I got the request this morning, right after parting with Shiranui and returning to the faculty office.
After returning the borrowed key to Hiyama and reporting that Shiranui had been using the room, he sighed wearily.
“I see. As long as that’s confirmed… Really, Tokimoto-kun…”
He muttered, thanked me, then shook his head in exhaustion.
I’m not sure what exactly he found convincing, but it seemed unrelated to me.
And so, Hiyama’s request came to an end—though the conversation continued because, for some reason, an unfamiliar upperclassman girl was also present.
“Well then, Oshimi-kun. What do you think?”
After hearing the report, Hiyama turned to the girl—Oshimi-senpai—and posed the question.
Then, for some reason, this Oshimi-senpai redirected the conversation toward me.
“What should we do… Hey, you. How did Shiranui-chan seem?”
“Huh? How she… seemed?”
“Yep. Oh, I’m Oshimi Anzu. Third-year, head of the drama club. And this guy here, Hiyama, is our advisor.”
“First-year, Kageyuki Sou. And this is Hiyama-sensei, my homeroom teacher.”
“Ahaha, I know, I know. You just joined this year, right? I’ve heard some rumors about you.”
She laughed cheerfully. Her hair was dyed a bright shade, making her the type who left a strong first impression.
“By the way, Hiyama was my homeroom teacher until last year too. Seems like we’ll get along, huh?”
As Oshimi-senpai pointed out our common ground, I smiled and replied, “I’d be happy if that were the case.”
I see. So this is one way to break the ice with someone you’ve just met.
People like Kimiya are obvious examples, but watching those who effortlessly slip into others’ good graces is incredibly useful. I’m fairly tall, so I tend to come off as intimidating without meaning to.
At the very least, I try to soften my expression to compensate.
After all, up through middle school, I never even thought about how to get close to others logically. Once you start overanalyzing it, it becomes a bottomless pit—no matter how deep you dig, it’s never enough.
“So, about Shiranui…”
When I prompted her, Oshimi-senpai nodded.
“Right, right. Oh, Kageyuki-kun, do you know Shiranui-chan?”
“Uh… I wouldn’t say we don’t know each other, but…”
My response was sluggish because I’d been lost in unnecessary thoughts.
Luckily, Oshimi-senpai didn’t seem to mind and accepted it.
“I see~ Was Shiranui-chan doing okay?”
“…Yeah. I’d say she didn’t seem unwell.”
“Hmm? You’ve been weirdly vague this whole time.”
“Well, it’s… complicated. Sorry, it’s hard to explain.”
“Hmm… But, I guess… Yeah, okay. That’s probably fine.”
She spoke as if convincing herself.
In the end, that was all there was to it.
“Thanks, Kageyuki-kun. That helped.”
But neither her words nor Hiyama’s silence made it easy to ask what was really going on.
If they’d wanted an explanation, they would’ve asked outright. The fact that they didn’t made it clear they weren’t interested, so I didn’t press further.
Well, Shiranui did seem like a weirdo… She probably had her reasons.
Without dwelling on it, I left the staff room alongside Oshimi-senpai.
—And right after that, Oshimi-senpai turned to me with a mischievous grin.
“By the way, Kageyuki-kun. I heard something~”
“Heard…? You mean the rumors about me?”
“Yep~ Sounds like you’re doing some pretty interesting stuff!”
She spoke with clear interest. Hmm, a sales opportunity, maybe?
“I heard you help out with club tasks? From a friend.”
“Only what I can manage. Apparently, none of the clubs here have managers.”
“You’ve got an eye for the fun stuff. Though the most interesting part is that you’re getting paid for it.”
—And just like that, my little “business” had initially focused on club activities.
Essentially, I acted as a stand-in manager—and shockingly, it hit a critical need among Seishinkan students. It was an idea only someone like Kimiya, who’d been at Seishinkan since middle school, could’ve come up with.
Not that the pay was much. Sometimes it was just enough for a juice, and often, instead of money, I’d get cafeteria meal tickets.
