What was with this terrifying yet immature-sounding nickname!?
ââIn this school, the only person that Iâm truly afraid of is the âSmiling Executionerâ Mai Houjou-sama.â This was something that the drama club president personally told me,â Chiaki stated.
The drama club president⊠that legendary weirdo who was basically a kidnapper, the one who debated against the school morals committee and won was actually addressing someone the same age as her with an honorific like -sama!?
No, wait, that wasnât the important part! He should have been paying attention to the contents of that quote!
âThe only person sheâs truly afraid ofâŠâ Mika repeated dazedly.
Chiaki nodded. âYou guys know that our club president is an idiot who isnât scared of anything. Thatâs why when she said that so seriously, it gave me such a deep impression.
âLater, I checked it out due to my own curiosity and found out that President Mai Houjou⊠Houjou-senpai was active last year, which was right before the three of us entered Genhana High School, when she was still a second-year high school student.
âAs the student council president, she ruled with an iron fist and eliminated half the clubs in this entire high school!â
Seijiâs and Mikaâs eyes widened in surprise upon hearing this.
âHalf the clubs⊠so Genhana High School used to have twice the number of clubs as it currently has?â Seiji asked.
âThatâs right, and Houjou-senpai was the one who eliminated them⊠She didnât lead the student council in doing this; she did it entirely by herself!â
âThis⊠is that even possible?â Mika asked in confusion.
Chiaki sighed. âThereâs no need to even talk about possible or not possible, because itâs an indisputable fact.â
âI know itâs difficult to believe, but the facts are there. Houjou-senpai used various methods to⊠eliminate, or perhaps I should say delete, all those clubs that she believed shouldnât exist.â
âThe scenes from that time sounded rather brutal⊠all the third-year high school students I asked didnât want to tell me the specifics, and the drama club president only used one word to describe that time periodâbloodbath.â
Seiji and Mika were rendered speechless.
âHoujou-senpai earned her nickname of âSmiling Executionerâ during that time. In combination with everything I found out about her, it gave me the impression that she was a truly frightening third-year high school student senpai.â
âI didnât expect to hear about her from Seigo just nowâŠâ Chiaki smiled wryly as she looked back at the lunchbox.
Seiji and Mika also followed her line of sight.
The fine, exquisite food was still sitting inside, giving off a tantalizing aroma.
All three of them were lost for words.
Seiji kept looking at these delicacies while thinking back to the time he spent together with Houjou-senpai. He recalled her gentle smile, then thought about everything that Chiaki had just recounted.
Erm⊠just what was it, this indescribable feeling he currently had?
He didnât understand.
It was probably best not to understand.
Some things in this world were better off left alone, and it would be foolish to pay too much thought to these things.
At least he should probably leave it alone for the time being.
Chiaki and Mika also wisely chose to avoid thinking too much about this topic.
There was a lengthy period of silence between the trio.
âSeigo, how is our junior Kagura-san doing?â Chiaki asked.
Seiji blinked in surprise.
âSheâs already recovered her memories,â he stated lightly.
âOh? Thatâs great news!â
âBut she forgot everything about what happened while she had amnesia,â he continued in a light tone.
âOhâŠâ Chiaki paused.
She exchanged glances with Mika before looking back towards Seiji, who seemed calm on the surface.
âSeigo⊠are you mad?â
âHrm? Why would I be mad?â Seiji seemed confused.
âIt feels like⊠somethingâs off about your emotions,â Mika said in a tiny voice.
ââŠMaybe somethingâs a little off.â Seiji nodded in acknowledgment. âIâm slightly⊠sad, thatâs all.â
Mika and Chiaki exchanged awkward glances.
Yet another period of silence fell between them.
Seiji sighed after a while, breaking the silence.
âItâs a wonderful thing for her to recover her memory without any mishaps. Iâm also happy for her.â
âBut⊠how do I put it? For her to have forgotten what happened while she had amnesia⊠it gave me a greater impact than I expected.â
âI also feel that me being this way⊠is rather unseemly, but thereâs no helping it. I canât force myself to suddenly be happy.â
He was unable to ignore or instantly seal off those memories of a mere one and a half days.
That girl who kept calling himself âbrother,â as well as the young Shikaâs smile were difficult for him to forget.
âŠWas he awakening to the path of a sis-con?
No, no, that couldnât be! It wasnât the case!!
He wasnât a sis-con; instead, he was⊠er⊠this⊠seemed likeâŠ
Seijiâs cheek twitched as a strange light flashed in his eyes.
