Apparently, it’s sort of like Ishikawa’s 5M method.

It was already a little past eleven when Masachika woke the next day.

"Wow… I slept way too much. I'm kind of impressed I could even sleep this long."

While he may have been on the verge of going bankrupt after all the sleep debt he had

accumulated through countless days of being chronically sleep-deprived, sleeping almost

half the day away was still too much. He slept an entire day if you included the previous

afternoon as well. His body felt like a bag of garbage after resting that long. His head felt

heavy as well, but that might have been because of his cold for all he knew.

"Wait… Did I just inadvertently play hooky from school?"

He was suddenly hit with anxiety as a cold sweat broke out because he had overslept

and didn't even call the school. A few moments of panic went by when a sudden knock at

the door interrupted his thought process.

"Are you awake?"

"Y-yeah…," he replied, baffled by the familiar voice. The door opened and in walked

Ayano wearing her maid uniform. She looked captivating as she clasped her hands in front

of her chest and gracefully lowered her head—revealing the frilly headband on top.

"Good morning."

"Yeah, good morning. Did you skip school today because of me?"

"Yes, taking care of you is far more important than getting my exams back. Your

grandfather Tomohisa already contacted the school and told them you wouldn't be coming

in today, so you have nothing to worry about."

"Grandpa called them for me, huh?"

Ayano checked him out from head to toe as he sighed in relief, then handed him the

thermometer.

"Your thermometer, sir."

"Oh, thanks."

"How do you feel?"

"I feel a lot better…but I think I slept too much. My body feels really heavy…and my

throatstill hurts, too. I might just be a little dehydrated from sleeping so long and not drinking

enough water, though."

"…I see."

In the midst of his explaining, the thermometer suddenly beeped, so he took it out and

checked his temperature.

"Oh, 36.7 degrees Celsius. My fever's basically gone."

"I am so glad to hear that. What would you like for breakfast? Rice porridge or udon?"

"Let's go with udon."

"As you wish."

After thanking Ayano for her kindness, Masachika headed to the bathroom to rinse his

mouth and take a quick shower, then changed into a new pair of pajamas and returned to the

living room. The udon's broth was rich and delicious enough for him to easily finish half an

extra helping. His body was finally starting to feel better by the time he had finished eating.

"Phew… Thanks a lot, Ayano."

"I am glad you liked it, and I am glad you seem to have your appetite back."

"Yeah, I'm basically back to normal. Even my sore throat feels a lot better already."

"I am relieved to hear that. However, you should still rest today, just in case."

"Yeah, school's already over anyway."

When he looked at the clock, it was already 12:35 PM. While it'd usually be lunch around

this time, today was a half day, and while the student council members had to meet the

following day to discuss the closing ceremony and prepare for it, they didn't have a meeting

today.

"Here is your medicine."

"Oh, thanks…?"

All of a sudden, Masachika felt like something was off when he saw the medicine and

the glass of water being handed to him.

Hmm? Hold up. Something doesn't feel right.

It felt asif there wassomething extremely important right under his nose, but he couldn't

figure out what thatsomething was, and hisinstincts weren't allowing him to ignore it, either.

This pill…?

He stared hard at the pill in Ayano's hand before suddenly realizing what was most likely

the problem. The previous day, Masachika was out of it due to his fever, so he hadn't really

thought much about it, but he recognized these pills.

"Is everything okay?"

Ayano tilted her head, her expression blank. And yet she looked almost nervous.

"Ayano, show me the box you got this medicine from," he quietly demanded, staring

right into her eyes.

"…"

Panic…could not be seen in her eyes, but she wasn't able to immediately answer him,

either. Her quiet hesitancy only solidified his suspicions.

"Ayano."

"…As you wish."

She closed her eyes in resignation before returning with the box the medicine came in.

And after checking the front and back of the box, he was sure of it.

"Ayano, this medicine makes you sleepy, doesn't it?"

"…Yes."

It all made sense now. No wonder he slept so much. He wasn't sleep-deprived. It was

simply one of the cold medicine's side effects. Mystery solved. But what he didn't know was

why Ayano was making him take this medicine, which Alisa had bought, when she knew it

made him sleepy. Furthermore, who chose this medicine?

"Ayano, you know this medicine makes me really sleepy, right? Why didn't you warn

me?"

"…"

She didn't answer his question but instead dropped to her knees smoothly and bowed.

"You have my sincerest apologies."

"…"

"What I did was unforgivable. I should have never made you, my master, take medicine

that has such strong side effects. Please punish me however you will."

She kept her head perfectly lowered over the carpet as she apologized.

"Ayano, was Yuki the one who told Alya to buy this medicine?" he quietly asked.

"…"

His question was met with her silent admission, for she could not sell out her master

(Yuki) or lie to her master (Masachika), either.

"What is Yuki scheming? Let's assume she didn't want me to go to school today. Why

would that be?"

"…"

But Ayano maintained her silence, ready to take the fall for her master. Masachika

sighed, then softened his tone.

"Ayano?"

"Yes?"

"Tell me everything you know, and I will let you take care of me for the rest of the day

however you'd like. I won't complain. You can do whatever you'd like to me."

"…?! N-no, I refuse to be seduced."

"Nobody's seducing you."

She jumped a bit, still bowing her head on the floor, then she turned down his offer.

Masachika scratched his head at her somewhat bizarre reaction and thoughtlessly improvised

another proposal.

"Then how about this? If you tell me everything you know, I will ridicule you. Like

'How dare you sell out your master, worthless scum,' or something like that."

"Oh?!"

Ayano swiftly lifted her head, eyes brimming with surprise and expectation, before

promptly looking away and returning to a bowing position.

"Okay, I just saw you waver."

"I—I did no such thing."

"Don't lie to me. That was the most expressive I've seen you all year. I can't remember

the last time I heard you squeak like that." He sighed, rolling his eyes.

"H-hey… Master?" she timidly stammered, slightly lifting her chin.

"…What?"

"Out of curiosity…were you also planning on stepping on my head when you ridiculed

me?"

"…Would you like me to?"

"I only thought it would make sense if you did, seeing as you are standing over me like

this. In addition, I noticed you were barefoot, and I thought that might be why, so I wanted

to make sure just in case. That's all."

