Chapter 4

"All right, that's enough for today. You can go home a little earlier."

"Well, is that okay?"

"Yeah, we second years are going to have a little talk with the teacher. It could take a while, so don't hesitate to go home first. Good night!"

"Then… Thank you for your hard work."

In spite of Toya's words, Masachika and Alisa left the Student Council room. Yuki seemed to wait in the student organization room until the pick-up car arrived, so they were alone on the way home.

(Well… What should we do…)

As he and Alisa walked back, Masachika pondered how to start a conversation. It wasn't anything special. However, he decided to discuss how to move towards the presidential election next year.

However, it was still a little awkward after what happened in the morning. In addition, Alisa had been acting a little strange since she and Yuki went to the meeting with the art club. It was hard to guess why…

(I'm sure she said something to you… That Yuki…)

From the looks of the last holiday, it seemed that Alisa had taken a liking to Yuki in a not-so-good way. Serious and strong-minded, Alisa must have been perceived by Yuki as a friend worth teasing.

He could easily imagine Yuki playing with Alisa with her words, hiding her devilish smile behind a ladylike smirk.

(Hmm… well, I can't help thinking about it)

With a difficult expression, Alisa walked next to him silently, sighing inwardly, and Masachika had an idea when he saw a familiar family restaurant.

"Ah~ Alya?"

"What?"

"If you like, why don't we stop by?"

"Huh…?"

Alisa's eyes were wide open as he pointed to the family restaurant.

"Oh no, I want to talk a lot about aiming for the presidential election together in the future."

"…Ah"

However, as soon as she squinted at the words that followed, she nodded casually.

"Well, that's fine."

"Ah, then come by"

While relieved that she couldn't refuse for the time being, Masachika hurriedly headed toward the family restaurant and put his hand on the door handle.

[It's not a date]

He was stabbed there from behind.

(Nuguu! Only cowards attack from the back!)

While screaming inwardly like a samurai attacked by a thug, he endured his collapsing knees by clinging to the handle, and Masachika entered the cafe. When he was guided by the waiter and sat facing the table, he only ordered drinks for the time being.

"Um… one Cafe Au Lait"

"I'm going with Melon Soda and Chocolate Parfait"

"!?"

"…what?"

"No, nothing really..."

Masachika couldn't hide his surprise in a kind of profane order of combining sweet chocolate parfait with sweet melon soda. Alisa made an excuse with a somewhat awkward look, perhaps because she saw him being pulled.

"Hey… I'm tired. If I don't eat sweets, my mind won't function, right?"

"Oh yeah… Oh, that's all for the order."

It's more of a matter of eating together, not sweets. Masachika saw off the waiter without going any further, and she was reluctant to answer his doubts while waiting for the order to arrive.

"Um… what happened with Yuki?"

"…Uh…"

The reply was not clear, but what was clear however, something had happened judging by her distracted look.

(Yuki!! What did you do!?)

He was screaming inwardly and twitching his cheeks, and Alisa, who glanced at Masachika, turned her gaze again and said screaming.

"No… I just told her that I'm running for president with you."

"Oh so…"

Masachika was wondering whether he could go any further, thinking that he was not the only one. Alisa, who had been glancing at him until then, asked her with a determined expression.

"Hey"

"Hmm?"

"Are you… dating Yuki-san?"

"No way"

Masachika responded to Alisa's irrelevant question with a straight face. Naturally. It's a normal question from Alisa, who doesn't know that Masachika and Yuki are her real brothers and sisters, but it's a crazy question from Masachika who seems to shout "Where's the gal game !!".

"…Am I wrong?"

"Yes you are, it's completely different."

Alisa shook her eyes in a confused manner at the affirmation of Masachika's face. Seeing that expression, Masachika continued to sigh.

"I don't know what Yuki said… we're like a family. We don't have any romantic feelings for each other."

"But Yuki-san…"

"Huh … I'll tell you now, don't take Yuki's words seriously. She's not the lady she looks like. She's just making fun of you being upset and having fun."

"…"

Alisa looked dissatisfied, with a slightly unconvinced face. However, when her drink and parfait arrived, Masachika rounded up the story and got into the main subject.

"Well… then, it's about the presidential election."

When he took a sip of cafe au lait, he looked at Alisa's eyes while drinking melon soda in front of him.

"First of all, it's impossible to beat Yuki as it is."

