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This is my Christmas present to you, and Iâd be really glad if you gifted me back with a review on novelupdates! Incidentally, Reika graduates from primary school soon, so letâs have one chapter every 15 minutes until she does.
Lately, things between Serika-chan and Kikuno-chan have become strained. The cause was Kikuno-chan being in the same class as Kaburagi.
When we realised it after the class announcements, Kikuno-chan was dancing for joy. Since then, every day, itâs been talk about Kaburagi. Stuff like âWhen he was reading the passage out during Japanese class, it was so dreamy.â or âAfter Kaburagi-sama used the piece of chalk, I ended up using it tooâ. From my perspective itâs just idle gossip, but apparently that wasnât the case with Serika-chan.
âReika-sama, donât you think that Kikuno-san been getting ahead of herself lately? Just because sheâs in the same class as Kaburagi-sama, every single day she does nothing but boast about it. What on earth is with her!â
Oh my my~ Even though Serika-chan and Kikuno-chan are like a duo, now that one sideâs been stealing a march on the other, cracks are appearing in their relationship.
âArenât you frustrated, Reika-sama? Kikuno-san is acting as though sheâs closer to Kaburagi-sama than you are! So arrogant!â
Iâm not frustrated at all, butâŠ? I mean, I donât particularly like him after all. Only, considering how many fans those two have in school, thereâs no reason for me to stir up trouble by admitting that. So thus far Iâve just been randomly following along with everybody and saying stuff like âHow wonderful.â when appropriate.
âShe says things like how Enjou-sama occasionally comes to visit her class! And lately, that girl hasnât even been spending lunch time with you, Reika-sama! Sheâs betraying us!â
Uwahh~ Sheâs getting all heated up. I wonder what I should do.
âPerhaps Kikuno-san is merely doing so because she felt that you would be happy to hear such stories. I do not think that she means ill, you know?â
ââŠI canât imagine that she doesnât, butâŠâ
Her expression clearly says that she doesnât believe me. But well, I also think that Kikuno-chan was just happily bragging.
âAfter all, Kikuno-san seems to think dearly of you, Serika-san. A while back when she was ill and you waited with her in the infirmary, she told me that she was very grateful to you. She even said that when push comes to shove, you were the one that could be relied on, you know?â
âEh-âŠâ
This is half truth and half lie. Itâs true that she was grateful about Serika-chan accompanying her in the infirmary. As for the stuff about being reliable, I said âSerika-san is reliable, isnât she.â and Kikuno-chan just replied âYesâ.
âKikuno-san saidâŠâ
âI think that Kikuno-san is just ecstatic about joining the class of the one she admires. I am sure that she will calm down, given just a little time. To begin with, Kaburagi-sama is more or less indifferent towards girls, after all. In the end, rather than the far-away Kaburagi-sama, it will be you that she values more.â
âThatâs trueâŠâ
Oooh, she bit! In that caseâŠ
âSerika-san, please take this.â
âEh-, a macaron?â
I had given Serika-chan a pink macaron.
âIt is a limited time cherry-flavoured macaron. Kaburagi-samaâs favourite.â
âEH-!? Kaburagi-samaâs!?â
âYes. Earlier when I went to the Pivoine salon, Kaburagi-sama was eating them. I helped myself to one as well, but brought it here without eating it. You should eat it, Serika-san. Keep this a secret from Kikuno-san, all right?â
âGoodnessâŠâ
Serika-chan happily accepted the macaron with two hands.
âIt isnât often that you get to see Kaburagi-sama eating sweets, is it.â
âMy. That is not the case at all. He has quite the sweet tooth, you know?â
He eats sweets in the salon a lot, and he was a sweet tooth in Kimidol as well. For a while when he was in Kyoto, he was totally in love with this old tea shopâs matcha chocolate after all. I donât think heâs hiding the fact or anything, but to begin with we arenât allowed to bring sweets to school, so the only chance of seeing him eating them is in the salon I guess.
Since Serika-chan is in a good mood again, I guess thatâs good enough for now.
âUmm⊠Reika-sama. What I said earlierâŠâ
âOf course, I did not hear a thing. After all, it was not how you truly felt, was it.â
âNo. Thank you very much, Reika-sama.â
No, no. Youâre welcome.
*imouto*
*imouto*
âReika-sama, what do you think of Serika-sanâs attitude lately? Sheâs jealous because Iâm in the same class as Kaburagi-sama!â
This time Kikuno-chan timed it so that Serika-chan wasnât there, before coming to talk to me.
âIf sheâs envious, then she should just say so. Even though I went out of my way to tell her stories about Kaburagi-sama, all she does is glare at me. Donât you think her personality is terrible?â
Oh my, oh my~ Thatâs quite an arrogant attitude, huh~ I think both of you were in the wrong.
âSerika-san was sulking because all you spoke of was Kaburagi-sama.â
âSulking?â
âPlease keep this a secret, but, Serika-san was complaining to me about how Kaburagi-sama is more important to you than she is. âEven though Iâm closer to herâ, she said. I think that she might be lonely.â
âEh-âŠâ
âSerika-san likes you very much, after all. But lately all you speak of is Kaburagi-sama. Wouldnât you feel ignored? Donât you think that perhaps her jealousy is directed at Kaburagi-sama instead?â
Now this is a total lie.
âBut you must not go to Serika-san to confirm this. Serika-san is quite the stubborn one, so if you knew how she really felt, she would likely sulk even more, you see.â
âTo think Serika-san saidâŠâ
âIn this case⊠What if you act like the mature one, and take the first step? I am certain that if you do so, Serika-san will immediately feel better. She likes you a lot. The two of you are best friends, after all.â
âBest friends⊠Youâre right. Weâre best friends, arenât we.â
It looks like sheâs a little happy about the specialness of âbest friendsâ. And it seems like her anger has subsided too.
âReika-sama, what I said earlierâŠâ
âOf course, I did not hear a thing. After all, it was not how you truly felt, was it.â
âNo. Thank you very much, Reika-sama.â
No, no. You two are quite similar, you know.
*imouto*
After that, they immediately made up. And it looks like my lies werenât exposed. The two of them are lovey-lovey and following each other everywhere again. Iâm a coward, so absolutely âno thank youâ to trouble. Itâs scary. I mean, you never know when youâll get wrapped up in it, after all. Peace is definitely the best.
*imouto*
Speaking of which, in ăyou are my dolceă, didnât Kisshouin Reika feed Emperor with lies about the protagonist, that led to a falling out sceneâŠ?