Chapter 1 Nawagami-san, the Lone Sadist

It was a school day in May. The final bell had just rung, and the classroom buzzed with noise.

Cutting through the familiar sound of the late afternoon was an equally familiar voice—Yuika's.

"Nawagami! Nawagami Seren! ...Hmph. This is sudden, but you're joining the Student Council!"

I looked over and saw a girl whose charm points were violet-dyed half-twin hair, sharp canines, and sheer energy—Atori Yuika—standing with her hands on her hips, announcing an abrupt recruitment drive.

This was sudden, but what random whim had seized her this time...? Wait a minute.

Who was Yuika talking to just now?

"Y-You idiot, Yuika!" "Of all people, Nawagami-san!?" "Courage and sheer stupidity are not the same thing..."

"Relax! I'll give her a proper explanation! See, I just found out that basically, most of our former Student Council Presidents get special recommendations for internal university admissions. So I thought, 'No studying? I'm gonna seriously aim for that!' But for that, I'll need some credentials, right?"

"...Your motive is impure!" "She's such a short-sighted kid." "That's why Yu-chan's cute, though..."

Unlike the students nearby, whose low voices had begun to mix with cynicism, Yuika kept chattering away at high volume.

And the destination of her conversation, from what I was eavesdropping, wasn't exactly clear...

"So, I figured: if I want an easy credential, I should just reform an irredeemable troublemaker like you! Hehehn, what do you think? Genius plan, right?"

"..." "..." "..."

Like a meteor triggering an ice age, that proposal instantly froze the entire classroom.

I synthesized the collective unspoken thoughts—Why did you say that so directly?

"You're late for class, you sleep through class, you never do your homework. You're aloof, unfriendly, you ignore anyone who talks to you, and you ditch events. In short, you're the rare, quintessential delinquent... but it's fine! If you work hard with me on the Student Council, you can escape that completely useless state! Probably!"

She's still going! And if she was so passionate, she should have at least said it with conviction.

"Besides, why are you always so sullen? That's why you don't have friends! You're super pretty, so you should smile more! Come on, say cheeeese!"

It seemed Yuika's dictionary was missing the chapter on social grace, as she continued her string of brutally honest statements. Honestly, I wished she'd save that level of pushiness for a different occasion.

"Ah, I got it. I'll be your friend, and in exchange, Nawagami joins the Student Council! How's that? ...Wow, I might be a genius! We both win that way! So if that's decided—"

I heard the sound of a chair being pushed back and scraped, and then—

Nawagami Seren stood up, her face completely frozen, exuding an incredible pressure.

"Hehehn, so you've decided to take me up—Nnnnn-pfpth!"

Like a small animal being blown away by a fan, that's what her yelp sounded like.

I watched as Nawagami-san clapped her right palm flat on top of Yuika's head and simultaneously clamped the other hand—squish—over Yuika's cheek.

"Mugumugu-gu... W-Why'sya doing thish to me so shuddenly!"

She clamped down on Yuika's cheek flesh, forcibly silencing her to stop her from speaking any further.

Then, as if declaring her own turn, Nawagami-san's beautiful, strong voice rang out.

"Everything about you is infuriating. Your shallowness in trying to take credit for rehabilitating someone else, and your condescending pity are infuriating. Who do you think you are? Do you want to be smashed?"

"Mumu-mumu-muh... Feh-uhn... (Teary)"

"I will educate such a foolish girl as yourself... Look how easily you surrender when met with the slightest counterattack. You are small, foolish, insignificant, and loudmouthed. Now, you must learn that. Etch it into your very flesh."

"S-Shoop shaying thaat... Jus' lemme goooo... (Sobbing)"

Yuika was having her cheeks vigorously played with, and due to the clear physical difference, she could barely resist.

Classmates watching her plight turned and spoke to me.

"Your turn, Seishirou." "You have to save your subordinate, President." "Before Atori is 'educated' into paste!"

"It's Yuika's own fault, though." "At this rate, Yu-chan's gonna be educated down to her very marrow!"

"Understood, I'm heading over. By the way, what exactly do you mean by 'educated'?"

I was told to look it up later. I figured it was some trending meme or turn of phrase.