"!"

Alisa's eyebrows snapped in a clear affirmation. Then she put down the melon soda and she looked back at her politics with a keen eye.

"…You've said it so clearly."

"Because it is a fact. Yuki has already established her position as the next chairman."

In Alisa's line of sight, Masachika gave up her shoulders without fear.

"In the first place, it's strange that there aren't enough first-year members of the Student Organization. In the average year, there should be at least three pairs of presidents and vice-chairman. In fact, in the first semester of the first year of middle school, there were 6 pairs including me and Yuki. There were a total of 12 members. "

"Twelve people!? So many…"

"Well, half of them dropped out in the pre-election debate, so only three groups actually challenged the election."

"Debate?"

"Oh, that's the student council. Well, it's only been a year since you transferred to this school… I have to explain that."

Student council.

When some problems occur between the students and the discussion between the parties doesn't result in a clear decision. Or it's like a debate competition in the auditorium when the average student has an agenda that they want the Student Organization to take up.

There, each representative expresses his / her opinion and is being voted on by the audience.

The content decided by this Student Council has tremendous coercive force and enforcement power because all the students on the spot are witnesses.

"For example, yesterday's talks between the Soccer club and the Baseball club would have been settled by the student council if they weren't settled on their own. We will seek a compromise through discussions between the parties, but consulting the Student Council is a last resort."

"I knew there was something going on in the auditorium from time to time, but I guess that's what it was"

"The Student Organization is sponsored by the school, remember? Well, we don't have much to do with it because the only people who have a direct relationship with it are the chairman and vice chairman. We just process the paperwork when the application comes in, aren't we?"

"Yes… so how does that relate to the presidential election?"

"Hmm? Ah… the situation is a little different when candidates for the election campaign hold a student council."

In many cases, a student council of candidates is held due to a conflict of opinions regarding student organization work.

This is called a debate due to its nature.

That's because many students receive a rating there, as long as the candidates fight their opinions and win or lose.

"It's almost impossible to overturn that rating once it's rated in a debate, whether it's humanity, persuasiveness, or anything else. In fact, you know it's a loss even before the election campaign. It will be emotionally difficult to continue working together, and in most cases the loser will just leave the student organization."

"That's how it works…"

"It seems to be the norm for them to crush each other like that and eventually narrow it down to about three or four groups. Well, not all students who challenge the presidential election will join the student organization… This year is obviously an exception. "

Before Masachika joined the council, only Yuki and Alisa were first graders. Other members were added temporarily, but in the end they quit immediately. That means…

"They've all given up. They've given up on the election. They say they can't win the election against Yuki. That's how sure they are that Yuki will be the next president."

"…"

"I don't have to tell you the benefits of being the student council president at this school, do I? In fact, the value of the title of student body president is so high that a few years ago, there were stories of dirty tricks being used behind the scenes in the election campaign…"

Unusually serious, Masachika talked about the election campaign. Alisa was staring at the figure with some complicated feelings.

Alisa usually blamed Masachika for his lack of seriousness, but after his duties at the student council, she felt like she's going out of tune or her pulse is going out of whack if he keeps up this serious attitude.

She also didn't like the fact that he doesn't seem to care about this situation, where they're alone in a family restaurant.

(What's with the… clear face?)

In fact, it was the first time she had ever been alone with a member of the opposite sex in a restaurant.

She was aware that the Russian words she had leaked before entering the restaurant had come from her heart this time. It was mainly due to the knowledge of shoujo manga that Mariya had instilled in her, but in Alisa's mind, "being invited to a diner by a boy after school" = "an invitation for a date".

She was so worried about whether she should sit in the front or next to him, what if other students saw her, or if they would see me from the outside if I sat by the window, but when she opened my eyes, she realized that she was the only one who was worried.

(What? Are you used to being in a family restaurant with a girl? Well? It's not only Yuki, but it seems like there are other girls who are close to you as well?)

She remembered what Masachika said to her yesterday when they shook hands on the way home, and at the same time, the anger she felt at that time came back to her.

She drank melon soda to distract herself, but the haze in her chest didn't go away. She thought she felt a rough touch on her tongue, and when she quickly pulled her mouth away, there was a straw that had been chewed and flattened before she knew it.

She felt embarrassed that she unknowingly did something like a child, while she was convinced that she "thought it was reasonable and difficult to drink" in her mind.

