01 . ​I Really Can’t Say No to a My Femal Friend’s Request

“Huh? Hazuki, say that one more time.”

“Uhh… Minato, do you want to rub my tits?”

“The rubbing comes later!”

“You’re gonna rub them later?!”

“Yeah.”

Minato nodded firmly.

The cultural festival held at the end of November had finished, and it was now December—

One evening, Minato was in the living room of the Hazuki residence.

Currently, Hazuki’s mother was away on a long-term business trip. Since her father wasn’t around, Hazuki was effectively living alone. The apartment had some security, but there were still risks for a high school girl living by herself.

For that reason, Minato Toshiya, a friend who lived on a different floor of the same apartment building, was staying over at Hazuki Aoi’s place.

Today, as was natural, Minato was at the Hazuki home. He had flipped up Hazuki’s skirt and was getting a good, long look at her erotic black panties when…

Hazuki casually let slip something outrageous.

“Uhh… I ended up with a makeup exam.”

“…………”

Minato sat back properly on the living room sofa. Hazuki adjusted the hem of her skirt and sat down next to him.

Minato and Hazuki were high school freshmen. At Muromiya High School, which they attended, final exams were ruthlessly held immediately after the cultural festival. No matter how you looked at it, the schedule was wrong, but complaining wouldn’t make the finals get pushed back.

That said, most students started studying for the exams before the festival even ended. Even during the period when Hazuki was feuding with her friend Serina Ruka over the maid cafes at the festival, Minato hadn’t neglected his studies.

However, it seemed this Hazuki Aoi hadn’t studied at all.

Hazuki Aoi was the “Queen” of the popular group and a flashy gyaru. Her long hair was a milk-tea color, she wore her uniform with stylish negligence, and her checkered miniskirt was quite short.

Minato didn’t intend to be prejudiced, but Hazuki looked exactly like someone who hated studying, and that was indeed the reality.

“I messed up… I completely forgot how much Hazuki hates studying…”

Living in the same house, Minato felt like blaming himself for not noticing that Hazuki wasn’t studying. It was so natural for Hazuki not to study that he had simply overlooked it.

“Come to think of it, you didn’t study much for the midterms either, did you?”

“I had Minato teach me for the midterms, so I managed to clear the average.”

“That’s right. Maybe that made me let my guard down.”

Back during the midterms, Minato wasn’t living at the Hazuki house yet, but noticing she wasn’t studying, he had taught her the key points. To think he had missed something so important after they started living together…

“No, we did study together. Why didn’t I notice Hazuki’s lack of progress?”

“Maybe because your own studies were tough too? You seemed to be having more trouble than you did during midterms.”

“That… is true.”

It wasn’t that Minato hadn’t looked at Hazuki’s studies at all for these finals. Still, his own work had been difficult, and it seemed he hadn’t been able to look after Hazuki properly.

“I should have been more careful… seriously.”

“S-Sorry.”

Perhaps because Minato looked so depressed, Hazuki apologized in a rare serious tone.

Minato, still sitting on the sofa, looked at Hazuki beside him—

“Well, there’s no point crying over spilled milk. Let’s just move on.”

“Eh? Minato, you’re not mad?”

“I’m not your mom. I’m not in a position to get angry.”

Minato gave a bitter smile, and Hazuki looked blankly at him. It seemed she had been bracing herself for a real lecture from Minato. But in reality, Minato getting angry wouldn’t solve anything.

“I didn’t really teach you much this time. If I had taught you and you still ended up with a makeup exam, I’d be pissed.”

“M-Minato, do you get pissed at girls?”

“I wouldn’t get mad at just any girl. But Hazuki is a friend. If I’m annoyed, of course I’m going to get angry without holding back.”

“Hmm, I wonder if being friends is a good or bad thing…”

Hazuki laughed weakly.

“Anyway, a makeup exam is bad. Uhh… they said during the first semester finals that if you don’t pass the makeup exam, you have to take supplementary classes during summer break, right?”

Hazuki had failed the first semester finals and ended up with a makeup exam then, too. At that time, Hazuki had asked Minato to teach her so she could pass. That was essentially the beginning of the friendship between Minato and Hazuki.

“Is it the same pattern as the first semester? If you tank the makeup, you get supplementary classes during winter break?”

