Chapter 131: Second semester tea party

Compared to the first semester, which felt like a typical school experience, the second semester was filled with more… aristocratic events. It felt like the amateur web novelist who wrote this story had run out of ideas and was just throwing in random events to pad out the story… but I couldn’t say that out loud.

Anyway, the abundance of events between the sports festival, the cultural festival, and the midterm exams and final exams was probably because there was so much downtime between them.

The tea party, while technically “voluntary,” was practically mandatory. But the potential rewards were great. It was a gathering of the elite of the elite, the children of prominent figures in politics and business. Just showing your face was considered good manners.

Apparently, many business rivals had reconciled and formed alliances thanks to connections made at these tea parties.

After the exams, I walked to the student council room with a lighter heart. As soon as I arrived, I ran into Arisu.

“Arisu?”
“Rina, how did you do on the exams?”

Arisu greeted me casually. Her expression was bright, perhaps relieved that the exams were over.

“You did well, right, Arisu? You always seem so calm and collected.”
“Eh, not really. I got around 850 points.”
“Whoa… That’s really high!”

But I inwardly sighed with relief. ‘Yes! I’m still third in the grade!’

“What about you, Rina?”
“I got 877.”
“Really? Wow, that’s amazing, Rina.”

Arisu’s surprise seemed genuine. It had been a while since we’d had such a casual conversation.
Just then, I saw Hiiragi-senpai approaching us from a distance.

Huh? Tachibana-senpai, who was usually always with him, was nowhere in sight.
Had they… broken up?

“Um… Kurosawa-san, could I talk to you for a moment?”

The vice president’s sudden request surprised me. Aya also looked at him warily.

“What is it, senpai?”

“It’s not anything important… just a personal matter.” Hiiragi-senpai said, scratching his cheek, his voice trailing off. Aya narrowed her eyes and took a step forward.

“…Rina, can I come with you?”

“Yeah, let’s go together, just in case.”

Aya’s voice was low, her wariness clear. Hiiragi-senpai chuckled awkwardly.

“No, no, it’s… a bit difficult to talk about with other people around, Yukikawa-san. Could I borrow Kurosawa-san for a moment? I promise it’s not a confession or anything.”
“Then I’ll be nearby.”
“Haa… Okay. Is that alright with you, Kurosawa-san?”

Hiiragi-senpai was tall and handsome, often called a “dark-haired prince.” At the beginning of the semester, when my past life memories were still strong, I would have thought, ‘A guy, talking to me?!’ But now… I didn’t feel anything.

Still, this was the first time we’d talked privately since the spring festival, so I was nervous. In the novel, Hiiragi-senpai was interested in Aya.

‘Is he trying to… test me, to see if I know about my relationship with Aya? Or does he actually need relationship advice…?’

I nodded awkwardly, and we walked to a quiet corner of the hallway near a window. Aya watched us from a distance. Hiiragi-senpai hesitated for a moment, then spoke.

“Actually… I wanted to ask you for some… relationship advice, Kurosawa-san.”
“Whaaaaaat?!”

I was so surprised that my voice echoed down the hallway. Hiiragi-senpai, asking me for relationship advice?! Aya, hearing my outburst, rushed over.

Hiiragi-senpai blushed and covered his mouth.

“Ah, no… You didn’t have to react so… dramatically…”
“But Hiiragi-senpai, asking me for relationship advice! It’s so unexpected!”

Hiiragi-senpai blushed and scratched his cheek.

“Well… since you’ve… experienced some things recently, I thought you might be able to understand my situation.”

He smiled shyly, lowering his head slightly. Aya approached. Seeing the potentially compromising situation, she looked at Hiiragi-senpai with a questioning frown.

“Vice President, if you have something to discuss, can’t I listen as well? Why do you need to talk to Rina alone?”

Aya’s voice was sharper than usual. Hiiragi-senpai chuckled awkwardly and lowered his head slightly.

“Haa… Well, it’s a… personal matter, and I wanted to ask Kurosawa-san for advice specifically…”

Aya’s displeasure was evident. I quickly intervened.

“Ah, no… I was just surprised, that’s all. Is it okay if we talk…?”
“Yes… that’s fine.”

“Hiiragi-senpai wants relationship advice.”
“???”

Aya’s expression was a mix of confusion and suspicion. She looked back and forth between Hiiragi-senpai and me, then finally relaxed her expression and forced a smile.

“Ah… So, the vice president wants relationship advice? From Rina…?”
“That’s right, Yukikawa-san. So please, don’t misunderstand, and could you give us a moment?”

Hiiragi-senpai’s embarrassed blush made Aya hesitate. But then she looked at me and said,

“Alright. Rina, come back soon.”
“Uh… okay.”

Aya sighed and turned away, but I could feel her watching us, her gaze sharp. It was a strange situation, the “dark-haired prince” asking me for relationship advice.

I lowered my voice, making sure Aya couldn’t hear.

“So… senpai, what kind of relationship advice do you need?”

“Actually… it’s about Tachibana…”

Hiiragi-senpai sighed softly, scratching the back of his neck.

“It’s just as you think. I confessed to her during the spring festival, and we were… dating. But lately, she’s been avoiding me.”
“Ah…”

I suddenly remembered. During the first semester, while we were preparing for the final exams, Mizuki, Aya, and I had accidentally witnessed Hiiragi-senpai and Tachibana-senpai kissing…

“But why are you asking me for advice? I don’t think I can help…”
“I thought you, Kurosawa-san, would understand this situation better than anyone.”
“Eh…? Me…?”

Why would he think that? But Hiiragi-senpai was known for being competent, despite his… complicated relationship with Tachibana-senpai. He was good at delegating tasks and had a knack for finding the right person for the job.

“So… senpai, you want to… get back together with Tachibana-senpai?”
“Yes, to be honest. But I don’t know how to approach her.”

His sincerity made my heart ache. I felt a slight urge to help him, as a fellow… former man. And I also remembered that I hadn’t seen Tachibana-senpai with Hiiragi-senpai much recently.

So that’s why they’d been apart during the tea party.
Then… as someone who understood both male and female perspectives, what should I do?

“Did you… have a fight?”
“I… forgot her birthday.”

“Ah, that’s… fatal.”

Seeing Hiiragi-senpai’s troubled expression, I sighed softly.

“Then… shouldn’t you just apologize sincerely?”

“You think so…?”

It was strange seeing Hiiragi-senpai so troubled. In the novel, he was always the dependable supporting character, always there for the protagonist. But now… I was the one giving him advice.

“Yes. Making excuses or trying to avoid the issue will only make things worse. I think Tachibana-senpai would appreciate honesty.”
“That’s true. She’s like that.”

He smiled faintly and nodded.

“Thank you, Kurosawa-san. I know what to do now.”
“Oh, it was nothing…”

I smiled awkwardly. It was better for Hiiragi-senpai to be completely devoted to Tachibana-senpai. I didn’t want a repeat of the incident with Aya and Arisu.

“No, you helped me a lot. I’ll let you know how it goes.”

Hiiragi-senpai waved and walked away, his usual calm and composed demeanor returning.

‘Hiiragi-senpai… I hope things work out. No, they have to work out.’

I watched him go, silently cheering him on.
Then I turned and walked back towards Aya, who was still watching Hiiragi-senpai with a sharp gaze.

“Aya.”

I approached her and, since no one was watching, hugged her. Aya’s expression softened.