"Stop avoiding the question and answer me. Do you want me to step on you?"

"…"

"The silent treatment again, eh?"

Fast-talking, excuses, and silence: Everything she did was an admission of guilt. Wow,

what wonderful weather today. It's so bright outside, thought Masachika, staring out the

window and into the distance. Something he'd done partly as a joke and partly because he'd

wanted to see if she really was a masochist had far exceeded what he could have ever

imagined. His childhood friend was not just a masochist, no. She was a freak. Oh, and a

hard-core masochist. You could describe Ayano in a few words: Blank expression, Devoted,

Silent, Maid. Oh god! It had been right there in plain sight the entire time!

"Sigh…"

Masachika exhaled, holding his head as if his brain was hurting. Then he stood up and

began heading to his room.

"I'm going to school. And I'm not going to reprimand you for something like this, so

you can stand up already."

"I mustn't. I must pay for my sins."

"Then clean the house for me while I'm at school. That's your punishment."

"…As you wish."

She finally stood, but she turned to him with worry in her eyes.

"Are you really going to school? Shouldn't you get some more rest?"

"The fever's gone. I'll be fine."

"Shall I call the chauffeur and have him take you?"

"Nah, walking's faster."

"But you just recovered from your fever, and it is an extremely hot day today. Besides…"

"Hmm?"

Ayano's gaze wandered in hesitation, asifshe was having trouble telling him something.

"I believe it is already…too late."

"…What is?"

Distressed by Ayano's ominous words, Masachika got dressed as quickly as he could;

ignored Ayano's efforts to stop him; and headed straight to school. The burning-hot sunshine

was like a whip beating his recovering body as he ran, eventually arriving at school at a little

past one o'clock. Students were shuffling out the front gate, perhaps having finished lunch

in the cafeteria. They shot him curious glances here and there for coming to school late on

a half day that was already over, but he continued to press forward against the current until

he reached the school building.

"Where are Alya and Yuki…?"

He panted heavily as he changed into his school slippers and decided to check out their

classroom first before heading to the student council room. He swallowed some of the phlegm

in his throat, and as he walked briskly toward the classroom, he heard three guys passing by

talking excitedly about something.

"Man, the noble princess is such a good talker—very fun to listen to and unlike anyone

else."

"Princess Alya did a really good job, but they're just on different levels, ya know?"

"I thought Kujou did a good job at the debate the other day, but she's not really good at

improvising, it seems. Like, at all. Did she memorize some sort of script before the debate

last time?"

"Yeah, I bet she did."

"Totally."

They continued chatting as they passed by, seeming not to notice him at all, and anxiety

began to swell in his heart once more.

What? "Improvising"? "Script"? Don't tell me there was a debate… No. There's no

way they'd decide to do a debate on the one day I'm gone, especially not the following day.

But he didn't have enough information yet to produce an answer. What he did know

was that while the details were unclear, it was obvious that Yuki did something to put herself

above Alisa in popularity.

Dammit! I can't believe I let my guard down! I was an idiot to think nobody would make

a move before the closing ceremony… Dammit!

He beat himself up over his own carelessness and peeked into the classroom…where he

found Alisa sitting alone at her desk.

"Alya…"

When he opened the door, Alisa, who was staring in a daze at her desk, lifted her head,

and when she saw that it was Masachika, her eyes opened wide in shock.

"Kuze?! What are you doing here?!"

"I heard from Ayano that Yuki was up to something, so I came."

"Oh… How do you feel?"

"My fever's gone, so don't worry about me. More importantly, what happened?"

He sat at his desk so that he was facing her, and she bit her lip, lowering her gaze.

"…I'm sorry."

"Alya?"

"I messed up. You went through so much to help me, and I failed! I…!"

Her voice cracked, tainted with regret, and her clenched fists trembled in her lap.

"Okay, okay. Take a deep breath. Can you tell me exactly what happened?"

He spoke in a soft, soothing voice to calm her down until she eventually began her

explanation.

It had all started the day prior, before morning homeroom. Alisa and Yuki were facing

each other in the student council room after Yuki stopped by Class B and asked her if they

could talk.

"Alya, I know this is sudden, but do you think you could stop by Masachika's house

after school and give him some medicine for me?"

Although Alisa was puzzled by the sudden request, Yuki continued with a hand on her

cheek in a troubled manner:

"Masachika has a fever right now and can't get out of bed."

"Wait. Really?"

"Yes. Normally, I would be more than happy to stop by and take care of him, but I

unfortunately have business I must take care of today, so I was wondering if you, his partner

in the election, could go in my place?"

"Oh… Sure, I can do that."

Despite feeling kind of annoyed at being asked by Yuki to help him, Alisa accepted

the job, since it would have bothered her more if Yuki decided she had no choice but to go

herself. Yuki then pulled a sheet of notepad paper from her pocket as though she already

knew Alisa would accept.

"Thank goodness. This is the name of the cold medicine he usually takes, along with his

address. Are you sure it's okay?"

"Of course."

Alisa took the sheet of paper, feeling frustrated that there was yet again something she

didn't know about Masachika.

"All right, I'll stop by his place after school," she promised. She was standing up to go

back to her classroom when Yuki suddenly stopped her.

"Oh, Alya? There is actually one more thing I would like to ask you before you go."

"…? Go on."

"If it is okay with you, I would like for you to join me as a guest for the afternoon school

announcements."

"Huh?"

Yuki intertwined her fingers, clasping both hands together.

"As I am sure you know, during lunch once every two weeks, I, as the student council

publicist, give reports on what the student council is doing, has done, or is going to do.

Therefore, I thought I should discuss the debate from two weeks ago tomorrow, and who

better to have as a guest than you, Alya?"

"T-tomorrow?"

"Yes. I believe it would be a great opportunity for you to leave a good impression on

more students, since you won the debate. Think of this as a postgame interview in sports.

They almost always interview the winner, right?"

"I guess…"

Alisa hesitated. She wasn't sure it was her place to discuss what happened at the debate.