“Yep. The days are much shorter than summer break, though. Not even a week in total. Winter break is only about two weeks, after all.”

Even if the extra classes were only for five days, it meant attending school for about a third of winter break. It wasn’t unusual for students to come in for club activities or committee work, but coming in for remedial classes would be a significant blow to Hazuki.

“And you hate remedial classes, right?”

“I. Ab-so-lute-ly. HATE THEM!”

“You said that with a lot of sticky force.”

Minato had asked knowing the answer, of course. There probably wasn’t a high schooler alive who would say “remedial classes are fine,” even if they weren’t Hazuki.

“For now, let’s do what we did before—pick the likely topics and prepare for the makeup. Let’s see…”

“Ah, wait, wait, wait.”

“Hmm?”

Hazuki held up a hand to stop Minato. There wasn’t much time between the end of the tests and the makeup exam, so they couldn’t afford to be leisurely—

Just then, the doorbell rang through the living room.

“Ah, perfect timing.”

Hazuki stood up and answered the intercom. The voice that came through was one familiar to Minato. Shortly after, the person who entered the Hazuki home was—

“Excuse me. Aoi-san, Minato-kun.”

“Serina’s here too?”

Refined long black hair, well-formed features, and a slender build. She wore her uniform perfectly, with a knee-length skirt. The girl who gave off an unmistakable ojousama aura was, of course, Serina Ruka.

“Ruka, perfect. I was just about to tell Minato about that.”

“Ah, I see. Then, shall I be the one to tell him?”

“Huh?”

Serina sat down neatly in a formal seiza position on the living room carpet. It seemed she didn’t like sitting on the sofa much and preferred sitting politely on the floor.

“It’s about Aoi-san’s makeup exam, but actually…”

“What is it?”

Serina placed a hand on her chest and looked at Minato with a serious face.

“This time, would you allow me to oversee Aoi-san’s studies?”

“Th-That’s impossible!”

“Impossible?!”

The one who let out the high-pitched voice was Hazuki. However, Minato ignored her and leaned toward Serina.

“Serina, do you realize what you’re saying? Being able to do the work and being able to teach it are two different things.”

“Minato, do you even realize how terrifying I am?”

“It’s easier for me to teach her since my level is closer to hers. Look, in Hazuki’s case, you have to start by making her actually want to do it.”

“Hey, can you stop talking like you’re soothing a toddler?”

Hazuki kept chiming in with small complaints, but Minato didn’t have the leeway for that. He knew Hazuki’s academic inability and lack of motivation better than anyone. He had thought about inviting Serina to a study session with him and Hazuki before, but he didn’t feel like that now. He was convinced that he was the only one who could handle Hazuki.

“I… don’t want to hold back anymore. I’ve wanted to study with a friend for a long time. It’s presumptuous of me to say I’ll ‘teach,’ but…”

“Pre-sumptu… what?”

Leaving aside Hazuki, who was making her lack of education apparent…

“Well, if Serina is studying with Hazuki, it’ll automatically turn into ‘teaching.’”

“I-Is that so?”

“Yeah, there’s no doubt about that. There’s no way I can teach Ruka anything. If I say something unnecessary, I might even make Ruka’s grades worse.”

It seemed even Hazuki had to admit that much.

“Are you okay with that, Hazuki? It sounds like you two already reached an agreement before telling me.”

“Yeah, well, Ruka says she can predict what’ll be on the makeup exam.”

“Eh? Seriously?”

Minato had never taken a makeup exam, so he had never even considered predicting the questions.

“I was shown the questions from the makeup exam Aoi-san took in the first semester. It was based on the first semester final but made easier. I believe I can sufficiently predict the questions for this makeup exam as well.”

“I see…”

The previous makeup exam had been Hazuki’s first. While Minato had helped her study, he hadn’t been able to go as far as predicting the questions.

“Ah, of course, I don’t mean just predicting questions and having her memorize them. I hope to properly teach her how to solve them.”

“If you can do that much, I have no reason to complain.”

Serina was only teaching for the makeup exam. Since the scope was limited, it might be easier for Serina to teach her. The gap in their academic levels wouldn’t be as much of a problem.

“Ideally, I wanted to study with you too, Minato-kun…”

“Well, my grades aren’t bad enough to land me in a makeup exam. It’s probably better if I don’t butt in.”

