Chapter 537: I should have won!
Translator: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu
If he lost this time as well, he would no longer have any self-confidence remaining.
'It's no problem. Even though Seigo Harano is amazing, he's still just a transfer student who only came a few months ago. He also took several long breaks from school, and not only did he not join any clubs at school, he's not the type who actively works on establishing relationship networks within school… I'm the one who'll definitely win!' Kazufuru thought that to himself.
But no matter how much he analyzed it, he was still quite worried in his mind.
A new week, Monday.
Kazufuru detected a subtle atmosphere in the air of the classroom.
There were still a few days until Valentine's Day. However, the boys were already feeling tense. Some would often look at the girls, some would speak much louder than normal, some sat upright with much better posture than normal, and some pretended to casually make what they believed to be cool poses…
'Idiots.'
Although Kazufuru also cared about Valentine's Day, he couldn't help but look down on the other boys in the class that he viewed as being beneath him.
Popularity wasn't something that could be obtained so easily at the last minute by pretending to act cool. It depended on long-term efforts. How foolish of them to only realize the importance of popularity when it was almost Valentine's Day after spending so much time wastefully.
Not to mention, they couldn't control themselves and acted quite abnormally, making them seem even more foolish.
Kazufuru was inwardly thinking such thoughts about his fellow male students, but he still maintained his typical friendly smile towards everyone.
Until that person arrived.
Seigo Harano entered the classroom together with Mika Uehara and Chiaki Wakaba. He greeted all his classmates.
The moment that Kazufuru saw Seigo, his expression flickered slightly as he was inwardly shaken.
Seigo was just as blindingly handsome as usual, and attracted all the girls' attention as well as stimulating the boys' nerves. The originally subtle atmosphere changed ever so slightly, with the addition of anxiety, frustration, jealousy, and other such emotions.
All the boys' negative emotions towards Seigo Harano had lessened significantly due to how much time had passed along with the latter's friendly demeanor in class. Yet, they always felt inferior. At such a special time like Valentine's Day, they suddenly felt this all the more clearly again.
Kazufuru refused to admit that he was the same as those idiots. Still, he could barely admit that he was indeed somewhat bothered by Seigo at this time as well.
For him to have a similar feeling to those foolish idiots… Seigo Harano was just someone that strong.
'Can I really win?'
Kazufuru even began to doubt himself.
Although he denied his own doubts immediately, he still felt quite anxious inside.
For the entire day, he didn't take a single look in Seigo's direction.
After classes, Kazufuru went to the student council room to take care of work.
Natsuya Yoruhana, the student council president, was there as well. No matter how many times he saw her there, working quietly, she was always incredibly beautiful.
Kazufuru truly desired to have a closer relationship to her. However, the scion always kept a distance from him, making it impossible to even know where to begin with her.
They were sitting less than five meters away from each other, yet the distance between their hearts was… He found it impossible to calculate.
After working for quite a while, the student council took a break and sipped some tea together.
"President, it's almost Valentine's Day. Do you have anyone you want to give chocolate to?"
Meisa Yasumi, the second-year female student council secretary who had light purple curly hair and a cute face, asked a serious question.
"Sure," Natsuya replied with a smile.
"Eh? Really? Who!?"
Meisa widened her eyes in surprise. Simultaneously, Kazufuru along with the student council member Kouji Samasa suddenly started paying close attention.
"Of course, I'm giving chocolate to Ooike-kun and Samasa-senpai." Natsuya glanced over at the two boys sitting across from her. "As well as all my male classmates."
The other three student council members were all rendered speechless.
"I'm not asking about friend chocolate, I'm talking about love chocolate," Meisa clarified.
"That's a secret." Natsuya maintained her smile.
"Tell me, President~ At least let me know if there's someone you have in mind or not."
"Secret means it's a secret. How about you, Yasumi-san? Do you have someone to give love chocolate to?"
"I… don't."