The negative comments going around school about Sayaka had been contained thanks to

Masachika's and Nonoa's efforts. Even though there were still some students who had a

problem with Nonoa putting plants in the audience, Nonoa didn't care in the slightest, and

there was nothing Alisa could do anymore to help, either.

Would itreally be okay to stirthings up again afterthey worked so hard to get everything

under control?

She never planned on announcing her victory to begin with, but would it really be right

claiming it was a no contest? Would making it a no contest actually end up making things

worse, as Masachika suggested when he talked about the victor pitying the loser?

Yes… I should be careful about what I say.

Masachika and Nonoa were far more social and good when it came to relationships, and

she didn't want any shallow thoughts of hers to destroy the outcome they created. Only after

coming to that decision did Alisa decide to convey how she really felt to Yuki.

"…I apologize, but I don't feel like I actually won that debate. That's why I don't plan

on doing any winner's interview, let alone bringing up something that is already long over."

"Oh my. Is that so?"

"That's so," Alisa said with a nod. Yuki leaned back as though she was shocked before

eventually smiling confidently.

"Then how about you join me during the show as a guest, and we can simply not talk

about the debate?"

"Huh?"

"This will be the last student council report of the semester, so I thought maybe we could

make it a little special. So? Will you do it?"

"S-sure, if that's the case…"

"Wow! Really? Thank you so much!"

Yuki clasped her hands in front of her face again, and Alisa nodded back. But after

smiling innocently, she suddenly lowered her tone a few notches and added:

"However, it appears that you and Masachika really do plan on letting your victory at

the debate go to waste. It's almost as if you are trying to make it seem like your victory

didn't count."

"…! I'm impressed you noticed…"

"Of course I did. There have been rumors going around as of late that Nonoa broke the

debate rules, and you two are not doing anything about it. That alone tells me everything I

need to know. If you really were serious about proving you won at the debate, Masachika

would have spun the information in your favor and put a stop to it."

"…"

Alisa was considerably disturbed by the fact that their opponent had completely seen

through them, and Yuki capitalized on that shock by suddenly changing her smile.

"Ha-ha! Oh my, Alisa. You must be very confident, throwing away your victory at the

debate like that. Do you seriously believe you can defeat me with a single win under your

belt?"

"What…?"

Yuki's entire vibe instantly changed. Peeking out from the shadows of her perfect

ladylike expression was a different her—one with a menacing sneer like nothing Alisa had

ever seen before, making her eyes widen in disbelief.

"You casually stepped foot into my territory as if it wasn't even a big deal. Don't you

think you are being a little naive? In fact, you are being so careless that I just had to warn you

myself." She snickered, blissfully narrowing her eyes in a cold glare. Although the ominous

smile sent a chill down Alisa's spine, she began to deeply ponder Yuki's proposal. And then

it hit her. What Yuki said about her being a guest was a lie. What she was really inviting

Alisa to do was to come on her show to argue it out.

"Did you finally figure it out? Giggle. This is not an invitation as a friend. This is an

invitation as a rival. You should have been wary when I asked you to do this when Masachika

was absent."

"Don't tell me that was your plan all along?"

"Of course it was. I figured this was a wonderful opportunity to destroy you while your

strategist was gone."

Her smile didn't break when any of those foul words slipped off her tongue. However,

the utter shock of seeing her friend act like this roused Alisa's rebellious spirit.

"In other words, you think you can do whatever you want to me if we play ball in your

court."

"Yes, of course. Obviously, I didn't need to warn you of my plan, but I figured I wouldn't

need to resort to surprise attacks if you were alone. Furthermore…"

Yuki paused for a second, looking at Alisa with a contemptuous smile.

"You can't make excuses if someone challenges you to a fight, and you lose fair and

square, right?"

"…! It sounds more like you're underestimating me."

"Oh my. Do you not realize that you are already dancing in the palm of my hand? I

believe I am estimating you just right."

"…!"

Yuki's taunting completely altered Alisa's way of thinking. The woman in front of her

wasn't a friend who she worked together with on the student council. She was an enemy who

needed to be defeated.

"Oh. Of course, you can rely on Masachika if you want to. You could even ask him

for guidance when you deliver the medicine to him today." Yuki smirked smugly, perhaps

having sensed Alisa's change of heart and realizing she didn't have to hide it any longer. Alisa

knew she was being taunted, but her pride still wouldn't allow her to depend on Masachika

after being insulted like that.

"That won't be necessary. He's sick and needs to rest, so I'm not going to bother him.

No matter what."

"Oh my. Are you positive? Surely having his assistance would only benefit you."

It was as if her eyes were saying to Alisa, "Go cry to Masachika for help because you're

not going to get anywhere without it," and that made her snap.

"Ha…ha-ha… Are you sure you'll be okay without Kuze's help?"

Alisa implied that they both relied on his help, but Yuki didn't even blink.

"Of course I'm sure. At any rate, I hope you work as good alone as your title suggests,

Solitary Princess."

"…! I'm not going to lose to you!"

Although Alisa was essentially baring her fangs, Yuki confidently cackled back.

"I am looking forward to tomorrow."

And just like that, out of nowhere, the two beautiful princesses were going to battle it

out face-to-face the following day. Soon after that, Alisa began to prepare for their fight.

She checked the questions from other students in the suggestion box and imagined which

contribution would be brought up during the radio show. Even while taking care of

Masachika, she tried to remember as many of Yuki'sradio show announcements asshe could

and simulated likely topics and responses in her mind as well. And then…after school the

next day, she headed to the broadcasting room, having done everything she could to prepare

in such a short time.

"Are you here?"

She knocked on the door before stepping into the room, where Yuki was already waiting

for her.

"Good afternoon, Alya. You're here early."

"…Yeah. I'm looking forward to it."

"Me too."

Alisa raised an eyebrow at the fact that Yuki was back to calling her by her nickname

again, but she sat next to her friend and rival, still ready for battle. That is, until something

completely unexpected took her by surprise.

"We still have time before the announcement starts, so… Alya?"

"What?"

"I'm sorry."

Yuki suddenly turned to Alisa and bowed deeply, shocking her.

"Wh-what are you apologizing for?"

"For the way I acted yesterday."

