Chapter 8. And then, the seed had been sown.

Chapter 8. And then, the seed had been sown. CHAPTER 8 And then, the seed had been sown.

A little earlier that day, during lunch, Alisa slipped out of the classroom alone and made her way to the cafeteria. She was in search of something bland to eat, since her stomach was still aching from the curry she’d had for breakfast. Incidentally, she had kindly forced Maria to take the sandwich she bought this morning.

“Yooo, Alisa. What a coincidence.”

“Nonoa.”

But on her way, she ran into Nonoa, who was coming out of her classroom, and stopped.

“Eating lunch at the cafeteria today?”

“Yeah, you too?”

“Yeah, let’s go together.”

“Oh, uh… All right.”

Though she was momentarily flustered by the thought of being alone with Nonoa for a change, she agreed since there was no reason to refuse.

It’s unusual to see her alone during lunch like this. She’s usually surrounded by people.

However, she didn’t give it much more thought as they walked together toward the cafeteria…when a few passing students suddenly commented:

“Oh, hey. Happy birthday.”

“Happy birthday.”

“Y-yeah, thanks?”

In fact, even people whose names she didn’t know had been congratulating her every single time she had stepped outside the classroom. However, she still wasn’t used to it, managing only awkward smiles in return. Nevertheless, that alone seemed to please her schoolmates, sending them away beaming with joy.

“Look at you. So popular now,” Nonoa said in an emotionless, monotone voice as they walked away.

“I’m not popular. Everyone is just messing with me. That’s all…”

“Hmm? Like, I guess there’s a little bit of teasing? But that’s definitely not all of it. See for yourself.”

Alisa followed Nonoa’s gaze and glanced back at the two boys to find them excitedly throwing their arms around each other’s shoulders while playfully poking each other with their fingers.

“They’re legit ecstatic after getting to talk a girl they’ve probably been wanting to talk to for forever. At least, that’s how it looks to me.”

“…Really?”

Unsure how to even react, Alisa abruptly faced forward. Nonoa, however, indifferently continued:

“Of course, half the fun is probably teasing you. But that’s way better for your campaign than being avoided or just watched from a distance, right?”

“Yeah… I guess.”

Although she had a point, Alisa unfortunately wasn’t used to all this, so there was no way she was going to effortlessly navigate the situation.

I’m sure Yuki wouldn’t have a problem dealing with people like that. She’d just thank them with the most natural smile in the world…

While standing in line at the cafeteria’s ticket machine, she imagined her rival—the model gentlewoman—when Nonoa suddenly peered into her eyes.

“What’s wrong? Have a lot on your mind?”

“Oh! No, uh… I was just wondering what I could do to make these interactions a little less…awkward,” she stammered, hiding the fact that she had been comparing herself to Yuki.

“Ah,” Nonoa muttered, her eyes half closed.

“Like, you need to work on your smile. Then again, there is a market for your usual reactions, too…”

“A ‘market’? I don’t really know what that means, but I need to make my smile look more…bright, I guess?”

“Hmm… I guess you could practice if it’s bothering you?”

“…Yeah.”

Alisa attempted to craft a faint smile while waiting for her food, but was predictably having a rough time. Even she could tell that the corners of her mouth weren’t curling and her eyes were nearly lifeless.

“Mmm…”

“You just gotta get used to it. But, like, from what I can see, you look like you’re trying too hard.”

“Wait. Really?”

“You don’t have to put a hundred percent into your smile. You just need to remain calm and thank them, then it’ll look less awkward.”

“…You’re probably right.”

Nonoa had a point. Until then, Alisa had been briefly caught off-guard whenever people approached her and scrambled to smile and thank them, which only made her seem more awkward. Therefore, simply eliminating that initial moment of hesitation would probably make her appear much more refined.

“Okay, I’m going to give it a try.”

But right as she set her food on the table and sank into her seat, a passing trio of male students happened to spot Alisa, and their eyes shined with pleasant surprise.

“Happy birthday, Alisa Kujou.”

“Oh, right. I heard it was her birthday. Congrats.”

“Happy birthday.”

Seizing the perfect opportunity, Alisa immediately put her newfound insight to the test.

“Thanks.”

She simply met their gaze directly and expressed her gratitude without a trace of panic. The three boys, who had originally approached with half-teasing grins, briefly opened their eyes wide…until their expressions dissolved into goofy, bashful smiles and they hurried away looking completely smitten.

