My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 240

Compared to them, our side—the student council group—was relatively simple. Just like usual, Asahi went to pester Hoshibe-senpai, while Asuhain looked at Kurenai with admiration. The only difference was that Asuhain would occasionally show hostility towards Irito Mizuto, cast wary glances at Kawanami, or look at Higashigata with a confused expression.

This group of people is going to stay away from home for three days and two nights!

"How was it?"

Hong suddenly came into my view, but I remained unmoved.

Of course, my heart skipped a beat, but I've long been used to not showing my emotions on my face or in my attitude.

Hong's eyes were filled with curiosity. I don't know why, but she always seemed to want to know my opinions of others.

"...Can I tell you the truth?"

"Um."

Nine people is far too many.

When I said that, Hong gave a wry smile, looking somewhat helpless.

"Don't take it for granted that you're excluded."

This is not my fault.

I cannot see myself.

Only your superior eyes can reflect my image.

Irito Mizuto ◆ What's ambiguous is...

After exchanging greetings, we took the JR Kyoto Line from Kyoto Station and headed west.

Although it was the first day of the long weekend, I think we were lucky enough to find some empty seats so we could all sit together. After I sat down in the window seat opposite me, Isana immediately rushed to sit next to me as if afraid of being left behind. Yui came over and sat opposite me, and the seat diagonally opposite was empty.

Kawanami and the other seven students, including Minami, went to find other empty seats. However, all the seats in this carriage were double seats, so there would always be one extra person.

As a result, the petite girl from the student council (Tomorrow... I forgot her name) stood in the middle of the aisle, looking around.

"Tomorrow, this way."

Called by Yui, the petite girl—Asuno En?—came over. She glanced at me and Isana with a slightly stiff expression, then nodded to us and sat down next to Yui.

Although this girl was petite, she gave off a slightly old-fashioned impression. Her clothes were a simple shirt and vest, paired with jeans, which, combined with her short hair, might have given her a somewhat androgynous look. The reason I describe it this way is, I must say, because her figure was so incredibly feminine, impossible to ignore. At the edge of my field of vision, Izana sitting next to me was staring intently at her chest.

"Uh...did I introduce her earlier? She's Asuhain-san; we joined the student council around the same time."

The girl kindly helped with the introductions, but Asahina herself only gave a simple greeting: "...Hello." What was wrong? From the way she looked at me, I could sense an indescribable hostility...

Since she joined around the same time as Yui, she's a first-year student like us... Wait, I think I've heard something about her before...

"ah."

I remembered.

"You came in third place."

"~~~~~!"

"Okay, okay! Asuka-in-law, don't get excited, don't get excited!"

Asuha-in made a move to stand up, but Yui immediately pressed down on her shoulder.

"Seriously! Watch your mouth!"

Jie Nu glared at me fiercely and said.

"Didn't I mention Asuhain-san to you before?! Have you forgotten?!"

"Um, sorry. I forgot."

"Really!!"

I vaguely remember her saying... she always ranked third in the whole grade in the midterm exams, so she considered us, who ranked first and second, as a thorn in her side? I wasn't very interested, so I didn't remember it.

"...You can only pretend to be calm for now."

The way Asahiko glared at me was as if I were witnessing a blood feud.

"I'll beat you in the next final exam. There's absolutely no way I could lose to someone like you who's so easily swayed by his girlfriend!"

"girlfriend?"

"I'm just sitting right next to you!"

She pointed straight at me—Izana, who was sitting next to me, was opening a Calbee fries cup she had taken out of her carry-on luggage.

"This girl isn't my girlfriend."

"……is that so?"

"Yes. I don't lie."

"Mizuto-kun, would you like some fries?"

"it is good."

Open your mouth!

"You're obviously lying to me!"

How rude! Don't let my appearance fool you, I rarely lie. *Crackling sound*

I half-automatically took a bite of the fries Isana handed me, while Asuhain and Yume looked at us with strange eyes and wry smiles respectively.

Although Isana and I have absolutely no intention of gaining others' understanding, it would be quite tedious to be constantly criticized by our travel companions over the next three days. So I'll explain a little more in detail.

"This guy just likes to joke around with me because he doesn't have any other friends. Just treat him like a puppy or something."

"Ah—! How could you say that to me!"

"Good boy/girl."

I ruffled Isana's hair, and "Goo-ooh..." she groaned softly and immediately became docile. See?

Seeing me continue pinching Isana's soft earlobe, Asuhain rolled her eyes at me. It seems she still can't accept it.

The woman smiled wryly as she helped to get out of the predicament:

"They've always been like this. I understand how you feel, but he really isn't lying to you."

"...So you two just have a good relationship, but aren't actually dating?"

"Yeah, that's about it."

In simple words.

Asuhain looked at me and then at Isana, and whispered:

"I don't think this kind of ambiguous, convenience-only relationship is very healthy."

For an instant.

For just a moment, I felt my body stiffen.

...No wonder he's third in the whole grade. His words are sharp.