Her voice was heavy with regret, her head still deeply bowed.

"It pains me to challenge you like this out of nowhere, especially since you are such a

wonderful friend. I had to act overly aggressive so I wouldn't hesitate and change my mind,

but after going home last night and reflecting, I realized what I did was wrong."

"…"

"I know it is selfish of me to say this, but I do not want to lose you as a friend, so…do

you think you could forgive me?"

"I-it doesn't matter anymore. Please lift your head," replied Alisa, uncomfortable. Yuki

then looked up and glanced at Alisa's expression.

"Does that mean…you forgive me?"

"Y-yeah… It's fine. You're really serious about this. That's all, right?"

"Thank you so much! Oh, thank goodness."

Alisa was honestly not completely satisfied with Yuki's selfish apology, but when she

saw the smile on Yuki's face…she didn't have it in her to complain anymore. Yuki's look of

relief, as if a weight had been removed from her shoulders, made Alisa smile softly as well.

"I am truly sorry. I know I am making excuses, but there is a reason I have to become the

student council president, no matter what," confessed Yuki with a grave expression, tightly

clenching her fists in front of her chest. Alisa, who had an idea what that reason was, slightly

sympathized with her and almost reflexively asked:

"Did your family tell you to become the student council president?"

The reason she asked went back to when she first joined the student council and Yuki

opened up to her. She didn't think much of it at the time. She thought, Well, everyone'sfamily

is different and It must be rough being constantly pressured by your family like that, but…

"Well, that is part of the reason."

Yuki's eyes wandered as if she didn't know how to say what she wanted to say, but after

some hesitation, she gazed right at Alisa and revealed:

"I had an older brother."

"What?"

Alisa was caught off guard by the unexpected confession, since she had always heard

that Yuki was an only child. Yuki looked away from Alisa's wide eyes, stared off into the

distance, and eloquently continued:

"My brother was always much more talented than me, so my parents and grandfather

expected so much from him. They believed he would make a wonderful heir to take over the

Suou family one day…and I looked up to him very much as well."

Her gentle expression almost appeared to be reflecting the memories of a past dear to

her when all emotion suddenly faded from her face.

"But now he's gone."

"…!"

Yuki's tone suddenly changed. What she was saying… Alisa was at a loss for words.

He was gone? Did that mean…?

"Therefore, losing isn't an option for me," she uttered, gazing right into Alisa's eyes,

inevitably piercing her heart.

"I have to live up to my family's expectations in his place. That is the responsibility he

left with me."

"…"

A strong sense of duty and a firm will could be sensed from her bold declaration…but

she suddenly smiled.

"…But everyone has their own problems and their own reasons for doing something,

so I don't know why I am saying all this. I apologize." Yuki smiled, looking apologetic, as

she bowed again.

"H-huh? No, it's fine," replied Alisa, trembling. Yuki lifted her head and revealed a

vacant, forced smile as she announced with a mood-lightening sparkle in her voice:

"Oh! Look at the time. The show is about to begin. Are you ready, Alya?"

"…I'm ready."

"Ready"? Alisa wasn't mentally prepared to do anything. She even forgot what she was

doing there in the first place, and she turned to face the microphone almost unconsciously.

"What about you, Alya?" asked Yuki, getting Alisa's attention.

"Huh?"

"Why do you want to become the student council president?"

The words pierced Alisa's already anxious heart, and her mind went blank. When

Masachika asked her the same question long ago, she was able to answer immediately. She

told him it was because she wanted to be the student council president. That was it. But

after hearing about Yuki's situation, Alisa suddenly began to feel her reason was far too

insignificant.

"Oh, we really are out of time. Shall we begin, Alya?"

"Huh? O-oh, yes. Let's."

Even after reflexively replying, there was a part of Alisa still vaguely trying to remember

what she was about to do, but by the time she did, it was far too late. The microphones were

already turned on, and the program had already started.

"Hello, everyone. This is your biweekly student council announcement with me, Yuki

Suou, student council publicist, here to update everyone on what the student council has been

doing these past two weeks. And guess what? I have a very special guest with me today,

since this is the last announcement for the semester. Say hello."

Alisa found herself lost in Yuki's well-flowing, eloquent voice until it was her turn to

speak. Yuki shifted her gaze to Alisa, who nervously faced her microphone…but she had

completely forgotten what she'd planned on saying.

"Oh, Alisa Kujou here. Ah! I'm the student council accountant… Uh… I'm happy to

be here with you today."

Her stiff and awkward introduction embarrassed her to the point that she could feel her

back get warmer.

"Oh my. Alya seems to be a little nervous today. But there is nothing to worry about!

I doubt there are that many people listening to this announcement today! I know that isn't

something I should admit, though," Yuki promptly chimed in, but Alisa could feel that even

her cheeks were getting hotter now.

Pull yourself together! You have to beat Yuki! And how are you going to do that if you

need her to hold your hand and help you like this?!

She tried scolding herself, but it wasn't only that. Up until a few minutes ago, she was

driven to defeat Yuki, but that drive had almost completely faded.

Why do I want to win, though? If anything, I…

There had to be a reason she wanted to win. A reason that was hers and hers alone. A

reason to become the student council president.

No…! I can think about that later. I need to focus on this announcement right now. Uh…

Alisa understood just how important this announcement was, and yet Yuki's question

was all she could think about. Why did she want to become the student council president?

She would surely not be able to defeat Yuki if she couldn't answer with her chest puffed out

proudly, but it was like an obsession slowly pushing Alisa into a corner.

"…I suppose that would be the gist of it. What do you think, Alya?"

"Huh? O-oh, uh…"

But the broadcast didn't stop, and the more Alisa panicked, the more difficulty she had

trying to think, which consequentially caused her to trip over her words as well.

"What happened after that was…more of the same. I couldn't gather my thoughts, and I

didn't get a chance to recover mentally, either, as she toyed with me. Yuki essentially had to

dig me out of each hole I made for myself after everything I said…which wasn't much, since

I was having trouble conveying anything," she admitted, her voice tainted with bitterness

and self-scorn. She ground her pearl-white teeth.

