroom for alibi purposes.
âWell then, letâs exchange addresses. Once I have a talk with Yurie, Iâll send you an email.â
âCan we really!?â
Oohhh, to think that I would get Aira-samaâs address!
The truth is, Aira-sama sports an androgenous short haircut, so around here, sheâs even more popular than the boys are. There are plenty of girls who seem like theyâre even in love with Aira-sama, and some of them have bewitching fantasies about the beautiful princess Yurie-sama and her gallant knight Aira-sama.
âŠAnd Iâm also one of the girls who secretly admire Aira-sama! Thatâs right! The one that I admire isnât Emperor. Itâs the Peony Knight, Aira-sama! So donât get so cocky, you damned tyrant duo!
Or so I was thinking, but thereâs no way a coward like me could ever say it to their faces, so itâs more like the rant of a loser but⊠Anyway, that doesnât matter. For now, it looks like Iâve been able to follow my directives. After all, it looks like Aira-sama is going to help me out because she understands my circumstances. Whatâs more, I even gained her email address as an unexpected reward, so Iâm feeling completely pleased right now. Now then, shall I go home? Today Oniisama is going to be late due to prep studies isnât he. Tsk~ Thatâs no fun. I wonder if heâll make time for me tomorrow. Lala, la~
*imouto*
*imouto*
Watching me walking out of the English class elated with my worries gone, was a boy in front of a black car, standing with his arms folded. Kaburagi Masaya.