"Ugh… I just got lectured by a junior."
"Which junior?"
"That first-year, Rinji Takamine."
"Oh, him."
In the evening, Tsubame sat at her home computer chatting with her friends.
The two she was talking with were the president of the Occult Research Club, Atenbo Yume, and the president of the Mass Media Club, Asahi Shizuku.
Both of them were third-year seniors and counted as the untouchable flowers of the school.
However, Atenbo was the type who cracked dirty jokes all the time, while Asahi was overly cold, the kind of beauty who was very difficult to approach.
"You know him?" Tsubame asked.
"Of course. Who in school doesn't know the transfer student who causes trouble every semester?" said Asahi.
"I'm fairly familiar with this kouhai too. He's an interesting kid."
"Yume, don't tell me you've set your sights on him?"
"How could I?"
"Good…"
"I've set my sights on his father."
"That's a ridiculous answer. I hope you're joking." Asahi rubbed her forehead. "So, what did Rinji Takamine say to you?"
"It wasn't exactly an insult," Tsubame replied. "He said I was a troublesome woman."
Asahi: "You are pretty troublesome."
Atenbo: "The junior wasn't wrong."
"Hey!"
"Wait, did you go talk to him about that other kouhai?"
"Yes…"
Tsubame let out a soft sigh.
"Rinji knows Yuu the best, so I thought I could get some answers from him. Besides, Rinji has a girlfriend, so he should know what kind of feeling love between couples is."
"So what answer did you get?"
"I got scolded."
"You really picked the wrong person to ask from the start," Asahi said helplessly.
"You two know Rinji well?"
"Just a normal level of familiarity," said Atenbo. "We only really got to know him during the Hoshin Festival."
"I'd heard his name before. Even if they're just rumors, Rinji is definitely a dangerous person," Asahi said. "Normally I don't dare appear in front of him at all."
"I see… But in the group chat, a lot of people are afraid of Rinji. Why?"
The group she meant was naturally the chat group of big names, something like a student union alliance, where powerful students like Kaguya gathered.
Asahi: "Do you know what his family does?"
Tsubame: "I don't."
Asahi: "Neither do I."
"…"
"And that's exactly the scariest part. Despite all our efforts, we've never been able to find out Rinji's true identity or why he came to Japan," Asahi said seriously. "Shinomiya seems to know, but she's never told us."
"Now that you say it, Momo seems to know too, but she doesn't seem afraid of Rinji at all," Tsubame recalled from past chats.
"They say Ryuju knew him when she was very young. Seeing that he joined the Astronomy Club, their relationship must be quite good…"
Asahi's expression clearly darkened.
"I heard he was involved in that pharmaceutical plant explosion four years ago, the one that shocked everyone. According to some in the group, he used to be a cold-blooded killer."
"Do you believe that rumor?"
"My family runs a TV station. We reported on it back then, so I know a little of the inside story… but we were warned not to release certain details."
"From my interactions with Rinji, he's not like that at all," Tsubame said. "I've asked Yuu many times about him, and the Rinji he described wasn't nearly as terrifying as the group made him out to be."
That was why Tsubame always asked Ishigami about Rinji during their talks.
To some, Rinji was a frightening demon, but because Tsubame didn't believe such rumors, she had to verify them herself.
The conclusion reassured her somewhat.
"Bringing up another boy in front of someone who wants to date you… that mindset really isn't suited for love," Atenbo remarked.
"Eh? Really?"
"You should at least be aware of it. Stop talking about Rinji. How are things going with that Ishigami?"
"…Still the same problem."
"Honestly, you shouldn't be thinking about love right now."
"That's too cruel!"
"I'm being serious. If you keep hesitating, it won't be good for you or for that kouhai."
"I… want to give it one last try."
---
"I think this is hopeless."
"You don't have any confidence in Ishigami?"
"Don't joke. He's my bro. Of course I believe in him."
That afternoon, the class volleyball match was about to start. Rinji was sprawled lazily on the sofa like a salted fish while Kaguya sat in front of him sipping black tea.
"It's Koyasu-senpai I don't trust. I just hope she doesn't pull some nonsense in the end."
"That's not fair. Tsubame-senpai is adored by almost everyone in Shuchiin."
"She's adored because she treats everyone well. But can someone with that kind of mindset really fall in love?" Rinji said casually. "Think about it, Shinomiya. If the president was the kind of guy who treated every girl gently, what would you think?"
"Of course I'd stay calm and support him."
That was a lie.
Any girl who received Shirogane's kindness would already be considered dead in Kaguya's eyes. She wouldn't stop him from doing so, but that didn't mean she could look at those girls calmly.
The truth was, this woman even got jealous when Rinji, a man, got close to Shirogane. Other women were out of the question.
"Looking at Ishigami, he's only sinking deeper. All his efforts are just for Koyasu-senpai to like him."
Those efforts included many things Ishigami had never wanted to do or even hated.
"In the end, the moment he thought about dating Koyasu-senpai, he was already doomed."
"That's not certain. Maybe it'll work out."
"Impossible."
"What if it does?"
"If it works out, I'll cross-dress for a week," Rinji said irritably. "If those two actually end up together, then the world's gone mad."
"…Rinji, can you promise me one thing?"
"Huh?"
"If you lose… keep a little distance from the president."