Chapter 67: After midterms tea party (2)

The first post-midterm tea party. In the novel, the protagonist hadn’t attended this tea party, having been called away on a family matter involving his younger sister.

‘…So many harem flags for a supposedly one-on-one romantic comedy…’ And yet, the protagonist had only had eyes for Aya.

I shook my head, pushing those thoughts aside, and surveyed the spread of sweets and treats on the table. We were enjoying the tea party with the upperclassmen and some middle school juniors, the atmosphere refined and elegant, a gathering of Takamari’s elite, which made me feel slightly out of place.

Normally, I would have been ignored in a setting like this.

But things were different now.

The Trinity incident, my surprisingly good exam scores… I’d earned my place within the student council.

And… in the distance, I saw Hiiragi-senpai and Tachibana-senpai, chatting and laughing with the other student council members.

I’d been intimidated by Hiiragi-senpai’s confession, but seeing him now, with Tachibana-senpai… they seemed like a good match.

But I had Aya. I glanced at her, sitting beside me, calmly enjoying the tea and snacks.

“I prefer sweets to green tea cookies. And iced tea, of course,” Mizuki said, picking up a cookie. “Me too~ I’m a chocolate person~” she added, grinning and taking a bite.

At our table were Aya, Mizuki, me, and two third-year middle school juniors, who would be joining us in high school next year.

One of them looked familiar. Unlike her friend, who seemed like a typical background character, this girl… she was one of the protagonist’s… well, potential love interests in the novel.

Golden-blonde hair with a hint of orange, vibrant green eyes. The novel had described her as having “bright yellow hair,” but in person, it was a softer, more subdued shade.

‘The protagonist only had eyes for Aya, but…’ She’d been briefly involved with the protagonist, then discarded, a typical supporting character. She was cheerful and energetic, but deep down, she didn’t believe she was special. I glanced at her name tag.

Emilia Howell.

‘Right, a foreigner. I should remember her name.’ We’d be seeing each other in high school next year, and her path might diverge from the one in the novel. I smiled at her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Howell-san.”

Emilia’s eyes widened slightly, then she smiled brightly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Kurosawa-senpai!”

“Wow~ Rina’s so popular~”

“N-No, I’m not! Mizuki!” I waved my hands frantically as Mizuki teased me, nudging my arm, but she just grinned. Howell-san watched us, a look of… envy in her eyes.

And then, Shirazuka-senpai, who had been quietly sipping her tea at another table, approached us. “Yukikawa-san, Asakura-san, a moment of your time?”

“Hmm? Now…? Oh, okay.” Mizuki tilted her head, then seemed to realize something. “Is this about the festival, senpai?”

Shirazuka-senpai smiled awkwardly and nodded. “Yes. There’s something I’d like to discuss privately… and if you don’t mind, Kurosawa-san, would you join us as well?”

“Ah… sure.” It seemed natural for me to be included, a polite request I couldn’t refuse. I followed Aya and Mizuki to a smaller meeting room adjacent to the main student council room, used for private discussions. Shirazuka-senpai closed the door behind us, the quiet room feeling even more secluded now, cut off from the lively atmosphere of the tea party.

“I apologize for bringing this up now, but… about what happened five years ago, during the festival…” The atmosphere instantly grew heavy.

‘Ah, that…’

We knew, from Reina-senpai, about the conflict between Takamari Academy and Shirasaki Street. But unlike in the novel, the successful social media campaign had inadvertently resolved the issue, eliminating the need for a dramatic reconciliation scene.

And… the Shirazuka family had direct ties to Shirasaki Street. They weren’t entirely blameless in the matter. Shirazuka-senpai took a deep breath, then spoke, her voice calm. “As a representative of my family, I wanted to speak to you directly, Yukikawa-san and Asakura-san.”

Mizuki shrugged. “Well, it’s true that our families haven’t been on good terms since then.”

This wasn’t a personal apology, but a formal one, representing her family. After a moment of silence, Shirazuka-senpai bowed her head deeply, almost to a 90-degree angle, a gesture of sincere remorse and responsibility, far more formal than a simple apology.

“I sincerely apologize,” she said, her words the most formal expression of apology in Japanese.

Mizuki and Aya’s expressions hardened slightly. Mizuki, after a moment of thought, sighed softly. “…Are we… allowed to hear this?”

“Yes. It’s… a delicate matter, not something to be discussed publicly,” Shirazuka-senpai replied, her tone shifting to a formal, almost businesslike demeanor, her expression a mix of complex emotions.

Mizuki closed her eyes for a moment, then said, “I’ll… convey this to my family. But the final decision rests with them.”

“Shouldn’t we… speak to the person directly involved?” Aya asked, her voice calm and even.

“…” Shirazuka-senpai’s expression faltered. The “person directly involved” was Yukikawa Reina, Aya’s older sister.

After a moment of silence, Shirazuka-senpai nodded slowly.

“…Yes, you’re right.” Her voice held a hint of hesitation, as if acknowledging an uncomfortable truth.

Aya, watching her reaction, said firmly, “I think it would be better to speak to my sister directly. She was, after all, at the center of the incident five years ago.”

Mizuki remained silent. This was a matter between the Yukikawa and Shirazuka families, not the Asakuras. I watched them, these young ladies representing their respective families.

“…” Shirazuka-senpai was silent again, then closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. “Honestly, speaking to Reina-senpai directly is… difficult…” She lowered her head, a deep sigh escaping her lips. “Perhaps it’s because I was so young back then… I was just an observer. But I realized later… that my family… could have made a better choice.” Her tone was calm, yet laced with regret.

“I’m just a successor to my family name, but… if my inaction contributed to the strained relationship between the academy and the community… I believe I have a responsibility to act, even now.”

Aya lowered her head, her expression as serious, as troubled, as I’d seen it lately. “Then it’s even more important to speak to my sister directly. She suffered greatly because of that incident.”

Shirazuka-senpai looked at Aya, her expression unreadable, but she didn’t hesitate, nodding resolutely. “You’re right… Thank you. I’ll speak to Yukikawa-senpai.” She took a deep breath, as if gathering her courage, then smiled faintly. “Talking about it… helps. I’ve been… unsure of what to do.”

Mizuki shrugged. “Yurika, that’s a bit formal, don’t you think?”

“…Right,” Shirazuka Yurika replied with a small smile, her friend’s casual tone a welcome contrast to the formality of the situation. She bowed her head slightly. “Thank you for your time. And Kurosawa-san, thank you for listening to this… difficult conversation.”

Her sudden expression of gratitude made me feel awkward. I could only offer a weak smile. “…N-No, I’m sorry for intruding on such a private conversation…”

Mizuki grinned, nudging my elbow. “Rina-ring~ we’re the Trinity~”

“Uh… y-yeah…” I mumbled, and Mizuki grinned. Even Aya’s expression had softened slightly.

We left the meeting room, returning to the lively atmosphere of the tea party, the air filled with the scent of tea and the warmth of the afternoon sun streaming through the windows.

‘…Is this… resolved, then?’ It wasn’t a complete resolution, but a path forward had been opened. I followed Aya and Mizuki, a strange sense of… anticipation lingering in the air.

“Rina,” Aya said softly, taking my hand, and I turned to look at her, surprised. “Yes?”

“Should we… go for a walk? Get some fresh air?” Her request surprised me. Aya had been so quiet, so withdrawn lately, during student council meetings, throughout the exam period, and even today, her expression often distant and thoughtful…

“Ah… s-sure!” I agreed. I wanted to cheer her up, to help her relax. As her girlfriend, it was my… responsibility.