Hazuki would likely get confused if both Minato and Serina were telling her different things. If that was the case, it would be easier for Hazuki to concentrate if Serina took on the role of teacher alone.

“The next test is the end-of-year one in February. Serina, teach me then.”

“Y-Yes, I would love to.”

Serina nodded happily.

“Ugh, I don’t want to hear about the next test already~”

“You even hate the topic of tests?”

Minato started to feel anxious again about whether Serina could really handle this alone.

“Maybe I should help after all. As the guy in charge of Hazuki’s mental care.”

“What?! I don’t need you to soothe me! Me and Ruka are gonna clear this makeup exam as a tag-team, just watch!”

“…………”

Crap, Minato realized his mistake. He hadn’t meant to provoke her, but he had lit a fire under Hazuki. A lack of motivation was a problem, but a hyper-motivated Hazuki would be just as difficult to handle.

“I’m gonna do my best, Ruka. I’m gonna show Minato a perfect score on my paper!”

“That’s the spirit, Aoi-san. Let’s do our best.”

Hazuki sat down on the floor as well and grabbed Serina’s hand firmly. It seemed Minato’s two female friends had formed a solid tag-team for the makeup exam. If Serina was serious, she might be able to pilot the hyper-motivated Hazuki.

“I’m glad we could settle this. And so—Minato-kun.”

“Hmm?”

Serina moved closer to Minato’s feet while he was sitting on the sofa and looked up at him. Being targeted by the upward gaze of a black-haired beauty, Minato felt his heart start to race.

“Actually… there is something I would like to ask of you, Minato-kun.”

“Ask…?”

The day after Hazuki’s makeup exam studies began.

After school, Minato left his classroom and was walking down the hallway. When he reached his destination, he came to a halt.

“Hrrrrm…”

The plate on the door read: “Student Council Room.”

Minato had been attending Muromiya High School for about eight months, but this was his first time visiting this room. In fact, he had never even been conscious of the existence of a room called the Student Council Room. Minato wasn’t special in that regard; most students were likely the same. The Student Council Room was tucked away in a corner on the second floor of the main building, an area one didn’t usually just pass through.

“I’m a little nervous…”

Minato muttered while standing in front of the door.

The student council members were people he had zero connection with. No, that wasn’t entirely true. He had a very slight connection. He had helped with student council work a few times before. To be precise, he had “helped Serina, who was helping with student council work.”

Visiting the Student Council Room like this was also at Serina’s request. Since Serina would be focusing on studying with Hazuki for the next few days, she had asked Minato to act as her substitute.

“Man, I’ll do anything Serina asks, but…”

Serina was the one who had brought the work home; Minato had never even spoken to the student council members. Student council members were bound to be elite, and Minato, a regular student, felt a bit intimidated by them.

“Well, hesitating isn’t going to get me anywhere.”

The old Minato might have turned back, but since entering high school, he had made new friends and grown through his interactions with them. He liked to think he had developed at least some communication skills. Even if they were student council members, they were still fellow high schoolers. It wasn’t like they were going to eat him alive.

Knock, knock. He tapped on the door of the Student Council Room.

“Hmm…?”

He could hear voices from the other side. However, no response came.

“Um, excuse me…”

Minato tentatively opened the door.

And then—

“Whoa…?!”

Minato reflexively covered his face with both hands and stepped backward—

An instant later, he came to his senses and lowered his hands.

“Wh-What was that?”

He didn’t know why he had reacted like he was shielding himself from an explosion. It was just that the moment he opened the door to the Student Council Room—he saw something incredibly dazzling.

“Is that…?”

Minato re-entered the Student Council Room and looked around. There—

“Yeah, I got it. I’ll take care of this part.”

He heard a slightly low, yet clear and resonant voice. Was it a husky voice, or an “ikemen” voice? It had an androgynous ring that sounded neither male nor female. Regardless, it was a voice that felt like it could melt your brain just by listening to it.

“It’s fine. I can handle this much by myself.”

“Eh, but that’s for our committee…”

“No, it’s student council work too. It’s on the way, anyway. You can leave it to me.”

“I-In that case… please.”