“…Was that good?”

Though Alisa sought her friend’s opinion from across the table, Nonoa slightly tilted her head, her eyes narrowed in a judgmental glare.

“Yeah … ? But, like, maybe you overdid it a bit?”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

Although Alisa didn’t understand what she meant, Nonoa’s observation was spot-on. Those boys had most likely figured they’d try talking to the solitary princess while teasing her a bit, but when they actually approached her, there was none of Alisa’s usual flustered reaction that they had expected. Instead, she met them head-on with straightforward gratitude, all while displaying her overwhelming beauty to the fullest.

Obviously, those boys had harbored no shortage of ulterior motives, seizing this chance to approach a beautiful, popular girl, so it was only natural that they were the ones who got flustered and embarrassed instead.

“Eh, whatever. Looks like you got yourself a few new fans, too.”

“What? Really … ?”

But I don’t even want fans , Alisa mused briefly, before recognizing that her campaign’s supporters were essentially just that—fans—and giving a reluctant nod. But right after she clapped once and picked up her chopsticks to dig into her udon, a voice drifted over from two seats away.

“Must be pretty pleased with yourself.”

Alisa didn’t think the comment was even directed at her at first.

“Look at you, all smiling and giddy, even after being called into the disciplinary committee room.”

However, doubt slowly began to creep in as the stranger kept speaking, especially since there was no one sitting next to Alisa, so she glanced sideways…and she found herself caught in the hostile stare of a scowling female student. Since Nonoa was the only other person nearby, it became painfully clear that those rude comments were meant for Alisa.

“Called into the disciplinary committee room”?

She reflected on the stranger’s words for a moment before concluding it was probably about this morning’s incident. This female student had either witnessed firsthand or heard from someone about Alisa carrying all those presents to the disciplinary committee room alongside the disciplinary committee members and was likely misunderstanding the situation. Therefore, Alisa decided to cautiously correct her.

“Uh… I think there might be some sort of misunderstanding. I had to stop by the disciplinary committee room this morning because someone anonymously placed a bunch of presents on my desk. I wasn’t called in to be disciplined.”

She did everything she could not to provoke the stranger while clarifying what happened, but the female student’s face only twisted with even more disgust.

“Oh, you’re so full of yourself. You put those presents there yourself because you wanted the attention.”

“ Huh…?! ”

As Alisa was left speechless at the utterly unreasonable accusation, the female student glared into her eyes with pure hatred and hissed contemptuously:

“I feel so bad for Yuki Suou. It must be so annoying having someone like this mess with her election campaign.”

Those eyes—those words brimming with hostility—suddenly reminded Alisa of what Sayaka had told her that morning.

“But be careful. The more attention you get and the more popular you become, the more people start to resent you.”

Alisa, though somewhat in a daze, figured that this must have been what she was talking about. Regardless, Nonoa, who had been quietly slurping her soba, suddenly spoke up.

“Yo, who even are you? You’re just some nobody talkin’ out of her ass.”

“What … ?”

The student grimaced in disgust while she shifted her glare toward Nonoa. Nonoa, however, merely glanced at the girl out of the corner of her eye and added:

“You feel bad for Yuki? It must be annoying for her? Don’t put words in her mouth. Like, how she feels is totally none of your business, anyway.”

“I-it is my business! I’ve been a loyal supporter of hers ever since middle school!”

“A supporter? Uh-huh… And Yuki’s annoyed, you claim?”

“…She’s a nice person, so she isn’t going to complain. That’s why I have to—”

“So she didn’t say anything, and this is just how you feel, right?”

“N-no! Everyone’s agrees with me! Everyone feels bad for Yuki Suou because of her!”

The stranger’s voice grew louder, gradually drawing curious stares from other students, but Nonoa, utterly indifferent, calmly lifted her soba with her chopsticks and replied:

“Uh-huh. And, like, you’re speaking on their behalf, huh? You’re taking the hit and playing the bad guy so none of them have to. Is that what you’re saying?”

“…I wouldn’t put it that way exactly, but yes, that’s what I’m doing. So—”

“Who’s this ‘everyone’ that’s complaining? Be specific.”

“…What?”

“Tell me who’s specifically complaining about Alisa here. You, like, said everyone feels bad for Yuki, right? Unless you were lying.”

“I’m not! Everyone’s talking…like Yamaguchi, Zaitsu … ,” the girl faltered, only to be immediately met with Nonoa’s piercing sideways glare.