"…Well, thanks to that, it seems that now we can have clean elections."

At the front seat, Masachika was still talking seriously, but the content didn't go to her mind very much. He talked so much that she thought she had to concentrate, but couldn't get enough of it.

"Hmm, that's right."

"Oh, that's why I should say instead, but the battle between candidates by the debate is ──"

Ambiguously giving up, Alisa now carried the parfait into her mouth. After the sweetness of chocolate and vanilla ice cream spread in her mouth, she felt a squeak on her teeth… she noticed that she was biting a spoon this time, and she hurried and pulled it out of her mouth.

"Alya? Are you listening?"

"Ah!"

Seen with suspicious eyes by Masachika, her cheeks reddened. Her humiliation and shame arose when she was in attention.

"I'm listening. I was just distracted by the parfait."

"…Oh, it looks delicious…"

He nodded half-heartedly and looked at her as if to say, "Oh, no, too much to take your mind off of it?". Alisa's cheeks grew redder.

(What? What? !　It's because of your attitude that I'm out of sorts!)

Alisa diverted her gaze from the suspicious eyes of Masachika, throwing her unreasonable anger in her head with a terrible resentment… And then an idea came to her mind.

(Fufufu, yes… if you're not conscious, then I'll make you conscious!)

Planning a mysterious rivalry, Alisa smiled fearlessly, as she said with a mischievous look.

"…Do you want a bite?"

"No, no…"

"You said it looked delicious. Don't hesitate."

In a casual tone, Alisa scooped out a spoonful of whipped cream with chocolate sauce and thrust it in Masachika's direction. Masachika froze at the sight of this.

"Here you are"

A protruding spoon. Its height was clearly not the position to hand the spoon, and although there was no definitive word, her intention was clear.

(Eh? What is this event? No, it didn't feel like it's coming? When was the flag set??)

As Alisa expected, Masachika couldn't hide his upset… his face was more disappointing than Alisa expected.

"Well, no, can I get a new spoon?"

"I don't want to bother the clerk. There will be more dishwashing too."

"No, but…"

What kind of shame play is this? As Masachika unconsciously leaned back, Alisa thrusted out the spoon with more force.

"See… this is normal in Russia."

"Well, really?"

His knowledge about Russia was mainly obtained from movies and books, not from practice. Therefore, the idea that Russia may be a country that doesn't care about indirect kisses at all, has passed through his head…

(Oh, that's a blatant lie)

He moved his gaze from the spoon to Alisa and immediately made this decision. Because Alisa's face had a mischievous expression on it…, but if you look closely, you could see that the tips of her ears and fingertips were slowly turning red. It really stood out because of her pure white skin.

(What's wrong with you…? If you're embarrassed, don't overdo it)

In this case, on the contrary, she became calm, and he was more worried than embarrassed. It was clearly conveyed from the expression of Masachika, and Alisa suddenly became calm.

(What are you doing…)

Once she's calm, she gets terribly shameful about her actions. She got hot all over, and she got struck by the feeling that everyone in the store was looking at her, and she couldn't stay even if she was there.

But she managed to hold her look and stick out the spoon, as she knew it was more and more unbearable to him as she withdrew the spoon here.

"See… the cream will melt, right?"

"Ah, yeah…"

Masachika also had a slight idea that he couldn't pull back, so he gave up trying to persuade Alisa.

(No way, an indirect kiss event will occur here… but there is no problem. At the time of Masha-san, I was already prepared and simulated!)

At that time, it was just dust, but the situation did not change so much. This kind of thing is shy and loses. It was a normal and stylish decision!

(Yeah, the paper cup just changed to a spoon… it just changed… then it's not! It's a spoon? It's a spoon that went into Arya's mouth and touched her tongue? Isn't it okay to call it an indirect deep kiss!?)

As a result of calmly analyzing the situation, Masachika couldn't stay calm. Unconsciously, his gaze turned to Alisa's lips, at which point Alisa opened her mouth.

"See, um"

Finally, Alisa spoke. Alisa's beautiful white teeth and red tongue come into view of nature and politics.

(Woooooooooooooo!)

Masachika held his head in his heart and knocked it down. However, he opened his mouth when he noticed, like a chick whose beak was presented to his parent bird, whether it was his instinct as a male or something.

"Ahhhhh…"

A spoon that can be inserted into it immediately.