“…………”

The Student Council Room was about a third the size of a regular classroom. There was one long table, and against the wall were a whiteboard and a filing cabinet. There was a desk by the far window where several students were gathered—all of them seemed to be girls. Among them was one tall female student, surrounded by four other girls.

“Um… excuse me.”

“Eh? Ah, what is it? Sorry, I didn’t notice you.”

“…………”

The tall girl noticed Minato and turned around. A slightly suspicious expression flickered across her well-featured face. That tall girl was the owner of the resonant voice. Not only was her voice masculine, but her manner of speaking was also somewhat manly.

“Uhh… I’m here at the request of Serina Ruka from the first year.”

“Ah, I’ve heard. So you’re Minato Toshiya-kun.”

The tall girl said plainly with a neutral expression and nodded.

“Sorry for the trouble. Uh, everyone, I have something to discuss with him. Is that okay?”

When the tall girl said that to the girls around her, they all nodded with flushed faces and left the Student Council Room. Minato could hear them whispering to each other as they went. Among their whispers, one specific word caught his attention—

“They’re from various committees.”

“Huh, ah.”

“At our school, the committees belong to the student council. It’s not exactly a hierarchy, though.”

“I see…”

Since Minato wasn’t on any committee, he had never cared about the organizational structure. For now, he walked toward the desk in the back.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Iori Tsubasa. I’m serving as the Student Council President.”

“Ah, yes.”

The tall girl who stated this coolly to Minato—

She had slightly wavy black hair in a short cut. She wore her gray blazer properly, though her tie was slightly loosened. Her skirt was short, and her shapely long legs deserved the description “doe-like.” She was slender overall, with a model-like physique. And above all, she possessed a dignified, refined beauty—

Minato was surprised at himself for not knowing this Student Council President better.

“Hmm? Is there something on my face?”

“Ah, no, I’m Minato Toshiya—wait, you already know that, right?”

When Minato hurriedly started to introduce himself, Iori nodded.

“Sorry for making you come all this way. Ah, you don’t need to use formal speech. I’m a first-year, just like you.”

“A first-year? Ah, come to think of it…”

Because of the image of a “Student Council President,” Minato had arbitrarily assumed she was an upperclassman. That was why he had spoken formally. Even if it was a girl he was meeting for the first time, if she was in the same grade, he’d use “-san,”

“There was a student council election in September, and I was elected then.”

“That was it… no, you’re right.”

Minato had completely forgotten, but around September there had been an election, and the result—”a first-year was elected”—had been a topic of conversation. Minato couldn’t even remember who he had voted for in that election, though.

“You don’t seem very interested. Well, as long as it isn’t oneself, I suppose it doesn’t matter who the president is.”

“Th-That’s not…”

It was true, but it was hard to admit it to the face of the person who actually became president. It was like saying you’d pushed a troublesome role onto someone else.

“No, I’m joking. It’s not like I was forced to run for the election.”

“I-Is that so?”

“Of course. Apparently, the most common pattern is for a second-year with vice-president experience to be elected, but in the last election, the vice-president didn’t intend to run. They supposedly couldn’t continue student council work due to family circumstances. They were a capable person, so it was a shame.”

“Huh…”

Minato couldn’t even remember the previous Student Council President, so there was no way he would know the vice-president.

“At Muromiya, there have apparently been precedents for first-year Student Council Presidents in the past. That’s why I, having served as secretary in the first half of the year, decided to run.”

“I see…”

Minato knew so little about the student council that he could only give simple nods of agreement. According to President Iori’s explanation—

At Muromiya High School, only the Student Council President is elected annually in September. Other officers are appointed by the president and rotate every six months. It was customary to choose officers from the incoming first-year students as well, and this Iori Tsubasa had been chosen as secretary immediately after entering and served for six months. Then, she had successfully won the election held after her term ended.

“Well, the opposing candidate was a guy who just wanted to stand out, like a nuisance streamer. If I’d lost to him, I might have shut myself away out of shock.”

“That’s a harsh way to put it for the other candidate.”

While making the retort, Minato knew it was a joke. It seemed this cool Student Council President could tell jokes with a straight face.

“But here I am, successfully elected and serving as president. If you ever have a problem, feel free to rely on me anytime.”

“…………!”