That's cruel…

That was the first thought that popped into Masachika's mind as he quietly watched over

Alisa, frowning uncomfortably at how diabolical Yuki's psychological warfare was. First,

she took on the role of a sinister villain, challenging and taunting Alisa to fire her up. Then,

on the day of the challenge, she did a one-eighty and tried to elicit sympathy right before the

announcement, shattering Alisa's will to fight. And as if that wasn't enough, she also told

Alisa that she was fighting to become the president to live up to her family's expectations,

since her beloved older brother was now gone, then almost immediately switched to asking

Alisa what she was fighting for. And because Alisa was a serious and sincere person, she fell

right into Yuki'strap. Perhaps the silver lining here wasthat Alisa wasso sincere that she had

no idea Yuki was trying to make her doubt herself. If Alisa, who didn't have many friends

to begin with, ever knew these were calculated moves Yuki used to defeat her, she probably

would stop trusting people, at least somewhat. Perhaps that, too, was part of Yuki's plan.

Wait… Maybe Yuki knew that Alya wouldn't notice. Maybe that was part of her plan.

She maintained her friendship with Alisa, helping her every time she tripped over her

words while simultaneously trying to throw Alisa off her game. My sister meticulously

planned this terrifying attack, thought Masachika.

"It's so frustrating."

When he returned his focus to the strained, weak voice in front of him, Alisa was still

frowning and clenching her teeth, her fists trembling.

"I can't believe how easily I let myself get worked up like that… I was so confident

when I took her up on her challenge, but in the end, I couldn't do anything—"

"Okay, that's enough. You're moving in the wrong direction with your thinking,"

observed Masachika, and he clapped his hands to snap her out of it. Alisa lifted her head

to look at him.

"…The 'wrong direction'?"

"You're doing exactly what Yuki wants. So you weren't able to say the things you

wanted during the announcement that Yuki hosted. That's it? Since when did that become

a 'challenge'?"

"What do you mean?"

"Yuki said she was challenging you, or at the very least, she made it seem like it was a

match. That's why you thought it was a competition. Am I wrong?"

Alisa blinked for a few moments with her head bent forward before slowly leaning her

upper body back. After making sure she pulled herself together, Masachika continued in a

matter-of-fact tone:

"Wanting to win is important, but you can't let that obsession take you prisoner. It'll

give you tunnel vision, and you'll miss important details, so be careful."

"'Important details'?"

"Yep. Like…what's the headliner?"

After she shot him a puzzled look, he shrugged and continued:

"Fighting head-to-head in these sudden death matches is not what you do. You're the

kind of person who puts everything she has into fighting with everything she has, regardless

of who her opponent is. You analyze your rival until you are satisfied and ready, and the

results simply follow. Right?"

"I suppose…"

"Thinking about your opponents and their problems is a distraction for people like you.

Of course, the existence of an adversary could give you motivation, but you don't need

motivation. You can keep motivated all by yourself. In other words, worrying too much about

your competition for whatever reason only gets in your way and keeps you from giving one

hundred percent to whatever you're doing."

"…"

"I get it, though. This is the first time you've gotten so worked up that you completely

lost your sense of composure, right?"

"Yes… I suppose I did get worked up now that you mention it…"

Alisa appeared to be deep in thought, as if she had an idea of what he was getting at.

"Listen. Change your mindset. Yuki wasn't trying to use today's broadcast to achieve

dominance over you. She was trying to distract you so you wouldn't be able to give it your

all at the closing ceremony when you give your speech," suggested Masachika, purposely

taking an assertive tone.

"…!"

"Am I wrong? Today was a half day,so there were hardly any students who stuck around

to listen to the announcement during lunch. If she wanted to get the upper hand during one

of these announcements, she would've done so when the whole school was around to hear."

"But…didn't she decide to do this because you were sick, and you weren't coming to

school today?"

"That's part of it, but you would have accepted a challenge from her to fight one-onone even if I hadn't been absent, right?"

"…"

"So I know I'm repeating myself, but change your mindset. There's no need for you to do

things her way. Something this insignificant wouldn't even count as a preliminary skirmish

compared to the closing ceremony speech. You were a guest during today's announcement,

and you weren't the best talker in the world. That's all. No big deal. None of our schoolmates

even knew you two were duking it out, and there weren't that many students who heard the

announcement. Plus, nobody's going to care about, let alone remember, what happened today

if you put on a good show at the closing ceremony in two days."

He spoke earnestly, his eyes boring into hers. However, even Masachika himself knew

that everything he said wasn't completely factual. It was most likely that there had been a

shift in the balance of power between Yuki and Alisa after today's announcement. This was

their first time publicly clashing, after all, and Masachika had naturally assumed their first

altercation, which would draw a lot of attention, would be the closing ceremony. However,

Yuki's surprise attack proved him wrong. Right as people were starting to find themselves

impressed with Princess Alya after the debate, this happened. She got us, thought Masachika,

who'd wanted to go into the closing ceremony with Alisa's popularity still on the rise from

the debate. Nevertheless, having Alisa change her mindset was what was most important right

now. Because he believed taking care of this was imperative after unintentionally learning

that her mental state greatly affected how much of her true potential she could tap into.

"So the headliner would be the closing ceremony? And the announcement was more like

an opening performance? Is that what you mean?"

"Basically. It looks like she wanted to throw you off your game…but things probably

didn't go exactly how she planned."

"…?"

Alisa blinked.

"She was probably expecting you to be depressed because you couldn't perform how

you wanted to during the announcement, and she wanted you to stay depressed during the

closing ceremony. But you're frustrated, not depressed. Which means everything's going to

be okay. We can simply use that frustration as motivation. So stop letting it bother you," he

commanded with a confident grin. He quietly looked her in the eye, and as if his will were

conveyed to her, she suddenly closed her eyes and exhaled deeply before collecting herself

and facing him once more.

"…You're right. Thank you."

"…Oh, one more thing. While it's fine to be frustrated, don't let the rivalry get the best

of you. She wants you to become overcompetitive and obsessed."

"In other words, I need to forget about what happened for now and focus on giving the

closing ceremony everything I've got, right?"

"Yep, sounds about right."

"Okay. I'll make sure to change my mindset… And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for running into

battle all by myself like that."