Masachika reflexively closed his mouth and scooped fresh cream with his upper lip.

He was just thinking about scraping it off with his front teeth so as not to touch the spoon as much as possible, but it had fallen out of his head altogether.

(Ugyaooo?)

Masachika hit his head on the ground in his heart and fainted in agony.

Yuki, who had a guess face, said "Hehe, how are you? What's your impression of Alya-san's taste?" back.

This younger sister was noisy even in his imagination.

"… Sweet"

"…Yes"

Masachika was so upset that he swallowed his cream and gave an overly simple impression. But Alisa didn't mess with it either, and she quietly pulled the spoon back.

(No, this air is rather sweet! Seriously, what is going on?)

How did this happen when we were having a serious conversation earlier? I mean, seriously, someone must not be watching us in this situation.

After all this time, Masachika looked around ... out the window and blinked at a familiar figure.

(That is… Taniyama?)

He tilted his head inwardly, but Alisa's throat cleared his consciousness.

When Masachika turned to the front, Alisa raised her face down and looked straight at Masachika with a dignified expression.

"So, based on that… How do you think you can beat Yuki-san?"

Recognizing the harsh conditions, she still had strong eyes trying to look in front of her. Masachika was surprised at the brilliance of the dazzling soul that shone in the midst of adversity…

(You can't just "How do you think you can win?"! It's impossible to be serious in this air!)

He talked loudly in his mind. However, Masachika also wanted to do something about this strange atmosphere, so he decided to join in without saying anything.

"Hmm… of course, we have to take another path."

"Another path?"

"Oh, you won't stand a chance if you slug it out head-on. So, change your attack and appeal to the students in a different direction from Yuki."

"…In particular?"

When asked by Alisa, Masachika summed up his thoughts with a glance, "That's right…".

"It's the same as the popularity vote of idols… In order to win the absolute ace, we have to aim to be supported by everyone."

"…What do you mean? Nothing is supported… In the first place, you want to support, so you vote?"

"No? That's not always the case. The presidential election results are based on popularity, but compared to idols, all the students are forced to vote… In that case, students who are not very interested in the presidential election will usually choose "safe" ones. In other words, the former middle school student president with peace of mind, trust and achievements. In fact, I also voted in the previous presidential election. I've chosen a former chairman…. I was surprised that another person was elected."

"Well… if you ask me, President Kenzaki wasn't on the student council in middle school."

"Oh, if the former middle school student council president and vice chairman run in the same pair in the high school, the probability of winning is about 70%. Because he won there, Kenzaki is amazing… What the chairman did at that time was to create a story that would be supported."

Honestly praising Toya, Masachika pulled a bundle of papers out of his bag.

It was a copy of last year's newspapers published by the school's newspaper department. Picking up one of them, Masachika pointed to one point.

"See the little article here?"

"…What is this?　"Kenzaki Toya, The Road to Student Council President Episode 5"?"

"Well, one of the members of the newspaper club at the time found it interesting that Kenzaki, who was an inferior student, was challenging the election of the president, so he covered it. Apparently, the chairman himself agreed to do the feature under his own name to keep himself motivated.

"Hmmm… well, it's not so sweet when you think people are watching you."

"Oh. Maybe the newspaper members who interviewed were half chilly at first, but… well, the appearance changed visibly and the results improved with each passing, so it's kind of like a real success story. It feels like. The readers have become more and more on his side, and eventually they have even won the prize. "

"That's how to create a story that would be supported…? In other words, show the students around you how you are struggling and making efforts?"

"It's easy to understand. That's what it is."

While laughing with satisfaction, Masachika carried Cafe au lait to his mouth, but…his thoughts came back.

(So ​​what about that spoon?)

That is, it was the spoon that was used earlier.

It was placed on a paper napkin in Alisa's hand, but more than half of the chocolate parfait was still left, and if she didn't eat it soon, the ice cream would melt and it would crumble.

Is Alisa unaware, or is she pretending to be unaware?

Meanwhile, Alisa was enthusiastically reading a copy of the campus newspaper prepared by Masachika… pretending to turn her attention elsewhere.

(What should I do, this spoon)

…Both of them had the same idea.

Alisa has been "ahhh" with a rivalry that she doesn't understand, but now that she's calm, she's so embarrassed that she's about to die inside.