In any case—I decided to butt in, as officious as it was. I walked slowly toward the confrontation between Nawagami-san and Yuika, feeling caught between a hostile stare and pleading eyes.

"Nawagami-san. Can you please forgive her there?"

Her hand was still gripping Yuika's cheek. Nawagami-san's posture was sharp and severe as always.

"What is it? As you can see, I am busy punishing someone right now... just like this!"

"Hemumum!"

"Heh."

"Did you just laugh?"

"N-No I didn't, I didn't! It was your imagination!"

To cover up the fact that the weirdly good comedic timing had hit me in my funny bone, I quickly got to the main point.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't ignore this. And yes, I know I'm interfering."

"Oh? If you are self-aware that you are being an obstacle, that makes you worse. Or is there some other objective at play?"

Ha! She followed up a dry chuckle with a cynical, mocking line of attack.

"Your scheme is to save this woman from me and make her fall in love with you? Hmph, a petty pre-meditated rescue. Someone as utterly serious and capable as you would easily succeed through legitimate means."

"If that were true, I would have had Yuika fall for me a hundred times over by now."

She helps me so much, I realized. And then I recalled my true purpose.

"Yuika is, well, she's very candid about everything. There's probably a different way for her to express her intentions, but she ended up speaking her mind—I apologize. It really has nothing to do with you, Nawagami-san."

"Yes. That's absolutely correct. It's not my concern."

"Right. So I don't intend to ask for forgiveness for nothing, of course. Whatever grievances you hold can be aimed at me. After all, I am the Student Council President. The lack of information exchange with Yuika means that I, at the very least, bear some responsibility."

"And you offer up your own cheek to be played with as recompense?"

"If that satisfies you, then yes."

As I said it, I recognized it was a strained justification, even to myself.

"..."

"Please, Nawagami-san."

"...Hmph. How idiotic, and completely pointless."

But upon hearing my request, Nawagami-san let the matter drop, looking utterly disgusted.

"Fhpmph!" Released abruptly, Yuika tumbled onto the floor.

"Waaaah, Seishirou! ...You saw how mean she was, she just suddenly grabbed my cheek!"

"I'll listen later, just wait a second. Thank you, and truly, I apologize."

Hiding the surprisingly resilient Yuika behind my back, I bowed my head deeply.

I was pleading for forgiveness from the sadistic, merciless, and eternally aloof Nawagami-san.

"Why."

"...?"

"If... if you were mine... then why would you choose her over—"

Then. Nawagami-san stared at the classroom floor and mumbled something.

"Please, if you have any complaints, anything at all, tell me without restrain—Ah."

She abruptly moved toward the door with her bag, acting as though she had no time to waste.

However, just as she smoothly walked past me, she spoke again in a whisper just as low as before.

"—Traitor."

The final expression she showed was one of displeasure, but it wasn't just anger; there was an ambiguous context behind it, too.

In any case, Nawagami-san left the classroom in a hurry, with those words.

"Ugh, thanks, Seishirou... This is what I get for volunteering to be President; I get horribly abused..."

"Aiming for it is not the problem, though."

Hearing Yuika's wilted words, the other classmates got involved again.

"As expected of the President." "Imashino's strength keeps the peace." "Personally, though, seeing a dominant Nawagami-san up close was a bonus..." "Dude, that was brutal." "Don't randomly expose your fetishes!"

"Well, honestly, I kind of feel like getting disciplined by her." "Me too." "Wait, am I the only sane one?"

"Anyway, you were too slow! You took ages to help me!"

...Huh?

"Yuika, you were just rescued..." "He was pretty fast, Yu-chan, come on..."

Ignoring the corrections from her two girl friends, Yuika jabbed me in the side. Stop that.

"Normally, Seishirou would have intervened sooner! And you laughed when I was being abused! I know I might have been wrong, but that was just cruel!"

"I'm sorry, I really am. But I wasn't making fun of you, Yuika; I just thought, 'It's amazing how much a human cheek can stretch...' That's why it was a little amusing."

"It's still laughing!"

"Also, try not to cause trouble in the first place."

"I wonder what would've happened without Imashino."

"...Well, honestly, the sight of Yuika being punished by Nawagami-san was pretty great, wasn't it?"

"D-Don't ask me for confirmation!"