“You just gave me their names.”

“What?”

“Like, I totally thought you were playing the bad guy so none of them had to, right? But if that were true, you wouldn’t have said their names.”

“…”

The female student fell silent, her mouth opening and closing like a fish.

“Like, obviously,” Nonoa began, then clearly stating, “This is a hundred percent just you not liking her, right? You’re only thinking about yourself, but you’re using other people as excuses to complain. Must be annoying for these ‘friends’ to have you drag their name in the mud like that.”

The utterly merciless words rendered the girl completely speechless…and she grabbed her half-eaten meal and stormed off in a huff.

“Yeah, you run into people like that when you start standing out more. Anyway, you okay?” Nonoa muttered indifferently, barely glancing at the female student as she rushed away.

“Y-yeah, thanks… I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to say, so…”

“Nah, it’s cool. Just something you gotta get used to,” Nonoa remarked nonchalantly, leaving Alisa at a loss for words and wondering if she would ever get used to this. Nonoa, however, indifferently continued:

“Like, you totally shouldn’t engage with people like that. Doesn’t matter if it’s a misunderstanding. Just ignore them. They’re honestly not the kind of person you can reason with.”

“I-I’ll be more careful from now on… Are you okay, though? She’s going to resent you for something you did for me…”

Alisa recalled how the female student had glared at Nonoa as she stormed off, but Nonoa continued to calmly eat her soba and replied:

“Don’t care. I’m used to it. Besides, I did that all on my own, so don’t let it bother you.”

“…”

But even then, Alisa couldn’t shake her unease, knowing the entire confrontation had started simply because she had taken the bait the girl had dangled before her.

It looks like I have to work on how I handle people insulting me, too…

She began to reflect on her actions while eating her udon when Nonoa casually remarked:

“Anyway, you seemed to have run into a little trouble, huh?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah. I received so many anonymous gifts…”

“Not that. I’m talking about what happened after your birthday party the other day.”

Alisa briefly froze, then apologetically lowered her eyebrows. After returning from the Suou house the day before yesterday, she had told everyone at the party that she had gone to visit Yuki, who had the flu and was feeling lonely, to see how she was doing and thank her for the birthday gift.

Though a painfully vague explanation that omitted countless details, no one pressed her for answers, perhaps due to their trust in her. Nevertheless, it was that very trust that only added to Alisa’s guilt.

“I… I’m sorry about leaving my party all of a sudden like that…”

“Oh, no. It’s cool.”

Nonoa then quickly scanned their surroundings to make sure they weren’t being watched anymore and whispered:

“Like, Kuze left the Suou family, right? So the fact that he went back to see Yuki must mean that a lot happened, right?”

“ Eh…? ”

Noticing Alisa caught off guard with her eyes wide with surprise, Nonoa raised an eyebrow and continued:

“Wait. Kuze didn’t tell you? Like, I know about him and Yuki.”

“What?! Y-you do?!” Alisa blurted out before quickly clamping her mouth shut and glancing around. But once she made sure no one was watching, her shoulders sank in visible relief.

“Yep. Saya knows, too.” Nonoa nodded as if it weren’t a big deal.

“O-oh…”

Something murky stirred in Alisa’s chest. It was the fact that Nonoa and Sayaka had known Masachika’s secret before she did, and it created a faint but undeniable sense of distrust and disappointment with Masachika for not having told her.

Nonoa, however, could almost smell her despair as she deliberately chose her words with careful ambiguity.

“Ohhh, he didn’t tell you… Don’t get mad at him, though. Saya and I just happened to find out by chance.”

“…Oh.”

“I’m sure he’ll end up explaining everything to you soon? Not like he wanted to hide things from you, right?”

“…”

Though her schoolmate’s solace didn’t dispel the uncomfortable weight in her chest, Nonoa seemed to know what she was talking about, so Alisa decided she would wait for Masachika to explain things to her himself.

“…Yeah, you’re right.”

…Without even realizing that this was exactly what Nonoa had wanted.

“Anyway, what’s, like, bothering you?”

Alisa furrowed her brows, torn over whether she should say anything at all. Speaking honestly about what was bothering her would inevitably mean exposing details about Masachika’s situation, but was it really her place to reveal something so personal without his consent? The answer was obvious. Of course, it wasn’t. There was no need to even question it.