Alisa lowered her head, and Masachika grew unbelievably restless because it was

extremely rare for Alisa to ever bow.

"No, uh… I mean… It's my fault, too, for getting sick during such an important time.

I'm sorry."

"It isn't your fault you got sick."

"But this never would have happened if I didn't let my guard down. I failed to predict

that Yuki would ambush us like this. I was being naive thinking she wouldn't go all out

before the closing ceremony. I thought it wasn't going to be that big of a deal, since it's just

the closing ceremony. I got too comfortable, and I hate myself for that."

"I didn't see it coming, either. Besides, I should have gone to you first, instead of letting

my pride take over like that."

"You were only looking out for me because I was sick and—… Let's just do better next

time, okay?" suggested Masachika, aggressively scratching his head. Although clearly not

100 percent happy with his conclusion, Alisa nodded in agreement. A slightly awkward air

filled the space between them for a few seconds until he cleared his throat and added:

"Anyway, depending on how you look at it, I guess you could say thisis a good chance to

show everyone what a hard worker you are, just like we discussed at the restaurant that day.

The protagonist shines the brightest during adverse circumstances, after all. Besides, at the

very least, we learned firsthand that Yuki is better at this type of warfare, and it's important

to have a good idea of your opponent's skill set."

"…Yeah, I never expected Yuki to attack from the rear like this, so I suppose I could

consider this a good learning experience, since I won't be making the same mistake twice,"

she said as though she was trying to persuade herself of that as well.

"…Are you disappointed?" asked Masachika in a somewhat worried manner.

"Huh?"

"Are you disillusioned with Yuki after learning these are the kinds of things she does?"

Alisa slowly blinked for a few moments before shaking her head.

"No, I'm not disillusioned. While it was a surprise attack, Yuki challenged me head-on.

I don't have the right to blame her when I only have myself to blame for losing."

"…All right. I'm glad to hear that."

He let out a sigh of relief after learning that Alisa and Yuki were still friends, but at the

very same time…

Yeah… It looks like she still hasn't realized that Yuki basically used psychological

warfare against her.

Alisa seemed to truly believe Yuki only acted overly aggressive so Alisa wouldn't

change her mind, and she seemed to not realize that even that was all part of Yuki's plan

to throw her off her game. In actuality, it was all a well-calculated act, but in Alisa's mind,

Yuki's behavior and question messing her up was purely coincidental.

It wasn't a coincidence, though. She knew that would happen, which is why she did it.

But I'm not sure if I should tell Alya that…

On one hand, if he decided to be completely honest with her, it would most likely destroy

their friendship. But on the other hand, he would need to explain to her what happened to

make sure she wouldn't make the same mistake again. Masachika began to inwardly debate

with himself when…

"Kuze? What's wrong?"

"Oh… It's nothing."

He saw the innocent look on her face and decided to keep quiet. Besides, strategizing

was his specialty. All he had to do was handle the things Alisa wasn't good at for her.

"If it's nothing, then why are you smiling?"

"Huh?"

Masachika blinked in wonder, and only after touching his face did he realize that he

actually was smiling.

"Wow, you're right. Good question."

"'Good question'?"

He thought about it before her perplexed gaze…until it finally hit him.

Am I excited? Am I having fun…because Yuki and Ayano got one up on me?

Yuki once expressed her love for sibling rivalries and how excited she was to fight him,

but it seemed that Masachika was no different.

"Interesting… Ha-ha! She really got us this time. That's all."

The instant he realized the reason he was smiling, his smirk twisted into something

sinister.

"It's strange. I'm even a little surprised myself how excited all this has made me."

Neither Yuki nor Ayano had acted that differently the previous day, but they actually

had been hiding daggers behind their backs, eagerly waiting for an opening to strike, and they

managed to beautifully unsheathe said daggers without Masachika noticing. The fact that

they pulled it off so well was surprisingly amusing to him. While undoubtedly an arrogant

feeling, what he felt was similar to the joy a parent would feel when they saw just how much

their child had grown up. His usually unmotivated demeanor was nowhere to be found, and

his lips were curled in exhilaration as if he was about to lick them any moment now. Alisa

gazed in wonder…then softly placed a hand over her mouth and looked away.

"<Wow… I could get used to seeing him like this…>"

Masachika curiously blinked at her because he genuinely couldn't hear what she

whispered into her hand.

"Did you say something?"

"I just said that look on your face was creeping me out. You looked like some bad guy

scheming something."

"…Did I really look that bad?"

"…Yes."

Although she nodded, her hand couldn't cover her faintly blushing cheeks, and the

contrast between what she said and her expression sent him into a tunnel of confusion.

Huh? Why? Wait… Does she like bad boys? Is this one of those "good girls like bad

boys" kinds of things?

He suddenly imagined Alisa being tricked by some scumbag, which made him frustrated,

since he knew how bad boys were portrayed as a virtue in comics written for women.

"Alya…"

"What?"

"Young, handsome yakuza bosses only exist in comics. Don't even think about trying

to get involved with people like that in real life."

"…You sometimes say the most wild, random things, you know that? What are you

talking about?"

"What? You're blushing, so…I thought you liked bad boys or something."

"What the…? No way. And I'm not blushing, either… I was just thinking about how

that bad-boy grin on your face didn't suit you. That's all."

"Rude."

Now that she mentioned it, it did look like she was covering her mouth in an attempt

to keep herself from laughing.

Hold on. The fact that she whispered something in Russian is proof that she said

something incredibly embarrassing.

Regardless of whether she meant what she said, she was clearly blushing because of it.

Eh, whatever. I highly doubt Alya would ever let some thug trick her anyway.

That was when Masachika was hit with what seemed like a divine revelation. He

seemingly randomly recalled an event that took place at his house earlier today when Ayano's

eyes were sparkling because he said he'd ridicule her.

Wait… Don't tell me that Alya's also…?!

Did she blush when she saw that sinister look on his face…because of something like

that?! The thought naturally crossed his mind, but he almost immediately ruled out the

possibility.

No, no, no… Alya's a sadist, if anything. She always looks at me like I'm trash.