Thinking about it, she should have just eaten the parfait after the "ah-ing".. If she casually used a spoon and made fun of Masachika, who was screaming, that would have been enough. But she put the spoon down once, which made it harder and harder for me to touch it.

(Because… Kuze took such a big bite out of it… Please refrain from it a little more!)

Alisa looked down at the spoon with a tremendous amount of momentum, and she suddenly turned her gaze at the clear, striped traces of cream.

(Ku, Traces of Kuze-kun's lips are ah ah~~~ ???)

Alisa's eyes went round while she was panicking inwardly. Masachika called out to her, who tended to hesitate.

"Oh… that's bad. Can I ask for something?"

"Huh?"

As Arisa blinked her eyes, Masachika looked at her surroundings and then smiled half in embarrassment and half in bitterness.

"The food around us smells so nice, I'm getting kind of hungry… I shouldn't have skipped breakfast."

"Oh… I don't mind"

With the consent of Alisa, Masachika opened the menu. He flipped through the pages, stared at it, and pressed the clerk's call button. Then, a female clerk arrived soon.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting~"

"Ah, can I order?"

"Here you go"

"Let's see… sautéed bacon and spinach, authentic Schezuan Bean Curd, and two ... portions of rice and cold water.

"Yes, sir. Sautéed bacon and spinach, authentic Szechuan Bean Curd, rice and two cold drinks, right?

"Oh, by the way… can I add spiciness to this mapo tofu?"

"You're fine with it?"

"Well, can you do it?"

The clerk smiled and turned to Masachika when Alisa shrugged her head shyly.

"There are twice, three times, five times, and ten times hotter, what will you choose?"

"How painful is it ten times?"

"It really is…"

Therefore, the clerk glanced around and then said with a little voice.

"Honestly, it's really painful. I've tasted it, but one bite was my limit. I'm sure it will make your stomach upset."

"I like "It does upset your stomach…""

"What?"

Arisa tsked with a straight face, but Masachika passed it off as normal.

"Then ten times"

"I'm afraid – ten times more. Is that all right?"

"No, and… please change this spoon."

Masachika said that while showing Alisa's spoon with her eyes, the clerk nodded without a bad snooping.

"I'm afraid. Please wait a moment."

He saw the clerk returning to the kitchen, and Alisa complained to Masachika, who was leaning on the menu.

"It was fine, you know?"

"You mean the spoon? I'm embarrassed, you know. Maybe it's normal in Russia, but for a Japanese high school boy it's very stimulating."

"Oh so…"

After she nodded reluctantly, Alisa suddenly smiled provocatively.

"Kuze-Kun is surprisingly naive to be upset by this much. I thought he was used to girls."

As this was said to be the place of concern, Masachika also moved his eyebrows and argued.

"From my point of view, I can't believe that I would do this kind of thing in a straightforward manner. Is indirect kissing rampant in Russia?"

With her cramped laugh, Alisa slammed her eyebrows and shut up. She remains silent for a while, then she whispers with a dissatisfied face.

[I will not do this to anyone other than you. fool]

Congratulations to Masachika. Alya-san's first indirect kiss

!

(Arigato… I wonder if I'll die today?)

Masachika looked out the window with a distant eye at the sudden announcement in the brain. The clerk had bought a new spoon.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting-I'll put this here, okay?"

"Ah, yes… Thank you."

Masachika recommended a parfait to Alisa, who received her new spoon, with a distant eye.

"Look… eat it quickly. It will melt."

"…That's right"

Nodding obediently, Alya smashed her slightly tilted parfait into her mouth, stirring it together from the cream above her to the cornflakes below. She ate silently and finished in a few minutes, then she joined hands and wiped her mouth with a paper napkin.

"Even so… you eat a lot."

"Hmm… oh"

Masachika, who tilted his head for a moment and realized that the food he ordered was thought to be a snack, corrected Alisa's misunderstanding.

"Oh no, I'm thinking of finishing dinner here today."

"…I thought of it before, but won't you contact your home? Aren't your parents preparing rice?"

"No, They're not at home right now."

"Oh so…"

As a matter of fact, the meals of the Kuze family, which is a single-parent family, were basically prepared by Masachika. Even when his father was away from work, he usually cooked for himself.

"I'm alone anyway, and it's a hassle to cook after I get home."