But…

But that murky feeling in her chest corroded her rational judgment. The reason Alisa wasn’t upset about Masachika keeping this secret from her until now was because she had believed he wasn’t hiding it only from her, but from everyone else as well. Believing that she was the first person he had revealed his secret to had honestly felt rather special as well.

Yeah, I thought I was the first person he told.

The fact that Nonoa and Sayaka had known before her changed everything.

…Plus, Nonoa’s my friend, and she just stood up for me, too… She seems to know a lot about Masachika as well, so maybe I could talk to her for a little bit?

Driven by frustration toward her partner, Alisa made a decision she normally wouldn’t even consider: she chose to tell Nonoa everything.

“This stays between us, okay?”

“Of course.”

“Masachika’s trying to get accepted back into the Suou family…but he was given one condition: become the student council president.”

“Oh my.”

Nonoa blinked a few times and tilted her head curiously.

“…So you two are gonna swap places?”

“No—well… That’s actually what’s bothering me right now.”

Though she started to reflexively deny it, Alisa quickly caught herself and decided to come clean.

“I’ve been thinking that maybe I should let him run for president, given the circumstances…”

“Hmm … ,” Nonoa muttered, gazing off into space while Alisa stared vacantly at her half-eaten udon.

“President Kuze, huh? Can’t really imagine it…but he’s a smooth talker, so I guess he’d make a good president?”

“…”

But right as Alisa was lowering her head even more, Nonoa dropped her gaze and asked:

“By the way, like, why do you even want to be the student council president? If you wanna be a member of the First Light Committee, then being the vice president is just as good, you know?”

“Yeah … ,” Alisa muttered faintly, then her voice trailed off into silence…while Nonoa studied her intently.

“I mean, it’s totally up to you what you want to do. Like, I’m gonna help with the new student council next year whether you’re the president or the vice president.”

Her words took the shape of encouragement while breeding doubt, ultimately causing Alisa to set down her chopsticks and fall deep into thought…while Nonoa continued to study her with emotionless, robotic eyes.

“Have you been waiting long?”

“Not at all, Ayanono.”

After parting with Alisa at the front of the cafeteria, Nonoa made her way to the emergency staircase and waited until Ayano silently approached her with her usual blank expression.

“First, I would like to thank you again for the other day. Thanks to your advice, I managed to get Master Masachika to visit Lady Yuki.”

“Don’t mention it. Like, I told you already, right? I’m on your side.”

Nonoa approached her slightly bowing schoolmate with a warm, easygoing smile and smoothly added:

“Sounds like a lot happened though, huh? Kuze wants to be accepted back into the Suou family?”

“What … ? Uh…”

When Ayano lifted her head, her eyes briefly widened, wandering helplessly. Though she was typically hard for Nonoa to read, this reaction was laughably easy to comprehend. Ayano, on the other hand, was confused and suspicious, for she had no idea how Nonoa could possibly know something so private about the Suou family.

“…Did he tell you that?”

“Hmm? Ah, no. I heard it from Alisa.”

“Huh? Oh.”

“Yeah, in the cafeteria a second ago.”

The confusion and distrust that had bloomed within Ayano shifted toward Alisa while Nonoa coldly watched, clasping Ayano’s hands with both of hers.

“Anyway, I’m sure it’s not gonna be easy, but if you ever wanna talk, I’m here for you.”

And then, Nonoa declared with the most beautiful of smiles:

“Because I’m on your side, no matter what happens.”

“…Hey, uh… Masha?”

“Yes?”

“What is this? Some kind of hug speedrun?”

Meanwhile, Masachika, having been asked come to the student council room during lunch, was staring into the distance as Maria, who had dashed across the room the instant he stepped inside, threw her arms around him in a tight embrace.

“What’s a ‘speedrun’?”

“It’s where you—okay, your face is way too close now.”

She gazed into his eyes, their faces so close their noses nearly touched, prompting Masachika to instinctively lean back. But the moment he did, her entire face came sharply into view, overwhelming him all over again.

“Anyway, yeah. You’re right. Alya and Masha are cute…and they’re getting prettier every day. It’s getting to the point that it’s hard to believe they’re even human.”

He suddenly recalled Yuki’s comment. Maria clearly did seem to have gotten even more beautiful, or at least more radiant. However, he didn’t allow his mind to linger too much on the topic, worried that his heart might start to race in her embrace, so he averted his gaze.