Although satisfied with his terribly rude conclusion, another nerdy cliché trope popped

into his mind.

Hold on! Girls who are obviously aggressive sadists most of the time usually turn into

submissive masochists in front of the people they like! Hhhnnng?!

But right after he reached that conclusion, he immediately imagined himself punching

himself in his stupid face.

Dammit… What is wrong with me? Cocky much? I'm disgusted at myself for letting my

imagination run wild like that. All right, I'm just going to stop thinking about it.

With that decision in mind, he fixed his expression and faced Alisa to—

"<I thought it was attractive because it's you.>"

"Hnnng?!"

"Kuze?!"

Masachika suddenly smacked himself on the head (he dropped a fist on it, to be precise),

and Alisa's face filled with disbelief.

"Wh-what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"…Hmm? Why wouldn't I be?"

"What? Because—… Sigh. Now your forehead is turning red."

She leaned forward with a worried gaze and smoothly ran a finger across his forehead.

Perhaps she was fine with touching him now after taking care of him the day before, but the

nerve-racking sensation in addition to her being so close made Masachika lean away.

"A-are you okay? You still look a little gloomy," he promptly exclaimed. Although he

was mainly trying to change the subject, Alisa instantly froze.

"…"

Alisa slowly sat back down in her chair.

"What's up? Is there still something bothering you?"

After a few moments of silence, she quietly muttered:

"…I didn't have an answer."

"For what?"

"Yuki asked me why I wanted to become the student council president…and I didn't

have an answer for her."

She hung her head low, clenched her fists tightly over her skirt, and bitterly explained:

"Yuki is running in the election for her family's sake… She is determined to do it for

them… But… But I… I am doing all this for myself, and I started to think that maybe that

wasn't a good enough reason… I didn't know what to say to her! I didn't have any answer

for her!"

Alisa raised her fists before her chest, enduring the pain in her heart.

"I embarrassed myself in front of Yuki, and I'm frustrated that I wasn't confident enough

to give her an answer…"

Masachika fell silent when he saw her bite her lip with a lowered gaze…because he, too,

once felt the very same way about his reason for joining student council. He decided to help

her run forstudent council president because he'd felt guilty about tossing hisresponsibilities

to Yuki, and he became the vice president by kicking each and every one of his opponents

down. And that was why he had suffered for so long…and that was why he was painfully

aware of how Alisa felt.

But…

But he had someone who laughed away all his pain. He had someone who believed in

him and was kind to him.

"Alya…"

And now it was his turn to give back. Just like those kind people who were there for

him, it was now his turn to be there for Alisa. He was going to keep the promise he made her

that time when he said he would be there for her and support her dream.

"Keep your chin up, face forward, and look at me!"

Alisa jumped when he shouted and looked up, pressing her lips together tightly as

Masachika stared right into her eyes.

"So your reason for becoming student council president isn't as good as Yuki's? Who

cares? Did you forget? I know why Yuki wants to become the president, and I know why

you want to as well. And guess what? I chose you."

Alisa looked as though she'd been completely caught off guard.

"I told you already. You're already someone people want to cheer for and support. I

know your beauty—how passionately devoted you are and how you always put a hundred

percent of yourself into everything you do. I know how you live true to your heart. You

deserve to be rewarded more. You deserve to be cheered on by your peers and loved."

He could feel his body flush as he spoke, but he ignored it because he knew he had to

speak from his heart if he ever wished to reach Alisa's. Moreover, his gut was telling him

that he had to tell her how he really felt right now or bear the consequences.

"That's why…you need to keep your chin up. You need to face forward, puff out your

chest proudly, and be yourself. You don't have to worry about a thing. You are every bit as

charming and attractive as Yuki. Trust me."

It was at this moment he realized his back was sweating profusely. The urge to writhe

in agony and slam his head into his desk was strong, but he fought through the impulse and

continued to look her in the eyes. After appearing stunned for a few moments…she placed

a hand over her mouth and started to laugh.

"Pfft… Ha-ha…! That sounded like you were confessing your love to me, you know."

"Oh, shut up! And just so you know, I'm never going to say anything like that ever

again! Got it?!" he instinctively shouted, mainly because she pointed out something he had

already somewhat realized himself.

"Ugh! My entire body's burning up now! My fever must be back. This is what I get for

doing something I'm not used to doing while I have a cold!"

Masachika looked the other way, tugging at his uniform's collar and fanning himself.

"Giggle. Oh, really? Well, I suppose you can't be blamed for how it sounded. You do

have a fever, after all."

She smiled, sliding closer to him before placing a hand on his cheek, guiding his face

forward toward hers. His eyes opened wide in astonishment as she touched her forehead to

his.

"…You really do feel a little warm."

"…?!"

Her eyes were closed, and their noses were only a hair's breadth apart. The situation was

like a romantic kissing scene, which rendered him speechless and dumbstruck. Each second

felt like an eternity in which he hesitated to breathe, but before long, Alisa leaned back in

her chair and gently smiled at him.

"Thank you. I've found my answer thanks to you. I can move forward now."

"…Oh, awesome," replied Masachika briefly, unable to maintain eye contact. Alisa

cracked a smile once more after seeing him like that and said in a voice filled with relief:

"You're right. I shouldn't compare myself with others. Whatever I do, that's my

decision, and that's all that matters."

"Exactly… Yuki is Yuki, and you are you."

"When you're right, you're right."

Masachika let out a sigh of relief to see his partner back to her old self.

"Yuki may be fulfilling her late brother's wish, but I'm still not going to let that get in

my way."

…Hmm? Masachika froze after hearing something he simply could not ignore. Late…to

what? Hold on?! Like late-late?! Like…dead?!

Yukiiiiiiiii!! Why is your brother dead?!?! Who killed me?!?!

He screamed in his mind at his sister, who was winking at him with her tongue out, and

his entire body began to sweat for an entirely different reason from a moment ago.

Wh-wh-what should I do?! Alisa thinks Yuki has this really dark and depressing past…

Should I correct her, since I am supposed to be Yuki's childhood friend? But that might

damage their friendship… But still…this is far too…

The unexpected dilemma distressed him, but after worrying about it for a few seconds,

he hesitantly opened his mouth and stammered:

"H-hey, Alya—"

But the door to the room suddenly opened, drawing their eyes toward it.