Strictly speaking, he had a sister who attacked without warning and made a meal of it. He wasn't going to think about it, because he was sure she wouldn't come yesterday…

"Cooking… Eh, Kuze-kun can cook?"

Masachika cowered at Arisa's expression of surprise.

"As long as it's simple. I can't make anything that big because I'm always making what they call lazy food or quick food, you know?"

"I'm still surprised. Kuze doesn't seem to be bothered by cooking."

"Well, I won't deny it."

Actually, Masachika didn't like cooking. He was just doing it because it was easier.

At the beginning of junior high school, He used to buy a loaf of bread the day before for breakfast, eat lunch in the school cafeteria, and eat lunch at a convenience store at night, but after a month, he got tired of it, and going shopping every day was a hassle. Then one day, on a whim, he tried out a shortcut cooking program on TV, and realized that the time it took to go shopping and the time it took to cook and wash dishes were not much different.

Besides, on the day his father was away from home, Masachika was given 2,000 yen a day for rice. This would be his own pocket money, so if he could cook for himself, he would save money. He just chose self-catering based on those advantages and disadvantages.

"What about you? Can you cook?"

Masachika casually asked if this perfect superhuman could cook to some extent…

"…"

Alisa silently turned her gaze away. Masachika guessed.

"Well, cooking people are a minority."

"It's not that I can't do it… it just takes time."

"Oh… maybe you're the type that cuts vegetables carefully so that they are the same size and fineness as when cutting vegetables?"

"Well, that's right. Also, I always make sure that the ingredients are cooked evenly and if the seasonings are distributed in the correct amount and concentration …"

"That's the one that hurts."

"…"

Alisa sipped her melon soda with an uncomfortable look on her face, as if she had been hit on the mark.

Masachika chuckled and agreed that it was typical of Alisa, a perfectionist. When it comes to cooking, precision is important, but even more important is the skill of the cook. The trick, according to Masachika, is to keep the important parts in check and do it roughly to a certain extent, but Alisa, a perfectionist, can't do that "roughly".

"I can't help it, I'm curious. When I see people like Masha doing it all randomly, it makes me itchy…"

"Oh, that's what I can imagine."

The image of Maria throwing ingredients and seasonings into the frying pan with her usual fluffy smile came to mind, and he laughed, thinking that she would do a great job. He thought that she was the opposite of his sister, and that his sister was too sketchy to be good.

"But for some reason the finished food is delicious…"

"She's simply good at cooking!"

Mariya seems to be a good cook.

(Seriously. That person is really impeccable.)

Masachika held his forehead as the "Masha-san is actually more useful than her sister" theory became clear in his mind. Perhaps embarrassed by Masachika's gesture, Arisa flapped her hands and returned to her story.

"Well, that's okay. So what kind of story are you thinking about?"

"Oh, oh… that's right. How far have you gotten?"

"I'm trying to create a story that will be supported by the students, just as Chairman Kenzaki did."

"Oh, that's right…"

Masachika changed his expression to Alisa, who returned to her mind, and switched her thinking.

"Well, as you said, you have to show your efforts first. Specifically… at the closing ceremony of the first semester."

"The closing ceremony of the first semester? Maybe the student organization officer's greeting?"

Masachika nodded to Alisa who seemed to have an idea.

"That's right. It's nominally a place to show off the student council, saying, 'This is the member we'll be working with this term'."

"After that, there are basically no new board members, right?

"Oh. There are a lot of new members coming and going during the first semester every year, but after this greeting, even if they come out, they will not get much attention. And… This greeting is a chance for us first years to announce that we will run for the presidential election."

"If you ask me, it was like that last year…"

Masachika told Alisa with a serious expression, recalling his third year in middle school and nodded.

"This is our first speech in front of the whole school. I don't need to tell you how important it is, do I?"

"Yes…"

Alisa also thought with a serious expression. She seemed to be looking down and thinking about something for a while, but she suddenly looked anxious, and she glanced at Masachika.

"…What kind of greeting should I give?"

But Masachika simply said to Arisa, who was relying on her partner in a small voice.

"You can talk all you want. It's better to speak honestly and in your own words, so that the people listening can understand."

"What? No specific advice?"

After relying on him with all her might, she was given an appropriate return, and Alisa shook her eyebrows with dissatisfaction. On the other hand, Masachika gave up his shoulders.

