NTR Kousuke

Chapter 139: The Student Council is Busy [side Tsukasa Ichinose]

"Vice President, do you have the list of students who failed and have to repeat a year?"

Vice President: "Right here. ...I've prepared it together with the notes and the list of items that can't be used as-is."

"Thank you, Aya— ahem, Secretary Nagase? Have we used up this year's budget?"

Nagase: "... ...Yes, it's been used up exactly on stationery."

I finally feel relieved after checking the progress of the tasks I delegated to the General Affairs girls.

This is the student council room at Hokusho High School.

In the middle of spring break, the school is quiet and calm, with only club members, committee students, and those in remedial classes around.

The Vice President is preparing pamphlets to support students who have to repeat the year and getting them ready for distribution. ...Even at our preparatory school, unfortunately, some students end up repeating a year because of behavior or grades.

While the student council protests unfair disciplinary actions, repeating a year is usually a matter of grades, so we don't get directly involved. Still, to prevent trouble each year between repeaters and their former classmates or those who advanced, the student council makes pamphlets to hand out to the students who have to repeat.

If anything happens, we want to help if we can.

On top of that, there are budget issues, problems caused by students during spring break, and new students will soon enroll, so we're busy with all sorts of preparations.

In the midst of all this,

Nagase: "...hm hm hm-hmm♪"

Secretary Nagase is humming and seems to be in a great mood today.

"Did something good happen, Aya-chan?" I'd normally ask, but she gets grumpy if I do, so I just watch silently.

General Affairs Girl: "Nagase-san? Did something good happen—?"

Nagase: "...Nope? Not really?"

General Affairs Girl: "That's a lie! You definitely had something good happen! What? Was it White Day yesterday?"

Nagase: "No way! It's not that, not at all!"

(It's totally White Day, isn't it?)

I think that, but keep working without saying it out loud.

When something good happens, it puts you in a good mood—good for her.

Honestly, I'd like to join the General Affairs girls in volunteering at the senior center or helping out with children at after-school care... But with the title of President, I'm stuck with judgments and paperwork, which puts restrictions on outside activities.

...I want to chat with the Old House Research Society members about our hobby...

Thinking that, I keep processing paperwork in the middle of the student council like a paperwork machine.

General Affairs Girl: "...By the way? I saw Yamamoto-kun's name—the one who was hitting on Nagase-san—on the repeaters list. At least Sahori-senpai managed to graduate, right? Congrats to Kuzu-kun for advancing, too!"

The second-year General Affairs girl... Maybe it's a rivalry thing, but she has a habit of teasing Aya-chan.

That's not really okay.

Nagase: "...His name was there, but... I don't care. Same with those two."

General Affairs Girl: "Ehh? But you're close, right? Too bad he's repeating, lol."

I can't let this slide.

"...It is their own responsibility, but making fun of students who have to repeat a year is something you mustn't do, even before it's a student council issue. It's a sensitive topic, and a lot of students who fail just quit school altogether."

Setting aside serious crimes, everyone has their circumstances.

It's better not to poke at it too much.

Well, in his case, he didn't take the finals, the remedials, or even the makeup test, so repeating was a foregone conclusion—it's really his own fault.

For everyone's sake, I strongly recommend putting effort into academics.

Aya-chan, feeling provoked, argues back a bit angrily.

Nagase: "...But Mishima from first year had a lot of failing grades, and Tomonaga had both fails and a suspension, so I think repeating was fair for them, too."

...Aya-chan... she's scary when this topic comes up.

"The student council can't recommend repeating a year—it would lose us the students' trust. ...Instead, we guide those students and try to keep them from going down the wrong path."

Nagase: "...That's true, but..."

She's particularly fixated on those two.

I've heard from Aya-chan about the betrayal and humiliating experiences her classmate Saito-kun went through.

Even so, he kept his grades up and delivered results in his club activities.

He must be busy, but I really wanted a dedicated student like that in the student council and tried to recruit him, but he said no because he was busy.

...Can't deny I thought Aya-chan would be happy about it, too.

Still, when I talked to him, he was just as I'd heard—stoic, with a quiet passion burning inside.

With the secretary and the other girls out on errands, it's just me and Aya-chan left in the room.

Saito-kun might have talked to her about it already, so I'll try to follow up.

"Aya-chan, I tried to invite your classmate Saito-kun to the student council, but he turned me down. Did you hear about that?"

Aya-chan looks annoyed.

Nagase: "President, don't call me by my name. You really did that?!"

"Well, I thought you'd need someone reliable to help once I retire."

Nagase: "Come on! That's unnecessary!"

Even so, Aya-chan looks a little happy.

I find myself wanting to protect that smile.

I've been watching over her all this time as her childhood friend.

When no one else is around, Aya-chan starts talking to me freely.

That's something only childhood friends get.

She never says it directly, but I can pick up on a lot of what Aya-chan's thinking from her stories.

Aya-chan doesn't trust men.

The reason is her Papa, but I think I'm partly to blame, too.

...If possible, I want Saito-kun, whom Aya-chan trusts, to join the student council, even if I have to persuade him...

A new school year is almost here—it'll be my last year of high school.

What kind of year will it be?

Spring is near.