Still, considering the workload and time efficiency, it was better than a part-time job. A clever exploitation of the school’s rule loophole—since this kind of jobs weren’t technically a part time jobs.
My first gig was building a website for the “First Literature Club.”
That also paid the most. After that, most jobs were mundane manager-like tasks—errands for sports clubs, shopping, etc.—with the occasional bigger request.
The fact that it took off so smoothly was entirely thanks to Kimiya’s connections and reputation.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
“I’d rather not deal with annoying chores.”
“If I can solve it cheaply, I’d rather pay someone.”
“It just sounds fun.”
The sheer number of students who thought like this was a hallmark of Seishinkan’s culture.
“Seems like you’ve got a pretty good reputation, Mr. Butler~”
Oshimi-senpai grinned, her lips curling playfully. There was something suggestive in her expression.
“It was Kimiya’s idea. I can’t afford to embarrass her, so I’m giving it my all.”
“Ahaha! Well, yeah. We’ve got some impressive kids here, but hardly anyone on Natsuki-chan’s level. The heir of the Kimiya Group is basically at the top of the financial world.”
Right. Kimiya Natsuki was that kind of young lady.
The daughter of one of Japan’s wealthiest families.
You’d expect someone like that to exist somewhere, but it’s hard to imagine them actually being right in front of you. The gap is so vast that it’s difficult to even form a realistic mental image.
That said, I’ve heard Kimiya herself isn’t involved in management, nor is she the confirmed successor. “I’ve got it pretty easy,” were her exact words.
Combined with her sporty, girl-next-door vibe, it’s hard to grasp that she’s genuine high society. Though her polite speech does give off an aristocratic air.
“So, Oshimi-senpai, if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”
I flashed my best customer-service smile, and she deepened her own grin.
“Oh, come on. You know I wouldn’t bring this up if I didn’t have a request.”
“…Is there something I can help with?”
“Yep. Your reputation’s solid, and Natsuki-chan vouches for you—so, can I ask a favor?”
—And that was how my morning went.
Which is why I’d bolted outside without even eating lunch.
Now, I retraced this morning’s path toward the second club building.
Unlike earlier, students enjoying their lunch break were scattered about. Some glanced my way, but it didn’t bother me much.
Even in a place as big as Seishinkan, I’m probably the only student walking around with a vacuum cleaner in hand. I got a few double takes, but I’d do the same in their shoes.
Soon, I reached the second club building.
I briefly considered peeking into that makeshift dorm, but I had neither the time nor the reason.
So I headed straight inside—when a voice called out from right beside me.
“Eek!?”
A slight jolt. A high-pitched yelp.
Someone had leaped down the nearby stairs and crashed into me before I could dodge.
“Oof…!?”
Luckily, the impact was light, barely even painful.
“Whoa… You okay?”
I turned to the girl who’d collided with me—shoulder-length black hair streaked with vivid pink.
She’d apparently fallen on her butt from the recoil.
Plop. Something landed on her stomach.
A lunch pack.
“…………”
From the looks of it, she’d been carrying it in her mouth when we crashed.
Part of me wanted to snark, “What, are you a transfer student with toast in your mouth?” but this time, it was a lunch pack at noon, and I’m the new student here. Not bad.
“…………”
The girl sat frozen, staring silently at the lunch pack now resting on her stomach.
Her complete lack of movement was starting to worry me, so I spoke up again.
“…Uh, you alright?”
The moment I did—her gaze snapped toward me, sharp as a blade.
“……, ……!”
But she said nothing. Just glared.
Narrow, piercing eyes—yet brimming with unmistakable willpower.
But then—tears slowly welled up in them.
“H-Hey! Did you get hurt somewhere…?”
Crying girls are my weakness. Aside from her butt, she didn’t seem injured, but…
I hesitated to pull her up, leaving me stranded in indecision.
Then, at last—a tiny, trembling voice reached my ears.
“…I’ll haunt you as a ghost.”
“You’re not even dead yet!?”
Scary scary scary. Why is she already planning her posthumous revenge over a bruised butt?!
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