"You don't have to do anything bad, you're a person I want to support just as you are. I'll help you with the parts you need help with, and you can talk the way you want to."

He casually said that…

"Oh, yes…"

Arisa was embarrassed as usual. Her expression changed from disgruntled to embarrassed, and her gaze wandered furtively and restlessly. Then, while fiddling with the tips of her hair with her fingers, she opened her mouth to say something, thought for a moment, and then muttered in Russian.

[…Which part?]

Masachika looked distantly at Arisa, who fidgeted and glanced at him, begging in Russian, "Praise me, praise me.

(That's the area, damn it. It's so cute!)

Just as Masachika inwardly blurted out his disappointment, the food he had ordered arrived.

"Is your order over?"

"Yes"

"Yes. Take your time~"

He looked away from the clerk and glanced at Arisa, who took his intentions into consideration and urged him to go ahead.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have some… for you."

After clasping his hands together in a reserved manner, Masachika began with a white plate of sauteed bacon and spinach. After quickly devouring it as an appetizer, he pulled out the main course, Mapo Tofu boiling in a thin iron pot.

The white tofu was crumbled just right, and he dipped it in the reddish-black bean paste, which looked like magma.

"Wow… That's pretty spicy for a family restaurant."

Masachika nodded satisfactorily at the spiciness that pierced his gums. Alisa looked at him with her eyebrows.

"…Is it delicious?"

"Hmm? Okay. Would you like to try it?"

After saying that, Masachika thought, "Oh, I'm done."

He felt uncomfortable that he was the only one eating, and the fact that she had just "ah-ed" him made him say something out of the blue, but when he thought about it, this was not the kind of spicy food that Arisa could eat.

However, in front of Masachika, who was unsure whether to retract the proposal once it was made… Arisa was also unsure.

To be honest, she didn't want to eat such a visibly dangerous food. However, if she said she doesn't want it here, it might reveal that she doesn't actually like spicy food.

(There's also water. I still have some melon soda. Don't worry, I'm sure you can handle a sip.)

Checking the amount of drink left in her hand, Alisa made up her mind.

"Then, just a bite"

"Oh… yeah… okay"

While guessing Alisa's thoughts with extreme accuracy, Masachika pretended not to notice and reached for a small plate.

He stuck a spoon in the bean curd and unearthed it to at least make more tofu. The red bomb.

"That's amazing. It contains a whole chili pepper."

"!?"

He put the bright red murder weapon he had excavated on a spoon and glanced over at Alisa… Alisa had something of a puppy dog look in her eyes. He wasn't sure what to make of it. He wasn't sure if it's a good idea. In the eyes of Masachika, an angel and a demon appeared.

For some reason, an angel in the shape of a small Maria spoke gently to remind him.

"No, don't do that to Alya-chan. Meeyo"

On the other hand, for some reason, a devil in the shape of a small Yuki spoke with a vulgar voice.

"Hey, do it, Onii-chan. Do you understand? Arya's teary eyes are honestly thrilling, right?"

The persuasion of an angel and the temptation of a devil. Exposed to two conflicting emotions, Masachika bit his teeth.

(Ku, I… I…!?)

With his hands trembling, Masachika struggled with whether to raise or lower the weapon in his hands… If you cut out just this part, it looked as if he was struggling with whether or not to shoot the gun in his hand on the battlefield, but in reality, it is just hot pepper. In fact, it's just chili pepper.

"I don't think you should do anything to make a girl suffer. Kuze…"

"Get out of the way!"

"Yikes!"

In her mind, little Yuki's body exploded, and little Mariya blew her away with a "Ah~re~". It was settled in seconds. There was too much difference in the fighting strength of the angel and the demon.

(Forgive me, Alya)

While apologizing in his heart, Masachika sold his soul to the devil inside him.

"Alya… the main part is still there."

"…Thank you"

He was doing something devilish.

Masachika handed Alisa a small plate while thinking about it like someone else with a good smile. Alisa took the chopsticks out of the chopsticks box on the edge of her desk, and she took her tofu to her mouth… and put a plate on it and meditated.

"…How is it?"

"…It's pretty good"

Alisa spoke without changing her expression. However, Masachika was aware. The hands clasped on the table were quivering. She was desperately holding down her left hand, which was about to jump into a drink, with his right hand. He was aware that…

(Sorry, Arya)

Masachika smiled with a clear smile while inwardly spitting out lines like a character who betrayed his friend due to unavoidable circumstances.