"I feel you, brother in arms."

"I wasn't asking you!"

Ignoring the strangely aroused crowd, I told Yuika a small truth.

"Still... yeah. My mood today might have made me hesitate a little."

"I don't care about that! As punishment... walk with me to the vending machine!"

"Yes, yes."

"I'll buy you one, so there!"

"Wait, doesn't that make it a 'thank you' instead of 'punishment'?"

Yuika puffed out the cheek that had been manhandled, but I was honest—I was dead right.

Usually, I would have inserted myself without needing to be told.

The reason I held back was a particular circumstance: I simply could not afford to upset Nawagami-san today.

Tōrin Academy, the private school we attend, is generally considered an elite institution.

While hard to produce evidence for quickly, the school's "wiki" content is truly immense. The list of famous alumni is lined up with actors, athletes, and politicians.

From what I know, there are an enormous number of students from historically prominent or wealthy families. Though, being from a more common background myself, that might just be my bias.

In any case, Nawagami-san, who transferred into the high school division, stood out for several reasons.

The most obvious was probably her appearance. Shortened skirt, piercings, accessories like her choker, and, above all, the equally sharp, piercing gaze she leveled at everyone. She constantly put up a barrier of a "scary-looking gyaru," which made even simple communication impossible.

In short, an atmosphere that subtly screamed, "Do not carelessly approach," was definitely in the air.

In the evening after the incident, the location was the Student Council Room.

The junior Student Council member already there, Hachisuka Miran, greeted me right after I walked in.

"Thank you for your hard work, Seishirou-senpai! You look particularly refreshed and nice today ♪"

Miran had medium-length beige hair, a plethora of friendliness, and an expression brimming with innocent purity.

Because she praised me so directly and out of the blue, I couldn't help but ask.

"...Hey. Did you happen to run into some trouble, Miran?"

"? No, not particularly? Oh, but, I do have something I wanted to consult you about!"

She maintained her textbook-cute kohai routine, gazing at me with wide, upturned eyes.

"To be frank, I wanted to leave a bit early today. Wait, where is the other person?"

Miran blinked. I took a sip of the soy milk I'd been bought from the vending machine and took my seat.

"Yuika is absent today. Her friend who I met at the vending machine earlier invited her to get Malatang? I told her to go ahead and enjoy it."

"Ehh. But Yuika-senpai hasn't finished her task yet, has she?"

"It's just simple document creation. I can handle it."

"..."

Sudden silence. I glanced outside. The window was half-open, and the curtains swayed gently.

"TCH! tch tch tch"

...That was a beautifully clean Tch sound, fit for a sound effect sample. (Wait, who would use it?)

Miran, who seemed to have been disappointed that something didn't go her way, rubbed her temples and let out an exaggerated sigh.

The gentle, fragile aura of the junior that I had wanted to protect earlier was completely gone.

"Honestly, Seishirou-senpai, your immaculate correctness is grating on the nerves today..."

Woah, that was a pretty obvious change of heart.

"Also. Just to be clear, that brat's insolence is all because you spoil her, Seishirou-senpai. For the sake of my mental health, I need you to seriously 'educate' her one time."

"Others were saying it too. Does 'educate' essentially mean 'scold'?"

"Absolutely not. And don't make your cute junior explain such a vulgar term to you."

"Wait, so it is vulgar?!"

"Technically, opinions differ."

Miran reverted to her true, casual voice and laid into me, leaving me feeling vaguely betrayed.

"I was planning to leave early and take pictures of my favorite anime character's acrylic stand at a collab café, then post it on social media, like '[Character name] at a Collab Café!,' but now everything's ruined!"

"I don't really follow, but if that's the case, you can totally go home. We're pretty relaxed this time of year."

"...If I leave, Seishirou-senpai, you'll be operating all alone, and that would look bad."

"No, it won't. Working diligently alone isn't bad at all."

"Even if you're okay with it, I am not okay with it! Think about it: if people saw that, wouldn't they wonder, 'Why is he alone?' Wouldn't they suspect, 'Did Miran-chan skip out?' As a result, the image I've carefully crafted—'a kind, serious, and cute girl who even understands Otaku and subculture'—might crack!"