She really speaks her mind—she's unforgiving even when she's in the right.

She was wrong about my relationship with Isana. My relationship with this guy is just "friends"—or at least we think it couldn't be clearer.

What's truly ambiguous is...

What remains ambiguous is—

I stole a glance at Jie... she seemed to have a tense expression as well.

Excuse me—

Izana, perhaps completely unaware of the sudden, frozen atmosphere, spoke timidly.

"...Would you like some fries?"

Only Isana knows why she chose this moment to ask.

All I know is that Isana slowly and deliberately handed a French fry to Asuhain-kun; and her haphazard actions caused the atmosphere to freeze again for another reason.

Asahi-no-Ya-Yuan stared at the fries in front of him for a long time before saying:

"...Thank you, but I don't—"

"Don't be so polite."

"Mmm!"

Isana forced the fries into Asuhain's mouth. Asuhain could do nothing but chew the crispy fries like a hamster.

"...Hehe. So cute..."

Seeing this, Isana murmured to herself in ecstasy.

It seems she's been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.

Don't treat people you've just met like they're someone else's pet.

Kawanami Kogure ◆ Now that I have everything

The tram journey, which lasted about fifty minutes, became a very meaningful time for me.

What's going on? I thought the student council would be a very rigid group, but it turns out they're all just flirting amongst themselves. Especially that senior girl surnamed Ya Shuang's attitude towards the former president, Xing Ge, it's so obvious that even I, who just met them, can tell.

At first glance, it seems like I'm just teasing him and trying to make him happy, but don't think I can fool my discerning eyes. That genuine shyness and heartfelt joy at certain important moments—the true feelings hidden beneath the little devil's actions—are both adorable and touching.

"Hmph hmph hmph..."

"What? That's disgusting."

Xiaoyue, who was standing next to me, looked at me with a startled expression, but I'll let her off this time. After all, if this girl hadn't invited me on this trip, I wouldn't have had the chance to learn about these inside stories of the student council.

It's a shame that this year's student council, with its abundance of beautiful girls, enjoyed such strong student support; the fans are going to be heartbroken. Actually, it's true, anyone who wants to date will choose someone close to them. Okay, although there are exceptions like me—

"Everyone, get ready to get off the bus!"

We got off at Sannomiya Station, which is a little distance from Kobe Station, and came outside the station.

Compared to the towering Kyoto Tower in front of Kyoto Station, this area doesn't seem particularly novel at first glance. Although it's just a streetscape lined with commercial buildings, this unfamiliar scenery is enough to evoke a feeling of being in a foreign land. Most importantly, the buildings are incredibly tall. Kyoto doesn't have buildings this tall.

"Didn't you say beforehand that we'd explore other places before going to the hotel?"

When I asked that, Xiaoyue showed me her phone screen and said:

"They said they were going to the Stranger's Residence Street. It seems there are a lot of old Western-style houses there."

"Oh—a Western-style house. I think Irito-san would really like that kind of house."

"Yes, yes, there's another place over there that recreates Sherlock Holmes' room—"

That sounds like fun. I also read some of the Sherlock Holmes series when I was a kid.

"Wow! What's this?! Hey, look! There's an incredibly trendy Starbucks!"

"Huh? Hey, you're holding it too close, I can't see it—oh my god! It really is!"

When Xiaoyue showed me the pictures, my eyes widened. I don't particularly like trendy cafes, but this one was converted from a villa, and it looked just like a scene from a European or American movie.

"Hey, hey, let's go here! Let's find Jie and Dongtou-kun and go together!"

"Great! Let's teach those shut-ins how to order drinks at Starbucks!"

Yay! We were both so excited!

After all, we've been hanging out together for several years, so we're really in sync during these kinds of times. Lately, she hasn't been doing anything strange to Irito anymore, so I don't have to be on guard against her all the time. It feels like we're gradually regaining that relaxed and pressure-free distance we used to have.

Honestly, I feel very comfortable around this guy.

Furthermore, I'd be perfectly content just to be able to admire the innocent and adorable pairings from the sidelines.

Star-edge remote guidance ◆ You are not allowed to be alone

This isn't the first time I've accompanied my juniors on a trip. Although I'm one of the oldest, it's been very easy with Hong around. That guy handles everything perfectly. I can't help but admire my own foresight in bringing him into the student council.

Although I took the entrance exam just to be lazy, I can't deny feeling a bit stuck after actually passing it. I couldn't fit into the classroom that had become so exam-oriented, and all the other students in my grade were studying hard, so I felt embarrassed to ask them for help. Even if I used the excuse of changing my mood to justify dropping out of the big exam, it would only sound like I was being sarcastic.

As a result, I ended up having to go back to the student council, which I had long since left office, to hang out with the younger students. Sigh—I have to admit I'm a really lonely and empty person.

...It's been a long time since I've felt this abandoned by everyone.

Although it's nowhere near as bad as when I injured my shoulder back then—

"Alright, let's split into groups."