"Alya… the main part is left."

"…"

For a moment, Arisa gave him a look that no girl should ever give, but Masachika pretended not to notice.

Prompted by his smile, Alisa threw the remaining chili peppers on the small plate into her mouth. Then she covered her mouth with her right hand and turned over deeply.

"…Alya?"

[Stupid!]

Masachika's call came back in feeble Russian.

[Stupid, stupid!]

Without showing her expression, she repeated with tears. Was it against Masachika, or was it against herself for being so stubborn?

"Isn't it better to drink water for the time being?"

[Stupid…]

He regretted his bad behavior and cared for her, but Alisa just called him an idiot. In the end, there was no discussion after that, and Masachika quickly finished his meal and left the diner, waiting for Arisa to recover.

"…Looks like we have been talking a lot.

"…That's right."

When Arisa said this to him outside in the dark, Masachika thought, "You've just been dead for a long time," and looked away with a sense of guilt. However, he does not regret it since he was really touched by the tearful voice of the always strong Alisa. If you want to call him an asshole, call him that.

"By the way… what will Yuki do?"

"Huh?"

When he looked up at the unexpected name that suddenly appeared, Arisa glanced at Masachika with a slightly awkward expression.

"See… Kuze-kun has decided to run for me, so Yuki-san also needs a new par… Vice-chairman candidate, right?"

"…Ah"

Masachika nodded, trying to figure out what he had rephrased, but he passed over it. After staring at Masachika, Arisa continued with a somewhat dissatisfied look.

"As I said earlier, the student organization members will be fixed at the closing ceremony of the first semester, right? I wonder if she has to find a candidate for vice president now."

"Well, in her case, her own popularity is so great that it doesn't really matter who her partner is. …"

"In any case, I'm hardly ever seen in the public eye, and even my partner was elected." Masachika added, shrugging his shoulders. However, he scratched his head awkwardly when someone next to him looked at him as if to say something.

"Well, she has a lot of connections, so maybe someone will look after her properly?"

After saying that, Masachika thought about who Yuki's partner would be.

"If you think about it normally, you're a former student organization member… Hmm…"

Then, the back of the girl he saw earlier naturally came to his mind.

"That's right… It's quite annoying to bring Taniyama…"

"Taniyama? Who?"

"Sayaka Taniyama. When I was in middle school, I was the one who fought for the position of student president with Yuki until the end… that? Don't you know?"

"I don't know"

As Alisa shook her head, Masachika turned his eyebrows and tilted his head.

Masachika thought that she was also among the few female students who had previously joined the student organization and quit immediately.

(Did she give up on becoming President…?)

Thinking of the girl he used to work with on student council… and beat him in the election for president, Masachika felt a bitterness come back to his heart.

"Kuze-kun?"

"Oh no… well, you'll know soon? We'll figure it out when we know who it is."

"Yes…"

Alisa nodded with a slightly suspicious expression. Masachika also switched his mind and recalled who Yuki would choose as a partner, a former member of the Middle School Student Council.

However, the correct answer to his question was given much earlier than Masachika had expected. It was after school the next day. And the student Yuki brought with her was not a ... former student council member.

"Ayano"

"Yes, Yuki-sama."

In response to Yuki's call standing in front of the student organization room door, the female student who was waiting diagonally behind her stepped forward without sound.

Then, with both hands aligned in front of her, she bowed cleanly, and then she looked at the five student organization members sitting in their seats one after another and introduced himself in a voice without intonation.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Ayano Kimishima of Group C for the First Year. I am working with you as a General Secretary of the Student Council. Thank you"

After saying this without moving her expression, she bowed neatly once again.

The student council members greeted her with varying degrees of bewilderment at the robot-like behavior.

"Kuze-kun?"

"…"

In the midst of all this, Masachika had a grim expression on his face at the appearance of something completely unexpected… a serious-looking Yuki. He didn't have time to respond to Alisa's voice and stared at Ayano with raised eyebrows.

At that moment, Ayano's head snapped up and she looked Masachika squarely in the eye.

And there, for the first time, a hint of emotion appeared in her eyes and she quietly opened her mouth.

"I look forward to working with you as well… Masachika-san."

Kimishima Ayano. She was Masachika's personal maid, and now she's assisting Yuki in the election.