Minato almost covered his face with his hands again. Although the Student Council President was, if anything, quiet—she was radiating an aura so bright it was dazzling. To Minato, it looked as if the space behind Iori was filled with light. It was different from the “popular” aura that Hazuki gave off. Her beauty was full of confidence, her large eyes felt strong-willed, and she looked incredibly capable and reliable. No, wasn’t she actually a reliable person? Just seeing her interaction with those committee members earlier made him think so.

“Is something wrong, Minato-kun?”

“N-No…”

He couldn’t say out loud that he was intimidated by the aura of a girl his own age. Even if she was a beautiful charisma, she was still just a classmate. Minato reminded himself that he had been associating with top-tier girls like Hazuki and Serina.

“So—you know why I’m here, right, Madam President?”

“Of course. Serina briefed me. It’s a huge help. Thank you.”

“…………!”

Iori gave a faint smile and grabbed Minato’s hand firmly with both of hers. Her hands were soft, yet strong. Her short hair, her height which wasn’t much different from Minato’s 173 centimeters… The whispers of the girls who had left the room earlier came back to Minato’s mind.

“He really is handsome, isn’t he? The Prince.”

Prince—

Apparently, this dignified Student Council President had been given such a nickname. This was the first time Minato had really looked at Iori Tsubasa, but she certainly could be a prince. With her short hair, dignified features, and tall, slender build, the word “handsome” fit her perfectly. Moreover, the smile Iori had shown for just a moment was enough to make even Minato, a boy, feel a sudden throb in his chest.

A girl as beautiful as a prince.

Following the “Queen” of the popular kids and the refined lady of the ojousama type, another intense character had appeared—

Minato couldn’t help but think that to himself.

The Student Council Room was quite well-equipped for a room intended for student use.

In addition to the air conditioning, there was a humidifying air purifier—an essential item during this cold season.

There was even an electric kettle, and it seemed they were free to enjoy hot beverages like coffee, black tea, and Japanese tea.

“Well, you could say this is a modest little privilege of the Student Council,” Iori Tsubasa said, taking a sip of the hot coffee she had brewed herself.

A cup of coffee had also been placed in front of Minato, who was sitting at the long table.

“You guys are doing all this tedious work, after all. I doubt many people would complain about it.”

“Not everyone is that understanding. You’re more than welcome to use the equipment here as you like, Minato-kun, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t spread the word too much.”

“Hmm…”

As expected, Iori’s tone was quite masculine, even a bit stiff.

However, it was a tone that suited her cool persona perfectly, and it didn’t feel out of place at all.

“Hm? Minato-kun, is something the matter?”

“N-No… more importantly, what exactly am I supposed to be doing?”

“Ah, that’s right. I should explain that first.”

Iori stood up and moved several files and documents that had been piled high on her own desk over to the long table.

Then, she smoothly took a seat on the long table herself.

“Here, it’s this.”

“What’s with this mountain of files and paperwork…?”

Minato felt his heart racing even as he spoke.

Iori was perched on the long table, which was a bit poor manners, but he didn’t mind that at all.

Neither Hazuki nor Honami could be called well-behaved by any stretch of the imagination, after all.

However, rather than her manners, he was more concerned by the fact that Iori was sitting right beside him, with her long, slender legs pointed in his direction.

“Actually, now that final exams are over is when we’re particularly busy—or rather, I should say there are many things we need to get done while the school is quiet.”

“Huh? The Student Council is busy at this time of year?”

Minato hadn’t really been aware of that.

He had assumed that once finals were over, it was a time to relax through winter break and the New Year holidays.

“The truth is, we still haven’t finished cleaning up after the culture festival.”

“The culture festival?”

It had been more than two weeks since the eventful culture festival had ended.

In fact, most of the students had probably already forgotten all about it.

It felt like Hazuki, for instance, had completely banished the memory of her argument with Serina over the direction of the maid café to the far reaches of her mind.

“These files and documents are all related to the culture festival. We still use a lot of paper here.”

“Heh… is it okay if I take a look?”

“Go ahead. There aren’t any secrets or anything.”

Minato picked up a file, trying his best not to let his eyes wander toward Iori’s legs.

He flipped through the pages.

“The culture festival budget and—a financial statement?”

“Yeah. Our school has a bit of an unusual schedule, right? Final exams start immediately after the culture festival ends.”

