Chapter 3: Because it’s only this one time

“Signatures for improving the environment of Abydos!”

A throbbing headache contorted my face.

That’s to be expected, of course.
After all, I’m handing out signature sheets on the streets during nap time.

When will Yume realize that this whole thing is useless?

I don’t mean to belittle Yume’s efforts, but I think it would be better to do something more productive.

Yes, it’s better to work part-time to pay off Abydos’s debts, or something like that.

Spending time with Yume isn’t that bad, but I can’t help but be annoyed by this nonsense.

Most of the residents on the street don’t even look at the signature sheets and ignore them.

If it gets worse, they’ll just throw out demeaning words and leave.

Every time that happens, Yume gets a long face, and it’s not easy to comfort her.

Bad guys.

Is it that hard to scribble something on the signature sheet?

“Yume, let’s just call it a day today. We might run into those delinquents again like last time.”

“Uung… It’s not really necessary…?”

I turned my head to follow Yume’s gaze, wondering what she meant by that.

What I saw at the end of that gaze was a familiar pink head.

What’s this?

Why is Hoshino here?

“Hoshino? Why are you here?”

To my question, Hoshino replied calmly without any change in her expression.

“Of course. Those guys from before might come back for revenge, right?”

Yume covers her mouth with both hands, as if she’s moved by those words.

“Y, you’re protecting us…?”

“No, it’s easier to catch the guys who are drawn to the bait.”

“Bait?!”

“That’s right. The Abydos Student Council has a lot of enemies. Besides, you’re also the student council president. You’re like bait. A very big bait.”

Hoshino spoke in a still expressionless voice. Hearing her words, Yume seemed to understand something and smiled slyly.

“Huhu…Indeed…?”

I also looked at Hoshino, curling the corners of my lips.

Hoshino looked at us with a flustered expression, perhaps because of us.

I glanced at Yume, and Yume exchanged glances with me.

Then Yume declared with the tone and intonation of a protagonist from a detective novel.

“Hoshino-chan isn’t honest! Actually, you’re worried about us, right? Huh? It’s all written on that cute face, isn’t it? ‘I’m worried about my senpai!’ and all that.”

“But because of the image you’ve built so far, you can’t express it in words. That’s a cool and cynical girl!”

“W, what are you talking about! And what’s cute about it!”

Hoshino, who had turned completely red at our declaration, shouted at the top of her lungs.

This girl, is this the cool and cynical girl from before? It’s such a huge gap.

“Uung… But Hoshino-chan, you look scary, and you’re frowning… but actually, you’re doing it on purpose, right?”

“……!”

Hoshino’s body flinched at Yume’s sharp criticism.

“The true self of Hoshino-chan hidden behind that scary face is… uum… how should I say it… a bit more dainty…”

As if Yume’s last words were the trigger, Hoshino got flustered.

“W, what are you talking about! If you’re going to say something useless, I’m leaving?!”

Oh.

Is this for real?

Yume, even though she’s a fool as usual, has a great insight in these things.

“Hehe… Thank you, Hoshino-chan. It’s so reassuring to have a strong junior like you worried about me… Trustworthy…?”

“Stop the small talk and concentrate on work. I’m only helping the student council once.”

Yume stared at Hoshino at those words. Hoshino raised her half-closed eyes in the unexpected attention.

“What is it this time?”

“Uung, I’ve heard those words somewhere before…”

Yume tilted her head as if she was constantly pondering something, and then suddenly her eyes widened as if something had just occurred to her.

“I remember! Hime said those words too!”

Ah.

Come to think of it, that’s right.

I closed my eyes.

What I saw then was the story that changed my life 180 degrees in the past.

“Uung… Hey… Mr. Black Cat…?”

The drowsiness that was slowly creeping in was broken by the voice. I am getting irritated by the fact that the moment I liked was broken.

But, it quickly gave way and sank to the bottom due to my laid-back personality.

“Uum… What…”

I moved the open book from my face to block the light. Then I looked around with half-opened eyes, and I saw a familiar face.

The student council president of Abydos.

Kushinashi Yume.

As soon as I realized that the one who woke me up was the student council president, I covered my face with the book.

I have to sleep again.

“A, ah…! Get up…!”

“Uung… Don’t worry about me, do what you want, student council president.”

“Th, that’s not the problem…!”

So, what’s the problem?
I’m used to sleeping in the student council room, since it’s not the first or second time.

“Your uniform! Where did you put your uniform?! And why are you wearing casual clothes!”

Ah…

That’s what it was.

I took out my earphones from my pocket because I didn’t want to hear it.

Then I played a song.

I can’t hear the voice. Only then was I able to sleep peacefully.

The student council room is still the best.

As a person who usually sleeps a lot and loves sleep, I always look for a place to sleep at school.

Like the unused club room, or the empty classroom, or maybe a storage room.

Then I found the student council room.

The student council of Abydos.

A group that’s the master of a ruined school and incompetent to the core.

I wonder if the expression ‘group’ is right. Well, isn’t it?

It’s a bit funny to call it a group since only one person runs it.

And it’s even more so if the student council president is a student in last place.

“If I were the student council president, the school wouldn’t be in this state~”

Uum. That’s not right.

If it were me, the school would be ruined in less than three days.

Already ruined though.

I probably wouldn’t stop sleeping in the student council room.

I’m already doing that, but I’ll sleep even more than I do now.

I know that ordinary students aren’t allowed to enter the student council room.

But Abydos doesn’t really care.

It’s already a ruined school, and the student council president is surprisingly optimistic.

She’s a fool who can’t even issue a ban order even when I do this kind of thing every day.

Of course, I have no intention of leaving even if a ban order is issued.

That’s because, isn’t it?

The student council room has a super fluffy sofa!

How happy it is to take a nap there.

I can’t give it up.

“Huhu.”

I arrived at the student council room. I was happy, so my voice was slightly raised.

“Student council president! It’s me again!”

I was expecting the student council president’s reaction to be shocked, but there was no answer.

Tch.

Did she go to do something weird again?

The student council president sometimes hands out strange papers on the streets or goes far away from the school.

I don’t know what she’s doing.

I wasn’t even that interested in the first place.

“I’ll have to see the fun next time.”

I was thinking of playing various pranks on the student council president today.

It’s ruined.

“I have to sleep.”

The student council president will be back in a few hours, and then I have to go back after she wakes me up.

And so, my consciousness slowly sank down.

“Ugh…”

I frowned at the headache that pierced my head.

How many hours have I slept to have a headache?

I groped around for my cell phone and checked the time.

“Whaaaaat?! Is it already this late?!”

Six hours, I slept? Or maybe I slept longer…

When did I fall asleep…?

No, more than that…

“Where did the student council president go…?”

The student council president comes to the student council room at least once a day. But she didn’t come once today.

What?

This is quite strange.

Did something happen?

“A phone call…”

I was about to take out my phone to make a call, but I had to stop immediately.

“Ah…”

I… I didn’t exchange contacts.

Ugh… What should I do?

Should I report to Valkyrie?

Or should I look for her myself?

“Wait.”

No, no.

Why am I worried about her?

Why?

There’s no reason for this.

Am I the student council president’s lover or something?

No, I’m not.

Then there’s no reason for me to do this.

“Right, let’s just go home.”

Whether the student council president is okay or not is none of my business.

I turned around, making up my mind.

At that moment, the compass on the desk caught my eye.

And I remembered what she said the other day.

‘Aah…! I almost forgot. I’ll be wandering in the desert for the rest of my life without a compass. To forget this!’

Ah…

I shoved the compass on the desk into my pocket and jumped out.

You idiot.