I always wonder why she chose such an insanely difficult facade to maintain.

"I feel much more relaxed talking to the real Miran, though."

"Hah! Thanks for that. But your persuasion is useless. I will continue to pretend. Why? Because I get praised for it, and it feels good! My self-esteem skyrockets!"

"U-Understood... Well. If you insist on saying all that, I suppose you can stay."

Miran, who finished her proud declaration, slumped into her seat. She also put on her blue-light-blocking glasses and immediately started streaming anime on her phone.

"I'm not helping with work. I mean, it's Yuika-senpai's job anyway."

"O-Of course."

"..."

"Hey, Miran."

"What is it?"

I started working on my computer, but casually brought up a topic I'd been thinking about.

"Do you know Nawagami-san?"

"Of course I do. She's famous, for all the wrong reasons."

"Right. And I was wondering how I could get along with her."

"..."

While speaking, I checked on Miran.

She took her eyes off her phone and gave me a face that clearly read, "I'm disappointed in you."

"I am so disappointed. Seishirou-senpai, have you finally decided to indulge in a crush?"

"Ah, I didn't explain well enough. No, it's not like that."

"Right, right. Nawagami-senpai has a good visage, doesn't she? Even with the gyaru impression, she has this inexplicable air of class... Oh, whatever. The point is, her boobs and ass are huge."

Stop waving it off! And can I have a turn to defend myself?

"So you prefer curvy women? Ugh, high school boys are all the same in real life."

"I think it depends on the person."

"What about you, Seishirou-senpai?"

"I like them."

"Tch!"

But I answered honestly!

"Well, if you want to approach her, why not just clobber her with your excellent credentials? You're always top of the class in exams. You've been invited to try out for a J-League youth team, and you even have a famous entertainment CEO's business card, don't you? Wow, you're amazing, you can definitely do it, g-o t-e-a-m." (Flat, bored delivery)

That was far too detailed for just a random jab, which mildly bothered me.

"I understand, Miran. If you remember my personal details that well, you must surely remember the most important person to me, too, right?"

"...Hah! I-I'm sorry! You're right, I recall. I'll drop the topic right there!"

To clearly deny her suspicions, I pulled out my phone and showed her the wallpaper on my lock screen.

On it was a lovely girl, like a beautiful flower, in a dress playing the piano.

The most beautiful, cutest, and irreplaceable person in my world—

"Yes, it's Rittan. Imashino Ritsu, my darling little sister, a precious angel. You can't just call her cute. To use a cooking analogy, she's like the sushi or the yakiniku. She's the joker card in a multi-millionaire's hand. Rittan is the reason I study so hard, and I even went all out in soccer, thinking it might make her admire me more as a brother. Do you get it now? I still have things I need to do as a big brother. So dating is not on my mind right now."

I talked and talked with passionate abandon. By the time I realized it, about fifteen minutes had passed.

"...What does your sister think about being your lock screen?"

"She says, 'It's totally gross, so don't let anyone see it,' of course."

"S-She permits it, at least... Anyway, I'm truly sorry. A person who dotes on his sister so much, Seishirou-senpai, would never waste time dating anyone..."

Miran seemed vaguely down, but after applying lip balm to her lips, she declared,

"Still, getting along with Nawagami-senpai is absolutely impossible."

"It's that tough?"

"Yes. As tough as an amateur taking a round from a pro fighting game player."

Wow, that makes it actually, genuinely impossible...

I looked crestfallen at the difficulty level. Miran, on the other hand, started analyzing Nawagami-san.

"She's too sharp. The whole point of that kind of woman is the brief, precious glimpse of sweetness, but Nawagami-senpai's mix is wrong. She's too tsun to be a tsundere and not kind enough to be a sweet gyaru who is nice to Otaku. Seriously, what generation of heroine is she from? I'm not sure you'd know, Seishirou-senpai, but today's heroines should start with high affection for the protagonist right away, because—"

Miran loves anime and manga, and she uses references that I likely won't get, bracing herself to be ignored.

This was probably one of those kinds of comments, and she was suddenly fueled by some mysterious righteous indignation.

"And my point is: isn't she just too intimidating?"

"Well, she certainly has no shortage of heroic anecdotes."