“Well, it is pretty rough. Between the preparations and the actual event, there’s no time to study.”

“Apparently, it’s the result of the schedule shifting more and more over the years due to various reasons. The school has tried to adjust it, but it hasn’t gone well.”

“Humph…”

“Oh? You don’t seem particularly bothered by it, Minato-kun.”

“No, I do think they should leave a bit more of a gap.”

Minato said this while staring at the file.

“But even though I act all high and mighty telling my friends to ‘go study,’ the truth is, even I don’t start studying for tests until maybe ten days or a week before.”

“Well, at least you’re better than the ones who just cram the night before.”

Muromiya High School was by no means a prep school.

Setting aside top-tier students like Serina, Minato couldn’t exactly be called a serious student himself.

“That’s why we only finished the physical cleanup for the culture festival, and processing all these numbers was put off until later.”

“I see… Since it’s about money, I guess you have to handle it carefully rather than rushing through it while panicking about exams.”

“Exactly. We’re also afraid of making mistakes with the amounts.”

It seemed that even the school wouldn’t make unreasonable demands of the Student Council after setting such a grueling schedule from the festival to the finals.

Minato thought that far—and then suddenly realized something.

“Hm? Wasn’t there a Culture Festival Executive Committee?”

Because of the maid café, Minato had come into contact with the Executive Committee many times.

No matter what they wanted to do, they had needed the committee’s permission.

There had been some concerns regarding the miniskirt maid outfits his class had chosen.

That was a bit of a pain, Minato remembered with a wry smile.

“The Executive Committee handles the overall summary of the festival, of course, but the Student Council is also involved in the management. Processing the money is a task the Student Council is responsible for.”

“Sounds like you guys got stuck with the most annoying part…”

Looking at this mountain of documents, it was likely that the Student Council wasn’t just handling the numbers.

It seemed they had been entrusted with several other post-event tasks as well.

“The Culture Festival Executive Committee dissolves at the end of the second semester. It’s also the Student Council’s job to summarize this year’s reflections and next year’s plans to hand them over to next year’s committee.”

“The Student Council does all that too…?”

“The Executive Committee works so hard during the preparation period and the day of the event. Every year, it seems like they’re completely burned out once the festival is over. So, we figured the Student Council should at least handle the cleanup.”

“…That’s impressive.”

Iori said it nonchalantly, but the cleanup was likely the more difficult part.

She didn’t seem to mind taking on the heavy labor for the sake of the Executive Committee members.

“She’s not just a ‘handsome guy’ in looks…”

“Eh? What was that?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Minato had accidentally muttered it aloud, and he shook his head hurriedly when Iori asked him to repeat it.

Calling a girl “handsome” might be considered rude.

Besides, it wasn’t the kind of word you should blurt out on the day you first met.

“I-I just thought it seemed like a much tougher job than I expected.”

For the time being, Minato brushed it off with a harmless comment.

“Ah, you don’t have to worry that much, Minato-kun.”

“…………!”

Iori lightly hopped down from the long table and pulled up a chair next to Minato to sit down.

“Look, for these parts, you just have to input the numbers exactly as they are into the template spreadsheet.”

“I-I see…”

Iori’s shoulder was brushing against Minato’s arm.

Moreover, a faint, refreshing scent wafted over…

“Oh, Minato-kun. Is something—ah, m-my bad.”

“Eh?”

“Since the last period today was P.E. class… did I smell like sweat?”

“N-No, not at all.”

He truly didn’t smell any sweat at all.

If anything, there was a nice, citrus-like fragrance—

“…Wait, no, no, I mean it!”

“W-What’s wrong, Minato-kun?”

“It’s nothing. More importantly—”

Minato glanced around the room.

“What are the other members doing?”

“Ah, everyone is busy with club activities or helping out at home, so they only show up occasionally.”

“I see…”

Minato now understood why Serina had been helping out.

“It’s a huge help having you come here, Minato-kun. I know it’s tough, but I’m counting on you.”

“…Yeah.”

“Well then, shall we get to work?”

Iori returned to her own seat and picked up some documents.

A cool, handsome “Prince.”

However, she was a slender and beautiful girl.

He knew she was a girl, of course, but he also felt as if he were with a “male friend.”

This Iori Tsubasa was a truly mysterious girl.