âI admit it then! Iâm actually someone whoâs awakened as a sis-con but I just lost my younger sister character so Iâm feeling awful right now! Ahhh!!!â
Seiji suddenly started shouting, startling Mika and Chiaki.
Since he was speaking too quickly and didnât even use commas properly as punctuation, they didnât hear every word too clearly.
But since âsis-conâ was a word that stood out too much, this was a word they both heard.
Seiji slowly looked at her, a serious expression on his face.
âFrom now on, you may address me as the âfallen sis-con gentleman.ââ
What the hell!?
âDonât give yourself strange nicknames like that, idiot!â Chiaki had a forceful retort at the ready.
âThis is the name of my soul.â
âWhat the hellâs with saying itâs your soulâs name!!? Donât even imagine that people will be able to accept it just because you say itâs your soulâs name!!!â
âBreatheâŠâ Chiaki had used too much oxygen with her angry retorts, so she was forced to take a deep breath.
Mika was in a total state of shock now.
Seiji scratched his face.
âThen Iâll change it toâŠâ
âNo changing! No nicknames, period! Otherwise Iâm going to kick you to the curb like youâre an actual pervert!â Chiaki warned with a strict expression.
âFine.â Seiji gave up on the idea and averted his gaze, a melancholy look in his eyes. âI shall be the nameless sis-con then.â
âWhy do you keep insisting on calling yourself a âsis-con!?â Although ânamelessâ sounds a little cool, itâs actually meaningless!!â
That was enough out of him! The tomboy really did end up giving Seiji a good kick.
The pigtailed girl was beginning to blend into the scenery.
Although the atmosphere may have become awkward, at the very least he was able to explain the situation.
Chiaki sighed. âSo basically, youâre feeling disappointed because Kagura-san forgot about the time she spent together with you.â
Seiji nodded honestly.
âShe⊠does Kagura-san know that she treated you as her brother and acted all spoiled with you while she had amnesia?â
âI didnât tell her⊠I didnât want her to know.â
Chiaki frowned. âWhy not?â
âIt would only bother her,â Seiji said lightly. âThat time is meaningless now. If I bring it up again, it would only be bothersome for her. Thatâs why I decided not to mention it again.â
âIâm the only one who needs to remember it and feel bad about it. Even though itâs saddening, Iâll get over it eventually. I wonât always be steeped in sadness.â
âThatâs why Iâll just allow this short yet beautiful memory to disappear with the wind.â
Seiji felt like his melancholia was almost poetic.
His poetic musings were interrupted by yet another vicious kick from Chiaki!
âStop acting like youâre actually some sort of free-spirited depressed poet! Do you think youâre being cool right now!? Idiot!!â
The tomboy even stood up and placed her arms on her hips. There was a condescending look in her eyes.
âItâs obvious that youâre only disappointed, yet you have the gall to act immature and pretend to think of others! Youâre too unseemly, you idiot!â
âErâŠâ Seiji was stunned.
âJust tell her what happened! Let Kagura-san know what went on between you! Even though it was only for a short period of time, but since you care so much, then itâs something important to you!â
âEven though Mika and I only saw it for a few moments, the two of you really were like real siblings! She was acting spoiled towards you, and you cared about her; isnât this a warm and beautiful story? Tell that warm and beautiful story to her!â
âTell her how much you valued your time together, and that youâre incredibly sad about her having forgotten it! Perhaps sheâll be bothered and confused by it, or maybe sheâll find you disgusting, but⊠she deserves to know!!â
Seiji felt like he had come to a realization as he listened to Chiaki lecturing him.
âSince that time was so important to you, do something about it! Donât just arrogantly decide on your own that youâre acting cool by burying it forever!â
âSaying that youâre thinking of others, while youâre trying to hide the truth and suppress your feelings. Although it seems correct on the surface, youâre actually nothing more than an idiotic coward!â
âGo tell her the truth! Tell her your feelings! Even if you end up completely being rejected, thatâs still much better than arrogant idiocy or cowardice from trying to hide the truth, and at least youâll look cool, even if you fail!!â
Shika Kagura deserved to know that there was someone who cared about her like a real brother.
Seiji Haruta should have told her how much he liked that temporary, cute little sister.
No matter how short the time, no matter if it was only an illusion, as long as it was warm, beautiful, and valued⊠then it was an irreplaceable treasure!
Treasures shouldnât be buried like this.
That was what Chiaki Wakaba believed.
Seiji⊠accepted it.
He understood it.
âYeah, sheâs right. I⊠was wrong. The time we spent together definitely wasnât meaningless, since it was beautiful and precious. At the very least, I viewed it as precious.
âI should let her know, and she has the right to know.â