"Judging by your expression, I think you're lying."
"I'm… definitely not lying!" Meisa was rather panicky.
"I've heard that you're quite close to Eguchi-senpai from the volleyball club. I bet you're just one step away from formally going out with him." Natsuya looked at Meisa.
"N… not at all! Where did you even hear such a thing, President!?" Meisa's face was now blushing red.
Even though she was the one who asked the question to begin with, she was now being counterattacked.
"I heard it from the volleyball club members in my class. I even heard that someone saw you and Eguchi-senpai walking down the street together, and you were holding his hand in a rather intimate fashion…"
"I did no such thing! I was merely holding his hand!"
"So you did hold his hand." Natsuya had an 'Aha!' expression.
"Sigh… No, wait! What I said now doesn't count!" Meisa's face became even redder.
Kazufuru felt nothing at all from watching this cute senpai of his dig a pitfall for herself.
He was more interested in the student council president. He felt that she was behaving slightly exaggeratedly, unlike her usual self, almost as if she wanted to conceal something.
Her love chocolate's target was a secret… this meant that she might really have a love chocolate target in mind! Otherwise, she should have directly said "I don't have anyone to give love chocolate to."
Kazufuru felt a chill within him as he realized this.
Natsuya Yoruhana had a love chocolate target.
Could this person… possibly be himself?
He tried his very best to think of any possibilities of this being true. However, his sense of logic and reason told him that this was impossible.
Natsuya Yoruhana's love chocolate target couldn't possibly be himself, Kazufuru Ooike!
His emotions were unwilling to accept this.
However, that was what his logic was telling him.
Deep inside himself, Kazufuru loathed his own intelligence.
'If only I wasn't such a logical type.
'If only I was stupider.
'If only… I was just like those other idiots in my class!
'If I simply spent time wastefully just how I wanted, living in a vulgar, base fashion, I wouldn't feel this terrible right now!!'
"Ooike-san, what's the matter?" someone asked concernedly.
This was the gentle-appearing and nice-person-type member of the student council, Kouji Samasa.
Kouji Samasa was the member who ran all the errands for the student council. He had an excellent temper and was an incredibly nice person just like his appearance suggested.
Kazufuru felt that this senpai of his lacked presence, so he looked down upon Kouji. But now that he was receiving concern from Kouji, Kazufuru felt simultaneously warm yet humiliated inside. He didn't know what to say.
"You don't look well. Are you feeling uncomfortable?" Kouji asked Kazufuru another question.
Natsuya and Meisa noticed Kazufuru's strange expression as well.
"Ooike-kun, what's the matter?"
"Ooike-san, your expression looks awful. What happened?"
"…I'm fine." Kazufuru averted his gaze.
It didn't seem like he was fine.
"If you're tired, don't force yourself. Go on home and have a rest. You can leave the rest of the work up to us," Natsuya told him.
"I really am alright. No need to worry about me." Kazufuru wanted to respond calmly. Yet, when he spoke, he sounded rather grim.
"Ooike-san…" Meisa and Kouji both glanced over at their junior in confusion.
Something flashed in Natsuya's eyes as she looked at Kazufuru for a while.
"Go home for now, Ooike-kun."
Her calm words sounded as if she saw through everything.
Kazufuru felt a strong sense of frustration upon hearing this.
"I said I'm fine! Leave me alone!!"
His icy, grim words came out in a shout that seemed like he was venting.
He instantly felt that he had made a mistake. Yet, the next instant, he felt like he didn't care at all anymore.
'Actually, I'm the idiot after all.'
Kazufuru speedily thought about how he spent so much time next to Natsuya Yoruhana's side with zero progress and felt that he had truly been an idiot. He had actually wanted to romantically pursue this scion and felt that he could succeed?
The honest truth was that he didn't have a chance from the start! His former beliefs and self-confidence seemed just like a joke to him right now…
He felt that he was nothing more than a clown.