“Don’t worry about it. More importantly…what is this?”

“Come, let’s sit first.”

“Uh-huh… I’m kind of scared by how naturally you held my hand.”

Just when he thought she was going to let go, she smoothly grabbed his hand and gently pulled him in so naturally that he shuddered. Maria then led him to the couch, settling him beside her before reaching for the teapot already waiting on the table and carefully pouring some tea into the cup in front of Masachika.

“Here, have some tea.”

“Thanks…”

Maria watched with a beaming smile as he took a sip of the tea, prompting Masachika to furrow his brow.

“So, uh… This is good, but what’s going on?” he asked.

“Hmm? I’m trying to reward you and make you feel appreciated.”

“Uh… For what?”

He shot her a puzzled glance, completely confused as to what was going on. Maria, however, placed the teapot back on the table, casually replying:

“You had a really rough night after the party, right? So I wanted to make you feel better.”

He knit his brows in thought for a few moments, then suddenly gasped. Gazing at Maria’s profile, which carried an air of quiet maturity, he asked in a whisper:

“Masha… Did you know all this time … ?”

She had never shown any indication that she knew, nor had she ever brought it up, so he had naturally assumed she was unaware. But the way she was speaking now…

“Mm-hmm… Yes… I remember you telling me your last name and your sister’s name when we were little…so I assumed that you two were—you know? The way you looked at Yuki—your eyes were always so gentle. You looked at her the way someone looks at family—at your loved ones, so I assumed that had to be what was going on.”

She turned to face Masachika while speaking in a tender tone, and the brilliance in her eyes, quiet, yet unmistakably sharp, made his breath catch. But after he paused for several moments, he eventually let out a small sigh with a troubled, resigned smirk.

“You got me… You saw right through me.”

“Hmm? I won? Hurray. I won!”

“It’s not really a win-lose kind of thing…”

“Then as my right as the winner, I want to give head pats to the loser.”

“That’s like the most humiliating thing you can do to someone who just lost… Hey,” he mumbled, bashfully pulling back while she rubbed his head.

“Hey, uh… This is really embarrassing,” he added with an awkward grin, unable to simply push her hand away.

“Why? It’s just us here.”

“It’s not an issue of being caught…”

“Don’t worry. You’ve worked hard, so there’s nothing embarrassing about getting a few head pats.”

“Wow. It must be true, since you said it,” he uttered in a monotone voice, wondering where that mature, older woman from a few minutes ago had disappeared to. Maria, however, ignored his remark and simply continued to gently rub his head.

“There, there. I’m so proud of you.”

“…Hey, uh… What exactly did I even do to deserve this?”

“Hmm? I’m not sure, but I know that you’re doing your best.”

“…Yep.”

Just as he resigned himself to the idea that having a logical conversation might be hopeless, Maria gently announced:

“I know that you work hard, and I know that you are always putting others before yourself, so it’s going to be okay. No matter what decision you make, everything’s going to turn out okay. At the very least, I’ll always be here for you, no matter what.”

Masachika stared at Maria—her gaze seemed to see through and accept all, her smile unbelievably sweet. His eyes naturally widened, and before he even realized it, his own lips had curled into a smile as well.

“Really … ?”

“Really,” Maria said reassuringly, without asking questions or even knowing what was going on, and that was because she had absolute trust in Masachika Kuze. He strangely didn’t feel pressured or overwhelmed by that trust, either. If anything, it made his heart feel a little lighter.

“…Thank you, Masha.” He smiled, and just like that, she took her hand off his head and smiled back.

“Oh, by the way. I don’t mean to rush you, but don’t forget about our little promise, okay?” she added with a quirk of her head.

Masachika’s smile froze. His promise with Maria… He had a sinking feeling he knew exactly what she was referring to. In fact, it was something that had been constantly sitting in the back of his mind: the promise he had made with Maria at the sports festival…about going on a very romantic date. The hurdle was so high that somewhere in his heart he had been thinking cowardly thoughts like, Maybe she’ll just forget. But of course, she hadn’t, and there was no way he could feign ignorance before that radiant smile.

“…I won’t forget.”

“Good. I’m looking forward to it!”

Maria clapped her hands together once, her smile blooming with genuine joy and once again conveying a deep trust in him…

What the…? That’s strange…

And because of that trust, Masachika’s heart, which had felt lighter only moments ago, suddenly plummeted like a heavy stone.