Chapter 125: Parents counseling

The sports festival ended on a high note. Then, our homeroom teacher made an announcement. With the compensatory holiday, we had off until Wednesday, so I thought we’d return to our peaceful, everyday lives, preparing for the cultural festival.

But then, our teacher dropped a bombshell.

“Everyone, we have parent-teacher conferences this Thursday and Friday. The first ten students alphabetically will be on Thursday, and the rest on Friday. Please inform your parents.”
“…Huh?”

I stared blankly at the teacher, momentarily stunned.

Parent-teacher conferences…?
Of course, we had them every year, but… at this time?! I’d completely forgotten they were scheduled between the sports festival and the cultural festival.

The classroom erupted in chatter.

“I’m going first…”

Alphabetically, Asakura Mizuki went first, then Kurosawa Rina, and lastly, Yukikawa Aya. So… I had to bring my parents on Thursday.

****

The sports festival ended Monday morning. As I walked home with Mom, I told her about the parent-teacher conferences.

“Mom, there’s a parent-teacher conference at school this Thursday. You have to come.”

“Oh, already? It feels like the sports festival just ended.”

Mom seemed surprised at first, then smiled gently.

“Well, with your grades and your behavior at school, I have nothing to worry about. I’m sure we’ll have a pleasant chat with your teacher.”

“…I hope so.”

I smiled awkwardly and leaned against Mom.

My academics and behavior weren’t a problem, but… recent events, especially my relationship with Aya and the incidents within the student council, made me feel uneasy.

Especially since we’d been so openly affectionate during the sports festival… I knew what our homeroom teacher would think. Parent-teacher conferences were an annual event in Japan. I hoped everything would go smoothly.

‘It’ll be fine… Nothing will go wrong, right?’

I really hoped nothing would go wrong.

****

Thursday morning. The usual cheerful atmosphere filled Takamari Academy as students arrived. And amidst that cheerfulness, three figures stood out: the three beautiful girls known as the Trinity.

Trinity.
Three of the most beautiful girls in Tokyo, walking together, naturally drew attention. Their presence changed the very atmosphere of the academy, their every move accompanied by whispers of admiration and excited chatter.
Nishimura, watching them from the school gate, thought to himself,

‘Yukikawa Aya, Asakura Mizuki, Kurosawa Rina…’

Three of Takamari Academy’s famed “Four Beauties” were members of the Trinity. Originally, Yukikawa Reina, Aya’s older sister, and Kasumi Reira from the middle school division were part of the Four Beauties, but now, everyone naturally included Kurosawa Rina instead of Reina.

Yukikawa Aya, in particular, was the epitome of Takamari Academy. Her near-perfect beauty, unmatched academic achievements, and elegant demeanor made her a symbol of the elite school.

With the recent addition of Kirihara Arisu, who’d just returned from studying abroad, the four first-year student council members – including the Trinity – had become almost like celebrities.

But recently, especially after the sports festival, an interesting rumor began to spread: a rumor about the relationship between Yukikawa Aya and Kurosawa Rina.

Nishimura watched them from the classroom window.

Yukikawa was untouchable, the elite of the elite at Takamari. Kurosawa Rina, on the other hand, came from an ordinary family but had risen to prominence with her beauty and exceptional grades. They seemed to come from different worlds, so it was surprising to see them become so close.

If they were just friends, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but their recent interactions clearly went beyond friendship.

The way they casually touched each other, fed each other snacks, occasionally kissed each other on the cheek, held hands, leaned against each other, and gazed into each other’s eyes… Anyone could see they were a couple.

Honestly, he’d initially expected chaos. He didn’t think such a display would be tolerated at the conservative Takamari Academy.

But the reality was quite the opposite. Many students, including Nishimura himself, viewed their relationship positively.

When they were together, they created a picture of such perfect harmony that it was almost breathtaking. They were a perfect match.

Nishimura murmured to himself,

‘Amazing, Kurosawa… to become so close to Yukikawa.’

Kurosawa Rina, whom he’d interacted with a few times during classroom duty, had always had a special aura. Kind, friendly, smart, and beautiful, she was someone from a different world. The only thing they had in common was their similar family backgrounds, but even then, their demeanor at school felt worlds apart.

Perhaps it was inevitable for Kurosawa Rina to become close to Yukikawa Aya, the queen of the academy. Watching them now, he didn’t feel envy or jealousy.

‘…Yeah, they look good together.’

Nishimura smiled, thinking to himself.

The two members of the Trinity, standing at the school gate, gazing into each other’s eyes, was the most beautiful sight at Takamari Academy.

****

“Ugh…”

Mornings were always tough.
I’d received a lot of attention again today, and it was all because of Aya. She no longer tried to hide our relationship. Even when I tried to distance myself slightly, she would hold my hand tightly, put her arm around my waist or shoulder, and lean against me as we walked.

The rumors had already spread, and it was only a matter of time before I got called to the staff room and scolded along with my mom…

“Rina, are you feeling unwell again?”
“Huh? No. I just… didn’t sleep well last night.”
“You should go to bed early, even on holidays.”
“But holidays are precious…!”

Right, I’d stayed up late last night reading a new yuri web novel.
As a Korean, I used to read a lot of Japanese web novels, but now, as a Japanese person, I was obsessed with Korean web novels.

As Aya and I chatted and joked in the classroom, the homeroom teacher entered.

“Alright, everyone, take your seats. Time for homeroom.”

The classroom quieted down as Ito-sensei stood at the podium. His expression seemed sterner than usual.
My heart pounded nervously. I hoped he wouldn’t say anything…

“Good work at the sports festival, everyone. The cultural festival is next, so please don’t lose focus and prepare well.”

Ito-sensei opened his attendance book and scanned the classroom.

“Parent-teacher conferences start today. You all informed your parents about the schedule, right? We’ll be discussing your school life, grades, and future career paths, so please think about anything you’d like to discuss beforehand.”

He paused and glanced at Aya and me. It was just a brief glance, but it made me flinch. He continued in his usual monotone,

“And for the first-year student council members, I know you’ll be busy preparing for the cultural festival, but please take care of yourselves and don’t overwork. Understood?”

“Yes.”

Ito-sensei smiled faintly at us. His expression was so casual that I wondered if he was really okay with… everything.

“Good, then let’s all have a productive day.”

He left the classroom.

I let out a sigh of relief. I’d been feeling anxious all morning, but Aya gently squeezed my hand, calming me down.

Mizuki, who had also seemed wary, relaxed visibly.

“You two, maybe you should be more careful.”
“Eh…”
“Mizuki, why? Are you jealous?”
“I’m not jealous! I just… have a bad feeling about today…”

Mizuki seemed unusually down. Aya looked at her intently, then took her hand and gently rubbed it, trying to warm it up. I felt a pang of jealousy, but Mizuki’s face was pale, and she was holding her stomach with her other hand.

“Ah!”

Mizuki was a girl too, after all!