There are violent rumors, like she beat up boys from another school, or rough-handled some kid at the train station...

"See? Besides, even if she personally wasn't a problem, her family background is terrifying."

Family background—Nawagami-san's family, the Nawagami House, is one of the most prominent kazoku-esque families in Japan. Originally a small trading house in the late Tokugawa period, it is now a vast group enterprise. It holds significant sway with both political and business figures. The information you find when looking them up is all pretty jaw-dropping.

"I may live like a well-off ojou-sama, but the Nawagamis are on a completely different dimension. They're Ultra Rich, so wealthy that the combined fortunes of everyone else at this school couldn't match them. It's said that if you earn their ire, you might as well pack up and leave Japan. The fear factor is like, you're messing with a mountain-dwelling assassin clan, or one of the ancient, curse-wielding Great Houses. It's truly that level, frankly."

"S-Surely it's not quite that murderous..."

I managed to catch that reference, and Miran likely intended for me to catch it this time.

"...Are you finally beginning to understand the high difficulty level of trying to 'conquer' Nawagami-senpai?"

Miran's eyes behind her glasses seemed a bit more serious than before.

"If it's not romantic, is it that you want to 'save' the lonely figure? ...That's not for you to worry about, Seishirou-senpai, is it? You don't need to get involved."

"..."

"Have you decided to give up?"

"There might be one thing you've misunderstood."

Since she's being this open, I want to answer just as honestly as Miran has.

"This time, I want to do it, to break through to Nawagami-san. I want to build a real relationship."

"...Suit yourself. Then go ahead and try it. I wash my hands of the matter."

Miran gave a dramatic sigh, as if saying, I have no choice but to indulge you.

For my part, I gazed at the budget data on the computer screen and reaffirmed my decision.

Just a little is fine. For both our sakes going forward, I want to get along with her.

"...Imashino-senpai!"

"Please help us!"

"Something terrible is going to happen if we don't do something!"

The sliding door abruptly flew open, and a crowd of students from the Junior High Division, mainly first-years, came flooding in.

"Woah, you startled me."

"Ah, sorry. Yu-chan-senpai once told us we don't need to knock."

"...I see, understood! ♪ (But of course, you should knock, you do it for the restroom, for heaven's sake!)"

I thought I briefly heard a genuine thought, quickly suppressed by her public persona. No, that must have been my imagination, right?

"So, what's wrong? You all looked incredibly worried."

Miran's question caused the junior high students to exchange furtive glances.

"Well, actually,"

"Wasabi..."

"Wasabi is being tormented by that Nawagami-senpai!"

"..."

"Could you hold the fort for me?"

"Yes! I'm completely free today, after all! ♪"

I made a gesture with my hand to the Miran whose smile was an exact photocopy of her public facade: "Sorry!"

Wasabi is the name of the school Chairman's dog. He is a male Chow Chow and is often taken for walks inside the school campus. He's something of a popular mascot among some students.

"Hey, Wasabi~! And Nawagami-san, if you're there, please answer!"

The last place he was seen was somewhere near the small garden, a perfect spot for walks or a break, located on the school grounds.

As I wandered around calling out, I quickly found one of them.

"Bawoof!"

"Ah, there you are... Are you okay?"

"??"

"Yeah, you look perfectly fine!"

"♪"

Wasabi, walking solo, looked more energetic than usual. When I petted his belly, covered in thick white-brown fur, he ambled around me a few times and then lumbered toward the gazebo.

Since his leash wasn't attached to his harness, I couldn't just ignore him. I followed Wasabi's path with long strides and—there I found the other person I was looking for.

Nawagami-san was slouched and looking strangely exhausted inside the gazebo.

The moment she recognized Wasabi rushing toward her, her eyebrows immediately shot up.

"! You stupid dog! Where have you been wandering off to... Eh?"

But she hadn't expected me to be with him. The focus of her complaint immediately shifted to me.

"Are you a stalker, Imashino-kun? People really aren't what they seem. I'm disappointed."

"N-No, that's not it. I got a request at the Student Council. They saw Wasabi and asked me to rescue him."

Even though I relayed only the essential facts, Nawagami-san's disgruntled expression didn't change.

However—perhaps she just needed someone, anyone, to vent her frustration to—she opened her mouth to speak again.

