READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 40 - Names
During lunch break, Akane, Futaba, and I were eating lunch on the rooftop. It was the first time we’d had lunch together since the day Akane introduced Futaba to me.
Lately, Nakano has been coming to school every day. That probably means she’s given up on the idea of dropping out.
While feeling relieved about that, I was there with them.
“Ah, by the way. I’ve decided to join the student council.”
Futaba reported this to us during our casual conversation, perhaps because the topic of the student council had come up.
“Oh, is that so?”
“We finally have the first member of the student council. Now we just need a secretary and a vice-president.”
With that, Akane’s gaze was firmly fixed on me.
“I wonder if anyone would like to be the vice-president~?”
“It’s no use looking at me. I have no intention of joining the student council.”
The president and vice-president are usually elected as a pair in the student council, with the other positions being scouted by the president according to their abilities. (However, one can also run for president alone.)
However, there’s no compulsion, so if the person being scouted declines, that’s the end of it.
To get me into the student council, a rule with some compulsion would need to be made. Since that’s not possible right away, it’s unlikely that I would become a student council member.
Understanding this, Akane pouted a bit.
“Well, actually, the vice-president and secretary, and the other members, have already been decided.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Wait!? Futaba!?”
“Huh? Was it not okay to say this?”
“No, it’s not that it’s not okay, but…”
“If it’s okay, then it’s okay. Also, this student council plans to try something unprecedented-”
Contrary to the cheerful Futaba, Akane looked somewhat uneasy for some reason, as if something unpleasant would come up if she kept talking.
Well, there are probably many things that shouldn’t be made public yet.
“Well, we plan to announce the student council members at the next school assembly, so look forward to it.”
“Sure, I’m looking forward to it.”
“No, I’m really looking forward to Itsuki’s reaction.”
“…Huh?”
Akane seemed to be bothered by something.
“What’s wrong, Akane?”
“Huh? Oh, no… it’s nothing.”
Even though Futaba asked what was wrong, Akane didn’t answer.
“So, can I expect that Futaba is going to juggle the roles of vice-president, secretary, and treasurer?”
“No, she’d die of overwork.”
“Hm? Hmmm?”
“What’s wrong? You’ve been acting strange since a while ago, Shinjo.”
“No, it’s just… aren’t you two calling each other by your first names?”
“…Eh? Yeah. So what?”
“Um, even if both of you give me the ‘so what?’ face… why… why did you start calling each other by your first names?”
“Huh? Because it feels more like we’re friends when we call each other by our first names, right?”
“Right.”
Looking at Futaba and me, Akane’s face gradually turned pale.
“Heh, heh… Um… what happened between you two yesterday?”
“Huh? Um… cleaning, sharing our worries? And then we watched a movie while eating snacks in bed in the shape of a river character.”
“What!? Fu-Futaba!? Are you okay!? He didn’t do anything weird to you, did he!? Nothing happened!?”
Akane rushed over to Futaba as if worried about her. Akane’s hostile gaze was stabbing at me quite intensely.
“Eh, I’m fine. Well, there was a bit of a risqué atmosphere, though.”
“Ah, yeah, it happened.”
“What!? What do you mean!? What happened!?”
Futaba and I exchange glances, pondering whether to explain what happened or not.
“Maybe it’s too stimulating for Akane?”
“Indeed.”
“What do you mean it’s too stimulating!? Don’t tell me… you guys really did… something risqué…!?”
“…I’m sorry, Akane.”
While saying this with a meaningful look, Futaba rested her head on my shoulder. For now, I patted Futaba’s head as she kept her inscrutable expression.
“Stop it!! Don’t say the line I least want to hear right now!!”
Akane shouted, clutching her head as if she were about to throw up. It was a true cry of the soul.
“Well, it’s just a joke, though.”
“Stop it, okay? Even as a joke, don’t say such a thing. It’s not good.”
“I… I’m sorry…”
Overwhelmed by Akane’s force, Futaba apologized with a trembling voice.
It’s understandable that Futaba is scared. After all, I’m scared too.
It’s probably best not to explain what happened yesterday.
If I did, I might get killed. No, I will be killed (certainty).
“And also!! I didn’t say it even though I thought about it! Why are you sitting next to him, Futaba!?”
“This guy started saying something tedious.”
“It’s not tedious!! It’s been said on TV before that the position you sit in directly correlates to your level of affection! In other words, Futaba, you chose Itsuki over me, didn’t you!?”
“…It’s useless to say anything anymore.”
“No, don’t give up.”
“You used to sit next to me… If I wasn’t there, the conversation wouldn’t even go around… Ugh… Futaba… was taken away by a man she met only a few months ago…”
“No, that’s not how you say it.”
Akane, who had been feeling down, suddenly realized something, looked at me, and intentionally cleared her throat with an “ahem”.
“You see, I call both of you by your names, and Futaba does the same, right? But why is it that Itsuki only calls me Shinjo? It’s unbalanced, unnatural… isn’t it strange? It is strange, right? Yes, it’s weird.”
She had already concluded it all by herself before stating her opinion…
“So, Itsuki, you should call me by my name, right? That’s right, isn’t it?”
Why is she so desperate?
“…Well, perhaps Akane is right. Shouldn’t we all call each other by our first names?”
Perhaps feeling guilty for teasing Akane too much, Futaba suggested this as if throwing her a lifeline.
“!! Yes, that’s right!? Right!?”
Her gaze full of expectation and a look that seemed to urge me to call her by her first name focused on me.
“…Sigh, fine. Akane. Is this good enough?”
“One more time.”
“Akane.”
“Hehe. Yes, yes. That’s not bad, is it?”
“Was Akane always this troublesome?”
“Didn’t you know? Akane is quite a handful.”
Looking at the pleased Akane, both Futaba and I felt exhausted.