Chapter 7: Should I tear it up like a poster? (3)

To be honest, I’m a little confused.

Hoshino’s condition is one thing, but I’ve never seen her angry like that.

I knew Hoshino didn’t think well of me, but was it this bad…?

It definitely wasn’t this serious before. Did something happen?

If so, it would be related to Hoshino’s condition.

The dark circles and the bruised body, as if she hadn’t slept, prove that something happened.

“Is she overdoing it….”

The debt that increases day by day.

The desertification that’s closing in.

Delinquents who keep appearing near the school.

Companies that are only trying to scam the school that is going down.

A student council president who easily falls for those scams.

And me, a useless student council senior who doesn’t work and doesn’t earn money, even though I’m actually earning money at night.

Anyway, isn’t Hoshino under extreme stress because of this situation and has an obsession with having to do something on her own?

Umm… If that’s the case, I want to stop her as her senior.

Because if you live like that, you’ll easily get tired.

I should have a conversation with Hoshino.
A sincere conversation to clear up misunderstandings and how we should move forward.

Ugh.

I’m not going to sleep tonight.

“Oh, Hime-chan? You’re not sleeping today?”

I turned my head at the familiar voice and saw Yume, who has a bright face that hasn’t changed from back then.

I smiled weakly at her.

“Ah, I got scolded by Hoshino after sleeping.”

“Umm… Hoshino-chan definitely doesn’t like that aspect of Hime-chan.”

I understand Hoshino’s feelings.

She’s under pressure every moment and earning money desperately, and her senior is sleeping every day, so of course she’ll be angry.

“Yume, did something happen to Hoshino recently? She seemed quite tired.”

“Ah… Ehehe… Actually, I had a hard time helping Hoshino-chan save me from being kidnapped yesterday….”

“What?! Kidnapped?!”

I’m hearing this for the first time.

Kidnapped? What on earth….

“Umm… The Helmet Gang thought they could extort money from Abydos High School by taking me hostage… But the time when the Abydos student council president was rich was a long time ago.”

“D, did you get hurt?”

“Umm. Ehehe… Hoshino-chan saved me in an instant, so I didn’t get hurt.”

“Well, that’s a relief….”

Why didn’t I know that fact…?

….

…Perhaps.

Did I not know because I was sleeping…?

I’m pretty sure I sleep for a long time after I come to school, but did that happen in the meantime…?

I felt as if my brain had stopped for a moment, perhaps because I’d found out a shocking fact.

It was Yume’s words that woke up my brain.

“By the way, where did Hoshino-chan go…? I have something to show you….”

“Show you?”

“Yeah, do you want to see it now? I was going to show it to Hoshino-chan too.”

“Oh, show me.”

Yume takes out something at my word. And then she held it out to me.

“Ta-da! Abydos Festival poster!”

Yume looked at me with a slightly flushed face, as if she was proud of something precious.

She seems to want a reaction from me… What kind of reaction should I give?

Besides, isn’t this sand festival a festival that can no longer be held…?

“That… Yume?”

I asked Yume, just in case.

“As far as I know, the sand festival hasn’t been held for a long time because of desertification…. Did you find another way?”

Yume avoided my gaze.

…That idiot. She was trying to do something without thinking again.

“W, well, can’t we somehow…?”

“Yume, wouldn’t it be better to make a school promotion poster?”

“Hing….”

“…….”

I stared at Yume, who was dejected. For some reason, I feel a sense of guilt when I look at Yume so dejected.

That’s why.

“Haa… I can’t hold a grand festival like before, but we can hold a small festival.”

I was filled with the idea of realizing the festival that Yume had suggested.

“H, Hime-chan…!”

Yume looked at me with shining eyes, as if she was touched. I turned my head, feeling embarrassed by that gaze.

“But you explain it to Hoshino.”

“Yes, I got it! Thank you so much, Hime-chan!”

Somehow, I feel like I’m always listening to Yume’s opinions…

It must be my imagination.

I was angry back then.

About Abydos’ situation.

The sandstorms that repeat every time I forget and the unstoppable desertification… The weather that doesn’t rain at all and the harsh cold desert.

Students who are irresponsibly leaving, the incompetent former student council, and the powerless citizens.

The villains who are only trying to take advantage of the difficult situation, the pathetic adults.

And the student council president and secretary, who repeat their mistakes without showing any tension.

And me, who couldn’t solve all of this.

I was angry at everything.

No, I thought I had to be angry.

As if I could solve everything only that way.

“Taa-da! Hoshino-chan! This is the old Abydos festival poster I finally got! S, so, how about we hold a festival like the old days?”

“Of course, we can’t hold a grand festival like before.”

“B, but! If a miracle happens, people will come back here and taa-da~ and…”

“There are no miracles, senior.”

“U, uh?”

“That kind of comfortable thing doesn’t exist in the world!”

In the end, I did something I shouldn’t have done.

“Why would people come to the middle of the desert!! Stop talking about dreams!!!”

“Wait, Hoshino. What are you saying to Yume?”

“A, anyway, Hime-chan…. I, I’m an idiot, so… Sorry, sorry, Hoshino-chan….”

“…Really.

…Miracles, luck, happiness… You are the student council president of Abydos! You have to be more aware of the weight of responsibility on your shoulders!!!”

I… tore up the poster I’d gotten from senior.
…I knew I shouldn’t have done this to the seniors.

“Hey, Hoshino!!!”

“Hime senior, you too! What are you doing? Are you really the secretary of the student council? Do you know how Abydos’ situation is going, and you can just sleep comfortably?”

Now that I think about it, Hime senior’s dark circles were quite intense, and I could understand her being strange, but at that time, I couldn’t see such trivial things.

“Hime senior, I’m ashamed that you are my senior.”

“Hey, Hoshino, where are you going! Come back at once?!”

If I hadn’t done that… a lot would have changed….

….

This is a very unpleasant story from now on, Sensei.

Still, do you want to hear it?

….

…Yes, I do.

Sensei, you’re that kind of person.

…Then, after hearing this story, don’t blame me.