"...This Chow Chow with the obviously idiotic face is apparently the Chairman's dog."

"W-Well, don't most Chow Chows have this kind of face?"

"No, I can tell. This one is uniquely clumsy and hasn't learned a single trick. Yet, it still has the sheer vile nerve to beg me for a walk... What is this, is it mocking me?"

The sadistic stare she had aimed at Yuika now pierced Wasabi.

"Wuff! Bawo-woof... Grrrrrr-lee ♪"

But it had zero effect. Wasabi just happily started doing a little dance step on the spot. He was cute.

"He's acting so affectionate, he must be practically family."

"Urgh, t-this fluffy lump of fur... sigh."

Nawagami-san, who had been trembling with faint anger, suddenly let the tension drop from her shoulders.

"No, I apologize. I'm at fault for not securing his lead and for losing track of him when I went to the restroom. Anyway, I'm just glad he wasn't involved in an accident..."

Nawagami-san knelt and stroked Wasabi's head. As she did, she began to talk hesitantly.

"One of the soccer players hurt his ligaments, and the Chairman had to rush him to the hospital. And for some reason, I was targeted to look after the dog in the meantime. It's irresponsible, isn't it?"

"It might mean he was in a really big hurry. Still, yes, even though Wasabi is friendly and usually low-maintenance... Say, is it okay if I stick around and help out with the care?"

"I thought you'd say that, of course. You're officious to an excessive degree."

Nawagami-san continued to prod me with sharp words, but perhaps due to her fatigue, her complaints stopped there.

In the gazebo on that late afternoon, there were just the three of us: her, me, and Wasabi, who was vigorously chewing on a bone toy.

...There were certainly conversation topics I wanted and needed to broach.

But as I couldn't quite bring myself to address them yet, I started with something else entirely to beat around the bush.

"How to put it... I think people that animals genuinely like are usually good people."

"What's that all of a sudden?"

"Just that Nawagami-san is, I think, a good person."

"H-Haa...?"

Nawagami-san, suspicious, listened to me while gently pinching the skin below her choker.

"That's just your subjective opinion, isn't it? If you're trying to pick me up, you're terrible at it."

"No, that's not it. I'm telling you I genuinely see Nawagami-san that way. If you were truly a bad person, Wasabi wouldn't be this affectionate, and you wouldn't be looking after him just because you were asked."

"Stop being so sarcastic! I know you've heard the rumors about me, haven't you? Unfriendly, delinquent, and from an intimidating family. A totally useless, pretty girl. I wouldn't blame you for thinking that way."

Oh, she knows she's a pretty girl... Well, having confidence in herself is good, I suppose.

"Yeah. I've heard the gossip. But I also know the truth. For example, do you remember at the school festival last year, you got into an altercation and fought with a guy from another school?"

When I brought up one of her more famous exploits, she let out a sniff.

"I just slapped him with a plastic bottle and shut him up. It was pure emotional frustration."

"It might have looked that way to everyone, but that wasn't the real reason, was it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You were saving one of our schoolgirls who was being relentlessly harassed."

Thump. Nawagami-san suddenly stood up. Wasabi, at her feet, sniffed her shoe expectantly.

"W-Why do you know about that, Imashino-kun?"

"I heard directly from the person you helped. Oh, and you also led a lost child at the train station to the police station. I suppose you must have casually said, 'I'm a student from Tōrin,' or something, because the Student Council was contacted about it later. I thought that was very kind, and there were other—"

"What is your intent?!?" Nawagami-san cut in, looking completely overwhelmed.

"W-What is your goal with all this detective work?"

"A goal, you say... maybe just that I thought it might be good for at least one person to know the truth about you."

"..."

"...The way I said that was cowardly. It's simply that I haven't told anyone else."

As I spoke, I braced myself to apologize again. You're creepy and a stalker; don't ever talk to me again—I thought that phrase was going to be exactly what I would hear, leaving me speechless.

"I apologize for the invasion of privacy. And really, I've spent all afternoon saying 'sorry,' haven't I..."

Looking explicitly ashamed, I cautiously glanced at her face.

".........Th-Thank you..."

But the low-voiced reply stunned me more than anything in recent memory.

