Chapter 9
As expected, I was spared from explaining how we got together, with the excuse being for my mental well-being.
However, this time, the conversation had shifted to something else, and Chinatsu and the others were getting excited.
"Alright, let's start our strategy meeting!"
At that, the three girls nodded in agreement, and I realized that despite what Chinatsu had said about wearing a mask, they had clearly built a solid relationship with each other.
"First, about Sato... There are other girls named Sato too, and since we have Sato-kun, would it be okay to call him Hajime-kun? ...Huh? Chinatsu, why are you making that face?"
As Fujido-san began to speak, she mentioned the nickname, then looked at Chinatsu with a puzzled expression.
Chinatsu, sitting next to her, seemed a little pouty.
"We took quite a while before I started calling him Hajime... Mom and Saki just gave in so easily... It's fine, it's fine, really..."
"This is definitely not good... Ah, Chinatsu-chan is so cute! This is a screenshot moment!"
"…I see, so Sato-san is monopolizing Chinatsu here. I don’t quite understand love, but now I can somewhat relate to the feeling of envy."
The conversation completely derailed. Honestly, I just wanted to go home. Sitting at the same table with four girls from my class, all of whom were incredibly cute, and one of them even had her arm around mine, made me feel the eyes of the staff as they passed by to take orders or clear plates.
Well, if I were in their shoes, I’d probably stare too.
"Alright, enough. Let’s just call him Sato, for now, to avoid rumors."
"Thanks, Fujido-san, and sorry. But honestly, it’s not like we can stop rumors. Even if we don’t hide that we’re dating, it would feel strange to make a big announcement."
I voiced my doubts about the whole 'rumor control' idea.
"…You still don’t realize it, do you? If it were before, when you hardly interacted, it might’ve been fine. But now, if you act the way you do at school, and someone catches you, by next week, it’ll be shared with nearly every group. I can guarantee it."
Fujido-san said this with an exasperated tone, and after glancing at Chinatsu, I realized that maybe she was right about my behavior. It also dawned on me that it might actually stir up some hatred from others. When I voiced this concern, Fujido-san confidently shook her head and responded.
"Don’t worry. Rumors can be scary, but if you have enough influence to counter them, you can blow them away. And Chinatsu, your girlfriend, has quite a lot of influence at our school. If we work together, we have a good chance."
"I understand what you’re saying, but honestly, I can’t picture it. ...Chinatsu, do you get it?"
"Huh? Yeah, I kind of get it. If it ever comes out, I’ve thought about how I’d want to handle it."
Chinatsu said this nonchalantly, and the others—Sakurai-san and Hōjōin-san—nodded in agreement. Seeing that, it seemed like there were some unspoken rules or power dynamics among groups of girls. Wait, are girls really this calculating?
"Well, I guess it makes sense you don’t get it, Sato. You’re not really interested in communities… Wait, now that I think about it, you don’t seem to have any special friends, you’re not in a club, you’re not part of any committee, and you’re not even a hardcore nerd or a loner. It’s kind of a weird position to be in."
"Uh, Fujido-san?"
"Oh... sorry, sorry, I got carried away. Anyway, there are all kinds of girl groups. There are those who like gal-style makeup, idol fans, club-related friendships, or groups like ours who just click because we’re in the same class or came from the same middle school. As for our class's boys, well, we don’t have any delinquents. Most are either into club activities or just laid-back guys."
"Yeah, I get that."
I didn’t know much about other classes, but in mine, there wasn’t anyone who really stood out, which meant there wasn’t any real rivalry. That’s probably why Chinatsu’s group stood out so much.
"Now, this is a little awkward, Chinatsu, but I want to ask you something."
Fujido-san said this while looking at Chinatsu, making sure not to offend her before continuing.
"Since you’re with Sato from our class, and since you're clearly smitten with him, that information could work for any of the girls’ groups. Chinatsu, you’re doing well, but the truth is, a lot of guys have their eyes on you, and there are some girls who are after those guys. Honestly, if it weren’t for us, you might’ve stood out for not having a boyfriend."
I couldn’t help but agree a little.
I think Chinatsu is incredibly cute, but Fujido-san is just as stunning, in a different way. And Sakurai-san and Hōjōin-san are also very attractive. Together, the four of them really shine. While Chinatsu often balanced the group, it was true that, without her, she might have stood out a little too much.
I was starting to see the point.
As I was processing this, Fujido-san continued.
"So, what we can do is make a big show of it after school, let it stir up a little chaos, and then get the information circulating among the girls. Yeah, we’ll have to make sure to get the guys who really like Chinatsu on our side, but not the ones who are too dense to get it. And I’m sure the boys who already have girlfriends will stay neutral."
"…I see."
Honestly, I didn’t know how else to respond.
Wait, do girls really think that carefully about how their actions will affect others?
"Of course, if a guy with influence, like Sato-kun from the basketball club, were to step in, that’d be perfect. But for now, it’s up to you, Sato."
After Fujido-san said this, Sakurai-san looked like she was going to react but stayed silent.
Honestly, if I could, I’d probably ask Sato-kun for help, but I didn’t want to rely on him too much, so I told them I’d do my best.
Fujido-san seemed satisfied with my response and then turned to Sakurai-san and Hōjōin-san to see if they had any other suggestions.
"Well, I think the best thing might be to highlight one of Sato’s obvious strengths. People tend to judge others by what’s visible or what they’ve heard from multiple sources."
"Reina-chan, that’s brilliant. We could probably get a week’s worth of gossip about it. If we can make it seem like Sato-kun is actually amazing, that would be perfect. Chinatsu… I’m really nervous about asking this, but can you think of anything good about Sato-kun, other than how kind he is?"
Hōjōin-san started to suggest this, while Sakurai-san added her thoughts, then hesitated before turning to Chinatsu.
"What are you trying to say? I can definitely talk about Hajime’s good qualities!"
"No, not like that! With the way Chinatsu is right now, I feel like she’ll only say sweet things about him, and we need facts, not just affectionate words."
"Heh…"
"Why are you laughing, Hajime?"
Sakurai-san said this, and I couldn’t help but laugh at how she phrased it, which made Chinatsu glare at me.
"…I’m just happy. I’m really glad that Chinatsu can speak so openly about it. And I’m just so touched that her friends are trying so hard to help, and I feel relieved seeing how natural Chinatsu is being. It just made me smile."
"…"
The girls were all staring at me now.
"…This is exactly what I mean."
"Yeah, okay, but seriously, can we move on?"
Once it seemed like the girls had come to a decision, Chinatsu’s grip on my arm tightened, and the atmosphere around the table became a bit more intense.