106. Then, the cultural festival marked by resolute determination. (10)

“Good evening.”

“Good evening, President. Calling so late—is it about something related to the cultural festival?”

After all, it was Hoshino Morihoshino; Tsuki Jingūji immediately thought of the cultural festival.

Lately, Tsuki Jingūji had been managing the committee alone, so busy he hadn’t even submitted a single work report.

“Isn’t it okay to call if it’s not about work?”

“Not exactly what I meant.”

“Ah, were you sleeping? Did I wake you?”

“No, I just turned off the light.”

“That’s good. Tsuki Jingūji, you’re putting your all into the cultural festival. If I disturbed your rest, I’d really feel bad.”

The boy on the other end of the line heard the girl’s gentle voice and couldn’t help but let a relaxed smile spread across his lips.

“Does the president have something to say?”

“I just suddenly wanted to hear the voice of my tsundere junior.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Sounds more like you’re teasing me.”

“Because I am teasing you.”

“I’m about to hang up.”

“Sorry, sorry~”

The sound of a convenience store door chime came through the phone.

Tsuki Jingūji was slightly startled and asked, “President, are you outside?”

“Yes, I’m about to head home.”

He glanced at the clock on his desk—it was already midnight.

At this hour, a high school girl walking alone outside would surely be questioned; he hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

The boy tactfully refrained from asking more and simply urged her to be careful.

Suddenly, her voice, tinged with a touch of melancholy, drifted softly through the line: “Sorry for leaving everything to you.”

“Exactly. Because of your recklessness, I’ve somehow ended up with all this responsibility. If the cultural festival flops, I’ll be condemned by the whole school,” Tsuki Jingūji said deliberately.

“So, when you’re done with your own matters, please come back to the committee early. That would ease my mind.”

There was a long silence on the other end, only the faint sound of the night wind audible.

A lonely image of the girl walking alone along the dark path appeared in his mind, and strangely, he felt an urge to take the convenience store shopping bag from her hand.

“…Tsuki Jingūji, you still speak so indirectly. Actually, you’re lonely because you can’t see me, right? Hahaha—I’m joking.”

“Is feeling lonely something forbidden?”

“…”

Not expecting such an answer, Hoshino Morihoshino suddenly fell silent, unable to respond to the boy’s voice.

After a moment, Tsuki Jingūji lightly added, “That guy Hitsumi seems really lonely and troubled because he hasn’t seen you lately.”

“Ah~~ So you’re talking about Hitsumi.”

“Otherwise?”

Only then did Hoshino Morihoshino react, her voice filled with grievance:

“Seriously, after just a few days apart, Tsuki Jingūji starts teasing me like this. Are you feeling too proud? I don’t remember training you to be such a child.”

“President, do you consider this teasing?”

“It is teasing, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it really is teasing.”

“...Damn it!”

Hoshino Morihoshino first let out a frustrated roar, then burst into cheerful laughter, a mixture of many emotions weaving through her voice.

Hearing that laughter, something tense within Tsuki Jingūji’s heart finally began to ease.

“Tsuki Jingūji, you really are a strange boy.”

“I think so too.”

“Probably, when I say ‘strange,’ it means something different from what you think.”

“Whatever it is,” the boy said.

“That’s not ‘whatever it is.’ I’ve told you before—you can’t just let yourself be misunderstood. You have to speak up and refute it.”

“I remember. I did refute it when I was with others.”

“Really? Sounds suspicious~~”

“Then next time, should I get someone to record it?”

“Knowing you can joke like that makes me feel a lot better. Ah~~ I always feel lighter after talking with you, Tsuki Jingūji.”

“I have that effect? Then all those classmates who never talk to me have missed out big time.”

“Pfft haha~~”

Though the boy’s room was reflected in his eyelids, when he closed his eyes, the girl’s graceful smile appeared vividly before him. That unforgettable expression became a magical skill, transforming the past into eternity, perfectly reconstructing her smiling face in his mind.

“Thank you, Tsuki Jingūji.”

“For what?”

“Thank you for not asking me anything.”

“That’s nothing to thank me for. When you want to talk, just tell me.”

“Oh my~~ You really know how to speak. Sounds like you’re trying to win me over. I almost felt my heart stir. But don’t be a flirt—don’t make Sakuraoji sad.”

“I know.”

“Good! That’s good.”

“But I finally figured something out.”

“What is it?”

“President doesn’t have the ability to see through lies. So no worries about plagiarism.”

“Eh? What? Could it be that, Tsuki Jingūji, you just lied to me?”

“Who knows.”

“Still teasing me like that—you’re such an annoying kid.”

“If you don’t accept that, come lecture me in person tomorrow.”

“Hmph! My lecture will be very long.”

“I know.”

Tsuki Jingūji suddenly recalled something she had said—that perhaps they were the same kind of person. He couldn’t agree with that, feeling there was still a considerable distance between them.

But if there were commonalities between them, he could accept that. It was precisely these shared traits that allowed him to get along with her.

“…I suppose I should thank you after all.”

“If anyone deserves thanks, it’s me.”

“Oh?”

“Leaving all committee matters to me was just so I’d interact with classmates from other years. Even without doing that, I wouldn’t avoid socializing anymore.”

“Eh? In your eyes, am I the type to do such roundabout things?”

“Yes.”

“Such ruthless certainty,” Hoshino Morihoshino said with a bitter smile.

“Well, that’s because the president does those kinds of things. You always pull off outrageous things for someone like me, even during the sports festival.”

“Hmm… What if I said I did all this for myself? Would you believe me?”

“No matter the motive, whether I believe it or not, my high school life has already been turned upside down because of you, president. That’s an unchangeable fact.

“So, I hope you’ll always be the president.”

Hoshino Morihoshino understood the meaning behind Tsuki Jingūji’s words. Even though he hadn’t stated it outright, she fully grasped his thoughts.

“Tsuki Jingūji, you really are a daydreamer. Are you really that insecure?”

The boy sat on his bed, back against the wall, curling up slightly, his voice soft and murmuring:

“Maybe.”

“Sakuraoji said you’re a quiet tsundere. That’s absolutely right.

“Don’t worry. Before I graduate, I have no intention of handing over the student council president position to you.

“I’ll come back—to that old school building, to the student council room that belongs to us.”

Thanks to “Cat-Fearing Sandwich” and “Reiyu” for their generous gifts.

(End of chapter)