Because Nawagami-san, far from being angry, was thanking me.

"Well, it's not like I care what the people around me think... but... I still don't like it when people talk badly about me because of a misunderstanding. So, yes..."

Her pale skin was turning pink, and she was speaking to me with an expression I'd never seen before.

"So, frankly, I'm happy... Now! I'm thanking you, so say something!"

"N-No, seriously, you don't have to worry about it at all. It was just information I knew."

Her reaction was delayed slightly by the unexpectedness of it all. She didn't look like she was joking, either.

"I don't think the Chairman will be back for a while... Y-You wouldn't dare leave me and the dog alone, especially since you were the one who caused all this, would you, Imashino-kun?"

"Since I brought it up, I'll stay until the end."

"...Hmph."

"Bawuff!"

Wasabi was as cheerful as ever, and if I wasn't mistaken, Nawagami-san's mood didn't look bad at all. No, in fact, I was starting to think this gentle side of her might be the way she truly is. If I wanted to say anything, now might be the best chance.

...I'll say it. I've put it off, but this opportunity won't come again.

So, having resolved myself, I stood up just like her and walked closer to Nawagami-san.

"Eh...? What is it? ...Hold on, wait, my heart isn't ready for this yet...!"

In contrast to the soft impression Nawagami-san was currently giving, I maintained my hard, composed demeanor.

"You may have already heard, but I was hired by the Nawagami House—as your 'exclusive butler'."

...That statement would have caused anyone else listening to choke on air, but it was the truth.

I had been offered that job by the Nawagami House—or, specifically, Nawagami-san's older sister.

"Oh, that's what this was about... For a second, I thought this was some important, climactic confession event."

"Was there any matter more important than this?"

"No, of course not. Hmph!"

Nawagami-san looked mildly sulky for some reason, but at least she wasn't particularly surprised.

That meant that she had, tentatively, accepted my new existence.

"Of course, I have my reservations. But since it's already decided, I suppose there's no way around it."

"Really? Isn't it still uncomfortable to have a boy from your class constantly around? Moreover, living in the apartment next door to yours... that has to be stressful, right?"

That, too, was simply one of the circumstances I had fallen into.

As I continued to look at her apologetically, Nawagami-san still didn't look angry.

On the contrary to rejection, she considered my words, chewing softly on her lip, looking shy.

"W-Well, it's a common trope in the ecchi manga I read... and while I might dislike some random guy being nearby, I don't dislike it as much if it's you... Yeah, I guess..."

Watching her muttering to herself, it felt as if my sincerity was being tested.

"...Nawagami-san."

"What is it, why so serious?"

"—No, Master."

"....... Hnn-k! Eek!?"

When I said the title, her eyes immediately went wide. But that phrase was vital for both of us.

"I promise you this. As your exclusive butler, I will not treat you as a classmate but as the one and only Master who is worthy of my respect and reverence. You may give me any order you wish, and you are entirely free to vent your frustration on me from time to time."

"Entirely free to vent? You sound like a Chinese martial artist... And Master...!"

Nawagami-san trembled nervously, looking more confused than angry.

"A Master is a Master. If we clearly distinguish between our positions as high and low, our respective roles will be clarified. I am the one to be used, and you are the one to be honored. It is extremely simple."

"Are you serious? Are you going to keep doing this? S-Something like that...!"

"I am sorry that I cannot completely erase your reservations... Therefore. Even the fact that you will permit my presence is a great joy and a huge benefit to me."

"Your stance is so utterly established! U-U-Uuuuuugh...!"

"In any case. From now on, I look forward to serving you—Master."

"~~~~~~!!!"

When I emphasized the term one last time, Nawagami-san initially lowered her head.

"...Stop calling me Master! At least say Ojou-sama, or something! Above all, I..."

The moment she looked up again, her face was completely red and brimming with humiliation.

"It's just that I want to be the one calling you Master... AAAH!"

"! Ojou-sama! ...No, Nawagami-san! Where are you running off to so suddenly!"

With her hands covering her face, Nawagami-san frantically bolted away from the gazebo.

"She left her bag... She'll come back for it eventually, right?"

"Baw-woof, woof! ♪"

As I watched Wasabi lick his blue tongue, I couldn't help but wonder to myself.