"…As expected of the Class Rep."
In the end, that was all Kuroba Akira could say. This was just so very Class Rep.
Still, he felt her way of seeing things was way too rational… and way too unromantic.
From an adult's perspective, sure, her reasoning was airtight. But even if it leaves regrets, the kinds of youth experiences you have in high school still become precious memories later.
Isn't that why so many people look back fondly on their school days—because the feelings back then were the most genuine, untainted by anything else?
Once you've entered society, it's hard to find that kind of pure feeling again.
Not that Akira had any intention of arguing with her, let alone trying to change her mind—he just tossed out a casual remark.
"But, you know that saying, right? All those reasons for not wanting to date are just excuses—you just haven't met the right person yet."
"Kuroba-kun, do you believe in so-called 'love at first sight'? I don't. To me, it's nothing more than sexual attraction triggered by the other person's looks and your own hormones."
She put it very politely, but here's Akira's translation: it's either your lower brain talking, or you've just gone full fangirl mode.
"It's like this—my wanting to get along with Kuroba-kun wasn't because I took one look at you and suddenly had some inexplicable 'I want to be friends with this person!' feeling. It was only after observing you for a semester and a summer break that I decided you were worth associating with."
"Class Rep, you're really careful about these things, huh…"
"Well, if you're looking for a good friend to last your whole life, of course you have to choose carefully."
Maybe because she set such a heavy standard for choosing friends, her caution was only natural.
"But, if you ever meet someone you want to date, you can ditch me, you know. I… mm… probably wouldn't mind. Maybe. So don't worry about my reputation—just go find a woman you like."
Now that's totally minding it!
Probably because once a good friend gets a girlfriend, it's hard to keep the same kind of close relationship with the opposite sex.
I mean, a girlfriend's bound to get jealous—you'd have to avoid anything that looks suspicious.
"I don't really care. Getting a girlfriend sounds like too much trouble anyway, and I'm broke. So things are fine like this."
Even if Akira had regained his youth, it wasn't the same youth from his own memories. His original youth was gone for good, and he didn't feel the need to patch it up.
If he'd actually been reborn into his own past, maybe he'd feel the urge to fill in those regrets. But since this was a transmigration… getting rich fast was the priority.
The Class Rep seemed relieved, pressing a hand to her chest and letting out a long breath.
"Is that so? Whew… that's wonderful, really, really, really wonderful."
"You're exaggerating…"
Three "really"s in a row—just how much does she care about this?
"As a sign of my utmost respect for Kuroba-kun's resolve, I've decided to reward you with another piece of my specialty tempura. Here—ah~."
Akira shamelessly took the bite in one go.
"Mhm, Kuroba-kun's so good! Want more? I can feed you all of these, you know?"
"…"
This was starting to feel like training a dog… and he really might have turned into the Class Rep's pet pup.
But honestly, not having to feed himself was pretty nice. So Akira just put down his chopsticks and let her keep feeding him.
At this rate, was he going to turn into a useless lump? Was "Class Rep Dependency Syndrome" a real risk?
Well, this was probably just another one of the Class Rep's "friend perks." Shiroi Shiori and Aizono Momo had probably enjoyed it too—like getting a lap pillow.
Speaking of which—she didn't invite those two?
Akira had half-expected her to bring him to eat with the Literature Club.
"Come to think of it, Class Rep, don't you eat lunch with the club members?"
"We don't usually eat together anyway. Here—ah~."
"Ah… huh? Aren't they also the kind of friends you've decided are worth keeping for life?"
"Precisely because our friendship will last a lifetime, there's no need to stick together every waking moment. Ah~ and eat your vegetables too."
"Ah… so it can work like that…"
"And besides, even though we're in the same club, I'm still the Class Rep for Year 1, Class 1. If I'm always eating with students from another class, it'd look strange. Here, have some tea—slow down, don't choke."
"Pssh… whew… I guess that makes sense. But then why'd you want to be Class Rep? Doesn't it mean you can't even eat with your friends?"
"Because aside from the homeroom teacher, the Class Rep has the most power in class. It's easier to… I mean, direct the other students. And being in this position, whatever I want to do becomes more convenient… Kuroba-kun, power brings a kind of freedom, you know? Fufu."
So dark!
Wasn't this high school girl just a bit too advanced?
While other students were busy basking in their youth, she was already playing the Game of Thrones.
By now, they'd nearly finished the bento. As she packed the boxes away, Anri Hitomi said—
"But if I'm not around, there is a problem."
"A problem?"
"Mhm. If we let Shiori and Momo stay together all the time, it'll cause trouble."
"What kind of trouble? Do they not get along?"
"It's not that—they get along too well. That's the problem."
"Huh? I don't get it… don't girls who get along always stick together?"
You could tell even in school—girls would go to the bathroom holding hands. If guys went together, just to sneak a peek or something, they'd get called creeps.
"Is this what they call the complicated relationships between girls?"
"Mm… how to put it… If they were just ordinary friends, it'd be fine. But Shiori and Momo have been inseparable best friends since kindergarten. And the strong-willed Shiori has always protected Momo, stepping up for her no matter what. That's left Momo still acting weak and helpless even now."
Childhood friends again, huh… Well, that did explain why when he was 'messing with' Aizono Momo, Shiroi Shiori immediately jumped to her defense.
Aizono Momo was Shiroi Shiori's reverse scale, and Akira had shown obvious intent toward her. Of course Shiroi reacted like a cat with its tail stepped on.
"Oh, I get what you mean, Class Rep—you're saying Shiroi-san's presence isn't good for Aizono-san's growth?"
"Mhm. You could say their compatibility is great, but also terrible. Shiori's too forceful and speaks her mind without hesitation, while Momo's far too soft—she keeps everything inside and never says what she really thinks. So when Shiori says something that stings, Momo just bottles it up and gets hurt in silence."
"I see."
Sometimes, the words that hurt the most come from the people closest to you.
Because they know you too well, they think they can say anything. But without realizing it, a single offhand comment might stick with you for life.
The more you care, the deeper the wound. The closer you are, the easier it is to hurt each other—this was the Hedgehog's Dilemma.
That's why they say distance makes beauty—because too close will cut.
"Like yesterday—Shiori said she looked down on light novels, right?"
"Yeah."
That one line had gotten under Akira's skin enough that he'd gone and made that ridiculous, mood-killing bet, just to make Shiroi Shiori eat her words.
"The truth is, Momo's been reading light novels for a long time—and she really loves them. So hearing something like that must've hurt a lot. Not because her favorite thing was insulted, but because her friend didn't like something she liked… You can see the difference, right?"
"Ohhh, I get it. After that, Aizono-san probably won't bring up light novels with Shiroi-san anymore—because now she knows Shiroi-san doesn't like them."
"Exactly. And once that happens, their shared topics will shrink. The only time Momo could really click with Shiori was when they talked about light novels—since Shiori doesn't understand art at all, and Momo can't stand traditional literature. Over time, a rift will form between them."
"…You're amazing, Class Rep. I didn't think you'd thought it through this much."
"I just don't want a precious friendship that's been there since childhood to break over something small… especially since I personally let go of my own childhood friend."
She smiled bitterly.
That was probably a regret she'd carry for life.
And the reason she valued the word friend so much was because she'd already felt the pain of losing one.
A person's character really is shaped by their past experiences—those words weren't wrong.
---
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