"Knock, knock."

The apathetic voice wasfollowed by the door rattling open, revealing Nonoa, who barged

into the room with Sayaka, who politely bowed once, behind her. Both Alisa and Masachika

were surprised by the unexpected visit.

"Oh, I knew you'd still be here… Wait. Kuze? I thought you didn't come to school

today."

"I actually just got here…"

"Oh? Anyway, good timing," replied Nonoa, unfazed by their reactions, and she plopped

herself down in Hikaru's seat…straddling it in front of Masachika.

"Nonoa, that's bad manners."

"Eh, who cares? It's just us in here."

Nonoa ignored Sayaka's scolding and rested her elbow on the back of the chair before

cradling her chin in her palm. Her eyes were half-open with her usual unmotivated

expression, and her legs were spread wide open…right in front of Masachika.

…And this is probably why she never became one of the school's so-called princesses,

for better or for worse.

From Masachika's point of view, Nonoa was popular enough and obviously goodlooking enough to be counted as one of the princesses of his grade, and the only reason she

probably wasn't included with the likes of Alisa and Yuki was because she felt far more

obtainable than them. If Alisa and Yuki were like stars in the sky, then Nonoa would be more

like a flower beautifully blooming from the earth.

…She'd definitely be one of those carnivorous plants, though.

He added that one last zinger before slightly raising his guard and asking:

"So… Need something?"

"Hmm? I don't need anything. Saya's the one who wanted to talk to you."

"Oh…"

Masachika shifted his gaze to Sayaka, who was standing behind Nonoa. After her

eyebrow briefly twitched, she let out a deep breath, then gathered her resolve and

straightened.

"I know this is late, but…I wanted to apologize to you two…for not only the debate but

for being rude as well. You have my sincerest apologies."

Nonoa watched Sayaka bow deeply to them before slightly lowering her own head, albeit

while still sitting.

"I'm sorry, too. Like, it was totally my responsibility to stop Saya. I knew she stepped

out of line, and I did nothing. I know it's a little late for begging, but do you think you have

it in your hearts to forgive us? We'll make it up to you, of course."

Nonoa put her hands together in front of her face and winked, and Sayaka continued to

bow. Masachika looked over at Alisa.

"I don't have anything against them, so it's up to you, Alya."

"Well…she already apologized for what she said to me, so I don't care anymore, either.

And Miyamae didn't do anything she needs to apologize for."

"I'm, like, pretty sure bringing plants to a debate is something to apologize for."

Nonoa tilted her head inquisitively, but Masachika waved dismissively.

"That's just strategy. Since when do the losers apologize to the winners anyway? Come

on."

"Ha-ha… Yeah…"

"…You were the ones who forfeited your victory."

Sayaka lifted her head and stared hard at Masachika. It was clear by the look in her eyes

that she figured out he was the one who asked Nonoa to squash the rumors about her.

"It was bothering Alya, so I did what I had to do. That's all. Besides, it was Nonoa who

actually did everything,so don't blame usfor what happened." He shrugged. He wasn't going

to accept thanks for helping her, and he wasn't going to take criticism for the hit to Nonoa's

reputation, either. Put simply: "If you have a problem, bring it up with Nonoa, not me."

Sayaka easily picked up on what he was trying to say, but she turned her gaze to Alisa next.

"That still doesn't change the fact that you two were looking out for me. The fact that

you didn't bring up the debate during the announcements proves that. Am I wrong?"

Alisa stared Sayaka right back in the eye.

"…Who knows who would have won if we had waited for everyone to vote. I didn't

want to declare victory when it wasn't a hundred percent certain that I earned it. That's all."

Sayaka stared hard, observing Alisa as if she were trying to peer into her soul, but she

eventually lowered her gaze with a begrudging smile and nodded.

"…I see you are a woman of great pride," muttered Sayaka before turning on her heel.

She walked to the classroom door and went to open it…but stopped.

"…But I am a woman of great pride as well."

Masachika immediately realized what she was up to.

"Hey, wait. What are you planning?"

Sayaka looked in his direction and replied:

"I will not bend the truth just for the sake of my reputation."

"So you plan on announcing you lost? During one of the school announcements? Wait…

At the closing ceremony?"

She looked away as though she was unable to answer him, so he stood out of his chair.

"I'm sorry, but as a member of the student council, I can't allow you to waste valuable

time at the closing ceremony with something like that. If you want to pay Alya back for her

good faith, then there's another way you could do that, you know."

"…'Another way'?"

And after Masachika explained what that way was, not only Sayaka but also Alisa stared

in astonishment. Even Nonoa raised an eyebrow.

"…Are you being serious?"

"Completely serious. Are you okay with that, Alya?"

"S-sure…"

"Nonoa, you said you'd make it up to us, right?"

"Uh… Yeah, I guess I did say that."

After seeing Alisa's puzzled nod and Nonoa's half smirk, Sayaka turned to face him.

"It's not like I'm going to cheer you on or support you," she argued as if she was

suppressing various complex emotions while staring at Masachika and Alisa.

"Yeah, I know."

"…And I still think you should have run alongside Yuki Suou."

"Really? But you can at least recognize why I chose Alya, right?"

Alisa and Sayaka stared each other down for a few moments before Sayaka finally closed

her eyes.

"…Fine."

After seeing Sayaka's slight nod, Nonoa grabbed the back of her chair and leaned way

back.

"Whoa. Really? All right, I'm in, I guess."

She slid back in the chair and casually bobbed her head up and down.

"Thanks. I'm counting on you two." Masachika firmly nodded in return before facing

Alisa, whose eyes were wide in disbelief, and exclaimed:

"See, Alya? This is the effect you have on people. We're going to beat them now."

"Huh…? We are? W-wait. I thought we were going for a draw."

Masachika curled his lips fiercely at his partner, who was still utterly confused by the

sudden turn of events.

"We're not going for a draw anymore. We're going to finish what they started…and

crush them."

Alisa gasped at his declaration, Sayaka silently resettled her glasses on her nose, and

Nonoa smiled gaily.